Patsy Still's warmth and enthusiasm continue to touch those around her

Editor's note: Mississippi State Alumnus rarely prints letters because we receive so many, and space is limited. Occasionally, however, a letter comes along that can't be omitted. When we do print one, we usually edit it for space, but in this case we did not. A few things should never be tampered with, including love letters, and this is surely one.

Dear Editor:

I felt compelled to write after reading the article "Putting the able in disabled" in the summer issue of Alumnus. The efforts of the university to support the success of students who face daily challenges which many of us are unable to comprehend is to be commended. However, I thought it might be important to remember that handicapped students through the years have met the rigors of college life head on, even when awareness of their special needs was not a local or national priority. Let me recall one such special student.

In 1966 a young woman, Patricia S. Still, arrived on campus from Vicksburg. This brown-eyed freshman had been the victim of the polio epidemic which swept the state in 1951, leaving her right leg crippled at the age of three. After years of wearing cumbersome braces, she went to Warm Springs, Ga., (the site of Franklin D. Roosevelt's rehabilitation) and had extensive surgery to stabilize her leg. From that point on, she walked with the aid of aluminum canes which became her trademark. She once gave a speech in her communication class about her two lifelong companions, "Felix" and "Freddy." Students from the years 1966-72 will remember Patsy Still as an energetic super-achiever who attained a perfect 4.0 in her freshman year and was named Most Outstanding Freshman Girl. Her daily routine consisted of long walks from the women's dormitories to her classes, which were scattered all over the campus. I can remember her thrice-a-week treks to the fourth floor of Lee Hall to class--there were no elevators in those days. The campus was not handicapped accessible as the law requires today. Yet, Patsy never quit smiling or showed when she was in pain, even following one of her numerous spills.

Her remarkably positive and cheerful attitude won her countless friends. She served as an officer in her sorority and the junior class and as a reporter for The Reflector. Patsy was named a fraternity sweetheart and to Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities. She was inducted into several honor societies and graduated with honors in mathematics education in 1970. She is indebted to many fine faculty members, some of whom have since retired or passed away. These men and women--Dr. Harold Snellgrove, Dr. Lyle Nelson, Dr. Glover Moore, Mrs. Pepper Holland, Dean Marion Loftin, Mrs. Lillian Lewis, Dr. and Mrs. Jim Chatham, and others--encouraged her ambitions and treated her with dignity.

The physical struggles in college did not dampen her spirit. Her friends from those years would be happy to know that same warm and giving disposition still graces those around her. The mother of two sons, Patsy has taught middle and high school, earned an M.B.A., created and run her own business, and still found time to be a remarkable Army wife for the past 25 years, winning admirers all over the globe. "Felix" and "Freddy" have logged frequent flyer miles!

I admit that as her husband my view is a biased one. But, I think it is important to remember that there was a time when little or nothing was done to ease the burden on handicapped students. Those days were different. Yet, students such as Patsy chose to meet the obstacles squarely and compete in a tough environment. Her experiences at State are the ones which she recalls with much fondness. She remains a Bulldog at heart. I have been made a better person for sharing the ride with this remarkable woman.

		Lee T. Wyatt III
		('70, M.A. '71, Ph.D. '74)
		Colonel, United States Army,
 		and associate professor,
		U.S. Military Academy