The purpose of the gathering at Columbia University last week was a groundbreaking ceremony for the 18-story William Black Medical Research Building. It is named after the alumnus ('20) whose cool $5,000,000 gift in 1960 was the biggest ever received by Columbia from a living man. On hand was William Black himself, a self-styled "poor kid from Brooklyn," who parlayed a Times Square nut stand into the $33.7 million-a-year Chock Full O'Nuts Corp. At such ceremonies, the honored donor's speech is expected to contain a little modest reminiscence and some high-minded platitudes. What Black delivered instead was a brief, jarring indictment...
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