BIGGEST Little City by Zach Spencer
Q & A with Harry Spencer II
H
ello again readers, this is Zach Spencer with part II of the interview with my dad.
Z. When we left off last month, you were on your way home from Korea where you were stationed during World War II. Zach Spencer What do you remember most about the boat trip? H. Putting out the daily paper. I forgot to mention that my helper was one George Vucanovich. He was the same first person I saw on my initial trip to the University of Nevada. We palled around that semester and went our separate ways when school ended. Apparently, he was drafted about the same time I did and ended up in Korea. One day I happened to walk out of the PX over there and who do I bump into but George who was an MP at the time. When he found out I was in Headquarters Company, he asked if I could get him a job there. I was able to fit him in and we teamed up to create the base basketball team.
Alex Cushing (R.) receives the annual Sportsman of the Year award for his work in securing the 1960 Winter Olympic Games for Squaw Valley from Carl Digino (C.), President of the Sierra Nevada Sports Writers & Broadcasters Association, while Harry Spencer (L.), Vice President, looks on.
three of us drove nonstop to Pasadena, CA in 44 hours, then eventually up to Reno.
Z. What was your first stop after you were discharged? H. I got out from a camp near Roseville, CA and took the bus up to Reno hoping to catch up with my buddies and possibly sign up for school.
Z. Anything memorable about the next couple of years at school? H. The most exciting thing was a couple of movies that were shot on campus.
Z. How did that work out? H. Not very well. The school was closed for semester break, so after spending a couple of nights at the Mizpah Hotel I decided to take the train home to Florida.
Z. What were they? H. Apartment for Peggy and Mr. Belvedere Goes to College.
Z. I see that you spent the next three months at a business college. H. That’s right, I wanted to check out how the G.I. Bill worked. Z. When did you come back to Nevada? H. During the fall of 1947. My roommate Pridgen and I hooked up with our other roommate in New York and the
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Z. Did you meet many movie stars? H. Yes, they were William Holden, Jeanne Crain, Edmund Gwenn, Shirley Temple, Clifton Webb and Alan Young. Z. When did you settle in Reno permanently? H. In 1949, after a couple of summer breaks in Florida. Z. After you graduated what sort of job did you find? H. I was a clothing salesman at a men’s store, Herd and Short.
