Memories and anecdotes from the UNM classes of 1954 and 1955

 

Connie Alexander ’54 BA, Speech Playing on the baseball team at age 18 when most of the team was 25-26 year olds. World War II Veterans.

 

Jane R. Ash
’55 BBA, Accounting
1952 - Playing flute and piccolo in UNM Marching Band. Dick Baum and I played piccolo during the Homecoming halftime marching band presentation. As we pivoted and faced the stadium we interjected the piccolo solo from Sousa’s Stars and Stripes Forever—into the march we were playing—later the band director Mr. Dahnert admonished us, but we were laughing inside! Others thought it was great!

 

Henry O. “Hank” Ash ’55 BS, ’58 MS, Geology Fall and Spring Sigma Gamma Epsilon (Geology Honorary), Field trips led by Vin Kelley. Approximately 5 day trips to various parts of the region—Colorado Plateau, SW & SE New Mexico, San Juan Mountains of Colorado, camping out, lots of fellowship & fun & lots of learning, too!

 

Millie Marshall Barnhart
’55 BA, ’71 MA, Education & Guidance Counseling
Fun decorating floats for Homecoming Parade!

 

Gary Beals ’55 BBA, Finance I think my fondest memories are about the annual song fest and stunt night competitions. I realize the whole Greek involvement in campus life has waned, which is both understandable and regrettable; however, in our days it was an important source of activity and friendship.

 

Dan D. Chavez
’55 BSE, Science Technology, ’61 MA, Educational Administration
Dr. Bonner Crawford, Secondary Education Professor — He took a special interest in preparing and overseeing his students who were planning to teach and administer at the middle and high school level.

 

Ervin “Jay” Crampton ’55 BA, Industrial Arts, ’84 MA, Education Playing football 4 years for the Lobos. National Defensive Champs in 1952.

 

Kenneth A. Current
’54 BS, Engineering
The beautiful old library where I spent most of my study time.

 

Joaquin A. DeVargas ’55 BABA, Accounting Dr. Sabine Ulibarri, my professor in 3 Spanish Literature classes. Excellent interaction with students and his style of teaching was just tremendous. I looked forward to going to his classes.

 

Dr. Ray O. Esquibel, DDS
’55 BS, Health & Physical Education
Dr. Guido Daub, Chemistry Dept. He knew his subject and knew how to teach. He spoon fed you! Dr. Lloyd Burley, Education, was personally interested in all his students. He loved teaching!

Herbert M. Fernandez ’55 BSEE, Engineering Days spent in setting up Motor-Generator sets in Electrical Engineering Lab.

 

Frank Barnett Gilmer, Jr.
’55 BA, Education
Academic probation, the need to work at least part-time, and military conscription interrupted my early UNM studies in the late Forties. I disliked Physical Education classes, so on a day back then when “tumbling” was scheduled, I thought I heard someone say that, “…anyone who wants to swim to day can ‘dress out’ for the pool.” (Attire for the pool behind the old Carlisle Gym was birthday suits.) Other guys were lined up at the edge of the pool when I arrived on the scene, and George Petrol advised us to, “…jump in and swim across.” I didn’t make much of a plunge, then managed to dog paddle to the other side of the pool where Coach Petrol leaned down to ask, “What event are you entering?” I had no idea these were tryouts for the swim team, thinking I had volunteered for recreational swimming! Embarrassed, I dropped PE that semester without telling anyone—I just didn’t show up for class again. That “F” looms large on my transcript!

 

William Bing Grady ’55 BABA, Finance, ’59 MA, Economics Professor Bill Huber, College of Business, demanded we learn something.

 

Julianne N. Green
’55 BS, Biology
Most of these could be shared—lots of funny incidents of a social sort—but one I must share is when I was pregnant with my son in a fragile pregnancy. I was not supposed to walk up stairs and Dr. Casteller (Dept. Grad & Chair) said he would have to ask the janitor before he could give me a key to the elevator—which I did receive.

 

Dorothy Gutscher ’54 BABA, Accounting Perry Mori was an excellent instructor with a sense of humor.

 

Weldon B. Hunter
’54 BS, Industrial Education
Days on the Lobo football team with Dr. DeGroot. Team members remain friends today.

 

William B. Keleher ’55 BA, Government & History Instructor Frank Reeve was laid back and interesting. Nat Wollman was also interested in students.

 

Waldemar C. Leiding
’54 MA, Psychology
One day at the beginning of the second semester, Dr. Norman and I were walking down from the second floor of the old administration building (the Psych. Dept. was on the second floor) and he asked me what my grades were from the first semester. I said that I had gotten 4 “‘A’s” and a ‘B’ and he asked who had been so inconsiderate as to have given me the ‘B’. I answered that it was the person behind me. He looked around and of course there wasn’t anybody there and we both broke out laughing!

 

Louis Leurig ’54 BA, Political Science and History The memory of UNM when I was there was of a small University permitting contact from president to staff and other students, yet at the same time growing and developing rapidly. I think back at the inter-fraternity council (Phi Kappa Tau, no longer active), temporary buildings, the new dorm, but with football right next door, golf on campus, new buildings, SUB—the center of meeting people, the Lobo publications, a class in Hodgin Hall… All are vivid and wonderful memories.

 

Joe H. Liebert
’55 BA, Industrial Education, ’57 MA
Morton Keston, Psychology of Life Situations, was a brilliant professor.

 

Phyllis Lucky ’54 BADA, Drama When Eddie Snapp, Head of the Drama Dept., underwent surgery he received a “sympathy” card from his students: “Congratulations on your Grand Opening!”

 

Nancy Joan Lueker
’55 BS, Elementary Education
In December of 1954 I was thrilled to learn that I had been selected as New Mexico’s first “Maid of Cotton” and I was invited to participate in the national contest in Memphis, Tennessee in February 1955. It was very exciting and a lot of fun to meet other girls from every cotton-growing state. Then I was invited to return to Memphis to be a “Lady of the Realm” from New Mexico in the court of the Queen of the Cotton Carnival in June of 1955, which was sponsored by the National Cotton Council. It was a week-long celebration with parties day and night and ended with a ride on a big float down the Mississippi River. I was very pleased to be able to represent UNM and the State of New Mexico; a state which, at that time, was the 4th largest producer of cotton in the United States.

 

Edma E. Manetsch ’55 BS, Education So many wonderful memories—Student Stunt Nights, Hanging of The Greens, activities with Town Club. Sports events, Homecoming (making the floats, etc.).

 

Marietta Suzanne Miller
’55 BAMU, Music
I remember those of us who were GDI’s being thrilled when Al Utton was elected student body president as an independent and I remember feeling betrayed when he later pledged Sigma Chi.

 

March T. Miller ’55 BSED, Education One night during summer, I had a date and arrived too late to enter the dorm. Friends opened a window for me and then I discovered that this graduate dorm had a curfew!

 

Robert M. Nelson
’54 BA, Economics
I have many, many memories, but if I had to choose one, it would be receiving an ‘A’ in English 141—Shakespeare Tragedies.

 

Marilyn M. Ortman ’55 BSED, Elementary Education I remember we weren’t supposed to wear orange on St. Patrick’s Day because these was a special day for engineers. I had a great orange coat and wore it on one St. Patrick’s Day. Then I remember the Sadie Hawkins dance where you asked a boy to the dance.

 

Clinton “Clint” D. Parker
’55 BABA, Business Administration
One of the requirements for graduation was taking a course in speech. I was in the Airforce ROTC at that time and my final exam for the class was “Why The US Navy is Obsolete.” I passed the course but later found out the professor was a Commander in the U.S. Naval Reserve.

 

Jacqueline Sanders ’67 BSED, Business Education, ’67 MATB, Teaching Business Subjects When the football team beat Wyoming (a big upset) in ’52, students demonstrated at Popejoy’s house asking for classes to be dismissed on Monday. He agreed! We did a snake dance singing and yelling through the library (so fun). The cheerleaders led these activities. (I think that football team was put in the sports Hall of Fame or something!) The Greeks were the leaders on campus and everyone knew one another. Sadly, that is no longer true. I am very grateful to UNM for my education, which enabled me to have a very satisfactory 28-year career at TVI.

 

Juanita Geer Schaefer
’55 BS, Elementary Education
Too many [memories]! Coffee in the SUB, study carrols in the library, sunburns on the west side of the field for football games, crazy engineer students on St. Patrick’s Day, Luminarias, Fiesta in May, and cascarones.

 

Mary A. Stenson B ’55SED, Home Economics One of my favorite memories is my pledging and being accepted into the honorary organization Phrateres!

 

Dr. N. Thomas Stephens
’55 BS, Biology
Female dorms “closed” to men and “Panty Raids.”

 

Lois Stephens ’55 BAED, Psychology On the day the football team had just won some sort of championship, multitudes of students gathered on the president's front lawn and Dr. Popejoy came out and issued a day's “vacation” from classes.

 

Corinne K. Thompson
’54 BABA, Business Administration
Remembrance of friends and activities along sorority row and friendships that have lasted over 50 years.

 

William C. “Bill” Thompson ’54 BS, Math I met my wife on an arranged blind date at the library.

 

Col. Ronald D. “Doug” Tingley, USAF Ret.
’55 BSCE, Civil Engineering
Too many to list — Earned BS in 4 years without help of computers and carrying 18-21 hours per semester which was the norm in the 50’s for engineering students.

 

Jerry T. Verkler ’54 BA, Political Science All of my memories were favorites and I’m not sure about the statute of limitations protection against revealing any anecdotes! (The UNM Library has my oral history about my U.S. Senate career.)

 

James J. Wilson
’55 BABA, Finance & Banking
My days at UNM were full of great events and memories. Small school, SUB, Sigma Chi House, ’52 Football team, etc., etc.

 

Anthony J. Witkowski ’54 BSHB, Physical Education, ’58 MA, Physical Ed—School Administration Following two successful football seasons in 1952-53, students massed at President Popejoy’s home on campus and got us days off for winning an important game. On commencement days in 1954, Sam Suplizio’s folks visited our Kappa Sigma House and cooked us spaghetti dinners for all invited faculty and fraternity members. The Suplizio’s owned a bar/restaurant in Dubois, Pennsylvania. They were excellent cooks. While playing football, I intercepted two deflected passes and ran 65 yards for two touchdowns against New Mexico A&M, now New Mexico State. I was playing left tackle on the defense. During the 1952-53 season we Lobos were national defense champs and only allowed 46 points to be scored against us. Notre Dame's football team allowed 48 points that season.

Classes of 1954 & 1955 Golden Graduates Reunion Pictures

 

50-year Reunion Participants UNM Class of 1954
Connie Alexander Kenneth “Ken” A. Current John Farris JoMargaret Gore Farris Dorothy Swain Gutscher Weldon B. Hunter Waldemar C. Leiding Louis Leurig		Phyllis Burk Lucky March Townsend Miller William K. Officer Corinne Kriege Thompson William “Bill” C. Thompson Jerry T. Verkler Anthony J. Witkowski
UNM Class of 1955
Henry “Hank” O. Ash Jane R. Reynolds Ash Millie Marshall Barnhart Gary Beals Dan D. Chavez Ervin Jay Crampton Joaquin A. De Vargas Ray O. Esquibel Herbert M. Fernandez Jerome L. Giles Frank Barnett Gilmer, Jr. William Bing Grady Julianne N. Ness Green Kenneth Harris William B. Keleher Joe H. Liebert Andrew López Nancy Joan Downey Lueker Edna E. Christensen Manetsch		Robert S. Marquez Marietta Suzanne Brown Miller Wilkie Miller Jack Mulcahy Marilyn M. Carson Ortman Clinton “Clint” D. Parker Madeline Hixson Randle Walter N. Randle Dorothy Lewis Ribble Jacqueline Cottingham Sanders Marilla Ann McCollum Sawey Juanita Geer Schaefer Mary A. Scruggs Stenson Lois Purinton Stephens N. Thomas Stephens Ronald D. “Doug” Tingley Bob Verbeke James J. Wilson

 

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MSC 01 - 1160
Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001
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505.277.6844 fax
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