By Gregory A. Weiss
The Yale University Press has recently published John Bockstoce’s 11th book, Furs and Frontiers in the Far North: The Contest among Native and Foreign Nations for the Bering Strait Fur Trade. The book is a comprehensive history of the international trade in furs that was centered on the Bering Strait region during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. As described in one of the jacket blurbs: “This utterly beguiling work reminds us that American history has a north along with its more familiar east, west, and south. And quite a place it is: a vast region of land, water, and ice, nearly beyond all jurisdictions, not easily reached then or now. But fortunately, we have an incomparable guide in John Bockstoce. With relentless research, sensitivity, and a palpable love for his subject, he has brought considerable warmth to the study of the far north and the fur trade that drew Europeans and Americans there, from all directions.” Very impressive! Keep it in mind for a Christmas gift!
‘Thomas Opladen ’66 asks that you save the date of May 3, 2010, for the annual class dinner at the Yale Club in New York. More details will follow, including the name of the speaker.
Unfortunately we must turn to some obituaries.
Gerry Rosenberg died on September 5. For nearly three decades he was a partner at Rosenman and Colin (now Katten Muchin Rosenman) in NYC. From 2004 through 2007, he served as chief of the charities bureau of the New York State Department of Law. In 2007, he became of counsel to the firm of Patterson, Belknap, Webb and Tyler. An enthusiastic golfer, hiker, and rollerblader, Gerry was a witty raconteur and writer who loved a good political debate, never missed a worthwhile play, and was equally at home discussing Russian constructivism or the finer points of estate law. Gerry’s civic roles reflected his commitment to legal justice and his deep affection for New York and its parks. He was a life member of the American Law Institute and a director of New York Lawyers for the Public Interest, the Parks Council (now New Yorkers for Parks) and the Central Park Conservancy. He was a founding director of the Non-Profit Coordinating Committee of NY and a director of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. His memorial service was a standing-room-only affair attended by numerous classmates; his long-time friend Jeff Parish was one of the speakers.
Stanley Ivan Dodson died on August 23 in Grand Junction, Colorado. When he was ten, his father moved the family to western Colorado to prospect for uranium. While at Yale, Stanley met the love of his life, Virginia Elizabeth Joseph, who became his wife on January 16, 1967. He received his doctorate in zoology in 1970 from the University of Washington and was a professor of zoology there from 1970 until his retirement in 2008. He was a true naturalist and loved to share his enthusiasm and knowledge with others. Stanley had many passions in life, including bicycling, tai chi sensing hands, running, gardening, bird watching, and music.
“Anglican priest and cowboy” (to quote his obituary) David C. Mackenzie died on September 3 in Salt Lake City. He received his master of divinity from Trinity School for Ministry in Pennsylvania and was ordained an Episcopal priest in Pittsburgh in 1979. He is survived by his wife, four children, and seven grandchildren.