Walt Danisch '52, remembered how difficult he found studying after an
11-year gap from high school, and how hard it was to learn to study all over
again.
Bob Greenman '53, remembered using the dorm fire hoses for purposes
other than fighting fires, and of dousing Director Gordon Lindsey as he
unfortunately was the wrong person who opened the door and got the full stream.
Bob Neumann '51, agonized over the memory of sitting on the bench with
Bill McGinty, George Kopchik, Stu O'Brien, and other teammates and watching
Clarkson freshmen score 12 runs in the first inning against St. Lawrence, only
to lose the game 14-12.
Barba Ann Scott
. First appearing at Clarkson in the Minto Club Show during Ice
Carnival while still a young girl, Barbara showed the people of Potsdam her great ice skating
skills. In addition to crowning the king and queen, she was made an honorary member of
Phalanx in recognition of her many annual appearances as featured star of the winter carnival
ice show. This was the first time ever that any person outside the official Clarkson family had
been tapped to receive this honor; she also was the first woman ever to become a member of
that society.
Miss Scott's certificate of membership was presented to her together with a gold
membership pin studded with three pearls by Thomas Hawkins 2-'46, a member of Phalanx.
Following the presentation of membership into Phalanx, Professor William Farrisee presented
Miss Scott with a gold lapel watch from the students of Clarkson and Potsdam State Teachers
College to wish her success in her contest for an Olympic championship.
After being so honored in Potsdam, Barbara Ann wore her Phalanx pin for every skating
competition she entered from then on. In 1948, however, when she was about to appear at the
Olympics, she lost her pin. Frantic, she called Clarkson for a replacement. Unfortunately, the
Phalanx members had no replacements available, but the president of Phalanx in 1948 came to
her rescue and sent her his own pin. She wore it, and won the Olympic gold!
College Costs
. Tuition rose from $180 to $216 per term. This amounted to increasing the cost
per credit hour from $10 to $12, an action required by the influx of veterans between 1945 and
1947. Even though the expenses for the College had quadrupled and the number of faculty had
tripled, the cost of equipment, repairs, and maintenance had increased so dramatically that the
impact of this tuition increase was neutralized.
The Clarkson Letter
. Under the editorship of Leonard Bisbing, assistant professor of business,
a four-page newsletter addressed to middle management nationwide was first issued in a
printing of 7,000 copies. This first Clarkson faculty publication stated in its editorial policy
that:
Discussions and articles presented are intended to give broader knowledge,
better understanding, and a stimulation to thinking about the concepts
underlying business, economic, and governmental problems.
By the end of 1947, its circulation had risen to 18,000. It continued publication until it was
replaced by
The Clarkson Newsletter
in 1961. One of its earliest articles, written by Louis F.
Calloway, was entitled
Humanizing Engineers
.
