Letters to the Editor

1973 Flunk Day

I believe that the year of the Flunk Day pictured on page 33 in the Fall 2022 Knox Magazine is 1973. I believe that I am the man in the striped sweater holding a coat over his shoulder standing between the two women on the left-hand side.

—Jeff Seidell ’73

The photograph (on p. 33 Fall 2022) is from Flunk Day 1973. I imagine many people have made that identification correctly. I am unable to identify the participants in the three-legged race. However, I can identify three of the people in the background. One of them is me. I am off to the right, and next to me is Penny Petersen ’73. On the far left of the line in the background is Bob Berg ’74. Bob and I were both Friars.

—Kevin Waite ’74

History Lesson

As to the Fall 2022 issue, a couple of comments. The Open Door is very interesting, particularly so for what I cannot find in it. I see a 20th century portable typewriter but no computer keyboard or monitor or smartphone! Does Prof. Franco truly not possess such things?

The ’Burg piece refers to the Custer carriage house and Omer Custer as an Illinois state treasurer and president of Purington Brick. But he was much more: president of one of the Galesburg banks, an investor in other businesses, publisher of the Register-Mail

(R-M) and with three descendants who also were R-M publishers, son-in-law Les Pritchard, grandson Bill Pritchard, and great-grandson John Pritchard, a recent mayor of Galesburg. Bill and John both attended Knox. Bill was barely in his 20s when Les died and then Bill died before reaching 40. That is if my 90-year-old memory is correct.

—James (Jim) Dunlevey ’54

Ecology at Green Oaks

I just read the article on Green Oaks and it reminded me of when I first heard the term “ecology” and had no idea what that was. A classmate from Dr. Shepard’s class tried to explain it. I did an honors project (under the guidance of Dr. Neff) catching the large bullfrog tadpoles at Green Oaks. Then I exposed them to various pollutants found in freshwater to see what abnormalities occurred at what dosage. I’ve always felt sorry for the poor frogs but I loved getting out to Green Oaks with no one else out there.

—Norm Porter ’61