Springfield College - Massasoit Yearbook (Springfield, MA)

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Martha Mitchell John Paul Getty OBITUARIES Martha The Mouth” Mitchell: a colorful member of the Nixon Adminis- tration was silenced by death. The wife of former Attorney General John Mitchell died a lonely almost forgotten woman. She was one of the first to demand Nixon’s administration as she publicly accused Mr. President” of deep involvement in Watergate, con- demning him for letting Mitchell and others take the blame. J. Paul Getty; 83. Acknowledged as the world’s richest man. died in 1976 leaving an estate with assets valued at over $4 billion dollars. Getty, one of a vanishing American Breed — the lone wolf operator, built a vast wealth and far flung business empire almost single- 25

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France's Concorde BICENTENNIAL YEAR The overdone Bicentennial Bash be- came a big bore with everything from Bicentennial Flags to Bicentennial doggie bags to Bicentennial toilet scats even to Bicentennial coffins as everyone tried to cash in on the celebration turn- ing what should have been an inspiring patriotic tribute to our 200 years of independence into a mad scramble by corporations for the consumer dollar. Air France’s new jet streamline Con- corde. which can make a trans-Atlantic flight in V: hours, was cause for great clamor as environmentalists united in an attempt to stop it from landing in the United States. The elusive Oscar which actor Jack Nicholson missed on four previous oc- casions was his as Best Actor for his portrayal of R. P. McMurphy in One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest which happened to grab all the major motion picture awards including Movie of the Year. The Bird, as it was called around NBC. had been around since 1956 when color T.V. was in its infancy and needed repeated plugging with the flash of a peacock’s tail over the airways. The Bird and its compagnion, the Snake, the familiar NB with a C un- coiling beneath, around since 1959 were beginning to look antiquated. So. the National Broadcasting Co. set out to find a new corporate symbol. The search ended with a large abstract let- ter N introduced at the start of 1976. NBC’s 50th anniversary year. The Billion dollar Viking Project to collect new information about Mars will reach its critical point with its scheduled July 4th landing on the planet after 7 years of planning. The aims to detect evidence of photo- synthesis. investigate Martian soil samples for simple organic nutrients and check for organic chemicals and fossil materials on the Martian surface. The completion of these experiments should explore all the possible forms of life that biologists think possible in the ageless quest for life on Mars. 24

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handed. The real foundation of Getty’s colossal wealth was laid in 1949 when he outbid rivals and won oil rights to Saudi Arabia’s 50% interest of the Neutral Zone in the Middle Last. He kept almost total personal control of his empire, placing long working days almost up to his death. Howard Hughes: eccentric playboy pilot, who kept himself hidden in ob- scurity for nearly 40 years could not shield himself from the Grim Reaper as he joined the ranks of the fallen rich. Hughes, whose initial wealth was inherited, was invested in airlines. Las Vegas and real estate which reaped him great profits. Hughes having failed, as did Onnasis and Gettv. in taking his wealth with him. left an estate esti- mated at over SI billion dollars. His demise triggered the appearance of countless executors claiming to have the Billionaires last written will as it seems everyone is trying to cut them- selves a piece of the Hughes' pie. Howard Hughes 26 Karen Quinlan