PSU Magazine Fall 1988

(Continued from page 14) Monte Shelton It took a while for the young Coast Guard veteran to adjust to college. "First term, fall of 1955, I had a miserable time getting study habits and making it all happen." Fortunately for Shelton, one of his first classes was English Composition , taught by Philip Ford. " I had never really had a writing class and Professor Ford was a great guy, one of the best instructors I ever had. I learned a lot in that class even though I was a 'C' student all the way." Shelton credits Ford's class with teaching him to organize his thoughts and get them down on paper, skills which have stayed with him . Still entertaining thoughts of becoming a teacher, Monte Shelton had accumulated a number of education credits by his junior year when the laboring jobs (loading ships, working at a brewery) which had supported his family ran dry. He accepted a job washing cars at a used car lot. "I really didn't want to do it because I wasn't sure about the used car business. But I was always interested in cars and I needed the money." Shelton washed and prepared cars for sale at the lot on N.E . Broadway and Union for a few weeks when fate stepped in to alter both his career plans and his fortunes. " It was during lunch one day and both salesmen were gone. Some customers came in and I sold two cars during lunch , including arranging the financing. That was the last day I washed cars." It also was the end of his teaching career. He and a partner went into the car business and, since the early 1960s, Shelton has been on his own. He recently went back and bought that property on N.E. Broadway and Union . A lot has changed for Portland State and Monte Shelton since he earned his degree in 1959. Both have grown in im– portance and influence. "I used to be so broke then ,'' he says. "Tea was ten cents a cup and I'd keep the tea bag in my locker. I'd re-run that bag seven or eight times because they'd give us all the hot water we could drink down there in the cafeteria ." PSU 16 When Monte Shelton returns to campus October 22 he'll find a modern , multi– block university where a one-building college used to be. He says he is anxious to see the changes. He'll also find that a cup of hot water now costs as much as the tea did 30 years ago. But you still can bring your own tea bag. D Ralph Macy Already a respected researcher in parasitology by 1955, Macy brought the first federal research grant to PSC in his first year. It wasn't a large grant, he laughs, "But I had more money in my modest little grant for supplies and equip– ment than did the whole science divi– sion ." In fact , the new professor's request for a research microscope nearly broke the science division's bank in 1955. Macy recalls those early, crowded days in Lincoln Hall fondly. They were short on supplies but long on variety. " It was primitive, believe me," he laughs. "I remember some snakes got loose from the biology lab one day and scared the wits out of the people in the registrar's office." The 83-year old scientist adds with a smile, "They weren't my snakes , inciden– tally." He began his unbroken string of home football game attendance following his retirement in 1972 , saying he always had liked the game but didn't have time before. What is it about football that fascinates this scientist of six decades and author of more than 100 scientific papers and three books? Macy pauses briefly. It's a question he has thought about before. "I can't really say. I didn't play myself, but my father was quite a football hero ninty years ago at George Fox in Newberg. But to me, it's a great game. It has not only the brawn but a lot of finesse , strategy and intricate aspects (that) are satisfying for me to watch." His wife, Laura Lee Rayl Smith , whom he married in 1981, also attends the games, but "she enjoys watching the crowd." D Macy has seen his share of winners and losers over the past 16 years but quarter– backs June Jones and , of course, Neil Lomax stand out in his mind. "The remarkable thing is that often times there would be only a handful of spectators. I remember the paper mentioned once that , with Lomax, people someday would real– ly have to pay to see him play, which , of course, is true." He is particularly sanguine about this year's team . "I think we have a great chance of bringing home the national championship. A great chance." He is equally enthusiastic about the future of the University. " Portland State is one of the future great universities. The tendency is toward the urban institutions and it has improved so much already it's incredible." But future greatness will have to await completion of this season , at least, after which Emeritus Professor Ralph Macy will be at 102 consecutive home football games and counting. Miss Oregon 1985 and is one year shy of graduating. Jones plans to finish her studies after her reign as the state's hostess. One of Jone's first official acts this summer was to kick off a campaign against illiteracy. She is honorary chair– woman of the Oregon Literacy Council and has said she will give as much time as she can to help combat the problem. She is assisting with public relations and helping to organize a statewide network with the other 125 Miss Oregon con– testants to promote the need to deal with problems caused by illiteracy. In addition to representing the state in the Miss America Scholarship Pageant in Atlantic City this September, Miss Oregon was given a $2 ,000 college scholarship, a $1 ,500 savings bond and several thousand dollars worth of prizes. D