Lois (Singer) Linnan '56, winner of the 1997 Distinguished Faculty Award presented by the Clarion University Alumni Association, recently retired as an associated professor of mathematics after teaching nearly 30 years.
Accepting the award in Hart Chapel, she recalled her encounter with a snake in the same Chapel during her freshman year in 1952. The Chapel was used at that time for required programs for the entire student body. One of the programs was presented by a biologist who requested a volunteer from the audience. Linnan, in typical college fashion, was volunteered by her friends because she was a science major.
"He told us that he wanted to demonstrate that snakes were dry and smooth," recalled Linnan. "I expected him to have a snake, but he came out with a rather large one and had me feel its back to prove that it was dry and smooth. Then he had me put my hands under the snake and walked away leaving me to hold it while he continued his program.
"All I remember thinking was, 'He wouldn't let me do this if it wasn't safe.' Later he told me I could put it back in a box, but it was too long for one person to put in. That program provided me with instant recognition on campus."
Her students at Clarion also provided her with some stories for the Alumni Day audience. "I was serving as a sorority advisor and got a phone call at 3 a.m. from one of the members," she said. "She said they didn't know what to do, because one of the other member's boyfriends had pulled a chandelier down at the Sheraton Motel. I asked how this happened and she told me he had to hang on to it to keep his balance."
"I also had a student tell that his bad final grade was an accident. He had planned to study all night but got arrested and had spent the night in jail. I told him he should have taken his book along and studied."
A Pittsburgh native, Linnan first visited Clarion State Teacher's College as a high school student. She graduated in 1956 with a double major in mathematics and science. Her first teaching job was at Penn Hills High School. After marrying she returned to the Clarion area, teaching at Keystone High School for several years, before deciding to attend graduate school. A year of study earned Linnan an M.A. degree in mathematics from Boston College in 1968. Applying for jobs following graduation, she received an offer from Clarion and accepted holding the position until her retirement in December 1996.
Linnan was also active on campus with the Association of Pennsylvania State College and University Faculty (APSCUF), chairing the grievance committee and serving on the meet and discuss team for 15 years. She also served for six years as chair of APSCUF's statewide grievance committee. She also chaired the CCPS and the Clarion University Faculty Senate in addition to taking classes at Clarion in such varied topics as computers, art, and sign language.
Linnan has three children, Lorrie Hager of Clarion, Linda Hinderliter of Bedford, VA, and William Mushrush of Washington, D.C., and four grandchildren.