Spring/Summer 1986 - Digitized Resources Murphy Library ...

Two receive alumnus award
Fennc6rifiriuessound rnind l
philosophy
by Brad Quarberg, '85
Dr. Margaret Walsh Fenn believes
that women should have career
opportunities. By investing most of
her time in education, she has
helped women to those opportunities.
Fenn has worked to help women
achieve successful careers since she
graduated from La Crosse in 1942
with a bachelor's degree in physical
education. She was honored for her
efforts with the 1986 Maurice O.
Graff Distinguished Alumhus Award.
Fenn was the third woman to
receive the award.
After graduating from La Crosse
State Teacher's College, Fenn enlisted
in the Navy for three years.
She earned a master's degree in
1950 and a doctorate in 1963 at the
University of Washington in Seattle.
As an undergraduate, Fenn was
active in numerous honorary
sororities and clubs. She hasn't
forgotten her alma mater, where she
believes she received a beneficial
education.
"My La Crosse memories are fond
ones," says Fenn. "My B.S. degree
from La Crosse has been a good
foundation to build on. The science
and math that were part of my
curriculum have continued to pique
my interest and help me to keep
abreast of our modern world."
She remembers the words of a
physical education instructor. "I can
still hear Emma Lou Wilder insisting
... 'a sound mind in a sound body'
was the goaL"
Fenn continued that philosophy in
the University of Washington's
management and organization
Margaret Walsh Fenn
department where she taught from
1950 until she was named a
professor emeritus, in 1981. She has
also held numerous visiting professorship
appointments. During one of
them in 1983, she taught at the
Victoria University of Wellington in
New Zealand under a Fulbright
grant.
Fenn has been a leader for
women in the Pacific Northwest. In
1977, she founded the Women and
Business Conference which has
served as a model for similar programs
throughout the country.
As a writer, Fenn has published in
10 magazines, authored three books
and contributed to several women in
management books, including
Encyclopedia of Women. She is
active in the Academy of Management;
she served as president of the
Western Region during 1981-82.
4
sound body
"On all accounts, she is a dedicated
teacher, a highly competent
and influential researcher and writer,
and an outstanding person," explains
Fremont E. Kast, a University
of Washington colleague in management
and organization. "During her
career, she has had a major impact
on the lives of thousands of students,
professors, managers and
professionals in the local community
and on the national scene. She is a
person who is equally well regarded
by women and men in this field."
Fenn has also been involved in
the Seattle community. She has
served on the Greater Seattle
Chamber of Commerce board of
directors and is currently chairing
the board of Leadership Tommorrow,
a community program jointly sponsored
by the Chamber and the
United Way of King County.
"Dr. Margaret Fenn is a respected
leader and mentor in our
community," notes George Duff,
president of the Seattle Chamber.
She married Robert E. Fenn in
1948. A mother of two, David P. and
Mark E., she also has a granddaughter,
Lauren F. Fenn.
Fenn says she has tried to share
her knowledge -and enthusiasm by
teaching in the classroom, research,
writing and speaking. Her record
says she has succeeded.

System president cites things right about UW-L
"There is a great deal right about
higher education" in the country, the
state and La Crosse, said new UW
System President Kenneth Shaw in
a March 17 address to UW-L faculty
and staff.
Shaw cited a North Central
Association· visitation.report,which
recommends re-accreditation for the
full 10-year period, campus growth
from roots in teacher education and
physical education to a true diversified
university, progress by students
learning French and Spanish
in classes that use live television,
and enrollment records as things
that are right about UW-L.
"But there is much potential for
making even greater contributions in
the future," he noted. Shaw challenged
listeners to "address adversity
with resilience and with creativity,
answer criticism with superior
performance, and discharge our
obligations with nothing less than
our best effort."
Shaw fielded questions on possible
enrollment limits, attracting
faculty to the System, dealing with
the legislature, and the relative
weights of teaChing, research and
public service.
"For too long, higher education
has been responding to others; it's
time we take the initiative," Shaw
began in answer to a query about
possible legislative attempts to limit
enrollment. "While the state of
Wisconsin has been very generous
to higher education, we find our
subsidy per student $400 below the
national average," he said. He also
noted that a much higher percent-
UW-L holds split spring commencement
Spring commencement was
divided into two ceremonies
this year at UW-L because of
increasing enrollments, and, therefore,
growing numbers of graduates.
In order to accommodate the friends
and families of all the graduates,
UW-L officials opted to try a split
commencement this year: Students
in the colleges of Health, Physical
Education and Recreation, and of
Education, and graduate students
graduated at 1 p.m. Those in the
colleges of Arts, Letters and
Sciences, of Business Administration,
and the school of Health and
Human Services took part in 3:30
ceremonies.
Kenneth Shaw
age of Wisconsinites participate in
higher education -- 38 percent in
Wisconsin versus 29 percent
nationally.
Shaw does not believe we'll see
an initiative from the state to cut
enrollments, b!Jt believes we should
have our own plan. He rejected
enrollment caps for the "negative
reaction and loss of faith" they could
trigger, but said we could target
enrollments. He cautioned against
rationing enrollments with tuition
increases. Requiring students to be
better prepared and looking at
conditional and unconditional
admissions are better alternatives,
he said. He termed UW-L's current
enrollment "about optimaL"
"There simply isn't room for
everyone in Mitchell Hall anymore if
we're forced inside because of rain,"
says Robert LeRoy, registrar.
"It's always such an upbeat event;
I don't want to turn anyone away,"
Chancellor Noel Richards said.
As long as spring graduating
classes number over 650, LeRoy
predicts the University will continue
the split spring commencement. A
total of 780 students graduated at
this spring's ceremonies.
The Alumni Associationj
Commencement Committee will
continue to host receptions for
parents and graduates following
each ceremony.
6
He also stated that reciprocity
with Minnesota offers students more
choices at no extra cost and is in
everyone's best interests. Institutions
like La Crosse will always
retain a strong commitment to
undergraduate teaching, Shaw
believes.
After visits to 12 system schools,
Shaw said he was impressed by how
unlike the campuses are, noting that
diversity was one of the things that
attracted him to the System. Shaw
became system president in
February. He came to Wisconsin
from southern Illinois where he
served six years as chancellor of the
Southern Illinois University System.
During his visit to La Crosse,
Shaw also met with administrators,
faculty and staff, local legislators
and community residents, and
appeared on WLSU-FM radio's
"Newsmakers" program.
Norwegian
tour set
The first Norskedalen European
tour will travel to Norway for 16
days of fun and beautiful scenery.
The tour w.ill depart from Minneapolis
on Wednesday, July 30, and
will include first-class accommodations
in Norway. The itinerary includes
most of Norway's important
cities: Oslo, Lillehammer, Bergen,
Stavanger and Kristiansund. The
breathtaking fjord country will be the
focus of a substantial portion of the
tour. Fjords to be visited include
Sogn, Geiranger and Hardanger. The
scenic regions of Gudbransdal and
Telemark will also be visited.
A number of interesting attractions
on the agenda include the folk
museums at Maihaugen, the
Norwegian Folk Museum at Oslo and
the Voss Folk Museum. We'll also
be visiting several stave churches
which are hundreds of years old.
The tour leaders are Norskedalen
Heritage Committee Chairman Elaine
Olson and Norskedalen Director Bob
Swartz. Norskedalen volunteers, who
have considerable knowledge of
Norway, and friends and relatives in
various parts of the country have
already enrolled.
Space is limited on the tour.
Interested alumni are encouraged to
call Norskedalen at 608-452-3424
for further information.

Building bridges through UW-L internships
by Rosanna Jones Harter
You don't have to be a civil
engineer to build bridges. Alumnus
Paul Harris says he does it every
time he provides an internship for a
UW-L student. His bridge is "from
the academic world to the real
world," and it is built at Davy
Engineering Co. in La Crosse where
Harris is laboratory director.
Harris builds his bridges by
participating in the Cooperative
Education and Internship Program
offered through UW-L's Career
Services Office. Students in this
program gain credits and practical
work experience related to their
academic major.
Harris wishes internship opportunities
had been available in 1968
when he earned his bachelor of
scienc.e degree in biology. But it was
only after he received his master's in
biology in 1975 that internships
opened up for students here.
Since then, 3,000 UW-L students
have been placed in internships
across the country. Our interns have
worked in business firms, private
industries, community agencies and
government offices, gaining experience
so valuable that graduate
Becky Bruehl says she can't put a
price tag on it. Bruehl was an intern
before she graduated with a mass
communications major in 1980.
Her internship at WLXR Radio in
La Crosse eventually led to her
current position as news director
there. Without that internship experience,
Bruehl doubts she would have
found a career she likes as much as
news. Now she tries to offer a
similar experience to other UW-L
students. In the process she has
found that "the company or station
that hires interns benefits as much
as the student." For WLXR, having
an intern means the small staff has
an extra person available to cover
stories.
For alumnus Peter Koukola, having
an intern means getting work done
he otherwise might not. Koukola
works with UW-L interns in his
position as director of Management
Systems at La Crosse Lutheran
Hospital. He received his master's in
business administration here in
1979, and enjoys the "fresh perspective"
business interns bring to
their work.
In Koukola's area, this work typically
involves collecting and analyzing
data. He is quick to add,
however, that Lutheran employs
Becky Bruehl, '80, (left) and Patty Marsicano, '84, (right) afe just
two of the many UW-La Crosse graduates who have benefited
from UW-L's Cooperative Education and Internship Program.
Both mass communications majors were interns at WLXR Radio
Station in Ca·· Cfosse.TodaY,ITfuehTis WLXR'snewsdifecfof,
and Marsicano is a full-time reporter there. (Photo by Greg
Behrendt)
interns in a variety of areas ranging
from physical therapy and nuclear
medicine to marketing and public
relations.
Kay Reinemann still appreciates
her internship at Lutheran. The 1984
mass communications grad worked
in Marketing Communications where
she had a chance to design brochures,
work with the media, write
press releases, and layout the
hospital newsletter. "That was the
best thing I ever did for my career!"
she says. She calls the experience
she gained excellent preparation for
her job in public relations at
Hawkins, Ash, Baptie & Co., a La
Crosse accounting firm that also
offers internships.
"We love having interns here,"
says Reinemann, "especially during
the tax season." Although many students
take part-time internships
while in school, accounting interns
at Hawkins, Ash, Baptie usually work
7
full time during the semester. Like
regular staff, they put in extra hours
to deal with the tax rush.
That's part of the "real world"
experience that provides so many
benefits for students, benefits that
not only better prepare them for
future employment, but also give
them an edge in gaining employment.
In this way, internships
become a very important bridge from
academic to the "real world."
Which is why Ann Korschgen,
director of Career Services, is eager
to speak with employers who have
internship opportunities available for
quaTified···sfudenfs:TheCareer
Services staff is willing to consult
with potential employers and help
them design learning experiences to
profit both student and employer.
Alumni interested in providing
internships should contact
Korschgen at 608-785-8514. It's a
special way of building bridges.

UW-L athletic success continues
by Lynn Libersky
Athletic success continued for
UW-La Crosse during the winter
season. The women's gymnastics
team claimed the National Collegiate
Gymnastics Association national title
on March 1 at UW-Stout. The
championship was UW-L's second
title of the 1985;86 season: The
football team won the National
Association of Intercollegiate
Athletics Division II title in
December. Gymnasts earning NCGA
All-American status were Susie
Milts, Port Washington; Cassy
Englert, Mukwonago; and Lisa
Kartman, Verona, who also earned
NAIA All-American status. The
Roonies finished fifth at the NAIA
national meet.
UW-L wrestler Bret Corner,
Cedarburg, compiled a 29-3 record
this season and topped it off by
finishing second in the 142-pound
weight class at the NAIA nationals
and getting an invitation to travel to
China with the NAIA exchange team
in June.
Both the men's andwOmEln's
indoor track teams continued their
dominance at their respective conference
meets. The Roonies won the
Wisconsin Women's Intercollegiate
Athletic Conference title for the
second year running - their seventh
such title in the last nine years. The
Indians won their eighth straight
Wisconsin State University Conference
title and finished fourth at the
National Collegiate Athletic Association
Division III indoor meet.
Gymnast Chuck Riedesel, Fairmont,
Minn.; earned United States
Gymnastics Federation Division II-III
All-American status by finishing in a
tie for second in the vault competition.
The women's swimming team
finished 12th at the NAIA nationals;
the men's team finished 16th.
Earning All-American honors were
Amy Wells, Wisconsin Rapids; Jane
Marien, Minnetonka, Minn.; and Jon
Farris, La Crosse.
After the winter season, UW-L led
the men's NAIA national All-Sports
competition, while the women were
in 14th place. Points are awarded
for post-season action.
Correction
The last issue of the Alumnus,
incorrectly stated that this year's
women's tennis team was the first
team in history to advance to the
national meet. The 1983 team
competed in the national meet for
the first time. The Alumnus regrets
the error.
UW-L's athletics season ended in fine fashion with a second for both the men's and
women's teams at the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division 11/ outdoor
track and field meet held at UW-L's Memorial Field on May 21-24. Both teams led
during most of the four-day meet, and both were ahead entering the meet's final
event, but both dropped to second at its close. The men's team tied for second with
Pennsylvania's Lincoln University, each with 58 points, behind Frostburg State's
(Maryland) 61. UW-L's women's team placed second with 49.5 points to
Massachusetts-Boston's 52. Pictured here (photo at left), UW-L's Terry Strout, a
sophomore from Ojibwa, Wis., heaves the shot 58 ft. 9V:z in. to keep UW-L's first
place shot title for the third consecutive year. Sheri Winter (right photo), a junior
from Coon Rapids, Minn., places second in the 10,000 meter run. (Photos by Steve
Miller)
8

Darryle Damon O'Connor
New Alumni
Association
officers, board
named
The UW-l Alumni Association
elected a new president on Feb. 26.
Darryle Damon O'Connor, '66, became
the fifth person to hold thot
office since the association's organization
in 1969.
O'Connor is active in a variety of
area organizations. She teaches
eighth grade English classes at la
Crescent High School and was one
of 12 Minnesota finalists for the
"Teacher in Space" program. She
also teaches the UW-l Summerworld
class "I Can," a class on
positive thinking. She's the
la Crosse Boy Choir publicity
chairman and chaperoned the group
on its European tour in 1986.
Past Alumni Association presidents
are Richard Mcloone, '56;
Anna Thomas, '32; H. Allan Poser,
'69; and Patricia Maslowski Heim,
71. Other officers elected at the
Feb. 26 meeting were Gail Kumm
Cleary, '55, first vice president; and
Gary Robarge, '65, second vice
president. Patricia Heim became
chairman of the board replacing
outgoing H. Allan Poser. Richard
Coaty, 70, Beta Club representative,
is being replaced by Charles Rudrud,
'68 & '80.
Three candidates
up for election to
Alumni Board
The University ofWisconsin-la
Crosse Alumni Association invites
your help in electing three members
to its Board of Directors. The
nominees for re-election for the
three-year term, 1987-1989, are:
Patricia Maslowski Heim, 71;
William Holstein, '63; and James
Nesbitt, 71.
All association members will be
sent ballots. The votes will be tallied
at the annual meeting on Oct. 25.
Reunion planned
for class of '36
The class of 1936 will celebrate
its 50-year reunion at Homecoming
Oct. 25, 1986. The invitation will be
extended to neighbor classes 1935
and 1937. All class members Will
receive a letter in August; it will
include a reservation form and
details. Plan now to return to UW-l
for the celebration. The planning
committee, all 1936 class members,
is headed by Eleanor Kinney
Robinson, and includes Olive Dacey
Gershon, Jack (John F.) Burke,
Helen Charlton Wemyss, and
William F. Rilling.
Alumni
Association to
sponsor
traditional
tailgaters
Saturday, May 31, 1986, is the
date selected for the annual alumni
tailgater at the Minnesota Twins ­
Boston Red Sox night game in
11
Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome.
Saturday, July 12 will be the date
of the Milwaukee Brewers - Seattle
night game in the Milwaukee County
Stadium.
letters will be sent to all area
alumni with details and reservation
forms. A brats picnic will be provided
at each event.

'I
l'li,
,-;1,
'I
. by Kathy Thomas
The Twenties
Valeria (Wiskirchen) Jostad, '25
& '64, Galesville, and her husband
celebrated their 55th wedding
anniversary at a family gathering last
Thanksgiving.
Marcella (Lapitz) Kessel, '26,
lives in Brookfield, III. She and her
husband have 16 grandchildren and
five great-grandchildren.
Will Orr Ross, '26 & '35, resides
in Valparaiso, Fla.
The Thirties
Melba Werner, '34, Short Hills,
N.J., has returDEldff9lTl an extended
trip. She visited several countries in
southeast Asia, as well as Hong
Kong and Honolulu.
Robert Rieder:; '39, Kailua,
Hawaii, is a consultant in equipment
in the military engineering field. His
outdoor activities include deep sea
fishing, surfing, swimming and
outrigger canoe paddling.
Ardelle (Stylen) Umberger, '39 &
'63, Stoddard, retired in 1984 after
teaching 33 years. Since that time
she has visited Hawaii and Phoenix,
Ariz.
The Forties
Virginia (Holmlund) Erickson, '40
& '63, La Crosse, is enjoying retirement
and keeping busy with volunteer
work, travel in Norway, and her
first grandchild.
Lloyd and Edith (Wiederhoeft)
Thompson, both '42, Elkhorn,
retired in June 1985. Lloyd was
football and baseball coach and
athletic director at Northwestern
College in Watertown, and Edith
was assistant librarian.
Maxine (Gunderson) Nobiensky,
'43, is retired and lives in Janesville.
Last year she received the YWCA
award "Women of Distinction in
Sports," and a newly organized
fitness room at her former junior
high school was named in her
honor.
AI Willers, '49, Sheboygan,
retired as counselor at Horace Mann
Middle School last December after
37 years in the Sheboygan school
system.
The Fifties
Catherine (Porter) Brown, '50,
Bozeman, Mont., retired in 1983
after teaching physical education at
Bozeman Junior High School for 33
years. She received the first
Montana Woman Bowler of the Year
award last year.
Charles Odegaard, '52, resides in
Omaha, Neb., where he is regional
director of the National Park Service.
He was re-elected to the National
Board of American Youth Hostels,
received the National Recreation and
Parks Association PNW Region­
Professional Award, and was coauthor
of "Park Management"
published by McMillan Company.
Roger Nichols, '56, Tucson, Ariz.,
is a professor at the University of
Arizona and was elected president
of the Coordinating Committee for
History in Arizona for 1985-86. He
edited and compiled the Arizona
Directory of Historians and
Historical Organizations 1985; and
Alfred A Knopf, Inc., has published
the third edition of his book The
American Indian.; Past and Present.
Wayne Welch, '56, Minneapolis,
is professor of Educational Psychology
at the University of Minnesota.
He received a Fulbright Research
Scholar Award at the University of
Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand,
where he spent six months doing
research in science education, as
well as two months atthe Western
Australia Institute of Technology in
Perth, Australia.
Louise (Schowalter) Sonday, '57,
has been a self-employed accountant
in Sparta since 1976. Last
October she receivecJ the Business
and Professional Women's "Women
of Achievement Award." She is
president of the Sparta Chamber of
Commerce for 1986 and is on the
board of directors for the Wisconsin
Associatioh of Accountants.
The Sixties
George Schubert, '62, Grand
Forks, N. D. has co-authored the
book Sports Law, published by West
Publishing Company.
Dean Mewhorter, '63 Wauwatosa,
has been an elementary school
principal in West Allis for 19 years.
Allen Kuhl, '65, Kenai, Alaska
teaches physical education and
coaches wrestling. He enjoys outdoor
activities and is an outdoor
education instructor.
Thomas Kerrigan, '67, is a professor
of art at the University of
Minnesota-Duluth. An exhibition of
his new works was held last
December at the Friends Gallery,
Minneapolis Institute of Arts.
Kathryn "Kit" Boesch, '69,
Lincoln, Neb., after serving as
director of the Lincoln-Lancaster
Women's Commission for three
years, was appointed director of
Human Services for Lancaster
County.
Harry Harnish, '69, West Fork,
Ark., is a park interpreter for the
Arkansas Department of Parks and
Tourism at Devil's Den State Park.
Peter Larsen, '69, Beloit, is cared
for at home by his wife, family, and
friends after suffering critical injury
while on duty as a Beloit police
officer.
The Seventies
Cindy Hallock, '70, Phoenix, Ariz.,
is a member of the American Guild
of Organists-Arizona Chapter and is
organist for three church services
each weekend. She also sings with
the Camerata Sacred Chorale, where
she holds the office of treasurer.
Gary Reinke, '10, Farmington
Hills, Mich., was promoted to
production control supervisor at the
Dearborn Glass Plant, Ford Motor
Company. He is married and has two
daughters.
Patricia Thompson, '70, Tulsa,
Okla., opened a chiropractic office
last July.
Everett Bellamy, '72 & '74, is an
assistant dean at Georgetown
University Law Center, Washington,
D.C.

David and Malinda (Long) Dirkse,
both '82, Naperville, III., a daughter,
Amy .. Lynn, .. May8,J!':lSR, ....
"Maryann (Herold), '82, and Gene
Schroeder, Brookfield, a son, Kevin
Michael, Nov. 1, 1985.
1918 - Elsa (Kerr) Edson, Peoria,
Ariz.
1918 - Esther (Kirkeeng) Marking,
West Salem
Return to Alumni Office, UW-L, La Cro..., WI 54601
1921 - Belle (White) Hansen,
Spring Park, Minn.
1!':l25 -Marcella (Bartz) Worth,
La Crosse
1926 - Kenneth Curran, La Crosse
1926 - Myrtle (Johnson)
Kastenschmidt, Rockland
1927 - Ruth Christiansen, La Crosse
1929 & 70, Margaret (Sletteland)
Evert, West Salem
1929 • Evelyn (Burand) Young,
West Salem
1931 - Stewart Goodearle, Hancock
1931 & '32 - Gwendolyn (Brendum)
Nelson, Westby
16
Name
Spouse
Job title
Address
City
New member - $10
Annual Renewal - $10
Name
1933 • Valerie (Koops) MacNees,
Star Tannery, Va.
1941 & '59 - Elaine (Mlsna) Hagen,
Pigeon Falls
1952 - Margaret (Cowen) Conger,
Charlotte, Va.
1953 - Lucille Roder, Tomah
1954 & '61 - Arvilla (Fessey)
Rogers, Union Center
1958 - Sylvia (Hoff) Thompson,
Coon Valley
1964 - Robert Ward, Menomonie
1979 • Joel Godfrey, Brownsville,
Texas
Spouse (family membership)
Address
City
o Alumnus
• Life Membership - $120
• May be paid in installments
• Famlly Life (Husband and
Wife)-$175
Class
Class
Phone
State Zip
o Friend 0 Faculty
Make check payable to: UW-L Alumni
Association and return to: Alumni Office,
UW-La Cr sse. La Crosse WI 54601.
Maiden name {if appU
Maiden name (if appl.)
Employer
State
Class
Class (if UW-ll
Phone
Zip