Grad School at the University of Houston - Decision Process

In May 1969 I graduated with my Bachelor’s and Master’s in Electrical Engineering from Rice, and this was the situation:

1. That same day I received my Selective Service Classification 1A — ok to be cannon fodder
2. That same day I received my Notice to Report for a Physical — Draft Notice
3. Kathy and I were married and raising our one-year-old daughter, Britany
4. My career goal was to go to grad school somewhere in Biomedical Engineering
5. I was still working for TI at NASA in the Cardiovascular Lab — and loving it
6. No money for grad school, so I would need grants
7. Grad schools were reluctant to accept 1A’s
8. Principal and interest payments on my student loan (on time again) would commence soon

I did not wake up one morning and suddenly discover all of this. This had been coming for a year or more. I had not neglected to select and apply to grad school — I had a list — but the futility kept me from proceeding.

So going forward, in the short term I could pay the rent, feed us, and even buy a new car (on time) {different memory for details}. LOL from now — but that confirms just how bad that purchase decision was.

I was pretty sure I could not go into the military as an enlisted man. I could not support Kathy and Britany on that kind of money — $134/mo. So I started investigating officer opportunities {different memory}; in fact I had been chasing this stuff down for about the last 8 months or so.

I really did want to go to grad school, and Kathy was with me on this, so I investigated the University of Houston Cullen School of Engineering. Checked the catalog, scheduled an appointment, and had a talk with several of the professors. It all looked good. I applied and was accepted.

This story will definitely continue in a different memory.

BTW, my school and work buddy and carpooler, Don Mauldin, was tracking along with me.

Main fixes: “pay the rent,” “Principal” (not Principle) for the loan, “scheduled an appointment,” “months,” removed the stray “o” before “I started,” and a few punctuation touches. Everything else is yours as written.

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