Home sweet dorm

By Robert L. Smith

There was something special about Howe House on Murray Hill in the early 1970s. Maybe it was because so many of the young men lived there all four of their college years, six to a suite. They played sports together, studied engineering and science together, and graduated together in 1974.

“It was truly a fraternity,” said Mark Humphrey ’74, who lived in Howe House while earning an electrical engineering degree from Case Institute of Technology. “We just developed a lot of closes friendships. We worked hard and we played hard.”

When he put out the call for a Howe House reunion, former dormmates responded with enthusiasm. On June 23, 10 of them arrived from across the country, bringing along eight spouses. Some of the former classmates had not seen one another in 48 years.

“It was fabulous, it really was,” said Humphrey, who retired in California after a 34-year career with Chevron Corporation.

Kelly Hendricks, director of alumni engagement for the Case Alumni Association, said dorm reunions are just one of many kinds of “affinity reunions” that are drawing alumni back to campus. She has helped organize gatherings of former lab partners and reunions for former members of student groups and sports teams, in addition to reunions for classes and Greek organizations.

“The memories you made with those you lived with, studied with or shared a common interest with created lifelong memories,” she observed

The Howe House muster took root last year, when Humphrey returned to Canton for a high school reunion and had dinner with former housemate Paul Harold ’74. They started talking about Case, their upcoming 50th college reunion, and how they had already lost some of their classmates.

Dave Fries '74 jumps back into a bed in Howe House. Alumni Ray Staron and Mark Humphrey in Howe House.

“We’re thinking, let’s not wait for 50. Let’s do it now!” Humphrey said.

With the help of Hendricks and the CAA database, they targeted about two dozen former housemates. Seventeen responded positively and a date was set--the weekend of June 23-25.

Working with Hendricks, Humphrey and Harold designed an itinerary that ranged from campus to downtown and back. The group golfed at Manakiki, visited the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and took in a Cleveland Guardians game. They had breakfast with Dean Ragu Balakrishnan and toured the new Structures Lab in the basement of Bingham. They also toured the university’s acclaimed innovation center and maker space — a highlight.

“Hands down, (Sears) think[box] was the big hit. And they gave us an incredible tour,” Humphrey said.

The group even had lunch with Larry Sears ’69, the namesake of Sears think[box] and the former graduate assistant whom many of them had for Circuits.

Climactically, they returned to Howe House, which now houses second-year students as part of CWRU’s South Residential Village. They were surprised and delighted to find that their former dorm had not changed so very much.

They found their rooms and scrambled onto beds and posed for photos in familiar lounges. Several of them climbed the Elephant Stairs.

Said Humphrey: “The memories just kept flooding back.”

Want to re-connect with your place at Case? Contact Kelly Hendricks and get the reunion started: Kelly.Hendricks@casealum.org