Nick Retirement Powerpoint

When first asked, I replied that I had no pictures from Nick’s early years at

Lowell; but I looked extra hard in recent weeks and I’m pleased to say that I managed to find a few after all. I have put them together in a slide

show. Here it is:

“Full of the Old Nick”

My memories of my years with Avalon Nichols Minton in Pictures

by Fred Lewis

After an expedition to North Carolina, to the ancestral

Minton family home, I even managed to salvage a few old

pictures from the tattered Minton family photo album.

This old one is evidently Nick’s great-great

grandpappy,Colonel Beauregard Minton.

There seems to be a definite family resemblance.

Growing up in the South was a happy, carefree experience

for Nick

And Nick grew into a typical southern

teenager

When he reached his early twenties, Nick decided to come North for Graduate

School

Nick and I first met when I came to Lowell

in 1973.

We actually looked much the same then

as we do now.

Frank Talty and Marty Meehan were among our

students in the mid 1970’s; they haven’t really changed

much either.

Things were a bit different back then. The President took a personal interest in how his faculty were doing and would occasionally drop by to greet

us.

The facilities at what was then Lowell State College were a

bit spartan

Of course today’s UML is a very different place and our Chancellor has brought in

some nationally known consultants to help UML

develop a new “cutting edge,” “world class,” “move us to the

next level” strategy.

And applying sophisticated, high-tech management

techniques, they at last have a solution for the faculty parking

problem

They are now planning a new dorm for south campus that

promises to outshine even the downtown inn and conference center. Here is the architect’s

vision.

In the 1980’s, when I led the faculty union, I got Nick involved too and

appointed him to represent us on the Health and Welfare Trust. He served

in that capacity for two decades despite the burden of having to travel

to attend the dull, boring national trustee conference most years.

In the 1970’s, Political Science was a part of the History Department. In the early 80’s, Political Science

split off from History; the process went smoothly with

only a few minor disagreements

The faculty of the new Political Science Department was then

seen as one of the coolest and most intellectual

aggregations in the University

I WAS THE FIRST DEPARTMENT CHAIR.

MUCH OF MY TIME WAS SPENT HELPING THE ALWAYS GRATEFUL

STUDENTS SOLVE THEIR PROBLEMS

FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, NICK WAS

DEPARTMENT CHAIR. HE TOO FOUND EVERY

MINUTE DEEPLY SATISFYING.

In retirement, Nick has finally been able to partake of those many activities he has always dreamed about but never had

time to pursue before.

CATCHING UP ON HIS LONG LIST OF HOME

REPAIRS

EXPRESSING HIMSELF ARTISTICALLY

TRYING OUT FOR THE OLYMPICS

Expanding upon his love of theatre by actually going on

the stage himself

FINDING SOMEONE TO PLAY GOLF

WITH

DEVELOPING HIS SINGING TALENT

POLISHING UP HIS DANCE TECHNIQUE

HIKING THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL

FIGHTING CRIME

AND NOW HE IS GETTING READY TO RUN FOR THE

U.S. SENATE

THE END

AND FOR NICK, A NEW BEGINNING!