fC*uuu y*u>i Vniue/UlUf.
There is a fascination to Alaska
^that even a PhD can’t deny. And
that is why Dr. Minnie E. Wells,
head of the department of arts
and letters, is now in her sixth
Dr. Wells
year at the Uni
versity of Alas
ka. Dr. Wells
teaches Greek
and Roman
mythology,
Chaucer, fresh
man English
and a handful
of other sub
jects connected
with the Eng
lish language.
Back in 1908-09 Minnie E. Wells
played on the banks of the Chena
on Garden Island, and took her
dolls for a walk to the grounds
of the nearby Catholic Church
and hospital. Later she and her
family lived in the John McGinn
residence on Front Street near
the Episcopal Church.
Her most vivid recollection of
„ Fairbanks of the early days was
‘ seeing the river steamers come up
the Chena and chuff past her
home to the landing in front of
the N. C. Co. She remembers
when her father, Oscar Andrews
Wells, clerk of the Federal court,
and her mother took her calling
on Mrs. Luther Hess. Mrs. Hess
had a most convenient cookie jar
in the kitchen.
In 1909 the Wells family board
ed a river steamer and went Out
side — back to Oklahoma — but
Minnie never forgot the wondrous
tiynes she had in Fairbanks and
vowed she would return.
Her childhood was spent in
Muskogee, Oklahoma, and dur
ing her formative years she decid
ed that English and literature
would be her fields. “I learned
to love to read,” Dr. Wells said.
“I decided that perhaps I could
impart the beauties of the lan
guage and literature to others, so
I headed for a teaching career.”
Miss Wells attended the Uni
V'-************************
versity of Missouri, and obtained
her bachelor’s degree there. Then
she attended Bryn Mawr College
and studied under the late Pro
fessor Carleton Brown, who, for
25 years, was editor of publica
tions of the Modern Language
Association. When Professor
Brown was asked to teach at New
York University, English major
Minnie E. Wells enrolled at that
school.
After spending a year abroad at
Oxford, Cambridge and London,
Minnie E. Wells was granted her
Ph.D. Acutally, she jumped from
a bachelor’s degree to a Ph.D.
without the usual intervening
degree of M.A.
“Dr. Brown discouraged me
from working for a master’s de
gree,” she said. “He felt that,
once having obtained the sense
of achievement of earning an
M.A., I might want to rest on my
laurels. So I jumped directly to
a Ph.D.”
Dr. Wells taught at New York
University, then at Southeastern
State College, Durant, Oklahoma,
the University of Tulsa and then
went back to New York Univer
sity. But she liked the South, so
she taught at Hood College, Fred
erick, Maryland (the home of
Barbara Fritchie), then later at
Ward - Balmont, at Nashville,
Tenn.
“Somewhere during the years I
heard that Alaska had established
a university and that it was sit
uated near Fairbanks,” Dr. Wells
said. “So one rainy day I wrote
to Dean Duckering, asked about
the school, and told him that in
my girlhood I had lived in the
gold camp of Fairbanks.
“Before our pleasant corre
spondence was very old, I re
ceived an offer from the Univer
sity of Alaska and I came north.
In my six years I have never re
gretted it, as Alaska is my home.”
Dr. Wells’ ability to work with
students has earned for her an
enviable position to the faculty.
***********************^t |
sjs
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
He
*
*
4=
*
*
*
fyeeluHXj, 9U?
See Your Doctor First
Then See Us
Palmer Drug Store
THE PRESCRIPTION HEADQUARTERS OF THE VALLEY
fcjf***********************************************'*
DUSTY RHODES
TIRE SERVICE
Fifth & East H Place Telephone 42775
Box 1821, Anchorage
Most Complete Tire Service in Alaska
New Tires Batteries
Recapping Repairing Vulcanizing
ACCA CHAPTER TO BE
RE-ACTIVATED HERE
WASILLA—Mrs. Marshall Hop
pin and members of the board of
trustees of the Alaska Crippled
Children’s Association will be in
Wasilla on Oct. 21 to meet with
local residents and effect the re
establishment of an ACCA chap
ter.
Mrs. Hofcpin said the October
meeting and chapter organization
is planned at the specific request
of several Wasilla people, who be
came interested in ACCA work
through the booth at the recent
Matanuska Valley Fair.
The ACCA representatives also
plan to display, for sale, repre
sentative articles of the merchan
dise carried at the Guilded Cage,
when they meet in Wasilla.
In addition to being head of the
department of arts and letters,
she is now dean of women and
assistant dean of the university.
“We have made great strides in
higher education here at the Uni
versity of Alaska,” Dr. Wells
stated. “Good literature is just as
much appreciated here as it is
anywhere in the states. And, in
all honesty, I must say that stu
dents coming to the University
from Alaskan towns often have
better training in English than
do those who come from the Out
side. It is a pleasure to work with
them.”
HALL'S
Used Cars and Trailers
Downtown Anchorage
Next to Royal Bar
Sales Consignments
ACREAGE
HOUSES
DAIRY FARMS
PIONEER
Insurance and
Realty
Wright Building
PALMER
PALMER
SHEET METAL
Heating and
Plumbing
Supplies
Luxair Furnaces
Anchor Stokers
m
-zrfa
For Exceptionally Fine
fyotu&lCQQcktailb
CAFE EXCEPTIONAL
Billie and Bob
STEAKS CHOPS
DINNERS
232 Fifth Avenue
COCKTAILS
Phone 40672 Anchorage
It's Getting
Harder and Harder and Harder
To Get You the Plumbing Fixtures You Want.
If you're going to need something in the plumbing line
soon, let us know at once, so we can order it for you
MACS PLUMBING & HEATING
(Located in the Basement of the Ward Bldg.)
*************************************************
Why Noi Drop In and Buy a Loaf of Thai
Delicious
SHAMROCK BREAD
Sh
amroc
k Bal
eery
if************************************************
s
Fop
Dining
For
Dancing
For
Refreshments
Fine Whiskies — Beers — Liqueurs
ALPINE INN
Mile 61, Glenn Highway
Phone l-J-31