Favorite Professors

[thebluehatman]

It's summer a lot of the professors are enjoying time off or doing research.

What SDSU professors did you enjoy having the most? And what professors do you wish you could have spent more time around during your time at SDSU?

Mine are:
Pat Lyons, just an all around good guy to be around and tells it like it is.
Mylo Hellickson, fun professor, good guy to be around, loves the campus and his job and just an amazing role model for students.
Mary R. Ryder, the only English teacher I really enjoyed being having class with, tells it like it is and challenges students.
Pat Pannell, always has an intriguing story, encorporates very colorful langauge in class discussions, and a amazing knowledge of construction methods and procedures.

Now How About Your Favorite Profs.

[UWMandSDSU]

Re: Favorite Professors

DJ Struck: Math Dept.; I loved the story about him falling out of a two story building during a lecture and then returning to the classroom like nothing ever happened (not sure if that is a urban legend or not?)
Chuck Dieter: Biology (my major was Biology), related well with students and made learning fun
Henry: Physiology (7:00 am was sure early for Mam Phys, but I learned quite a bit from Henry)

now I could mention a couple of not so like professors (only 2 I can say I extremely was not too fond of), but I won't.

[West_River_Jack]

Re: Favorite Professors

I remember my trigonometry instructor. Her name was Clara Ayers and she spoke with a very delightful Irish accent. On the first day of class she said perhaps the most intelligent statement spoken on an opening day. She said, (Imagine the fine Irish accent) “you may wonder why you have to learn trigonometry. Well, it’s because you signed up for the course!” She continued through the semester with that same concise logic and I actually learned a little trigonometry.

[West_River_Jack]

Re: Favorite Professors

    . . . and there was Hans Graetzer.  He taught physics.   You didn't just study physics in his class.  You saw it, you heard it, you felt it . . . and you lived it.  I had no interest in physics until I took his class and discovered what a fascinating subject it really is.

And of course there are a lot more, but I should let someone else take a turn.

[State_fan]

Re: Favorite Professors

I'd have to agree with Blue and go with Dr. Ryder and Mylo as two that stick out in my mind. I pretty much hated all english classes until I took tech comm with Dr. Ryder. She did a very good job of getting the point across and also could relate topics to real world situations. Mylo just has a personality that makes you like the guy. He is very energetic and he definitely has yellow and blue blood running through his veins.

[HoboD]

Re: Favorite Professors

Bob Burns, made you think, question and learn, still a mentor to many throughout South Dakota; Wayne Hoogestrat, a challenging professor, but when you were done you knew you walked away with some knowledge; Robert Wagner, he packed the room in Rotunda D for his marriage class every semester because he was so good.

[CatchEmAll]

Re: Favorite Professors

Henry: Physiology (7:00 am was sure early for Mam Phys, but I learned quite a bit from Henry)

Thank you for bringing this one up. I had Henry for Mam Phys and learned more than I ever imagined.

All time favorite - Fitness thru Walking with Gerry Gdowski (does this even count as a class)

[Jack4Life]

Re: Favorite Professors

Have to agree w/ Mylo Hellickson. He was my first advisor when I started at State.

How about Dr. Lee Opheim (sp?) teacher of History of the American West. One of the few classes I never skipped cause it was just too entertaining.

Also, was Prof Graetzer the physics prof that also played violin. If so, he would play for the class at times. Very dedicated to his students.

[JackJD]

Re: Favorite Professors

Many of you didn't have the opportunity to see Dr., later SDSU President, Robert Wagner, teaching "Marriage", a sociology course and probably the most sought-after course on campus in the mid-70s.

[91rabbit]

Re: Favorite Professors

Mike Schliesmann (freshman speech and Interpersonal Communication)
Ditto on Henry. Always liked him personally and academically. Once I walked in to the Safari and found him belly up to the bar with a pitcher perched in front of him. Liked him even better. He belted out my name. Great guy.
Art Bell (Western Civ before 1650)
Gary Omodt (med chem) The Man (no myth) and the Legend.

[johnnyjackrabbit]

Re: Favorite Professors

I'll agree on Mike Schliessman. I took general communication from him in Harding Hall (I think). Anyway, we were all in there on the first day of class and he walked. When he saw the big periodic table hanging on the wall, he said, "Oh good. We'll be using that a lot this semester." Many confused looks followed.

Del Lonowski, state and local government. I took this class with Del up on the third floor of the pharmacy building. When I got to class, Del would always be out on the fire escape having a cigarette. Then he would come in and have us do our "exercises" (jumping jacks, etc.).

Jerry Sweeney, early U.S. history, Civil War. I always enjoyed the story about Sweeney teaching in one of the rooms in Ag Hall with the cushy seats. Apparently, a student fell asleep in class. Sweeney told everyone to be quiet as they walked out. He turned off the lights and left the kid sleeping. Funny if it's true.

As a history major, I took every class I could with John Miller, probably because we have many of the same interests. He was the main reason I decided to add a history major and head to grad school.

[SUPERBUNNY]

Re: Favorite Professors

DJ Struck:  Math Dept.; I loved the story about him falling out of a two story building during a lecture and then returning to the classroom like nothing ever happened (not sure if that is a urban legend or not?)
Chuck Dieter: Biology (my major was Biology), related well with students and made learning fun
Henry: Physiology (7:00 am was sure early for Mam Phys, but I learned quite a bit from Henry)

now I could mention a couple of not so like professors (only 2 I can say I extremely was not too fond of), but I won't.

Not urban legend, my mom was in that class!

Priceless!

SUPERBUNNY

[Haldersham]

Re: Favorite Professors

He has a faculty forum named after him now, but Charles Sewery in the history department gave great lectures, He was also entertaining. He was somewhat bothered by students waiting for the bell to end his class, so in the winter time he left his winter hat a artifical fur flappy hat, overcoat and overshoes on while he lectured, and told the class he wanted to be the first out the door when the bell rang. I had Professor Sewery for Economic History of US. I recall one of my fellow students in that particular class was Robert Burns. A long time ago, and maybe Grizzled Jack and I are the only ones on here who recall Professor Sewery.

I believe the faculty forum now in existence is financied from Professor Sewery estate. He was single all his life and except for his class load, he pretty much was a very private person.

[Grizzled_Jack]

Re: Favorite Professors

As one of the few history majors on campus during the sixties, gotta say that like James Brown, Charlie Sewery was the hardest working guy in historydom, also one of the strangest people I've ever met.

1. Like Jerry Lewis in the Nutty Professor (but before him), Charlie would stop lecturing in mid-sentence when the bell rang, also start the next lecture in mid sentence (didn't happen all the time, but he did do it).

2. If someone reached for their coat before the end of class, Charlie would grab his and dash out the door.

3. He wore the same semi-tux with bow tie during the entire year and one year wore his academic robe for a week during the spring-- I imagine the suit was being repaired.

4. During the height of Viet Nam, he occasionally would search around the room (and out on the roof) for spy-mikes. (he was NOT schizophrenic, just very very colorful AND very very strange).

5. "Name is spelled like a sewer but pronounced "Surry" with the fringe-on-top and don't forget it."

6. As an employee of the History department, I'd occasionally eat with him and he spread butter with his thumb.

7. They virtually kept him in one room where he taught MANY classes, I'm sure his class load was twice as much as anyone else in the department.

8. He was in his late thirties but looked early sixties, maybe from being worn down by all the work.

9. Another of my favorite teachers Ruth Alexander (nice write up in State Magazine) was an American Studies doctorate and really liked American History better than American Lit, as a result, our reading lists were very eclectic sometimes leaning towards what was popular culture in the nineteenth century rather than what was good-- Howell's "Diary of a Bad Boy" and Bellamy's "Looking Backward" come to mind. She really wanted to teach Sewery's classes but knew that she couldn't as long as he was there in that room pulling the heavy load.

10 You'd have to get a couple of rows back from the front of the room during his lectures, he'd get fired up about something "It was the roaring twenties, then the dirty thirties, then the fighting forties, then the fabulous fifties AND NOW IT'S THE STINKING SIXTIES...SPIT, SPIT"....

He was more dedicated, strange, harder working and provided more memories than the rest of the faculty combined. Rest in peace, Professor Sewery! :'(

[JimmyJack]

Re: Favorite Professors

Rod Bell, History. He's a small guy and his enthusiasm for the subject matter was infectious. I vividly remember him waving his arms and getting all worked up in class because he was just so excited to talk about the material.

John Miller, History. Low-key but so organized and thoughful that you were inspired to learn, even about economic history.

Dick Lee, Journalism. Nobody cared (and still cares) more about students than Dr. Lee.

John Taylor, English. Made Freshman Comp interesting. Once gave a lecture about the importance of being able to generate good BS. Also memorable was a lecture about advertising language.