MSU GRANDFATHER BEGINS FAMILY'S SPARTAN TRADITION

My dad, Jerry Hull, recently mentioned to me that he had lived in Shaw Hall as an MSU student more than 60 years ago. He came to MSU as a sophomore transfer student from Baldwin Wallace College in September 1949.

Dad was one of nine children who grew up on a fruit and turkey farm in eastern Ohio and he was interested in pursuing a degree in agriculture. Because on-campus housing was limited, his first residence was a Quonset hut on Harrison Rd,(I think). Shaw Hall was under construction at that time.

According dad, as rooms (in the residence hall) were completed, students were moved from the Quonset Huts into Shaw. There was only one Shaw Hall back then. Now there are two, East Shaw and West Shaw halls.

During the winter of 1950 a room became available and he relocated into  brand new living quarters. Dad earned a bachelor's in horticulture in 1952. He went on to earn a mater's at Virginia Polytechnic Institute. Then, he returned to MSU to earn a doctoral degree in horticulture in December, 1958.

He took a job at Purdue University for  a few years. But when a job opened up at his alma mater, he returned to work as an extension specialist in horticulture in the university's Cooperative Extension Service.

He retired from MSU after more than 30 years on the faculty and he is involved with the MSU Retirees Association.

All four of his children took classes at MSU and two received MSU diplomas. They are Meredith (Hull) Patterson (MBA, Personnel and Human Relations, 1983), Molly (Hull) Wingrove, BS Merchandising Management, 1987). 

All three of his sons-in-law have degrees from MSU:  Rick Oldejans (BA, Business, 1980),Bob Patterson (BA, Accounting, 1982) and Kendall Wingrove (MA, Journalism, 1982).

Meanwhile, his son-in-law, Bob Patterson, is an employee of MSU, working as CFO for the Department of Residential and Hospitality Services. 

Currently, dad's three oldest grandchildren are now attending MSU. They are: Kristen Patterson (senior, accounting), Kelly Patterson (sophomore, mechanical engineering) and Ethan Wingrove (sophomore, accounting).

Following in their grandfather's footsteps, Kristen lived in East Shaw Hall during her sophomore year and Ethan moved into East Shaw Hall in August, 65 years after her grandfather lived there.