As I mentioned in my last blog post, Mr. Peterson, my teacher for Criminology, expected us to work. I remember various occasions when students would talk with him informally over meals. It was a win/win situation. We learned more about the subject matter of the class, criminology, while he learned why his students took that particular class. At the same time, he learned about our backgrounds and ambitions.

Mr. Peterson and I kept in touch during my last two college years. I graduated a year behind the rest of my class as I had taken a year away to work at the Ecumenical Institute in Switzerland. (Institut Œcuménique – Château de Bossey).

The picture at left is me after graduating from Witt, with my Mom and Dad.

Shortly after my college graduation, I headed to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to attend seminary. I learned many things during my three academic years, a summer program called Clinical Pastoral Education, and my one-year internship.

I made many life-long friends during those years and, in time, accepted a marriage proposal from a brilliant student a year ahead of me at the seminary. We married in my hometown and had a pretty large wedding and reception. All sorts of people attended, probably about 300, and after the wedding, we had a reception, complete with a dance band, in the church fellowship hall.

You may ask how this has anything to do with the man who was my college professor. Well, let me tell you. Mr. Karl Peterson accepted our invitation to attend our wedding and reception. At some point that evening, he asked me to dance. As we danced, he gave his fatherly opinion, which echoed my mother’s and father’s opinions.

My choice of a husband was excellent.

Here we are — left to right.  The Bride (aka the author); Mr. Peterson (aka Sociology Professor and good friend); and then my college friends Judy, and my bridesmaid Ellen.