Part III
MY LIFE STORY
My College Years
(1952-1956)
Iowa State College -
Iowa State College (ISC) was founded in 1858, became a Land
Grant College in 1862
and admitted its first students in 1869.
It was located on a beautiful site, in an
open/undeveloped area
about three miles west of the city of Ames.
The Skunk river – really a relatively small stream most
of the time - flows between the City and the Campus.
The Lincoln Highway was built along the south side of the
ISC campus and the City of Ames.
The
original campus was
generously sized with the college’s buildings located around the
periphery of a large central lawn with
stately trees.
A Campanile was constructed in the center of the lawn
with the Student Union 50 yards to its south, the engineering
building was sited on the lawn’s west side and the agricultural
science building on its east side- both facing the open lawn,
all anchoring the central open campus.
Some 170 years later the campus has seen significant
development. To the
credit of the university’s management the central open campus
has been preserved, however buildings around the periphery of
the central campus have filled in much of the open space around
the central campus.
The campus has expanded to the east and to the south
east as well as locating satellite buildings beyond the campus.
It also has extensive Agricultural facilities surrounding
the city.
The
Skunk River flood plain is about ¼ mile wide on the west of the
river covering the previous open space to the ISC Campus.
In the 1950s there were five four (?)-story women’s
dormitories located on the southeastern
edge of the campus overlooking this flood plain.
Over the years the Skunk River has experienced
significant spring flooding which covered the entire flood plain
for several days.
Regardless, the ISC (now Iowa State University (ISU)) campus has
been expanded east and south into this flood plain. A new
football stadium, basketball arena and a Performing Arts
Auditorium, with associated parking, have been constructed in
this area. Also,
the new Veterinarian Medicine College has moved to a new
location, connected
to the south eastern corner of the flood plain college expansion
area. However, this
College is located on higher ground protecting it from these
floods.
The
“Lincoln Highway”, also known as Highway 30 is a two-lane
highway traversing the United States which was built prior to
the 1950s. It has
been replaced as a major highway by the new Highway 30, a four
lane highway paralleling the old highway and located about a ½
mile south of the old
Highway 30.
Additionally, a new Interstate Highway, I-35, has been built
just east of Ames which traverses the U.S. from Duluth, MN to
the United States/Mexico border at the Rio Grande River.
Iowa State University and the City of Ames, aided by the
expanded transportation systems, has attracted considerable new
business to the area. This
expansion includes animal health businesses and Department of
Agriculture facilities, as well as commercial start-up
companies. A
commercial development area immediately south of Highway 30 and
the Veterinarian
Medicine College
was established to be an incubator for new businesses,
particularly ones commercializing
technologies fostered by/benefiting from ISU staff
expertise. Many of
these companies have close relationships with specific ISU
departments and/or staff.
All of this activity has added to the significant
commercial, research and light manufacturing company growth of
Ames.
From the time of ISC’s founding a retail shopping area, dubbed
Campus Town, began forming and has continued to expand to
support, primarily ISC/ISU’s growth.
Nearly everything a student might need or want, can be
purchased in Campus Town, including eating at restaurants
offering nearly every cuisine in the world.
One of the real treats for me when I attended ISC, was
eating at a very small restaurant named “The Spud Nut”.
This eatery
was located across Highway 30 from the ISC Student Union and
specialized in Iowa style pork tenderloins, i.e., a heavily
bread crusted, deep-fat fried tenderloin in a typical hamburger
bun, and loads of French fries.
While not the healthiest, it was a delicious meal and
reasonably priced.
There was one reasonably sized theater which featured newly
released films located in Campus Town, as well as drug,
clothing, variety and grocery stores, barber and beauty shops,
cobblers, etc. all within easy walking distance of the dorms and
the Greek Houses, and the many apartments/rooming houses.
Also adding significantly to the growth
of Ames, is the almost explosive expansion of ISU itself.
The student population when I was at ISC
was about 10,000 total students, including all graduate
schools. In 2018
the total student population of ISU was 37,000.
The accompanying growth of ISU in staff and
in support businesses aided substantially to the
expansion of Ames.
The
ISC’s colleges in the 1950s were Engineering, Veterinary
Medicine, Home Economics, Science and Agriculture.
Today it has those five plus, Business, Design, Education
and Liberal Arts.
My College Years -
John Nelson and I moved into our rented room shortly after Labor
Day, September 1952.
My folks helped me move in as my parents and I did not
want me to have my car on campus.
There was no place to park near our room and there was no
place on campus for student’s cars.
John’s parents helped him move in.
We needed to find places for eating, as we had no kitchen
privileges nor ability to cook in our room.
We decided to eat either on campus, when convenient or at
local restaurants.
Freshmen and transfer students orientation, registration,
military science sign-up, purchasing of books and supplies, a
physical exam and a choice of required athletic pursuits were
all parts of the initial bursts of activity.
We were not able to do any of this prior to reporting to
campus. Iowa
State College was on a quarter system, as opposed to a semester
system, i.e., an academic year consisted of three quarters,
roughly, mid- September to Christmas break, early January to
mid-March and mid-March through May.
Students could take an additional quarter of studies
during the summer, however many of the classes were not offered
in the summer. Among
all of the changes since then, Iowa State University changed to
the semester system many years ago.
The tuition for in-state students was $50 a quarter in
the 1950s.
The current tuition (2022) is about $5000 per semester for
in-state students or 67 times as much as it was 70 years ago!
The
student orientation and registration attempted to answer most of
the myriad of questions that first year students might have.
We had been pre-assigned to our classes based on our
pre-registration.
We were scheduled for our ISC physical exams.
We men (I am not sure where the women students were,
maybe they were scheduled for a different day) stood in line at
the ISC hospital/medical center on a designated day, naked as
“jay birds” going from station to station for various medical
tests and observations.
All of the staff were men, until we walked into a larger
room in which there were several doctors conducting various
portions of the physical exam.
The line I was in headed directly for a woman in a
doctor’s coat who motioned me to approach.
My first reaction was to cover my privates,
to which she responded forget that “I have seen many
naked men”. Indeed,
this woman doctor had a wonderful reputation on campus and she
taught an extremely popular (even over-subscribed) senior
seminar for couples.
It was titled
“Marriage and Family”.
Almost
four years later my fiancé and I were fortunate to be able to
enroll in this seminar.
It was worth wait and very helpful.
This doctor was
deservedly very highly regarded on campus; however, I fail to
remember her name. (P.S.
I passed the ISC physical exam!)
We
received a list of the required books and supplies that we
needed for our classes.
The on-campus bookstore was not very big and was quickly
swamped, however, the large book store located in campus
town which had the same pricing structure as the campus book
store was convenient. Additionally,
unlike the campus book store, this store had copies of
second/third hand books which were in decent condition at a
reduced prices. I
bought used books whenever I could.
However, once I was in my chemical engineering courses, I
purchased new text and reference books.
As I write this, I am looking at my Handbook of
Physics and Chemistry and Handbook of Chemical
Engineering carefully placed on the top shelves in my
office. These two
reference manuals were purchased for my chemistry and my
chemical engineering classes respectively. They are the
only two books that I still have from my college days. I
used them more in college than since, as I migrated into
management rather than staying on the technical branch in my
career. I do
remember opening the Handbook of Physics and Chemistry once
these past 20 years to look up something that I am sure was
important to me at that time.
All
first and second year male students at ISC who were physically
able, were required to take military science, which was the case
for all U.S. Land Grant Colleges.
Additionally, a large
number of other U.S. universities offered ROTC..
We had a choice of Air Force or Army (AFROTC or AROTC)
military science each of which required marching drills for an
hour each week plus a certain amount of class work.
There were also a limited number of slots for the Navy
military science courses (NROTC). The NROTC program was a three
credit-hour course requiring four one-hour classes a week for
academic studies and one one-hour class a week for marching
drill practice. The
AFROTC and AROTC were one credit-hour courses and required two
classes a week in addition to the marching drill. There was no
military science requirement nor opportunity for the women
students.
The
Navy had two NROTC programs: (1) a Regular Commission and (2) a
Reserve Commission.
Those who applied for the Regular Commission Program did so
prior to entering college.
They needed to qualify for the program academically,
physically and leadership wise.
If they were accepted, they received funds from the Navy
to pay for all books and tuition as well as $50/month while they
were in college.
Additionally, those who accepted this appointment were
required to attend summer cruises each of the three summers
while attending college.
Upon graduation from ISC these students received a
Regular Commission in the Navy or US Marine Corps (USMC) and
were required to serve a minimum of three years active duty.
To receive his commission in the USMC the NROTC student
had to option for the USMC commission prior to his third year
and his military science was a USMC curriculum and not a US Navy
curriculum.
The
Navy program to receive a Reserve Commission was called the
Contract Program.
First year students who were not accepted into the NROTC Regular
program, could
apply for the NROTC Contract Program or the Air Force or Army
programs. The
NROTC Contract Program was identical as the Regular program
except, one was accepted into the program as he entered college
provided, he passed the physical exam, he did not receive
funding for his books and tuition nor any compensation in the
first two years. He
received $27 per month for his third and fourth year in the
program. He only
attended a summer cruise/camp between his junior and senior year
of college. To receive a Reserve Commission in the USMC, he
attended the same USMC curriculum as the Regular Program USMC
commissioned candidates attended.
Upon graduation he had a two year active duty commitment.
To
be commissioned into the US Navy or USMC each student must have
successfully graduated from ISC, have completed the four years
of US Navy/USMC curriculum, passed a standard swimming test and
passed a physical exam just prior to graduation.
If a student chose either the AFROTC or AROTC, he could
drop out of the program after two years and not complete the
training for a
commission. Of
course, he was subject to being drafted, should the military
need men and the
draft was active. I entered college, during the Korean War and
men were being drafted. Those of us in the NROTC were exempt
from the draft.
However, at this time I was only 16 years old,
2 years short of registering for the draft.
I
chose the NROTC Contract Program as I did not know about the
Regular Program prior to enrolling in ISC and I thought that I
would prefer the Navy or USMC to either the Air Force or the
Army. This required
me to take a US Navy physical in addition to the ISC entering
student physical. I
had already taken the ISC physical exam, however the US Navy
physical was considerably more extensive and
it included blood work.
The corpsman assigned to draw my blood was in-experienced
or ill-trained as he took a number of attempts to find my vein.
For the next 20 years, I fainted at the sight of a needle
intended for my arm – even once in a dentist chair while on
active duty! I
passed the Navy physical exam, met the other criteria and was
accepted into the Contract NROTC Program.
I was measured for my NROTC uniform; which was the most
desired uniform of the three ROTC branches.
All
physically able first year students at ISC were required to sign
up for physical training/a sport.
I chose tennis for the
fall, swimming for the
winter and golf for the spring.
These weren’t rigorous activities but really an
introduction to each sport with the intent of ensuring every
student became involved with some physical activity.
Our NROTC officer booked the swimming pool for testing
those students enrolled in NROTC.
All of we students were
required to report at a certain time and day to take the test.
I was a
self-taught swimmer. I had never had swimming lessons.
I
could dog-paddle somewhat.
We needed to swim 100 yards/meters without stopping to
satisfy our ability to swim.
Somehow, I was able to stay afloat, swim then dog-paddle,
et al to a “PASS” of the NROTC swimming test!
After all of the orientation, registration,
physical exams and other preliminary work, classes began.
Nearly all classes were taught from 8 AM to 5 PM, Monday
through Friday.
There were no evening nor weekend classes for us as was the case
in later years, as the ISC enrollment increased faster than the
physical facilities.
Our rooming house was two blocks from the West Gate of
the ISC campus.
From there it was about a mile to the building where my
chemistry classes and chemistry labs were conducted.
That was my longest
walk to any class.
We had ten minutes between classes which was usually
sufficient time to walk from the location of one class to the
next, although the distance, particularly in foul weather with
coats and boots, might make it difficult to be on time for some
classes. There was
no campus transportation available for the students.
The
first year engineering curriculum was the same for all
approximately 1000 engineering students, regardless of the
specific major one decided
to pursue.
We weren’t required to designate a major field of
engineering until spring quarter.
First year engineering students were required to take
chemistry specifically for engineering students, English,
engineering problems - where we learned to use slide-rules -
(I still have my $25 K &
E slide rule and leather case, now unused for some 65 years.
I think that I will give it to Adam, my youngest grandson
and the only engineer of my six grandchildren!) - engineering
drawing, physical education and Military Science each of the
three quarters. In
addition, we were required to take one quarter each of algebra,
trigonometry and geometry and one quarter of engineering
orientation – which was an introduction as to what each branch
of engineering entailed.
Some of our classmates had tested out of some of these
classes, particularly the math classes, which enabled them to
take fewer classes or enroll in electives.
The class sizes varied, English, math and engineering
drawing were taught to class sizes of about 20 - 30 students
which was basically
dictated by room size, chemistry class was taught in a big
lecture hall of some 300 students.
The engineering orientation was taught in a lecture hall
of about 200
students. Our USMC
military class size was small as there were only about 7 NROTC
students who opted for the USMC program. The academic USMC
classes were different than the USN classes that the other NROTC
enrollees were required to take. However, all the NROTC
enrollees – both those opting for the USMC commissions and those
opting for USN commissions - some 200 including all four years
of students, drilled together on Tuesdays for an hour.
Which was the only day we wore our uniforms.
My
most difficult class was English, which was really composition.
I had been poorly prepared for this class work and I had
no one to counsel me as to the techniques and standards by which
one writes various compositions.
Additional pressure came from the fact that I
knew to
matriculate from ISC one needed to pass a writing/English test
in his/her senior year.
My English teachers were young faculty members, typically
graduate students. I managed to pull a C average for the English
classes all three quarters, despite a very poor start and lack
of any real preparation for the course.
I breathed a sigh of relief at the end of each quarter
when I learned of my grade.
I
enjoyed algebra but I only managed to get C in the course.
The math classes were also taught by young faculty
members, again primarily mathematics graduate students.
The engineering problems and engineering drawing was
taught by young faculty members.
I made an As and Bs
in these courses.
The
military science was an introduction to the USMC which was
taught by an active duty USMC Major.
The entire NROTC staff
were Navy officers, including the Commanding Officer, and senior
Navy enlisted men, supplemented with one USMC
officer, a Major, and a senior enlisted non-commissioned
officer, both of whom typically had 10 or more years of
experience in the USMC.
USMC military science was very enlightening and extremely
important to becoming an effective USMC officer.
About ½ of the NROTC students were pursuing the Regular
Program and the balance the Contract Program.
I received
Bs in the military science.
I
really enjoyed my chemistry classes and I excelled in them.
It was not a hard course for me.
The course covered a mixture of inorganic and organic
chemistry, focusing on basic chemical properties and
reactions and a bit of
the history of chemistry.
It wasn’t long into the first quarter of school that I
decided that as much as
I liked the chemistry that I should major in chemical
engineering. I
declared chemical engineering as my major, subsequently and
never looked back.
Throughout the quarter, I studied diligently.
I had no one to counsel/help me other than if I could
get a bit of time with one of the assistant teachers for my
classes, which was not easy.
ISC had counselors, however, all of them were over loaded
and it was very difficult to meet with one.
Of course, at that time
we had limited telephone access and the counselors did not
provide their phone numbers. My roommate was of no help.
Even though he was a second year science student -
most of his credits had transferred from MCC - however he
was unsure of what he wanted to study and did not apply himself
well. I did most of
my studying in the library which was close
to the location of many of my classes.
I also studied effectively in our room, as my roommate
was seldom in the room other than to sleep and dress.
It was no surprise to me when
he decided not to return to ISC for the winter quarter.
I lost track of him then and have never reconnected with
him.
Our
rooming house owners were friendly, concerned about our
well-being and nearly always on-site, however they seldom
invited us/me to visit with them.
They let us use their telephone to make calls, however, I
seldom called home.
I wrote letters to mom and dad every other week or so and
mom wrote me regularly.
I did my own laundry in the owner’s equipment, thereby
saving my mother a bit of work.
I did not leave campus for home until Thanksgiving break.
On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, mom drove to Ames
to pick me up for a four day visit at home with my folks and
siblings. Mom and
Dad drove me back to Ames that following Sunday afternoon.
We had one week of
classes and then first quarter final exams.
Also, during that final
week of classes we registered for the winter quarter classes.
Typically, all of the students talking taking a specific course
would all be scheduled to take the final exam at the same
time preferably in the same room.
As it was, our first quarter final chemistry exam was
conducted in the Student Union Grand Ballroom and all 1000 of
our freshmen chemistry students were scheduled to be seated in
the room for the two hour exam.
In none of our first year classes were we permitted to
have any notes or aids of any kind for our exams.
Once we had finished all
of our exams, we were able to leave campus for Christmas
break. I don’t
remember when I finished but my parents picked me up and I was
able to spend almost three weeks at home.
We had no assignments to complete during the break.
When the results of first quarter’s classes were posted, I
learned that I had earned an A in the chemistry class.
As it turned out one of
the chemistry graduate students who was an assistant teacher for
some engineering chemistry sections roomed with my MHS
co-valedictorian classmate.
Very early in the winter quarter I was visiting with that
class-mate, comparing our grades and
other aspects of our young college adventure.
His room-mate – the chemistry graduate student - told me
that I had the highest grade in the entire class on the final
exam. I thought I
had done well, but what he said sounded unreal.
I am not positive that he really knew how well I did, but
he certainly was in a position to know.
I had a 2.9 grade- point grade for the first quarter,
drug down by my grades in English and algebra.
Winter quarter classes began on the Monday after New Year’s Day.
I had a continuation of all my fall quarter classes,
except algebra became trigonometry.
Engineering problems taught a number of basic engineering
functions. Winters
in Iowa as described earlier, provide some nice challenges
walking about a mile to chemistry class in foul weather,
particularly in icy conditions.
The classrooms were typically comfortable temperature
wise but hot beverages were not accessible, except for the
Student Union, the men’s dormitory cafeterias and the book
store. There
were few if any vending machines on campus at that time.
Finding lunch on campus was more challenging as many
dormitory residents ate at the various campus food serving
locations instead of returning to their dorm’s cafeteria.
I moved to the basement two person room in the rooming
house where there was a single man living, so the owners could
rent the room we had rented in the fall to a couple.
My new room-mate was a young US Army veteran of the
Korean War. He was
studying agriculture.
We hit it off well, as I was most interested in his
combat experience in Korea.
The
winter quarter class work went well.
I continued struggling with English.
All of my other classes progressed satisfactorily.
I again was excelling in chemistry and now trigonometry.
Our Tuesday marching drills were not conducted during
winter quarter because of weather and in-sufficient space in the
NROTC building armory to drill inside, especially since there
were some 200 NROTC students at any one time.
This time was spent watching training videos of
particular USMC activities.
My grades in the second quarter averaged 3.2, helped by
an A in both chemistry and trigonometry.
I
did not travel home for any visits during the winter quarter.
My social life was very limited as I spent most of my
time studying and attending
an occasional week-end movie.
I was establishing some friendships with various
class-mates, particularly fellow USMC class-mates and others
that I knew who had also chosen chemical engineering as a major.
These friendships resulted in me attending some small
gatherings of these acquaintances.
I also began attending professional organizations, e.g.,
the AIChE (American Institute of Chemical Engineers) and
math and chemistry clubs.
While walking through the chemical engineering building late in
the quarter, I noticed a posting on the bulletin board for a
student to work part-time for the Iowa State Engineering
Experiment Station, helping a chemical engineering graduate
student with his research project.
The opportunity sounded enticing and I knew that I could
use the extra money, especially for my later college years.
I applied and was interviewed
by the chemical engineering graduate student, Maurie Larson.
His doctoral research
project was improving the manufacture of super phosphate
agricultural fertilizers – something that interested, Iowa’s key
industry of farming very much.
He was particularly attracted by my farming background
and experience, and our class and work schedules were
compatible. He offered
me the job. I
accepted it. The
pay was modest but competitive and there was the opportunity to
work quite a few hours, including evening hours.
Maurie set up a pilot manufacturing facility in the open space
of ISC’s essentially abandoned nuclear engineering building
which was adjacent to the chemical engineering building.
Nuclear engineering had been discontinued as a major at
ISC a few years earlier.
The federal government established a research laboratory
focusing on nuclear support for the US Atomic Bomb effort during
WWII, at ISC. It
was named the Ames Laboratory. It is in operation today
conducting classified secret nuclear research and is staffed
with chemical engineering faculty and researchers among others.
It is a significant adjunct to the Chemical Engineering
Department at ISC.
However, ISC decided to discontinue offering a degree in Nuclear
Engineering, opting to basically make it a subset of chemical
engineering.
Maurie’s research focused on using phosphoric acid in lieu of
the conventional sulfuric acid in treating various natural
phosphate minerals to make the minerals more useable by plants
needing phosphate nutrients.
The phosphoric acid was mixed with the granular/powdered
phosphate mineral materials which reacted with the phosphoric
acid to make a wet, soft solid cake.
This cake was fed into a rotary cutter which chipped off
small portions of the wet cake.
These cuttings were conveyed by a short belt conveyor to
a small gas fired rotary kiln dryer where the now-super
phosphate - with the phosphorus from the phosphoric acid being
combined with the phosphorus
from the starting mineral material was dried.
The dried product was then analyzed for its effectiveness
as a phosphate fertilizer.
The effectiveness was the extent to which various plants
could utilize the phosphorous chemical in the super-phosphate
fertilizer.
I
worked with Maurie about a year, including a considerable amount
of time during the summer between my first and second college
years, mostly helping
him with his various runs of making the super-phosphate
fertilizer. It was
mostly manual labor with some record keeping, process monitoring
and equipment set-up and repair.
He wrote his doctoral thesis on his research, was awarded
a PhD in chemical engineering,
was hired by ISC Chemical Engineering Department.
He spent his entire
career in this Department teaching and researching various
chemical engineering processes..
Subsequently, I worked with Tom Wheelock, another chemical
engineering graduate student helping him on his research project
which was researching ways of making coal combustion less
polluting. His test
production runs were frequently 24 hours long and required
hourly recording of various data and conditions.
I spent a number of “all-nighters” in Tom’s laboratory
monitoring the research run, recording data and conditions and
ensuring that the test was not interrupted.
I was able to study about 50 minutes of every hour, so it
was a profitable use of my time, as I was paid for the entire
time I was on the job.
I worked with Tom also for about a year.
He was also awarded a PhD in chemical engineering, hired
by the Chemical Engineering Department and spent his entire
career at ISC. I continued working at various tasks and jobs for
the balance of my four years at ISC.
The earnings from this part-time work were critical to my
being able to pay my way through college. I continued to visit
with Maurie and Tom whenever I visited the ISC campus after
graduating. Maurie
is no longer living, however, Tom is living and is a University
Professor Emeritus.
My
third quarter classes were a continuation of the previous two
quarters, except algebra and
trigonometry were followed by geometry.
We resumed NROTC marching drills outside.
I continued to make good grades although geometry was
harder for me than trigonometry;
I had more class-mate friends and socialized a bit more.
Near the end of the quarter, we pre-registered for fall
classes. I
made a 2.9 grade-point in the spring quarter.
Maurie Larson wanted me to continue to work during the summer
and approached the Engineering Experiment Station to authorize
my working for him and for other Chemical Engineering Department
needs. I decided to
accept this offer and to take two summer quarter classes in each
of the two sessions.
I took the first two of my three calculus classes,
quantitative chemistry and speech, all of which would help me in
my major but with a very full and tight schedule of classes for
the following three years, and
with the three credit military science course all of the
16 quarters, there was little room for electives.
I planned to stay in the rooming house for the time that
I would be working or going to class in the summer.
Discovering My Social Fraternity –
My
big change in the third quarter came after I saw a notice in the
ISC Student Newspaper that there was a fraternity rush week
planned and that unaffiliated students, particularly first year
students were
invited to visit any of the fraternity houses that were
participating. I
believe that probably all of the 28
ISC fraternities, all of which were located just off the
campus, were participating.
I knew nothing about fraternities other than the social
and intermural athletics in which they participated and which
was reported in the campus newspaper.
I decided to visit a few of the fraternities to see what
I could learn.
The
first fraternity that visited was Acacia which was located one
block south of campus on the east side of the campus.
I met a number of the Acacia men that evening, toured the
house and learned about the Acacia philosophy, which included a
very high emphasis on scholarship and leadership.
Furthermore, the Acacia Fraternity had a “dry” house,
meaning that there was a “No Alcohol Policy” in the Acacia
house. The actives
seemed to be very principled.
I could identify closely with what I heard during that
visit. I was
invited to return the following week for dinner with Acacia men
and their house mother.
On
my second visit, I met Mother Dinsmore (Mother D to all of her
men) and was presented with the economics of living in and
belonging to the Acacia Fraternity.
I learned that The Acacia fraternity was founded by
Masons – members of the Masonic Order – and that until after
WWI, one needed to be a Mason to become an Acacian.
However, as college age men became younger and most of
them were not Masons, it became difficult to find qualified
potential members. So,
the membership requirement became that a member needed to be
recommended by two members
of the Masonic Organization. Since there were several
Masons among the active members of the chapter, this requirement
was easily met. I
was asked to join the ISC Acacia Chapter and to live in the
chapter house that fall.
The
cost of living in the Acacia fraternity was a bit more than the
cost of living in the apartment which I shared with one other
student; however, the meals were a bit less expensive than
eating in the restaurants that I frequented.
I agreed to the offer and became a pledge of Acacia,
although since the quarter was about to end and summer break was
next on the schedule for most men, there was little Acacia
activity for me for the remainder of the term.
I ate a few meals at the chapter house and became more
familiar with the men that I would be living with that coming
fall.
I
finished my first year at ISC and went home for a week.
I returned to campus and
my rented room in the basement, with no room-mate as my previous
room-mate did not attend summer school.
This time I brought my
car as there were ample parking places in the summer. The summer
quarter was taught in two six week sessions as the courses are
taught at twice the speed of the normal school year courses.
I earned an A in chemistry and Bs in the other courses
and worked pretty much full 40 hour weeks at the Chemical
Engineering Department.
After summer quarter classes were over, I went home for
the about three weeks before the fall quarter began.
I spent the time at home helping my father, in the fields
and around the farm, reconnecting with family, friends
and relatives and enjoying some down time.
I
returned to campus after Labor Day as the fraternity members
returned a few days early to prepare the house for we occupants
and for the occasional guests.
We washed the windows, trimmed the lawn and shrubbery,
cleaned the interior of the house, did touch up painting and
whatever else needed to be done to have the house ready for the
men that fall.
Since there was car parking for about one-third of the brothers
living in the house on-site, I kept my car at school.
The
three story house, with a full basement, was built in 1928 and
was located
at 142 Grey Ave. on
a wonderful, but small parcel of land overlooking sorority
circle. The house
accommodated about 30 men on the two upper floors.
There was an unheated sleeping dormitory for all of the
men on the third floor.
It had 15 sets of bunk beds..
The showering, toilets and lavatories were all in a
common bath room on the second floor. There were twelve
study/living suites on the upper two floors.
The main floor included an entry immediately off a large
outside formal porch, a chapter (meeting) room, a dining room
(which accommodated about forty diners) with a serving room to
its side, a solarium/music room and the house mother’s suite
(which was a moderate sized room that doubled as her sitting
room and bedroom -with a sofa bed - and her private bath room).
The lower level included
a kitchen, located below the dining serving room which
was connected by a dumb waiter with the serving room,
a chef’s suite –
combination bed/sitting room and a private bath ,
one two man room for the brothers– a recreation room and
a boiler room for central heating of the house and water.
The
men were assigned to the rooms based on seniority and chapter
office held that the brother. There were a total of seven
pledges in my pledge class, each assigned to a different
study/living room. On
Monday evenings we had pledge class where we learned about
Acacia, its adopted mentor, Pythagoras, its history, the ISC
Acacian history and
each of the active members of the chapter.
We pledges had Saturday house cleaning duties, which
involved cleaning all of the common areas
within the house, the sleeping dormitory,
the main level, except
for Mother D’s suite, the lower level, except for the chef’s
quarters, and the men’s shower/restroom on the second floor and
the outside front porch.
The men in the house were expected to keep their rooms
clean and neat.
Since the house had only one telephone, (a wall mounted, land
line located in the entrance to the stairway to the lower
level), a pledge was assigned phone duty each evening between 7
PM and 10 PM during the week.
The third pledge duty was the planning and conducting a
“Pledge Skip” in which the entire pledge class planned a weekend
away from Ames, after leaving the actives a messy house to deal
with. Our planned
trip was to Iowa City to visit the Iowa University Acacia
Chapter. About an
hour into our trip, we stopped at a service station and called
the house to tell who ever
answered the phone, that the “pledges had skipped” and
for those living in the
house to have fun cleaning it!
Upon returning to the house some 36 hours later, we
pledges were chastised a bit, but everyone knew that this was
just one of the ways a pledge-class bonded.
It was all part of the over-all fraternity program.
We pledges had periodic tests to see if we had learned
what we should as pledges. By
February it was determined by the active chapter members that we
were sufficiently schooled on Acacia and we could be initiated
into the order of Acacia.
We became members on February 21, 1954.
In
addition to pledge training, one of the great benefits to me was
learning etiquette,
table manners and general appropriate behavior.
Mother Dinsmore (Mother D) ate with us at our noon and
evening meals. One
of the four wait staff would announce the noon and dinner meal
playing a small four tone musical panel.
The Venerable Dean (VD/Chapter President) if he was
present would escort Mother D to her place of honor – to the
right of the VD.
The other brothers followed the VD and Mother D’s lead to the
dining room and filled in the other chairs at one of the two
long dining tables.
The song leader of the group would lead the singing of the
Acacia song. The
lead waiter would serve Mother D and the VD with the other three
waiters following closely serving the other brothers their
meals.
Everyone would wait for Mother D to begin eating and follow her
lead in eating with the correct utensil, passing anything that
needed to be passed, and otherwise setting the table manner
tone.
Mother D was nearly always available to answer etiquette and
related questions, including questions we had about
relationships with girls, how to dress and how to deal
with a personal problem. She was always there to meet our
dates and to make them feel welcome.
When she wasn’t
counseling one of us, she was usually playing bridge with three
brothers.
She taught those of us who wanted to learn the game, how to
play. She was
patient, understanding, tactful and omni-present.
She seldom left the house and had few friends outside the
house. Mother D was
a gem and a real asset of ISC Acacia.
My
initial room-mates were Ted Rice and Lynn Glenney, both now
deceased. Ted
was a senior and Lynn was a junior.
Ted was majoring in psychology.
Lynn was majoring in agriculture, more specifically in
the USMC as he was in the USMC Platoon Leaders Corps, an
alternate route to a USMC commission, to the NROTC route..
He was a big man, maybe 6’3” and had just returned from
his six weeks of summer camp.
He thoroughly enjoyed calling out “Attention” and other
directives to demonstrate his leadership skills.
Unfortunately, I did not keep track of either of them and
they are now both deceased.
Of the approximately, twenty five chapter active brothers
that fall, about one-half are still living now some 65 years
later, Dale Weber being the oldest and my pledge father Bert
Fellows being another.
While many of us served in the military after our ISC
experience, and the chapter had many returning veterans
immediately after WWII, I
only remember one of the brothers who was a veteran
amongst the active chapter at that time.
I thoroughly enjoyed the brotherhood, the help with my
studies from more senior brothers, the social activities –
including serenading various nearby sororities, learning to play
bridge – particularly with Mother D – and just “shooting the
breeze” with various brothers. Several of the men in the house,
attended the Presbyterian Church, that coincidently was only one
block from the rooming house in which I rented a room during my
first year on campus.
The pastor, William Remley, was a young, energetic
man who attracted a large congregation, particularly
college students. I
began attending church with these brothers.
I thoroughly enjoyed his sermons and other church
programs. In 1955,
William Remley was initiated into ISC Acacia as an honorary
member.
My
courses in the second year were a chemical engineering
processing, physics, and naval science in all three quarters,
plus my final quarter of calculus, a quarter of differential
equations, a mechanical engineering metals fabrication course,
a second quarter of quantitative chemistry,
statics of engineering and dynamics of engineering.
I continued to work
part-time at the engineering experiment station, primarily for
Tom Wheelock. The
extra money came in handy and the work was somewhat flexible.
Tom was able to schedule the runs that I would monitor
for him so that I could spend the night monitoring the run and
recording the data.
He seldom scheduled work on the week-ends which would have
conflicted with my Saturday pledge duties.
Meeting Karen Swanson, My Future Wife -
On
one Saturday night in
November, Acacia had a fraternity dance party scheduled at the
Chapter house, for which
I needed a date. I
was not dating anyone at the time and had few known options.
I called a girl from our MHS class who was also a
sophomore at ISC to see if she was available.
She told me that she had just gotten pinned the prior
month and was not
available. (When a
woman accepted a fraternity man’s fraternity pin, she was
“pinned” meaning she was not open to dating other men.)
However, she said that one of her dormitory floor-mates
was a neat young woman and she thought that the woman
might be available to attend the dinner-dance.
She gave me the name, Karen Swanson, and said that I
could reach her on this same common phone.
We ended our conversation and I called back for Karen
Swanson. She was
there and came to the phone.
We exchanged pleasantries, learned a bit about each other
- she had the advantage on me as she knew more about me from my
MHS class-mate than I knew about her.
She
said that she was available the night of the Acacia dance, but
would like to meet me before that.
We agreed to a “coke date”, i.e., Coke Cola, at the
Student Union. I
agreed to meet her after her last class of the day on Tuesday
afternoon. Her last
class was a chemistry class in the chemistry building about ½
mile from the Student Union.
We agreed to meet on the steps of the chemistry building
at a specified time.
Tuesdays were the days that all ROTC members drilled in
their uniforms, so when I showed up to meet Karen for the first
time, I was in my NROTC uniform, which I told her would be the
case. As I
was the only NROTC dressed student loitering on the front steps
of the chemistry building at the appointed time, she recognized
me immediately. We
had a nice conversation as we walked on a relatively warm
November day to the Student Union.
During a one-hour getting to know each other session, while
sipping Coke Colas, I learned that Karen was a sophomore
majoring in Household Equipment, from What Cheer, IA.
That she had an older brother who was in the Army, that
her father and mother were the What Cheer School Superintendent
and High School Principal respectively.
We made arrangements for me to meet her at her dorm and
escort her to the Acacia house the night of the dance.
I purchased a corsage and gave it to her when she came to
the dormitory entrance.
I introduced her
to Mother D. We had an
enjoyable time, even though I am a horrible dancer. The party
ended at 11:30 as the women’s dorms and sororities had a strict
curfew policy. The
women had to be in their dorms/sororities by midnight on the
weekend and by 10 PM on weekdays.
I walked Karen back to Freeman Hall and we both agreed
that we would have another date the following weekend.
The next week, I had a call from my MHS class-mate who
had recommended to Karen and to me that we meet.
She told me that Karen really enjoyed the evening.
She thought that this could be something that made good
sense for both Karen and me.
I continued to see Karen for dates at the Student Union
and for movies and/or dinner on Saturday evenings.
The
quarter ended, I did reasonably well in my studies and
pre-registered for the winter quarter.
I finished my exams and headed home for a three weeks of
home cooking, reconnecting with my parents and siblings.
I had only been home
for Thanksgiving during the entire Fall quarter.
It was a usual Davis family Christmas, with the church
celebrations, a wonderful Christmas evening family dinner and
gift exchange with family and Aunt Bea, and a big gathering at
Grandad and Grandma Davis’ on Christmas Day or the Sunday
closest to Christmas Day. We
also celebrated my brother Bob’s birthday (December 15), my
sister Nancy’s birthday (December 18), my mom’s
birthday (December 23) and my brother Dick’s birthday
(December 29) and I called Karen on her birthday also on
December 29). Karen
was 19 on that day, seven plus months older than me.
We ate too much of mom’s great home-made Christmas candy,
her baked goods and home-made ice cream.
It was a great down-time
and family time.
Our celebration of the New Year (1954) was a low key affair.
Our family watched the New Year’s celebration on the new
black and white TV that the parents had purchased before
Christmas.
I
returned to Acacia and to classes shortly after the first of the
year. I reconnected
with Karen and we resumed our periodic dating for weekend movies
or dinners and Acacia parties.
I resumed working at the experiment station and to my
Acacia pledge responsibilities.
Our pledge training proceeded well and by the first of
February, all seven of we pledges had passed the required tests
and satisfied all other qualifications.
On the weekend of February 21, we were initiated and
welcomed into the Brotherhood of Acacia.
In
January, a group of ISC students who were interested in acting,
including Karen presented a short play,
the title of which I don’t remember, to other students
and interested adults.
Karen had a part in the play.
Her parents drove from What Cheer to Ames to watch the
play and to visit with their daughter.
Karen wanted them to meet me so, after the play we sat in
the Student Union, snacking and visiting.
For some reason, I had to leave the visit earlier than
the three of them.
Karen asked her folks what they thought of me.
Her mother, according to Karen during a later
conversation, said something to the effect that she “thought
that I was a nice boy”, which Karen did not believe was fair and
was upset with her mother.
Regardless, Karen and I continued seeing each other.
One of Karen’s habits
that I did not appreciate was she began smoking as a freshman at
ISC, in part I believe as a bit of a rebellion over her fairly
strict parents and in part because it
was “kind of the things that college students do to show
that they are mature”.
Indeed, at that time the cigarette companies sponsored on
campus “smokers” in which they distributed free packs of six
cigarettes to the students.
It was a nasty marketing program which lasted for some
ten (?) years. I
participated in a few smokers.
A few of our fraternity brothers were smokers, especially
the older brothers.
However, I never enjoyed smoking and certainly did not want to
spend my hard earned money on cigarettes.
During spring break, Karen invited me to visit her and her
parents in their home in What Cheer.
It was a pleasant visit in which Karen and her mother
cooked all of the meals, as What Cheer was a very small town,
with little to offer in the way of dining options.
There was one small café
in which Karen had worked part-time during her high school
years. A
single consolidated school on the top of a big hill at which
Karen’s father, Edward R. Swanson was the superintendent and her
mother Ruth Swanson was the high school principal.
Both of them had teaching responsibilities, her father
taught a variety of classes, including history – he was
particularly interested in both world and American history -,
science and manual training/mainly wood working.
Her mother taught mainly high school math and some
science. The school
reminded me very
much of the LaMoille school.
(Please see Appendix Four for more information on the
Swanson family.)
They rented a three bedroom, two story house within a block of
the school. Karen
was the valedictorian of her small class of ten students.
They attended the Methodist church which was one of two
churches in What Cheer.
Karen’s grandfather on her mother’s side was a Methodist
minister. Her folks
were faithful to the church, did not drink alcohol, smoke or
curse and did not speak ill of anyone.
I was very impressed with them as hard working
professionals, doing their best to educate their children and
raising a son and
daughter of which they could be proud.
Despite being a strong student and having parents of
limited means, Karen never received a scholarship to help
financially with the costs of her education. I never applied for
a scholarship though out my four years at ISC.
I never even thought about it, as my pre-college savings
covered a significant portion of my college costs and I was
supplementing that with work at the Engineering Experiment
Station and later waiting tables in the chapter house.
The
winter quarter classes were behind us and our grades were
recorded. My grades
were the lowest of all previous quarters as my grades in the
chemical engineering class and physics both dropped from an A to
a C and from a B to a C respectively.
I don’t remember why, although I believe that I was
working in the Chemical Engineering Department a considerable
number of hours at that time, was dating more and generally not
applying myself to the degree that I should have.
I did commit to doing better the next quarter, as Acacia
was particularly strong academically and my grades pulled down
that quarter’s Acacia grades.
Karen and I continued dating.
One of the big spring events for we NROTC members was the
Navy Ball. Karen
and I attended it that spring.
It was held in the Naval Armory with a catered sit down
dinner and dance amongst the various naval displays from ships
that were installed in the armory.
Karen And Jim At The 1954 ISC NROTC
Ball
The
spring quarter classes were basically a continuation of the two
previous quarter’s classes for me.
However, Karen had to take a basic statistics class for
her major. Math and
mathematical concepts were not Karen’s strong suit and she could
not master the subject.
She dropped the class before the drop deadline, planning
to take the course later.
My class work went better the spring quarter.
I began thinking about how I could earn more money in the
upcoming summer as I knew that a year from then I would not be
able to work much if at all since, I would be attending six
weeks of USMC summer camp.
My father knew a foreman for a construction crew building
a new primary school in Marshalltown.
He contacted the foreman to see if there was an
opportunity for me and possibly my brother Bob to work as
general laborers on the project that coming summer.
I
completed my spring quarter, made slightly better grades
averaging a 2.8, but still not satisfactory to me.
I continued to work in the Chemical Engineering
Department until the end of the spring quarter.
Upon completion of my exams, I packed up my car and
headed for home. Karen’s folks came to Ames to take her home for
the summer.
She had a part-time job waiting tables in What Cheer’s only
café.
Not
only did dad secure jobs for Bob and me, he was persuaded to
also accept a summer job on the construction crew.
He decided that with Bob and my help on the farm when we
weren’t working the
construction job, that the three of us could manage the farm
work and work a forty hour construction job at the same time.
All three of us were laborers helping the bricklaying
crew which was just beginning to start a fairly big job.
Our jobs were to keep the bricklayers supplied with
bricks and mortar, to mix the mortar, to clean up after the
brick layers, enabling them to work more at laying bricks.
The pay was good, a union wage, although I don’t remember
the actual pay.
We were required to join the union but only after working
three months which
enabled us to avoid joining the union as
we had to resign from the work in three months.
It was good outdoor work.
I
visited Karen a couple weekends that summer in What Cheer,
staying with her and her parents in their small but adequate
house during those visits.
The summer passed quickly with the construction jobs and
farm work, but I saved a good bit of money, living at home and
spending little money for unnecessary things. I had the pleasure
and honor of registering for the draft shortly before my 18th
birthday. I advised
the draft board that I was a member of the ISC NROTC unit
expecting to be commissioned in the USMCR upon graduation in
June 1956.
I
again drove to Ames shortly after Labor Day in 1954 to help
prepare the house for occupancy that fall.
Again, the house was full, with several of the older
classmen living in nearby rented rooms but eating their meals
and joining the chapter meetings in the chapter house.
I began receiving $27 per month for my NROTC Contract
membership, I
continued working at in the Chemical Engineering Department and
I began work as one of four Acacia members who waited on the
tables for the other brother’s noon and evening meals.
The
four of us would receive the food from the kitchen the floor
below via the dumbwaiter, fill the water glasses on
the pre-set dining tables and otherwise prepare to serve
the meals - seldomly did we serve family style.
We would dish the food portions on to the individual
serving plates and carry the plates to the dining room
where Mother D
and the brothers were seated.
While the brothers and Mother D ate their meals, we
waiters quickly ate our meals and prepared to clear the tables
and wash and dry the
dishes. The
chef cleaned the pans and equipment he used in preparing the
meal as well as cleaning the kitchen after each meal.
The breakfast meal was cereal, fruit, milk and toast, all
self-served by the
brother from the breakfast buffet.
The waiters took turns with breakfast duty, setting out
the food, clearing, washing and drying the dirty dishes and
setting the table for the noon meal.
For all of this work the waiters received their meals
free of charge.
The
junior year of courses in chemical engineering was generally
considered the toughest of the four year curriculum as it
included three quarters of organic chemistry,
of physical chemistry (plus labs in both) and of chemical
engineering unit operations, all of which were intense,
comprehensive and fundamental courses for chemical engineers.
Many chemical engineering students changed majors or
dropped out of college when they confronted these courses.
In
addition to my studies, my part-time work and my social life, I
was elected Senior Dean (essentially VP)
of Acacia.
The responsibility of this
office was the physical management of the chapter house
itself. As
mentioned earlier the house was some 25 years old and
needed not only tender-loving care, which is not
necessarily compatible with 20 year old young men occupants,
it occasionally needed minor and even major repairs.
Typically, Mother D was the only real adult in the house,
although we usually had at least one chapter member who was a
military veteran and was not only older but more experienced in
maintenance.
Fortunately, my tour as Senior Dean was not tested with any
major chapter house physical needs.
Karen and I dated frequently, including studying together in the
library. She
continued to live in Freeman Hall, however she had pretty
well given up on her interest in the acting/theater interests.
She made reasonably good grades in her major fields of
study, Household Equipment with a minor in Television.
She was preparing for a career as a foods/cooking/meals
commentator on TV.
One of her courses in cooking or meal planning included a TV
presentation on WOI, the local television station which covered
most of central Iowa.
Her 30
minute presentation was on making Swedish Meat Balls.
It was to be a live presentation with no “Do Overs”.
She rehearsed for the program a number of times and
finally her day came.
She did well and was commended for her performance
although she was not satisfied with the presentation of the meat
balls – they did not compare favorably to her Swedish mother’s
meat balls. Her
mother was an excellent cook as well as science teacher!
Karen continued smoking although she knew that I did not
approve. I even
tried smoking again with her to see if possibly it was something
that I might somehow enjoy.
I never did enjoy smoking.
Karen also enjoyed
socializing with wine despite her parents both being staunchly
against drinking of alcohol.
I was not interested in alcohol and was very glad that
the ISU Acacians had a firm rule that the chapter house was
“Alcohol Free”.
However, her smoking and moderately drinking wine did not
cause us to end our relationship.
During the year, Karen had to live in one of the Home Economics
Department, model homes of which I believe there were three.
Each home would accommodate about ten home economic
majors, who at this
time were all female.
The women lived in the home for four weeks and rotated
all of the various home making duties, while attending their
full schedule of classes.
They were educated and evaluated on their abilities to
plan and prepare meals, care for the household equipment,
furnish the various rooms and other home maker duties.
This was a required class of one of her education majors.
The
other highlight of the year, was in February, Karen and my
relationship was such that I gave her my Acacia fraternity pin,
which at that time at ISC was a BIG THING!
Although we had been dating each other exclusively for
over a year, I did not “pin her” until then.
The celebration of the pinning by the fraternities is
that after a pinning, the fraternity brothers gather around the
window/door of the dormitory/sorority of the lady receiving the
pin and serenades her.
Her room/dorm/sorority-mates/sisters join the pinned lady
at her window or door and join in the celebration.
My brothers joined me in serenading Karen that night at
Freeman Hall.
Despite my lack of stellar grades, I was elected into
Alpha Chi Sigma
a professional
fraternity specializing
in the fields of the
chemical sciences
and into Pi Mu Epsilon a
professional fraternity specializing in mathematics.
These were just two of many “Professional” fraternities,
who work to build brotherhood among members and to cultivate
strengths of members in that specific field of study.
As a precursor to a job search which would take place
in earnest the following year, I interviewed with several
companies who were recruiting graduating chemical engineers for
permanent jobs and lower classmen chemical engineers for summer
internships. I knew
that it was unlikely that any of them would be interested in me
for only the few weeks the summer of ’55
because of my prior commitment to USMC summer
cruise/camp.
However, the market for chemical engineers was
particularly strong and I wanted to see if there might be
something that could be worked out.
In the end, nothing developed.
I did benefit from these interviews as a practice run for
the following year.
I studied hard and strived to make respectable grades in my
course work, despite the challenges in doing so.
I enjoyed the classes but none of them were easy for me.
Organic chemistry, which for me was heavily demanding of
memory, really challenged me.
It was not as intuitive for me as general chemistry.
Physical chemistry interested me more, but was also a
challenge. I
received Cs in all three quarters of organic chemistry and a B
and an C in the two quarters of organic chemistry labs.
I received two Cs and a B in physical chemistry and in
the three physical chemistry labs.
I received two Cs and an A in the three quarters of unit
operations.
My A in the third quarter
unit operations class was partially a result of my method of
preparing myself for the exams in these classes. These courses
were focused on various types of chemical processes, e.g.,
distillation,
filtering, evaporation, drying, etc.
There were two sections taught by two different
professors. They
taught the same material, used the same lesson plans and pretty
much made the two classes identical, but each used
different problems in
the periodic exams.
The professor for the
other section would post the problems and the solutions
to the problems after each of his exams on the department
bulletin board. I
believe we had three exams in the class, including the final
exam which counted for 50% of the grade. I prepared for these
exams by copying the posted problems and solutions from the
other section’s professor and then reviewing these problems
prior to my exam. I
did well in the first two exams that final quarter. The final
exam had only two problems to solve.
Both of them were problems that the other professor had
used in his exams earlier in the term and to which he posted the
solutions. When I
sat to take the final exam, our professor was at the front of
the room proctoring the exam. I had carefully reviewed both of
these problems and solutions prior to our final exam. I went to
the front of the room and quietly told the professor what had
happened and that I thought that I had an unfair advantage.
He said it was
my lucky day and to just take the exam.
I aced the exam and that quarter’s unit operations!
I also did well in two
Theoretical an Applied Mechanics courses earning Bs in both, as
well as Bs in my three military science classes.
Karen decided to attend at least one session of summer school
and to take the statistics course required for her major which
she dropped a year earlier.
I don’t
remember what other class she took.
However, as I did not need to leave for USMC summer
cruise until mid-July, I stayed around campus, living in the
chapter house, working
at the Experiment Station and helping Karen with here statistics
class.
Karen’s dormitory was one which stayed open during the summer,
so she did not have to move
to a different dorm.
She finished the class prior to my leaving for summer
camp, receiving a C and breathing a big sigh of relief.
My Last Year at ISC -
Two other USMC option, NROTC contract students and I left for
USMC summer camp on July 22nd driving my car.
We took turns driving the about 24 hours non-stop trip
from Ames to Quantico, VA, which is located about 35
miles
southeast of Washington,
D.C. We reported in
to our summer camp where we were pre-assigned to one of five
companies each numbering about 100 NROTC students.
I was assigned to Company C but none of my other ISC USMC
classmates were assigned to Company C.
The assignment of sleeping quarters, platoons within the
company, schedules
for drawing uniforms, rifles, etc. were first on the list of
duties. Our
barracks were steel Quonset huts, housing bunk beds for about
100 candidates. We
drew utility uniforms, combat boots and other required clothing
and gear. The Quonset
huts were close to drill fields, classrooms, the mess (eating)
hall and the obstacle course.
Sick bay, provided and staffed by the
US Navy was not far away, as I found out near the end of
our summer camp.
The rifle range was not far away, however, we were not scheduled
for marksmanship in the tightly scheduled six week camp.
Summer Camp was essentially a less rigorous and more respectful
(but not by much) USMC boot
camp. The non-commissioned officers who served as our
instructors recognized that someday we students could be their
commanding officer.
They did not want a commanding officer that they
might have treated badly.
There were early morning revelries, physical
training/calisthenics, drilling and squaring away sleeping
quarters. Then
breakfast and morning classes on Marine Corps infantry tactics,
weapons, and such.
A break for lunch, including sweetened ice tea – a
Quantico staple, which I detested as it was so loaded with
sweetener/sugar that I could not drink it.
And of course, a daily diet of salt tablets as the
Quantico summer weather was hot and humid.
After lunch it was more physical activity and more
classes. A break
for dinner and frequently after dinner classes or educational
movies. There was little “free time” except for some on
weekends. Lights were
out at 10 PM.
About one-half way through the camp, afternoon hikes carrying
backpacks and other equipment were scheduled.
Frequently, there would be breaks along the way during
which there were educational presentations.
The hikes increased in distance and difficulty and
proximity to poison ivy/oak to which, unbeknownst previously to
me, I was quite allergic.
I frequently awakened during the night or the next
morning with terrible itching on the lower portion of my legs
and sometimes my arms.
At the first sign of significant redness and itching, I
reported to sick bay for treatment.
The medical corps did what they could, which was to coat
the affected skin with Calamine lotion and provide me a supply
of Calamine for self-administration.
During the fifth week of the camp, after an all-night training
march, when we arrived back at the barracks at about 0700, both
my legs were terribly swollen from poison ivy/oak.
My utility uniform pant
legs were totally soaked with the weeping from my
poison ivy. I could
not remove my utilities.
I reported to sick-bay.
The corpsman took one look at me and sent me to the U.S.
Naval Hospital a short distance away.
I spent the last five days of summer camp in the hospital
where I received excellent care and attention.
All that was really required was no more exposure to
poison ivy/oak, somewhat continual application of Calamine and
time. It was
not necessary to be in the hospital, but of course the
instructors did not want me involved in the training that last
week. I was
released from the hospital on August 31, 1955, one day
prior to the conclusion of the six week summer camp.
I
reconnected with my two ISC NROTC candidate driving companions
and we made arrangements to drive non-stop back to Ames.
Karen and I exchanged letters, as telephone calls were difficult
to arrange with my schedule
I communicated with my parents by letter as they were
anxious about me and USMC summer camp.
Concurrently,
with my
summer camp assignment, my brother Bob who had volunteered for
the draft with the proviso that he be able to select his choice
of duty left for his Army service.
Mom and Dad were beginning to realize that their family
was growing up and leaving home. Mom had arranged for Karen’s
mother to drive Karen to our home for a small reunion dinner of
our families. It
was good to see my
parents, the four siblings remaining at home and to see Karen
and her mother. Her
father was unable
to come as he had some prior commitment at his school.
It was good to get home and it was even better to see
Karen.
Shortly after Labor Day, I returned to ISC for my
senior year.
We again had the duty to prepare the house for the fall
term occupancy.
As Senior Dean, I had the responsibility of “managing”
this clean-up and preparation.
My term as Senior Dean lasted until the end of fall
quarter. However,
our house was unable to accommodate all of our brothers at that
time and since we wanted all of the pledges to experience living
in the house and become more knowledgeable Acacians,
I rented a room in a private home two blocks away from
the chapter house, as did several other senior brothers.
I continued eating my meals in the chapter house,
attended all of the meetings and fulfilled my duties as Senior
Dean, however, I did not wait tables my senior year.
I lived outside the chapter house all three quarters of
my senior year.
My fourth year courses included a Senior Inspection Trip, which
was a required no-credit one week course that was a trip to five
chemical processing plants in the Chicago, IL area.
We traveled to near Chicago by chartered bus, stayed in a
centrally located – to the plants that we would be visiting –
motel. Among the
plants we visited were a Sherwin Williams paint plant, a
petroleum refinery and a soap manufacturing plant.
It was a first-time chemical processing plant visit for
most of us. We were
able to see first-hand what some chemical engineers do and to
see actual plant operations of various unit operations that we
had experimented with in our unit operations lab work.
It was an eye-opening experience and interesting week.
One afternoon we were given some time for down-town Chicago
shopping. One of
the stores in our path was a jewelry store and since we had a
bit of time, I looked at diamond engagement rings.
Knowing that we would have this opportunity, I had
brought along $200 extra cash on this trip and planned to
purchase an engagement ring for Karen.
She and I had talked about rings generally and I knew
that she liked
emerald cut diamonds.
I found a nice emerald cut diamond ring that I thought
she would like. I
don’t remember how many carats it was but it was about 1/8” wide
and 3/16” long in a white gold mount.
I purchased the ring and carefully guarded it for the
rest of the inspection trip.
I presented the ring to her upon our return from our Senior
Inspection Tour.
She said yes to my proposal, however, I told her that she needed
to get permission from my dad as I was only 20 and would be only
20 when I graduated from college and we planned to be married.
Hence, since I was a minor, she would need his permission
to marry me!
She went along with the ruse and when we visited my parents the
following weekend, Karen sat on my father’s lap and asked him if
I could marry her.
He gave us his and my mother gave us her blessing.
We began planning our wedding.
We knew that I would be graduating on June 9,1956 and at
that time thought that she would also be graduating on that day.
We knew that I would have orders to report to the USMC
sometime thereafter but not precisely when.
After considerable discussion and consultation with
Karen’s parents, who unbeknownst to me were planning to resign
their jobs in What Cheer and to move to Orange County,
California that coming summer, the wedding date was set.
They were delighted to have the wedding as soon in June
as it could be scheduled.
We settled on June 9, the day we would both graduate from
ISC.
Shortly after the inspection trip, we were scheduled to take our
English exam, the passing of which was required to graduate from
ISC. Karen
constantly teased me about my
English and writing ability.
She bet me that I would not pass the exam – a real
confidence builder!
Regardless, the exam was an assignment to write a few
pages, I don’t remember how many words or pages, about some
topic that I no longer remember.
I do remember looking for my name on the posting of those
who had passed the exam on the big bulletin board in the
Engineering Administration Building a week later.
Sure, enough my name was on the list of those who had
passed the exam.
Karen also passed her exam which was administered on a different
day.
Late in the fall
quarter, Karen learned that she had accumulated enough credit
hours and had completed all of her required courses for her B.S.
in Home Economics, with a major in Household Equipment and a
minor in Television to graduate at the completion of winter
quarter. She
graduated on March 10, 1956 in what was a small commencement
ceremony as there were probably only about 300 graduates from
the entire college. Karen
was offered a job in the ISC Library for the three months during
spring quarter after which I would graduate.
She accepted the job, rented an apartment just off the
west side of the campus where she could easily walk the ¾
mile to the library each day.
She stayed in Ames for most of the third quarter,
planning our wedding.
We continued seeing each other frequently, planning our
wedding, attending the Collegiate Presbyterian Church near her
apartment, enjoying relaxing dinners, going to the movies and
attending various campus social functions.
She resigned from her job at ISC early May and returned
home to coordinate all of the wedding plans with her parents.
Karen’s Commencement March ‘56
Karen and I attended church services fairly frequently our
junior and senior years.
She was raised attending Methodist churches and we
attended the Collegiate Methodist Church in campus town which
was well attended by our college classmates.
Since I had started attending the Collegiate Presbyterian
Church with some of my fraternity brothers, I invited her to
attend that church with me several times.
We decided that we both liked the pastor at the
Collegiate Presbyterian Church, Dr. William Remley, much better
than the Methodist pastor.
Pastor Remley had accepted several invitations to join
some of our Acacia dinners and in 1955 became an honorary member
of Acacia. He knew
Karen and I a bit and we decided that we would like him to marry
us. We asked him to
officiate at our wedding and he generously accepted.
My senior year classes included three quarters of chemical
process industries, chemical engineering design, chemical
engineering laboratory and military science, two quarters of
electrical engineering for non-electrical engineering majors and
one quarter each of chemical engineering thermodynamics,
chemical engineering special problems and social studies class
entitled courtship and marriage.
I made As in
all of the courses except for Bs in both electrical engineering
classes, in courtship and marriage, in one chemical engineering
design class and in one military science class and a C in one
chemical engineering process industries class.
My senior year was the best of my four years grade wise
with a 3.52 grade-point average. I graduated in the top
one-quarter of our class in a major that was recognized as one
of the most difficult at ISC in the minimum four year time
period.
I particularly enjoyed my chemical engineering classes this last
year because combined with the beginning of the year inspection
trip, I could better relate the course work with the real world
chemical engineering work.
In the final quarter of engineering design, we were given
the challenge of designing a complete chemical fertilizer
manufacturing plant, including sizing the space and equipment
requirements to manufacture a specified amount of the chemical
fertilizers.
In addition to all of my other senior year activities at ISC was
the job search.
Even though I was committed to spending two years of active duty
with the USMC, I did not at this time know when that
responsibility would begin.
Because of the very strong employment market for chemical
engineers, some employers were offering even short term
employment opportunities to those chemical engineers who had
future military obligations.
Never-the-less, I wanted to explore various future
employment opportunities, so I signed up for a number of
interviews with prospective employers who visited the ISC campus
in the fall and early winter quarters, looking to hire chemical
engineers. I
interviewed with Exxon, Dow Chemical, Dupont, Monsanto, Diamond
Alkali and several others.
I scheduled several interview trips, including ones to
Dow Chemical, Monsanto and Diamond Alkali.
The offering starting salary for chemical engineers at
that time was about $450 monthly.
I was extremely proud of the fact that I had completely paid for
my college education from my 4-H baby beef projects, my farm
laboring, my work at the Fisher Governor Plant, my
work at the ISC Engineering Experiment Station, my summer
construction work, my modest payments from the USMC ($27/month
in my junior and senior year) and my “free meals” at Acacia when
I was on the wait staff.
Doing so, when tuition was only $50 per quarter was much
easier than it is in the many years since my college days, where
the current tuition is now some 60 times higher than it was in
1956!
However, I was nearly broke, getting married, relocating to
Virginia with the need to rent an apartment and set up
housekeeping, need to purchase uniforms and whatever other
expenses might come our way in the next several months.
One weekend when I was home, I went to our local
Marshalltown bank, where I had had a checking account for now
almost ten years, visited Will Lane the manager (with whom my
father and mother had done considerable business for almost 20
years). He offered
me a $500 non-secured loan at the then competitive rate, which I
accepted.
I received offers from several companies, contingent on being
able to work at least a month prior to reporting to active duty.
I accepted a job with Dow Chemical in Midland, MI in its
Special Assignments Program contingent on being able to work
with them at least one month.
However, on May 10th, I received my orders to
report to USMC Base, Quantico, VA between June 12 and June 18,
1956. Later, I received
a letter of confirmation of my employment acceptance from Dow,
dated May 18th.
In the meantime, I had advised Dow by phone that I had
received my orders from the USMC and that I would not be able to
accept Dow’s employment offer.
In a subsequent response from Dow, they advised me that,
assuming that Dow Chemical was hiring graduate chemical
engineers in June 1958 – upon the completion of my two year
USMCR obligation - I would have a job with Dow.
Commencement from ISC/USMC Officer’s Commission/Wedding
Bliss/Depart for Active Duty -
The final course work, prior to commencement was lower key, no
senior final exams, more social interaction, conversations about
our next responsibilities and what else comes next, however it
was all a blur, especially with wedding planning superimposed on
it. Commencement
was held on Saturday, June 9, 1956 at 10 AM.
There were some 2000 graduates all marching into the
large old campus fieldhouse – home of the Cyclone basketball
team. I don’t
remember who our speaker was, but I remember the fieldhouse
being very warm, particularly
wearing the caps and gowns over
my Marine Corps shirt
and trousers. The
awarding of diplomas involved processions from
two different aisles, to reduce the amount of time
required for some 2000 grads to receive a diploma, shake a hand
and have a picture taken.
The ceremony was over in two hours and the grads were
released to attend whatever other activities they had.
All of the graduates who were being commissioned into one
of the military services reconvened at their respective armories
for the commissioning ceremony.
My mother drove to Ames to attend my commencement program
and commissioning ceremony.
My father was disappointed that farm duties required him
to miss the events of the big day. Karen was tied up in What
Cheer preparing for our wedding that night.
So, mom represented our entire family at the first
one-half of our big day.
The seven of we USMC and USMCR commission candidates met in a
small venue where we were presented our Second Lieutenant bars,
our record of being commissioned in the USMC or USMCR and
congratulated by the Major who had been our primary instructor
for the past two years.
We were in our khaki uniforms
– shirt, trousers
and tie - so we had our bars pinned to our shirt collars.
Earlier on June 9, 1956, I received and
signed my acceptance of
my orders to report to USMC Officer’s Basic School,
Quantico, VA between June 12 and June 18.
I was given the service number of 071341.
The orders were conditional on my passing the USMC
physical when I reported to Quantico.
Jim’s Commencement With Mom On
The Acacia Fraternity Front Steps, June 9,1956 (Mother “Dee”
is the lady on the right at the top of the steps.)
My mother and other happy Acacia graduate’s parents joined us at
the Acacia chapter house where the chapter treated the graduates
and their families to a picnic lunch.
After lunch, mom headed home to get ready for the
wedding. I had my
car loaded with all of my belongings from the nearby room where
I resided that last year.
I was prepared to leave ISC upon the completion of
the morning’s
activities. I said my good byes to my Acacia brothers, after my
mother left for home and then I followed her home to get also
get ready for our wedding.
I did not say good bye to four of my Acacia brothers,
Dick Kerr, John McDonald, Robert Davis and Larry McComber,
instead I reminded them of their wedding duty, as ushers, later
that day in What Cheer.
They all committed again to being there for Karen and me,
which was a significant commitment as three of them lived far
from Iowa and had delayed their plans to return to home prior to
departing on NROTC cruises.
The only brother of the four, Larry McComber, who was not
in NROTC, happened to live in Marshalltown.
He wasn’t as much inconvenienced,
I arrived home and dressed for the wedding, as were my entire
family, all of my brothers and sisters were in the wedding
party. We headed
for What Cheer separately and arrived in ample time for the 6 PM
wedding. It was a
very hot Iowa day.
Many of the guests, particularly relatives of mine drove a fair
distance to attend the wedding – upwards of two hours in some
cases – and so the wedding guests began arriving a various times
prior to the wedding. A
number of them were standing in line at the church waiting for
the ushers to begin seating them.
Unfortunately, the ushers were MIA.
No one had seen them.
I was beginning to panic - fortunately Karen did not yet
know about this snafu.
Shortly before 6 PM the ushers made their appearance.
They explained that they had been looking for my car,
which was carefully hidden in a friend of Karen’s barn a few
miles away.
The ushers wanted to “decorate” the car appropriately for we
newly-weds.
Fortunately, they were not able to find the car, even though
they thought that a local person had given them a good clue.
Regardless, the guests were seated, the church was still hot
inside but tolerable.
The wedding began nearly on time.
Karen insisted on having all of my siblings in the
wedding party. My
brother Bob, who was still in the Army at Fort Campbell, KY, was
my best man – as I was for him two years prior.
My sisters, Beverly and Nancy were two of four
bridesmaids.
My youngest sister, Jaynane was a junior bridesmaid, brother
Dick was a candle lighter joined by one of my cousins.
Karen’s long-time school friend and What Cheer neighbor,
Cynthia Draegert was the maid of honor, Belle Larson, my MHS
class-mate and Karen’s dorm-mate, who introduced Karen and I was
a bridesmaid as was another close friend of Karen’s also from
What Cheer.
L to R: Belle Larson, Nancy Davis, JoAnn Aller, Beverly Davis,
Cynthia Draegert, Karen, Jim, Bob Davis, Dennis McComber, John
McDonald, Dick Kerr and Robert Davis, Center Front: Jaynane
Davis, The Flower Girl is Anne Davis, Uncle Bud's 4 year old
daughter. The Ring Bearer is a neighbor's son.
The wedding was conducted without any other hitches.
Pastor Remley was a pro and insured that the wedding was
conducted properly, as we had no rehearsal.
Of course, we had no rehearsal dinner either. The
reception was held in the church basement a fairly large
room which easily accommodated the attendees.
The ladies of the Methodist Church served a wonderful
spread of food for the guests.
As you might expect there was absolutely no alcohol
served. Immediately
following the wedding service.
The bridal party stayed in the sanctuary for the
customary pictures.
Karen and I
received a phone call on the church phone during the reception
from her brother in Korea wishing us both good luck.
The connection wasn’t that good, but his thoughts and
well wishes were really appreciated.
We thanked the guests for braving the hot weather and blessing
us with their attendance.
We cut the wedding cake, we dispensed with the speeches,
we had no toasts, we said our good byes to families and guests,
we changed our clothes and we departed the church to find our
car (with all of our luggage preloaded) which had been stealthy
returned to a spot near the church – unbeknownst to our ushers!
We left the church parking lot without the usual raucous
crowd send-off, headed east to Quantico, VA. Karen and I did not
know that the ushers, were able to follow us in their car as we
sped east on Interstate 80.
About an hour later, Karen and I stopped at a roadside
fast food restaurant for sodas, as we were
thirsty and exhausted.
While sitting in our car, enjoying our sodas and some
restful time, I looked in the mirror to see behind our car one
of our ushers quietly painting a sign on the back of our car.
I started the car and sped away.
That was the last time that I saw Dick Kerr, as I did not
keep up with him and he is now deceased.
I reconnected with John McDonald, Robert Davis and Larry
McComber in about 2006 at an ISU Acacia reunion in Scottsdale,
Arizona. These reunions were initiated about that time and the
four of us have attended these reunions for a dozen years.
(More on these reunions in this autobiography when I move
to Arizona in 2005.)
Our Wedding Photo, June 9, 1956
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