'Great guy' Sample

I was sad to read about the passing of a notable figure from my time at UC in the '70s. Glenn Sample [Ed '53] was best known as the head coach of the UC Bearcats baseball team. He was also frequently identified by the phrase, "What a great guy!"

Less well known was the role he played as the director of the campus men's intramural sports program. This was a robust operation that offered UC students the chance to participate in a large variety of sports, including football, softball, swimming, basketball, billiards and others. I worked as an official for a few of these sports in the intramural department under Coach Sample for several years while I was a student.

One could have easily forgiven the coach if he had given short shrift to this rather pedestrian pursuit in comparison to the more highly visible varsity baseball program, yet he seemed to devote as much vigor and compassion to managing intramurals, as he did to any other project he undertook. He was always interested in ensuring that UC offered a great experience for all students. For me, Coach Sample was an unforgettable personality from my college days at UC. "What a great guy!"

Bruce Wachsman, Pharm '77
Memphis, Tenn.

Reinforcing diversity

That was a great article on the "immortal chaplain" [Alexander Goode, A&S '34] -- one that every person should read, reinforcing the stance that accepting diversity is our greatest tool against intolerance.

Mayda Roth, director of development,
Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh

Medal confusion

In the most recent issue, your article ["Immortal Chaplain"] notes that chaplain Alexander Goode [A&S '34] received the Congressional Medal for Heroism in 1960. Maybe Wikipedia is not an unimpeachable source, but its articles on chaplain Goode and the other three chaplains all include the line "1961 the Chaplain's Medal for Heroism was commissioned specifically for these four officers."

Note 1961. What is the correct date? Or what is the source for the correctness of your date of 1960? Or was the "Congressional" medal given in 1960 and a special "Chaplains" medal given in 1961?

Bruce Cameron, MD '60
Via e-mail

Editor's note:We had many sources, several of which conflicted. When that happened, we turned to our primary source, David Fox, executive director of the Immortal Chaplains Foundation, an exhaustive researcher who personally interviewed survivors from the sinking and a nephew of the Methodist chaplain George Fox, who also went down with the Dorchester.

According to Fox, "There is only one medal. Congress specially created it because some authorities protested that the Medal of Honor was not appropriate for the chaplains because 'they were not in a combat situation.' I don't know why a torpedo does not qualify, but the medal is officially known as the Special Congressional Medal for the Four Chaplains for Heroism. It is more popularly known as the Congressional Medal of Valor for the Four Chaplains."

He also says President Eisenhower presented the medal in 1960.

Making sense of cents

The "Committed to a Cause" series of articles was outstanding. Doubtless your best issue to date.

I did note an error on page 9. In the news brief "UC Prof Gives Lincoln a Facelift," you state, "UC history professor John Alexander helped the U.S. Mint create four new designs for the penny," despite the fact that the U.S. Mint has never minted a single "penny." Right next to the text is a picture clearly depicting the words "one cent." The "penny" is a denomination of the English Empire, not of our nation.

Dale Fessenden, Eng '69
Conroe, Texas

Editor's note: That never occurred to us, and we appreciated the clarification. But it opened up a whole range of questions: Is the entire U.S. population penniless? Can an American be a penny pincher? How did people operate the machines at local penny arcades? And did the English empire really mint a penny? Or was it the British Empire? We want to know badly enough that we'd offer a penny for your thoughts … if we had one.

Memorable music

I enjoyed the recent issue of "UC Magazine" and particularly the article about Deforia Sims Lane [CCM '70]. Deforia and I were students at the College-Conservatory of Music at the same time. I was taken by her voice and employed her at Grace Episcopal Church in College Hill on several occasions to sing in special events. Having seen the NBC News report about her, and now this article, my memories were vivid. At any rate, "bravo" to you on a most interesting magazine.

Stephen Schaeffer, MM '70, DMA '77
Director of music, organist, Cathedral Church of the Advent
Birmingham, Ala.

Triple thanks

Reading "UC Magazine" for the past few months has been most enjoyable and heartwarming, renewing my UC memories of the past years, 1950-55. After I earned my BBA in accounting, I served three years as a Marine officer ('55-58), then returned to UC to earn my MBA in marketing in '58, the first year UC offered a master's degree in business.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Keep up the great work.

Akila "Ike" Misali, Bus '55, MBA '63
Cincinnati

Editor's note: Born to Greek immigrants, Misali participated on the UC baseball team and founded the Ed Jucker (Ed '40) Endowment for UC baseball in 2000. He also was inducted into UC's Order of the Black Blazer in recognition of his achievement in intercollegiate athletics.

I received the latest copy of the magazine and wanted to say that this is an outstanding magazine. I went to McNeese University and Loyola University in New Orleans, and neither puts out anything like yours.

I am not an alumna, but the daughter of someone who loved his school until he died at age 89. My dad, Frederick Gustav Brune [Eng '39], was a manager for the Bearcats, and my mother, Sue Mullen, attended UC and even knew Al Hirt [CCM '41, HonDoc '68]. Later, we moved to New Orleans and saw him play many times.

Barbara Brune
Hammond, La.

The Office of the President at the University of West Florida passes on our thanks for sending us the May 2009 issue of the University of Cincinnati Magazine, but more than this, I want to extend a hearty congratulations on a beautifully done issue.

Our office regularly receives numerous university magazines but this particular issue grabbed the attention of several people in our office. The cover photograph of Dr. Christopher Lewis is truly exceptional and eye grabbing and drew us into reading the rest of your magazine, especially the stories of your world-changing alumni.

Again, please accept our thanks for such a professionally executed and invitingly informative issue. It was a joy to see and read!

Irene Patti
Executive specialist, Office of the President
University of West Florida
Pensacola, Fla.

Corrections

Names misspelled
In the May magazine, the names were misspelled for Richard Goettle Jr., Eng '13, and Bette Goettle, Ed '49. This is the correct spelling.

In the January magazine, we misspelled the name of George Duning, CCM '33, in a listing explaining his famous TV scores, including "The Partridge Family" and "Star Trek."

Michael Reynolds' license
We reported that Michael Reynolds, DAAP '69, temporarily relinquished his architecture license in the 1990s amidst pressure from the New Mexico Board of Examiners for Architects due "to the experimental nature of his homes." We have been informed that he permanently surrendered his state license in 2000.

Letters to the editor policy
Letters to the editor must relate to the university, be signed and include addresses, colleges and years of graduation, when applicable. The editor reserves the right to edit letters for length, clarity or factual accuracy and to reject letters of unsuitable content. Letters may not criticize other letter writers. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Cincinnati.