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When Gerry first arrived at Caltech he lived off Campus in the home of a lawyer, sharing what was once the servants quarters. As it was directly across from the west entrance to the campus it was ideally suitated. At that time the rule was that if you came from more than 50 miles away from Caltech you were guaranteed on-campus housing.

During his first year an expansion program was underway that added a four-building complex that included Lloyd House, the dormitory into which he moved. When Lloyd, Ruddock, and Page opened it became possible for off-campus residents to move on campus. Now, according to current residents, it is Freshmen who are guaranteed on-campus housing and some upperclassmen have had to move out!

In addition to three dorms Chandler Dining Hall was part of the new complex. While it would have been nice if his parents had been rich enough to be Caltech's benefactors, the dining hall is not named after Gerry or any member of his family; rather it is named for the former (and rich) publisher of the Los Angeles Times.

Olive Walk entrance to Lloyd House

Lloyd and all the other six undergraduate houses are entered from the Olive Walk, a very pleasant tree-lined, bricked way. At the end of Seminar Day we skipped an evening barbeque and instead went over to see Lloyd. At first glance it seemed hardly changed from when Gerry lived there. The windows of a few students' rooms are visible under the covered walkway.

Lloyd House Dining Room

Going under the walkway and into the closest door, however, the changes were immediately evident. New and clean had been replaced by punk. Ugliness. We excuse it by telling ourselves that we are old and the young must be allowed their way. It seems that their way of rebelling is to have punk. If we lived there now, we'd surely adapt but that probably can be said of being a hostage in the Philippines jungle.

Down the hall we went, past plenty of punk, with some students standing here and there. And, of course, some of them were female. That, pre-1970, was a no-no. No women in the halls, except open house. Later we would come back and talk to some of them.

The dining room (above) was largely unchanged. There was the addition of a soft-drink machine but the milk machine looked the same as memory says it did 40, 41, and 42 years ago. Around the corner, out of sight, are the tables where Gerry and mates played bridge before lunch, after lunch, and — all to often — instead of going to class. There are plenty of memories associated with the room, including Gerry running an anti-smoking contest (in which prizes were given for snatched cigarettes) and eating dinner with guest professors, including Richard Feynman.

The SENIOR classman with Fingal

God Fingal near his lair

Fingal often travels — often without the (immediate) knowledge or approval of the Cave's residents. He was under tight guard the night we visited.When Gerry graduated, Fingal took a trip with him to Washington, DC; New York; and Boston. Stored away with all our other worldly goods are the photos showing Fingal at all of the Kodak photo spots, variously appearing as tall as the Washington Monument and Empire State Building or scrowling at the MIT campus.

Improvised stage in Lloyd House patio courtyard

There is now a tradition that didn't exist when Gerry resided in Lloyd house: once a year, our informants tell us, at or near the end of the school year, there is a stage performance given by and for the residents of Lloyd House. Men dress as women and mime a song. Women dress as men and mime a song. Or usually.

When we arrived, about an hour before performance time, many performers, or at least those scheduled to perform, seemed unsure whether the show would go on and whether they would be ready to go on with it. We suspect that when we were college students we appeared equally indecisive and unfocused to the adults (including our parents) around us.

Lip-synch Performers miming in Lloyd House patio

Lip-synch Performers from Lloyd House

But the show did go on. And although a rank amateur thing we had a good time and the "locals", obviously understanding the inside jokes, really enjoyed it.