August 21st and 22nd
Dennis Hoyer, my fraternity brother of 48 years ago (ouch!) picked us up at 9am and we took off across Tulsa to the University of Tulsa. I went to the University of Tulsa my Freshman and Sophomore years. Why did I go to TU? In those days my parents had an oil wholesaling company in Marshall County, AL (Albertville, Guntersville, etc.) and I assumed I would one day go into that business. Tulsa was known as the "Oil Capitol of the World" in those days (since moved to Houston) and TU offered a degree in petroleum marketing.
My first week was "Rush Week" and it is going on now at TU. I pledged ATO and had a ball. Fortunately, the ATO's were the nerds of the campus and they really had study hall every night except Friday and Saturday. My first semester dorm mate, Bill Pugh from Racine, Wisconsin, wasn't as lucky. He pledged Sigma Chi which was known for having cock-fights and hazing pledges to the point where few made their grades. The last I saw of Bill, he was packing to go back to Racine.
We walked down fraternity row and by chance got into the building that was once the ATO house. Now it houses the Freshman football players. It was strange for me and Dennis to walk in the house where we were pledges and members of ATO; where we suffered through hazing (Oh, excuse me, "There is no hazing in ATO!").
We flourished among the nerds. Our chapter lost every intramural game except to the International students who didn't know the rules to any American sport. Thank goodness we didn't play soccer or we would have lost ALL the games. But study hall, only occasionally interrupted by the sounds coming from the Sigma Chi cock fights next door, paid off and our chapter won the President's trophy for highest GPA every year.
TU is a small private school (about 5,000) students but plays NCAA Division 1 football. I spent many hours in the McFarlin Library which is the centerpiece on the quadrangle of the University.
A highlight of the campus tour was going into my first dorm and going into a classroom where I took Economics I and II. I sat where I remembered sitting almost 50 years ago!! Mrs. Scheer was the professor and she was outstanding.
We ended up walking down sorority row and stopped at the Kappa Kappa Gamma house. Libbo was a Kappa at Alabama. She was immediately greeted by a Sister, Molly. Molly told Libbo "Oh, one of our sisters is from Birmingham!" with a big grin. You could tell she was getting herself ready for Rush and the onslaught of 18 year old freshmen girls.
After the tour of the university we had a leisurely lunch (I really like retirement) at a Japanese restaurant. Then, Dennis took us to Utica Square, an open-air shopping mall that was one of the first of its kind back in the 1960s. Tulsa is a beautiful city and very clean.
After a short rest and Maggie walk back at Creme Puff, Dennis and his wife, Jan came over for a visit. They took us out to a local fish market and restaurant. We had taken them to Joe Patti's when they visited us this last summer in Pensacola. Dennis told us this was the "Joe Patti's" of Tulsa. The restaurant/fish market opened in 1932 and the food was delicious. Libbo and I got smoked Salmon.
We got home about 8:00pm and both read our books until we went to sleep. Dennis sent me Bill Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods" after their visit to Pensacola. Its about walking the Appalachian Trail. It is an entertaining book with a lot of humor but also Bryson goes off into detailed descriptions based on research he's conducted. For example, he discusses bears and, in particular, bear attacks on humans. This is of particular interest to me since we are headed to bear country. I didn't know there are about 3,500 Grizzleys in North America and about 1,000 are in the continental U.S. mostly at Yellowstone National Park. Yikes! We are going to spend a week there!
They key point Bryson quotes about what we know about bear attacks is that they are totally unpredictable. Black bears are not supposed to be as bad or big as the Grizzleys but they have killed people and they can weigh 650 pounds. The scientific name for the Grizzley is Ursus horribilis. We need say no more. I plan on getting some bear spray and though I am against automatic weapons, I may have to break down and buy a couple of AK47's.
Other than being scared out of my wits about bears, the other thing Bryson has taught me is that walking the Appalachian Trail is not for sissies. In fact, it sounds very, very difficult and you stink a lot as bathing is rare on the trail. I am happy I did it when I was younger. Yes, I've done it. Have you? Last year, as we drove through the Smokey Mountains, we came upon the trail. I got out and walked down it. OK, so I only went about 15 feet but I DID walk the AT! And, thank goodness Missie was along with her Nikon. She took a picture of me "walking the trail" and even sent me a coffee mug with that picture on it. I drink out of that mug every morning and marvel at my accomplishment.
Friday, August 22nd
As planned Dennis arrived at 9:30 am and we were off to the Gilcrease Museum. Thomas Gilcrease was a guy who struck it rich in the Oklahoma oil fields in the early 1900's. He started collecting American Art and the Gilcrease Museum now has one of the finest collections. We spent several hours looking at paintings, sculptures and artifacts, and reading about them. Artists such as Remington, Homer, Peale (he was George Washington's portrait artist) are displayed. A highlight was seeing the works of Alexandre Hogue whose wife taught Dennis art when he was in school in Tulsa. He did a lot of the paintings depicting life during the Dust Bowl.
The great part of the day was meeting another fraternity brother from decades past. Larry Gill was one of my good friends in college. Like Dennis, before he came to see us in July, I had not seen Larry in 48 years. Larry being one of those petroleum marketing majors spent his life working in the petro industry and is now retired and grandfather of four.
A story I recall about Larry was that, after our formal dance (ATO's call it "The Black & White), Larry whispered to me that he was going home with the go-go dancer (for anyone under 60, Google it). "Early" the next morning, about 11 a.m., Larry's parents called wanting Larry. When Larry wasn't available they asked for me since they knew we were buds. I told them what any hungover, 18 year old would say: "Oh, Larry is here but a lot of guys are laying around on mattresses still asleep and I shouldn't disturb them." About an hour later, they called back and told me "If you don't put Larry on the phone we are going to call the police." At that point I had to break down and sheepishly tell them "Larry went home with the go-go dancer." In those days this was not done. Or, at least, no one ever admitted to it. Larry forgave me when he wandered in a couple of hours later. Today at lunch at the Gilcrease Museum, we both recalled the story and had a big laugh and then Larry added "Did you know I married that girl after you left!" Wow! What a story!
My TU and Tulsa days ended when I went home to Alabama in the summer and happened to pay a visit to 1563 College Court where I saw my sweetheart, Libbo. Fortunately, she was between boyfriends even though I had to see her between two dates that day (yes, in the same day!). I was "Thunderstruck" and immediately transferred to Alabama to be with Libbo and I've been with her ever since!
In the evening we went to Dennis and Jan's house for dinner. Dennis has caught some trout and we were going to try his new recipe with Almond powder. Both Dennis and Jan love to fish and they are good at it. The trout were delicious. Maggie got to go as they are "dog folk." We had a wonderful dinner and conversation until too late!
We are off for two 300+ mile days. First stop is Marshall Dillion's town, Dodge City, where we are staying in the Gunsmoke RV Park and then off to Colorado Springs. Monday we should arrive at Rocky Mountain National Park for a week. Where can I buy those AK47s?
We are happy you made it back to Tulsa after all so many years. We had a great time. It was good to see Maggie so frisky at our house in Broken Arrow.
ReplyDeleteStop by the Long Branch Saloon in Dodge City and say hi to Miss Kitty for me.
Instead of an AK-47 for bear defense I recommend a lever-action .45-70 rifle and a .500 Smith & Wesson Magnum handgun. They are also good for zombie defense!
Actually it was almond meal on the trout, not almond powder, in case someone wants to try the recipe. We are trying to use flax or almond meal in place of flour or corn meal, especially since I read Wheat Belly!
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