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Many thanks to Minelli
Thank you, Professor Minelli, for the day you said, "Yes." You surely could have said otherwise to a 20-year-old junior with no significant theatrical credential but who desperately wanted to produce, write and direct the 1963 Varsity Show at Memorial Auditorium. The program for that show, torn and faded, sits above my desk at home as I write this.
I recall the hesitation with which I came to you (competition for the job was fierce), the confidence you demonstrated in me, the chance to coax a diverse group of young people to work together, the opportunity to demonstrate to myself that I could do this. Never mind that the reviewer for The Post student newspaper, Joe Eszterhas (yes, of Hollywood screenwriting fame), decided that it should have been advertised as "The Junior Varsity Show." The cast and crew had a ball. And -- if the applause and laughter meant anything -- so did the audience.
Many of the major projects I have worked on since -- editing magazines, writing books, founding a major poetry festival, creating an ambitious public art project, etc. -- can be traced back to Athens, Ohio, and specifically to the office of the little music professor who relied on his instincts and didn't mind taking risks. Thank you.
New York connections
I started at Ohio U. in the fall of 1954 and graduated with a BS in architectural engineering in 1958. I cherish my experiences at OU with fond memories of being head waiter at Howard Hall, tapped into Blue Key, honored by ODK and accepted into Tau Beta Pi. Little did I realize that the little historic village of Lewiston, N.Y., would connect me with OU again!
Last fall I read of Catherine McClure Gildiner's first book, "Too Close to the Falls," in the Alumni Authors section of Ohio Today. I subsequently purchased a copy of the book through amazon.com and read it with amazement! I discovered that I knew her father, Jim McClure, a pharmacist who shared the same property with us as tenants of a local family. Cathy's experiences were identical to mine growing up in the same small neighborhood! In fact, the many characters she portrayed in her book were part of my childhood, too. I relived my childhood, thanks to Cathy McClure Gildiner.
How amazing it is that this small village in Western New York would yield three OU alums from 1935, 1958 and 1970 -- a span of 35 years! And to think that our personal lives shared the very same acquaintances without our knowledge of the common privilege of being alums of Ohio University.
Thanks to Ohio Today for helping find the memories of my roots in a little unknown village in New York.
A place to stop at Homecoming
A drop-in center for people who have experienced mental illness, The Gathering Place is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. Student volunteers have played an important part in The Gathering Place ever since it was established. We have valued their help, and we would welcome their visits anytime.
Scott Quad was wired!
KWAD was the reluctant child of Ken Vallette, who, with a group of friends from Scott Quadrangle, wrangled antiquated equipment and set up a studio in the basement of Scott Quad. The dorm newsletter parodied the project as "KWAK" radio and predicted it would never get off the ground. Almost didn't.
It took Ken months to do the wiring and get the transmitter working, but KWAD went on the air sometime in late April 1968, at 600 on the AM dial. The first song we played was "I Am the God of Hellfire" by the Amazing World of Arthur Brown. I know, because I was a DJ of a folk-rock hour. Once, I played The Clancy Brothers and a disgruntled listener threatened to come downstairs if we didn't turn that crap off. The girls at Shively and Bryan halls said on certain nights they could almost hear us.
Best years of our lives.
Keeping up with campus
It was my great experience to teach in the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering as a Stocker visiting professor in 1991. Hence, I love Ohio University and Athens even now. Your journal always reminds me of my wonderful life there at that time.
I wish Ohio University and Ohio Today prosperity in the 21st century, and I look forward to seeing the campus again in the future.
Generosity applauded
Athena worth checking out
Adviser appreciated
A roommate reunion
After graduation Joe spent a week in New York as my guest and then returned to his home in Ohio. That's when we lost track of each other.
Due to the efforts of Alan Lephart, BSED '58, who began researching the origin of the swim team, I discovered that Joe was living in Port St. Lucie, Fla. My home is in Oldsmar, Fla., on the opposite coast.
The phone call that I initiated was memorable for both of us. We met for the first time in almost 63 years when I drove to Port St. Lucie for a reunion. Joe was waiting at his apartment door and, after hugging each other and looking at each other in total disbelief, we began a two-day marathon of talking and reminiscing.
We recalled our difficulty in getting the University to recognize the team when it was only a few months old. We received an invitation from the Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce inviting our team to their Aquatic Forum during Christmas vacation. We were overwhelmed at the opportunity, but we had no money for the trip. But the football squad pitched in and both teams gave a performance at the local theater -- the football players performed as Rockette dancers while the swim team put on a fashion show in female clothing. We made enough money to finance five cars with gas and oil. Our trip through the icy and snowy mountains of Virginia was treacherous, but we made it. We met swim teams and coaches from the Big Ten and Ivy League and learned much about swimming from them.
We remembered the "oversized bathtub" in the girls' gym that was our practice pool. We paced ourselves in that pool and then had trouble pacing ourselves when we swam in a 25-yard pool. We survived, however, and today our team members look with pride on the beautiful Olympic-size natatorium that graces the grounds of Ohio University.
Joe and I are both 85 years young. Joe still swims laps in his pool, but due to a stroke in 1998, I can only do walking leg exercises in my pool. But we have found each other, and our friendship will continue as long as the Lord permits.
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