Show t 4 raded 111 tlTwh i J By JOHN FRANKLIN SMITH as told to John Ross but don’t call him “retired”! ) legends revolve about ' the hallowed Many of Otterbein College But when the boys and girls arrive on the Westerville Ohio campus for the first time they’re almost certain to hear the story of “Prof’ Smith as a part of their orientation Smith is one of the school janitors and the oldest relic on the campus Indeed according to some versions of dormitory scuttlebutt he was on hand that day in 1847 when the doors of Otterbein were opened But the only reason the Smith tale is told at all is because it has a punch line that seems to ' leave the new freshmen a little stunned “And this janitor’ the narrator will tell his audience “used to be a professor at Otterbein” The story is substantially true Janitor “Prof” Smith once was known at Otterbein as Professor John Franklin Smith of the speech and dramatics department His age however is grossly exaggerated He — that is I—date back only 80 years I have often overheard the story told I have caught the curious stares of our newcomers But none of this embarrasses me Indeed I’m delighted —and as a matter of fact quite proud— to be a janitor at Otterbein The transition from college professor to college janitor is admittedly an unusual one but I have never considered it undignified or degrading In fact when it occurred some ten years ago I welcomed the opportunity to continue living as a useful human At Otterbein the mandatory age for retirement is 70 For some this is a most appropriate time to step down from a job Others would welcome it at 60 at 65 Still others never are willing to be put out to pasture I am in the latter group In the summer of 1950 when I reached my 70th year I was not ready to retire The word simply was not in my ' vocabulary I had been teaching 6 Family Weekly February 26 1961 i ) for almost 40 years I was in excellent health My mind was clear’ And while I respected the rule that required me to bid farewell to the halls of Otterbein I knew that a large part of pie would die as soon as I fell into 'the arms of retirement and the porch rocker Age is a matter of attitude Instead of retiring I retreaded The job situation was not attractive Needless to say there are few opportunities for a ma of 70 1 had a chance to sell pens in a store in Columbus but I didn’t particularly relish the long drive back and forth each day There were one or two other possibilities but they too had unattractive features Finally Mrs Smith and I had virtually decided to take charge of a camp on Lake Erie doing conservation work when I chanced to meet one of our Otterbein officials We talked about many things before the conversation centered on his difficulty in finding a janitor “You wouldn’t like to give us a hand in your spare time would you?” he said jokingly Hearty laughter I suppose would have been a normal reaction But there were forces working within me now that caused me to reflect seriously on his words I had deep roots at Otterbein I had first stepped on the campus in 1905 and I had learned to love it almost from that very moment And it was there on that same campus that I’d met my dear wife Our children followed in our footsteps too Yes Otterbein had been my home —our home Would it really matter I wondered if I went to work with a mop in the gymnasium rather than with a bit of chalk at the head of a classroom? Not really It was honest work And I would still be at Otterbein There were other considerations too For one thing the gymnasium was located just across J -- S the street from my home And the pay was to be $100 per month —not an unimportant consideration since my only source of income was a small retirement check each month I took the job It is not an easy job I work about five hours a day six days a week scrubbing and polishing floors scouring water closets and shower rooms and doing the other usual janitorial chores But I couldn’t be happier' The condition of the gymnasium is my responsibility When I turn out of bed each morning I know a lot of people are depending on me to do this work And I take pride in the glitter of the polished gym floor almost as much as I did in the pear-shaptones of my students in speech This is important to a man of 80 ed There are many other compensations — the of my boys for instance They keep me young I like it when they call me “Prof” It’s not aimed at my new station in life Rather it’s affectionate and warm I am their confidant their advisor their chaplain of sorts Sometimes I’m Dan Cupid too There is just one sad note— four years ' Pass too quickly at college It has always been so There has been an unanticipated security in the switch from professor to janitor too As a professor I did not qualify for Social Security coverage However because of my new status Mrs Smith and I are now entitled to receive a total of $103 per month— which helps us a lot When my two grandsons recently enrolled at Otterbein I had some uneasy moments Would they be embarrassed by my new job at the college I wondered The answer came quickly After observing my status with the boys in the gymnasium both agreed: “You know Grandfather you have a great job in the college because you dignify it” I couldn’t disagree |