Mansfield University - Carontawan Yearbook (Mansfield, PA)

Page 19 text:

Dr. Lawrence Park, President 15

Page 18 text:

I PRESWEMT ' S HESSAGE The. 1977 CoAontauoan wiZl bz an important Kimlnd(lA o{) ijouA. MainJ i)izld zxpeAA,e.ncz . It mWL 6e,n.vz cu, a kind o{) a m no tj bank, n.za.alLinq many o{ Li{)t ' 6 pafiti devolving afioiind tjoan. f oixn ijzafu at Man -ie d . Hzttowing uitth tlrm, changtng cu, toe age and cu, ouA peAceptlon of) 6e,l{) and doUizgz change, thz CoAontawan waJJL take, on a chajmleon-Llke. qaatlty and a6iume. valuej that zvtn the. editonj, can ' t iee at the mormnt. In moKe Mibtte waij6, Lt aj, a meaj,ufie of, whctt Me might become. LeadeA hlp fioteA, the dyUptatf o{) talent, the indicator of academtc acumen — the-ie, fizpotited aj, the pn.ei,ent may be t iue mecL4u ie6 of hou) welt we have pfiepajie.d you. to face the challenge, now conffiontlng you. 1(5 the edttofu of the 1977 CoAontaimn have been 6ucceJ 6ful. in theJA. cholcz of selected content to fiemlnd uJ, of what we, oAe now, aj, welt aj the potential, ahead foh. ui, thjj, book wilt be a iouAce of tnipiActtion and a memoftable hAj tofvical book of ouA Mani field yeoAi,. XV X£.r ' Ar LAWRENCE PARK ' PfLeAide,nt 14

Page 20 text:

Memorium His name was Ed Gassner, and he was, among other things, a professor in the biology department. What appealed most about Dr. Gassner were two things: first, he wasn ' t afraid to be himself, and second (and most important), the self he was trying to be was worth being. Creativity was a vital part of his life, and the essential aspect of a creative person is that he sees his function is not to be, but to become. He was an up-to-date scientist with a Ph.D., publications in biochemistry, and interest in bio-ethics and radiation biology. He was something of an accomplished photographer, painter, and writer, an avid gardener, and a good carpenter. Dr. Gassner saw being right here at M.S.C. as a terrific set of opportunities. He was enchanted by the things you could do and learn at Mansfield, by the help and encouragement that were so willingly given, and by the wealth of information that was his merely for the asking at the library and elsewhere. Learning and doing were exciting for Ed. Gassner. His death had something of the symbolic and quixotic aspects of his nature. He died planting potatoes in his garden. His last activity was focused firmly on the future, but like the last activities of all of us, it was left incomplete. And yet — the potatoes found a way to grow. There are much worse ways of living and dying. Much worse ways. by Dr. Stephen H. Bickham edited by Deborah J. Halderman 16