Alumni & Friends

Memories of C-SC

We would also love to hear about your favorite memory(ies) from your time on the hill. Please take a moment and submit your special remembrances.

The memories received will be posted below. Please include your name and graduation year(s) or year(s) attending C-SC. Click Here to Send Your Memories

Memories of C-SC

David Brown - 1980
I want to say thank you again to the wonderful family in the town of Canton that welcomed me into thier home on each Thanksgiving day during my four years on the hill. I was a young man from Atlanta, Georgia who ached to be home with love ones hundreds miles away. The food, frienship, and warmth that they provided is felt even to this day. I will never forget you.

Eric Zanger - 1990
I just remember a student named, Suzanne, carrying myself and a fellow baseball player, named Trent Loos, in Dr. Brodman's chemistry class. During a chemistry lab, Dr. Brodman had his cap and gown on because of some kind of graduation ceremony. Trent Loos said "Hey Dr. Brodman, nice lid." I thought Dr. Brodman was going to fall down with laughter. I have fond memories of his excitement and love for the course and his students. Dr. Brodman and Mr. Bursewicz impacted my live so much that I have taught a science course the past 18 years at the high school level in Springfield, IL.

David Faircloth - -1965
Good Morning John, It is such a joy to hear that the quiet bubbling enthusiasm for life, that permeated all of your classes, is still there. How often I have thought of that when I was down and needed something positive to cling to. Remember when Jan (can't remember her last name) dropped her chlorine generation flask and we cleaned it up? My nose and throat were raw for weeks. I sent you a few pictures from my collection of snaps taken at the tall grass prairie reconstruction www.tallgrass.org/ the "Neal Smith National Wild Life Refuge". I was on the board of the Friends of the Prairie Learning Center for several years and clean and refurbish the microscopes occasionally for the Biologist at the center. My teaching credentials include all of the Iowa science endorsements. The last five years of my teaching career were four years at the American School in Aberdeen, Scotland and a year at the American International School in Johannesburg in South Africa. On coming back to the U.S., I did not want to face the teaching load. I had seen what could be done with smaller classes and did not want to face larger classes again. As the Maytag Plant in Newton closing is being deemed a NAFTA closing, money is available for retraining. I always wanted to teach at the area college level and they require a Masters degree of some type with 20 graduate hours in a specific field. So I am going back to school for a Master of Arts in Science Education in the Biology area. If I feel to old to teach full time when I finish, age 66, I can teach a course here and there or perhaps tutor as you do. I was an assistant scout master for several years when my boys were young and over the years have mentored many scouts for merit badges in the science areas. My wife and I minister at our church by providing breakfast before church service for between 50 to 80 persons each week. I, also write a smattering of poetry. Well, I do go on and on. Great to be able to chat with you. My wife Janet is from the St Louis area and we drive down there occasionally. I will give you a call the next time we go to visit and maybe we can connect for a few hours.

Gene Lindsay - 1963
John, I just wanted to thank you for organizing the Chemistry Majors Reunion, what a great idea. I enjoyed visiting with you and the other majors. This is a good time for reflecting on our careers and days at Culver-Stockton. I would say that you and others at Culver gave me a real passion for Science and specifically for the field of chemistry. When I think of it I went from a new BA degree to a position at The University of Michigan, Museum of Zoology in just a couple of weeks and felt very confident. Actually, it was the Senior Project that made a big difference to my new employers. As you remember I reproduced an article in Scientific American Journal dealing with fruit fly eye color. I essentially did the same type of research with mollusk (snail) taxonomy for the next eleven years. I am still associated with the Michigan group, with an occasional co-authorship and I am the business manager for one of our museum journals. During my time in Ann Arbor Michigan I obtained a masters degree in physics from Eastern Michigan University and then moved on to industry as research money dried up at the university. I worked for three different companies over about 12 years again related to that senior project. I worked on product development and production of a biologic extracted from horseshoe crabs. The last of these positions was at Mallinckrodt Inc. in St. Louis Missouri which brought me back to the St. Louis area. Any way, all good things end to make room for better things and I took a position at a new community college in St. Charles MO. I started the physics and general chemistry programs here. So, I like to say that I have done all three, pure research, industry and education. What great fun! I am now retired as Senior Faculty after 16 years at the community college and teach a chemistry course now and then. So again thanks for everything.

Robert Kuntz - 1959
My favorite memory of John is an event that happened at the time he was being offered the position at C-S. As he was being escorted down the steps into the lab in the basement of Henderson, he saw first the old homemade water still which probably was a good rendition of a "moonshiners" still. He said in that wonderful southern accent "That has got to go!". (By the way, I found that my accent seemed to go a bit south after a few classes with John.) There are many other memories which come to mind -- like arguing with John in P. Chem whether 1 atm meant 1 significant figure or was exact, and like the time he took me to be interviewed for a TA position in general chemistry and decided to ask me to demonstrate my knowledge by suggesting how I might distinguish between two compounds with identical formulas, ethanol and methyl ether (John did not teach me organic chemistry). I am sure he expected me to say by odor, but I suggested taste. He quickly covered for me and I did get to be a TA. I have often thought what a serendipitous choice it was for me to come to Culver-Stockton and have such wonderful role models as John Brodmann and Ed Franz. Without them surely my future would have been different. I remember fondly those days and the great relationships which they spawned.

Sharon Upchurch, librarian -
One day, a few years before John retired, I went over to the Chemistry department to talk to John. At that time he and I served on the Faculty Social Committee and we had some event to plan. Organic Lab was in session. When I peeked in, the students told me Dr. Brodmann had stepped out momentarily but would return soon. So, knowing most of the students, I stepped into the lab to see their work. They weren't discussing their experiments, however. They were discussing their recent class trip to a meeting of the local division of the American Chemical Society where they had met chemists from other colleges, universities and industries in the area. I asked what they had learned. Immediately, they began to catalog the eccentricities of the various chemists they had met. Finally, one young man said, "Yeah, we decided Dr. Brodmann wasn't nearly as bad as we thought he was!" Just as Dr. Brodmann walked into the room. The young man blushed deeply. But John laughed. He considered the comment a compliment. I think he still does.

Marlan Graham - 1963
John, your enthusiam for chemistry, teaching and life is the essence of you I carry from C-SC. Guess the first time since '63' I saw you was when we brought our son Matt up to look at C-SC. Lots of things had changed since we had classes and labs in the basement of Henderson Hall. Your lectures and assistance in all facets of my association with you stand out. I suppose none of us: you, John Meyer and Gene Lindsay plus (Dr. Sperry God bless his soul) will ever forget our carbon dating of the mummy specimen he obtained. Most were sure supernatural forces were at work that day: to cause Dr. Sperry to become sick, the explosion of the quartz tube holding the specimen that nicked John's glasses, my face but not my eyes (I didn't wear glasses)! I think Gene was recording data and was spared! Plus we remember the Science Service Project events. Especially the python carried by George Vanalek, that scared me into dropping some glassware on the way to your office. We all remember your stern warnings to George about the snake!!! What fine memories! I attended MU right after graduating where Norm Trautwein was pursuing his doctorate with Dr. John Guyon. I put my BA degree to work in 1964 in the corrosion inhibitor department and later the quality control laboratory at Petrolite Corp. in St. Louis. By 1973 I migrated to the fledgling I T group, and finally in 1989 to HSE until I took early retirement in 1994. About 4 years later, I accepted a position in 1998 at Archway Sales, Inc. as the Regulatory Compliance Officer. My chemistry background has helped me immensely throughout my career. I wish you the very best and I'm sorry I won't be able to attend the reunion festivities.

Norman Trautwein - 1962
John and all, Jannie and I plan to attend the reunion. We have reserved a room at Comfort Inn for the Thursday and Friday prior to homecoming day. In the 2006 Homecoming Parade, I was riding a "float" with teammates from the 1958-59 basketball team. The whole team was inducted into the C-SC Athletic Hall of Fame. I am sorry to learn about the deceased. From my class, I hope Ken Carnahan is coming. We used to study together prior to tests. We would then compete with each other as to who would get the higher score on tests. As was true last year, I plan to visit my two small farms near Kinderhook, Illinois. Jannie and I plan to pull back an old safe and an old horse drawn wagon, which has been modified to pull behind a tractor. I already have my Dad's old 1948 Ford Tractor with me in Jonesboro. The tractor runs well. I want to get the tractor painted back to its original state. John, I appreciate all you did for me. Later, when I taught college chemistry, I really appreciated your skills in teaching all the chemistry classes. Maybe, just maybe, with a lot of work, I might could teach introductory Organic Chemistry. As for P-Chem, well............, I am afraid that I would have to get down on my knees and beg Robert Kuntz to teach that course for me. See you soon. It will be great to greet old friends and meet several new people. I don't know if we are going to wear name tags or not. Just in case, I am bringing my last faculty picture ID with me. As always but a little bit weathered, Norm

David Haggard - 1976
Ah, the memories! Who could ever forget Chemistry under Dr. Brodmann. Like another rememberer, I may find it hard to call him "John." After graduation I found that Chemistry is a lot more fun in school that in the real world. After a short stint helping a secretive researcher doing Parkinson's work, and a longer stint analyzing proteins in animal feeds, I entered the ministry. Oh! And during seminary I had a part-time job as an EPA-certified Water Treatment Plant operator. That's governmentese for "water quality tester." But I digress.... Who could forget-- "This is a new flask, never before touched by human hands." "This flask has three ground glass joints at 7 dollars a joint. So it cost this department 21 dollars. DON'T BREAK IT." Qualitative analysis samples made up of pure distilled water. Qualitative analysis samples with EVERY test solution in them. Qualitative analysis samples with ONE test solution in them, and possibly some dust off the shelf sprinkled in. "This little electron has positive spin..." (Dr. Brodmann does a clockwise dance with his finger on top of an imaginary beanie on his head.) "... and this little electron has negative spin." (Same dance, counter-clockwise.) "How do we solve this problem?" (Dr. Brodmann proceeds to outline a differential equation on the board, and I had just convinced myself that I had suffered through THAT class for no reason whatsoever!) Diving from the vent hood to the sink with smoke rising off my leg. I still have the scar from a single drop of chlorosulfonic acid. It burns you three times before it's done! Lucky for the Biology department that the sink was closer than the chemical shower. Wouldn't they have been surprised! Hydrogen explosions. "There's NO WAY you can complete a Chem major in three years!" If they didn't want me to do it, they should never have offered CLEP tests. "Jim, just how DID you get that motorcycle in your dorm room?" "Nobody really knows why, but Zest really doesn't leave a soap film." By the way, it's because Zest is a detergent, not a soap, and it has a touch of salt. Chemistry under Dr. Brodmann is what MADE the college experience. Can't wait to see you again!

Tim Wooldridge - 1967
In the four years that I spent at CS majoring in chemistry, I somehow only had classes with you for one year. When I arrived in 1963, you left to complete your PhD at Emory. When you returned, I was off in Germany for a year at Schiller College for a Junior Year Abroad Program. When I returned for my senior year, I took your organic course and enjoyed it so much that I decided that I wanted to do graduate work in organic. Because of a connection I made at one of the American Chemical Society meetings that you took some of us to (I think in Lawrence, Kansas) I went to the University of Arkansas. I completed both an MS and a PhD in organic at Arkansas with a two year interruption for the US Army. In addition to your enthusiastic lectures and labs in organic, you made a heroic attempt to cover all the highlights of physical chemistry for two of us the last semester of my senior year. I'm not sure anyone else would have been willing or able to deliver two hours worth of your high energy lectures to a room with only two people. I still vividly remember some of the lectures. After Arkansas, I spent two years doing post-doctoral research at the University of Nevada in organic photochemistry. From there I somehow made the transition to semiconductor process engineering work at Texas Instruments. After 22 years there, I retired and moved to my present job in North Carolina in the academic side of semiconductor research. I probably can't make it to the reunion in Canton, but please accept my sincere thanks for cultivating the beginnings of an enjoyable career. Best wishes for the future.

Roger Nesslage - 1971
Hello John! I must say that it seems strange to say “Hello John”. I have always thought of you as Dr Brodmann and, I suppose, that a moment in one’s youth freezes into the brain and you are always thought of as Dr. Brodmann – not John. It has been a lot of years since I left Culver and many years since I last caught up with you on a visit back to campus. I haven’t been back to campus for at least 15 years. I haven’t attended any homecomings as the timings have been inconvenient and I have been traveling all over the world in the Marines (from which I retired in 1991) and with Unisys and now Oracle. But – when I saw the letter announcing a Chemistry reunion – I just had to come – had to. I am very much looking forward to seeing you again and seeing for real all the wonderful changes to the Hill. I remember when I first arrived in 1967, you were moving the labs from Henderson Hall basement to the new wing off the Library. (Top floor!!) I think I was in the first class formally held for General Chemistry (8:00 AM MWF – Lab on T or Th!) in that space. I have very fond memories of the classes I took from you, the personal advice you provided and the wonderful education you provided. Even though I never directly worked in my college major of Chemistry, the knowledge I took away has greatly enriched my life. And, overall – the wonderful education I received at Culver has been a joy to my life. I am convinced all these years later since I graduated in 1971 that the style and content of the education provided by Culver is without peer. Many, many times over the years I have treasured things I learned and used them in very different ways – from the Philosophy of Religion classes to Physical Chemistry and everything in between from Math and Physics and German and Literature (Mark Twain interim period study was one of the finest pieces of my education – thanks to Culver and Mr Clemens!!) I could go on and on – but please believe – I treasure few things as much as my education received from Culver and yourself. I look forward to participating in the activities you have planned and will keep an eye on the web site. (How far we have come from the AT&T Teletype that we had when I was at Culver timesharing off a GE computer) Stay well and I will see you in October!! With great affection, Roger Nesslage ’71

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