Lloyd Gaines, A Quiet Hero of Civil Rights History, Vanished in 1939

From NYT:

"Lloyd Gaines disappeared at 28, three months after he triumphed in one of the biggest Supreme Court cases in decades."

Another possible Obama Effect: reviving forgotten civil rights figures. (See also: the proto-Rosa Parks who attracted some attention not long ago. I feel awful, but I just can't remember her name. The effect, perhaps, has its limits.)

Boola Boola, Boola Boola - Yale Says Yes, 4 Times

From NYT:

"For the first time in anyone’s memory, Yale offered admission to quadruplets, but whether any one of the siblings winds up there remains an open question.

Part of a trend I call the Obama Effect—stories of black uplift, especially concerning young people of mixed race. Coined after the Boston Globe's six part series, "The Education of Stephanie Umoh." Speaking of Miss Umoh, her run on Ragtime—despite some solid reviews, from the Times and elsewhere, as well as a larger profile of the show by the Times—seems to be nearing a premature end. Not unlike the original production, a starmaking turn for one Audra McDonald, it's simply not earning the cost of its lavish production. Even worse: as the show's rumored to close just after New Year's, it doesn't look like I'll get a chance to see it. Drats!

As for the story itself, at the risk of sounding too cynical, every time I read anything about undergraduate admissions—especially when it concerns Yale—I am reminded of a pithy remark made by a Yale admissions officer (I think), which I am paraphrasing from memory: "college tuition is like buying a BMW every year and driving it off a cliff."