I was glad to see a reference to the soccer team of 1945 in the Fall '99 issue ("The Century's Greatest Games"). The victory over Princeton was memorable. This team also beat Cornell and the University of Pennsylvania, Swarthmore, Ursinus, F&M, and two others whom my memory holds nameless. I've been told that the team still stands as Haverford's only undefeated, untied soccer team.
The victory over Penn stands out in my memory. It was played in a driving rain on Penn's old River Field in a sea of mud. The game went into overtime at 4-4. The winning goal was scored against the wind in the second overtime, I believe, when a shot from 18 yards out by Evan Jones was deflected onto the crossbar by the Penn goalie who slipped into the mud as he lunged for the ball. The wind held the ball in play, however, where it dropped in front of the goal and I tapped it in.
"Beans" Matlack, Bob Clayton, and I were co-captains of the team, and it is in this capacity that I mention these things to you.
-- Arny Post '44
I greatly enjoyed "The Century's Greatest Games" in the last issue. You can't be faulted for missing a few items under Honorable Mention:
1. Haverford won the Penn Relays mile for class B colleges in May 1940, beating Lafayette, Lehigh, Rutgers and twenty other teams. [The relay featured] Samuel Snipes '41, John Sharkey '40, Lewis Janney '40, and Walter Falconer '42.
2. Likewise in the 1960s, Harold Taylor '61 and Gyula Kovacsics '62 were named All-American soccer players. I think these are the last Haverfordians to attain this ranking.
I am glad you mentioned the thrilling 28-28 football game with Swarthmore.
-- Samuel M. Snipes '41
P. G. Wodehouse pointed out that when English public school graduates meet, sports memories provide a sure way&emdash;if not the only way&emdash;of starting a lively conversation. Your spread on "The Century's Greatest Games" must have started a gab-fest.
One item needing elaboration was Jake Lewis' '39 apotheosis as Middle Atlantic broad jump champion. At 20' 6 1/2" it probably was not his longest, but it had drama...As seniors in '39, the two standouts were Harry Derr and Joe Wingerd&emdash;first or second in all six dual meets and consistently at 21 feet and often 22 feet. Jake Lewis was third and earned one point towards a letter in every meet. He needed ten and a first, so clearly he was doing it just for fun.
I knew the Middle Atlantics ending the season would be held at Rutgers. I was thrilled by the headline that Haverford had won the meet. Then I looked for the points we won in the broad jump. I was startled to see Derr and Wingerd at third and fourth, and amazed to see Jake the champion. How come? Much later I asked Pop about it and he told me the runway was mostly under rain water. Finally I met up with Jake when he, a lawyer, was leading the College's annual giving program in Wilmington. When I asked how it happened, he just said "I was a good mudder." Thus all at once he was a champion with enough points and a first place needed for a letter after four years of trying. I didn't think to ask what was his longest jump&emdash;probably that was over 21 feet. Clearly his best was 20' 6 1/2".
-- Chuck Perry '36
Eileen Callahan's profile of Louisa Emmons '86 ("Sky's the Limit," Fall '99) contains the following statement:
"The debate among scientists is not whether our continued addition of pollutants to the troposphere will cause climate change, but when, to what degree, and how much irreparable damage have we already done? '99 percent of scientists agree that current greenhouse gas emissions coupled with rapid industrial growth in Asia and Africa are going to have significant long-term effect on the atmosphere and the environment,' says Louisa. 'We just don't know exactly what that effect is going to be.'"
Please. This is a political assertion masquerading as a scientific statement. It is both false and unprofessional to state that 99 percent of scientists have agreed on anything as controversial as the cause of global warming. As an active, lifelong member of the American Chemical Society and Sigma Xi (the scientific research society), I can say with certainty that there have been no such polls of any large scientific groups that would justify such an unqualified assertion. Significant numbers of distinguished scientists, both in the environmental field and without, have questioned the basis for such declarations of certitude as to whether or not humans are a significant cause of global warming. The Heidelberg Declaration, for example, is illustrative of a number of formal scientific statements disputing the current politically correct position on global warming.
Ms. Emmons' endeavors seem worthy without having to guild the lily. Her contributions to science do not have to include saving the world in order for her work to be deemed important.
-- Roger F. Jones '52
I was pleased and intrigued to read about the experiences of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender men and women at Haverford ("Coming out at Haverford," Fall '99). For some reason, I had the impression that if there was any atmosphere in which this encouragement of self-expression would take place, it should be at Haverford. It is indeed unfortunate that such has not always been the case.
I would like to add another perspective to the glb scene, one in which most segments of society in years past decreed that those in the glb community should remain tightly closeted and not even acknowledge their orientation to themselves! The societal attitude caused then&emdash;and still does today&emdash;a deep suppression of their glb feelings to the extent that they marry, and may have children and carry on an outwardly 'normal' life which purportedly meets society's expectations. Then, the lid blows off and the glb occupant of the closet bursts free to exercise their long pent-up desire for a homosexual relationship. Needless to say, inherent in this process is the crushing blow which is delivered to the straight spouse and to the children of what is often a long-term marriage (in my case after 30 years). The damage is devastating and spans generations!
As homosexuality has gained acceptance, at least in some circles, and groups supporting glb individuals have become more visible, the straight spouse and child casualties of "coming out" have largely been ignored. Internet access has fostered straight spouse support groups in the form of SSN and SSML networks, and some local support groups (I now have meeting monthly in my home) provide limited assistance to those straight spouses who are trying to cope with the sudden demise or threat to their marriage.
Perhaps there is hope that such individuals as cited in your article will, in the future, be enabled by society to acknowledge their homosexual inclinations to themselves and to others earlier on, thereby avoiding the heterosexual relationships and possible "closeted" marriage that is often doomed to failure&emdash;with all of its attending deep anguish.
-- Harvey A. Freeman '56