A Colonel at Last

by Harry B. Franken ’45

The 1945 class of Centre College has adopted me—or at least not complained much when I was dumped on its doorstep.

Uncle Sam sent me, an infantry soldier, to Centre as part of the 20th College Training Detachment to begin training to be an aviator. I was an aviation student to the Army, but I was also a Centre Colonel. My bunk was in the front room of the fraternity house that is now known as Chenault House, home of the alumni office.

From there we marched to classes and, my college transcript shows, I earned credits in physics, history, geography, English, and physical education. I did not receive any credit for chemistry, but as we marched past a building we called "Gruesome Gables," I saw an important formula: C6-H0. It was written boldly on the brick wall.

We learned the formula indicated what tiny Centre had done to the Ivy League on Oct. 29, 1921. Our athletic director was Ed Kubale [’25], who had been a member of that 1921 football team. He whipped us into physical shape for whatever might be ahead.

"All right you misters," Kubale would say as we gathered, "climb the rope three times, do twenty sit-ups, fifty pushups, run around the track twice and then we’ll get started."

The faculty members were all as dedicated as Kubale. They seemed to love the subjects they taught and they made learning easy. I remember some of the names: Dr. Clarence Heffelfinger, historian Will Gilliam. Flying was taught by a woman instructor.

At about this time General Henry H. Arnold, commander of the Army Air Corps, decided that a number of college students were more needed on the ground than in the air. We infantry soldiers would go back to the infantry.

I was sent to England, where I joined the First Infantry Division and fought in France, Belgium, and Germany. When I finally got back to Columbus, Ohio, I wanted to go to Centre College. I didn’t because I could save money by living at home and walking to Ohio State University. I took journalism and aviation, got my pilot’s license, and then went on to qualify as a commercial pilot with instrument and multi-engine ratings.

I got a job as a newspaper reporter, and it was an ideal time to be a pilot and reporter. Columbus had a municipal airport, an Air Force Base, a Naval Air Station, an aircraft factory, a university airport, and more than half a dozen paved and grass "crash patches" that went by the name of airport. I got to know jet planes, helicopters, blimps, hang gliders, sail planes and—yes—parachutes. I still haven’t flown in a hot air balloon.

During all of this time there were reminders and thoughts of Centre College. I interviewed [the late], Ewing T. Boles ’16 who graduated from Centre after his high school principal in Williamstown, Ky., told him that Centre was the only really good college in the state. He came to Columbus after graduation and entered the world of finance, becoming president of BancOhio Securities Company and the Ohio Company. His support of Centre has been outstanding.

While Ohio State University was my alma mater, many claimed that Kentucky was my true love. I often mentioned Centre in stories and columns I wrote.
Because of a merger, the afternoon newspaper for which I worked became a morning newspaper. That meant that most of the reporters worked in the evening. In order to spend more time with my growing family, I chose to cover the local courts and work a day shift.

Covering the courts led to me being hired by the Supreme Court of Ohio as its communications director, a job I held for 11 years.

Through that job I was able to list Harvard in my resume. I completed a symposium there on the media and the courts.

I have seen both sides now. The final score remains C6-H0!

During World War II, Centre turned over much of its campus to the military for use in training officers. Although Centre does not keep records of these students, many, like Harry B. Franken ’45, have fond memories of their time at the College. After being assigned to the Class of 1945, he wrote a letter, excerpted here, for his new classmates and thoroughly enjoyed their 55th reunion parties at Homecoming 2000.