Swarthmore College Alumni Bulletin 1996-02-01

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A mascot
for
Swarthmore?
Two thirds o f voters said “yes, ” but which o n e?
H ere’s your opportunity to m ake the final choice .

□ The Garnet Foxes
Our fox is wily and smart and
native to the Crum. The broadbrimmed hat reminds us o f
George Fox, founder o f the
Religious Society o f Friends.

□ The Little Quakers
A Swarthmore tradition, this
old Friend sym bolizes the
College’s religious heritage, but
he seem s to have a mis­
chievous twinkle in his eye.

□ No Mascot
Vote “n o” if the idea o f a
m ascot doesn ’t square with
your image o f Swarthmore.
ILLUSTRATIONS BY STEPHEN BAUER

t’s election season everywhere, and though the New
Hampshire primary may be over, the Swarthmore mas­
cot voting is not.
Remember our last issue, when we brought you six mas­
cot candidates—plus the opportunity to just say no?
When all the votes were counted (more than 1,000 came
by mail, and 300 more were cast on campus by students,
faculty members, and staff), none of the candidates had
achieved a clear victory. About a third of you voted “no
mascot,” leaving a majority that favored having one. But
which one?
Our two top vote-getters were “The Garnet Foxes” and
“The Little Quakers.” So in an effort to “reach consensus”
(which we are reminded can never done by voting), we’re
having a runoff.
Before you rush to the polls, consider the campaign
speeches: In the margin of her “no mascot” ballot, one
alumna called a mascot “a truly terrible idea.” Other nega­
tive comments: “undignified,” “ludicrous,” “tacky,” “a com­
plete joke.” But others remembered previous mascots,
including the “Fighting Quaker” (such a delicious oxy­
moron) played by Jack Gelman ’83 and Donald Lloyd-Jones
’86. And then there was the infamous turkey from the mid’50s: “The alumni were not amused,” remembers Jane Holt
deFrees ’56, “but we were!”
And for those of you who tend to vote only on looks, the
preliminary sketches at left will give you an idea of what
our mascot might look like.
Ballots must arrive at the College by Monday, April 1. So
don’t be left out of the democratic process—mail yours
today.

I

A Mascot for Swarthmore ... Round Two
Mail this ballot today to vote in the Great Mascot Election, Round Two.
Please return this card by Monday, April 1. Swarthmore couples may cast two votes.
1. Should Swarthmore adopt a mascot?
□ Yes
□ No
2. If you answered “yes,” which of the two final candidates should
represent Swarthmore? (Vote for one.)
Person A

Person B

The Garnet Foxes..................... .....................□ ............ .............. □
The Little Quakers..................... .....................□ ............ ..............□

Please sign your ballot and indicate your class year or other College affiliation.
Person A
Person B

From:
Place
20 cents
postage
here

A lum ni Office
Sw arthm ore College
500 College Ave.
Sw arthm ore PA 19081-1397

SWARTHMORE
COLLEGE BULLETIN • FEBRUARY 1996

Editor: Jeffrey Lott
Assistant Editor: Nancy Lehman ’87
News Editor: Kate Downing
Class Notes Editor: Carol Brevart
Desktop Publishing: Audree Penner
Designer: Bob Wood
Editor Emerita:
Maralyn Orbison Gillespie ’49
Associate Vice President
for External Affairs:
Barbara Haddad Ryan ’59
Cover: Neil Gershenfeld ’81 is a
physicist, not a cellist. He says,“Any
real cellist would be appalled by
how I’m holding the instrument.”
Find out why he’s playing it at all on
page 10. Photograph by L. Barry
Hetherington, © MIT Media Lab.
Changes of Address:
Send address label along with new
address to: Alumni Records,
Swarthmore College, 500 College
Ave., Swarthmore PA 19081-1397.
Phone: (610) 328-8435. Or e-mail
alumni@swarthmore.edu.
Contacting Swarthmore College:
College Operator: (610) 328-8000
Admissions: (610) 328-8300
admissions@swarthmore.edu
Alumni Relations: (610) 328-8402
alumni@swarthmore.edu
Publications: (610) 328-8568
bulletin@swarthmore.edu
Registrar: (610) 328-8297
registrcir@swarthmore.edu
©1996 Swarthmore College
Printed in U.S.A. on recycled paper.
The Swarthm ore College Bulletin (ISSN
0888-2126), o f w hich this is volum e XCIII,
num ber 4, is published in Septem ber,
Novem ber, January, February, M ay, and
August by Swarthm ore College, 500 College
Avenue, Swarthm ore PA 19081-1397. Second and additional m ailing offices. Perm it No.
0530-620. Postm aster: Sen d address
changes to Swarthm ore College B ulletin,
500 College A venu e, Swarthm ore PA 19081-

10 Virtuoso Computing
A sh oe com puter that could get the d ay ’s news from the carpet.
A co ffeem ak er that know s w here your cup is. These an d other
“things that think” are being designed in the lab an d the fertile
im agination o f physicist N eil G ershenfeld ’81.
By Jeffrey Lott

16 Dr. Brown’s Remedy
B ased on the sim ple assum ption that rheum atoid arthritis stem s
from infection, Dr. Thom as M cPherson Brown ’2 9 began treating
sufferers with antibiotics in the ’40s. Many branded his m ethod
unorthodox—but m odem m edicine is giving it ren ew ed interest.
By Bill Kent

21 Are America’s Values Changing?
Our best constitutional traditions s e e k to balan ce the tension
betw een state an d individual, says law p rofessor Christopher
Edley. But w e must also se e k to balan ce the tension betw een
our person al values and those that op erate in the civic sphere.
By Christopher F. Edley Jr . ’73

56 What’s In a Name?
Why did the C ollege’s founders ch oose to nam e their new sch ool
after a building in Lancashire, England? Historian Mary Ellen
Grafflin C hijioke ’67 traces the roots o f Sw arthm ore C ollege from
Sw arthm oor Hall, a fam ous landm ark in Q uaker history.
By Mary Ellen Grafflin Chijioke ’67

Letters
Collection
Alumni Digest
Class Notes
Deaths
Recent Books by Alumni

Swarthmoreans Welcome
Our annual pullout directory
o f Swarthm ore hosts through­
out the nation and the w orld
follow s p ag e 28.

Í

first used a personal computer 10 years ago this winter, bor­
rowing an early Apple from the school where I taught. I
spent Christmas break in my attic pulling together the script
for a play that my eighth-grade students were writing—a job
made much easier by a word processor. It was a new experience
for someone who had always composed in longhand on yellow
legal pads, and it was several years before I drafted anything
more important than a business letter on a computer.
Of course I now write nearly everything on my Macintosh. We
produce this magazine entirely on computer, sending only elec­
tronic files to our printer in Vermont. And with this issue, we are
bringing the Bulletin to the World Wide Web at http://www.
swarthmore.edu/adminIink/publications/bulletin/. I’m no Lud­
dite when it comes to technology, so why am I uneasy?
As our staff’s resident science buff, I was eager to meet Neil
Gershenfeld ’81 and learn about his work at the MIT Media Lab.
He describes a world of “ubiquitous computing,” where
microchips embedded in
everyday objects will create a
linked electronic world that
most of us can barely conceive.
When I asked him whether
Will “ubiquitous computing”
there was a downside to this
reduce human relationships
world, Gershenfeld asserted
to binary code?
that the ethics of computing
are a social decision, not a
technological one. His solution is not to “stop and write a lot of
papers about what it means,” but to develop ever-better technol­
ogy. But will computer networks, wireless communications, and
“intelligent” objects merely reduce our lives and our relation­
ships to so much binary code?
Several months ago Barbara Haddad Ryan ’59 and I were
working late in our Parrish Hall offices. Ermail messages were fly­
ing back and forth between us about various topics until I finally
walked the 10 yards to her desk and laughed, “Do you realize
that you and I are the only people in this building—and we’re
communicating by e-mail?”
I’m afraid it’s the same in the College’s residence halls, where
students plugged into their PCs type messages to friends rather
than walk across campus for a visit. Bull sessions often take
place on-line, without personal contact. In his book Silicon Snake
O il, Clifford Stoll laments: “We need deal with only one side of an
individual over the net. And if we don’t like what we see, we just
pull the plug. Or flame them. There’s no need to tolerate the
imperfections of real people.”
For better or worse, Neil Gershenfeld—and the next genera­
tion of computer whiz kids now at Swarthmore—will make
“being digital” a reality. But let’s not take for granted the human
and social consequences of this revolution.

PARLOR TALK

—1 L
2

Minorities need support to
access higher education
To the Editor:
I enjoyed reading “A Near
Miss,” the story of Maurice
Foley ’82 in the November Bul­
letin. His statement, “...I was
not prepared for college—
academically, socially, men­
tally, nor spiritually. I was not
disciplined enough to deal
with the rigorous academic
environment,” describes
many of the students I am
working with today at the
Foundation for a College Edu­
cation (FACE), a new organi­
zation that supports qualified
minority young people as
they prepare for and succeed
in college.
In the ghetto where I went
to school before attending
Swarthmore, I always hid my
report card, refusing to show
it to other students because I
made good grades. Many of
my friends, even those who
excelled academically, did not
go on to college. Some had no
idea that they could apply;
others were afraid that they
could not meet the challenges
that would await them.
It wasn’t the academic
challenge that worried my
friends. They simply didn’t
have a clue about how the
system of higher education
worked and whether they
could fit in. Even today when 1
interview a steady stream of
college hopefuls for Swarth­
more, I rarely see black or
Hispanic youngsters, though I
know there are many in the
community who are qualified.
The vision of FACE is to
form a partnership with stu­
dents and their families, start­
ing as early in high school as
possible, and then to follow
the student all the way
through entrance into college.
Students will commit to
achieving their highest poten­
tial, families will commit to
encouraging them, and the
foundation will provide sup­
port services and opportuni­
ties that help young people
see the range of possibilities
S W A R T H M O R E C O L L E G E BULLETIN

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before them.
This kind of help doesn’t
start arguments about quotas
or debates on the merits of
affirmative action. It just
opens doors for talented
young people.
Sarita Smith B erry ’55

Palo Alto, Calif.
No mention of remorse
To the Editor:
Observation: Of all the (some­
times startling) poems by
prisoners on death row
(“Trapped Under Ice,” Novem­
ber 1995), not one mentions
regret or concern for the vic­
tims of capital crimes, or
awareness of the families of
the victims.
David B amberger ’62

Lakewood, Ohio
To the Editor:
The poetry was most reveal­
ing, filled with self-pity and
cries for mercy, yet strikingly
absent of any remorse. I
eagerly await a companion
anthology written by family
and friends of their murder
victims, perhaps illustrated
with photographs of their
funerals and burial sites.
M

a r y

L

o u

J

o n es

T

o al

’5 6

Haverford, Pa.

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has been deprivation, chaos,
rage. Always we should be
humbled by the fact that our
safe passage is as inexplicable
as their downward spiral,
their horrific beginnings.
Our putative superiority
should never let us forget
who we are, nor how little we
have to do with who we are.
L ouise P etrilla

Upper Darby, Pa.
Harming wrongdoers can’t
prevent wrongdoing
To the Editor:
The ills of punishment are
well described in “Trapped
Under Ice.” The trouble with
punishment is that it is used
in the mistaken belief that
harm to wrongdoers will pre­
vent wrongdoing. That belief
is endemic among those sup­
porting President Clinton in
his use of force to stop the
forcefulness of war.
But nowhere in the article
was there mention of a solu­
tion. The solution I offer is
easy to state but hard to
effect: Get the world to under­
stand the iniquity of its insis­
tence on punishment, and get
the authorities to admit that
they have been and are con­
tinuing to make mistakes.
B ill J ones ’42

How easily we could
have crossed the line
To the Editor:
For those of us fortunate to
have been born into safe pas­
sage, we can only imagine
what we would be if circum­
stances had been unkind. Still,
we congratulate ourselves on
our self-control, our accom­
plishments, our sense of right.
We forget our lucky circum­
stance of a randomly conferred
life of safe passage, which the
unlucky can only dream of.
How easily we could have
crossed that invisible line,
how easily we could have
been broken, twisted, reviled.
Those of us who’ve had bet­
ter should know better. We
have a responsibility to listen
and pay attention, especially
to those whose random lot
FEBRUARY 1 9 9 6

Orlando, Fla.
Zimmerman’s book
“irresponsible” because it
lacks context of crimes
To the Editor:
Like Julie Biddle Zimmerman
’68,1do not support capital
punishment. I too believe that
“killing is wrong” and that the
death penalty is neither equi­
table nor an effective premise
for a criminal justice system.
However, and despite the fact
that Zimmerman asserts that
her endeavor is not an
attempt to minimize crime or
glorify criminals (I should
hope not), it is both uninfor­
mative and irresponsible to
print poetry written by death
row inmates without any
attempt at contextualization—without naming the

S
crimes committed by these
men, providing a full account
of the present debate sur­
rounding capital punishment,
or proposing structural alter­
natives to present practice. I
say irresponsible because
Zimmerman draws attention
away from those marginalized
voices we should be listening
to—children and young
adults at risk, for instance—
and fails to address the ways
in which social and political
change can help people prior

We weren’t surprised by the
volume o f mail generated by
“Trapped Under Ice. ”
to the need for such poetry.
Why not cultivate “creativity
and caring” by spending time
making sure programs such
as Head Start continue to
receive federal funding?
I am disappointed that
Zimmerman, and the Swarthm ore College Bulletin, did not
use this occasion to offer the
reader an intelligent and mul­
tisided discussion of a diffi­
cult issue and instead prof­
fered a partial and patently
sensationalized version of
what ought to be a much
more complete and complex
account. Those individuals
Zimmerman would most like
to reach will dismiss her
assertions with ease. The
Swarthmore College Bulletin is
not the place for this sort of
journalism, and a convicted
killer (?) holding a picture of

himself as a Cub Scout does
not belong on its cover. Zim­
merman has not convinced
me that I should want to
“meet” this man, “as a per­
son” or otherwise.
R achael Z lady De L ue ’93

Baltimore
What the Bible tells us—
two religious views
To the Editor:
I wholeheartedly sympathize
with your view of capital pun­
ishment (“Parlor Talk,”
November 1995) as organized,
revengeful murder. The
Roman Catholic Church—to
which I belong—claims a con­
sistent pro-life ethic, but it
belies its claim to that ethic
by failing to condemn capital
punishment. As a Christian
and a graduate student in the­
ology, I look to the Bible for
my inspiration and guidance.
Some of the passages that
have helped form my con­
science on this issue are: Exo­
dus 20:13, Matthew 18:21-22
and 23:37-40, and John
8:1-11.1am cautious about
relying solely on specific Bibli­
cal passages in settling large
issues because isolated vers­
es have been used to defend
such evils as slavery and sex­
ism. But in a comprehensive
reading of the stories of Jesus’
life, I could never imagine a
point at which he would con­
done the lust for revenge that
seems to underlie capital pun­
ishment.
J ennifer Hayes ’90

Scranton, Pa.
To the Editor:
For Quakers to oppose the
death penalty is strange.
Quakerism’s founder, George
Fox, indicated that we should
“quake at the word of the
Lord,” and it is the height of
hypocrisy for a religion to
claim the Scriptures as its
parentage and then disagree
with them on a social issue
such as capital punishment.
It is patently clear that God
Please turn to page 30
3

S W A R T H M O R E

TODAY

K

Above and top right are views o f the yet-to-be-completed
Isabelle Bennett Cosby ’28 courtyard. Fall and early win­
ter snows have slowed exterior finishing work.

ohlberg Hall is open for business. Just
after Christmas, members of the
departments of Economics, Modern
Languages and Literatures, and Soci­
ology and Anthropology moved to new quarters
in the three-story stone building just behind
Parrish Hall. As workers scrambled to finish pub­
lic rooms on the first floor, faculty members
unpacked books and hooked up computers in
their second- and third-floor offices. They are
now teaching in the building’s pristine new class­
rooms, where the latest in educational technolo­
gy will share space with—what else?—chalk­
boards. The building, named for Jerome
Kohlberg ’46, will be dedicated in the spring.
Now-empty Trotter Hall is next, with renovations
scheduled to be completed in August 1997.

Russian Professor Thompson Bradley resettled after
occupying offices in Parrish Annex for 32 years.
Kohlberg Hall has four large classrooms, 11 seminar rooms, a computer
classroom, a commons, and a state-of-the-art language laboratory.

S W A R T H M O R E C O L L E G E BULLETIN

A vital part o f the College community for more
than h a lf a century, Frank Pierson 534 dies

F

Frank Pierson taught economics
at Swarthmore for 39 years.

rank C. Pierson ’34, the Joseph Wharton Professor Emeritus of
Political Economy, died Nov. 30 following a long neurological ill­
ness. After graduating from Swarthmore with highest honors and
as a member both of Phi Beta Kappa and the small college All-American
soccer team, Pierson went on to complete a Ph.D. at Columbia. He
returned to Swarthmore in 1940 and taught economics until his retire­
ment in 1979.
The author of The Education o f American Businessmen, he served as a
consultant to the U.S. Department of Labor and to the President’s Coun­
cil of Economic Advisers. Prof. Pierson also was an active leader in the
community, serving as a member of the Swarthmore Friends Board of
Overseers and as a founding member of the Chester Project for the
Homeless. He is survived by his wife, Marguerite Tamblyn Pierson ’35,
sons John and Frank, and three grandchildren.
President Alfred H. Bloom called Pierson “one of the College’s finest
teachers and scholars [who] exemplified in his person and his work that
convergence of intellectual excellence and humane wisdom that are at
the heart of the Swarthmore tradition.”

Exporting dem ocracy to South Africa, junior
helps shape “amazing transformation”
new education program launched by a Swarthmore
junior is helping democratic values grow in post­
apartheid South Africa.
A democracy-in-action curriculum emphasizing grass­
roots participation and community service was
developed by Jeremy Weinstein ’97, who spent most
of last spring and summer in Cape Town teaching and
directing the program at a high school serving disad­
vantaged students from the townships.
The success of Weinstein’s pilot project at Zonnebloem School caught the attention of South
Africa’s education minister, Sibusiso Bengu, who vis­
ited the school in June and declared his support for
expanding Weinstein’s program nationwide.
“I wanted to be a part of the amazing transforma­
tion taking place in South Africa,” says Weinstein, a
political science major. “South Africa will probably be
the only country in my lifetime to have the opportu­
nity to develop a whole new democratic government
from scratch. This education program, I hope, will be
an example of how young people can be empowered
to become major instruments for this positive
change.”
As part of the democracy training course, which
Weinstein conceived in his coursework at the Col­
lege, the South African students volunteer their services to
nonprofit community service organizations. Students in
the program, which began in March 1995, have worked for
such organizations as an adoption center, a law center ded­
icated to the legal rights of women, a career skills training
center, and a child welfare society.
To prepare himself for his work at Zonnebloem, Wein­
stein spent two months living in the nearby township of
Guguletu. Weinstein says he immersed himself in black
South African culture to gain a better understanding of the

A

FEB R U A R Y 1 9 9 6

challenges facing the country’s democracy builders and to
erase any “Eurocentric” biases in his curriculum and
teaching.
“The best compliment the program has received,” Wein­
stein says, “was from Harry Brigish, a school board mem­
ber and prominent Johannesburg lawyer. After visiting Zon­
nebloem and watching an assembly we put on, he com­
mented that it truly felt like ‘African democracy.’”

Jeremy Weinstein ’97 (second from right) is flanked by Sibusiso
Bengu, minister o f education for South Africa, and Cheryl Caro­
lus, deputy secretary general o f the African National Congress,
along with school officials and students during National Youth
Day ceremonies. Weinstein launched a democracy-in-action cur­
riculum in a Cape Town, South Africa, school last year with fund­
ing and other support from the College’s Eugene M. Lang Oppor­
tunity Program. As Lang Scholars he and other Swarthmore stu­
dents receive scholarship support along with stipends o f as much
as $10,000 for community service projects.

Opposites attract— and the College benefits
from the marriage of teaching and family
e’s from Los Angeles; she’s from Philadelphia. He’s
protestant; she’s Roman Catholic. His office is
spotless; hers, well, isn’t. Even their first
encounter with each other was an argument. But Mark
Wallace and Ellen Ross not only have been happily mar­
ried for 12 years, they also function as a single faculty
member.
The associate professors of religion are the first couple
in the College’s history to job-share a faculty position. It’s
an arrangement that suits their current lifestyle as well as
bringing the strengths of two scholars to the department.
Wallace, whose field is contemporary Western religious
thought, was originally hired in 1989 to fill a professorship
vacated by a retirement. Ross, an expert in early Western
religion, was teaching at Boston College at the time.
“We ended up commuting for nearly four years,” Wal­
lace says, “with one of us traveling every weekend. That
became tiring, and we began to explore other options.”
With the encouragement of then-department chair
Donald Swearer, Wallace contacted other job-sharing fac­
ulty members around the country, collecting contracts to
look at how other schools dealt with the practical issues
of such an arrangement.
Although they both agree “it’s a good way to live,” a
major impetus for choosing this option was the arrival of
their daughter, Katie, now 2.
Says Wallace: “What confronts us are goals that are
equally strong professionally and personally. We want to
be successful as scholars and as teachers, and we want to
be good parents. But how do you combine that when
both people are working? Something’s got to give.”
What gave was the extra salary. “It is one salary,” Ross
admits, “and this has meant particular choices for us. We
haven’t been able to buy a house, for instance. But those
trade-offs have been worth it to us. We have a balance in
our lives that’s hard to come by these days.”

DENG-JENG LEE

H

Mark Wallace and Ellen Ross have found balance in their
lives between careers and caring for 2-year-old Katie. Both
hold doctorates from the University o f Chicago and last year
were granted joint tenure. They are currently sharing the
responsibilities o f chairing the Department o f Religion.

Three new members are elected
to the Board o f Managers

T

he Board of Managers elected three new members at
its December meeting: Barbara Jahnel Dingfield ’66,
Preston C. Polk Jr. ’87, and William Stott ’75. Dingfield
and Stott are Alumni Managers and Polk is a Young Alumni
Manager. All will serve four-year terms.
Dingfield is manager of corporate giving and community
programs for Microsoft Inc. in Seattle. She holds a master’s
degree in economics from Columbia.
Polk has been a management consultant with Booz, Allen
and Hamilton in New York City since receiving a master of
business administration degree from Harvard in 1993.
Stott, who holds a master of education degree from Har­
vard, is a partner in Marshfield Associates Investment

Barbara
Dingfield ’66

Preston
Polk ’87

William
Stott ’75

Counsel in Northborough, Mass. From 1993 to 1995 he was
chair of the Annual Fund.
Returning to the Board after a mandated one-year leave
are Samuel Hayes ’57 and Barbara Weber Mather ’65.

S W A R T H M O R E C O L L E G E BULLETIN

“America-Firsters” have it backwards, says Swarthm ore economist
the more regulated Japanese and German systems.
•Productivity and wage levels are closely related in most
cases, for both developed and less developed countries.
n my recent research, I have tried to show why argu­
This is especially evident for the emerging economies
ments for protectionism by nationalists such as Pat
where the huge international disparities in wages reflect
Buchanan and Ross Perot are wrong. Proponents of an
equally large productivity differences. In fact my calcula­
“America-First” trade policy dismiss arguments for free
tions indicate that the productivity gap is even bigger than
trade as naive and outdated. While sophisticated argu­
the wage gap in several of the emerging economies. Ger­
ments against free trade are tenable in some situations of
many is an exception. Despite lower German productivity,
clear-cut market failure, the usual arguments for protection
German wages are far in excess of U.S. levels, reflecting the
almost invariably confuse some of the most fundamental
rigid labor markets typical of Western Europe.
principles in international economics. In particular, the
•Wages and productivity move together over time. Of
United States is often alleged to be at an international com­
the countries I examined, South Korea had the most rapid
petitive disadvantage due to low wages, weak labor stan­
productivity growth, and it also had the
dards, and lax regulations in emerging
highest wage growth. Japan also experi­
economies and superior productivity
enced both high wage and productivity
and/or unfair trade practices in Japan
growth. One major exception is Mexico,
and Germany.
where real wages dropped dramatically
To see the fallacies involved in the
and the peso crashed in the aftermath
“sweatshop labor” argument, note that
of the 1982 debt crisis. Real wages in
low wages and lax regulations do not by
Mexico recovered somewhat in the
themselves guarantee low costs. If they
early 1990s but have now plummeted
did, countries with rock-bottom labor
again with the latest crisis in the peso.
costs such as Bangladesh and Botswana
•Overall Japanese manufacturing pro­
would rule world trade. Clearly, labor
ductivity was about 20 percent below
productivity matters too. To the extent
the U.S. level in 1990, but individual
that low wages reflect low productivity,
industries’ productivities differ dramati­
any advantage to employing low-wage
cally from this average. For example
labor is offset. Indeed, popular concern
productivity in the Japanese food
focuses on countries such as Mexico
industry was about 60 percent below
and South Korea, where wages are well
the U.S. level, but Japanese workers
above those in Africa and South Asia.
were 20 percent more productive in
Stephen Golub joined the faculty in
A related popular concern is that the
autos and fully 70 percent more pro­
1981. This article was adapted from
acquisition of foreign technology and
ductive in steel. Trade patterns reflect
an essay recently published in the
capital will tend to equalize productivity
these productivity differences: The
Wall Street Journal.
in low- and high-wage countries. Howev­
United States has a bilateral surplus
er, even with the increasing ease of
with Japan in food products and deficits in cars and steel.
technology transfer and capital mobility, other factors hold
Using statistical techniques I found that relative productivi­
down productivity in poor countries, such as low levels of
ties and labor costs explain U.S. bilateral trade patterns
human capital and poor public infrastructure and trans­
quite well for most countries.
portation services. In any case even if productivity growth
It is true that international trade affects some industries
did accelerate in low-wage countries, the advantage could
and workers adversely, but it benefits the United States as a
be reduced by compensating wage gains.
whole. Trade allows international specialization and
Conversely, even if it were true (which it is not) that
increases competition, forcing inefficient companies to
Japanese overall productivity has surpassed that of the
shape up or close down. Imports of labor-intensive prod­
United States, theory predicts that Japanese wages and
ucts from low-wage countries are likely to be harmful to
standards of living would tend to exceed those of the Unit­
unskilled workers in the United States, especially in highly
ed States by a margin roughly reflecting the productivity
unionized industries where wages are unusually high. But
differences. Similarly, if the Japanese subsidize all their
the available evidence suggests that it is the technological
industries, the Japanese yen should tend to appreciate, off­
change favoring high skills that is much more important
setting any competitive advantage.
than international trade in explaining the decline in real
The results from my research support these principles,
wages for unskilled labor in the United States in recent
which are often contrary to conventional wisdom.
decades. In addition trade protection is an ineffective and
•The United States retains a substantial lead in manufac­
costly way to help low-income workers. The grave prob­
turing productivity, even vis-à-vis Japan and Germany.
lems of income inequality and inadequate skills of some
Other studies, such as those by the McKinsey Global Insti­
segments of the labor force should be tackled directly
tute, reveal that the U.S. productivity lead is associated
rather than by hobbling the dynamic American economy
with the highly competitive markets in the United States,
with isolationist economic policies.
contradicting the view that the United States should mimic

By Stephen Golub, P rofessor o f Econom ics

I

FE B R U A R Y 1 9 9 6

7

C O LLEC TIO N
Definitely not child’s play ...

L

ooking like preschool toys,
these Lego® “cars” are in
reality primitive robots. Lisa
Meeden, assistant professor of
com puter science, uses the “gob ots” in a class that not only teach­
es students to work in team s to
design machines for certain tasks
but also shows them how difficult
it is to develop artificial intelli­
gence. “We start by preprogram­
ming these robots to follow light
and avoid hitting obstacles. Then
we program them with the ability
to learn— by trial and error— how
to perform these tasks on their
own.” Most artificial intelligence
work has been done, she says,
with “simulated robots or simulat­
ed agents and not on real physical
objects. A lot of what we’re doing
is teaching students how hard the
concept of building an artificially
intelligent agent is and how far
away from human-level intelligence
we really are.”

¡¡j
i
3
Lisa Meeden uses Lego “cars” to teach the concept o f artificial intelligence.

A delegation of three North Korean diplomats visited cam­
pus in November on their visit to the U.S. as guests o f the Ameri­
can Friends Service Committee. The three are members o f the
Korean Committee for Solidarity with the World’s People o f the
Democratic People’s Republic o f Korea, a nongovernmental

8

organization closely connected with the country’s leadership.
Taking part in an afternoon forum on U.S.-Korean relations were
(l to r), Lillian Li, professor o f history; delegates Ho Sop, Dong
Kyong Choi, and Ryu Kil Ung; and Larry Westphal, professor of
economics; and Jam es Kurth, professor o f political science.

S W A R T H M O R E C O L L E G E BULLETIN

The irrepressible coach
has hung up his whistle

E

rnie Prudente, who for the past 26 years led the Col­
lege’s intercollegiate baseball program, retired at the
end of last semester.
Prudente came to Swarthmore in 1969 as associate pro­
fessor of physical education, after serving for 17 years at
Haverford College in various positions including head
coach in basketball and baseball and line coach in football.
Promoted to full professor in 1992, he taught tennis, vol­

Field hockey team captures its first
Centennial Conference Championship

T

he 1995 fall sports season was led by exciting indi­
vidual and team efforts. Swarthmore earned anoth­
er Centennial Conference Championship title, and
several students earned national recognition for their
achievements on the field and in the classroom.
With an undefeated record of 9-0 in the Centennial Con­
ference, the women’s field hockey team brought home its
first title. The Garnet ended the season with an overall
record of 16-3. The team also captured the championship
at the Seven Sisters Tournament. Sophomore forward
Danielle Duffy had a spectacular season as a Division III AllAmerican. She earned Third Team Division III and First
Team All-Region honors. Duffy led the squad and the con­
ference with 17 goals and 39 assists for a career high of 73
points on the season. She was awarded the Centennial
Conference Player of Year and earned a slot on the Centen­
nial Academic Honor Roll. In addition junior defender Erin
Flather was named to the South Atlantic All-Region Second
Team for her stellar defensive play.
The football team ended the year 5-5, its best record
since the 1992 season. The Garnet Tide notched its biggest
victory of the season when it knocked off perennial confer­
ence power Dickinson, 19-18. The triumph was the Gar­
net’s first over the Red Devils since 1986. Offensively, run­
ning back Nick Milligan ’96 rushed for a career-high 576
yards and five touchdowns while junior quarterback Pat
Straub threw for 1,053 yards and nine touchdowns. Line­
backer Jim Hunt ’96 anchored the defense, recording 118
tackles. The Garnet placed three members on the Centen­
nial Conference First Team: wide receiver Sam Paschel ’96,
offensive lineman Chuck Hudson ’96, and defensive line­
man Kurk Selverian ’97. Senior defensive back Matt Wig­
gins was named to the GTE Academic All-American Team.
Both the men’s and women’s cross country teams fin­
ished in fourth place in the Centennial Conference. On the
men’s side, junior Kerry Boeye and senior Scott Reents fin­
ished ninth and eleventh respectively in the championship.
Both runners were placed on the second team of the Cen­
tennial Conference for the second year. For the women,
sophomore Shoshannah Pearlman placed fourth overall at
the conference championships and earned first-team hon­
ors. Along with Pearlman, senior Solai Buchanan and
sophomore Danielle Wall were named to the Centennial
Conference’s Academic Honor Roll.
The men’s tennis team posted a successful fall season
led by the doubles team of Nick Slimack ’99 and Ed Ernst

FEBR U A R Y 1 9 9 6

Prudente retires

leyball, badminton, archery, squash,
basketball, and touch football as well as
running the intramural program since
1981.
Prudente was inducted into the
Delaware County Chapter of the Penn­
sylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 1987, the
Delaware County Hall of Fame in 1990,
and was named Coach of the Year for
the Middle Atlantic Conference in 1985
when his baseball team was 26-3.

’98. They finished first in the Mid-Atlantic Small College
Rolex Tournament, defeating the first-seeded team from
Trenton State in a three-set match, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. The
women’s tennis team also participated in a handful of
tournaments including the Rolex Tournament, gearing up
for their spring season. Five first-year players join the
reigning Centennial Conference Champions this season.
The men’s soccer team finished its season with a win­
ning record of 10-9. They were 2-7 in conference play.
David Lane ’97 led the Garnet with 10 goals and 3 assists
totaling 23 points on the season. He was named to the AllCentennial Conference second team. Defender Jesse Mur­
phy ’96 earned a Conference Player of the Year nomination
for his outstanding defensive play.
The women’s soccer team had a frustrating season, fin­
ishing with an overall record of 1-15-2 and 0-7-1 in the Cen­
tennial Conference. The year was plagued with many close
losses as the Garnet lost six games by one goal. Forward

Conference MVP Danielle Duffy ’98 in action against Sweet Briar.
Sarah Jaquette ’98 received conference Honorable Mention
recognition as the Garnet’s leading scorer, collecting six
goals. Laura Starita ’96 and Mara Williard ’96 were named
to the Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll.
The women’s volleyball team notched its first winning
season since joining the Centennial Conference. The Gar­
net posted a 6-4 record and a fifth-place finish. They went
on a five-match winning streak to close the year with an
overall record of 11-13. Senior Nancy Rosenbaum was
named to the conference’s Academic Honor Roll.
In Hood Trophy play, the Garnet notched victories over
Haverford in field hockey and volleyball and was defeated
in both men’s and women’s cross country and men’s and
women’s soccer.

9

eil Gershenfeld has a prob­
lem. The new computers
are arriving so fast that
there’s hardly time to
unpack and set one up before another
generation is on its way—faster, more
powerful PCs packed with megahertz
and gigabytes and RAM unheard of
just a few years ago. The halls of Gershenfeld’s building, the Media Labora­
tory at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, are littered with boxes
from Apple and HP, Compaq and IBM,
spilling out their empty styrofoam
molds, from which smart new
machines seem to have sprung like
Christmas toys from F.A.O. Schwarz.
It’s a problem Gershenfeld, director
of the Physics and Media Group at the
lab, can live with. During a tour last
summer, he showed off some of the
electronic marvels made possible by
all this equipment—and by a new
approach to thinking about communi­
cations, computing, and the human
mind.
In the basement of the five-story
I.M. Pei building a few blocks from the
Charles River, we sit in Steve Benton’s
darkened lab and watch the world’s
first holographic video—a threedimensional representation of an
automobile that seems to move
through the air in front of us. It’s
small, and a little shaky, but that only
adds to the impression that we’re see­
ing The G reat Train R obbery of some
future medium.
In another room technicians tinker
with a computer that has a 6044- by
2948-pixel display—about 10 times
bigger than the average monitor sold
today. They are researching what
they call “visible language,” the merg­
ing of typography, graphics, and
video. The headline on the prototype
“newspaper” displayed on the 10-foot
screen is M icrosoft T hreatens Saudis.
(We laugh, but a little nervously.)
As we come out of an elevator, a
graduate student with a miniature

N

10

video camera strapped to his head
says hello. Steve Mann’s eyes are hid­
den behind goggles containing tiny TV
screens, but he can see us just fine.
The transmitter on his back is sending
everything his camera sees to a com­
puter down the hall, which instantly
processes the images and sends them
back to the goggles. We talk a little,
and I learn that his televised vision is
available for all to see—“live” as he
sees it—by logging onto the World
Wide Web. (See page 15 for this and
other WWW addresses related to this
article.)
Another researcher takes us to a
small performance space that is being
shown on a nearby TV through a new
kind of video system. As I watch the
screen, advanced software enables
me to use a joystick to move my
“seat” effortlessly around the stage,
watching first from the front, then
from the the sides and back. Wow, I
think. As a baseball fan, I would love
not being tied to a view of the game
that some director in a trailer wants
me to see. With this intelligent combi­
nation of images, I could sit in any
seat in the stadium and watch any
aspect of the game. Let’s see, is the
Pirates’ shortstop positioning himself
for a double play? That runner’s get­
ting a big lead....
nd then there’s the hypercel­
lo. It’s what brought Neil Ger­
shenfeld to MIT in the first
place, nearly four years ago. Trained
as a physicist (Honors in physics at
Swarthmore in 1981, a stint at AT&T
Bell Labs, and a Ph.D. in condensed
matter physics at Cornell), Gershen­
feld was a Junior Fellow at Harvard
expecting to go on to a career at IBM
Research when he ran into Marvin
Minsky, the MIT professor whose the­
ories of human thinking and learning
are known as the “society of mind.”
Minsky, who believes that intelligence
is collective, derived from the interac-

A

Computers
seem to be
everywhere, but
w e're only
at the dawn of
the digital age.
Neil Gershenfeld
wants to put
one in your
coffee cup— and
in your shoe.
By Jeffrey Lott

tions of many different minds, learned
of Gershenfeld’s interest in electronic
music. Might he be interested in a col­
laboration that was just getting start­
ed between composer Tod Machover
and cellist Yo-Yo Ma at the Media
Lab?
Remembering how he had enjoyed
rubbing elbows with members of Cor­
nell’s innovative faculty in electronic
music, Gershenfeld went down Mas­
sachusetts Avenue to meet Machover.
The experience changed not only his
career but his view of physics itself.
“This was a weird, fun place,” Ger­
shenfeld recalls thinking during his
early visits to the Media Lab, “not a
SW ARTH M O RE CO LLEG E

BULLETIN

Four years at MIT’s Media Lab have caused physicist Neil Gershenfeld ’81 to rethink his own career—and the role o f physics itself.
place where I thought you could do
‘serious science.’” Machover and Ma
were working on ways to integrate tra­
ditional musical instruments with sen­
sors, computers, and software that
would enhance and extend a per­
former’s ability to make music. The
composer and the virtuoso were try­
ing to control the sound electronically
without giving up the exquisite rela­
tionship between player and instru­
ment.
Until then electronic music had
relied primarily on the synthesizer,
which cannot fully capture richness
and nuances of traditional instru­
ments. More sensing of the player,
FEBR U A RY 1 9 9 6

and more analysis of how sounds are
produced, was needed. Enter physi­
cist Gershenfeld, a childhood bassoon
player whose engineering background
(a minor at Swarthmore) had always
made him curious about “what
works.”
For the piece that Machover was
writing for Ma, he wanted to create an
electronic instrument that would not
only respond to the sounds that the
cellist played, but to the actual move­
ments of hand and bow that made
those sounds. Gershenfeld thought he
could figure out how.
“I found it very humbling,” he said.
“I didn’t think a cello could be as com­

plicated as a good physics lab experi­
ment, but it was a lot more complex
than I thought.” The challenge was to
record the movements of the cellist’s
hand in space, the pressure of the
bow on the string, the vibration of the
strings—in all, 10 different aspects of
virtuosity. To “locate” Ma’s bow hand,
Gershenfeld first tried sonar, but the
data was too crude to use. Then he hit
upon using a low-power radio trans­
mitter whose output would be detect­
ed by special materials on the bow.
By analyzing the signals coming
from the bow, Gershenfeld could pro­
gram the computer to pinpoint every
movement, every stroke of the bow in
11

"1 didn't think
a cello could be
as complicated
as a good
physics lab
experiment,
but it was a lot
more complex
than 1 thought."
three dimensions. From there it was a
matter of “doing the math” to
describe both the real and “virtual”
instruments. The result is a kind of
digital record of Yo-Yo Ma’s playing
and Machover’s composition that
builds on the artistry of each.
“Of course, it’s easier to character­
ize a Stradivarius than to make one,”
said Gershenfeld as he attacked the
air with one of the lab’s sensor-loaded
bows, causing four huge speakers to
emit a sound like a first-year Suzuki
student. “A great instrument may be
difficult to duplicate with wood and
varnish, but after all, what is a cello
but an analog computer that solves
equations of motion to make particu­
larly beautiful sound waves? Now we
can sense and compute at a level of
description where mathematical mod­
els become playable instruments.
“What we’re trying to do here is
enrich the boundary between the
player and the instrument. A player
like Yo-Yo is unsentimental about
Cellist Yo-Yo Ma rehearses with composer
Tod Machouer at the Media Lab using a
cello equipped with sensors designed by
Neil Gershenfeld. Below, magician Teller
o f Penn & Teller experiments with a “spirit
chair” that senses his movements. Working
with these artists has led Gershenfeld to
new technology for human-computer inter­
actions—and to som e interesting perfor­
mances. QuickTime video clips o f these
experiments can be found at the World
Wide Web addresses shown.
S W A R T H M O R E C O L L E G E BULLETIN

instruments—they’re just tools, and
he wants better tools. When I asked
him when he would take our instru­
ment over his instrument [Ma actually
has a Stradivarius] he talked about
logistics, not mysterious beauty.... I’ll
be disappointed if we cannot make a
digital Stradivarius in a few years,”
claimed Gershenfeld.
Author Thomas Levenson calls the
Machover-Ma collaboration an “effort
to locate common ground between
human and machine.” But Gershen­
feld disagrees: ‘“Common ground’
gives too much authority to the
machine. All instruments, old and
new, are technology. What interests
me is to open up the division of labor
between composer, performer, and
audience.”
By bringing new expressive tools
into everyday life, Machover and Ger­
shenfeld want to bridge the gap
FEBR U A RY 1 9 9 6

between the small number of people
who create artistic content and the
large majority who now merely
receive it. “The same tools that can
help a virtuoso do more can also help
a beginner to engage,” says Gershen­
feld.
hether or not “common
ground” is the right term,
Gershenfeld’s work—
indeed the whole work of the Media
Lab— is concerned with the relation­
ship between people and machines
across the whole range of human
communication. Its director, Nicholas
Negroponte, describes the lab’s
founding in his book Being Digital:
“We came together ... as a countercul­
ture to the establishment of computer
science, which at the time [the mid1980s, just as the personal computer
was being born] was preoccupied

W

Gershenfeld works with graduate student
Josh Smith on a system for imaging with
electromagnetic fields.
with programming languages, operat­
ing systems, network protocols, and
system architectures. The common
bond was not a discipline, but a belief
that computers would dramatically
alter and affect the quality of life
through their ubiquity, not just in sci­
ence, but in every aspect of living.”
With the support of former MIT
president Jerome Wiesner, Negro­
ponte assembled a group of academic
renegades and restless artists—a film­
maker, a graphic designer, a compos­
er, two mathematicians, and a physi­
cist. The New York Tim es reported
that a senior faculty member at MIT
called them “charlatans,” but corpo­
rate sponsors, among them some of
the biggest names in broadcasting,

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Will we need machine tools in the digital future? “Of course, ’’says Gershenfeld.
But like this milling machine, they will be controlled over the Internet.
publishing, and computing, flocked to
Cambridge with checkbooks open.
Today, three-quarters of the lab’s
research dollars come from corpora­
tions, creating a unique experimental
marriage of academia and industry.
With about 100 projects ongoing, the
lab’s work stretches from abstraction
to application, from Marvin Minsky’s
theories about the nature of intelli­
gence to figuring out how to create
computer networks in disadvantaged
neighborhoods.
Gershenfeld likes the synergy this
creates, but some at MIT have called
the Media Lab an academic red-light
district. At best, says Gershenfeld,
corporate sponsors “pose problems,
help stimulate research, and ground
what you’re doing, reducing it to prac­
tice.” Faculty member Ted Adelson,
who is working to emulate primate
visual processes with computers, pro­
posed the following matrix to explain
how research at the Media Lab is con­
ducted:
________________ IS EASY
LOOKS EASY

....

IS HARD
^

LOOKS HARD

Gershenfeld explains: “We bring
money into the lab by doing ‘looks
hard— is easy,’ which solves a spon­
sor’s practical problems quickly. Then
14

we use the money to support ‘looks
easy—is hard,’ the things that lie
behind what we demonstrate, things
we’re struggling with that are a long
way off.”
Like the physics of paper. You
often hear that no computer is going
to replace the book. But just as the
Stradivarius is an analog computer,
the book (or this magazine) is also a
piece of technology. The reason peo­
ple are so attached to information on
paper, says Gershenfeld, is that its
specifications are better than any
computer: “A book boots instantly, is
random access, has high contrast, and
gives great feedback.” But what if you
had a computer smaller and more
flexible than today’s laptops, that you
could fold up, throw in your briefcase,
take to the bathroom, or read in bed?
What if that computer could learn
your habits, anticipate your needs?
And what if you didn’t need a key­
board or a mouse to communicate
with it?
n Gershenfeld’s lab we saw a step
in this direction. Seated at a proto­
type “smart” table, he passed his
hand casually across the smooth
formica surface. His computer came
on, its screen glowing beside him, a
document ready. Turning to it, he
moved his hand in the air, as if turning

I

a page from a book. The computer
scrolled to the next page in the docu­
ment. He was controlling the machine
with simple gestures that interfered
with a sensitive electric field. Parts of
the sensors developed to measure YoYo Ma’s virtuosity had been adapted
to make a new human-computer
interface that Gershenfeld smilingly
calls a “fish.” A mouse, he explained,
scurries about in two dimensions, but
a fish can swim in three.
The new interface “provides complex gestural control, letting you fly
through the information using your
hands and body, all with near-zero
learning curve. When I wave my hands
and the page turns, at first it’s like
magic, but then it very quickly seems
natural. Why shouldn’t it behave that
way?
“The current computing environment works much more poorly than
most people realize,” he continues.
“We are at a difficult transitional stage
where we have made computers
obtrusive, but not adept.”
Computers, says Gershenfeld, will
work better if they know what we
want them to do. Nicholas Negroponte stated the problem succinctly
in a 1992 interview in Technology
R eview magazine: “Computers are
sensorily deprived .... The ability of
machines to receive information from
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humans is just terrible. At best, you sit
there with a stupid mouse pointing at
things and typing.”
He expanded on this idea in Being
Digital: “The challenge for the next
decade is not just to give people big­
ger screens, better sound quality, and
easier-to-use graphical input devices.
It is to make computers that know
you, learn about your needs, under­
stand verbal and nonverbal lan­
guages.”

G

ershenfeld’s latest work is
putting more flesh on these
conceptual bones. A new
Media Lab consortium called Things
That Think, which he co-directs, is
“exploring the migration of intelli­
gence from big boxes out into the
environment.” These researchers
think that the path out of our techno­
logically cluttered, information-overloaded society is to embed much
more capable technology in everyday
objects and to make technology less
intrusive as it becomes more helpful.
“Many of people’s complaints
about new technology are entirely jus­
tified,” he explains, “but they are real­
ly just statements about bad technolo­
gy. Making new technology capture
the best features of old technology—
like the desirability of reading a book
instead of a computer screen—is an
enormous challenge. I see the Media
Lab as a ‘do tank’ more than a ‘think
tank.’ We’re strongly motivated to
solve particular problems that excite
us, and along the way we end up
sketching out and living with possible
futures. Real progress comes from a
dialogue between thinking and doing.”
Things That Think researchers are
pioneering the use of near-field, low
frequency transmitters to create a
Personal Area Network, or PAN, that
uses the body itself for data communi­
cation. With a PAN, you could trans­
mit information between, say, your
“smart” shoes and a receiver at a
store—instantly exchanging address,
phone number, or credit card data as
effortlessly as shaking hands or touch­
ing a pad on a desktop. Or you could
receive information and display it on
your eyeglasses or a small screen on
your wrist. A prototype PAN created
by Gershenfeld and his former gradu­
ate student Tom Zimmerman has
received wide attention in the com­
FEBRUA RY 1 9 9 6

puting community because it could
make the cumbersome laptop, and
even the new personal digital assis­
tants, obselete.
But it’s not just people who will
become “smarter” in the new digital
age. Materials and objects will take on
an intelligence of their own. Shouldn’t
your coffeemaker know where your
coffee cup is, and whether you are
ready for another cup? (It might learn
your habits too. Three cups today?
My, we’re stressed.)
Whole environments might be
imbued with intelligence. Your shoes
could pick up the day’s news from the
carpet as you put them on in the
morning. Your electronic newspaper
could learn the subjects you are par­
ticularly interested in and give you
more stories about, say, antique cars
or astronomy or anti-Semitism. Your
office could sense whether it is you or
your colleague sitting at the desk,
what kind of day you are having, and
whether to reroute your phone calls
or put them straight through. Ger­
shenfeld’s group is even working on
using atoms themselves as logical
gates in truly solid-state computers.
To accomplish these marvels takes
serious research into the physics of
materials themselves. Things That
Think is organized on three levels: the
physical design of smart objects with
embedded sensing, computing, and
communications; the technology
needed to link those objects together
and have them communicate with
each other; and the integration of all
of this newfound knowledge of our
environments into systems that pro­
vide new solutions to old problems.
To Gershenfeld such frontiers are
one place physics should be headed,
and he sees the need for a new rela­
tionship between basic and applied
research. Writing in Physics Today, he
said that the battle in his discipline
“between the defenders of curiositydriven basic research and the propo­
nents of applied development... risks
satisfying neither camp.”
At Swarthmore, he wrote, his phi­
losophy teachers taught him to care­
fully pose questions “about the deep
secrets of the universe,” but it was in
the study of physics where he unex­
pectedly found the answers. But now,
he asserts, physics could easily
become like Latin, “an important

canon that is necessary for advanced
work in many fields and is kept alive
by a small group of dedicated follow­
ers but not expected to evolve rapid­
ly.” He argues that “the emphasis
must shift from finding new funda­
mental governing equations to finding
what emerges from familiar governing
equations.” Physics needs to embrace
places like the Media Lab, a building
“full of physics problems that people
are eager to solve.”
Our tour is almost over, but we
have one more surprise. In a small
room just off Neil Gershenfeld’s main
laboratory, there sits a huge milling
machine—a shiny tool that seems like
a visitor from another era, out of place
among the oscilloscopes, electronics
benches, and computers. Will we need
machine tools in the digital future? “Of
course,” says Gershenfeld, patting it
like a draft horse, “There are some
tasks for which this is just the right
tool.” Of course it comes as no sur­
prise that the lathe is numerically con­
trolled. It’s even hooked up to the
Internet. But it reminds us that tech­
nology, from the Industrial Revolution
to the digital age, is really about find­
ing better tools. ■

THIS STORY ON THE
WORLD WIDE WEB ...
The story itself can be found at
the Bulletin's new home page:
http://www.swarthmore.edu/
adminlink/publications/bulletin
Visit the MIT Media Lab site on
the World Wide Web at:
http://www.media.mit.edu/
Or go directly to Neil Gershen­
feld’s Physics and Media Group at:
http://physics.www.media.mit.edu/
Neil’s own WWW home page is:
http://physics.www.media.mit.edu/
-neilg /
You can see Steve Mann’s video
eyes live online at:
http://www-white.media.mit.
edu/~steve/netcam.html
And there’s a video clip of Yo-Yo
Ma playing the hypercello at:
http://physics.www.media.mit.edu/
yoyo.html

15

COURTESY OF MRS. THOMAS MCPHERSON BROWN

DR. BROWN’S

n an uncharacteristically ton was feeling under the weather. He
warm day during the win­ visited a clinic and was told he had a
ter of 1975, Irwin Burton fever. The next day, while playing golf
’31 was seeing the U.S.A. in Mississippi, he began to feel shoot­
in his C h ev rolet. The ing pain in his hands, esp e cia lly
owner of a su ccessfu l auaround
tom obile
his middle fingers. A local doc­
dealership in Milford, Del., Burton to r exam ined his hands and p re­
decided to spend the night at a motel scribed painkillers.
in San Antonio, Texas. The tempera­
A few days after he reached home,
ture, which had hovered around 85 the pain returned to his hands with a
degrees in early evening, had plunged vengeance, quickly spreading to his
to a chilly 30 the next morning.
feet. By midmorning he was in such
By the time he reached Dallas, Bur­ agony that he couldn’t stand up. That

O

16

night was the first of four spent in a
hospital bed.
“The doctors were baffled at first,”
Burton reca lls. “They gave me all
kinds of te s ts , w hich eventually
showed I had rheumatoid arthritis.
They gave me more painkillers and
told me that that was about all they
could do.”
But Burton knew there was some- I
thing more that could be done. His ;
daughter, Sally, had come down with
rh eu m atoid a rth ritis som e years
S W A R T H M O R E C O L L E G E BULLETIN

EMEDY
before, at the age of 20. Burton had
taken her to the Arlington, Va., arthri­
tis clinic of his Phi Kappa Psi fraterni­
ty brother Thomas McPherson Brown
’29, whose controversial, unorthodox
treatm ents had ap p aren tly cured
what is still considered an incurable
disease. His treatment was simple—
antibiotics given over long periods of
time—and it was based on a simple
assumption, that rheumatoid arthritis
stems from in fectio n , not an
immune system disorder.
Those treatm ents had made
Brown something of a pariah in
the narrow medical specialty of
rheumatology. Though his
patients ranged from workingclass people to heads of state, his
critics within the medical profes­
sion went so far as to brand him a
faith healer who gave arthritis suf­
ferers false hope:
But for Irwin Burton there was
nothing false in Tom Brown or his
methods. “He was a wonderful
friend,” Burton recalls, “and a very
tenacious guy. When he got a hold
of something, he didn’t give up.”
So after being dismissed by his
doctors in D elaw are, B u rton
called Brown’s clinic. “Tom told
me he was rather busy but could
see me in a m onth,” he remem­
bers. “I told him I was in too much
pain to wait a month. He said, ‘In
that case, what are you doing
tomorrow?’ I was in his office the
very next day.”

T

om Brow n’s story is one of tri­
umph and tragedy—the triumph of
discovering in 1937 a new way of
understanding a disease that, accord­
ing to some estimates, afflicts 30 mil­
lion Americans, and the tragedy of not
living long enough to see the medical
establishment evaluate new studies
and independent research conducted
FEBR UA RY 1 9 9 6

here and in Europe. Brown died in
Arlington on April 17, 1989, at the age
of 84, from kidney failure due to
metastatic cancer.
In recent years these new studies—
co n d u cted in Europe, A ustralia,
Texas, California, at Harvard Universi­
ty, and at the National Institutes of
Health in Bethesda, Md.—have indi­
cated that Brown might have been on
to something in claiming that antibi-

^ P o m Brow n ’2 9
I thought that
rheum atoid arthritis
stem m ed from
infection a n d treated
it with antibiotics.
Until recently m ost
other doctors
thought h e was on
the wrong track.

otics are a safe, relatively inexpensive
treatm ent for rheum atoid arthritis
and some related ailments.
Writing in the January 15, 1995,
issue of A nnals o f Internal M edicine,
Dr. Harold Paulus of the University of
California at Los Angeles School of
Medicine declared that there is “sub­
stantial evidence of the beneficial clin­
ical effect of minocycline in patients
with rheumatoid arthritis.” Dr. Paulus

By Bill Kent

based his opinion on the findings of a
48-week test of minocycline (an antibi­
otic of the tetracycline family) involv­
ing 219 patients at six American hospi­
tals and clinics.
Such findings will not settle the
controversy surrounding Dr. Brown’s
ideas. Indeed, Dr. C.F. Gastineau, of
the M ayo Clinic H ealth Letter, said that,
based on that clinic’s interpretation of
the studies, “we would not advise use
of this drug.... I suspect further
investigations will be carried out,
but it seems unlikely that this will
prove to be an effective mode of
therapy.”
Some of the 10,000 arthritis
patients Brown treated in his long
career disagree. They want the
world to know that, from their
point of view, Brown’s methods of
treating arthritis work. For them,
his treatments made it possible to
live productively with a painful,
crippling disease for which there
is still no cure.
Pat Ganger is a former patient
of Brown’s who is now director of
th e Road Back Foundation, an
Ohio-based nonprofit advocacy
group that disseminates informa­
tion about Brown’s studies to lay­
persons and medical profession­
als. She reports that as of 1995, “a
small but important number” of
doctors throughout the world are
now using antibiotics for treating
rheumatoid arthritis and report­
ing success.
“My own su ccess with the treat­
ment made me feel that I should do
something to let other people know
about this,” Ganger says. “I looked up
about a dozen people who felt the
same way I did—that we basically got
our lives back from Brown. We had no
idea how we were going to do this. We
had no money, no organization. My
family has a printing company, so we
17

put out a newsletter. We had no
intention of going international,
but we started to get letters from
patients and doctors all over the
world. Now we have the member­
ship and the clout to finance the
kind of work that will prove that
Dr. Brown was right.”
Ganger will not rev eal th e
extent of that membership, but
the Road Back Foundation is cur­
ren tly sp o n so rin g m ed ical
research at Beth Israel Hospital, a
teaching facility of the Harvard
M edical Sch ool, and is raising
funds to endow a m em orial
rheum atology professorship at
Harvard in Brown’s honor.
“It would have been nice if Dr.
Brown had lived long enough to
see this,” Ganger adds. “But if you
met him when he was alive, you
could tell there was no doubt in
his mind. He knew he was ahead
of his time, and he was sure that
the medical establishment would
catch up with him. He just didn’t
know when.”
e had an absolute, unswerv­
ing faith in h im se lf,” says
Sw arth m ore A sso cia te Dean
Gilmore Stott, whose late wife, the
poet Mary Roelofs Stott ’40, was
also tre a te d s u c c e ss fu lly by
Brown for rheum atoid arthritis. “If
Tom had a fault, it was that he was
too compassionate to go through the
double-blind tests that are still the
standard for proving efficacy of treat­
ment. Tom wanted so much to allevi­
ate suffering that he couldn’t bear to
give one patient a placebo and have
that person suffer so that the skeptics
would be satisfied.”
Born in 1906 in Washington, D.C.,
Tom Brown was the youngest of five
ch ild ren , all of whom atten d ed
Swarthm ore— as had their Quaker
parents, both in the Class of 1888.

H

18

As a Quaker Tom Brown would not
fight in World War II, but he sewed
proudly as a physician in Australia.

he focus in
the m edical
profession was to
com e up with an
array o f drugs that
would enable
arthritis sufferers to
endure, but not
defeat, their disease.

■

Descended from Virginia farmers, the
Browns would gather regularly at the
family home near Leesburg. There
Tom distinguished himself as a rugged
outdoorsman who had “a passionate
curiosity about all kinds of things,”
remembers his sister, retired Swarth­
more physical education and dance
instructor Virginia Brown Greer ’26.
“Early in his life, he believed that
much of the misunderstanding in the
world was cau sed by people who
were too narrow-minded, who were
specialists or experts at one thing but
couldn’t see the forest for the trees.”

At Swarthmore Brown sang in
the glee club and was a varsity
tennis player. “He was an early
believer in exercise and outdoor
activity as som ething that was
normal and healthy,” says Irwin
Burton, who joined Phi Kappa Psi
when Brown was its president.
“And he had a fabulous baritone.
He’d break into ‘Old Man River’ at
the drop of a hat.”
Originally intending to pursue
a career in engineering, Brown
“wanted to broaden himself with
a biology course,” Virginia Greer
added, “and th a t one course
m ade him want to go into
m edicine.” But his Swarthmore
education, like his approach to
medicine, was liberal.
“Today’s physician must com­
m u n ica te ,” he said in 1957,
explaining why he also took phi­
losophy, logic, and public-speak­
ing courses at Swarthmore. “He
must pass on to his patients the
truths he has learned and block
the untruths and half-truths that
cause insecurity and anxiety.”
Indeed, Brown spent the bet­
ter part of his life communicating.
“He would spend so much time
teaching, writing, and speaking to get
the word out about his work that I just
didn’t know where he got his energy
from,” says his widow, Olive Brown.
Mrs. Brown met her future hus­
band while working toward a degree
in nutrition at Johns Hopkins Universi­
ty, where Brown attended medical
sch o o l. T h eir daughter, Gael, is a
social worker in Baltimore.
“You could say Tom swept me off
my feet. He had a magnetic personali­
ty, and he was very interested in get­
ting to the root causes of things. He
was a tried and true doctor. He didn’t
S W A R T H M O R E C O L L E G E BULLETIN

DR. BROWN’S

7t
i
7.

off
íaligetHe
jn’t

want to just help people; he wanted to of side effects ranging from a height­ p rep o n d era n ce of m ycop lasm a,
cure them of their problems.”
ened susceptibility to colds and infec­ small, fragile bacterial m icroorgan­
During his third year as a medical tion s to sev ere bouts of rage and isms. He faced enormous difficulties in
student at Hopkins, he began to work depression. The disease was thought trying to isolate them, but eventually
part time in the hospital’s arthritis to be incurable, something that came he published a preliminary paper sug­
clinic, where he was struck by the and went and cam e b ack again, gesting that if mycoplasma had som e­
wide variety of ages and backgrounds depending on th e w eath er, th e thing to do with the cause of arthritis,
of arthritis sufferers, by the excruciat­ patient’s age, or regimen of activity. th e sym ptom s a s so c ia te d with it
ing pain the disease causes—and by (This tendency to come and go makes might not be due to an inexplicable
the fact that, for many patients, the studies of treatments more difficult m alfunction of the immune system
medicines prescribed to alleviate pain because it’s not clear how the disease but rather to an immune system that
or swelling in the joints, such as gold goes into remission.)
was working properly, but not effec­
salts, had side effects that were some­
The focus within the medical pro­ tively enough.
times worse than the symptoms.
fession—and thus the pharmaceutical
“Nobody ever stumbled onto the
“As a young clin icia n and re ­ in d u stry— was to com e up with a North Pole by heading south,” Brown
searcher in this field,” Brown wrote greater (and often more expensive) was to say later. In detecting the pres­
later in The R oad B ack, a 1988 book array of drugs th at would en able ence of mycoplasm, he was certain
that popularized his findings, “I was arthritis sufferers to endure, but not that he was headed north.
aware that no major disease had ever defeat, their disease.
Subsequent research led Brown to
been u n d ersto od or co n ­
believe that rheumatoid arthri­
quered until its ca u se had
tis wasn’t an autoimmune dis­
been identified.” Though there
ease at all but rather an infec­
were plenty of theories about
tio n — not unlike a com m on
rheumatoid arthritis, no one
cold—that the body is trying
was certain about the cause.
to fight. Of course, the differ­
Some evidence suggested that
en ce betw een a cold and
it was hereditary— but even
rheumatoid arthritis is that a
that was inconclusive, given
cold will usually go away on its
that the disease can skip as
own. Most of the time, rheuma­
many as th re e g en eration s
toid arthritis won’t.
within a family. That Eskimos
After serving in World War II,
seemed to suffer less than oth­
Brow n te s te d sev e ra l su b ­
ers suggested th a t diet or
stances that aided, rather than
environment may also be a
suppressed, the immune sys­
factor.
tem. He was once again sur­
The dominant theory at the
prised to find that among the
time was th a t rh eum atoid
m ost effe ctiv e in trea tin g
arthritis was a disease of the
arthritis in its early stages was
Told that nothing could be done to overcome his
immune system—that painful
th e new fam ily of drugs
rheumatoid arthritis, Irwin Burton ’31 called
swelling in the joints was the
derived from th e com m on
his fraternity brother Tom Brown, who had success­
result of the immune system
antibiotic tetracycline.
fully treated his daughter, Sally, a few years earlier.
somehow fighting itself.
As a rheumatologist and pro­
Burton was in Brown’s office the next day.
So the treatment then, and
fessor of medicine at George
to a great extent now, was to
Washington University, Brown
In 1937, as a resident in the Rheu­ began to offer arthritis sufferers a
alleviate the symptoms, reduce the
swelling, and blunt the pain by giving matic Fever Division of the Rockefeller choice. They could have cortisone—
painkillers and medications that tend­ Institute Hospital in New York, Brown an exp en siv e, an ti-in flam m atory
ed to weaken, if not impair, the body’s had stud ied variou s su b s ta n c e s steroid with dangerous side effects
immune system. Arthritis sufferers on extracted from the joints of arthritic that was being touted as the wonder
such medication were prone to a host patients. He was surprised to find a drug of that era—or any other accept-

e t in

FEBRUARY 1 9 9 6

ig in
■sity
arly
loor
was
'win
i Psi
ent.
one.
r’ at
"sue
Dwn
/vith
reer
irse
nto
lore
i to

om>57,
phieak“He
the
ock
that

beting.
ime
get
just

*gy
i.
IUS-

;ree
;rsiical
is a

19

ed, medically sanctioned therapy. Or
they could try antibiotics, which were
much less expensive and had fewer
side effects.
Brown adm inistered the tetracy ­
cline and its derivatives both orally
and intravenously. “To the end he was
still trying to determine which was
most effective,” says Dr. Cap Oliver, a
former student of Brown’s at George
W ashin gton U niversity who la ter
becam e his partner in the Arlington
clinic. In some, though far from all,
c a se s th e a n tib io tics redu ced the
swelling and pain within a matter of
days.
And in cases that included the rela­
tives of Congressmen, foreign digni­
ta rie s, and th e wife of th e late H.
Thomas Hallowell Jr. ’29 (who gave
Brown’s clinic an electron microscope
to further its studies), Tom Brown’s
treatments made a positive difference.
In a 1987 letter to Swarthmore Vice
President Kendall Landis ’49 suggest­
ing Brown for an honorary degree,
Hallowed described Brown as a man
who “has taken more people out of
w heelchairs and hospital beds and
put them on the golf course and made
normal healthy people out of them
than anybody I have ever heard of.”
The d eg ree was n ever co n ferred ,
though Landis says he tried.

I

rwin Burton regained his mobility
within a month of taking the antibi­
otics. He says that “Tom Brown never
claimed to be able to cure the dis­
ease.... He would say that it was in
rem ission— in my case, th at of my
daughter, and so many others I sent
his way. He tried to make converts of
other rheumatologists, but the medi­
cal profession did not see eye to eye
with him and his methods.”
Indeed, though even som e early
Eu rop ean stu d ies in d icated th at
antibiotics could be effective in treat­
ing the inflammation associated with
arthritis, in America Brown’s work
was called baseless, unscientific, even
fraudulent. When he presented papers
about his work at arth ritis con fer­
ences, he found few who were willing
to listen.
It is especially ironic that the Sev­
enth In tern a tio n al C on gress on
Rheumatic Diseases in 1949, at which
Brown presented his findings on the
beneficial effects of aureomycin, was
20

the same conference where the seem­
ingly miraculous relief given by corti­
sone was announced. As the cortisone
craze took off, Brown’s ideas were lost
in the shuffle.
“He would act as if it wasn’t bother­
ing him,” Olive Brown recalls, “but
th e re ’d be nights when h e’d com e
home and say he could not under­
stand what the problem was. He had
results. He had patients who loved
him and wrote letters about how he’d
helped them. And he had letters from
other doctors who, sometimes against
their judgment, prescribed the antibi­
o tics to th e p atien ts who w anted
them, and had got promising results. I
guess results weren’t enough.”
In 1987, facing a recurrence of the
cancer that would eventually kill him,
Brown collaborated with freelance
writer Henry Scammell on The R oad
B ack. As Scammell examined Brown’s
research, he became convinced that a
significant breakthrough in arthritis
research was being ignored. “There
were lots of different ways that people
dismissed his theory. The principal
way was that it just didn’t fit the con­
ventional wisdom. They would say,
sure, he may have been successful,
but there’s been a high placebo effect
with rheumatoid arthritis. Care and
loving might trigger something that
helps people with the disease. Tom
would ju s t say, ‘If it w orks, why
doesn’t everybody else try it?”’
Tom Brown lived long enough to
see The R oad B ack generate a small
amount of publicity. He died before
Pat Ganger created the Road Back
Foundation and before the latest stud­
ies were published.
Henry Scam m ell has sin ce pub­
lished an update of the book, called
The A rthritis B reakthrou gh. “I found
that, on the average since 1988, I’ve
spent one day of every week answer­
ing letters, talking to people, making
speeches—for which I wouldn’t take a
dime— about Dr. Brown’s work. Most
rheum atologists still think that Dr.
Brown’s treatment is unorthodox, but
it’s coming closer to the mainstream.
“And it appears that the world is giv­
ing this man’s ideas a second look.” ■
B ill K ent is a frequent contributor to the
Bulletin. He is the author o f three books
an d serv es as the A tlantic City corre­
spondent for The New York Times.

JAmerica’s Values Changing?
By Christopher F. Edley Jr. ’73

like what Nazi
U Just
Germany did to the
Jews, so liberal America is
doing again to the evangeli­
cal Christians.... It’s hap­
pening all over again. It’s
the Democratic Congress,
the liberal-biased media,
and homosexuals who
want to destroy all Chris­
tians.... The ACLU, the radi­
cal feminists, the militant
homosexuals, radical athe­
ists, and anti-Christian big­
ots are using the courts in
America to destroy the life
of America’s little chil­
dren.” This little homily is
from the Rev. Pat Robert­
son, a graduate of C9T

FEBR U A RY 1 9 9 6

21

Editor’s Note: This essay w as ad ap ted
from a talk given at the C ollege on
O ctober 7, 1995, during the annual Fall
W eeken d Forum. We also presen t
excerpts from the respon ses o f the three
faculty m em bers w ho p articipated
in the discussion.

META MENPEL-REYES

: lïp ïl Ìt|

Assistant Professor of
Political Science

I

don’t think it gets us very far
to say that it’s dangerous to
bring values into politics,
because without values what
would politics be about other
than hard-headed realism,
cold-hearted logic, and narrow
self-interest? Even to say that
politics should be about those
things instead of values ignores
the extent to which choosing to
regard human beings simply as
creatures of reason, logic, and
self-interest is, in itself, a value
judgment.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY BOB WOOD

lead millions and claim tens of millions.
Yale Law School and the New York Theological Semi­
At the center of their message there is, of course,
nary, former Republican presidential candidate, and
a kernel of truth. Polls tell us th at 80 percent of
leader of a media conglom erate with an estimated
Americans believe that the United States is suffering
value substantially in excess of $1 billion.
from a moral crisis, and much of what I see leads me
How about this: “I want you to just let a wave of
to agree. A recen t study reported that
intolerance wash over you. I want you to
almost one in three black males age 20-29
let a wave of hatred wash over you. Yes,
From gangsta
is incarcerated, on parole, or otherwise
h a te is good . Our goal is a C h ristia n
rap
to
crack,
under the supervision of the criminal jus­
nation. We have a Biblical duty. We are
from
cyberporn
tice system — a num ber that is up from
called by God to conquer this country. We
one in five ju st a few y ears ago. From
don’t want equal time and we don’t want
to skinheads,
gangsta rap to crack, from cyberporn to
p lu ralism .” T h a t’s from Randall Terry,
from swastikas skin h ead s, from sw astikas in Harvard
founder of the antiabortion group Opera­
in Harvard
Square to burning cro sses in suburban
tion Rescue.
A tlanta, th is is not th e A m erica that I
And co n sid er th is from Ralph Reed,
Square to
executive director of the Christian Coali­
burning crosses want. These and other realities reflect the
prevailing judgment that we have strayed
tion: “What Christians have got to do is
in suburban
from our moral bearings.
take back this country one precinct at a
Are A m erica ’s v alu es changing? A
Atlanta,
this
tim e, one neighborhood at a tim e, one
recent
Gallup poll said that 90 percent of
state at a time. I honestly believe that in
is not the
parents
want schools to teach values to
my lifetim e we will see a co u n try once
America
that
I
their
children,
but the question is which
again governed by Christians and Chris­
want.
These
values, whose values? Most civil libertari­
tian values.”
ans support values-based education in
and other
public schools, provided it teaches secu­
his is the martial language of the reli­
realities reflect lar values that are shared across religious
gious right, a collection of increas­
the prevailing
and cultural traditions—values like hon­
ingly sop h isticated fundam entalist
esty and civility. But the term “secular val­
religious organizations that share a con­ judgment
ues”
has been criticized on the right as an
servative political agenda marked by hos­
that we
oxymoron
at best and a dangerous con­
tility to th e se p a ra tio n of ch u rch and
have
strayed
spiracy
at
worst.
They want schools that
state. These are the statem ents— indeed
are
steep
ed
in
religion—
th eir religion.
from our moral
the com m itm ents— of som e of the m ost
W
ith
o
u
t
th
a
t
th
e
s
c
h
o
o
ls
a re simply
powerful political figures of our time. They
bearings.

T
22

S W A R T H M O R E C O L L E G E B U L LETIN

The real question is not
whether, but how to bring val­
ues into American politics. I
think it has a lot to do with rec­
ognizing that values them­
selves are subject to political
deliberation and that all should
participate in as direct a way as
possible in those delibera­
tions—as well as in the political
decisions we take together as
citizens. In my view politics has
always been the activity of
deciding what is to be done,
but at the same time it’s an
activity of deciding, through
action, who we are. By deciding
what to do, we also decide who
we are. And that means our val­
ues are themselves the very

J

Ml

subject of politics and thus are
always open to reconsideration
and change....
It’s my sense that the ques­
tion about American values is
going to be answered by
action, and I see the young peo­
ple of today engaging in the
kind of activities and experi­
ences that have the potential to
rebuild trust and a sense of
community. I would add the
simple equality that this coun­
try is really about. I have writ­
ten about the 1960s, but it’s not
because I want to go back to
them—it’s because I really
want the new generation that’s
going to make the difference in
the ’90s to have a full agenda of
choices to make.

I
imposing th e governm ent’s I
values. Pat R o b e rtso n has a
said, “I certainly do not want
government teaching my grandchildren about val­
ues.”
School prayer, of course, is the focal point of the
church-state debate. Fundamentalist activist David
Barton, generally considered the chief theoretician
of the school prayer movement, argues that “remov­
ing prayer and the acknowledgment of God from our
classrooms has been the primary cause of the devastatingly serious decline in the lives of students,
their fam ilies, th e sch o o ls, and our n ation.” But
these activists want more than the right to pray—
which we all enjoy anyway, w hether in or out of
school. They want som e m easure of governm ent
endorsem ent in settings th at con fer governm ent
approval. Why? Because, they explain, they are not
moral relativists. Some values are better than others.
And the best, of course, are Christian values.

I

t seems to me that there’s more at work here than
a critique of moral chaos born of relativism and
its supposed behavioral counterpart, permissive­
ness. Those on the religious right say they are wag­
ing a war to reassert values that are under siege, but
their argument about values is often combined with
another argument about two institutions— govern­
ment and the family. What is in the public realm, and
what is private? And what principles should regulate
the relation between the public and the private?
To many of us, there is an overarching civic princi­
ple reflected in the First Amendment: that religious
FEBRUARY 1 9 9 6

values are private values, and their collec­
tive imposition on others is an affront to
that civic principle. But this formulation
doesn’t always work. The values I hold in my heart
are the ones I try to live by. They guide my public life
by shaping my policy preferences and determining
how I vote. Last year my personal values clearly took
on a public cast as I advised President Clinton on the
challenges of racial healing and equal opportunity.
But how much should a person’s (or a group’s)
private religious beliefs affect public policy? Consid­
er the following two situations:
Scene one: a budget discussion involving Office of
Management and Budget officials and a dozen eco­
nomic and policy aides to President Clinton. It’s an
occasion to present som e of the most difficult and
significant policy choices to him and Vice President
Gore. Almost everyone sitting around the table in
the Cabinet room would have thought it extremely
odd— even inappropriate— had I argued with the
attorney general about her request for additional FBI
funding or more federal prisons by quoting religious
scripture. I did cite social scientists, and, being a pro­
fessor, I probably would have had license to cite Bentham or Mill or de Tocqueville, but certainly not
Abraham or Jesus or Mohammed.
Scene two: Instead of 15 people around a table in
the Cabinet room, there are four of us with the presi­
dent in the Oval Office. We have just spent 90 min­
utes going over some of the thornier parts of a draft
speech on affirmative action that he will give in two
days at the National Archives, using as his backdrop
the Declaration of Independence and the Constitu23

ROB HOLLISTER
Joseph Wharton
Professor of Economics

I

want to call attention to four
major facts that I think cre­
ate the particularly fertile
ground for intolerance. I think
it’s important to keep these in
mind when we’re talking about
what we can do about values:
The first is the decline in
real earnings for the lower half
of the income distribution. This
went on slowly from 1972 to
1980, but with increasing rapid­
ity from 1980 until the present
time. And it has fallen dispro­
portionately on African Ameri­
can men and women.

tion— the great texts of our secular Torah. It’s been a
good meeting, and the president is pumped up. He
says, “You know I was up late last night, and I was
reading my Bible,” and then he walks over to his
desk, and he pulls out his Bible, a little thing with
m icroscopic print. He puts on his glasses and starts
reading from Luke. It seems natural, just like Bill Clin­
ton.
I can find no fault with this, but why? Why my
unease about the notion of appealing to religious val­
ues around the Cabinet Room table, when 10 steps
away in the Oval Office it seems perfectly appropri­
ate?
I think the difference lies between invoking per­
sonal religious values as independent authority for
p u b lic p o lic y and u sin g th em as illu s tra tio n ,
metaphor, or parable. The president did not mean to
su g g est th a t our argum ent favoring affirm ative
action should be accepted becau se he could find
so m e a u th o rity for it in th e G ospel. He m erely
recalled to us a familiar moral teaching that further
grounded the policy argument, providing a moral
context.
he question, then, is what constitutes proof in
our public discourse? What kind of argument
should be allowed to carry the day? Should a
debate in the Senate be different from a conclave of
card inals or of Talm udic sch o la rs? I believe the
answer is yes, it must be different, but by way of
argum ent I can only a sse rt the First-Amendment
value— or metaprinciple— that distinguishes Ameri­
ca from theocracies and makes it possible for faith

T
24

to flourish.
Here’s an oth er way to think about th e school
prayer problem: Is the public school an extension of
the family or an extension of the state? The answer:
some of both. We are in a dilemma because we think
of educating our children as p erso n a l, yet we dele­
gate a large portion of the task to the governm ent,
thus inviting conflict over the public/private distinc­
tion.
And th at argument exp resses the fundamental
tension within liberal dem ocratic theory— the ten­
sion betw een representative government and per­
sonal liberty. The American constitutional solution,
resting on both d em ocratic p articipation and an
antidem ocratic Bill of Rights, has served well, but
will it survive? It’s ideas like those of Randall Terry,
who rejects the public/private distinction in toto,
that I’m worried about. Those things that our tradi­
tions have always considered public becom e over­
whelmed by the private in Randall Terry’s value sys­
tem.
This leads to my fundam ental proposition: We
cannot regulate the public/private distinction by seg­
regating values on either side of some arbitrary pub­
lic/private boundary becau se no stable boundary
can be found. We should instead appreciate and con­
tinually repair the delicate, discom forting balance
that is characteristic of liberal dem ocratic culture.
Abortion, school prayer, and a balanced budget are
all difficult public p olicy m atters, w hich can be
S W A R T H M O R E C O L L E G E B U L LETIN

The second is the increasing
arrest and incarceration of
African American males. The
figures on incarceration from
1980 onward are simply breath­
taking. And if you compare
them with the crime statistics,
you see that we have lots of
fear about crime but in fact the
crime rates have been essen­
tially stable, indeed decreasing
a little bit during that period.
The third major fact is the
persistent residential segrega­
tion of African Americans com­
bined with the movement of
employment to the suburban
fringe. So jobs have moved,* but
the ability of African Americans

to follow those jobs remains
constrained by very serious
residential segregation.
Fourth is the large inflow of
immigrants, the largest we’ve
had since the beginning of
the century. Further, it
appears that the skill lev­
els of the incoming immi­
grants have become lower
and lower compared to
previous periods of immi­
gration.
I think that if you put
these four facts together
you can see how it cre­
ates a tremendous cli­
mate of anxiety within society
and a lot of zero-sum game
thinking. This is the ground on
which intolerance grows.

resolved only by the application of values.
It’s not the agenda of the religious right
that’s the problem, it’s the intolerance.

There’s every
reason to
see the New
Deal and the
Great Society
as historical
aberrations.
Liberals should
not delude
themselves
by thinking
that it’s only a
matter of time
before things
go back to
“normal.”
For better and
worse, Bill
Clinton is not
Lyndon John­
son— and it is
no longer 1965.

here is an o th er cru cial te s t of our
nation’s values, and it concerns our
commitment to social and economic
justice. The current debate over welfare
reform and Medicaid budget cuts has been
taken by many liberals to be a dram atic
turning-away from America’s commitment
to elim inating th e evils of p o v erty and
racism.
I see it som ewhat differently. As I look
over the sweep of time, our commitment to
such altruism seem s to have a now-yousee-it, now-you-don’t quality. There’s every
reason to see the New Deal social insur­
ance com m itm ent and the Great Society
social welfare com m itm ent as h istorical
aberrations. In short, we may not be as
good as we think we are.
Liberals should not delude themselves
by thinking that it’s only a matter of tim
a short time— before things are corrected
and come back to “normal.” What is being
wrought in Washington today may in fact
be normal, and it is a challenge that calls
for response, not complacency.
It is essential to understand that we have
a great capacity to hold one set of ideals and princi­
ples and quite a different set of practical values. And
by ignoring facts and ugly realities we often do pre­

T

FEBR U A RY 1 9 9 6

tend that we have put our aspirations
into practice when this is clearly not the
case. Consider poverty issu es, where
there is an amazing amount of cognitive
dissonance and denial. People just don’t
want to face the challenges implicit in
the facts about poverty and will simply
not h ear them . B ack when P resid en t
Johnson spoke of “poor black babies,” it
was too powerful a m essage to ignore,
and the nation was moved. But for better
a n d w orse, Bill Clinton is not Lyndon
Johnson— and it is no longer 1965.
In m atters of ra ce , th e sam e ph e­
nomenon is at work, and we have trou­
ble m ediating our aspiration al values
with our p racticed values. Last year I
was privileged to be a p art of a long
series of discussions with President Clin­
ton and Vice President Gore over affir­
m ativ e a c tio n and ra c ia l is su e s. We
argued vigorously about why America is
divided and how it can heal. We talked
about th e difference betw een dream s
and plans, betw een ra ce and sex and
class and sexual orientation. We talked
about why it d o esn ’t m atter m uch in
civ ic life w h eth er you are an E p isco ­
palian or a Presbyterian or a Catholic—
and why it’s OK for each of those groups
to hang out together on Sunday morning but not OK
to make hiring decisions on that basis com e Monday
morning.
25

DON SWEARER
Charles and Harriett Cox
McDowell Professor
of Religion

W

ith advice from my col­
leagues and testimonies
of my students, I looked at two
books that I thought would
provide me with counter-per­
spectives on changing values in
America: our own [Professor of
Psychology] Barry Schwartz’s
The Costs o f Living: How M arket
Freedom Erodes the B est Things
in Life, and William J. Bennett’s
The B ook o f Virtues.

it

?

Over and over, however, th ere was a
m issing co n n e ctio n in our d iscu ssio n s
between the values we claim and the val­
ues we live. The best example of this came
■■gilt
over th e issu e of ra ce blindness. Many
conservatives attack affirmative action by
arguing that to be a race-blind society we must live
with race-blind policies. The fact that prejudice, bias,
and e x c lu s io n s till e x is t and re q u ire e ffe c tiv e
responses seems to matter little to those who see no
distinction betw een A m erica’s aspirations and its
practices. Do these ugly realities matter as you con­
struct public policy? Not if you have an unlimited
capacity to repress and deny contradictions.
What is to be done? Here I want to appeal to the
w isdom of our friend and fellow Sw arthm orean
Robert Putnam ’63, the Gurney Professor of Political
Science at Harvard. He has stressed the importance
of building communities by investing in what he calls
“social cap ital”— the networks, relationships, and
norms that provide a foundation for social and eco­
nomic strength. But in his vision of restoring civic
virtue and community, Bob acknowledges that racial
divisions may be the biggest challenge.
I think it is more than that. The call for community
carries with it the risk of an intolerant parochialism
and ethnocentrism that could be the very antithesis
of pluralism and tolerance. There may arise in this
call for community, if it goes awry, exclu sionary
effects of the broadest and m ost potent sort. The
challenge to the Putnam project is how to shrink the
vast distances in economic circumstance, where we
live, social conditions, and in aspirations, that now
26

>

J '* V __ J 1
.

\

. 1

The books are very different.
Barry offers us an impassioned,
reasoned, personal, and at
times whimsical critique of the
pervasive effects of the domi­
nance of the free market on all
aspects of our lives. “Our
emphasis on the individual in
this free market world we have
created has a dark side,”
Schwartz writes. “It leaves peo­
ple frighteningly alone, indeci­
sive about what to do and why,
unsure of the harsh misfor­
tunes they may encounter.
There is a price for freedom—
danger. There is a price for
individualism—loneliness.
There is a price for autono­
my—vulnerability. And there is

exist between communities—
e s p e c ia lly co m m u n itie s of
color and the m ajority white
community.
A dozen years ago, the city
of Boston was in the grips of a
wave of ugly, racially motivated violence, and there
was much hand-wringing and soul-searching. I was
am ong a handful of Harvard Law Sch ool faculty
members who were invited to a very informal talk
with the newly appointed Catholic cardinal, a man
who was reportedly conservative on doctrinal mat­
ters, but had a record of very substantial leadership
on civ il rig h ts in th e Deep Sou th . I asked him
whether he could foresee an end to this kind of con­
flict. He said, “Yes, absolutely.” I asked why, and he
said b e c a u s e he b eliev ed in th e p o ss ib ility of
“redemption.” Playing law professor, again I asked
why, and he added, “Because Christ has risen, and I
have faith.”
Now I think there are at least two difficulties with
this formulation, met by the same answer. The first
is th at the Cardinal’s con fiden ce d o esn ’t give us
much practical guidance about how to translate our
aspirations of racial healing into practice. The sec­
ond is that his confidence that redemption is possi­
ble is less than reassuring for those of us without his
religious faith. What, short of religious conversion,
will bring about a shift in aspirational values and
practical commitments? My answer: We must selfconciously seek out and create experiences that will
lead to a transformative civic conversion, in our val­
ues and sense of community.
S W A R T H M O R E C O L L E G E B U L LET IN

a price for enlightenment—
uncertainty.”
Bennett, on the other hand,
gives us a collection of moral
tales, which illustrate 10
virtues: self-discipline, compas­
sion, responsibility, friendship,
work, courage, perseverance,
honesty, loyalty, and faith. In
an odd w ay... both Schwartz
and Bennett reflect my col­
leagues’ sense that the major
problem we face is whether
there is any hope of a common
morality in this particularized,
deconstructed, postmodern

age. And my students felt need
for community and moral
exemplars. Yet what is our
vision of community? Is it a
Norman Rockwell America? A
nostalgia for some mythic com­
munity whose reality never
lived up to its promise?
Our vision must be both
aspiration and actual. Our
exemplars should not be
unattainable moral heroes and
heroines, but flawed embodi­
ments of virtue and principle
who are capable of inspiring
us, but who also leave a practi­
cal legacy to help all of us with

the daunting social, economic,
and political transformation.
This will call for all the virtues
William Bennett lists and a lot
more. It will certainly demand
of each of us, regardless of
gender, race, sexual
preference, or however
else we define our
particularity, to share
in the fashioning and
pursuit of common
goals, strategies, pro­
grams, if you will, a prac­
tical common good.

W

e can’t escape the important connec­
lo s e it and liv e w ith th e c o n s e ­
We can’t
tion betw een the private values of
quences.
escape the
our personal lives and the public val­
Finally, we must acknowledge that
ues we expect to operate in the civic sphere.
the
values we hold and live are not
connection
Our best constitutional traditions seek to bal­
im m u tab le. Our co m m itm e n ts to
between
ance the tension between state and individual,
social and econom ic justice, to diver­
values and the
and so to o m u st we b a la n c e th e te n sio n
sity, or to the aesth etic triumph of
between public and private value claims. I see
civic sphere.
the arts—we should vigilantly guard
four ways to tend this balance.
what
we hold dear against assau lt
Our best
First, we must ch erish and reassert such
and erosion, lest those commitments
traditions
m etaprinciples as the separation of church
prove ephem eral. A m erica’s values
balance the
and state and our commitments to pluralism.
are changing, and the challenge is to
At the same time we must understand that plu­
transform our nation’s moral journey
tension
ralism need not lead to a morally empty rela­
from a walk in the desert to a journey
between the
tivism. Even while tolerating our differences,
toward what we have promised our­
state and
we can still debate what is good.
selves and our children. ■
Second, we should not mistake our aspirathe individual,
tional values for the values we live. The gap
Christopher Edley Jr. ’73 is professor o f
and so too we
between our preachments and our practices is
law at the Harvard Law School, where
must balance
not only a m easure of our personal failures,
he has taught since 1981. He served as
but also a measure of how far America is from
the tension
national issues director for the 1988
the nation we want it to be.
presid en tial cam paign o f M ichael
between
Third, we m ake a dangerous erro r if we
Dukakis ’55, as senior transition policy
public and
believe th at p o litics is not an ap p ro p riate
adviser for the Clinton/Gore presiden­
private values*
arena for values discourse. Yes, it is easier to
tial transition, and as associate direc­
talk about who is up and who is down, who’s
tor o f the Office o f Management and
ahead and who’s behind, but it is even more
Budget in the Clinton administration.
important to argue about what is right and what is
In 1995, as special counsel to President Clinton, Edley
wrong. Politics must be about that too. The religious
led the administration’s review o f affirmative action
right understands the political importance of values
programs. His book on affirm ative action, Not All
discourse, and values warfare has becom e the ani­
Black and W hite: An E ssay on R ace, Affirm ative
mating energy of politics today. If we are not combat­
Action, and American Values, will be published by Hill
ants in this battle, then we should be prepared to
and Wang this spring.
FEBRUARY 1 9 9 6

27

A L

U M N I

to know some current Swarthmore
students who were home for winter
break. Also, an added feature to the
Garnet Sages’ annual visit to the High­
land Park Club in Lake Wales, Fla., was
a luncheon with Harry Gotwals,
Swarthmore’s vice president of alum­
ni, development, and public relations.

Roberta Chicos 77, Emily Gage ’90, and Jennifer Cousar Costa ’91 (left to right) take a
break from a service project in Boston where Connection members did yardwork and
housework at a public housing project for the elderly last October.

Recent Events
Chicago: On Jan. 26 Chicago young
alumni got together for a Swarthmore
TGIF cocktail party at a local bar and
cafe. Jennie Romich ’94 and Darius
Tandon ’94 put the event together.
Los Angeles: More than 30 alumni,
parents, and friends came out to the
California Institute of Technology to
cheer on the Swarthmore women’s
basketball team as they took on Cal­
tech on Jan. 6. Following the game
players, coaches, and members of the
LA Connection gathered for a recep­
tion planned by Jenny Rickard ’86.
New York: The New York Connection
gathered for its almost-annual Chinese
banquet on Feb. 7 at the 20 Mott
Street Restaurant. The event was
organized by Penel Owens Adelmann
’ 66 .

Philadelphia: Members of the Con­
nection came to campus when the
Swarthmore College Chamber Orches­
tra featured alumni composers and
performers in a concert of 20th-centu­
ry American music in November. In
February Mark Kenward ’89 brought
his solo adaptation of Melville’s whal­
ing novel Moby D ick to Swarthmore’s
campus. A reception with Mark fol­
lowed the performance. Also in Febru­

ary Swarthmoreans attended a show­
ing of Cold Fever, a film by James Stark
’71. James met with alumni and par­
ents at a reception following the film.
Seattle: On Jan. 27 the Seattle Connec­
tion toured two special exhibits at the
Asian Art Museum in Volunteer Park.
Following the tour everyone gathered
at a local Thai restaurant for some
casual conversation. Deb Read ’87
coordinated the afternoon outing.
South Florida: South Florida alumni
and parents spent part of Jan. 11 at
the home of Mark Shapiro ’88 getting

Washington, D.C.: Chekhov’s classic
play Three Sisters was at the Studio
Theatre in Washington, D.C., in
December, and area alumni, parents,
and friends enjoyed a performance.
After the play the group had the
opportunity to meet and talk with cast
members. Dorita Sewell ’65 and Serge
Seiden ’85 organized the event.

Upcoming Events
An Evening at the Basic Theatre is
planned for the New York Connection
on Feb. 28. Also planned for early- to
mid-spring are an event at the Brook­
lyn Academy of Music, a visit by
Swarthmore President Alfred H.
Bloom, and a showing of the new
movie Cold F ever by Swarthmorean
James Stark ’71.
Planned for the Philadelphia Connec­
tion some time in early April is a tour
of the new Kohlberg Hall followed by a
student panel on volunteerism.

Com ing Soon for Sw arthm ore Alum ni
March 9 -2 1 ........... ...... Alumni College Abroad
Costa Rica and the Panama Canal
March 22-23......... ...... Black Alumni Weekend
March 29-31......... ..... Coolfont Retreat, West Virginia
April 1 2 -1 3 ........... ..... Alumni Council’s spring meeting
April 1 9 -2 1 ........... ..... Parents Weekend
June 4 - 7 ............... ..... Alumni College on campus
June 5 ................... ..... Garnet Sages garden tour, Unionville, Pa.
June 7 - 9 ............... ..... Alumni Weekend
Aug. 19-Sept. 1 ... ..... Alumni College Abroad— Turkish Coast
Sept. 2 0 -2 1 ............ ..... Volunteer Leadership Weekend
Alumni Council’s fall meeting
For information on alumni events, call the Alumni Office at (61(0 328-8402,
or e-mail alumni@swarthmore.edu.

28
S W A R T H M O R E C O L L E G E B U L L E T IN i

ALABAMA
Joan Maddy Harris ’40
3527 Conestoga Way
Birmingham, AL 35242
Day/Eve: (205) 991-0810
NP MAXL 3 MAXG 4
ARIZONA
Chuck Kaplan ’80 and Debra Simon ’81
6651 N. Catalina Avenue
Tucson, AZ 85718
Day: (602) 299-3677
NS MAXL negotiable MAXG negotiable
Scenic mountains, hiking trails
CALIFORNIA
Carol and Whitney Collins ’39
P.O. Box 1035
Carmel Valley, CA 93924
Day/Eve: (408) 659-4665
NS MAXL 3 MAXG 2

Alone in Arizona?
Lost in Louisiana?
Short of cash in California?
Tuck this directory into your suitcase, and
traveling m ay n ev er b e the sam e again!
warthmore alumni and parents in 34 states and four
foreign countries have put out the welcome mat for
College alumni, parents, faculty, staff, and students.
Instead of spending the night in a motel, stay in the home
of a Swarthmore alumnus/a or parent. You’ll have firstrate company while saving money, and part of the cost
goes to the College’s Alumni Scholarship Fund. A onenight stay is usually $30 (can vary according to location).

S

How to arrange a stay with Swarthmore hosts:
Simply write or phone the hosts with the dates that
you will be in their area. Hosts can decline to accept trav­
elers at any time. They may have certain limitations,
such as no smoking, pets, or alcohol, which are listed by
code (see box).
Travelers may not arrive unannounced. They must
make arrangements at least two days in advance and
notify the hosts if plans change. This service is for
Swarthmore alumni, parents, faculty, staff, and students;
it is not transferable to others. The hosts have no obliga­
tion to provide meals.
We hope that you’ll use and enjoy this service. If you’d
like to be a host, please write to: Alumni Office, Travel
Directory, Swarthmore College, 500 College Avenue,
Swarthmore PA 19081-1397. Include your address, tele­
phone numbers, and restrictions.
—Alan Symonette 76, President, Alumni Association

Ann M. Baerwald ’60
P. O. Box 692
Idyllwild, CA 92549
Day: (909) 659-4658 Eve: (909) 659-3579
NS NC NP MAXG 4 MAXL 7, $50
Chuck Kimball and Nanessence ’64
The Artists’ Loft
A Bed & Breakfast Retreat
P.O. Box 2408
Julian, CA 92036-2408
Day/Eve: (619) 765-0765
NS NC NP MAXG 4 $70 per couple
Sachiko and Paul C. Berry ’55
3787 Louis Road
Palo Alto, CA 94303-4512
Day: (408) 734-8100 Eve: (415) 494-2031
NS NC NP MAXL 2-3 MAXG 2, futon, $15
Internet: Paul_Berry@ACM.org
Harriet Butts ’71 and Dale Gatlin
14800 Nash Mill Road
Philo, CA 95466
Day/Eve: (408) 336-5094
MAXL 2 MAXG 4
Beautiful 360° view, no phone/elect.,
comfortable house
Margaret Dickie Linden ’60
P.O. Box 309
Point Reyes Station, CA 94956
Day/Eve: (415) 663-1488
NS NANP MAXL 7 MAXG 2
Edwenna Rosser ’63 and Michael
Werner
2160 San Pasqual Street
Pasadena, CA 91107
Day: (213) 740-4626 Eve: (818) 796-4092
Email: ewerner@mizar.usc.edu
1double bed, 1single bed
NS (except outside) MAXL 2 MAXG 2-3
Benjamin W. White ’42
20 Malvino Court
Belvedere-Tiburón, CA 94920
Day/Eve: (415) 435-3590
NS NC MAXL 2 MAXG 3

Edie Young ’68
843 Copper Privado
Ontario, CA 91762-4994
Day: (909) 986-4899
NS NA MAXG 4
One hour drive to Disneyland

DELAWARE
Paul ’65 and Diana Judd Stevens ’63
12 Crestfield Road
Wilmington, DE 19810-1402
Eve: (302)475-2111
NS NC NP MAXG 4 MAXL 3

IOWA
Ferrel Rose ’83
1325 4th Avenue
Grinnell,IA 50112
Day/Eve: (515) 236-4489
NP MAXL 3 MAXG 3 $25 for 2

COLORADO
Deanna and Michael Held ’66
3625 Cholla Court
Boulder, CO 80304
Day: (303) 492-0385
Eve: (303) 444-2830 (before 9:30 p.m.)
NS MAXL 3 MAXG 4, two on sofa bed
$30 for two, $10 each add’l guest

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Louis and Cushing Niles Dolbeare ’49
215 Eighth Street NE
Washington, DC 20002-6105
Day/Eve: (202) 547-2918 or
(202) 544-5505 (ans. machine)
NS NP MAXL 4 MAXG 3

LOUISIANA
Mary Keller Zervigon ’60
1119 Fern Street
New Orleans, LA 70118
Day/Eve: (504) 861-3391
NS MAXL 4 MAXG 2

Kathy Purcell ’77
840 South Estes Street
Lakewood, CO 80226-4205
Day: (303) 987-2356 Eve: (303) 989-8517
NS MAXL negotiable MAXG negotiable

Michael and Virginia Spevak
5320 Belt Road NW
Washington, DC 20015-1961
Day: (202) 362-9119 Eve: (202) 244-8644
NS NA MAXL 7 MAXG 1

Barbara Nelson Wells ’49
1030 Estes Street
Lakewood, CO 80215
Day: (303) 969-7257 Eve: (303) 238-4315
MAXL 5 MAXG 2, sofa bed

FLORIDA
Janet Hotson Baker ’47
550 Gaspar Drive
Cape Haze
Placida, FL 33946
Day/Eve: (941) 697-3581
NP MAXL negotiable MAXG 2
Available October thru May

CONNECTICUT
Patricia and Jay Weiner ’55
150 Brushy Hill Road
Danbury, CT 06810
Day/Eve: (203) 743-6379
NS NP MAXL 2 MAXG 4
Martin ’66 and Eva Reissner Ewing ’66
2001 Durham Road
Guilford, CT 06437
Day/Eve: (203) 457-0030
NS NP MAXL 2 MAXG 2
Jane and Rufus Blanshard ’43
310 Gurleyville Road
Storrs, CT 06268-1416
Day/Eve: (203) 429-4908
NS MAXL 3 MAXG 3
Roy’80 and Sarah Fleischmann
Schutzengel ’83
165 Butternut Lane
Stratford, CT 06497
Day: (203) 371-7111 (Roy)
Eve: (203) 375-4738
NS Pets negotiable MAXL 5 MAXG 5, 2
adults, 3 children

H O S T C O N D ITIO N S
NA: no alcohol
NC: no children
NP: no pets with travelers
NS: no smoking
MAXG: maximum number of
guests host can accommodate
MAXL: maximum length of stay
(in days)

Wendell ’51 and Dorothy Watt
Williams ’50
124 Whispering Sands Drive
Siesta Key, FL 34242
Day/Eve: (813) 349-4218
NS NC NP MAXG 2
Available Jan 1 thru mid-April
GEORGIA
George and Gloria Harley
617 West Lake Circle
Augusta, GA 30907
Day/Eve: (706) 868-1935
NS NP MAXL 2 MAXG 4
John and Donna Crystal Llewellyn ’80
3517 Cedar Valley Drive
Smyrna, GA 30080-5646
Day: (404) 894-2340 Eve: (404) 434-8548
NS NC NP MAXL 2 MAXG 2
IDAHO
Jay and Sandra King
800 Bacon Drive
Boise, ID 83712
Day/Eve: (208) 336-3516
NS MAXL 3 MAXG 4, 1 on bed,
3 sleeping bags, $5 per person
ILLINOIS
Wendell ’51 and Dorothy Watt
Williams ’50
2214 S. Lynn Street
Urbana, IL 61801
Day/Eve: (217) 344-5180
NC NP NS MAXG 2
Available May thru mid-December

MAINE
Chris ’54 and Jane Walker Kennedy ’55
HC 61 Box 124
Damariscotta, ME 04543
Day/Eve: (207) 563-1646
NS NP MAXL 3 MAXG 5
MARYLAND
Judith Graybeal Eagle ’66
501 West Gordon Street
Bel Air, MD 21014-3520
Day: (410) 838-0900 Eve: (410) 836-0339
MAXG 2, plus futon
Smoking on screened porch
Virginia Bordeweick Colin ’72
13205 Park Lane
Fort Washington, MD 20744
Day/Eve: (301) 292-5999
NS MAXG 2-4
Pets outside only
Daniel M. Mont ’83
16512 Kipling Road
Rockville, MD 20855-1929
Day: (202) 226-2672 Eve: (301) 330-9467
NS NP MAXL 2 MAXG 4
MASSACHUSETTS
Diana and Paul Peelle ’69
161 High Street
Amherst, MA 01002-1853
Day/Eve: (413) 253-3682
NS MAXG 4
David E. ’62 and Alice E. Kidder ’63
239 Randall Road
Berlin, MA 01503
Day: (617) 349-2483 or (617) 924-7236
Eve: (617) 924-7236
NS NAMAXG 3
10-minute transport to Harvard Square,
Cambridge available
Thomas R. Corwin ’59
42 Sunset Road
Cambridge, MA 02138
Day: (617) 497-6753 Eve: (617) 876-5252
NP MAXG 2
Winthrop and Barbara Hertz Burr ’65
55 Hemenway Drive
Canton, MA 02021
Day: (617) 735-6198 Eve: (617) 821-2105
NS NP MAXL 7 MAXG 4

Joan Litchard Wyon ’50
143 Fairway Road
Chestnut Hill, MA 02167
Day/Eve: (617) 731-3381
NS NC NP MAXG 2 MAXL 3

Ruth Tuley Broderick ’56
173 Packers Falls Road
Durham, NH 03824
Day/Eve: (603) 659-2711
NS NP MAXG 5

Sara Bolyard Chase ’60
1 Grassland Street
Lexington, MA 02173
Day/Eve: (617) 861-6646
NS NC NP MAXL 5 MAXG 3

Catherine Stone ’74
28 South Street
Portsmouth, NH 03801
Eve: (603) 436-9745
NS NP MAXL 3 MAXG 2

Liz Augustine ’79
10 Mockingbird Lane
Maynard, MA 01754
Eve: (508) 897-6976
NS NC NP NA MAXL 3 MAXG 2

NEW JERSEY
Lois and Richard Waddington ’52
10 Sunset Avenue
Linwood, NJ 08221
Day/Eve: (609) 927-2803
NS NC NP NAMAXL 3 MAXG 4
$40, including breakfast

Susan Turner ’60 and Wallace
Clausen ’60
64 Westland Road
Weston, MA 02193
Day/Eve: (617) 894-0794
NS NP MAXL 2-3 MAXG 2-3
MICHIGAN
Nicholas Jay Herrick Jr. ’94
1012 E. Sunnybrook Drive
Royal Oak, MI 48073
Day: (313) 839-9800 Eve: (810) 588-3292
NS NP MAXL 2 MAXG 2
MINNESOTA
Betsey Buckheit ’83 and Justin London
610 Union Street
Northfield, MN 55057-2542
Day/Eve: (507) 663-0705
NS MAXL 3 MAXG 3
1 double bed, 1 cot
MISSOURI
Keith ’84 and Margaret Smith
Henderson ’84
4814 Fisher Lane
Arnold, MO 63010
Day: (314) 843-4151 (Keith)
Eve: (314) 282-2478
NS NAMAXL 5-6 MAXG 4 $25
Milton and Dorothy Brodie Clarke ’50
1060 West 55th Street
Kansas City, MO 64113
Day/Eve: (816) 523-3058
MAXL 5 MAXG 6
MONTANA
Emilie Smith Loring ’44
500 Daly Avenue
Missoula, MT 59801
Day/Eve: (406) 721-4852
MAXL negotiable MAXG 2
NEW HAMPSHIRE
Dale Shoup Mayer ’47
14 Bickford Crossroad
Center Sandwich, NH 03227
Day/Eve: (603) 284-7726
NS No cats MAXL 2 MAXG 4
Swimming, canoeing, mountain climbing

Sandra M. Greenberg
37 Elliot Road
Parsippany, NJ 07054
Day/Eve: (201) 335-3054
NP MAXL 30 MAXG 4
Joseph and Geraldine Higham
117 Corrine Drive
Pennington, NJ 08534-3502
Day/Eve: (609) 737-2584
NS NP MAXL 6-7 MAXG 4
Ricki Feingold Waldman ’61
148 Lincoln Avenue
Ridgewood, NJ 07450
Day: (201) 982-3416 Eve: (201) 444-8398
NS MAXL 3-4 MAXG 3
NEW MEXICO
Niki Giloane Sebastian ’65
HC69 Box 5A
Sapello, NM87745
Day/Eve: (505) 425-7610
NS Pets negotiable MAXL 7 MAXG 2
futon
plenty of outdoor camping space
Children only with campers $10
Close to Santa Fe and Taos

NEW YORK
Thea Mendelson ’57
P. O. Box 291
Main Street
Aurora, NY 13026
Day: (315) 364-3279 Eve: (315) 356-5174
NS MAXL 2 MAXG 4 Crib
Philip ’48 and Alice Higley Gilbert ’48
174 Kilburn Road
Garden City, NY 11530
Day/Eve: (516) 747-3227
NS NP MAXL 5 MAXG 3
Judith Anderson Lawler ’60
29 Division Avenue
Nyack, NY 10960
Day: (914) 358-7400 Eve: (914) 353-0534
NS NP MAXG 5
Fred Marshall ’83
34 Laureldale Drive
Pittsford, NY 14534
Day: (716) 275-0557 Eve: (716) 387-9895
NS NP NAMAXL 2 MAXG 2 (if able to
share double bed)
Chris and Deborah Wright Percival ’73
95 Mill Street
Williamsville, NY 14221
Day: (716) 636-3180 Eve: (716) 633-5830
NS MAXL 7 MAXG 5
NORTH CAROLINA
Nancy E. Shoemaker ’71 and Stephen
Davis
7009 Jeffrey Drive
Raleigh, NC 27603
Day/Eve: (919) 773-1340
NS NP MAXL2 MAXG2
Email: shoemaker@acm.org
OHIO
Russell Benghiat ’70
23370 Ranch Road
Beachwood, OH 44122
Day: (216) 831-8580 Eve: (216) 464-1178
NS NP MAXL 2 MAXG 4

Colin ’82 and Ann Bauman Wightman ’82
601 Park Street
Socorro, NM87801
Day/Eve: (505) 835-3293
NS NP NAMAXL 4 MAXG 5, $20
Children welcome

Bill and Jane Dixon McCullam ’62
9880 Fairmount Road
Newbury, OH 44065
Day/Eve: (216) 338-3253
NP MAXL 4 MAXG 4
Primitive campsites also avail. $10

H. Laurence Ross’55
3939 Rio Grande Blvd. #43
Albuquerque, NM 87107
Day: (505) 277-2501 Eve: (505) 344-0488
FAX: (505) 277-8805
Email: Iross@unm.edu
NS MAXG 2

Richard and Catherine Hall Roberts ’63
1026 22nd Street
Portsmouth, OH 45662
Tel: (614) 353-2463
NS MAXL 10 MAXG 2
David and Betsy Ring Kolasky ’65
4940 Turnbridge Road
Toledo, OH 43623
Day/Eve: (419) 885-3869
NS NP MAXL 3 MAXG 3

OREGON
Pat and Paul Frishkoff ’60
Lundquist CBA
1208 University of Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403-1208
Day: (541) 346-3313
NS NP MAXL 2 MAXG 3 $35
One child only
George ’54 and Elsa Bennett Struble ’53
210 18th Street NE
Salem, OR 97301
Day: (503) 370-6122 Eve: (503) 364-3929
NS MAXG 3-4
PENNSYLVANIA
Steven Kraft and Margot Hillman ’78
1807 Homestead Avenue
Bethlehem, PA 18018
Day: (215) 865-4400 (Margot)
Eve: (215) 868-8987
NS NP MAXL 3 MAXG3
Anne and John Schubert ’74
5996 Beverly Hills Road
Coopersburg, PA 18036-1838
Day: (610) 282-3085 Eve: (610) 2824246
NS MAXL 3 MAXG 4
Molly and Alex Henderson ’75
2051 Rice Road
Lancaster, PA 17603-9544
Day: (717) 299-7254 Eve: (717) 872-9319
NS Pets negotiable MAXL 3 MAXG 4
Barbara Seymour ’63
307 Moylan Avenue
Moylan, PA 19065
Day/Eve: (610) 565-9278
NS NP MAXL 3 MAXG 1
Mrs. James K. Blake
9950 East Lake Road
North East, PA 16428
Day/Eve: (814) 7254162
MAXL 3 MAXG 3
Barbara and Robert Hoe ’68
463 W. Chestnut Hill Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19118-3711
Day: (215) 233-6900 Eve: (215) 242-9098
NS MAXL 34 MAXG 2
David and Anna Reedy Rain ’83
613 S. Burrowes Street
State College, PA 168014611
Day/Eve: (814) 234-1737
NS MAXL negotiable MAXG negotiable
Tom Reiner ’52 and Patrice Lopatin
27 S. Wyoming
Ardmore, PA 19003
(610) 642-6897
NS NP MAXG2
one double room $50
Available November thru mid May

TENNESSEE
Nancy and Lee Hallberg ’55
211 Semore Drive
Jonesborough, TN 37659
Day/Eve: (423) 753-9345
MAXL 2 MAXG 4
TEXAS
Joan Rudel and Chris Stinson ’73
906 Crystal Creek Drive
Austin, TX 78746
Eve: (512) 263-5916
NS MAXL 2 MAXG 2
Sally Mills Watkins
2500-D Quarry Road
Austin, TX 78703
Day: (512) 327-8760 Eve: (512) 477-7677
NS NP MAXL 3 MAXG 3
Kate Rose Grossman ’84 and
Paul Gottsegen
1707 Briarmead Drive
Houston, TX 77057
Eve: (713) 266-2900
NS NC NP MAXL 4 MAXG 2
UTAH
Matt ’83 and Suellen Heath Riffkin ’83
11607 South 700 West,
Draper, UT 84020
Day/Eve: (801) 572-0500
NS MAXL 5 MAXG 4, $20, students halfprice
VERMONT
Tom Reiner ’52 and Patrice Lopatin
High Meadow, A Bed and Breakfast
P.O. Box 3344
Goshen Ripton Road
Goshen, VT 05733
Day/Eve: (802) 247-3820
Alt. (610) 642-6897
NS NP MAXG 6 $45 per room
Available June thru November
Randolph and Beverly Bruhn Major ’57
RFD 3, Box 631
Putney, VT 05346
Day: (802) 722-3241 Eve: (802) 387-5737
NS MAXL 3 MAXG 4
VIRGINIA
Ann and Francis C. Tatem Jr. ’46
140 Hickory Drive
Christiansburg, VA 24073
Day/Eve: (703) 382-6169
NS MAXL 3 MAXG 3
David Tucker ’58
114 N. Court Street
Luray, VA22835
Day/Eve: (703) 743-1166
NC MAXG 6
Susie and Bob Fetter ’53
2923 Carolina Avenue SW
Roanoke, VA 24014-3203
Day/Fax: (703) 982-1034

Eve: (703) 342-9950
NP MAXL 3 MAXG 5,
2 beds, 2 sleeping bags
WISCONSIN
Robert and Marilyn Mathews
Bendiksen ’59
N1664 Timber Lane
La Crosse, WI 54601
Day: (608) 789-7661 Eve: (608) 788-0268
NS NP MAXL 3 MAXG 3
Martin ’55 and Elizabeth Likert David ’53
207 Du Rose Terrace
Madison, WI 53705
Day: (608) 266-8299 Eve: (608) 238-2181
NS NP MAXG 5
AUSTRALIA
Betty Nathan ’50
13 Jaeger Circuit
Bruce, ACT, .2617
AUSTRALIA
NS NC NP NAMAXG2 MAXL3
$40 (Australian)
CANADA
Helen Copeland Grattidge ’53
5105-46 Avenue
Camrose, Alberta T4V 3Y5
CANADA
Day/Eve: (403) 472-4564
MAXG 4
Richard C. Conlin ’50
270 Chemin de la Boucle
Montebello, Quebec J0V 1L0
CANADA
Day/Eve: (819) 423-6379
NS NP MAXL 7 MAXG 4
$40/person, $60/couple, $12/child under
12

Ge'rtrude Joch Robinson ’50
415 Mount Pleasant Avenue
Westmount, Quebec H3Y 3G9
CANADA
Day/Eve: (514) 934-5967
NS NP MAXL 3 MAXG 4
$40/person, $60/couple
MEXICO
Janet Hill Coerr ’39
la Priv. Humboldt Casa 2
Cuernavaca 62000 Mor
MEXICO
MAIL: Apdo. Postal 1-233
Day/Eve: 011-52-731-8-90-57
NS NC NP MAXL 5 MAXG 3
NEW ZEALAND
H. Alan Shapiro ’71
9/28 Gloucester Street
Christchurch 1
NEWZEALAND
Tel: 64-3-379-4828
FAX: 64-3-364-2576
Internet: CLAS01 l@csc.canterbury.ac.nz
NS NC NP MAXL 3 MAXG 2

D I G E S T

Sing It Loud! Black Alumni Weekend, March 22, 23
lan on a treat during Black Alumni
Weekend, March 22 and 23, when
the Swarthmore College Alumni
Gospel Choir presents its 25th
anniversary concert. Featured in the
Saturday evening event will be new

P

pieces, written for the choir and per­
formed on its first recording, Hallelu­
ja h Amen. Also scheduled for the
weekend is a performance featuring
The Seventh Principle dance troupe
with C. Kemal Nance ’92 and a lecture

by Martha Jackson-Jarvis during the
opening reception of her multimedia
installation “Boxes of Oshun” in the
List Gallery. For more information on
this event, call the Alumni Office at
(610) 328-8412.

Swarthmore Weekend
at Coolfont, March 29-31

as well as the
future of the
major parties.
Campaign P ro m ise s/
Greer con­
sults with com­
Hardball Politics
munity-based
organizations
on aspects of
arol Nackenoff, associate pro­
development
fessor of political science, and
her husband, independent con­ projects from
planning to
sultant James L. Greer, will join Histo­
advocacy. He
ry Professor Marjorie Murphy in lead­
has a special
ing discussions at the sixth annual
interest in the
Swarthmore Weekend at Coolfont in
consequences
West Virginia.
of elections for
The event will be Friday through
cities and sub­
Sunday, March 29-31, at the scenic
resort owned by Sam Ashelman ’37.
urbs, the
Carol Nackenoff, associate professor o f political science, will be
decline of
This year’s theme is “Campaign Projoined by her husband, independent political consultant Jam es Greer,
urban prob­
mises/Hardball Politics.”
at the sixth annual Swarthmore weekend at Coolfont.
lems as issues
Nackenoff is an authority on the
in national elec­
rhetoric of U.S. politics—candidates’
tions, and the
appeals to voters, their coded lan­
geography of presidential politics.
watching, and live entertainment.
guage, the symbols they invoke, and
In addition to the discussion pro­
Details on the Swarthmore Weekend
the ways that their messages rework
are available from the Alumni Office,
gram, Coolfont offers hiking in the
American myths. She is studying the
(610) 328-8402, fax (610) 328-7796, or
foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains,
role of such issues as race, gender,
e-mail cdumni@swarthmore.edu.
golf, swimming, aerobics, great bird­
and immigration in the ’96 campaign,

C

FEBRUARY 1 9 9 6

29

A Footprint We Leave Behind
From early adversity as a student Paul Gottlieb ’5 6 created a m asterpiece o f a career.

M

y observation is that most people
who succeed at anything
encounter adversity of some kind and
learn to transcend it,” says Paul Gottlieb
’56, museum trustee, president, publish­
er, chief executive officer, editor-in-chief
of publishing house Harry N. Abrams
Inc., and producer of a best-selling art
catalog. Early adversity came while he
was at Swarthmore, when a “paralyzingly good time” in pursuit of wine and
women led to bad grades, a summons
to the dean, and dismissal for one
semester from the College. He returned
to graduate with a major in political sci­
ence. “Having experienced early fail­
ure,” he says, “yet surviving find tran­
“When you see something that’s really
scending that point of adversity, I
unique, the hairs on the back o f your head
gained strength and self-confidence.”
really stand on end, ”says Paul Gottlieb
Forty years later, with a career and
(right), seen here with Hermitage director
reputation in the art world that are as
Dr. Mikhail Pyotrovsky during an inter­
colorful and impressive as any master­
view on CBS Sunday Morning last April 2.
piece, Gottlieb was the expert called to
be on the spot when, in 1994, a collec­
tion of priceless paintings was brought
Abrams produces a list of titles, half
out of hiding at the State Hermitage
of which is devoted to art and half to
Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia.
other illustrated subjects. The revela­
With a father born in St. Petersburg
tion in St. Petersburg was not Gottlieb’s
and a mother from Ukraine, Gottlieb
first experience of seeing hitherto undis­
spent his New York childhood steeped
closed art. The excitement is still audi­
in Russian culture and acquired native
ble in his voice as he tells of a call he
fluency in both Russian and English. His
received 11 years ago from a graphic art
sensitivity to art also grew out of his
publisher in Florida, who was talking to
background, where “a love of art, music, “someone who had just bought from
literature, and culture were part of the
Andrew Wyeth 240 works all about one
deal.” All his life Gottlieb has been soak­ woman.” The buyer was Leonard
ing up art history, visiting exhibitions
Andrews, the pictures the famous
and museums all over the world.
“Helga” series, created in secret by
His actual career in the publishing
Wyeth between 1970 and 1985 and
world began in 1956 at the William Mor­
stashed away until he revealed their
ris Agency in New York City, where he
existence in a 1985 interview. Gottlieb
served as a literary agent. In 1959 he
arranged to meet with Andrews to see
was one of a number of young bilingual
color transparencies of the pictures. He
Americans chosen to act as a guide and
said: “When you see something that’s
interpreter at the American National
really unique, then the hairs on the back
Exhibition in Moscow, the launching
of your head really stand on end. Wyeth
event of a cultural agreement between
is still the most popular living American
the Soviet Union and the United States.
artist, and when I saw the Helga pic­
The State Department recalled him to
tures, the feeling was just amazing.”
Moscow in 1961 to serve again as inter­
Andrews invited Gottlieb to arrange an
preter, as the cultural exchanges
exhibition of the pictures. He did so in
1987 in collaboration with J. Carter
between the superpowers continued.
After holding a string of executive posi­
Brown, then director of the National
Gallery of Art in Washington. The book
tions at the American Heritage Publish­
ing Company, founding the American
Andrew Wyeth: The Helga Pictures, in
which Gottlieb is credited with having
branch of the British Thames and Hud­
son Company, and running his own con­ “initially called attention to this group of
sulting firm, he joined Abrams as editor- pictures,” was published by Abrams
in-chief in January 1980, taking over
and was the first-ever art book to be
chosen as a Main Selection of the Booklater that year as its president and pub­
of-the-Month Club.
lisher.
42

Gottlieb describes the Hermitage
event as another “dazzling experience
and one of the most exciting moments
in my life.” Albert Kostenevich, a senior
curator at the State Hermitage Museum,
had told Gottlieb in February 1994 that
something was afoot there. In July
Museum Director Dr. Mikhail Pyotrov­
sky informed him of an exhibit of spec­
tacular Impressionist and Post-Impres­
sionist paintings that had been removed
from Germany by Soviet authorities at
the end of World War II. He invited Gott­
lieb to involve Abrams. Visiting the Her­
mitage in September, Gottlieb accompa­
nied Kostenevich to an isolated section
of the museum “through endless corri­
dors, around corners, up and down
staircases, and through long, long gal­
leries,” until they reached a room con­
taining 74 paintings—by Monet, Renoir,
van Gogh, Gauguin, Cézanne, Degas, Pis­
sarro, Matisse, and others—all
unframed and being worked on by a
conservator. Taken from a bunker in
Berlin, where they had been stored for
the duration of the war, the paintings
were then hidden as war booty in the
Soviet Union. Gottlieb was the first per­
son outside the Hermitage staff to see a
trove that was to rock the art world
once again.
Abrams was commissioned to pro­
duce the catalog for the Hermitage
exhibit within a fraction of the time nor­
mally required to publish such a book.
Gottlieb and his staff arranged for the
photography, writing, translating the
Russian text, editing, retranslating the
edited English text back into Russian,
design, and printing of a landmark book
featuring all 74 works in full color plates
and titled, like the exhibition, Hidden
Treasures Revealed. Sales are predicted
to top 250,000 books by March 1996,
when the exhibition closes. It is the second-ever art book to be a Main Selection
of the Book-of-the-Month Club.
Decades have passed since Paul Gott­
lieb was “tossed out of Swarthmore and
forced to face reality.” His reality is the
world of art, and his mission is to make
it accessible to the public. As he puts it:
“Art is one of the few continuums of the
human experience; when you look at all
civilizations, each produces art; it’s a
kind of footprint we leave behind.” Judg­
ing by the place he has forged for him­
self in that reality, he must have a pretty
large foot.
—Carol Brévart
S W A R T H M O R E C O L L E G E B U LLETIN

u

R

B

A

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K

P

A

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Spring, Md., wife of the well-known the m onasteries in 1532. The gri
educator Benjam in Hallowell— and freestone of the walls has long sin
certainly a “weighty” Friend in her been covered with plaster and pebbl
H adSw arthm ore’s founders
own right—is credited with suggest­ dash, but the local slate roof and mi
not had a sense o f history,
ing “Swarthmore.” We do not know lioned windows preserve the
the
alternatives proposed, but, unlike century character of the exterior T1
your diploma might have
the choice of site, the name seems to building’s austerity is relieved only
read “Westdale College. ”
have cau sed no co n tro v ersy . The a large three-story window bay
meeting directed the Board of Man­ the now-restored balcony from wh|
By Mary Ellen Grafflin Chijioke ’67
agers to draft and apply for a charter George Fox occasionally preachec L
The interior was paneled thre ug
to incorporate “Swarthmore College.”
It is hard not to read significance out, though the original paneling
arrish Hall is 127 years old in
1996— 115 as rebuilt after the into the fact that a woman proposed vives in only two bedrooms. The
fire of 1881. Swarthmoor Hall, the name of Swarthmore for this radi­ stone floor and large stone fireplai
th e E lizabeth an m anor h ou se cal
for experiment, a college offering the give the dining hall a clear 17th-ce
which the College was named, will sam e curriculum to both men and ry flavor, though the oak panelii
soon reach the age of 400. English women on the same site. Swarthmoor the result of 20th-century renovation
Quakers are now restoring and reno­ Hall was a symbol of the strong lead­ Also surviving from the building’s
vating the older building to ensure it ership roles taken by early Quaker wo­ liest days are a beautiful carved
men. It was the home of Margaret Fell, place and a rare newel staircase risii
at least another century of useful life.
If those Hicksite Friends who chose who from 1652 provided the adminis­ from the ground floor to the atti
the College’s site 11 miles southwest tra tiv e skill th at
of Philadelphia had followed custom­ kept the movement
ary Quaker practice, our alma mater from falling apart
would have been called Westdale Col­ from the centrifuged
lege. This area, at the time part of forces of its individ­
Springfield Township, had taken its u a listic th eology.
name from the family who owned the When, as a widow,
farm west of Chester Road by the rail­ she married George
road sta tio n . A lm ost u niv ersally Fox, Q u akerism ’s
before 1850, Quaker m eetings and dom inant lead er,
in stitu tio n s were named after the Sw arthm oor Hall
place where they were located. Memo­ became his home as
rializing individuals or places was well. Strikingly, he
very unusual until the late 19th centu­ renounced all con­
ry, so that the Friends School, Provi­ trol over her wealth,
dence, only becam e M oses Brown making her an
S ch o o l in 1904. So why did th o se anomaly in the 17th
1860s H icksite Quakers ch o o se to cen tu ry — an inde­
name th eir new institution after a pendent, propertied
building near the small town of Ulver- m arried woman.
The building is thus
ston in northwest England?
In this case the name was chosen both a landmark in
before the site. At the December 1863 Quaker history and
annual meeting of the Friends Educa­ in women’s rights,
tion A ssociation , which had been an ideal model for a
organizing and raising funds for the co lleg e th at num­
p ro je c t, th e final c h o ice betw een bered Lucretia Mott,
Westdale in Springfield or Wissahick- Martha Tyson, and
on in Upper Dublin was submitted to Margaret Hallowell
the unquakerly procedure of a vote, among its founders.
The building it­
with a 10-day allowance for receipt of
mail votes. (The final tally was West- self was construct­
dale 1,458, W issahickon 427.) The ed by George Fell,
ch oice of a name was made at the an Ulverston attor­ The College’s namesake, Swarthmoor Hall, is not only a
same meeting, before the results were ney, on an e s ta te famous landmark in early Quaker history but also a symbol I
in.
acquired by his fami­ o f the strong leadership roles taken by early Quaker women\
M argaret E. Hallowell of Sandy ly at the breakup of The 16th
W hat’s in a name?

P

SW A R TH M O R E C O LLEG E B U L L I

Vote for me!
(S e e inside front cover.)

Vote for me!
(S e e inside front co v er:)

ET1N

S on G e o rg e h a d s u c c e s s f u lly p e titio n e d fo r title to
the m a n o r in 1 6 6 4 , f o llo w in g h is m o t h e r ’s i m p r i s o n ­
m ent a n d f o r f e i t u r e o f h e r e s t a t e b y p r a e m u n i r e , b u t
he n e v e r c a m e n o r t h f r o m L o n d o n t o t a k e u p t h e
p r o p e r t y . B y 1 6 6 9 it w a s o n c e m o r e b a c k in M a r ­
g aret’s n a m e .

FEB R U A R Y 1 9 9 6

and the Hall passed to them on her
death in 1702.
By the mid-18th century, Swarth­
moor Hall had becom e just another
rental property for their heirs, and the
building deteriorated steadily while
occupied by tenant farmers. Almost
all the paneling was removed, and half
the building collapsed. In 1912 family
descendant Emma Clarke Abraham
bought what was left and 107 acres of
the property. She restored the Hall
with great care, according to the stan­
dards of th e day. London (now
Britain) Yearly Meeting of the Reli­
gious Society of Friends bought it
from her heirs in 1954, making basic
renovations and refurnishing it with
period furniture. Since then it has
been primarily a tourist attraction for
those interested in Quaker history
and old houses, with occasional small
meetings being held there.
By 1989 it had becom e clear to
London Yearly Meeting that Swarth­
moor Hall required major renovation.
Minor roof repairs uncovered major
structural damage. Unwilling to spend
the amount of money required simply
to maintain a tourist attraction, the
Yearly Meeting initiated a full review
of the property’s use.
In 1992 the M eeting’s executive
committee approved a plan calling for
the full renovation of the original Hall
and construction of a smaller, sepa­
rate building with residences for 14
people. The com bined facility will
operate as a small study and retreat
center, which is intended to restore
Swarthmoor Hall’s role as a spiritual
focus for the Society of Friends. And it
will continue to be a lasting reminder
of its Quaker roots to the College that
bears its name. ■
Mary Ellen Grafflin C hijioke ’67 is cura­
tor o f the Friends H istorical Library. By
m id-January British Friends h ad raised
abou t 70 percen t o f the 6:500,000
(about $750,000) required for the proj­
ect. They are hoping to raise $70,000
from A m erican sources. D onations ear­
m arked “Sw arthm oor H all A p p eal,”
m ay b e forw arded to Friends World
Com m ittee for Consultation, Section o f
the A m ericas, 1506 R ace Street,
P hiladelphia PA 19102.

FRIENDS HISTORICAL LIBRARY

the 20th century, visitors frequently
remark on the building’s quiet peace,
but 350 years ago, it would have been
filled with the noise and bustle of a
large family, a working farm, public
affairs, and a steady stream of visitors.
M argaret Askew Fell cam e to
Swarthmoor Hall in 1632 as the bride
of George Fell’s son Thomas. As her
husband becam e absorbed by poli­
tics— even tually becom ing judge,
member of Parliament, and Vice Chan­
cellor of the Duqhy of Lancashire—
she assumed primary responsibility
for managing the estate, along with
raising eight children (all girls but
one). When she heard George Fox
preach at Ulverston in 1652, his chal­
lenge to find the Spirit behind Scrip­
ture struck home, and she immediate­
ly turned her home into a base of
Quaker operations in the north of Eng­
land and worldwide.
It was from Swarthmoor Hall that
[Margaret Fell went forth to preaching
and later to prison in Lancaster. It was
at Swarthmoor Hall that she main­
tained, in effect, Quakerism’s original
[secretariat and treasury. With her
daughters’ assistance, she managed a
network of correspondence and finan­
cial subsidies that linked the scores of
traveling missionaries “publishing the
{Truth.” As the movement’s center of
gravity shifted from the north of Eng­
land to central bodies in London, Mar­
garet Fell’s power declined, but she
remained a revered m atriarch until
her death in 1702.
[ Thomas Fell’s will left Swarthmoor
Hall to his widow, unless she remar­
ried, at which time it reverted to his
residual heirs, his daughters.* At Mar­
garet Fell’s marriage to George Fox in
1669, formal title to Swarthmoor Hall
thus fell to her daughters, though she
retained other properties. There was
little immediate shift in practice, since
they had long been full partners in the
management of the estate. Daughter
Margaret and her husband Donald
Abraham became the main caregivers
during the mother’s declining years,

Swarthmoor Hall in the 1890s

Sw arthm oor,
Sw arthm ore,
Sw athm ore?

■

hy are there different British
and American spellings of the
name, and how should it be pro­
nounced?
George Fox spelled the name of
his wife’s home in half-a-dozen
ways. By the 19th century, the com­
monly established form was Swarth­
moor—“black moor.” To today’s
American ears, the standard British
pronunciation sounds like Swawthmaw—not Swahthmaw.
How did the College’s founders
say the name? There is evidence
that there was some confusion even
in 1863. Swarthmore College was
chartered at the height of the Amer­
ican spelling reform movement. It
seemed logical to plain-speaking
American Friends that a word
rhyming with “more” should be
spelled m-o-r-e, regardless of ety­
mology. Interestingly the item in
Friends Intelligencer reporting the
choice of name spelled it Swath­
more, still a common error in both
spelling and pronunciation. By the
next issue, this was corrected to
Swarthmore, signifying the pronun­
ciation accepted by the Board of
Managers.
My personal theory is that gener­
ations of railroad conductors
helped popularize the pronuncia­
tion with a silent first r. In all the
years I have ridden the Media local,
I have only once heard a conductor
pronounce all the letters in the
name.
—M.E.C

Two great opportunities for Swarthmoreans
1996 Alumni College, June 4-7

Pilgrim s, Im m igrants, and Politicians:
Religion, culture, and society

WALTER HOLT

■

Professor o f Religion
Don Swearer will lead this
year’s Alumni College.

lan now to join Swarthmore alum­
ni, parents, and friends for a com­
pelling look at the impact of religion
on contemporary life in America and
around the globe.
Alumni College ’96 will be chaired
by Donald K. Swearer, the Charles and
Harriett Cox McDowell Professor of
Religion and one of the most popular
members of the faculty. Guest lecturer
Robert Abernethy of NBC News will
speak on religion and the media.
Swarthmore professors will explore
other timely issues, from the roots of
our nation’s Puritan legacy to the con-

tinued importance of religious identity.
We’ll examine its impact on the plural­
istic society of today, including its role
in politics. Discussions will probe the
interaction of religious values, technol­
ogy and environmentalism, and the
challenge of fundamentalism.
The program begins Tuesday, June
4, and ends Friday, June 7, followed by
Alumni Weekend. It includes a recep­
tion at the home of President Alfred
Bloom and his wife, Peggi. For more
information contact the Alumni Office
at (610) 328-8402 or e-mail alumni@swarthmore.edu.

Alumni College Abroad,
August 19 - September 1

Hidden Harbors and A ntiquities
An odyssey to rem em ber along
the ancient coast o f Turkey
Q warthmoreans are invited to experience a
O unique adventure with Helen F. North, the
College’s distinguished Centennial Professor
Emerita of Classics.
The trip begins amid the legendary splendors
of Istanbul and encompasses a remarkable 8,000
years of civilization, from the dawn of agricultur­
al societies to the Hellenistic, Christian, and
Islamic eras.
One highlight will be a week on the Mediter­
ranean coast of southern Turkey aboard a new
45-passenger yacht, visiting ancient sites that
were long hidden in remote harbors along the
Lycian shore. The region’s archaeological, his­
toric, and scenic richness is unsurpassed, and
the three-masted schooner can navigate water­
ways that are inaccessible to larger ships.
Travelers will also make excursions from the
Aegean coastal resort of Kusadasi to Ephesus,
Aphrodisias, Priene, Miletus, and Didyma. This
will be an odyssey to remember.
Details are available at (800) 367-6766.

Professor Emerita o f Classics Helen North will lead a tour o f the
Lycian shore aboard this new 45-passenger yacht.