'HlE MICHIGAN DAILY
MONDAY, OCT. 30,-1944
Union Begins
Its 37th
Year as Center of Men's Activities
RATES 'MISS MICHIGAN' TITLE:
'Aunt 1uth' Writes1,600 Servicemen
Quietly going about her work and
usually attracting little attention is
the nation's latest pin-up girl, Aunt
Ruth Buchanan.
She is not strictly known as "Miss
Michigan" to the more than 1,600
boys in service who know her but she
quietly claims a place in all their
hearts from the cold wastes of the
Aleutians to the burning sands of
Egypt.
Caln, easy-going, Aunt Ruth is
62 and her claim to the title of
"Miss Michigan" lies in the fact
that she continually keeps a stream
of warm homey letters going to the
1,600 servicemen in her family.
Aunt Ruth has been writing to her
boys in service since before Pearl
Harbor and each day's mail brings
her the names of more boys away
from home who miss the welcome
comfort of a letter from home.
Not only does she send periodic
letters to boys around the world, but
Aunt Ruth gives the Michigan men
a little glimpse of campus life by
sending them Dailies, kindly donated
by interested people.
Aunt Ruth has gotten up from
bed after doctors told her she
would never walk again. When she
was 49 she re-entered the Univer-
sity to "catch up on some courses I
had missed earlier."
She began her- writing when the
Michigan National Guard was, called
into National service under command
of the now famous Major Burlin-
game. When the boys were lonely on
maneuvers, down in Louisiana in
1941, she asked Major Burlingame to
send *her the address of the entire
company and she wrote to all 200 of
them.
"I figured that the boys who were-
n't receiving mail would answer and
they would be the ones I'd continue
to write to."
From those 80 men who 'replied,
Aunt Ruth's family has now grown
to over 1,600 and she manages to
write to each of them at least once
a month.
Aunt Ruth doesn't use a scien-
tific system to keep track of her
letters, a filing cabinet, but just
puts the ones she hasn't answered
in a little pile and just "remem-
'DUCHESS':
Velina Louckes
Retires After4
25 Years in '
The little woman, affectionately,
known as "duchess" who has greeted
thousands of students in their quest
for Registration material in Rm. 4,
University Hall, won't be on hand to
set the new freshman on the right
path this fall.
She is Miss Velma Louckes who
retired Oct. 1 after 25 years of ser-
vice to the University.
"The Duchess" was one of those
people on campus who, after a few
years, becomes part of the tradition
of the University and it was no myth
that she' could remember countless
names and most always attached
them to the face peering in at her.
It has been an established custom
throughout the years for old gradu-
ates and young graduates to drop in
and say hello, to introduce the new
wife or, in some cases, present "little
Junior."
Many are the students who went
through school on her "off the rec-
ord" advice on the better courses and
professors. I didn't recommend
what the students call 'pipe' courses,"
she says with her cheery smile ever
present.
Miss Louckes first came to Ann
Arbor when her brother came here
to school, but she said that we liked
the place so much that "I have now
become a permanent fixture."
She is a rather short woman al-
though it wasn't easily seen for she
sat straight up in a high stool in the
Registrar's office and she always
seemed to tower over the tallest
athletes who came in for registration
material.
What is she going to do now that
she has retired? "That is an easy
one to answer," she said. "I am go-
ing to live with myself and get double
comfort to know that I can sleep till
noon if I want to."
Ballroom Used
For Week-End
Campus Dances
Union Hub of Caipus
Groups; Has Library,
Cafeteria, Bowling
Beginning its 37th year of service
as exclusive club for Michigan men,
the Union boasts a proud record of
almost four decades as a center of
campus life.
Founred in 1907 after four years
of planning, the Union was originally
housed in the former Judge Cooley.
home where it provided male under-
graduates with a dining room serv-
ing 50, a private dining room, one
billiard table, a lounge, a checkroom,
and a desk. The 75th anniversary of
the University was celebrated in 1912
by the addition of a combination
ballroom and banquet hall which was
added to the original building. The
Union was the center of anniversary
activities with dances, Sunday meet-
ings, class dinners, and open houses.
Activities Listed
Union activitiest-he 'opera, min-
strel shos, song contests, county fairs,
class dinners, smokers, dances, skat-
ing parties, carnivals-soon outgrew
the' Cooley home, and, in 1914, a
campaign was launched to raise $1,-
000,000 for new quarters.
During the First World War, the
building was used as a barracks and
mess hall for the Student Army
Training Corps on campus, and the
new Union Building was not com-
pleted and ready until after the
Armistice. In 1920, a swimming pool
was added, and, with the assistance
of Mrs. Edward W. Pendleton, the
Pendleton library was installed.
Further additions to the building
in 1930 enlarged the cafeteria and
provided new business and student
offices on the first floor. In 1937, a
wing was added which houses the
University Club, the International
Center, and quadruples the guest
t.
-Photo by John Horeth
bers" when a boy needs a letter.
Though Aunt Ruth supports her-
self by working in the University
Museum and lives alone, she never
feels herself lonely for she says,
"Every night I have several fellows
waiting home to talk to."
Lt.-Col. Stanley Waltz, former
manager of the Union now on leave
in the service has communicated
with most of Aunt Ruth's boys who
were former Michigan students and
he has planned a big reunion for
them all after the war.
He wrote to her that "this will be
the biggest party this town has ever
seen. We will take over the Union
and the West Quad and we'll all be
together again."
"The boys really love the copies of
The Daily," she says beamingly, "and
I can always use extra ones that
people send me. In fact the only
time I receive an irate letter from
George (Ceithaml, former Michigan
quarterback) is when he doesn't get
his Daily on time."
So we salute Aunt Ruth, a pin-up
girl in her own right.
THROUGH THESE PORTALS-No coeds are supposed to pass except
on football Saturdays, according to Union tradition. This is a view of
the front entrance of the Michigan Union, the center of all men's
activities on campus.
COME ONE; COME ALL
e o o
n
All Male Students Are Eli'fible To Try Out
For Michigan Union Activities Next Week
''3
Seven Cooperative Houses Now
0perate for UniversityStudents
_. _.
The cooperative movement, begun
just 100 years ago in Rochdale, Eng-
land, reached the campus twelve
years ago when Michigan House, a
men's co-op, was formed.
A group of students who during
the depression years had found it
financially impossible to continue go-
ing to school, decided to band to-
gether to cut their living costs. They
rented a house, did all their own
work, both cooking and cleaning,
and by dint of hard labor found that
they could scrape by.
From this inauspicious beginning
the co-op movement on campus
spread. In 1937 the then four co-op
houses banded together to form an
Inter-Cooperative Council to coordi-
nate and expand the work of the
individual houses. Girls' houses were
started, and with the coming of the
war, the girls even took over one of
the closed men's houses.
Today there are seven cooperative
houses, two for men, and five for
girls. The Inter-Cooperative Council
has become a state corporation and
has purchased two of the existing
houses, the A.K. Stevens House for
girls and the Robert Owen House for
men.
Tryouts for the Michigan Union
student staff will be welcomed to the
annual tryout meeting to be held
within the next week.
Any male student on campus is
eligible for the tryouts which will be
conducted by the present Union staff.
Valuable experience, training in lead-
ership,and an opportunity to put into
practice their ideas to improve the
campus are offered to tryouts who
will meet University officials and
personalities on campus in the course
of their work.
Tryouts will work with the Union
committee cf their choosing under
the supervision of the chairman.
After one semester of good work,
the tryout is eligible for a silver
tower charm and for consideration
as candidates to junior positions
on the Executive Council. '
As prospective members of the
staff, tryouts will be under the direct
supervision of Presigent Thomas E.
Bliska, '45Arch., who controls all
Unon activities, constitutional chan-
ges, elections, serves as ex officio
member on all committees and co-
ordinates the Executive Council with
the Union Board of Directors which
he heads. Bliska is aided by George
Darrow, '46NROTC, secretary, in all
his activities.
Tryouts Learn Office
Candidates' closest connection will
be with Richard Freeman, '46, chair-
man of the administration and hous-
ing committee, and in charge of try-
cuts whom he instructs in office
techniaues.
Jim Plate, editor of Campus News
aild co-Chairman with Sandy Perlis,
Navy "premed, 'of the War Activities
Committee who is responsible for
working with the League in fillin'g
Blood Bank quotas, is Co-Chairman
of the League-Union Bomber Schol-
arship Committee as well as working
with the Veterans organization.
Bob Precious, '46E, NROTC, and
Tom Donnelly, '46E, manage the
Social Committee, planning week-
end dances, GI Stomps,the Union-
League banquet, and alumni Home-
coming, Nov. 11. James R. Lindsay,
'46E, is Co-chairman with Richard
Mixer of the Campus Affairs .Com-
mittee. Mixer is in charge of fresh-
man and transfer orientation, while
Lindsay runs elections, football mov-
ies, the resale of football tickets,
smokers and pep rallies.
Glenn White, in charge of Union
publicity completes the Executive
Council of ten
cI
___I- . .. . .
MOST FAMOUS RESTAURANT
FINE FOOD and genial hospitality are
always present at the ALLENEL. Dine
in the pleasant atmosphere on one of
our famous dishes-Fresh Bailed Lob-
ster, Juicy Roast Beef, Broiled or Fried
Chicken, Cured Hams and Tender
Chops. 0 For important week-end
dates or dinner during the week the
ALLENEL is the place to go.
RETIRED AFTER LONG SERVICE-Miss Velma Louckes, affection-
ately known as the "Duchess" has retired after 25 years service to the
University. -Photo Courtesy Ann Arbor News
RADIO & IECORD SHOP
TilE FINEST IN MUSIC
MYDA Formed
For Studentst
'Win War and Peace'
Is Slogan for Group I
Michigan Youth for Democratic
Action, campus anti-fascist organi-
zation, was formed in January, 1944,
to carry on 'win-the-war-and-the-
peace' activities.
Its program, designed to attract
all students, includes the presenta-
tion of noted speakers, discussion
groups, war service activities, a bowl-
ing league and other recreational
activities. Its purpose, as expressed
by Mort Rosenthal, president, is "to
integrate youth in the war effort and
integrate the things youth wants to
do with the war effort."
During the spring of 1944 MYDAI
carried out its plans by instituting
intensive student campaigns on the
anti-poll tax bill and the soldier vote
bill when those issues were discussed
in Congress. The speakers program
brought such men as Langston
Hughes, noted Negro poet, Don
Thurber, Detroit youth leader, John
Lovett, head of the Michigan Associ-
ation of Manufacturers and Melvin
Social Workers
To Be Important
Increased Demand
Expected To Continue
"Social workers will inevitably play
a large part in psychiatric and medi-
cal social work after the war," Prof.
Arthur E. Wood, head of the sociol-
ogy department predicted.
During the war, there is obviously
a great demand for social workers,
he said. The Red Cross, war service
agencies and war employment agen-
cies, hospitals, community organiza-
tions are all vastly in need of trained
social workers.
"But after the war, it will be even
more necessary that there be men
and women who understand people
to work in community reorganiza-
tion, convalescent hospitals, employ-
ment agencies and related fields,"
Prof. Wood emphasized.
A social worker should have a
solid foundation in the social sci-
ences from his first year in college,
he said. As a freshman and sopho-
more, the student should take begin-
ning courses in political science, so-
These form a basis for advanced
courses in the junior and senior
Joj 14i S ltl Men f
LUnwversidl,
TH E
EST3
TWH E LATEST
IN POPU LAR
IN CLASSICAL
At senool the mmost complete way to elnjoy your leisure time,
to get the most from every spare monitent, is to listen to
good musie and appreciate its full meaning. Make music
your haRppy-lime hobby.
11 1