From August to May, university life is a bubble, shutting out the rest of the goings-on in the world. Now that this academic year has come to a close and reality has smacked us on the moment of re-entry, take a moment to dim the lights, cue the nostalgic music and remember those who left their mark in the world.
Leonard Nimoy (March 26, 1931 – Feb. 27, 2015)
“I think it’s my adventure, my trip, my journey, and I guess my attitude is, let the chips fall where they may.”
Nimoy will forever be referred to in conjunction with Spock, his Vulcan “Star Trek” character, despite his years as a Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Army and his career as a poet, stage actor, musician, photographer and former exotic pet shop owner.
Ben Bradlee (Aug. 26, 1921 – Oct. 21, 2014)
“You never monkey with the truth.”
A former CIA propaganda writer during the Rosenberg trials, The Washington Post executive editor altered the American people’s views on politics and journalism. Bradlee fought to publish the Pentagon Papers and backed Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein investigating Nixon’s Watergate scandal.
Mike Nichols (Nov. 6, 1931 – Nov. 19, 2014)
“I came to love silence, because it’s so rare, and it’s now my favorite aural condition.”
Escaping Nazi Germany, Nichols won nine Tony awards and directed notable productions like “The Graduate,” “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” and the TV mini-series “Angels in America.” The man with the Midas touch, Nichols found success in improvisational comedy, Arabian horse breeding and discovering Dustin Hoffman and Whoopi Goldberg.
Oscar de la Renta (July 22, 1932 – Oct. 20, 2014)
“It’s unbelievably extraordinary to remember that when I came to New York, it was a time when women couldn’t wear a pair of pants to a restaurant.”
Known for his luxurious, romantic and modern fashion, de la Renta launched to stardom after designing clothing for Jacqueline Kennedy in the ’60s. Shortly before dying, his designs were exhibited at the George W. Bush Presidential Center to honor the go-to designer of many first ladies.
Tom Magliozzi (June 28, 1937 – Nov. 3, 2014)
“Don’t drive like my brother!”
NPR’s call-in radio show “Car Talk” featured the humorous car expert sibling duo Tom and Ray, referred to as Click and Clack. Eschewing the typical polished radio voice, Magliozzi’s thick Boston accent kept the show lively for 25 years and made a guest voice appearance in Pixar’s “Cars.”
Charlie Sifford (June 2, 1922 – Feb. 3, 2015)
“I made up my mind I was going to do it. I just did it. Everything worked out perfect, I think.”
Called the Jackie Robinson of golf and who Tiger Woods credits for opening the doors for minorities in PGA tournaments, Sifford began golfing professionally in 1948. He challenged the PGA from 1951 until he was finally allowed to join the whites-only PGA Tour in 1961 and was the first African-American inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2004.
Joan Rivers (June 8, 1933 – Sept. 4, 2014)
“At my funeral, I want Meryl Streep crying in five different accents.”
An actress, comedian and writer since the ’50s, Rivers’ painfully self-deprecating humor helped open doors for comediennes. A known risk taker, she was the first female late night talk show host on major network TV, and in 2013 created the web series “In Bed with Joan,” where she — you guessed it — interviewed guests in her bed.
Lesley Gore (May 2, 1946 – Feb. 16, 2015)
“What a wonderful thing, to be able to stand up on a stage and shake your finger at people and sing you don’t own me.”
Known for bubblegum songs like “It’s My Party” and “Sunshine, Lollipops, and Rainbows,” Gore sang lyrics with an air of feminism, disillusioned by male behavior and the prevalent culture telling women to accept this treatment. Gore later focused on her education, songwriting and activism.
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