Home Statistics and Visualization Statistical Modeling, Causal Inference, and Social Science “In that era, undergrad males at Madison and elsewhere, had to take ROTC classes, and he kept intentionally failing them because he was very leftwing politically.”

“In that era, undergrad males at Madison and elsewhere, had to take ROTC classes, and he kept intentionally failing them because he was very leftwing politically.”

Statistical Modeling, Causal Inference, and Social Science 2026-08-04

Paul Alper writes:

Regarding your blog of today, believe it or not, I knew Marshall Brickman pretty well before he became famous. He was an undergrad at the University of Wisconsin in Madison when I was a grad student there. We belonged to the same very left-wing eating co-op, “The Green Lantern.” In that era, undergrad males at Madison and elsewhere, had to take ROTC classes, and he kept intentionally failing them because he was very leftwing politically.

Inasmuch as I am a helpful sort, I offered to nominate him for “Military Ball King,” but he declined. Marshall was a really gifted musician as well as a writer. In addition, he looked strikingly like the actor Richard Carlson who played Herb Philbrick in the 1950s television series I Led 3 Lives.