Dad and Mom came to Westerville in 1936 and at first lived in a rented house near the campus. Dad was hired to teach in the Music Department under the then chairman - Prof. Grabill. From 1938-1942 they were head residents of King Hall (still there today but with a combination name) and lived in an apartment which was in the north end of the first floor. (The dorm mother lived in those quarters when I was in school 1961-1965) Back then King Hall was a men's dorm and had its own kitchen in the basement. (In fact, all of the dorms had their own kitchens I think - I know Cochran Hall did). I remember Mom telling me that she used to help the cook prepare the meals for the boys.
They were still living there when I was born in February of 1942. (That fact came in handy when I was in school and dating girls living in King Hall) Soon after I came along-they bought our house at 30 West Broadway where they remained until 1964.
I remember nothing from King Hall back then at all-but do remember living and growing up on West Broadway. Dad used to ride his bicycle from home to work at the college. Especially during the war years when gasoline was rationed. At the west end of West Broadway was what was called back then the "Athletic Field" and it had only a baseball diamond and the football field. Parts of the "field" just off the end of West Broadway were used by residents for planting "Victory Gardens". Prof. & Mrs. Hanawalt, who lived at the end of West Broadway across the street from Judge & Mrs. Horace Troop, also taught at Otterbein in the Science Dept. Most of what Dad did (teaching) - he did in the old Lambert Hall - which was the Music, Arts, & Humanities Building. Lillian (Payton) Frank taught art up on the top floor and her husband Paul also taught in the Music Department.
In those days Otterbein seemed to turn out preachers and school teachers. The school teachers - to get certified to teach in Ohio - had to be able to teach Music also and Dad taught the courses that trained them for that. He would also go on the road to "observe" them as they did their "student teaching". He later served on the college curriculum committee. Am not sure exactly when he started directing the marching band and the Men's and Women's Glee Clubs-but it was while I was quite young.
I can remember going to the home football games and watching Moe Agler & Dubbs Roush vintage guys playing on the team. Dad assisted with the marching band in those days and the cheerleaders were both men and women. He directed a smaller version of the band at the basketball games (the old gym was too small for all of the band). Dr. Hancock's History of Otterbein says that Dad became Chairman of the Music Department in 1948.
About as soon as I got into the first or second grade, Mom went to work At the college as the switchboard operator. Her's was the first voice many heard when they first called Otterbein seeking information about the school. She worked on the switchboard for a number of years and then was picked to be the Music Department Secretary. She stayed in that position until the early 1960's, when she again worked on the switchboard.
Dad directed the Men's Glee Club beginning shortly after World War II and directed the Women's Glee Club beginning in the early 1950's. Both of the Glee Clubs went on tour each year-as far as Florida and the Air Force Academy in Colorado for Easter Sunrise Service and as close as the north end of Columbus. Most of their tours were in and around Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, & New York. Soon after their first few tours - the driver for Greyhound Bus, Mr. Bob Foxworthy, became the only driver that either of the clubs would have. Foxy became part of both Clubs and drove the bus each year for as long as I can remember. One of the things I got to do as a youngster was start the bus for the tour. You can imagine this kid in 2nd or 3rd grade sitting in the driver's seat of a great big Greyhound bus and actually starting the engine. Also each year both of the Clubs would give a "home" concert and at each concert some number would be "fixed" to trick Dad. I remember going to the concerts just to see them trick my dad.
Later on, as Jim and I got to high school / junior high age, Mom would go on the tours with Dad. I remember her telling of one of the Women's tours to New Your City. Foxy let them off the bus for some sight seeing and Dad & Mom started walking. Pretty soon they looked back and there were all 58 women lined up two by two chanting "Daddy - Buy us an ice cream cone!"
I think Dad's pride and joy were the Glee Clubs. He would even "re-arrange" music for them depending on the "kind" and "goodness" of the voices he got each year. If the tenors were strong one year-most everything was shifted up for them. If another year produced a strong baritone then adjustments were made for him. It was the same with the women-music would be re-arranged to support their strong voices be they sopranos or altos. The Clubs got some funding from the college but did most of their own fund raising during tour. At each concert a collection was taken from the audience and the Club members usually stayed in private homes to help keep costs down. The song right before the collection was always a "tear jerker" for all the right reasons.
A fairly recent Towers mentioned Pete Fields as being one of Dad's Glee Clubbers. Indeed he was and I remember my dad telling that during one of the tours Pete (because of his color) was refused service at the restaurant they were to eat in that day for lunch. All 37 or 38 of the guys and my dad got up and walked out with Pete! He did, as the Towers mentions, room with dad on tour a lot for the same reasons.
Dad and a few students, including Jim Yost, '51, (married to Lois Abbott Yost living in Tampa) and Don Roose, '48, built the first college radio station in 1948 on the third floor of Towers Hall. I can even remember the old wooden stairs that went up for such a long way for a little kid. Jim Yost and Don Roose were both smart when it came to electronics and radio stations. They put together most of the electronics and Dad built most all of the cabinets and studio built-ins. It was called WOBC back then as an AM station, and the signal was carried in the college's heating tunnels.
In 1951 Cowan Hall was built, and Dr. Jim Grissinger was chairman of the speech/theater department. Each year the college put on a musical and Dad directed the music portions of the show while Marion Chase and later Chuck Dodrill directed the theatrical parts. I can remember their doing Oklahoma & the Student Prince when I was young and the Pajama Game while I was in college. Jim played violin in the pit orchestra for many of those productions as part of the "Community Orchestra" (definitely a "town and gown" group).
Dad always did want to retire in Florida - but in those days Otterbein did not pay enough to stay there until retirement and then move. Jim and I convinced him that he needed to move, work some more, and then retire if he and Mom were to really enjoy their retirement years. In 1964, after 28 years at Otterbein, Dad moved to Florida where he taught for the next twelve years at the then new University of South Florida at Tampa. Mom remained in Westerville working on the Otterbein switchboard until I graduated in 1965 and she joined Dad in Florida the summer of '65.
Hope this helps fill in some of the gaps..........
Charles W. (Gus) Shackson
Class of 1965