Letters

The future of nursing
I was writing to express my dismay at your lack of coverage of the 60th anniversary of the School of Nursing. I do not feel that a one page historical summary of the school at the back of the magazine is even remotely sufficient.

Given the current nursing shortage in this country, the magazine should have gone out of its way to highlight the school. While there is a rich history to the School of Nursing, the direction it is headed is deserving of the highest recognition. In the 14 years since I graduated, they have gone high tech. Nursing students today have high tech patient simulators on which to practice their skills.

There is an entire laboratory devoted to the research of Dr. Dennis Cheek, a professor of nursing genomics. I do not believe the magazine's readers are interested in what nursing students used to wear for uniforms. They need to be educated about where nurses are going. They are becoming anesthetists, advanced level practitioners, researchers, legal consultants, journalists, and educators.

Men are joining our profession in record numbers. The sky is truly the limit. The magazine would have done our profession a great service by highlighting the exciting future that the profession of nursing has to offer. The TCU program provided me with a top notch education second to none.

I have been able to truly achieve all goals I could have set for myself at that early stage of my professional life, as well as plan for future opportunities in this profession that the nurses of yesteryear could only have hoped for. Please dedicate an issue to this fine institution and the wonderful students, graduates and professors who make it one of the top nursing schools in the country.

Kimberly Barnes Donaldson, RN '92

Heavenly Harps
When Dr. Laura Logan came to TCU in the fall of 2001, it was her first year and also my daughter's first year. When our daughter Lauren won first chair as a harpist in the 2001 TMEA All State Orchestra, she chose TCU because of the fine history of the music department and Dr. Herman Gutierrez. For four years, she was the only harpist at TCU. She played not only in the TCU Symphony but also in the TCU Wind Symphony and other ensembles. Even after her graduation in 2005, Lauren was asked to come back and play with the TCU Symphony and Shanna Griffith. Dr. Laura Logan guided our daughter as she matured as a harpist. Thank you TCU, Dr. Herman Gutierrez and Dr. Laura Logan for the adventure.

John and Annmarie DeMattia


Print vs Web
We are all very excited about the new "Frog Links" and its capabilities. However, please do not allow TCU's zeal over high technology to supplant TCU Magazine with "Frog Links." Magazines are infinitely superior to the internet for bringing back the wonderful memories (and photos), plus not a lot of the oldies have internet access.

James R. Shelton

Editor’s note: No worries, James. We won’t be discontinuing the print magazine, but we do hope you visit both Frog Links and www.magazine.tcu to take advantage of the many online-only features.


Paper trail
I have been greatly impressed by the “Research & Creativity” contents in the Spring issue. The article that particularly caught my eye was “Texas Legation Records arrives.” Since I am a retired Texas historian myself, I read it eagerly, hoping to learn where that legation had been located, and what were the beginning and editing years that the documents covered, but I was deeply disappointed. Since the primary purpose of your magazine is to educate, the article should have explained that a “legation” is “a diplomatic mission in a foreign country.” The next question that arises, of course, is “which country?”

The acquisition of that collection is a great step forward for TCU, and since I was one of the original Board of Directors that founded The Texas Christian University Press, I am hoping that those documents will be edited by the appropriate member of your history department and published by the TCU Press.

Malcolm D. McLean, professor emeritus

Editor’s note: See the story on page 26, which was in the works when we ran the short story about the papers arriving on campus.

SMU frog
Interesting quiz about TCU trivia in the Spring 2007 issue. Attached is a picture related to question #26, answer 'D', on page 45. Note the 'SMU Mustang Band' decal on the Frog Head. I was a member of the TCU marching band, and was playing around with a new camera, a recent birthday present from my Mom. I believe I received the camera for my 21st birthday, so this photo probably dates from the fall of 1978. If my memory is accurate (questionable after 30 years), this was in Dallas, at the TCU-SMU game in the Cotton Bowl. I believe we left it for the SMU Band to keep as a gift, as they had stolen an obsolete, retired costume head no longer in current usage by our cheerleaders. A bit more information is posted on the TCU Ex-bandsmen web page www.exbandsmen.tcu.edu/tcu_smu.asp

Paul Dods '81

Sitting pretty
I turned the pages of the TCU magazine, reading the articles and looking at the pictures and when I turned page 58 and 59, there was a large picture with me sitting at a table with other women. I am at the table in a red dress on the left hand side of the table. And if it is not me, it is certainly my twin. The note called this a Senior Tea and that it was in the 1960 Horned Frog yearbook and depicted a “Senior Tea.” I graduated in 1958 so it could not have been a senior tea in 1960.
My thoughts are that after I graduated from TCU I was invited to become a member of the AAUW (American Association of University Women ) organization. A reception was held there at TCU and I think this must have come from that event.

Harriett Goldston Borger ’58

I am in the picture on page 58, standing in the back row with the beige dress and red or orange bow. I do not recall the occasion, but the girl in the dark dress on the back row, white buttons, is, I believe, Ellen Lessman. We were both in Wesley Foundation. Also, we may have had biology class together. Another clue is, I graduated in August of 1959. I was not on campus in 1960.

Nina Holdridge ’59

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