Fairmont State University - Mound Yearbook (Fairmont, WV)

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f K UeiuCWiAh There was a sound of laughter; in a moment, it was no more. And, so, she took a ring from her finger and placed it in his hands. There was a wit in a man neither young nor old; but a wit full of an old man ' s wisdom and of a child ' s wisdom, and, then, in a moment it was no more. And, so, she took a ring from her finger and placed it in his hands. There was a man marked with the scars of his love of country, a body active with the surge of a life far, far from spent and, in a moment, it was no more. And, so, she took a ring from her finger and placed it in his hands. There was a father with a little boy, a little girl and a joy of each in the other. In a moment it was no more. And, so, she took a ring from her finger and placed it in his hands. There was a husband who asked much and gave much, and, out of the giving and the asking, wove with a woman what could not be broken in life, and in a moment it was no more. And, so, she took a ring from her finger and placed it in his hands, and kissed him and closed the lid of a coffin. A piece of each of us died at that moment. Yet, in death he gave of himself to us. He gave us of a good heart from which laughter came. He gave us of a pro- found wit, from which a great leadership emerged. He gave us of a kindness and a strength found fused into a human courage to seek peace without fear. He gave us of his love that we, too, in turn, might give. He gave that we might give of ourselves, that we might give to one another until there would be no room at all, for the bigotry, the hatred, prejudice and the arrogance which converged in that moment of horror to strike him down. In leaving us — these gifts, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, President of the United States, leaves with us. Will we take them, Mr. President? Will we have, now, the sense and the responsibility and the courage to take them? — Sen. Mike Mansfield, Dem., Montana

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JOHN FITZGERALD KENNEDY

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fw fA toJOniOJm God, in His infinite wisdom, removed Paul C. Pi Davis from our midst August 2, 1963. Pi, as he was familiarly known throughout the county and state, died as he lived — fighting courageously. His death, despite the knowledge that he was critically ill, came as a severe shock to his myriads of friends and associates. Mary Elizabeth, his wife, whose love and devotion was so highly treasured by Pi during his fruitful life, was by his side to the end. To her, all of Pi ' s friends extend their most heart- felt sympathy. In many ways Pi was a self-made man, and consequently he deserves all the more credit for his many accomplishments. A fine athlete in his youth at Barrack- ville High School and at Glenville College, Pi worked his way through school and college and subsequently earned his Master ' s Degree at Columbia University. Through- out his long and colorful career as a teacher and coach, hundreds of boys were in- spired by his example, and the list of successful coaches he trained is impressive. To thousands of Marion County children over the years, Pi was a familiar sight as he visited the playgrounds of which he was so proud. Truly, the Marion County Play- ground Association is a living monument to him and to his indefatigable efforts on be- half of the youth of the County. Untold numbers of youngsters have participated in this program since its inception, and its steady growth speaks for itself Working upward through the ranks of the Marion County public school system, Pi was convinced that good teachers were the key to good schools, and as President of the Marion County Education Association and later as a member of the Board of Education, he consistently championed the cause of the classroom teacher. He was, as all know, one of the most progressive members of a school board which was note- worthy for its efforts to elevate educational standards in this county. Few people are fully aware of the endless hours the Board has devoted to the school system, and rela- tively few appreciate the inherent difficulties involved in such a public-spirited enter- prise. Once the decision to seek a bond issue was made Pi characteristically gave the fight everything he had, although he realized that there was no ideal solution to our problems. In defeat, Pi resolved to fight even harder in the next round and gave of himself wholeheartedly in planning for a new approach. Throughout his intensely active career, Pi was never too busy to say hello to one and all, and his sunny demeanor never deserted him. His friends were legion, and his influence upon this county will live forever. As a teacher and coach at the College, hundreds of students knew and loved him. Pi ' s opponents in sports respected him not only as a scrapper but also as a gentleman and sportsman. The philosopher, Francis Bacon, once said, Life without an object to pursue is a languid and tiresome thing. Pi had such an object and gave everything he had to the betterment of young people. Certainly his life was not a languid and tiresome thing, but rather a life filled with high purpose — a life devoted exclusively to the betterment of his fellow man. Pi Davis was a gentleman and a scholar and his memory will be forever green. Otis H. Milam, Jr.