Messenger - Vol. 2, No. 2, Page 19
Winter 1993
Tales told out of school

While John D. (Jack) Henry, Delaware '45, was attending the University
during the war years, the dwindling number of male undergraduates caused
the trustees to authorize the first coed classes. In June 1942, the
trustees agreed that men and women could be combined in any classes that
were small, but the freshman and sophomore classes were to be kept
separate. In addition, a lengthened school year and summer sessions made it
possible for many members of the class of 1945 to graduate early. Today,
Henry and his wife, Janet, live in Hudson, Ohio.

     I was at Delaware during the war years and because of that, the
student enrollment was very slim indeed. Even so, we had our ROTC classes
and marches right there in the arboretum between Brown Hall and Harter
Hall. I remember one time driving golf balls down the length of that
arboretum and up to the steps of the library without getting caught or
punished in any way. The library, which was housed in Memorial Hall,
separated the men's campus from the women's campus. The men ate at the
Commons, which was across Main Street, and the coeds had their own dining
hall on their own campus. I paid for part of my expenses by working as a
waiter in the Commons until one day I, unfortunately, hit the head
dietitian in the face with a pie, while aiming at one of my co-workers.
     I lived in Brown Hall, on the first floor with Bill Hitchens, Park
Huntington and Bobby Hunter and some other rapscallions. Our housemother,
Mrs. Patterson, put up with our shenanigans, including my doing a
striptease in the lounge while Russ Johnson was playing the piano.
     As property manager for the E52 Players, I had the easiest job on
campus. My arduous labor consisted of making sure the front and back doors
of Mitchell Hall were locked every night. I also remember playing
basketball under Bill Murray before he left to become coach at Duke
University. One time, I played a basketball game under an assumed name
because I had an injury and my mother was not anxious for me to play.
Unfortunately, I had something to do with the winning score under the name
of Paul Gray and we were required to forfeit the game. I lettered in
basketball, soccer and baseball and still have my varsity letter sweater to
this day, although my daughters are constantly borrowing it from me.
     Naturally, I was a patron of the Deer Park and, on occasion, would
play golf with President (Walter) Hullihen. What I really remember was that
he always putted left-handed. I think I had some honorary capacity at the
University because I remember having meetings with Wilbur Sypherd, who was
acting as president of the University during the period of 1944-46. My
strongest memories of teachers go back to Augustus Able and Anna DeArmond,
who taught English, and a Russian who taught mathematics and was a fiery,
inspiring teacher.
     Other memories include playing pool in the building to the right of
the local movie theatre on Main Street and the famous drug store across
from the theatre where everyone went to buy their school supplies. Every
night, we would also go into the little coffee shop, next to the movie
theatre, to get our pint of milk and take it back to the dorm for our
evening respite. (We had "borrowed" a couple of pies from the Commons to
take home to the dorm as well.) By the end of the school year, our clothes
closet was full to the rafters with milk bottles, which we would then take
back in bushel baskets to get our deposits.
     These are bright and happy memories for me, and my University career
was extremely helpful in shaping and preparing me for a reasonably
successful career in business. After leaving the University, I joined the
Procter & Gamble Co. and rose to head of marketing research worldwide. I
took early retirement a few years ago and set up my own consulting business
in Ohio.
                                   -John D. (Jack) Henry, Delaware '45