Today’s Project 100 memory comes from Kathleen Reitz Behnke.  She was raised in Mullica Hill, New Jersey.  Her mother was a secretary, and her father was a purchasing agent for Mobil in Paulsboro, New Jersey.  She went to public schools and graduated from Clearview Regional High School in 1965.  She has a brother who went to Georgia Tech.  She started college at the University of Delaware but only attended for one semester before returning to New Jersey.  She began attending full time at Glassboro State in the Fall of 1966.  After graduating in 1969, she became a social worker for the Bureau of Children’s Service (later DYFS and today DCF).  After two or three years there, she taught at Gateway Regional High School, mostly teaching 7^th grade English.  While teaching there, she also earned a Master’s degree in Student Personnel Services.  She then took a position at Triton High School as a guidance counselor.  After a few years there, she took a similar position at West Deptford High School.  She was always taking more graduate classes and earned a certificate as a learning disabilities teacher consultant.  She worked at West Deptford until she retired in 2002.

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After a semester at the University of Delaware, I realized that I wanted to live at home.  So, Glassboro State was an obvious choice.  I decided to major in history because I had two great high school history teachers, one was Alice Robb and the other was Minerva Ward. 

I took a number of history classes, including United States history, the History of New Jersey, Western Civilization, Asia in the Modern World, and European History.  I remember that my classes were all fairly small, filled with more discussion than lecture, but I can’t remember as much as I would like about the history faculty.  Two history faculty that still stand out in my memory are Aaron Bender and Richard Porterfield.

I actually remember two English faculty better than most of the history faculty.  I was an English minor and later taught English to 7^th graders.  In any event, one of them was Edward Wolfe.  He was a great professor.  He was nice, approachable, and not at all standoffish.  He made class interesting and had a great sense of humor.  I took him for two classes as an undergraduate and then returned to take a graduate class with him just because he was such a great teacher. 

Another faculty member that I recall was Richard Mitchell.  He was very entertaining and knew something about everything.  I remember one night when he invited students to “ask him anything.”  He literally had answers for everything we came up with.  He went on to some fame as the “Underground Grammarian.” 

During the summer of 1967, I worked at Glassboro State College for the Curriculum Development Council.  That was the summer when the Summit took place between President Lyndon Johnson and Soviet Premier Alexei Kosygin. That Summit was planned very quickly.  I don’t think I even knew that it was taking place when I went to work that first morning of the Summit.  I remember the massive crowds that attended, and I remember Kosygin’s motorcade driving down 322. 

I had a great time at Glassboro State College.  I made some really good friends.  It prepared me well for my career, as my degrees directly helped me get all of my subsequent jobs.  I am who I am because of Glassboro State.

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This is part of the Department of History’s “Project 100,” the collection and sharing of one hundred memories by Glassboro State College and Rowan University alumni and staff.  One memory will be released per day in the 100 days leading up to October 20, 2023, the date of a reunion celebrating the 100^th anniversary of the founding of Glassboro Normal School, later Glassboro State College, and now Rowan University.  The reunion will take place at 7pm at the Summit City Farm and Winery in Glassboro, New Jersey.  Registration for the reunion will be open from July 11^th and will remain open until the venue reaches its 100-person capacity (or October 13^th if capacity never reached).  We do anticipate that the reunion will sell out, so please register as soon as possible by visiting the Alumni Office’s registration page here:  alumni.rowan.edu/historyreunion2023.

You can also find the up-to-date set of Project 100 memories on the Department of History’s webpage.  William Carrigan arranged, interviewed, transcribed and/or edited these memories.  Laurie Lahey proofread and helped edit the final versions.  If you wish to share your own memories, please email Dr. Carrigan at carrigan@rowan.edu.  Alumni with Facebook accounts are encouraged to join the RU/GSC History Alumni group here:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/251485937221524.