Remembering Joseph Addison Clark

As a descendent of Joseph Addison Clark, I was very pleased to read your recent article in The TCU Magazine, “Muddle in the Middle: The ‘C’ in TCU.” I cannot recall having seen in print anyone mentioning that my great great grandfather had anything to do with the founding of TCU. My grandmother, Modena Frank Rogers Spitler, was always saddened by this.

Family lore (our line, of course) has it that one of the reasons that J.A. Clark was not mentioned as one of the founding fathers in Colby Hall’s book or Joseph Lynn Clark’s book, Thank God We Made It, has to do with the split in the Christian Church/Church of Christ denominations over the musical instrument issue. I can well remember my grandmother telling me about the Sunday that they were gathered in the little town of Thorp Spring for worship, and a piano was brought in. She told that her grandfather quietly took her hand and walked out of the church, never to return. His sons, Addison and Randolph, remained in their pews. Because my grandmother loved music so much and played both the piano and violin, she came back to the Christian Church with her parents. This whole issue caused a very painful rift in the family for years to come.

Both my older brother (a TCU and Brite graduate) and I were very pleased to see that the cornerstone from old Thorp Spring had been placed underneath the statues of Addison and Randolph with our great great grandfather’s name also listed as a founder.

Rev. Joseph Campbell Spitler ’67
Columbus, Texas

The things we do for love

Mary Couts was my love; not really, it was her library. I loved and cared for it for four years. Lovingly fired the furnace daily at 6 a.m., then polished her face every Saturday. My, how she loved it! Then on Sunday (I had her key) she would cradle me all alone while I did my homework.

Jim McGalliard ’40
Reno, Nev.

About those footprints

I enjoyed the article “The Oxygen of Terrorism” by Benazir Bhutto. She is so right, and so courageous.

Also, Joan Swaim’s essay, “Monterey Memory,” renewed memories of mine about Willis Hewatt. Joan mentioned the “footprints in the sands of time,” and you must know Dr. Hewatt left footprints in the lives of many, including mine.

I entered TCU in the fall of 1946, just a couple of months after being discharged form the U.S. Navy Originating from Wisconsin, I had the help of a Navy friend, Henry Stephenson of Fort Worth, in the matriculation process. Always having an interest in living things, I chose a major in biology, and therein began my relationship with Dr. Hewatt. He was chairman of the department of biology and the pre-med adviser. As I entered TCU, doubt and fear was on my mind. I doubted that I was college material, and feared that I couldn’t adjust to academics after two years in the service. But, thanks to Hewatt’s patience and kindness, the doubts and fears abated. He helped restore self-confidence, a necessary attribute to academic achievement.

I made the necessary grade point average, and with Dr. Hewatt’s recommendation, I was accepted to the Baylor College of Medicine.

I must add this: One day in a class of invertebrate zoology, Dr. Hewatt siphoned the stomach content of an oyster for our microscopic analysis, whereupon, he ate the oyster while the class turned green. He enjoyed it!

Bruce K. Jacobson, M.D. ’50
Fort Worth

What a wonderful set of articles authored in the last issue of The TCU Magazine about Monterey!

I’ve always enjoyed reading Joan’s insights into the early days of TCU [i.e., before I arrived in 1964], but this one excelled. It nicely fleshed out the early professional life of her father, whom I always considered a mentor and an example to emulate as his successor as TCU premed advisor.

This timely article displays the editor’s usual scientific clarity, and personalizes the significant threat of global warming with its TCU connection. It is unfortunate that while the scientific community has long recognized this problem, politics continue to block any meaningful progress toward a solution. Until then, it does not bode well for our grandchildren. Hopefully the article will help stimulate some of the needed reforms. I believe Willis Hewatt would agree.

Manfred Reinecke
Professor of chemistry

I’ve heard that there are four or five people in your life who influence who you are and what you are. Dr. Hewatt was certainly one of the people that influenced me. Thank you for the memories that you elicited with The TCU Magazine article.

Cecil A. McRee M.D. ’54
DeSoto

Go green

You have written an informative article describing tide pool evidence of the growing impact of global warming. It is beautifully illustrated. And, it is printed on expensive enamel stock using toxic inks. (Perhaps an article on the high level of pollution and destruction of forests committed by the paper industry and how this contributes to unbreathable air would be of interest to readers. You could even point out that our own use of paper is a driving force.)

Should we tell of a problem while actively contributing to it? Or should we make environmentally responsible choices?

A woman commented to me recently that the paper mills (have you ever smelled one?) are not in this part of the country. I guess that means we have no obligation to fellow citizens of the planet. I guess that means air and water currents (weather) don’t bring this poison to us.

If TCU made a commitment to responsible behavior (print on both sides of the paper at the copy machine, reuse paper that has only been printed on one side, recycle paper after that second use, turn the air conditioning to something warmer than “keep meat fresh,” buy recycled products, recycle cans and glass, compost the garbage, water only the grass, not the streets, avoid poisons in cleaning products and landscaping products, etc.) the University could not only save money, it could be a leader, teaching by example how to be good stewards of the only planet we have.

My grandfather, father, uncle and myself are all TCU graduates. My mother attended TCU as well. I played on campus as a child and now live nearby. (I was even offered the job of editor of the magazine a long time ago, but I was pregnant and couldn’t accept.) I would be proud to see TCU and The TCU Magazine take a leadership role on this critical issue.

Linda Dallas Eatenson ’60
Fort Worth

More balance

In your brief clip on “Support for Palestinians,” page 4 of the summer issue of The TCU Magazine, I was appalled. You mentioned the “plight of Palestinian refugees.” Well, what about awareness in all the terrorist bombings that occur to just as many innocent people in Israel? You make it sound like TCU and your magazine are taking sides and supporting the Palestinian views. As an alumna, for me to make this assumption is appalling and outrageous. For crying out loud, as you mention the Palestinian refugees’ “plight,” how about mentioning the carnage going on in Israel?

Starr-Renee Corbin ’00
U.S Army

Want a dollop of song on those pancakes?

I thoroughly enjoyed the article about Ol’ South. I have a magnet on my fridge that brings so many smiles and memories. I studied in the back room during 1984-1988. My church group introduced me to German Pancakes when I was a freshman, and I crave them to this day. But the best was Pauline. She used to sing “I’m a little teapot” to us. There was never a night that I did not run into classmates, professors and Ol’ South regulars to say hello to. Fun article.

Laura Barber Turner ’88
Elkridge, Md.