Dr. Laatsch Honored
The [Laatsch Award] article on page 7 of my copy of the Wittenberg Magazine was surely a great, well deserved honor for George E. Hudson. My memories of Dr. Laatsch are very fond and deeply imbedded in my mind. Indeed, I still quote him today. “The alliance of nations & the sovereignty of states will be thorns for future generations” was one of his themes. He is still a role model! I thank you for this opportunity to praise Wittenberg, its faculty and staff in all its great glory.
Robert B. Harrison ’51
Columbus, Ohio

Geiger House Remembered
This issue is a triumph! In 40 years of the Wittenberg Magazine, the Spring 2005 issue is the best I have seen....both visually and substantively....it presents a solid, vibrant view of Wittenberg , future plans and past accomplishments.
I have to particularly cite Rose’s wonderful article on Geiger House, with its very impressive graphics and fascinating story. I hope he’ll follow-up with another piece on Geiger when it’s completed for university use.
Enter this issue in inter-collegiate magazine competition! I did, with the 1959 Witt yearbook, which I edited. Took First Place at the Columbia University School of Journalism annual awards....This issue should do no worse in its category.
Best wishes for continued success.
Tyler B. Phillips ’60
Mirrow Lake, N.H.

I very much enjoyed Kevin Rose’s article on the Geiger House in the Spring 2005 issue of the Wittenberg Magazine, but I had a difficult time picturing where the house is in relation to the campus today. Could you possibly follow up with the house’s current address and/or a map? Thanks!
Sarah Timm Raynock ’93
Emmaus, Penn.

I was greatly intrigued by the Geiger House article in the Spring 2005 issue. I rented a first-floor apartment in the Geiger House’s south wing during my junior and senior years at Witt. In fact, I believe the doorway with the two seated figures shown in the vintage photo on the opening page of the article is the entrance to my apartment (that part of the house is now covered by a portion of the front porch). The house was in great need of repair even then, 30 years ago, and I’m glad to know its restoration and preservation are underway.
The owner at that time, an elderly woman who lived in the northern part of the home (her name has long since escaped me), once mentioned the house’s strategic role in the Underground Railroad to me, but I generally had little idea of its historical value. I wish I had known then what I now know via Kevin Rose’s article. I hope you keep us updated as the restoration progresses.
Jim King ‘75
Auburn, Ind.

I was delighted to see the article on the Geiger House in the Spring 2005 issue of the Wittenberg Magazine. In 1967-68 Randall Simon, Jeffrey Thompson, Grayson Snyder and I lived in the upstairs apartment during our senior year at Witt. Other students had used it as off-campus housing in that period, and as far as I know none of us had any idea of the historic significance of the house; it was just a cheap, convenient apartment.
We found out about the house when Randy and I attended the class of ’68 35th Reunion in 2003. Anne Mayer, class of ’69, who is now the director of advancement information resources in the alumni office, told us about the history of the house and suggested that Wittenberg might have some interest in restoring it. With Anne’s help, and with the cooperation of the Security Office, we were allowed to enter the building, even though it had been declared unsafe and padlocked.
Both Randy and I had very clear memories of the building, which differed significantly from each others’ and were both wrong! Seeing the apartment restored the old memories and brought back more. While it was exciting to see the old place, we were saddened by its dilapidated condition (the ceiling had opened up and there was extensive water damage).
It’s wonderful to see that Anne’s information was correct, and that the university has decided to preserve and restore this historic landmark. While my own story was a minor footnote in the house’s history, I feel proud to have been a part in some small way of the story of the university. I hope that I can get back to Wittenberg soon to see “my” restored house!
Barry Zimmerman ’68
Rochester, N.Y.