From Harry Lee
I first met John Ramsey in February of 1951, when I was still a freshman. I was in my room on the Athletic Dorm busily studying for an English test, when John stuck his head in my door and asked if I knew where Dicky Baker was. At that time. Tuscaloosa was still a “dry county,” and John and Dicky were scheduled to go to the Midway in Greene County for a few beers. I had not seen Dicky, and John decided to leave. About fifteen seconds later, John stuck his head in the room again and asked if I wanted to go to Greene County. I put my book down and ventured out to the Midway. John Fraser Ramsey had entered my life. During the next four years John became my friend, teacher, mentor, father figure, confidant, and Best Man. He introduced me to and taught me how to appreciate classical music, gourmet foods (which he cooked), and all kinds of drinks. He even taught me how to properly drive a car. That summer, and several more after that, we made a lot of trips to Greene County.
The next semester I took Freshman History. John was not scheduled to teach the course, but twice as many students signed up as expected. John was therefore drafted to teach a section. He came to the dorm and informed me that the class had to be divided into two sections. He said he could split the class starting with the “Ls” or the “Ms,” and asked where I wanted him to start. I selected the “Ls” and got my first experience of how knowledgeable he was about European History.
Three years later, after the team had played in the Cotton Bowl, Jan and I planned to marry in her hometown in New Jersey. I had asked John to be my Best Man. He not only agreed to be my Best Man, but he also gave me his car to drive to New Jersey a week before the wedding, enabling Jan and me to make all of our wedding preparations. John went up on the train. After the wedding, Jan and I drove back in his car again, and he once again took the train. However, that was not the end of his involvement with this newly wed couple. Our plans to live in University Housing did not work out, so John insisted that we stay in his apartment. It took Jan and me almost a week to find a place of our own, but John patiently stayed at a friend’s house.
John stayed involved in our lives, and as our family grew, he was always there to share in the glory of another birth. The holidays, and other occasions, always found us having dinner together. Both Jan and I lost our fathers to early deaths, but all four of our children knew John as the Grandfather they never had.
During the many conversations between John and myself, I learned that John had been this type of person all of his life. I found it astounding that he could do so many things, and do things for so many different kinds of people. He was always at ease, whether with Kings or Paupers. And if you happened to be one of those paupers, he made you feel like a king. The criteria for the Ramsey Award is truly based on the character of John Fraser Ramsey, and every recipient, without knowing it, has a part of John Ramsey within them.
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