MORE FULBRIGHT SCHOLARS IN NUMISMATICS

 

After previously writing about Fulbright scholars with numismatic connections, I decided to conduct a follow-up investigation of two other Fulbrighters suggested by Pete Smith: Donald Erlenkotter and John Photinopoulos. Below, I cover a few highlights from sources about them on the Newman Numismatic Portal (NNP), and in The E-Sylum, Smith's American Numismatic Biographies, the Chicago Coin Club Chatter monthly newsletter, the Civil War Token Society website (www.cwtsociety.com), and several other references.

Donald Erlenkotter (Nepal 1994-1995)

Donald Erlenkotter earned a Ph.D. in Management Science from Stanford University in 1970. He was a senior Fulbright scholar at Kathmandu University in 1994-1995. His teaching and research centered on how mathematical models can be applied in making managerial decisions. He worked as an associate dean and chairman for academic affairs in the UCLA Anderson School of Management. He held appointments with the European Institute for Advanced Studies in Management and other agencies. ("DONALD ERLENKOTTER (1938-2024)," in The E-Sylum, February 4, 2024, vol. 27, no. 5, article 7; references to a UCLA website).

Erlenkotter served as editor and past president of the Civil War Token Society (CWTS). The winner of six literary awards and two service awards, Donald was a frequent contributor to the CWTS quarterly journal. He became publisher of the CWTS journal in 2010. He was elected to the Civil War Token Society Hall of Fame in 2012. (CWTS Hall of Fame: Donald Erlenkotter (http://cwtsociety.com/hallof fame.shtml); The E-Sylum, February 4, 2024, vol. 27).

Nick John Photinopoulos (Fulbright location: U.S.A. 1964)

Nick John Photinopoulos, M.D., studied at the University of Chicago Dermatology Section of the Department of Medicine on a Fulbright scholarship from Greece. He was also an expert in ancient Greek coins. On March 11, 1964, he gave a presentation at a meeting of the Chicago Coin Club on the "History of the Greek Kingdom of Bactria, Paropemisadia, and India after Alexander the Great." His talk was based on his collection of Greek and bilingual coins. To illustrate his points and engage his audience, Photinopoulos used a slide show. The meeting took place at eight p.m. in the Plaza Room of the Pick Congress Hotel. A five-dollar gold piece was given away as a door prize! (The Chicago Coin Club Chatter, January 8, 1964, vol. 19, no. 7).

Donald's stint in Kathmandu and John's lecture title reminded me of when I spent nine weeks traveling through India with three friends during the summer of 1986. At one point in our journey, we decided to split up and explore different places before meeting back in New Dehli for our return flight to New York. My friends Jim and David flew off to Kathmandu for a few days. Gordon and I took a train to Calcutta. We were young and adventurous!

I read that Erlenkotter had Alzheimer's during the latter part of his life. May this article honor the vibrant life that he lived!

Acknowledgements: Special thanks to Pete Smith, E-Sylum Feature Writer, for suggesting that I include Erlenkotter and Photinopoulos in my research.

To read the earlier E-Sylum articles, see:
DONALD ERLENKOTTER (1938-2024) (https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n05a07.html)
FULBRIGHT SCHOLARS IN NUMISMATICS (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n37a15.html)
MORE FULBRIGHT SCHOLARS IN NUMISMATICS (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n38a14.html)

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