MARTIN LUTHER KING

One of the momentous times in my college days came on October 7, 1964. As an observer to Martin Luther King and the speech he gave at St. Louis U.I came within 3 feet of being able to touch the man! I was young; I was 22. I did not realize at the time how impressionable and historical Dr. King would become.

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he place of his speech was at the West Pine Gym just down the road from Clemens Hall. Kings speech was documented by the camera of Father Luke. Said photo is found on  the Saint Louis Libraries Digital Collections. Dr. King's entourage was formidable. He had made his I Have A Dream speech several years before.

While I don't recall being impressed at the time I was impressed when I saw my dormitory janitor's face. Old Ed was beaming with approval. This made me feel good.

The LBJ Election and victory was less than a month away. I had seen them all...LBJ.. Dr. King, Barry Goldwater, Gov. Warren Hearnes, Winthrop Rockefeller and others. My stint in Saint Louis proved to be a wonderful opportunity from working at the World Series and Pulitzer Prize winner Paul Vathis to cheating on an exam or two. I Had Father 'Can't Tell' who wear a black glove. He said "You must make up your mind.. either you want to be a college student or be a baseball fan." My choice was easy. Studying philosophy was so boring.

"DEGREE CONFERRED" February 7, 1965"! How could I have lived so much history if I kept my nose in a book? I sought adventure at St. Louis and truly found it. Veritas.