Dr. Pat Walsh, Moderator, Co-op TV Station, circa 1964. Courtesy of StFX University Archives
Email from Pat Walsh May 29, 2014
The photo of me as a Moderator for the People’s School brought back a flood of memories. The photo was taken in the TV building that stood on the hill in back of “Abelard’s Sic et Non Coffeehouse at the West Street Gate to the University. The Coffeehouse was the creation of Fr. Edo Gatto of the philosophy department, and an outlet for the creative students of the hippie era. I used to do weekly readings from “The Lord of the Rings” long before it became world-famous, having been introduced to it by Fr. Rod MacSween in his creative writing course in 1956-57, the first such course in a Canadian university. I also took part in weekly TV programs with Coach Don Loney of St. F. X. Football fame. The Manager of the TV station was Merchant Bauer, who later became Registrar at X. Yitz MacDonald was the TV station camera-man/artist before joining the staff of the Angus L. MacDonald library. The TV station, the brain-child of President Dr. Hugh Somers, was short-lived, because the technology of the day did not enable the station to reach the New Glasgow/Pictou area, and the limited population of Antigonish did not allow the station to sustain itself [as did radio CJFX under the brilliant Clyde Nunn].
June 1, 2014:
I would like a date for the People School pic of you). [ THE BEST I CAN DO IS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 1964 AND THE TIME THE TV STATION WENT UNDER—PHOTOGRAPHER MAY HAVE BEEN ARCHIE MACLELLAN—OR A CASKET PHOTOGRAPHER IF HE WAS STILL TEACHING AT THE TIME]