Melvin (’43) and Helen Baum (’44) Morgenstein

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What wonderful memories! Mel and I celebrated our 62nd anniversary in April, 2006. We were childhood sweethearts from the age of thirteen! We were both fortunate to be accepted to Baruch College, CCNY, he in September ’39 upon graduation from Stuyvesant High School, and I in February ’40 after graduating from Walton High School in January ’40.

Those days, CCNY was proudly alluded to as “the poor man’s Harvard,” and we sure were poor. Even though tuition at City was free then, we still had to work for book money, carfare, and lunches. Mel majored in accounting/education and I in secretarial science/education. Sitting in the same Accounting 101 and 102 classes, I helped him over some rough spots. (I still enjoy teasing him about it.)

The curriculum was prescribed, with few opportunities for electives, and homework and library assignments were extensive. But college life was exciting and exhilarating, filled with new learning experiences, lots of intellectual stimulation, new friendships formed in classes and “house plans” (City’s alternatives to fraternities and sororities), flirting at dances Monday and Thursday afternoons in 4N, college shows, concerts, etc.

World War II was in full force during our last two years and most of the young men faced service after graduation.

Mel and I were married in April 1944 while he was in the Navy. After service, he went on to earn his master’s and doctoral degrees at Teachers College, Columbia University. Mel started his college teaching career in 1948 at the Institute of Applied Arts and Sciences in Brooklyn (now New York City Technical College), the first of five community colleges in the SUNY system. After seventeen years there, he became chairman of the business department at Nassau Community College, and later dean of its business division. In addition, he trained business teachers for years at Teachers College.

While our children were teenagers, I earned my master’s degree at Hofstra University and was most fortunate to land a position teaching secretarial science/legal courses at the new Brentwood Campus of Suffolk County Community College.

Our lives have been blessed with a wonderful family. Our daughter, Carol, is married to Mark, a financial adviser. She is an artist and the mother of our grandchildren, Aja and Dylan. Our son, Rod, is a professional drummer/percussionist (The Dixie Dregs, Winger, and the Rudess/Morgenstein Project) and a professor at the Berklee College of Music in Boston.

Mel and I have been retired from full-time teaching for twenty years. It all began way back when we were young and in love, and matured at Baruch College on 23rd Street and Lexington Avenue. Many of our happy, youthful memories stem from our days at Baruch.