Spotlight OW You Archives

The Alumni Relations staff travels the U.S. each year meeting thousands of alumni along the way. Without a doubt, one of the most common conversations we have starts out like this, "You'll never believe what my freshman year roommate from back in Stuy is doing now..." With stories like these from Maine to Southern California, we thought it was about time to start highlighting some of these fascinating tales to showcase OWU in cyberspace; maybe make some lost connections, and last but certainly not least, have a little bit of fun along the way. Whether you're a corporate mogul or stay at home parent, seasoned or fresh off campus, Ohio Wesleyan shaped your life and this space is dedicated to highlight the stories of our Battling Bishop alumni.

Meet Granville Whitelaw Pine '63 

Name: Granville (Buzz) Pine

Class Year: 1963

Yes, that's my real name.  For those of you who knew me at OWU, I was called Buzz because with a name like Granville and your five years old you have to make some adjustments or suffer the consequences.  And now that I am an actor my name is Robert Pine.  When I was put under contract at Universal in 1964 one of the first things they asked me was would I mind changing my name because they didn't think I looked like a Granville. I said "I thought you would never ask."  So when I get a phone call or see a letter to Buzz Pine I know this is from someone from the (now) deep past.

I will be returning shortly for my 45^th reunion.  Boy!  How a lifetime flies by.  Have you noticed that?   My wife, Gwynne, and I will be performing (a staged reading actually) a very sweet play called "Love Letters" by A.R. Gurney which was first performed in New York in 1989.  For those of you who will be there for that weekend I hope you will come to the Chappelear Theatre at 2pm Saturday the 17^th and join us.  If you see it I think you will agree that this piece fits very well into a reunion weekend.

Gwynne has never been to OWU so I look forward to introducing her to a part of my life that helped to produce the man she has spent the last 38 years with.  Of course a lot of the places that were there in '59 thru '63 are no longer. Being a pre-med I did only three plays at school and they were done in the old Quonset hut which was somewhere behind Austin Hall as I remember.  It was a far cry from the facilities that are now available for the theatrically minded at OWU.  She was a successful actress for over 20 years so I know she will appreciate the Chappelear stage.

The walk from Sandusky up to Liberty which now passes the library, Chappelear and on up to Thomson and Bashford Halls (in my time they were very creatively called Residence Halls 1 & 2) was a city street with the only University building being  The MUB which has now been transformed into R.W. Corns Building.  There was also a water tower at Liberty across from the dorms which I notice has disappeared.  And the library was in Slocum Hall.  A lot of wonderful changes.

I remember with great fondness Dr. John Chase and Dr. Stull who were two of my zoology professors: Dr. Chase for his encouragement and compassion for my misguided leanings toward medicine and Dr. Stull for his wonderful Ornithology course where we gathered every Saturday morning at some ungodly early hour to observe our local avian friends welcoming the burgeoning daylight.   They both have passed on.  I also will miss Dr. John Crosby who directed a couple of plays I did and was always very supportive of my career.  He died this past year and I will miss his welcoming and gracious presence at the Theta Alpha Phi breakfast on the Saturday morning of the reunion weekend.

I know there is a lot to do on an alumnae weekend and a lot of catching up to do so if you miss the show I certainly understand.  But if you find yourself free and need a place to park yourself for a few hours on Saturday afternoon the 17^th , we would be honored to entertain you at Chapelear. 

2007 Spotlight OW You Features
(Date next to archive is the date the feature went live on the website)

• Skip Auch '68 Serves as President of Alumni Association (October 4, 2007)
• Tammi McCandish
• 1988 Div. III National Championship Men's Basketball Team