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Memories of Michigan

(The Michigan Alumnus, January 1978, Page 8)

In my freshman year, my landlady's son, a U of M student, had a nice boat on the lake. When he learned I owned a sailboat back home and had racing experience, he invited me to sail with him and participate in impromptu races with two other iceboats on the lake.  To sharpen our maneuvering skills, we used to practice high speed turns. These turns caused the out-board runner to lift from the ice and the boat could overturn. To offset this, one of us would get out on the runner and hang onto a stay just before making the turn. It worked very well.

One day during a race I was manning the runner while Al steered. I hiked out on the runner and wasn't quite set for the turn when Al made it. In a flash I was a bird sailing through the air. I landed on my belly and slid along the ice for what seemed like a couple of hundred yards. My feelings were hurt but I wasn't, since I wore plenty of clothing and heavy boots.

When Al picked me up, we were both laughing over what a spectacle I made. One didn't see a man fly on his own in those days. When I did, it was with arms and legs spread-eagled and apparently it made quite a sight.

Laurence C. Johnston, '30eng

Hendersonville, N.C.

One of my memories of my days at Michigan happened in the early1930's.

I was working as a waiter at the Kappa Delta sorority house on Cambridge. A new boy came in to work as the other waiter. He was Tony Carter and he was from Macon, Ga. He told me he worked at the University Museum and that he intended to be a zoologist. Also, he said he was looking for a roommate and he asked me if I would like to room with him. I said I would come around that night and we could talk about it.

I went to his place that night and his room looked pretty good. It was a good size and the furniture seemed comfortable. During the course of our conversation, I noticed one of his bureau drawers was open and suddenly I saw something moving inside the drawer.

I blurted out: 'There's something moving inside your drawer!" Turning to me, Tony very calmly said: "Oh, that's nothing. I like to keep a couple of snakes around me."

I knew instantly I was not going to become a roommate of young Mr. Carter!

Saul Hoffman, '36

West Hartford, Conn.

I was a member of the Michigan Concert Band in 1921 or 1922 when the band was asked to go to Toronto to accompany the delegation of Kiwanis Clubs of the U.S.A.

We were housed and fed at the U. of Toronto dormitories. The Canadians treated us splendidly and we played a noon band concert. A late afternoon orchestra was made up to play for a tea dance, which was quite the vogue in those days.

Some of us bought gifts in Toronto for our friends and families.

We prevailed on the bass drummer to pack our gifts inside the drum. He helped me get the drum head off and our purchases were stuffed inside in order to avoid paying a customs tax at Windsor. When we got to Windsor, the customs official told us that no duty had to be paid on anything under a hundred dollars.

We returned to Ann Arbor and had a difficult time removing the drum head. All our precaution had been in vain.

Walter O. Klingman, '20, '23med

Charlottesville, Va.

In the fall of 1934 I had the great good luck to take a course in educational psychology from Professor Howard Y. McClusky. What made the class memorable to me was Professor McClusky's special message to the girls in the class. You girls, he told us, have a good education and great ability. After you graduate, don't sit down in a rocking chair and let life pass you by.

His words were an inspiration to me, and 43 years later when I read that Professor Emeritus McClusky, now from Michigan's Institute of Gerontology, was to speak at the "Fifty-Five Plus" seminar at the Chautauqua Institution, I hastened to enroll. At least, I thought, I would see him again and tell him what his words to "the girls" had meant to me. But first, I listened to his lecture at the seminar.

His message to the retirees was clear and true to form. You people, he told us, have much experience and great ability. Don't sit down in a rocking chair and let life pass you by. The inspiration was still there!

Jeanette Putman Tuve, '35

Cleveland, O.

I have many cherished memories about my days at Michigan, but there are some which particularly stand out in my mind, all connected with "the friends I made at dear old Michigan:"

. . . The night my roommate and I planted flowers in the Prescott House urinals to brighten up the bathroom for the other girls who were living there with us in East Quad.

. . . The day I pleaded with the Dean of Women not to throw my roommate out of school (my room mate was a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship recipient and a Phi Beta Kappa in her junior year) because she had stubbornly refused to wear a skirt and stockings to Sunday dinner at Betsy Barbour.

Things have changed a lot in 20 years!

Sanna Scheinfeld Longden, '59

Evanston, Ill.