On the Origins of Queens Guard (With Apologies to Charles Darwin) Recorded by Dr. Maynard Weston Dow (1929-2011) In Bristol, New Hampshire, on September 4, 2007 We are pleased to share this 16-minute interview of Dr. Dow's recollections of his role in the founding of The Queens Guard Precision Rifle Drill Team at Rutgers University in 1957. At the time, Dr. Dow served as Captain with the U.S. Air Force ROTC Faculty at Rutgers, and subsequently graduated from the Master of Arts Program in Geography at the University’s Graduate School of New Brunswick in 1960. From 1957 to 1992, The Queens Guard dominated intercollegiate competition and performed at international exhibition venues throughout the U.K., Europe, Canada and Australia/New Zealand as goodwill ambassadors on behalf of the U.S. and Rutgers. Founded in 2005 as a special interest group of the Rutgers Alumni Association, The Queens Guard Alumni Association of Rutgers University (“QGAA”) represents alumni of The Queens Guard and Scarlet Rifles, each rival rifle drill teams competing cross-campus on behalf of the Air Force and Army ROTC, respectively, until their merger in 1971. To learn more about The Queens Guard and to view their overseas performances, visit QGAA’s website at http://www.queensguard-rutgers.org/. Born on May 23, 1929 in Brunswick, Maine, Dr. Maynard Weston Dow graduated with a Bachelor of Science from the United States Naval Academy in 1952, Master of Arts in Geography from Rutgers in 1960, and PhD in Southeast Asia Geography from Syracuse University in 1965. He served with the U.S. Air Force for 22 years, mostly as Professor of Geography at the United States Air Force Academy, until his retirement at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in 1972. At the peak of the Vietnam War in 1966, Dr. Dow was recruited by the U.S. Department of Defense to travel to South Vietnam to conduct socio-geographic research, which resulted in the publication of his book, Nation Building in Southeast Asia. Soon thereafter, he conceived and launched the acclaimed Geographers on Film, his signature contribution to the field and one of the richest oral history archives of any academic discipline, which he compiled over the next 40 years during his tenure as Professor of Geography, and subsequently Professor Emeritus, at Plymouth State University in New Hampshire. In 2009, Dr. Dow donated this oral history film collection to the American Association of Geographers, which they subsequently bequeathed to the Library of Congress for proper preservation treatment and conversion to high quality digital format. In commemoration of The Queens Guard’s 50th anniversary in 2007, we appreciate the gifting of this interview to the Rutgers Oral History Archives courtesy of the Dow Family and The Queens Guard Alumni Association with whom all rights are reserved. For questions regarding its use for other than academic or educational citations, please contact our office at the Rutgers Oral History Archives. We celebrate Dr. Dow for his contribution to The Queens Guard heritage of excellence; military service to our nation; academic leadership in the field of geography; and commitment to the oral history archive tradition.
This month marks the 60th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963 in Dallas, Texas.
Images from that day and the events that followed remain etched in our collective consciousness—the open-top Presidential limo traveling down the people-lined streets of Dallas; President Lyndon Baines Johnson taking the oath of office on Air Force One beside a shaken First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy; John, Jr. saluting his father's passing casket at the funeral in DC.
Those who lived through that traumatic period can recall both their initial shock and the nuances of their reactions.
In "HERE IS A BULLETIN...": Memories of the Day Camelot Died, ROHA presents a sampling of stories related to the Kennedy tragedy, a touchstone event for multiple generations.
The Rutgers Targum (campus newspaper) cover from its November 22, 1963 issue. (Image courtesy of Special Collections and University Archives, Rutgers University Libraries.)
Voices of Veterans is an online exhibit showcasing passages from oral history interviews of veterans who served in the Second World War and in wars in Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf, Iraq and Afghanistan. ROHA created this exhibit in commemoration of Pearl Harbor Day, December 7, 1941.
CLICK HERE TO VISIT MORE ONLINE EXHIBITS
Rutgers is an equal access/equal opportunity institution. Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to direct suggestions, comments, or complaints concerning any accessibility issues with Rutgers web sites to: accessibility@rutgers.edu or complete the Report Accessibility Barrier or Provide Feedback Form.
Copyright © 2024, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution. All rights reserved.
|
