DAVID DORTORT

DORTORT--David. President Lisa Staiano-Coico and the faculty, students and alumni of the City College of New York send their deepest condolences upon the death of our esteemed alumnus David Dortort, Class of 1936, to his son and daughter-in-law, Fred and Gael Dortort, and his daughter, Wendy Czarnecki. The creator, writer and executive producer of Bonanza, one of the longest running primetime dramatic series in television history, lasting 14 years, and The High Chaparral, he was responsible for breaking through television stereotypes of women and minorities in his sometimes controversial but always thoughtful scripts. Throughout his life, David Dortort brought to life characters and stories that became part of our folklore and our lives. At his Alma Mater, Mr. Dortort established the David Dortort Endowed Scholarship in Creative Writing and the David Dortort Endowed Lectureship in Writing for the Dramatic Arts: Stage, Film, and Television, which has supported presentations by Tony Kushner and Arthur Penn. Mr. Dortort and his late wife, Rose, also were benefactors of the CCNY Film Festival, CityVisions. Through his life, he exemplified his credo, "Once you establish the harmony that exists in the dramatic arts, you can entice, educate, and entertain."