David A. Cameron – Health & Physical Education Faculty, 1974-80

David A. Cameron

COE/HPE Faculty 1974 – 80

Dear USLians,

            Thank you for the chance to reminisce. It’s been nearly 20 years (wow, has it been that long?) since I was on the COE/HPE faculty at USL. Of course I have fond memories of my years in Acadiana and some regrets that I didn’t stay. But, I’ve enjoyed being an Okie, having been chair of HPE at Cameron University in Lawton, Oklahoma since 1986.

            What are my memories? Mostly people and relationships, let’s try a few:

Dr. Al (Simon):  Dr. Simon, as chair of HPE, was instrumental in hiring me at USL. When I came down for the interview, of course, I asked for Dr. Simon, which I pronounced as in “Simon sez”. Strangely enough, no one could direct me to his office.

Noon Hour Tennis:  Marty Bourg let me build up his ego while he taught me to play. Later on, we were teammates in the parish tennis tournament and others. Noon time tennis grew to include regulars (and some irregulars): Clyde Wolf, Dr. Al, Sue Simmons, Steve Ligh of Math, Dennis and Bill from the Library, Delli Smith, Sherry LeBas, Harold Blackwell, and ?

The 30s:   Meaning I was in my thirties and still young enough to play tennis at noon, golf in the afternoon, and city league basketball at night. Sue Simmons even talked me into running, unfortunately, in a 10-mile road race. Don’t laugh, I finished.

Write?Right!:  As a college professor you have to write, right? I discovered that it is possible for a former high school teacher/coach to write. My first article for publication was about the development of the new foundations course in the activity program at USL. Someone (Ed Dugas) even drafted me to edit/write the first departmental newsletters in ’78 and ’79.

Hit the Ball:  I was at USL only one year with V.J. Edney, but who can forget the story of his frustration in trying to teach golf to one kinesthetically challenged student. After trying everything he could think of, he said in his loudest voice: “Hit the ball!”

Bob May:  Bob was assigned to teach an archery class one semester. Bob, who was not known as an archer, responded to class member Raphael Septien’s irritating challenges by picking up a bow and sending an arrow into the heart of the bullseye. Maybe it was an accident and maybe not, but Bob never shot another arrow during the entire class.

Mr. Trampoline:  Jeff Hennessy had to put up with me as an office mate during the early years. I was more than a little in awe of his expertise in the sport that gave him his nickname.

“Good guys” vs. “Bad guys”:  There were some differences of opinion among the HPE faculty at USL when I arrived in 1974 that had split the group up into two factions. While everyone was cordial, no one ever forgot which side they were on. Although I tried to “ride the fence,” sooner or later I was forced to join one faction or the other. Bet you can’t guess with which group I aligned?

Ed Dugas:  I remember Ed with a lot of fondness. He was and is a people person. He has an ability to see positive qualities in an individual and bring out his best. Although we are about the same age and both came from a high school background, he preceded me into the college ranks by several years. His leadership, encouragement, and confidence in me were a big plus in my career development.

Clyde Wolf:  Clyde may been a little irreverent at times (I won’t cite examples), but you always knew where you stood with him. He was an incredible athlete and tremendous competitor–one of those individuals who was good in every sport. Moreover, he had an outstanding ability to teach those skills in his activity classes.

“Just Ignore Me”:  Back when the Foundations course was being proposed, I had the honor of teaching the first section. Unexpectedly, Dean Robert Ducharme slipped in the back of the room and sat down. I think he wanted to get a feel for what the class was about. Little did he know that I almost fainted on the spot. Anyway, that’s when he offered the unforgettable quote: “Just ignore me.” Yeah, right.

Tout Ensemble:  I can’t remember what the words mean, but I recall “Tout Ensemble 1977” which was the 50th anniversary of the Undergraduate Professional Program. As coordinator, I was privileged to join President Ray Authement, VP Sammie Cosper and others on the program. My honor was to introduce three members of the first graduating class: Louise Mae Bonvillian Hoffman, Christine Clark LeVois, and Vesta Richard Bourgeois.

Fred Nelson:  Although he didn’t need the help, I raised Fred’s self-esteem while he taught me how to play racquetball on the undersize court in the old men’s gym. Later when we became more competitive, I joined the tennis group which was starting up. Fred was as interesting a fellow as you would ever meet. He had a talent for poetry (Was he known as Erik Braum as the writer?), invented the Nelson Reaction Timer (which I still use), and was into fencing, real estate, and who knows what.

If I were to write this tomorrow it might have been different, but these were a few of my memories as I took an afternoon to think about my USL experience. Thanks again for the chance to reminisce.

Sincerely,

David Cameron