V1941-KState

Kansas State 1941-1943

Preparation: I had always had in mind that I would go to college after finishing high school. High school had preparatory classes: for example those intending to become school teachers took Normal Training, those who grew up on farms and intended to farming took Agriculture, which included special curriculum items such as Vocational Agriculture and Shop, both excellent. There was a “collegiate” option of classes, which included things like Latin. I avoided Latin took all the science classes I could. Frankly I never thought much about preparing for college. I was kept busy with sports, band, music plus working two jobs each morning, Friday afternoons and Saturdays. I had to make up Friday afternoon classes which required more work than to have attended class.

Stadium lower left, Engineering Buildings above below smoke stack. Anderson Hall mid right. Agriculture buildings top center, temporary post WW II buildings top left. ROTC pre WW II drill ground right of stadium. Lower end of Stadium housed WW I 155 mm gun, with solid rubber tires, was abruptly shipped to Russia in 1942.

Kansas State, Mechanical Engineering: I hadn’t given it any thought until meeting my cousin Bob Redman in front of the old Farmers National Bank. He asked what I intended to do after I graduated. Without a pause I said go to college. He asked where. I said I don’t know, those studying to be Drs & lawyers seem to go to Kansas University in Lawrence, but most I knew went to Kansas State in Manhattan. He asked what I intended to take, I said engineering I guess. Bob asked what kind? I said I don’t know, what kinds are there? Bob chuckled and named off some like civil, mechanical, electrical, chemical, agriculture. I said well I like to work on old cars, I guess mechanical would be the best. I asked Bob what he’d taken when he went to North West University in Chicago. Bob said he took Civil, mostly because he was in the lumber business with his dad and that suited that business best. He said, yes mechanical at Kansas State would be a good choice. As we started to part Bob paused and asked, how well do you like math? I said well I’m not really very crazy about it. Bob winced and said – if you take engineering of any kind you will have lots of math. I looked a bit puzzled – that had never occurred to me. Observing the look on my face Bob smiled and added, be prepared to have lots of math classes because that’s what engineering is all about.

I sent for a booklet from the college and studied the curriculums in great detail. From then on I never had any doubt that I wanted to go to Kansas State. Looking over the other options I didn’t find anything other than engineering that appealed to me. As I knew I didn’t want Ag or Civil, it was Electrical, Chemical or Mechanical. I knew nothing of electrical or chemical, so mechanical was it. In retrospect it was the best choice for me. In fact it is one of the best of the engineering options – as it included a bit of the others.

Joe Ridgeway, Roommate: I learned that classmate Joe Ridgeway intended to go to Kansas State to study Veterinary Medicine. Joe never had any doubt about what he wanted to do. Until then I would never have guessed Joe had such interests. Joe’s interests in school had always been 100 % football, following his brothers who had all been very good. Joe had 200% spirit and dedication inside a small but tough body – though he was good, he just wasn’t very big.

Rooming at Doris & Oral Brunks: Doris McGee, a neighbor of ours had married Oral Brunk from near by Norcatur. Oral was enrolled in Agronomy and Doris worked to help make ends meet. They bought half of a duplex near the college and rented an up stairs room to Joe and I plus two others. A fellow from Abiline KS and Jake Betts from Oberlin roomed with us for a while. After about three months the fellow from Abiline and Jake dropped out. Joe arranged for a fellow his family knew to move in and I arranged for Bob Nelson from Minneapolis KS, a fellow mechanical engineer to move in. Bob & I went into service the end of our Sophomore first semester, Joe stayed, deferred as a Veterinary Medicine student.

Money, the Lack of It: I had always tried to save and be thrifty with my money but in fact had no idea how much things were going to cost. Neither did my parents. I had sense enough to know I could not afford to take my Model-A car with me. So I sold it before leaving for school in order to have money for room rent. I had worked very hard the summer before going to school. I had a job with the Oberlin Milling Co, at very good pay, as compared to most working on farms or odd jobs. I had put in very long hours of very hard work, saving most of what I made while living at home. Later I received a letter with a check from my boss Howard Banta. The Labor Relations people had done an audit and found they had not paid me overtime due according to labor regulations. Though I had been well paid according to local pay scales it was less than those in the city – especially since they were paid time and a half for over time. We had simply worked the 10 to 12 hour days as had been the custom during harvest. This extra money helped make it possible for my to complete the first year on my own without help from my father.

Working for Meals: I got a job with the school cafeteria in return for meals at half price. This was hard work, often at odd hours. I was not all that crazy about the meals. Though I never expressed my feelings to anyone, I did take a liking to a few of the ladies that ran the cafeteria. They reminded me of certain of my high school teachers, unmarried women devoted to their niche in life. They worked very hard for what I presume was modest pay.

Off Campus Eating Place: Joe found a place where you could eat all you wanted, two meals a day, except for Sat and Sun for a fixed price. After my first semester I joined him, and found many ex Cafeteria fellows there. A very attractive hard working young woman had set up a home across the street from the campus, as a kitchen plus dinning. She hired college girls to help her and had a very efficient system worked out. You entered single file, picking up your dish with a serving of meat for that meal and proceeded to picnic like tables on which were placed large bowels of such things as mashed potatoes, cooked vegetables and fruit such as apple sauce. You could eat your fill of what was placed on the table. The hours were very specific, a time when the line opened and when it closed. I have no idea how many people they fed there, most were boys. We found with the all you could eat, two meals a day were plenty, and though it was a bit awkward to not have meals there on Sat and Sun, we managed quite well, usually treating ourselves to one meal Sat and one meal Sun. When you don’t have money to spare, you don’t let yourself think about food.

Carrying Laundry to and from Train: They sold fabric covered card board boxes, that looked like small suit cases, for use by students. I bought one and used it to ship my cloths home to mom who would wash and iron them and ship them back Rail Road Express. I would walk the five miles down town with my laundry box, and pick it up about three days later. It cost 50 cents to ship, I paid to ship home and the folks to ship back. This austerity plan permitted me an allowance of 75 cents a week, which permitted one movie at 50 cents and one ice cream Sunday at 15 to 20 cents. My parents had no idea how thin I was cutting thing. I was determined to not ask for money. But I was not alone, the entire country had gone through a drought and depression. We were not yet at war, and the nation was only beginning to recover – primarily due to government expenditures of CCC, (Civil Conservation Corp), PWA (Public Works Administration), WPA (Works Project Administration) and other Roosevelt initiated programs. These government financed programs were being used to build things like the New Boeing Defense Plant in Wichita. These programs had helped put the unemployed to work but had not provided money to those who did not already have it for school expenses.

Mid Campus, Anderson Hall Administration All major buildings made of KS limestone

Anderson Hall mid left

Look at the one Next to You, One of You will Not be Back Next Year: I’m sure the others also remember out first official meeting as new freshmen with the school administrators. It was held in the main auditorium. The speaker said, take a good look at the person next to you – one of you will not be back next year.

Filling Classes: The enrollment process took place in the main gymnasium. There were large sheets on a wall with places for tickets. Their meaning was not legible to enrolling students but readily understood by enrolling instructors. The enrolling teacher built up a set of cards for each student, compiling a main card schedule and placing a student class cards at the appropriate place on the large sheets. Near the end it was obvious the teachers had to rearrange options in order to accommodate all the students.

Who Will Make It: At the introduction talk I took notice of those about me, trying to calibrate how they might do. One who caught my attention, caused me to wonder if he could make it? For some reason I had no doubts about my own ability. I was to see that fellow on several occasions, and found myself “eating” my initial evaluation. He was one of the brightest engineers – earning honors. I was the one having to work very hard to master the subjects. I never had to really study before, now I was being put to the test. My apprehension about mathematics was justified. It did not come natural to me. Fortunately I easily excelled in other things and had the inner tenacity to not give up.

Accountable to Mom: I found I was doing battle with two persons, myself and my Mother. I knew that if I gave up and quite, taking the easy way out, I would still be accountable to my Mother. Dad would accept how things turned out, accepting I would have given it my best. Mother would accept how things turned out – however, she would insist that I convince her, that I had indeed tried my utmost – that I really had given it the best that was in me. I soon discarded any thought of quitting, I had to give it another go – and did. I by the end of the first semester I knew I could make it – but it was not going to be easy and I was not going to be at the top of the class. I’d been spoiled in grade school and high school thinking perhaps I was as bright as the teachers believed me to be. In college they could care less, there were many very bright people for them to take an interest in. However I was to learn, the teachers knew each of us better than we thought.

Wrestling –Hospital – Geometry: “Pat” Patterson was the name of our wrestling coach, a friend of Dale Duncan one of my high school teachers who had wrestled under Pat. During my Sr year in HS Dale & Pat stopped by the creamery were I worked. They arrived at a time I was swinging 100 lb cream cans up onto the bed of a truck – they were impressed and commented on it. Pat introduced himself saying he’d like for me to go out for wrestling when I got to college. I said I’d think about it. After being in classes for about a month I’d been shocked with how much studying I had to do – I never made the effort to see Pat, I didn’t need to. Pat was our physical education instructor, a required three one hour sessions a week. Pat came up to me and said, I’ll give you credit for these three hours if you will come out for wrestling for two hours. I grinned and said, you got a deal.

Dale Duncan “Pat” Patterson

Pre WW II Dale Duncan was our Oberlin high school wrestling coach, and after WW II he moved to Manhattan KS working for the Veterans Administration and became our landlord 1946-1947.

Thus I was working out with the fellows on the K-State team. I was someone to practice on. One of the fellows had grown up on a farm and milked cows since childhood. He was very proud of his vice like grip. After about so much of this I’d become angry and give him a hard time by breaking his hold – he was tough but could not pin me.

Home on Christmas vacation my freshman year I stopped by the high school to visit Duncan. He immediately insisted I “suit up” as he wanted me to teach his team what I’d learned from Pat. He ignored my saying I was not really out for wrestling, just trading 3 hours for 2 hours. Dale insisted so I tried to remember all Pat had taught the team – this pleased Dale. Without a pause he squared me off with Gerald Hackney, a big kid who’s brother was then playing Pro-Football as a full back. I managed to almost pin Gerald, but not quite – he was just too big and too much muscle. Dale was very impressed – I was not. The following year Gerald was fullback on the KS football team.

Patterson set up a freshman wrestling tournament – it was mandatory. Pat signed me up and weighed me in. I stepped on the scale holding a stack of books as Pat weighed me – saying I should set those aside. I said there is no need to, as I’ve decided to go up two weights – Pat raise an eye brow. I said look Pat my weight and the one above include fellows who were state champions – no way am I going to defeat them, by going up another perhaps I can wrestle a fellow armature. Pat smiled and said OK. Pat as well as I were amazed that I won my first two matches. On the third I was about even when I opposed a hold rather than go with it – SNAP everyone could hear – I broke a rib! Actually it was where the rib attaches to the sternum. We were in the middle of exams at the time, I finished those then went to the student hospital. They kept me for about 10 days or so.

While there a fellow from NY was espousing the merits of Communism. I took offense to this and began to debate with him. He made it a point to intimidate me and put me down. He was a big fellow and I’m convince planted in the school to foster Communism. Others as well as myself did not take kindly to his behavior. I decided to fend him off. Our verbal battle “raged” for a couple of days during which I hammered at his arguments – he could see I was winning the arguments in the eye of other patients – he retreated to his bed and shut up. A fellow near me named Woods, said he was impressed and invited me to his SAE Fraternity for dinner. I did and several tried to persuade me to join. They were very nice fellows and I would like to have joined but said I was paying my own way and simply could not afford it.

When out of the hospital I was way behind and decided I would need to focus on some subject and not others. I went to my Solid Geometry Professor and told him my problem with the intent to drop the subject. He was very nice but said it was too late to drop it would have to be registered as a flunk. He said you might as well continue the class and learn what you can. About three weeks later I had recovered and hit the books on his class. We were given a test and when the results were handed out, he said, there was only one perfect paper – surprising all including myself that it was mine. I’m certain he gave me a passing grade only because he was convinced I had what it took to make it without retaking the class.

After the war while living in Duncan’s basement we students would often visit outside after dinner before entering to study. Pat came by to see Dale and we got to visiting. I used the occasion to thank Pat for what he taught me, as it came in handy in basic training in which I wrestled several one after another. Dale and Pat enjoyed my story. Then and later Pat kept after me to go out for wrestling again. I declined saying I was out of shape and would not make it through engineering. Wrestling is a very exhausting endeavor. Merlin Robertson a room mate from Oberlin also enrolled in engineering did go out for wrestling – he had to drop engineering as he’d fall asleep trying to study.

Bob Nelson & Darrell Landau ROTC

Bob became lead B-29 Navigator, shot down Mar 1945, beheaded Aug 1945 after first A-bomb.

Become a Hot Rock Pilots: My room mate Bob Nelson & I read a notice posted in the Chemistry building – you no longer needed a college degree to qualify for Cadet Training – provided you pass an exam. We were enrolled in ROTC Coast Artillery and our instructors were encouraging us to stay in school rather than rush off to service – that we could do more good by staying in school. As they were short of weapons, using pipe as a play like mortar it made good sense. They were short of weapons with plenty of people. My father was on the draft board and I felt a growing concern – though Jr and Sr engineers were being deferred from the draft to finish school – I didn’t feel comfortable seeking a deferment. Bob and I decided to go to Ft Riley and take the Cadet Exam.

On the way I checked him for color blind, having him read the Pepsi Cola signs and he checked me for 20-20 vision by having me read the fine print. We first took a mental exam. It was of long duration with many college kids there. Some aeronautical terms I just didn’t know and had to guess.

We then took the physical and found ourselves meeting in the hall, he’d just passed his color test and I’d just passed the 20-20 test. We shook hands, almost jumped up and down with delight.

I walked in and took the color test – only to hear them say, your color blind ! I was stunned, they had a bowel of colored yarn and I showed them, and they agreed I knew all the colors. But I still flunked.

We went by for a final meeting before leaving. The fellow who had just told Bob that he passed, saw my look of dejection. Probably to help me feel better he looked at my test score and shook his head, saying that’s too bad, you had one of the highest test scores today. His try to be encouraging did not help, I said it doesn’t matter if flunk the exam.