Hi Bill, What an interesting story! I hope all that is in your life's story. I just happened to think about the song "In Old Shanty Town". Betty kimbuc4@juno.com wrote: Betty and others, Yes I went to Parks, September 1951 through July 1954, even graduated, which was a total surprise to everyone especially the brothers at CBC where I went to high school. After CBC I hated school, wearing a uniform (CBC was a Military High School at the time I graduated as a private). My dad helped me make a decision he got me a job shoveling cement. After 3 months of that and the fear of being drafted. I did a heavy study about going to college, checked the Yellow Pages for colleges. Lo and behold Parks Air College. Since I liked airplanes (John Wayne fan of "Flying Tigers" fame), it was off to Parks where I thought this would be a shoe in, I immediately flunked the entrance tests. After begging my way into the school, on probation for 3 semesters, it was a 3 year school then where you had 3 semesters a year we went to school 11 months of the year and between the second and third year those of us who were in ROTC (Mandatory) went off to summer camp for a month. In the 35 months of being enrolled we had one month off for vacation. Finally graduated with a BS in Aeronautics in 1954 and then off to the Air Force, Viet Nam was fun, and retired after 20 years. Now have a master's degree. I actually think the Brothers of CBC put out a challenge to me or I did it out of spite. We had some strange rules. There was an 11 PM curfew, for all students even the 45 year old guy in my class, don't even try to sneak in the guard knew all the secret entry points, it was off to the Deans Office. Your report cards were sent to your parents, even the married guys, no exceptions. Parks College was a US Army Flight Training school during WW II. One of the pilots that dropped the Atomic Bomb on Japan was trained there. Oliver Parks donated the school to St. Louis University for a position on the Universities Board. It was shortly after his death that the university started their campaign to eliminate the school. They tried to sell off the school and get out of the technical fields of study, they had already eliminated the Institute of Technology. Today the remaining alumni of the Institute of Technology are included in the Parks Alumni association. I personally feel that the only reason the school exists is because of the heavy donations of the Aerospace companies like Boeing. Many of the old graduates were against the closing of Parks in Cahokia and still are. It was a great school. Although the excuse that it wasn't paying it's way is sort of slim. Back in the 50's it was the only school of the University that made money and none of it came back to the campus in Cahokia. Many of the labs and buildings were donated by McDonnell Aircraft. McDonnell even hired students as part time draftsmen and sent the work and a supervisor over on Friday evenings and Saturdays. We earned $1.25 and hour, but gained experience in the real world. The instructors knew all of us by our first names, heck our class room size was less than 30 students, Classes started a 8 A.M. and ended at 4 PM, every day. The only elective I had was typing, the rest were mandatory. We were the only undergraduate school of the University that required a Thesis. The instructors all wore suits. Tuition was $17 per credit hour which worked out to $357 a semester plus books, Room and Board was $17 a week. As to the local bar, it was Matt & Marges, great hamburgers and within stumbling distance. Other question Where was shanty town? When you drive south on I-55 you will see a gas tank farm just east of the highway, south of the Brewery towards the river. It was not a Hoverville. The shacks could be of any size, from something smaller than a one car garage on up. They larger ones would house a whole family or two or three or whatever would fit. It was not unusual to see a brand spankin new Cadillac sitting outside. When the guys went out at night they dressed like they owned a clothing store. I don't remember ever hearing of rumbles going on in the area. The residents did their own policing. Think I answered all the questions and then some. Why is it that all the schools I went to either shut down or move? I think my grade school is even closing. Bill Surnames of Interest: BUCHHOLZ anywhere -BECKMANN-CASSIDY-DeL0NJAY-DREES-MOSBACHER-NENTWIG-NEUTZLER-PONCOT-RENSIN G-STAUDER-STIEFFERMANN ________________________________________________________________ The best thing to hit the Internet in years - Juno SpeedBand! Surf the Web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER! 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