Culver Alumnus 1968 page 2  

I only missed one day of work and that was Aug. 12 of this year - two days before the cloe of the Woodcraft camp. I had a cramp in my foot. The doc, said it was gout, and I told him that I didn't have enough money to have gout. I liked it here. I liked the work with the young boys. Perhaps being around the boys has enabled me to reach 79 years. I'm acquainted with the institution and every phase of the operation. I feel I have contributed in my own way. If the little wheels don't operate right, then the big wheels can't operate right. Charle A. 'Ace' Byrd, since 1906 "in about every capacity".

To keep things going meant the most to me. Keep the lights going, keep the water and sewage pumps going, keep the heat going, check the engines. I learned as I worked my way up,. I had to study engineering, refrigeration and electricity. It was like home to me. I had to keep it goign unil I got back the next day. I guess I'm just a Culver man. It just grows on you. There's something there you can't see. Cloyd 'Red' Miller, 1911-1966 Mrs. Culver's coachman, powerhouse and night watchman.

I met my wife in Culver and enjoyed my years with the school. My wife's father was Cullver's first chef. Col. FLeet brought him with him when he came from Missouri. Mr. Rollins was active in the city. A church bears his name. He only took boys to work as waiters who were out of school. Families have raised their children here, and they have attended the chapel. Roy Watts, 1911-1964; Dinnig Hall and Beason Hall.

I came to the school when it was growing, and I was able to take advantage of opportunities for advancement. I started out as an office boy. It wasn't long before the school grew up, and I always happened to be right there. They established the central buying office in 1925, and I worked in that office until I retired. It's awfully hard to leave a place as pleasant as the Academy. You're with a group of boys that is the same every year. They graduate, but another class comes in. In the 46 years I was there, they still seemed like the same boys. You are always with young people. It made me feel young all the time. Henry Henning, 1912-1958; Purchasing Agent.

After staying at the Academy and working arounf these young boys, I felt that I was doing something for the young people - seeing them get along and counseling with them. Col. Elliot once told me that he walked to a boy whose father was an alumnus, and Sheep Soctt was sitting outside his office waiting to see him about something. When he got thorught talking with the boy, the colonel came out and found Sheep taking the boy down the hall. Sheep had heard part of the conversation. Sheep took him to his office in the trunk room and Col. Elliot followed them to see what Sheep was going to say. The colonel sain, "the think what SHeep said to him did more good than what I said to him". He got right down to earth. Tone Shaw, 1914-1950; QM Store, Post Office; Print SHop and Business Office.

If it hadn't been for the pleasure and challenge of doing my work, then I probably should of looked around somewhere else. I built some boats, some racing shells and the two large boats, the Fowler and Yarnell, without having some one train me in that particular work. I had to study and learn it myself in order to do it. I was my own boss. I never had anybody tell me what I had to do. Not that they didn't have the authority, but they just didn't start to run the shop for me. Wilred 'Bud' Craft, 191-1966; Boat SHop Foreman and former town board president.

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