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A call for
spirit
What has happened to Ohio University spirit? Living in one of the
most populous areas in the state, alumni of northeast Ohio seldom
if ever see the Ohio University marching band at the OU-Kent football
game. Our OU cheerleaders support the team with high- flying flags
and never lead a cheer during the entire game.
As alumni we expect more, because we are proud of the green and
white.
Emden Schulze, AB ’40, MA ’42
Willoughby, Ohio
Editor’s note: Because
of limited finances, the Marching 110 travels to just one away football
game each season, reports Director Richard Suk. The band’s
other obligations to the School of Music usually determine the timing
of that appearance. Cheerleading adviser Becky Rothgeb says that
although they are few in number — six of 16 squad members travel
to away games — their Bobcat pride is immense.
A credit to his University
A dear friend of mine and a true credit to Ohio University, Willard
F. Meeker, BSEE ’39, passed away last year. While his passing
was noted in the fall 2000 Ohio Today, I would very much like to
pay more homage to this remarkable alumnus.
Willard and I were classmates in the Class of 1939. After graduation,
and through different routes, we both ended up at the Radio Corporation
of America, or RCA.
In 1985, Willard was a recipient of the David Sarnoff Award for
Outstanding Technical Achievement, a coveted recognition attained
only by those responsible for significant breakthroughs in technology.
The award was presented to Willard and several colleagues for their
conception, design and implementation of narrowband speech terminals.
During his impressive and varied career, Willard conducted extensive
research on the development and design of accoustical devices and
communications systems and worked in RCA’s Advanced Technology
Laboratories on speaker authentification, word recognition and bandwidth
compression.
I am proud to have counted Willard Meeker among my very dearest
friends.
Robert A. Felmly, BSEE ’39
Willingboro, N.J.
Age a matter of perspective
I hope the people living in Salem, N.J., were not upset over your
statement, “But the 373-year-old white oak couldn’t withstand
the strength of a 1998 storm that felled what researchers now know
was the oldest recorded hardwood east of the Mississippi River.”
The “Salem Oak” (another white oak), a tree in the old
Friends’ Burial Grounds in Salem, N.J., was believed to be
in existence when Columbus discovered America. Salem residents boast
that John Fenwick (founder of Salem, N.J.) signed his historic treaty
with the local Lenni-Lenape Indian tribe in the fall of 1675 under
its outstretched branches.
They expect it to live another 50 to 100 years on top of the 400-plus
years it has already survived. It is on the New Jersey State Tree
Registry.
I’ve included material on the tree in a landscape/horticulture
class I teach for the New Jersey Department of Corrections to show
my class how long oak trees can live.
Hopefully you’ll correct your misstatement before any other
old New Jersey OU graduates catch on.
Richard Hern, BS ’71
Salem, N.J.
Editor’s note: Researcher
Brian McCarthy points out that the Dysart Woods oak is the oldest
verifiably recorded oak east of the Mississippi River. Until a tree
falls and its rings are counted, there is no way to verify its age.
Hopefully that method of documenting the Salem Oak's age won't be
possible for many years.
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letter was recieved by e-mail.
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