Laurence ("Larry") A. Tate (April 2, 1945-March 26, 2008) earned a B. A. in English from Michigan State University where he was co-founder and assistant editor for the weekly student publication, "The Paper." The Paper helped found the Underground Press Syndicate (UPS) and often locked horns with MSU President Hannah and University Secretary Jack Breslin's administration. After graduation, Tate became known early in his writing career for his film criticism and anti-war essays. He moved to the San Francisco area in the 1970s and was involved in the Gay Men's Collective of the Berkeley Free Clinic and managed San Francisco's HIV/AIDs hotline service, Project Inform, from 1989-1993. He later moved to Washington DC as the manager of grants for the National HIV/AIDS Prevention Program at the U. S. Conference of Mayors. As quoted by longtime friend Andrew Mollison, "Larry turned his grief at the death of so many of his friends in the Bay Area into two decades of trying to help people who were threatened by HIV and AIDS." (Rosen, Zack, Washington Blade obituary, April 18, 2008)

Charlene ("Char") Jolles was a classmate of Tate at Michigan State University who also was involved with the UPS and who later married fellow journalist Andrew Mollison.