Pacific Lutheran University - Saga Yearbook (Tacoma, WA)

Page 18 text:

And yet time remains in its unique way, to leave its mark on us all.

Page 20 text:

As we remember THE PAST A reflection by Dr. W.O. Rieke More than twenty-five years ago when Mrs. Rieke and l were stu- dents on the campus of what was then Pacific Lutheran College there was very little of the current physi- cal structure in evidence. On upper campus, Old Main Know Hartsadl was the major building and served multiple purposes including hous- ing female students, providing the Cafeteria for the entire campus in its basement floor, and having admini- strative offices and a few classrooms scattered between the cafeteria be- low and the dormitory above. In addition to Old Main only the Sci- ence Building iwithout its current additionj, a student Center Build- ing isubsequently torn down and now replaced by the University Cen- teri, a Library Classroom building inow Xavier Halll and, in the later years of our tenure, the Eastvold Chapel-Auditorium existed. To be sure, there was an older building north of Old Main which had been the old Chapel and still served as a place for some art classes, student meetings and the site of publica- tion of the Mooring Mast, but there were no other buildings of note on upper campus. All of the area west of Eastvold Auditorium which now is resplendid with new build- ings was then simply wooded ter- rain. On the lower campus only the Memorial Gymnasium was present as a permanent structure. A few temporary buildings provided some housing for male students Cmost of whom lived off campus in faculty or other homesl, and there were a few tennis courts and the beginnings of the current golf course. Otherwise the lower campus was without structure and form and in no way resembled the current condition. In this rather small physical cam- pus there were some 600 to 800 stu- dents who went about their daily routines. A tuition of approximately S800 a year combined with living expenses of a few hundred meant that an average student could be- come educated at a total annual cost of about 51,200 Student activities in athletics, forensics, drama, journal- ism and many other fields were vigorously pursued, and there was an active student body government. Student concerns and complaints centered primarily about the quality of food service tis it any wonder, we ate at an average cost of 51.03 per day?J and the prohibition on social dancing on campus. Interestingly, there were some of the same divi- sions in religious thought among the students then ia great many of whom came from faiths-or lack thereof-other than Lutheranism even in those daysl which charac- terize the current student body. There was, however, an overriding spirit of friendliness and open warmth among the students on the campus then as now. Christianity was professed and practiced by the great majority, and the fruit of Christian love was clearly evident in the lives of the students even though there were all of the squab- bles and interpersonal failures that have characterized the nature of man through all of time. ln general, the students were an active, happy group who were the recipients of much concern and dedicated at- tention from devoted faculty. Stu- dents, including joanne and Bill Rieke recognized only after leaving this setting how truly golden those golden years were. The academic emphasis at Pacific Lutheran College was primarily in Liberal Arts although there was also a strong and growing program to prepare people for careers as teachers. ln addition, preprofession- al training, especially in the health sciences fmedicine, dentistry and nursingl was present although none of these preprofessional fields had been formalized in terms of separate programs or schools. Although only 60-70 in number the faculty were particularly dedicated to their Christian persuasions. They had to be dedicated then ievenmore than nowl: they were grossly under- paid. Of the many competent and qualified faculty there can be no doubt that one of those who most influenced the lives of many stu- dents was Dr. 1. P. Pflueger who taught Ethics and Philosophy. His reasoned and masterfaul orations defining love as the experience of oneself and the life of another not only emphasized a central theme of Christianity but bestowed upon his students an endowment that has served them well throughout their lives. Owned by the then Evangelical Lutheran Church, Pacific Lutheran College saw its educational mission