Memories of Buenos Aires in 1971

The article in the April PAW describing the Princeton alumni travel to Buenos Aires comes up short. It mentions a few events and then delves deeply and widely into stories about alums meeting alums and some details about trip costs. The experiences in Buenos Aires are brief, scattered, and uninspiring. The narrative shows little passion, culture, or atmosphere in a city that had plenty when I visited it in September 1971. That is more than 50 years ago, but I can write about it as if it were September 2024.

I was on a business trip to prepare a bid to build a petrochemical plant near Buenos Aires. Sadly, my company did not win the contract. Does anyone recall that Argentina was famous for beef? But one of my weeks was “beefless” and I ate a lot of fish, chicken, and pasta. They were all accompanied by papas fritas and vino tinto. The alums appear to have had too much pizza. Because they were budget limited, they could be forgiven for not eating better. What hotel did they stay in? Was it clean, comfortable, and in a convenient location? Did they visit a church, museum, etc.? Was there any feedback to the organizers? Was there much inflation? Was there concern about global warming? Did the group learn anything about the politics?

I remember events I witnessed because I brought back pictures and souvenirs. Those words do not appear in the article! I bought my wife a purse, and gloves made of ostrich skin (probably illegal), and a beautiful painting of the lake at Bariloche resort in the Andes. I did not see a soccer game but attended a horse race at which the one I bet on was disqualified at the finish. I brought back the newspaper with the story and picture. The real prize souvenir is the program and my ticket to the world middleweight championship fight where Argentine Carlos Monzon TKO’d American Emile Griffith.

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Courtesy Robert Givey ’58