The close interaction between students and faculty has been central to the Miami experience since the days of Robert Hamilton Bishop, William Holmes McGuffey, and David Swing. Miami’s teachers impact young people in ways that remain with their students for a lifetime.  We invite you to share your own memories with us here and to enjoy the stories below.

I was one of the lucky frosh at Miami U. who didn’t have to take what we then, in 1963, referred to as “Bonehead English.”  Instead, I was able to take a more advanced course called English Composition.  In it we read novels, essays, and other passages written and learned that a story isn’t a story, but an allegory, a metaphor, a simile perhaps for much more than the words of that story. 

I had been told since I was in grade school that I was a good writer.  I thought I was, but my English Prof, Mark Price, a Miami Masters student, told me that although I was the second smartest student in the class, I was lazy and my work showed it.  Therefore he would continue to give me “C” on anything I wrote that he thought was inferior work for me.  I was embarrassed and I was mad.

During the rest of that semester, I got myself “campused” on Friday nights so as to study the assignment for my 8AM Saturday class.  “Campused” was the word that meant that I was restricted to my room and that I had to report to a Resident Assistant every hour on the hour.  Meanwhile my classmates went out on dates and caroused around uptown Oxford.  I did not have maturity enough to make myself do that.  Instead, I would get myself in trouble and be restricted to my room where there was naught to do but study.  Nonetheless, I kept getting “C” for all my work.  Why? “Because you aren’t trying,” Mister Price continued to insist.

Our final paper was to write about something that had made us re-evaluate our thoughts about something or someone.  I wrote a paper about an incident in which the first time I borrowed my Dad’s car, I damaged a hubcap against a granite curb across from our high school.  I then spent the hours til 3:30 AM trying to find another ’61 Pontiac Bonneville from which to pilfer a duplicate so as not pay the penalty I thought my father would impose.

I spent hour after hour after hour writing and re-writing, turned that paper in.  Without telling you the several things and people I re-evaluated, I got an A+.  Mister Price wrote that he had never read a paper that entire year from anyone who so succinctly set up the story, gave the back story about the importance of the incident or got him as excited as he was as I walked him through my night of searching for another car from which to steal a hubcap.  He loved how I wrote about my fear of my father’s wrath and how I built the story to that point so well. 

Mark Price made me accomplish something far exceeding what I thought I could do.  Today, I am a pretty good writer.  Mister Price might not think so.  He only wanted the best I could do, whatever the cost in time, effort or frustration.  Mark Price was a teacher!  He was also up until three years ago at Rochester Institute of Technology when last Miami Alumni Relations heard from him.  I hope he still is. 

Oh, and I didn’t have to get punished to find the time to write this.

Bruce Adams ’67

"Doc" Don Weber was my favorite prof in the Ed Psych department!  He was our advisor for the Student Council for Exceptional Children and a constant mentor and guiding influence on us, who were young and naive about how the special educational system in America worked at the time.  It was an exciting time for special ed- PL 94-142 had just passed Congress and we were riding a new wave of acceptance of special education. Doc helped us to navigate these uncharted waters as we ran Special Olympic events, completed field experiences in local schools and tried to raise awareness of persons with disabilities. I fondly remember many a good conversation with him and those in my class, Miriam Leapman (Tulman) and Diane Wolk to name a few. Doc would ride his moped to his basement office in McGuffey and you could always count on a good story if you saw the moped parked out back! He touched many lives. May he rest in peace and I 'm sure his spirit lives on.

Maria (Aiello) Boyer ’82

Dr. Joe Waggoner in the Educational Media Dept. was one of my most amazing"down-to earth" profs.  During one class session towards the end of our senior year he said, "Remember that you folks will never have enough time to accomplish everything in the classroom / library setting that we have taught you."    We all just sat there stunned until one of the students  raised his hand and said  "That is the most profound statement that I have heard in my four years of university study."  Everyone cheered in agreement!

Jane Morner ’75