Time Traveling
I find that when I read an article in WM, I am transported back in time to when
I was a student at Wabash. The piece by Jim Amidon ’87 about directing To Kill
a Mockingbird (“Thank God for the Train,” WM Fall 2011) had that same effect.
While a student at Wabash from 1950 to 1954, I attended St. John’s Episcopal Church in Crawfordsville. I recall that
the priest there would never allow the playing of “Onward Christian Soldiers” in church, because this hymn had become the theme song of the Ku
Klux Klan in Indiana.
—Jim Twomey ’54, Santa Dominga
de Heredia, Costa Rica
Thank You, James D. Adams
What a pleasant surprise to read the tribute to James D. Adams [Class of 1909] (“A Roads Scholar,” by Jon Pactor ’71, WM Fall 2011).
Mr. Adams was a neighbor in our hometown of Columbia City, IN.
My grandmother raised me during the 1940s. She “took in washings” and I delivered papers, so we got by. When I graduated from high school in 1951 I wanted to go to college, but we just didn’t have the money.
One day that summer Mr. Adams stopped me as I was delivering his paper and asked if I was going to college.
I told him no, I wasn’t able to go, and he asked, “Have you applied to Wabash?” Again, I told him I had not. In my mind Wabash was quite expensive and beyond consideration.
Mr. Adams explained that scholarships were available at Wabash for qualified students and urged me to apply. I had been a member of Columbia City’s state champion debate team and he thought that would carry some weight with the admissions people. He said he’d even get me a copy of the admissions forms.
To my surprise, I was offered a scholarship that covered everything but my living expenses.
James D. Adams is largely responsible for my college education and I have always been grateful for the interest he showed in me. I’ve often wondered if he didn’t supply the money behind my scholarship. James D. Adams is one of the reasons why I maintain a continuing interest in Wabash.
—Bob Kellogg ’55, Greensboro, NC
Sewanee Memories
My jaw literally dropped when I saw the piece on the Sewanee-Wabash football game of 1954 (“The Little Giants’ Air Attack,” WM Fall 2011). It brought back a host of memories.
As I recall, Purdue Airlines provided the planes. Most of us had never flown before and, while everybody was reluctant to admit it, we were nervous. The movie The High and the Mighty, in which a plane develops engine problems and is in danger of crashing, was popular then. A song from the movie included some whistling. It was so fresh in our memories as to produce an almost constant stream of someone whistling the song.
While we were to play the University of the South, we actually flew to Tullahoma, TN. The mayor actually met us and we began our bus ride to Sewanee with a police escort. We were quite impressed.
Before the flight we took pictures. Chris Passodelis ’55 had suffered a shoulder separation and was in a brace that kept his arm out at a 90-degree angle like a chicken wing, so he was embarrassed to be photographed. Being resourceful products of a budding liberal arts education, we solved the problem two ways: In one photo, everyone stood holding their arms in the same position as Chris; in the second, he stood next to Jimmy Jackson ’56, who was a bit on the short side. It simply looked
as though Chris’s arm was resting on Jim’s shoulders.
We played well and won 17–0. There were no police escorts for us back to the airfield. Whether this was in retribution for our victory or simply inadvertent error, I never did know. But we made it back in time for the planes to bring
us home safely.
—Paul D. Hawksworth ’56, Mokena, IL
Read the complete text of Paul’s Hawksworth’s reminiscence at WM Online.
The picture and article brought back great memories.
I transferred to Purdue in September 1949 after two years at Wabash. In November 1950 I went to USAF pilot training in Texas and after four years in the Air Force (including 100 missions over North Korea in Sabrejets), I returned to Purdue. My course required time with Grove Webster’s flying program, so I worked out a plan to fly as a steward with Purdue Airlines, flying the Univer-sity of Cincinnati team to Richmond, VA. Coming back, the plane’s captain wanted to talk to the coach, so he put me in the co-pilot’s seat. The co-pilot even had me fly in the left seat for a while.
I graduated in 1958 with a degree in air transportation, but I had no idea I would later become an airline pilot. In May 1965 I was hired by American Airlines and flew for them to age 60, flew corporate jets part time for 12 years, then retired in 2002. It was a great career.
I cherish the experiences I had as a student at Wabash, even though I did not do well academically. As [Wabash
President] Frank Sparks said, Wabash produced thinkers and Purdue produced machine operators. Being a machine operator paid pretty well!
—Willard Dunbar ’51, Northbrook, IL
Randak Scholarship Fund Established
Thank you for the thoughtful remembrance of my husband, Steve Randak ’67 (WM Fall 2011). Steve was a one-of-a-kind soul, and I miss him every day very much. I have set up a “Stephen H. Randak Scholarship Fund” in his honor. It will provide $1,000 for students to further their education. If you’d like to spread the word about this scholarship, please feel free to do so:
Stephen H. Randak Scholarship Fund
c/o Lafayette Jefferson High School
Attn: Mrs. Marlene Hodge
1800 S. 18th St.
Lafayette, IN 47905
—Linda Randak, Lafayette, IN
Correction
In “A Model Learner” (WM Fall 2011), our tribute to Professor Bill Doemel, his childhood mentor was Dr. Quentin B. Smith, not Petersen, as listed. Professor Doemel also points out that he did not build the first computer services department—that work was begun by Professor Paul Mielke ’42, and the first department consisted of Professor Mielke and Jasmine Robinson.