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In thinking about today, I was prompted to go back to my files of the Consortium’s early years and realized that it was on May 13, 1988, almost 20 years ago to the day, that Bill Golden assembled the fifteen original members of the Black Rock Forest Consortium.  It was at that point that I began to work with and get to know Bill Golden. 

Interestingly, the records reveal that Bill began his efforts seven years earlier, in 1981, giving it a certain biblical cast. This is from a letter from Bill Golden to Ellen Futter, then President of Barnard College dated November 6, 1981:

“At the invitation of the Harvard administration, I have discussed with them the possible purchase of the Harvard Black Rock Forest at Cornwall, near West Point, New York , by a not-for-profit corporation to be established for the purpose.  Funds for the purchase are available. The concept is that a group of universities and colleges might make use of the property for research, educational, and recreational purposes.  Harvard, with another forest in the purlieu of Cambridge, at Petersham, Massachusetts , has had no need for Black Rock and has made little use of it.”

It took almost seven years of work until Bill Golden had progressed enough to return to organizing the Consortium early in 1988.  The Consortium first met in May 13, 1988 at the New York Academy of Sciences to elect officers and discuss issues at hand, including the impending transfer.   Work continued at subsequent meetings but little did we know that it was take more than another year for Bill to work out the details and effect the transfer.  The Consortium officially started on September 15, 1989—a tribute to Bill’s persistence.

It was Bill Golden’s idea to convert a little-used portion of the Harvard Forest system into a vibrant educational, research and preservation endeavor.  The organization of the Consortium was also Bill’s:  to mix a variety of education, scientific, public and private institutions and to encourage their interaction.  Let me illustrate with the charter members of the Consortium—museums and public institutions like the American Museum of Natural History and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, universities such as Columbia University and New York University,  liberal arts colleges such as Barnard College and primary/secondary schools such as The Dalton School and the Storm King School.   The original plan of twelve members, in Mr. Golden’s words, “to avoid crowding and to assure a congenial group” was quickly expanded “due to oversubscription” to fifteen and, with experience as a guide, has grown to the current 21 institutions, including the Central Park Conservancy and several New York City public schools. 

Bill Golden not only maneuvered the transfer and founded the Black Rock Forest Consortium through his ingenuity, persistence, and generosity—he said he was “always willing to buy the first tank of gas” for a worthy project, he stayed on as Chairman to provide enlightened leadership, brilliant suggestions, ingenious solutions, valuable connections, financial acumen, unending generosity, remarkable wit, good cheer and common sense.  The expansion of members, activities and outreach was complemented by a vigorous and much needed expansion of the physical plant culminating in the well designed, built and used Science Center and Forest Lodge.  Bill did not undertake these efforts without careful considerations of all facets, but when he was convinced, things happened.  The energy and commitment he showed for Black Rock Forest belied his many other activities, too numerous to note today.  But The Black Rock Forest Consortium he envisioned and worked so hard to establish continues to grow and develop and reach for that vision Bill Golden saw twenty-seven years ago.

On a personal note, Bill was well versed in science.  He earned his master’s degree in biology at Columbia in 1979 at the age of 70.  Whenever I discussed my research in the developmental physiology of agricultural plants and biotechnology, he was gracious, enlightened and interactive.  It was fun talking with him and a pleasure and honor in knowing him.

A word on Golden Ridge itself:    It is predominantly granite gneiss.  Gneiss is a metamorphic rock derived from granite when it is buried and put under intense pressure.  Granite is an igneous rock, light-colored and coarse-grained, and composed of quartz, orthoclase and mica.  When put under pressure, the minerals inside recrystallize to form characteristic shiny bands or folds of gneiss.   The word “gneiss” derives from the German “kneis” which means spark, probably because of the rock’s sheen.   Granite implies endurance and steadfastness, and is often used for buildings and monuments.   Its derivative gneiss adds a wonderful sheen and glow.  This is indeed a suitable ridge to serve as a memorial to William T. Golden.

Dr. Philip V. Ammirato is Professor Emeritus in Barnard College's Department of Biological Sciences and was the first president of the Black Rock Forest Consortium.