It was 1957.
Ford Motor Co. unveiled the Edsel; American Bandstand, with 27-year-old host Dick Clark, made its network television debut; Jerry Lee Lewis recorded “Great Balls of Fire” and the USSR launched Sputnik 1, the first satellite.
And Josephine Simpson first reported for work at Washington University.
Simpson was one of 45 retirees — about 25 of whom were in attendance — honored at a luncheon hosted by Chancellor Mark S. Wrighton Sept. 21 at Whittemore House.
With 46 years of service, Simpson had the longest tenure of any of those recognized.
“When I started here, it was a streetcar campus,” Simpson said. “Now it’s totally different. I watched them build every dorm, watched them build the library. When I came here, originally it was the old library.”
Although she was from the area and knew her way around the University, she had no idea that she would spend nearly five decades on the Hilltop Campus.
Especially in the athletic department, which was then known as the men’s physical education department.
“I was fresh out of a convent school and was never around boys that much,” she said, “so a lot of teasing took place — and lots of blushing!
“But I’m not the least bit athletic. How I ended up in the athletic department I’ll never know.
“Little did I know when I was at St. Marks School and being thrown off the baseball field when I was playing softball that I would end up here.”
But here she was, and here she stayed.
“It’s wonderful working with educated people, and in athletics we have the scholar-athletes, and it’s an atmosphere that’s a little different from anywhere else in the University,” she said. “The students add a lot of joy to your life.
“The students are lovely, lovely people, and they don’t get enough credit for what fine young men and women they are. It’s been a very, very rewarding and enriching experience for me.”
The 45 retirees recognized had a total of 998 years of service to the University.
Traditionally, special recognition is afforded to those retirees in attendance at the luncheon who have the greatest number of years of service with the University. In addition to Simpson, Alberta Thomas (41 years) and Sarah Stanfield (35 years), both from the School of Medicine, also received a basket of flowers.
All retirees were given walnut plaques, presented by Wrighton; Larry J. Shapiro, M.D., executive vice chancellor for medical affairs and dean of the School of Medicine; Stuart I. Greenbaum, Ph.D., dean of the Olin School of Business and the Bank of America Professor; James E. McLeod, vice chancellor for students and dean of the College of Arts & Sciences; Richard A. Roloff, executive vice chancellor; and Barbara A. Feiner, vice chancellor for finance.
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List of retirees Hilltop, West campuses Frederick Anderson, 20 years; George Burris, 33 years; Elisabeth Davis, 17 years; James Gahn, 23 years; Andrew Hargrove, 36 years; Steven Hazel, 13 years; Joyce Jackson, 23 years; Marianna Mercurio, 36 years; Bruce Miller, 10 years; Janet Olliges, 19 years; James Pfyl, 11 years; Jane Rahmoeller, 36 years; Darlene Schoon, 18 years; Paul Schoon, 17 years; Mary Kay Shehan, 35 years; Yvonne Simmons, 32 years; Josephine Simpson, 46 years; Bernard Sunier, 28 years; Rodney Wegermann, 26 years. Medical Campus Linda Baldwin, 15 years; Myrtle Barrett, 21 years; George Bickmore, 33 years; Joan Collins, 29 years; Rebecca Davis, 14 years; Barbara Decepida, 14 years; Jacqueline Dudley, 10 years; Thomas Gamble, 10 years; Barbara Gearing, 26 years; Ann Hattori, 24 years; Yong-Yue He, 10 years; Arthur James, 22 years; Martha Kraatz, 28 years; Patricia Maerli, 17 years; Carolyn Miles, 10 years; Nettie Patterson, 12 years; Leland Paule, 29 years; Elizabeth Portell, 19 years; Steve Rodewald, 24 years; Richard Ruddle, 12 years; Sarah Stanfield, 35 years; Alberta Thomas, 41 years; Ross Verbisky, 20 years; Sharon Walther, 15 years; Ann Wilder, 10 years; Rosemary Wood, 19 years. |