Class Note 1969
When you read this the reunion will be a happy memory for those of us who met and shared the good times. Many of the events and experiences will be recounted in the next column and I hope there will be tales about scores of us who gathered on the Green.
Meanwhile there are still a few classmates sharing their stories. Tom Bevan is a bio-psychologist with a Ph.D. in physiological psychology from Princeton and has recently completed a book after several years of research and a lifetime of introspection. The book The Transsexual Scientist describes Tom’s life experiences and search for the scientific causes of transsexualism. Tom has known since the age of 4 that he was a transsexual but kept it hidden and lived the life of a male for more than 50 years. She is now Dana Jennett Bevan, and her book is a scientific analysis of the reasons for the transgender phenomenon, a study that parallels her autobiographical story. In her research Dana found two causes for transsexualism that were supported by science. These discoveries led to her coming out and transition. To learn more about Dana’s fascinating story, her book is available on Amazon in Kindle and paperback.
Recently elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame is our own Russ Granik. Russ ended his 30-year career in the NBA in 2005 after serving the last 22 years as deputy commissioner under David Stern. He graduated from Harvard Law School in 1973 and joined a New York law firm working alongside Larry O’Brien III, the son of the NBA commissioner. With that family connection Russ was introduced to the senior O’Brien and joined the NBA in 1976 as a staff attorney and assumed many roles during the next few years—among them writing speeches for Commissioner O’Brien, being heavily involved in the 1983 negotiations with the players’ union that set salary caps and initiating a drug testing policy that transformed the NBA. Following his retirement Russ worked with a leading sports finance and advisory business and in 2010 was retained by ESPN as its labor analyst providing on-air commentary.
After his confirmation to the U.S. District Court in 2011 Judge R. Brooke Jackson is handling some high-profile cases including his recent ruling that “wrongful death and personal injury lawsuits can proceed against Cinemark USA,” the owner of the Aurora, Colorado, theater where 12 people were killed and 70 wounded last July.
Another class author is Howard Robertson, who has two new books out from Publication Studio, Odes to the Ki of the Universe and The Green Forces of Spring. In the past month he has done readings in Boston and several West Coast cities. Robert writes poetry and fiction and has published seven books of poems. His poetry has been described as “an ode, a fiction, an essay, an abstract painting and a jazz recording.” Check his website howardwrobertson.com for a great bio and more on his work.
Regrettably we report the passing of David G. Nichols in February.
—Steve Larson, 9101 W 146th St., Overland Park, KS 66221; (360) 770-4388; wheat69@outlook.com
