Letters

Sundays With Mrs. Farrand

"The Beauty of Beatrix Farrand" (Summer) was very well done. The only thing that bugs me when people write articles about Mrs. Farrand is that they always refer to her as a landscape architect—which she was, of course—but I have the last piece of her own stationery, and she says that she is a "landscape gardener." She designed so many beautiful gardens, but I just don't think that she took enough credit for herself.

I live on the same street as Reef Point, and I remember that I thought it funny that people were driving down the street on Sunday. As I grew older, I realize now that Mrs. Farrand always had open garden day on Sunday for people. Our street dead-ends to the ocean, so when one goes down the street, they have to come back by.

Thorne in Our Side

We just read the latest Occidental, and we find that you still don't have History of Civ placed correctly—at least for the years when my husband and I were students ­(Letters, Summer). During the years 1948-1950 when we were taking History of Civ, it was taught in Thorne Hall, not Johnson Hall. All of our lectures were in Thorne Hall for our freshman and sophomore years. During the five years that we were at Oxy (from 1948-1953), History of Civ was always in Thorne Hall.

Edie Marshall '53 & Chuck Marshall '52
Ventura

I was enrolled as a freshman at Occidental in the fall of 1948. All of our History of Civ ­lectures were in Thorne Hall. Have my old friend Warry MacElroy '60 call me, and I'll straighten him out on the history.

William D. Smith '52
La Cañada Flintridge

If you attended Oxy between 1953 and 1971, straighten us out with this timeline. Drop editor Dick Anderson an email (oxymag@oxy.edu) with the dates and location(s) where you studied History of Civ. Future generations of archivists (and editors) will be grateful.

Requiem for The Bucket

Back in the early '80s when I was at Oxy, the boys and I frequented The Bucket. Julio's burgers were tonic for our hangovers, and during those hazy brunches, he was the whole show. Yes, you could count on Julio to be rude and inappropriate—especially, but not exclusively, with unsuspecting girls. 

Once, I recall one of the coeds sheepishly asking Julio for a napkin, prompting him to shout back: "You want a f'ing napkin? Why don't you run across to Jack in the Box and get one!" Classic Julio.

The structure has obviously changed. It used to be just the six-stool counter inside, and it looked like a giant white molar sitting there on Eagle Rock Boulevard—reminding me of those huge stucco donuts sitting on top of various L.A. drive-thrus. I think several such locations received landmark designation to fend off development—maybe The Bucket qualifies? 

Long live The Bucket!

Skip Fogarty '83
Oakland 

The Year in Review Goes Green