Lowell Technological Institute - Pickout Yearbook (Lowell, MA)

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IN RETROSPECT The date is June 8, 1953, and the place is Lowell, Massachusetts. We are seniors eagerly awaiting the hour of commencement. But through our minds run recollections of our L.T.I, days. The tremendous days of being freshmen ... to the golden days of seniors. Our days at Textile have been filled with laughs, sorrows, and pleasantries. . . . We have seen L.T.I, grow as it has never grown before in its history. . . . We have been at times victims of these changes and at other times beneficiaries. Textile has not seen the end of these changes, but we, the class of ' 53, can certainly say that we have been through the changing era. Remember the freshman days! . . . the school hit a record enrollment . . . Marty Lydon became the Friendly Dean . . . and the class of- ' 53 was humiliated by the sadistic sophomores. ... A large national social frater- nity was born on campus. . . . Pep rallies for football. . . . Who can forget the Freshman- Sophomore field day when the frosh proved that they were men and humbled the mighty sophomores. . . . From the Hotel Astor Roof in New York to the Memorial Auditorium in Lowell came Tommy Tucker and his orches- tra to supply music for the first All-Textile Formal. The whole weekend was terrific. . . . Christmas vacation came and all trudged home with talk of L.T.I. . . . then came final exams (no comment). . . . Next came the tearful days of pledging . . . hell week with its laughs, leisure hours, and health producing atmosphere ... we were treated like , but those who went through it will never forget it. Next the femmes invaded Southwick Hall and the second Textile Fashion Show went into history. The Film Classics Group was next formed, and Eames Lounge became the scene of hit movies. . . . The parking problem (my, how times have changed) . . . and the first frosh-run event, the Freshman Dance proved to be successful. Remember the music of the Textile Tooters ? . . . and then it hit us — all was in a dilemma. . . . The Lowell Smog replaced the Text (for one issue any- way). . . . The news of proposed legislation for increased construction at L.T.I, reached us ... an escaped inmate applied for admis- sion at Textile (and almost made it). . . . The Textile Players scored again with The Phila- delphia Story . . . the Formal Dance was held soon afterward. . . . Election time came . . . interest ran high and out of the heat emerged Bob Mulcahy, our sophomore year prexy . . . then the magic date and Upstream Day, our first at Textile, was upon us. Soft- ball games (we walloped the sophomores) . . . drinks, bowling, food . . . and lots of fun. . . . Final Exams . . . study . . . cram . . . take exams ... a steady diet of study (hah) . . . and the summer came . . . bringing rest, work, and a chance to reflect the now past days of the humble freshmen. As sophomores, we returned to our home on Textile Avenue reinforced by a year ' s experi- ence of college life. Our incubation period was ended. We now looked down upon the new freshmen. Our textile curricula were begin- 28

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The Recalled Vision In Retrospect

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ning to get specialized. We were taking new courses. We were now an integral part of L.T.I.— its clubs, publications, fraternities, and athletic teams. As freshmen we had made a good start. For the most part the class of ' 53 was beginning to settle down to the routine of school life. But once again our sophomore year proved that changes were the keynote of L.T.I. . . The Clean Dean, Wentworth Williams, re- placed Dean Lydon, who advanced to the post of president. . . . Film Classics Group now in its second year ... the cut system be- came official ' (we ' ll never forget that) ... an Athletic Advisory Committee was set up. . . . The L.T.I. Research Foundation was estab- lished . . . football was the main subject of bull-sessions ... the first generation of an R.O.T.C. unit at Textile reached our ears . . . the second All-Tex formal came, and those attending won ' t forget the music of Stan Kenton or the affair itself. . . . Remember when our young soccer team, only in its sec- ond year, defeated New Bedford to break that school ' s long winning streak ? . . . Haystack Hoedown, an L.T.I, and L.T.C. affair, really hit the spot! Did you have a blind date for i t? . . . and rumors were flying about the school dropping football— comments were a dime a dozen . . . talk of deferments . . . armed forces . . . students leaving school ... the Student Rules needed revising. . . . Remember when Dean Williams resigned? . . . Prof. Cushing went to Washington and a sports scandal broke at Textile ? . . . Yep, our second tussle with the Pink Issue was fought . . . Changes still going on— a frosh guidance program be- gan. . . . Paper and Leather courses were added to the curricula The Textile Players scored another hit with The Man Who Came To Dinner . . . . Official word finally arrived. An AFROTC unit was to start func- tioning at Textile the following year And Then we were naive remember football? Upstream Day — a success