Last Tuesday, August 16, we lost a legendary art director who was also, until very recently, a long-standing member of the Parsons faculty. Alvin Grossman was 83 years old and, up until about three years ago, taught in our Communication Design program, with a focus on graphic design and photography. He was a beloved and highly respected teacher, whose love of art and design was contagious among his students and colleagues. He was also an accomplished artist and art director, and his career highlights are included in his New York Times obituary here: http://bit.ly/oCyktS.

In a contribution to the Fall 2007 issue of Parsons’ Re: D magazine, which looked back at 100 years of Communication Design at our school, Alvin closed with the following message:

“To the many of you who entered my class a student and left a friend, thank you for that privilege. To those who took my suggestion that learning was an endless journey, in which you must take an occasional detour into terra incognita (unknown territory), bon voyage, and have fun along the way.”

As we quietly thank Alvin for his friendship as well, and as we send our thoughts and warm wishes to his family and friends, let’s pay tribute to him by letting this spirit of gratitude, camaraderie, and adventure persist in each of us.