Class Notes
The 1950s and ’60s featured a Winter Weekend hosted by the junior class, which included all sorts of winter fun.
1958
Robert Martineau died on July 10, 2022. He started his career in specialty steel production at Crucible Steel in Syracuse, New York. As he rose through management positions, his work took him and his family to various companies and locations in Sorel, Quebec, the Philadelphia area, Utica, New York, and finally Darlington, South Carolina. Later in his career, he helped to create a start-up micro mill in Darlington, South Carolina, producing specialty alloys. Its continued success was a source of satisfaction for him. His ability and talent were respected by the industry. As he often remarked, “steel is in my blood.”
Posted 2023-02-27
Howard Gates has moved to Florida in the Villages, a large retirement single-home golf cart community. He’s enjoying the nice, warm weather.
Posted 2021-02-26
Dick Young and his wife, Willie, enjoy attending some Zoom classes at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at George Mason University — a favorite activity for many years. He keeps in touch with LXA brothers Al Stearns and Charlie Zito (RPI ’57) and classmate brothers Ed Archer, Jack Ramsey, Harry Robinson, Chet Martine, and Ron Pickunka.
Posted 2021-02-26
While COVID-19 continues, I contacted Dick Young, who then contacted Harry Zimmer and Wayne Smith, to confirm that the three of them were together as students on their NROTC summer cruise aboard the heavy cruiser USS Albany. Dick and Wayne went ashore in Chile where they contracted the Asiatic flu. All ships were later quarantined, so they were not allowed to go ashore at Guantanamo Bay. When they returned to campus, they found that social and athletic events had been canceled, including the RPI-Union football game. — augstj@juno.com
Posted 2021-02-26
Architecture
Martin Ginsburg was presented the top “Innovator Award” by ArtsWestchester in November. He and his brother Samuel founded Ginsburg Development Companies over 50 years ago, and the company has since built over 7,000 residential units, becoming the leading developer of residential properties in the northern suburbs of New York City. Since the mid 1990s, GDC has focused on waterfront developments, and Martin became a leading advocate for the post-industrial rediscovery of the Hudson River, including many transit-friendly developments adjacent to train stations.
Posted 2020-05-19
Engineering
The nation and Larry Nichols celebrated the 50th anniversary of the moon landing this past summer. Larry was at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center in July 1969 when Apollo 11 was launched. He was part of 10 Apollo space missions as an engineer. Larry’s first job after RPI was working on the Atlas Missile Program in Plattsburgh, N.Y. He later went to work for Grumman Corp., which NASA contracted to design, assemble, integrate, and test the lunar module. At Cape Canaveral in Florida, Larry was involved with the lunar landing program beginning with Apollo 5, the first unmanned flight of the Apollo Lunar Module that would later carry astronauts to the lunar surface. He stayed at Grumman until Apollo 17, the final moon mission, in 1972. Larry then joined his father-in-law’s construction business in New York, but missed his work as an aeronautical engineer and went to work at Goddard Space Flight Center. In his career, he contributed to many projects, including the Hubble Space Telescope, the Cosmic Background Explorer, and the Global Geospace Science project.
Posted 2020-05-19
Received a note from Harvey Kaiser, who advises that he continues consulting in higher education facilities. His last two projects were for Qatar University for a Facility Management Organization study and a Space Program for the Hong Kong Academy for the Performing Arts.
His book writing continues: Number 18 was due to come off the press this summer, Great Camps of the Adirondacks, Second Edition. Before that was National Park Architecture Sourcebook, describing historical architecture in 215 national park units, which was well-received as a comprehensive guide for travelers. Congratulations, Harvey, on a most impressive accomplishment.
Harvey and his wife, Linda (Russell Sage ’59), made a private weekend visit last fall to Troy and Albany. He reports it was a good experience to visit old haunts as tourists and that they were impressed by the revival going on in downtown Troy. Harvey sends his best to the members of the Class of ’58. Posted 2019-10-01
His book writing continues: Number 18 was due to come off the press this summer, Great Camps of the Adirondacks, Second Edition. Before that was National Park Architecture Sourcebook, describing historical architecture in 215 national park units, which was well-received as a comprehensive guide for travelers. Congratulations, Harvey, on a most impressive accomplishment.
Harvey and his wife, Linda (Russell Sage ’59), made a private weekend visit last fall to Troy and Albany. He reports it was a good experience to visit old haunts as tourists and that they were impressed by the revival going on in downtown Troy. Harvey sends his best to the members of the Class of ’58. Posted 2019-10-01
Chet has served on the RAA’s Board of Trustees, and as past president of the New York alumni chapter. He was chairman of the Phi Sigma Delta Reunion, and co-chair of the Class of 1958 five-year Reunion. He and his wife, Madeline, have established a fund for faculty support, and Chet has volunteered as a guest lecturer every year since 2010 for the HVAC course.
His distinguished career included 20 years with Kallen & Lemelson Engineers, where he advanced to managing partner. In 1985, he established CT Vogel PE Consulting Engineer, retiring in 2008 as principal and president of M-E/Vogel/Taylor Engineers.
His work has been recognized with industry awards for engineering designs, and in 2007, he was named Engineer of the Year in New York by the American Council of Engineering Companies. Chet is currently developing new mechanical codes as a member of the New York City Mayor’s Advisory Commission. Posted 2019-10-01
Ted Hoff, inventor of the microprocesor, and Steve Sasson ’72, inventor of the digital camera, were two of the 11 National Inventors Hall of Fame inductee judges selected for the Collegiate Inventors Competition.
Posted 2018-03-18
Peter Bohlin, a founding principal of Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, was the architecture inductee into the Interior Design Hall of Fame at a ceremony conducted in November 2017 at the River Pavilion in the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York City.
The news release from Interior Design stated that the success of Peter’s firm “and the professional recognition it has attained, are in large measure attributable to his design insights and unflagging dedication to setting the highest standards for all design work produced by the firm. His leadership and inspiration have established a culture of thoughtful, thorough design thinking throughout the practice, and he remains keenly interested in both broad conceptual thinking and detail expression, reviewing the development of design and documentation regularly with project teams. In 2010, the American Institute of Architects awarded Peter with the Gold Medal, the highest honor for an individual in the profession.” Posted 2018-03-15
The news release from Interior Design stated that the success of Peter’s firm “and the professional recognition it has attained, are in large measure attributable to his design insights and unflagging dedication to setting the highest standards for all design work produced by the firm. His leadership and inspiration have established a culture of thoughtful, thorough design thinking throughout the practice, and he remains keenly interested in both broad conceptual thinking and detail expression, reviewing the development of design and documentation regularly with project teams. In 2010, the American Institute of Architects awarded Peter with the Gold Medal, the highest honor for an individual in the profession.” Posted 2018-03-15
