The February 14, 1933,
Integrator
reported that Joe Bushey, well-known figure in
parlor sports at Clarkson for the past seven years, had been awarded a lifetime scholarship by
the Clarkson administration:
Joe Bushey has warmed various seats in the classrooms of the college for seven years,
during which time he has been a model student. In view of such long and faithful service to the
cause, it is with pleasure that we award him a lifetime scholarship to this institution.
He was described as a shy and modest creature hiding in a bearskin coat. He was easily
recognized by the kindly face with a contented cow expression, although some people thought
that he really was a lot of bull. He wore a size 13 shoe, a size 15 collar, and any necktie he
could get his hands on. He was just so tall and that wide, and tipped the scales at 328 with his
bearskin coat and heavy underwear on.
Prof. Fred Piper carried Joe on his class roll for a term. He cut class one day, and had a
friend hand in his paper. To show his admiration, the friend got an F and Joe got a C for his
work. His biggest fault was cutting class. He would show up on the class roll, but after so many
cuts, he would be dropped. He was to blame for campus mishaps: blown fuses, flat tires.
Despite those faults, however, he was well liked, and even was nominated for president of the
class of 1925. He modestly declined the offer, or at least never showed up to accept it. His
picture showed up in the 1930 yearbook with a summary of his history. At the 1949 alumni
dinner, former grads listened attentively to an address, a recorded speech, delivered by Joe, but
the voice sounded suspiciously like Daddy Reynolds.
Dr. Waltz carried him on his math course record for three months until one fateful day
the students forgot to hand in Joe's paper. Joe was away on a football trip without getting an
excuse from the office. Once again, he was dropped from a course. During 1949-50, Joe was an
active man on campus, attending most fraternity social functions and open houses, in the
company of Eugene Maxwell. Once Eugene graduated, Joe retired gracefully from the social
scene.
In 1961, Ken Nourse, Director of Admissions, officially invited Joseph Bushey to
become a member of the entering class in fall 1961. Sending the letter to Bushey at 1965
Clarkson Avenue, Potsdam, NY, Nourse told Bushey that acceptance was conditional upon
successful completion of the courses he currently was taking, despite being recommended
highly for admission by a Mr. Thomas S. Clarkson. The story made front-page headlines in the
freshman issue of the
Integrator
in the fall of 1961.
People knowledgeable in the affairs of Clarkson recognize that Joe couldn't have
graduated with that class, even though he rarely appears on campus: he never appears on class
rolls, never hands in homework, never takes examinations, never rushes any fraternities.
However, he surfaced again a decade later: Joe almost graduated in 1973.
When the Registrar, Kemp Pottle, distributed to the faculty on May 21, 1973, the list of
seniors to be voted on, Joe's name and student number (#19653) appeared as a history major in
the Social Sciences department. As the faculty were about to approve this list on the Thursday
before Commencement 1973, some eagle-eyed person spotted it, and Joe lost again.
Just before Commencement 1995, Joe appeared on the alumni email address list as part
of the Clarkson Alumni Web:
Bushey,Joe.hereforever@clarkson.edu
