Bradford Durfee College of Technology - Alethea Yearbook (Fall River, MA)

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Depleted in numbers but inflated in spirit, we resumed our studies in September 1948 determined to show our instructors that we had caught on to the routine and would be able to take college work in stride. The situation had changed however, and we were now into the meat or our major courses. The textile men warily ventured into the labyrinth of machinery known as the annex ; the engineers moved into Professor Dillon's office; and the chemists set up housekeeping in the third floor labs and in the new dye house. We lost some men and all but one of our co-eds to the newly created Art and Product Development department. It was courageous Marie Hurley who elected to stick it out as a textile engineer. . The fraternities began their rushing for pledges and in a spirit of revelry, the Cosmopolitan Club traveled up to Boston for dinner on a Wednesday and managed to arrive back in Fall River the following morning just in time for 8:30 classes. The DISTAFF published its first, last, and only eight page issue and the civils, mechanicals, and electricals got together to form the Engineering Society. The baseball team went through a standard season and we ended the year in a blaze of examinations. Numerous changes had taken place at Tech by the time we returned for the fall of 1949. A college Bookstore had opened on the second floor and it soon became a popular gathering place for students—most of whom were hoping to find it open. A cafeteria was installed in the lounge on the basement floor. The cafeteria quickly became a meeting place for those of us who were cutting classes and had the price of a cup of coffee. Whether in class or out, we felt right at home at Tech in our junior year. The chemists, when they weren't pushing their way through German translations for Mr. Cass, were dyeing strings for Rapid Willie Wingate. All our engineers, including textile students were busy composing lengthy electricity lab reports for Mr. Hardy. Marie Hurley was doing wonderfully in her third year as a textile engineer and Chris Spiliotis became the student who gave Tech a much needed campus seal. In September 1950 we came back to Tech for the last time. Quite a few of us had become family men by that time and those who were married— some of us proud papas too—looked on in pleasant amusement as our classmates took unto themselves wives. We seniors met and made plans for our final year. Bob Staples was elected president of the class; Eddie Cowell was elected vice-president, and A1 Slowe and Bob Hinves were elected secretary and treasurer respectively. The American Association of Textile Chemist and Colorists held its 29th annual convention in Portsmouth, New Hampshire and a large contingent of seniors had a rip-roaring time motoring up with the Durfee Tech exhibits. The fraternities got together to sponsor a successful Freshman Hop with more seniors in attendance than freshmen. A few engineers had enough free time to take Mr. Simeone's History of Mathematics elective. A 75 mile or better club was formed among the soccer players when car breakdowns stranded them in New Hampshire and again in Lowell, Mass. Intrepid Marie Hurley continued on undaunted with the textile engineers. She was helpful in keeping the boys in line on the field trip to Gosnold Mills. In our last semester at Tech. Mr. Cass offered a Principles of Job Seeking elective and future employment was all we had on our minds. Personnel men came to the Institute and interviewed us for positions and despite our apprehension it appeared that everything was going to turn out all right. We graduated from Durfee Tech on June 4, 1951.

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We started our college careers in September 1947 as the largest freshman class ever to enter the Bradford Durfee Technical Institute. We numbered some hundred and twenty students at that time but the years that followed considerably thinned our ranks. On registration day President Leslie B. Coombs spoke in the auditorium and told us of the curriculum changes which four years later enabled us to culminate our courses with Bachelor of Science degrees. That first year at Tech taught us many things not included in the curriculum. The idea of cramming for exams caught on very well with those who never seemed to have the time to open a book. During free periods many of us ran to the Greasy Spoon for a cup of coffee and a special group of future engineering majors who were part of the best class 'Professor' Simeone ever taught , went to the Bijou to relax and talk about their Army experiences. We soon became aware of the many foreign and out-of-town students with us at the Institute. And co-eds also! It seemed as though we were having a wonderful time at a country club until midyear examination time rolled around. Burning the midnight oil and then rising early to study again, never made for healthful living, but we wanted to stay at Tech for the second half of our freshman year. The marks came from the front office. A few names were on the Dean's List, a few were gone completely, but the majority of us were going to be all right. Subjects didn't get easier the second semester. Mr. Simone's College Algebra became Trigonometry and Analytical Geometry; and Mr. Winters' WOGAPPER, something we remember to this day, was transformed into Public Speaking. There were fraternities at Tech, and while some of us pledged for Phi Psi, another group became charter members of the new Epsilon Phi Pi fraternity. After final examinations were concluded we rushed off to worry about marks and summer jobs.

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RICHARD PAUL BARBER 20 PRESBY AVE. TAUNTON. MASS. B.S. in Chemistry Dean's List 1; Earle P. Charlton, Jr. Scholarship 3; New England Textile Foundation Scholarship 4; Epsilon Phi Pi 3, 4; A. C. S. 3, 4; Bowling League 2. 3. 4; DISTAFF 1, 2. 3. Associate Editor 4; A.A.T.C.C. 1, 2, 3, 4, Secretary 2. 3; Senior Calendar 4. FRANCIS J. BEAULIEU 49 BAY ST. TAUNTON. MASS. B.S. in Textile Engineering Phi Psi 3, 4. WILLIAM C. BUCKLEY 651 SOUTH ALMOND STREET. FALL RIVER, MASS. B.S. in Mechanical Engineering Engineering Society 2, 3, 4. LEONARD F. CAMPBELL 786 WALNUT STREET, FALL RIVER, MASS. B.S. in Textile Engineering Soccer Manager 4; Varsity Club 4; Bowling League 3. 10