Submitted in fall 2005:
FRIENDS, FLOODS AND THE '50s
Cliff Houk was a student at OHIO from 1951-56. He earned a bachelor of science in secondary education in 1955 and a master of education in 1956. He was a full-time faculty member from 1966 to 1995, teaching part time from 1995 to 2002. He came to the College of Health and Human Services in 1986 as a professor of industrial hygiene.
Who was Ohio University’s president when you first came here, and what, if anything, do you remember about him?
When I arrived in 1951, John C. Baker was president. He was a quiet but strong leader. He would stop to speak with students (only 3,600-4,000 at the time) on campus seeking their opinions. When I arrived as a faculty member in 1966, Vernon Alden was president. He was determined to make OHIO the “Harvard on the Hocking.” He was an avid supporter of athletics and managed to get the [Army] Corps of Engineers to reroute the Hocking, which flooded every spring.
What model car were you driving at that time, and what was the price of gas?
I was married in 1954. We drove a 1948 black Ford sedan.
What were three of the biggest news stories or “hot topics” during your years on campus?
’51-’56 – Korean Conflict; OHIO’s emergence on the Ph.D. scene; first Mid-American Conference football championship.
’66-present – Vietnam War disturbances in 1970 that closed my university; rerouting of Hocking River; 1968 undefeated MAC championship football team that went to the Tangerine Bowl.
Who is the most unforgettable person you met at OHIO or in Athens?
At OHIO, Dr. Robert Kline (deceased), professor of inorganic chemistry.
How do you think the College of Health and Human Services and/or Ohio University have changed since you first arrived on campus?
The university has exploded in size. You used to be able to walk across campus, see your friends and classmates, speak to them, encounter your teachers on campus, speak to them, get to know them outside the classroom or laboratory.
CHHS has grown with some nationally recognized programs and increased emphasis on interdisciplinary collaborative research endeavors.
What’s your fondest memory of OHIO or Athens?
Athens -- setting up housekeeping as a newly married couple in a warm, friendly community.
OHIO -- Serving as football manager ’51-’53, when I met coaches, administrators and players who became lifelong friends.
What’s your all-time favorite Athens hangout, and why?
As a student, The Tavern (now the Blue Gator), THE place to meet and greet friends after a tough day in the classroom. As a faculty member, The Tavern, for the same reason.
As a graduate, who was your favorite professor, and why?
Dr. Robert Kline. He was tough but fair, had a genuine concern for you as a human being, rewarded students for their hard work, never let you as a student or faculty colleague take yourself too seriously.
What the most valuable lesson you learned during your time at OHIO?
Work hard, be active outside the classroom and you will be rewarded.
Submitted in fall 2006:
TREASURED COSTUMES AND COMRADES
Kaye Kramer Osborne attended Ohio University from 1966-71, earning a bachelor of science in home economics.
What are three of the biggest news stories or “hot topics” that come to mind when you recall your time on campus?
1. Bringing the National Guard into the University to settle the students after the shootings at Kent State in 1970. It was a scary time. … To go to classes, women had to call for escorts so that they were safe.
2. The ‘Cats going to the Tangerine Bowl in 1968.
3. Richard Nixon becoming president.
Who are three of the most unforgettable people you met at OHIO or in Athens, and what made them unforgettable?
1. By far the most unforgettable person I met at OHIO was Mary Doxsee [associate professor emerita of home economics]. Her “History of Costume” was my most enjoyable class. She had a love of costume and fabric like no other. I am sure that is where I gained my love of the same.
2. The next most unforgettable person was Mrs. [Ellen] Goldsberry [associate professor of retail merchandising at OHIO from 1968-81] and her introduction to tailoring. She made me proud of my abilities and gave me confidence that I would make a career somewhere.
3. Jeanne Johnson, who was a student on my floor In Lindley Hall. The Lindley Lovelies, the girls in Lindley were called. Jeanne became my best friend. She was maid of honor at my wedding. She also was a resident of Athens.
How do you think OHIO or the College of Health and Human Services have changed since you first arrived on campus?
The College of Health and Services has changed considerably. The change was happening soon after I graduated. At first, I thought they were making things too easy. I had to take my sciences with the science majors, but I now can see that the College has made the sciences more appropriate to the subjects being studied. The subjects are presented in a way that provides an understanding of how the science applies to the home economics subject. I say, “Two thumbs up, College of Health and Human Services.”
What is your fondest memory of OHIO or Athens?
Dancing to the jukebox at Berry Hall with Jeanne and two guy friends from my hometown.
What’s your all-time favorite Athens hangout, and why?
The Inferno. Not because I drank, but because my friends and I went there. The manager at the time was Ron Pentuck, who was from my hometown of Portsmouth, Ohio. He knew me well and protected me because he was in my older sister’s class.
What was the most valuable lesson you learned during your time at OHIO?
Comradeship. Comradeship in the class, in the dorm and in the school.
Submitted in fall 2006:
FALL IN ATHENS IS MAGICAL
Chris Kolbash attended Ohio University from 1997-01, earning a bachelor of science in industrial hygiene. He obtained a master’s degree at OHIO in public health in 2006. He is a former lab safety coordinator in the University’s Department of Environmental Health and Safety, as well as a board member of the College of Health and Human Services’ Society of Alumni and Friends.
Who was OHIO’s president when you first arrived on campus and what, if anything, do you remember about him?
Robert Glidden. I remember you could always find him walking around College Green. He would always say “hi” and smile.
What model car were you driving at that time (if you had one)? Do you remember the price of gas?
1991 Toyota MR2; $1.50 per gallon.
What are three of the biggest news stories or “hot topics” that come to mind when you recall your time on campus?
1. 2000 presidential election. Gore vs. Bush and the hanging chad fiasco in Florida. 2. Economic boom, then bust. 1997-2001 was one of the biggest economic boom times in recent memory. Everyone was flush with cash. Then the bubble popped the night before I graduated and there wasn’t a job to be found. Figures.
3. Cell phones. NO ONE was seen on campus with a cell phone [in the late 1990s]. In fact, we made fun of students for having them because we never thought you would need one on such a small campus. Then, I came back for homecoming in 2002 and everyone had one.
Who are three of the most unforgettable people you met at OHIO or in Athens, and what made them unforgettable?
1. My wife [Stacy]. I met her freshman year. We didn’t date until spring quarter of our senior year, but we continued to date for the next four years and were married in 2005.
2. Dr. Tim Ryan [associate professor of environmental health science and industrial hygiene]. He was a new professor in my program and we entered into the program at about the same time. I was in the first class he taught. I learned a lot from him and we’ve stayed in touch.
3. My roommates. There were eight of us who were close, and we still are.
How do you think OHIO or the College of Health and Human Services have changed since you first arrived on campus?
CHHS has changed for the better. When I was an undergrad, CHHS was spread out all over campus. Now it is contained within one great building, and I think that has helped the university community recognize it. Before Grover Center, CHHS was under the radar. Now, CHHS is front and center as one of the best colleges on campus.
What are three your fondest memories of OHIO or Athens?
1. Halloween my freshman year. I came uptown and spotted my first costume – a two-story scale version of the Empire State Building, complete with guy wires.
2. Fall quarter. Athens and the campus look great. Probably the best place to live in Ohio during the fall.
3. Beating Miami in football.
What was the most valuable lesson you learned during your time at OHIO?
Humility. Good grades and book smarts do not translate into knowing everything.