Golden and diamond grads plan Liberal Arts reunion Wednesday

They are known on the Washington State University campus as “diamond” and “golden” grads, having received their diplomas from WSU 60 years ago (1945) and 50 years ago (1955), respectively.

This week the two groups will returned to campus to reacquaint themselves with the university and each other.

The College of Liberal Arts will host its annual luncheon Wednesday, April 20, for its diamond and golden grads.

“It is one of the highlights of the year,” said Kay Glaser, organizer of the event. “There is so much history in every conversation.”

Before returning to campus, grads are asked to fill out a questionnaire which allows them to list special memories. World War II was raging in 1945 so many have memories related to the conflict.

“On December 7, 1941 WWII was declared, which changed our lives on campus,” said Roberta Shelledy (now Roberta Dorway). “Many male students left. The Army sent train loads of Army specialized training recruits to study engineering.”

Richard Thompson has special ties to WSU’s Pullman campus. Thompson Hall, one of the oldest buildings on the campus and the original administration building, is named for his father. Thompson left WSU 50 years ago to become a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University for two years. After spending two years in the U.S. Army, he was a Foreign Service officer for the U.S. Department of State (1960-1988) and worked in Paris on the negotiations that ended the Vietnam War for the United States in January 1973.

Irma Piovesan (Rooney), a 1945 graduate, may stop by Ferdinand’s, the university’s ice cream shoppe, while she is on campus. As a student she was a part-time secretary in the dairy department. “At that time Dr. Golding was researching and perfecting cheeses,” she said. “Later  Behold!  Cougar Gold!!!  Our family couldn’t get through a holiday without it.”

Many liberal arts graduates have been active witnesses to history. Donald Sauer,  a 1945 graduate, spent part of his career working as a reporter for the Department of Defense in Darmstadt, Germany. Sauer said the highlights included observing the buildup of the communist empire in Eastern Europe, construction of the Berlin Wall, the Berlin Airlift,  the collapse of the communist empire in 1988, the opening of the Berlin Wall, and ultimately, the reunification of Germany.

Golden grad Patricia Brooks (Greetham) remembers what it was like to be a female student before women’s liberation. “We had to have parental permission to leave campus on the weekends,” she said.

Joseph Wheeler, a 1955 graduate, shares a comment liberal arts graduates made frequently on the feedback form: “Life is great,” he said.

More information on the WSU Diamond and Golden Grad Reunion is available on line at http://cougnet.wsu.edu/calendars%2Devents/reunion/.

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