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Page 8 The Skanner May 25, 2016 News Dr. William Couch, Reed’s First Black Professor, Dead at 101 PHOTOS COURTESY OF NOEL EDLIN D r. William Couch, Jr, distinguished African American academic, musi- cian and military officer, died at the age of 101 on May 6, 2016 in Weston, Florida. He was a prom- inent African American who lived an extraordi- nary life that touched many people around the globe. He was born one of five children in Morganville, Kentucky on Dec. 7, 1914. His father was an orphan adopted by a White den- tist in Indiana shortly before the turn of the 19th century. When Dr. Couch was about three years old, his father lost his business and the fam- ily moved to Chicago. In Chicago, Dr. Couch was a musical prodigy whose conspicuous intel- lect attracted the atten- tion of Inez Cunningham Stark, a wealthy Chica- goan who discovered the Pulitzer Prize poet (and friend of Dr. Couch), Gwendolyn Brooks. Cun- ningham created a stir in Dr. Couch’s south Chica- go neighborhood when she picked him up at his home in her private lim- ousine to introduce him Prof. Couch early in his career to her poetry circles. Dr. Couch became a professional jazz mu- sician in his teens and was befriended by Louis Armstrong, who invited him and his trumpet to play at several leading Chicago jazz clubs. Dr. Couch was studying mu- sic at Roosevelt College (now university) but took a break to pursue music professionally when Nat King Cole hired him to play in his band. During his time in the music business he met many famous black musicians and performers includ- ing Cab Calloway, Ethel Waters, Dorothy Do- Prof. Couch with colleagues Cecilia Tenney [French 1921–63], Vera Krivoshein [Russian 1949–72], & Alan Logan [German 1953–60] negan and his first wife Lillian Cowan, who is perhaps best known for performing on Broad- way in Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess. After Dr. Couch and Ms. Cowan were mar- ried, he completed his B.A. degree at Roosevelt. Their marriage ended when Dr. Couch joined the Army soon after his 27th birthday on Decem- ber 7, 1941. 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When were out, we're OUT! 231 SE Alder, Portland, OR 97214 • 503-238-1360 Hours: Monday - Saturday 8am - 4pm School and became one of the first black combat infantry officers in the nation’s history, eventu- ally commanding a mil- itary police battalion on “ a White woman. From 1948-51 he taught English at Jackson State Teachers College in Mississippi and soon after, entered the University of Chica- go’s doctoral program in English literature on a Rockefeller fellowship. After Dr. Couch re- ceived his Ph.D., in 1953 he was appointed to the Literature and Languag- es department at Reed College in Portland, Or- egon, where he became the school’s first Afri- can-American faculty member. Reed recruited him only because he in- sisted that the University of Chicago send his re- sume to other than Black colleges. That resume, evidently, did not identi- fy him as African Amer- ican, which may explain the surprise of some of his new colleagues when important contribution to society teaching Black kids in the South than White kids at an elite col- lege in the North. In fact, Dr. Couch spent the rest of his pioneering 40-year academic career at historically Black col- leges and universities, including West Virginia State College, Jackson State College, Bennett College, Southern Uni- versity, North Carolina Central University, Fed- eral City College (now the University of the District of Columbia), Howard University, and Bowie State. He was a senior administrator at Feder- al City College where he co-founded the Lorton Prison College Program with his distinguished colleague Dr. Andress Taylor. During his academic That resume, evidently, did not identify him as African American, which may explain the surprise of some of his new colleagues when he arrived for his first faculty meeting Iwo Jima. After the war, Dr Couch lived in New York where he participated in its lit- erary circles and became a best friend of Ralph El- lison. Dr. Couch was offered a teaching position at a prestigious white north- ern college but its presi- dent rescinded the offer because he suspected Dr. Couch was dating he arrived for his first faculty meeting. When Dr. Couch left Reed, pres- ident Frank Loxely Grif- fin presented him with his own University of Chicago Ph.D hood. He was influenced to leave by a representa- tive of Bennett College in Greensboro, N.C..who visited Portland to re- cruit him and suggested he could make a more career, Dr. Couch pub- lished scholarly articles and an important book, New Black Playwrights, An Anthology (Louisiana State University Press, 1968) which he dedicated to W.E.B. DuBois. He married Ola Criss, D.Ed, who soon began a 20 year career in the State Department. Read the rest of this story at TheSkanner.com CIDER-BRINED PORTERHOUSE PORK CHOPS INGREDIENTS 4 porterhouse (bone-in loin) pork chops, about 3/4-inch thick 1/3 cup table salt, OR sea salt 1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup maple syrup 2 teaspoons dried thyme, OR 2 tablespoon fresh thyme 1 1/2 cups chilled hard apple cider, (1 12-oz bottle) OR apple cider 1 1/2 cups ice water 2 teaspoons red hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco, divided RECIPE(S) AND PHOTO(S) COURTESY OF NATIONAL PORK BOARD. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT PORK, VISIT PORKBEINSPIRED.COM. COOKING DIRECTIONS In a small saucepan, stir 1 cup water with salt, 1/3 cup of maple syrup, and dried thyme over medium heat until salt dissolves and water is hot, but not boiling. Remove from heat. Add cider, ice water and 1 teaspoon hot sauce and stir until ice dissolves to create brine. Put chops in a self-sealing plastic bag, pour in brine, and seal bag. Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours, no longer. In small bowl, mix remaining 1/4 cup syrup and 1 teaspoon hot sauce; set aside. Prepare a grill to medium-high heat (about 450 degrees F.). Remove chops from brine and pat dry with paper towels. Grill chops over direct heat until the inter- nal temperature reaches between 145 degrees F. (medium rare) and 160 degrees F. (medium), on a meat thermometer, 4 to 5 minutes per side. During the last 2 min- utes, brush chops on both sides with remaining syrup mixture. Remove chops from the grill and let rest for 3 minutes. Serves 4 SERVING SUGGESTIONS If you like, you can substitute dried rosemary or sage for thyme, or combine all three. You can also substitute 3/4 cup each apple juice and dry white wine or apple cider for hard apple cider. A sweet potato salad and fresh succotash would be nice side dishes for these chops.
