Alumni
| Dr. Ghent Memory Book |
 |
 |
 |
A collection of thoughts, memories and special sentiments dedicated to the fond memory of Dr. Kenneth Ghent, professor of mathematics and the University of Oregon's first international student advisor. Alumni, faculty, staff and friends of the University of Oregon are welcome to add comments to the Dr. Ghent Memory Book by sending an email to
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
.
I have many very fond memories of Dr Ghent and his late wife Helen. They became my friends in Eugene and we have remained in contact yearly by mail and through regular personal visits since 1980; the last Christmas cards were exchanged last year! Helen and Ken were two of the kindest people I have ever met. During my student years at the UO I was privileged to spend many evenings in the Ghent's beautiful home - and exceptional garden! - with them and other international students. These were very special and evenings in the warmest possible atmospheres that, besides excellent food, offered interesting and stimulating discussions on local to world events and made a huge difference in my life in Eugene, and later in my life. Ken and Helen were always available to offer advise or just to talk. In fact, the Ghent's belonged to a rare few that made a real difference to the lives of so many others, and because of their genuine generosity and interest in people they probably never realized it or thought much about it: They were just being themselves. I send you some photos: 1. Three photos of Ken and Helen as they offered breakfast in their home to me and my parents on my UO graduation day on June 8, 1980. They then attended my graduation. 2. A group photo from the Excelsior Cafe from July 2002 when Ken and Helen joined friends (you shoud recognize all, incl. Tom and Martha Mills, Virpi Zuck, Marj Biehler and Anita Johnson) to welcome me back to Eugene. 3. Two photos with me and Ken from July 2004 - one from his home in Cascade Manor and one from a Eugene restaurant to which he drove me from the Cascade later that day for lunch. These are the last photos I have of Ken. Jan Eric Frydman ‘80
When I was a freshman, a recurrent congenital kidney problem required surgery. I was admitted to Eugene Clinic. At that time, I did not know many people in Eugene. During the two weeks I was hospitalized --- in the ‘70s, in-patient hospital stay was much longer --- Dr. Ghent turned out to be my most frequent visitor. He would go out of his way to pick-up my mail from the dormitory and brought them to me on his way home from campus. His visits were very brief, for there was not much for us to discuss; there were even a few awkward moments. Nevertheless, I remember distinctly that his visits were the high points of my days in the hospital, and I spent many an afternoon wondering whether he would be coming. During his tenure as Director of the International Office, he must have been one of the most frequent visitors to local hospitals. Po Kay Ma ‘77 Dr. Ghent was (the epitome of) a "Gentleman and a Scholar". My memeories of him and those times at UO are special. Since my Fulbright year in 1952/53 when Dr. Ghent was my Foreign Student Advisor at the UoO I have always kept in touch with Prof. and Mrs. Ghent and we have met repeatedly in later years in Eugene and Paris. He was definitely the most outstanding personality I have known in Eugene and I am deeply indebted to his lasting friendship and support. On Jan 11th 1967, I had arrived in Eugene, unbeknownst to no one, must have been past 6pm and I did not have a place to stay and with $96.00 in my pocket, to register, buy books, find a place to stay and last but not least food to eat. Dr. Ghent came over the EMU, met with me at the main desk, had found a room at Alpha Hall and I was told to meet with Mrs. Post, his secretary, the next day in the FSO. In my registration package, was a scholarship in the amount of $272.00 (tuition was $300.00) and he helped me borrow $90.00 from the Emergency fund, enough money to pay tuition, buy books for 5 classes, pay my stay at Alpha Hall dorm for the Winter Quarter and the rest is history. John Souris ‘73
I can never forget him. When I arrived in Eugene in Aug 1970 he received me and introduced me to my friendship family in Eugene. The concept of friendship family monitored by him was of a great help for foreign students. Thirty-eight years have gone by after I returned home. I still have my contact with my friendship family. Sorry to learn he is no more with us. There can be no better tribute to his work in the foreign students office.
I supported myself throughout my years at UO, and I wouldn't have been able to graduate without Dr. Ghent's assistance and the international student scholarship. Tom Asakawa ‘75 He was always a gentleman. Man Wai Lau ‘70
Dr. Ghent was instrumental in my romance.
In the fall of 1957 fresh from the backwoods of Northern Ontario where I’d spent the previous two winters on snowshoes working with survey crews, I arrived at the University of Oregon to study architecture. I did not have enough money to see me through a full academic year and needless to say I was concerned. As luck would have it, I found myself in a mathematics class taught by Dr. Ghent who was also the Foreign Student Advisor. The class – Calculus with Analytic Geometry – was for me a tough one, five mornings a week at 8:00 AM with a test on Fridays. After class at the end of the first week, Dr. Ghent called me aside and explained that every year one or two students who were awarded foreign student scholarships failed to turn up at the University – and that year such was the case with a student from Taiwan. Consequently, Dr. Ghent said he was awarding the scholarship to me. I was flabbergasted, and thinking in the Canadian way, actually questioned the decision. “But how can you give me a scholarship before I’ve proven myself academically?” Dr. Ghent’s reply was for me an American classic :It’s different here. We give you the scholarship first, now you prove to us you’re worth it.” Talk about motivating a student to succeed. That’s just what happened. Seven years later, I graduated Phi Beta Kappa, not because of any mental brilliance or academic talent (average at best) but by dint of hard work. That one incident in my first week at the University ignited a ferocious determination. For me it was THE major lesson that I learned at Oregon, and even today more than 50 years later, it’s my favorite story when I find myself talking about my student years in America. Thank you Dr. Ghent. With gratitude, Barrie Learmont ‘63 In 1952, Dr. Kenneth Ghent was appointed the UO’s Foreign Student Adviser, a position he held for 24 years. I was fortunate to work along side him for the last seven years of his tenure in that position, and for the next 25 years when he came to the office regularly as a loyal volunteer. Whenever I meet our international alumni they often comment about the genuine helpfulness and sincere attitude that Dr. Ghent displayed as he assisted them. I believe Dr. Ghent exemplifies, to the fullest extent possible, Francis Bacon’s description of a “citizen of the world". “If a man be gracious and courteous to strangers it shows he is a citizen of the world and that his heart is no island cut off from other lands but a continent that joins to them.” One of the things I remember about this remarkable international student director was his resourcefulness in getting scholarships for international students. In the early 1970’s, tuition scholarships were controlled by the Oregon State System of Higher Education. About mid way through each academic term he would call that office to see if Oregon State University or Portland State University had used their scholarship quotas. In many cases they had not. By appealing for these unused scholarship funds, Dr. Ghent was able to make our international students the beneficiaries. Dr. Ghent’s determination to secure funding for international student scholarships went beyond State aid. He was creative in other ways. He felt that our international alumni could contribute to the scholarship needs of current international students. Thus, one summer he sent a work-study student to the alumni office to copy the names of alumni with international addresses. As a result of those early efforts, alumni and friends have given nearly a million dollars to the Kenneth S. Ghent Scholarship for International Students. His initiative also allowed the UO's international office to launch a highly successful outreach program. An annual newsletter is now sent to about 13,000 international alumni living abroad and in the U.S. There are alumni groups in ten countries, and the UO president and other UO officials make annual visits to our international alumni. Thomas J. Mills, Ph.D. Associate Vice President for International Programs (retired) - University of Oregon |
| Last Updated on Thursday, 12 March 2009 10:37 |