2013 PVM Report - Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine

GOLD
As Good as
Purdue Veterinary Medicine Alumni Reach first 50 Year Milestone
by Kevin Doerr
Dean Willie Reed is pictured with members of the Class of 1963 during the College’s 50th Anniversary celebration in 2009 (l-r): Ed Willard, Jerry Hall,
Joe Holder, John Stephenson, Jim Albrecht, Gervas Schafer, William Hankins, Don Disque, H. Gordon Gilliatt, Stuart King, Ronald Sigler, Ray Smith,
Jerry Rusk, and Ronald Miller.
In an age when people expect high quality delivered instantly,
like a cup of fresh coffee brewed in seconds at the press of a
button, some events still remind us that true and lasting success
takes time, and is clocked, not by seconds, but by anniversaries.
Some of those anniversaries are especially important. Once in
a great while, they are even considered “golden.” In 2013, that’s
the case for Purdue Veterinary Medicine’s Class of 1963, which
celebrates its 50th class reunion in September, becoming the first
class of Purdue veterinarians to reach its golden anniversary.
Being “first” is nothing new for the Class of ’63. Dr. Ed
Willard says he and his classmates always relished their role
as the first students to go through what was then the Purdue
University School of Veterinary Science and Medicine. Most of
the students were older – with military service or other work
experience under their belts. Many had families. All of them knew
that the establishment of a veterinary school in Indiana was a
development to be cherished because it gave Indiana residents a
chance to join a profession that otherwise was virtually out-ofreach.
Prior to the opening of the school, students from Indiana
had to apply as out-of-state students for a very limited number of
seats in other colleges of veterinary medicine.
“Everyone wanted to make the best of it,” recalls Dr. Willard.
“There was very little negative attitude. We knew we were
fortunate. We were the School when we started. Being first was
quite an honor and we really had a ball,” Dr. Willard said. “We
laughed every day – it was a real fun time.”
Dr. Gordon Gilliatt volunteered to serve as the classes’ secretary,
and has shouldered the responsibility of keeping the classmembers
connected over the past 50 years. “I’m elated we are
around to celebrate,” Dr. Gilliatt says. “We’ve been pretty close.”
Of the 49 who enrolled, Dr. Gilliatt says most had a bachelor’s
degree, and some had their master’s degree. Only a few entered
with just two or three years of pre-veterinary coursework. He
remembers one of the faculty members describing the class as
“obstinate and bull-headed and difficult.” Forty-four completed
the program. “We were eager to get it over with – to get out and
get into the active business world,” Dr. Gilliatt recalls.
“Everyone was thinking of going into large animal,” remembers
Dr. Willard. “That’s probably why we got picked, because of
the focus on graduating veterinarians who would go back to
help farmers.” Nevertheless, the class members had different
backgrounds and varied talents. Ed Voytek played two seasons
of pro-football for the Washington Redskins. “Larry Davis was a
cowboy,” Dr. Willard adds. “He was really good at throwing ropes,
and tried to help the rest of us learn.”
Dr. Willard grew-up on a farm in the Greenfield, Ind., area, and
knew classmate Charles Murphy because Murphy was in 4-H and
competed against Dr. Willard’s sister, showing cattle. Dr. Willard
planned to go into the dairy industry because of his interest in
the industry’s use of artificial insemination. “Only a couple of our
classmates were thinking of doing small animal,” said Dr. Willard.
Another commonality was that all the class members were men.
They were the first and last class of all male Purdue veterinary
students, signaling the dawn of a significant period of change.
During their first year, the facilities were less than ideal, even
for a group of guys. Lynn Hall was not yet complete when the
students showed up for classes in the fall of 1959. “Anatomy and
poultry were taught on the very upper floor of the old Vet Path
building,” remembers Dr. Willard. “It got really hot up there and
those were long labs, three to four times per week.” Lynn Hall
3