A few weeks ago one of our Board members, Dede Kern Brown, was in an antique shop in the neighboring small town of St. Joseph. While she was browsing about, she heard some customers talking with the owner of the shop about an unusual item--something which contained "photos of people from all over the world." Dede pricked up her ears, went over to the group to see what this was, and learned it was a collection of Cosmo scrapbooks of the late 1920s. She found out that the owner of the antique shop had run across them somewhere in Michigan and had purchased them for $150.00--they now sported a hefty price tag of $265.00!
When Andrea, our par excellence coordinator heard the story, she visited the antique shop (Winter Wheat Antiques) and talked the owner into donating them to our Cosmo Club!
I regard this whole event as nothing short of a miracle. I have had no end of pleasure in looking through the scrapbooks and seeing many familiar faces of students, both foreign and American, of almost seventy years ago who lived in the Cosmopolitan House at 605 East Daniel, Champaign, a place very familiar to some of you. I wish that some of you were old enough to enjoy the scrapbook-- if you could se it--as I have. The remainder of this article will tell something about four of those students.
First, Bill Block (photo), of Joliet, Illinois, who was House President at least one year and who was one of the coonskin coat boys of that era. Bill was a cousin of Jimmy Wolfson, a psychology major, and an excellent ballroom dancer. He appears in some of the pictures in the scrapbooks.
Second, Luis Chamy (photo), from Valparaiso, Chile, a member of the campus soccer team, which played in competition with other international teams, e.g., Turkey. Chamy married an Egyptian girl and their daughter was a student here at the U of I in the '50s. In the '60s their son was a student here and participated in some campus activities.
The third Cosmo of the '20s who appears in the scrapbooks and whom I would like to mention here is Herb Craig (photo), who in later years became the fencing coach at the U of I.
Finally, there is Bill Parazinski (photo1 and photo 2), from Chicago, who went out for track. In some of the photos he is shown in action with the hurdles, and in another, he "accompanies" an old car labelled "Our Wagon."
Other 1924-28 residents and members of the U of I Cosmopolitan House (plus some friends) were Enriquez (Philippines) affectionately called "Ginrickshy"; Fernando Bel¢n (Arequipa, Peru); Sammy Huam n (Lima, Peru); Engenio Argudin (Vera Cruz, Mexico); George Wey (Bristol, Connecticut); Gene Dubin (U.S.A.); F.P.J. Delfos (South Africa); Gara (Hungary); Edmundo Buddemberg (Chile); Dan Brower; Ted Char; Frank Simon (U.S.A.).
In some of the group pictures Professors T.E. Oliver (French Dept.) and William Schultz (Physics Dept.), co-founders of the U of I Chapter of Cosmo, appear. They never missed a Cosmo event! Professors Carnahan (French) and Olmstead (History) are in some group pictures.
A big snowball fight is the feature of one photo; in another, large crowds in the street suggest Homecoming, with Homecoming decorations appearing in another. In two different photos a small dog named "Queenie" appears in one, and "Spotty" has the spotlight (Sorry!) in the other. Lincoln Hall shows up clearly in a couple of photos, looking much the same as today; also "University Woods" is the subject of another picture--the same as now. A few girls are shown in some of the snapshots.
Bill Block, from Joliet, Illinois. He was one
of the many wearers of coonskin coats. He was house president of
Cosmo at least one year. (Return to text.)
Luis Chamy, from Santiago, Chile. In the 50s,
his daughter was a student on this campus. She was in my ESL
(English for Foreign Students) class and was an excellent
student, speaking English quite well. Later, her brother was a
student here at the U of I. Their mother was Egyptian. Hence, she
spoke English and Luis spoke it well. The children participated
in campus activities, especially the son. Luis Chamy played
soccer on the latin American team on campus, in competition with
the Turkish team and others.
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Herbert Craig and his mother on Mother's Day.
Herb was later fencing coach at the U of I.
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Bill Parazinski in front of "a tin
Lizzie," of the 20s.
(Return to text.)
Bill Parazinski from Chicago, Illinois.
He was very popular and went out for track (hurdles). There are
some pictures of him in action in the hurdles.
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