My first year at Penn State I lived in the dorms in East Halls, Pinchot Hall to be exact. I believe it was the first year that it was open, so I was among the first residents on the 10th floor. It was fine except for one thing. The brutal winters in Centre County. Walking across that bleak parking lot in the morning with the wind blowing full throttle into my face to get to class—I liked winter well enough, but not that wind, not when it got that cold.

So for my second year I transferred to Mifflin Hall, where high school classmates Steve Sattazahn and Allan Maurer lived. It definitely made the walk to classes a lot easier.

The following year, my third, Steve and Allan moved off campus into an apartment with Herbie, and I don’t remember seeing them anymore. I probably stopped in to see their place once or twice, but I really have no memory of it.

Meanwhile, I remained in 517 Mifflin Hall with roommate Jeff Schrader.

But a new crop of mostly freshmen moved into the fifth floor that year, including Ira Lubert and Andy Matter.

Ira and Andy were roommates and were both at Penn State on wrestling scholarships, I believe. They moved into room 502 or 503, I think, in any case it was the opposite side of the dorm from me.

As I recall, they didn’t spend very much time in the dorms, they were too busy with wrestling and keeping up with their classwork, and I never really got to know them other than to say hi.

All I can say about them from that year in the dorms is that they seemed to be regular guys, not in the least stuck up at all. You’d never know from talking to them that they were star wrestling players. Well, looking at them you might get an inkling as they were each well built, and Ira especially was a pretty big guy. But just plain nice guys as far as I can recall. I doubt very much that either of them would remember me at all.

I pretty much lost track of both of them after that year, except I did hear their names on the news from time to time. How could I not? Ira compiled a pretty decent record of wins, and he went on to become important to the wrestling program at Penn State. I remember hearing his name from time to time. And Andy became a two time NCAA wrestling champion for Penn State.

I wish I had a clever or humorous story to relate about them from that year in the dorms or at least a personal anecdote, but alas, I’m afraid not.

That will have to wait.