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Subject: RE: Helen Jane retiring?!?!
Date: Wed, 21 Dec 2005
From: Dr. Virginia R. Hetrick <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
I first heard about Helen Jane, when I intereviewed for a position as
Assistant Professor of Geography at the University of Florida during the
AAG meeting in Atlanta in April, 1973. Shannon McCune, who had headed
the AGS, was department chairman at that time and emphasized I wouldn't
be the only new woman geographer coming to the campus in the fall.
I first met Helen Jane when she, Tom Boswell (now chair at UMiami), and
I all arrived at the University of Florida in September, 1973. In my
view, Shannon's interests in maps generally and historical maps of East
Asia were one of the reasons why he reallllllllly wanted to get a map
library available for the faculty and students of the geography
department, though of course everybody else on campus could use the same
resources. For the first few years, Helen Jane's home was on the first
floor of the OLLLLLLLLD Library East which was almost habitable at the time.
Finally, Helen Jane wound up in the new Science Library between the
University Auditorium and the plaza where the French fries from hell or
the pencil sculpture lived, depending on how you viewed about 9 or 10
12-foot long, yellow, enamelled hollow metal sticks arranged vertically
like jackstraws.
While I was at UF, Helen Jane got the collection organized and enlarged,
developed some really good student helpers, and helped promote the use
of maps and geographic information systems across the campus. She also
regularly gave talks to students in our geography classes and supplied
challenging tasks for students to answer when asked.
So, congratulations on your retirement, Helen Jane. Enjoy! And, if
somebody comes asking whether you want to unretire, resolve to say no
unless they REALLY give you the keys to the castle! ;-)
virginia
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\ / Virginia R. Hetrick, here in sunny California
0 Voicemail: 310.471.1766 Email: [log in to unmask]
Oo "There is always hope."
My fave: http://www.washington.edu/cambots/camera1_l.gif
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