Academy Magazine - May 2002

CADEMY M

A

G

MORGAN PARK ACADEMY - CH ICAGO, ILLINOIS 60643

A

z

I

N

E MAY 2002

ACADEMY M

A

G

A

z

I

N

E MAY 2002

MORGAN PARK ACADEMY - CHI CAGO, ILLINOIS 60643

STORIES

PAGE

Richard S. Dabbert: "The first day is easiest to remember" ........................... 1

..*.

~

"Stepping to the tune in a different uniform" ••••••••••.••.•• 3 "A different kind of reunion" ........................................... 4 "A boxing coach who knew a trick or two" ...................... 5 "Equitation, cavalry and polo: MPMA was not horsing around" ....................................... 7 "Horseshows, gymkhana, cavaliers and lancers" ••••••••••• 8 "The governor's personal escort" .................................. 10

The top photograph shows cadet Ira Torme [49] jumping a barricade; the boHom photograph shows Cayce Harrison [2002}, engaged in a similar activity, just a halfcentury later.

Cover design: Barry Kritzberg

"Military order of the guards" ....................................... 12 Contributors:

Vikram Valia: "Cayce Harrison rides on" •••••••••••••••••••••.. 13 "Down on the Ayers farm with the fifth graders" .•••••••. 15 "WYSE takes second in state competition-again" ....•. 17 "Sophomores capture top places in the Pullman essay contest" ................................................. 17 "The first Thrall scholarship winner: Meg Allison" ......•• 17 Harriet Arnold: "A FRACAS in the library-again" .•••••••• 18 A man with a story to tell ............................................... 20

Richard S. Dabbert [47] offered his reminiscences in response to a request in theAcademy Magazine for personal accounts of cadet life at MPMA. Vikram Valia [2004], a sophomore at MPA, is a staff member of the Academy News and is an aspiring journalist.

Harriet Arnold teaches third grade at MPA. James Kowalsky teaches mathematics at MPA and is the department chair.

Barry Kritzberg is the editor of the Academy Magazine.

Sandy Williams is on the alumni and development office staff.

Photo/illustration credits: MPA archives: front cover (top), 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 21,22,23,24,25,26 James Leslie Parker: front cover (bottom), 13 Jean Doyle: 15 Bob Eichinger: 17 Marc Glassman: 20 George Mahon: back cover

"Four for four for four" .................................................. 21 James Kowalsky, "Truth is an elephant" ....................... 23

The Academy Magazine is published by the Office of Development and Alumni Affairs.

All news items should be addressed to:

Barry Kritzberg: "Digging through the archives" •••....••• 26 Generous Kole family gift .............................................. 28 Sandy Williams: Alumni briefs ....................................... 30 Taps ........................................................ inside back cover

Barry Kritzberg Academy Magazine 2153 W. 111th Street Chicago, IL 60643 bkritzberg@morganparkacademy.org Printed for Morgan Park Academy by PrintSource Plus 12128 S. Western Ave. Blue Island, IL 60406

The I=ipst day is easiest to peftleftlbep

by Richard S. Dabbert [47J

Dabbert died March 10, 2001 and did not have the opportunity to review the final proof of his article. upper classman.

The first day is still easy to remember, but the first week or I was assigned to B Company and, for the next four years, we arose every morning to the sound of a bugle and month, perhaps more, are a blur.

My mother and I were met on formed up in front of the PX to do calisthenics. Every the first day by Major Roy, the morning. commandant. He turned us over I, like everyone else on that campus, heard of Captain to John Sterba [44], an upper Gray very early on. I was even assigned to his algebra class classman. Sterba's task was to help (second period, I believe it was), but that didn't last too long. me in getting settled.

I was, you see, one of Capt. Gray's "gourd heads" and was transferred to another class. Now, it wasn't that algebra was He escorted us to room 307 in Hansen Hall and, as I unpacked, I all that hard, but I was scared stiff of Capt. Gray. Once, for was instructed about how and example, I knew I had the correct answer, but when he where to put my things. Everycalled on me, nothing came out. I stood there transfixed.

Richard S. Dabbert in thing had its place, I quickly This, needless to say, only confirmed that I was indeed one 1947. learned, and everything had a of the "gourd heads." proper way of being stowed.

To be honest, I had floated through grammar school and It was quite a hubbub that first day, with all the new was not at all prepared for the education I was about to cadets being shown around. receive at MPMA. My first quarter grades were so low, in fact, It was on that first day that I met Laurie Woollard [46], a that I was called in for a good chewing out by Dean Hugh soon-to-be cadet lieutenant, who had a room across the hall.

Price. My grades did improve It did not take long to realize that most thereafter, but not enough: I upperclassmen had rooms RICHARD SHEPARD DABBERT spent my entire first year on the front (east) side of (Dick) P k Junior College attending those evening study . ring Morgan ar 0 Entered MPMA halls in Blake Hall.

Hansen Hall, while the Au . cultural Eng1nee .

August 31, 1?3. Illinois. Com路 plebes (and a few unlucky There were military classes "n. Michigan City, lndHlanak;:y School, Chlca g3o, Second Lieuten路 Born In 943 from 00 2 Sergeant , C pany during the week and we spent upper classmen) had rooms in Se~~m~~[~a~e I:Priva~e Ji;~.Ck:~in'g 1; swt~::: c::pany on the back (west) side. The every Saturday morning ~~~Y4; Heavyweight !~~t Softbali 3; Co~~ani.34~ plebes had, of course, an Basketball 3; CI~mp 34' Company Wres g d work in h ea'1- drilling on Abells Field. I will . 3' Wrest l n g ' " t nd har outstanding view of the TennIs, d 1 t of SpIn a h h didn't mak e hHI. freely admit that I was a Dick show e a. 0 ear' and althoug e 'nto the team. dunderhead when it came to parking lot. weight football ~hf\l~!ntiai in puttinl? socku: for Company marching. I was so bad, in My first roommate was a e was In .. ' by gOln U 0 letter, h d his actIVItIeS " lad named Durocher (who fact, that one of the cadet Dick balance attended MPMA only that sergeants Games Galligan [45]) took me sports. year) . just me - to one end of the field to devote the entire By the second day - if not sooner - we knew that morning to "column left" and "column right" so that I plebes were allowed to enter Hansen Hall only through the might be in-step with the rest of the platoon. side doors. That went on for the entire year.

We did a lot of marching, of course. We stepped down We also quickly learned to "hit the wall" when an upper Longwood Drive to the Dan Ryan Woods for our governclassman passed through the halls and it wasn't very long ment inspections, we paraded on Abells Field on Sundays, before we were introduced to eating "square meals," with and marched down Michigan Avenue in Memorial Day our backs never touching the chairs. parades.

Another aspect of our daily routine was to polish shoes We would stand on our bunks to put on our white ducks and shine the brass fittings for upper classmen. Plebes even on those occasions so they wouldn't get dirty on the floor. had to supply the polish and rags.

Ben, the MPMA barber, would walk down the ranks while we Plebes also learned that even the crossed-rifle lapel pins were in formation and tap you on the shoulder to remind for our jackets had to be "earned." All it took was the ability you that your hair was reaching the point where you needed to recite the Eleven General Orders, on command, to an to pay him a visit.

i:

-1-

there was no one to duck behind, no one to look to for help.

Bernard Adams was my roommate sophomore year and we were still on the back side of Hansen Hall (in what is now 203), and we were right across the hall from Jim Galligan and Lee Skarin [45]. I did have the privilege, as an upper classman, of using the front entrance of

Wrestling. 1947. Top row: Cattorini. 7lIveson. Daly. Neely. Schmid.

Bottom row: Anderson. C. P. Liptak. Dabbert. Aberson. Porter, McArdle. Andreasen.

We took streetcars to the Memorial Day parades on Hansen Hall.

Michigan Avenue and, no matter how neat and trim we were I went out for bantamweight football that year and, when we started, we were as sopping wet as dishrags by 63 rd with Gene Marshall (later my chemistry teacher) as coach, Street. And no one told us we'd be marching behind the we had a pretty good season and I won a letter. The most cavalry either. memorable thing about Lieutenant Marshall was his autoI became a full-time waiter sometime during the first mobile, an "Americar," purchased from Sears & Roebuck. semester, after being asked to fill-in temporarily for another In my junior year, I went out for heavyweight football. waiter. I continued in that capacity until my senior year, Even though I was on the small side, I worked at it and, when I was fired by the dietitian (Mrs. Sherill was her name, although not first string, I did earn a reserve letter. That was I believe) for reasons that are best left unstated. The head the year MPMA decided to try those new, improved helmets chef was John Wilson and one his assistants was an old made of plastic. Only the backs and ends got them that year.

Irishman named Sullivan - both as nice as nice could be.

We had a T-formation play where quarterback Buddy O'Brien There was a good incentive to be a waiter, of course: a $100 [47] would toss a pass to halfback Don Kreger [47] down the tuition deduction each semester. right side-line. The play worked for a good gain, but Kreger It didn't take long to discover the intense rivalry bewas resoundingly tackled. As he ran back to the huddle, the tween A and B companies (the boarders) and C and D (the "new, improved helmet" was bouncing off his shoulderpads. day students). The rivalry seemed to pervade everything, but The plastic wonder had split right down the middle. the band company seemed to As a senior, I went out for football again and was draw members from all compacontent to gather splinters on the bench. I remember nies. spending a week practicing at Lake Geneva before the season started. The cost for participants was $25. I think we were And (an admission that still undefeated that year and we were awarded small gold isn't easy) I failed Latin the footballs for our efforts. We also beat St. John's that year second semester. Capt. McIntosh and, after the game, the team members made a mad dash up made arrangements for me and the stairs of Blake Hall to the bell-tower to ring the bell. It another cadet, Ray Smith, to was the traditional way of announcing the victory over our make it up during the summer. old rival.

Since there were only the two of I also went out for boxing and the coach was Johnny us, we spent a lot of classes Coulon, a former world bantamweight champion. One of standing at the blackboard.

Now Dabbert. in a more relaxes mood. in 1946. that is the way to learn Latin: the unique moments in our training was to watch Coach

-2-

it was business as usual - except that a few faces were missing.

I hit my stride academically in my junior year and bid farewell forever to those evening study halls in Blake. Those who did well academically were awarded a gold or Silver Star to be worn on one's sleeve.

Some of us, as juniors, decided to start our own little fraternity since it seemed that we did so much together anyway. Our group was called Septa ("seven," in Greek) and consisted of George Kanelos, Spiro Vaselopolous, Art Jicha, Bill Sunny, Linc Vehmeyer, Nick Simios, and me. We even had small fraternity pins made for the occasion.

Towards the end of my junior year, I remember ordering our senior rings for the prodigious sum of $23.

Then there was the routine announcement, and we had all heard it before, but quite a hush came over us in the mess hall as we heard, "According to Army Regulation 145-10 the following promotions and reductions are effective ... " I remember each one, from private first class to second lieutenant.

After graduation, several of us - Bill Preikschat, Chris Lagen, Len Porter, and me - went on to Morgan Park Junior College.

I also remember an ongoing argument with Nick Simios about which of us was the youngest member of the graduating class of 1947. I can't remember much of the argument, but I still think I was the youngest.

Coulon take on our heavyweight, Gus Economos. It was a little bit like a gnat pestering an elephant, but the gnat, somehow, always seemed to get the best of it.

My boxing career came to an abrupt end. The ring, many will recall, was in the upper gym, next to the large wooden sliding door that separated the upper from the lower gym. On this particular occasion, the ropes were off soaking so that they would shrink tighter. I was sparring and, when I stepped back to avoid a punch, I stepped off the ring and crash-landed. I immediately concluded that thereafter I would stick to sports where I could keep my feet solidly on the ground. I tried wrestling, too, and although I enjoyed it, I didn't make the team. As a senior, however, I did a lot better. I was first-string at 165 pounds and a number of us wrestled in the state meet at Champaign. I won my first match, but in the second round the reigning state champ was my opponent. I did not deter him in his quest for a repeat. I earned a letter in wrestling and, therefore, pledged the emblem club. It was quite a thrill wearing that white sweater for the first time.

One incident that occurred my sophomore year was the so-called "food riot," which notoriously made headlines in the Chicago papers. Trash bins were set on fire and drains were plugged on the second and third floors of Hansen Hall.

Water was running everywhere. The cause of the riot was supposed to have been poor mess hall food, but I don't think anyone knew the real reason. We were all sent home and the school was shut down for about a week. When we returned,

n

Stepping to the tune in a di••e.ent uni.o.1II The Sunday parades at MPMA were a much anticipated (and celebrated) local event, but for a period of several months in 1944 there were "rival" cadet marches on Saturdays at another location in the neighborhood, but with very different uniforms.

Anyone who had attended an MPMA Sunday parade might have recognized the Saturday drill instructors, for they were the very same men.

The marchers, however, wore skirts.

They were the cadet nurses of Little Company of Mary Hospital, 2800 W. 95 th Street, Evergreen Park, and they were put through the "right-column-march" drills by MPMA instructors from two-to-four every Saturday afternoon.

"We did our marching during visiting hours," Mary Jane O'Sullivan, one of those cadet nurses, remembers. "And some of the visitors laughed at us, parading on the landscaped grounds of the hospital, but we all needed a good laugh in those war years. I don't know if it was our marching that made people laugh, or just the very idea of seeing nurses engaged in military drills that was so funny. I do know, though, that we were all very tired after long hours of

classes and bed-side nursing."

The cadet nurses were preparing for active duty and Mother Dorothea, director of the school of nursing, had wanted the girls to be physically ready for the battlefield.

Mary Jane, now a retired registered nurse, recalls that the girls didn't complain. It was, after all, just one more patriotic duty, and part of what nurses did. "It was, for us, just one more class," she said.

She can't remember the names of the drill instructors from MPMA and she doubts that she would recognize one if she were shown a 1944 photograph of them. "We were too intent on following orders to pay any attention to who they were or what they looked like," she said.

Mary Jane O'Sullivan never needed those marching skills, however.

One day in 1945, as she was taking her tum in the emergency room, the switch-board operator called to say the war was over.

"It was my birthday," she said, "and that was the greatest gift possible."

-3-

A different kind of reunion "Teachers and pupils meet again," the caption stated, but this was no ordinary reunion.

Ten MPMA cadets were, indeed, reunited with one of their instructors, but the time was 1942 and those who had Major PaulO. Franson for military science and tactics at the Academy were now facing him as chief executive officer at Camp Robinson, Little Rock, Arkansas, to train for the regular army.

The undated photograph, clipped from a local newspaper, was pasted into a scrap-book that was maintained for a brief time by an unknown person in the 1940s.

One of those who was in the photograph, William C. Boehm [37], does not recall the occasion of the photograph that was taken nearly sixty years ago. He does remember Major (as he was called at MPMA) Franson, however.

Boehm had an older brother who attended Culver and his parents sent him to MPMA because they thought he needed some discipline in his life.

"It was really fine," Boehm said, "the instruction was of high quality and it really was the best thing that every happened to me."

"Franson was from Alabama, a World War I veteran, and the only real Army person about the place. He was the PMS & T instructor and he took it very seriously."

His goal was to thoroughly prepare the cadets for the military inspection that would annually determine whether MPMA would continue as an honor military school.

There were only sixteen such schools in the country (Culver and St. John's among them) and to merely qualify for the inspection a school had to offer four years of ROTC, plus guarantee student attendance at a military summer camp.

"You will learn, you will learn," Boehm remembers Franson saying, even as they did close-order drill on Abells Field in December.

The inspection, Boehm recalls, involved questions, tests, and plenty of drill. "We were certainly prepared,"

he said, "we had an hour and a half of military instruction and drill every day, plus four hours on Saturday and regular parades on Sunday. We moved in formation all the time. Franson even spelled 'Bible Harry' Abells in chapel talks on occasion. His topics were usually about Chateau Thierry and other such battles."

As inspection time drew near, tensions rose. It seemed as though preparation went on twenty-four hours a day. "It obviously meant a lot to Franson and to the school. I know I got caught up in the spirit of it," he said.

After MPMA, Boehm attended Central YMCA College (which later became Roosevelt University) because, in those Depression years, it was at least affordable. The instructors were great, however, Boehm said.

Shortly after Pearl Harbor Boehm was inducted and soon he was on his way to Camp Robinson in Little Rock.

"I was surprised to see Franson in

charge, of course, and he must have been a little surprised to see those MPMA cadets there, but he never showed it. He only growled that he was Colonel Franson now, not Major Franson. He gave his MPMA cadets no special treatment and we never would have expected him to be any different. It was all military business."

Boehm was shipped to Guadalcanal and spent three and onehalf years in the Pacific theater.

When the war was over, he didn't feel much in the mood for a civilian career and, for a variety of reasons, spent more than thirty years in the military, with tours of duty in Korea, Viet Nam, and the Pentagon.

He never saw Colonel Franson again.

"He may have had a soft spot in his heart for his Academy cadets, but it never showed. The nearest he came to a tender moment was when he told us we'd be good soldiers, inferring that he had trained us well."

Q

TEACHER AND PUPILS MEET ACAIN-this time at Camp Robinson, Little Rock, Ark. In one

week la5t month Colonel PaulO. Franson (front row, right), chief executive officer of the camp, welcomed ten of his former pupils at Morgan Park Military academy, cadets he had instructed when he was professor of military science and tactics at the academy. These ten second lieutenants, all of whom secured their commissions on the basis of their military instruction at M.P.M .A., are: (top row, (left to right) Robert W. Leatzow, CI"ss of '35, 11247 Lothair avenue ; R,obert H. Teske, '38, 11.038 Artesian avenue; Louis Rathje, '37, 6532 Harvard avenue; Jack Rouse, 38,8045 Essex avenue; Price. Reinert, '39, 6238 University avenue; (middle row, left to ri ght) Robert D. McClenathan, '3&, 9100 Winchester avenue ; Daniel Roberts, '36, 1451 N. Avers avenue; W . B. Suthers, '38, 11111 Hoyne avenue ; W. C. Boehm, '37, 6'826 Oleander street; (front row, left) Robert MacLane, '37, 8240 Dorchester avenue.

-4-

A boxing coach who knew a trick or two He was five feet tall and never weighed more than 110 pounds, but he knew a trick or two. One celebrated trick, which he loved to play on the boys of MPMA, he actually developed into a vaudeville act that toured Europe.

Johnny Coulon would take the biggest guy in any crowd and bet that the guy couldn't lift him off the ground.

Johnny would apply pressure on the guy's neck, just below the jawbone, and enjoy the applause and laughter as the guy would sweat and strain, but not be able to lift him an inch off the ground.

Joe Louis couldn't do it, and even weightlifters who could press 400 pounds didn't succeed in lifting the little man off the ground.

Johnny played this trick on r1.f._~, I'''' I 01"(1'{ "'"-" cadets .5''''''/f.~;;;~ ".".rL .:.H · "~ ...... 'f. many times when he was the boxing coach at MPMA in the 1940s.

He came to MPMA with rather impressive credentials: every heavyweight champion, from Jack Dempsey to Muhammad Ali, trained at Coulon's Gym (where the nosmoking and no-cursing rules were strictly enforced) at 1154 E. 63rd Street in Chicago and the little man himself had been the bantamweight champion of the world.

Johnny Coulon was born in Toronto in 1889, but he grew up in the same tough Logan Square neighborhood of Chicago that, at the same time, also produced Knute Rockne.

Coulon came from a boxing family. His father, Pop Coulon, was a fight manager and a cousin, Elbows McFadden, had a successful ring career around the turn of the century.

Johnny began boxing at age eight and had his first professional fight before his sixteenth birthday. He won his first 26 bouts, but then lost a lO-round decision to Kid Murphy in Milwaukee in 1907. In a rematch, in Peoria the next year, Coulon defeated Murphy and was recognized as the American bantamweight champion. He was acknowledged as the world bantamweight champion in 1910 after twice defeating England's Jim Kendrick. In the second fight, at New Orleans, Coulon knocked out his opponent in the 19th round.

Coulon described his strategy in the bout this way: "I just let him [Kendrick] do what he wanted to do, and he chased me. I had a system, tire him, and then I'd start '7' -& working him ~-<.r~ .'(/.;t'dt..u::.", M/Lr~""i' r .AO,N"jf .' S/M, .• S' hard, see?

II'hJ..N?'''''C' I) . ';""NO i'f,4,v... './?.f /'t? /::-,t.t. """. :-/",/ • , / ' I They'd miss so much that they couldn't do nothing. They all tried to kill you, see?

In the 19th round, he was knocked out."

He successfully defended his title five times before being knocked out by Kid Williams in the third round of a 1914 title fight in Los Angeles. He never had an opportunity to fight for the title again. In his career, from 1905 to 1920, he won 56 (24 by knock out) and lost only four (and three of those came in his final three fights). He also fought two draws and was in 32 additional contests where there was no decision.

In 1912, Coulon did something which is not likely to be duplicated in the annals of boxing: he successfully defended his title twice within 15 days. Each bout lasted twenty rounds and one was fought in Vernon, California and the

-5-

other in New Orleans. Forty rounds of boxing, against major contenders (Frankie Conley and Frankie Burns), plus travelling (and not by jet, to be sure) some 2000 miles in between is not likely to happen again soon.

In 1963, Coulon became the first former world title holder to manage a world champion when Eddie Perkins won the junior welterweight crown.

Coulon died October 19, 1973.

He was elected to the Boxing Hall of Fame in 1965 and to the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1999.

Q

1945 boxing

1946 boxing Rus Pis/e, Johnny Coulon and Vic Krumdick

-6-

Equitation, cavalpY and polo: MPMA ""as not ho.sing a.ound It is simply headed "Remarks."

It is written in long hand, is

unsigned and undated, but it is the first item in a file marked "equitation," and seems to date from the early 1940s.

The remarks take up the suggestion of a Col. Yancey (probably one of the military inspectors) about the establishment of a cavalry unit at MPMA. Col. Yancey was "quite sure," the note said, "the war department would cooperate as there is a great demand for men schooled in this particular branch of service."

The balance of the note is about what steps MPMA should take next to carry out this suggestion.

What was new about this was the idea that MPMA should have a cavalry unit. Equitation, in some form, was certainly a part of the Academy program before the onset of World War II. The same file contains, for example, copies of letters (dated December 23, 1940) sent to Harvard, Yale, and Culver, outlining the band arrangements for a polo doubleheader (Harvard vs. Yale and MPMA vs. Culver) to be played on February 8, 1941 at the 124th Field Artillery gymnasium.

There is also an application (intended for parents or guardians) for a horsemanship course. The upper school version, which included cavalry drill, cross country riding, and polo, was offered three days a week and cost $210 for the year. The mandatory riding britches cost another $14. There was also a modified riding program available for the lower and junior schools. A memo of a few years later (May 5, 1944) indicated that MPMA "cost for equitation was not half of what was

"Director of Horse Activities"), requesting that a jumping competition be arranged between the horse show teams of the two schools. MPMA, alas, did not have a jumping team, but it was hoped that Culver would take them on in a future polo match or A 1944 Jean Landon Taylor photograph. two. A later memo indicates charged at Culver." It also indicated that a polo match at Culver was that polo matches and horse show arranged for February 28, 1941. competitions provided valuable The riding activities seemed to be publicity for the Academy. popular with MPMA cadets, for 38 Another item, a photograph boys (16 upper, 12 lower and 10 in clipped from the Chicago Tribune of the junior school) took part in riding January 7, 1940, suggests that polo activities in the first semester of 1941. might just be the way to win a lady's n heart. The lady in the photograph seems, however, to be more enamoured of the horse than the rider.

The rider, Nick VanderMeer, is a member of the "newly organized polo team" of Morgan Park Jr. College. The junior college team has a match scheduled against the Academy at the Woodland Valley Stables, 82nd Avenue and 148th Street. Polo was an activity of the saddle bouncers, a horseback-riding club, sponsored by junior college zoology instructor Mrs. Jennie Orr. Mrs. Orr also acted as associate director for the MPMA junior school horseback outings.

There is a letter (October 8, 1941) from M.S. Kennedy of Culver Military Academy (addressed to MPMA's Polo 1940

-7-

Horseshows, gYlnkhana, cavaliers and lancers A 1941 memo (probably intended as a press release), written by Captain Barton F. Walker and directed to Howard Diehl, of the Chicago Daily News, gives the precise moment when the Morgan Park Military Academy cavaliers came into existence.

The horse troop was "originally organized [Capt. Walker wrote] by Lt. Col. PaulO. Franson in 1936, when he was on duty as professor of military science and tactics at the Academy." The lancers were created in 1941.

The purpose of the memo, however, was to announce the 4th annual horse show and gymkhana (a portmanteau word, apparently combining the Greek-derived gymnasium with the Hindu and Urdu ged-khana to describe a place where athletic contests were held).

The horse show, held at Abells Field, consisted of such things as exhibition drills, horsemanship competitions, mounted leap frog, a tug of war, mounted wrestling, a polo match (MPMA vs. Salt Creek), and even a ladies and gentlemen military pairs contest. The event usually coincided with the annual MPMA open house and prospective cadets and

their parents were guests at the show (where general admission was fifty cents and a box seat was one dollar).

The show included riders from the lower and junior schools, the high school, and even the junior college. The Lt. Colonel PaulO. Franson trophy was awarded annually to the cadet who "contributed most to mounted activity, who has shown the most improvement in horsemanship and horse mastership and whose record in military efficiency and conduct as a member of the corps of cadets has been superior."

The horses had cozy, familiar names - Jay, Tom, Molly, Babe, Smokey, Oklahoma, Rocky, Scat - and a few that might classed as exotic - Pronto, Yomer, and Thorobred.

Horse show budgets were carefully scrutinized and in 1941 $1247.72 were expended for an event that brought in $1246.54. The $1.18 loss was more than compensated, no doubt, by the favorable publicity the event generated.

The riders, aside from regular equestrian classes, also participated in such things as Memorial Day parades on Michigan Avenue and lOO-mile tactical rides. In 1941, the

Eight cadets were regular members of the Morgan Park polo squad. Here are shown Cadets W. Stuart, Morley, Pedersen, Lane, Tefft, Devereaux, Cameron, and Rynek in those early years.

-8-

third year of the tactical ride, an innovation was added: ten teams were organized for a night tactical ride where, aided only by compass and sketch, riders had to complete a course in a timed exercise.

There are more details about the 100-mile tactical ride in the program of the 1941 horse show and gymkhana. The riders set off on Thursday May IS, in a circle tour towards Joliet and Mokena. The weather was hot and sultry, but shortly after they returned to the stables "a terrific rain and wind storm that reached tornado proportions struck and for several minutes it was feared the arena was going to be blown away." A tack building and a garage were blown away, as well as many trees, but the barn and arena survived.

The cadets' work was not quite done, however. The cadets, under the direction of Captain Klein, turned out at daybreak to rescue steers and horses from a farmer's collapsed barn.

(/;h

eJ J e

vava I·Jers "

IIFr)

0/ fhe CJinorgan gark crnililary !Academy. @orps o! @adels requesl Ihe honor

0/ your presence al Iheir

gourfh !Annual r;}forse C2f'how and Qy.mkhana 10

Le

held on

!ALe!l's ~eld !2153

@esf

1111h

ehreef

C2f'alurday., cYnay. lwenfy.=!ourlh al Ihree

F 1FT H

ANNUAL

Morgan Park Military Academy • Horse Show and Gymkhana Saturday, June 6th. 1942 -

3:00 P. M. ABELL'S· fIELD, 2153 West 111th Street

cor. Hoyne Ave .• CHICAGO, ILL. GENERAL ADMISSION SOc TAX Sc TOTAL Dc

-9-

0

'clock in Ihe afternoon

•

•• •• •• ••• ••

= = ~

.~

CQ ~ ~

..-I

0-

~

o·

Z

frfP/11/l

/9fO~

The gove.no.'s pe.sonal escol't The MPMA cavaliers provided the personal escort for Illinois Governor Dwight H. Greene at the May 30, 1943 Memorial Day parade on Michigan Avenue.

"The brightly colored maroon and white pennons on the lances were an impressive sight as they moved down the

long avenue in perfect alignment," the Sixth Annual Horse Show and Gymkhana program Gune 5, 1943), reported. "The cadets were resplendent in their full dress uniforms with shakos and golden plumes. Their boots and spurs sparkled, indicating long hours of blacking and polishing."

n

MPMA cadets parading down Michigan Avenue on Memorial Day, 1945.

- 10 -

- 11 -

TI-IE MILITARY ORDER OF TI-IE GUARDS

FROM LliFT TO RIGHT-PVT. CHARLOTTE LILLY, PVT. LORRAINE BOSNACK, PVT. LOIS J. HARPER, (,ORP. ARMIDA KREWSON, 1st LT. JOY L. MOOHR, PVT. DORIS MULDOON, PVT. JUNE EKOFF, PVT. :illlRLEY MAT:iON, CORP. I)ATRlCIA CLARK.

Military order of the guards They were called the military order of the guards and, although it sounds like an MPMA organization, it was not.

The organization was formed in 1917, but it doesn't come into the MPMA picture until World War II, when it appeared at the]une 5,1943 horse show and gymkhana at Abells Field.

The military order of the guards

was a national defense group and, at first, was comprised mostly of men.

During World War II, however, with many men in military service, it was taken over by women.

The cavalry was the main part of the organization (which had troops in eight states), but there were also motorcycle, infantry, signal corps, and coast guard patrol groups.

First Lieutenant]oy L Moohr was

- 12 -

the commander of the group that rode in MPMA's horse show that day.

And how, and why, did they come to ride in the MPMA horse show?

Captain] .A. Klein, equestrian instructor at MPMA, provided training for the women riders on Wednesday evenings at Woodland Valley Riding Stables.

n

Cayce Ha â&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;˘ison .ides on by Vikram Valia

Cayce, in two recent Autumn 2001 national competitions, firmly established herself as one of the premier junior riders in the nation. She placed in the top fifteen (out of 280 riders) at the American Horse Association (AHSA) Medal Finals in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. At the Washington (D.C.) Equitation Classic, to which the top twenty junior riders in country were invited, she placed fourth.

This wasn't just luck. It was the consummation of years of training.

To understand Harrison's rise to national prominence in her sport, however, it is perhaps best to start at the beginning.

She has been fascinated by horses and horseback-riding from the moment she, as a seven year-old, visited her godparents' farm near Memphis, Tennessee. She little suspected then, of course, that her fascination would soon turn into a passion that would take her to competitions all

Horseback-riding as a sport (except for thoroughbred and harness races) is not one that too many people know about. It is a summer Olympic event, but it isn't given the same attention as track & field or baseball. The time allotted for television coverage of horsebackriding is, perhaps, only a little more than that granted to, say, men's field VIKRAM VALIA hockey.

It is not likely, then, that you have heard of Cayce Harrison [02] .

Cayce, a senior at MPA, is a rider who has participated in national competitions and was one of five junior riders chosen to represent the United States in an international contest in Mexico.

Cayce Harrison takes her horse over another barricade. (Photograph courtesy of @ James Leslie Parker.)

- 13-

across the United States.

She began taking riding lessons the next year. By the age of nine she was riding competitively. Her parents hired a trainer, Alex Jayne, who quickly worked on honing Cayce's skills.

She would go on to compete in the Florida competition in January, though it took place a mere three months after she had begun training. To her (and everyone else's) surprise, she and her pony, Strike a Pose, took the championship.

"I don't want to say it was a fluke," said Harrison, "But I really didn't expect to win anything. I had basically just started really riding." Even so, she says that she will never forget that first blue ribbon.

At eleven, she moved up to another division. She was considered a junior rider, and competed in three different types of contests: the jumpers, the hunters, and the equitation.

In the jumpers, the horse must leap over a series of bars in an attempt to complete the course in as fast a time as possible. For each rail knocked down, however, a fixed penalty is tacked on to the finishing time.

In the hunters' competition, style is the key. Judges determine which horse carries its motions out with the most grace and form.

Finally, in the equitation, the emphasis is solely on the rider. The judges evaluate the riding style, and the quality of the horse's form is less crucial here.

As Cayce became more and more involved horsebackriding, her ability seemed to keep pace with her interest. By the time she was in high school she needed to train intensively if she were to remain competitive and, in an arrangement with MPA, she heads to Florida each December for several months of rigorous training. (She continues her education during that time via correspondence and with the help of tutors. "I cover almost the same material," Cayce said, "it's just not in a classroom setting.")

In January 2001 she competed in the important West Palm Beach competition, where the top ten riders qualify for the nationals.

"Florida is always vigorous," said Cayce, "I train four hours a day, six days a week. You really have to be on good terms with your horse to take it."

She finished second in the West Palm Beach competition.

She returns to MPA, usually in April, when the season is over. This is no big deal to Cayce, however, for she has not completed a full year of school since fourth grade.

"It's not easy, but you have to make sacrifices," she said.

"The rewards are definitely worth it."

Brie Yaksic [02], a good friend, commented that "Cayce has determination. She doesn't get to hang out with her friends as much as she wants to, but riding is such an important part of her life."

When Cayce flew out in the Fall of 2001 for the Harrisburg nationals, she arrived on a Wednesday and practiced one-to-two hours a day on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.

"The practice times were crazy," she commented, "There was only one arena, so we would not get practice time until three in the morning. This happened at Washington, too."

After tuning up, it was time for the big show. Cayce's favorite horse, Sands of Time, was being retired in a ceremony before the competition.

"They do that for some of the better horses and it was really emotional," recalled Cayce. "You grow attached to the horses almost as you would to real people."

Harrison's replacement horse, Jashar, seemed to be more than up to the task, however. Cayce and her mount placed in the top fifteen in equitation, but the jumpers' competition was a different story.

A nail came loose from a front horseshoe and then Jashar stepped on a rock.

"Horses have very sensitive feet," Cayce related, "and Jashar was out for the rest of the competition. We had to wait for Washington."

The Washington Equitation Classic is perhaps the most important junior riding event in the year and it would also be Cayce's last competition as a junior.

"My trainer (now Missy Clark) kept telling me to get mean," said Cayce, "but winning is not everything to me. It felt good, however, [to finish fourth]. All that work paid off."

"My parents were really supportive the whole way," continued Cayce. "They and Ms. Clark really gave me a sense of discipline and sportsmanship."

It is no surprise, then, that Cayce has won awards for sportsmanship, too. She is friendly and calm, much like her current favorite horse, Reggae. But she is also a fierce competitor who knows when to turn it on and off.

Cayce will go to college next fall and, while she may compete in some fashion, she has no plans on turning professional. "The necessity of having to win races to feed myself, "Cayce said, "is the kind of competitiveness I could do with out."

-14 -

Do\짜n on the Ayers farm \짜ith the fifth-graders wooded areas and cut down trees to do so. Farmers continued to do that until the 19th century invention of the steel plow by John Deere made prairie farming possible.

Bowman told the students that the principal crops of the area, corn and soybeans, were not native plants: soybeans came from Asia and corn from Mexico.

He concluded by presenting an example of the kind of problems that confront agronomists. He gave them the situation - infestation of the corn beetle - and a few facts and let the students work out the solution. The adults in the room were amazed at the alacrity with which these fifth graders solved the problem.

Perhaps the most popular presentation of the morning was that by Stu Ellis, of the Macon County extension program.

He passed out tostitos, not as a bribe, but by way of illustrating a point: the product contains corn and soybean oil, the local products. He then had students examine the ingredients on a number of products (salad dressing, peanut butter, chocolate, etc.) to find what they had in common.

Students were surprised to discover that all of these familiar products contained the ingredients that were the staple of the county.

Soy ink is used by 1700 newspapers across the country, Ellis told them, and it is healthier for the printers than petroleum-based inks. (One student jokingly asked if newspapers were edible now, since they contained soybeans.)

And so the day went. They also climbed on a tractor and a grain combine (which, in the eyes of students, had some impressive equipment: an AM-FM radio and a geopositioning satellite hookup to tell the farmers exactly how much or how little Dick Ayers steps out to greet MPA herbicide and students. pesticide each square inch of the thousand acre farm needs to avoid pests), and they collectively weighed themselves at a grain elevator.

Jadda Stone said, of her first trip the farm as a teacher,

They came prepared for the two-and-a-half hour trip down state to the flat prairie farm-land of central Illinois.

They had water bottles, snacks, lunches, videos (Toy Story 2 and The Sound of Music, among others), and even walkie-talkies so they could communicate with their friends at the other

end of the bus without shouting.

They were the fifth-graders of teachers Jadda Stone and Jean Doyle, heading off for the seventh consecutive visit (and there were many before that) to the thousandacre working farm of Helen and Dick Ayers [36], near Bement, and not too far away from the University of Illinois.

The Ayers, over the years, have had a lot of practice at hosting MPA fifth graders on their farm. "We want to show them how people in the country live," said Dick Ayers. To show the students that the life of a farmer is not all play (and perhaps to shatter a few stereotypes), the Ayers basement is transformed into a lecture hall. Students hear a series of presentations, offered by farm-related experts from the University of Illinois extension service, on such things as soil conservation ("Why it is important to everyone"), agriculture in the age of technology, crop specialization, the unsuspected presence of corn and soy in our lives, and more.

Dennis Bowman, for example, identified himself as an agronomist (which the students were able to figure out, with a little coaching, as the science of growing crops) and he gave them a little history. The good soil of down state Illinois, the loess, was the "dust" which the Ice Age deposited in the Mississippi Valley some fourteen thousand years ago, but the first European settlers in the area didn't know, at first, what to do with the prairie. They farmed in the

- 15 -

mPAT*, that "it was a good learning experience, not just for the kids, but for me, too."

Jean Doyle, who has been conducting the trips to the Ayers farm for many years, said the program has been refined over the years.

"At first," she said, "it was too much time on the bus and too little time there. We used to go on an MPA bus and, of course, we had to be back in time for the afternoon bus runs. Now we rent a bus, stay long enough to make the trip worthwhile, and we get air-conditioning, too."

A-~t.~ ~ ""t!'. ~(101\

Q

~

~~ ..;.\~...

.

~~,(,.c...

~wee

...0\

.

_ "'..... -·If)k(S U' •

.

IA~

_

IfI6IIL~ ~~ 'U'""~ ic> a-o'" (' \)~ 0>""

\jJ~ W~6 ~ (:U~ ~ ~ \ f'o.ril\, 1 \t~lncc\. ~"t-

\=-u'"

\\ab.

[. ~'J'~ E~Cif'~ [)

-11

.. -.;e c oS

~c)\ i\cec:l

0.

$600

.......c.

Otul

\,,\

iI\......

"c

().

eNd.

CIl"~ ~ b"'fh",..A.c.

Ot,l(~ ~r

Vol;//

.'- ~

.,\ i'll.,

~r(Ao.n '" QV Joe\. C... ~ 3'""")

' \ , 0.\(\ ' ' ' ' '

"The purpose of the trip is to give students an appreciation of what farmers do and to see how agriculture has an impact on our daily lives. The trip to the Ayers farm, along with our visit to the commodities exchange at the board of trade a few days later, helps dispel the stereotype of the farmer as a man in coveralls, leaning against a fence post, and chewing a blade of grass. The students realize that a farmer has to be a businessman to survive today."

The students were very enthusiastic about the trip and there was not one complaint about the temperature, which hit 97 degrees in Bement that day.

Connor Nash Currier's thank-you note to the Ayers summed up the feelings of all fifth-graders when he wrote, "I really enjoyed your farm and guest speakers. All of my classmates loved it! The grain elevator was fun and everything else was too. The old World War II stuff [Ayers collection of medals and memorabilia] was fun to see, and I really liked the old MPMA stuff too."

Amber Sipich expressed a similar enthusiasm, and even added a postscript: "My little brother Justin, who also goes to MPA, is in second grade and is already excited and can't wait to go to the farm!"

For the students, of course, this is a new experience, but Jean Doyle has seen it all before. "The best part of the trip each year for me," she said, "is seeing the way Dick Ayers beams with pride at seeing our MPA kids ask those bright questions. "

De .... M.; Ay••~ Th""k LeHi.I'I~ WlPS" l..V\t~ih"

yO"

bhv.,,'-'L ().

lQd., .. o.

:r:

fg,y'M

61t ..... ., -

~~(> ~<)

(OV.u

I..dHi l\'~ C.Olo\tbLI\l'

"'o,t. 1 ,\Xl til" ... say

/'I\r. Ay"'\ fo,'

yOIA-r wo",~ ... \-f"ll fo..V"M.

1:

WOt..il96..

t"to

fd'

\,t.hk of

5¥Ji.~ lVl

-l\-.t> ~ tlybpo.v.<, t~~~1,., It'R... 'l"'t ro..;t 'S~\. ~"'u.~l" c.l().')')"s~llQ~"''''IZ~

o..lot

t.oo. 'hq ~"'e~h<lto.llo", .. we.\"t tVlfo\"\\, lAilr t':) t\nalO.,lt* ou.t\(l,-",ll w\!ll rY'{',>q",·h.J._ (1 l~k'tJ- 'L\.,q t..,t>'~, '1-

'I'lI1V\'\" k.V-IPW

Lll"",bo.: t..,.p(, 6or.fwl' t~~'\'"1 s~\.. W(l.S tooL too. You. 9.-',I'l' ~~~.

F"D~) ~lu..,.p...

Q

- 16 -

~ LOIAl~

nit

SWlli'>1Ij

o...'Jl"(Q

I i.~1 I

"'-/u'-< ·.V

~0~

00~

짜lYSE takes second in state cOlftpetition - - again MPA's WYSE (Worldwide Youth Science and Engineering) team, coached by Dr. Larry Brown, placed second in the academic challenge state competition in May 200l.

University Laboratory School (Champaign-Urbana), for the second year in a row, outscored MPA for the state title.

Seven MPA students won ten of the 42 medals that were awarded.

Vidhya Srinivasan garnered first place state honors in biology; James Day was second in chemistry and fifth in physics; Nader Varjavand was second in computer science and sixth in physics; Daniel O'Young was second

in chemistry; David Kudla was fourth in computer science and sixth in English; and Ryan Chappell was fourth in computer science.

Students from 430 schools participated in the state-wide competition.

Chicago histollY uro.kshop sopholfto.es captu.e the top places in Puiliftan Poundation essay contest Three Morgan Park Academy sophomores - Ramah Kudaimi, Michelle Martinez and Vidhya Srinivasan - captured, respectively, first, second and fourth prizes in the Historic Pullman Foundation history essay contest.

The winners were announced at an awards ceremony at the Pullman Visitor Center, 11141 S. Cottage Grove, on Sunday, April 29, 200l.

Ramah Kudamai's "The Pullman Utopia: Getting the Most Out of His Workers," was awarded a $100 gift certificate to Border's Books; Michelle Martinez's "Why the Strike Failed" earned a $ 75 dollar gift certificate, and Vidhya Srinivasan's "The Experiment

of Pullman" won a $50 gift certificate.

All three received ribbons and certificates of merit as well.

All three were in a new MPA course, Chicago History Workshop, designed to teach students a little Chicago history and a lot more about the craft of researching and writing history.

"The goal," teacher Barry Kritzberg said, "is to make every student his or her own historian, that is, to get them to a level of sophistication so they can confidently make the same kind of judgements as historians."

Sixteen of Kritzberg's Chicago History Workshop students submitted

papers to the Pullman "senior division" (for 10th, 11th, 12th graders) competition and nine of them were among the fourteen which advanced to the final round of judging. Students from some two dozen schools submitted essays in the senior division.

The top three papers were on display at the Pullman Foundation Center and were posted on the Pullman Historic Foundation website.

Q

The t=i.st Th.all schola.ship urinne.: Meg Allison Meg Allison [2002] was the recipient of the Thrall scholarship, presented for the first time at the Fall 2001 Convocation. Although the award bears the word "scholarship," it is given to the student who combines academic achievement with those qualities (such as service, commitment, and leadership in extracurricular endeavors) that best exemplify the spirit of MPA. Jerome Thrall [44] has always kept the

Academy close to his heart. He has worn his class ring, for example, every day since graduation. On the occasion of his 50th wedding anniversary (in 1997) the children oOerome and Lynn Thrall established an Academy scholarship in his name. The Thrall family helped determine the guidelines for the award, which will be given annually hereafter. Meg is pictured with Jerome Thrall shortly after the award was announced.

Q

- 17 -

Meg Allison receives her honor from Jerry Thrall_

FRACAS! -

in the library -again! by Harriet Arnold

There is a fracas in the MPA library about once a month - but don't worry about it, it is not what you might think. Rather than breaking chairs over each other's heads, these people are participating in a voluntary gathering of faculty and staff members to discuss literature.

Our FRACAS has nothing to do HARRIET ARNOLD with brawling, but stands for "Faculty Reading and Conversing After School."

No matter how tired I am or what other deadlines or tasks I should be thinking about, I always make an effort to be there for FRACAS meetings. One incentive is the delicious baked goodies, fresh fruit, cheese and crackers or other refreshments, which the leader of each session kindly provides. There are other rewards, however, which nourish my heart, mind and soul as well.

I have known the members of this seminar group as colleagues and many of them have been my son's teachers, but in a group like this I have the pleasure of getting to know them in more depth as individuals. When we read and interact with the characters of a story, we bring to bear on the author's words our own unique sets of past experiences and personal values. The story becomes a vehicle to help us learn more about our own selves and the others in the group.

The stories affect different people in different ways. For example, someone who has mourned the loss of a family member may identify with or reject the feelings and actions of a character with similar experiences in a story.

Sharing such personal memories can be an emotionally profound experience or even a catharsis, according to group member Jean Doyle. I certainly felt that way when we read and discussed Tuesdays with Morrie and I could share with the group that one of my dear friends had recently been diagnosed with the same fatal disease that Morrie had.

Members of the group have also shared insights based on their travel experiences and family heritage. For example, people of Irish descent were able to tell us how things in Frank McCourt's Angela's Ashes rang true to their own family memories and attitudes. Renee Michaels, who has lived and worked in Japan, was able to give us her insights and help our understanding of Japanese customs and values offered in the Banana Yoshimoto novel, Kitchen.

Other stories seem alien in time, place or situation to

everyone's experiences. Then it is exciting to see how, as a group, we can work together to expand our understanding and try to imagine the lives and decisions faced by characters far removed from our own frame of reference. One such story was The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. It is about an expedition sponsored by the Jesuits to establish contact with sentient beings on another planet. Several of us liked the way Russell wove three different time frames together. Jean Doyle also found this book intellectually stimulating because the story raised questions such as whether people who doubted and struggled with the existence of God might be spending more time with God than those who accepted unthinkingly.

We have also read several stories by another science fiction writer, Orson Scott Card, whom Claire Concannon admires for the way he builds interesting characters in a not too distant future world and the way he communicates his own strong sense of morality. Other stories have been removed from our experience by taking place and being written in the past. We must temper our reactions by trying to imagine life in different historical time periods in order to fully appreciate stories by such authors as Honore de Balzac, Thomas Mann, Nathaniel Hawthorne, D.H. Lawrence and Joseph Conrad.

Although many members of the group are avid readers, some of us like the fact that belonging to the group gives us permission and encouragement to make time for reading in our busy lives. We are also exposed to books, stories or essays we might not select on our own, as group members take turns at being the leader, which means choosing a selection and coming up with a few questions or picking provocative passages to get the discussion rolling. While teachers tend to be talkers by nature, I find it fascinating how, in a given discussion, some members may have clear and strong reactions, while others are more inclined to listen, to absorb ideas and only sometimes to formulate and articulate a conclusion or position of their own.

Claire Concannon comments that she likes to express her opinions and have them challenged, because so often her students (with the exception of a few - like my son, Bill) defer to her ideas and interpretations of literature.

Carol Coston also enjoys hearing different opinions and new viewpoints. The fact that the group includes teachers of English, mathematics, science, elementary grades, and, foreign language, others who are not teachers adds to the diversity of viewpoints and the fun of connecting with colleagues we don't work closely with on a daily basis.

- 18 -

A "civilized" FRACAS: clockwise. Claire Concannon. Jean Doyle. Karen Danielewicz. Mark Linnerud and Harriet Arnold.

Danielewicz, Peggy Lewis, Mercedes Sheppard, Carol Coston, Alice Coller, Denise Boswell, Renee Michaels and myself.

I would like to express my personal gratitude to all the people who have enriched my life by being part of this group. I have found the discussions invigorating and I also have enjoyed how our conversations expand from interpreting the selection to sharing each other's life issues and experiences.

Fifth grade teacher Jean Doyle says, "We know we work with great people, but we rarely get to meet and discuss nonwork related issues and ideas." Part of the group's appeal is that members come from all levels and disciplines. English teacher Claire Concannon says, "I find it provides me with a feeling of common ground and I feel more comfortable approaching fellow members with questions, concerns or simply to socialize." She adds, "I really look forward to seeing what different leaders pick, as we all have a unique perspective on the world and our choices often reflect that."

The group probably had its origins in the early 1980s when faculty members were reading The Paideia Proposal by Mortimer Adler and participating in workshops on seminar techniques. Mark Linnerud remembers enjoying leading seminar style discussions with groups of students about materials from the Great Books Foundation. In the 1990s David Hibbs and Michael Hannan attended a teaching workshop at Bard College in New York State. They were impressed enough to send a larger group of teachers (including Jean Doyle, Ann Brown, Jim Kowalsky, Claire Concannon, Barbara Tubutis and Mark Linnerud) to attend sessions at Bard and then come back and share some ideas and techniques that they had learned with the entire faculty.

These teachers agreed that a faculty reading and discussion group would be a good idea.

Claire Concannon provided her able organizational skills to set it up and Jim Kowalsky contributed the acronym FRACAS as a name for the group. In addition to the Bard group, other participants over the years have included Karen

n - 19 -

A lInan 1Mith a stopY to tell

Tom Brokaw with Tom Broderick. (Photograph courtesy of @ M a rc Glassman.)

He stands in front of the classroom tall and straight, with a shock of white hair, and hands poised on a cane, chest high.

He speaks clearly and confidently, opening with a remark that immediately establishes rapport with his audience, Sarah Berkey's "Coming of Age" class.

"To all you sweethearts and lovers," he says, "happy Valentine's Day." He is Tom Broderick, a relative of Rebecca [01] and Leah [02] and Natalie Frederick [04], and he has a story to tell. It is a story about his coming age and he begins when he was seventeen.

"I was attending St. Ignatius, then an all boys school, and when I was just about your age, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. The next day, we all wanted to sign-up for military service."

His parents said he should go to college. He did - for awhile. But shortly thereafter, he joined the Merchant Marines.

"I was eighteen, and I knew everything, and so I Signed-up."

He was based at King's Point, Long Island, and his mission was to bring supplies, mostly munitions and gasoline, to troops in Europe. On one occasion, he brought back some German prisoners, some of Rommel's Afrika Corps, and they were astonished

by what they found. "They were about my age," Broderick explained, "and they had been told that New York had been flattened by German bombs."

Ferrying supplies and prisoners was not to Broderick's liking, however.

He wanted to be a part of the action and so he joined the paratroopers.

His mother thought he had lost his mind. "Why don't you go up to some German," she chided, "and ask him to shoot you now?"

He couldn't find a German to oblige his mother, so a paratrooper he became.

The first jump, of course, was the most memorable. "I was never so scared in all my," he said, "but there was a lot of testing, a lot of attempts to wash you out before the first jump.

And many did wash out before that first jump."

He recalled, too, the pressure of the first several jumps. "We had to pack our own parachutes, and we always were afraid we wouldn't get it right. It was worse for me, since I was left-handed, and that meant doing everything backwards."

One of the students, not quite as blunt as Broderick's mother, asked why he wanted to go to war at age eighteen.

"I was a patriot, " Broderick said, quite simply, and without the slightest hesitation, "and patriotism was very high. America was attacked, and I wanted to help protect America."

Broderick was one of the 28,000 U.S. paratroopers who jumped into Holland in 1944. "Paratroopers are warriors," he said, "and we were the first ones in. It was the same way the Germans had invaded Holland in 1940. Cornelius Ryan, in A Bridge Too Far, tells the full story of that invasion. We were soldiers, of course, and did what we were told. I was wounded on the fifth day after the invasion."

"I was twenty when it happened,"

- 20-

he continued, "and I was lucky to be alive. It was not until later, when I was in a U.S. hospital at Valley Forge, that I was told I would never see again. I cried, of course."

He was sent to a school for the blind, but he wasn't ready to accept the truth. "I wasn't ready for braille and what it meant for my future," Broderick said, "and so I rebelled against it. Later, however, when I got home, I realized I needed to know a few things. I tried college, but that lasted only a few weeks. I tried several different jobs, but quit, quit, quit."

Later, after coming to terms with his blindness, he went to insurance school and eventually opened his own business. "You have to be prepared for anything you do in life," he said.

Tom Broderick today, thanks to having his story related in Tom Brokaw's two books, The Greatest Generation and The Greatest Generation Speaks, has become something of a celebrity.

"Brokaw was right to point out that my generation lived through depression and war and that we didn't rest on our laurels," Broderick said.

"We may have moaned a little now and then, but we didn't whine. Still, I don't think any generation deserves the ' greatest' accolade."

He uses his new-found celebrity status for good purposes, however. "In a government survey, conducted in 1990, some fifty per cent and more of students didn't know what Pearl Harbor and D-Day were all about.

That's why I'm here," he told the students in the class.

He talks to student groups whenever he can, but he keeps it all in perspective. "Once," he said with a smile, "I spoke before my grandchild's class on Memorial Day. Afterwards, I heard her tell a classmate, 'my papa was shot in the head in the Salvation Army./I'

Four for four for four "four-for-four" was Liz Toomey [01], who missed some (but not all) of the 1999 season because of surgery.

"The fact that I had surgery meant that I couldn't play," Liz explained, "But I really got into it anyway. I was the most vocal bench-warmer and I really enjoyed cheering us on to victory."

"I never thought we'd win a championship again after the 1998 seniors graduated," said Jackie Mortimer [01], "but we kept on doing it."

Jackie (who started out as a third baseman, but later switched to shortstop) was one of four girls to have the distinction of playing on four consecutive Independent School League championship softball teams (1998,1999, 2000, 2001) - a laurel not matched, perhaps, by any player in any sport in the annals of MPA. She had two memorable moments in the four-year championship run, one on the field and one off.

Her favorite on-the-field memory came this year, against Latin, when MPA fell behind 11-3, but came back to win 1715 in 13 innings.

Her favorite off-the-field memory (one shared by many, it is only fair to say) began on the bus ride home after a crushing defeat by Woodlands in the opening game of the 2000 season. Coach Pari so, very unhappy with the team's play, made what she thought was a "safe" bet: if MPA went on to win the championship, the team could shave her head.

They did win, of course, and so they "collected" on their bet too.

Jackie was quick to point out, however, that her "four-forfour" was slightly tarnished: she missed the entire 1999 season because of knee surgery in April.

Another player with a somewhat Liz Toomey tarnished

Jackie Mortimer sets up for the pitch.

Liz was surprised (and not so surprised) by winning four titles in a row. "It was a far-out dream, at one pOint, but I never doubted that we could do it. This year (2001) was the hardest, though, because we lost the leadership of Sarah Seifert [00] and we had to adjust to a new coach (Dalyn Drown). Not even a couple of early season slaughter-rule defeats (by the much-larger Evergreen Park and Rich East teams) discouraged us. I'll remember the titles, of course, but I'll also remember the bus rides - getting to know the coaches in a more relaxed way, hearing some good stories, and learning a lot about life."

- 21 -

Rebecca Frederick [01] started out as an infielder, but took over as regular catcher after Jill Clark [99] graduated, since she was the only player with previous catching experience.

"The first championship [1998] was so much fun because it was so unexpected," Rebecca Frederick Rebecca said.

"We not only had fun, but we were inspired to do even better. We learned to believe that we could win, and then we came to expect to win. We even thought we could win with a new coach."

"The sophomore year [1999] was great, too," she added.

"We beat Woodlands twice, went undefeated, and then we ended with a spontaneous cake fight. The whole season was an ecstasy of fun."

Rebecca also remembers a little prediction that Coach Pariso made. "After we won our first championship, Coach Pariso said that if we worked hard it could lead to winning four championships. The next year, after winning our second, she told us we could win four. And we did."

And, after that, Rebecca just smiled. And why not?

Winning four championships in a row is something to smile about.

Christine Linnerud prepares to toss the ball back to the infield.

Christine Linnerud [01], the centerfielder for most of her four seasons, found winning the championship her sophomore year [1999] the most exciting. Her freshmen year she played part-time and didn't start in the championship game, so she felt as though she didn't contribute as much. What made the sophomore championship so memorable was that it was unexpected.

"We lost three or four key players to graduation, but it was pleasantly surprising to see the way other players stepped-in and stepped up to get the job done," Linnerud said.

She, too, acknowledged that the fourth championship was the hardest. "It wasn't easy switching to a new coach," she explained, "after all most of us had known Coach Pariso for 12 years. There was some contention, at first, and the adjustment wasn't easy, plus we had lost two pitchers."

Her most memorable moment was the 1999 game against Woodlands which decided the championship. "We were down by five, but we came back to win."

"Change always brings controversy," Dalyn Drown mused philosophically. "I knew it would be difficult to replace Coach Pariso as softball coach and get the respect of the kids."

It was also difficult for him to switch from baseball to softball. "The skills of hitting and throwing are the same, but the strategy in softball is totally different. I had to forget about baseball."

"Linda [ParisoJ offered advice, of course," Dalyn said, "but she then politely stepped back. We both knew, I think, that it would be best that way."

Dalyn told his team that the past counted for nothing.

They would have to step up, today, and prove themselves anew.

"It had to be that way. At the beginning of the season, I didn't even know everyone's name, and I wasn't sure what position each played," he said.

He expected a winning season, even hoped to be near the top, but he didn't really think about the championship, about winning four in a row. "After the Latin game, however," he explained, "I knew we could really come together. I saw a team that knew how to win when they needed to."

"One strong thing in our favor was that Brie Yaksic was a dominant pitcher. Still, the championship was not decided until the final game, and we had to go to extra-innings to win it. "

- 22-

The 2001 Commencement Address

Truth is an elephant

by James Kowalsky

Members of the board, headmashomework he has yet to grade, he has not gotten back to ter Adams, principal Hibbs, parents, me.

I even asked students. alumni, guests, faculty, staff and graduates: thanks for allowing me this David Kudla got angry with me for interrupting him in opportunity. the computer room.

However, I must tell you I am Tom O'Reilly loaned me his Mexican apron. somewhat uneasy up here. Most times I couldn't quite get what Nader Varjavand told me. men or women who are invited to Brian Kyle Burton said, "I've got more advice for Mr. speak at commencement are either Hibbs when you see him." celebrities, famous, wealthy, or Jackie Mortimer simply rolled her eyes.

JAMES KOWALSKY about to die. Since I am none of the After all of the good advice, I went back to Bill Adams to plead, "why me?" first three, it caused me to worry.

Perhaps Bill Adams, who He said in effect that it's asked me to consider this, because my son, C.]., was born in knew something about my that blue house behind me and to health and well-being that I the right and we've both been did not. So I went to my here together a long time. I've yet doctor and asked him point to get fired; C] was never susblank: "Doctor, how long do I pended. Besides, Bill's first choice, have to live?" He replied, Richie Szkarlat, is in Alaska.

"Ten". I said, "Ten?" He said, On the other hand, the last "10,9,8, 7,6 ... ". time Bill Adams asked me to Fortunately, he was consider something, it was to kidding. consider San Antonio.

So, I immediately turned My wife, Vicki, C.]. and I did to some people for advice. consider San Antonio and, to My wife's advice: don't make a long story short, our embarrass C.]. daughter Olivia is the result.

C.J.'s advice: don't So, that being said, here I am. embarrass yourself.

But, what can I tell you? What Principal Hibbs' advice: TRUTHS do I possess? Does turn embarrassment into a anyone know the TRUTH? positive thing - maybe a new There was a man in my organization. position once not so long time Mr. Adams' advice: there ago. He was very successful in all is no such thing as embarrassthings: had a loving family and ment. was even a skilled craftsman. But, Doc Brown's advice: don't he was still unhappy. spit into the wind.

"I want to know TRUTH," he Ms. Grutzius' advice: why told his family and gave up all of didn't they ask a woman to his possessions and business and speak? went out looking for TRUTH. Jim, checking the truth with Albert.

Mr. Linnerud's advice: He searched EVERYWHERE gosh, geez, I guess I don't know. but mostly in the tri-state area.

Ms. Butler's advice: just submit your speech in writing to For many long months he searched for TRUTH. Then the office 24 hours before hand. one day, atop a very high mountain in a small cave I asked Mr. Salvatore for advice, but like the student actually just outside of Kenosha - he found her: TRUTH.

- 23 -

(Actually her real name was Lois Truth, but she went by just TRUTH).

Let me try to describe TRUTH to you. It was not a pretty sight. TRUTH was a very old woman, so old that if you told her to act her age - she might die. She had a single tooth left in her mouth. Her hair hung down on her shoulders in greasy, lank strands. Her skin was pale and wrinkled and dry, stretched over prominent bones.

there really is no truth? Or truth is not what it seems? What should the man do with all that he learned from Lady Truth?

For example, he learned ... a. there is a god. b. extraterrestrials have never visited earth. c. indeed global warming is happening. d. when angry, you really only need to count to 8. e. the chicken came first. f. ginkoba does nothing for you. g. you are only as good as the last player on your bench. h. Gore actually won in Florida. j. don't be too quick to label others. k. treat others as you want to be treated.

1. never say to someone or yourself, /l you should do something ... " n . a school dress code can include hats and earrings on guys. o. if you judge people, you have no time to love them. p. he has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much. q. Leno is not as funny as Letterman. r. if a style comes back in fashion and you wore it back then, don't wear it again. You're too old. s. it's pronounced /ldouble u" not /ldubby ya. " t. dew point's is the key to comfort, not relative humidity. u. it's /lnews" not /lnooz." v. /lhopefully" is an adverb and does not mean /II hope.

II

I also love the story because it is just like the dilemma we all face. We wrap ourselves tightly in what we are sure is the TRUTH, what is right ... the right pOSition, the right party, our stance on political, social, moral, ethical, and religious issues. We are so ready to fight for, argue over, go to war with, alienate our friends, or simply make our parents cry because we think we have cornered the market on TRUTH - only to discover later that we had only one side of the truth.

Perhaps it would shock us to recall that Socrates, when he gave his commencement address, confessed that he only knew - that he knew nothing.

And that leads me to the next argument, if we really know next to nothing, why are we so arrogant, pretending that we know everything? The wise King Arthur said, in Camelot, /lonly fools never doubt themselves.

Consider who is wise and who is foolish in this famous Hindu fable: Six blind monkeys had never seen an elephant before when they bumped into this big mammal in the middle of the path.

One monkey touched the elephant's side: /lHow smooth -like a wall."

The second one touched the elephant's trunk: /lHow round and long - like a snake.

Jim, on the right, with the louder shirt.

It is important to know how repulsively unbecoming TRUTH was. She was so ugly that her husband took her all the way to work so he wouldn't have to kiss her good-bye.

Long, protruding hairs grew out of huge warts covering her face.

As she talked she twirled these several-inch length hairs with her long gnarled fingernails.

That being said, the man knew at once that he had finally discovered TRUTH. And the craggy woman allowed the man to stay and listen to her wisdom. In fact he stayed a whole year and a day. He took in everything she had to say - after all, it was TRUTH talking.

All too soon, it was time for the man to return to the world and tell everyone about the truth that he had learned.

As he was about to leave, he turned to TRUTH and said, /lTruth, you have taught me so much. Before I leave, is there anything that I can do for you? Is there anything you wish?"

TRUTH put her head to one side and considered this.

She raised one finger and said, /lYes, when you tell them about me, tell them that I live in palace and that I am young, vivacious, and beautiful.

I love the story because it is so troubling. Does it mean

II

II

II

- 24-

Another touched the tusk: "How sharp - like a

We live in a throw-away culture. The rest of world could be so lucky. When I walked down the halls last week and saw the garbage barrels overflowing with unused notebooks, pens, folders, and books, I was reminded of a student of mine in West Africa. When he made a mistake in his only notebook, he used an old razor blade to scratch out the fibers of the paper just enough to get rid of the ink mistake, but not enough to put a hole in his homework. He could not afford to waste any paper. He could afford to throw nothing away and he valued what we might consider as trash.

Graduates - it was wonderful to get to know you. I wish you the best of all things in your individual quests to find truth.

When asked, few adults can remember what a commencement speaker said at their graduations. So, even if you remember none of the parables, at least tell the listeners that your commencement speaker today was young and handsome, brilliant, with a full head of hair, slim waist, and would look good in tight jeans.

Thank you.

spear."

The next one touched the elephant's leg: "How tall like a tree."

The fifth felt an ear: "How wide, like a fan."

The sixth touched the tail: "How thin, like a rope."

They then discussed - or rather, argued, over what they thought the elephant was. "It is like a wall, a snake, a spear, a tree, a fan, a rope." Each monkey preceding his argument with the words, "No, you are wrong ... " or "but ... " They fought and could not agree on what an elephant is.

Just then our own Lois TRUTH walked by and heard them arguing. She stopped and told them that each had only knowledge of part of the Truth. Therefore, they would have to listen to each other to find out the whole truth.

That, if while one monkey talked the others were simply forming new arguments in their minds waiting - not listening - until it was their turn to talk, then how could they truly hear what the other was saying?

Finally the monkeys listened to her and then knew that they must listen to each other. They did, but still had no clue as to what an elephant looked like. But they were closer to the truth.

Lois Truth did not hesitate to inform them, however, that she was by the way a "foxy young thing."

What could they do? The monkeys were blind after all, so they agreed with her.

So recapping ... truth is hard to come by ... never be too sure that you alone know the truth ... active listening will help ... but hear this.

Don't be paralyzed to act because you are waiting to be sure you know the whole truth either. Be like the Dutch boy in the fable who was walking past the dike that had started to leak. While others in the village were forming committees to decide what to do next, the young boy simply put his finger in the dike and stopped the leak.

My last piece of advice: one of the best places in which to seek the truth is in another culture - the third world. Go live there. Go serve there. Join the Peace Corps. Build houses. Dig wells. Do missionary work.

Sometimes we are so sure that our American comfortable style of living, and our values, our beliefs about the world, are the right ones. The rest of the world just does not have it right - or they would be wealthy and secure and have lots of material things like we do. They, too, would be able to throwaway everything after being used once. "If only the rest of the world thought and acted like us ... " As if we have cornered the market on truth.

I once was like the blind monkeys in the Hindu fable when I joined the Peace Corps and served in West Africa.

Going there I was so sure that I would save the world by changing it ... instead, the people of West Africa saved me by forcing me to question my values, by opening my eyes and forcing changes in me in ways I never dreamed.

L

Jim Kowalsky on his typical Halloween rampage.

- 2S -

Digging through the archives (a talk to the alumni October 6, 2001) by Barry Kritzberg

When Bob Eichinger (MPA's director of institutional development) asked me what I was going to call my little talk for tonight, I responded, without hesitation, "Digging through the archives."

I had no idea, at that moment, of just what the content of this talk would be, but I knew that if I hoed, trenched and weeded just a little in BARRY KRITZBERG that archive room, I would find something interesting.

In the back of my mind was the metaphor of the archaeologist, patiently digging, sifting and dusting, hoping that he might find a Jurassic treasure.

But once I uncovered my subject for tonight, I realized that my metaphor was off the mark.

Digging I did do, yes, but not quite in the manner of the archaeologist.

The digging I did, I realized, was more akin to that of the grave-diggers in Hamlet, who unearth the skull of Yorick, the king's jester, as they are digging the grave for Ophelia.

I found, not skulls, but an eight-by-five inch cardboard drawer that contained information cards that made feel, as I flipped through them, as though I were walking through a morgue.

All of the Academy students in this particular file were deceased. It was, I realized, an obituary file.

"William has been dead for a long time," I read on the first card I pulled from the file.

Those words are typed, enclosed in quotation marks, attributed to his father, C.E. Cleveland, and dated April 1945, on what seems to be an alumni information card.

The file is arranged alphabetically and seems to have been diligently maintained for at least three-quarters of a century. Some of the cards are not in the strictest alphabetical order, suggesting that they were once consulted and perhaps updated, and then returned to the file somewhat casually, as though they might not be needed again.

Someone kept them around, however, and they were perhaps neglected and possibly forgotten, but not discarded.

Richie Szkarlat, head of MPA's building and grounds staff, rediscovered the box in the summer of 2001 as he and his crew were preparing to do renovations of classrooms with money raised from the 2001 Salute to Excellence.

The "obit file" - as I have come to call it - is just one of a number of treasures that Richie found in the basement of Alumni Hall and turned over to me for safe-keeping in the archives. There are MPA literary magazines from the 1890s

that I never knew existed and there is what may be the earliest extant photograph of an MPA championship team the 1897 track team with its victory banner.

If you have an earlier one, don't conceal it any longer.

Send it to the MPMA/MPA archives now.

Today, however, I'd like to confine my remarks to a very unsystematiC survey of what the obit file reveals about the lives of some of those who attended the Academy. And for my convenience, and to keep this talk within the bounds of reasonable length for such an occasion, I'm going to focus on a single decade, that of the 1890s.

I'm going to start out, however, by violating my own self-imposed limitations. The first on my list of those I'd like to know more about is L. James Hickox, who attended MPMA in the 1870s, not the 1890s. I choose him because he is the earliest graduate for whom there is a card. Those who attended the Academy before it became the prep school for the University of Chicago in 1892 were, it seems, largely neglected.

James Hickox's profession on the obit card is listed as a watchmaker, but his card also notes that he was a Springfield, Illinois alderman in 1904-05. Was being an alderman in Springfield as wild - and under-the-table rewarding - as it was in Chicago, where the likes of Michael "Hinky Dink" Kenna and John "Bathhouse" Coughlin were setting the standard for corruption in aldermanic politics?

Hickox's brief career as politician might be a topic for future research.

But, on to the 1890s.

I know some, but I'd like to know much more, about Henry Justin Smith [1892], who went on to become managing editor of the Chicago Daily News and author of a number of books. (His brother, Justin Smith [1895], also worked for the Daily News, but the card does not say in what capacity.

Henry Justin Smith, the card notes, was a private student of William Owen. William Owen taught in a school on this campus in that interim (1891-1892) between the military school and the beginning of the connection with the University of Chicago. Owen later went on to a very illustrious career as the head of the Chicago Normal School.

Perhaps Henry Justin Smith maintained his connection with the Academy because he and Owen were both associated with William Rainey Harper's new university on the Midway.

Dudley Gleason [1895], after teaching science for six years, also pursued journalism and, for thirty years, was editor and publisher of the Walthill [Nebraska] Times.

Another author from the same era is Harry Atwood [1894] who, when he was not practicing law, wrote such

- 26-

Agnes Dandliker [1896] took the route that was commonly open to most women: she became a teacher, at Englewood High School. So did Annie E. Heath [97]: she later taught mathematics at MPMA. And if her name is vaguely familiar, it is because the annual mathematics award is given in her name each year to a senior at graduation.

About Agnes' classmate, Clara Gilmer [1896], I can only learn that she came from Peoria and died in the Philippines in June 1922. I wonder what she was doing there. The card does not say.

Harriet Belle [1897] Gooch took another typical path open to women: she became a librarian. She seemed to have made a specialty of assisting in the reorganizing of libraries.

She spent four years doing that in Portland, Oregon and another seven setting matters aright in Louisville, Kentucky.

My guess is that she was very good at it, too. It is a safe assumption, however, that her seemingly perpetual title of "assistant" meant that a man was in charge of those reorganizations. Later, she became an instructor at the Pratt Institute Library School.

My favorite piece of information on her card, however, is this: "June 1923 in Cambridge, Massachusetts for year of recreation." How lovely: a year of recreation.

Clara German [1897] also became a librarian, first at the University of Chicago, and then as head librarian of Walker library, across the street there on 111 tho Olive Hand [1897] received her bachelor's degree from the University of Chicago, but returned to Charles City, Iowa to become a milliner.

Another, Olive Young [1899], managed to combine the domestic and the academic by becoming a professor of household arts at Millikin University.

Louise Darby [1898] became an amateur painter and was on the board of directors of the fine arts society of San Diego.

And, oh yes, there were apparently marriages made at MPA in the 1890s too.

Josephine Wilder [1899] married Frank Cleveland [1896] and Esther Linn [1898] married Charles Hulbert [1898].

Perhaps such shenanigans helped persuade trustees at the University of Chicago that co-education was not such a good thing after all. Morgan Park Academy of the University of Chicago adopted a "boys only" policy after 1900 - and the Academy stayed that way (except for brief forays into coeducation in summer school sessions) until the demilitarization in 1959.

The University of Chicago, for a brief period after 1900, instituted a peculiar "separate, but equal" policy: boys and girls were admitted to the university on an equal basis, but boys attended classes separately from girls.

Nothing in the records I have examined offers any hint of what those separate, but equal boys and girls did once their classes were over. And perhaps that is as it should be.

Thank you.

books as Back to the Republic, Safeguarding American Ideals and Keep God in American History.

Edward C. Eicher [1899], became chairman of the securities and exchange commission, and was also elected to the u.s. House of Representatives from Iowa in the year that Franklin Delano Roosevelt became president and Lawrence DeGraff [1895] became a justice of the Supreme Court of Iowa.

It is easier to trace the lives of authors, not because they are more notorious, but because their books are usually available in libraries.

Arthur Darrow [1896], already a graduate of East St. Louis High School, came to MPA to polish up his Latin, Greek, and German. He later had a distinguished career as a missionary, founding hospitals, training schools for nurses, orphanages, and a school for the blind, all in Burma.

Frank Cleveland [1896] became a lawyer for Quaker Oats, but it was the back of his card that caught myattention. It states that he played baseball, football, basketball, and track. It means, since the dates are given, that MPA had baseball and track teams as early as 1893 and football and basketball teams as early as 1892. Basketball, you might remember, was only invented by James A Naismith in Springfield, Massachusetts the year before.

MPA, by the way, is already credited by the Illinois High School Assn. as having the first high school basketball team in the state. The official IHSA date for this is 1895. I would love to find a newspaper account of a brisk 3-2 game from 1892 - and perhaps one day I will.

To return, however, to these MPA men of the 1890s.

Harold H. Nelson [1897] became, according to a citation from the University of Chicago alumni council, "an Egyptologist of international renown." He also served as acting director of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, his card recorded.

There were also a number of women who graduated from the Academy in the 1890s, for William Rainey Harper, then president of the University of Chicago, insisted that the same co-ed admissions policy which prevailed at university should be upheld at the school which was then called Morgan Park Academy of the University of Chicago.

I've grouped them separately, in part for my convenience, but also because the alumni cards in the obit file generally offered less information about women than the men.

There are several factors, perhaps, which made this so. lt was much more difficult to keep track of women, of course, once they married and changed their names.

And, despite the far-sighted policies, which prevailed at the academy and the university because of Harper, American society was not quite ready to cheerfully welcome women in all professions.

Isabelle Read [1893] Weldon, nevertheless, was a lawyer and the director of the British old people's home. She was killed in an automobile accident at age 66 in 1941.

- 27-

Genepous contpibution 01= the Kole I=anlily cpeates ne"" I=und at MPA The Kole family has a long and colorful history of involvement with Morgan Park Academy that dates back over fifty years. In November, they helped ring in the holiday season of 2001-2002 in a very special way with tremendous gift to the school when Louis Kole presented the Academy with a check for $70,000!

Louis Kole graduated from Morgan Park Military Academy in 1948. His wife, Virginia, is a 1949 graduate of Loring School for Girls.

His brother, Edward, is a 1953 MPMA graduate. Louis and Virginia's daughter, Kim Sappenfield, graduated from MPA in 1982, during Mr. Kole's tenure as president of the board of trustees.

The Koles never strayed far from

the Academy. Louis and Virginia make their home in nearby Oak Lawn and Edward lives in Downers Grove. The family founded Kole Pontiac and Kole Leasing. Virginia Kole is a lifelong teacher - and continues to serve as a substitute in the local school district, as well as in Phoenix, where she and Louis spend the winter months.

The Koles have been loyal supporters of the Academy for many years through their family foundation. Mr. Kole has said that one of his proudest moments was signing his daughter's high school diploma while president of the board of trustees. This past year, the family decided to dissolve their foundation and disburse the funds . MPA was among the

fortunate beneficiaries. An endowment fund bearing the Kole family name has been established in their honor.

Morgan Park Academy is a one-ofa-kind institution because of the leadership and philanthropy of a cherished community that includes parents, alumni, faculty and friends.

We are honored that the Kole family chose MPA as a recipient of their generosity and welcome them into the family of other generous alumni and friends whose contributions will benefit the Academy for years to come. Please join us in celebrating this tremendous gift that benefits the Academy.

Q

Here is a list of some of the scholarship funds bearing family names of alumni, trustees and faculty members:

Alumni Funds

Faculty and Trustee Funds

Beatty family [67] Crist family [63, 70 and 71] Donald Mancini [30] Montgomery family [64, 66, 68, 70, 72 and 74] Jerome Thrall [44] White family [71] Wiegel family [29, SO, 55, 57, 60 and 79]

Captain Francis Gray Andy Bitta Davis Boyd Donald Coller Henry Kennedy Claudette LeRose Martin Wolf

Would you like to make a contribution, or find out more about an existing fund? Are you interested in establishing a fund in the name of graduate, family member or faculty member? Please contact Bob Eichinger in the development and alumni relations department at Morgan Park Academy (773/881-5113, ext. 231, or reichinger@morganparkacademy.org.

- 28-

50th Reunion of the Class of 1952

June 7-9,2002 Morgan Park Military Academy Loring School for Girls .Join classmates for a fun-filled weekend in Chical:0. The schedule includes:

June 7 June 8 June 9

"Welcome back" reception on campus Participate in graduation ceremony for the Class of 2002 Dinner in Alumni Hall Lunch at Moody's Pub (owned by John Kahoun, Class of 51)

Don't miss out on this "once-in-a-lifetime" experience!

Hal Boex (925) 934-9056

Frank Burd (410) 484-0971

For additional information, contact Bob Eichinger in the development and alumni relations department: 773/881-5113, ext. 231 or email at reichinger@morganparkacademy.org.

Alumni Calendar Dates The alumni association meets on the 3rd Tuesday of odd-numbered months (January, March, May, etc.), at 7:30 p.m. (excluding July) in the meeting house on the MPA campus at 2203 West 11lth Street. All alumni are welcome!

May 21

Alumni Association

May 31

MPA Senior Breakfast to welcome graduates into Alumni Association

June 7-9

50th Reunion for MPMA Class of 1952

June 8

Commencement for the Class of 2002

September 17

Alumni Association Meeting

September 27-29

MPMAIMPA/Loring All-School Reunion (golf outing on Friday, dinner on campus, and brunch at Butch McGuire's on Sunday)

November 19

Alumni Association Meeting

November 29

Young Alumni Post-Thanksgiving Reception

December 6

Alumni Holiday Party hosted by Mike Rogers (MPA Class of 69) - 29-

Alumni Briefs by Sandy Williams

Ralph E. Schram [33] asks, "What has happened to the Class of 1933?"

Robert D. McClenathan [38] has sold his home in Little Rock, Arkansas, and is living with his daughter in San Antonio, Texas. "I have turned all my woodworking tools over to my sons, Doug and Jim, who still live in Arkansas," he writes. "I still hear from them, via telephone, letters, and visits. I am still around, in other words, having done everything and, as the song goes, have been everywhere. I grew up in Texas. I have a lot of memories, among them my days at MPMA, and meeting the Russians at the Elbe River near the end of World War II. Keep me on your mailing list!"

William M. Hutchins [42] writes that June will mark the 60th anniversary of his graduation from MPMA. "In the meantime," he writes, "my bride of three years and I are going to celebrate our anniversary with a cruise of the Windward Islands on a full-rig clipper ship - a life-long ambition."

Frank A. Major [42] is "still going strong" and working as a manufacturer's representative. "I see a lot of Dick Duchossois and enjoy

going to his beautiful Arlington Park Race Track every chance I get. At my Country Club, Northshore CC in Glenview, IL., I see a lot of three other" Apple Boys" Oimmy Dolphin, Bob Ditzler and Mike Pontarelli) who are members there. I would like to hear form myoId room mates - Jim Barry, Joe Grassi, Svoboda. And how about big Joe Kopecky? Are you guys still around?"

Van C. Argiris [43] is still traveling a lot and very much active in real estate. "If you are healthy, keep working," he advises.

Robert M. St. Pierre [43] writes: "Bill Getz, Bill Kettering, Ralph Schiller and I tried to have a minireunion in October 2001, but the 9/11/01 attack forced us to cancel. I would like Florida alumni to get together in 2002.

Contact me via e-mail: poppiebob@aol.com Jerome A. Thrall [44] writes: "I am still active in bUSiness, with an office in the Loop(Two Prudential Plaza, 312/621-4530). I have been married 54 years, with six children and 14 grandchildren, all of whom live in the Chicago area. We spend our winters in Indian Wells, CA. and we do a lot

of traveling. I would be glad to hear from anybody."

Jerome S. Levin [45] reports that he has been married 53 years, has two married children, four grandchildren, and is still active as an attorney (concentrating in family law). He is a certified matrimonial mediator, a partner in the Skokie law firm of Levin & Rosen Ltd. He is also a past president of the Illinois chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.

John F. Stewart [47] writes: "I retired in 1995 after a career in the investment business, the last 25 years as an independent investment counselor. I am still a consultant to an investment management firm which, by the way, is conSistently in the top quartile of managers nationally. I am also a director of Vision III Imaging Corporation. My wife, Audrey, and I enjoy traveling and, since retiring, have journeyed to Europe, Norway, Africa, the Panama Canal, Italy, the Canadian Rockies and the western U.S. National Parks (on board the American Orient Express).

Philip R. Cree [1948] is living in Fearrington

- 30-

Village, just south of Chapel Hill, NC and is still working as an aviation insurance consultant. He travels to the UK and Europe once or twice a year.

Dorothy H. Ecklund [1948] and her husband, Alan, were in Chicago and stopped by the Academy.

She has very dear memories of Loring and was close to MPMA because of her brother and her father's involvement. She and her husband found her brother's brick and they made a brief tour of the campus and spent an hour or so talking about classmates and the old school.

Lee Tew [1948] writes: "I am looking for current addresses of the following people (Bill Diamond [48], Bob Schuldt [48], Joyce Bishop [Loring 49]), as I have old photos I would like to send them.

Please help if you can. Mail me at: 3330 W. lOOth Street, Evergreen Park, IL 60805, fax 708/499-7959 or e-mail me at: LTEW3330@AOL.COM. Thanks for any help. I am enjoying semi-retirement: golf, fishing, and trips."

Walter S. Hofman [50] has a part-time dental practice at St. Alexius Hospital in Hoffman

Estates, IL. and he teaches clinical dentistry at Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Harold A. Boex [52] reports that two more grandchildren are on the way, which will be numbers eight and nine. "They are a lot more fun than the kids were," he says, "and I enjoyed returning to MPMA for homecoming.

While in Chicago, I had lunch with Ron Jerit and his partner, and that same night dinner with John Kahoun. Two weeks later had a fun day and stayed overnight with Frank and Pat Burd, making for a real fun October."

Milton T. Hansen [55] writes: "I retired in 1997 from my job as night city editor of the Chicago Tribune and moved to Moline, Illinois, the town where I spent my summers while growing up.

Martha Swift [52] writes: "I have been enjoying the opportunity to share my memories of Loring with Barry Kritzberg who is writing a history of our two schools, now united in a way. If any of my fellow Loring Lemons have anything to add, let us know."

John C. Mateer [57] writes: "In August, we sold our home of 33 years and, following the death of Nancy's mother, moved to Arizona. This move had been in the plans for retirement for several years as both our children, Phillip and Joyce, live here and work for America West Airlines. While our house is being built here in "Pebble Creek" (Goodyear), we are going on a cruise through the Panama Canal, from San Diego to Ft. Lauderdale and, after that, the land, air and sea Alaska cruise.

During the "warm" summer months we will be in the motor home, with the motorcycle trailer behind, touring portions of the US. I did obtain my 2nd Dan in Tae kwon do this past]une and, even with the events of 11 Sept, I still miss the flying greatly."

Carole L. Currey [53] writes: "1 was elected president of the trustees of California Community College. I have been a trustee of Santa Monica College since elected in April 1979. I teach adult education in nearby Culver City. My husband, Stan, and I have 3 children and

Richard F. Vitkus [57] practiced law at Winston & Strawn, and was general counsel of several companies, including Beatrice foods and Zenith electronics. He is mostly retired now, spending much of the winter at his Naples, Florida home. He was widowed two years ago.

William V. Gaps [52] is working with J.M Prizant, a mechanical contractor (specializing in high rise buildings).

He has adult children in New York (TV business), San Francisco (Internet Co.), and Tallahassee, Florida (English Professor at Florida State).

6 grandchildren."

Bonnie Beck SchaUmo [58] is divorced, remarried, and has a new address. She has five children, three grandchildren, and is retired. Her hobbies are gardening, and canning all kinds of vegetables, fruits and sauces. She also enjoys decorating, arts & crafts, travel and shopping.

Suzanne (Richards) Von Behren [64] writes: "I live in Naperville with my husband Gary.

Our two daughters live in Georgia. We have three granddaughters and one grandson. My e-mail is THESUZ@AOL.COM. I would love to hear from any of my former classmates."

James A. Fitch [73] writes: "My son, Jay (20), continues his professional pilot training at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and will graduate (after seven semesters!) in December 2002 and has been accepted into an accelerated training program by Atlantic Coast Airlines.

Son, Brian (18), decided to put off college (theology major at Bethel College) for a couple of years to drum professionally in Superchic[k], a Christian rock band. Daughter, Amy (13), is in 8th grade, active in our church youth group, is a founding leader

- 31 -

of a Fellowship of Christian Athletes "huddle" (chapter) in our (gasp!) public school, and loses her braces this winter. Son, Alex (11), is in 5th grade, loves sports, and is a quick learner on the saxophone.

Nancy and I keep busy with church, community and professional activities.

We are grateful for the many blessings in our life."

Deborah Wagner Fuhlbrugge [73] writes: "After living in Tucson, Arizona for the past 7 years, and in Los Angeles,California for 14 years before that, my husband, Rob Fuhlbrugge, our son, Karl (age 7), and I have moved back to the Chicago area, where we have a niece and nephew who are currently Academy students and I continue to work on perfecting the art of the run-on sentence."

Paul Chronis [82] is a partner with McDermott, Will & Emery in Chicago where he specializes in commercial litigation and business counseling. He and his wife, Stacey, are expecting their first child in May 2002.

Priscilla Paris-Austin [85] is currently a part-time drama instructor at MPA and the artistic director of the Cantilever Network, Inc., an arts outreach organization. She and husband Tony are the proud parents of Renee Nicole, adopted]uly 10, 2001.

Charmaine Stopka Lowe [86] writes: "My husband, Tim, and I just had our first child (Timothy Warren Lowe) on August 14, 2001, After a 12-week maternity leave, I am back to work full-time as vice-president and assistant general counsel of Stewart Title of Illinois, in Schaumburg.

My husband is an NTS underwriter and manager for Stewart Title Guaranty company in Chicago. We were married in Maui, Hawaii in April 1998, and have lived in Hoffman Estates for three years."

Wendy Heilman [89] continues to work in the family business as a registered investment advisor. Earlier, in 2001, she began studying martial arts (Tae kwon do) and expects to receive her black belt in December 2003.

Amy Danielewicz McCombs [90] is the clinical director of a substance abuse treatment center and supervises all of the staff involved in treating patients (counselors, case managers, nurses, and detox staff). "At any given time," she writes, "we are treating about 3S residential patients and 170-180 outpatients for substance abuse and dependence. One of our counselors recently returned from spending two weeks doing grief counseling with the firefighters, construction workers and other at [September 11] ground zero in New York. Her stories and pictures were

almost impossible to believe."

Benjamin W. Von Fischer [92]

reports that he is doing well in Cleveland. "I am in the middle of an Emergency Medicine Residency after finishing Medical School in 2000. Married my college sweetheart, Norah Guequierre, in September 2000. She works as a financial analyst in Beachwood, Ohio. She will be returning to school next year for combined MBA/JD program at Case Western University. No kids, no pets, just busy lives.

Greetings to all of my 1992 graduating class."

comprehensive grooming services for women who are making the transition from welfare or homelessness to the work force. She is also engaged to be married.

wrestling - are gone since I graduated. I learned a lot from both and would do my part if I was in town.

Perhaps a retired alum could volunteer in the meantime."

Ryan Cox [98] was inducted into the Millikin chapter of Phi Kappa Phi national honor SOCiety.

Christopher Usatuck [00] is currently in U.S. Navy Nuclear Engineer Power School, Goose Island, Sc. and has been promoted to petty officer, 3rd class.

Bennett Kalafut [99] writes: "In my spare time I have been (among other things) captaining and assistant-coaching the Tulane Judo Club. I was never more than a mediocre athlete at MPA, so who would have known? I am disappointed to see that my two favorite activities at MPA - speech and

Latania Broyls [93] writes: "Hi! Just a quick note to say that I am a senior medical student and I am going into pediatricS. I will start residency in July, 2002, so I won't know where I will be until shortly before that. But you can always get in touch with me at grecianb@aol.com. Tell the coaches, I still play, and am currently on an intramural basketball team, play summer softball when I can, and help my medical school kick the law school's butts in the annual Dean's Cup competition! So thanks for all the great coaching!

Brian Burton [2001] is a freshman on scholarship at the University of Iowa honors program, majoring in English and minoring in theater. He has participated in a research study to test new medicines on asthma patients and, after the terrorist attack, volunteered for the Red Cross.

ALUMNI NEEDED! The board of trustees of Morgan Park Academy is looking for a few good men and women from our alumni to

join our various board committees * * * Necessary qualifications: • willing to make a difference • team player • lots of time in the evenings • a love for MPA/MPMA/Loring

Shara Harris [95] received her degree from John Marhsall Law School in January 2002 and was also appOinted executive director of styleWORKS Chicago, a non-profit organization that provides

Please contact:

J. William Adams, headmaster 773-881-6700

jwadams@morganparkacademy.org

- 32-

PfPA&xÂť7Ue*

Lewis Groebe [30], October 6, 2001.

He was born October 11, 1911 in Chicago, Illinois. He held the MPMA record for the mile run for a number of

years. He received hisdoctor oflaw degree from the University ofChicago in 1935. That same year he married the former Ruth Lavery, hiswife of sixty-five years andwho died in April 2001. He soon began a long and distinguished career in corporate and savings and loan law. In 1944, he volunteered as an infantryman withthe United States Army.

"Lew"was one of the men of the "Blood and Fire" 63rd Division, 254th Infantry â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a close-knit group which fought in

France and Germany. While living in Chicago he was secretary for the Beverly Hills AMVETS post and isremembered by all for his hilarious meeting minutes.

Survivors include two sons, Lewis G. Groebe, Jr. and Philip B. Groebe; a daughter, Nancy G. Leatzow.

Ted Baer [31], July 25, 2001.

He graduated from the University of Illinois and was one class away from graduating from the University of Chicago Law School when he met his future wife, Joan, whom he married in 1937. Hethen went to work forhis father at Baer Brothers& Prody, a men's clothing store on the west side. He later became a stock-broker and, after his retire ment in 1980, was a securities arbitrator.

He is survived by his wife and two sons, John and James.

Robert Tetu [MPJC], September 25, 2001.

He graduated from the University of Chicago and, during World War II, attained the rank of captain. He was the personnel director for Wilson Foods Corporation until his retirement in 1977.

He is survived by Laura, his wife of sixty years; a daughter, Susan Bolon, and a son, Robert Tetu, Jr. Harry Pozulp [38], January 12, 1999.

Charles Everett [43], March 10, 2001.

William Lindmark [43], August 18, 2001.

Dawson Forbes [44], September 1, 2001.

John Hohman [49], April 27, 2001.

Joseph Siuciak, former MPA business manager, February 18, 2002.

John C. Gately, father of John C. Jr. [68] and Gerald [80].

Walter Montgomery, February 2002, father of Fred [64], Lee [66], John [68] Robert [72] and Nancy [74].

Amelia "Molly" Stelton, October 2001, mother offormer teacher/administrator Robert Stelton, andgrand mother of Nathaniel [74], Matthew [77]f and Doreen [78].

Theresa Wognnm, November 19, 2001, motherof Emilie [60] James [63], and Paula [77],

Johnny Coulon, the one-time bantam weight champion of the world and MPMA boxing coach in the 1940s, did more than just train fighters.

He also sponsored a liniment which was just the thing for those aching muscles. It was George Mahon [54] who knew about this particular

Coulon enterprise, for he still has a jar of the stuff. He also supplied the photograph.

NONPROFIT ORG.

U.S. POSTAGE

MORGAN PARK ACADEMY "A world-class education" 2153 W. 111th St., Chicago, IL 60643

PAID CHICAGO, IL PERMIT NO. 2898