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Michigan State University Varsity ‘S’ Club

NEWSLETTER

VOL. 58 ISSUE 2 2ndVarsity ‘S’ Club 100th Anniversary Issue

BIG NEWS ON CAMPUS! - 1948 Above is a small fraction of the 5000 students who swarmed onto Grand River Avenue on December 12th, 1948 when it was announced that a conference committee in Chicago had accepted Michigan State College into the Big Ten. The jubilation followed nearly three years of resistance from an established school, one located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (More on pages 6 - 8)

S P R I N G 2 0 1 5 Michigan State University Varsity ‘S’ Club 535 Chestnut Rd. - Rm 276 East Lansing, MI 48824 Phone: (517) 355-8523 Fax: (517) 355-7708 Executive Committee Email: [email protected] Executive Director Alan Haller ’92! Website: www.msuvarsitysclub.org President R. Paul Vance ’01 1st Vice President Lauren Aitch ’09 2nd Vice President Tim Bograkos ’04 We value your opinion and want to know what Secretary Mike Vorkapich ’94 you think about the Varsity ‘S’ Club Newsletter. Director Emeritus David Brogan ’56 Past President ! Cheryl Gilliam ’81 Send us an e-mail, call or fax with items or Board of Directors topics you would like to see included in future Ian Clutten ’07 Wally Dobler ’58 newsletters. If you have suggestions on how to Sue Selke ’76 Dave Thomas ’01 improve the publication, let us know. David W. Thomas ’75 Don Weatherspoon ’67!

Young Alumni Elections for the Board of Directors of the Varsity ‘S’ Kristen Henn ’13 Travis Key ’07 Erica Mann ’11 Club are held each spring. If you would like to serve on the Board, simply visit our website, click on the Office Staff: Marilyn Bria (Office Hours: M-Th, 12-4; F, 12-3) application tab, print the form, complete, and mail to Newsletter Editor: Ron Berby the the club office. Spring 2015 Graduates - Jeffrey Kinley, Ryan Richardson Men’s - , Crew - Joanna Beaton, Amelia Clary, Elinor Hannum, Sarah Kovacs, Erin McGarry Field Hockey - Alexis Ahern, Michelle Graham, Jennifer Smith, Rebecca Stiles Football - James Bodanis, Adam Brown, Darien Harris, Damon Knox, Tony Lippett, Matthew Rea, Patrick Rhomberg, Andre Sims. Aaron Troup, Phillip-Michael Williams, Roger Williamson Men’s Golf - Carson Castellani Gymnastics - Carson Tabiolo Hockey - Ronald Boyd, Zachary Cisek, Brent Darnell Men’s Soccer - Joshua Barens, Brent McIntosh, Adam Montague Women’s Soccer - Courtney Clem, Gabrielle Gauruder, Courtney Hammer Softball - Sarah Hendricks, Stephanie Sanders, Ellie Stoffer Men’s Swimming - David Zoltowski, Nicholas Grider Women’s Swimming - Rebecca Berman, Kelly Delorme, Taylor Folkertsma, Marcella Kaprasezwicz, Shelby Lacy, Alison Menzies, Hannah Pugh Men’s Tennis - Andrew Lied Women’s Tennis - Marina Bohrer Men’s Track - Ryan Haag, Antonio James Women’s Track - Sarah Birkmeier Men’s Track & Cross Country - Benjamin Carruthers, Ryan Konen, Drake Veitenheimer, Alex Wilson Women’s Track & Cross Country - Emma Drenth, Sarah Kroll, Jaclyn Magness, Leah O’Connor, Julia Otwell, Sarah Stassen Volleyball - Kelsey Kuipers, Kori Moster, Jazmine White, Lauren Wicinski Wrestling - Luke Jones, Nicholas McDairmid, Kevin Nash, Nicholas Proctor, Ryan Watts

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2 President’s Message:

This summer will mark the conclusion of my first year as President of the Varsity ‘S’ Club. As I sit and reflect back on my first year in office, I am proud of what the Club has accomplished, but there is still much more to be done. I would like to personally thank our Executive Director, Alan Haller, our Administrative Assistant and Office Manager, Marilyn Bria, and past President Cheryl Gilliam in helping guide me through the first year of my Presidency. I would also like to thank each member of the Board of Directors for continuing to donate their time and efforts to the Club. Lastly, I would like to acknowledge our Graduate Assistants, Ali Grant and Denzel Drone, for their tireless work in assisting the Club. When I think of our Board of Directors and those who have donated so much of their time to the Club in the past, I think of a quote from NFL Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs, who once said, “People who enjoy what they are doing invariably do it well.”

Although it has been two years since our Club merged with the Athletic Department, the amalgamation process is still ongoing. It is our goal to be recognized as one of the top letterwinners clubs in the country. I believe we have taken some steps in this direction during the first year of my tenure, and I am confident we will continue to serve our current student athletes and former letterwinners to the best of our ability and beyond. The Varsity ‘S’ Club is no longer just about staying connected with former teammates, but also about giving back to current student athletes and celebrating and supporting all former letterwinners. In this regard, I am reminded of the motto of the National Letterwinners Association: “Athletes helping athletes.”

As we move forward in the upcoming year, the Club will be implementing some changes to our membership structure. Similar to the MSU Alumni Association, membership in the Varsity ‘S’ Club will no longer be fee based and will be replaced by a tiered structure. All individuals who have earned a varsity letter while attending MSU and who have either graduated or exhausted their athletic eligibility will be considered members of the Club - free of charge. We believe this will be a more inclusive approach to servicing all letterwinners. More details on the new membership structure will be provided within the upcoming months.

I would also like to take this opportunity to once again remind you to save the date of:

Friday, September 18, 2015 for our 100 Year Celebration of the MSU Varsity ‘S’ Club. The 100 year anniversary celebration will be a black tie optional event and co-hosted by MSU Athletic Director, Mark Hollis and MSU Alumni Association Executive Director, Scott Westerman. If you have not attended a Varsity ‘S’ Club reunion in the past, I sincerely encourage you to attend the 100 Year Celebration as it will surely be a memorable event. If you have attended a reunion banquet, I hope you decide to join us again for the 100 Year Celebration as it promises to be unlike any other banquet we have ever hosted.

In closing, I will leave you with a quote from my former coach, the legendary Joe Baum: “It’s a great day to be a Spartan.” #S2S4 #Celebrate100 ---- Paul Vance

S P R I N G 2 0 1 5 3 VARSITY ‘S’ CLUB ANNUAL AWARD WINNERS The2015 JACK BRESLIN LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD is presented to the Spartan varsity alumnus whose post- college career has brought honor to him and to Michigan State University and its sports program. WALLY DOBLER - began his swimming career at seven years old at the Flint YMCA. At Flint Central High School he set records in the freestyle and backstroke. After high school he served in the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division where he would discover the butterfly stroke, to which he’d later attribute much of his success. At MSU in the ‘50s Wally was Big Ten champ and All-American in swims and diving. He coached at Flint Central and Florida State and then worked for years in pharmaceutical sales..At age 39 became a masters swimmer, winning 19 national titles! He’s often found smiling and telling mostly true stories about his experiences. The NELL JACKSON OUTSTANDING ALUMNA AWARD is presented to a Spartan varsity alumna whose post-graduation career has been distinguished by both outstanding professional accomplishment and a record of exceptional community service. TAMMY FARNUM - played soccer and served as captain at MSU, her teams racking up a 50-22-3 record. She went on to serve as Women’s Soccer Head Coach and Women’s Athletic Director at Alma College from 1994 to 1997. A 20-year Michigan Girls Olympic Development Coach, her teams reached six ODP Championship games. The 2015 season marks the 19th for Tammy as an MSU soccer coach, serving nine seasons as Assistant Coach and ten promoted to Associate Coach. She and husband James sponsor a youth soccer camp honoring daughter Adalin, who died of cancer at age nine, with proceeds going to cancer patients. The HENRY C. BULLOUGH VARSITY ‘S’ SERVICE AWARD - Presented to an MSU varsity letter winner who demonstrates outstanding volunteer service and devotion to MSU athletics; and possesses high standards of character, positively reflecting on the prestige of MSU. CON DEMOS - After visiting the Michigan State football locker room with a family member at age eleven, Con knew that MSU was the school for him. Loving Spartan football, he arrived at State in 1961 and became a football manager. The Head Manager over his last two years, he enjoyed the most memorable moments of his Spartan career and still cherishes his 1965 National Championship ring. Graduating with a Bachelors in Civil Engineering, he worked for McDonnell Douglas for 3 years and for Shell Oil for 31. He’s done volunteer work for charities, co-authored a book on Spartan football, and has become the ‘S‘ Club’s primary photographer. The VANSPYBROOK RETIRED COACHES AWARD - is presented to the male or female MSU coach whose career has brought great personal honor, and by reflection to MSU and its intercollegiate athletic programs. CHARLES SCHMITTER - received a BA from the University of Detroit in 1930 and coached fencing in their formidable program until taking over at MSU and remaining for 45 years. His teams won 271 dual meets, and several of his fencers won Big Ten and NCAA titles with two, Al Kwarter and Judy Goodrich, competing in the Olympics. In 1956 he was the first American to receive a Fencing Master’s Diploma from the National Academy in Naples, Italy. He served fencing over the years as a member of national and international rules committees and coached Olympic fencers. Schmitter died in 2002 at age 94, but is yet revered by many. The BIGGIE MUNN EXTRA EFFORT AWARD - is presented periodically to an MSU graduate who possesses the highest standards of integrity and character, and who has demonstrated outstanding service to Michigan State University and the MSU community, exemplifying the belief that “the difference between being good and being great is just a little extra effort.” HENRY BULLOUGH - a three-year starter, Henry helped MSU to a football record of 21-7 from 1952-1954, including the 1952 National Championship and the 1953 Big Ten title. After MSU he was drafted by the Green Bay Packers where he played for two seasons. But it was his coaching that got notice. He was an assistant at MSU for 12 years and then another 20 in the NFL including Baltimore, New England, Cincinnati, Buffalo, Green Bay and Detroit. Known as the “Doctor of Defense,” he is credited with introducing the 3-4 defense to the NFL. He is proud that his sons Shane and Chuck, as well as grandsons Max and Riley, have starred as Spartans.

S P R I N G 2 0 1 5 4 AWARD WINNERS (Cont.) The CHERYL M. GILLIAM2015 YOUNG ALUMNI AWARD - is presented to the male or female who, since graduating from Michigan State University, shows promise of a distinguished career not only by outstanding professional accomplishments, but also by an exceptional record of community service. They represent MSU with integrity and respect within communities where they live and work.

ERICA MANN - was raised in Battle Creek, where she attended Lakeview Schools and was active in the community, her church and athletics. At MSU she ran track, competing in top competition including the Drake Relays, and graduated with a degree in Communications. While at State she studied abroad, training in Australia and traveling to South Africa on mission with Athletes in Action. On graduation she has worked at KI Technology Group as a Marketing Administrator, and has volunteered with many groups, including ‘S’ Club Board. She has modeled for Coke, MC Sports and was a semi-finalist in the Miss Michigan USA pageant.

The JOEY M. SPANO VARSITY ‘S’ CLUB FELLOWSHIP is presented annually to MSU Student- Athletes advance their knowledge and transform their lives in their respective quests for excellence.

LINDSEY MCPHERSON - is a 4-year letter winner in golf and member of MSU’s 2014 Big Ten Championship Team, and won the Big Ten’s Sportsmanship Award in 2014 and 2015.. She graduated in December 2014 with a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and plans to earn a Master’s Degree in Business Analytics with help from the fellowship. At State she was also active with the Student Athlete Advisory Council, serving as its Secretary in 2014-2015. She has participated in several charity efforts, including Chuck-A-Puck, Teams for Toys, and has instructed elementary kids in golf. “Determination,” she says, That sums up her years at Michigan State.

VARSITY ‘S’ CLUB HONORARY MEMBERS

JAKE BOSS2015 - played baseball at Alma College from 1989-1993, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in English. He successfully coached at Michigan high schools, and then the Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge. Next it was 7 years assisting Eastern Michigan to three MAC championships, and then Michigan from 2004 to 2007, the team garnering Regional and Big Ten titles. His 194 wins in 6 seasons are the highest for that span by a Spartan coach. Mostly, he has brought a fresh expectation for the Spartans to achieve and win.

PATRICK MCPHARLIN - recently retired as President/CEO of MSU’s Federal Credit Union after 42 years of service. He had previously served as Vice President of Lending and Member Services and VP of Member Services and Adjustments. Through the last 14 years of often turbulent economic conditions, the Credit Union increased its assets from $600 million to $2.8 billion, raising it to the 52nd largest credit union in the United States. He has also been named recipient of many awards, for both professional and community service.

DEBBIE STABENOW - is a proud Spartan, having earned her Bachelors and Masters Degrees at Michigan State. She has represented our university campus in the Michigan House, the Michigan Senate, the U.S. House and now the U.S. Senate, the first woman in Michigan history elected as a Senator. She’s been the Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, and author of the 2014 Farm Bill, which strengthened the state’s fruit and crop industries. She champions health care, and protects Medicare and Social Security.

NATHAN TRIPLETT - graduated from MSU in 2006 from the James Madison College and completed his Law Degree at MSU in 2012. In 2013 he was elected Mayor of the City of East Lansing, the youngest mayor in its 107 year history. He is licensed to practice law in Michigan state courts, U.S. District Courts and the U.S. Court of Appeals. He has authored numerous city ordinances, a first: one mandating that landlords distribute voter registration forms and information to tenants, an act which may greatly increase voting by MSU students.

S P R I N G 2 0 1 5 5 2015 ‘S’ Club Awardees

Top Row: Wally Dobler, Tammy Farnum, Con Demos, Charles Schmitter, Henry Bullough & Erica Mann Bottom Row: Lindsey McPherson, , Patrick McPharlin, Debbie Stabenow & Nathan Triplett Scenes, Memories from Michigan State College’s Sports & Campus History Type to enter text

Above left: A 1930s hockey game in . With only 4.000 seats and columns blocking the view, it was replaced for basketball by: Above right: Jenison Field House in 1940, which then held 8,500 and would later hold more. Hockey stayed in “Dem Hall” until Munn Arena was built in 1974. Left: The 1949 MSC NCAA Championship Cross Country Team: One of several NCAA titles held by the Spartans, cross country continues to be MSU’s most successful sport. In the late 1930s, MSC coaches spearheaded an effort to establish an NCAA Championship. The first came in 1939; the 8th - and last men’s title - came in 1959. However, last fall our women’s team won MSU’s 9th NCAA Crown!

S P R I N G 2 0 1 5 6 More MSC Memories Type to enter text

Sports no longer contested by Michigan State: Boxing, Men’s Lacrosse, Men’s Gymnastics and Fencing are sports no longer offered at MSU. Nineteen-fifty- eight was the Spartans’ last season of boxing, mostly because it fell out of favor as a college sport. Men’s lacrosse, men’s gymnastics and fencing were later discontinued to make way for Title IX women’s sports. But anyone with a daughter or granddaughter will tell you that though it is unfortunate that men’s sports were lost, women’s sports was an idea whose time had come. Above left is Chuck Davey, State’s 4-time NCAA Champ, Olympian and later professional fighter. Above right is Bill Lacey, a Spartan NCAA Fencing Champion.

Significant Dates for MSU and Its Sports History Feb. 12, 1855 - School founded as Agricultural College of the State of Michigan 1910 - MAC yearbook called the “Wolverine,” and stayed so until 1975! (In the 1860s President Abe Lincoln referred to a Michigan politician as a “wolverine,” and for years anyone from our state was called that!) 1915 - Group of 21 Michigan Agricultural College athletes forms MAC Varsity Club May 1, 1925 - named Michigan State College - later in 1925, George Alderton, Lansing State Journal Sports Editor calls teams the “Spartans,” rather than the “Aggies” used when it was primarily an agricultural college. Dec. 12, 1948 - MSC admitted into Big Ten Conference. In 1946, the University of Chicago dropped out of the Big Ten, ending all of its sports programs. For nearly 3 years MSC lobbied for Big Ten membership, and was helped by Notre Dame, which had long competed in football with the Spartans. In a supposed “unanimous” vote (it’s rumored that U-M abstained), MSC joined the Big Ten. Then MSU President John Hannah said, “We anticipated that Ann Arbor would be unfriendly and critical and obstructive, and that is exactly what they were.” July 5, 1955 - called Michigan State University 1999 - undergraduate component of Varsity ‘S’ Club discontinued

S P R I N G 2 0 1 5 7 ...and yet More Memories turns MSC into a national football power A number of early Aggie/Spartan football coaches - including and - produced winning teams for our East Lansing campus, but none brought his teams to national attention as much as Bachman. Despite the loss of athletes during World War II (State did not have the huge military training program that some schools enjoyed), he maintained a winning record over the last seven years of his time at the helm of Spartan football. His overall record from 1933 to 1946 was 70, 34 and 10. Notable among his early years at MSC were consecutive wins over Michigan in 1934, 1935, 1936 and 1937. For other than recent Spartan teams, few programs can say they beat Michigan - in its century and a quarter of football - for four consecutive years. MSC teams before this had travelled east to play Ivy League schools and the likes of Syracuse, but Bachman took his teams west and played Washington State, Arizona and Oregon State. Joe Barrie, who lived to be 103, told how he and his young new bride jumped at the chance to move to California because of his memory of the scenic beauty of great bluffs over the Pacific when MSC traveled to Los Angeles to play what is now Loyola Marymount.

Above: Fred Alderman in a center lane wins the NCAA 100-Yard Dash title in Chicago’s Soldier Field in spring of 1927. Note the other Spartan finishing to the right. Right: Ralph Young, Alderman’s coach, developed him and two others to Olympic Teams as well nineteen others who would be named All- Americans. The Spartans came to national track prominence for the first time. A.D. Ralph Young sparks explosion in Spartan sports success Young coached track from 1923 to 1940, but served as Athletic Director also, serving from 1923 to 1954. His hiring of for Hockey, Fendley Collins for Wrestling, for Baseball, George Makris for Boxing, Charles McCaffree for Swimming, Biggie Munn for Football, Karl Schlademan for Cross Country and Track, Charles Schmitter for Fencing, and George Szypula for Gymnastics proved brilliant. Between 1950 and 1954 alone, 29 of those coaches’ teams ranked among the top ten in the nation, and the momentum would carry for some time after, a legacy which very few athletic directors could ever match.

S P R I N G 2 0 1 5 8 Michigan State University Varsity ‘S’ Club Merchant Discount Program The Varsity ‘S’ Club coordinates a program with several campus-area merchants to give club members a discount on purchases when you present your membership card. So if you live in the East Lansing area, or when you visit campus, please patronize these fine merchants who support MSU athletics. Listed below are merchants participating in the program. Discount amounts vary by merchant, so please check with your cashier or waitperson prior to ordering. Albert’s Furniture - 32344 Michigan Ave. - Wayne Applebee’s - 2284 Woodlake Drive - Okemos Arby’s - 2220 Jolly Rd. - Okemos Bell’s Greek Pizza - 1135 E. Grand River Ave. - East Lansing Bravo! Cuchina Italiana - Eastwood Town Center - Lansing Cosi - 301 E. Grand River Ave. - East Lansing Dusty’s Cellar - 1839 W Grand River Ave. - Okemos Emil’s Italian Restaurant - 2012 E Michigan Ave. - Lansing Forest Akers West Pro Shop - MSU Golf Courses Grand Traverse Pie Co. - 1401 E Grand River Ave. - East Lansing Grand Traverse Pie Co - 3536 Meridian Crossing - Okemos Gilbert & Blake Steak & Seafood - 3554 Okemos Rd. - Okemos Harper’s - 131 Albert Avenue - East Lansing Holden & Reid Clothiers - Frandor Shopping Center - Lansing Twp. Kellogg Hotel - State Room Restaurant - MSU Campus Kellogg Hotel - Gift Shop - MSU Campus Leo’s Lodge - 2525 E. Jolly Rd. - Lansing Leo’s Outpost - 600 S. Pennsylvania Ave. - Lansing Leo’s Spirits and Grub - 2085 W Grand River Ave. - Okemos Michael’s (Framing Dept. only) - Frandor Shopping Center - Lansing Twp. Panera Bread - Frandor Shopping Center - Lansing Twp. Panera Bread - 4738 Central Park Dr. - Okemos The Pizza House - 4790 S. Hagadorn, Suites 114-116 - East Lansing Reno’s East Sportsbar & Grill - 1310 Abbot Rd. - East Lansing Reno’s West Sportsbar & Grill - 5001 W. Saginaw Hwy. - Lansing Spartan Book Store - International Center - Campus Spartan Hall of Fame Cafe - 1601 Lake Lansing Rd. - East Lansing Student Book Store - 421 E. Grand River Ave - East Lansing Trippers - Frandor Shopping Center - Lansing Twp. Velocipede Peddler - 2758 Grand River Ave. - East Lansing Woody’s Oasis - 1050 Trowbridge Rd. - East Lansing Additional merchants will be added as the program develops. For more information about the program, contact the Varsity ‘S’ Club office at 517-355-8523 or the committee members listed below: Ron Berby - 517-290-8043, Wally Dobler - 517-372-8096, Eldon VanSpybrook - 248-895-0015

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Honors Does your Varsity Jacket, which fit when Bosco Sarenac , 73, Swimming 1957 - Was inducted you were twenty, seem tiny these days? into the Indiana High School Swimming and Diving Hall of Fame on April 18th, 2015. Originally from Or, do the moths like it even more than you West Allis, Wisconsin, he won seven high school do? Take heart. A Varsity ‘S’ Club letters, and swam as a member of State’s 1957 Big Replacement Jacket may be just what you Ten Championship Team. He coached at South Bend need! Interested? Contact the Club office (Ind.) Riley and Milwaukee (Wis.) Trade and Tech High Schools, his teams winning many state and city at: 517/355-8523 championships. He also coached football and tennis. SAVE THE DATES Passings Ron Frisosky, 73, Fencing 1961-63 - Died August 4th, June 3, 2015 - ‘S’ Club Golf Outing 2014. Born in Lansing, he attended St. Mary’s and MSU before partnering in a chain of sporting goods Sept. 17-19, 2015 (Thur.-Sat.) - Reunion stores. Moving to Sarasota, FL in the eighties, Weekend - MSU vs. Air Force. working as a rep for Catalina Yachts, he became known strong work ethic and enthusiasm. Oct. 2 & 3, 2015 (Fri-Sat)- Homecoming Mike Rado, 58, Swimming 1975 -1978 - Died Feb. Parade and Football game vs. Purdue 25th, 2014 after a two-year battle with brain cancer. A state champion swimmer at Farmington Hills December 31, 2015 - Last day to submit Harrison, he successfully coached for decades at Bloomfield Hills, and was known as an exceptional candidates for 2016 ‘S‘ Club Awards mentor to his athletes. S P R I N G 2 0 1 5 10