Nick Retirement Powerpoint

When first asked, I replied that I had no pictures from Nick’s early years at Lowell; but I looked extra hard in recent weeks and I’m pleased to say that I managed to find a few after all. I have put them together in a slide show. Here it is:

“ Full of the Old Nick” My memories of my years with Avalon Nichols Minton in Pictures by Fred Lewis

After an expedition to North Carolina, to the ancestral Minton family home, I even managed to salvage a few old pictures from the tattered Minton family photo album.

This old one is evidently Nick’s great-great grandpappy, Colonel Beauregard Minton. There seems to be a definite family resemblance.

Growing up in the South was a happy, carefree experience for Nick

And Nick grew into a typical southern teenager

When he reached his early twenties, Nick decided to come North for Graduate School

Nick and I first met when I came to Lowell in 1973.

We actually looked much the same then as we do now.

Frank Talty and Marty Meehan were among our students in the mid 1970’s; they haven’t really changed much either.

Things were a bit different back then. The President took a personal interest in how his faculty were doing and would occasionally drop by to greet us.

The facilities at what was then Lowell State College were a bit spartan

Of course today’s UML is a very different place and our Chancellor has brought in some nationally known consultants to help UML develop a new “cutting edge,” “world class,” “move us to the next level” strategy.

And applying sophisticated, high-tech management techniques, they at last have a solution for the faculty parking problem

They are now planning a new dorm for south campus that promises to outshine even the downtown inn and conference center. Here is the architect’s vision.

In the 1980’s, when I led the faculty union, I got Nick involved too and appointed him to represent us on the Health and Welfare Trust. He served in that capacity for two decades despite the burden of having to travel to attend the dull, boring national trustee conference most years.

In the 1970’s, Political Science was a part of the History Department. In the early 80’s, Political Science split off from History; the process went smoothly with only a few minor disagreements

The faculty of the new Political Science Department was then seen as one of the coolest and most intellectual aggregations in the University

I WAS THE FIRST DEPARTMENT CHAIR. MUCH OF MY TIME WAS SPENT HELPING THE ALWAYS GRATEFUL STUDENTS SOLVE THEIR PROBLEMS

FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, NICK WAS DEPARTMENT CHAIR. HE TOO FOUND EVERY MINUTE DEEPLY SATISFYING.

In retirement, Nick has finally been able to partake of those many activities he has always dreamed about but never had time to pursue before.

CATCHING UP ON HIS LONG LIST OF HOME REPAIRS

EXPRESSING HIMSELF ARTISTICALLY

TRYING OUT FOR THE OLYMPICS

Expanding upon his love of theatre by actually going on the stage himself

FINDING SOMEONE TO PLAY GOLF WITH

DEVELOPING HIS SINGING TALENT

POLISHING UP HIS DANCE TECHNIQUE

HIKING THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL

FIGHTING CRIME

AND NOW HE IS GETTING READY TO RUN FOR THE U.S. SENATE

THE END AND FOR NICK, A NEW BEGINNING!