Veritas, Vol. 29, No. 03, December 1988

              DECEMBER 1988 VOL. 29 NO. 3
FOR THE FACULTY AND STAFF OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI
Jackie Gleason considered Miami to be “the best audience in the world"
A special bookplate will be placed in each of the books in the Gleason collection.
It’s never too early to think about your retirement
When is the appropriate time to start thinking about retirement? Is it when you start working? Is it when you spot those first few grey hairs? Or is it when you reach age 65?
According to Lois M. Mitchell, assistant director of employee benefits, the best time to start planning for retirement is the day you begin working.
Mitchell and her colleagues expend a great deal of time and energy helping UM employees plan for a retirement that maximizes their benefits and helps them make a smooth transition into the next phase of their lives.
“Our job is to get people reach' for retirement, both psychologically and emotionally ” says Mitchell "We get them thinking about where they want to live and how they' will take care of themselves.”
According to Mitchell, there are also practical financial options that should be considered now in order to get the most out of your retirement benefits. For in-
UM library receives Jackie Gleason’s personal book collection
Beyond, Science—A. Journey into the Supernatural and Narratives of Sorcery and Magic are two of the latest additions to the University of Miami’s Otto G. Richter Library. These books are among the 3,700 volumes in the late Jackie Gleason’s unusual private collection donated to the library recently
This vast personal library reveals a serious side of its very funny owner; comedian Jackie Gleason. The entertainer; known to fens as “The Great One,” was fascinated by unexplained phenomena, parapsychology and witchcraft. Of the 3,700 volumes in Gleason’s collection, 1,700 deal with the occult.
Gleason, an avid reader who often read three books a week, also enjoyed reading about comedy and the biographies of fellow entertainers. The collection includes autographed books from Bob Hope, Ethel Merman, Larry King, and Johnny Weismuller There are also biographies of Jack Benny, Richard Burton, Gary Cooper, Joan Crawford, and Red Skelton.
Gleason’s widow, Marilyn, presented the collection to President Edward T Foote II recently during a ceremony at Richter Library.
Mrs. Gleason says she chose to donate the books to the University of Miami because of her husband’s close ties to the Miami area. She also wanted the collection to stay intact, the way it had been in their home.
“Jackie loved this area, and we spent many happy years here,” she said. “I know he would have wanted the books kept here, where they would be most appreciated.”
In accepting the collection, President Foote commented that “no gift to a university is as special as a gift of books. Most students begin their search for knowledge and enlightenment in a library, and no gift could be more thoughtful and appropriate.”
—Conchita Ruiz
stance, there are certain alternatives that give you tax benefits now.
Although much of this counseling and consultation takes place on an individual basis, Mitchell has been instrumental in organizing several pre-retirement seminars that utilize the skills of many experts at UM as well as other specialists from the Miami area. Topics have included “Adjustment to Retirement,” “What to do with What \bu’ve Got,” “\bur Social Security/Medi-care Benefits,” “So You Want to Live to be 100,” and “Retiring on \bur Terms.” Also included in the seminars are presentations by former UM employees who are now retired.
“We are concerned about our employ ees’ concerns,” says Mitchell. “They' have questions like "What do I keep?’ ‘Hew much do I get?’ and ‘What happens to my health insurance?’ It’s important for us to help them find answers to those questions. The University' has an obligation to them.”
Additional pre-retirement seminars are planned in the near future, according to Mitchell, but she stresses that employ ees do not have to wait for a seminar if they' have questions about retirement. For more information, call 284-6834.