K*uua 'IfouSi VfUo&Uitu
When .ypUng Bill- Duckering
stepped ashore on the beach at"
Nome in the Spring of 1900. little
' dicT he realize
that, years later
"he wpuia bes one
of the top men
,in higher edu
cation.; in 'the
•T. e rfi terry of
. Alaska. ' " * ' '
j .puckering was
ran 'engineering
stpdent -at the.
University df
Washington at
the/'time.
?ifojne was a wild, lawless town
thai year,” DUckering said! “Min
ing was done under the protection
of; armed guards. On one claim I
saw three men with high-powered
rifles protecting two pick-and
shovel boys from the claim jump
ers.”
In 1903 William Elmhirst Duck
ering was graduated with honors
from the University of Washing
ton. He spent the next 11 years
designing, bridges, and establish
ing railway locations in the west
ern states.
In spite of his great affinity for
railroading, Duckering made a
life-time decision in 1915. He
turned down a lucrative execu
tive position with a Utah railroad
■and returned to the University of
"Washington.
While teaching engineering,
Duckering acquired two addition
al degrees—a bachelor of science
and the professional degree, civil
engineer.
Professor Duckering was called
by the War Department in 1918
to the Engineer School, Camp
Humphries, Virginia, where 92
"West Pointers completed their en
gineering education under force
draft.
At the conclusion of World War
"I, Duckering was called to head
the department of engineering
problems at Iowa State College.
While teaching in the Hawkeye
State, Professor Duckering was
asked to join the faculty of the
then - forming University of
Alaska.
After serious consideration,
Duckering declined the offer.
Soon thereafter he became head
of the department of civil engi
neering at the University of Brit
ish Columbia. He remained there
until 1930, when illness forced
him to resign. Not until two years
later did he feel well enough to
consider a teaching position again.
At that time, Dr. Charles E.
Bunnell, president of the terri
torial college, again sought the
services of Professor Duckering,
this time to head the department
r
1
PALMER
SHEET METAL
Heating and
Plumbing
Supplies
Luxair Furnaces
Anchor Stokers
of oivil engineering and mathe
f matics. This time Duckering de
siaeq to come north. He arrived
at-College ^n-the'late summer of
1932.. ... ' • • • •
“Since 19325\^&tiave seq*i many
changes on the campus,” JDucker
ing; 'remarked. ■ ■ '“New buildings
have been ereetedr-.The.’faulty
has •'been 'brought to a high aca
•deniic’’standing. The*:,Universit'y
->»$• been "fully accredited.. But
most InipbHant,' several jthbusand
v^xung men- and women who have
t>een. students at .the UniVersity
•are nb\V useful citizens’ through
out the United States, Alaska and
—the world.” - '•
Duckering’s contribution to the
growth and character-of the Uni-'
versity have been synonymous
with his 18 years of service on the
teaching staff. In 1935 he was
made dean of the faculty, and
nihe years later his leadership
was awarded when he was desig
nated as dean of the University.
In 1949 William Elmhirst Ducker
ing was signally honored by the
board of regents which bestowed
upon him the honorary degree of
doctor of engineering.’
Dr. Duckering’s influence has
been far wider than most persons
realize. His teaching methods and
personal inspiration are responsi
ble for a large number of careers
in engineering, as well as more
than a score of top-flight teachers.
Four professors at the University
of Alaska are Duckering products,
and all four are heads of depart
ments.
“The challenge of the Univer
sity of Alaska is the challenge of
the frontier,” Dr. Duckering re
marked. “We have pulled our
selves up by our bootstraps, and
the time is not far distant when
the citizens of Alaska will see a
fine, modern structure' on College
Hill.”
“To some it might seem that 18
years on any one faculty is a long
time. But in the life span of a
university, that is but a brief mo
ment in its existence,” Dean
Duckering philosophized.
For Exceptionally Fine
fyaodl&QocktcUli
CAFE EXCEPTIONAL
Billie and Bob
STEAKS CHOPS
DINNERS COCKTAILS
232 Fifth Avenue Phone 40672 Anchorage
SEPTEMBER SPECIAL ON CONCRETE
To All Builders
Just $2.50 per cwt. at the Plant
Concrete Blocks Also Reduced
And When You're Picking Up the Cement
Why Not Check Our Stocks of
Exterior Concrete Paint
(for All Concrete Surfaces)
Concrete Sealer
VALLEY CONCRETE PRODUCTS
"BUD" BILLET IS FIRST
VALLEY MAN INDUCTED
•Palmer’s “Bud” Billot is among
the first of the young men in
this part of Alaska to be inducted
into the armed .forces under the
new draft. “Bud” reports to the
Anchorage draft board for induc
tion on Sept. 25.
• The oldest registrants in the 1-A
classification are being selected
for earliest induction, according
to Mrs. Tom Bell, executive.secre
tary of-thi local -.draft bpard. ’
Juneau Property Valued
At W/2 Million Dollars
• Juneau’s.assessed property- val
uation is up-nearly twpmillion
dollars1, tH'e fcapitol^cityV council
was told at a recent* meeting. The
present property assessment value
is approximately 14 and a half
miHion. •
The.city assessor told the coun
cil that the annexation of a sub
urb, and the number of hew cars
owned by Juneau residents, was
responsible for the .hiked valua
tion. .
ADVENTIST DUE HERE
ON ANNUAL TOUR
A. L. Zumwalt, president of the
Alaska Mission of the Seventh
Day Adventists, is expected in
Palmer soon on his annual tour
of Adventist churches. With him,
Mr. Zumwalt will bring tape re
cordings, lecture notes and pic
toral exhibits he prepared while a
delegate at the quadrennial World
Conference of Seventh Day Ad
ventists, held in San Francisco
this year.
Mr. Zumwalt will visit, in ad
dition to Palmer, points in south
eastern Alaska, Seward, Anchor
age, Kotzebue, Deering, Nome,
Fairbanks, Dillingham and other
Bristol Bay points.
BETA SIGMA PHI
MEETS NEXT MONDAY
The Palmer chapter of Beta
Sigma Phi will meet next Mon
day in the school music room,
president Dorothy Saxton an
nounced today. The meeting will
begin promptly at eight o’clock
in the evening.
Juneau Works
For More Roads
All roads, by land or sea, to
lead to Juneau — that was the
hope expressed at a recent meet
ing of the Juneau Chamber of
Commerce, called to discuss open
ing of possible road and ferry
routes there. It is the Juneauites’
•hope that jiew travel lanes can
,be .developed which can bring
.Juneau-into closer touch.with her,
Canadian neighbors to the south,
and with the Alaskan Interior...to
the north. : •• • , .
A ' possible route, connecting
Juneau with Atlin, by way of -the
Tulgeqliah' mining‘.district, wa£
discussed.: Need fpr maintaining,'
and improving, present connect
tions with the Haines .cutoff, .Ju
neau’s artery to inland Alaska,
was emphasized by several speak
ers.
We Ought to Know
—But We Don't ..
It would be nice to have been
able to print the names of newly
elected American Legion officers
this week—or even nicer to have
printed them last week, as a mat
tr of fact. But it isn’t because
we haven’t tried, that we don’t
have the information for Fron
tiersman readers.
We’ve stalked every Legio’h.
and every Auxiliary member we
could find on the street or. on the
receiving end of a working tele
phone lifi^ - bjUt,* no soap—we’re
"always referred" to someone w)jo’s
gone moose hunting or has gohe
into hibernation ftjr the winter;
so—when we find out, w£’lffclet
you kno.w. In the meantime, we,’re
curious, too.
Coffey Insures Everything—
' •» i (,, * ‘ :
Remember?. .
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
MAC'S PLUMBING & HEATING
(Located in the Basement of the Ward Bldg.)
*************************************************
Why Not Drop In and Buy a Loaf of Thai
Delicious
SHAMROCK BREAD
sk
amroc
k Bal
eery
*************************************************
****#■
For
Dining
For
Dancing
For
Refreshments
Fine Whiskies — Beers — Liqueurs
ALPINE INN
Mile 61, Glenn Highway
Phone l-J-31