I applied to two colleges, Clarkson University and New York University, was accepted to both and decided to attend Clarkson in Potsdam, NY. I was enrolled in the Electrical Engineering program and did well my freshman year. In the spring semester, I pledged Delta Sigma Phi fraternity and met my future wife, Marge.
In my sophomore year, a friend and I rented a 3rd floor apartment in downtown Potsdam. Over Christmas break, the apartment building caught fire and we had to move into the fraternity house. I was enjoying fraternity life and seeing Marge again.
In my junior year, classes became very much into electromagnetic theory and such and I was completely lost and I failed my courses and switched majors to Industrial Distribution. In December, the United States conducted its first draft lottery - I received the #10! The second semester found me unable to pay for meals at the fraternity house so I could only eat whatever was left over after meals - Boy did I hate steak nights as there was nothing leftover! I was doing quite well with my classes now but was borderline A/B in most courses and needed to do well on my finals. This was May of 1970 and there was the upcoming March on Washington for Civil Rights that many college students wanted to participate in. Our college offered the students to either skip finals and take your current grade OR take the finals. I had one course that I really knew I could improve my grade so I opted to take the finals. Mid-week of finals, I was feeling quite sick so I went to the doctor, who sent me to the hospital, and I had an emergency appendectomy - so much for the finals. My professor allowed me to take the exam when I returned next semester and I aced it and made the Dean's List.
My senior year, Marge and I were engaged and since I couldnt afford room and board, Marge's parents gave her the money that would have been spent for room and board and we rented a cottage. Our parents did not get along very well, so we decided to get married over Thanksgiving break. When I got to Long Island, my mother gave me a letter from the local draft board to take a physical in December. We married on November 28, 1970 and drove back to Potsdam the next day. I called the draft board and advised them that I couldnt take the physical as I was 400 miles away - they said they would schedule it for Ogdensburg, NY. In January, President Nixon said there would be no draft for the next 3 months which meant if you were draftable on January 1, you were now free from the draft - try explaining that to companies that were hiring. The spring semester found us living in married student housing and me working nights at the local fancy restaurant, the Dew Drop Inn. I continued to get good grades and Marge finished her studies.
Since I flunked one semester, I still had one semester to finish in order to graduate. Marge went to work for NY Telephone and we rented an apartment about 15 miles from town. I kept sending out letters trying to get an interview. In the spring, I received an offer to interview for a management training position in Newton, Mass. I got the job and we moved to Foxboro, Mass.