I'm trying to remember a faculty member who seemed to attend every basketball and football game in the 2000s. Older gentlemen with distinctive and full blond hair. Anyone know who I'm talking about?
Faculty fan?
- Thread starter Medill '03
- Start date
Not a blond but my old IE prof Charlie Thompson was there for decades. Went to Lacrosse games and FB as well. He died last year and I miss talking with him. He taught into his 90s and had a couple grandkids that attended NU. Always sat in corner up near top of lower deck.
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Yep. Charles was there at almost every FB game and many other athletic events, right up into his 90's. I knew Charles well - he was my wife's Ph.D. advisor, and we stayed in touch over the years (I spent Thanksgiving with his family when I was an undergrad - he invited a couple of us over because we weren't able to go home). If you are interested, a few of us IE grads are trying to raise money for the Charles Thompson student award. If you are interested in donating, just send the money to the IE Department and tell them it is for the CWN Thompson student award. My wife and I have seeded it with a chunk of money, but we could use more to keep it funded longer term.
Not to highjack the thread, but there is one fan I've always wondered about. I graduated in 1993, and when I was an undergraduate, there was one very old man (seriously, he must have been over 90) who sat in the front or second row behind press row, on the side of the court as the student section, for every basketball game. He stood only for the national anthem, but he was always way hunched over (sitting or standing) and I thought it must be really hard for him to follow the game because he always looked like he was looking straight down.
He was affectionately known by my friends and me as "The Old Guy," and we were saddened one game when The Old Guy wasn't there, though he was back a few games later. I assume he died a long time ago, but if anyone knows who I'm talking about, I'd love to solve the mystery of who he was. We always assumed he played basketball for the Cats in like 1920 or something.
He was affectionately known by my friends and me as "The Old Guy," and we were saddened one game when The Old Guy wasn't there, though he was back a few games later. I assume he died a long time ago, but if anyone knows who I'm talking about, I'd love to solve the mystery of who he was. We always assumed he played basketball for the Cats in like 1920 or something.
Ugh Thompson.. to be honest he taught what was the worst (weirdest) class I've had in my life. He did often talk about how Eric Peterman (former Cat who majored in IE) was a great student.
Definitely an unusual course, but until his later years his course had so much hidden content - but it wasn't always obvious until later. There are many things I learned from him that I have used throughout my career that were quite valuable, but he probably should have retired 10-15 years before he did. I suspect his course could have become pretty weird as he got way up in age.
His stories were amazing and his armed service experiences were somewhat like like my dads. I would often join him at the BB games when I would go before I got STs Never saw him at the FB games as he was on the other side. I wanted him to write his memoirs as his past was pretty amazing. I got there about the same time he started. He and Gus Rath. Heck of a pair
I don't know who Football Phil was but I have a theory that He was a she. I say this for two reasons. One, it makes every one of those post even funnier and two another regular and excellent poster who I'm pretty sure was a woman stopped posting about the time Phil disappeared. The Phil posts were pure gold.
Don’t know if Saari attended the games, but he is/was a phenomenal math professor. I had a couple upper level courses from him, and he would come into class with no notes and prove a theorem one way, and then if students had trouble understanding it, he would prove it a completely different way. He also took his math into other fields, such as Econ, and published some top level work in other fields. And a nice guy to talk with.
Was? WAS? When did I die! A....lady cat? WTF?
You won't like me when I'm angry pal. And what lady wears Old Spice?
Damn.
Welcome back! Just in time to patrol the parking lot at our spring game.
I thought I was good at math until I met Don Saari. Great teacher...not his fault I struggled!
Pretty sure the OP is thinking about linguistics prof Robert Gundlach. Very active in NCAA and Big Ten athletics and served as interim AD before Phillips. Incredible blond hair.
Robert Gundlach : Cook Family Writing Program - Northwestern University
writingprogram.northwestern.edu
Yes! You are right on the money. I sat next to Robert at several games. Even shared a hot dog with him. He has been going to fb and bb games for several decades. Great guy too! Very engaging and brilliant!
I see Mark Witte (Economics) at games a lot. [A number of years on] he still remembers my name!
Pretty sure the OP is thinking about linguistics prof Robert Gundlach. Very active in NCAA and Big Ten athletics and served as interim AD before Phillips. Incredible blond hair.
Robert Gundlach : Cook Family Writing Program - Northwestern University
writingprogram.northwestern.edu
You are correct!
Great to see the connection made and a name to go with the memory.
Here is another super fan from that era. He seemed to be at every homecoming participating with the NUMB Alums. I don't know if he became a faculty member but believe that as a student he played with the band at the original NU Rose Bowl game.
Here is another super fan from that era. He seemed to be at every homecoming participating with the NUMB Alums. I don't know if he became a faculty member but believe that as a student he played with the band at the original NU Rose Bowl game.
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