Roger Algase: Clarence B. Jones was a close associate of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. His obituary has been published in The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/26/clarence-b-jones-martin-luther-king. As a Harvard Law School graduate in 1963 I was working for Mr. Jones, who was at the time a partner in a small civil rights law firm in NYC. It was under his direction that I prepared and filed the US copyright application for Dr. King’s immortal “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963.
This was after, at Mr. Jones’ direction, getting permission from one of Dr. King’s associates at the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in Atlanta to change a couple of lines in Dr. King’s speech that didn’t quite fit in with my Harvard English grammar. When I told the SCLC what I wanted to do, I half expected them to say, “Who the hell do you think you are, young man!” But what they actually said was: “You can go ahead and change anything you want. Martin doesn’t care.” So I did.
I also helped Clarence Jones prepare a successful lawsuit by Dr. King for an injunction preventing a couple of record companies from selling copies of Dr. King’s speech without paying him any royalties.
Jack Doykos: Zoom calls have apparently has been successful for other classes. I think it would be fun. Joanna and I just returned to Rye Beach where we live about 800 yards from Steve Clarkson in the summer and about 1200 yards from him in the winter at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Also at PGA National we are lucky enough to have a couple get together with Doug and Kate Fisher frequently. I speak with John Palmer and am fortunate enough in the summer to have a couple rounds of golf with him, often at his Portland country club in Maine. We get to chat and sometimes play with Rusty Bennett, son of Bill Bennett, whose name I’m sure you all recall [3rd US Secretary of Education 1985-88].
Doug Fisher: It’s great staying in touch with our old classmates. I love the idea of a Zoom connection sometime. Kate and I are leaving on a family Safari with 8 people to Tanzania soon (this July) and then we’ll celebrate Kate’s 91st birthday on July 20. At 88 I’m just a youngster. I don’t know when we’ll make a real visit back up north from Florida. This summer we’re only passing quickly through NY/NJ airports on our way to/from Africa from Palm Beach.
Steve Kaye: I’m working on a scheme to host five players from the Berlin Phil to play with our resident pianist at Millbrook Music Salon millbrookmusicsalon.org. We have the Balourdet Quartet coming this weekend, three of whom will be staying chez nous, they are of that statifyric world of fine artistry. They will be joined by our resident pianist and music director Sophia Zhou to make a quintet. They will be playing at a local church in the village.
I run into PA folks or their works fairly often. A recent highly publicized sale at Christies had a Frank Stella and a Carl Andre; a Fred Rezewski piece will be played by pianist Benjamin Hochman with members of the Met Opera orchestra at a nearby venue. I sometimes run into Oscar Tang at music events of which he is a major benefactor. The contributions of these luminaries will endure. I can remember Frank’s painting in the cellar art studio, a landscape. When I saw it, I remember thinking “this guy can paint!” Little did I know, but I was awed.
I was deeply saddened by the obits you posted, all classmates I remembered with fondness [John Daly, Ben Dorman, Charlie Helliwell, David Page]. I continue to wonder why some of us still hang on well past the age of our parents and witness to our shrinking class of 1955 [132 left out of a total of 259].
Don Oasis: It’s scary knowing how old we are. I would join on zoom. Sorry to hear of Gerry Jones passing. Ellen and I will summer in Saratoga Springs for the racing season. If any of you are close please call 978 394-1131.