The good…
Congratulations on your new University of Denver Magazine — a tremendous boost. I earned my doctorate at DU and am grateful for the treatment I received there.
John Bryde, PhD ’65
Vermillion, S.D.
I was delighted to see, under “Miscellanea” on the back cover of the spring magazine, that Lloyd Shaw is not forgotten. In preparation for a program for our local music study club on popular round dances of the early settlers of the West, I used Dr. Shaw’s books as my resource. He mentioned Miss Rilling, and this brought up wonderful memories of belonging to the Promenaders and learning the dances that I have enjoyed doing all my life.
Elogene Pierson Robinson, BA ’41
Buffalo, Wyo.
Many thanks for the article on Professor Gordon Von Stroh. Gordon was a true inspiration to me while I was a grad student at DU. I still recollect constructing PERT charts during an interterm class. Gordon has integrity, a passion for teaching and a commitment to his community. Many thanks to professors Von Stroh, [Bruce] Hutton and [John] Kuark for making DU’s MBA program truly outstanding!
Daniel Doughty, MBA ’81
St. Paul, Minn.
Thanks so much for sending me the spring magazine. For about 25 years I had no contact from DU. I am pleased to see the University is doing so well. I enjoyed the story about the light-rail line — great progress. I am glad you included a picture and story about Condoleezza Rice. I was so proud when a few years ago I heard she got her PhD from our school. Also in a recent issue you had an article about JJ Johnston. He was my professor of business law at the downtown campus. Keep up the great work you are doing. DU is a great school, although down here no one has ever heard of it. Everybody but me went to TU or A&M.
Roger Jahnel, BSBA ’55
Garland, Texas
So far I haven’t received a survey form, but I wish to comment on your spring magazine. I found it interesting; it inspired me to send e-mail about various matters: I’m an organ lover, so, spotting a recital in Hamilton Hall by Dr. Buchholz of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in the “Spring Arts Calendar,” I followed the instructions for details. They didn’t work; nothing I tried yielded any information about this event. “From Warhol to Wells … ” interested me as I’ve donated art to DU myself — a pen and ink wash from Down Under. But, your online directory failed me; it was unable to find curator Dan Jacobs. The Myhren Gallery Web site had no address for him either. I enjoyed the picture of a poster by Andy Warhol based on one of those familiar “Admit One” Globe tickets. A minor surprise: Current Secretary of State Condi Rice went to DU! I may have read this before, but had forgotten it. Generally, I enjoyed your magazine; it was well illustrated, written and produced. The few glitches mostly pertained to DU’s Web site-directories and calendars that failed to find persons or events.
Roger Williams
Boulder, Colo.
And the not-so-good…
I recently attended a rare and wonderful gathering of alumni in Boston. The goal of this event was for DU to reach out to its strong alumni presence as part of DU’s overall goal of encouraging alumni participation. It was a positive event and one that will certainly help you in attaining your goal.However, the cover picture of the recent DU magazine was insulting and trivial, and totally fails to convey the image of DU as a serious educational institution. The garish image of a cabaret performer is not even remotely representative of the excellent educational opportunities that the institution offers. Alumni certainly deserve much better.
Laura Krims, JD ’84
Boston
The new design is an improvement — airy, clean and crisp. I don’t get the clunky, oversized — even antiquated — format, however. The trend today is toward compactness and ease of handling. The content remains skimpy on nostalgia — the cornerstone of any successful alumni publication (and, if it makes any difference, a very effective checkbook-opener). A single picture of the school band marching up Evans Avenue doesn’t quite hack it. With regards to playing artwork with the Letters column (or anywhere else): You might remind your layout people that whenever fine detail of a photograph is discussed in the text, then that photograph has to be of sufficient dimensions in order for the reader to determine what is under discussion. I refer specifically to the letters accompanying the photos on Page 5 of the spring issue. Even with my magnifying glass, I am rather iffy over what they are talking about. Keep up the good work.
Clark Secrest, BA ’59
Laguna Niguel, Calif.
I was dismayed by the spring 2007 University of Denver Magazine article about Jim Nicholson. While I understand that an alumni magazine may not ascribe to the same standards of journalistic integrity as other types of publications, the lack of “balance” in your article regarding Mr. Nicholson’s record as the head of the VA is disturbing. Mr. Nicholson’s tenure with the VA has been marked more by its failure to care for veterans than by its successes. Mr. Nicholson has presided over the VA during the current scandal over the poor conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Mr. Nicholson also is reported to have quashed the VA’s own efforts to provide optimal care for more seriously injured veterans. Despite the testimony of lobbyists from the DAV and American Legion that your article cited, the VA appears to continue to put financial imperatives ahead of providing the best possible health care to America’s wounded heroes.
Tom Delaney, MA ’99, PhD ’04
Cedar Key, Fla.
The editor responds: We received multiple letters incorrectly connecting alumnus Jim Nicholson to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center scandal. The Walter Reed facility is run by the U.S. Army, not the Department of Veterans Affairs headed by Nicholson. In March Nicholson did, however, order his own investigation of the VA’s medical facilities. Our magazine went to press in advance of these developments. We stand by our story, which is a profile of an accomplished DU graduate — not an investigation into what the VA is, or is not, doing well.