Purdue Grad Got
Into Oak Ridge
By Simple Trick
Norbert Gagen—a Purdue, Class
of '36, graduate—was given a startl
ing •command early in the war:
"Break into the plant at Oak Ridge,
Tennessee!" he was ordered. "Crack
it—spy on it. Take pictures, steal
documents, make maps speak to
people, and ask them questions. Try
to find oat what's being made!"
These words began one of the
strangest, most secret assignments
of World War 11. With an almost
unbelievably simple ruse, Counter
Intelligence Corpsman Gagen actu
ally penetrated our atom bomb secu
rity defenses before going on to other
vital assignments, including •delivery
to the West Coast of an atom bomb
that shattered a Jap city.
Detailing his story, Gagen de
scribed the air of Hollywoodish se
crecy that characterized his mission.
Called out of an intelligence camp
staging area, he was ordered to
Knoxville, Tennessee. There, in a
tigh-lipped interview with an Army
Intelligence Officer, Gagen was given
a camera, a pistol, and a set of keys
to a car—and told to "get into Oak
Ridge."
Working with another agent, he
made and dismissed dozens of plans
for entering Oak Ridge illegally but
finally pinned all his chances on a
'cheap "Special Officer" badge he'd
bought in a pawn-shop. By flashing
this badge in an authoritative man
ner at the guarded gates of Oak
Ridge, he bluffed his way into forbid
den territory, took pictures, made
maps, stole documents and prepared
a thick report on area activities.
This report, in enemy hands, could
have spelled disaster for Oak Ridge.
But in the hands of American Intelli
gence, it made the bomb the best
kept secret in history.
Geology Class
On The Road
With the advent of fair weather,
the Geology 30 class under the in
struction of Hobson Zerbe, have been
devoting their laboratory period ev
ery Tuesday morning to taking field
trips around the vicinity in order to
study rock formations and geological
phenomena.
On May 4, the group visited the
Lost River Cavern near Hellertown,
Pa., and on this past Tuesday, the
class was taken on a tour through the
Hazleton Brick Company by the su
perintendent, Mr. Hugh Campbell.
Other interesting locations that were
visited recently include the "mile"
rocks situated behind the Hazleton
Senior High School, and abandoned
mine strippings at Cranberry.
Advisor: How many studies are
you carrying?
DeNoia: I'm carrying one and
dragging four.
HAZLETON COLLEGIAN
Twice each month during the entire year, the members of
the Gerinan Classes at the Undergraduate . Center held a German
Conversational Table at Genetti's. In the picture above, a gioup
of the Deutche students can be seen after the meal. The tables
were attended by faculty members Anna Erlemann and Helen
Dossenbach. An occasional bit of international relations was
struck up when Edra Staffiera was a guest.
ALUMNI
NEWS
BETTY PROCCOPIO, a four se
mester student of HUC, who has
been away from school because of
illness, will enter the Misericordia
College at Dallas, Tennsylvania, next
fall semester. Miss' Procopio's major
will be Spanish.
LOUIS RAVE, who attended HUC
three semesters is continuing his
studies at Penn State Campus with
Horticulture, as his major.
Another three semester alumni of
HUC, JAMES MORAN is now ma
triculating at Bloomsburg State
Teachers College. Mr. Moran's major
is Mathematics. TED BROSKI, a
student of HUC for three semesters
is also, at the present time, a student
of. Bloomsburg. State Teachers Col
lege.
DANNY BLOSS, one of the com
petent past members of HUC Student
Council is continuing his studies at
the Penn State Campus and is major
ing in Mechanical Engineering.
JACK KOBRICK AND GEORGE
SEIDEL, past students of HUC are
presently located at the Penn State
Campus. Mr. Kobrick and Mr. Seidel
are both majoring, in Psychology.
Recently admitted as a member
of Phi Beta Kappa on Penn State
Campus, MRS. NATALIE BIEDER
MAN GORDON has been accepted
into the New York School for Social
Research, where she will work for
her MA Degree in Sociology.
DAVID KELLER, a member of the
Penn State Symphony Orchestra and
Band was a representative from that
school at the Inter-Collegiate All
State Band at Lockhaven last month.
ALBERT KELLER, the former's
brother is also an active member of
THE GERMAN TABLE
Music 11 Course
At Summer School
Miss Pearl Garbrick, music instruc
tor, has announced the addition of
Music 11, a one credit course, to the
schedule of summer courses. Whether
or not this course will be available to
students is contingent upon the num
ber of students requesting it. At the
present time there are ten vacancies.
Those taking this course during
the summer are assured of continu
ing it at the beginning of their fall
semester. Although a student isn't a
music major, it may be taken as a
course for the credit. Miss Garbrick
stated that evening classes will be
given if necessary.
A large number of students and
school patrons have viewed the art
exhibit which has been displayed lo
cally by Art Carpenter, local Penn
State art instructor.
Outstanding among the composi
tion is a painting of the Rausch
home, well-known Hazleton land
mark.
the Penn State Band
DICK EVANS and DICK BARA
GER, both former students of HUC,
are presently members of the College
Choir at the Penn State Campus.
At Misericordia College, Dallas,
Pennsylvania, ANN McHUGH is a
member of the school 'Glee Club.
With Advertising as her major,
CLAIRE MURPHY is now studying
at Penn State Campus. Miss Murphy
spent four semesters here at HUC.
SEE EXHIBITS
Club "X" Plans
Outing; Students
Invited To Attend
At a mass meeting of Club "X"
members last Friday evening, when
HUC student Jack Wagner presided,
it was decided to hold an outdoor
party on Saturday, June 5, at Moyers'
Grove.
Club "X", a recreation center, is
operated by and for young people
past high school age and meets every
first and third Fridays of each month
at the YWCA on West Broad street.
The next scheduled meeting will be
held on May 21 and will feature, as
usual, dancing, darts, table tennis,
card games, group dancing and infor
mal entertainment.
If sufficient interest is shown, it is
possible that Club "X" will be con
tinued during the summer months
and many outdoor meetings will be
planned. Mrs. E. Wallace McMullen,
wife of HUC Lit instructor, is adviser
for the group and 'several HUC stu
dents are on the club council.
GLEE CLUB SINGS
BEFORE KIWANIS
Under the leadership of Miss Pearl
Gabrick, the HUC Glee Club has
accomplished much outstanding and
noteworthy • work. As evidence of this,
on May 25 the Glee Club will appear
at the Kiwanis Luncheon.
The HUC Glee Club has already
made appearances at a Mother's and
Daughter's Banquet of the Emmanuel
Reformed Church; at a church dinner
held by the Salem Evangelical Church
and at the White Haven Sanitorium
for the benefit of the patients there.
CAMPUS PROF
COOK IN DORM
Much controversy has been heard
on the subject of an increase in teach
ers' salaries. Believe it or not, at the
Penn State Campus, an Economics
teacher found it quite difficult to
manage on a teacher's salary, so ac
cepted the "position" as cook for one
of the dormitories there.
However, with the slight increase
he is to receive as an instructor, he
plans to return to his teaching career.
Hear Lecture On
Social Relations
The various sections of the col
lege's sociology classes heard a lec
ture on social relations by Syd Rud
man of the HUC faculty. The lecture
and group discussion took the full
hour period.
The lectures have also been car
ried on in serial form in the health
and physical education classes here
during the 1947-48 term.
In the sociology classes, the lec
tures were given in connection with
the lesson study on social mores and
folk ways which are included in the
regular course plan.