Herman Cohen

Herman Cohen December 29, 1924 December 22, 2013 Herman Cohen, 88, of State College, died Sunday, December 22, 2013, at Nazareth Hospital, Philadelphia. Born December 29, 1924, in Superior, Nebraska, he was the son of the late Morris and Dora Shvartsman Cohen. In 1947, he married Marlee Hollander who survives in State College. He is also survived by two children, Bob Cohen and his wife, Regina, of Medford, NJ, Matthew Cohen, of Santa Clarita, CA; a brother, Edward Cohen and his wife, Phyllis, of Ocala, FL; and four grandchildren, Bobby, Sara, Kristina and Jennifer Cohen. He was preceded in death by two brothers, Abraham and Casey Cohen. He was a 1942 graduate of Rock Island (IL) High School. He graduated with Bachelor's, Master's and Ph.D. degrees in Speech Communication from the University of Iowa. During WWII Herman served in the United States Army in the European and Asian Theatre. He was a Professor of Speech Communications at the University of Oregon, the University of Massachusetts and the Pennsylvania State University. He retired with Professor Emeritus status from Penn State College of Liberal Arts and was formerly head of the Speech Communication Department at Penn State. He was active in the Speech Communication Association and served as president of this organization in 1975. Herman published extensively on the history of rhetorical theory in American and European books and journals. He lectured and gave presentations in Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Finland. He published various books, including The History of Speech Communication: The Emergence of a Discipline, 1914-1945, which won the Everett Lee Hunt award. Herman enjoyed traveling, politics, reading and sports. He especially enjoyed traveling through Europe with his wife, keeping tabs on any upcoming elections and following Penn State Athletics. Visitation will be 1:00 to 2:00 p.m., Friday, December 27, 2013, at Koch Funeral Home, 2401 S. Atherton St., State College. Memorial service will follow at 2:00 p.m., Friday, December 27, 2013, at the funeral home with Jackie Hook, Life-Cycle Celebrant, officiating. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Lung Association at 810 River Avenue, Suite 140, Pittsburgh, PA 15212. Arrangements are under the care of Koch Funeral Home, State College. Online condolences and signing of the guest book may be entered at www.kochfuneralhome.com.

Centre Daily Times
December 25, 2013

 

Gentle Thursday, Penn State, 1974

Gentle Thursday

Penn State University

April 1974

photos by Tom Benson (image at top is color adjusted)

The Hawk for Peace

Alexander Calder, The Hawk for Peace (1968). Painted Steel. University of California Art Museum. Gift of the Artist.

Washington's Birthday - February 22

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/gwhtml/gwhome.html

Happy Washington's Birthday

Blizzard - 1940

 

Marion Post Wolcott. Railroad station during blizzard. North Adams, Massachusetts. March 1940.

Farm Security Administration - Office of War Information Photograph Collection (Library of Congress) LC-USF34- 053319-D More information about the FSA/OWI Collection is available at http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.fsaowi

What Killed Filibuster Reform?

 From The American Prospect:

Scott Lemieux, "What Killed Filibuster Reform?" American Prospect.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senator McConnell reached an agreement yesterday that will be called "filibuster reform" by some reports. But as The Washington Post's Ezra Klein summarizes it, "The deal is this: The filibuster will not be reformed." There were some minor changes in the deal that will streamline the confirmation process for nominees to federal district courts (although not appeals courts), but overall the deal is a fizzle for supporters of filibuster reform. . . .

What Killed Filibuster Reform?

I admit that filibuster reform is something I have mixed feelings about, since the ability to "extend debate" protects the rights of the minority in the debate. But there must come a point at which the majority can move on with its work, and the filibuster has been abused. 

Selling Guns to Children -- It's Good Business

From the New York Times:

Selling a New Generation on Guns

Threatened by declining participation in shooting sports, gun makers and sellers have poured millions of dollars into a campaign to get firearms into the hands of more, and younger, children.