Celebrating CNC's Class of 1972, the Second Baccalaureate Class
Part 1
By A. Jane Chambers
All commencement photographs are from the 1972 Trident yearbook.
CNC's class of 1972 was the first to have an outdoor commencement (graduation) on the college's campus--a practice that became so popular and practical that it is still continuing on the Great Lawn of the CNU campus. The first two photographs in this article, from page 42 of the 1972 Trident, show some of the 1972 degree candidates lined up outside one of the buildings waiting for the signal to begin the academic procession. The tassels on their mortarboards (academic hats) are worn on the right because they have not yet been awarded their degrees. Do any of you readers recognize yourselves or others in this line? Your feedback is welcomed.
As a member of Christopher Newport's English faculty, I attended every commencement for three decades. Some years there were two or even three of them. Newport Hall was then the home of the English Department, so my office and classes were there. I feel certain that the building in the above Trident photo (p. 45) is Gosnold Hall and that the audience is facing the back of Newport Hall, in front of which a temporary stage has been erected. Do you see any of your relatives and/or friends in this picture?
The faculty always leads an academic procession and is seated first, in the front rows. This picture (p. 42) shows some members of the CNC faculty seated. Do you recognize any of them? Following the ceremonial rules, once seated, the men have removed their mortarboards; the women have not. The tassels on their mortarboards are on the left because they have completed their academic degrees.
Below is the program for the 1972 graduation, with a few comments added at some points.
The 1972 class was the second CNC graduating class to enjoy the outstanding music of the Continental Army Band based at Fort Monroe, which first entertained the class of 1971 and quickly became a favorite at other CNC commencements.
The Invocation, "Desiderata," read by Dr. Albert Edward Millar, Jr., was an early 20th century inspirational prose piece of some 300 words written by American Max Ehrmann. The title is Latin meaning "things desired," and a copy of the piece is easy to find on the internet.
Two photographs of the "Graduating Class Gift "(line 4) will be shown and discussed in Part 2 of this article. Dr. Ruth K. Mulliken, who delivered the "Commencement Address," is also in one of the photos.
Four-year degrees in five disciplines were awarded in 1971, the first year CNC had a baccalaureate class--biology, English, government, history, and psychology. Three additional degrees were offered in 1972, making the Class of 1972 the first to have the Bachelor of Science degree (BS) in Management Information Science (MIS), the Bachelor in Business Administration, and the Bachelor of Arts in Sociology.
Part 2 of this article will be published in September and Part 3 in October--both with more photographs and details of possible interest. Stay tuned! And feel free to send us your Feedback (see below). We would especially appreciate your help with identifying people in the 1972 graduation photos.
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cncmemories61_71@yahoo.com
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Published August 20, 2021
My Favorite Gary Hammer Story:
The Budget Committee
by Dr. F. Samuel Bauer
Professor Emeritus of Psychology
In my second academic year at CNC (1972-73) I was elected Chairman of the Psychology Department. Along with that “honor” came a promotion to Associate Professor and a few more dollars in my contract, but being chairman turned out to be more a curse than a blessing.
There were only a handful of departments then, so the College Budget Committee was made up of the chairpersons of each department. From an administrative standpoint this arrangement was probably logical, since funding of any sort was sparse, and departments such as the sciences were desperately competing for even tiny slices of the pie. Although never said, it seems clear in retrospect that the administration was happy to let the chairpersons settle the distribution of those pitifully inadequate funds.
1972 Trident photo of Dr. Bauer, p. 121.
In late September I attended my first Budget Committee meeting. A major purpose of it was to reorganize at the pleasure of the current chairman, Dr. Gary Hammer of the Chemistry Department. As I recall the meeting was held in a classroom on the second floor of Wingfield Hall, which was at the time the newest building on campus.
Photo by Thomas L. Williams in Christopher Newport University, by Sean M. Heuvel, p. 32.
The first order of business was the election of officers. I was nominated for Vice Chairman. In my experience, being a vice chairman of anything was usually pretty safe in terms of workload and time commitment. So I accepted the nomination and--surprise, surprise--was duly elected by voice vote.
1970 Trident Photo of Dr. Hammer, Page 29
Then came the election for chairman of the committee. Gary Hammer was nominated to continue as chairman and seemingly accepted the affirmative vote in his favor. Officers elected, we were then ready to review the committee's major task that year--a year in which the College’s request for the next biennial budget had to be compiled. But Chairman Hammer’s first item of business was to resign from the chairmanship! Stunned, and without direction or forethought, I took the chair, being the duly elected Vice Chairman.
Gary had evidently been briefed by the Business Manager, Calvin “Cal” Hones (not to be confused with my close friend who chaired the Biology Department for many years, Harold “Hal” Cones). Hones wanted the Budget Committee to compile a detailed list of all of the equipment requests from the various departments as part of the overall request. The various departmental requests were so voluminous that I spent most of the next summer with them spread on tables in my laboratory, compiling them on a manual typewriter.
Alas, all that activity yielded scant improvement in funding, so the battle to divvy up the meager proceeds the next year was intense. But by then I was no longer the Budget Committee Chairman.
And somehow Gary and I were always friends and mutually respectful colleagues. Rest in peace old friend.
Note: Dr. Gary G. Hammer died peacefully on February 8, 2016, after a short illness. He was 82.
In the fall of 1974, recent CNC graduates Robert E. (Bob) Hines ('72) and Lucy Beahm ('74) decided to have their wedding at the Beahm family's home, in the Denbigh section of Newport News. The young couple knew that CNC President Dr. James C. (Jim) Windsor had a Bachelor of Divinity degree and was licensed to perform marriages in Virginia, so they asked him to conduct the ceremony. They were pleased that he agreed to do so. Both respected him highly as CNC's president, and Lucy, who had majored in psychology, had liked him very much as her psychology professor.
The family- focused wedding took place on Wednesday evening, November 27, 1974--the night before Thanksgiving. All went very well. The curly-blond ring bearer (photo above) was Bob's nephew James O. Hines, Jr. (nicknamed "Jay")--not yet five. Lucy's mother had made Lucy's bridal dress, using her small portable black Singer sewing machine from the 1950s. She also had made a professional-looking two-tiered wedding cake. Mrs. Beahm, who is Japanese, had met Lucy's father in occupied Japan after World War II, when Mr. Beahm was stationed there as an aircraft mechanic in the Army Air Force.
Jim Windsor was a memorable part of the Beahm-Hines wedding. Bob remembers that he was very cordial, relaxed and pleasant to everyone before, during, and after the ceremony. This third photograph (below), taken in the Beahm's kitchen after the ceremony, shows him signing the Certificate of Marriage for the newlyweds. Like the bride and groom, he looks pleased.
Christopher Newport College (now University), with its major leaders and professors like Jim Windsor, has played and continues to play a significant role in the families of Bob and Lucy Beahm Hines. Bob earned CNC's two-year degree (A.A.) in 1969 and his bachelor's (B.A.) in sociology in 1972. Lucy finished her four years in 1974 with a B.A. in psychology and a certificate in social work. Her brother George, a frequently published writer in Williamsburg, completed his B.A. at CNC in 1975. Former ring bearer Jay Hines and his sister Meredith both became Christopher Newport graduates as did their cousin Jesse Hines, the oldest son of Bob and Lucy.
How many weddings of CNC students were officiated by Jim Windsor during his tenure at the college, which began in 1962 and continued into the 1980s? Who were the students whose ceremonies he conducted? When and where did these Windsor-blessed unions take place?
It would be not only fascinating, but historically important to learn the answers to these questions. If you, or someone you know, also was fortunate enough to be married by Dr. James C. Windsor, please contact us at one of the email addresses below.
The ceremonial mace is a common and compelling sight at Christopher Newport University's academic ceremonies. Crafted in 1977 to celebrate Christopher Newport’s independence from The College of William and Mary, the mace is an iconic symbol of CNU and acknowledges its rightful place among Virginia’s senior public higher education institutions. The man who created this impressive piece, J.J. (Jan) Heuvel, Sr. (1914-2003), was a master cabinetmaker trained in the old European school. He left an impressive legacy of art and craftsmanship that spanned two continents.
In this CNU photo from Commencement 2013, Dr. Mario Mazzarella, Professor of History, holds the mace upright until completion of the Academic Processional. The mace is carried on ceremonial occasions by the longest-serving tenured faculty member, who remains macebearer until retirement. The first macebearer was Dr. W. Stephen Sanderlin, Jr., Professor of English.
Johannes Jacobus Van Den Heuvel was born on August 17, 1914 in Rotterdam, Holland. His father was also a master cabinetmaker and longtime trade union official who had once worked in one of King William III’s Dutch royal palaces.At twelve, Jan began a rigorous, six-years' apprenticeship, learning such important skills as furniture joining and inlay work. As machines were not yet available, all of the work had to be done by hand. Although he was qualified to open his own shop by the early 1930s, the dangerous political climate in Europe prompted him to work instead in the defense industry, where he made wooden wings and propellers for military aircraft while also serving as a Dutch Royal Navy reservist. In January 1939, he married Cornelia (Cora) Van Den Steen, and they had a family of six children.
The outbreak of World War II changed Jan’s life forever: The Netherlands was invaded by the Nazis in May 1940. Serving by this time in a Dutch Army Aviation unit, Jan was assigned to help guard a train depot outside of Rotterdam during the invasion. Following the devastating Battle of Rotterdam and the Dutch Government’s capitulation, he was briefly a POW before being granted the opportunity to join the Rotterdam Fire Department. This assignment likely saved Jan from being shipped to Germany to work in a forced labor camp. However, his fire department service was not easy, as he and his colleagues fought constantly against large fires started almost daily by heavy Allied bombing. As Jan later reflected, “during those days there were a lot of bombs and lots of fire and misery. We would almost set our clocks by the arrival of waves of Allied bombers that rained devastation on the docks and factories of Rotterdam. Our house was only a half mile from German artillery that put up answering fire, so living conditions were not too pleasant.” On Jan’s days off, he would bicycle upwards of 50 miles into the Dutch countryside to try to find food for his young family.
Following the war, Jan tried to establish a business with what tools he had left and engaged in building custom-made furniture. However, because the postwar Netherlands was overcrowded with war refugees, he found it difficult to make a living. Hearing from visiting Americans about the better quality of life in the United States, Jan decided to immigrate and arrived in America in 1955.
The Cabinetmaker's Shop in Colonial Williamsburg, where Jan spent many years practicing his craft (Heuvel Family Photo).
Shortly thereafter, he secured a job with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, which provided him the opportunity to send for his wife and children. The entire family settled in Williamsburg in 1956 and later became American citizens. For the next 23 years Jan served as Colonial Williamsburg’s master cabinetmaker, demonstrating his skills to thousands of tourists.
He also built furniture on special order for paying customers as well as official gifts for visiting VIPs. One such VIP item was an 18th-century pipe rack that Jan built in 1967 for legendary newscaster Walter Cronkite, who called it “the most magnificent piece I have ever seen and the grandest gift I’ve ever received.” Another one of Jan’s signature creations was a speaker’s chair he made for the Virginia General Assembly in 1964, still on display in the state capitol. When Jan was not actively woodworking, he also enjoyed portraying an 18th-century mayor of Williamsburg for the annual George Washington birthday celebration.
In 1976 the decision was made at Christopher Newport College to have a ceremonial mace that would symbolize the institution’s upcoming independence from William and Mary. Shortly thereafter, Christopher Newport officials approached Jan for help with this project. According to then-CNC President Dr. James Windsor, “We chose Mr. Heuvel because of his fine reputation as a skilled craftsman.” Using plans drawn up by CNC staff, Jan constructed the mace during his free time in his garage. Dr. and Mrs. Windsor visited the Heuvel home regularly during this period to watch the mace’s progress, which also resulted in a warm friendship between the two families. Consisting of walnut – a wood native to the Virginia Peninsula and the Christopher Newport campus – the mace took 25 to 30 hours of focused carving and construction to complete. Jan then subcontracted the task of making silver sleeves and decorations for the mace to another Colonial Williamsburg craftsman.
Jan Heuvel in his home workshop, creating the mace, in 1976 (Heuvel family photo).
Then-CNC Board of Visitors Rector Harrol Brauer (L) and CNC President Dr. James Windsor admiring the new mace (Courtesy of The Daily Press).
Jan was always immensely proud of his contribution to Christopher Newport’s history. Shortly before his death in 2003, he was invited back to CNU by President Paul Trible to admire the mace and reminisce about its construction. The two had a great meeting about which Jan raved for the rest of his days. In many ways, this meeting also offered him the opportunity to reflect on his magnificent career as an artist and master craftsman. CNU is fortunate to have made his acquaintance.
(L-R) CNU President Trible, Sean Heuvel (with the mace), & craftsman J.J. Heuvel at CNU, Summer 2000 (Heuvel family photo).
Recent portrait of Dr. Sean Heuvel.
Dr. Sean M. Heuvel has been a faculty member in CNU’s Department of Leadership and American Studies since 2006. Before that, he worked in CNU’s admissions office (2003-2006) and was an undergraduate intern for CNU’s dean of students in 2000. A grandson of J.J. Heuvel, Sr., Sean earned his B.A. in Government & M.Ed. & Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from The College of William and Mary, plus an M.A. in History from the University of Richmond. A historian and leadership studies scholar, Sean is active in efforts to preserve CNU’s history and is the author of Arcadia Publishing’s Christopher Newport University (2009). Sean and his wife (Katey) and two children live in Williamsburg, VA.
Published August 28, 2015
Republished May 11, 2018
Remembering Bill Wolf:
English Department Colleague and Friend
(1942 - 1982)
by A. Jane Chambers
with photos and more from Jane Knight Wolf
One day when we were eating clams, Bill dropped one in his tea.
He started giggling and then said,
"Would you call that a calamity?"
Then he just burst out laughing, as did I!
--"Janie" Wolf
Dr. William Dennis Wolf was our English Department's Shakespearean scholar for almost six years, and like Will Shakespeare, Bill Wolf enjoyed playing with our language at times. He had an wonderful sense of humor, one of several reasons he quickly became my friend as well as my colleague.
Bill Wolf in his office on the second floor of CNC's original Newport Hall.
When our first specialist in Shakespeare, Dr. Ross Brackney, retired for health reasons in the 1975-76 academic year, the department quickly sought a replacement. As the newly voted department chair, I was both amazed and horrified that some 600 people applied for the position. Over 500 did not meet our basic requirement of "Ph. D. in hand," however, so the pool of serious applicants was soon reduced to about 30, then down to three that we interviewed. By unanimous vote, we chose Bill Wolf.
Bill joined us as an assistant professor in the Fall of 1976, highly qualified for that position. After completing his B.A. in English at Baker University, in Baldwin City, KS, he had earned his doctorate in English at the University of Wisconsin, in Sun Prairie. His teaching career began at Butler University, in Indianapolis, Indiana. After two years there he accepted a position at Northern Illinois University, in DeKalb, Illinois. During summer breaks, he did research in England, which he continued while at CNC.
The Wolf family at Assateague Island Beach shortly after moving to Newport News.
His family was central in his life, another reason that I liked Bill from the start. When I first met him, at the Warwick Restaurant, the day he arrived for his interview, he proudly showed me pictures of the children he and his wife, Janie, had adopted as babies in 1972 (Kim) and 1975 (Andy), while he was teaching at Northern Illinois University.
After Bill signed his CNC contract and returned to DeKalb, Janie phoned me to introduce herself and ask questions about Newport News and house-hunting. There was a natural, easy-going manner in both of them that I found appealing. As time passed, I spent much time with them at their home, where it was apparent they were well-matched: best friends as well as spouses. Both were Midwesterners--Janie a native of Kansas, Bill a native of Missouri. They had met at Baker University, where he majored in English and she majored in science and physical education. They dated three years, then married after graduation, on August 15, 1964. She taught high school science and physical education the four years he was in graduate school. They were a team.
Bill's contributions to our students, our English Department, and the College community were considerable, although he was with us not quite six years. In particular I remember that in his first year with us, he established a very active chapter of the international English honor society Sigma Tau Delta for our English majors. I believe it still exists at CNU.
Another view of Bill in his CNC office.
Another major contribution of Bill's that I well remember is his working closely with me during my chairmanship to assure English Department control of the creative writing program. Both the College and our department benefited as a result, since our victory in that case made possible the hiring later of Dr. Jay Paul to head creative writing. Jay is still with CNU, and is the Director of the Honors Program. Bill willingly served also on some important College faculty committees. I recall in particular that his investigative work while on a tenure committee proved crucial in the College's decision to deny tenure to a professor who, while popular with many students, violated his contract rules more than once and made false statements concerning publications.
It was Friday afternoon, March 12, 1982, the beginning of Spring Break, when Jay Paul first phoned me. "Bill's had a heart attack. He's in Riverside Hospital," he said. I could feel the fear in his voice. We both knew Bill had had a major heart attack in his early thirties, before he came to CNC. He had a congenital heart condition.
Bill was awake, apparently stable, Jay said, and Janie and the children were with him. After Jay's call I phoned Bill's hospital room, expecting Janie to answer. Bill answered instead. He sounded upbeat, normal...as if nothing much had happened. Janie and children had left. We chatted awhile. I promised to visit him the next day, Saturday, and bring him a parody version of the Norton Anthology of English Literature I had recently bought. He said he could hardly wait to see it.
Saturday afternoon, March 13, Jay Paul phoned again. "He's had another attack," he said grimly. "A massive one. It looks very bad." There could be no visit. Jay's third call came that evening. Bill had died, at 8:30 p.m. He was 39 years old, as was Janie--left to parent alone now Kim, only nine, and Andy, only six.
EPILOGUE
Bill was cremated.In a private ceremony with close family members, Janie sprinkled Bill's ashes into his beloved James River near the Lions' Bridge, a place very dear to him. Family and friends established the William D. Wolf Endowed Memorial Scholarship at the College in May of 1982.
Bill with Kim and Andy in the family's home in September, 1981--six months before his death.
The Wolf scholarship is now in serious need of financial help. If you wish to donate to it, contact Lucy Latchum at (757) 594 - 7702. Give her the name Wolf and the scholarship's number: 1642. Contributions of any size are welcomed. The family and I thank you.
We welcome your FEEDBACK. Send it to
cncmemories61_71@yahoo.com
Published July 8, 2016
Looking for the First CNC Flag:
A Class of 1972 Gift
by A. Jane Chambers
With details from Kenneth M. Flick
When CNC's Class of 1972 decided its gift to the College would be the first CNC flag, classmate Kenneth Michael Flick was chosen to design it--a logical decision, since Ken had previously designed both the College's four-year college seal and the first four-year class ring, worn proudly by members of the first baccalaureate class (1971).*The seal he designed is still used by CNU, with the word College replaced by University.
Until recently, the only known photograph of the 1972 flag was that taken during Commencement 1972 and published on page 43 of the 1972 Trident yearbook. The quality of that picture is weak. Much clearer is the picture (below left) taken that same year by the Daily Press and included in its photo gallery Look Back: Christopher Newport College. It shows SGA President Steve Franklin (L) and Ken Flick (R) presenting the flag to Dean of Students William (Bill) Polis.
The focal point of the flag was the College's seal. Ken's original design (above right) included a ship's wheel held by Captain Christopher Newport with his left hand and right hook. In designing the flag Ken added behind the seal a ship's anchor, colored silver or gray. The colors of the seal were these: The ship's wheel was brown; CNC's name was white. In the center, the William and Mary Wren Building seal (left) was on a field of light blue; the original CNC seal (right), created when CNC was a two-year branch of William and Mary, was on a field of navy blue; and the three ships (bottom), representing the arrival of the Jamestown colonists, were on a sea blue field with a green horizon.
The remainder of the flag was royal blue, with fringes on three sides that were supposed to be silver, but turned out to be white. The fourth side was made to accommodate a flag pole. In white also were the founding year 1960 in the top corners (19 on the left and 60 on the right) and the year 1971 in the bottom corners (19 left, 71 right), recognizing the year CNC became a four-year degree granting institution. The flag was made of nylon, rectangular, and measured 4' x 6'. It looks square and much smaller in the Daily Press picture because the photographer had the men fold back the left and right sides to fit his artistic needs. That is why the corner numbers mentioned above are not visible in that picture.
Ken does not remember who made the flag and how much it cost, because once his design was chosen, he thinks the project was turned over to either the SGA or the Dean of Students, Mr. Polis. He also does not know what became of the flag after Commencement 1972. He remembers that the flag was not present at Commencement 1973, which puzzled him, and wonders if someone might have stolen it or hidden it as a prank.
Now that the building of the Alumni House is underway, with completion expected in the fall of 2016, we need to find this flag (if it still exists) so that it can be professionally preserved and displayed in the Alumni House. Please help us find this important piece of CNC history. Send any leads you have to cncmemories61_71@yahoo.com.
* Details about the ring and the original seal are in the website article The Story of CNC’s First Four-Year Class Ring and the Seal that Preceded It, located in theWebsite Archives, under the sub tab First Decade History.
Published December 4, 2015
More Streaking Memories
and Readers' Feedback
Edited by A. Jane Chambers
Additional Memories from Dr. Harold Cones
And so it was at CNC for a few months in 1974--naked male students everywhere, as singles or in herds.
Riverside Hospital bus the nursing students called "The Green Monster." 1966 Trident, p. 76.
A real classic: The student nurses used to come to class in a big green bus from Riverside Hospital. One enterprising streaker jumped up the side of the bus, and grasping the ledge on top, worked his way down the bus with the business end of the prank dragging across every window the length of one side of the bus. He was met with applause by the nurses.
A further story: On one of my field trips to Florida I emerged from the shower house to find six of my male students arranged in a perfect pyramid with their bare buttocks aimed my way. Later on the same trip a car passed me in the fog of the everglades with a bare behind hanging out the window. Several generations of stdents referred to the incident as "when the moon came out over the Everglades."
Dr. Harold Cones. 1971 Trident, p. 18.
FEEDBACK: WhenStudents Streaked at CNC:
The Naked Spring of 1974.
Streaker # 2: Great article. You have the dialog verbatim.
Streaker # 3 : Wow! Guilty!
Paula Keller: I remember one Friday when a car drove through the campus with guys hanging bare butt out of the truck with just socks on!
Kathy Babb Dansey: I was there... out on the lawn when the wild rumpus began. Fun memory. No, I was not one of the streakers.
Denise Roxann Machamer: I remember this too Kathy. I was envious but no I did not [streak]. Laughed a lot...fun times back then.
Rob Campbell: I remember it too. I was stationed at Langley and caught it on the news.
Miriam Mann Harris: Everybody was streaking back then-:)
Madeline Smith: How come I missed all the fun?
Elizabeth Irby Sawning: Omg...My mom was on campus that day taking classes. Streaker ran right by her. She was laughing so hard trying to tell us.
Candy Edgar McIntyre: Haha, I had forgotten about streaking...guess it was a trend.
Patricia Jernigan Shepard: Me too!
John Hughes: I was living in Michigan at the time and remember that streaking went on at Michigan and Michigan State.
Suzanne Brown Dobrowolski: Love to go back to streaking time instead of other problems on campus.
Jeanie Lankes: OMG, Glen Van Metre [ antics described in the CAPTAIN'SLOG article]-- I remember him. Very funny guy.
We welcome your FEEDBACK !
Published November 22, 2015
WhenStudents Streaked at CNC:
The Naked Spring of 1974
by A. Jane Chambers
It must have been something in the water at that time--there was never an outbreak of such proportions again (but best we not talk about proportions when discussing CNC streakers). --Dr. Harold Cones
This occurred during Springfest. Subsequently LOTS of beer was involved. From there, details get fuzzy. --Streaker 1
Whether there was something in the water or too much beer, it was inevitable that running naked around the campus would happen at CNC in mid-March of 1974. After all, the first recorded streaking incident in America was in Lexington, VA, in 1804, where college senior George William Crump was arrested for running nude at what was later known as Washington and Lee University; decades later, Robert E. Lee even "sanctioned streaking as a rite of passage" for W&L's young gentlemen (Wikipedia). In 1974, at the venerable University of Virginia, the Cavalier Daily reported that naked students had streaked on the Lawn and in Alderman Library that February ("Student Traditions at Virginia"). Closer to home, more recently in 1974, at ODU four students (two female) streaked on motorcycles. And just the night before the 1974 Spring Streak at CNC, some 400 students ran naked at William and Mary (see Captain's Log below).
Some of the CNC streakers were members of Chi Psi Omega, the first fraternity at Christopher Newport. Forty-one years later, looking back at that famous (or infamous) event, some of the brothers who bared all and some who declared they merely watched it all shared their memories in the following dialogue.
Streaker 1: Springfest...LOTS of beer was involved.
Innocent Brother 1: I will never forget that bright sunny day. Oh my gosh. I was watching. It was a horrible sight to behold.
Innocent Brother 2: Didn't see anything impressive.
Streaker 1: (smugly) I got freebies in the bookstore until I graduated.
From p. 8 of the above Captain's Log article.
Streaker 2: I remember the college faculty gave us a standing ovation.
Innocent Brother 2: What I heard was most of the faculty said "NO BIG THING" when asked what they saw.
Streaker 1: We all ran up to the lecture hall...have forgotten the building's name. We all streaked in one door, ran in front of the blackboards, then out the side door.
Streaker 2: That was Newport Hall.
Streaker 3: I can't believe I did that. Must have been alcohol involved. Guilty as charged. I second the third and third the fourth and plead the fifth. But (to Streaker 2) YOU made me do it.
Streaker 2: (to all, alluding to Streaker 3) He was told if he was arrested he would be appearing in Small Claims Court.
Streaker 4: Ummm...I was there somewhere. Silly me.
Innocent Female: I had a professor tell me that if I would streak, he would cancel his class...No, I did not honor his request. Kind of creepy.
Streaker 4: Who was that?
Innocent Female: Professor X. Psych.
Several members of the faculty who witnessed the Spring Streak shared their memories via email, beginning with Dr. Jane Webb: Our youngest child, Wade, was maybe five and we were walking back toward Gosnold when a motorcycle roared by and Wade said, “MOM! Those men didn’t have any clothes on!”
Then a couple of nudist guys whipped past the main entrance to Smith Hall, and Accountant Edna Appleton said, “I don’t know what that was but it needed ironing!” Finally, we were all sitting at one of those always-contentious faculty meetings when two, maybe three naked guys ran in one of the doors and out the other one. I don’t think we got any business done that day.
Dr. Sam Bauer and Dr. Harold Cones, long-time close friends, had almost identical memories of the Faculty Meeting Streak. Sam wrote: I recall when a student ( a Psych major of course) streaked the faculty meeting in Newport. He entered from the middle hall and ran right behind the lectern and out the side door. Joanne Squires was addressing the Faculty from the lectern, and turned after the crowd reacted, just to see his unclad posterior exit the side door. She uttered "Oh My!" He was probably in the room for no more than 15 seconds. Hot times at old CNC!
Haroldwrote: There I was, half sleeping my way through yet another faculty meeting as Joanne Squires droned on in the front of the room about who knows what, when the main door to Newport Lecture Hall opened and from the cavity emerged, as we say in the south, a buck naked male student. Running quickly behind Dr. Squires and out the side door, he fled the scene, leaving a wide eyed Dr. Squires with only an "oh my!" to protect herself.
Two of us who were not on campus that Friday, Professor BarryWood and I, still recall what others told us about the infamous Spring Streak. Barry heard that two males on a motorcycle, who had left their clothes in a certain spot in a wooded area, found their clothes missing when they returned there. In a dilemma, they continued to ride around nude for a very long time. Do any of our readers know how their quandary ended?
From p. 1 of the above Captain's Log issue.
We both know also what then-President Dr. James Windsor said at the faculty meeting, right after the streakers left. As things calmed down, he went up to the lectern to address the faculty regarding the budget. Known for his calm demeanor and good sense of humor, Jim said, "I had planned to show you some figures... But those were not the ones I had in mind." The faculty applauded and laughed.
That Friday in mid-March was the major, but not the only, time during that spring of 1974 that streaking occurred at CNC. However, complaints from the public, particularly neighbors living on Shoe Lane, occasioned the note in the Captain's Log from President Windsor, after which the streaking ended at CNC. The widespread streaking fad at colleges all over America, which began in 1973, either in California or New England, depending on which sources one reads, pretty much died out by the end of April of 1974. For a fuller account of the subject, check out Wikipedia.
We welcome your FEEDBACK.
Send comments to cncmemories61_71@yahoo.com
Published November 6, 2015
Daily Press Photo Mysteries Solved
by A. Jane Chambers
Thanks to our readers, identification mysteries have been solved involving three pictures from the Daily Press's Look Back: Christopher Newport College gallery--two photos posted here on September 11 in the article Best Early Photos in the Daily Press's Look Back: CNC Photo Gallery, and a third posted on September 25 in1977-1986 Photos in the Daily Press's Look Back: CNC Photo Gallery. Below are the two photos from the Best Early Photos article.
The current Daily Press (DP) caption names the people in this CNC flag photo (L), but does not explain why the young men are in the picture. Knowing why Kenny Flick was there, but not why Steve Franklin was, I asked readers for help. CNC professor emeritusDr. Joe Healey and alumniKenny Flick and Pam Vaughan all said that Steve was then president of the student government, a fact later verified by Steve. The new DP caption will read: Seniors Stephen D. Franklin (L), Student Government Association President, and Kenneth M. Flick (R), flag designer, present to Dean of Students William H. Polis the first CNC flag, a gift from the senior class of 1972.
The second photo (R) is captioned simply A time capsule was sealed December 1973 at Christopher Newport College. Of course I recognized former CNC President Windsor, but who was the young man? On Facebook sites, former CNC students Debra Moen Tomchek and Ron Haskins both said he was Gary Collie. When I phoned First Decader Jim Collie, a former student of mine, to see if Gary was a relative, I learned Jim had been trying to contact me to say that Gary is his brother. Gary provided the information in the last two sentences of the revised caption here. It will now read: At the December 1973 Dedication Service, CNC President James C. Windsor (L) and senior Gary Collie (R), President of CNC's Collegiate Civitan Club, hold the inscribed plate that will seal the time capsule after it is buried inside the Campus Center. The Club originated the idea and approached Forrest Coile Associates for help. Forrest Coile Associates paid for the capsule.
I posted this picture on the Facebook siteYou grew up in Newport News, VA, if ... and several other sites. On October 6, I received an email fromRhonda Fink Coppersmith stating, "I am fairly certain that the young man posted in the cake-cutting photo is DHS class of '83 alum Paul Sisak." Needing a family verification, I left phone messages for the only Sisak in my old (2007) Peninsula Directory, but got no reply.
Then, on October 13, the Newport News site above sprang to life. Andrea Lyn Clark Chestney asked, "Is the younger man Paul Sisak? He would have graduated from Denbigh High School in the early 80's." A chorus of affirmations quickly followed fromKatie Carter Lemon, Sis Janis Pittman, and Jami Callahan Brill, capped by Leslie Sisak White's declaration: "Yes, definitely my brother Paul. He was SGA president at CNC." I then got in touch with Leslie, who got in touch with Paul, who identified the young woman with him in the picture as Julianne Smith, then Miss Virginia of 1986 and later the first runner-up in the 1987 Miss America Pageant. I have found much about her on the internet, including a video of her singing "Golden Rainbow" at the 1987 Miss America Pageant. She still lives in Yorktown, sings with various bands in the Tidewater area, and with her husband, David Kiedinger, owns Big Top Entertainment in Newport News. Their daughter, Lauren Kiedinger, was a Miss Hampton-Newport News and runner-up for Miss Virginia.
The new caption for this photo will be: Director of Development and Alumni Affairs L. Barron (Barry) Wood, Jr. (R) cuts the cake during the September 19, 1986 celebration of CNC's 25th Anniversary. Looking on (L) are students Paul Sisak, Student Government Association President, and Julianne Smith, Miss Virginia of 1986 and later first runner-up in the 1987 Miss America Pageant.
There are countless more CNC/CNU unsolved mystery photographs out there. I'm now beginning to work with CNU Archives Assistant Christina Luer, who has boxes of mystery pictures to show me. I hope you who read this website will help me identify the people in those photographs too.
We welcome your FEEDBACK to our articles!
NOTE: The articles Best Early Photos in the Daily Press's Look Back: CNC Photo Gallery and 1977-1986 Photos in the Daily Press's Look Back: CNC Photo Gallery are now in our Website Archives (tab, left margin of HOME). Best Early Photos is in the sub tab First Decade History. 1977-1986 Photos is in the sub tab Second Decade History.
This last photo, published in our1977-1986 Photos article, was captioned Christopher Newport College celebrates it 25th Anniversary. No one was identified, not even professor Barry Wood, who is cutting the cake. The picture was obviously made during CNC's 25th Anniversary. Getting the date was easy. Getting the identities of the young people was not.
I posted this picture on the Facebook siteYou grew up in Newport News, VA, if ... and several other sites. On October 6, I received an email fromRhonda Fink Coppersmith stating, "I am fairly certain that the young man posted in the cake-cutting photo is DHS class of '83 alum Paul Sisak." Needing a family verification, I left phone messages for the only Sisak in my old (2007) Peninsula Directory, but got no reply.
Then, on October 13, the Newport News site above sprang to life. Andrea Lyn Clark Chestney asked, "Is the younger man Paul Sisak? He would have graduated from Denbigh High School in the early 80's." A chorus of affirmations quickly followed fromKatie Carter Lemon, Sis Janis Pittman, and Jami Callahan Brill, capped by Leslie Sisak White's declaration: "Yes, definitely my brother Paul. He was SGA president at CNC." I then got in touch with Leslie, who got in touch with Paul, who identified the young woman with him in the picture as Julianne Smith, then Miss Virginia of 1986 and later the first runner-up in the 1987 Miss America Pageant. I have found much about her on the internet, including a video of her singing "Golden Rainbow" at the 1987 Miss America Pageant. She still lives in Yorktown, sings with various bands in the Tidewater area, and with her husband, David Kiedinger, owns Big Top Entertainment in Newport News. Their daughter, Lauren Kiedinger, was a Miss Hampton-Newport News and runner-up for Miss Virginia.
The new caption for this photo will be: Director of Development and Alumni Affairs L. Barron (Barry) Wood, Jr. (R) cuts the cake during the September 19, 1986 celebration of CNC's 25th Anniversary. Looking on (L) are students Paul Sisak, Student Government Association President, and Julianne Smith, Miss Virginia of 1986 and later first runner-up in the 1987 Miss America Pageant.
There are countless more CNC/CNU unsolved mystery photographs out there. I'm now beginning to work with CNU Archives Assistant Christina Luer, who has boxes of mystery pictures to show me. I hope you who read this website will help me identify the people in those photographs too.
We welcome your FEEDBACK to our articles!
NOTE: The articles Best Early Photos in the Daily Press's Look Back: CNC Photo Gallery and 1977-1986 Photos in the Daily Press's Look Back: CNC Photo Gallery are now in our Website Archives (tab, left margin of HOME). Best Early Photos is in the sub tab First Decade History. 1977-1986 Photos is in the sub tab Second Decade History.
Published October 23, 2015
1977-1986 Photos in the Daily Press's
Look Back: CNC Photo Gallery,
with Some New Captions
by A. Jane Chambers
Look Back: Christopher Newport College is an exciting and valuable historical collection of 39 Daily Press photos made from the early 1960s through July of 2015 (www.dailypress.com/...look-back-christopher-newport). In a previous article we published 10 photos from this gallery that covered CNC's earliest years. Here are 10 more from the years 1977-1986. Since the original Daily Press publication lacked adequate information in some captions (especially the aerial photos) and had occasional inaccuracies in other captions (such as incorrect naming of buildings), I've worked with Daily Press Librarian Susan Conner to revise captions as needed. If you can help identify CNC students shown in a few of the photos from these first 25 years, please contact me at cncmemories61_71@yahoo.com.
The original caption for this picture is sufficient: "In 1977 Dr. David Bankes (left) meets outdoors with his class in horticulture at Christopher Newport College." However, it would be even better if we could add (1) the name of the building (Is it Gosnold?) and (2) the names of the six students who are clearly visible. Do you recognize any of them?
The original caption stated only the year (1979) and the fact that "higher enrollment demanded" more buildings. It did not identify this building. NEW CAPTION: Higher enrollment demanded this long overdue addition to the Captain John Smith Library in 1979.
Like the 1964-67 aerial photographs of CNC, these next four photos were identified in the gallery simply by date, 1980. The new captions will identify the CNC buildings and other landmarks. NEW CAPTION: Aerial view,CNC, 1980: Ferguson High School & athletic grounds (top L), facing Shoe Lane & half of the CNC campus. Fully visible (L-R): CNC's new Administration Building (under construction), the Smith Library-Smith Hall complex (new library wing facing small parking lot), & Newport Hall (with mobile classrooms behind it). Partly visible: roof of Wingfield Hall ( facing Smith Library), Mike's Greenhouse (bottom R), and edge of Gosnold Hall (R).
This aerial view shows the rest of the CNC campus, the buildings and areas to the right of the first photo. NEW CAPTION: Aerial view, CNC, 1980: (L-R) Newport Hall (with mobile classrooms), Gosnold Hall (Mike's Greenhouse left of it, near trees), the Campus Center complex, & Ratcliffe Gymnasium. Shoe Lane (top) & Moore's Lane (R) were 2 of the college's boundaries then.
This third photo provides a closer aerial view of the construction of the first 4-story building, the Administration Building. NEW CAPTION: Aerial view, CNC, 1980: (L - R) Smith Library-Smith Hall complex, Administration Building under construction (first 4-story building), Wingfield Hall, & above it, Newport Hall (with mobile classrooms). One edge of Gosnold Hall is visible top R.
To my knowledge this last 1980 aerial photo is the only one from that time that shows parts of all four roads that then formed the boundaries of CNC. NEW CAPTION: Aerial view, 1980, showing almost the entire CNC campus and the four roads then marking its boundaries: Warwick Blvd (top L, with Ferguson H. S.), Shoe Lane (between FHS & CNC), Moore's Lane (R, with curve), & Prince Drew Rd. (bottom L corner). Visible CNC buildings (L-R), Administration, Smith complex, Newport (facing circle), Gosnold, Campus Center complex, & Ratcliffe. Hidden by trees: Wingfield (facing Smith) & Mike's Greenhouse (L of Gosnold).
The original caption for this 1981 picture inaccurately described the forthcoming New Science Building as "an addition to Gosnold Hall" and failed to identify John Anderson by title. It also did not identify the two buildings. REVISED CAPTION: Posing behind Newport Hall with CNC President Dr. John Anderson (2nd from L) are (L-R) Newport News Mayor Joe Ritchie, Richard Bagley, Alan Diamondstein and Herb Bateman, who gathered in 1981 at the groundbreaking for CNC's forthcoming $3.3 million New Science Building, to be build behind Newport Hall. Shown also (far L) is the recently completed new, four-story Administration Building.
There is nothing wrong with the gallery caption for this one: "The New Science Building at Christopher Newport College was opened in 1984," although I recommended deleting "was." Identifying the lone student in the picture would add to its appeal, however. Who knows who she is?
The caption for this photograph was seriously incorrect: "Christopher Newport College's student center under construction in 1983." The original Campus Center was completed in 1973. What's shown here is the first of two large expansions of the Campus Center. NEW CAPTION: The first of two additions to the CNC Campus Center was nearing completion in this 1983 photograph. The heavily windowed section would house a new and larger cafeteria. The original building, built in 1973, was almost doubled in size after this addition and another in 1984.
The original caption--"Christopher Newport College Celebrates its 25th Anniversary"--definitely needs more information, beginning with a date (September 19, 1986) and some names. I know that Professor Barry Wood is the one who has just cut the first piece of the cake, but who are the other two people? Can YOU identify them? If so, please contact me at cncmemories61_71@yahoo.com.
WE WELCOME YOUR FEEDBACK
Published September 25, 2015
The Man Behind Christopher Newport's Mace:
J.J. (Jan) Heuvel, Sr.
by Sean M. Heuvel
The ceremonial mace is a common and compelling sight at Christopher Newport University's academic ceremonies. Crafted in 1977 to celebrate Christopher Newport’s independence from The College of William and Mary, the mace is an iconic symbol of CNU and acknowledges its rightful place among Virginia’s senior public higher education institutions. The man who created this impressive piece, J.J. (Jan) Heuvel, Sr. (1914-2003), was a master cabinetmaker trained in the old European school. He left an impressive legacy of art and craftsmanship that spanned two continents.
In this CNU photo from Commencement 2013, Dr. Mario Mazzarella, Professor of History, holds the mace upright until completion of the Academic Processional. The mace is carried on ceremonial occasions by the longest-serving tenured faculty member, who remains macebearer until retirement. The first macebearer was Dr. W. Stephen Sanderlin, Jr., Professor of English.
Johannes Jacobus Van Den Heuvel was born on August 17, 1914 in Rotterdam, Holland. His father was also a master cabinetmaker and longtime trade union official who had once worked in one of King William III’s Dutch royal palaces.At twelve, Jan began a rigorous, six-years' apprenticeship, learning such important skills as furniture joining and inlay work. As machines were not yet available, all of the work had to be done by hand. Although he was qualified to open his own shop by the early 1930s, the dangerous political climate in Europe prompted him to work instead in the defense industry, where he made wooden wings and propellers for military aircraft while also serving as a Dutch Royal Navy reservist. In January 1939, he married Cornelia (Cora) Van Den Steen, and they had a family of six children.
The outbreak of World War II changed Jan’s life forever: The Netherlands was invaded by the Nazis in May 1940. Serving by this time in a Dutch Army Aviation unit, Jan was assigned to help guard a train depot outside of Rotterdam during the invasion. Following the devastating Battle of Rotterdam and the Dutch Government’s capitulation, he was briefly a POW before being granted the opportunity to join the Rotterdam Fire Department. This assignment likely saved Jan from being shipped to Germany to work in a forced labor camp. However, his fire department service was not easy, as he and his colleagues fought constantly against large fires started almost daily by heavy Allied bombing. As Jan later reflected, “during those days there were a lot of bombs and lots of fire and misery. We would almost set our clocks by the arrival of waves of Allied bombers that rained devastation on the docks and factories of Rotterdam. Our house was only a half mile from German artillery that put up answering fire, so living conditions were not too pleasant.” On Jan’s days off, he would bicycle upwards of 50 miles into the Dutch countryside to try to find food for his young family.
Following the war, Jan tried to establish a business with what tools he had left and engaged in building custom-made furniture. However, because the postwar Netherlands was overcrowded with war refugees, he found it difficult to make a living. Hearing from visiting Americans about the better quality of life in the United States, Jan decided to immigrate and arrived in America in 1955.
The Cabinetmaker's Shop in Colonial Williamsburg, where Jan spent many years practicing his craft (Heuvel Family Photo).
Shortly thereafter, he secured a job with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, which provided him the opportunity to send for his wife and children. The entire family settled in Williamsburg in 1956 and later became American citizens. For the next 23 years Jan served as Colonial Williamsburg’s master cabinetmaker, demonstrating his skills to thousands of tourists.
He also built furniture on special order for paying customers as well as official gifts for visiting VIPs. One such VIP item was an 18th-century pipe rack that Jan built in 1967 for legendary newscaster Walter Cronkite, who called it “the most magnificent piece I have ever seen and the grandest gift I’ve ever received.” Another one of Jan’s signature creations was a speaker’s chair he made for the Virginia General Assembly in 1964, still on display in the state capitol. When Jan was not actively woodworking, he also enjoyed portraying an 18th-century mayor of Williamsburg for the annual George Washington birthday celebration.
In 1976 the decision was made at Christopher Newport College to have a ceremonial mace that would symbolize the institution’s upcoming independence from William and Mary. Shortly thereafter, Christopher Newport officials approached Jan for help with this project. According to then-CNC President Dr. James Windsor, “We chose Mr. Heuvel because of his fine reputation as a skilled craftsman.” Using plans drawn up by CNC staff, Jan constructed the mace during his free time in his garage. Dr. and Mrs. Windsor visited the Heuvel home regularly during this period to watch the mace’s progress, which also resulted in a warm friendship between the two families. Consisting of walnut – a wood native to the Virginia Peninsula and the Christopher Newport campus – the mace took 25 to 30 hours of focused carving and construction to complete. Jan then subcontracted the task of making silver sleeves and decorations for the mace to another Colonial Williamsburg craftsman.
Jan Heuvel in his home workshop, creating the mace, in 1976 (Heuvel family photo).
Then-CNC Board of Visitors Rector Harrol Brauer (L) and CNC President Dr. James Windsor admiring the new mace (Courtesy of The Daily Press).
Jan was always immensely proud of his contribution to Christopher Newport’s history. Shortly before his death in 2003, he was invited back to CNU by President Paul Trible to admire the mace and reminisce about its construction. The two had a great meeting about which Jan raved for the rest of his days. In many ways, this meeting also offered him the opportunity to reflect on his magnificent career as an artist and master craftsman. CNU is fortunate to have made his acquaintance.
(L-R) CNU President Trible, Sean Heuvel (with the mace), & craftsman J.J. Heuvel at CNU, Summer 2000 (Heuvel family photo).
Recent portrait of Dr. Sean Heuvel.
Dr. Sean M. Heuvel has been a faculty member in CNU’s Department of Leadership and American Studies since 2006. Before that, he worked in CNU’s admissions office (2003-2006) and was an undergraduate intern for CNU’s dean of students in 2000. A grandson of J.J. Heuvel, Sr., Sean earned his B.A. in Government & M.Ed. & Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from The College of William and Mary, plus an M.A. in History from the University of Richmond. A historian and leadership studies scholar, Sean is active in efforts to preserve CNU’s history and is the author of Arcadia Publishing’s Christopher Newport University (2009). Sean and his wife (Katey) and two children live in Williamsburg, VA.
Published August 28, 2015
1972 MayDay Car Rally at CNC,
Recalled by Joe Hutchko
Edited by A. Jane Chambers
May Day Weekend celebrations at CNC apparently began in May of 1971; that year’s Trident devoted four pages (54-57) to the weekend of activities, which began Friday evening with an on-campus concert and continued through Sunday night. The 1972 Trident expanded the May Day Weekend coverage to six pages (36-41)—two of which (40 & 41) were devoted to an event not included the previous year: a Car Rally.
Joe Hutchko (BS, 1974) recently shared his memories of that rally. He drove his two-door 1966 Oldsmobile 442—a sporty sedan with bucket seats. “The color,” Joe says, “was officially ‘Sierra Mist.’ A very dusty gold.” The above photo was taken after his first year (1965-66) at CNC. Joe explains the uniform: “In the summer of 1966 I took a summer student job as a toll collector with the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel. Remember those $1.25 tolls? This picture was taken after a day shift and I was wearing the State of Virginia uniform.”
A few months after that photo, he wore another uniform: “I joined the U.S. Air Force in October, 1966, and came back to CNC after serving four years to complete my degree [in Management Information Science] in the spring of 1974. The car rally was held when I was a sophomore in 1972.”
Joe believes that the May Day Car Rally was sponsored by the Professional Business Fraternity, or Club, which became Alpha Kappa Phi. The 1972 Trident photograph of this group (p. 49), shown here, does not identify any of the people in it, unfortunately. If you recognize yourself or someone else in this picture, please contact us! “Teams were given driving instructions,” Joe recalls, “to proceed from one point to another around the Peninsula in a timed competition. The team closest to a perfect time (not too fast or too slow) won trophies.” Joe’s wife, Barbara, who was his navigator, remembers that the route for the rally included many winding secondary roads and that it went as far as Yorktown and then back to the College. Joe and Barbara won third place. Notice the quality of their trophy, photographed by Joe. It has the CNC colors, marble base and top support, and looks like new after 42 years.
The 1972 Trident shows the three trophies together (p. 40), no doubt in order by size from first place to third. Joe’s trophy is the smallest, but about a foot tall. The left photo (p. 40) and right photo (p. 41) below are of two unidentified men holding the first and second place trophies. Who are they? Contact us if you know. Feedback on this article will be welcomed!
Published December 12, 2014
Actress Elizabeth Taylor at CNC:
An Unforgettable Afternoon
by A. Jane Chambers
“Elizabeth Taylor Warner Charms CNC Audience” –The Captain’s Log (10/18/79)
“An electric day at CNC. She was brilliant.” –Barry Wood
“Overall, she was delightful.” – James C. Windsor
In mid-October of 1979, the last year of James C. Windsor’s presidency, actress Elizabeth Taylor came to ChristopherNewportCollege. It was the first time anyone of world-wide fame was on our small campus, and it was an event that none of us who were there will ever forget—especially those of us among the twenty or so CNC administrators and faculty who enjoyed having lunch with her in the fairly new CampusCenter.
The Circumstances
What brought Elizabeth Taylor to our little-known college? She was invited by history professor Dr. James M. Morris to speak at a two-day program in the William Parks Lecture Series, named after CNC history professor Dr. William Parks, who had died unexpectedly in 1978. Two events in the Gaines Theatre preceded her arrival. The day before she came, a professor from Dartmouth College read his scholarly paper about her, followed by discussion with the audience. His paper’s title—“Who’s Afraid of Elizabeth Taylor?”—alluded to the controversial black and white movie for which she had won her second Oscar for Best Actress at the Academy Awards in 1967. The evening after that event, there was a free showing of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” A lecture by the actress was to be the highlight of this program.
Since her fee for speaking at the College was, of necessity, quite nominal, some people believed then, and some still believe, that her main motivation for coming to CNC might have been, at least in part, to advance the political career of her current husband, Republican Senator John Warner, a wealthy gentleman horse breeder in Northern Virginia whom she had wed in 1976, before he ran for the Senate. They were then in the third year of what would be a six-year marriage. However, Warner was in only the first year of his first term, so there was little reason for him, or her, to be campaigning then. Maybe she came to the Tidewater area just for a change of scenery, having grown bored with being the farmer’s wife. Or maybe she found the request that she talk about acting to be a pleasant change from the subject of politics. We will never know precisely why she agreed to come to our campus. But some clues might lie in what she said and did while she was here.
Elizabeth Taylor & John Warner (L) with President Gerald Ford, meeting England's Queen Elizabeth (R) at the British Embassy in Washington, in 1976. Warner, then Secretary of the Navy, was chairing the Bicentennial Commission. Ford asked him to escort Taylor that evening. Six months later they were married.
Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton in a scene from "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" (1966). They were in the second year of their first marriage during the filming. Both were nominated for Oscars in 1967. She won. He lost.
The Arrival
It was a clear, pleasantly cool fall day. As I walked toward the Campus Center, a car pulled up and stopped at the front of it. Two women got out, opening their own doors. The driver was a middle-aged blonde. Her passenger was a very brunette Elizabeth Taylor, still strikingly beautiful at age 47. So ordinary was this arrival, however, that I don’t think anyone nearby, except me, even noticed it. No limo. No entourage. No photographers. Just two middle-aged women exiting a sedan.
The woman then idolized by millions was dressed simply, in a dark green plaid, or perhaps tweed, business suit (matching jacket and skirt) and a high-necked green blouse. She wore those calf-high, medium-high-heeled boots popularized by the Nancy Sinatra song. She and her driver, seemingly a friend, chatted as they walked right past me, only a few feet away, and entered the StudentCenter. I was surprised to see how short she was. Even in those high-heeled boots, she was much shorter than I –perhaps no more than five feet tall.
Elizabeth Taylor in 1979 on the cover of HARPER'S BAZAAR.
The Luncheon
The small, unadorned room upstairs in the Campus Center was comfortable and well-lit, but there was nothing in it that could be called magnificent other than our famous guest. The tables, arranged in a U shape, were of the church basement variety and covered with white tablecloths.
As CNC President, Jim Windsor sat beside Elizabeth Taylor at the small head table. He was her age. Recently I sent him my memories of this luncheon and asked him what he remembered. He emailed back:
“Thank you for reminding me of the day we dined with Elizabeth Taylor. You helped me recall one of our pleasant memories of the second decade. I note that you were impressed with her height and hands. I checked out other parts of her anatomy. She was very attractive. Her eyes appeared purple rather than blue. She was intelligent when talking about her political life, but said, ‘Don't tell my husband, but I'd rather be doing something else.’ Elizabeth had gained a few pounds and said that she had to be disciplined when the lunch was served, but she consumed everything, and when the dessert was offered (pie), she pushed it away, but as we talked she ate her pie and half of mine. Overall, she was delightful.”
Barry Wood, then Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, sat directly across from her, along with his wife, Ann. He and I were both five years younger than the star. Barry recently shared with me his memories of this meal. He was struck by how relaxed, how casual the whole experience was—he, Ann, Jim and Elizabeth chatting back and forth “like ordinary people” over a rather ordinary meal: a “chicken-salad type” luncheon, not a feast. At one point, when the topic was her husband, Barry asked her what had been the worst thing about being married to a senator. “The number of times you have to shake hands,” she replied. One might sense, from that answer, and her comment above to Jim, a longing within her to get back to “something else”—such as acting.
I sat some distance down from the head table. When desserts had been eaten, but all of us were still sipping our iced tea or coffee, I approached our guest with a blank 5x7 index card and asked for her autograph. She smiled graciously, took the card from me, and held out her left hand, looking up at me with those famous violet eyes. It took a moment for me to realize she was waiting for me to hand her a pen. To my horror I realized I had forgotten to bring one! Thankfully, Jim Windsor quickly came to my rescue, handing her his pen.
"To?" she asked, her gaze again meeting mine.
"To?" I responded.
"To whom? How should I address it?"
"Oh! ...To me. To Jane."
She wrote "To Jane" and something else (I've since lost that card, alas!) and signed it "Elizabeth Taylor Warner." I remember that her hands were small and lightly freckled. I thanked her and quickly returned to my chair.
The Performance
She spoke at 3:00 that afternoon, on a bare stage, with just a podium and microphone, and I believe virtually all of the 389 seats of the Gaines Theatre were filled. There was no performance—no reading or reciting of a prepared speech. Instead, she simply opened the floor to questions from the audience about acting. And as Barry recalls, there was never any hesitation, “not a moment’s pause for reflection,” between someone’s question and her answer. She was, as Barry says, “brilliant”— someone he “would have been honored to have” in one of his classes. She annihilated the stereotype of the Hollywood actress as beautiful but dumb. She was not only poised and clever, but also, somewhat to my surprise, quite witty! The audience loved it when she mocked Method Acting, a technique then popular in many drama schools. And when one man raised a too-personal question, she deflected it skillfully.
The John Gaines Theatre in CNC’s Campus Center — built in 1973; demolished in 2008. DAILY PRESS photo in MEMORIES OF CHRISTOPHER NEWPORT COLLEGE, p. 142.
Conclusion
Overall it was, as Barry says, “an electric day, a great day.” And a learning experience. We came that afternoon to see an icon, a somewhat-unreal being from the celluloid world of Hollywood. We left having met a person whom, under other circumstances, we might happily have counted as a personal friend. Perhaps she had “too much” jewelry and “too many” husbands, but she was an extraordinary human being: gifted, gracious, witty and charming. And in her latter decades, she gave much of herself and her wealth to help lessen the sufferings of others. She contributed significantly to the betterment of humanity, fighting for human rights and for the eradication of the world-wide disease AIDS—therefore exemplifying the meanings of justice and mercy. The world is somewhat better for her having been here.
The face of the actress at age 32, shortly before filming "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"
Her face with makeup for her character in the movie. Taylor also deliberately gained 30 pounds for the role of the middle-aged, frumpy Martha in "Who's Afraid."
Published November 1, 2013
FEEDBACK - Updated November 15, 2013
(Elizabeth Taylor article)
Regarding the article Actress Elizabeth Taylor at CNC, Charlie Snead (FD 66) wrote, "This is an informative and well written article. I recommend an A."
Re: Actress Elizabeth Taylor at CNC, Janie Wolf, widow of deceased CNC English professor Dr. William (Bill) Wolf, wrote:
“You have phenomenal writing skills, as I would expect. I thoroughly enjoyed your words about Elizabeth Taylor Warner's visit to CNC. I was there, as was Bill. What an experience. I, too, was very surprised at how petite she was…she seemed to glide as she ventured forward into the auditorium. I was somewhat awestruck. Thanks for sharing your memories.”
Published November 8, 2013
The Christopher Newport Mace:
A Commencement TraditionSince 1977
by A. Jane Chambers
In the Middle Ages, the mace was a weapon armored warriors used in close combat to main or kill their similarly armored opponents. It was a wooden or steel club with a head that often had spikes or blades in it so that it could cut through an opponent’s armor. Google offers numerous pictures of maces and even videos showing how to fight with them—in case you are interested in gruesome medieval combat.
With time, the battlefield mace evolved into something more benign: the ceremonial mace, which Wikipedia describes thus: a highly ornamented staff of metal or wood, carried before a sovereign or other high official in civic ceremonies by a mace-bearer, intended to represent the official's authority. The mace, as used today, derives from the original mace used as a weapon. Processions often feature maces, as on parliamentary or formal academic occasions. Google also is well stocked with photos of ceremonial maces—especially those of various universities, for the mace is a fixture at most commencements.
The Christopher Newport mace was created in 1977, under the direction of Dr. James C. Windsor, CNC’s second president, shortly after CNC won its independence from The College of William and Mary. It was designed by Dr. Nancy Melton, President Windsor’s assistant, and crafted by Johannes J. Heuvel, Sr., a master cabinetmaker with the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation (see photo and text at right).
The CNU website describes our mace as approximately three feet long and crafted of polished walnut. The two silver inlays around the handle are inscribed with the names of Christopher Newport presidents and rectors of the Board of Visitors. Ornamental silver coins ring the head of the mace and list landmarks in Christopher Newport history, such as the school’s founding, the granting of the first four-year degree, and independence from the College of William & Mary in 1977. It is crowned by the university seal, also in silver. This seal is the one that dates from 1970 and is shown and described in several places on this website, as well as in the website’s list of contents.
Photo and description courtesy of Sean M. Heuvel, author of Christopher Newport University ( Arcadia Publishing, 2009), p. 43. Sean is the grandson of master cabinetmaker Johannes J. Heuvel, Sr. and an instructor in CNU’s Department of Leadership and American Studies.
Traditionally, our mace is carried on ceremonial occasions by the longest-serving tenured faculty member, who remains macebearer until he or she retires. The first macebearer was Dr. W. Stephen Sanderlin, Jr., Professor of English, who carried it until about 1991. Accounting Professor Donald Riley followed as the second macebearer. Had I not retired before he did, I would have been the third. The most recent macebearer, who followed Biology Professor Dr. Ronald Mollick, was Dr. Mario Mazzarella, Professor of History, who retired after this year’s Commencement. Below are two photos of him with the mace on May 11—first, carrying it and then, at the end of Commencement, handing it over to the next macebearer, Dr. Sanford Lopater, Professor of Psychology, who will carry it until his retirement.
Dr. Mazzarella stood at attention, holding the mace upright, until completion of the Academic Processional. He then placed the mace in its wooden cradle for the duration of Commencement. CNU photo.
Dr. Mazzarella completed Divestiture of the Mace by handing the mace to his successor as macebearer, Dr. Lopater, who then led the Recessional. CNU photo.
Published June 7, 2013
Reliving the Good Olde Days:
Medieval-Renaissance Week
at CNC/CNU
by Mario D. Mazzarella
One of the first upper-level courses I taught was The History of Medieval Europe. I had some students from the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) in one of my classes. The SCA is a group that creates very authentic costumes, does crafts, and engages in swordplay in leather armor and steel helmets which they construct themselves. My contact with this group led to my coming up with the idea of a week at CNC filled with various events celebrating the middle ages that would involve the SCA, our faculty and our students.
The first Medieval-Renaissance Week took place in the spring of 1975. The big show was having the SCA people come to the campus, arrayed in their gorgeous costumes, to set up a major display of tents, crafts and sword fighting. Inspired by Steve Allen, we put on our own "Meeting of the Minds," a panel composed of faculty experts who, in makeshift costumes, impersonated medieval figures they were familiar with, discussing their ideas and arguing with one another. So, for example, Bob Durel (Sociology Department) was Thomas Aquinas, Larry Sacks (Chemistry) was Galileo, Doc Powell (Philosophy and Religious Studies) played Luther and I played Erasmus. Stan Fedysyn (Drama) staged acommedia del arte performance. Clyde Brockett (Music) arranged for his musical group to play medieval and renaissance music. We decorated the campus with banners. And a group of students joined some SCA people and they, and I, and Jim Hines (Director of Music) danced some medieval dances. Jim continued to assist me with later Medieval-Renaissance Weeks, which I very much appreciated.
The dark costumed gentlemen dancing with the ladies are Dr. Mario Mazzarella (white hair) and Dr. Jim Hines, music professor. Undated photo from the catalog Christopher Newport College, 1979-1981, p. 106.
Students, faculty, and SCA members dance during a Medieval-Renaissance Week. "Dr. Mazz" is visible in the upper left corner. Undated photo between pages 88 & 89 of Serving the Old Dominion: A History of Christopher Newport University, by Phillip Hamilton.
These events were held every few years while I taught medieval history and were always great fun. The last one was held in 1996, after CNC had become CNU. I stopped teaching medieval history after that and the event lapsed.
Since I was retiring after this academic year (spring, 2013), I decided to try to hold the event once more. My old friends (and many former students) in the SCA were delighted to join. I put together another “Meeting of the Minds,” which was loved by those who saw it, and we had a day of displays and fighting and dancing on CNU’s Great Lawn on Wednesday, March 20. I was honored by the SCA for all my efforts over the years, which quite touched me. A Daily Press reporter was on hand to shoot some pictures and videotape an interview. An article with two pictures was published in the Daily Press the next day (March 21) and part of the taped interview also appeared on the newspaper’s website as the background for activities including the sword fighting [See link below].
Medieval-Renaissance Week was a great way to show, through sight and sound, that history and the life of the mind can be fun.
Click below for the Medieval Day video with Dr. Mazzarella’s comments in the background:
Dr. Mario D. Mazzarella joined CNC’s Department of History in 1969 as a young instructor and will retire as full professor in May, 2013. He earned his A.B. degree from ProvidenceCollege, his M.A. from the University of Rhode Island, and his Ph.D. from AmericanUniversity. His publications include “The European State System 1648-1919,” in Teaching Old Dogs New Tricks, and “Remembering Robert Madison “Pat” Usry: Professor Extraordinaire,” in Memories of Christopher Newport College: The First Decade, 1961-1971. “Mazz” and his wife, Rebecca, live in Newport News. “Becky” works for the Wolf Law Library at William and Mary,
Dr. Mazzarella as a young CNC Instructor of History. 1971 TRIDENT, p. 24.
Published April 5, 2013
Remembering Lake Windsor and Polis Pond
by F. Samuel Bauer
Professor Emeritus of Psychology
The land on which the CNC campus was built was a tad swampy, so with the construction of the first buildings, drainage of rainwater became a real problem. After Wingfield Hall was finished, the beginning of the "quad" was in place, with Smith Hall, Christopher Newport Hall (later McMurran Hall) and Wingfield creating its boundaries. It would be several years until the Administration Building (aka the Power Tower) would be erected. Meanwhile, the primordial quad would take on a whole different character after a good spring "frog strangler."
The lawn between the sidewalks would quickly flood with even a modest rain and thus LakeWindsor appeared. The naming of this temporary but recurrent body was obvious, since President James C. Windsor's office in Smith Hall was closest to its deepest parts--probably since the only drain for the area was nearby. The best view of Lake Windsor, however, was commanded from the office of Barry Wood, which was located along the narrow corridor that connected the Administration wing of Smith to the Library. Mr. Wood had only to gaze out of his office, past the Peace Pole to fully enjoy the view.
Varied activities occurred along the shores and in Lake Windsor. There were frequent waders, and toy boats of myriad manufacture were sailed on its waters. Even a shark fin once appeared as I recall. After a few hours the waters would recede and Lake Windsor would again become just a lawn.
Lesser in size and renown was Polis Pond. This smaller but in some ways more troublesome temporary impoundment would come into existence in the area between Wingfield and the end of Christopher Newport Hall, outside the office windows of William Polis, Dean of Students. Since the sidewalk between these buildings provided the most direct route from the Library and many parking areas to both Gosnold and Ratcliffe Halls, rising waters led to many students and faculty with wet feet.
Aerial view of CNC's water attractions. Inside cover, 1968 TRIDENT.
Alas, with the construction of the Administration Building, a drainage project was undertaken and Lake Windsor and Polis Pond were seen never again. But when the parking lot behind Smith Hall, parallel to Shoe Lane was built, a new impoundment came into existence for only a short but memorable time. That lot was long and narrow and had curb and gutter surrounding it, making it a long basin. Drains had been built under the lot, but as it was put into use, someone forgot to remove covers that had been placed over the drains during construction. About three in the afternoon of one of those memorable April spring days, a thunderstorm dumped a couple of inches of water on the campus and the parking lot filled with water like a swimming pool-- up to two feet deep in the center.
There was great consternation on the part of those parked there--it was a Faculty/Stafflot, and I recall wading into the lot and driving several cars to high ground that afternoon. Needless to say the drains were cleared the next day.
Later the "Three Ships" sculpture, donated by the Coile Family, was placed in the quad in a location that would have been in the center of Lake Windsor. I often thought how fitting it would be to have them rising from the Lake instead of grass.
Predating Lake Windsor and Polis Pond, this smaller pond, in Gosnold Courtyard, when frozen, was a favorite place for ice-skating. 1968 TRIDENT, p. 36.
Dr. Sam Bauer with his trademark pipe. 1972 TRIDENT, p. 121.
The Christopher Newport College Banner
by Harold Cones
This Christopher Newport College banner was either purchased by Jean Pugh or she had it made in the early 1970s. As we were cleaning our offices in the summer of 1984 to move to the unofficially named "New Science Building,"Jean found the banner and asked me if I wanted it. I stored it for a few years and in 1991, when my daughter started at Christopher Newport, she conned me into being the sponsor of the new Equestrian Team. I remembered the banner.
For four years we hung the banner on the old van that we drove to horse shows. The first year our team competed, students from schools such as UVa, Tech, and Mary Washington would look at the scoreboard and ask, "Who is Christopher Newport?" By our fourth year, they were coming to the scoreboard to see how well we were doing. We were second in the division our last year and had the division jumping champion at CNC (my daughter, by the way). It always made me feel good to drive up in our college's busted-up van, park it next to the fancy schools' buses, hang up the banner, see our girls jump out in jeans in the midst of the “fancy” people, see the others look down their noses at us, and then beat the Hell out of them.
Our CNC team was a force to be reckoned with but received no money from the school. The members paid for their own lessons, riding clothes, and trip expenses. And by the way: one of the current CNU Board members rode under that banner as a member of the team all four years that I was the sponsor.
Made of a felt-like material, the banner is 1 inch shy both horizonally and vertically of being 3 feet long and 2 feet tall. The First Decaders Committee might want to outfit it with some sort of hanger and display it at our future reunions.
FEEDBACK
(Dr. Windsor article)
Dr. James C. Windsorwrote: "Thank you for composing and printing the article on some of my experiences in Korea. It was very thoughtful and well done. I have not talked much about my service in the Marines, but at age 81, I suppose it is now worth mentioning as a part of my history. Thank you for remembering."
Dalton Kelley Blankenship (FD 66 & 71) found the article about Dr. Windsor as a Marine "wonderful." She also wrote that the student sitting with Jim Windsor in the first photo is her husband,Norman Blankenship, adding, "After all the years that I sat in that chair, we always thought it was funny that HE ended up with the photo in the yearbook. I know this wasn't a mystery photo, but solved it anyway."
Link to Christopher Newport University home page: http://cnu.edu