Which was the first official graduating class from Saint John’s University? Which Johnnie class had the honor of being the first to celebrate their commencement in the Abbey Church? Which was the first class to attend courses taught by a female professor?
Surely each and every class of Johnnies has staked its claim to some distinguished—if not dubious—first. They proudly (and repeatedly) tell their spouses, children, grandchildren and anyone who will listen… “We were the first in SJU history to…
- successfully sneak a (live) cow onto 3rd Benet, and tie it to our faculty resident’s door!” or
- wrap towels and blankets around the Abbey bells so we could sleep in on Sunday morning!” or
- ‘borrow’ some horses from the CSB equestrian program for a harmless late night bare back ride through the streets of St. Joe!”
And so these and many more tales live on through the generations. In fact these legends grow stronger and more “complex” when they are nourished every five years as classmates gather for their reunions in Collegeville.
In some instances, this pride of ownership, this passion for maintaining a unique class identity, has become downright competitive. To this very day several SJU classes still claim that they were first to attended a co-ed class. So, where do the most revered Collegeville historians stand on this critical debate?
Less controversial is the record (pun intended) of the first Saint John’s classes to:
- play on—or cheer for—a John Gagliardi coached football team,
- not have a freshman curfew,
- have telephones in their dorm rooms, and,
- to have a layperson as a teacher.
Whether dubious or distinguished, mundane or monumental, each of these “first class” events adds to the character of the Johnnie experience. So much of our identity as alumni, and so much of the pride that we express, is tied intimately to our shared experience with our classmates. When we read about, and when we greet fellow Johnnies in person, their name is not typically followed by letters or labels, (PhD, JD, CPA, etc). Instead, Johnnies young and ancient tend to follow their name with…their class year.
So, if you were to be roaming the campus and run into some of the mythological heroes from the classes mentioned thus far, these legends would introduce themselves in this manner:
John E. Pride, Class of 1868 (one of four members of the first official SJU class)
Abe E. Church, Class of ’62 (celebrated the first commencement in the Abbey Church)
Buck Trend, Class of ‘53 (first Johnnies to have a female professor)
Best B. Havior, Class of ‘62 (the historians’ consensus pick as first to attend “official, academically sanctioned” co-ed classes—this remains disputed by some classes of the 1950s, as well as the Classes of ‘63 and ‘64)
Tom E. Hater Class of ’54 (you guessed it…an actual eyewitnesses to the dawning of the Gagliardi era)
Sonny Riser, Class of ’71 (the first class not to have to sign-out when leaving campus)
Len Mea-Dime, Class of ’74 (first to be freed on the dorm floor from the [very] public pay phone drama!)
Bo Tie, Class of 1904 (first to be taught by a professor that was not wearing a white collar)
How would you rate your knowledge of Johnnie “first class” trivia? By the way, if you’re looking for answers to the cow, bells and horses trivia … you’ll have to work for those! You might try browsing through some of the many class websites. Or do some first-hand investigation of your own at Homecoming this fall. Or take in the next SJU event in your area, and see if any of your fellow Johnnie alums or SJU staffers can help you with these pressing questions!
(To add to the spice, you are invited to share your own tale of yore for posting on your class Web page. Photos are welcome, too.)
Whatever you do with and for your fellow Johnnie classmates—and the extended Johnie family—do it with pride! Continue to celebrate (and even embellish) the firsts that you and your classmates accomplished while in Collegeville. And as you do so, begin to think about what “firsts” your class might accomplish today as Johnnie alumni.
Will yours be the first Johnnie alumni class to:
- “Adopt” (and mentor) an entire class of current Johnnies?
- Make a personal connection with every newly matriculated Johnnie prior to their first day on campus?
- Reach the 75% participation milestone for the Annual Fund?
- Present an unprecedented Reunion Class Gift to the SJU students, faculty and staff?
- Create a dynamic class website that is used daily to share news, gather information and provide support and a “real time” link to audit courses, travel [virtually] abroad and experience campus culture?
Or, will yours be the first Johnnie alumni class to do something we haven’t even thought of? Wherever your class pride and vision leads you, know that the SJU “Class Liaisons” stand ready to help.
Please continue to talk amongst yourselves. Continue to listen to the current Johnnies. Continue to respond to the call to service. And continue to look to SJU for solace and for growth.
Yours in cardinal and blue,
Mark E. Young ’85 *
On behalf of the 2008-2009 Class Liaisons Committee of the SJU Alumni Board:
Mike Zumwinkle ‘86
Corey Weber ‘06
Dan Miller ‘91
Paul Elskamp ‘85
* Yes, that is my real name…E is for “Ever,” and for the record, the SJU Class of 1985 was the first to seriously challenge the “Roman Empire.”)