Letters, posts and emails

The Centennial edition of Case Alumnus inspired memories and many letters, including these:

Great issue celebrating 100 years! I especially enjoyed the article on the “Zooming” Phi Kaps. As a Phi Kap myself, I knew some of those mentioned, who were seniors when we were freshmen.

FYI, we also have a group of brothers from 1963-65 who keep in touch via group emails (we’re not quite ready for Zoom). We also have an in-person reunion each September (not this year,

I have several comments related to the Winter 2021 issue:

Dr. Schuele was my advisor for my freshman year. He always put the needs of the students as his priority.

It was interesting to read how John Jenkins ’54 used the room lamps to heat his food. Our freshman class was the first in the new dorms in the quadrangle. We would draw the drapes so the resident grad students could not see in the room. Then we would lay our wet laundry over the lamps to dry them. Being short of funds, we did not want to spend the 10 cents for each 10 minutes of the dorm dryers.

After I went off the food plan my sophomore year, I would get a huge jar of peanut butter and a huge jar of jelly. With some bread and carefully eating from the top down to minimize spoilage, I had PB&J sandwiches for weeks. My goal was meals for the week for less than $10.

Final note: When Case and WRU merged our senior year, we were given the option of graduating with a CWRU degree or a CIT degree. I chose CIT.

Fond memories all, because of Covid).

And there’s another, larger group of brothers who graduated a couple years after us who also get together bi-annually. Ed McHenry, a former president of the CAA, is a member of that group.

Best regards,

Bob Smialek ’65, MS ’67, PhD ’70

Dublin, Ohio rsmialek@columbus.rr.com

While I was sad to read of Professor Dov Hazony's passing in the Case Alumnus magazine, I was happy to see that he was honored on a page in the magazine. He had an enormous influence on my life path. I wasn't initially a serious student at Case, but he became my senior project advisor and he eventually suggested that I pursue a master's degree, something that never occurred to me. I eventually received the PhD degree in electrical engineering from UVA, was a professor in ECE for 18 years at NMSU and UA, and was honored as a Fellow of the IEEE for my research in error-correcting codes.

William E. Ryan ’81, PhD • Oro Valley, AZ • fastbiba@gmail.com

James (Jim) J. Genova, ’68 (physics), PhD Whitsett, NC jimlx90@gmail.com

Reading the letters from ’50s alumni in the winter 2021 Alumnus issue brought back two special memories of life at CIT. The first, pure pleasure, and the second was at my expense.

We were blessed to have a world-class orchestra and conductor right across the street. Several of us formed an organization, in name only, The Symphony Forum. Subsequently, the Physics Department Chairman, Professor Shanklin, arranged for us to attend concerts, recording sessions, rehearsals and participate as supernumeraries when the Metropolitan Opera came to Cleveland. This resulted in lifelong memories of George Szell-led performances often featuring world-renowned soloists and leading opera performers.

The second memory was of an occurrence on a cold crisp Saturday morning while walking from the campus to the nearby Tasty-Burger restaurant for breakfast. Dressed in a warm winter coat, hat and gloves and striding down Euclid Avenue, I was pleasantly surprised that everyone I passed had a smile on their face. Feeling really great as I walked, the reactions of everyone I passed confirmed my belief that the morning was perfect and the whole world was in order. Only later when two little girls passed me did I learn the truth. As they walked by, I heard one say to the other, “He must be from Case, he has his coat buttoned wrong.”

Richard Socash ’60

Boulder, CO

Rege.So@gmail.com

Or by mail to: Case Alumnus

Tomlinson Hall, Room 109 10900 Euclid Avenue Cleveland OH 44106

Reading of James McGuffin-Cawley’s promotion to Faculty Director of Sears think[box] prompted Wendy Gibbons ’82 to share her own connection to the innovation center:

My husband, John Gibbons (BSEE ’81, MSEE ’83), has been the lab director of the EECS lab since October 2016 and works near the Sears think[box] maker space. In 2018 he took training to allow him to use various tools at think[box]. Over the weeks that John was training, he would tell me about his latest certification. His excitement about completing the training for all 10 sets of tools inspired me to ask an artist friend to create the attached “think[box]er” artwork for John. It is displayed in his office in 314 Glennan.

Wendy (Mead) Gibbons, BSSE ’82

Macedonia, OH gibbonsw71@windstream.net

The Engineering Game was fantastic. Jim Kilmer was an excellent host. It was so enjoyable to see the students, faculty and alumni as participants. And yes, it was interesting listening to the dean and incoming president. Good job to everyone involved in the event.

Susie Nagorney ’76

Pepper Pike, OH via Facebook

Alex Trebek. Jim Kilmer ’00, MS ’00, has a real talent for the adlib.

Congratulations on a well-executed event! It was great to see the engineers presenting a light-hearted event and having fun. You have to go back to the ’50s and remember Stunt Night to find engineers enjoying some comic relief.

The program also presented a serious side, which deserves kudos.

By the way, Ken Jennings may have some real competition in replacing Tom Kicher ’59, MS ’62, PhD ’65 Willoughby Hills, OH tom@kicher.com

I just saw the recording of the Engineering Game as I was unable to watch it live. Frankly, I did not know what to expect, but figured it would be hokey and dull. Boy was I wrong. Jim, you could have a second career on TV. The late great Alex Trebek could not have done a better job. Absolutely first rate. I did not even fast forward for a minute as I was glued to my screen. And, that says a lot after a year of Zoom meetings, webinars, arbitrations, mediations and depositions. Not a week goes by when I am not on Zoom for a dozen hours or more. But, this was special. It was incredibly well produced. The selection of contestants was terrific. Frankly, I am truly glad that I was not asked to participate as an alum as I would have had an embarrassing lack of knowledge and would have added nothing. The panelists were perfect. The presentation of the Gutti Memorial Teaching Award added to the program as Debra McGivney clearly is an outstanding professor to whom students would relate and as a recruiting tool, she is a star.

Again, congratulations to all. Totally great job. And, yes, this should be an annual event. I would bet that next year even more people will attend. Hopefully, it can be done before a “live studio audience” next year as well as broadcast on the net.

Stay well,

Michael Diamant ’68

Shaker Heights, OH

MDiamant@taftlaw.com

Thanks for the tribute to my late friend, Donald E. Schuele, PhD ’63, in the last issue of Case Alumnus. However, I would like to point out the greatest achievement that Don made to Case and the University, which was the creation and execution of the competitive Merit Scholarship Program. In my opinion, it saved Case and the University in the years following federation.

Enrollment at Case Tech had declined in the early 1970s from 500-550 per year to under 250 by 1972. The University was in deficit and prospects were bleak. Don was dean of the undergraduates at Case Tech and admissions were under his charge. With the help of Brownie Neff ’32, Don met with Kelvin Smith and outlined an idea for a new merit-based scholarship program based on a competitive exam for admitted students. Kelvin Smith went to President Lou Toepfer and gave him a check for $250,000 and said he would tell him what it was for in three weeks! During that time, Don and his friend, Jack Lohwater, a great mathematician and teacher, drafted the program. They would invite students to campus each spring to take a two-part math exam and either a chemistry, physics or biology exam. A faculty committee would determine the top 10 students to receive a full-tuition scholarship, regardless of financial need. The objective was to recruit the very best to Case. In addition, stellar students would visit campus, meet faculty and similar students and help attract others to come to Case.

Don approached the CAA and asked for 30 additional one-half tuition scholarships to award runners-up. Thus, Don had 10 full-tuition and 30 half scholarships fully funded for four years to attract the best and brightest. The program attracted almost 200 students and parents the first year. More than half eventually enrolled. With the addition of eight full-tuition scholarships from the Horsburgh family and two from Alex Truehaft, the numbers grew to more than 800 students over two weekends. Enrollment soared and by 1980 Case Tech had more than 2,000 undergraduates, the most in history.

The real secret to this success was the opportunity for Don and Jack to address the parents while their children were taking the tests. They walked the stage of Strosacker talking about the importance of a strong background in math and physics and how Case placed students in the right academic classes. Parents remarked about how this was the first school that talked about academics first! And, while they waited for their children to finish the exam, a huge lunch was served in Fribley Commons and Don was there to answer their questions. After lunch, students met with faculty members.

Don also revamped all the recruiting materials with the help of the late George Havens ’49, an advertising and marketing executive. This, coupled with the competitive merit scholarship program, saved Case and helped the University to recover.

Roger H. Cerne ’63

Executive Director Emeritus

Case Alumni Association

I was pleasantly surprised when I received my Winter 2021 Case Alumnus this past week to find a large two-page article in the magazine presenting information about my background (“Curiously Brilliant”). I found the article very well written, factual and consistent with my thoughts and perspectives from my experiences resulting from my education at Case.

It is with great pride that I have experienced many benefits resulting from my education at Case that your article so nicely presented. Thank you for your efforts.

Regards,

Bruce Banks ’64 • Olmstead Township, Ohio • bruce.a.banks@nasa.gov