“I rarely end up where I was intending to go, but often I end up somewhere I needed to be.” ― Douglas Adams, Starting and being a part of a new situation has been nothing new to me. After my sophomore year at Lewis, I was introduced in 1960 to new sponsorship of Lewis College whereby … Continue reading Starting a New School: Roncalli of Aurora
Category: Lewis
Stories about Lewis
A Year That Joliet Junior College was Gym-less: 1970-71
Coach Gordie Gillespie seldom had only one coaching job. Beginning in 1951, he was coaching and teaching fulltime at Joliet Catholic and part-time at Lewis College. By 1959, Gordie was at Lewis full time, coaching basketball and baseball, athletic director, and teaching a full load of college courses as well as head football coach and … Continue reading A Year That Joliet Junior College was Gym-less: 1970-71
Ireland with Sullie, Son John, and John Boles: We had No Choice
"Tá dul go hÉirinn cosúil le dul abhaile." (Going to Ireland is like going home.) And so it happened that just a few times in Ireland proved to be insufficient for the likes of John Kennedy, Tom Kennedy, and Patrick Sullivan. After all, Pat had been to the island before but left before he had … Continue reading Ireland with Sullie, Son John, and John Boles: We had No Choice
The Day That Coach Left Us
“Carve your name on hearts, not tombstones. A legacy is etched into the minds of others and the stories they share about you.” ― Shannon Alder If life is a game of nine innings, we were aware that Gordie had gone into extra innings. The outcome at the end of the game, as with all of living … Continue reading The Day That Coach Left Us
The Game When Gordie Ordered His Hitter to Strike Out
Seldom does a coach tell his player to fail. Yet, Gordie Gillespie, recognized by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics as the “Baseball Coach of the Century,” did exactly that. Catcher Ron Fordonski was ordered to strike out. Baseball players hate striking out. For me and for most every hitter, that long walk back to the dugout … Continue reading The Game When Gordie Ordered His Hitter to Strike Out
Avoiding a Riot at Lewis: 1971
"The College holds, as a basic principle for its existence, the civilization of the mind, the development of the rational process by which men can work for their betterment. Any tactic which impairs the freedom of thought and expression and of due process in controversy is incompatible with the very natures of the College and … Continue reading Avoiding a Riot at Lewis: 1971
NBA: I Gave It a Shot
“Tom, do you have any other job possibilities? I will have your teammate Don Nelson use my car to transport you and two other rookies back to Chicago.” Chicago Zephyrs coach, Jack McMahon. “Yes, I do have a job waiting for me teaching and coaching at a new high school in Aurora. Thanks, Jack, for the opportunity … Continue reading NBA: I Gave It a Shot
The Enigmatic Rhymer of Lewis Intramurals: The Purple Poet
“I am the gray purple poet,My words are etched for all time;If you hear me on campus you’ll know it,I speak in verses and rhyme.”P.P. Alert…Alert…Alert: Readers should know that this blog, although primarily relevant to a particular audience of former Lewis University students, may contain interesting elements to a more diverse population. The Lewis … Continue reading The Enigmatic Rhymer of Lewis Intramurals: The Purple Poet
A Legendary Lewis Baseball Game
“It was the greatest individual pitching performance, and the greatest game pitched in Lewis College history.” Coach Gordie Gillespie on pitcher Bob Bachman’s masterpiece. Unfortunately, Coach had to watch the last five innings of the 13-inning game from the stands, having been ejected along with two Flyer players in the 8th inning. Instead of being … Continue reading A Legendary Lewis Baseball Game
Era of the Lewis Intramural Nation
“Creative ideas come from marinated observations of the obvious.” TK Coaches Paul Ruddy and Tom Kennedy Looking back to my days of teaching and coaching at Roncalli High School in Aurora, Illinois, it is easy to see the genesis of a highlight in my career. That highlight, of course, was the Lewis University intramural program … Continue reading Era of the Lewis Intramural Nation
Braidwood Beginnings 