Incoming president Karl Kettelhut presented outgoing president Nelson Parkhurst with a past president's pin and luncheon badge. Past
district governor John Showalter, Anderson, presented the district governor's banner and district governor's diamond pin to governor Herman Messing, who pledged to lead the District to another outstanding year.
The
Purdue University Football Kick Off Luncheon sponsored by the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce and the Service Clubs of the Lafayette area, was of unusual significance this year since the team later finished a
successful season with a victory over Southern California in the Tournament of Roses Rose Bowl game in Pasadena. Ted Axton, Chairman of the Purdue Public Relations Committee, presided at the Kick Off Luncheon and Purdue
President Hovde's prediction of a successful season was fulfilled.
This was also the year Purdue University's new Basketball Arena, with a seating capacity of 14,600, was dedicated in an exciting game with the
national college championship team of U.C.L.A. Basketball coach George King, in an address to Rotary in November, predicted the close, clean, and hard fought game it turned out to be in December.
Also in November the
governor of the state of Indiana, Roger D. Branigin, speaking to an overflow audience of Lafayette Rotary and Kiwanis members, reviewed the accomplishments and problems of his administration - interstate highways
completed, new industry, two new state parks, and the need to develop a better parole system and improve traffic safety.
Herman M. Messing, Governor, District 656, Rotary International, was accorded a standing
ovation as a welcome back home salute following his official visit to the 30 clubs of District 656. Governor "Herm" praised our club for the improvement in attendance and membership growth and also for becoming a 300
percent Rotary Foundation Club.
President Karl Kettelhut reported on an exchange of letters with Hermes Passerine, president of the Cordoba, Argentine Republic Club, our match club. President Karl
requested the assistance of anyone in the club fluent in Spanish to help prepare some material about our club in Lafayette to send to Argentina.
The Rotary District Conference in Lafayette in April was a great
success in every respect. One hundred seventy five were in attendance and 670 were at the Governor's banquet in the evening. Committee chairmen, members, and Rotaryanns of the Lafayette Club were commended for a job
well done by Governor Herman Messing.
Programs of unusual interest during the year include: our own Rotarian Harold Taylor's pictures and narration of the eight country tour of Europe taken during the
summer by 66 4-H club members shepherded by Harold. Rotarian Philip N. Powers, Purdue nuclear engineer and president of Argonne National Laboratories of Chicago, located south of Chicago and owned by the Atomic Energy
Commission, gave a talk, with slides, on "KWA=MC2" - i.e. energy release when matter is annihilated. Professor Powers related the growth of nuclear fuel since 1946 and predicted its use, together with other
means, to generate power plants in the future.
Jack Mollenkopf, head football coach at Purdue, narrated the color of the Rose Bowl game played on January 2 between Purdue and Southern California. Final score 14-13 in
favor of Purdue.
Joseph Waling's report on "Federal Sponsorship of Research at Purdue" indicated the Federal Government will invest some seventeen billion dollars for research for the year ending June 30,
1967. Of this amount Purdue will receive $14,910,000 which is 81 percent of Purdue's research funds.
In May 1967, the 100 per cent club, with 12 or more months of continuous attendance, included Eth Baugh
155, Ellis 28, Engler 26, Gibson 75, Y. B. Hall 98, Heath 18, Hostetter 150, Messing 29, Lane 68, Porsch 106, Paul Risk 39, Siskind 81, WM. Smith 38, Taylor 29, Verplank 13, Williams 153, Wilson 359, and Ev Wright 155.
In concluding this brief review of the Rotary year 1966-67, it seems desirable to put the Rotary year in context with a few revealing events from the world at large: Astronauts Neil A. Armstrong and David
R. Scott achieved the first docking in space. New York's old Metropolitan Opera House, a landmark for 83 years, closed after a gala program. Baltimore beat the Los Angeles Dodgers four straight games to win the baseball
World Series. The New York Yankees finished last in the American League for the first time since 1912. Mrs. Indira Gandhi, only child of Nehru, was sworn in as Prime Minister of India. Deaths of prominent persons
included Walt Disney (Walter Elias) 65, Kathleen Norris 85, Hedda Hopper 75. Motion Picture Academy Oscar m 1966 went to "A Man for All Seasons" as the best film.
