ALUMNI ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY SCHOOL
SPRING 2010 NEWSLETTER REUNIONS
ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP DRIVE 2010
AAUS received a “book” CD with the Class of 1963 reunion. The contents include pictures of the August 8-9, 2009 reunion at Buckeye Lake. The “book” CD includes wonderful, warm tributes and memories of their deceased classmates, what each member is doing now and lovely pictures documenting their activities. A job well done and somehow typical of the creativity and group togetherness of University school!
We welcome 3 new yearly members, 1 new Life member and 16 yearly renewals as our annual membership drive wraps up. We are most appreciative of your continued support and encouragement. We have 434 members of which 311 are Life members. We continue to add newsletters received via e-mail. This does save us money and we appreciate it. If you too want to add your name to this list, please let me know at jswhaueisen@yahoo.com. (All newsletters are written in Microsoft Word.)
From the CDIntroduction and Acknowledgements -by Sandy (Buchsbaum) Lewis One day last spring, as I was reading and responding to e-mails received from some of my high school classmates, it occurred to me that this updated information might really be of interest to all of us from the 1963 University School graduating class. Yes, a fortysixth class reunion was brewing, which would of course prove to be an incredible experience for all of us fortunate enough to attend. However, once the event was over, how could we preserve or retain information about who we all have become? Thus, the idea for this book of personal bios with accompanying photos was born. I shared my thoughts with Suzanne Manley (a.k.a. Suzanne Foster) who graciously offered to physically orchestrate and put the whole thing together for us. Her
Also a great big Thank You! to Jack Swisher, ’47 for his donation to AAUS.
FAREWELLS We are an aging population which, sadly, means we continue to lose members. Our condolences and sympathies go to the friends and family members of: *Warren Suter, ‘36 *Mildred Schiff Lee, ‘37 *Buckley Pierstorff, ‘45 *Anne Fiala Sellke, ‘50 *Barbara Wills Gessaman, 54
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expertise and savvy in computer skills is to be highly commended. A special thanks to Kate Turner (a.k.a. Kathy Eveland) for handling a big part of collecting and distributing updated contact information, and to Arch Rutherford, Chris Wickens and their families for planning, organizing and hosting our wonderful class reunion. If one is receptive to it, there can be many facets and affects from attending a high school reunion, especially when many have not communicated or seen each other for 46 years. For those of us who attended, upon seeing each other initially on that beautiful reunion weekend, the ribbons of time seemed to melt away for a few fleeting moments. Whereas reconnections and reminiscing were the order of the day during the reunion, we thought it would be delightful for all to see how each person has emerged from the teen we knew then to the unique individual he or she has become today. As we all have followed our own pathways , pursuing our interests, work, family and community efforts, these accounts are as special and varied as we are.
Reunion Class 1963 (August 2009) L to R First Row: Sandy B. Lewis, Bettie Jo Farrar, Chris F. Mullins, Chris Wickens, Cindy M. Saunders, Noula S. Contakis, Suzanne F. Manley, Ann Mickle. Second Row: Bob Parsons, Kate E. Turner, Mark Reynard, Kris Fredricksen, Arch Rutherford, Doug Bradley, Bevo G.Truax, & Geoff Cummings
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“FACE BOOK” (continued)
the defending champions, then met a very talented Worthington team. There have been other high school basketball games but none like this one. Underdog U-High played the big boys from Worthington really tough only to see a major upset vanish in the last second of play. It’s always easy to second guess but at least a million times I have wondered why with only seconds left and the ball in U-High’s possession, Coach Coon didn’t have VanSchoik, who was a deadeye sharp shooter, fire as he crossed mid-court and have the rest of the team crash the backboard in case there was a rebound. It was a heart stopping experience and thrilling to every U-High student and alumni to see the fighting spirit of the “Little Bucks” who took their school to athletic heights they were never to reach again. While U-High turned our some great athletes, including Glenn “Newie” Oliver, Dixie Havens and Andy Miller, they never had team efforts like they did in 1945-1946.
In the last issue we discussed the idea of keeping in touch with each other using “Facebook ”. For example, the class of 1963 set up a class group, U-High Class of 63, Would any one of you be interested in setting up a total AAUS group on Facebook which would be open to all of us? If you have the skills, interest and time, please e-mail me, jswhaueisen@yahoo.com and I will supply you with an excel data base. The rest of your University School friends would really appreciate it. It is truly a wonderful way to keep in touch.
CORRESPONDENCE In the last issue we printed a letter from Robert Cawley, ’46 who reminisced about the 1945 University School football team, and the 1945-46 basketball team. Somehow I missed the second page (about the basketball team) and ended the article. I will continue with that second page now. In addition, I have received additional related comments from some others…..
We received another note from Bob Cawley regarding that team…A sports note regards Glenn “Newie” Oliver, a successful Columbus dentist. “Newie” graduated in Spring 1943 from University High having lettered in football, basketball and a couple of other sports. That fall he started at fullback for Paul Brown’s Ohio State Buckeyes and in his very first game he scored four touch downs against the University of Pittsburg. His college career was put on hold when Uncle Sam called him to serve in the armed forces. He later returned to OSU to play more outstanding football.
…The 1945-46 basketball season that followed was just as exciting. If the three point rule had been in effect back then Milton Van Schoik would hold all the records. Once he crossed center court he was a scoring machine with his long shots. Whitney Dillon and Gerard Scott were slashing forwards. Herb Wiedemann a steady and often underrated center. Tom Kimball, Wash Smith, Bob Purdum and “Fogie” (Forrest) Allen provided outstanding moments. In the state tournament UHigh fought their way past Utica, one of
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to put in our showcase for a year. Let’s do a University School creative treatment of its sports history, decade by decade. Be thinking, What were the leagues in our division through the decades? What championships did we win? What recollections (write them down!) do you have of specific games, events or tournaments? Who were all the coaches during the history of our school? Which of our players went on to play in college or possibly the pro ranks? These are all items of interest for maintaining the posterity of what we were and stood for at University School. We were more than experimental academics. A major part of our learning experience was also sportsmanship. Even though we had many successful sports years, there were many lean years as well, but I don’t recall ever a lack of enthusiasm for our teams, no matter the outcome of the game. We were always the smallest school, but I think we always had the biggest hearts and made a big impact in the Franklin County arena of sports. Ladies, you too are part of this – let’s be part of the history of sports in University School! Talk to your classmates and… Come to the Annual Meeting and Share!
From John Adams ’48… Supplementing Robert Cawley’s letter in the Winter newsletter, Whit Dillon and Martin Vorys of the class of 1946 crossed over from the basketball team for the Central Ohio District Swimming Meet in 1946. They joined Bob Johnston and me from the class of 1948, Bob Hamilton from the class of 1946 and others. We won defeating large school teams from Upper Arlington, North, St. Charles. I believe this is the only time University School won this meet.
ANNUAL MEETING This sports talk got me thinking…I remember some really great teams in the 1960s (my era) and I’m sure there are those of you who remember really great teams from the 1950s. What if we devote our Annual Meeting to remembering our sports greats; the players and the coaches. Further, what if we can get a group together to create a University School Sports History “book” on CD (much like the Class of 1963 did). SO….. ***Annual Meeting***
Saturday, July 10th 2010 Ramseyer Hall, 12:30 to 4:00 The first ever Sports Reunion celebration! Players, coaches, cheerleaders and everyone else spread the word to bring your pictures, uniforms, programs, any trophies, letter jackets or anything else you have to share sports related and we will see what we have. We also will have some of the wonderful Dave Curl collection of sports photos, old yearbooks, refreshments of course, and, hopefully, enough enthusiasts with a variety of skills, to form a committee to make something lasting from this. You may even be willing to leave a few items
MORE CORRESPONDENCE From Norma “Lou” Gilchrist Kuempel ‘47 Memories of University School – I attended University School from seventh grade (1941) through eleventh grade (1946). My dad was director of University School during those years. When he left, at the end of my junior year, I thought the world had ended. We 4
side of a long hall. We would come out in our newly sewn fashions and walk down the steps of the entrance, continuing down the hall to let the audience admire our handiwork. On the other side of the Home Ec. Lab were the kitchens. At Christmas time we would all make a different kind of candy and exchange with the others in the class so that we had an impressive array to take home to our parents. Taking typing in the seventh grade so that we could use this skill through the upper grades was a great idea, as was letting us sample different foreign languages before deciding which we’d take. I’de better stop all this remembering. One more important thing though, the Ohio State football games for which we could buy student tickets. Sitting on “C” deck in frosty weather and cheering for the Buckeyes! I’ve never lost my love of football. (Ed. question, does anyone remember what those football tickets cost then? Or when you were at U-High?)
moved to Minneapolis where I finished my senior year. From there I went to Iowa State Teacher’s College and then got my Masters from Clark College in Dubuque, IA. I taught for 36 years. The letter about “Nature of Proof” really brought back memories such as, Dr. Fawcett and all his great teaching. I remember how we were encouraged to make our hypotheses, take the steps needed and then we reached our conclusion. I was very fortunate to be at U-High the same time that Margaret Willis was teaching there. She guided our class through decisions in “Core”, a class that was a combination of History, Geography, and research skills. The class, as a whole, decided what they would like to study, then we broke the subject down into smaller parts and would choose which smaller part each individual wanted to study. Next it was off to the library to do our research. When all had completed their study, it was back to the large group to do our reporting. This research and working together for a common goal had a tremendous influence on my life. English was among my favorite classes. We alternated each week with a book report or creative writing story. Later in life, my friends were amazed that I had never learned to diagram a sentence, yet in college I could ace the “Minimum Essentials Test” we had to pass. I believe that I learned the rules of grammar from my mistakes on the creative writing stories. Art and Shop were always fun and we were introduced to all areas. Home Ec was wonderful. I learned how to sew and I still do a lot of quilting. I remember the style shows. The entrance to the Home Ec rooms was like an entrance way to a home. Our guests were seated on either
From Duey Guerin, ’39 who received this from Nat Polster,’39. I just opened a letter postmarked from Chicago. Inside was a full page article about a Tribune reporter’s visitation to the Hocking Hills State Park in southeast Ohio and a letter about two of our friends who went to area many years ago and their experiences there. I will let the letter speak for itself. “Dear Duey, When the Chicago Tribune ran an Ol’ Man’s Cave article, it reminded me of my Mother loading the late Jack Ford and me in her car to take us from Columbus to the Cave. Rain was pouring down when we arrived. Mother decided to take us home. Jack and I told her we had a tent. She finally let us stay.
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concurrent with being a spouse and parent. Recall spring vacation of ’42 spending the days in a farmer’s field, pulling up turnips—war effort contribution. (Ed. mote: She was part of University Schools’ Farm Camp experiences.)
We discovered we had left our hatchet in the car. We broke into a Ranger’s station, possibly mentioned in the article, got a hatchet, made pegs to tie down the tent, “ditched” the tent to sluice ground water around our sleeping bags. Had a wonderful few days at the Cave. Broke in the cabin to return the hatchet. We waterproofed the tent when we returned home.” (Ed. note: Creative and HONEST University School children!)
From Genevieve Smith Hahn, ‘42 I so enjoy the newsletter, even though there are few 42ers left alive now. I share my newsletter with Margaret Cornuelle Ricketts ’42 who lives in Bakersfield now near her grandchildren.
From Shirley Hendrick Frondorf ‘44 When I was going to University School (60 years ago) we lived in Worthington. It was during the War and my father was in the Army at Ft. Hayes. We lived in a little grouping of New England styles houses with a tennis court we all shared. Worthington was pretty country-like in those days. I rode a shuttle bus home from school that didn’t run very often out High Street, and when it got to Worthington I walked the rest of the way. Very cold. Finally I had a boy friend who had a car – very unusual in those days. We were all kind of wild then. After school we went across the street to a kind of saloon on the corner of Woodruff and High and drank beer – nobody said anything about age cards. What a wonderful time it was, and what a wonderful school it was. Nothing can compare.
BE A CONTRIBUTOR How about some more sports stories! What do you remember about your classes’ teams? Ladies, chime in also. Were there any events, funny times, serious times, mishaps, great moments you remember? What are some of your favorites? AND, remember to come to the Annual Meeting, July 10th, Ramseyer Hall, so we can share these more. Also, which University School activities or courses, or teachers, affected any of your life choices or the career you chose? Or maybe it was just your favorite course because of the teacher. We need articles (about U-Hi or anything else you may have written), your current goings-on, thoughts, comments, anything. The newsletter is to keep us in touch with each other, let’s do so!
From Gwen Eberhardt Price-Danish, ‘43 Look back with satisfaction to nine different work/career life experiences from artificially inseminating my beef cattle to successful CEO currently of my small scientific supply company. And
Send your writings to:AAUS, 587 Fox Lane, Worthington, OH 43085 or via email – jswhaueisen@yahoo.com (Also e-mail me if you wish to receive your newsletters via e-mail saving us on postage.)
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