52 Ancestors: On the Map - Stanford University

This week's blog prompt is On the Map.  Last week I wrote about my dad attending Stanford University - you can read it HERE.  As I was preparing the post, I scanned a map of Stanford in 1941 that I found in his things and intended to include it but - I forgot.  Was it that damn age thing or did I 'intentionally' forget so I could put it in the blog this week?  I like to think it was the latter.

Here's the map from 1941.  It was folded neatly so not sure if this was just some sort of memento or if he actually used it.

I'm pretty sure my dad lived in Buchanan Hall when he first arrived in 1944 but I don't see it on this map.  I found a map for the present day but I don't see it here, either.

From Buchanan Hall, he went to Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity.  I remember him telling me that people suggested he not join that fraternity because it was too "Jewish".  I don't see it on either map but I did find a photo of it from the 1949 yearbook.

During the 1944-1945 academic year, Dad was an Associate Sports Editor for the Stanford Daily.  That's him on the left with the crazy sweater.

1947 Stanford Daily Staff

He stayed a member of Phi Sigma Kappa until he completed his MBA studies but I'm guessing once he graduated in 1949 he no longer lived in the house.  But he was the first-term president, a role he must have loved because he was always serving in one way or another throughout his life.

Here's the portion of the page showing some members of Phi Sigma Kappa in 1949.  I remember as kids my sister and I would pour over the pages looking for missing students and scream with delight when we'd find the Indian (they were the Stanford Indians in those days).  Poor Norman Miller must have been sick the day photos were taken but the Indian was only too happy to take his place.

Dad always liked to be on the Debate team and in 1947, he was a member of the Delta Sigma Rho team.  Here he is, second from right.  

1947 Stanford Debate Team - Delta Sigma Rho
H. Hawkes, M. Gray, Professor Emerson, J. Soares, G. Levy, M. Thompson

Dad may not have been "on the map" but he did have the map!

They are officially engaged!

It looks like it’s official – my parents are engaged!  The announcement was made at Ricky’s on October 2, 1949.  I remember hearing a lot about Ricky’s as a kid but I never realized that it was the site of such a historic event for my family.  It turns out that Casa Ventura is the house Mom lived in at Stanford. 



And a few newspaper articles tell the details.



While there are some familiar names, there are many that are completely unfamiliar to me.  I’m going to pull out Mom’s yearbooks and see if I can find out if some of these people were classmates at Stanford.  What I’ve learned is that Mom didn’t seem to stay in touch with most, if any, of her friends from high school or college.

And another article.



And then there were the notes of congratulations.



Wandaline Carter is a name I’ve never heard before.   I’m glad she enjoyed the candy that was provided to the guests.

And Patti and Carol means nothing to me, either. 



But here’s someone I recognize – this would be Irene (Gunzendorfer) and Al Sherwin.  Irene was my grandmother’s (Loraine Gunzendorfer) cousin – Irene’s father, Jacob Gunzendorfer, was the younger brother of Loraine’s father, Abraham Gunzendorfer.  The word ‘cousin’ looks like it was written with a different pen and may even be Loraine’s handwriting.  I’ve found items later in the book where Loraine had written addresses for people so Mom would have them for thank you notes – maybe this was to remind Mom who these people were.



It must have been an exciting time – one that every little girl dreams about.  Stay tuned for details about the showers and parties that were given for Mom!