Class Correspondent

Ira Shapiro has written “The Last Great Senate,” his portrait of the statesmen who helped steer America during the crisis years of the late 1970s, transcending partisanship and overcoming procedural roadblocks that have all but strangled the U.S. Senate since their departure. Ira spent 12 years working for Senators Gaylord Nelson, Abraham Ribicoff, Thomas Eagleton, Robert Byrd and Jay Rockefeller. During that time, he helped enact the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance bill, formulate the Senate Code of Ethics and complete the D.C. Metrorail system. During the Clinton administration, he served as a leading U.S. trade negotiator, ultimately earning the rank of ambassador. Ira spoke about the book at Rutgers University’s Eagleton Institute of Politics, where he was introduced by John Weingart ’70, who recalled first meeting Ira when they were on the campaign trail seeking votes for their respective (and ultimately successful) bids for Student Union at Brandeis. Jane Paley Price won a Christopher Award for “Hooper Finds a Family,” her children’s book about her adopted dog’s dramatic rescue from Hurricane Katrina and how he made it to New York City. The awards are presented to writers, producers, directors and illustrators whose work affirms the highest values of the human spirit.
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