SPOTLIGHT

Peter Gajewski, beloved husband of Suzanne Siskel, died on July 15 at home in Berkeley, California. Many folks in LAFF circles will remember Peter and enjoyed his and Suzanne’s friendship and hospitality over their Ford Foundation years in Manila, Jakarta, and New York.

Presidents’ Update: The Future of LAFF

The LAFF Society has come to a moment in its evolution when we need to be more vigorous in attracting new members, more efficient in meeting their needs and more effective in communicating with each other.

“Living into My Life”

By Joy Carol

We might not be able to be cured or healed, but we can choose how we respond to our challenges, no matter how difficult they may be.

Music in the Time of Covid: Stellar Performances Online

By George Gelles

Since last Spring, when the pandemic’s dangers were widely acknowledged and “live” performances were suspended, musicians and dancers have begun to show great imagination in rethinking their art, its creation and dissemination.

Brian Urquhart Meets Sam Nujoma in Swakopmund

By Steven W. Lawry

John Gerhart’s fax read: “Brian Urquhart, Ford Foundation Scholar-in-Residence and one of the great men of the 20th century, visiting your office in Windhoek next month. Please make all necessary arrangements.”

With “A Dollop of Nostalgia”

This is the 100th issue of The LAFF Society’s newsletter, the first coming out in the Fall of 1991, not long after LAFF’s founding.

A Journey to Bismarck: Finding “Generosity of Spirit”

Roberta Uno seeks to understand her family’s ordeal as internees during World War II, and finds a “generosity of spirit” linking cultures and generations.

The Role of Communities in Resolving Disputes

Two articles that explore the persistent, divisive national problem that has taken on greater significance with the recent eruption of racial conflicts: the pressing need for “serious investments in conflict resolution in our communities”.

Book Review: A Collection of Pieces by a Singular Patron of the Performing Arts

By George Gelles

George Gelles examines the collected writings of W. McNeil Lowry, the Ford Foundation’s legendary promoter of the arts who The New York Times called “the single most influential patron of the performing arts that the American democratic system has produced”.

Book Review: A “Compelling Context” for “Profound Pessimism”

By Thomas Seessel

Tom Seessel probes the meanings and lessons derived from The End of the Myth, the 2020 Pulitzer Prize-winning study of the shifting meaning of the frontier in this country’s history, a book that expresses “profound pessimism about America’s future”.

Memoirs of an International Life

Excerpts from a self-published memoir by William Gamble, an odyssey replete with personal and professional details, from mundane to physically harrowing, painting a full and fascinating picture of the life of a Ford Foundation overseas representative and his family in the early days of the foundation’s international work.

Ten Things Hollywood Can Do to Fight Racism and Promote Justice

By Alan Jenkins

There are a range of concrete actions that the film and television industry can take, right now, to fight racism and promote justice.

From LAFF’s Archive: The Spirit of 76

Howard R. Dressner, a former Foundation vice president, “with eloquent and searing language, portrays the world in which the Ford Foundation found its expanding voice….”

A Reminder: Record Your Recollections

Members are urged to continue to contribute to LAFF’s Recollections Project, a gathering of individual reminiscences designed “to contribute to the institutional memory of the Ford Foundation and to help us get to know each other better.”

Share Your Papers With Ford’s Archives

The Information Management team is requesting materials from all Ford staff.

A Small Grant Can Go a Long Way: Norm Collins and Contributions to Native American Governance

By Michael Lipsky

An initiative to promote “excellence in governance among American Indian nations” began with a small Foundation grant made years earlier by the late Norman R. Collins.

From LAFF’s Archive: Thinking About Doc

Remembering the late Harold “Doc” Howe II, with excerpts from his book, Thinking About Our Kids: An Agenda for American Education.

From LAFF’s Archive: Consolations of Retirement

The late F. Champion Ward wrote the following waggish item about life after retirement.

Two TV Mini-Series with Ford Connections

Recent acclaimed television series include the stories of two former Ford Foundation figures, Roberta Uno and Franklin Thomas.

“Saving America’s Cities” Wins Bancroft Prize

Lizabeth Cohen’s book Saving America’s Cities: Ed Logue and the Struggle to Renew Urban America in the Suburban Age, has been awarded the Bancroft Prize for works of history.

“Saving America’s Cities”: A “Deep Dive” into the Life of Ed Logue

By Thomas Seessel

The life and work of Edward J. “Ed” Logue, whose accomplishments in urban development were both acclaimed and condemned, are examined in this review by Tom Seessel of Lizabeth Cohen’s new book.

“Icons and Activists”: Changemakers Honored by UNFPA

A book published by the United Nations to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations Population Fund includes people associated with the Ford Foundation.

Recordings By George Gelles

George Gelles has recorded several compositions that are made available here.

“Amateur Professionals”: Igniting the Classics With Fire and Intensity

By George Gelles

George Gelles writes about the development of “amateur orchestras”, whose trained musicians exemplify the ideals of “professional amateurism” with the “fire and intensity” of their performances.

Fazle Hasan Abed, Founder of BRAC

Fazle Hasan Abed, founder of BRAC, one of the largest nongovernmental organizations in the world with 110,00 employees working in 11 countries to meet the needs of some 100 million people, died December 20. He was 83.

Homage to Fazle Hasan Abed

The late founder of BRAC, one of the largest NGOs in the world and recipient of early support from the Ford Foundation, is remembered by Marty Chen.

Domestic Drama at 1 Sabroso Place

Nancy Dennis writes charmingly of a visit from a “large cat” that, fully aware of her watchful concern, carefully gave birth to and nursed three kittens in her yard in suburban Santa Fe. Its identity both startled and engaged her.

Challenges Threatening African Youth

Mora McLean has edited a collection of essays that provide “a transatlantic, transnational exploration of barriers that threaten the wellbeing of West African youth”.

From the Old Days

As Ford Foundation staff settled into their new home in the mid-1960s, Gertrude B. Winquist sent around a series of whimsical memos highlighting the challenges presented by the imposing building.

Newsletter Index

Nellie Toma, LAFF’s secretary-treasurer, has completed the arduous task of indexing every newsletter since the Society’s inception in 1991.

LAFF PARADE

LAFFing Parade, Winter 2021

3/10/2021

Bonnie Jenkins, Don Chen, Cristobal J. Alex, Bird Runningwater, Jon Funabiki, Mark Baumgartner, and Mildred Warner are in the news.

CLIPPINGS

Selection Of Articles Published Elsewhere

In Memory of Franklin Augustine Thomas

1/12/2022

Franklin A. Thomas Memorial Service on January 9, 2022.

Celebrating the remarkable legacy of Franklin Thomas

By Darren Walker | 12/26/2021

Franklin Thomas was a giant—an American original; a singular leader; an iconic figure in the history of the Ford Foundation and philanthropy, our city and all cities, our nation and the world.

Franklin A. Thomas, Pathbreaking Ford Foundation President, Dies at 87

12/24/2021

He rose from working-class Brooklyn to become the first Black person to run a major American philanthropy, and he revitalized it, shifting its focus to poverty and education.

Dr. Akwasi Aidoo A pioneer and an inspirational leader

8/6/2021

Lifetime Recognition: Dr. Akwasi Aidoo’s Role in Promoting African Philanthropy and Leadership

In Memoriam 2021

8/5/2021

From David Arnold: Suzanne Siskel’s husband, Peter Gajewski, passed away July 15, 2021 following a long illness. Peter was a remarkable individual …

Carnegie Corporation NY announces search for new president

8/5/2021

Carnegie Corporation of New York, the foundation established by Andrew Carnegie in 1911, seeks a visionary leader who can help fulfill the institution’s mission of promoting …

Doris Keniry

6/20/2021

Doris Keniry, 85, of Palm Desert, California, passed away unexpectedly on June 10, 2021.

Trump Lit a Fire by Exiting the Iran Deal & Poured Gasoline on it by Assassinating Soleimani

1/7/2020

…

We are posting here the views of LAFF members on the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. We anticipate this will be the beginning of a communal dialog among our members as they cope with the uncertainties of the spread and severity of the virus, and try to imagine an altered world.

While written at specific times during this rapidly changing global crisis, these articles offer both a timeline of individual reactions and perspectives on how we can, and should, prepare for when the pandemic fades and a new worldview emerges.

We hope members will send both original pieces and reprints of articles they have published elsewhere. Submissions may be sent to John LaHoud, editor of LAFF’s newsletter and website, at .

From Manila: A Community Leader’s Assessment

By Jeorgie Tenolete and Mary Racelis A local activist in a suburb of Manila, deals with the "staggering challenge of mobilizing a huge community of urban poor households to combat the looming health and economic disasters facing them”. …read more.