In Review

Need History?
Do you have a question about University history? Email it to rochrev@rochester.edu. Please put 鈥淎sk the Archivist鈥 in the subject line.
Remembering a Library Patron
Barbara Keil, a longtime supporter of the University鈥檚 libraries whose contributions were recognized with the naming of the University archivist position, died this summer. She was 93. Established in 2002 in honor of the generosity of Barbara and her husband, Jack Keil 鈥44, a life trustee of the University, the position was first held by Nancy Martin 鈥65, 鈥94 (MA).
鈥淚t is my honor to be the second John M. and Barbara Keil University Archivist and Rochester Collections Librarian,鈥 says Melissa Mead, who was appointed to the position in 2012. 鈥淚 remember their generosity every day.鈥
The picture of the freshman women (鈥済irls鈥 back in those days) getting on the bus brought back fond memories of my orientation in the fall of 鈥64 (Class Notes, July-August). I remember we went to a camp (somewhere in the Finger Lakes I鈥檝e always assumed), and I鈥檝e always wondered what camp it was.鈥擜nn Finger 鈥68
A mere two days after arriving on campus, the women of the Class of 1968 left for the Bristol Hills and Letchworth Camp, run by the 4-H. There they learned University songs and traditions, hiked, and played games, and were back on the River 人妻少妇专区 by 11 a.m. the next day for registration.
In 1966, the juniors of the Class of 1968 would host the freshmen of 1970 and pose for the photograph at the top of this page.
Freshman Week dates to 1918, according to a 1926 Rochester Review; the tradition of Frosh Camp began in 1924, when 29 freshman men, 11 upperclassmen, and one member of the faculty traveled to the YWCA鈥檚 Camp Cory on Keuka Lake.
At the same time, women students were attending a three-day 鈥渉ouse-party鈥 at Camp Wacona at the Sea Breeze amusement park on Lake Ontario, hosted by members of the junior class. In 1926, one feature of the event was a re-enactment of the history of the University with one junior portraying President Anderson, while another took the role of Azariah Boody鈥檚 cow.
In 1938, the Democrat and Chronicle reported that Frosh Camps for the men were to be discontinued, in the belief that the camp experience was unnecessary in light of the facilities available at the River 人妻少妇专区, then eight years old.
Camp continued for the women students, even after the colleges for men and women merged in 1955. The location changed for the women through the years, and included the Rotary鈥檚 Sunshine Camp and the YWCA鈥檚 Camp Onanda at Canandaigua Lake. Class of 1954 alumna Carol Cronk Stoesen wrote in her scrapbook, 鈥淔rosh Camp was really loads of fun. Really a terrific way to meet the kids who will become one鈥檚 life-long friends.鈥
There was a brief return to Camp Cory for the men in 1961 and 1962; 1967 saw the last outing to Frosh Camp for women students. A 人妻少妇专区-Times editorial reflected on the sobering events of 1968: 鈥淭he simple, na茂ve 鈥楬i Frosh鈥 is a meaningless welcome for the Class of 1972. Rather let us raise our hands in the sign of peace and welcome you to the frontier of the concerned.鈥 The activities of the 鈥渨eek鈥 were shortened to four days and the speakers included journalist Russell Baker and, for the convocation address, psychologist Bruno Bettelheim.
While the orientation activities of 2014 have different names, they have the same purpose as those on the schedule for Freshman Week in 1964: convocation, registration, faculty advisor meetings, a bonfire, theater presentations, traditions new and old, and plenty of chances to bond with new classmates. Even Frosh Camp has a modern-day counterpart in FOOT (Freshman Orientation Outing Treks), now celebrating its 10th year.

I remember B. B. King played on campus: can you tell me who opened for him?鈥擡lizabeth Chifari 鈥73
B. B. King was part of the Freshman Week events in 1970. His music was a far cry from the fireside songs of Frosh Camp.
In the 人妻少妇专区-Times of September 19, 1970, reviewer Michael Stephens reported that the opening act was Ferguson, Davis, and Jones, and that the playlist was 鈥渟trictly Top of the Pops type numbers with an especially bad rendition of 鈥楤y the Time I Get to Phoenix.鈥 鈥
By contrast, King, with back-up by Sonny Freeman and the Unusuals, did not disappoint, although the heat in the Palestra caused them to take a break: 鈥. . . the crowd was still stomping and shaking the floor when the house lights were turned on . . . it was without a doubt the finest major show at the UR in at least two years.鈥
Tickets for the concert, attended by an estimated crowd of 3,500, were $3 for upperclassmen, and freshmen got in free with their Frosh Week buttons.
s part of their orientation activities, the Class of 1974 would also hear a debate between William Buckley, editor of the National Review, and William Kunstler, the attorney for the Chicago Seven; and a convocation speech by historian Daniel Boorstin, at the time serving as the director of the National Museum of Science and Technology at the Smithsonian Institution and later Librarian of Congress.
The Palestra and its audiences have welcomed many performers, including Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, the Goo-Goo Dolls, Peter Frampton, the Violent Femmes, They Might Be Giants, and the Grateful Dead. The Kinks played the Palestra as part of Dandelion Day in 1990, after appearing at several Rochester venues between 1978 and 1985.