Readers' Letters

Hooray for Jay!

Your Fall 2024 issue featuring The Legendary Jay Martin was not just inspiring but honoring and a teaching moment to aspiring athletes as they pursue college sports teams.

I have been blessed with six athletic grandchildren ages 12-24. They play baseball, football, soccer, lacrosse, rugby, softball, volleyball, field hockey, and skiing. I am giving them each a copy of the testimonials of Coach Martin's former players as a tribute to his practices and expectations that not only create winning teams but responsible, caring, and dedicated adults—which is every grandmother's prayer for her grandchildren as they transition into adulthood.

Thank you for dedicating so much space to the many testimonials—each one so personal and inspiring.

– Susan Guelich Mackenzie '66, San Jose, CA

Civil Discourse

As an OWU alumni Class of 1952, I was proud to read in the Fall 2024 issue of the school magazine that OWU is now promoting "Civil Discourse" by teaching every student and employee how to engage in dialogue that can help preserve our democracy and unite our nation. In an effort to prepare the entire campus to navigate difficult conversations, OWU has taken a bold step by becoming one of our nation's first colleges to teach "Good Citizenship."

Recently in a Medina City fourth-grade class, my great-grandson received an award for being kind, compassionate, humble, and respectful of others. As a former elementary teacher, I recall giving out awards for good citizenship over 70 years ago! In my opinion, it is never too late to teach these qualities to our students. I'm thankful OWU sees the need to continue at all ages. Go Battling Bishops, I'm proud of you.

– Elva Dunham '52, Lodi, OH

Greenhouse Adventure

I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Barbara Wiehe and her job as Greenhouse Manager in the Fall 2024 OWU Magazine.

During my first week in 1956 at OWU I got a phone call from Professor of Botany George Burns asking if I would like a part-time job taking care of the Botany Department's greenhouse. Dr. Burns and my high school science teacher John Crumrine were comrades in arms during WWII and lifelong friends. Mr. Crumrine was proud to tell Dr. Burns that one of his students would be entering OWU and asked him to take good care of me! Hence, the greenhouse job.

I accepted the job offer before meeting Dr. Burns or seeing the greenhouse. To my surprise, the department's greenhouse was mostly underground! It was on the east end of Merrick Hall, and its glass roof was all that was above ground. The entrance was from the basement level of Merrick Hall. My job was simple: Water the plants as needed but at least once a day, repot plants, and assemble and deliver plants that were needed in class. The job was easy and a great opportunity to learn about the plants and become very familiar with the botany faculty.

About a year later, a very large Lord and Burnham greenhouse was erected on the south side of Merrick Hall, and the underground one was abandoned. That winter, on a very cold and snowy day, I was in Dr. Hahnert's zoology class on the second floor of Merrick when we heard a rumble on the roof followed by the sound of breaking glass. The warm sun hitting the slate roof had loosened the snow and ice, which slid off and crashed through the roof of the new greenhouse!

Dr. Hahnert immediately dismissed the class and asked the students to help move the plants. By default, I supervised the students, staff, and faculty in extracting the plants from piles of splintered glass and moving them from the greenhouse into the hallways of the building. It took a week or two to clean up the mess and make the repairs.

When spring arrived, snow guards were placed on the Merrick Hall roof to prevent a repeat of the calamity.

Largely because of my job, the botany faculty members became my friends, and they persuaded this first-generation college student to add a botany major to his comprehensive science major and then encouraged me to go on to graduate school. I earned a Ph.D. in botany at Indiana University, and from 1969 I held faculty and administrative positions at Indiana University, University of Michigan, and The Ohio State University Manfield Campus until my retirement in 2007.

Your article brought back all these great memories of my years at OWU. I wish Barbara Wiehe well in her work and hope she never needs to rescue her plants from piles of splintered glass on a cold winter day.

– David Kramer '60, Phoenix, AZ

Hidden Gems

I was pleasantly surprised to see the first photo in the set of four in the Hidden Gems feature in the Fall 2024 issue. As both an alumna of OWU and a member of the Delaware City Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, I knew what was in the photo. I had to laugh at the note regarding walking by the four without noticing them as I walked by the plaque in the first photo thousands of times, not knowing my personal connection to it.

Earlier this year, as part of my duties as recording secretary of the chapter, I took possession of the meeting minutes from the chartering of the chapter in 1909 through 1929. I started transcribing the handwritten minutes and came across the minutes regarding the marker. I set about to find it. It took longer than I would like to admit locating it, and I did laugh thinking of how many times I walked by it over the years.

I wrote an article about the marker (PDF) for my chapter newsletter and as part of a larger effort to better document all the markers placed by DAR chapters across the U.S. and globally.

– Meghan Hensley '08, Delaware, OH

I believe picture #4 in your Fall 2024 OWU Magazine is from Slocum Hall. I believe it is an inscription on the southwest corner of the building. Spent many fulfilling hours there! Studied in the old library, met with Journalism Professor Verne Edwards, and climbed in and out of the first-floor windows to work in the Transcript office!

– Emily Thayer Guziak '78, Essex Junction, VT

Too Hidden?

Emily and Meghan (above) were the only two readers able to partially solve the Hidden Gems quiz from the Fall 2024 issue. Each received an OWU polo shirt.

The answers? The photos are:

A marker for the Harrison Trail and the site of the Pioneer Tavern, located across Henry Street from Selby Stadium and placed there in 1913
Part of a stained glass window originally in Monnett Hall and now located in the Monnett Room of Mowry Alumni Center
Detail from the ornate frame around the mirror in University Hall, a gift from President Rutherford B. Hayes and First Lady Lucy Webb Hayes 1853
The cornerstone of Slocum Hall.

Check out the new Hidden Gems quiz in this issue, and send your answers to OWU Magazine.

Thanks for the Memories and Support

For the past dozen years, editing and overseeing OWU Magazine has been one of the most enjoyable and rewarding parts of my work at Ohio Wesleyan, introducing me to Bishops across the country and providing the opportunity to dig into fascinating and fun stories.

At the beginning of July, I'll be retiring and leaving OWU, and I know I'll miss working with writers, photographers, and our designer to create new issues of OWU Magazine twice a year. I'll also miss meeting with our board of alumni magazine advisers. I'm grateful for the guidance and advice that this group of talented and experienced journalists provides. Really, just talking journalism with them has been a treat.

As you may know, OWU decided to permanently cease publication of OWU Magazine in 2020. We heard from many alumni who regretted losing the magazine, and then Phil Meek '59 did something about it, donating the funds to produce a printed magazine for five more years.

That original funding will soon run out, but Phil's estate has now established a fund to partially endow the production of OWU Magazine. As I leave Ohio Wesleyan, I would like nothing better than to see a grassroots effort by the readers of the magazine to join with Phil and contribute to this endowment to ensure that OWU can continue to produce the highest quality magazine possible for our 20,000-plus alumni long into the future.

Please visit owu.edu/MagazineFund to help provide the resources for OWU Magazine to be a great publication for you—and please let us know the type of OWU news that you value.

Thank you.

– Will Kopp