Dr. Mel S. Citrin

I heard that CCNY was a very high-end free college with an excellent reputation, and I knew that my parents would be unable to send me to a tuition college. I loved my classes and had great instructors, most notably Dr. Farquhar, the biology lecturer who drew diagrams with both hands at the same time. Because I waited too long to apply to dental schools, the NE schools were filled and the terrific Dean Barber was kind enough to call many schools until he found an opening for me. I loved the old architecture of the buildings and remember thinking how wonderful it was to be attending this college in this beautiful environment. I ate at the North Campus cafeteria because I was a science major, but I really loved going to the South Campus snack bar, which also had a jukebox. One of the best things that I did at CCNY was joining the Musical Comedy Society, a society of people who were interested in doing theater and musical comedies. I kept up the society friendships for many years, and we were fortunate to have a wonderful advisor, Mr. Sarfarty. I was on a committee in MCS to recruit a star from a Broadway show to have them crown the new Carnival Queen winner, and we were fortunate one year to get Jane Fonda, and another year it was Bobby Morse. More importantly, Phyllis Keller, the woman I eventually married in June 1965, also attended CCNY at the same time. I remember her walking the halls with a bunch of guys all around her and thinking that I couldn't ask her out because she was so popular, smart, and beautiful. I didn't know that she was the head of a committee in the Caduceus Society, and those guys were committee members. So I received a great education, met long-lasting friends, got admitted to a dental school, and met my future wife. What more could you ask for?