We had our annual opening convocation earlier today, where the faculty dress in academic regalia and we gather as a community to start the academic year. Of course, classes started 10 days ago, but ceremonially, at least now we're under way for the 157th time.
And now that things are underway, we'll soon be hurtling into fall, and Homecoming, which isn't until Oct. 30, will be here before we know it, and alumni from all over will be back for reunions. One of those classes has already had a reunion – the class of 1960 participated in commencement last spring and will officially join the 50-year club this fall.
Over fifty years, some things change and some things actually stay about the same. And it's always interesting to see the parallels and the differences over the years.
Some things that the class of 1960 experienced while they were at Wofford include:
Among
the new faculty coming to campus during the 1959-60 year was Madame Marie
Gagarine, a Russian émigré who taught French and also offered Wofford’s first
course in Russian. The class of 1960 has a chance to learn Russian, an
important world language in the Cold War era just as this class has had an
opportunity to learn Chinese, an important language in today’s world!)
651
students were enrolled at the college in the fall of 1959. 149 of these
were seniors
Senior
class president Marion Myers proposed that the college switchboard remain open
until 11:00 pm each night – the current closing time of 10:00 was causing an
inconvenience for students. Just imagine, having to use the switchboard to make and receive calls!
The
OG&B announced that the college was embarking on a development campaign to
raise $3.2 million for renovations on Main, construction of the new science
building, new residence hall space, and additions to the endowment. The class also got to see the demolition of the old Cleveland Science Hall.
November
13, 1959 editorial: “The Stroller said recently that last week’s panty
raid upon Converse College was the first sign of life shown by Wofford students
in many years.” (Note this was in the Parents’ Weekend edition of
the OG&B.)
Greyhound
fare in 1959: To Columbia, 2.80. To Charlotte, 2.20, to Anderson,
1.90, to Atlanta, 5.45, and to Greenville, 90 cents.
Students
were pressing for the construction of a music building. And in 2010, we're still working on that.
Coach
Gene Alexander began his second season downplaying expectations for his
team. He hoped to do a little better than the 11-13 record of the
previous year.
In
fact, the team went 25-6, the most successful record until 2010, winning the
district tournament and earning a bid to the NAIA national tournament in Kansas
City.
Wofford
students were among those at 125 colleges and universities who participated in
the National Intercollegiate Bridge Tournament, which was played by mail in
February. (Does anybody today know how to play bridge?)
A photo
in the OG&B indicated that the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity bought an old fire
truck. Apparently they owned it for a number of years.
In a
straw poll of the student body in the spring of 1960, students preferred John
Kennedy to Lyndon Johnson, Adlai Stevenson, Hubert Humphrey, and Stuart
Symington in the 1960 Democratic primary. Kennedy beat Richard Nixon in
the straw poll as well. However, 134 out of the 217 students polled
preferred complete segregation in the public schools, and only 14 favored
complete integration. 29 favored token integration, and 17 favored
segregation to the point of closing public schools.
Well, at least we aren't still debating that question.