The 2013 WGBH Alumni Gathering – Come one! Come all!

Friday, June 7, 2013 from 2 – 7 PM at WGBH 1 Guest St., Brighton, MA

From the organizing committee: We are excited about seeing everyone, getting caught up, sharing memories, stories and long-kept secrets.

As per the first invite — this is not a blow-out reunion party like those of the past but rather an informal gathering with those who want to reminisce and relive some of GBH’s stories and landmark history — history you helped make. Please let everyone know from the good ole days that they are welcome — as are current staff. Please ask everyone to send their up-to-date email addresses to mjambrosino@aol.com to receive invites to future alumni gatherings.

Here’s the latest list of people who are coming (as of May 17):

• Edye Baker
• Ann Albrecht Biggie
• Michael Ambrosino
• Joe Anderson
• Debra Ashton
• David Atwood
• Fred Barzyk
• Mel Bernstein
• Bruce Bordett
• Cynthia Broner
• Jack Caldwell
• Karen Cariani
• Eric Chappell
• Art Cohen
• Jay Collier
• Elaine Coolbrith
• Steve Damas
• Ron and Joyce Della Chiesa
• Debbie Dorsey
• Michael Esty
• Anne Favaloro
• Bob Ferrante
• Hadley Fisk
• Deborah Gibbs
• Kathy Gleason
• Marsha Green
• Marilyn Greenstein
• Linda Harrar
• Lo Hartnett
• Dick Heller
• Eileen Hughes
• Eleanor Jewett
• Tony Kahn
• Virginia Kassel
• Nina LeDoyt
• Barbara Levitov
• David Liroff
• Lew Lloyd
• Emily Lovering
• Keith Luf
• Milan Merhar
• Amy Meyers
• Aida Moreno
• Audrey Paek
• Susan Peters
• Julie Piens Moore
• Sharon Pucker Rivo
• Harriet Reisen
• Sharon Pucker Rivo
• Jay Schertzer
• Chuck Schuerhoff
• Bob Seay
• Syrl Silberman
• Dave St.Onge
• Olivia Tappan
• Bernadette Yao
• Tug Yourgrau

Important details for the day

Parking: Guests can park on the 4th and 5th floors of the garage just past the One Guest Street entrance. When you enter, take a ticket and drive to the top two floors to park. Bring your ticket with you and validate it at the One Guest Street security desk before you leave the event. The guard at the entrance will explain this.

Directions and parking: http://www.wgbh.org/about/directions.cfm

During the day we will have a video crew recording the festivities. Fred and others will be doing interviews so be sure to look your prettiest!

The reunion committee is paying for snacks and munchies. We’d be grateful if you can chip in $10 or whatever you can afford to help cover these out-of-pocket expenses.

If you haven’t rsvp’d yet, please do! http://bit.ly/114R9wN

Share this invite with everyone you are in touch with.

See you on June 7th.

From Fred Barzyk

Did you ever have an idea that was so great, it mushroomed beyond expectations? Well, here’s one for you.

Over the past couple of years, Michael Ambrosino opened his home to a small gathering of local ‘GBH Alums to share memories, stories and experiences over coffee and cookies. Word got out, lit the internet highway, and more alums wanted in. The invitee list mushroomed well beyond Michael’s gracious hosting and capacity.

I contacted Jon Abbott, WGBH President, about the space problem.  He set the process in motion. We now have the WGBH atrium space.

Thanks to WGBH for helping us welcome many more alums.

SAVE THE DATE for the 2013 WGBH ALUMNI GATHERING

June 7, 2013, from 2 – 7 PM

From the 2007 Studio Tour

This is not a blow-out reunion party like those of the past with studio, a/v, trinkets, food and drink, but rather an informal gathering with those who want to reminisce and relive some of GBH’s stories and landmark history — history you helped make.

Please let everyone know — from the good ole days — that they are welcome, as is the current staff.

Detailed information will be emailed to you shortly. In the meantime, click here to RSVP today! http://bit.ly/114R9wN.

See you soon,

Fred Barzyk  (1958-2001)

From Dan Beach

I added some random shots through the years at ‘GBH to my Facebook profile. Feel free to use anything that might be of interest. The alumni site is an absolute treasure!

From Lo Hartnett

Annual reunion of the Ladies from WGBH’s fund raising office. The award winning team, left to right: Mary Meadows, Katie (Murphy) Fischer, Amy Meyers, Lo Hartnett, Cindy Madden. The memories, stories and laughs were plentiful. Too bad the cameras weren’t rolling.

From Chris Crisman

When a magazine calls asking to send you to Yellowstone National Park, the first question that runs through your mind is how soon can we leave? Earlier this year, photo editor extraordinaire Caitlin Peters at AARP the Magazine contacted us with an assignment to photograph park ranger John Kerr.

After speaking to John on the phone and learning about the distinct challenges (unpredictable weather, unpredictable wildlife, nonexistent cell service) of working in the northern part of Yellowstone National Park, Chris and I knew that we would definitely be in for an adventure…

• See the photo essay

Robert Warren Davis, Emmy Award winning Lighting Designer died peacefully of natural causes on December 25. He was 94 years old.

Mr. Davis began his lighting career while working with Jean Rosenthal at the New York City Center. He joined NBC as a Lighting Director in 1951 for a temporary seven weeks as his primary goal was to be a leading operatic tenor. The temporary position with few breaks led to a thirty- two year career and association with NBC.

He retired from NBC in 1983 recognized as one of television’s leading Lighting Designers. In October of 1999 he was so recognized by the New York Academy of Television Arts and Sciences with a life time achievement award – The Silver Circle Award – for his contribution to the industry and community.

Robert Davis was born in Philadelphia on February 6, 1918. In 1937 at the age of nineteen he was awarded a scholarship to the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia and in 1940 a scholarship to Tanglewood. Although the country was not yet at war the Army Air Corp denied his request for an eight week deferment.

After basic training he was stationed in Selma, Alabama and in 1941 joined the elite 50 voice chorus (conducted by Leonard de Paur) in Moss Hart’s “Winged Victory.”

Following the war Mr. Davis returned to the Academy of Vocal Arts to continue his studies. While studying he performed with the Philadelphia Opera Company. He also appeared with the St. Louis Municipal Opera and toured with the Charles Wagner Opera Company. In New York he was part of the original company of “Carousel” both on Broadway and on tour.

After “Carousel” he returned to New York to continue his studies and began working at the City Center. Among his many credits are “ Robert Montgomery Presents”, Dwight David Eisenhower’s Presidential Campaign, the first “Opening Night Gala from the Metropolitan Opera” (closed circuited to 28 cities), “Peter Pan” with Mary Martin, the “Ford 50th Anniversary Special with Mary Martin and Ethel Merman,” “Coliseum” (circus series), “Miss America Pageant” (both the stage and television show), “Bob Hope Birthday Special” aboard the Iwo Jima anchored in New York Harbor and “Live from 8H” (series of 4 music and dance specials), and “Horowitz Live” for which he won his Emmy.

He was able to work with some of the greatest opera stars of the time as they appeared on “The Bell Telephone Hour,” “The Voice of Firestone” and “NBC Opera.”

During his career Mr. Davis with NBC’s approval was Consultant to many educational television stations both for the Carnegie Commission and the Ford Foundation. In 1969–1970 he served as Lighting Consultant at WGBH, Boston. While there he was also the Lighting Designer for the first “Evening at Symphony” and “Evening at Pops” and two operas produced for NET Opera Theatre. Beginning in 1976 and for 15 seasons he was Lighting Designer and Consultant to the New Jersey State Opera- lighting over 25 operas including a world a world premier “Frederick Douglass.”

He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth, of 45 years, a niece Ann Shewman of Naples, Florida two great nieces and a great nephew of Philadelphia. In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to The Academy of Vocal Arts, 1920 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103-6685. His funeral will be held at St. Thomas Fifth Avenue. Details will be announced.

From Harvard

The Harvard Innovation Lab invited Henry Becton, President of WGBH Educational Foundation from 1984 until October 2007, to tour 125 Western Ave in April of 2012.

WGBH occupied 125 Western Avenue, now known as Batten Hall, from 1964 until 2007, when WGBH moved to new headquarters in Brighton MA.

• View the videos at YouTube

From the BBC:

Korean-born visual artist Nam June Paik, considered the father of video art, coined the phrase “electronic superhighway” in 1974 while creating works that pushed the boundaries of television.

Paik’s work, which has been put on display at the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington DC, envisioned a future where the transmission of piles of data could happen instantaneously.

Paik, who died in 2006, was the first artist to experiment with the platform of television, seeing it as an open canvas on which many more artists would one day construct their works.

• Watch the BBC news magazine story

From the Smithsonian Art Museum:

The artwork and ideas of Nam June Paik were a major influence on late 20th-century art and continue to inspire a new generation of artists.

“Nam June Paik: Global Visionary” offers an unprecedented view into the artist’s creative method by featuring key artworks that convey Paik’s extraordinary accomplishments as a major international artist as well as material drawn from the Nam June Paik Archive, which was acquired by the Smithsonian American Art Museum from the artist’s estate in 2009….

“Nam June Paik: Global Visionary” is on view at the museum’s main building in Washington, D.C., from Dec. 13 through Aug. 11, 2013. John G. Hanhardt, senior curator of film and media arts and the leading expert on Paik and his global influence, organized the exhibition with the assistance of Michael Mansfield, associate curator of film and media arts.

• Press release
• Exhibit information

From Joyce Funeral Home

Weston – Mr. Douglas J. DeVitt, of Weston, died Sunday, November 25, 2012 at Spaulding Hospital in Cambridge. He was 62.

Doug was born in Erie, Pennsylvania on July 5, 1950, a son of the late Robert D. and Dorothy J. (Dow) DeVitt. He was raised in Erie and attended the Lawrenceville School in Lawrenceville, New Jersey. After that he earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Doug had been a Weston resident for more than thirty years.

After college Doug began a forty year career as an audio engineer, first at WICU and WQLN, both in Erie. After a move to Boston he continued working in the same capacity for Boston public television’s WGBH station and later at WCVB, Channel 5 where he won an Emmy award for excellence in his field. Doug also founded Voyager Sound and Recordatory Recording Studio and had a lifelong interest in photography.

Doug’s wife, Barbara J. Donovan-DeVitt died July 7, 2005.

He leaves his daughter, Alexandra J. DeVitt of Weston; his brothers, Michael DeVitt of Demming, New Mexico and Donald DeVitt and his wife, Barbara Nadeau, of Marblehead; his brother and sisters-in-law, Paul F. Donovan and his wife, Carol, and Joanne, Nancy and Mary-Jane Donovan and his nieces and nephews.

Family and friends will honor and remember Doug’s life by gathering for calling hours in The Joyce Funeral Home, 245 Main Street (Rte. 20), Waltham on Friday, November 30th from 4 to 8 p.m. and again at 11 a.m. on Saturday morning in the First Parish Church in Weston, 349 Boston Post Road, Weston where his funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Burial will follow in Linwood Cemetery, Weston.

Memorial donations may be made to the National Marfan Foundation, 22 Manhasset Avenue, Port Washington, NY 11050.

From Michael Ambrosino

The WGBH Alums are a family group.

Reunions in 2000 and 2006, sparked by the inimitable Fred Barzyk, were filled with stories, hugs, and that abiding comradeship of those who were struggling to create public broadcasting in United States.

Too much time had gone by, and too many names added to the list those who left us, to not think of at least getting some of the local folk together in 2012.

Here are the photos taken by Emily Lovering of that happy band.

Help us by sending your up to date email address to Michael Ambrosino and Fred Barzyk.

Your captions welcome! Just add them (along with the photo number) below!