Kent State University - Chestnut Burr Yearbook (Kent, OH)

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Queen Pat Mueller receives an award from Johnny Long, famous bandleader. After having promoted the wildest of celebrations before and during football and basketball games, the Booster club settled down last spring quarter to provide something a little more dignified to the student body. With no chance for winding snake-dances, the club spon- sored the April Showers dance at the East Market gardens in Akron. Johnny Long and his orchestra played for the dance, which was the first big dance sponsored by the club. For some of the freshmen attending the dance it was their first visit to East Market gardens, scene of many all-university dances . . . but for the seniors, who were to be graduated in a few months, it was old stuff. It was just another event in the series of social activities that typify college life at Kent. The April Showers dance ♦ ♦ ♦ minus rain Johnny Long stands on the extreme left and watches the crowd enjoy his ace trumpeteer at the April Showers dance. 26

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Muscles, Blisters Rowboat Regatta These girls were chosen as finalists in the queen competition. From left to right, they are: Delores Weinke, Helen Bauch. Norma Lou Home. Marilyn Wilbanks. Janet Reed. Nellie Lou Williams, Eleanor Mann and Pat Hawkins. Nellie Lou Williams was chosen queen. While the people in the back almost pushed the people in front into the water, the start of one of the races is watched carefully. Some of the more fortunate crowd out on to one of the piers at Brady lake, while the really fortunate watch from their own boat. ' May 26, 1951 is a date that will live long to Kent students. Two things happened on that day. In the morning the draft eligible portions of the males toiled through three hours on draft deferment tests . . . and in the afternoon muscles were strained and blisters were raised at the annual Rowboat Regatta. A real carnival atmosphere pervaded the long caravan of cars which gathered m front of Engle- man Hall to begin the trek to Brady lake. A sound truck led the way followed by an endless strmg of convertibles carrying the queen candidates. Stopping all traffic and with much crepe paper and hornblowing, this was just a sample of what would follow. With a slightly overcast sky and a cool brisk breeze blowing, the crowd packed around the reviewing stand in anticipation of the parade of queens. And they paraded . . . much to the delight of the males. The races which followed were filled with sus- pense . . . the boats were filled with water . . . but no one drowned . . . and it didn ' t rain in typical Kent tradition until the activities were almost over. Although the day was dark and murky throughout, the rain held off until the boat races were over. They finally came, but at a time that made the event which followed that much more interesting. A tug-of-war contest, to pull the other team through a muddy hole, was sponsored by the Phi Gam ' s. With the rain pouring down, everybody got slightly muddy. In this photograph the Alpha Phi Beta team is shown strain- ing their muscles and digging in with their toes. It was all in vain, though, because Delta Tau Delta won the contest. 25

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For the first time in graduation history, the number of guests allotted to each graduate was unlimited. The reason for this pleasant change was the fact that the graduation ceremonies were held for the first time in the new men ' s health and physical education building. In this photo, led by the choir, the guests and the entire graduating class sing the alma mater for the last time. A total of 854 persons were graduated at this commencement. With their tas- sels dangling in front of their misty eyes, these graduates listen to the com- mencement speaker. Awaiting the re- ceipt of their diplomas, they are prob- ably thinking of the good years that they have spent here. There were flowers everywhere, the choir was singing, smiles of happiness and proudness were on the faces of parents. while smiles of relief and wonderment were on the faces of the graduating class. The parents, with their proud smiles were beaming with satisfaction as they saw their sons and daughters receive diplomas after four years of hard work and fou r years of grow- ing up. No longer did these parents have children, but rather they had grown men and women in their families. For those graduating, this day was also a milestone, ranking with birth, marriage and death as a great moment in life, this years graduation came at a critical time in history. The result of four years study The international turmoil was enough to discourage the most capable person. Indecision seemed to be the byword of the times. Questions such as Will I be drafted? and What do 1 do now? occupied the thoughts of this graduating class. But after four years of higher education, these people were able to sit down and figure out the answers to most of these questions. After four years of concentrated education, these people were equipped to analyze the problems of the world and the nation and set out on a plan to remedy them. Besides these plans for the future, however, this grad- uating class also looked into the past. They remembered the outstanding events of their four year stay here at Kent. They didn ' t want to leave, but they had a job to do, so they left. 27