The group of middle-aged men and women filed into the room and nervously looked at each other. Most did not know another soul at the meeting, yet they were supposed to plan a class reunion together. The alumni staff coordinator thought to herself, “This isn’t going to be an easy group to soften up.”
As a favor to the Columns editor, she opened the meeting by asking each person to introduce himself or herself and to cite a favorite off-campus hangout. Suddenly the thermometer rose 50 degrees. The first person mentioned Leo’s, a cheap cafe on the “Ave.” The second countered with the Hasty Tasty greasy spoon. Others talked about the Reservoir Tavern or the Blue Moon, the Duchess or the Red Robin. Several funny and slightly embarrassing tales were told. Soon the room glowed from the warmth of fond memories.
We’ve captured some of that warmth and put it in the center of this issue, as we take a look at student hangouts from the 1930s to the present. Many are gone, but a few survivors still attract hordes of students.
To balance this ancient history, we also cover modern times. Fate took UW Professor Donald Treadgold to the Soviet Union last August. He was hosting a UW Alumni Association cruise when Communist Party hardliners tried to overthrow Mikhail Gorbachev. Our cover story also looks at current affairs: a debate over salmon breeding that could alter the environment and the economy of the Pacific Northwest.
We also profile the determination of a UW graduate who overcame a near-fatal disorder to achieve his twin goals of an M.D. and a marathon ribbon. There’s a serving of UW news—including the record $12 million gift from Microsoft CEO Bill Gates—lists of Rose Bowl events and our usual class notes. It should help satisfy your appetite for University news, until the next Columns comes in March.