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Posted on: Mar 27, 2026 at 9:26 AM

Happy Birthday, Clinton.
As is the practice on this site, I must mention cheerful memories of you going back to Woodacres Elementary.
"It's Academic" is now recorded at WETA in Arlington, also the home of the PBS News Hour. I still review the questions for the shows, but am not otherwise involved in production.

Happy Birthday

Posted on: Feb 15, 2026 at 9:06 AM

This actually was from an early game of our senior year, when they thought Peter Winkler was team captain because he was seated in the middle. Jeff MacGillivray was the captain, and George Kohut our excellent coach. I included this image in an article for WHITE HOUSE HISTORY QUARTERLY (Issue #67), describing how contestants' knowledge of presidential history had changed over 60 years. Almost but not quite....
Student One: "How'd it go with your report?"
Stuudent Two: "It was weird, man. Turns out there were TWO presidents named Roosevelt !"

We shared lots of experiences at Pyle and Whitman, but my most vivid memory of Chuck is when we protested the war at the "counter-inaugural ball" in 1969 under a big tent by the Washington Monument.  He was savvy and conscientious as well as brilliant.

Warren, Debbie, Joel -- Thanks for sharing information about Chuck's career and family.  He made the world better.  

Chuck Cole's son Alan was on "It's Academic" several times with the team from St. Albans, so I also remember Chuck as a proud and nervous parent in Studio A at NBC4.

Joel Kemelhor

While it sounds like a cliché, contact with Chuck at Whitman brightened my Pyle and Whitman days. Chuck was witty, brilliant, and intellectually curious without any arrogance.  Chuck, I am sure that you and Simeon K are now having great discussions again.

Happy Birthday Linda !!!

My wife and I were watching a movie a few nights ago and I rarely pay attention to the credits. I did that night and I saw you did the costumes
I knew you were famous but it's been confirmed now
Bil C

Just wondering if any classmate from Whitman is riding in the Unbound Gravel bike race in Kansas this week.

MIchael was most certainly in my homerooms throughout  Thomas w. Pyle junior high.  His father Harold was an anthropologist known for ROOTS.  WE met up later in life on Facebook sharing dogs and pets, offspring etc. My husband from the class of 1968 lived in the Radnor neighborhood as well. In the fifties and sixties of Bethesda.  

I am saddened to hear of Mike's passing.  He was always very kind to me during my time at Walt Whitman.  He was a sweet, sensitive soul.  I'm sorry he has left so soon though impressed by the path his life took.

I was saddened to hear that Mike passed away. My condolences go out to his family and loved ones. When I first moved to Bethesda from Washington DC and transferred to Pyle in 9th grade Mike was the first one to reach out and befriend me. I related to his love of stray dogs, as I would consider myself a stray those first weeks/months with new kids. At the time we shared a common interest in coin collecting and I remember Mike as being an astute trader! All in all, I remember him for his kindness and thank him for his warmth in that difficult period of my life.

Happy birthday, Clinton.
I walked around Woodacres last week.