Venard 1953-54

I still have powerful memories of the Venard, where I was a special student because I had already graduated from high school. I went on to Glen Ellen for a semester, then left the seminary. After I left, I did my freshman year at Nebraska and then returned to NYC to attend CCNY, at which I got my BA. I got my MA and Ph.D. from Duke. I have been teaching at the University of Tennessee since 1965 and retired about two years ago. English professor. Grew up in New York City.

Photo at the back of the Venard: Seated on bench: Vincent Buonello, Paul Czja (pronounced "Say Ja," which I render as "Czja."), ? Standing on left: ? Standing on right: Ratzchek, ? Sitting left to right: Joe Herring, John Ryan, Bob Lilly, and Bob Sweeney.

This old abandoned house was in walking distance from the Venard but not on Venard property. We all went there during our free time from the seminary.

From left: John Ryan, Paul Ramsey, Gene Toland (who went on to ordination), Joe Herring. Foreground and seated from left: Joe Johnson, Frank Schexnayder (pronounced "Check Schneider")