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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 12, 1974)
flf -J' . -C5.- English professor Gaffney to retire after 26 years By Mary Kay Roth At an office tucked in the corner of Andrews HaM, amidst momentos from years ; jst and cluttered papers of the present, sits ; 63-year-old English professor. His white 'lowing, fluffy hair swept back from his f-rehead, matches his shaped goatee and raggley mustache. But this spring, after 26 years, Wilbur G. Gaffney must leave UNL. 'I'm superannuated overage," he cr.uckled. In other words, he must retire. H is office of 1 3 years will seem cruelly bare ;ithout his paintings, photographs and 'V;sortmenf of relics and treasures plastered on the walls. "Each one means something special to mo," he explained. His wife's photograph faces his desk h-cause, "she looks better than I do." He raid they completely forgot their 45th anniversary this year. Flying hippo Among a variety of paintings Is Gaffney's c-.vn artwork of a flying hippo and his wife's painting of "Things That Go Bump in the Night. But all these memories must come down when he leaves at the end of second semester. Gaffney plans on remaining in Nebraska, because he was brought up in Lincoln and has lived here for the past 26 years. All of that time he has been at UNL and for the majority of that time he has taught his pet class, now labeled Advanced Expository Writing. "I try to teach students to write plain English on technical subjects," he explained, "to make gobbledey into something under standable." His class has turned out engineers, mathematicians, lawyers, novel ists and playwrights. No 'word sense' Over the years, Gaffney has seen students experience more problems with their general sense of the English language. He said most have not developed a true word sense, which is evidenced in their spelling, punctuation, general carelessness and lack of precision. Despite language problems, Gaffney said his students have won a satisfying number of awards. He has received positive feedback from former students about his classes and others have made npted accomplishments. One former student, Marilyn Coffey, has written an article in this month's "Atlantic" magazine "The Day the Town Panicked." Gail Hock, another student, authored several TV specials "Thanksgiving Treasure" and "The House without a Christmas Tree." Gaffney chose to return to a teaching career and his native Lincoln when he was 45 years old, after an array of occupations and experiences. "I don't want to sound corny, but I felt I ' -..i.; tourist . S ; - . i a - f " S - v, - -mmm. " mr - - would be more socially useful in teaching," he explained. NU graduate Gaffney grew up in Lincoln -and took off for the east coast after receiving his diploma from UNL. In New York, he wrote circulation advertisements until he discovered he couldn't write them. "I quit after six months before they found ..out," he said. At New York University (NYU), he met his wife, a librarian. She later helped start the record collection at Bennett Martin Library. "By 1948 New York was getting scruffy," he said, "dirty, noisy, polluted and even dangerous." He returned to Lincoln, a teaching position at UNL, and inherited his present composi tion class. .1 -. . . .r MS ' 1 H U I ' fn-lYix r 'i : - ' t'l' ',.''. r V' f' I1- ft---' ; . " r V..-. .'V S : I "J 1 Wilbur G. Gaffney, UNL professor of English, will retire this spring after 26 years. WHAT: flPEBJ FOH ON BYLAW j Iwhfrf- mearirrf rnnm J w I mammi I w w Mlk Will 11 ll I will be posted I WHEN: ni fp (C i I HOW: Alotting 1 minutes j page 10 daily nebraskan y lry El u y fo begin Work Study and Internship Federal Loans and FedsraSGrants Please Send Information on Gansral Accounting Court Reporting Business Administration Legal Assistant Professional Accounting Word Processinj Key Punch Federal Loans Federal Grants Work-Study Internship Office Specialist Stenographic Executive Secretarial il Legal Secretarial Medical Secretarial Professional Secretarial Placement NAME Street City State Telephone Number .Zip. Call (402) 432-5315 or mail Coupon Today: Lincoln School m0 1821 Iff J C5i Lincoln, !E 60501 thursday, december 12, 1974