Spring 1984 - Digitized Resources Murphy Library University of ...

y Kevin Bertelsen
Charles Dickens' opening to "A
Tale of Two Cities" is a fitting
description of student life at La
Crosse. Forget about "the worst of
times." Whether attending the
Normal School, the State Teacher's
College or the University, students
over the institution's 75 years can
look back at their college days and
echo Dickens' words, "It was the
best of times."
What made La Crosse so special
for former students? What still
makes it special? What memories of
their school days do alumni cherish?
Part of the answer is the relationship
built between students and faculty.
Everyone has a favorite teacher, a
favorite story about a faculty
member. For Catherine Roherty, '17,
that teacher was Leonora Thompson.
"The whole student body was so
proud to have Miss Thompson come
from New York to teach us."
Thompson, a dancer in the broadway
musical "Chu, Chin, Chow," left
the stage in 1915 to become a
physical education instructor at La
Crosse Normal. Roherty recalls another
professor, G.H. Heineman,
who organized groups of students to
go out into the community and
provide entertainment. One "performance"
at the La Crosse Country
Club included a Spanish dance. "It
was all very amateurish but we
thought we were wonderful," quips
Roherty.
Otho Bergman, a '34 graduate,
remembers an incident with Bessie
"Bell" Hutchison for whom
Hutchison Hall is named. Bergman's
class was assigned to write a theme
for Hutchison's English course proposing
a campus beautification project.
Bergman ed replacing
the hedge alon Hall's sidewalks
with a rock wall using stone
from Grandad's Bluff. W rgman
didn't know was that H n was
responsible f t ge
there in the fi ace." e t
everyone know that I was barking up
the wrong tree," remarks Bergman.
Political 70s
James Hill, '76, recalls an incident
with one of his history professors.
With the Watergate scandal and the
Yom Kippur 'n 1973, Henry
Kissinger be e a p nent
government spokesm ring the
height of the Arab-Is onflict,
nger came on th with a
ial announcemen i 's history
professor, convinced that Kissinger
had taken over control of the
government, marched the class over
to Wing Communications Center to
listen to the broadcast. "She was
certain that this broadcast would
have great historical importance,"
says Hill.
3
nts recalled the rules
acuity for classroom
ance and behavior. Myrtle
wbridge, for whom Trowbridge
I is named, required her female
to wear hose and her male
to wear ties to history
cording to Katherine
n) Arenz, '42, "expected
nd gentlemen ress like
s and gentlemen. d it wasn't
at find nylons during
11." Fregin, a graduate of
wo-ye urse in 1944,
a oung man who came
g a sweatshirt, but
with a nd his neck. "He
didn't get away with it. He was
bo t out of " says Fregin.
dine Kunkel used to lead
dances a t on the tennis
ngsi Hall," rethy
'k, '56,
as a· bl nvohiement by the
, Social activities were anns
by which close facultylationships
were developne
time my roommates and I
wo of our art teachers over for
ghetti dinner," reminisces Wes
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