Kurt Ritter
Kurt Ritter and wife Ellen
Like me, many of the members of the Campbell Union High School class of 1962 arrived on our high school campus as freshmen in September 1958. Dwight Eisenhower was president of the U.S. and the Soviet Union had launched its Sputnik satellite the previous year. We were born during the final years of WWII, but had grown to the age of 14 deep in the Cold War. It seems long ago; it seems like yesterday.
My enduring recollection of my high school years is how my teachers made a lasting impact on my life. They did not just teach us history and science; they tried to teach us how to become adults. In this regard, I particularly remember four teachers:
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Mr. Allen was my German teacher as a freshman. One day during the fall semester of 1958, those of us who arrived to our class early were entertained by a classmate who assumed the role of a Nazi officer as portrayed in WWII Hollywood films. Speaking with an amusing mixture of German and German-accented English, he soon had us laughing at his antics. Mr. Allen interrupted, noting that because we knew the performer personally, we understood that he was just joking. But people who did not know us, he warned, would probably have a very low opinion of both the actor and those of us who were egging him on. There was an awkward silence in the classroom as we early adolescents processed that observation. I only partially grasped Mr. Allen’s message that day, and had to relearn it as a senior. |
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Mr. Horrigan, my math teacher when I was a senior, taught our class at the hour when students and their teachers recited the pledge of allegiance to the United States. Feeling that as seniors we need not pledge allegiance like children did, some of us memorized the pledge backwards and recited that one day. Our mild mannered teacher stunned us with his angry response. He recounted the many Americans who died or were horribly injured while defending America in the Pacific during WWII. Looking at our balding teacher, it suddenly occurred to us that he might have fought in WWII as well. I was deeply ashamed; but Mr. Horrigan composed himself and turned to our math lesson for that day. |
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Mr. Perkins, my music teacher and band director during my freshman year, helped me solve a difficult problem. I loved being a member of the marching band, but was a hopelessly incompetent musician (trombone). As our sophomore year approached, he told me that instead of playing in the band, he needed me to narrate each half-time band performance at football games. I was delighted and flattered. I met with him each week during the football season to revise the script that I would announce that week on the stadium’s public address system. To my delight, the San Francisco 49ers NFL team selected the Campbell High band to perform at halftime of a game that year. Unknown to me, I took my first step toward my eventual career as a university professor of communication when I proudly narrated our band’s halftime performance over Kezar Stadium’s PA system. |
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Mr. Miller, my speech teacher during my junior and senior years, forced me to face up to the fact that I needed to improve my writing skills in order to be able to excel in college. As our senior year approached, he told me that instead of enrolling in an advanced speech & drama class, I must take a traditional English class from Ms. Jennings, whom I viewed as the most demanding English teacher at Campbell High. I learned a lot in her class, and during my first semester of college, I received the highest grade in my English class on our first essay assignment—a “C+”!  |
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Early in my sophomore year of college I met Ellen Floyd (Class of 1963 at Fremont High School in Sunnyvale, CA). After several years of effort, I persuaded her to marry me. This year we celebrated our 54th wedding anniversary. We both aspired to be college professors of communication, and attended graduate school at Indiana University. We quickly discovered that “life” was what happened while we were busy making other plans. Five months after our wedding, the draft board in Santa Clara County notified me that I would be drafted at the end of that school year. Instead of waiting to be drafted, I enlisted in the Air Force in 1967 and served four years at a base in San Antonio, Texas. While I worked as an “education & training officer,” Ellen taught in the Speech & Drama Department at the local junior college (San Antonio College). Our daughter was born at the Air Force base’s hospital. When my tour of duty ended in 1971, we returned to Indiana to complete our Ph.D. degrees in communication and launch our careers at universities in Illinois and Missouri. In 1982 we moved to Texas A&M University where we worked until retiring a quarter of a century later. Six years ago we moved to the Washington, DC, area (northern Virginia) to be closer to our daughter. A year and a half after moving to the East Coast, we became grandparents! Our wonderful granddaughter will be 5 years old in November.
Because I left California in 1965, I have not been able to stay in touch with many people who attended Campbell High School. At least once a year, I visit in person with my two brothers, John Ritter (CUHS Class of 1964) and Walter Ritter (CUHS Class of 1967). John has pursued an international career since 1973—first as a teacher at international schools, then for the majority of his career as a director of international schools, and for the past decade he has worked as a consultant to international schools. He and his wife Susan currently live in Bangkok, Thailand. Walter pursued a business career for 30 years, but for the past 15 years he has returned to his life-long passion for theater and vocal music. He and his partner Veronica live in San Diego, CA, where they have established their own theatre company (“Write Outloud”), which stages performances and activities throughout San Diego County that promote literature, literacy and the language arts.
The two members of our class with whom I try to visit in person at least annually are Don Chamberlin of San Jose, CA, and Jack Van Sambeek of San Diego. Don and I went to school together in Campbell, CA, from kindergarten through high school. Our undergraduate schools were at the Claremont Colleges in southern California. The photo of Don and me at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA, was taken a couple of years ago. While touring the museum, I discovered that in 2009 Don was honored as a “Fellow” of the Museum in recognition to his contributions to computer science.
The photo of Jack and me shows us in San Diego during the last happy, pre-pandemic days in early January 2020 Jack and his wife Cece seem to have camped and hiked at every national park between San Diego, CA, and San Antonio, TX (Cece’s hometown). Jack and I were debate partners at Campbell High, and both served in the U.S. Air Force. For a six-week period we were even at the same Air Force Base in San Antonio, which made it possible for us to have a Thanksgiving dinner together.
Kurt and Jack Van Sambeek then Kurt and Jack now.
The last photo shows me with the product of the hard work of my brother John and his wife (and of my wife and me) regarding this year’s election. Over 1,000 postcards were handwritten to encourage new voters to actually vote. Those people live in “swing states” and seek a change in our national leadership.
Regardless of political preferences, I hope all the members of the CUHS class of 1962 will have a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year.
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Kurt Ritter,
Professor Emeritus of Communication,
Texas A&M University