V1946-KS.DOC

Kansas State College Fall 1946 to Mid Term Early1949

Aerial Overview of Kansas State Campus Cafeteria mid lower right, temporary WW II barracks lower right. It was often a long walk between classes.

New Room Mate, Harry Brown: I learned that Harry Brown, newly returned from service was intending to return to Kansas State. We made contact and decided to room together. Harry had also been an airplane mechanic.

Duncan’s Basement: Harry Brown, Lowell Simpson and Bud Norton had arranged to stay in Duncan’s basement and I was asked to join them. Dale Duncan had been our wrestling coach, my Manual Training and Biology teacher in high school. He was a great guy and this worked out well as we were close to the campus. There were a total of about eight in Duncan’s basement and about four including Merlin Robertson & Ward Savage, in a house across the street, all from our home town. Merlin, Ward, Harry & I had cars. Ward had an airplane that belonged to the family business. Ward would take off on week ends to KC and carry a car load of guys with him. Harry & I were left to plug away at our books. The next year Merlin, Harry and I live in a different place – the others had all dropped out.

Ward Savage wanted to Make Money & Did: When we parted at the end of the semester I was visiting with Ward when he said he was not coming back. I said Ward you’re a bright guy, don’t give up now. He said that’s not the problem, I don’t want to spend my time learning about those old Babylonians, I want to get out and make some money. And Ward did, by 1965 he had over 10 million and still growing.

New Requirements: They change requirements for engineering and I soon realized I had a problem. A speaking class had been added for freshman & I had not taken it. After two classes I knew this was not for me. I felt terribly out of place. I’d been in the service for 3 ½ years, a male society, and our normal language was not fit for civilian life let alone these fresh our of high school classmates. When asked to get up and tell something of myself and I was all thumbs for words. The instructor pegged me as a prime example for why such classes were necessary. My seeming loss for words did not reveal I’d been on our high school debate team and often made speeches. I’d been an instructor and often spoke to large numbers – of service men, as part of normal work. Now I was tongue tied. I went to the Engineering building to see the assistant dean. Two lead engineering instructors were there and I explained my problem – using GI lexicon they understood – I knew they’d been in service. They smiled understandingly and asked what do you want us to do? I said look, there must be some kind of applicable credit for classes I took in service. How about trading credit for officer training at Yale as credit for this new freshman speech class. They said that sounds like a good way to handle your problem – it’s obvious your capable of expressing yourself.

GI’s Return: Harry Brown, who had started Ag Engr and I who had started Mech Engr planned to finish school. 95% of our classmates were fellows who had been in service – we went about finishing school as if on a combat mission – kids just out of high school avoided being in our classes – we were no longer the kids we had been. The instructors knew this and treated us as adults which we had become. Most of us could not get out of school fast enough – we wanted to get on with our lives.

No Social Life: For many kids College is a people experience as well as an academic one. I could not afford a Fraternity life before the war, and had no interest in such after. Friends of my sister would ask me to their dances, but I avoided such as much as I could. I didn’t have the luxury of exceptional intellect and had to study to complete what I’d started. Fortunately my heart did not become entangled with anyone at school – I was able to focus on completion and did. However after graduation I did a lot of driving to Denver to see the person, photo at end, who became the mother of our kids, she was still in school.

Returned GI’s Ignore Girls: Those of us returning went to Anderson Hall to see if they could see people they had known. There was a large crowd, music was playing -- girls were waiting to be asked to dance were being ignored. These guys so eager to get home – where the girls were – were gathered in the center of the dance floor reconnecting with old friends telling war stories, oblivious of the girls. In a matter of days the girls were no longer ignored – however many like myself applied our utmost attention to finishing school. We had changed in many ways.

Gymnasium – pre-WWII used for ROTC

The gymnasium walls were lined with British Enfield rifles. In 1942 these were abruptly removed and shipped to England after their catastrophic loss of supplies at Dunkirk. I’ve often wondered if they got there or were sunk by U-boats. Wrestling was on the top floor west side.

Observing my old Physics Prof. I noticed my old Physics prof sitting out on campus visiting with a students. He looked much older and tired. I knew he’d worked on the Manhattan project – the kids were probably asking him about that. For some reason I did not try to make contact with him. I was totally engrossed in second semester physics.

M. A. Durland Admin. Engr R. A. Seaton dean of Engineering Sam Francis football coach from Oberlin KS.

Fifth right, back row is Dwight Wenger of Oberlin, fifth right third row is Dale Simpson Oberlin.

1948 AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS – back row: Henry Babcock, Dale Olsen. Frederick Reinhardt, Darrell Wottman, Jack Harman, Donald Knopf, Carson Condry,.Paul Giovagnoli. third row: Earl Delay, Philip, Edward, Frank Schweiger, Alan Carlson, Dale Bowlin Vincent Van Sickel, John Crabb. second row: Harold Pierpoint, Lynn Alford, Dick Fedell, Harold Skala. Harold McCau1ey, Glenn Springer, Charles Goss, Darrell Landau. front row: William Mount, Paul Tomshany. Carl Holt, Gerald Conely, Roland Case, John Shupe, Robert Shaw. Boyd Brainard (instructor). Dale Olsen back second right, was good friend; Dale died about 1970 of kidney failure. Room mate Bob Nelson became B-29 Navigator & did not return after WW II, he’d been shot down and beheaded. Note that two of us were wearing our WW II AF uniform shirts, it was common practice for most of the ex-service men.

1947 WALTHEIM HALL where sister Phyllis stayed, 3^rd down, 3^rd from left

Top row: Mrs. Blanche Twiss, Evelyn Akers, Margaret Austin, Eugenia Beezley, Mary Arm Bebermeyer, Faye Best, Josephine Best, Marilyn Best, Barbara Cables, Virginia Chamberlain, Sue Clayton, Yvonne Cline, Maxine Crank. Fifth row: Willa Davies, Harriette Davis, Beth DeardorlY, Bettye Jo Dick, Martha Lou Dingess, JoADn Dougherty, Rosa Lee Duett, Jane Foster, Vonda M. Gates, Mary Gee, Ardith Good, Doris Greenstreet, Joan Griffith. Fourth row: Dorothy Hamilton, Lucille Hammer, Clarice Hammond, Helen Hammond, Jeanne Hollecker, Barbara Holmes, Geraldine Hopson, Dorothy Huseman, Nadine Kerby, Jerry Lambert, Phyllis Landau, Guyla Love, Betty Ann McCoy. Third row: Elsic McGrew, Donna McVay, Norma Jean Mauk, Frances Moate, Margaret Newell, Rosemary Newman, Taluma Newton, Pauline Nordstrom, Nadine Noyes, Evelyn Osborn, Nina Peck, Shirley Pinegar, Betty Porter. Second row: Irma Lee Ready, Darlene Rein, Ella Reinke, Phyllis Schardein, Mary Schlagel, Marian Seaman, Margaret Ann Shelton, Lois Slafer, Shirley Specter, Shirley Sue Stiles, Gertrude Stork, Margaret Tesche, Carol Thresher. Bottom row: Mildred Tiemann, Shirley Tinberg, llelen Todd, Alice Tomlinson, Virginia Torkelson, Marian Waugh, Wilma Weyrick, Norma White, Helen Whited, Peggy Wilcox, Janet Wood, Phyllis Zuker.

Writing proficiency The school discovered that many who were graduating, particularly engineers, were ill prepared to write as required in the conduct of business. They established a writing proficiency test, at the beginning of the Junior year, if you flunked you took a remedial class. I’d signed up for extra classes so I could catch up and didn’t want an added load. It didn’t say the writing needed worthy content, I decided to write a simple minded “perfect paper”, no miss spelled words and flawless simple sentences. After the required number of word it was obvious I was gaming the system with “I had a dog named spot” simple content. I passed while half of them did not.

Atomic Structure: I bought a book called Atomic Structure at the book store and read form it for over an hour in the car at the curb before going inside. I visited of this book with my young physics professor.

Going Blank: Later at the beginning of an exam my mind turned a total blank. I was alarmed, all others were going full out – I noticed my prof observe as I gazed out the window wondering what to do – then abruptly my memory indexed and I worked like crazy trying to make up for lost time. In fact I was still drawing a diagram in answer to the last question as I walked up, the last to turn in my paper. I was amazed to find he’d given me full credit for that last problem. At the end of the semester I had a grade average of 98 – I was striving to be flawless in my comprehension.

A Passing D: The very next semester, in a WW II Barracks at 7:00 am Sat morning, in an Electrical Engineering class I received a D. In fact half the class received D’s. Our mechanical engineering electrical instructor was a reject from the Engineering Dept. His teaching was monotone facing the black board writing equations.

1948 Waltheim Hall

‑Top row.. Mrs. George R. Twiss, Margaret L. Austin, Mary Lou Bair, Barbara L. Barker, Mary E. Battin, Olga W. Bays, Mary Ann Bebermeyer, Eugenia R. Beezley, Josephine M. Best, Jo Ann Blackman, Phyllis J. Blecha, Kathryn J. Branan. Fifth row: Doris R. Bergert, Berdetta Burkhead, Ilah Burkhead, Virginia L. Chamberlin, Sue E. Clayton, June Cline, Myrna L. Cork, Donna D. Cronk, Maxine J. Crook, Jane C. Cuer, Charlene Cusic, Elizabeth David. Fourth row., Willa F. Davies, LaVerne E. Dewess, Bettye Jo Dick, Claribel Dole, Joyce V. Ecord, Jane M. Foster, Kathleen Gee, Mary V. Gee, Anita Grant, Dorothy E. Hamilton, Clarice E. Hammond, Helen L. Hammond. Third row: Alice I. Harder, Kathryn D. Hatchet, Jeanne Hollecker, Barbara L. Holmes, Kathlyn J. Kennedy, Nadine Kirby, Lorraine Lacey, Melba M. Langer, Lucille Lenkner, Guyla E. Love, Jane A. McDonald, Elsie E. McGrew, Second row: Frances Moate, Mary J. Moore, Pauline Nordstrom, Nina M. Peck, Pauline Piersee, Iris M. Rahn, Irma Lee Ready, Norma J. Ross, Phyllis M. Schardein, Mary Schlagel, Marian R. Seaman, Barbara J. Servis. Bottom row: Joanne Steeples, Shirley S. Stiles, Gertrude A. Stork, Kitty J. Stratham, Helen A. Todd, Virginia I. Torkelson, Marian Waugh, Wilma Weyrich, Phyllis J. Wheatley, Norma K. White, Peggy J. Wilcox, Rosemary Wright, June A. Zibell.

Waltheim Apartment House, for College Girls – where my sister Phyllis first stayed

Never Saw anything like It: My Jr year Electrical Engineering instructor was excellent – but my mathematics very poor. Yarnell, a very bright classmate followed every mathematical move the instructor made, whereas I became lost We had class room classes mixed with lab classes. Instructor Hunt drew a diagram of the experiment we were to do, which I’d sketch, then we’d go to the lab to set up and run the test. We had to move fast to get done, so I handed my lab book to the guys to fill in results while I set up and ran the tests. This worked well and we finished our tests while some did not. During one test set up I had to get down in a pit to wire a three phase loads made up of spring like looking wires in frames. I was in the pit wiring the complex maze when suddenly professor Hunt was there beside me. He said to me, in a voice low enough others could not hear., “I’ve never seen anything like this – the way you rapidly and without hesitation make all the connections –as if you’ve done this many times before. Taken by surprise I said “thanks”. Then he continued, “I’m amazed in part because in class you leave the impression you don’t’ have a clue of what’s going on?” I smiled and said, “that’s because my math is lousy – but connecting this stuff is duck soup after being a B-29 engineering officer – B-29s had lots of electrical systems and you had to know how they worked to fix them.” He smiled and said, “well, that accounts for it” – I felt I had a new friend.

Jackawatz I’m not sure I have his name spelled right but he was a very bright guy and excellent instructor while still a student. Students would ask him a complex question and the answer would come back as if bouncing a ball off a wall, clear and instantaneous. There were a number of very bright fellows it was a pleasure to learn from. It’s the person, not the institution that counts.

Will I pass if I don’t take the final? Near the end I was very impatient to get out of school – the 3 ½ years in service brought this about. I had just taken my next to the last final exam when walking across campus I met my Hydraulics Instructor. We exchanged greetings then I turned and asked, will I pass if I don’t take the final? This caught him by surprise – he opened the grade book which he had with him and said – but you don’t’ want to skip the final, you make a decent grade and you will have an A for the course. I said yeah but will I pass, so I can graduate if I don’t take the test? I could seen his puzzled look so I continued. Look I’m not going to learn any more by taking that final test – I just want to get out of here and go to work. He relaxed a bit and said, yes you’ll pass. I grabbed his hand, smiled and said thanks – thanks for being an excellent instructor, I’ll say good bye now as I’m on my way.

Coffee in Student Union Bldg: Years Later I returned to look about the campus and saw my old Hydraulics instructor – he remember me. He asked me to join him for coffee in the new Student Union Bldg. I smiled and said I’m glad they finally built it as we paid into such a fund for many years. We had an excellent visit in which I told him I was in hydraulic servo controls for missiles. He was quite interested in this, a field unknown to him. On that occasion I also visited with other professors I’d known. All were curious about what I was doing and of research going on. They were aware industry was ahead of colleges in part due to classified programs.

Wonderful Professors now gone: I’ve often wished I could go back and visit with those instructors I had – now that I’m retired and can look back over the many experiences and changes. I indeed consider most of them to be special friends – an essential link in the fabric of human experience.

School Break – Christmas 1948

An unexpected change in focus

When I left home for service Mary Hamilton, the neighbor girl who played with my little sister Marjorie, was in grade school. They used to help push my Model-T to start it for which I'd give them a ride about the block before going on my way. When I returned from Service and to college, the little neighbor girl was gone, also away to college.

When home for Christmas vacation in 48' I was lounging on the couch reading the paper when sister Marjorie was on the phone talking with her school friend Mary. Marjorie turned to me and said, "Mary & I would like to go to the dance tonight, are you going to go?" I said, "no I don't think so, I'm a bit tired and think I'll just stay home." I went back to reading when in a few moments Marjorie said, "Mary needs someone to take her to the dance, why don't you take her and I can go along since I don't have anyone to take me." I said, "Aw but she's just a little kid, you can call one of your old friends to take you." Marjorie, "Oh, don't be that way! Mary's no longer a little girl, she's home on college vacation just like we are, and we don't have dates to take us to the dance, come on now, let me tell Mary you will take her." I said , "I'm sure she's not so hard up she can't find someone, I'm not even dressed, you two ought to be able to find some one." Marjorie, "Look there isn't time, and it will only take you a few minutes to get cleaned up. It would do you good to get out; all you have to do is take her, we'll be able to find someone at the dance to bring us home, you don't need to stay if you don't want to." I said, "well, OK, but tell her to come over here because it will take me a while to shower & shave. I guess I can at least take you there."

Thus it was an absolute surprise when I opened the door to let the little neighbor girl in and found myself looking at the 1948 lady above, I’d not even seen 1947, but 1949 one would become the mother of our kids – thanks to sister Marjorie’s insistence.

By making application at the time we received our engineering degree, we did not have to later take the full professional engineering exam. I sustained this license for years with payment of dues, but never had occasion to use it. In a class called “professional engineering” we were encouraged to obtain engineering licenses.

When California came out with a Controls System Engineering category I made application and was given the license based on already having a KS license and being employed in the field of Controls Engineering. I never had occasion to use it.

Engineering Bldg background, Civil Engineers learning trade

R. A. Seaton lower right, Dean of Engineering, signed Kansas Professional Engineering License.

Though I graduated as a mechanical engineer, I went to work as a civil engineer, teaching myself how to survey on the job. Thus I was very embarrassed a year later when asked to teach civil engineers, I’d seen as above, how to survey in the winter of 1950 at Garden City KS.