Steve Grant

Profile Updated: September 18, 2023
Residing In: Bethesda, MD USA
Spouse/Partner: Sharon Sforzini Grant
Occupation: independent scholar; retired US State Department
Children: Elliot, born 1970; died 12/24/2017 (Obituary in Knights' Forum)
Comments:

Gainfully unemployed.

Taught for a few years (GWU), became a research associate at the Kennan Institute for Advanced Russian Studies (Smithsonian's Wilson Center) and published a couple reference works. Became a freelance researcher/writer, then joined the US Information Agency's Office of Research. Spent three years in Moscow - 1982-85 - with family, at the embassy as a cultural affairs officer (fun to be there after Reagan's "evil empire" speech!).

Returned to head the Russia and Eurasia branch of the office and began conducting public opinion polls in all of the former Soviet Union in 1989. Retired in 2004, not long after USIA was folded into the State Dept. Have returned to my first love - history. My first monograph appeared in 2012 (see photos).

Love tennis, golf, poker, travel, anything life affords. Joined a "men only" book club in 2016 -- reading (al

School Story:

One fond memory is that we were the first class allowed to hold our senior prom in San Francisco.

Life-shifting insight at LAHS: taking Latin freshman year, meeting instructor James Marshall who taught up a storm -- and then some; learning he made $16 an hour (!!!) tutoring Latin outside of school; realizing one could actually make a living teaching.

Life-changing moment at LAHS: walking into the classroom of the sweetest faculty member at LAHS -- Ernie Carleton -- for elementary Russian sophomore year, with Jerry Hearn, Sylvia Salassi et al.; getting acquainted with the language, culture, and people of "the enemy;" and falling in love with all of it. I was hooked and that's been my life.

What's the farthest you've been from home?

probably Irkutsk, Siberia, Russia

or Uzbekistan or Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia

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Feb 15, 2024 at 12:36 AM

Posted on: Feb 14, 2024 at 1:33 AM

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Sep 19, 2023 at 5:17 PM

Posted on: Sep 18, 2023 at 8:47 AM

We all owe a great debt of gratitude to Sylvia, Liz, Mike, Joanne, and anyone/everyone else who had a hand in putting together our slightly delayed but extremely well-run "60 + 1" reunion. So glad I could get together again with all those who have meant so much in my life. There never was and never will be another class quite like ours!! Cheers to all, Steve

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Apr 04, 2023 at 9:51 PM
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Feb 15, 2023 at 12:37 AM

Posted on: Feb 14, 2023 at 1:33 AM

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Feb 22, 2022 at 5:45 AM

She was -- simply, inarguably -- the BEST!!!

LAHS had such a panoply of fabulous teachers: in history, foreign languages, the sciences, phys ed, economics, and more.  But for me, Claire Pelton was undeniably the GOAT.  God bless you, Claire, and thank you for all you gave me and countless others, with your grace, warmth, humor, and gentle prodding to be the best that we could be.

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Feb 14, 2022 at 1:27 PM
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Feb 15, 2022 at 12:39 AM

Posted on: Feb 14, 2022 at 1:33 AM

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Oct 01, 2021 at 8:09 PM
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Jul 06, 2021 at 11:04 AM

While I did not know Susan at all during our high school years, I will never forget her contribution to the 50th reunion.  It was almost like a competition among Susan, Mike Erickson, Liz Bubb Wilson, Sylvia Talarico, and me to locate as many classmates as possible.   She was amazingly successful in these efforts.  Her energy, resourcefulness, skills, and persistence were evident in this -- as they clearly were in all she tackled in life.

Feb 14, 2021 at 9:58 AM

Happy Birthday Steve and a Happy Valentine day too!!

Feb 14, 2021 at 6:27 AM

Happiest of B'Days, Steve! With Valentines for your family, gung hay fat choy for yesterday, and Presidents Day tomorrow, this is an epic time!

Steve Grant has a birthday today. New comment added.
Feb 14, 2021 at 11:51 AM

Posted on: Feb 14, 2021 at 1:33 AM

Steve Grant posted a message.
Feb 13, 2021 at 1:34 PM

Dear Claire,

I've been seriously remiss -- not writing in the past year. And what a year! Being homebound has not been fun, but it's been safe. I finally got my first shot this past week and will have the second on the 28th.

What I miss most is being cut off from the libraries, especially the LOC. It means I can't engage in any serious research and writing. I was able to keep up with tennis and golf all year, however -- till early November, when I had surgery on my left shoulder to repair a torn rotator cuff and bicep. I am rehabbing like mad and should soon be back out on the courts and greens.

I hope all is well with you and yours. Looking forward to seeing you in a year at our class's SIXTIETH REUNION!

Love, Steve

Feb 08, 2021 at 6:23 PM

this website is brutal to navigate, but the Santa Clara base South Bay (Calif Writers Club)
- based "Writers Talk" starts in 40 minutes! See: yes, the Managing Editor is Marjorie Bicknell-Johnson, my Fibonacci colleague co-author who was one of the founding members of the
Fibonacci Association, a prior 99's Lady Pilots club out of San Jose President and creative writer about Maya civilization...
see: https://southbaywriters.com/writerstalk/ , that has a Zoom monthly meeting of the San Clara-based South Bay Writers club
that meets at 7:00 just now!, if you are on line, it would be very cool to zoom there...

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Posted: Dec 16, 2013 at 10:25 PM
Old Course @ St. Andrews, the Swilcan Bridge, 18th hole, 2011
Posted: Dec 16, 2013 at 10:25 PM