“If you saw a student wearing Chuck Taylor Converse All-Star black sneakers, it was a good bet they were from Delaware or New York.”
The First Steps An alumnus from the First State shares his St. Edward’s stories.
Editor’s Note: St. Edward’s University Magazine asked alumnus Jack Ireland ’69 to share his reflections on the influx of students from Delaware at St. Edward’s in the 1960s. In the past year, the Alumni Association has worked with the Delaware alumni group to host two reunions, including a reception in June with President George E. Martin. A tradition started in late August, 47 years ago, when four graduating seniors from Salesianum School in Delaware stepped off a plane in Austin, not really knowing what to expect. For Dave Haley ’67, Dennis Maczynski ’68, Dan Monigle ’67 and Joseph Taggart ’67, it was the start of something special. While they had no idea at that time, they started a wave of incoming students from Salesianum, an all-boys Catholic high school, that would continue for the next decade. St. Edward’s was a university the four young men knew little about as they arrived on campus that steamy August day; however, their presence and involvement in the academic and social life at St. Edward’s triggers memories today for so many alumni from Delaware. When the surge of students from Delaware — as well as from New York and several Midwestern states — was taking place, St. Edward’s was considered a small blurb on the map compared to the University of Texas. But that certainly didn’t stop the flow of students from Delaware. St. Edward’s had a great comrade in the late Father Bernard Donahue, who did a remarkable job convincing so many students that the long trip to Texas could turn out to be a life-changing experience. Unfortunately for
Marriages To Michelle de Ybarrondo Gall ’90 and husband Archie, daughter Mariela on May 23, 2010.
Laura Hill ’02 to Joseph Swann on April 23, 2010.
St. Edward’s, Delaware students stopped coming to Austin after Father Donahue stepped aside at Salesianum. While many of the men were certainly not angels during their fouryear stay (this author included), most left with degrees and a bond with St. Edward’s. Friendships started with intramural football and basketball rivalries — and a little bit of beer drinking on “The Hill,” which started off as the wooded areas behind Holy Cross Hall and eventually moved to behind Premont Hall. “I think the greatest thing about the guys from Delaware is that we were part of a diverse melting pot of students from various states who bonded together,” says Alan Ademski ’69. “Not only did we have so many guys from Delaware and Salesianum School, but we formed friendships with students from other states that last even today. I’m talking about close bonds with people from New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, and, of course Texas, to just name a few. This also included girls from Maryhill College, which was formed not long after a lot of us arrived on campus. Eventually, Maryhill was dropped, and the ladies all became a part of St. Edward’s. We definitely had our time for fun, but it was such a great feeling when so many of us earned that college degree.” Ademski notes that it was pretty easy to recognize students from Delaware and also parts of New York back in the 1960s. If you saw a student wearing Chuck Taylor Converse All-Star black sneakers, it was a continued on page 32 Karen Burckhardt ’07 to Tanner Moore on July 10, 2010.
Whitney Capps ’09 to Timothy Lamonte ’08 on June 26, 2010.
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