University of Pittsburgh - Owl Yearbook (Pittsburgh, PA)

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coaxing rhythm out of the most un- musical of pianos, and this year the freshmen unveiled him as the title figure to climax their Sultan Swing. Fergie remembers his former students, too, and mails copies of the Pitt News to many of them who are now in the armed services. We point with pride to this professor because he hasn't been submerged by the routines of academic life but has managed to re- main a memorable, colorful person- ality. DR. WILLIAM F. SWANSON Dental students unanimously agree that Dr. Swanson is an all-'round good fellow. Professor of bacteriology and histology, he is absorbed in his work and is always willing to explain his fine collection of slides to interested visitors. He trains his students well for the exacting precision of their profess sion, the boys complain good-na- turedly about his inspection of their slides, when We had to grind those teeth down so fine that a breeze would bend them back and forthl Between periods the dents like to gather around and hear about Dr. Swanson's latest hunting or fishing trip. Aviation en- thusiasts compare notes with him, too, for he is also an expert navigator. As a scientist with a talent for knowing how and when to relax, Dr. William Swanson deserves recognition in our Faculty Hall of Fame. DR. JOHN I. GEISE Today he's saluted by the Historical Research Department of the U. S. Army, but we University of Pittsburgh students still think of him as the tall, deep-voiced professor who helped us to discover that there's more to history than reciting dates. ln his survey course of world history, Dr. Geise made even the remoteness of the Paleolithic age seem real and exciting. Philip E. Rush Agnes Lynch Starrett Alexander Silverman t23l

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22 of superficiality and geared to the pace of our times, and because of her ability to provoke thought, we add Miss Smalley to our gallery of out- standing professors. DR. D. D. LESSENBERRY When students actually persist in arriving eagerly at eight-thirty for a first-hour class, you know that they really enjoy it. And no wonder-rain, snow, or smog, Dr. Lessenberry cheer- fully greets everyone with a few bars of Oh, what a beautiful morningl This impeccably-groomed professor of commercial education takes a per- sonal interest in each student, declar- ing, l always try to make the students realize that they are worth knowing. They can learn, and l feel that it is my responsibility if they don't. That they do learn, and learn well, is shown by the membership list of Delta Delta Lambda, the honorary commercial ed fraternity which draws its name from Dr. Lessenberry's initials. Spring al- ways brings that back to the land gleam to his eyep he's justly proud of the prize roses that he cultivates on his sixty-acre farm in Fox Chapel. ln this man we recognize the gualities of a well-rounded person that we're striv- ing to achieve in our upward climb. DR. IOHN M. FERGUSON The catalogue lists him as john Max- well Ferguson, Ph.D., jur.D., but to the entire student body this wiry, ani- mated professor of economics is just plain 'jFergie . When exciting news breaks into the front page, we can count on Fergie to parade through the Tuck Shops, holding the headlines high for all to read. No school event is complete unless we see Fergie, cigarette holder in hand, nodding to his many friends and beaming at everyone in general. l-le's popular at fraternity house dances for his skill at Iohn M. Ferguson William F. Swanson Iohn I. Geise

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E241 I-le's a recognized scholar, too, and many schools use his textbook, Man and the Western World. Visits to his office were always a treat, they usually started with puzzling over the intricacies of a timeline and drifted from there into an hour or two of lively conversation about anything from football to the part that airplanes will play in the future. We look up to Dr. Geise because his height is mental as well as physical and because he is a far-sighted historian who is actively helping to shape our future. MR. PHILIP E. RUSH As an electrical engineer who man- ages to see farther than his sliderule, jovial, round-faced Mr. Rush has cap- tured the imagination of his students. His guips brighten the long hours of detailed lab work, and after class he joins the fellows in lively discussions of his many interests. If it's sports they like, he can add his bit as a baseball and football fan: stamp-collectors talk over rare issues with him, and the technical terms fly thick and fast when short-wave radio enthusiasts consult him about constructing sets. Eager to help his students, this easy-going pro- fessor advises several Engineering School organizations. MRS. AGNES LYNCH STARRETT Blue-eyed Mrs. Starrett with her halo of braids can scoff at those who cry that marriage and a career can't mix, she combines her two full-time jobs, as editor of the University Press and as mother of two lively children, with efficiency, patience, and good humor. We students have known her as a dis- cerning critic in English classes, as a co-operative, ever-ready advisor to The Owl, and as a down-to-earth, sin- cere friend. A loyal Pittite since her undergraduate days, Mrs. Starrett bakes cookies for the Chancellor every year on his birthday. With as deft a touch as she displays in the kitchen, she puts out the Pitt Quarterly and has published a complete history of the University. As one more of our faculty who has a sense of balance and who lives her ideals, Mrs. Agnes Lynch Starrett leads the University of Pitts- burgh on its road upward. DR. ALEXANDER SILVERMAN Dr. Silverman, who heads our chem- istry department, everyone likes im- mediately for his charming air and his guiet, ingenuous humor. Completely unaffected, he puts students at their ease by the sincerity of his interest in them and his eagerness to be of help. For instance, there's the well-known box of coughdrops that he keeps on his desk all winter for those who have colds. As a teacher he's thorough, patient, and stimulating, students are proud to be able to study under the guidance of the internationally re- spected authority on glass. Increas- ing outside recognition has accom- panied Dr. Silverman's rise on our campusg his list of honors and honor- ary societies is almost overwhelming. I-lis own glass collection is one of the most outstanding in the world. Fore- most in his field, loved for his gentle friendliness, Dr. Alexander Silverman is our idea of a truly remarkable leader. MR. ROBERT D. AYARS Bus ad students prize their associa- tion with the energetic and enthusias- tic chairman of the accounting depart- ment, Mr. Ayars. They admire his brilliance, are grateful for his clear- cut, well-organized presentation of a difficult subject, and have complete confidence in the fairness of his de- cisions in grading their papers. Both in and out of the classroom he displays a likable twinkle of humorg his jokes help to relieve the tension of exam days. Unraveling the intricacies of big business math still leaves Mr. Ayars some leisure time to perfect his tech- nique as an amateur magician and to work at cabinet-making. Sometimes he prefers to rough it for awhile by retiring