A heartfelt translation, nine years in the making

In 1998 when Herbert Jordan ’60 visited his daughter at St. John’s College in Santa Fe, he picked up her copy of a translation of the Iliad. He read the first page and “it electrified me,” he says. So he got his own copy and read every translation of the Iliad and the Odyssey he could find. A year later, tragedy struck when his only son died in a car crash at 16. At the urging of a friend, he began to teach himself to read Homer in the original Greek, as a way, he says, “to channel grief.” He spent a couple years learning the language, spending four to six hours a day on the task.

As he began to learn the language and read the Iliad, says Jordan, “I felt that I could relate to the spirit of the original better than any of the translators I read.” And he sensed “I was there, by the ships on the beach below Troy,” says Jordan, who has had a wide-ranging career as an attorney, CEO of a window and door manufacturing business, and founder of a maple syrup production business and a charitable legal service. He tried his hand at translating the epic poem of gods and warriors, line by line, into English blank verse. The hardest part, he says, was “learning to deal with Greek irregular verbs.” Along the way he had some help from Henry Taylor, a Pulitzer-prize winning poet, who went over his drafts, coaching him on diction and tone. When he started the translation, Jordan had no intention of publishing it. But University of Oklahoma Press was impressed and last October published it. A reviewer from Bryn Mawr Classical Review called Jordan’s translation “remarkably lively and poetic” and a “very easy, vivid read.”

Even though it took nine years in all to complete the Iliad, Jordan is already at work on his next project: translating the Odyssey. By Katherine Federici Greenwood

(Photo courtesy Herbert Jordan)

Men’s and women’s basketball: Previewing the Ivies

The Princeton men’s and women’s basketball teams each entered the two-and-a-half-week exam break on winning streaks — streaks they hope to continue when the Ivy League tips off the heart of its schedule Jan. 30.

The men were picked to finish last in a preseason poll of Ivy media, and with a 5-8 record in non-league games, the Tigers still have much to prove. But a solid win over Lehigh Jan. 7 gave Princeton a confidence boost. Only two Ivy teams have winning records outside the league: Cornell (10-6 in non-Ivy games), the defending champion and Ivy favorite, and Harvard (8-6 non-Ivy), which notched an impressive upset win at Boston College Jan. 7. Yale topped Brown in its first two Ivy contests and could join Cornell and Harvard as a league title contender.

When Princeton faces Dartmouth Jan. 30, the starting lineup likely will include three four players who have never started an Ivy game: freshman Doug Davis, sophomores Kareem Maddox and Dan Mavraides, and junior Pawel Buczak. Coach Sydney Johnson ’97 said that stressing defense could help the Tigers overcome inexperience. “We need to get stops in the winning moments, and then the offense will come,” he said in early January. “If you look at us at this point, compared to last year, clearly we’re defending better.”

On the women’s side, perennial Ivy powers Dartmouth and Harvard look strong again, but the big two expect challenges from Cornell, which shared the league title with the Big Green and Crimson last year, and Columbia, led by sophomore Judie Lomax, a talented transfer from Oregon State who has averaged 13.8 points and 13.6 rebounds per game this year. Beginning Jan. 30, the Princeton women (6-9 overall) will play all four of those top teams in a nine-day span — a major challenge for coach Courtney Banghart’s young squad, which won its Ivy opener against Penn Jan. 10.

Whitney Downs ’09, Addie Micir ’11, and Lauren Edwards ’12 have led the way for the young Tigers so far this season. In the Ivy’s midseason media conference call, Banghart said she was thrilled with her team’s energy and hunger, but a little concerned about how her team would react to the Ivy League’s intense Friday-Saturday schedule. Said Banghart: “I don’t think you can understand the back-to-back and the battle of tournament play every weekend until you’ve actually lived through it.”

Names in the news

Karen Smyers ’83, one of five inductees included in the first class of the USA Triathlon Hall of Fame, talked about overcoming challenges in her career. [Endurance Planet]

Lisa Jackson *86, President Barack Obama’s choice to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, was a “master juggler” as an official in New Jersey. [The New York Times]

International Rescue Committee president George Rupp ’64 helped celebrate the 75th anniversary of the group’s founding. [Miami Herald]

Don Oberdorfer ’52 discussed America’s diplomacy with North Korea and the status of the country’s leader, Kim Jong-Il. [The New York Times]

The American Plan, a 1990 play written by Richard Greenberg ’80, returned to Broadway in a well-received revival. [The New York Times]

Tiger of the Week: Anne-Marie Slaughter ’80

In 2003, shortly after Anne-Marie Slaughter ’80 returned to Princeton as dean of the Woodrow Wilson School, she spoke about her priorities in an interview with PAW. Rebuilding the international affairs faculty would be at the top of the list, she said, but there were other topics on the international agenda that the deserved attention: “[T]hings like health, poverty, education, and climate change,” she explained. “It’s no longer just interstate relations.”

Slaughter, in 6 1/2 years as dean, was true to her goals, expanding the Wilson School faculty with notable hires in international affairs, building new connections with other departments, particularly in engineering and the sciences, and adding five new research centers. (A more complete recap of her time as dean will be published in PAW Feb. 11.)

Last week, Slaughter took leave from the University to begin her new job as chief of policy planning in the State Department, heading up an in-house “think tank.” In a farewell message to colleagues, she wrote: “I am fortunate to have the opportunity to be part of a great collective effort to tackle some of the gravest problems ever to have faced the nation and the world.”

(Photo: Princeton University Office of Communications, Denise Applewhite)

Do you have a nominee for Tiger of the Week? Let us know. All alumni qualify. PAW’s Tiger of the Week is selected by our staff, with help from readers like you.

Tiger of the Week: Michelle Obama ’85

Two Princeton alumni have occupied the White House as presidents — James Madison 1771 and Woodrow Wilson 1879. On Jan. 20, Michelle Robinson Obama ’85 became the first Princetonian to take residence as first lady. That, of course, was a tiny footnote on a remarkable, historic day, celebrated with both pomp and reflection as Barack Obama took the oath of office as the United States’ 44th president.

Michelle Obama’s official White House biography describes her childhood home as a “brick bungalow on the South Side of Chicago” — quite a contrast to the most famous residence in America. The new first lady expects that daughters Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7, will bring a youthful family atmosphere to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. “Our hope is that the White House will feel open and fun and full of life and energy,” she told 60 Minutes in November.

In addition to having an alumna in the White House, Princeton will be well-represented in the new Obama administration (see PAW’s “Obama Watch” for alumni slated to serve in cabinet and administrative posts). Several alumni, including some of Michelle Obama’s classmates and friends, were on hand in Washington for the inauguration. There even was a hint of Princeton orange and black in the scarf worn by Michelle’s brother, Craig Robinson ’83 — or at least that’s what ABC’s Charlie Gibson ’65 guessed. On further review, it appears those colors were for Oregon State. Robinson is the head men’s basketball coach for the Beavers.

(Photo: Charles Dharapak/AP Images)

Do you have a nominee for Tiger of the Week? Let us know. All alumni qualify. PAW’s Tiger of the Week is selected by our staff, with help from readers like you.

Dancing for the inauguration

For one Princeton student, the inauguration of President Barack Obama was quite the occasion to dance. Kate Adamson ’11 performed at the Presidential Inaugural Luncheon and Fashion Show, hosted by the California State Society, Jan. 18 in Washington, D.C.

Adamson, a member of Princeton’s Disiac Dance Company, linked arms with professional Broadway dancers and Radio City Music Hall Rockettes in a “Yankee Doodle” dance number, as well as in a can-can dance inspired by Obama’s slogan, “Yes We Can!” Patti Colombo, the choreographer of Broadway’s Peter Pan musical, arranged the routines.

Adamson left exam studying behind on Thursday evening to head down to D.C. for all-day rehearsals Friday and Saturday.

“It was such a great experience,” she said. “I was especially grateful to be part of this historical moment, and to be involved in this surge of patriotism and energy.” Adamson did it in style, wearing costumes designed by graduates of New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom all were in attendance.

“The event was an intersection of two things that I am passionate about right now: dance and Obama,” Adamson said. Nothing like a good high-kick to welcome in the 44th president. By Sarah Harrison ’09

Princeton’s gym “for all seasons” turns 40

When Jadwin Gymnasium opened its doors in 1969, PAW billed the new facility as “a cage for all seasons”: a facility that could be used for basketball, track, wrestling, fencing, squash, tennis, lacrosse, baseball, and rainy-day soccer or football practices. And with a volume of 10 million cubic feet (250,000 square feet of floor space), it was possible to contest a half-dozen sports at once.

Jadwin remains one of Princeton’s most impressive buildings, 40 years after its opening. The men’s basketball team will mark the 40th anniversary of the gym with a game against Concordia Jan. 25, 40 years to the day after the Tigers christened the Jadwin court with a win over Penn (pictured at right on PAW’s Feb. 11, 1969, cover).

The gym’s namesake is L. Stockwell “Stock” Jadwin ’28, left, a Princeton track captain who died in a car accident shortly after his graduation. After Stockwell’s death, his parents, Stanley and Ethel Jadwin, continued to donate to the University’s Annual Giving campaign in their son’s name, and when Mrs. Jadwin died in 1965, she left $28 million to Princeton — at the time, one of the largest sums ever given to the University. The money supported the construction of Jadwin Gym and Jadwin Hall, as well as several academic initiatives.

(At top, the H-Y-P indoor track meet of 1969. Photos: PAW archive)

Princeton’s Office of Athletic Communications is counting down the top 40 moments in Jadwin’s history. Click here to read:

No. 40-31 | No. 30-21 | No. 20-11 | No. 10-1

Mielke ’07 competes in curling championships

Alumnus Matt Mielke ’07, profiled in PAW’s Jan. 28 issue, competed in the East Qualifier for the U.S. Curling Championships Jan. 7-11 in Brookline, Mass. It was an “up and down” week, Mielke said in an e-mail to PAW. The competition started well as Mielke and teammates Matt Hames, Bill Stopera, and Dean Gemmel won four consecutive matches in round-robin play. But in the final two round-robin matches, Mielke’s team faced Todd Birr’s team — one of the world’s top squads — and lost both meetings.

At 4-2, Mielke’s team moved on to the playoff round, where it drew Pete Fenson’s team, the 2006 Olympic bronze medalists. Fenson’s squad won, 6-3, knocking Mielke out of contention for one of the East’s three automatic berths in the national championships. The championships also will serve as the 2010 Olympic Trials.

Mielke’s team earned a second chance to reach nationals: By winning its consolation match in the playoffs, the team secured a spot in the “challenge round,” to be contested in Bismarck, N.D., Jan. 28-Feb. 1. Ten teams from the regional meets will play for four berths to the national championships. Fans can follow the results at usacurl.org.

Tiger of the Week: Richard “Mick” McGuire ’98

On Jan. 13, Borders Group, the Ann Arbor, Mich., based book, music, and movie retailer that owns both Borders and Waldenbooks, chose Richard “Mick” McGuire ’98 as the non-executive chairman of the company’s board of directors. McGuire had been a board member for the past year and was a partner with Pershing Square Capital Management, Borders’ largest investor. Before joining the world of hedge funds and private equity, he earned his MBA from Harvard and majored in economics at Princeton.

While the appointment is a notable achievement for the 32-year-old McGuire, it also promises challenges. According to The New York Times, Borders is contending with a heavy debt load, and its holiday sales dropped 11.7 percent, compared to 2007. Last week, Borders introduced new CEO Ron Marshall, who has experience with corporate turnarounds. “In the short time that I have worked with Mick,” Marshall said in a company press release, “I am impressed with his constructive input, sound judgment, and overall support of the company.”

(Photo courtesy Mick McGuire)

Do you have a nominee for Tiger of the Week? Let us know. All alumni qualify. PAW’s Tiger of the Week is selected by our staff, with help from readers like you.

In Brazil, a taste of Princeton

Alumni in South America will gather in Rio de Janeiro from Jan. 26 to 30 to celebrate Brazil’s first local reunion, sponsored by the Princeton Club of Brazil. The five-day program will include receptions and dinners, a speaker series, and performances by the Nassoons, Princeton’s oldest a cappella group, in their first Latin America tour, according to Jill Janaína Otto ’02, vice president of the club.

A panel of notable alumni will discuss economics in South America, and Francisco Gros ’64, president and CEO of the Brazilian oil and gas firm OGX Petróleo e Gas Participações, will deliver the keynote address at the event’s closing dinner. University representatives scheduled to speak at the reunion include history professor Jeremy Adelman, who heads Princeton’s advisory committee on internationalization; Thomas Levin, an associate professor of German; and Luisa Duarte, Princeton’s director of international internships. More information about the reunion is available at www.princetonclub.com.br.

Programming note: Alumnus’ opera

The Outlaw and the King, an opera by composer Mark Zuckerman *76 and writer David Herrstrom that was featured in The Weekly Blog Nov. 24, 2008, will be broadcast on the New Jersey Network’s “State of the Arts” program three times in the coming week: Jan. 16 at 10 p.m., Jan. 19 at 10 p.m., and Jan. 21 at 11:30 p.m. Alumni outside New Jersey who would like to view the program can visit njn.net.

Names in the news

Former Sen. Claiborne Pell ’40 died Jan. 1 at age 90, leaving behind a legacy of educational opportunity for low-income families. [Chronicle of Higher Education]

In its look at Chrysler’s recent struggles, Forbes asked “What would Lee Iaccocca [*46] do?” [Forbes]

The Trenton Devils will retire minor-league hockey standout Scott Bertoli ’99’s No. 19 jersey Feb. 21. [The Times of Trenton]

Sen. Christopher “Kit” Bond ’60, R-Mo., announced he will not seek a fifth term in 2010. [St. Louis Post Dispatch]

Tiger of the Week: Dan Kelly ’03

Dr. Dan Kelly ’03 was still as student at Yeshiva University’s Albert Einstein College of Medicine in 2006 when he set up a feeding center for malnourished children in Sierra Leone. Later, he worked with Sierra Leonean doctor Mohamed Bailor Barrie to start a medical clinic and a nongovernmental relief group for amputees who had lost limbs in a decade-long civil war that ended in 2002. Kelly, who has started the first year of a residency program in Houston, continues to use his free time to promote global health.

Kelly’s extraordinary service and selflessness earned him recognition as one of five “Points of Light” at Yeshiva’s Hanukkah dinner in December. He also received the Albert S. Kuperman Award for Field Work in Global Health at his medical school graduation in June. His work will be featured in an upcoming documentary, “Pride of Lions,” and on Feb. 9, he will speak at Princeton, sharing his story with a campus audience.

The people Kelly met during a 2006 fellowship in Sierra Leone inspired him to act, he told PAW’s Katherine Federici Greenwood in an interview for a February 2008 feature story. “You can’t stand there and stare,” he said. “You want to do something.”

(Photo courtesy Dan Kelly ’03)

Do you have a nominee for Tiger of the Week? Let us know. All alumni qualify. PAW’s Tiger of the Week is selected by our staff, with help from readers like you.

Tilghman, Tigers among N.J.’s most influential

President Tilghman was profiled by New Jersey Monthly in a special January issue devoted to the state’s 101 most powerful residents. The magazine hailed Tilghman for investing in the sciences, reshaping student life, and inviting changes to campus culture. “The notion that the culture will be frozen in place at a university, which should always be pressing forward into the future, is, I think, just wrong,” Tilghman said.

Other powerful Princetonians spotlighted by the magazine include Michael Aron *70, a longtime senior political correspondent for the New Jersey Network; Lawrence Goldman *76, president and CEO of the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark; David Grant ’72, president and CEO of the Morristown-based Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation; Lisa Jackson *86, Gov. Jon Corzine’s former chief of staff and the Obama administration’s choice to head the Environmental Protection Agency; and former Gov. Tom Kean ’57, who served as chairman of the 9/11 Commission.

Names in the news

Carlin Romano ’76 covered the American Philosophical Association’s conference in Philadelphia, speaking with alumni Cornel West *80 and Joshua Weinstein ’87. [Philadelphia Inquirer]

Former eBay CEO Meg Whitman ’77 may be paving her way for a gubernatorial bid in California. [Los Angeles Times]

Selden Edwards ’63’s novel The Little Book earned high praise from reviewer Keith Runyon, who named it one of 2008’s best books and called it the best novel he’d read in nearly two decades. [Louisville Courier-Journal]

Outfielder Will Venable ’05 is aiming for a spot on the San Diego Padres’ opening-day lineup. [Marin Independent Journal]

Caltech chemical engineering professor Frances Arnold ’79 and colleagues are working to manipulate microbe communities and employ them in applications that range from drug delivery to fuel production. [Science News]

Contest winner

Congratulations to Jessica Dye ’05 of Brooklyn, N.Y., who won a $100 gift card from the U-Store in PAW’s drawing for readers who signed up to receive our e-mail alerts.