Horace Mann - Summer 2016 - 6
Letters to the Editor
Dear Editor:
6
In reading the spring 2015 Horace Mann Magazine,
I noticed that three of my former teachers, Erwin
Muscat, Edward Simpson, and Lyall Dean had
passed and were memorialized in the issue.
Mr. Muscat made earth science fun. He was
a light switch of energy whether discussing the
periodic table, optics or sedimentary rocks.
However, the quintessential touchstone of his
class worth remembering was: the "thousand
words" assignment. Anyone who misbehaved in
his class was assigned a thousand-word paper
on the topic of his or her choice, as long as it had
something to do with science or a particular scientist. Nearly every mouthy student knew when
to draw the line rather than hear Mr. Muscat
pointedly say his or her last name followed by the
dreaded "a thousand words."
Mr. Simpson was my teacher for eighth-grade
English, and I remember only his booming, authoritative voice, and his admonition to go to bed
on time, which he felt for eighth-graders was 8
p.m. the previous night.
Mr. Dean was captured correctly by William
Winokur '78, and I laughed because I had the
same experience. I too had handed in my first
math test, confident that I had received 100
percent, only to have it returned to me with, I believe, a grade of 32. For you see, I had done all the
calculations in my head, and had not shown my
work on the test paper. I commend Mr. Winokur
for persevering with Mr. Dean and building a
friendship with a man who was obviously more
feared, than loved. After my experience with Mr.
Dean, I transferred to another teacher. I'm sure
Mr. Dean was correct in his methods, because I
have learned that it is in the repetition of calculating that one truly acquires the beauty of math.
I managed to complete Calculus III in college,
despite Mr. Dean's attempt to make a valid point
on how one obtains knowledge and mastery.
May their memories be a blessing.
Sincerely,
Daniel Wiseman '81
Passaic, New Jersey
Horace Mann Magazine Summer 2016
To the Editor:
Another fantastic issue. I was especially moved
by the tribute to Lyall Dean by William Winokur.
William notes that Mr. Dean began teaching at
HM in 1971. But unless I am hallucinating, which
is entirely possible, I could swear I was struggling
with C's and worse in his class back in 1955. Could
you please clarify.
Best regards,
Bob Block '57
CORRECTION: Several other alumni responded with calls about the memorial by William
Winokur '78 for Mr. Dean, noting that while
Winokur reported that "Mr. Dean began the first
of his 36 years at HM in 1971..." in fact, Mr. Dean
taught at Horace Mann School from September
1954 until he retired in 1990. We regret this error
and send apologies to Mrs. Anne Dean.
Horace Mann Magazine and the HM Alumni and
Development Office appreciate receiving letters
from alumni. The Office also receives calls and
correspondence from outside the HM community, often from authors researching notable HM
alumni. One such call came in summer 2011 from
author John Roote, who was interested in the life
of George Kates, a 1913 HM graduate. Kates was
one of America's early sinologists and was best
known for writing The Years That Were Fat, his
acclaimed memoir of life in pre-Revolutionary
Beijing. The Alumni and Development Office
provided Mannikin pictures of Kates, and connected Roote with author Fergus Bordewich,
who interviewed Kates for his own book Cathay
before the alum's "charmed life ended in anonymity and genteel poverty" in 1990. The result
is Roote's fascinating A Love Affair with Old
Beijing: The Remarkable Story of George Kates
(introduction by Bordewich) which became available on Kindle in 2015 and can be downloaded
for free at http://epdflibrary.com/pdfl/free.
php?asin=BO173T2GRU. It's an intriguing read.
http://www.epdflibrary.com/pdf1/free.php?asin=BO173T2GRU
http://www.epdflibrary.com/pdf1/free.php?asin=BO173T2GRU
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Horace Mann - Summer 2016
Contents
Horace Mann - Summer 2016 - 1
Horace Mann - Summer 2016 - 2
Horace Mann - Summer 2016 - Contents
Horace Mann - Summer 2016 - 4
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