And That Was for a B.A!

by Rita Lipsitz

Both Dick and I are alumni. He got his undergraduate and law degrees from UB. I got my bachelor's degree in history and government. My father-in-law graduated from UB in 1912, and my brother graduated from UB Law School.

Dick entered UB when he was 15. His mother wanted him to go back to high school for a year, but he said, "I went back the first day of school and thought this is crazy! What am I doing here?" So he took a streetcar and went out and registered at UB. We paid $212 dollars for the first semester, which was very expensive, and $187.50 for the second, because you had paid your fees in the first semester. He finished in three years, so he was 18 when he went to UB Law School.

A small place like UB really kept you on your toes. In a class of 12 to 15, you had to participate or you were out. For an undergraduate degree in '42 - after you finished your first two years - you chose a major and then you worked tutorially with someone in your department.

I had tutorial with Julius Pratt, who was an American history scholar, and John Horton. You met with your professors two days a week. You did your reading; you couldn't escape. I mean you just had to produce or you would embarrass yourself if nothing else. And then before you graduated for a B.A. degree you took nine hours of written exams in history and an hour and a half of orals. And during the orals people from other departments could come in. And that was for a B.A!