Citation: Albert L. Marting, ed., “They Live On,” Baldwin-Wallace Alumnus 22, no. 3 (1944): p. 4.
One of the first two Greater Clevelanders reported killed in the invasion of France was a Berea airborne infantryman and a member of the American Rangers, Pfc. Russell H. Danalds, ex-'36, son of Mr. and Mrs. W. Lyle Danalds. Pfc. Danalds, a glider infantryman, was killed on June 10, four days after Allied troops began storming Hitler's Atlantic wall.
A graduate of Berea High School and a former student of B.-W., the soldier worked at the Midland Steel Products Company before entering the service in March 1942. After receiving infantry and parachute training at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana, and at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Danalds was sent overseas in October 1943 and was stationed in England. His wife, Helen Barnum Danalds, '35, is a pharmacist's mate, second class, in the WAVES stationed at Camp Detrick, Maryland. In addition to his parents and his wife, he is survived by his sister, Helen, who lives in Berea.
Citation: "Alumnus Films Dalai Lama Documentary," Pursuit, vol. 31, no. 2 (Winter 2000): pg. 11.
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Khashyar Darvich '91 is a spiritual person. That comes across in his writing, in his films and even in a brief phone conversation. His medium is film, a vehicle that allows him to reach many people with his message.
"I try to incorporate spirituality into every film I make," he says. "In fact, the name of my company, Wakan, is a Lakota Native American word meaning 'in the spirit of the Great spirit.' I try to meditate and pray every day, and those spiritual practices are very important in my film making and my life. Actually, I think that part of the reason I have been given such wonderful and uplifting projects to work on is because I have a commitment to try to make positive programs and serve the greatest good in some way... I can't see making films (or doing anything in life) with any other focus."
Darvich came to filmmaking through his writing. Originally interested in poetry, he realized that to make an impact on a wider audience, he would need to find a more popular media. Although interested in film, he says that he intuitively felt that he would have to enter the field through his writing.
"I began making documentary films really by accident. I had to become a producer to make my scripts into films," he says. Luckily, artistic success came rather quickly. An early venture, Black Hawk Waltz, which he produced and directed, was broadcast on the History Channel and PBS stations. Thus far it was won several awards including three international Telly Awards and a 1997 International CINDY.
His most important project to date, he says is Peace Pilgrim: Walking 25,000 Miles for Peace. It is the story of Mildred Norman Ryder who, in 1953, gave up everything she had to walk the U.S. promoting peace. During the next 28 years, she walked nearly 25,000 miles, fasting until given food and walking until given shelter. For her efforts she was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. Her "Steps to Peace" booklet has just passed the one million mark and is available in 24 different languages and Braille.
Darvich says he feels lucky to be making the first film about Peace Pilgrim. While others had asked permission from the Peace Project Foundation, Wakan was chosen for the project, at least in part, because of Darvich's commitment to make the documentary in the same spirit of peace.
It was the filmmaker's work on Peace Pilgrim that led to an interview with and subsequent documentary on the Dalai Lama.
"When we began the Peace Pilgrim documentary," he says, "we wrote a list of the people who we would want to interview for the film and the Dalai Lama was on the top of our list. He is the person who most represented peace and spirituality to me." After about eight months, the company received approval for the interview. The first meeting led to other projects: a Dateline NBC piece on Tibetan medicine and a documentary about the Dalai Lama and his vision for the new Millennium.
"I spent several days with him and he is really a great human being," Darvich says. "Just being in his presence is inspiring...his ability to accept others, his great compassion. He has a wonderful laugh. He is also a very humble person and I felt deeply inspired by him. I continue to feel inspired to become a better human being."
Darvich says his B-W experience was just what he needed at the time. Teachers such as Paula Rankin inspired him while the small, intimate atmosphere of the college allowed him the safety and space to develop and discover who he was. And today he feels he has found his niche.
"I know I wouldn't be happy making TV commercials or selling products that are not good for people. I am really fortunate that I'm able to make films that have a positive message. I would not make films if I couldn't do that," he says.
To learn more about his films, visit his website at www.wakan.com or contact him through email at Khashyar@wakan.com.
Citation: Louise M. Kuhns, “Davidson,” Baldwin-Wallace Alumnus 42, no. 6 (1967): p. 9)
Known as "Ong Rau," or "Mr. Beard," by the Vietnamese children, he does not wear a uniform nor carry arms, yet he is fighting a war in Vietnam. Ollie Davidson '66 is fighting the "other war"- against disease, famine, illiteracy and destitution.
The beard which fascinates the children in Vietnam has already become a trademark for 26-year-old Ollie who is an assistant provincial representative for the United States Agency for International Development (AID). This is the latest of his journeys which have taken him to various parts of the world in the past seven years.
In Vietnam Ollie travels through areas surrounded by Viet Cong, taking food and medicines to the villagers. He also assists them with school construction projects and any other construction that is required. In one village he has installed a public television which brings the people flocking to the village square to see this strange new phenomenon.
A helicopter, named "Yellow Jacket" by Ollie in honor of his alma mater, is employed by AID to deliver supplies.
AID representatives are available to assist the Vietnamese with programs in social welfare, agriculture, public safety, public works and public administration.
While working in the villages, Ollie travels among the people unarmed despite the constant fear of the Viet Cong who have killed nine AID workers during the past two years and have captured three others.
He explains why he goes unarmed, "These people wouldn't trust anything or anybody who smacks of the military. By going around without a weapon, I identify myself as a friend of the villagers."
He added, "I never patronize the same restaurant or cafe with any time pattern. You can't afford to set yourself up as a candidate for assassination by the Viet Cong."
The life in Vietnam is far from glamorous and barely comfortable, but it is not a new experience for Ollie who is the son of Oliver J. '38 and Orpha Willson Davidson '36. His dream of seeing more of the world dates back to high school days when he worked at a variety of odd jobs earning money to begin his adventures.
In 1960, following his freshman year at B-W, Ollie joined a group from Brecksville on a trip around the world. He chafed under the restrictions of group travel and left the tour in Hong Kong along with Professor Robert Meade of Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut, to complete their travels alone. Those travels, covering 11 months, took them to 28 countries.
Ollie returned to B-W for another year, and in the summer of 1962 he hitchhiked throughout Europe and attended the Community Youth Festival in Helsinki, Finland, as an independent and pro-American delegate. Ten days in the U.S.S.R. and Czechoslovakia concluded the trip.
He is not the typical tourist traveling to see the sights. Ollie is genuinely interested in living among the people and learning about them.
Dr. Fred E. Harris, vice president for academic affairs, has said of Ollie, "He expresses his concern for people in a manner that brings credit to his country, his College and his family. He is a unique representative of his generation, giving hope to those whom he meets and those whom he represents. He is a one-man U.N."
Before completing his studies in political science at B-W in March, 1966, Ollie had also made several trips to Latin America and South America.
In July of this summer, Ollie left the villages northwest of Saigon where he had worked for 12 months. He is now working at AID headquarters in Bien Hoa. With his first 18-mouth tour ending in December, Ollie is already beginning to think about signing up for another tour and it would be no surprise to those who know this remarkable young man who ably represents the United States.
Louise M. Kuhns '63
External resource: The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training Foreign Affairs Oral History Project Foreign Assistance Series
Citation: “B-W Tracksters In National Limelight,” Baldwin-Wallace College News Letter 9, no. 5 (1943): p. 4.
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Baldwin-Wallace has been lifted into national prominence in track athletics through the sensational performance of sophomore Harrison Dillard, hurdling ace, assisted by his fellow hurdler Harold Lane and the middle distance runners Bob Stroemple and Robert English.
Dillard has definitely arrived as one of the nation's truly great hurdlers. The former Ohio scholastic champion, despite the handicaps of poor training facilities, has been brought swiftly to the top by track coach Eddie Finnigan.
At the K. of C. meet at the Cleveland Arena on March 26, Dillard was the sensation of the evening. This, in spite of the fact that Greg Rice, former Notre Dame toy bull dog, showed Clevelanders a world record indoor two miler. His running time was eight minutes and fifty one seconds. Gilbert Dodds, former Ashland College star, was among those who did phenomenal work.
Dillard started his evening's performances for the Yellow Jackets by running a close second in the 45-yard high hurdles to Bob Wright, world champion of Ohio State. The colored ace had evidently saved his best efforts for the 45 yard low hurdles. Here he came through beautifully, beating the above mentioned Buckeye phenom Wright in a camera eye finish. Dillard's time was 5.2 seconds, only one tenth behind Wright's world indoor record.
Not yet finished, Dillard came back a bit later to run a fast quarter thereby helping Baldwin-Wallace to win the one mile college relay. I n the second lap in the race he came from behind in a brilliant dash that clinched the race for B.-W. Considerable credit, however, must be given to Bob English, Harold Lane and Bob Stroemple for their part in the relay victory.
Bill Scally, another Baldwin-Wallace entry, came through with a nice performance in the high jump, reaching the height of 6.2.
A few weeks ago Dillard had fans at Madison Square Garden, New York, taking notice. Here he beat Bob Wright of Ohio State three out of four times, though finishing behind him in the high hurdles. In the low hurdles Dillard was second only to Harold Stickle of Pitt, who ran in the world record time of 6.9 seconds. Trailing both of them were Wright and "Whitey" Hlad, Michigan Normal star.
Still more recently at the Illinois Tech Relays in Chicago, Dillard won both high and low hurdles.
Citation: “Tracksters Win First Conference Championship,” Baldwin-Wallace College News Letter 9, no. 6 (1943): p. 4.
Baldwin-Wallace has just come through with its first Ohio Conference championship in track, thanks to the · speed of Harrison Dillard and his team mates, Stroemple, Lane, Penner, Phillips, Scally and others. When the Army call came to four of Eddie Finnigan's stars, it appeared that the first real opportunity to win a championship had faded away. A kind camp officer, however, saved the day by allowing the boys to return to the campus for the Ohio Conference meet although they were under the handicap of strenuous first day exercises and the usual "shots." The Yellow Jackets' victory on May 15 was a decisive one, in spite of the fact that there was a strong head wind and a soggy track to hamper speed, Dillard as usual won four firsts, gaining all of the individual wins that Baldwin-Wallace garnered. The other firsts came in the relays. Baldwin-Wallace opened the festivities of the day by chalking up a new track and meet record for the 880 yard relay. Stroemple, Hunston, Lane and ·Dillard met little opposition as they covered the distance in 1:31. This figure surpassed the previous record of 1:33 set by last year's quartet.
In the dashes only Jim Adams of Case succeded in breaking B.-W.'s monopoly when he took the quarter mile. Bob Stroemple, our defending champion lead most of the distance, but was nosed out in the home stretch as noted above. In the 220 it was Dillard who passed his team mate Stroemple to win first place. The century went to Dillard also, with Harold Lane a worthy second.
The distance races of the half mil e, mile and two mile routes all went to Oberlin. Hunt and Emerson of Baldwin-Wallace finished third and fourth in the 880 while Hunt and freshman Ed Kuekes finished third and fifth in the mile. In the two mile Kuekes, though not placing, bettered his time of the previous week when he won this event.
Who won the hurdles? You were right, it was Dillard. He completely outran Lloyd Duff, highly touted Oberlin sensation in the highs with Baldwin-Wallace's Norman Willbond in third place.
With almost total darkness on, the long awaited event of the day, the 220 yard low' hurdles came. Admirers surrounded the finish line hoping that in spite of track and wind, Dillard would establish a new world record. It will be remembered that he had ti ed the record on previous occasions. The tired, but plucky lad won his race hard pressed by his team mate Harold Lane, with Oberlin's Duff finishing a sad third.
The final event of the evening offered the greatest thrill in the mile relay. Willbond, the starter for B.-W., erased an early deficit to give Hunston a scant margin which he and English, who followed him, lengthened. A slip in the passing of the baton to Troy Penner for the final lap put the latter under a decided handicap, as Oberlin moved into the lead by fifteen yards. Our young freshman put on a magnificent drive, slowly pulling up to his rival as he rounded the final turn. He won in the most spectacular finish of the year, at least on the Baldwin-Wallace track. The final score revealed that Baldwin- Wallace had totalled 80 points with Oberlin, last year's champion, in second place with 68 1/2 points.
Citation: Albert L. Marting, ed., “Athletic Honors,” Baldwin-Wallace Alumnus 22, no. 1 (1944): p. 11.
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Honors have recently come to several Baldwin-Wallace athletes. The District Award Committee of the North East Ohio Association of the Amateur Athletic Union named Harrison Dillard, ex-B.-W. hurdle star (now in training at Hampton Institute as an army engineer) as the outstanding athlete of the year. Dillard finished second in the indoor senior national championship event and later in the indoor season he won both hurdle events at the Chicago Relays. At the annual indoor K. of C. meet at the Cleveland Arena, Dillard took several of the country's leading hurdlers into camp, including Bob Wright of Ohio State (national champion).
Previous to his induction into the Army, Dillard became the fourth man in all track history to better 23 seconds for the 220 yard low hurdle event, being clocked at 22.8 seconds. At the annual Big Six meet, Dillard received a twenty-four hour pass from Ft. Hayes and then romped to four firsts which greatly aided Baldwin-Wallace in winning its first Big Six victory.
Citation: Albert L. Marting, ed., “A World Record,” Baldwin-Wallace Alumnus 25, no. 1 (1947): p. 7.
Harrison Dillard has covered a few more milestones on his way to the 1948 Olympics at London. That trip is not an easy one but the B.-W. flash has definitely indicated increasing ability as what appears to be the best hurdler in the world in recent appearances in the East. A bit under size for jumping fences, Dillard is under the necessity of utilizing sheer speed to make up for lack of height. In races sponsored by the Philadelphia Inquirer and also by the Boston K. of C., Harrison glided through to firsts on both occasions against the best that the Eastern United States and Sweden had to offer.
Both races were short, one for 50 yards and another for 45. Putting a premium on an explosive start in both cases, Dillard stepped to the front of the field at the get away and held his advantage over the three hurdles. At the Quaker City he ran in 6.3 seconds only two-tenths off the world's record and was ahead of Tom and Bill Mitchell of Indiana and Haakon Lidman of Sweden. At Boston his 5.6 broke the K. of C. meet mark by one-tenth of a second. Here the speedster was trailed by Ted Sparrow, Tufts; Weston Flint, Harvard; Bill Mitchell and Lidman.
At New York on February 1 Dillard again proved himself premier hurdler of the nation as he gave a classy exhibition before a sell-out crowd of 15,000 in the Millrose game.
Running away with the field "Bones" tied the world record in triumphing in the 90 yard high hurdles. His time was 7.2 seconds which equals the standards established by Charles "Whitey" Hlad of Michigan State in 1942. In second place, a good 2 yards behind the flying Dillard was Lloyd Duff of Lakewood and Ohio State who has been trailing Dillard since high school days in Cleveland. The Cleveland Plain Dealer devoted an editorial to the B.-W. ace on February 3 in which he was lauded not only as a hurdler but as a gentleman who "by personality and ability ... can win recognition for his talents regardless of color, creed, or place of birth."
Citation: Albert L. Marting, ed., “Dillard in Europe,” Baldwin-Wallace Alumnus 25, no. 3 (1947): p. 13.
As this article goes to press Harrison Dillard and an all-star American team are being welcomed in the Scandinavian countries where the track season has just begun. The peerless Baldwin-Wallace athlete is making a marathon schedule of it. He began indoor competition in January and will not finish his outdoor performances until September.
Dillard, who on July 5 became for the second consecutive year the only man to win two American championships, flew the Atlantic with the team on Thursday, July 17. In Sweden they asked particularly that Dillard be sent on the Scandinavian trip, one of three foreign tours to be made this summer by picked U. S. squads. Coach Carl Olson of Pittsburgh will be in charge of the squad.
Dillard's performances in the national senior meet at Lincoln, Nebr., on July 5, were much better even than the times indicate. The wind, which had favored the athletes Friday during the junior championships, turned completely around Saturday and was blowing at a measured four to six miles an hour in the faces of the sprinters and hurdlers.
Nevertheless, Dillard hit 14 seconds flat for the high hurdles, only a tenth slower than his lifetime best and a tenth better than the Olympic record. In the low hurdles, which were co11tested around a curve, he equaled his own AAU record but could not touch the 23 flat he accomcplished around a turn last year at Minneapolis while setting an American record.
B.-W.'s Norb Badar, who had placed in the highs and lows in the junior division, finished fifth in the senior lows. This, with Dillard's double victory, gave B.-W. 22 points to finish seventh in a field of 37 teams.
Harrison Dillard no longer shares top honors with others in world records. He now holds one alone and in his own right. The star Baldwin- Wallace hurdler carved an everlasting nitch for himself in the track hall of fame with a great exhibition at the N. C. A. A. meet at Salt Lake City, Utah on June 21.
On a chill night Dillard shot away down the 220 yard straightaway and over the ten low hurdles in the fastest time that anyone has ever run the low sticks-22.3 seconds. The champion cut two full tenths of a second off the world standard that had been held by him and jointly by Fred Wolcott of Rice Institute. The latter had first established the record of 22.5 seconds. This Dillard tied twice-most recently at the Ohio State duel meet at Berea on May 20.
Dillard also took the high hurdles at Utah to give him his second straight double triumph in the national collegiate making the distance in 14.1 seconds. In the qualifier of the night before he had made the best time of his life in this event- 13. 9 seconds tying the N. C. A. A. mark set by Dugger of Tufts in 1940.
With Dillard's two first places and Gunther Katzmar's sixth in the quarter mile, the B-W. troop amassed 21 points and fifth place among the nation's colleges and universities.
The fact that the runners were hampered rather than helped by a prevailing wind seems to insure the recognition of Dillard's records by the international amateur federation. In both timber events Dillard, was trailed by Bill Porter, the Northwestern flash who had broken Harrison's long string of victories at the Los Angeles Coliseum relays.
Citation: “Dillard Starts Tour Through Five States On Speaking Circuit,” Baldwin-Wallace Alumnus 27, no. 1 (1949): p. 14.
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Harrison Dillard, a B-W alumnus since his graduation in December, is in the midst of a three-month speaking tour which is taking him to six states under the sponsorship of the college.
First out-of-town appearances, early in January, were in Washington, D. C. Later that month Dillard went to Detroit, and spent the following week in the Pittsburgh-New Castle, Pa., area.
Dillard's speaking tour will take him to high schools in New York state in mid-February, hitting Scarsdale, Nyack, Suffern and Tarrytown. Appearances in New Jersey schools will come late this month.
Scheduled for March are speaking engagements in North Tonawanda, Kenmore, Hamburg, East Aurora and Buffalo, N. Y., as well as Winnetka and Harvey, Illinois.
The Olympic star's tour has been planned around his entrance in the country's major indoor track and field events for 1949. Already holder of 12 major world records, Dillard has been scheduled to enter 15 meets between the first of the year and the end of March, 1949.
Citation: Frances Mills and Marion Cole, eds., “A World Record,” Baldwin-Wallace Alumnus 27, no. 2 (1949): p. 7.
Harrison Dillard has covered a few more milestones on his way to the 1948 Olympics at London. That trip is not an easy one but the B.-W. flash has definitely indicated increasing ability as what appears to be the best hurdler in the world in recent appearances in the East. A bit under size for jumping fences, Dillard is under the necessity of utilizing sheer speed to make up for lack of height. In races sponsored by the Philadelphia Inquirer and also by the Boston K. of C., Harrison glided through to firsts on both occasions against the best that the Eastern United States and Sweden had to offer.
Both races were short, one for 50 yards and another for 45. Putting a premium on an explosive start in both cases, Dillard stepped to the front of the field at the get away and held his advantage over the three hurdles. At the Quaker City he ran in 6.3 seconds only two-tenths off the world's record and was ahead of Tom and Bill Mitchell of Indiana and Haakon Lidman of Sweden. At Boston his 5.6 broke the K. of C. meet mark by one-tenth of a second. Here the speedster was trailed by Ted Sparrow, Tufts; Weston Flint, Harvard; Bill Mitchell and Lidman.
At New York on February 1 Dillard again proved himself premier hurdler of the nation as he gave a classy exhibition before a sell-out crowd of 15,000 in the Millrose game.
Running away with the field "Bones" tied the world record in triumphing in the 90 yard high hurdles. His time was 7.2 seconds which equals the standards established by Charles "Whitey" Hlad of Michigan State in 1942. In second place, a good 2 yards behind the flying Dillard was Lloyd Duff of Lakewood and Ohio State who has been trailing Dillard since high school days in Cleveland. The Cleveland Plain Dealer devoted an editorial to the B.-W. ace on February 3 in which he was lauded not only as a hurdler but as a gentleman who "by personality and ability ... can win recognition for his talents regardless of color, creed, or place of birth."
Citation: “Dillard gets top award,” Baldwin-Wallace College News Letter 23, no. 1 (1956): p. 1.
William Harrison Dillard, '49, has been voted the James E. Sullivan memorial trophy for 1955 by a national tribunal of sports authorities. The award is to the country's outstanding amateur athlete who ''by performance, example, and influence did most to advance the cause of sportsmanship during the year."
Citation: Kieth A. Peppers, 2020.
Harrison entered B-W as a freshman in the fall of 1941 to study business administration. Over the next eight year, an unparalleled list of life experiences and athletic accomplishments would set Mr. Dillard apart from his peers. He won twelve National Collegiate and AAU championships. A four-time Olympic medalist, Harrison “Bones” Dillard won gold at the 1948 London Games in men’s 4x100m relay and 100m. He would win two more gold in the 1952 Helsinki Games, again for the men’s 4x100m relay and for the 110m hurdles. Prior to competing in the Olympics, Harrison enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War II, serving with the Buffalo Soldiers, an all-black division of the 92nd Infantry. Following school and his accomplishments on the Olympic stage, Dillard spent many years working with the Cleveland Indians and on the radio as a host. On sunny day in the spring of 2015, a statue of Dillard in mid-jump was unveiled by President Helmer to an audience that included the legend himself. Although Mr. Dillard has passed, the statue commemorating his life and athletic achievements can be visited outside the entrance of Finnie Field. When General Patton caught Dillard competing, he exclaimed “He's the best god damned athlete I've ever seen.”
Citation: Albert L. Marting, ed., “In Memoriam,” Baldwin-Wallace Alumnus 23, no. 2 (1945): p. 8.
The death of Mr. Charles J. Dyke, ex-'96, occurred in Burbank, Cal., on April 19, 1945, following a cerebral hemorrhage. His boyhood home was in West View, O. After three years in the preparatory and college departments of Baldwin University, Mr. Dyke completed his work at Stanford University, and later studied at Columbia University. He entered the teaching profession and taught for a time in Honolulu, and was president of the Kamehameha College for Hawaiian boys and girls. He was later on the faculty star of the University of Colorado. For 22 years he was superintendent of schools at Milburn, N. J., until his retirement in 1937. He married one of his teaching staff, in Milburn, Miss Margaret English, and since his retirement, they have made their home in California, dividing their time between Van Nuys and Burbank, and in travel. Mrs. Dyke survives him.
