Bulletin | Spring 2021
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NOTES Lehigh’s rocky rapids rush from problems caused me to quit out the West, ’Mid a grove of the team. The coach was Tony spreading chestnuts, walls in Packer. ivy dressed, On the breast of old “My first week was spent on South Mountain, reared against the top floor of the ‘Young Folks LEHIGH DISPATCH the sky, Stands our noble Alma Bazaar’ building, a very warm mater, stands our dear Lehigh.” week! Editor’s note: Welcome to Lehigh Dispatch, where you can find He sang the whole of it; “Fortunately, I was then out what your fellow alums are up to. Thanks to our dedicated despite his physical discom- housed in Taylor Hall, Section correspondents for the work you do to keep our extended fort and his memory loss, he E, with Charles Nicholls ’49, Lehigh community together. Please send Class Notes to your remembered every word of his Larry Malone ’49 and Ray alma mater. We sang together. Stauffer ’49, all GI Bill students. class correspondent, or, if unsure the class to which the news “Hail, all hail, Lehigh.” “Upon graduation I went to applies, send to [email protected]. Dad was given full military work with the New Jersey Zinc honors at graveside. I thought Company, at the world-famous the playing of taps would break Franklin and Sterling Mine in Dawn MacAllis- an 18-year-old traveling alone me, but like the WWII soldier Franklin, N.J., where I met and ter ’85 and Tom by train to a school far away, would have wanted, I stood married my wife. We celebrated ’43 MacAllister ’43, sight unseen, with his belong- tall, proud and firm, hand over our 64th anniversary. (540) 424-9436 (H); bunpanic@ ings shipped separately to heart, and I clutched that folded “We have been Florida yahoo.com save money, it is humbling. All flag with gratitude for his ser- residents for 26 years, with the It is with great sadness that I this, he said, as Germany was vice, his life and his legacy. hurricanes and wildfires, and write the Class of 1943 entry crossing the Polish border and Thanks, Dad, for a life well are in reasonably good health. this quarter. My dad, Thomas war, he knew, was imminent. He lived, and thanks for choosing “Sincerely, Steve Mitchell MacAllister, the inspiration enrolled in ROTC thinking if he Lehigh. I will go forward sans ’51” behind my taking over as class had to go to war, maybe his luck fear and remember your advice correspondent, my teacher and would be better as an officer. He to “do the best you can, some- Bill Erdman, hero, passed away peacefully spoke of the “good times,” work- times it’s all you can do, and it’s (407) 644-0391; holding my hand on November ing at Bethlehem Steel at No. 8 enough.” ’52 1171 Willa Vista 9, 2020. As I attempt to write an Machine Shop, washing dishes Trail, Maitland, Fla., 32751 uplifting message of perspective at the Lehigh Lunch, which Editor’s note: [email protected]; and life lessons, my thoughts saved meal money, solving the Dick MacAdams seeoursite.org/lehigh turn to Dad’s memories of Le- world’s problems at the Tally ’46 passed away in Is there anyone left out there? I high and his WWII years. Ho while taking advantage of December 2020. He had served haven’t heard a peep from any of Dad had a fall in August the student discount meals. in his class’s leadership for over you guys! It sure makes it hard which necessitated a move He learned of the attack on 25 years, specifically writing this to write a newsletter about the to assisted living near me in Pearl Harbor when he arrived at column for the last 12 years. Dick “Golden Years” of the Class of Virginia. He spent 61 years in the library to study that Sunday had a special way of bringing ’52. I expected it to be the other the house I grew up in, and the morning, but even knowing the back memories from the Class way around—as you sat around move was traumatic. For a while fate of his graduating class, he of ’46’s time on campus, and we in your mask and hand sanitiz- the storyteller was silent, and I focused on his studies as the will miss his creativity and wit. er, looking for something to do, was worried. We watched a lot future hadn’t yet arrived. When As Dick would always close his I was sure you would take this of baseball and movies, and I ate graduation came, he left with columns, so shall we here: opportunity to write me several quiet lunches with him daily. a diploma and orders to report “En avant!” newsy notes. It is your loss as I Then I took out the Shutterfly on three days leave to his first am forced to bore you with my book I made of our weekend at wartime assignment as a second Dick Allen, misadventures. his 70th Reunion in 2013, and it lieutenant in the U.S. Army. I 15010 Shell Point As stated last issue, I had did the trick. asked if he was scared. He said, ’51Blvd., Fort Myers, set a goal of riding 90 miles on The counselor came to his “Yes, we were all scared, but we FL 33908. (239) 243-0969 (H); my bike the week of my 90th house when he was a junior in all had a job to do and we did [email protected] birthday. I achieved the goal high school and told his parents it, and hoped luck was on our I received the following letter and beyond—118 miles in five that due to his excellence in side.” In those memories lies from Steve Mitchell last Sep- days bracketing my birthday. math and science, he was a my perspective. It’s the courage tember. It is printed here in its In fact, I did 290 miles that scholarship candidate for three and honor with which his gen- entirety. month of September. My family top engineering schools on the eration faced the uncertainty “Dear Dick, gave me a great celebration via East Coast. After a series of that formed the character that “I was on the 1947 freshman Zoom. Seeing all my family was tests, the counselor suggested influenced my life. football team, along with Rob- a fitting reward. Lehigh as the best match for As he closed the book, he ert Kaulius, Richard Doyne However, don’t be too excited Dad. When I think of him as began to sing, “Where the and Dick Gabriel. Scholastic about my skills on a bike. At 6:30 44 | LEHIGH BULLETIN NOTES a.m. on October 7, your knight news is, however, that for the Burt Schweigaard- computer series, Art jumped of the road was hit broadside by next issue of the Lehigh Bulle- Olsen, 1299 N. right in and learned computer a woman who ran a red traffic tin, our Herb Roemmele will ’54 Tamiami Trail, programming. He completed light and demolished my bike be guest correspondent. Herb, Unit 1021, Sarasota, FL 34236. his formal industrial career in and also did the same to me! As you may remember, wrote our (941) 923-4210 (H); (828) 577- 1994 after several years as a I crossed an intersection on a column for several years right 1484 (C); [email protected] data processing contractor and green light, I looked right and after graduation and before retired to Florida. saw only the hood of a full-size Tip took over. Burt Sutker, Art’s father attended Lehigh pickup truck as it hit me. My We may want to continue 55 Lexington and graduated in 1928 after only reflex was to straight-arm the guest columnist policy. At ’55 Drive, Pennington, serving in the British Navy in the hood—this saved my life. our ages that is probably a good NJ 08534. 609-730-0839; World War I. A niece graduated The action threw me from my plan. [email protected] in 2018. bike, which she then ran over. If Following the news of Tip’s Along with a specificArt Swal- His note asks to be remem- I had stayed on it, I would not be death, I heard from a number low-centered column, I want to bered by Lehigh colleagues Bill writing this today. of classmates with notes fondly just mention the other Lehigh Swider, Carl Albright, Ed The good news: I walked remembering him. Jay Picking classmates that I have heard Cahn and his Drinker room- away from it, mostly cuts and wrote that he and Tip were from in the past months. mate, Phil Salter. bruises, a sore hip and leg, fraternity brothers of Kappa Bill Schiesser introduced He says how much he ap- dislocated thumb from the Sigma. Others writing were Em- me to a series of lectures given preciates attending Lehigh for hood, driver was insured, pass- mett Clary, Nick Gentile, Don by the department where he those first two years and how it erby gave police an eyewitness Moyle and Don Swartz. serves as an emeritus professor. truly affected his life. account of what happened and I Herb talked to Charley Hull Lou Peters is sending week- Don Steeber, who was high- had it all recorded on my helmet and passed along that Charley is ly thought and humor. John lighted in the Spring 2020 issue camera. still alive and well in New York Mahoney “edits” my columns of the Bulletin and was the force Kinda morbid, Bill.