Legacy of John J. Wittich, former admission director, continues through Class of 1957’s scholarship
From 1952 until 1961, Director of Admission John J. Wittich ’44 shaped the future of his alma mater one high school senior at a time. To DePauw, they were the best and brightest from places such as Wapakoneta, Ohio; Dunreith, Ind.; and Hoopeston, Ill., the Sweet Corn Capital of the World. To John, they were – and remain – “his kids.” A Rector Scholar and U.S. Marine, Wittich inherited a driven work ethic from his German immigrant parents. Hard work was also the secret to what would become his legendary memory. Back when fraternities really rushed, the members of Sigma Chi put freshman-to-be Wittich to an early test while he was still in high school. “We had to memorize all the Sigma Chi
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Song” in the back seat of their green Pontiac. “When it came down to deciding who should join the DePauw family,” Wittich says, “the choice was obvious to me, and I tried hard to make the choice obvious to these special, young 18-yearolds and their parents. I saw a beaming future for them.” He left DePauw in 1961, continuing his work in higher education in New York, California and Illinois, where he served as president of MacMurray College for 12 years. Today, he lives with Leah in Champaign, Ill., just a few doors down from their daughter, Jane. When they first came together, Wittich’s classes were filled with young people craving to be recognized by the outside world. His devoted attention could have ended the moment he placed them into the capable hands of DePauw’s faculty, but as the years and members’ girlfriends who they were decades went by, Wittich never forgot going steady with,” Wittich told The their names, hometowns, girlfriends DePauw in 2009. He did not disappoint or boyfriends – later, their wives and his brothers or their sweethearts. husbands. As 50th and 55th reunions Later, when he was the one have rolled around, he continues to be their “Parents lend children their experience most-sought-after and a vicarious memory; children endow guest. The Class of 1957 their parents with a vicarious immortality.” expresses a particularly GEORGE SANTAYANA loving ownership of him, going so far as recruiting, he thought it was important inducting him into their ranks as an to demonstrate to each of his targets honorary member. Theirs was his first how important they were to him and assemblage of young men and women to DePauw. During car trips with his at DePauw, and according to them, young family, his wife, Leah Glynn his best. “The Best Damn Class John Wittich ’44, would quiz him about Wittich Ever Built” by Dwight F. prospects’ names and hometowns as Walton ’57 may forever be the only their children sang the “DePauw Fight