By Greta Petry
Eunice Baird Whittlesey �44, has been on a quest � one that will be realized in June when the University at Albany honors alumni, faculty, staff and students who have served in the armed services.
Think of the military and you might first think of World War II, Vietnam, or Desert Storm. But UAlbany�s history of students and faculty who served in the military dates back to the Mexican American War (1846-�48). One graduate, Charles Kendall, Class of 1846, died of disease after serving in the Mexican American War.
Whittlesey, of Scotia, and her husband Joe, spent last winter digging through the University archives in search of names of veterans. Helen Brucker Martin, Class of 1944 co-councillor as well as Mrs. Whittlesey�s best friend, helped from the start. They spent countless hours poring over yellowed newspaper clippings and tracking down leads in order to pay respect to UAlbany veterans and their families.
It all started when Mrs. Whittlesey found out that several names were not included on a bronze plaque that honors State Normal School graduates who died in the Civil War. Undergraduates who left school to fight before they graduated, like Private George B. Wolcott of Milan, Yates County, were not named on the plaque. Wolcott died at Gettysburg. Chris Hunter, a student of Professor Allen Ballard (who teaches Civil War history), helped in the search for more extensive information about State Normal School Civil War veterans. Hunter earned a master�s degree last May.
The exclusion of veterans from the Civil War plaque bothered Mrs. Whittlesey, who embarked on a crusade to rediscover the connection between veterans and the University. Her goal, which will be achieved June 9, 2001, is to honor all the University�s service veterans with the unveiling of an eight-panel Wall of Honor, a 36-foot mural to be housed in the new Science Library. To date, more than 3,000 names of veterans associated with UAlbany have been collected. These names will be inscribed on the Wall of Honor.
The celebration, which will coincide with Alumni Weekend, will cap a major volunteer effort by University alumni. The Whittleseys and Martin were assisted by Virginia Polhemus Carney �42, Eleanor Winne �42, and Eleanor Alland �47.
"I am also deeply indebted to Geoff Williams for his complete and professional assistance in the University archives," said Mrs. Whittlesey, who this past June was the recipient of UAlbany�s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Compiling the names of veterans associated with UAlbany is an ongoing task. To add or confirm a name on the list, or for more information, call Nancy Morrison at (518) 442-3083 or e-mail [email protected].
One veteran's story:
