William "Bill" David Curtis

I decided to attend CCNY not only because it was local and offered free tuition, but also because it boasted distinguished alumni such as Bernard Baruch and Jonas Salk. Although I had been a straight-A student in high school and graduated near the top of my class, I found CCNY considerably more challenging. My initial major was pre-med, but I soon discovered that I didn't enjoy the course of study: memorizing names of countless bones and muscles of the human body, and dissecting animals in the pervasive odor of formaldehyde was not for me. I loved music so I decided to make that my major. I remember fondly many of my instructors. One was Dean Leo Hamalian who taught a twentieth-century English class and introduced me to the works of Thomas Mann, Joseph Conrad and Alberto Moravia. Another instructor who exerted a considerable influence was Fred Hauptman. Fred displayed an infectious enthusiasm for the music he loved and possessed a gift for communicating that to his students. I was fortunate to have been able to study under professors schooled in the European tradition and were performers themselves: Fritz Jahoda, Otto Deri, the American opera composer Jan Meyerowitz, and Elise Braun Barnett, who was responsible for bringing sitarist Ravi Shankar to CCNY in 1967 for lectures and demonstrations of Indian music which I eagerly attended. I joined WCCR, the college's radio station, where I scripted and hosted classical music programs and made many friends. WCCR did not broadcast over the airwaves; it connected via cable to student lounges. WCCR became a big part of my college years. When I recall the many activities I was involved with and the new music and literature I discovered at CCNY and now treasure, I credit my time there for having had a very positive impact on my life.