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The MiLhigan Daily -Wednesday, September 3R2008
L U T H E R

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Wednesday, September 3, 2008 - The Michigan Daily

B U C H E L E

MARCH 18,1920 - AUGUST 1, 2008
The namesake of Ann Arbor's Luther House Co-op died at age 88

uther Buchele, the first
general manager of the
Inter-Cooperative Council,
and hence the grandfather of Ann
Arbor's eclectic co-op system, died
in a car accident Aug. 1. He was 88.
The ICC hired Buchele in 1951
as executive secretary - the orga-
nization's first full-time position.
When he took the job, he lived in
Nakamura House, then one of five
co-ops on campus. When he retired
in 1985, the organization had grown
to include 18 houses and about 600
students.

Buchele, the namesake of Luther
Co-op on Hill Street, worked with
more than 15,000 residents over
his 34.years at the ICC - but every
one of them felt like they knew him
personally, said Libbie Buchele, his
daughter.
Sheila Ritter, the former ICC
general manager, said Buchele was
devoted to the cooperative system's
principles-he loved to collaborate
during board meetings, but it was
the chance to go out and have a beer
afterwards that Buchele appreci-
ated most.

Julie Rowe I Daily Staff Writer
"He was very low-key," Ritter
said. "He wasn't like a university
administrator who would be very
officious. I think somebody might
have wondered what he was doing
in the office - assumed he was the
janitor or something."
At the start of each school year,
Buchele brought new dishes and
silverware to each house, a visit he
used as an opportunity to meet stu-
dents and encourage members to
have pride in their houses. He was
a constant presence at co-op events
and parties, colleagues said.
"He really believed that the stu-
dents could run their own houses
and the organization," Ritter said.
",He had to kind of infect people,
if you will, with what we call the
co-op spirit," he said. Hired when
the ICC was growing rapidly after
the end of World War II, Buchele
filled a desperately needed role,
said Gordon McDougal, a Univer-
sity alum who lived in Nakamura
House in the early fifties.
"We needed help, and he did
almost everything," McDougal
said.
But the decision to hire him as a
full-time employee was not unani-
mous. McDougal said co-op mem-
bers were reluctant to hire someone
who might appear to be an author-
ity figure or director. But, after a

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majority of members decided the
job was necessary, Buchele was
hired to run the business aspect of
the ICC and given the title of execu-
tive secretary.
McDougal said Buchele filled the
position perfectly - giving co-op
residents privacy, but lending an ear
to young residents in need of help.

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PHOTO COURTESY SHEILA RITTER
His role, McDougal said, was not
as a parent, but as someone a few
years older who could offer advice
and the wisdom of experience.
"He would tell you what he
thought, but he wouldn't tell you
what to do," McDougal said.
Intheo1960s,Buchele successfully
argued to the United States Depart-
ment of Housing and Urban Devel-
opment that cooperative housing
qualified as affordable housing. As
a result the ICC was able to secure
a million-dollar, low-interest loan
to build the North Campus co-op
houses was opened in 1970.
A tireless advocate for students,
Buchele also convinced legislators
that co-op members, who don't rent
their rooms, but rather own a share
of the house, should qualify for a
renter's tax credit.
He served as a liason between
co-op members and University
administrators - who were often at
odds with the co-ops during the fif-
ties and sixties.
Libbie Buchele said the Univer-
sity's last Dean of Women, Deborah
Bacon, complained that the co-op
houses were untidy and unsuitable
for women.
Luther Buchele responded,
"Co-op women may be untidy, but
they have cleaner minds because
they don't discriminate against
See BUCHELE, Page 11B

ABOUT CAMPUS
From Page 4B
directed to the patrol car.
After answering the routine
questions -in a singsong voice, she
turned to DeGrand of all people
for support. "So it should be fine...
right?"
If it wasn't exactly fine, it wasn't
as bad as it could have been-
because she was so cooperative
DeGrand only cited her for open
intox, sparing her an M.IP.
Some students try harder to save
themselves. One student pled igno-
rance while receiving an open intox
ticket for walking around with a
bagged forty of Bud Light.
"I didn't know, I'm so sorry," she
said.
"Unfortunately, that's not an
excuse," DeGrand replied, scrib-
bling out a ticket.
Her friend then attempted to
help by asking DeGrand if he is a
Christian. Startingto smirk, he tells
her that it makes no difference.
"Well really, yes it does," the
friend said. "Because she is the
most amazing Christian ever."
It's common for students to feel
like they're being victimized or
ticketed unfairly. Such was the case
of the busted student who mocked.
DeGrand when he was stopped and
written up for walking around with
an open forty.
"Yeah, I'm really a civil violator,"
he said as he gestured to students
who were breaking bottles and
humping each other in the street
a few feet away. "I'm not littering,
breaking stuff, drunken or disor-
derly. I'm... I'm pretty all right."
Before walking away with his

ticket, the student gave DeGrand
a cocky slap on the shoulder.
DeGrand said that pompous-
ness tests his patience.
"Usually they're 'pre-law,' " he
said, making "air quotes" with his
hands. "Or their dad's a lawyer.
You can try to explain it to them a
hundred milliontimes and they're
always right."
But if students are cooperative,
they can sometimes catch a break.
Rougeau said it's not uncom-
mon to only ticket for the lesser
offense when several violations
have occurred. The AAPD put on
a tougher show during Welcome
Week to put the fear of law into
students early on, but during the
rest of the year some students
even get off with warnings.
"When it's just two people,
standing there talking on the side-
walk... I'd rather do that myself
than write two tickets for open
intox and spend a half an hour
writing a report at the station,"
Rougeau said.
DeGrand agreed. "Their
demeanor dictates a lot. I'll still
write them a ticket, but I'll give
them a break if I can."
The moment after an officer
confronts him, an offender makes
a choice-drop the container and
play dumb, turn to the officer and
cooperate or run like hell.
Last week, the guy in the white
t-shirt and his friend with dread-
locks chose the latter. Freezing up
for a second, the duo then sprint-
ed in separate directions down
Greenwood Avenue.
DeGrand was on their heels in
a flash-only to return minutes
later.
"See, that's one of those that's
not worthit," he said, comig back
See ABOUT CAMPUS, Page 9B

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