Fernando Gerassi
Encyclopedia
Fernando Gerassi was a Sephardic Jew born in Turkey
. He was an accomplished artist and exhibited alongside Picasso before volunteering
to fight in the Spanish Civil War
.
In 1922 Gerassi met Stepha Awkykowich, a Ukrainian
-Pole
in Berlin
and they were married in 1929. In 1931, their son Juanito (who became known as John and Tito after the family moved to the United States) was born in Paris.
Gerassi and his family moved to the United States
at the start of World War II
and he was hired by Carmelita Hinton
, a progressive educator who was the founder and director of the Putney School in Vermont
, to teach art at the school. Hinton also employed Gerassi's wife, Stepha, to teach "anything she wanted" and she would go on to teach a number of subjects during their years at the school, including French
, Spanish
, Russian
, German
, ancient history
, Latin
, and European history
. In 1955 Time reported that to support his family while establishing his art career, he tried "some 40 different jobs". From 1944-1964 Gerassi was harassed by the CIA who tried to blackmail
him by threatening to deport his family if he would not agree to work for them. One of his friends eventually reported the harassment to Abe Fortas
, then an aid to Lyndon Johnson. Fortas obtained the CIA file and passed it onto the attorney general
, Robert Kennedy, who immediately gave Gerassi and his family American citizenship and apologized "in the name of America".
In 1951 Gerassi shared an exhibit with American artist, Georgia O'Keeffe
, and then in 1955 he exhibited alone, for the first time in 20 years. His solo exhibition at the Panoras Gallery in Manhattan
"elicited rave reviews".
Gerassi returned to Putney School where he painted until his death in 1974.
Gerassi's son, John "Tito" Gerassi completed a Master of Arts
at Columbia University
and a doctorate
at the London School of Economics
. He became a journalist and worked as an editor
for Time
and Newsweek
and then as a foreign correspondent
for The New York Times
. After completing his doctorate, he became an academic, teaching at John Kennedy Freedom School in Berlin and the University of California, Irvine
. In 1978 joined the faculty of Queens College
. His publications include, The Great Fear in Latin America(1965), The Boys of Boise (1966), and Jean-Paul Sartre: Hated Conscience of His Century (1989).
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. He was an accomplished artist and exhibited alongside Picasso before volunteering
Jewish volunteers in the Spanish Civil War
A minority of the Jewish population, particularly that of Europe's, were active in socialist and Communist organisations in the period between the two World Wars....
to fight in the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
.
In 1922 Gerassi met Stepha Awkykowich, a Ukrainian
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
-Pole
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and they were married in 1929. In 1931, their son Juanito (who became known as John and Tito after the family moved to the United States) was born in Paris.
Gerassi and his family moved to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
at the start of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and he was hired by Carmelita Hinton
Carmelita Hinton
Carmelita Hinton was an American progressive educator. She is best known as the founder in 1935 of The Putney School, a progressive boarding school in Vermont.-Early life:...
, a progressive educator who was the founder and director of the Putney School in Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
, to teach art at the school. Hinton also employed Gerassi's wife, Stepha, to teach "anything she wanted" and she would go on to teach a number of subjects during their years at the school, including French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, ancient history
Ancient history
Ancient history is the study of the written past from the beginning of recorded human history to the Early Middle Ages. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, with Cuneiform script, the oldest discovered form of coherent writing, from the protoliterate period around the 30th century BC...
, Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, and European history
History of Europe
History of Europe describes the history of humans inhabiting the European continent since it was first populated in prehistoric times to present, with the first human settlement between 45,000 and 25,000 BC.-Overview:...
. In 1955 Time reported that to support his family while establishing his art career, he tried "some 40 different jobs". From 1944-1964 Gerassi was harassed by the CIA who tried to blackmail
Blackmail
In common usage, blackmail is a crime involving threats to reveal substantially true or false information about a person to the public, a family member, or associates unless a demand is met. It may be defined as coercion involving threats of physical harm, threat of criminal prosecution, or threats...
him by threatening to deport his family if he would not agree to work for them. One of his friends eventually reported the harassment to Abe Fortas
Abe Fortas
Abraham Fortas was a U.S. Supreme Court associate justice from 1965 to 1969. Originally from Tennessee, Fortas became a law professor at Yale, and subsequently advised the Securities and Exchange Commission. He then worked at the Interior Department under Franklin D...
, then an aid to Lyndon Johnson. Fortas obtained the CIA file and passed it onto the attorney general
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
, Robert Kennedy, who immediately gave Gerassi and his family American citizenship and apologized "in the name of America".
In 1951 Gerassi shared an exhibit with American artist, Georgia O'Keeffe
Georgia O'Keeffe
Georgia Totto O'Keeffe was an American artist.Born near Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, O'Keeffe first came to the attention of the New York art community in 1916, several decades before women had gained access to art training in America’s colleges and universities, and before any of its women artists...
, and then in 1955 he exhibited alone, for the first time in 20 years. His solo exhibition at the Panoras Gallery in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
"elicited rave reviews".
Gerassi returned to Putney School where he painted until his death in 1974.
Gerassi's son, John "Tito" Gerassi completed a Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
and a doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
at the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
. He became a journalist and worked as an editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
for Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
and Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
and then as a foreign correspondent
Correspondent
A correspondent or on-the-scene reporter is a journalist or commentator, or more general speaking, an agent who contributes reports to a newspaper, or radio or television news, or another type of company, from a remote, often distant, location. A foreign correspondent is stationed in a foreign...
for The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
. After completing his doctorate, he became an academic, teaching at John Kennedy Freedom School in Berlin and the University of California, Irvine
University of California, Irvine
The University of California, Irvine , founded in 1965, is one of the ten campuses of the University of California, located in Irvine, California, USA...
. In 1978 joined the faculty of Queens College
Queens College, City University of New York
Queens College, located in Flushing, Queens, New York City, is one of the senior colleges of the City University of New York. It is also the fifth oldest of the City University's twenty-three institutions of higher learning. The college's seventy seven acre campus is located in the heart of the...
. His publications include, The Great Fear in Latin America(1965), The Boys of Boise (1966), and Jean-Paul Sartre: Hated Conscience of His Century (1989).