Homecoming at Taylor University

This is the historic "Swallow-Robin Dorm" at Taylor University, and it's still standing in spite of the fact that the dorm I lived-in as a student was razed long ago. During the academic year, 1952-53, while I was a freshman at Long Beach (CA) City College, Swallow-Robin was used to house all of the freshman boys at Taylor who, according to oft-repeated legends, made mayhem in the dorm that year -- with waterfights, elaborate conspiracies against the sophomore class, chickens and raccoons in dorm rooms, leaps from second floor balconies, etc. Anyway, one freshman student, "Rocky" Fisher, who was only at Taylor that one year and then went on to become a very successful businessman, decided that he should try to pull together "the Swallow-Robin gang" + a bunch of his friends who were football players + other hangers-on at this year's Taylor Homecoming.
So, since I arrived at Taylor the next year as a sophomore, and thus was part of that Class of '56, my friend Riley Case (who lived through the escapades at Swallow-Robin) insisted that I should come to Taylor (as a "hanger-on") and get-in-on the experience. It was great fun!
(The picture above shows the group who gathered for the Friday night "Swallow-Robin/Football Reunion.")

Thanks to the gracious hospitality of Riley and Ruth Case in Kokomo, I was able to enjoy the experience and also "connect" with other friends from the class of '56 like Bill Plumb and his wife Mickey, pictured in front of the beautiful clock tower which is now the centerpiece of the campus. Other highlights of the week-end included a chance to see the C.S. Lewis exhibit (& collection) in the Zondervan Library, taking-in some of the Homecoming football game, and visiting with President Gene Habecker and his wife MaryLou in the "Musselman House." I also appreciated the chance to see David and Becky LeShana and most of their family at the annual Alumni Brunch on Saturday since the LeShanas were being honored at the week-end with a special alumni award.

Pictured below are Riley & Ruth Case and the plaque in front of the tree that was given by their family on the occasion of their 50th Wedding Anniversary.










Of course there were other delightful experiences in the context of the Case's gracious hospitality -- like watching Riley catch a fish out of the pond behind their house after a brief fishing "trip" to the pond by Riley and Loren Lindholm. (Loren and Tuckie Lindholm, Riley & Ruth Case pictured below) - rw