GUS KAYAFAS ’69: My mother was really upset that I wasn’t going to be home for Thanksgiving
because it was really the first time a family member wasn’t going to be around
for a major holiday.
In that early part of November, Doc asked the freshman, “Any of you not gonna be able
to go home for Thanksgiving?” And I was the only one apparently, which surprised me.
And he said, “Mrs. Edgerton likes her Techies in ties and jackets.
Do you have a tie and a jacket, Gus?” And I said, “I do, Doc!
I have a blue blazer with brass buttons that I’ve never worn before.”
So he invited me. I was really excited.
But boy oh boy. It was the beginning of a journey with Doc that changed my life.
Empowered me. It was such an amazing experience.
MARTY KLEIN ’62: I want to share a couple of my favorite photos. Doc…I think of these
as iconic. What I love about these photos is you can capture his grin.
He just has this infectious grin on his face.
Doc was charismatic, magnetic. He sort of took me in as family.
Back at home I was going just personally through a difficult time. My own dad was sick.
So Doc was not only a mentor, a friend, but also cared about me during that period.
GUS KAYAFAS ’69: Doc and Esther lived in two apartments on the top floor
at 100 Memorial Drive and I was living in East Campus and it was a 5-minute walk.
MARTY KLEIN ’62: As soon as you walked in it was a wonderful hello.
"Hi, Marty! Come on in!”
GUS KAYAFAS ’69: And Doc says, “this is Gus Kay-fass.” At the time he pronounced
my name incorrectly. “He’s a freshman from Maryland. He’s in the Freshman Seminar.”
MARTY KLEIN ’62: At Doc’s dinners, at Thanksgiving or any of his dinners,
you never knew who might be there. Doc knew everybody.
GUS KAYAFAS ’69: Jacques Cousteau, Madame Cousteau, President Stratton, Mrs. Stratton,
the chairman of the corporation, James Killian and his wife...
and me and Doc and Esther. That was Thanksgiving.
Cousteau I was in awe of and he spoke about having Doc on adventures. And he said in the
And he said in the 50's when you’re on a boat in the ocean, communications were sketchy.
You really were on your own. He said Doc had his guitar.
ELLEN LAW ’86: So I brought one of my favorite pictures, which is my grandfather and his guitar.
If anybody ever went to dinner or connected with him,
he often pulled out his vintage Martin guitar.
MARTY KLEIN ’62: He could just pound on that thing and sing. He loved to sing.
He would sing, “She’s Comin Round the Mountain When She Comes.”
And he would just sing with gusto.
ELLEN LAW ’86: He had a loud singing voice…may not have been the best in the room but he
but he had a lot of enthusiasm.
MARTY KLEIN ’62: Doc enjoyed life. He taught a passion for life. You felt good, exhilarated
after one of those dinners that you just had a good time.
GUS KAYAFAS ’69: The next morning, my mom called crying, “Gussy, was it terrible?”
And I said, “Mom! I got to meet Cousteau!” And I went on and on about it and there was
dead silence on the other end. And I said, “But Mama, it was nothing like a family
Thanksgiving. It’s just so much more than I ever expected.” And when I told my dad
about that, he agreed. He said, “You know…Boy, MIT sure is a special place isn’t it?”
And I said, “Yeah.”
ELLEN LAW ’86: If you go to the Edgerton Center, even today, and we’re 30 years
kind of after he’s gone and 60 years after he retired,
there’s still an active presence and support
for the MIT students from him. And that’s pretty incredible.