Hi,
Here are some pictures from the first Face Off Fracus which
was put on by Phi Lambda Beta sorority with opponents from
the Inter Fraternity Council. These are from 1958. I only have the scanned
photos now. My originals were in my scrapbook which is now at the Alpha
Gamma Delta house. The large pictures were taken by the Lode staff, I believe.
Gail Richter '61
Gail: These are priceless images! Thanks!
***
Dennis --
I appreciated and enjoyed your recollections of the late, great
John MacInnes in last week's Alumni Letter. He was a true gentleman,
great coach and an outstanding ambassador for MTU. I first
met John when I was a high school senior --when my parents
and I visited Houghton to see what Tech was all about, versus
other schools that I was considering. He gave us a very insightful
and honest look at what to expect, and I was sold! That was
1962, a year that Tech won the NCAA hockey championship.
After that, I did not have any serious contact with him other
than seeing each other around the campus. But I was impressed
with the fact that he remembered me and always asked how things
were going. The ensuing years saw some great hockey, with stars
like Tony Esposito, Rick Best, Ricky Yeo, Wayne Weller, and
many, many more! It was a fantastic era in collegiate hockey.
I cannot remember all the stats, but during those years (62-67)
I am sure we won a lot more than we lost. I never missed a
game at Dee Stadium, playing in the Pep Band for the first
couple of years, and then sitting next to the Penalty Box as
a guest of Peggy Foley and her family's season tickets. Those
were the days!
I don't know if anyone else remembers, but there was a 'black
spot' on the John MacInnes heritage that occurred during that
era. It seems that the East Coast liberal press was dismayed
that a 'hick, minor league school' like MTU could be such a
major contender in national collegiate hockey, and TIME Magazine
did an exposé on our program. I wish I had kept a copy,
but I didn't. As I recall, it was an unnecessarily critical
article about John and his dedication. It focused on his pre-game
jitters and resulting gastro-intestinal issues.
In the summer of 1967, I found it necessary to attend the summer
session in order to pick up the one or two classes that I needed
to graduate. As it was during the VietNam build-up, it was
further necessary that I take 8 credit hours to be considered
a 'full-time' student -- and thereby avoid the draft. So, to
round out my schedule with 8 credits, I signed up for a PE
class -- Golf 101, with John MacInnes as the instructor! It
was great -- two afternoons per week on the Portage Lake links.
He taught us the basic mechanics, the rules and etiquette,
etc., and we all had a good time.
To this day, I am still not a very good golfer -- but I do
have a helluva slap shot!
Best regards,
Bruce Osten, Class of '67
***
Dennis-
It is always nice to hear stories about my father, John MacInnes,
and I appreciated reading the one you wrote in the newsletter. I will watch
the newsletter with interest to see who responds to your quest
for stories. In anticipation of you receiving more than you may have bargained
for, I wanted to express an interest in seeing any and all that you receive
even if you don't publish them. Would you be willing to forward
them to me? If there would be an easier way than via e-mail, let me know.
Thanks so much.
Patti Angell (MacInnes) ('75)
