Today’s Project 100 memory comes from Thomas Tracey Fallon.  Called Tracey by his friends, he grew up in Woodbury and went through the Woodbury School System from kindergarten through high school.  His father was an auditor for Travelers’ Insurance (in both St. Louis and Philadelphia), and his mother was a senior director for the Board of Elections of Gloucester County.  He graduated from Woodbury High School in 1964.  After graduating from Glassboro State College in 1968, he taught at Charles W. Lewis School and Glen Landing for a total of 40 years.  In 1970, while still a new teacher, he drew a very low number (3) for the Selective Service draft lottery.  This prompted him to join the National Guard and also convinced him that it was time to get married.   He served in the National Guard for twenty years, and he has been married now for 53 years.  Even while serving in the National Guard and teaching, he found time to return to GSC for a Master’s Degree in history. In 1976, under Robert Hewsen, he completed his degree with a thesis on Ancient Egypt entitled “A Study of the Personalities of the Amarna Period.”  In addition to boosting his salary as a teacher, the degree also allowed him to win a position as an adjunct professor at Camden County College teaching ancient history.  His college teaching never got in the way of his day, and he was a well-loved teacher by both students and parents, well-known for his passion for his subject and his ability to make history come alive for his students.  He often appeared in costume, portraying Julius Caesar, Charles Dickens, or a Revolutionary soldier.  One parent fondly remembered their eagerness to hear updates about history class from their children at dinner, always being sure to ask “what did Mr. Fallon say today?”  For all of this and the way that he inspired his fellow teachers, he was named New Jersey’s Teacher of the Year for the 1994-1995 academic year.  A link to a video celebrating this accomplishment and highlighting his successful teaching philosophy is below.  In April 1995, he travelled to the White House to discuss issues related to education with the United States Secretary of Education, Richard Riley, and President Bill Clinton. Two years later, in 1997, the National Teachers Hall of Fame honored him with induction.  In addition to teaching in southern New Jersey, he took his skills to China and Thailand where he taught English for a few summers.  He later served as a good will ambassador, representing American teachers, to South Korea, Japan, and Russia.  Finally, he taught seminars for Rowan University on how to deal with classroom situations and concerns of first year teachers. 

Teacher of the Year Video: http://players.brightcove.net/616302910001/yUDk1MHkG_default/index.html?videoId=620158450001

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In the spring of 1964, my classmates were receiving acceptance notices from various colleges and universities across the country. I eagerly awaited word from Glassboro State and was thrilled when I was accepted.  High school was a formative experience but college was going to set the course for the rest of my life.  In September of 1964, I attended my first experience of wearing the “dink,” the symbol of a freshman, and wearing a cardboard placard to have signed by upper classmen as a way of getting to know people on campus.  It was an inventive way to make one’s way into the world of college life.   

Beginning in my freshman year, I became involved in Campus Players under the direction and leadership of Dr. Michael Kelly and his assistant Fritz Bell.  Through their productions, members learned the art and techniques of acting and to develop the personae of various characters, the art of makeup, costume design, stage craft, and lighting while developing confidence and self-esteem both on and off the stage.  We became a band of players always looking forward to a new year when the new productions were announced to challenge our skills through drama, song, and dance.  They molded us and shaped us. I am one among many who still carry the craft they taught us.

Another memorable professor was Dr. Anne Edwards, an historian of note who brought such topics as the French Revolution to life by her familiarity with characters and the time as a result of earning her doctorate in Paris studying that period of history.  She was the classic example of an historian who breathed life into the lessons she presented, and encouraged her students to look beyond the pages of history to understand the souls of the characters who walk the pages of the past.  She urged us to know them, to look behind their motivation, and to study the times in which they moved and left their mark.  She had many great stories from her doctoral work in France, including some unbelievable stories ones about the archives in Paris.  Oh, there were other memorable professors who spent time with us and made us look at a new world being created around us and by us.

Glassboro was alive with the turmoil of the late 1960s with the Vietnam War and Civil Rights issues. Students participated in student walk outs and “teach-ins” during those tumultuous, but engaging, times on campus.  There were projects to expand our humanitarian horizons such as Project Nash in memory of a young member of the class of 1968 who died of leukemia.  It drew many people in to support the cause for finding a cure and remember her precious short life.  There was also Ranch Hope sponsored by Alpha Phi Omega, a service fraternity, to reach out to inspire young adolescents in need and to develop their full potential in learning to ride horses and be a part of team pulling together for success in life.   

There was a time when history came to life in 1967 on Glassboro’s campus.  Two world leaders, President Lyndon Johnson and Soviet Premier Alexei Kosygin meet at Holly Bush, the mid-point between Washington for Johnson and Kosygin visiting at the United Nations in New York.  The campus was abuzz with members of the Secret Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and news reporters from all over the world.  It offered an opportunity for many Glassboro students to get involved in witnessing and shaping world events as they assisted news reporters and news organizations, while others milled around becoming a part of history.  John Troxell and I made signs regarding Glassboro’s support for the negotiations being held between these two world leaders and had our pictures and interviews published in papers around the country.  Glassboro was in the international spotlight for a few days.

By the time graduation came around in April of 1968 there was a great demand for teachers and mailboxes were flooded with applications from all over the state imploring graduates to work in their districts. I applied to a few local districts but chose Gloucester Township Public Schools because of its reputation, salary, and middle school program that interested me. 

Over the years, the bonds I forged at Rowan were never lost and fondly remembered along with good friends.  Now my old alma mater has grown far beyond our imaginations into a bigger and better institution not just for educators but for a vast array of young people from many backgrounds and experiences seeking opportunities in a wide variety of occupations to make the world a better place!

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This is part of the Department of History’s “Project 100,” the collection and sharing of one hundred memories by Glassboro State College and Rowan University alumni and staff.  One memory will be released per day in the 100 days leading up to October 20, 2023, the date of a reunion celebrating the 100^th anniversary of the founding of Glassboro Normal School, later Glassboro State College, and now Rowan University.  The reunion will take place at 7pm at the Summit City Farm and Winery in Glassboro, New Jersey.  Registration for the reunion will be open from July 11^th and will remain open until the venue reaches its 100-person capacity (or October 13^th if capacity never reached).  We do anticipate that the reunion will sell out, so please register as soon as possible by visiting the Alumni Office’s registration page here:  alumni.rowan.edu/historyreunion2023.

You can also find the up-to-date set of Project 100 memories on the Department of History’s webpage.  William Carrigan arranged, interviewed, transcribed and/or edited these memories.  Laurie Lahey proofread and helped edit the final versions.  If you wish to share your own memories, please email Dr. Carrigan at carrigan@rowan.edu.  Alumni with Facebook accounts are encouraged to join the RU/GSC History Alumni group here:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/251485937221524. 

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