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Class of 1963 – "A Walk Down Memory Lane"

 

Bill Dugan

   “My name is Bill Dugan. I was an earth science major. I guess I'll probably repeat just about everything everybody else has said. But the most wonderful four years of my life were spent here. I got a tremendous education like a number of us did.

    “I met my wife here. Maureen and I were married 43 years. Most wonderful marriage in the world. And I don't know if I have a heck of a lot more to add. 
   “Why am I at Bridgewater? I was one of four. And graduating from high school, my father took one look at me and said, 'You're now a high school graduate. You're out of here. Find the army or find a college.' I was very fortunate to find a college and got in. So that's why I was at Bridgewater.

   “A lot of us talked about Clement C. Maxwell, but I know that if we really talk to all the ladies, they're going to tell us they were scared - scared to death of Dean Shea {Dr. Ellen Shea, Class of 1935, dean of women and later dean of students].

    “I never got too excited about Dean Shea, but when Maureen and I went to a prom or a dance - I don't know when or where - but the next day, I get called into Dean Shea's office. Now, a guy being called in to see Dean Shea, that was unusual because she was dean of women.
   “And I was told, ‘Young man, you and Maureen were seen at a college dance and it’s been reported to me that you danced very close together. You will never dance that close to that young lady again as long as you go to this college. Is that understood?’  I assured it was understood and quickly exited.

   “But again, like all of you. I just can't express the wonderful, wonderful memories. I'd have to be here four hours, and then I wouldn't get it all done. Just a tremendous place, tremendous time. Things are different now, but back then it was just a wonderful place, a very innocent time. and a wonderful education.

Patricia Siekman Fee

    “My name is Pat Seekman Fee. I was an elementary education major and I came to Bridgewater because my high school guidance counselor said, 'You need to go to college.' I said, 'Okay.' And she said, 'Do you want to be a nurse or a teacher?' And I thought, 'Nurse? Never in my wildest imagination would I be a nurse.' So teacher, yes, that was the best option for me. 
   “And fortunately, she said, 'Well, here's where you apply: Framingham or Bridgewater.' My parents said, 'Okay, you can choose Framingham and commute to college, or choose Bridgewater and get a dorm room.’ Since I was from Lexington, the choice was easy to make. I didn’t want to be a commuter.
   “So I came to Bridgewater, and I had so many great experiences as well as a great education. My first teaching assignment was in Utah because my husband had been commissioned in the Air Force and that was his first assignment. So I arrived at Utah two days before school started.

    “On my first day I was handed a reading manual and a math manual. And I said, 'Okay.' What else do I teach?' And they said, 'Oh, well, whatever.' So I'm very grateful that I had all those wonderful methods courses because I was well-educated about a variety of classroom subjects.
   “The school had no PE teacher nor a music teacher. I think I was probably the most educated person in the whole school. But I loved it and I loved every one of my 32 first graders. And we managed. We got through it all. 
   “My accent was a little different from theirs, and they appreciated that occasionally I wore Bermuda shorts and knee socks to class. Wow, that was, to them, really off the wall. But teaching in Utah, that was fun. I made lots of friends there. 
    “One of the things I remember most about Bridgewater was all the rules - and how we managed to follow them. One of the things that I have to tell you about rules comes the Dormitory Handbook for Women, 1962-63.

    "I have only one little thing to read. Here it is: ‘Slacks and Bermudas may be worn downtown Monday through Friday after 3 p. m. and all day Saturday. But of course, never in the classrooms, not ever.'

    “Next line, now you won't believe this. but It says, 'Face the fact honestly that it's only the unusual girl, one with a perfect figure, who looks well in either slacks or Bermuda shorts.'
    "How times have changed!

   “Looking back, I loved my years at Bridgewater and all of my friends, it was like I never wanted to leave. I got a great education in all facts of life because in those days we never asked our mothers anything. So we learned everything we ever needed to know from our friends.

    “I met my husband here, he was a graduate of '62, and we just celebrated our 50th anniversary. Oh, thanks to the committee. It's been great. Wonderful to see friends, dear friends. We become more dear as we get older, I think, and I think we've aged well. Thank you.”
Evelyn Ekberg DeLutis

       “My name is Evelyn Ekberg DeLutis. I'll have to share with you the memory that impacted my life the most. And it began in the freshman year math classroom of Professor George Durgin. 
   “About a week and a half into the first year there was a knock on the classroom door. Mr. Durgin opened the door and there was a handsome young man standing there, wearing a light blue V-neck sweater, sleeves pushed up. He had short, curly, black hair and later I learned he had just been discharged from the Air Force. That's why he was late coming to Bridgewater. And I thought, this is one handsome guy. 

   “Not too long after that we had our first date. We eventually married between our sophomore and junior year here. I became pregnant in our senior year and our twins boys were here for graduation ‘in utero.’
       “One of my sons, David, when he grew up, he went on to be hired at Bridgewater State as a director in the Information Services division, working on technology projects. His office is in Boyden Hall, in the space today where the ‘commuter lunchroom’ used to be.

    “My daughter, Stephanie, is also an alum of Bridgewater State and she's presently the budget director here. Believe me when I tell you that Stephanie spends our university money very carefully. And as time goes on, my granddaughter is also a student here. Bridgewater has meant a lot to our family.”
Eileen Herbert

     “Hi, everyone. My name is Eileen Herbert. I was an elementary major. I am thrilled to be here tonight and it's thanks to Evie DeLutis and Ginny Curley and the group of 15 classmates that get together every once a month. I joined the group and I was so thrilled to do so. I joined the group because I wanted to come to my 50th. I had never been to one of the other reunions. And so. Thank you, Webby. Jenny isn't here.
     "But I became a teacher at Bridgewater for two reasons. One, I had always wanted to be a teacher from third grade. But I also couldn't afford Stonehill College. That turned out to be so fortunate. I've since gone on and gotten my master's at Bridgewater and my CAGS.

   “in my walk down memory lane, I found a picture of five classmates: Gail Roberts, Cal Shea, Diane Couto, Evelyn Roderick, and myself. And of those five, two have passed on. But I thought back, and it was because of Carol Shea that I started my master's the summer that we graduated. So I am forever grateful to her.

    "As I said, I since gone on but stayed at Bridgewater, which people will tell you that you should go on and ‘spread your wings and go different places,’ but I loved it here.
     "So I really am thankful to the classmates that I'm seeing now. Plus, I wanted to leave you with this thought: Some people come into our lives and quietly go. Others come in, stay a while, leave footprints on our soul. And we're never the same. I thank you, Bridgewater.”

Joan Kiernan Lang

    “Hi, I'm Joan Kiernan Lang. I majored in English and I came to Bridgewater because my dad made me come here. He was class of 1935 and had met my other here when they were students,

   “I always remember that my dad would often take the opportunity to sprinkle some of Horace Mann's adages to his children. One of his favorites was Mr. Mann’s famous quotation, ‘Be afraid to die until you've won some victory for humankind.’ I want dad to know that I'm still working on it. 
   “I'm not sure this is my fondest memory, but it's certainly illustrative of the properness of Bridgewater in the early 60s: I was elected to a position in the student government and one day in the fall of '62 I learned that among our responsibilities was to provide a tea for the newly inaugurated Dr. Adrian Rondileau.
     "I didn’t have much experience in giving teas but for this one my assignment was to slice the lemons for the tea. I proceeded to do so and thought I was doing a wonderful job, putting the wedges on a tray in a pretty way. Just as I was finishing, Dr. Shea came over and then using a voice that only Dr. Shea could use, I remember she looked down her nose and said, sharply, ‘We're serving tea, not fish.’ Apparently, unaware to me, you're supposed to slice lemons, not put them in wedges. 

    “But an incredible time was had by all. Although, there's one question I do have. My good old friend, Betty has upset me tremendously because no one knows who my roommate was senior year. So if you are my roommate, please stand up. Come on, just for a minute.

   “Seriously, we had a great time. Thank you so much."

Mae Ashenfelter Doherty

    “Hi, my name is May Ashenfelter-Doherty. And the reason I came to Bridgewater was a high school teacher who, when I said I was going to a state school, he said, 'Well, if you're going to a state school, you need to apply to Bridgewater.’ I hadn't really heard of Bridgewater before, but, I have to say, from the moment I stepped on campus, I just loved it. 

    “When I saw Boyden Hall and the wonderful white columns in front of the building I was in awe. I just loved everything about the school. And I had four wonderful years here. 
    “I met my husband, Paul, here at Bridgewater and we'll be celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary next summer.. 

    “One memory I want to share occurred at the start of our freshman year. For our first meeting as a class we were going to have our first assembly in the Horace Mann Auditorium located in the administration building. We were all so excited to be freshmen. I recall that I put on a pair of my best Bermudas and headed from the dormitory to the assembly in Horace Mann.
  “When I reached the building I was running up the stairs and, suddenly, I saw Dean Shea standing at the top of the stairs, staring down at me.  Suddenly I remembered the rules about wearing Bermudas and I quickly turned and ran back down the stairs. I dashed back to the dormitory and as fast as I could changed my clothing. That episode aside, I had a great four years at Bridgewater.”