Our third Words of Wisdom Golden Tiger survey targeted alums from 1961 – 1964 – those who were students, either at CHHS or college. Those years were characterized by significant world events such as the Cuban Missile Crisis, NASA sending men into space, and of course, the assassination of a US president beloved by many. As in the previous queries, questions sought to illicit recollections of interrupted school experiences due to world events and interest in offering relevant advice to Tiger Nation families coping with uncertainty and urge to get to the “other side” of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thank you to our Golden Tigers for sharing these powerful memories and providing meaningful advice to Tiger Nation.
RANDY APEL, 1961
Memories: I was a sophomore at Kent State University and I was walking to a class when I saw a group of students standing around
Advice: This virus is something no one alive has ever experienced. Personally, I wear a mask and gloves when I go for groceries. I see people that don’t believe protection is necessary. I see an America that is destined for change. Who will go to a movie? Who will go to a baseball game and sit next to thousands of people? A large number of people will work from home and commercial real estate will diminish. Even students will learn from reality methods and may not go to a building for years. I’m not about gloom and doom, however, the smart kids will figure out a way to make this country better. I’ve always said there are so many ways to make a good living in America. Have faith and get a good education.
AMY COTTRELL, 1961
Advice: This, too, shall pass.
HAROLD BASKIN, 1961
Memories: I was in German class at Ohio University. After class, I went back to my dormitory. A large group of students were gathered around the TV. That was my first definite knowledge of the assassination. I was at Ohio University during the civil rights protests. It was an exciting and optimistic time. I also remember the Bay of Pigs fiasco and the Cuban missile crisis. Some students left school to join the Navy, thinking that they would be sent directly to the Caribbean.
Advice: Always do the right thing, even when it’s difficult. And be sure to vote. We know how the last election turned out because people didn’t.
GEORGE COUCH, 1961
Memories: (I remember being) at the well deck of a Navy ship when heard about JFK. My brother was with me on the ship, but there was no politics, just business. (Many of the events of the 60s were impactful) but being on station for the Cuban Blockade was the most significant.
Advice: We are seeing 50 years of social/political posturing coming to a head. All these new platforms promote any person’s ability to promote their agenda for good or ill. Sad.
JON ENGLANDER, 1961
Advice: I don’t know whether it will help, but everything related to us is finite, so we can only do what’s right in the time we have. Care for others, and don’t take out your fears and frustrations on others. Don’t scream about your rights, and flaunt the fact you are lower risk. Focus on your good fortune, and heed the advice of those who are truly knowledgeable. This will not end quickly, and life will change some. But most generations experienced change. The generation before mine experienced the horror of the (Fuhrer). That changed everyone’s life – everyone in the world. My generation (experienced) air raid drills and Vietnam. So, as for the changes now…learn to deal with them…without becoming a lemming.
ANDREW FROELICH, 1961
Memories: I was waiting for my private piano lesson at the Cleveland Institute of Music when the instructor game out with the news that
Advice: The impeachment hearings of Nixon created for many people one of the worst crises in our democracy. What I always thought that gave me comfort, was that our constitution has a flywheel effect. It carries us through the rough spots.
DAVE SHEINBART, 1961
Memories: I recall being shocked from news reports and (feeling) impacted by NASA.
Advice: This too will pass.
MAUREEN SLOAN, 1961
Memories: Yes, I remember. I graduated in June 1961. I was at Miami University, just coming out of chemistry lab and walking across the quad when another student yelled that the president had been shot. I didn’t believe him. Then got back to the dorm and learned that it was true. (sigh) So, I wasn’t in class and am not aware that the university had any public broadcasts. But the news traveled very fast. By
Advice: It is really hard to give any advice to members of the Tiger Nation. This is so different than anything that I experienced before (both the pandemic and the state of our national politics). The most that I can say is to be kind to others. It is hard right now and many people are struggling but it will not do any individual any good to be angry or mean. We will get through this. We will be different, but we will get through this.
JOEL FREUND, 1962
Memories: I was walking by the cafeteria in my dorm, when I heard an announcement that (JFK) had been shot. As a first semester sophomore, I was more caught up in school related issues rather than national and international issues. However, because of the Bay of Pigs and Cuban Missile crisis, one of my school mates (a cadet in Naval ROTC) was sent to Cuba for part of that time. When he returned, he was unable to go home for Thanksgiving, and he came to our house for the holiday.
Advice: I really have no sage (or rosemary or thyme) advise to pass on. I can only think of the phrase that is attributed to Lincoln: “This too shall pass.” However, the passing in this case may take quite some time.
DENNIS GERSHOWITZ, 1962
Memories: I was on campus in my car when heard that JFK was assassinated. I had the radio on and the news was shattering. I pulled
Advice: Be resilient. Although these are disruptive and uncharted times, they too will pass. We will learn and hopefully improve from our experiences. In the end, we will travel on many journeys in our lifetime. Our inner strength and wisdom will help us navigate these to a successful end.
LESLIE FRIEDMAN GOLDSTEIN, 1962
Memories: I had come out of class at the University of Chicago, onto the mall. It was a gray dreary day, drizzling, as Cleveland often does (around 11 a.m.) My professor was standing stock still, not near anyone. He said to me, “Did you hear?” I said, “What?” He replied, “The
Comment: I have noticed that folks now routinely say good-bye with a new farewell, “Stay safe.”
PHILIP GOLDSTEIN, 1962
Memories: Yes, I was on the lawn of the campus of Columbia University in NYC. We then marched down Broadway in protest. The freedom ride and the church bombings upset me and led to my joining protest marches.
SANDFORD (Sandy) HARTMAN, 1962
Memories: I was walking down Sheridan Avenue in Evanston, Illinois (Northwestern University). After hearing (that JFK had been shot) on the street, I’d just walked into class. Someone had a transistor radio (remember those?) and (an) official announcement was made. No
Advice: Listen to the experts, not the politicians, political pundits or so-called news stations. Unfortunately, almost all news today is biased in one direction or the other. We mostly got news (making our decisions easier) rather than opinion or ignorant ranting.
BOB LEESON, 1962
Memories: I was in organic chemistry lab making a Grignard reagent. My lab instructor came in and said ” I don’t think I should tell you this, but Kennedy has been shot”. I poured my chemicals down the sink and went to the closest TV set in a snack bar on campus. I then went home and sat in front of the TV watching all the events of the next few days, which included the funeral and Lee Harvey Oswald
Advice: Set high standards and long-term goals. Find a partner who has similar goals that you can work toward together over time. Stay well.
DAVID A. LINK, 1962
Memories: I was at Harvard at the time (and remember) a student in the next entry screaming “they shot the President!” The student’s father was a US Senator, so it had to be true. After that, students gathered at radios and televisions to find out what was going on. The
Advice: Our world has endured terrible pandemics in the past (think of the bubonic plague which devastated much of Europe and Asia — “the Black Death” — in the 14th century). This, too, shall pass.
ROBERT O’BRIEN, 1962
Memories: I was in the US Army stationed in Pleiku, Vietnam during the early advisor phase of the war. Being in Vietnam, JFK’s assassination seemed “distant” to us. Plus, it happened only three weeks after Vietnam President Diem’s assassination. (And), being in the
Advice: “Think positive. We will get through this”. We have survived many crises in our lives. Including WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Polio, childhood diseases, the Cold War, blizzards, tornadoes, the 60s riots, recession, and other crises. And we will survive this pandemic crisis too.
GARY STRONG, 1962
Memories: Yes, I was a Freshman at OSU, between classes, having a soda at Campus Neil. Suddenly it got quiet, people started
Advice: We all recover through different means, but regardless of how, we do recover. Having lived through 9/11 here in New York, I am often amazed that life goes on.
STEVE WEISS, 1962
Memories: I was eating a late lunch in my fraternity house by myself when I heard that (JFK) had been shot. (I recall) the early space flights (and feeling) impacted most by them.
Advice: Do what you love.
STEPHEN CLAGHORN, 1963
Memories: I remember being in a freshman English class at the College of Wooster and family members (feeling) sorrowful about Kennedy and scared about Johnson. Both the Bay of Pigs and the Missile Crisis served as lessons about what can go wrong when we have bad leadership.
Advice: Be confident. The US is very strong… Vote for very strong leadership.
CAROLYN MILLER HORVATH, 1963
Memories: (The news about JFK) was broadcast on the TV in the lobby of my dorm on the campus of Ohio University. It was shocking to everyone watching or hearing about it and everyone was sad and some were crying. They were showing the motorcade and Kennedy
Advice: Don’t be driven by fear. Learn to listen to different sides of an issue before deciding how you feel about it. We all have our own prejudices/biases/opinions. That doesn’t mean others are wrong and you are right. Sometimes there is more than one good answer or solution. It is becoming more difficult to tell the difference between fact and fiction today. It seems like every issue is slanted by partisan politics, money, greed and/or special interests. Learn to think for yourself and form your own opinions. Cleveland Heights High School always provided an excellent education to enable students to do just that. Things will get better. They always do!
LOIS POLSTER KAYE, 1963
Memories: It was my freshman year at Ohio State and three Cleveland friends came down for the weekend. They had gone to great pains to ‘cut’ high school on Friday. Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, everything was closed down at OSU–sort of like Covid-19.
Advice: It seems things pass. Sometimes not without great loss and sorrow, but life continues.
WILLIAM MARKEY, 1963
Advice: History will prove that this will pass. We should follow the advice from our leaders to be vigilant until there is a resolution.
LYNN BOURNE RUBIN, 1963
Memories: I was walking on the street at Miami University (when I heard that Kennedy was shot). (I recall) my family (being) very upset. I thought the Peace Corps was a great idea, was very excited about NASA, yet concerned over what the Freedom Riders had to deal with. Advice: Learn all you can about current happenings. Let your beliefs guide you toward getting involved where you can help.
DORRIE SLUTSKER, 1963
Memories: I was in my dorm room during my first year at the University of Chicago when the news came that Kennedy had been shot. I huddled on my bed, not quite believing what I was hearing. The moment seemed to go on forever as the news kept updating. I was sure Kennedy would survive. When he died, I thought the world was tipping side-ways. I was terrified. I was also furious. In subsequent days, I heard or read that Lyndon Johnson had a role in killing Kennedy and I believed it. I hated Johnson. I thought he was ignorant and boorish and evil. I knew he would escalate the war in Vietnam and he did.
Fast forward 50 years. Lyndon Johnson was outdone in evil by subsequent holders of the POTUS title. We the people ended the Vietnam War but the US has been at war constantly since then in different parts of the world. The women’s and gay liberation movements have made great strides. Civil rights have improved but still have a long way to go. Marijuana is legal in many states including the one I live in (California). Other psychedelics are finding medicinal uses and will probably be legalized soon. And the Chicago cops, along with cops everywhere, are still behaving badly.
Advice: Human history has always been a mixture of progress and regress. My mother worked for progressive causes all her life. I asked her towards the end of her life why she kept fighting when the world seemed to get worse every time it looked like it was getting better. She said you just have to keep trying. How else can you live?
DREW ALGASE, 1964
LORELEI (LORI) BRUSH, 1964
Memories: I was in physics class taking a test. (I remember news reports indicating) that Kennedy had been shot and later that he’d died. My dad was a John Birch republican, never voted for a Democrat in his life. He didn’t like Kennedy and he sure didn’t like Johnson. I
Advice: Keep up your connections with each other, and find a way to help someone else!
HOWARD S. CHAPMAN, 1964
Memories: I had left school for lunch (and) I hitch-hiked back to school after lunch. The lady driving said the President was just shot. I thought she was crazy. I made her stop the car and ran the rest of the way to school. When I arrived at school, I went to the office and asked if they heard anything. I was told no. Upon checking with the radio, we learned that President Kennedy was assassinated. What a sad a time this was for our Country and all of us.
Advice: The United States is strong and so are its people. We will recover.
JEFFREY COHEN, 1964
Memories: I was in the choir room. Mr. Strickling never came in. We just sat there and a radio came on. When we realized what was being said, it was like being buried in an avalanche of bricks. I was stunned senseless, overwhelmingly sad, spooked, afraid and incredulous. When the bell rang, we all just left. I recall news reports (saying) JFK was shot and eventually pronounced dead. My parents were very quiet and pretty much planted in front of the TV. So much of what was going on (in the early ‘60s) was exciting and hopeful, (however) the Cuban missile crisis scared me badly.
Advice: Get big and be present.
SHERRIE DUERR, 1964
Memories: I was in gym class and of course could not quite comprehend what I had just heard, and comprehend what I was hearing. My family, as can be expected, everyone was in a state of shock. How could something like this happen? Since I was in high school, (I am) not
Comment: I am having a very hard time wrapping my head around what life has become. And I’m not looking forward to things that I have grown to enjoy and expect to no longer be an option.
EDIE HAUPTMAN, 1964
Memories: I was in a social studies class with Mr. Johnson. Our room faced the courtyard. Actually, there was an announcement on the
Advice: You have to be grateful for what you have and hopeful for a healthy and happy future.
RUTH HOCKMAN HELTZER, 1964
Memories: Yes, was in the middle of a chemistry exam in Mr. Presser’s class. Our exam was interrupted with news of the JFK shooting. (A)s I changed classes, there were many people crying in the hallway. Luckily, my next class was social studies and our teacher spent the entire class explaining the US Constitution and the laws of succession. My parents were mostly shocked and saddened
Advice: Although we have never experienced anything like this virus and the death it has caused, hopefully this will be another terrible world event that we can look back on in the future as a difficult but short event. This too hopefully will pass…
BARBARA DEMMING LURIE, 1964
HERB MOSS, 1964
Memories: Yes, was economics with Mr. Henry Bertodato. Believes hearing about news as a school announcement.
Advice: “Hang tough.” Discuss (difficult) issues with parents or counselors at the school.
SHARON KIRSCH SCHLENSINGER, 1964
Memories: I was in a class, and heard (the news) over the school speaker. My reaction (was) total shock and great sadness. It was just so
Advice: Stay strong and committed to fulfilling your goals
KATHLEEN SWEENEY SMITH, 1964
Memories: I was in homeroom (In Mr. Winter’s English class) when the principal announced Kennedy had died. We all were stunned
Advice: Pay attention to science, have faith that smart people will find a way forward, try to find pleasure in each moment and love your family and friends.
RICHARD STEVENS (STEVELBERG), 1964
Memories: I was in Max Presser’s chemistry class and remember the announcement that President Kennedy was shot in Texas. The events of the early ‘60s all impacted our lives, but with different degrees of intensity.
Advice: Don’t be impatient to get back to normalcy, because we will have a new normalcy, and no one is quite sure what it will end up being.
JOE WINER, 1964
Memories: I was sitting in a classroom at HHS when the announcement came over the P.A. My family was astounded…we all gathered
Advice: Although we’re all anxious to return to some semblance of normalcy, those of us who want to spend more time with our grandchildren in the coming years will listen to the medical professionals and continue to shelter-in-place until we’ve got either a workable vaccine or a cure for COVID-19. Not a great scenario, but it sure beats the alternative!
AMONG RESPONDENTS who replied via the online survey:
- 97 % remembered where they were when they first heard that JFK was assassinated
- 54 % recall class instruction (either at CHHS or their college) being interrupted to listen to national broadcast news about the shooting and death of President Kennedy in Dallas
Cover Image: American flag on moon. Credit: Getty 25th Anniversary / Front Image: The Plain Dealer November 23, 1963. Credit: Cleveland.com