Robert E. Verplank, new president of Lafayette Rotary, congratulated Kent Ellis, immediate past president, for the smooth operation of the
club during 1967-68 Rotary year. Kent's year started with 212 members and ended with 216. There were fourteen new members and ten who resigned (most of the ten moved to other communities). President Verplank gave an
excellent report as Lafayette Rotary's delegate to the International Convention in Mexico City. Bob and his Rotaryann, Marcella, were two of 15,000 in attendance. Bob described many of the events which he
attended—panels, sessions, and assemblies. He told of the stimulation of meeting people from all parts of the world, and said he was particularly impressed by the work of the Rotary Foundation and by Mexican
hospitality. Our new Rotary International President, Kiyoski Togasoki from Tokyo, Japan is emphasizing participation. Now is the time to start.
Rotary International Foundation acknowledges Lafayette
Rotary's support of this program for the past Rotary year in the amount of $465. Lafayette Rotary is a 300 per cent Club with a cumulative total contribution of $7,494.75.
Charles F. Price, Muncie,
Governor of Rotary District 656, in his official visit to Lafayette Rotary, said the youth program is a big part of Rotary and we must convince the young people that Rotary is interested in them. Governor Price is the
son of the late William Price, governor of our district in 1944-1945.
An interesting item in the 50-year ago column of the Journal-Courier: "The Rotary Club at its meeting last night held its annual election of
officers which resulted as follows:
President, Stanley Coulter; Vice-President, Edward L. Pottlitzer; directors, James Wiselogel, Roy Wallace, and Prof. J.D. Hoffman. There were 43 members present of a
membership of 65."
The Rotary Board accepted with regret President-elect John Osmun's resignation as president-elect. John will continue as an active, dedicated Rotary member. We all appreciate John's fine
service as Vice President. At the same meeting, Frank Burrin was elected president to serve for the 1969-1970 Rotary year for the Rotary Club of Lafayette.
Final score in the annual Rotary-Kiwanis Salvation Army Fund
Contest: Rotary $2,515.13 -Kiwanis $1,174.26. Congratulations to George Davis and his committee for a job well done.
Chairman William Riedel of the Fellowship-Hospitality Committee says new members will be assigned
as greeters for a month at a time. Members will also be assigned to be hosts to visitors.
Harold Taylor, chairman of the Lafayette Rotary Club's Long Range Planning Committee, commended members of the club the 70 per
cent response mailed out last year. Any member failing to receive a copy of the report should notify Harold Taylor.
Mike and Susan (Mater) Jenkins, former Peace Corps workers, told, at a Tuesday meeting, of their
work in El Salvador. With their supervision and labor, financial aid of Lafayette Rotary ($1,325.42), and the labor of the natives, a Junior High School was built for $5,500.
Another outstanding Ladies'
Dinner party with Al Stewart and the Purdue Glee Club was held in the South Ballroom, Purdue Memorial Union. This is an annual event to which everyone looks forward each year. The Lafayette Rotary Club tries to show its
appreciation by having an annual Rotary party for the internationally famous Varsity Glee Club. This year's party at the Frankfort Country Club was the thirtieth annual party.
Charles Horner and his
volunteers have accomplished miracles in cleaning up Rotary Park on the inside. Much needs to be done on the outside and Chuck requests more volunteers.
Herbert and Frances Horner celebrated their fiftieth
wedding anniversary in July. Rotary was pleased to receive a check from them for fifty dollars for the Rotary Scholarship Foundation.
William R. Smoot, Editor-in-Chief of Purdue Exponent, caused quite a
bit of excitement by the point of view he took regarding "student unrest". Mr. Smoot was not in a compromising mood, and he stipulated that some student demands were not open to compromise or negotiation. His position
was typical of many radical students in the era, and many Rotarians were quite shocked at the talk. According to Smoot, students want to establish their own views on sex, individualism, war and peace, public policy on
crime, police, etc.
A few meetings later, the Lafayette Rotary Club had the good fortune to hear O. D. Roberts, Purdue Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Men, put the position of the students at
Purdue in perspective. Students, like the general public, reflect many different shades of opinion, and most of the students are sound and serious people. A recent survey indicated that the scholastic reputation of
Purdue was the deciding factor in their choice of Purdue as the University they wished to attend. Of course, students today are interested in change, question the status quo, and want to be consulted themselves in
community affairs. The universities face the challenge of working with the students, and in making an environment from which students can develop independence and responsibility, and be equipped to make wise decisions.
Costs of Lafayette Rotary Club have increased: (a) increase in Rotary International dues of $2.50 (b) increased operating and maintenance costs of Rotary Park of $1.50 (c) increase in postage, printing, supplies,
club projects. In the light of these the Board recommended, and the Club accepted, an increase in dues to $22.00 from $17.00 semi-annually, and in initiation fees to $30.00 from $25.00. The last increase in dues
occurred in 1957.
In the spring of 1969, Lafayette Rotary moved its Tuesday noon meetings to Campus Inn from Morris Bryant. This move was decided by a vote of the members present. Cost of lunch: $2.65
(smorgasbord) at Morris Bryant, $2.00 at Campus Inn (plate served.)
Tom Eggleston, son of Warren, Rotary's representative at Boys' State, gave an excellent report on his experience at Terre Haute.
This is Purdue's Centennial Year, 1969.
Lafayette Rotary congratulates Purdue on its 100 years of service under the guidance of Presidents Owen, Smart, Stone, Elliott, and Hovde, and wishes the
University well as it begins its second century of service.
Wallace E. Busch, Director of Development Planning for Purdue University, gave Rotary a glimpse of the proposed urban development on University
lands North of the 52 By Pass. The area is between Soldiers' Home Road and Salisbury and north to include the Purdue Swine Farm land. The plans call for roadways, walkways, parks, schools, village center, apartments,
and private homes. Underground parking is being considered, and it is hoped that all utility lines will be underground.
John Ross Harnngton, General Telephone Company, presented an excellent explanation of the Laser
Unit, and how it will be use to transmit telephone messages via the Laser Light Beam, and will do away with copper wire.
In May 1969, members with 100 per cent attendance for 1968-1969 and months of continuous
attendance were as follows: Bain 26, Eth Baugh 179, Ellis 52, Engeler 50, Gibson 99, Gustafson 17, Y.B. Hall 122, Heath 42, Hostetter 174, K. Kettelhut 30, Lane 92, Messing 53, Osmun 12, Porsch 130, J. Risk 16, Siskind
105, J. Smith 16, William Smith 62, Verplank 39, Williams 177, Wright 179.
On the American scene in 1968 and 1969, President Lyndon Johnson surprised the world with his statement (March 31, 1968) that he would not
seek re-election.
The campus revolution was in full swing in the United States and around the world. "New Left" groups headed by the Students for a Democratic Society (S.D.S.) occupied several buildings in Columbia
University in New York. Events in Columbia University followed a pattern set at the Berkeley Campus of the University of California in 1964. Large-scale student outbreaks also occurred in France, West Germany, Poland
and Japan.
Senator Robert F. Kennedy, 42, was shot (June 5, 1968) by an assassin at the Hotel Ambassador in Los Angeles. He died the next day. He died less than five years after the assassination of his
elder brother, President John F. Kennedy. Sirhan Sirhan, a Jordanian Arab, was seized with gun in hand.
Richard M. Nixon was elected President of the United States in November 1968 by a narrow margin—302
of the 538 Electoral votes, 43.4 per cent of the popular vote; Hubert Humphrey 191 Electoral votes, 42.7 per cent of the popular vote; Governor George Wallace of Alabama 43 Electoral votes, 9,906,000 popular votes.
Governor Wallace ran on the American Independent Party ticket.
"Oliver" was the Academy Award winner as the best film in 1968.
Deaths in 1968 included Edna Ferber 82, Dorothy Gish 70, Helen Keller 87,
and Franchot Tone 63.
