Robert Currie ‘74

That I even have a Lawrence story to share is only through a series of events that preceded my arrival to Appleton on September 13, 1970. There was much social unrest going on around me and across the country before I was scheduled to arrive on the LU campus for my freshman orientation. In fact, I decided not to come to Appleton and instead remained in New Jersey where I enrolled at Rutgers University at a new college program that featured a faculty of Black activists including Nikki Giovanni, Amiri Baraka and Toni Cade. Two weeks into the program, I received a call from my mother informing me that a woman from Lawrence University Admission Office, Lorna Black inquiring about my where abouts since I was scheduled to arrive on campus a week ago. I called Ms. Blake and she played the greatest psychology game on me – stating that LU must have made a mistake in offering me a spot due to the fact that I must not be up to facing the rigors of an elite academic institution. The fact of the matter was that my family did not have the financial means to get me to Lawrence – about $100 – for a trunk and airfare. I offered other reasons to Ms. Blake who would have none of it. We finally arrived to the discussion of financial necessity – and she arranged for the $100+ to be sent to me, removing my excuse – and I packed up leaving Rutgers and New Jersey for my first ever trip away from the East Coast. My entire tenure at Lawrence was filled with on and off campus activism leading to a takeover of the Administration Building in 1972 following the University’s invitation to the racist George Wallace to present a speech in Memorial Chapel. We had to fight tooth and nail for the Administration to listen to our concerns regarding under representation of persons of color, lack of academic diversity in the curricula and the absence of a diverse faculty. These experiences are still vivid and current with me today. That was a turning point when nearly 85 Black and Latin students were accepted and enrolled over the next few years (up from the 17 students that were in my class). Lawrence’s contribution to who I am today is rooted in the strength of its academic offerings. It prepared me for the fundamental and advanced skills required to compete successfully in an evolving world at the highest levels. The Lawrence “brand” is known widely and respected throughout the corridors of leading business entities. This in part enabled me to gain access to individuals and job opportunities that otherwise would not have been possible; especially to an African American.