Haverford Opened My Eyes
I became interested in Haverford through my brother’s smartest and most interesting friend, Murray Levin ’64. I visited him on campus, went to a class, and was impressed by how seriously the process of learning was taken. Haverford introduced me to a much broader world than I had grown up with, preparing me for things of which I had never dreamed.
At Haverford, I tried all sorts of things that enriched me and changed my life—including photography, running, and appreciating live music.
For instance, shortly after I joined the newspaper, the photography editor quit. I was the only one on the staff who knew how to take pictures and develop them, so I became the photography editor. I also did some professional photography with Chris Kane ’68 and worked with Steve Faust ’68 on our yearbook photography. This turned into a lifetime hobby, and I still love to photograph interesting things.
Immediately after arriving on campus, I started running cross country, although I was not an athlete and didn’t run or jog. It took me two weeks just to be able to finish the course. In the beginning, Terry Little ’68 would lap me on the two circuit cross-country trail. I ran track and cross country all four years at Haverford, despite the fact that I was terrible and actually hold the record for finishing last the most times in Haverford history, only beating another runner once. At a recent reunion, I learned that my perseverance had served as inspiration to the good runners.
I went to concerts at Haverford, which I had rarely done before. We heard the Moscow Chamber Orchestra in Roberts Hall, and for the first time in my life I could see the instruments while listening. That made me understand and fall in love with classical music. I went to a Sun Ra concert, which opened me up to jazz. And I could list many more things I did for the first time at Haverford outside of classes that have had major influences on my life and which continue to shape me.
The scientific education I received was superb and hooked me on being a biological researcher, which made me a better medical researcher. The liberal arts education made me both a better scientist and a better person. History, literature, and philosophy have enriched my life, giving me interests that I have pursued ever since. I also studied (although not in a class) with philosophy professor Aryeh Kosman. His joy of teaching was an inspiration to me when I became a professor.
Haverford’s biology professors—Mel Santer, Ariel Loewy, Irv Finger, and Dietrich Kessler—led me to love biology and gave me a profound appreciation of how our cells work. With help from a generous financial aid package, I could afford to work in the lab with the summer stipend. I found that I loved lab work.
I have been fortunate to achieve a position of success and privilege. I know that I did not get here by myself. When my father became disabled and we lived on my mother’s secretarial salary, my Haverford scholarship and other support to my family were essential. Haverford and the community supported us, and therefore I know that I should support Haverford and the community.
I’ve always contributed to Annual Giving, and I wished I could do more. After all, I went through Haverford on scholarships and wanted to pay that back. However, giving much more might compromise my retirement funds. A deferred gift annuity (DGA) presented a wonderful solution to allow me to give more, but get income from the funds if I needed it. On the other hand, Haverford would get more if I died early—which I don’t plan to do. Because a DGA works so well for me, I actually have more than one! Haverford is in my will, but the deferred annuity is a tax-deductible donation right now, which is helpful, too. So it’s a good way to give more without compromising future needs.
Haverford opened my eyes to many beautiful things about the world that I appreciate, and also opened my eyes to the problems we face, inspiring me to work on them. Because the College helps people succeed in careers that improve society, we should all do our best to find ways to support this eye-opening education for future generations.
Carl Grunfeld ’68 P’10 is a professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, and associate chief of staff for Research & Development and former chief, Division of Metabolism & Endocrinology, at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco. In 2012, the Alumni Association of Albert Einstein College of Medicine, where he obtained his M.D. and Ph.D., honored him with its Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2018, Haverford recognized his outstanding professional accomplishments with the Distinguished Achievement Award.