Friday, April 16th, is the Birthday of my favorite Professor from my College, Washington and Lee University. I think he will be 78 years old. Admittedly, he is crazy as a loon, but without his friendship and support, I may never have made it through W&L.
It was not an easy place to be when one was grappling with their sexuality. This was the late 1970’s, early 1980’s at a very conservative, private, then all male, school in Virginia. His friendship and benign support meant a lot back then and still does today. We spent many an evening over cocktails and witty conversation. At least the conversation seemed witty after the cocktails. While I detest cheap sentiment, I will say he is one of the very special people in my life
I will not name him as, he is a gentleman of a generation not comfortable with being publicly gay. He also doesn’t recognize the existence of the internet, but would be horrified to find out he was on it. To this day, to my knowledge, he has never “surfed the web” or had e-mail. I tried to get him to join the 21st Century, but he really is more comfortable in the 19th.
I took some very esoteric classes from this gentleman. “The History of the Papacy Since the Schism” and “Venetian History” among them. This, along with my ability to cite from memory all the major Academy Award Winners since the inception of the Academy and the complete filmographies of Grace Kelly, Natalie Wood and Audrey Hepburn once led my late father to remark that I “knew more useless shit” than anyone else he knew. Needless to say, we did not have the best relationship. I stand by my claim that a Liberal Arts Education is priceless.
This particular professor was/is a very quotable man. One of his most fondly recalled quotes, which my fellow Alumni will readily recognize, regards the true functions of a University. Mind you, he was already a tenured, full professor and, therefore, relatively safe professionally, when he started to say this. Here is his most famous quote:
There are three functions for a University. They are:
- To provide Sex for the Students
- To provide Sports for the Alumni
- And to provide Parking for the Faculty
Make of it what you will….
Lost in the 21st Century 
Aw, and how true, those 3 functions of college.
Never had him as a professor, but I had other professors there whose company I enjoyed and from whom I learned a lot — outside of the books and studies themselves.
Some of them are gone.
It was good remembering. Thanks, Scott.
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