Posted on: Mar 29, 2022 at 4:33 AM

Happy birthday weekend Kathy, and tomorrow for your special day

From earliest days at Morningside, I always struggled with science courses. Hoping even for a "respectable" C, I remember all too often having to bring home a D nor F test score, and desperately hoping my brother or sister could forge the needed parental signature. I would get A's in math, but never in science until 11th grade chemistry (Overton) and 12th grade physics (Sanders). But Ms. Sanders gave me the confidence needed to tackle science courses. It probably helped that so much of physics is really applied mathematics, fitting my skill set. This made a huge difference for me professionally since my experience years later litigator focused largely in the scientific arena as I interacted extensively with experts in epidemiology, health physics, radiology, neurology, toxicology, cardiology, infectious diseases, etc.  I owe special thanks to Ms. Sanders for helping me along this path. My brother Alan also recalled "Ruth Kirby Sanders," the young teacher he had when attending Grady 10 years earler (1958-59). It took little time to get used to her calling me Alan. [Putting my positives aside, I'm sorry about Kathy's experience, and being oblivious whatever difficulties or unfairness others might have experienced with various teachers, or among our fellow classmates for that matter.]

From earliest days at Morningside, I always struggled with science courses. Hoping even for a "respectable" C, I remember all too often having to bring home a D or F test score, and desperately hoping my brother or sister could forge the needed parental signature. I would get A's in math, but never science until 11th grade chemistry (Overton) and 12th grade physics (Sanders). But Ms. Sanders gave me the confidence needed to tackle science courses. It probably helped that so much of physics is really applied mathematics, fitting my skill set. This made a huge difference for me professionally since my experience years later as a litigator focused largely in the scientific arena as I interacted extensively with experts in epidemiology, health physics, radiology, neurology, toxicology, cardiology, infectious diseases, etc.  I owe special thanks to Ms. Sanders for helping me along this path. My brother Alan also recalled "Ruth Kirby Sanders," his young teacher when attending Grady 10 years earler (1958-59). It took little time to get used to her calling me Alan. [Putting my positives aside, I'm sorry about Kathy's experience, and my being oblivious to difficulties or unfairness others might have experienced with various teachers, or among our fellow classmates.]

Long ovedue post, I wanted to share my recollection of Helen Taylor as not only an excellent teacher, but the finest person I was fortunate to know about the most talented of the educators we were fortunate to have at Grady. She had a warmth, congeniality, strength and solid sense of justice and compassion that set her out to me as an example of the type of person I should want to be and aspire to be. And the skills I learned from her as a young and aspiring student journalist helped contribute to my development as a litigator as I always pressed at depositions, and throughout case development, to learn the 5 W's (who, what, when, where, why) and 1 H (how) that are the building blocks for reporting a news story.  I was fortunate to be able to interact closely with her, and learn so much from her, during my years on the Southerner, eventually as Managing Editor. And I enjoyed attending her English class, senior year. My wife (Ellen) shared some of these positive experiences with Mrs. Taylor when HPT left Grady for Dykes, where was the yearbook advisor when my (future) wife was its editor.

I was very sorry about Sheryl's passing and the loss to those closest to her.  I very much enjoyed having a chance to speak with her a bit at one of our recent reunions. 

How terribly sad that Joy is no longer with us. My condolences for the family and many friends she leaves behind.  She was always very kind, good-natured, thoughtful, warm and welcoming - a genine pleasure to be around - from the earliest years I was fortunate to know her - our very early childhood years at Morningside. She leaves for us the gift of many fond memories.

Posted on: Mar 29, 2021 at 4:33 AM

Posted on: Oct 21, 2020 at 12:02 AM

Thanks to Richard Siegel on the name changed for our beloved alma mater, do the school formerly known as Henry W. Grady High. I had not known of Ida B. Wells, but only a quick foray into Goggle tells me what an incredibly impressive person she was, and her contributions and bravery standing out as truly remarkable given the challenges and oppression to Black Americans in that tumultuous period (unfortunately and tragically true for most of American history. I did not discern a connection to her locally, but her national stature stands out and those who will attend our renamed school can and will be proud that it bears her name and legacy.

Rhona was always uplifting to be around.  She could light up a room -- or leave you with a smile in a personal moment or even a sad occasion. I remember delightfully the time she brought her accordion to Morningside and played it for us in our pre-Grady years.