I thought I would talk about my Bucknell experience in two sessions. Is that okay?
Okay.
Today I’ll just show you some scenes around Lewisburg and recall a few memories about the town. Next time I’ll talk about my involvement.
Fine.
Since the official reason for going there was to study engineering, I’ll start by showing you the Engineering Building.
I spent many a day there, so it’s worthy of a photo.
My photo of the Chemistry Building is not too good, but here it is anyway.
.
Now here’s the story. I took chemistry in my freshman year. It consisted of morning classrooms and one afternoon lab. The lab, with all the cleanup, could last until 5:30 or 6:00. And — wouldn’t you know it — it was on a Friday afternoon. So, while all the business students and liberal-arts students were going out on dates, the Chem students and I were still stuck in the Chem Lab.
Not much fun.
No, but we got through it. And there was a nice movie theater in town. The Campus Theater. That’s where we’d take our dates when we could get away.
Matter of fact, it’s still there. And recognized for its art-deco design. And after a movie we’d often go to Pardoe’s for refreshments and dancing to a juke box. Music of the late Forties, early Fifties. Billy Eckstine. Patti Page. Like that.
The sign says “Sweet Shop.”
Yeah, that was the official name. But we all called it Pardoe’s. Don’t know why. Guess it was called that years ago.
The main road through town is Market Street. I took this photo at the corner of Market and Third Streets.
Can’t remember where I was to take a shot from that high up.
Here’s another street scene. In the fall of 1951 the Bucknell football team had an undefeated season. It was a big deal. Got written up even in a New York newspaper. So they called off classes and had a big parade through the streets. I took this shot from my room.
That was big.
Oh, yeah. Our two running backs — they were called halfbacks in those days — broke the East-Coast-college yardage record that Glenn Davis and Doc Blanchard had set playing for Army. It was in the paper. Associated Press picked it up.
Sorry for that blotch. Looks like 470 yards per game.
Impressive.
Very. We of the Class of ’52 still talk about it. Our Undefeated Season. Now there’s just one more photo for this session.
Okay.
Lewisburg lies next to the Susquehanna River. And sometimes the river overflows and floods the town.
Very much?
Only a little, just one time, while I was there. But over the years there have been some doozies. Down on a corner, near where I was staying, there was an old abandoned Bull Durham barn. And, over the years, the flood waters reached a height high enough that someone would mark the date on the barn. So here’s a photo of that.
In case you can’t read them, I’ll tell you. From bottom to top are 1946, 1894, 1889, and, where I’m pointing, 1936. Can you imagine?
Wow.
I’m glad I wasn’t there then.
Next time I’ll talk about some of my involvement at Bucknell.
Okay.