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Stetson University
DeLand, Florida 32724
April, 1989.
Dear Former Student:
The money is not in the till for a History Department Newsletter, so I am
writing this briefer report to a more limited audience. Perhaps you might pass
this along to someone else after you have read it.
As I am paying for this, it may be even more personal, and indeed more even
more egocentric than in the past. This is my' last hurrah as History Department
Chairman. I am pleased that PAUL STEEVES will take over as chairman when I
return to full time teaching duties with the end of the term in May. Perhaps I
will be acting chairman for the summer, as I will teach this summer, and Paul
vail be away. Eighteen years as chairman (or nineteen if I count my year as
Armstrong) is enough, and I look forward to focusing on teaching.
SIGHTS AND SOUNDS OF OLD DELAND: Downtown DeLand now sparkles, following a
restoration that involved a tremendous civic effort. The Whitehair building, the
old McCrory's, and the old Barnett bank building are examples of that
transformation. EVELYN WEST '47, now retired from active management of the
Stetson Flower Shop, was important in the restoration. On Plymouth Avenue the
Connell House, where JOSH CONNELL, who served as nightwatchman at Stetson in his
retirement years lived and where Stetson librarian SUSAN CONNELL played as a
child, has been beautifully restored by ALICE '77 J.D. and DANA FOGLE '71 J.D.,
who use it for their law offices.
BETTY '59,'62 M.A. AND EVANS: Last summer we vacationed in Costa Rica and
Guatemala. While Costa Rica is beautiful, I would be tempted to retire in a few
years in Guatemala except for my love of this country. Next summer we plan to go
to Paraguay. One advantage in shucking the duties of chairman is that Paul
Steeves has already promised me the winter term off—something I have not had for
a decade or so. I think I will go to Chile; perhaps Pinochet will be gone by
then. We also attended the American Library Association meeting in New Orleans
in the early summer. We stayed at the Monteleon, where we had a belated
honeymoon in 1959.
Betty has had a very busy year as President of the Florida chapter of
American College and Research Libraries. She has also been busy with the
Cultural Arts Center, where she serves on the board of directors. They are
planning to break ground soon for their building, which will face Emily Hall. We
We were also active in the unsuccessful political campaign of Representative SAM
BELL. The campaign brought us into renewed contact with my former students,
Daytona aircraft executive DON HOLTON '54, and with LOIS WESCOTT '63, who heads a
counselling program for Daytona Beach Community College. Lois is entering a
graduate program at the University of Central Florida.
None of you has asked me to report on my typical work day, but I report
nevertheless. I have a beautiful early morning walk to school in the Indian
summer weather that we have had most of the winter. I encounter "Prof" HAROLD
GIFFIN Hon. '72, walking his dog, now showing a bit of the weight of his eighty
odd years, and still puffing on his Kents. Another early morning riser is real
estate entrepreneur MEL OTT '56, who puffs along beside his Siberian huskey and
likes to brag on Stetson. MEL has recently moved his office from the Tslakis
Building (at the corner of Rich and the Boulevard) to further north on the
