Badger Clark and Jim Duffey Connection

When we were in grade school, one of our teachers (was it the music teacher, Mrs. Engberg? {thank, Brian}) often mentioned that Badger Clark (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Badger_Clark) was the first poet laureate of South Dakota.  There have only been a handful of them in the state.  He was followed by Adeline Jenny, Audrey Visser, Mabel Frederick, and David Evans.  Mr. Evans, whom some of us may have had for a teacher when we were in college at SDSU, recently retired.  (http://www.argusleader.com/story/news/2014/10/03/state-poetry-society-searching-new-poet-laureate/16655829/)

The Argus_Leader reported today, Dec. 6, 2014, that a new poet laureate had been selected, and she has ties to Brookings.  (http://www.argusleader.com/story/news/2014/12/04/nea-grant-gives-sd-poet-greatest-gift-time-write/19899785/)   Her father is James Duffey, who was a year ahead of us in school.  He is not pictured, though, in the 1968 yearbook.  Does anyone know why not?  From all indications, he was a brilliant student.  As a junior, he was in the National Honor Society, and was an award-winning member of Kinetic Club and JETS (Junior Engineers Technical Society).  Both of these clubs were under the guidance of Mr. Karnes.  At the 1967 South Dakota Science Fair, Jim's project entitled "A Multi-Band Phased Vertical Array for the Amateur Radio Bands" earned him a two week Navy Cruise and the Bell Award.  The minutes of the 53rd annual meeting of the South Dakota Academy of Science for the following year 1968 (http://www.sdaos.org/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/Vol%2047%201968/68MIN.pdf) state that "Mr. Guy Karnes reported on the Bell telephone Award awarded last year to Jim Duffey, a junior at Brookings High School.  This was the first year for the award in this area.  The 1967 minutes authorized three students and three instructors to go on the trip.  The president noted that the new Junior Academy members should look into the possibilities for continued aspects for next year.  Mr. Marvin Hanson of Huron College has the details for the present plans for this award.  Next year there will be three competitions in Aberdeen, Sioux Falls, and Rapid City.  This would not be connected to the Academy.  The following year the next three larger schools would enter competitors for the award with other high schools furnishing competitors for the award in future years."

The minutes of the meeting stated that  "The trip was most enjoyable, and both Mr. Duffey and Mr. Karnes report that they had never received such "red carpet" treatment.  They were picked up at their homes by a Northwest Bell car and taken to the Sioux Falls Airport where they were seen off by Northwest Bell officials...They flew by jet to New York...Following a luncheon on May 15, they were taken by bus to the Research Laboratories at Murray Hill, New Jersey."

Jim himself had this to say:  "The trip to Murray Hill Research laboratories was most enlightening and very educational.  The particular research visit was tailored to each boy's  individual interest.  I was interested in electronics.  Among the research facilities I visited were those dealing with the development of semiconductor material, evolutions of various telephones, and computerized speech.  One of the most interesting parts of the Murray Hill visit was the dinner with a number of research scientists, some of whom we had heard speak earlier.  Here we had the opportunity to visit with these men and ask questions.  The trip was most interesting, and I sincerely hope the Bell Telephone Company continues this program so that many other boys may have the opportunity to visit the Murray Hill Laboratories."

James, however, was not the only Brookings High student to make an appearance at the Science Fair that year.  Randy Christensen and Ron Haverman received a $25 AAAS award for their project Studies of Electric Fields of Force";  Jan Roberts received a merit award for his project "pH Relationships of Chemical Complexes;  Dan Lutter entered his project "Ultra-Sensitive Microphone Using an Insulated Gate Transistor."  Dan was also nominated for the presidency of the Academy.

What is interesting is that the 1967 meeting was held in the Christy Ballroom on the campus of SDSU, and was welcomed by President Briggs, father of Janice of our class.  Also noteworthy is that the Junior Academy of Science held its banquet at the First Methodist Church at 6:30 on April 28.  Mr. Karnes was given a "large cake...in appreciation for the work he did for the Junior Academy."

Also notable were the names of the many professors associated with the Academy, some of whom were parents of our classmates.  Some of these professors may have been our teachers if we attended SDSU.  Do any of these names ring a bell?  Walt Morgan (he was also selected President for the upcoming year), Elmer Johnson, Gerald Myers, Paul Springer, H. M. Briggs, Bernard Brandwein, Robert Dahlgren, Bill Wadsworth,  Keith Morrill, Duane Acker, Glenn Alcott( we had a Mrs. Alcott for 7th Grade English--any connection?), Orville Bentley, B. L. Brage, Charles Carlson, Art Dracy, Hans Graetzer, Al and Yvonne Greichus, Andrew Halverson, Emil Hargett, David Holden, H. L. Hutcheson, Les Kamstra, Paul Koepsell, Ray Linder, Bill Lytle, Melvin Manning, Don McRoberts, Paul Middaugh, Ray Moore, Floyd Parker, Don Progulske, M. Roller, R. J. Wahlstrom and V. S. Webster.  Surprisingly, Jim Duffey's father, George, is not a member.  Had he retired by then?   New members for the next year included Henry Gehrke, Jr., Bob Kieckhefer, Chuck McMullen, and Jim Worman. 

There is also a mention of the passing away of  lifetime member C. M. Groethe of Sacramento, CA.  Would this be any relation to the Groethes that we would know?  In addition to Kathy in our class, there was a Carol Groethe when we were in grade school.  anyone remember her?  She may have moved away after 4th grade.  Did she live near Pioneer Park?

 One of the high school teachers listed is Jim Martin of Belle Fourche (we defeated them in the semifinals of the State "A" basketball tournament our senior year 69-58).  He would move to Brookings later that summer to replace Mr. Karnes and Mr. Friend as Chemistry teacher. He retired in the late 80's and still lives in Brookings.

The members of the Academy from BHS in 1967 were Randy Christensen, Dale Coulter, Doug Dahl, Jim Duffey, John Finn, Dennis and Tom Fox, Ron Haverman, Mary Ellen Josephson, Jan Roberts, and Stan Skubic.  From Todd County there is a Rebecca Tlustos.  Mr. Tlustos, the wrestling coach our senior year, actually does have a daughter Rebecca, but she graduated from Brookings in the 80's.

In 1968, senior Gregg McCarty appears to be the only BHS  member of the Academy.  His presentation, which was delivered at the Huron Arena, was entitled "A Study of Four-Substitute Pyridine N-Oxide Complexes with Zinc."  Dennis Fox, another senior, also had a presentation on  "Dependence of Viscosity on Temperature."  Gregg must have been rather busy his senior year.  He was also on the debate that was runner-up in the state tournament.  The team placed first at Fargo, SF Lincoln, USD, Watertown, Yankton, Morningside (Sioux City),  Big 10 (Brookings), and Divisional (Huron).  They were runners-up at Augustana, NFL (Aberdeen), and State.  Also on that team were Dave Pearson, Phil Kohl, and John Richards.  It appears that some competitions allowed for more than four debaters.  Pictured in the annual as champions at the Morningside Debate Tournament are Patty Hauschild and Karen Shaw, along with the four boys and Mr. Klassen.  Well done, folks.

While searching out the above information, another surprising website appeared (http://sigmaxi.sdstate.org/about1.htm).  In addition to those professors named above, some familiar names may be Harold Bailey, George Buntley, Paul Collins, Chris Dinkel, George Duffey, Harold Froslie, William Gamble, Raymond Kinch, Bruce Miller, Jesse Rawson, William Rogoff, Jack Runkles,and Frederick Westin. 
 
My encounters with Jim Duffey were virtually non-existent.  One memory, though, remains vividly in my mind.  In the spring of 1963, when we were in 6th grade, Lefty Johnson had visitation day for the 6th-graders who would be 7th-graders the next school year.  He wanted us to get a sense of what Jr. High would be like as we changed classrooms every  hour.  A 7th-grader would escort about six students as they would follow a brief schedule in a typical day of 7th grade.  We would spend perhaps 5-10 minutes in each class.  Jim Duffey was one of the chaperones the afternoon our class visited.  When we were in Mr. Kabrud's geography class, the topic had something to do with the Soviet Union.  Mr. Kabrud said that the word "Soviet" could be pronounced either of two ways:  Soe-vee-et or Sah-vee-et.  Jim asked Mr. Kabrud which one he preferred.  I think the answer was the former.

Does anyone know where Jim Duffey is now.  It would not be surprising if he has a Ph.D in some engineering field, and he is either a research scientist or a professor at a university somewhere.  Why is he not pictured in the 1968 annual?  Did he graduate early?  If anyone has any information, don't hesitate to let the rest of us know.