Interested if anyone knows the story behind Professor Invice (sp?).  He was the ME instructor in Machine Design in the late 50′s, early 60′s.  He was German and had been a contemporary of Werner Van Braun of V2 rocket and later NASA fame.  Reportedly he came over to the U.S. as one of the 500 rocket scientists on Van Braun’s German team scooped up at the end of WWII.  He decided that he had enough of rockets and somehow landed at MTU.  We voted him “Professor of the Year” in 1963 I believe, and gave him a new briefcase to replace the old ratty one he always carried, but we never saw him ever use it.  He was a brilliant engineering instructor.

Sincerely,
Jim Dreher ’62

- We think you are referring to Professor Janis H. Inveiss who taught in the Mechanical Engineering department ~1956-1967

Although I do not own a brewery or winery, I am an avid homebrewer, wine, and mead maker.  

My beginnings into this hobby started at Tech, after I turned 21 of course!  A roommate and I decided to get into the hobby to enjoy the science behind the process.  Everything we needed at the time was purchased from the Keweenaw Co-op, malt, hops, yeast, and some rudimentary equipment.  I would like to say everything we made tasted great, but we all know the truth as there are always hits and misses.  

After graduation, I continued the hobby and grew my home brewery to make anywhere between 5 to 20 gallons at a time.  I brew almost every style, with English ales as mainstays.  I recently brewed a Scottish Wee Heavy using maple sap as the brewing water for the mash and will age it on hickory for a few months before back-flavoring with a touch of maple syrup produced from this year’s sap run.  

I brew a lot for family parties, (even a wedding once), but mainly for myself and friends. It has been 20 years since I started the hobby and it becomes more enjoyable as time passes.  I am a member of the Genesee Brewers Club in Genesee County, Michigan, and welcome anyone to stop by, say hi, and perhaps try a sample or two.  It is always amazing to learn how much you have in common with people who also enjoy craft beer. 



Sonny Christian 
Class of ’97 – Chemistry 

- Thanks for checking in, Sonny. That Scottish Wee Heavy sounds great! Be on the lookout for a great story on Tech’s beer/wine/cider making science and traditions in this summer’s “Michigan Tech Magazine.” – SB

Ethel Bishop, 95 years old, passed away March 22, 2016 at the Omega House in Houghton following a short illness. I have a lot of fond memories of Ethel and I think several other Tech alums, and especially hockey players and other athletes, do too.

Ethel worked at Tech for 30+ years, retiring around 1984. She worked at the MUB (the Union in those days). She worked the ‘sundries’ desk upstairs selling newspapers, cigarettes, gum, pens, pencils, etc. this was right out in the open, highly visible, so everybody knew her. She was the cashier at the short order grill and the cashier for the cafeteria. She was everywhere.

She had great wit and wasn’t afraid to voice her opinion. She became especially close to the hockey team as (I think) the team ate dinner together in the cafeteria every day. Ethel remained single her whole life, but she had three nieces that ended up marrying hockey players. One was married to an alum who went on to play for the Maple Leafs, another married a member of the 1975 NCAA championship team and a great-niece married a former Tech hockey coach’s son.

I might be wrong but I think a lot of former hockey players, and probably even faculty from her era, would have a lot of fond memories of Ethel that they may want to share or read about. Jack Porritt was
her boss for years and I think that he still summers here.

Kinda wordy, and maybe useless, but you can see that Ethel made quite an impression on me. I was lucky enough to see her the week before she passed away and she was as sassy and entertaining as ever. I laughed the whole time and will never forget the lavender nail polish she was wearing that matched her sweater. A legend.

Thanks for listening,

Mary Jane Lowney, Class of ’77

Sorry to hear of Ethel’s passing. She was a great lady… sassy & a lot of fun. She rode herd on all us Hockey players as we came through the food line at the MUB. She was the cashier at the end of the line & always had a comment with some quick wit. She kept our food punch cards in the cash register & she’d tell us when the cards were running low on punches & we needed to get a new one at the MUB front desk. So we’d go to the front desk the next day, Ethel would be there to have us sign for a new card and make sure it made it in the cash register on the food line. The Hockey players were pretty tight with Ethel…..maybe she thought we were her boys. She took great care of us. Again, she was a great lady & a lot of fun.

Darcy Way, Class of ’82