This week in UWO history

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The Advance-Titan staff

Nov. 18, 1962 — The Titan Marching Band establishes two firsts when it performs at the Green Bay Packer-Baltimore Colt football game at Lambeau Field. It marks the first appearance of the high stepping, 110-member band at a Packers game.  While displaying their talents to a national audience on CBS, the band shows off for the first time its newly acquired gold, white and black marching uniforms.  Before the day is complete, the band will be involved in a pre-game processional, band director Thomas E. Neice will direct an ensemble for the singing of the National Anthem and the band will perform a 10-minute program centered around a Thanksgiving theme.

Nov. 19, 1986 — In a scene what one police officer said was “the worst I’ve ever seen, and I’ve been here 15 years,” between 200 to 300 students rove the campus for four hours, throwing snowballs at unsuspecting cars and pedestrians. No injuries or arrests are reported. A snow war between Scott and Gruenhagen halls involving 2 inches of accumulated snow leads to the escalation. A boulder-sized snowball is lifted by two students and hurled at one car’s windshield. A second car loses control when struck by a large chunk of snow. Students also nail a bicyclist. One student throwing firecrackers at sixth floor Scott Hall fire alarm sets it off at 1:09 a.m. Chancellor Edward Penson and Residence Life Director James Chitwood are called to help stop the riot. Students disband at about 2 a.m. and were confided to their dorms.

Nov. 20, 1959 — Lyceum Fraternity is the oldest student organization, originally an all-male organization that merged with members of the Phoenix Society, becomes the first college society in Oshkosh to open a rooming house. An agreement is made between owner James Kile and the residents that only fraternity members may live there. The Kile family lives on the first floor of the house and Lyceum members live in the second and third floors.

Nov. 21, 1968 —On this day that would become known as  “Black Thursday,” 94 black students forcibly occupy the administrative offices on Dempsey Hall’s second floor after their demands were not met by President Roger E. Guiles  The group demanded, among other things, to have the director of financial aid removed, have the university hire black instructors, and have a Black Cultural Center established. The ruckus begins when one student yells “Do Your Thing!”  Soon after, Guiles’ presidential room sees papers and documents thrown about.

Nov. 22, 1935 — A less than “respectful” school society costume party takes place at the Men’s Gym. The Philakean- Alethean Brawl, with the theme of “A Night in the Slaughterhouse,” requires members to “wear anything at all that has less than one iota (no pun intended) or respectability. We are informed a stretcher will be provided for any dope showing up in decent attire. In any words, let your conscience and your rag bag be your guide.” Billboards are hauled from the city to turn the gym into “veritable shambles.” One requirement is clear:  “… you may bring your best girl if you want to, but leave your best manners under the kitchen sink.”

Nov. 23, 1952 — Radford Hall is dedicated as a women’s dormitory. The festivities begin before a large audience in the Little Theater of the Training School. Frank W. Radford, the building namesake, recalls how the family’s Jersey cow used to graze on the land where the dormitory now stands.

Nov. 25, 2002 — Anatomy students are forced to retake another exam after some individuals grab and steal the previous Nov. 18 exams from the professor outside of his office. Many students are forced to reschedule their Thanksgiving vacation plans due to the exam’s timing.  Anatomy professor John Hein said the semester’s impending conclusion made the exam date necessary.

Nov. 26, 1937 — Oshkosh has its home basketball game canceled against Eau Claire because the visiting team’s head coach “was anxious to hold at least two weeks of practice before taking the road.”

Source: UWO Archives