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From URI Magazine Readers
Kudos
This issue was so enjoyable. Interesting and informative articles, personal stories, and the artwork and look of the magazine are excellent. I hope you all keep up the good work. I’ll look forward to the next one.
—Kathleen R. ’99
I was intrigued and alarmed by the realities revealed in the articles “Water Warriors” and “Water Detective.” I live on the east end of Long Island and spend time on Martha’s Vineyard—both locations are suffering the same plight as Rhode Island.
And I enjoyed the different but equally engaging articles about studying sharks and the chemistry and entomology professors collaborating for the health and sustainability of bee populations. The articles were so interesting that I wanted to come back to URI to talk to the people at the heart of those stories. And I wasn’t even a science major! Now that’s compelling storytelling.
Thank you for doing what you do—so engagingly. I look forward to the next issue.
—Linda Meise ’73
Dedication and Service
I want to applaud URI Magazine for the recent article (“All the Right Moments,” summer 2023) highlighting the heroic actions of Brig. Gen. Elliott R. Thorpe ’19. I was inspired to buy and read his book, East Wind, Rain. A true testament to his dedication and service to our nation.
Brig. Gen. Thorpe is one of hundreds of URI ROTC alumni who have helped shape world events. Many gave “the last full measure of devotion.” I encourage URI Magazine readers to visit the ROTC Hall of Fame located on the bottom floor of the Memorial Union to learn more about our Rhody heroes.
—General Leon J. LaPorte ’68
1941: Numerous Warnings Were Dismissed
In the lead-in to “All the Right Moments,” (summer 2023) we incorrectly stated that Brig. Gen. Thorpe warned Washington, D.C., of the impending attack on Pearl Harbor in 1945. The year was 1941, not 1945. Our apologies, and thanks to Cheryl Madden ’02 for the correction.
I believe the good Brigadier’s warning was sent prior to the key 1941 date, not in 1945, as the article states.
As a Russian friend once warned, “You can start a war for the lack of a comma.” He was correct, and to honor the memory of our military members who were sitting ducks that day, please let us, at a minimum, insist that key dates are correctly written.
By the way, J. Edgar Hoover at the FBI’s main office also received warning of the exact date, time, and place of the anticipated attack. Unfortunately, Hoover was so xenophobic that he tossed the truth-teller out of his office.
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt also was warned via Stalin, whose spy, Richard Sorge, accurately reported the date. But FDR made himself scarce that day, since it had been decided that our entry into the war had to happen.
How sad, yet true, that even the honored FDR is found to be “bloody to his elbows, and beyond,” when you ferret into the actual wartime archival documents.
I recall taking Professor Emeritus Timothy George’s Pacific War senior seminar at URI. Dr. George taught us using primary sources from both sides of the war.
—Cheryl A. Madden ’02
Madden is an award-winning historian and author who specializes in Ukrainian history and holds the Order of Princess Olha Medal, a Ukrainian civil decoration, for her work on the Holodomor Genocide of 1932–33.
Azalea Gardens Are a Family Legacy, Local Treasure
The summer 2023 issue featured a photo, “Moon Gate,” (page 52) taken at the Kinney Azalea Gardens in Kingston, R.I., by Ang Cai, Ph.D. ’17. We listed Tony Faella ’51 and Betty (Kinney) Faella, M.S. ’67 as the proprietors. Their daughter, Helen, wrote to correct us. We apologize for the outdated information and appreciate the Kinney-Faella family for sharing this beautiful spot with the community.
The Kinney Azalea Gardens are now owned and run by me, Helen Faella Northup ’84, and my husband, Jim Northup ’83. My parents, Tony Faella ’51 and Betty (Kinney) Faella, M.S. ’67, are still active in the gardens.
We started a nonprofit, Friends of the Kinney Faella Gardens, to keep the gardens open to the public for years to come. The Kinney-Faella family has been funding it for many years through generosity and plant sales. It is time for the community to understand the progression of the gardens and help fund this local treasure.
—Helen Faella Northup ’84
Visit kinneyazaleagardens.com to learn more or support the gardens.
Getting to Know Mary Parlange
When the Parlanges came to URI, I remember reading about Marc, thinking that he was going to make a great university president. I didn’t know much about Mary. I loved this article (“Summer on the Wild Side” by Mary Parlange, summer 2023). I liked the journal format (I’ve made many journals of my own as I’ve moved around the world), and the story showed Mary’s sense of adventure. Mary Parlange is a breath of fresh air for our state.
Thank you so much for this issue of the magazine. Bravo! I have always loved URI for many reasons, but this issue really highlighted some of my favorite topics.
—Carol J. Craig, M.A. ’03
Computer History Lesson
That “typewriter” in the lower picture (summer 2023, page 64) is not a typewriter. It’s a computer terminal, specifically a DECwriter, and probably a DECwriter III. These were common computer terminals throughout the ’70s and into the early ’80s, and while they certainly wouldn’t have been part of a typing class, they were almost certainly used at all levels of computing classes at the time.
—Stuart Gitlow, M.B.A. ’06
An Amazing Reconnection
The story by Norm Schoeler ’71 about his reconnection with Barbara DeCubellis Taylor ’70 (summer 2023) touched many readers who sent comments. This one sums them up perfectly:
“What a beautiful story.”
—Christine Boettger ’95, M.A. ’17
Thank You, Master Gardeners
A group of Master Gardeners based at East Farm has been assisting Professor Steve Alm (“For the Love of Honey,” summer 2023) and his graduate students for years by constructing and maintaining various research areas and specialized gear in the ongoing pollination project. The close-knit collaboration has been most gratifying and educational for all involved.
—Rudi Hempe ’62, Master Gardener
We Love URI’s Shark Guy
Many of you enjoyed the summer 2023 online story about assistant professor of biology Brad Wetherbee, “Take the Fork in the Road.”
Another example of the talented faculty at URI and dedication to teaching and research. What an inspiring story—both personal and professional. Job well done, Dr. Wetherbee.
—Patricia Moore, M.B.A. ’92
From the Editor
Emily Gordon ’21 took this photo of the Mount Hope Bridge during her internship at Rhode Island Sea Grant. From Bristol Ferry Town Common in Portsmouth, R.I., she wandered further north. “Between the grass, coastline, seagulls, and gorgeous colors,” she says, “I was in heaven as a college photography student.
We heard from so many of you in response to the summer 2023 issue. This magazine is for you, and it’s great to hear what you think.
I hope you enjoy the fall 2023 issue. A special thanks to the remarkably talented Anthony Russo ’74 for the cover and cover story illustrations. If Anthony’s style looks familiar, you may have seen his work here in URI Magazine over the years, or in The New Yorker, New York Times, Washington Post, or on a book jacket—his work has graced the covers of books by Isabel Allende, Michael Pollan, and others.
Thank you Anthony. URI is proud and grateful to count you among our alumni and we are honored to work with you and include your art in our magazine.
—Barbara Caron, Editor-in-Chief