YOUR OHIO
memories and more
What celebrity visited Ohio while you were in school? We asked our readers and Facebook friends to comment on the memorable people who have visited campus. Here are some of our favorite responses: In 1976, we came back from spring break to find posters scattered around campus claiming Bruce Springsteen was going to be in concert with the E Street Band at the Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium on April 1. The posters were 8 1/2” x 11” paper, black-and-white, and looked like photocopies made from album covers. This fooled no one, of course. Springsteen had only a few months before had his extraordinary simultaneous Time and Newsweek cover stories. “Born to Run” was at the top of the charts. Mem Aud? Springsteen could have filled the Convocation Center! Everyone on campus had it pegged for what it obviously was: an early April Fools’ prank. At least, that’s what we thought until we picked up our
Counting Crows at Mem Aud in 2003. I thought they weren’t going to play the song “Round Here,” but at the end of the show, Adam Duritz, the lead singer, came out to a grand piano on the dimmed stage, lights sparkling within a backdrop like stars in the sky. It was just he on the piano singing “Round Here” to all of us, and it was amazing!
—Kristen Norris, BSED ’07 Robert Frost, 1961. Imagine seeing Robert Frost walking across the College Green!
—Merrybelle Dean England, AB ’62 Ted Turner visited for a speech during Communications Week and taped a Q&A session in the WOUB studio. He was interesting, entertaining and engaging as he discussed the state of TV, cable, communications and technology. Years later as a TV reporter, I covered a speech Turner delivered in Norfolk, Va. I mentioned that I had heard him speak at Ohio University. He laughed, said he had a
Future “Tonight Show” host Jay Leno performed my junior year in Mem Aud. This was back when he was doing the Doritos commercials, and I remember people throwing bags of Doritos on stage in homage! —Charles Bradley II, BMUS ’90
copies of The Post on the day of the concert, with a big photo of Springsteen in Athens above the fold. By the time I went to the bank and got cash, the line for tickets at Mem Aud was halfway across the green. I was lucky to get mine before they sold out; the concert was outstanding. I’ve seen Springsteen perform live a couple of times since, but nothing will ever beat that first time, in Mem Aud — an opportunity almost lost because the date looked like a joke. —Rick Lippincott, BSJ ’77
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great time visiting campus and remembered that students kept asking him to come to the Frontier Room to have a beer.
—Frank Graff, BSJ ’82, MA ’83
Schwartz came to get Sununu to take them both to the airport, he told Sununu, “James Carville is outside shouting for you to hurry up because Republicans are always behind the times.” Sununu shot back, “And Democrats are always out screaming in the streets.”
—Ron Minto, BSC ’98 Bill Cosby performed, and it is memorable because, though I am a huge fan, I am the dummy who didn’t get the tickets! I missed the show. But I did get to see Rich Eisen, which was fantastic.
—Adam Blaney, BSSPS ’05 I was a senior on campus when Dag Hammarskjöld, secretary general of the United Nations, addressed the student body in the old Memorial Auditorium. I was also a member of Omicron Delta Kappa honorary fraternity, and the ODK members were offered the opportunity to stop by President Baker’s home and personally meet with Secretary General Hammarskjöld. I had toured the United Nations Center shortly after it opened in New York, and I was anxious to take advantage of this opportunity! With much nervousness, I rang the doorbell at 1 Park Place. The housekeeper opened the door and escorted me into a side parlor. I was the only person there! Shortly, Dag Hammarskjöld appeared, extending his hand for a greeting. My mind raced for ideas to open the conversation. What do you talk about with the Secretary General of the United Nations? To my pleasure and ease, he showered me with questions about OU campus life, my major in architectural engineering and future plans for a career. I cherished this experience for many years afterwards and remember it vividly to this day!
—Robert Portik, BSAE ’58 To read more responses, visit ohio.edu/ ohiotoday/print/yourohio.cfm
Steve Martin. Thirty-three years later, it’s still the best comedy show I’ve ever seen.
—William Ortenberg, BSC ’80 James Carville and John Sununu’s Kennedy Lecture Series debate during the 1996 presidential election. As Professor Marty
NEXT ISSUE’S QUESTION: What was your favorite place to eat on campus or in Athens? Why? Write to us at 112 McKee House, 1 Ohio University, Athens, Ohio 45701, or email us at ohiotoday@ohio.edu. You can also “friend” the Ohio University Alumni Association on Facebook to respond to this and other questions.