Nick Retirement Powerpoint
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Transcript of Nick Retirement Powerpoint
Nick Retirement Powerpoint
When first asked, I replied that I had no pictures from Nick’s early years at
Lowell; but I looked extra hard in recent weeks and I’m pleased to say that I managed to find a few after all. I have put them together in a slide
show. Here it is:
“Full of the Old Nick”
My memories of my years with Avalon Nichols Minton in Pictures
by Fred Lewis
After an expedition to North Carolina, to the ancestral
Minton family home, I even managed to salvage a few old
pictures from the tattered Minton family photo album.
This old one is evidently Nick’s great-great
grandpappy,Colonel Beauregard Minton.
There seems to be a definite family resemblance.
Growing up in the South was a happy, carefree experience
for Nick
And Nick grew into a typical southern
teenager
When he reached his early twenties, Nick decided to come North for Graduate
School
Nick and I first met when I came to Lowell
in 1973.
We actually looked much the same then
as we do now.
Frank Talty and Marty Meehan were among our
students in the mid 1970’s; they haven’t really changed
much either.
Things were a bit different back then. The President took a personal interest in how his faculty were doing and would occasionally drop by to greet
us.
The facilities at what was then Lowell State College were a
bit spartan
Of course today’s UML is a very different place and our Chancellor has brought in
some nationally known consultants to help UML
develop a new “cutting edge,” “world class,” “move us to the
next level” strategy.
And applying sophisticated, high-tech management
techniques, they at last have a solution for the faculty parking
problem
They are now planning a new dorm for south campus that
promises to outshine even the downtown inn and conference center. Here is the architect’s
vision.
In the 1980’s, when I led the faculty union, I got Nick involved too and
appointed him to represent us on the Health and Welfare Trust. He served
in that capacity for two decades despite the burden of having to travel
to attend the dull, boring national trustee conference most years.
In the 1970’s, Political Science was a part of the History Department. In the early 80’s, Political Science
split off from History; the process went smoothly with
only a few minor disagreements
The faculty of the new Political Science Department was then
seen as one of the coolest and most intellectual
aggregations in the University
I WAS THE FIRST DEPARTMENT CHAIR.
MUCH OF MY TIME WAS SPENT HELPING THE ALWAYS GRATEFUL
STUDENTS SOLVE THEIR PROBLEMS
FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, NICK WAS
DEPARTMENT CHAIR. HE TOO FOUND EVERY
MINUTE DEEPLY SATISFYING.
In retirement, Nick has finally been able to partake of those many activities he has always dreamed about but never had
time to pursue before.
CATCHING UP ON HIS LONG LIST OF HOME
REPAIRS
EXPRESSING HIMSELF ARTISTICALLY
TRYING OUT FOR THE OLYMPICS
Expanding upon his love of theatre by actually going on
the stage himself
FINDING SOMEONE TO PLAY GOLF
WITH
DEVELOPING HIS SINGING TALENT
POLISHING UP HIS DANCE TECHNIQUE
HIKING THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL
FIGHTING CRIME
AND NOW HE IS GETTING READY TO RUN FOR THE
U.S. SENATE
THE END
AND FOR NICK, A NEW BEGINNING!