Roger’s Remembrances

Money was scarce at 506, so there had never been any question but that I would start college years at Hutchinson Junior College. (Besides, I didn’t want to leave home yet.) The junior college classes were in the same building as the high school (just a different section), so there was not much environmental shock in starting college. About the biggest change from high school was that teachers called you “Mister” or “Miss”, as the case might be. Sounded funny at first, but we got used to it.

Nearly all of the high school bunch went on to junior college. The country was just barely past the depth of the Great Depression, and only a few went away to college the first year — mostly from families where money was not such a problem. Buford Hayden was one of these, and it was the start of a separating of the ways — though I did see him some during summers. I had to get a new locker mate, but I can’t recall who it was — maybe Tom Arbuckle?

There was a new crop of acquaintenances who had graduated from high school in nearby towns. One of these, Galen Sollenberger from Nickerson, became a good friend. Galen played football with me and went on to K-State. He was a regular passenger in the trip between Hutch and Manhattan. Solly and wife Junia visited in Lincoln a coupla years ago. Same ol’ kiddish-looking good natured Galen!
(2000 P.S.– Galen died this year.)

Teachers
One of Juco’s outstanding teachers was Helen Moore, who later became Dean of Women at K-State. She taught calculus, and I would probably never have made it except for her method of presentation. She was all business, but did have a sense of humor. I was not especially apt at higher math. But I did like Descriptive Geometry.

Si Coleman taught Descriptive Geometry. (I used it years later — 1970 or so – to aid in the design of my fold-over ham radio tower.) One of Si’s early teaching comments to us was, “Many a good engineering drawing has been ruined by bad lettering.” He insisted that our hand lettering be better than good enough and sent quite a few of us “back to the drawing board” to improve on the lettering. In my engineering years when viewing some sloppy lettering on a drawing I have thought of Si Coleman.

Sports
Football, basketball, and tennis were my junior college sports. I lettered in each. Compared to high school, there was a noticeable increase in the size and age of opponents. There were some near-men out there as opposed to kids. I played halfback again, but Coach Charlie Sesher had the quarterback take the handoff from center, and there was more variety in the attack than high school. We still played both offense and defense.

One offensive play stands out in my mind. It was in a non-conference game against Sterling. I was carrying the ball around left end — at least that was what I had in mind. However, their right end was also speedy, caught me, and sorta threw me to the ground. (Dad, who was there as usual, said I just bounced when I hit the ground!) After the play I have this vague recollection of their asking me all these hard questions — like what is your name, who are we playing, what day is it? My answers weren’t making any sense. I don’t remember walking to the sidelines, but Dad said it was under my own power. A few minutes later I “came to” lying on the sidelines watching the game. Dad was there asking me how I was feeling. I reassured him that I was now normal. It was the only time I ever got knocked out in a game. (In photo, left to right: Ghormley, Parmley, Remington)

Bob Remington played end. I have vague feelings of throwing passes to Bob, but he was a year ahead of me and I was not a starter the first year, so maybe it’s just a dream. I’ll ask him in my next letter.

Other stuff
One Spring we had May Day up at the fairgrounds. After games there was the crowning of the May Queen. I was the Chief Escort. The following Sunday the paper had a full-page picture of the Queen, Elizabeth Chickering, with yours truly standing by the throne. Never had a picture in the paper that big again.

My social life was somewhat improved over high school days. Dating was not quite so limited, but I never got real serious over anyone. I was pretty shy about such things still — and not a very good dancer. I could never think of anything to talk about during a dance, and must have been a boring partner.

In my second year I was elected President of the Student Council. One project we worked on was to take information leaflets around town encouraging people to vote for the bond issue for building a new junior college. It passed, and in a couple of years the new junior college was completed in the “reformatory” field where I had flown kites only a few years before. The junior college I knew was no more — and a good kite-flying field was gone.

In May of 1938 I graduated from Hutchinson Junior College to end 15 years of schooling in Hutch. They had been good years. Can you unnerstan what I chay?

(End of Chapter)