Peter Freund

November 11, 2014
Posted by Jay Livingston

Last weekend we honored our colleague Peter Freund, who died in June. Peter and George Martin were the co-founders, in the 1970s, of our New York Walk – an unofficial, informal, and very loosely planned event for faculty, students, friends, anyone who wanted to join us.  It started as a one-off in the 1970s but became a semi-annual event. Our route usually took us to places like Grand Central Station (Peter loved showing students the whispering gallery there) and downtown sites (Lower East Side, Chinatown). But for Saturday’s reunion, we walked the High Line.  George Martin and Laura Kramer, both retired, were there.



Faye Allard, our colleague till last year, came in from Philadelphia. Here she is with Sangeeta Parashar.


On Sunday, there was a memorial service.  More former Montclair colleagues came – Gil Klajman, Barbara Chasin – and spoke. 


Anecdotes, admiration, and appreciation were offered also by Peter’s wife Miriam, his sisters and nephews, and several friends and colleagues who collaborated with him on his research and activism, all with the goal of reducing the dominance of automobiles, especially in our cities.  (Peter was a founding member of Auto-Free New York, and he never learned to drive a car – a decision that was both ideological and prudent.)

Food and beer, travel and cities, generosity and humor – these were the recurrent themes in people’s reminiscences. That plus a deliberate unconventionality, often as a gambit to get others to question their usually unquestioned assumptions. Like tearing up a dollar bill or two on the first day of class, and when students got upset, asking them why. Peter had a wonderful golden retriever. He had named her Igor. He said it was in tribute to Dr. Frankenstein’s assistant, but I think it was also so he could delight in the reactions of those who insisted that this male name was just wrong for a female pup or, better yet, that the dog would wind up with a confused gender-identity.  In a way I cannot quite articulate, this fits with something else Peter loved – British entertainments like The Goon Show, Monty Python, and Gilbert and Sullivan.  A female dog named Igor – Peter’s own Python sketch.


Peter Freund
November 14, 1940 - June 12, 2014

The ASA Footnotes obituary for Peter is here.

11 comments:

  1. Great post, Jay. A knowing wrap on a remembrance weekend. George

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  2. I dreamt of Peter Freund last night. He was my favorite professor. I remember walking with him up Normal Ave and along Upper Mountain Ave, discussing my Independent study project. When I woke up this morning, I knew I had to Google Peter to see where he was these days. Alas, I was four years too late. He was amazing and I have used what he taught me all my life - Goffman, Kuhn, Bion, Nadler, and so much more. God bless you Dr Freund. You were inspirational.
    Lucinda (Cindy) Dumont McManus
    Class of 1976

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    1. I just discovered your post today, March 2020. It means so much to read this, and see my husband's passions alive and enduring. I have downloaded his writing on Researchgate and keep up his environmental fights against the car culture which is finally acknowledged. Thank you. Miriam Fisher

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    2. Nice to meet you Miriam and thank you for finding me on Facebook so that I could read this. I am agnostic but I do believe that we live on in the memories of those who hold us dear. If so, Peter is alive AZ and well. We cherished him! Take care.
      Cindy

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  3. Cindy,
    Thanks so much for this comment. I'm glad Google brought you here.

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    1. Here's a funny story about Peter Freund. Before I retired, I was part of the OD team at BMS. We were having a workshop with Barbara Bunker and she was made a reference to Bion's Experiences in Groups. I knew it immediately, made friends with Barbara, and thought fondly of Dr. Freund. He was a magician. opening doors for us and planting seeds of knowledge that would guide me all of life. He was a remarkable m6.
      Cindy

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  4. Did Peter teach at New Paltz in the late 60s?

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  5. Miriam, I'm so sorry you hadn't known about this before. I guess I just assumed that someone would have mentioned it. My apologies for not telling you myself. Hope all is well.

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    1. Since her comment was in 2018, most of Peter's closest cronies are retired and may not see or follow the blog.I don't follow it but saw the link on google and clicked.

      Do you know how to contact her?

      Some of the activists on congestion pricing and subway accessibility and elevators knew Peter or his work. Especially of course those who scream the loudest in the media
      Hope all is well with you and your family. Am in contact with George

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  6. Cindy, I remember Experiences in Groups from group dynamics courses in the 1960s. How did you get to know it?

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