1980
President Carter announced punitive measures against the Soviet Union for its invasion of
Afghanistan. An attempt to rescue the Iranian hostages failed, resulting in the deaths of eight
and the wounding of five Americans. Ronald Reagan was elected president. Mount St. Helens,
Washington, erupted in a blast estimated to have been 500 times more powerful than the
Hiroshima atomic bomb. John Lennon, former Beatle, was killed by Mark Chapman.
Earthquakes near Naples, Italy, killed 3,000 people. The US boycotted the Moscow Olympics.
Nine earthquakes shook northern California. At the Lake Placid Olympics, Eric Heiden became
the first athlete to win five individual gold medals; the US defeated the USSR to win the hockey
gold medal. John Gacey was sentenced to death for the murders of 33 young men in Chicago.
The first women graduated from the US military academies. &i Oh Canada&n became
Canada's national anthem. Hurricane Allen killed 272 along the Texas Gulf coast. Draft
registration was renewed for 19 and 20-year-olds. The Phillies won the World Series.
Goedel,
Escher,Bach
won the Pulitzer. Movies included
Raging Bull, Coal Miner's Daughter
, and
Ordinary People
.
• Wood-burning Heat • Engineering Concentrations
• Olympic Help • Lacrosse Record
• ERC . • ECAC All-Decade Team
• Extracurricular Scholarships • Toxicology Program
• Semester Abroad: London • URP Program
• New Faculty • Henry Hodge Died
• Library Move • Hodge Sports Complex
• Congdon Dormitory • Garnet Frank Plaque
• Record Freshman Class • Beer Blasts Continue
• Mini-Baja Car • Soccer Season
• ICRN Became WCKN • Student Killed
• Prof. Goodrich Murdered • Pres. Whitson Died
• ACS Regional Meeting • AISES
Wood-burning Heat.
In spring 1980, Clarkson became the first educational institution in the
United States to convert its oil-burning heating system to a wood-burning system at a cost of
$490,000, half of which was funded by a grant from the US Department of Energy. This system
saved about 250,000 gallons of oil a year.
To reduce its consumption of fossil fuels, Clarkson installed a woodchip burning
furnace in the heating plant for Snell and Congdon Halls. Concern for stack emissions was
unfounded, for this new heating source produced hardly noticeable emissions which were well
below the Environmental Protection Agency limits. Savings for Clarkson exceeded $175,000 in
the first year.
Olympic Help.
At the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid in February, Clarkson employees
contributed significantly. Clark Bailey, assistant to President Plane, served as director of
telecommunications for Nordic Sports sites. Stephen Yianoukos, director of recreation for the
Village of Potsdam, now executive officer of the physical education department, drove the
