University of New England

GREAT PERSONAL MOMENTS IN HISTORY
Alumni Memories of
Westbrook College and
the Westbrook College Campus

In commemoration of the 175th Anniversary of the Westbrook College Campus, we are asking alumni to send us their "Great Personal Moments" in the history of Westbrook College and the Westbrook College Campus. If you are an alum of Westbrook College or the Westbrook College Campus, share your great moments as the alumni below are sharing theirs with you:

Carol E. (Oldenbrook) Twyon '59
Just before I graduated from Reading Memorial High School in Reading, Mass., I was not sure that I would be financially able to attend college.  To my surprise, my high school advisor told me that a work scholarship was available at Westbrook Junior College, so I jumped with joy to think that maybe I would be able to go to college to further my secretarial curriculum.  I received the work scholarship and my dream had come true.

I had such a wonderful experience at Westbrook from 1957 to 1959.  I made my parents proud when I was appointed a Junior Dean, and with my degree from Westbrook, was able to be hired by many wonderful companies.  My final employment was Executive Secretary to the Chairman of the Board of Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc. in Newport, N.H., one of the leading firearms manufacturers in America.  As secretary to William B. Ruger, Sr., inventor of Ruger firearms, was such a wonderful experience for me for seventeen years, until his death in July of 2002.  I continued to work for Sturm, Ruger until I fulfilled my 20 years.  I recently retired in October of 2005, and have just returned from a one month trip to Germany, Luxemberg, Belgium and France.

Future trips to Europe are on my agenda.

Liz O. (Oshry) Dietz '65
Favorite Memory: Winning the Maroon award one weekend and they wanted to expell me the next weekend when 4 jr deans and myself were out carousing with the Bowdoin Bears and all got plotzed!  Pres Blewett was not a happy camper, but we sure had fun.  Also remember watching the Beatles in the house mother's room in my freshman year - and finding out that JFK had been killed when I was in organic chemistry my last year.  Without WJC I would not be where I am today - tenured professor / nurse practitioner / school nurse and Red Cross Disaster chairperson.  What a great life!  Oh yes, no nursing at WJC when I was there, had to transfer for nursing, glad Westbrook has nursing now.

Shirley P. (Pray) Boone '65
My poignant memory of Westbrook was on November 22, 1963 when we learned that President Kennedy had been shot.   There was a lot of commotion in the hall outside Mr. Robert's classroom.  He went to find out what was going on, and students said that the President had been shot.  We didn't believe them, and thought it was a sick joke about Pres. Blewett.  Then  when we saw a senior walk to the flagpole on the Commons, and lower the flag to half-staff, we realized that it was President Kennedy who had been shot.   Classes were suspended for the rest of the week, and we all sat glued to our televisions to watch the nation mourn our loss.                

Happier memories include all the laughing and silliness that my dear roommate, Brenda Colburn, and I shared.  I have never had such a close friendship with anyone else since she passed away in 1980.  Brenda - I still smile when I think of you.

Karen W. (Wurzbacher) Zerlaut '63
As a Freshman, I heard about the "a capella" group called "Faux Pas" directed by Richard Roberts.  I loved to sing and really wanted to be a part of this group, but found there were only two openings.  I tried out anyway and was chosen.  You can't imagine what a thrill it was to be a part of this group.  We performed on TV and even cut a record.  It was really a privilege to work with such a talented director, too.  Thank you for that great memory.



Sharon (Pellegrini) Mertzel '63
Nancy McDeowell Nichols and I were lab partners in med lab with Mr. Hooghkirk. We were doing finger punctures in lab. As partners she would poke my finger and I would poke her finger. I did not want to hurt her so I would poke lightly. After several attempts about nine holes opened up in the same finger and she bled profusely. On the other hand, she would put my finger right on the desk and stab it hard. Not having room to move away I had scars in the finger which last until today (not seriously). There were concerns I was a bleeder until Mr. Hoogkirk saw how she was doing the procedure. His comment was "poor technique girls, poor technique." I don't think either of us followed a career working in a lab. But it was a wonderful memory we have laughed about for years.

Merri Cronk Graf and I went to Sugarloaf for a Saturday of skiing. Going across a trail to get to the lower tote road, I fell down on the trail. Merri had to fall to avoid me. Skiied the rest of the day. She took her boot off at the end of the day. One terribly swollen ankle. Drove home to Augusta. I had to take her to the hospital the following morning. Broken ankle. Worse yet, I had to return her to WJC in a cast. Worse yet I had to explain how this happened. As some background Merri and I tended to be a little accident prone and tended to like to play pranks. This was a big one as trying to explain this accident was more fun than going through the accident itself. It was a great time and another day of memories at college.

Bette J. (Swett) Thibeault '63
I have many vivid memories of WJC ... Most of all it was where I discovered who I was, what I could do, and  that I was special!  I was the President of the Day Hops my second year.  We entered the competition for the silver bowl given to the dorm who could write an original song and also perform a cover song.  The Day Hops captured both categories with a sixteen-part harmony of "He's Got The Whole World In His Hands."  The original piece was spectacular and our group felt on top.  I was getting prepared for this event for two years with my renditions on the piano in the Day Hop lounge.  I put tacks on all the hammars so the music would come out as honky tonk.  Those of us with music talent would play duets to the amusement of our friends.  There are so many great memories.  WJC was, for me, the beginning of a long and successful career, great confidence in myself and friends who continue to be important in my life.  Have a great reunion weekend!

Lizzy (Lester) Poole '55
Other than anointing our legs with baby oil mixed with iodine in celebration of heavy Spring sunshine, jumping barefoot thru pools after heavy rains on campus, charging a pack of cigarettes to give a haircut, dissolving in laughter at dorm mates humor - such as (if I remember her name correctly) Gail Bird's query as we stood in line relatively "polished" for dinner as "What's with you, Lester, were you in an accident?", enjoying the small class sizes which contributed to individual attention, the event that stands out most in my mind is deciding that the French teacher - Daniel Paul Dacey with his foot-high crewcut - needed a good meal and "kidnapping" him with many detours such as a drive thru the cemetery, to finally deliver him to Valle's for a steak dinner to which his class treated him. Many laughs with our buddies as we joked about the French classes adjourned to continue at the Cafeteria over coffee.

On a more somber note, watching thru the library window while the ambulance carried off Robert Tristam Coffin, who's heart attack during his speech at the hall next door was ending his life.

Exquisite moments of youth, to be appreciated like old wine, many years later.



Emily ('Tudi') L. (Adams) Watkins '63
It really is difficult to isolate just one favorite memory because both my years at Westbrook Junior College were exceptional years that stayed with me for a lifetime.  Six of the friends I made while at Westbrook have stayed in my life forever.  We call ourselves "The Brookies" and have mini-reunions at least once a year if not more.  Four of the six of us live in different states.  Our distance has never dampened the spirit of WJC that we carried away with us on June 9, 1963, our graduation date. 

One of the incidences I do remember distinctly was the time I and my two roommates decided to put cans of beer in the tank of the toilets in our Melville dorm to keep it cool!  One of the Junior Deans, who actually is part of the six of us "Brookies" that get together, threatened to turn us in to the Dean if we did not get rid of the beer.  My two roommates took the beer to the nearby cemetery and dumped it there!  I have to say that we knew she was serious with her threat to turn us in!

Happy times included being a member of the Faux Pas, enjoying great faculty members and achieving success as an excellent administrative assistant because of the education I recieved.  It was a sad day when Westbrook College could no longer survive but a very happy day when UNE purchased the campus and continues to renovate so many of our old buildings, keeping "the look" of Westbrook alive and well.  Although our school is no more, the campus remains as a wonderful place to return to for our college reunions.   Thank you UNE!


Amy R. (Flammia) Elliott '96
My favorite memories as a student at Westbrook College are the times I spent with April Bechard, Christine Grillon, Kim Morril, Gloria Carlton, and the countless other friends I made there. I learned how to laugh, cry and stay up all night!


April M. (Bechard) Bossie '95:
My favorite memory at Westbrook College was participating in the yearly talent show.  Seeing Professor Toby Lazarowitz gyrating across the stage to the song Tequilla will remain in my memory for a long time.


From Gini M. (Mercer) Eyres '68:
"I will never forget my first sighting of the Northern Lights.We were singing carols in front of Proctor Hall in a school-wide choral competition in the snow at night in December. All of the sudden the Northern Lights appeared above the dorm. It was breath taking and so was the singing. For me that moment represents the embodiment of the Westbrook feeling and the strength and friendship of those women I was singing with. What a great gift to have been given."


From Susan L. (Conger) McCarthy '74:
"One of my fondest memories was attending U.S. History class at Proctor Hall with Mr. Jordan.  As a resident of Proctor Hall it was so nice to walk down the hall to class and wear slippers and sometimes the 'Big Soup can' curler in my hair.  Nancy Alm, Jean LeBlanc and I all sat in the front row of the classroom, and Mr. Jordan referred to us as  'The opening scene of Macbeth' - for those of you that are not familiar with that work of Shakespeare... it was the three witches.

Of all the professors I have had through undergrad and graduate school he was the MOST INTERESTING!"


From Sherri A. (Gaudette) DeFilipp '67:
"In my senior year at Westbrook College, four of us shared the suite in Proctor that President Featherman now has as her Westbrook College Campus office.  We somehow managed to connect the bell in the tower to a rope that started in our suite.  At approximately midnight one Saturday night, we rang the bell repeatedly . . . waking everyone on campus and bringing security running.  No one was ever able to figure out how anyone was able to get into the tower to ring the bell as the door was locked on the weekend.  The four of us that did this little prank get together once a month and cannot imagine how we were ever able to pull this off. . . we still are laughing about it."