When I was a lowly first-year graduate student I couldn't find any classes to take. I remember approaching Professor Polenberg, rather sheepishly, to inquire if he would do an independent study with me. He didn't know me from Adam, yet was willing and happy to take on an "unknown quantity" He said "you will do a substantial piece of research and it will be wonderful" Thanks, Richard Polenberg, for being a great mentor and inspiration and creating a learning environment that surpassed my highest expectations of a Cornell education.

Ron Mack was a unique professor; not only was he a brilliant lecturer who had his students hanging on his every word, but he was a kind soul with a wit and compassion I'd never before experienced.

One of the most memorable experiences happened on Halloween. Prof. Mack decided that the class should all come in costume, and he delivered his lecture as Dracula. He then held a contest for best costume. All students who had dressed up were paraded around the lecture hall, (including the two tuba players who came dressed as superheroes, all the while playing "Swanee River") and the class voted on each costume. Prizes included a phallic sculpture made by one of his former patients, and a giant poster of Sigmund Freud.

Prof. Mack passed away in the early 1990's and the Cornell community lost a great professor and an even better human being. I'll never forget his lectures and the lessons he taught.

When I started my first year in the law school, I was still in my undergraduate mode, meaning I was a real party animal, to put it mildly.

About half way through the first semester, Prof. Schlesinger sprung a surprise test on us. I can still see Prof. Schlesinger standing in front of the class, after marking the papers, holding my test paper up and saying in his high shrill voice, "When I read this paper I didn't know if I was a man or a woman." He gave me a D-: a grade I had never seen before. When he handed me my paper I immediately came to my senses. In short, he scared the hell out of me.

My lifestyle changed abruptly, and I became a serious student. The next year I was elected President of the Law School. Years later when I was a Justice of the NYS Supreme Court, the Professor and I became close friends. If not for the Professor's keen and timely sense of my need for shaping up, I often wonder what would have become of me and my career.

The late George Jarvis Thompson, co-author of the definitive text on the law of contracts, "Williston and Thompson on Contracts," was a beloved professor of contracts at the Cornell Law School prior to his death in 1956. His classroom and lecture hall anecdotes, witticisms and sage comments have become part of the lore and legend of the law school.

Of particular value to me, a wanna-be trial lawyer bound for the civil courtroom, was his oft-repeated plea when a student called upon to respond to a question from the professor had a hand in front of their face: "remove your hand from your mouth and speak so all may hear."

I have often remembered this admonition as I addressed a jury or argued a motion or appeal before the court.

And so, I confess, have my two sons and, more recently, our college freshman grandaughter who we have raised since age ten. Whenever I had to admonish them for speaking with a fistfull of fingers in front of their mouths, they would explain: "Oh, no, I've pulled a Thompson!" Recently, as lead counsel for her high school mock trial team, I heard my grandaughter say to one of her teammates during practice, "use your hands to gesture and take them away from your face and speak so all may hear."

Professor Thompson, your wisdom lives on and continues to influence us.

Pina and the entire Italian language department made a requirement for graduation from the College of Arts & Sciences not just a requirement, but the beginning of a series of courses that I wanted to take every semester in Ithaca! My profession in finance never allowed me to utilize my Italian language skills, but I am forever using it in restaurants, in my soccer league and on vacation! Her commitment to her students was truly noteworthy and her classes were informative and enjoyable.