LEGACIES
it happened in various ways.
Old friends reunited. Alumni from vastly different generations became new friends. Alumni traveled from out of state to pay tribute to a Wabash celebrity. And some very special people passed away.
This summer I have felt both joy and sadness as I witnessed and thought about all these relationships budding, growing, and changing. I am grateful for their place in my life and the life of the College. Theirs are the giant shoulders on which many of us stand.
At the Big Bash alumni reunion I sat at dinner with the Class of 1982 listening to and sharing stories. I was struck by the importance of that class in my life. These were the men who were seniors when I was a freshman. I mimicked how they conducted themselves in the classroom, around campus, at practice, during games, and in life in general. They molded who I became without any of us knowing it. Thanks to Joe Pfennig, Rich Blastic, Scott Dreher, Pete Metzelaars, Daryl Johnson, Chris Carr, Dave Rogers, Bill Luckey, and men like them.
The Wabash Club of Fort Wayne hosted the Big Cookie Open. The annual golf outing is named in honor of, of course, the Big Cookie himself, Rem Johnston ’55, who touched so many alumni over several decades. I watched as alumni returned from places like Texas, North Carolina, Cleveland, and Chicago to participate because of Johnston’s importance in their lives.
This summer saw the loss of some extraordinary people. John Goodrich ’68 was a Wabash legend in many ways, and not just his ponytail, red suspenders, and red Chuck Taylors. Goodrich recruited over 100 young men to Wabash. Let me repeat that, John recruited over 100 young men to Wabash! Think of the lives that he influenced.
We also lost Jim Engledow ’78, a positive and calm voice on the National Association of Wabash Men (NAWM) board and an alumnus force in the Beta house.
We lost Marion Powell H’55, the widow of faculty legend Vic Powell H’55, who was just made an honorary alumnae last year. And we lost Laura Carlson, wife of well-known former football coach Greg Carlson, who was special to me as a player and assistant football coach. To see the players and other coaches show up to support Coach Carlson was emotional and inspiring.
Each time I write about Wabash people, I feel as though I am doing a disservice to their legacies because I could write an entire article on each one of them. I urge you to think of the Wabash relationships that you have had and their influence on who you’ve become. Reach out to someone important with whom you have not connected recently. You will be glad that you did.
Steve Hoffman ’85 | Director,Alumni and Parent Relations
hoffmans@wabash.edu