By Katie Couric Sporting khaki pants, a yellow buttondown shirt, a mustard colored bow tie and a navy blazer, he takes a seat on his Alumni Association armchair. He leans back and balances his weight on the back legs of the chair, resting comfortably against the wall. He lights his pipe and crosses his legs, his brown leather tasseled loafers reflecting the light. Frank L. Hereford Jr. is unmistakably a Virginia Gentleman.
When he is told his Pavillion VIII office is a nice one he smiles and says in a soft southern accent, "Well thank you. We had a pretty good architect."
Born and raised in Lake Charles, Louisiana, Hereford attended Florida Military Academy in St. Petersburg, explaining that before World War II, military schools were very popular. When it came time to choose a college, it was between the University and Princeton. He opted for Virginia instead of New Jersey: "I liked what I heard about the University."
Although Hereford was primarily interested in law when he entered college, "I always liked math and physics, so I decided to do something about it." In the beginning of his third year, he declared a major in physics.
But World War II interrupted his academic pursuits. During the war years he put to use his knowledge of physics, working on an atomic bomb project and with guided missiles. He describes the atmosphere at the University as "quiet and serious." He lights his pipe again. "It was a pretty dismal time."
"There were very few students here and they were the ones who had been deferred for some reason or another."
According to Hereford, almost everything was rationed, during the war years. "Half a dozen bottles of beer were very difficult to get. Cigarettes were also very hard to come by."
"It was very different then," he says. "There was an all-out commitment to win the war. People in ROTC wanted to wear their uniforms all the time. Often times friends and fraternity brothers were killed," he says. "That was very hard," he adds.
If Hereford's recollections of World War II days are somber, his memories of 1945 were not. "It was the year after the war and a very happy year with lots of parties," he recalls. A member of Alpha Tau Omega (ATO) fraternity, he often frequented girls schools "down the road."
"I had a 1939 Ford Convertible that would start and take you to Sweetbriar (College)." Although he says Sweetbriar was not his favorite school he readily admits, "That's where I found my favorite girl," referring to his wife, Ann. He lights a pipe and smiles. "I had my share of good times."[...]
Read More
A review on a year with a roommate
By Rosie Strickland | 4 days agoMy roommate has indirectly taught me the importance of learning how to build my own routine.
Africa Day captures the ‘essence’ of African heritage
By Kate Johnson | 5 days agoSaturday's sold-out event featured a four-hour program of modeling scenes, dance performances and musical acts in the Newcomb Ballroom.
A guide to the perfect first date
By Anna Stamey | 6 days agoHere's my take on the formula you should use to scheme a potentially perfect date.
