Send your letter with a click...

Letters

Wow!

I just finished reading the Fall 2005 issue of The TCU Magazine. All I can say is “Wow,” what a great bunch of stories! First, the cover filled with faces I recognize along with the wonderful story “Greeks at 50.” Then the interview with Dan Jenkins whose stuff I have been enjoying for at least 50 years. Then the article about Dan written by his daughter Sally. I read it originally in Golf Digest and intended to keep it but it was accidentally discarded so thanks for replacing it for me. Then the story about the old stadium which holds so many wonderful memories for all of us. I went to my first TCU game there in 1946, and was immediately hooked on the purple Frogs. Then to top it all off, the story about my old fraternity brother Bill “Icky Twerp” Camfield who along with 14 others of us founded the SAE chapter at TCU. This issue is definitely a keeper. Many thanks and keep up the great job you are doing.
Larry Alderson ‘56

Forever Greek

I enjoyed the article about the Greeks and the 50th Anniversary. Leroy Little and I were the two actives required to establish the SAE chapter at TCU. Mr. Little had been an active SAE member at the Colorado School of The Mines and I had been an active at Franklin College, Franklin, Ind. Upon my discharge from the USAF in 1951, I entered TCU as a junior.
One of the interesting stories of the SAE Chapter is that a pledge by the name of Van Williams – who went on to play the Green Hornet on television – made a mistake or two and as a punishment, Mr. Little and I took him out a few miles from the campus and had him bury a cigarette butt in a 6-foot-by-6-foot grave. Such were the early days of the Greek System at TCU.
Joseph A. Clark ‘57 (MEd ‘61)

The pinning ceremony pictured on page 33 was between Helen Joyce Wheeler, a Delta Delta Delta, and Bill Bowers, a member of Phi Delta Theta. They eventually got married and are still together.
Jim Shelton ‘65, also a Phi Delt

Although I thoroughly enjoyed the Fall 2005 issue — especially the emphasis on the beginning of Greek organizations — Ronnie (yes, I knew him as Ronnie) Flowers’ article, “Belief in the Constitution,” and the article on torture, I must point out an error in the Greek story in the sidebar “The Originals.”

Delta Delta Delta was one of the original sororities established in 1954, not Delta Gamma. Delta Gamma, along with Pi Beta Phi, was added in 1956. What great years those were! It was good to see my husband’s picture on page 32 as well as on the cover along with photos of other old Phi Delt friends.
Duskey Sodders Mallory ‘58

I’m writing to congratulate you and Allison F. Speer for a job well done! The feature article in the Fall 2005 issue, “Greeks at 50,” showcasing TCU’s Greek Life was very well written. I appreciate the time taken to research the topic and your effort to show the complete picture of Greek Life at TCU.

Members in the Alpha Phi Alpha photo on page 36 are as follows: (back row left to right) John Dent, Blake Moorman, Stacy Jones, Derrick Rodgers and LeVoil Crump. (front row left to right) Warren Parker, Horatio Porter, Anthony Renteria and Stephen Conley. Thank you and keep up the good work.
Blake Moorman ‘87

As a recent alumnae and journalism graduate, I was disappointed to see the lack of research put into what has enhanced, to a larger scale in recent years, the Latino Greek community. I was annoyed to see that no profile was done on any Latino(a) Greek organization, especially the first one.

It saddens me to see how the accuracy of our Latino Greek roots were overlooked and that you even published a timeline with that disrespect. Latino social groups did not begin to form in 1997 as stated there. In fact, Sigma Lambda Alpha Sorority, Inc. was established in 1993, a year or so after the drafting of the non-Greek Organization of Latin American Students (OLAS).

SLA deserves to get credit where credit is due. The sisterhood has been the largest minority Greek organization, consistently averaging about 18 members a year. The Greek Office, Student Development Services, even SGA could have educated your reporter more in depth.

I’ve seen minority representation increase because of the efforts made by great men: former-Chancellor Michael Ferrari and his assistant Dr. Cornell Thomas. I know staff like Darron Turner and Victoria Herrera will continue to pave the way for my future fellow minority colleagues. I just wish TCU as a whole was a little better informed about our young Latino history in general, and in the Greek Life sector, through publications like yours.
Carmen Castro ‘05

I noticed the Greek timeline of historic events left off a big piece of my life. My sorority, Sigma Lambda Alpha Sorority, Inc./Senoritas Latinas en Accion, was founded at TCU in 1993. The timeline suggests that it was not until 1997. As a member of the 50th Greek Anniversary Planning Committee, and Outgoing President of SLA, it is very disappointing to be overlooked. We have received numerous campus awards, such as the Excellent Organization Award, and the Outstanding Program Award from SGA for our contributions to TCU and the Fort Worth Community. I am not sure who did the research, or where the sources came from, but I am confident that you will do what is necessary to compensate for this error. It is my hope that at the 100th Greek Anniversary, this mistake will not happen again.
Natalie Ayala ‘07

Editor’s note: We apologize for the error in the timeline. It was inadvertent and no offense was intended.

Delightfully Icky

The article about Icky Twerp in the last issue brought back many memories of afternoons with Ajax, Moe, Larry, et al. I had actually forgotten about the bicycle projector. My most vivid memories are of the apes and the olio curtain with advertisements on it, a la a vaudeville stage, that would roll up and reveal some of the action.

My father was a local critic and knew Bill Camfield fairly well. I remember going to the studio one evening in 1960 or ‘61 to watch them tape three sketches that would run throughout the next week. The only one I specifically remember was a sketch where a female singer in an evening gown would sing to grand piano accompaniment as she knocked things over. Most of it was thought up as they rehearsed: knocking a glass of water on the accompanist, knocking over a screen to reveal stage hands playing cards, etc. I still have the souvenir picture that was taken of 7-year-old me hitting Icky on the head with a (papier mache) sledge hammer. Thanks for the nostalgia trip.
Bryan (David) Brooks ‘76

Just got my magazine today. Excellent article on Twerp, et.al. You deserve a “pie in the face” (a sign of acceptance
from this ol’ Slam Bang veteran).
Phil Crow ‘59

Church and state

It is with much reluctance that I comment on Professor Ronald B Flowers’ speech, “Belief in the Constitution” that appeared in the Fall issue of The TCU Magazine, because I agree with much of what he said. But there were a few thoughts with which I respectfully disagree.
First, I do not agree that, “Separating church and state is the surest way to protect religious freedom.” This nation operated for over 170 years very nicely with religious freedom without the phrase,”separation of church and state.” It doesn’t appear in any of our founding documents and didn’t even appear in our jurisprudence lexicon until 1947 when then ACLU attorney Leo Pfeffer incorporated it in a brief and dropped it on then-Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black’s desk. Black liked it, inserted it in the Everson Case, ran it up the flagpole, and it passed 5-4.

Professor Flowers’ comment, “the founders did not intend this to be a Christian nation” does not pass muster. The Mayflower Compact of 1620 begins with the words, “In the name of God, Amen.” In 1643, the New England colonies got together and formed the New England Confederation. In it, they penned these words, “Whereas we all came to these parts of America with one and the same end and aim, namely to advance the Kingdom of our Lord, Jesus Christ and enjoy the liberties of the Gospel.” Our Declaration of Independence mentions the “Creator” and other references to God four times. Patrick Henry, the great flaming tongue of the Revolution, the fellow of “give me liberty or give me death” fame had this to say: “It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians, not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Professor Flowers’ comment, “The Constitution does not mention God, Jesus Christ, or Christianity” is not quite correct. Toward the end of the Constitution, it reads, “in the year of our Lord, seventeen hundred and eighty-seven.” That’s a direct reference to Jesus Christ.

Finally, in 1892, after ten years of studying this issue, our United States Supreme Court in the Church of the Holy Trinity v United States Case declared America to be a Christian Nation. It was a 9-0 vote, and Justice David Josiah Brewer wrote the opinion of the court; it was reviewed in 1931 by Justice George Sutherland and upheld. For God and Country!
Ted Hayes ‘52

Rockwell Kent

I read with great interest the article Artistic Journey, in the Fall issue describing TCU Instructor Greg Mansur’s 12-year trek following the multi-talented Rockwell Kent. I was particularly struck by the fact that Kent was “always a friend of the Soviet Union….” and a “Utopian Socialist who championed the equal distribution of wealth….” Mr. Kent’s reported ideology got me wondering.

I wonder if Mr. Kent second guessed his friendship toward the Soviet Union as Soviet tanks extinguished the budding flames of liberty in East Germany (1953), Hungary (1956) and Czechoslovakia (1968). Or when that wall was built in East Berlin imprisoning people and keeping them from seeing their own family. Had he lived long enough, I wonder if Mr. Kent would have cheered when Ronald Reagan spoke for all who choose freedom by merely saying, “Mr. Gorbachev, TEAR DOWN THIS WALL!”

I wonder if Mr. Kent second guessed his friendship toward the Soviet Union when he was able to travel so freely, when he lived in his rather spacious home on Monhegan Island and otherwise partook of the fruits of the American free enterprise system while his brethren in the Soviet Union lived in state-imposed tiny apartments and waited for meager food rations in the near empty food stores of “Utopian Socialism.”

I wonder if Mr. Kent would cheer today that the tyranny of Soviet communism is dead and that millions in the old Soviet dictatorship breathe freely today, thanks to those who saw the Soviet Union as the threat that it proved to be.

Mr. Kent was obviously talented, but thankfully his ideology did not prevail!
Robert S. Terjesen ‘72

Response by Professor Greg Mansur: This issue you raise, that one’s nationalistic polemic makes one an accomplice to that nation’s actions, is a double-edged sword. For to align Kent to the atrocities of the then Soviet Union, is to align me to the atrocities of my government: Vietnam, the Iraq war, the chaos in New Orleans, or the actions of Karl Rove, or Tom Delay, or George W. Bush. I can’t agree to this.

The horror of Joseph Stalin’s legacy surely would have broken Kent’s heart, and America’s continuing abandonment of its labor force would have been a great disappointment as well. Yet, to be fair, I do not know what Rockwell Kent would say about anything. He was a wild card, unpredictable, headstrong, always ready for a fight. His life was one of intellectual rigor, asking and questioning what needed to be asked and questioned.

Our grand gridiron

Brian Estridge’s article on Amon Carter Stadium is right on. The old stadium is a diamond in the rough that needs to be upgraded in to the 21st century. All the charm and mystique of the old stadium needs to remain. The field and stands are perfect for a college game. Do not remove the upper deck. Do upgrade the visitors locker room, upgrade the press box, brighten up the concourses, improve the concession stands, remodel and add rest rooms, add luxury suites and anything else to turn the stadium into a year round use facility. Turn it into a facility that Fort Worth and Tarrant County will be proud of and happy to support.
Billy Bruce ‘65

Switched again

I thought it interesting that on page 26 of the most recent issue there is a picture of Sandra Doan and Paul Sanchez with the comment that it is astounding to have two Fulbright Scholars this year from TCU, and on page 59 there is a picture of my twin and I who were both Fulbright Scholars from TCU 50 years ago in 1955. My twin, Dr. Rogene Faulkner Henderson, studied in Munich and I studied in Heidelberg. Our identities are switched in the picture but that’s okay. It happens a lot.
Roberta Faulkner Sund ‘55

Brite memories

Relative to the article in the fall The TCU Magazine, concerning Brite College and the Harrison family and their extreme care and concern for TCU, I would like to comment. In Pecos, Texas, in the ‘30s, Oliver was my pastor and friend. In 1946, when I graduated from TCU, I asked Dr. Sadler if Oliver could deliver the commencement address. He did – and was highly praised.

What a great article in your magazine.
Edith Reaves ‘46

Still questioning at 91

In 1934 a neighbor in Fort Worth, Verna Berrong, spurred me into applying for an enormous $150 Rotary Club loan to enroll in TCU. I became a student but not an A student. I majored in history and was Dr. Jack Hammond’s assistant. He was mayor of Fort Worth at that time. I helped with a canvas of the Mexican community for the purpose of building a New Deal low-cost housing project near the Court House. This experience made me a lifelong liberal.

I served as student body president (with Sam Baugh’s endorsement) for an entire week. We seniors were having a graduation party and two couples began dancing just as the faculty chaperons walked in. This violated the university’s no dancing policy. I would have been expelled if it hadn’t been for my cousin Harry Gately. He was a big contributor and handled the insurance policies. I was forced to resign. My replacement was Richard Poll, a Quaker.

Skipping ahead, I volunteered for World War II six months before Pearl Harbor. Served as an Aide to General Lee S. Gerow, 85th Infantry Division, in Italy. We liberated Rome thanks to many dead and wounded heros in 1945. On the General’s typewriter, I wrote “What I Am Fighting For” (Free World Magazine Nov. 1944).

I returned to TCU and received my masters in history in 1946, again as Dr. Hammond’s assistant. I married Dorothy Wood in 1947 and we flipped a coin to decide whether to go to the University of Texas or Columbia University in New York where retired General Dwight D. Eisenhower was president. Columbia won.

I subsequently became a Philosophy of Education teacher at four places and retired from Northland College in Ashland, Wisconsin in 1971.

Since then my hobby has been collecting and showing Lake Superior clay sculpture (concretions). You can see them at http://community.webtv.net/BuckConcretions/Claystoresenergy.

I am 91, in fairly good health thanks to the VA Hospital in nearby Madison, and play better golf today than I did when I went to Central High School in Fort Worth with Ben Hogan. He wasn’t on the team because he had to support his mother. He played so good that duffers liked to lose money to him.

Can you dance at class parties now?
Byron Buckeridge ‘46 (MA ‘48)