Martin J. Kaufman was born 22 September 1941. Here’s a happy b’day wish. Also, here’s a photo of Marty flanked by Linda Lewis and Melody Tankersley. We were all hanging about outside a lunch area at one of those all-in-on convention venues just outside of Washington, DC. Any blurriness in the photo is not because the three people were moving so fast; it’s just the fault of the photographer.
For those who don’t know about Marty’s contributions, please understand that they were legion. He was “The Fed” whose office in the US Department of Education funded many projects that benefitted teachers, parents, and individuals with disabilities. After that tour of duty, he was “The Dean” who oversaw the University of Oregon’s School of Education efforts to prepare teachers and scholars and to conduct research and provide service for the entire education community. In short, he was an advocate who “done good.” You can read some notes about his work in a post for his b’day in 2024.
I propose that it’s time to sing to Marty. So, please join in this birthday song for one Marty’s cohort, John Lennon, who was born about 50 weeks before Marty. The song was written by Lennon’s bandmate, George Harrison. Here’s how it starts:
It's Johnny's birthday, it's Johnny's birthday
And we would like to wish him all the very best..
Just substitute “Marty” for “Johnny” and we’ve got it. One more time….
See the full lyric from Genius Music. Listen to a full (raucous) version on YouTube. I hope Marty would give one of his head-down grins upon hearing this.