Brief Notes and News

To the Editor:

I was so moved after reading the article on the Alan Parsons Live Project that I had to send someone a handful of high fives. What an excellent article, and what an awesome experience everyone involved with the concert must have had.

I have subscribed for many years to the philosophy that we learn best through hands-on, personal application, and that learning best comes from those who do what they teach. What an awesome teaching opportunity for the Parsons crew and what an awesome learning opportunity for the students.

To all involved from Tech, keep up the good work, and especially to Department Chair Milt Olsson, kudos on your vision for marrying art and engineering.

Thanks, and have a fantastic day.

Mike Demers '73, BSBA

Stay in Touch

Do you have a new home, a new job, a new spouse, or a new baby? We'd love to hear from you! You can update your information on the Alumni Relations web page at www.alumni.mtu.edu or mail your updates to the Alumni Records Office, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Drive, Houghton, MI 49931-1295. Address changes can also be emailed to gccolaro@mtu.edu.

And, in case you missed it, a photo review of the Alumni Reunion is here: www.mtu.edu/reunion/photo

Correction

A number of the Alan Parsons Live Project photos that were used in the Spring 2006 issue of the Michigan Tech Magazine were the work of photographer Adam Johnson '98. We did not credit Adam appropriately in that issue and wish to properly acknowledge his contribution here. Our apologies for that omission, Adam.

Adam's photos are reprinted in the printed version of Michigan Tech Magazine, Fall 2006, on page 4.

Property available

Occasionally, the Michigan Tech Fund receives gifts of property, which are then sold, and the proceeds are used to support designated University programs. These properties are for sale:

Portage Lake vacant lots in Jacobsville, Michigan. (Lot sizes vary between zero and ten acres.)

• Two lots, each valued at $7,900 (no water frontage)
• Two lots, each valued at $39,200 (approximately eighty-four feet of frontage, each)
• Two lots, each valued at $46,100 (approximately one hundred feet of frontage, each)

For more information, contact Century 21 North Country Agency. Telephone 906-482-0001 or email C21ncah@up.net

Tech Benefactor Ray Cross Dies

Michigan Tech benefactor Ray E. Cross died August 25 in his hometown of Ann Arbor at the age of 93.

Cross earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering and a Master of Science in Chemistry, graduating with both in 1935. In doing so, he became the first Tech student to earn both a BS and a MS degree in four years.

He remained close to Michigan Tech his entire life, returning for class reunions 40, 50, 55, 60, 65 and 70 years after his graduation. For decades, he attended hockey games to root for Tech whenever the team came to Ann Arbor to play Michigan. More recently, he attended basketball games between Tech and Michigan, and especially enjoyed watching the "Bash at the Big House" football game between Tech and Grand Valley State from the President's Box in Michigan Stadium.

In 1941, Cross married Eleanor Kennedy, a union which led to four children and a successful business venture, as they partnered to operate the Ann Arbor dealership of Culligan Water Conditioning for more than 40 years.

To help future Tech students, Cross endowed a scholarship fund, a loan fund, and a postgraduate fellowship in chemistry. For his professional accomplishments, he was recognized by induction into the Outstanding Chemistry Alumni Academy in 1996. He was a member of the Presidents Club and the Hubbell Society.

He served for over 50 years on boards and committees of the international trade association of the water quality improvement industry currently known as Water Quality Association (WQA), including a term as president in 1960. In recognition of his lifetime of service, WQA bestowed upon him the ultimate honor by naming an annual award for him. Cross himself was given the very first Ray E. Cross Award in 2003.

He created and funded the Ray and Eleanor Cross Foundation to provide financial support for the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra, the Kiwanis Club of Ann Arbor and St. Andrew's Episcopal Church. For his exemplary service, Kiwanis has honored him with a "Ray Cross Day," a Hixon Fellowship Award, and a Distinguished Kiwanian Award.

Former Huskies Conner and Wilson sign NHL contracts

Conner to Join Dallas; Wilson Headed to Anaheim

Former Michigan Tech hockey players Chris Conner (Westland, Mich.) and Clay Wilson (Sturgeon Lake, Minn.) each signed two-year, entry-level contracts with National Hockey League teams during the summer. Conner inked with the Dallas Stars, while Wilson signed with the Anaheim Ducks.

       © 2006, Michigan Tech Magazine

       Michigan Tech Magazine | Fall 2006 | http://www.mtu.edu/