Jubilant July

Posted on July 13, 2026 by Thebeerchaser

Welcome back to Thebeerchaser. This is a long post. If you are receiving it through an e-mail, please visit the blog by clicking on the title at the top to see all of the photos and so the narrative isn’t clipped or shortened. (# External photo attribution at the end of the post #1)

America’s 250th Birthday was wonderful notwithstanding ongoing political and social controversies. We need to harken back to the principles on which this great country was founded. That includes the Rule of Law,

“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” — Plato

Music lifts the soul. Whether it’s the US Marine Band playing John Philip Sousa marches or my favorite Big Band themes, golden oldies from my college years, country ballads or classical oboe masterpieces such as Mozart’s “Oboe Concerto in C major,” all of which are on my playlists, these are food for my spirit.

I was reminded of this recently when attending a book reading by author, Eric Gray, who just published a wonderful two-volume book Music We Heard Along the Way. It’s a compelling collection of stories from friends, family, and strangers about the moments when music helped to shape their lives.

Now perhaps I’m biased because my narrative about a concert and related experience during my sophomore year in college appears in volume 1, but don’t take my word for it. Heres’ what Robin Young, Host of NPR’s “Here and Now” says”

“Eric Gray reminds us that our collective memories form a symphony of recollection. The passing car whose radio blasts a lyric that a son, and later a father, will tattoo on his arm.

A woman who learned about America through staticky Madonna hits in her native Vietnam. Finding a life partner in the person who helped you up after a fall in the mud at a music festival. You will love these stories and remember your own.”

I first met this personable author two years ago when he did a similar reading from his book Backyards to Ballparks: It’s the second volume in a series of fan‑focused baseball books, following Bases to Bleachers. Eric compiled and edited over 1,250 personal anecdotes collected worldwide, all centered on baseball, but rich with human interest. (#2)

Eric and his wife of forty-nine years, Lynn Ellen Rhodes, were on a tour promoting his latest work. Besides his writing, I admire Eric because he’s a fellow Long Island, New Yorker; he got his undergraduate degree in political science and his favorite artist is Jackson Browne!

His 39-year career at the U.S. Department of Labor involved administering job training and employment programs for disadvantaged youth, most of that time spent with the Job Corps program.

About thirty people attended Eric’s reading in a pub in Portland this week and I was honored when my selection was one he read. He subsequently signed my book and we had a nice chat. (#3 – #5)

I’m sure that all of you are curious about why Eric selected my story….!? Well, it involves a concert at Oregon State University in 1968.

Many wonderful artists performed in Gill Coliseum during the late sixties and early seventies including Harry Belafonte, The Association, Petula Clark, The Doors and The Righteous Brothers. And a lot more. (From left – clockwise below) (#6 – #10)

But the most unforgettable musical event for a group of my SAE fraternity brothers and me was the wonderful concert by Grammy-award winning artist Lou Rawls. We were underage and couldn’t drink in a bar or brewery, so we rented a room at the Towne House Motor Inn – Corvallis’ finest motel!

The letter “e” on the end of “Town” indicated it was upscale – but nothing else. Unfortunately, the establishment has permanently closed, but before its ultimate demise, it rated a hefty 3.7 on a scale of 5 in Yelp. (#11)

It so happened that Lou Rawls was staying at the same hotel and he unexpectedly joined our dates and us at the party after the concert. (Sloe gin plays a key role in that encounter….)

Larry Rich and Don Whitney, two members of the Oregon State Giant Killer Football Team are also key “players.”

That night and an unlikely, chance encounter by SAE Rick Gaffney – the organizer of the concert – ten years later, is an entertaining and humorous tale. (At least Eric thought so.)

You can read the story in my blog post entitled “Did We Really Do That? – College Antics.” (#12- #13)

I hope you take a look at Eric’s books. Regardless of whether you have a passion for music or baseball, you will enjoy the read.

Farewell to a Classic

One event to diminish the jubilance of the summer is inability to belly up to a dive bar server and say, “Give me a Schlitz.”

While not a craft beer, Schlitz was one of my favorite beers in college and afterwards – most notably Schlitz Dry – which disappeared years ago. (#14)

The Schlitz Brewing Co. – founded in Milwaukee in 1849 – is an interesting story from when Joseph Schlitz – first hired as a bookkeeper in a tavern brewery – took over management of the brewery in 1858 and renamed it. “The Beer that Made Milwaukee Famous” became the largest beer producer in the U.S. in 1902.

However, Schlitz’s popularity declined in the 1970s due to recipe changes. The brand was sold to Stroh Brewing in 1982 before being acquired by Pabst in 1999. (Wikipedia) (#15)

The story of the historical brewery is typical of other major breweries both in the US and internationally – trying to adapt to changing tastes, compete and maintain profitability and acclimate to mergers.

A May 2026 Oregon Live article entitled, “Iconic American beer brewed for final time, going out with ‘dignity and respect'” states:

“Schlitz was acquired by the Pabst Brewing Company in 1999 and relaunched in 2008, but was unable to recapture the magic of its prime.

A Pabst representative told Milwaukee Magazine that discontinuing Schlitz was a ‘tough choice’ dictated by increased storage and shipping costs, but wouldn’t rule out bringing it back some day.” Here’s Hoping!

Changing Times?!

The acceleration in societal change is a bit staggering. Not that I yearn for the days when I used to go to the card catalogue at the Oregon City Library for school research, but…..(#16)

I realized with a chuckle last week another example of change when we were taking care of our eight-year old granddaughter who is a very smart little girl. The days of mailed written personal correspondence, cards and bills has diminished to the point where many people conduct these transactions exclusively on-line

We were at our younger daughter’s house when she and her husband were both at work. I wanted to mail a bill so I asked my granddaughter if she knew where her parents kept their stamps. Her reply was “What’s a stamp?” (#17)

This brought back memories of when our older daughter, Lisa, was in about sixth grade (around 1995) and had her own CD collection.

I was lying on our couch playing an old Eagle’s 33 RPM album on our turntable – part of my vinyl collection. I’d had the LP since about the time it was released in the early 1970’s.

I’d been listening for a while and Lisa heard “Peaceful Easy Feeling” near the beginning and liked it. She asked if she could play it again. I told her to go to the turntable and start it over. She said, “Dad, it’s not on here,” to which I replied, “Lisa, I played it twenty minutes ago, look on the other side.”

She walked over to me with the album and exclaimed, “You mean these have two sides!” (#18)

An article entitled 32 Examples of Social Change published in August 2023, gives a comprehensive list. I didn’t look for an updated narrative – the number would now probably be over fifty. What concerned me when considering my own ability to adapt, was the final example — “Resilience”

“Resilience is the ability of a society to withstand stresses. Without resilience a society will experience instability whereby periods of prosperity and calm are followed by dramatic declines driven by environmental destruction, conflict, war, disease or natural disasters.”

So, in an effort to become more resilient, I guess I’ll start learning Claude Ai and throw away my manual typewriter, slide rule, copy of the Yellow Pages and my old VCR. (#19)

Cheers

External Photo Attribution

#1. ChatGPT Image Generator (Fourth of July Celebration).

#2. Eric Gray Website (https://ericgrayauthor.com/).

#3 – #5. Eric Gray Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10225465535293378&set=pb.1475568500.-2207520000&type=3).

#6. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:Harry Belafonte 1970 (cropped).tif – Wikimedia Commons) Public domain / Arquivo Nacional Collection – Agosto de 1970.

#7. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:Petula clark 1965.jpg – Wikimedia Commons ) This work is in the public domain in the United States. Author: Tullio Piacentini / Federico Zanni – 1965.

#8. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:The Association 1966.png – Wikimedia Commons) This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published in the United States between 1928 and 1977, inclusive, without a copyright notice. Author: KRLA Beat – 1966.

#9. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:The Doors 1968.JPG – Wikimedia Commons) the public domain in the United States because it was published in the United States between 1928 and 1977, inclusive, without a copyright notice. Author: Agency for the Performing Arts (APA) – 1966.

#10. Wikimedia Commons (File:TheRighteousBrothersperformingKBF.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) No known copyright restrictions; “There are no known copyright restrictions on this image. Photo courtesy Orange County Archives. Author and date unknown.

#11. (https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g51817-Corvallis_Oregon-Hotels.html).

#12. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:President Ronald Reagan meeting with Lou Rawls in the Oval Offiice (cropped).jpg – Wikimedia Commons) This work is in the public domain in the United States because it is a work prepared by an officer or employee of the United States Government as part of that person’s official duties.. Series: Reagan White House Photographs, 1/20/1981 – 1/20/1989. 3 December 1984.

#13. Wikimedia Commons (File:Hand Made Sloe Gin.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Author: Smifff – 9 December 2022.

#14. Wikimedia Commons (File:Old Schlitz Beer advertisement in Milwaukee Wisconsin.JPG – Wikimedia Commons). Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Author: Victorgrigas – 4 January 2014.

#15. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:Schlitzbier Ad in German (1897).jpg – Wikimedia Commons). This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published (or registered with the U.S. Copyright Office) before January 1, 1931. Author: Davidis, Henriette – 1 January 1897.

#16. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:OREGON CITY OREGON CARNEGIE LIBRARY copy.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Author: Srandjlsims – 29 May 2012.

#17. US Postal Service (U.S. Flag 2026 Stamps | USPS.com).

#18. Wikimedia Commons (File:The Eagles in performance, 2008.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license. Author: Steve Alexander – 2 December 2008.

#19. ChatGPT Image Generator (https://chatgpt.com/c/6a552616-dc68-83e8-ab87-66b36041e5d6).

Did We Really Do That – College Antics…..

Posted on December 5, 2023 by Thebeerchaser

Welcome back to Thebeerchaser. If you are seeing this post through an e-mail, please visit the blog by clicking on the title above to see all of the photos and the video at the end of the post and so the narrative is not clipped or shortened. (External photo attribution at the end of the post. (#1 – #2)

In several of my recent posts – in a fit of nostalgia – I’ve looked back at some of the crazy antics in which my friends and I participated when I was younger:

The first was in the mid ’70’s, when on a golf outing to Tumwater, Washington, our foursome “crashed” an electrician union’s graduation ceremony. https://thebeerchaser.com/2023/10/26/did-we-really-do-that-part-i/

My crazy dentist and I receiving our motorwinder diplomas.

The second, somewhat “out-of-the-box” undertaking occurred in 1984 at the American Society of Association Executives Annual Conference in Chicago.

That’s when my fraternity brother and friend of now over 50 years, Jud Blakely and I co-presented at a session that took all those attending by surprise. https://thebeerchaser.com/2023/11/03/did-we-really-do-that-part-ii-the-tie-that-binds/

“Sloe” Down – You Move Too Fast…

Perhaps because of the rather tragic demise of the PAC-12 Athletic Conference, I felt compelled to share a college memory during the years of the OSU Giant Killers.

We lived in a sheltered environment for four years while trying to figure out what we were going to do when our draft deferments ended or we had to face reality in the working world.

It was a time filled with wonderful and unforgettable campus memories such as the one below which involved the Class of 1970 at the Oregon State SAE Fraternity. (#3)

Oregon Alpha Chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon

One of the great memories from college days in the late 1960’s is the concerts – held in Gill Coliseum where the Beavers played basketball. The acoustics were not great, but we didn’t care. Most of the time, these were part of a campus celebration such as Homecoming or Moms’/Dads’ weekend and sold out. (#4)

Gill Coliseum the campus of Oregon State University in Corvallis.

For example, during just my sophomore and junior year, we saw Harry Belafonte, The Association, Petula Clark, The Doors and The Righteous Brothers. (From left – clockwise below) (#5 – #9)

But the concert evoking the most vivid memory for me was in 1968 when three-time Grammy-winner, Lou Rawls, was the solo performer. Rawls’ jazz and blues albums were best sellers and his 1966 album “Live!” was certified gold, but the concert surprisingly did not sell out.

The event was held during “The Sophomore Cotillion” (That’s something you wouldn’t have in this era!) on a dreary winter weekend after a home football game. Perhaps it was the weather and the fact that most OSU students were not jazz aficionados, but his concert was not that well attended.

That said, all of us who experienced it were absolutely thrilled with his performance. (#10)

Our sophomore class from the SAE house rented a room at the Town House Motor Inn in “downtown” Corvallis for pre-functioning and post-functioning – we weren’t yet twenty-one and couldn’t go to a venue that served alcohol.

(The motel is now the Hotel Corvallis and you can still get a discounted standard room with a king-bed for $97 if not on a weekend with a home athletic contest.) And it gets pretty good reviews on Trip Advisor…..

Rick Gaffney, one of the SAEs from our class, was the Cotillion Manager and had responsibility for all of the events that weekend including the Rawls concert.

While chatting with Lou Rawls immediately after the concert, he invited the singer to our party at the motel, never thinking he’d actually come. (Rick in the present is shown below) (#11 – #12)

But to our great surprise, the singer was staying at the same motel and when he knocked on the door of our room, we invited him in and offered him a beer. He casually asked if we had any “hard stuff.”

The only bottles in our inventory were Olympia and Blitz Beers – both of which were big in the Northwest – especially on campus. (And in Oregon, Coors was not available, but that’s another story….. (#13.)

An historic Oly label

We reluctantly admitted, however, that we did have a bottle of Sloe Gin, which made Rawls guffaw. Yes, it was that “red liqueur” made with gin and drupes – a small fruit relative of the plum.

Sloe gin has a staggering alcohol content between 15 and 30 percent ABV! He opted for a beer. (#14 – #15)

The OSU Football team the year before was known as the “Giant Killers” and beat a No. 1 Ranked USC Trojan team led by running back O.J. Simpson by a score of 3 to 0 in Corvallis. The 1967 team also beat No. 2 ranked Purdue and tied No. 2 ranked UCLA.

OSU was a formidable opponent in 1968, as well, and ended with 7–3 record overall and 5–1 in the Pacific-8 Conference (Pac-8). Their final ranking in the AP Poll was fifteenth. (#16)

The Giant Killers in 1967

And the legacy will live on long after the demise of the PAC 12.

The Giant Killers in 2017

The SAE’s had eleven players on those teams and two of the starters – both defensive backs – were in our class and attended the party with their dates. Larry Rich and Don Whitney did not drink that night but both had encounters with Lou Rawls.

The funniest was Don Whitney, as related by SAE, Keith “Sweeney” Swensen, a first-hand witness to the incident:

“I remember the look on Whit’ ’s face when he came out of the bathroom singing a Lou Rawls’ song only to walk right into Lou Rawls, himself. He turned bright red but then Lou complimented him on his singing.

After that, I don’t think Don said a word for the next 10 minutes. He just sat there with a shit-eatin’ grin on his face.” (#18 – #19)

Don, a Pendleton native, after a long and valiant battle with pancreatic cancer, passed away in 2012. https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/gazettetimes/name/donald-whitney-obituary?id=13558684

Larry Rich and his date, Mariellen were there (they celebrated their 53rd wedding anniversary last year) and Larry remembers Rawls sporting a fabulous, large diamond-studded ring with the initials “LR.”

Rich said that he told the singer if he ever got tired of the ring, he would be glad to buy it “at the right price!” (#20)

Larry and Mariellen are both retired and live in Lincoln City, Oregon on the Central Oregon Coast. (A picture of Larry and Mariellen with Janet, my wife about three years ago is shown below.)

Janet Williams, Mariellen and Larry

The Next Chapter

Flash forward about ten years and Rick Gaffney, after completing his service in the US Navy, was working as the Beach Captain at Kona Village Resort in Kona.

One morning he was raking the sand and comedian Dom DeLuise walked up behind him kidding him about how his college degree had prepared him for his job. (#21)

Another morning, Lou Rawls walked up to Rick’s beach shack. He was visiting with actress Brenda Vaccaro. (#22)

Rick, somewhat sheepishly, reintroduced himself and reminded the singer of the Sophomore Cotillion concert he performed at Oregon State in 1968.

Rawls first replied, “Well, it’s all kind of a blur. I was on the road so many nights.” But then, he looked Gaffney right in the eye and said, “Wait a minute.! Sloe Gin — All you guys had was Sloe Gin.” They both had a good laugh.

Gaffney is now the President of Rick Gaffney & Associates on the Big Island of Hawaii. His firm specializes in ocean recreation business development and marketing as well as marine eco-tourism resort planning and management and boat and yacht outfitting plus Pacific voyage planning. (#23)

The music world was saddened by Lou Rawls’ death at the age of seventy-two in 2006. In 2021, he was posthumously inducted into the Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame.

None of us at that post-concert gathering will ever forget that interaction with the famed singer who was also a nice guy. Similarly, I would suggest that none of us ever drank Sloe Gin again…. (#24)

“All you guys had was Sloe Gin!”

Cheers

External Photo Attribution

#1. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:Memorial Union at Oregon State University.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) I, the copyright holder of this work, release this work into the public domain. This applies worldwide. Author: user:Owen May 2005.

#2. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:Weatherford Hall Oregon State University Greg Keene.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Author: Gregkeene – 17 January 2009.

#3. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:Gill Coliseum entrance.JPG – Wikimedia Commons) The copyright holder of this work, release this work into the public domain. This applies worldwide. Author: M.O. Stevens May 2008.

#4. Oregon State SAE Website (Sigma Alpha Epsilon Oregon Alpha | Oregon State (saeoregonstate.com)

#5. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:Harry Belafonte 1970 (cropped).tif – Wikimedia Commons) Public domain / Arquivo Nacional Collection – Agosto de 1970.

#6. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:Petula clark 1965.jpg – Wikimedia Commons ) This work is in the public domain in the United States. Author: Tullio Piacentini / Federico Zanni – 1965.

#7. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:The Association 1966.png – Wikimedia Commons) This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published in the United States between 1928 and 1977, inclusive, without a copyright notice. Author: KRLA Beat – 1966.

#8. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:The Doors 1968.JPG – Wikimedia Commons) the public domain in the United States because it was published in the United States between 1928 and 1977, inclusive, without a copyright notice. Author: Agency for the Performing Arts (APA) – 1966.

#9. Wikimedia Commons (File:TheRighteousBrothersperformingKBF.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) No known copyright restrictions; “There are no known copyright restrictions on this image. Photo courtesy Orange County Archives. Author and date unknown.

#10. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:President Ronald Reagan meeting with Lou Rawls in the Oval Offiice (cropped).jpg – Wikimedia Commons) This work is in the public domain in the United States because it is a work prepared by an officer or employee of the United States Government as part of that person’s official duties.. Series: Reagan White House Photographs, 1/20/1981 – 1/20/1989. 3 December 1984.

#11. (https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g51817-Corvallis_Oregon-Hotels.html).

#12. Rick Gaffney Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/rick.gaffney.73).

#13. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympia_Brewing_Company#/media/File:Olympia_Beer_label_1914.jpg) This media file is in the public domain in the United States. This applies to U.S. works where the copyright has expired, often because its first publication occurred prior to January 1, 1928, and if not then due to lack of notice or renewal. Author: Olympia Brewing Company.

#14. Wikimedia Commons (File:Hand Made Sloe Gin.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Author: Smifff – 9 December 2022.

#15. Wikimedia Commons (File:Sloe berry.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. Author: Stephanie Watson – 13 September 2007.

#16. Corvallis Gazette Times (https://gazettetimes.com/albany/entertainment/movies/giant-killers-tells-the-story-of-the-1967-beavers-football-team/article_573b5c1e-523d-5669-888e-06d484aab93f.html)

#17. Oregon State University Athletic Department (https://osubeavers.com/news/2017/11/27/football-giant-killers-the-legend-50-years-later).

#18. – #20. Courtesy of Jud Blakely.

#21. Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dom_Deluise_Allan_Warren.jpg) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Author: Allan Warren – 1975.

#22. Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lou_rawls_edit.png) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Author: MiliHell – 20 April 2014.

#23. Rick Gaffney Facebook Page ((6) https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10159998291059698&set=ecnf.1477435070Facebook.

#24. Wikimedia Commons (File:Hand Made Sloe Gin.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Author: Smifff – 9 December 2022.