50
Now Jean Sullivan Dobrezensky, Director of Admissions, kept the I-House group
together with her wonderful Christmas parties. Ingrid Borland was always there.
Jean would have a set menu, always with Danish meatballs; it was precisely the same
menu every year. That was at her house over in Montclair, with her husband, Stacey
Dobrezensky. I almost attribute the Golden Age to her; I don't think it would have
been so cohesive without her. Some people said that it was Jean who coined the name,
"The Golden Age." But it was Ted Nichols who gave it that name.
What did I do at the Information Desk? My job really wasn't that important. If
someone came up, I would say, "You want Miss Carneiro? Go there and there and
there." I reported to Mrs. Sanford, the business manager. Every spring, Mr Blaisdell
would haul me up to his office and say, "Now, what are your plans?" When I had
first started working there, Mr. Blaisdell had said, "I'm sorry we can't offer you more
money, but we can offer you a meal card and charge you what you eat: 52 cents for
lunch, and 53 cents for dinner." And it did help! So when he asked me, every spring,
if I still wanted to continue working at I-House, I don't know if I came right out and
said: "I just love working here – and starving to death on your wages!"
I probably said, "I'd like to continue here." Because I did; I loved it. I was there at the
desk for four years, doing nothing.
Taken from an interview by Jeanine Castello-Lin on April 5, 2010;
editing assistance by Tonya Staros
From left to right: Peggy [Post] Grunland, Phil Borst, Jean [Sullivan] Dobrezensky,
Si Chou Lou, and unknown.
