HEAA Year in Review

Celebrating a Banner Year

by Dean Christopher Queen
Director of Alumni Relations

Extension alumni(ae) enjoy the views in spite of the weather during this year's Sunset Cruise.

Harvard Extension School alumni and alumnae love a good time, and the 1999-2000 academic year provided many occasions for fun and reflection: lively discussions of the future of American education; a narrated slide show of alumnus Allan Crite's major paintings and prints; an insider account of backstage romance and intrigue in the making of Next Stop Wonderland, the Boston-based feature film; our annual sunset cruise and dinner party on the Charles River; and the excitement of our year-end banquet, marking the Extension School's 90th birthday and Michael Shinagel's 25th anniversary as dean. The merriment of the banquet was notably enhanced by the surprise proclamation of June 7 as "Dean Michael Shinagel Day in the City of Cambridge" by Mayor Anthony Galluccio.

The Grossman Common Room saw the year's first meeting on October 26, a discussion of "American Education: The New Battleground," forecasting the role educational issues will play in the 2000 presidential campaign. The guest speaker was Leo Kornfeld, former senior advisor to the United States education secretary, and deputy assistant secretary for student financial aid programs, office of postsecondary education, and vice president for enrollment planning at Pace University. Mr. Kornfeld addressed the financing of higher education and the education priorities of the major political parties.

On November 30, the HEAA and the Department of Afro-American Studies co-sponsored an evening with internationally renowned African-American artist Allan R. Crite, ABE '68. The audience in the

Thompson Room at the Barker Center listened raptly as Allan Crite reminisced about the African-American community in Boston and recalled his years as a Harvard Extension student. On display were six decades of Mr. Crite's paintings and drawings. At 89 years of age, Allan Crite provided an informative and often humorous evening for all.

Laura Bernieri, film producer of the acclaimed Boston romantic comedy, Next Stop Wonderland, regaled the Harvard Extension Alumni Association at the Harvard Faculty Club on February 14, our annual Valentine's Day dinner. After viewing the film at the Harvard Science Center, guests joined Ms. Bernieri for dinner and discussion of the film in the Library Room. Ms. Bernieri charmed alumni(ae) and guests with stories of cast-member romances (not the ones in the script), political intrigue, high finance, and movie-star-gazing at the Sundance Film Festival, where the film was chosen for distribution by Miramax.

On May 19 the HEAA sailed the Charles River again in its popular sunset cruise--an evening of sightseeing, on-board dining, and connections with old and new alumni(ae) friends. The skies were gray, but the water was smooth, and the mood was mellow. In its fourth year, the river cruise has become a favorite for many local alumni(ae).

The Honorable Anthony Galluccio, mayor of Cambridge, arrived at the alumni banquet on the evening of June 6 sometime after the capacity crowd ascended to the spacious dining hall in Quincy House. Members of the Class of 2000 and representatives of many past classes were already enjoying an excellent dinner when the mayor--stealing time from the School Committee meeting he was leading at the Rindge and Latin School--took the podium to proclaim June 7 "Dean Michael Shinagel Day in the City of Cambridge" and invite the city to "salute a great educator and devoted neighbor."

Dean Shinagel was surprised and delighted by this tribute, and by the toasting and roasting that followed as senior members of the Extension School staff rose to recount his achievements and foibles. Never at a loss for words, the dean offered his own memories of "My 25 Years of Nocturnal Harvard," replete with vignettes of other Harvard worthies and odd characters.

In addition to its regular meetings, the HEAA millennial year was marked by three important events. On September 13, Ann K. Wright was appointed coordinator of alumni affairs. An experienced Harvard administrator, having served most recently as assistant director of graduate admissions and financial aid at the Law School, Ms. Wright holds a bachelor's degree in psychology and sociology from the University of Massachusetts and a JD degree from New England School of Law. As an attorney, notary public, and fundraiser for the New England Medical Center and the Waltham Support Group for Battered Women, Ann has brought many skills and a winning personality to her new job.

Beloved HEAA founder and first president Edgar Grossman passed away on September 15, 1999, leaving a final bequest of $250,000 to enhance the intellectual and social life of the Extension School community. All of us mourn the passing of this great man and Extension School benefactor.

Finally, the Shinagel Scholarship Fund goal of $250,000 was met and exceeded, thanks to the generous gifts of more than 500 loyal alumni(ae). In the notes that accompanied their gifts, many donors echoed the sentiments of Dr. Mark Plotkin, ALB '79, who wrote, "Dean Shinagel's indefatigable efforts to make a Harvard education available to the masses not only made my career possible, but those of many others. I remember that he always had time for me and every other student who had a question, needed advice, or was in search of a word of personal encouragement." The proceeds from the new scholarship endowment in Dean Shinagel's name will bring an Extension School education within reach of countless students in the new millenium and beyond.