May 1
We buy national Gold.
May 11
Baby Marcus is one year old. We throw a party, and everyone, including Ruth Ann, is here.
Loretta is due in about 6 weeks.
Ruth Ann says the Kennedy campaign is going great.
“We think we have McCarthy and Humphrey on the run.”
June 5
We are looking at transfers. We need guards.
The world has surely gone mad. I worked very late and arrived home after 11:00. I turned on the television to see who had won the Democratic primary here in California. After I found out that Sen. Kennedy had won it, and after he gave his speech I was just sort of half asleep, too tired to get up and turn the TV off and go to bed. I was smiling about the fact that Ruth Ann was near him as he spoke. Suddenly there was a great commotion during the coverage. In a short time
I learned that the Senator had been shot in the head backstage after giving the speech.
I cannot describe the thoughts that went through my head. After speaking with Ruth Ann, and finding that she had been less than five feet from Sen. Kennedy
when he was shot, I drove to the airport to catch a plane for Los Angeles.
During the seemingly long flight I could not stop thinking about the fact that these two assassinations had happened so close to each other in time, and that
Ruth Ann had been very close to the scene both times.
When I arrived at LAX Ruth Ann was waiting for me. Sen. Kennedy had died in the meantime.
“Just take me home, daddy.”
We immediately booked a flight back home, once again, not even leaving the airport.
As we waited in the airport, and as we flew home, Ruth Ann just wanted to be held. We didn’t speak at all.
I drove us back home, Ruth Ann went to her room, and she didn’t leave the room except to eat and to use the bathroom, until Loretta’s baby was born.
June 9
We need guards but there is a center who looks too good to pass up. We offer to him.
June 12
Center Red Pine, from Rutgers, signs.
June 22
Lenora Callie Vaughn is born. Mother and baby are doing fine. Loretta will take about six weeks off and then Lenora will stay with grandma, and, as long as she’s here, with Ruth Ann. Baby Marcus is about the only reason Ruth Ann finds to smile, and no doubt Lenore will do the same for her.
June 23
As of today Vietnam is the longest war in U. S. history.
June 26
We need guards. We’re looking at 15 guards, 1 PF, 2 Cs.
July 15
Dr. Abernathy called Ruth Ann and asked her to join the NAACP/SCLC demonstration at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago early next month. He eventually convinced her to go. She really doesn’t want to.
August 2
After speaking to the group, Ruth Ann marched past the convention hall with the NAACP and SCLC. They had a permit for their march and it was relatively peaceful. As soon as they ended their march the Chicago police violently attacked a group of peace protesters who were in the streets without a permit. The altercation was ugly, and it was televised throughout the world. The attack led to the arrest of eight demonstrators, and to a trial which gained worldwide attention.
Ruth Ann called from her hotel late that night to let us know she was safe.
“Maybe I could just go home and never leave again. I am so tired of all of this death and destruction.”
She was back with us by the following day.
Hubert Humphrey beat back a strong challenge from Eugene McCarthy and will face Richard Nixon in the November election.
August 21
We offer to 3 guards and a big guy.
Ruth Ann asks if she can stay here for a while.
“I can pay you room and board. I just want to stay here and play with the babies.”
We don’t accept her offer of payment but let her know she is welcome to stay as long as she likes. Grandma will be 82 soon, and though she remains spry she can use the help. After all that Ruth Ann has been through it is understandable that she wants to stay and simply live a quiet life for a while. She has instructed all of us to say that she is unavailable to callers.
September 18
We are invited to the JAG holiday tournament where we will play New Mexico in the first round. We have 9 ranked teams on our schedule, including those in conference but not including any we may face in the JAG.
September 25
PG Gef Dane, #204, and Ez Dole, PG, #147 commit.
Ruth Ann continues to lead a very quiet life here. She plays with the children and reads in her room.
October 2
Dion Hahn, PG, #173, commits.
We are picked to finish 5th in conference. We hope to challenge for the title.
October 16
Reg Whit, SG, #132, commits. He is a juco.
November 6
After the exhibitions I am convinced that we are a very good team. We may be a year away, but we may be ready to challenge the national leaders now. Here’s the lineup: Seniors Jed Lane and Jake Henk return to start at guard with soph Tom Will backing up. We have three big men in the lineup, junior Dave Kran, a transfer from Purdue is at SF, junior Den Hamm, a two year starter, is at PF, and frosh Bill Wile is at C. Soph Cory Wise, a transfer from Dayton, is backing them up. And behind these 7 we have Alex Lily, Joe More, and Brad Whit, all very good players.
Richard Nixon is elected President.