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Iwas a student at the University of Texas in August 1966, working a sum-
mer job at the state capitol. I had gone to my apartment near the campus
for lunch when a guy across the hall knocked on my door and said, “Did you
hear on the radio? There is some guy shooting from the tower.”
I took my sandwich and began walking down the “Drag” toward campus,
about three blocks away. As I walked, I saw several police cars racing past
me, headed for the co-op area. From the sidewalk across the street from
the Student Union, I saw police officers crouched behind their patrol cars,
pistols drawn and aiming toward the tower. I, on the other hand, was sim-
ply strolling along behind them, sandwich in hand, staring up toward the
tower, where I could see the puffs of smoke as Charles Whitman was firing
on anyone he could see on the ground.
It was such an odd, sudden and bizarre situation, and I was so naïve and
innocent. The impact of the day didn’t really strike me until much later.
JAAN GOAD
Barb Forrest I was at the University of California at Berkeley maybe seven years
before that campus erupted into the Free Speech movement. I was
In 1967, I was 20 years old and in my a tiny part of the revolution that led to that: The campus prior to
second year of nursing school. It was a that time in 1957 was run by the fraternities and sororities - they
three-year diploma program at Bellevue were the big men (and women) on campus. But a populist revolution
Hospital in New York City. was a-brewing as the co-ops and others found “issues” for the subtle
BARB FORREST revolution. It was no big deal, then, but still some. Back then we all
had bull sessions and common topics were about politics, religion and
sex. Now, here, these controversial topics are taboo in the interests
of maintaining peace, but back then it was a norm.
ADAM BLATNER
46 | SUNRAYS APRIL 2016 Carey and Dennis Wilson
I left Seattle at 19 to play music in L.A. I
was able to hook up with three other musi-
cians and together we worked a variety of
clubs in the L.A. area. We added more musi-
cians and singers to the group as needed.
I had a great time during those years but
realized music would not be my career. Six
months after coming home to Seattle I met
Carey walking around Green Lake. Though
the vest I wore then is gone, Carey is still
with me here in Sun City after 45 years. I
am so happy I came back home.
DENNIS WILSON
ONLINE: SCTEXAS.ORG
