September 23, 1941

Sept 23, 1941

Iowa City, Iowa

Dear father, mother, Vincent, Verner, Marold and others

I haven’t received any communication from you mother but I suppose that it will come today. I hardly expected it to come yesterday but I looked any way. Meanwhile I will write this letter now (it is about 6:15 A.M.) and get it mailed this morning so that you should get it to-morrow.

Registration was a very much easier process this year, that is, it was in the sense that by the time you get this letter it will have been accomplished in toto. However at present, it is still in-complete as far as paying my tuition goes. I read in the Daily Iowan this morning that the Registrar here has devised a new and simplified registration procedure, and from the appearance of things, the statement is not a specimen of emotional gush but really a fact. Under the old system that was in effect last year, there were about 7 or 8 separate steps to the registration procedure plus a tremendous lot of card-filling out etc etc etc. Now, there are only 4 steps and the last one is an addition to the old procedure in that it constitutes the issuance of the activity ticket. Moreover, there are less places in which you have to put this, that and the other thing.

Due to this simplified registration procedure and the fact that I knew precisely what I was going to take, the part of the registration which I went thru yesterday lasted only about 1¼ hours. I went over to the Eng. Building at 12:45 or so and signed up as a senior (not exactly true but it would get you to the point of registering much faster. That is because sheets are handed out labeled Chem, Elect etc Eng’ng with sub-heads of Soph, Jr and Sr. Since by the time the sheet came to me there were quite a few names under Jrs., I put mine under the Sr heading and got in one of the very first ones.)

My adviser was the head of the department, Olin, and as far as the advice he gave me, it was totally negligible since I already knew what was needed. However, as is common with people who put an exaggerated value of every detail of form etc. it took him about 15 min to fill out one card. Thereafter I filled out the other 6 or 7 what have you, got them approved, checked, and fees assessed in the next hour or less. However on my registration blank was a number indicating that the time I should pay my fee (tuition) would be the next day (that is, today) at ten o’clock. Therefore I still have that to do but that should not take me very long. After that, I will have my picture taken and my activity ticket prepared. The picture will appear on the ticket as a means of identification.

As I perhaps told you, next Saturday is the first football game of the season which I suppose I will see since it costs me nothing to get in.

I registered for Chem. Eng. Thermodynamics, Principles of Chem Eng. II, Organic Chemistry, Tech Writing and Phys Metallurgy this semester for a total of 16 hours. I have lab 4 afternoons a week and only 1 Sat class, organic. I rather think it will be an easier schedule than I had last semester. I have prepared my schedule also for the next 3 semesters to take care of any contingency that I can conceive of.

Maybe I should have written about my room-mate first but I got started on registering instead so I will write about him now. His name is Howard Ward. He is a sophomore in electrical mechanical engineering and plans to specialize later in aeronautic work. I knew him vaguely last year; that is, when I saw him I recognized him as a member of the freshman drawing class and that is about all. His home is in a suburb of Chicago. He is about my height but quite a bit heavier, say 175 or 180 lbs. He has dark black hair which looked to me almost as if it had some gray hairs in it. He says he loves to play football but can’t spend the time necessary to play it down here. I caught a glance of his report card on the table and I would say his grade point was about a 2 or C. For all his fierce array of pipes he has done very little smoking so far. He is half-thinking of joining a fraternity but is still quite undecided. He may join now, but not move in till next semester. I suppose it is barely possible that he may move out, but if he does it will be later rather than sooner I think. He likes to sleep till about 8:30 or so in the morning but he doesn’t mind when I get up, I suppose since he can sleep thru anything. He doesn’t snore but he does make wheezy sounds as he sleeps. Several times I have heard him half talking in his sleep.

I have not entirely completed my opinion of him but so far it is this. As most people I have met in this school he is more or less of a dope. He is not too smart, probably doesn’t study a lot. He is the good old extrovert type insofar as he like to be out mixing with people. However, I do not think that he would be a dominant figure in any group. It will be easy enough living with him I think, as it is always easy to get along with people who don’t think to much. If you want to know any other particulars let me know and I will try to answer them.

My leaves are still quite droopy. I can’t figure out why. So far the ivy seems to be doing quite well. I have watered them once, only a little.

I played tennis Sunday afternoon, with James Cross and I almost wore a blister in myself. Could you send my shorts etc? I believe they are permissible attired on the tennis courts. I don’t suppose tho that I will play very much.

Food prices have gone up about 1/3 down here since last spring.

I still do not think that it will be any fun going to school now or at any other time.

With love,

Carl

P.S. What should I do about Uncle Carl’s check? I forgot to give it to dad to put on his acc’t. Should I send it home?