Stories

Stephen Henderson's Story

At the time of Woodstock West, I was a junior at DU in a five year program in chemical engineering and business administration.  The previous December I won my fraternity's pool for the lowest draft number in the lottery, #56.  I was told by the university that once I received my undergraduate degree, my student deferment would expire--no MBA, hello military service...

Prior to and during college, I was fortunate to experience historical events such as meeting and marching with Dr. Martin Luther King from Soldiers Field to Mayor Daley's office in the Summer of 1966 as part of a NSF grant to 100 high school math and science students to study at the University of Chicago, attending the 1967 Monterey Pop Festval while researching colleges, being in Lincoln Park during the 1968 Democratic Convention and going to Woodstock in 1969.

Fraternity members who had quit school, joined the military and were lucky to return were also reluctant to divulge details of their service.  What was revealed wasn't encouraging.  Frankly, I was very apprehensive about my future.  Any chance of persuing a meaningful career just went dark.

Damn right I participated.  Heeding advice from my friends, I removed any "frat gear" and parked myself in a parachute tent with all the other "friendlies".  We were only protesting the overreaction of the national guard at Kent State and honoring the students' protest.  Shouldn't have been that big a deal.  The establishment was nervous.  They didn't understand the peaceful intent in all our actions.  We were children of King & the Kennedys.

During my time at DU, I was a Clarion columnist, president of my sophmore class, president of TKE fraternity, Beer Chugging Champion of Mardi Gras 1971, Chancellor for a Day, K-Book Pioneer, Homecoming Chair & graduated with a BSChE in 1971.  I served three years as a US Army Intelligence Agent in Germany.