We've been trying to get memoirs from retired and not-so-retired Campion jebbies for our newsletter for quite some time. We don't care if the memoirs are about when they went to Campion, taught at Campion, or just what they've done since leaving Campion. We just want to hear something from our mentors in the first person. Perhaps words of wisdom learned while IHS. Typically we only get 3rd person post mortem. Not to lay all the blame on the jebbies... why can't we get more memoirs from alumni. Where are all those authors and editors of the old 'ette.

Fr. Fitgerald '49 jumped in last issue hoping he would get the ball rolling. I only hope I am doing meaningful research in my retirement years.

Paul McCullough '70 came across an ancient photo of a rare use of our student chapel, Our Lady of the Angels. It was the ordination of students best friend Mr. Al DiUlio, S.J. So we've obtained a memoir from Fr. Al DiUlio, S.J. for this issue.

Mr. DiUlio becomes Fr. DiUlio - May 4, 1974

Memoirs

Fr. Al DiUlio, S.J. reminisces...

Campion Always Holds a Special Place in Our Hearts and Minds

Campion, and all it stood for, will always hold a special place in my soul and heart and mind....it was not only a place, a school, a community, but so much more than that, in reality, Campion was and remains an ideal. While we often joked about the motto, Give Campion a Boy and Get Back a Man, in truth that is what Campion always tried to do...and the success of the motto as well as the actuality, demonstrates beautifully that Campion succeeded beyond what at the time could only be seen as our wildest dreams. The men of Campion have shown over and over again their commitment to the Church, to life and to others....what better example of Men for Others could there be. It is a tribute to not only the students, but the faculty and all those associated with Campion to be able to say that and know it is true.

For me, Campion was not only a place to teach and learn, but a place to be with good people, make lifelong friends and in the voice of a beer commercial, be all that you can be, and then some. As the first, last and only Jesuit to be ordained at Our Lady of the Angels Chapel, the name Campion sums up much more than simply a place on the Mississippi in a small Wisconsin town but the opening of far wider vistas of life, faith and prayer.

I first visited Campion with a former student in 1965 and returned as a Jesuit Scholastic in 1969. What I found was an exciting group of young men, both students and Jesuits, who sought to make a difference in their lives and in the world; being part of that journey was a pleasure, a duty and a privilege. The men of Campion have made a difference in many ways, to many people and at all times. I returned to Prairie du Chien for several reunions and found the city little changed, but the campus and the reality that was Campion had morphed through several owners and many years into something quite different from what it was. But Campion's essence remained and filled those there with pride and joy.

Hey Tom,

I was wandering around the C-K web site and decided to look again at the post cards. Did you know that within the Mark Gomez cards there are two pictures that show "The New Lawler Hall" and next to them are two pictures that are labeled "The Old Lawler Hall". When in fact They Are Not ! These two pictures are the Lawler Guest House (Where ever that was.) To my knowledge I have never seen it. Certainly was not the Lawler Hall that Started Campion, and was there when I was there, and torn down in 1960.

By the way, when am I going to get a VIP card from you? I bet I'm the one who checks the C-K site EVERY DAY. My wallpaper (or screen picture ) when I turn on my computer is a picture looking down Campion Blvd. with the overhanging trees.

I again did not make it to our class reunion. I'm in the process of going thru a battery of tests prior to surgery.

Take care and thanks for everything Tom.

P.S. Tell my Russian Speaking Friend I said Hello.

Ghost of Joe Campion Mischief... Hmmm! Which do you like better?

OR

Notice in the pictures above that the smokestack seems as least 16 feet shorter. Anyone know why it was trimmed down? Does anyone have a picture of the smokestack with all the letters of CAMPION on it.

John Duskey '63 reports...

Today, Sept 9, marks 55 years since we arrived at Campion, in fall of 1959.

Remember the fall of 1959?

Dwight Eisenhower was president. Pope John XXIII had recently been elected Pope.
The Chicago White Sox were on their way to their first pennant in forty years.
Some of us had postal zones, but nobody had a zip code.
Our phone numbers did not have area codes. The school's phone number was 578.
Fr. James B. Corrigan, S.J., was president of Campion.
Fr. Frank Aspenleiter, S.J. and Mr. Gregory Lucey, S.J., headed freshman division.
And 167 of us, at age 13 or 14, arrived at Campion, by way of train, bus or car.

People who never had this experience wonder how we, at that young age, could have done that. The scene in Dead Poets Society, where boys were torn from their mothers' arms, demonstrated this view. The line from Mr. Simon's poem, "Leave your boy so far from home." comes to mind. But nearly all of us made that transition successfully, and it became the transition to our future lives.

Paul McCullough '70 sends...

Finished Product

Pat Mower '64 reunion reports...

Ok Knights!

This is your "cub" reporter reporting from "on the road"!

I am now ensconced in the Motel 6 in South Milwaukee, right across the road from the airport! Got here yesterday after a short trip.

I left home on 8 Sept at 6 in the morning, headed directly to Pat Kelly's house. Got there about 3pm or so in the afternoon.

Pat and I were in his "armory" looking at some old pics, so I got the old scanner out, and scanned in almost a hundred pictures of things like our commencement program, report cards and even a few letters his parents got in the mail.

Took off the next morning alone. Pat has serious back problems and underwent surgery on the 28th of September or so.

I stayed the next night in Tucumcari, New Mexico in the La Quinta there, the place Pat had some points on, so it was my favorite kind of room - Free!

Beautiful hotel, and I have never been to New Mexico except to drive through on the bottom part near El Paso (where I'll be once again at the end of my trip)!

Next morning, bright and early, with a long trip ahead of me, I left and headed for Des Moines, Iowa, the longest part of my trip.

I kept getting calls from Pat Kelly, but I don't answer the phone on the road. Finally in Newton Iowa, 10:30 at night, I answer the call. He told me about a leak I had in his garage and was fired up. Couldn't see anything, so I stayed in a microtel in Newton (another place I had never been). Next morning I checked, and oil was ok. No lights, so I headed out, and about noon I got to Prairie.

The hotel owner was waiting for me, and welcomed me graciously. He is an outsandingly wonderful guy, and we had a great time.

Our classmates started arriving one by one, or sometimes in couples - with their wives I mean! Then, in walks this short guy...smirking....Dick Farina had Arrived!

Dickie will NEVER change. He is SUCH a nice guy, and he tries to tell you how hard he is....don't you believe it.

Then O'Kane, my absolute fantastic "helper" (actually, I was his), and Terry Mied(however you spell it), and I think someone else went over the the "Angus" restaurant,right next to the hotel and had drinks and dinner. Lo and behold, Jerry, who is NOT to be outdone, shows up with Kathy Elliot!

Now, I remember Kathy as a beautiful (back then we used pretty I believe) gal. Well, she is still beautiful at our age, and those of you who know me, know that I am a lover of fine Asian ladies, and usually you can trust me around "round-eyes" (as we used to say in the military)! Not around Kathy. Ladies, close your ears.... Kathy is plainly put the in the terms of an old Military guy, a "Stone Cold Fox!"

Friday all day we sat around and talked and chatted and told lies about the stuff that happened at Campion...well, not lies, but I am sure some of the events were shrouded in the fog of old age....mine!

About 5:15 pm Friday, we all headed over to the "campus". We were welcomed, appropriately, I believe, by the Deputy Warden, Dan McCluskey. After a brief introduction and welcoming, we entered the guard shack. I can tell you, my Hemmorhoids survived the inspection in one piece....But I wasn't worried, our resident docs, Bernie and John were there.

We got a tour, and with Dan and one of the Captains (great guy), we strolled around Marquette, but could not enter because it is ready to fall down (remember, just like it was when we lived there!). Dan was a little taken aback that we WANTED to go into the chapel. Well, we got in. At the 40th, the chapel was completely empty. It is now used as a "storage" area, as are most of our "old" buildings, even Xavier hall, the last building built on the campus.

After our sojurn in "New Lawler" hall, we repaired to the basement, another one of those inner sanctums that we never saw. There Dan gave us a slide presentation of the prison, and his, view of Campion, MLPS and the prison from 1880 until that second. He then (and did throughout the presentation) asked us about some things, and we corrected some of his erroneous ideas. You know, we Knights never seem to run out of things to correct...think we got that from our "mentors"...those guys in "black robes".

The next day was a free day, and we continued visiting - all except Farina, who had a lot of work to do. Don't know how he was at Campion, but he was buried in work in his room most of the time. Dunn saw us at the Angus, and was carrying some things. He had stopped by and gotten some food, and a bottle, and took them up to Dick. Is Dickie EVER gonna relax? He kept telling me, "You want to fly my airplane? Here are my keys!".

Sunday was an easy day, and the last four of us there went over to the swimming pool, the "Natorium"! (I think that was Howie Kalbs' favorite word!). The Parks and recreation director for PDC, I think, walked us through the building. Eddie Lyons, Duck MacDonald, Mark Kisting and myself plus Mrs. Duck all wondered through out the building taking picture after picture.

The PDC Director also took some and told us (asked first) that he was going to put our visit in the newpaper.

All of us left, except for Eddie, who had his swim trunks and told me, "I'm just gonna do a lap or two, get wet, then I an leaving". That morning, before going on the tour, he hit the ball around the course. One of the things on his "bucket list" is to play in every state, and he only has a few more to go. He was going to Michigan, North and South Dakota...only one or two more left.

I left the next morning, the final remaining person to pull out. It definitely felt like I was "leaving home". Don't remember how I felt on May 28, 1964, but this time, it sure didn't feel good.

I have to give the people of Prairie du Chein a big bunch of Kudos, they were so warm it was unreal. Everyone that I talked too was very warm and grateful that we were "honoring" Campion by our visit.

On Monday, the short drive day, I headed for Milwaukee after finding out my brother was going to be in DC for the week. Good thing I called, it's five hours up and back from his place.

As soon as I was close, I found out where the Jebbies were in Wauwatosa. Got there, and first saw old Rock Teske. He isn't a Rock anymore physically, but I can't help but remember him as I saw him way back when.

Next I ambled up to "Cooler-King" Kalamaja's room, and we chatted. My 5 minute visit was 45 minutes long! Still as vibrant as ever, I had a great time with him. I reminded him that I believe it was Bob Cassidy who gave him his name.

Then, met with Ted Hottinger, our old Bro Hottinger's brother, and found out ours had passed on early, at about 40. I then went to Fr. Joe Eagan's quarters, and thinking I would be there for only another 5 or 10 minutes, we chatted - for an hour! He is just as awake and aware as I remember him from 61-62. He was looking at my camera and said he had gotten a new one and didn't know yet how to operate it. Would I help him.....Let's see. These Jesuits MADE us what we became, they helped us achieve most of the things that we are and have done....would I help him? OF COURSE! I spent 15 minutes instructing him on shooting, making pictures big and small, and a few other things. We hugged and I was off to my hotel....where I now am writing this, and started that a 4AM.

I'll see you guys sometime when you get in on Thursday.

This morning I am meeting with an old SJA (St. Joseph's Academy) alumni brother, Chris Casey. He called me at the hotel, so we will have a good time.

To be continued... Chicago reunion and Florida mini-reunion.