As a "P.K." I look back on U of M-Morris history

The image shows my father Ralph Williams directing a UMM orchestra rehearsal in the 1960-61 school year. That was UMM's first year, "maiden voyage."

 

Here's an interesting archived item in the Williams house (up on Northridge Drive). It's a UMM music concert program. Looks fresh as can be. But it's from May of 1961! John F. Kennedy was in his first year as president. So it was "Camelot" with all the romantic overtones. Exploring space. The glamorous Jackie. 

Am I a misogynist in describing a particular woman as "glamorous?" Maybe I need to catch myself on this. But I remember Dan Rather stepping over the line even worse on this. His comment was about the Clintons during Bill's presidency. Feel nostalgic about that? As much as the Clinton name has become pilloried by right wing talk radio over the last few years, one must note that Bill governed within the norms. He respected established rules and precedent so we had a sense of orderliness. 

And we don't now? Ahem. Right now we can still sort of laugh about what is going on. We'll be very lucky if we can keep doing that. So let's pray we can. 

Anyway, ol' Dan Rather of eventual "superscript" fame thought Hillary was a good-looking First Lady. So he looked into the camera one night and wondered how we'd all feel about having "an attractive First Lady." What a direct insult to Barbara Bush. How inappropriate to even launch such analysis on network news. 

Look how nervous the network people are now under DJT the obsessed litigator: lawsuit here, lawsuit there, "settlement" here, "settlement" there. I'm reminded of the late Vince Bugliosi who talked about the nature of lawsuits being so distracting if you're a target: "You wake up in the middle of the night and you start thinking about it." 

 

UMM's birth, Roger Maris

May of 1961 was early in the Roger Maris march toward 61 home runs with the Yankees. The Yanks had a dynasty going that would end after 1964, abruptly in fact. What was the biggest signal that the dynasty was over? It was the Harmon Killebrew home run at Met Stadium just before the All-Star break. There would be no bigger home run from Twins history. It would have to at least share No. 1 on the list. 

The Killebrew generation of Twins has faded some in our collective memory. That's how it goes with human nature. In the same sense we might start forgetting UMM's earliest days. I have suggested that UMM was the "little engine that could." 

Rod Briggs brought my father here as an important element. Ralph was the only music faculty in UMM's first year. I was a hyper-active kid who I'm sure should have been put on behavior meds, full dosage. Maybe a little more than full dosage. Maybe I felt a burden of expectations. Or maybe my teachers applied a burden of expectation. 

I have heard the initials "P.K." applied to "preacher's kid" as if there's a certain quality to it. Translation: a certain set of expectations. But of course such kids are totally unique souls just like another "P.K." version. That would be "professor's kid." 

I think some kids in either category can go wayward because of expectations they feel. Did I go wayward? In some respects probably. Oh to have my childhood to live over again and to "start at the bottom" with everything. We all have looking-back thoughts. But we know we've been dealt a certain hand with reality. I recall here a statement from John Lennon of the Beatles: "Life is what happens while you're making other plans." 

In other words, there is the theoretical as opposed to what you encounter each day. 

So I grew up as the only child in a family seen as affluent where the father was appointed as a key person to get this fledgling institution called "UMM" off the ground. His interests and aspirations meant everything. Me? Was I supposed to act like I was just along for the ride? Was I supposed to just get out of the way? Was I supposed to just separate myself from my family? Was I supposed to just get lost? My detractors who still hover around would suggest the latter. But I really am a human being and I deserve better than that. 

 

Imposing reputation

I grew up hearing constantly about UMM's superior standing and the intelligent quality of UMM's students. Never for a second did I think I could ever mix with that. Here's a little secret: My father actually thought a lot of that talk as hyperbole. He definitely respected authority because after all, he was a lieutenant in the Navy for WWII and all such folks have it drummed into them to respect authority, even "some S.O.B. sergeant," the way my father put it to me once. 

Make no mistake, I was not close to my father. We felt the effect of the "generation gap" as much as any family. If you think my parents had an unreasonable fixation on me, in terms of wanting to indulge me and flatter me too much, maybe there was a basis for their behavior. 

I was the product of a difficult C-section childbirth. I heard momentary references to this over time but I never sat either Mom or Dad down to tell the story. Many years later my senses were confirmed when my family attended a reunion for the defunct U of M-St. Paul School of Agriculture. We attended because I wanted to run the "Get in Gear" 10K run in Minneapolis, known as the big spring opener for the running season. The "running fad" was still on - perhaps you remember the runaway bestselling book by James Fixx with the red cover. 

My family made a weekend of it and attended the reunion in St. Paul where - ahem - we were seated at the head table. Even me! Again I was being treated as someone special because I was a "P.K." The emcee intro'd my family including me, and at the mention of me a "murmur" of several seconds spread around the room. It definitely meant something. 

So I immediately realized that my birth in 1955 was traumatic and word got around campus. Perhaps my life and the life of my mother were endangered. She had previously had a stillborn child. After my birth she was told she could have no more children. So yes they became inclined to indulge me. Furthermore it's entirely possible that the difficult childbirth could have led to some adjustment problems for me. Well, related to mental health. 

Oh, most of us have dealt with a mental challenge or two in our lives. We try to pull ourselves up by the bootstraps. "Meds" help for a lot of us. I have arrived at the theory that to whatever extent I could seem like a weirdo sometimes - to be frank - it's maybe because I'm like Rosemary Kennedy. Rosemary was JFK's troubled sister who had to be "silenced" through a troubling medical practice. Rosemary was quite the product of a difficult childbirth. I dove into this for research purposes once. 

She was a beautiful young lady. The word "retarded" never applied to her. But she became, shall we say, unmanageable. 

It's always best to focus on the present: I'll say that I'm proud to be age 70, proud to reflect on UMM's earliest days and proud to observe the printed music program of May 16, 1961. No "smartphones" then!

UMM's first graduation would not happen until 1964 and I was present for it, outside on the mall. UMM's mall was flat in the early days. In the late '60s you'd see "hippies" flying kites there! A long road of development and excitement, yes. 

 

Whither DEI?

The times at present are troubled. We are so tied-in with "DEI" and yet our new presidential administration is coming down like a sledgehammer on it! What might be the ramifications? We have a multi-ethnic building on campus. BTW that was the original home of the music dept. I used to go upstairs and watch Cougar football out the window facing south when football was played at "P.E. Miller Field." 

Our chancellor now in 2025 shared a "pep talk" with me in a recent letter. I'm happy to share Janet's kind words here. C'mon Brian, let's be "glass half full!"

Dear Brian,

My sincerest thanks to you for your updated estate gift to support the Ralph and Martha Williams Fund at the University of Minnesota Morris. Music continues to be a core part of the UMN Morris experience, and your dedication and support to the Music Discipline to enhance experiences and opportunities is genuinely inspiring. Your gifts support the promise and potential of the University of Minnesota Morris.

 

We are deeply grateful for your generosity and family legacy, which will have a lasting impact on students and their futures.

With gratitude,

Janet A.S. Ericksen, Ph.D.

Chancellor

cc: Erin Christensen, Senior Development Officer

 

Dad directs the chorus at the U of M-St. Paul School of Agriculture, 1950s. I was in my preschool years during that time. I have the warmest memories. It's where I discovered television too! The "Sky King" show, "brought to you by Nabisco."

 

 

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com