Class of 1965 Reminisces About Meyer Hall, Student Dress

Over Homecoming weekend, the CSM class of 1965 reunited to have breakfast at the President’s house, judge the parade, and receive special access to the football game.

President Paul Johnson spoke, updating the alumni about the current status and future direction of the school. He emphasized the importance of women obtaining leadership roles, the drastic increase in enrollment, and the nationwide significance and respect the school has received.

“Do you still sell the t-shirts that read, ‘the odds are good and the goods are odd’ on campus?” asked Frank Erismann. The question was followed by laughter.

During breakfast, the class reminisced about the time they spent here and reflected on the magnitude of change that has occurred around campus.

“After we finished the tour, we were looking around and we had no clue where we were,” Dick Hecox and Larry Hoppe remarked.

However, the most shocking realization for the class is the demolition of Meyer Hall. Hecox stated, “they said yesterday that they were ripping down the physics building this year, and it was a brand new building when we were seniors. I can’t figure out why somebody built that thing to be ripped down so soon.”

Hoppe interjected, “It’s fifty years, it’s fifty years old man.”

Gerald Jergenson also mentioned the school adaptation from a mining focus to all engineering disciplines.

“The reputation of Mines has grown immensely over the years,” Jim Huddleston commented. “I can fool people now because everyone thinks you’re a genius”.

The class then compared the current student body to the 1,250 students that once comprised the entire school. “Someone was claiming that we had a coed on campus, but I didn’t see her in 5 years,” joked Huddleston.

“I noticed yesterday that the dress is almost the same. The kids wear jeans and sweatshirts if it is cold, and t-shirts if it was warm, but we have pretty much a uniform of khakis, corduroy jeans, white tennis shoes, books under one arm,” commented Raymond Claxen, an ATO member. “We didn’t have backpacks, books under one arm and slide rules sticking out of your back pocket.”

Claxen and Weber also pointed out that the fraternity houses were located where Alderson and Brown are today.

“The real story on radiation in this place is the math building (Engineering Hall),” Dick Hecox explained. “You read the old history of the math building and for years and years we had math classes and then they found that the bottom room down there had been used for a radioactive lab, and it was hotter than a son of a gun.”

Hecox also mentioned, “We had only two dorms, Bradford and the other one, it didn’t even have a name yet, but we called it the new dorm (Randall).”