Letters

“We’re the class that’s got the spirit/Everywhere you go you’ll hear it” —Margaret Seaman Ross ’59

Cheers, GI’s, and Memories

I enjoyed the article about the merging of the two campuses in 1955 (“When the ‘Princesses’ Met the ‘River Rats,’” Spring 2005). I was quite unaware of what life must have been like on the Prince Street Campus before the merger. It never dawned on me that for some women a way of life had disappeared. I was just happy that I didn’t have to go to school until October.

One thing that was omitted in the article was our class cheer. Let’s compare the cheer from my Class of 1959 with one from my high school students in 1987: “Love is fun / Sex is heaven / We’re the class of ’87.”

Here’s ours (One more reason I look back on my college days with great nostalgia): “We’re the class that’s got the spirit / Everywhere you go you’ll hear it. / Integration is the sign / U of R, U of R, ’59!”

Thanks for the memories.

The article describing the merging of the women’s and men’s colleges mentioned the separation of the colleges in 1930. The new River Campus opened that fall, and I was a member of that first class on the new campus.

It was a beautiful, wide open area and practically no student drove a car. The buildings consisted of the Quadrangle, Todd Union, Burton and Crosby dormitories, the Fraternity Quadrangle, and the Alumni Gymnasium.

We had a wonderful faculty—professors Gale, Slater, Chambers, May, Helmkamp, Greene, and many more. The classes were small and taught by professors. There were no security personnel, and none was needed. If something was left on a lab table it was still there the following day.

Fortunately, I was there on a four-year, full-tuition scholarship—a godsend during the Depression. We were graded on a point-hour system, and so Lewis Conta ’34, ’35 (Mas) and I graduated at the end of our third year, the first to have our complete college experience on the new campus.

It was a wonderful period: small classes, strong friendships—and fond memories.

The author is professor emeritus of surgery at the School of Medicine and Dentistry—Editor.

Regarding “When the ‘Princesses’ Met the ‘River Rats’”—great article! The miniarticle, “River Campus: ‘Home’ for 75 Years” also was well done.

However, there was no mention of the arrival of the WWII overseas service veterans on the River Campus from 1945 through 1947, and the impact on the University of a whole new and different type of student, mostly married with children and living in the old Navy barracks on Lattimore Road. These G.I. apartments were provided by the University at cheap rents, and the G.I. Bill helped pay tuition and living expenses.

Since graduation I have watched for an article, in any of our University publications, about this unique and wonderful socioeconomic period. Maybe someone will tell the story of this unusual, G.I. Bill–sponsored college life.

While we thought the immediate post–WWII years were a little beyond the scope of the merger article and would not have been covered well in a brief overview of the 75-year history of the River Campus, the era has not gone unnoticed in Review. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of the war, Review looked at the impact of that generation in a story entitled, “We Were the Lucky Ones” (Winter 1995–96)—Editor.

Memories of Fennell

In 1931, I was awarded a voice scholarship to Interlochen, Michigan, where I bumped into Frederick Fennell ’37E, ’39E (MS), ’88 (HNR) (“Ensemble Founder Dies,” Alumni Gazette, Spring 2005). We were both born and raised in Cleveland, which made us “brothers.”

Fred loved music and we brothers were together all that summer, as I loved to sing. We met again almost two years later at the Eastman School and for four years, we were buddies.

It’s 2005, and now he’s gone, leaving me with joyous and loving memories I have never forgotten.

Remembering ‘Coke’ Dales

In August 2004, I learned of the death of one of Rochester’s great football players, Gerald (Coke) Dales Jr. ’51. Coke was named to the 1951 Little All-American Team. He was an outstanding football player on both offense and defense. Everyone who knew him and played with or against him admired his dedication and competitive spirit.

After graduation, Coke joined the U.S. Air Force and became a pilot, flying search-and-rescue missions. He then entered Case Western Reserve University’s medical school, married his high school sweetheart, Virginia Collins, and became an orthopedic surgeon.

They returned to Reno, Nevada, where he was based in the Air Force. Because of his love for football, he became the team physician for the University of Nevada at Reno football program until his retirement in 1995. He also helped found the fledgling medical school at Reno.

He earned numerous awards, including induction into the Wolf Pack Hall of Fame and the Thomas J. Scully Praeceptor Carissimus Award from Reno’s medical school in 1998. Coke was inducted into the athletics Hall of Fame at Rochester in 1995.

The University should be proud of such an alumnus.

Calling ’74 NROTC Alumni

I have recently been in touch with several denizens of our 1974 NROTC graduating class, and we thought it might be interesting to see what our other former comrades-in-arms are up to these days. Anyone who wishes to do so is invited to e-mail me at quinnm@bah.com, and if there’s enough interest, I would be happy to assemble a short newsletter.

Reunion: It’s Chemistry

It’s my pleasure to bring to the attention of our graduate student alumni in chemistry that Bernard Wargotz ’55 (PhD) and his fellow classmates are organizing a 50th Class Reunion in Rochester for those who received their doctoral degrees from 1953 to 1959. Initial contact with fellow alumni and their spouses has generated much interest, and we are grateful to Dr. Wargotz for taking this initiative.

This milestone 50th Reunion is scheduled to take place on Friday, October 21, during Meliora Weekend in Rochester. The reunion dinner will take place at the Woodcliff Lodge at 6:30 p.m. A group of rooms has been reserved for the weekend to accommodate chemistry Ph.D. alumni. Alumni are also cordially invited to attend the chemistry open house prior to the reunion dinner on campus.

It’s not too late to contact either Dr. Wargotz or Debra Haring at the Department of Chemistry if you are interested in attending. Dr. Wargotz can be reached at (410) 770-9775 or by e-mail at belfree@earthlink.net, and Debra can be reached at (585) 275-2915 or by e-mail at haring@chem.rochester.edu.

We look forward to meeting you in Rochester on October 21. Meliora!

The author is the Marshall D. Gates Jr. Professor and chair of the Department of Chemistry at Rochester—Editor.