Johns Hopkins Magazine -- February 2001
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FEBRUARY 2001
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ALUMNI NOTES

ALUMNI NEWS

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Alumni News
Editor: Billie Walker


Alumni Council Keeps People Connected
Market Investor, Activist Supports Hospital and Student Arts Center
Celebrating the Johns Hopkins Initiative: Alumni, Other Donors Honored in Medallion Ceremony
Alumni Event Highlights
Society of Black Alumni Meets in Baltimore
Introducing Men's Lacrosse
Coach Dave Pietramala
Women's Lacrosse Season Review
Hopkins Alumni Tour Gets the Royal Treatment
Hopkins Valentines: A February Story


Alumni Council Keeps People Connected

by Joshua J. Reiter, A&S '83, SPSBE '94
Alumni Council Secretary

Alumni Council members from all divisions came to Homewood for Leadership Weekend to work on improving alumni chapters, enhancing student life, communicating about new alumni programs, and maintaining contact with alumni worldwide.

In fact, maintaining contact with alumni is a special focus of the Alumni Council. With vast changes in technology, enhancing the way the University communicates with its alums is a fascinating and exciting process. E-mail, web pages, alumni directories, and online magazines and newsletters are all wonderful ways to keep alumni informed. However, the real challenge is how best to do that, and who decides how to do it?

New Alumni Council officers are, from left, Vice President Rick Carr (Engr '78), Treasurer Helen Holton (SPSBE '95), President Idy Iglehart (Med '83), vice President Rashid Chotani (SPH '96), and Secretary Josh Reiter (A&S '83, SPSBE '94). Not pictured: First Vice President Joe Reynolds (Engr '69).

That is where the Alumni Council plays a critical role. With the help of professional staff from the Alumni Relations Office and the Information Systems group at Hopkins, Alumni Council committee members have examined various opportunities and ideas for using technology most effectively.

One of the initial outcomes of these discussions is the creation of HopkinsNET. This online program allows alumni to learn about the latest news at Hopkins, find classmates, search for alumni in a particular profession or industry, and maintain an affinity with JHU. If you have not had a chance to look at HopkinsNET, I would encourage you to do so at hopkinsnet.jhu.edu.

Also, any alum who would like to become more involved with the University should contact the Alumni Relations Office. There are wonderful people to meet, a great sense of accomplishment to be had, and plenty to do.

Contact the Alumni Association Office by phone: 1-800-JHU-JHU1 (1-800-548-5481); 410-516-0363; by e-mail: alumni@jhu.edu; fax: 410-516-6858; or mail: 3211 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218-3390.


Market Investor, Activist Supports Hospital and Student Arts Center

Evelyn Y. Davis, founder of the CEO newsletter Highlights and Lowlights and a frequent participant in White House press conferences, has made unrestricted gifts personally and through the Evelyn Y. Davis Foundation to the Johns Hopkins Hospital and the student arts center on the Homewood campus, where plaques will be placed to commemorate these gifts.

Her newsletter, for CEOs only, is a combination of corporate commentary and information.

Michael R. Bloomberg, chairman of the Board of Trustees, thanks Evelyn Y. Davis for providing unrestricted support to Johns Hopkins.

Mrs. Davis started investing in the stock market with seed money from securities inherited from her father, the late Dr. Herman de Jong, a faculty member at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. She now has holdings in some 100 blue-chip companies and attends about 40 annual stockholders meetings each year.

A resident of Washington, D.C., where she studied business administration at George Washington University, Mrs. Davis established the Evelyn Y. Davis Foundation in 1989 to channel her philanthropy.


Celebrating the Johns Hopkins Initiative: Alumni, Other Donors Honored in Medallion Ceremony

The mid-October day was unseasonably warm and sunny as the robed marchers moved toward the red-carpeted steps of Shriver Hall. The academic procession had the earmarks of a graduation ceremony. From a podium at the foot of Shriver Hall, trustee chairman emeritus Morris Offit read each donor's name, and President William R. Brody and board chairman Michael R. Bloomberg greeted marchers as they passed by, along the red carpet, into the hall. The participants were celebrating and being honored for a significant accomplishment: their leadership role, as donors of $100,000 or more, in the tremendous success of the Johns Hopkins Initiative, which raised more than $1.5 billion.

Inside the auditorium, a specially commissioned medallion bearing the likeness of Johns Hopkins was presented to each donor by a student or faculty escort. One donor, Eugene Zeltmann, A&S '64 (M.A.), '67 (Ph.D.), who endowed a fellowship for graduate students in chemistry, said afterward, "I found it particularly touching that accompanying my daughter and me was Dr. Paul Dagdigian, chairman of the chemistry department, where I myself was a graduate student so many years ago."

Keynote speaker C. Michael Armstrong spoke of "the cycle of giving." He suggested that, in the years to come, many of the people escorting donors today would be celebrated for their own gifts in the future.

"The Dutch have a proverb," Mr. Armstrong said, "'Who gives to me, teaches me to give.'"

Mr. Bloomberg told the honorees that Hopkins has been strengthened by philanthropy for 125 years, and that the medallion they received "is a symbol of your partnership in the leadership and the future of Johns Hopkins."

The nearly 500 honorees and escorts were joined in the auditorium by hundreds of family members and friends, filling Shriver Hall to capacity.

The stage is set to thank campaign leaders and donors.

Keynote speaker C. Michael Armstrong invokes the Dutch proverb: "Who gives to me, teaches me to give."

Michael Bloomberg thanks fellow alumni Randolph W. Bromery, A&S '68 (Ph.D.), trustee emeritus.

Professor Richard J. Johns, Med 1948, is escorted by Shari Lawson, A&S 1997, Med 2001, at a unique medallion ceremony honoring leadership donors.

Lasker Award-winning Hopkins medical geneticist Victor McKusick, Med '46, and his wife, Anne, Med '50.

Alumni, trustees, other Hopkins friends, and their escorts proceed to Shriver Hall for a ceremony last fall honoring leadership donors to the Johns Hopkins Initiative. The day was spectacular, the mood exuberant.

Richard Frary, A&S '69, is greeted by President Brody.

Pulitzer Prize-winner Russell baker, A&S '47, and President Brody after the ceremony.

Michael Bloomberg greets Jodi Nordmann, A&S '93, and her father, Ron Nordmann, A&S '63.


Alumni Event Highlights

February
22 Lion King in Los Angeles
SOLD OUT
24 Midwinter Ball in Baltimore
27 Chapter Dinner in Naples, Florida
March
1 Chapter Dinner in Tampa, Florida
2 Chapter Dinner in Miami, Florida
31 Hopkins Today in Washington, D.C.
April
19, 20, 21 Homewood Homecoming and Reunions
25 Peabody Symphony Orchestra in New York City
26 Dinner in Providence, Rhode Island
June
7, 8, 9 Biennial Meeting of the Johns Hopkins Medical and Surgical Association
8, 9, 10 Nursing Homecoming
For the complete calendar of alumni events visit alumni.jhu.edu/alumni.html or call 1-800-JHU-JHU1 (1-800-548-5481) or 410-516-0363.


Society of Black Alumni Meets in Baltimore

Since their first formal meeting in February 1995, the Society of Black Alumni (SOBA) has been dedicated to its mission of generating and sustaining interest in and support between the University and its black alumni. SOBA continues to grow, with over 250 active members, and is enthusiastically planning events and activities for 2001 and beyond.

At the October annual meeting, current and prospective members enjoyed a spirited gospel breakfast and were addressed by a number of dynamic speakers. Two new awards were dedicated and presented at the meeting. The Society of Black Alumni President's Award was given to Renee Chenault, A&S '79. Paul White, associate dean of admissions at the School of Medicine, was honored with the Frederick I. Scott Jr. Award. Mr. Scott (pictured, right, with Society President Loren Douglass, Engr '86, SAIS '95) is credited with being, in 1950, the first black man to receive an engineering degree from Hopkins. SOBA held its annual meeting, along with a Friday evening reception, in conjunction with the Johns Hopkins Leadership Weekend. For more information about the SOBA, visit alumni.jhu. edu/alumni/connections/soba or call 1-800-JHU-JHU1 (1-800-548-5481) or 410-516-5185.


Introducing Men's Lacrosse
Coach Dave Pietramala

Dave Pietramala (pictured at right), A&S 1989, will begin his first season as the head coach of the Blue Jays in the spring.

"Ever since the day I decided I wanted to be a head lacrosse coach, I knew I eventually wanted to be the head coach at Johns Hopkins University," Coach Pietramala says. "I feel very fortunate to be associated with an outstanding academic institution that is recognized around the world and with a lacrosse program that has such a rich tradition." Coach Pietramala is the 22nd coach in the 117-year history (112 seasons) of the Hopkins' lacrosse program.

In his three seasons as the head coach of the Big Red, he guided Cornell to a 23-17 (.575) record, an appearance in the 2000 NCAA Tournament, and a final national ranking of ninth in the 2000 STX/USILA Poll.

One of the best defensive players in the history of lacrosse, Coach Pietramala was a three-time First Team All-American during his career at Johns Hopkins. He led the Blue Jays to the 1987 NCAA Division I Championship and an appearance in the 1989 NCAA Championship game. He remains one of only 19 players in Hopkins' history to earn First Team All-America honors three times. He is one of just five JHU defensemen to earn the honor three times.


Women's Lacrosse Season Review

Ranked 16th nationally by the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches' Association, the Johns Hopkins University women's lacrosse team captured the runner-up trophy in the Eastern College Athletic Conference Tournament May 13-14, an impressive finish to what was only their second season in Division I.

The 2000 season was the program's 25th. The team rode an eight-game winning streak and had two thrilling wins over IWLCA-ranked teams to secure a berth in the ECAC Tournament, where they defeated Connecticut in the semifinals before falling to No. 15 Cornell in the championship game. They completed the season with a 12-6 record.


2001 Men's Lacrosse Schedule
Date Opponent Time
March 3 @ Princeton 1:00 pm
March 10 Hofstra 1:00 pm
March 17 @ Syacuse 2:30 pm
March 24 Virginia (WMAR-TV 2) 8:00 pm
March 31 @ North Carolina 1:00 pm
April 3 Villanova 7:00 pm
April 7 Ohio State 1:00 pm
April 14 @ Maryland (WMAR TV 2) 8:00 pm
April 21 Navy (WMAR-TV 2)
Homecoming
3:00 pm
April 28 Towson (WMAR-TV 2) 1:00 pm
May 5 Loyola (WMAR TV 2) 1:00 pm
NCAA Tournament
Date Round Location
May 19 First Round Hofstra University
May 20 Quarterfinals University of Maryalnd
May 26 Semifinals Rutgers University
May 28 Finals Rutgers University
NOTES
For the latest scores and any schedule changes check www.hopkinssports.com or call the sports information line 410-516-0638.
Home games in bold


2001 Women's Lacrosse Schedule
Date Opponent Time
March 2 North Carolina 6:00 p.m.
March 4 Duke 1:00 p.m.
March 7 @ American 3:30 p.m.
March 9 William & Mary 4:00 p.m.
March 11 Lehigh 1:00 p.m.
March 14 Mount Saint Mary's 6:00 p.m.
March 18 @ Davidson 1:00 p.m.
March 23 @ Brown 4:00 p.m.
March 31 Richmond 1:00 p.m.
April 8 Hofstra 1:00 p.m.
April 14 @ Maryland (WMAR-TV2) 5:00 p.m.
April 18 @ Villanova 7:00 p.m.
April 25 @ Towson 3:30 p.m.
April 28 Yale 12:00 p.m.
May 1 @ George Mason 4:00 p.m.
May 5 @ Cornell 1:00 p.m.
NCAA Tournament
May 10 First Round (TBD-campus sites)
May 12 Quarterfinals (TBD-campus sites)
May 18 Semifinals @ Johns Hopkins
May 20 Finals @ Johns Hopkins
Home games in bold


Hopkins Alumni Tour Gets the Royal Treatment

Eighteen participants of the Hopkins Alumni Association travel series toured Egypt and Jordan last month with Hopkins' own Betsy Bryan, the Alexander Badawy Professor of Near Eastern Studies. The group gazed at the pyramids, flew in a chartered plane to Nubia, cruised the Nile, and floated in the Dead Sea as the lights of Bethlehem twinkled from across the water.

In addition to offering to the group her expertise on ancient art and culture, Dr. Bryan also opened doors for them that are usually closed to the public, receiving permission to take the group through the South Temple of Karnak (dedicated to the Goddess of Mut), where Johns Hopkins University will begin excavations in January 2001.

Hopkns alumni pose with the Pharoahs at Abu Simbel.

Join fellow Hopkins alumni on one of our upcoming trips!

June 8-16 Village Life on the Riviera
June 14-28 Passage on the Elbe: Germany, Czech Republic, and Poland
July 9-17 Alumni College in Salzburg, Austria
July 13-26 Voyage of the Goddess: Paris, South France, Sardinia, Italy
July 22-30 Village Life in England's Cotswolds
July 23-31 Alumni College in Normandy
August 3-14 Treasures of the Seine with Professor Gert Brieger
August 12-20 Family Alumni College in the Swiss Alps
September 10-18 Alumni College in Sorrento

For further information on these and other trips, please visit alumni.jhu.edu or call 1-800-JHU-JHU1 (1-800-548-5481) or 410-516-0363.


Hopkins Valentines: A February Story
By Emily Richards, A&S '97 (M.A.)

Johns Hopkins University a hotbed of romance? Love may not be the first thing that leaps to mind when you think of Hopkins, but more than 6,000 alums are married to other alums--a relatively high percentage (6%) even when compared to the inter-alumni marriage rate at cozy places like Williams College (10%), with its tiny campus nestled in the picturesque Berkshires, where students are often snowbound together for long stretches of winter.

"I wouldn't characterize Hopkins as a romantic place," admits Howard Turner Jr., Engr '95. "There is, however, a certain esprit de corps that comes from surviving four years of JHU and having someone else who understands the demands of the environment." This year Howard will marry fellow alum Johanne Phair, Engr '95 (M.S.).

The demands of the environment change with the times, as do the stories of campus romance.

Old-Fashioned Romance

A few months after the end of World War II, nursing student Helen Merrill, Nurs '48, and a group of her school friends sat on a dock along the Severn River, dipping their bare toes into the water. In those days, Hopkins owned a cottage for nurses at a resort near Annapolis.

That afternoon, a group of Hopkins ATO fraternity brothers arrived in swimming trunks and sat down next to the women.

"They knew there would be nurses there," Helen laughs. "I met Leo because he was the one who sat next to me, that's all. Then he called me, and kept calling me, and we started dating."

"In those days," Helen says, "a date usually meant going out for an ice cream, or going to the fraternity house for a dance."

Leo Gugerty, A&S '50, who had interrupted his Hopkins schooling for war-time service in the Navy, had just that year returned to study business.

The Gugerty's found love at Johns Hopkins.

Five years later Helen and Leo were married, with a wedding reception in the Hampton House living room, where punch was served out of a big crystal bowl and a table was laid with tiny sandwiches. Some of Leo's fraternity brothers who had a string combo provided the evening's entertainment.

The Gugertys returned to Hopkins last April for Mr. Gugerty's 50th reunion; they attended Mrs. Gugerty's 50th in 1998.

A Homecoming

When Karen Rappaport, A&S '90, was a junior, her helpful friends fixed her up with Noah Estrin, Engr '91. They dated until Karen graduated. When she returned the following spring for Homecoming weekend, their eyes met across a crowded room at a party and they were reunited. Now a happily married couple, the Estrins have not missed a Homecoming since that 1990 meeting, and last year Karen chaired her 10-year Hopkins reunion.

Meant For Each Other

Also the beneficiary of a Hopkins fix-up, Frances Watt was introduced to her future husband on the first day of classes in 1961.

"One of my classmates came up to me and said, 'I've got just the guy for you," Frances recalls. "I thought this woman was crazy. None of us even knew each other yet."

But, that night at a party, the woman introduced Frances to the man she'd talked about, Lenox D. Baker Jr., and Frances spent the entire evening laughing and talking with him. They married a year after earning their bachelor's degrees in 1963, then went on to complete their M.D.s together at the Hopkins School of Medicine in 1966.

Two decades later at the School of Medicine, marriage among students reached an apex when 18 members of the class of 1984 married classmates--almost one-sixth of that year's graduates.

Michele Bellantoni, Med '84, recalls receiving in the mail before arriving at Hopkins a booklet with pictures and descriptions of each of the members of the incoming class.

"My mother pointed to Jon's picture and said, 'That's the one for you.' I was a little outraged and said to Mom, 'Are you sending me to medical school to become a doctor or to marry a doctor?'"

But five years later Michele had done both--earned her M.D. and married Jon Bellantoni, with whom she shared so much in common (as her mother had noticed at once), including a deep interest in medicine and a strong religious faith.

"It's not really anything about Hopkins that is romantic," says Dr. Bellantoni to explain the numerous marriages among her classmates, "it's what we brought with us to Hopkins."


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