Today in the Written Richert Record: WTR to Paul 9 Mar 1956

Thursday, March eighth[1]

Dear Dad[2]:

I am sending this to the lab just for novelty. I want to thank you for the visit that you paid me when you were here. This old house isn’t going to last much longer, but without an earthquake or flood it will probably stand for the rest of the semester.

Yesterday I went to the University Extension office to see about courses that I could take during the summer. After looking at the bulletin I went up to the office of the Dean of Agriculture, where I found that I could transfer from L & S[3] with no difficulty. The secretary told me that Prof McSwain[4], the prof that I saw about the mantid[5], was the major advisor for Entomology[6], I have an appointment to see him next Tuesday afternoon.

The extension courses that are possibilities are Geology 1, Psychology[7] 1, and Physics 2A. Today when I went back to the extension office I was advised not to take all three during the summer (nine units) but that I should start taking geology, which is the easiest, right away. As yet I have not made up my mind about what I’ll do, however, it would be advisable to start it, if I were to take it, before Easter vacation.

I have an appointment next Wednesday afternoon with an advisor from the University Counseling Service. I am going to try to talk him into letting me take an intelligence quotient examination, however, I shall probably be stuck with taking just aptitude exams, which will not be especially edifying.

My courses are going very well now and I have figured out the grade that I must get in each course in order to get a more respectable average.

How is the lab going? Tell the people I know there hello for me, if you get a chance. Please tell Mother that I shall write to here as soon as I get something else that is worth telling her about. I hope that I have not taken too much of your time.

Love,

Bill[8]

[1] Postmarked Mar 9, 1956.

[2] Addressed to: Mr. Paul H. Richert, PRTNR.; Coast Laboratories; 1859 So. Van Ness Ave; Fresno, California; P.O. Box 1222.

[3] Liberal Studies? He once expressed an opinion that I should take a degree in Liberal Arts.

[4] A “J.L. McSwain” is listed as a co-author in numerous entries on a Google search for entomology articles.

[5] Guesstimate of word, certainly wrong, but related to entomology by context.

[6] Though he did not take a degree in this field, he maintained a life-long interest in it as his children who caught butterflies with him can attest.

[7] His eventually major.

[8] My father. Return address: 2426 Bauditch; Berkeley 4, California.