Remembering Mr. Dunn

Walter Dunn was that teacher. The one that inspired you later in life that you misunderstood. Maybe detested.

Personally, I never had a problem with Mr. Dunn. Others weren't much for his all-essay tests in American History and Advanced Social Studies. I'm sure it's no big surprise that I relished the open-ended nature of the questions. Usually there were two, maybe three. That's 50 points a pop -- 33 if you got three. High risk, high reward.

I still have my handwritten tests, folded length-ways with your name and date on the right side please, from his classes. One of the moments that made me most proud -- and showed me maybe I was pretty smart and not just a class clown jock-type from the wrong kind of family at the private school -- was when I got bonus points for my answer on World War II. Told later by seniors that they'd heard of only one other person that got bonus points from Dunn.

Enough self-congratulations, the reasons I'm thinking of Mr. Dunn today are two-fold. First, he was not a traditional teacher. Really, very few of the teachers at River Oaks during this period were cookie-cutter educationists. He was a former haberdasher, retired; who loved raising roses with his dear wife of who knows now many years. And, he knew his history. I look back on the old-school lecture and essay question format, and he gifted those who survived his headmaster rules strict attitude with incredible confidence and knowledge.

As for the knowledge, let me spread a little Mr. Dunn. On election day during my senior year, someone in the class asked Mr. Dunn who he voted for today. He looked up from his desk and a disgusted frown moved across his face. With an even more stern tone than usual, he looked the person who asked straight in the eye and said "Don't you ever ask anyone that question again."

He went on to lecture the class. This is America, and you have the right to walk into a private place and make your vote. That is your vote, and don't you ever, ever tell anyone how you voted.

You could tell that a very sacred thing had been disturbed, as if you had decided to wipe down the church alter with urine.

So on this election day, here's to you Mr. Dunn. I've got to go do that solemn, and private, duty this morning.