Retired Men’s Association Archives

RMA Presents “Collecting Shakespeare’s First Folio in America”

Greenwich Sentinel·
April 10, 2024·

The First Folio, published in 1623, is a highly prized literary treasure that preserved the complete texts of 18 of Shakespeare's plays. Two wealthy American collectors, Alexander Smith Cochrane and Henry Clay Folger, emerged as the foremost hunters of the First Folio in the early 20th century, amassing impressive collections that now reside at Yale University and the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington D.C. The First Folio's value continues to escalate, with a copy selling for nearly $10 million at auction in 2020, as new copies are still being discovered in private holdings.

RMA Presents “Pioneers of Ragtime”

Greenwich Sentinel·
April 2, 2024·

Dr. Peter Muir, a renowned authority on American vernacular music, presented a comprehensive overview of ragtime music during an engaging speaking and performance session. He delved into the history of ragtime, highlighting its African American origins and its evolution into jazz, showcasing iconic compositions by Scott Joplin and other notable ragtime composers. Dr. Muir emphasized the significance of syncopation in ragtime, demonstrated various forms of ragtime music, and concluded by performing both classic and contemporary ragtime pieces, showcasing the enduring legacy of this musical genre.

RMA Presents “Recent Multi-State Actions by Attorneys General”

Greenwich Sentinel·
November 6, 2023·

Now in his second term as Attorney General of Connecticut, William Tong is working with many other state Attorneys General to sue Meta for the harms they are doing to their young users. His efforts parallel his previous lawsuits against the pharmaceutical companies that produce and sell opioids. Mr. Tong said that the states have to take these actions because Congress is unwilling or unable to rein in the rapacious social media giants.

RMA Presents: “Raising Monarchs”

Greenwich Sentinel·
September 20, 2023·

Jo Ubogy shared beautiful photos of her gardens and Monarch butterflies in all their stages of metamorphosis. She also warned of the dangers to the existence of the Monarchs---logging and land development, as well as climate change and pesticides. Private citizens, municipalities and businesses could all be part of the solution by planting native species of shrubbery and avoiding the use of pesticides.

RMA Presents: “How Public Sentiment is Formed”

Greenwich Sentinel·
August 28, 2023·

The 1930s was a critical decade in American history, during which President Franklin Roosevelt used the new power of radio to address the American “public” as a coherent entity for the first time. Pollsters such as George Gallup, Sr. and Elmo Roper developed statistically valid sampling methods to measure the “vox populi,” the voice of the people. Populists such as Huey Long and Father Coughlin also gained influence, spurring the growth of intolerance and conspiracy theories, a precursor to the troubled politics of today.

RMA Presents: “Crying on the Camino”

Greenwich Sentinel·
July 25, 2023·

Stage performer Celeste Mancinelli reenacted a unique true story in this one-woman show. Dressed in hiking gear, she recounted her 200-mile walk on the Portuguese route to the Cathedral Santiago de Compostela, relating in sometimes moving, sometimes hilarious fashion the sights, sounds, and even the smells of the unusual journey. “In sharing this piece my goal is to inspire others to take their own journey – to fully live their own Caminos.”

RMA Presents: “Economic Growth and the Structure of Connecticut’s Economy”

Greenwich Sentinel·
July 10, 2023·

The state of Connecticut closed its 2022 fiscal year with a budget surplus for the fourth year in a row. Taxes have been cut, pension liabilities paid down at an accelerated rate, and unemployment is on par with the region at 4%. Business formation is at its highest since 2008, and the government is promoting tourism and development of remediated brownfield land.

RMA Presents: “Endless Frontier: Vannevar Bush, Engineer of the American Century”

Greenwich Sentinel·
June 28, 2023·

Although relatively unknown to the general public, Vannevar Bush was one of the most important scientists, engineers, and policy influencers of the twentieth century. While at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Bush developed the Differential Analyzer, a precursor to the digital computer, and published an article that presciently described the concepts and functionality of the personal computer. Later, Bush became dean of MIT School of Engineering, director of the US Office of Scientific Research and Development, and trusted adviser to Presidents Truman and FDR.

RMA Presents: “Inflation and the Fed, What Does It Mean for the Economy and Financial Markets?”

Greenwich Sentinel·
June 20, 2023·

Despite many forecasts, a recession in the US is unlikely to happen anytime soon. The unprecedented monetary and fiscal stimulus in response to the Covid pandemic has cushioned the economy and prevented a collapse. An extended period of sluggish growth will substitute for the predicted recession.

RMA Presents: “The New Bruce Museum”

Greenwich Sentinel·
May 8, 2023·

The Bruce Museum reopened on April 2, following the completion of a major reconstruction project that more than doubled the floor space of the museum. The new Richter wing has bright and open galleries housing permanent and changing art and science exhibits, conference room, and a ground floor for community space, including onsite dining and a lecture hall. Although the new structure is receiving rave reviews, Wolterstorff says “the Bruce expansion will ultimately be judged by how we use the building.”

Tag: Retired Men’s Association