One of my team mates, Bruce McK. from the 1964 Hamline tennis team is trying to get our old coach into Hamline's athletic hall of fame. As a result of his activities rounding up the old players and getting the necessary documentation, I had the occasion to go look at the yearbook from 1964 and a chance to remember some times nearly forgotten. The coach was Doc Lewis, the Hamline librarian, and an all around good guy. He was instrumental in getting me to attend Hamline, and helped get me some financial aid, without which I couldn't have attended a private college, even in the cheap old days. As I recall, a year's tuition and books, plus a room in the dorm, was $700 for my freshman year. Times have changed a lot. Doc Lewis' teams won conference championships for three of the four years that I was at Hamline. Since those years, nearly every subsequent tennis championship has been taken by Gustavus. Doc Lewis died on April 1st of this year in Red Wing, Minnesota.
Doc is the guy in the suit. I'm in the back row between Charlie Huss and Bruce McKinnon. John Wirtanen is in the back row at the far left. Rich Stebbins, my long time tennis playing doubles partner and singles competitor is in the front row on the right. He carried me to some nice doubles wins that year (1964), for which I am grateful.
It was the first day in the 70's of the year, and it was a surprise to me. I was able to be outside and be comfortable without a jacket. The prairie princess left today for her new job, halfway to Michigan. She crammed her auto with the necessary items and drove. It's going to be a lot quieter here without her.
There will be outside tennis soon for me. I saw a family hitting balls back and forth at the Linwood courts this afternoon while I was out walking with PP's bro. Spring has returned to the tundra.
1 comment:
That must be one of the last tennis photos of John W. You and Stebbins haven't changed all that much.
I see a pile of snow still, behind PP's car.
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