What Became of Them?

In May of 1970, right before I ended my VISTA service in Houston, Texas, all the people who had lived in the house that became the Communications Center, posed for a group photo on the front porch of the decrepit home that endured at 1506 Rosewood Ave. It has since become an iconic photo. Iconic because it freezes time and represents a moment in that time that says so much.

Aside from a 50 year reunion with most of the people in that photo, there always remained two individuals that were never heard from. That's because they were not VISTA Volunteers like most of us, they were, in fact, high school students that often hung out at C-2*(C squared-Communications Center) See them on far right of photo.

One of the programs that VISTA created that year was called "The University of Thought." It was a "Free University" for high school students. In those days, the concept of a free university was popular. It was an opportunity for young people to take courses on a college campus in subjects they would otherwise never have a chance to take. I was fortunate enough to teach one of those classes called "Rock and Blues Analysis." I had a BA in History and a love of the Blues, so it naturally fell to me. Being in Texas helped and being in Houston did too. Houston was the home then of Lightnin' Hopkins, Juke Boy Bonner, Johnny Winter, and Big Mama Thornton had strong roots there,

Needless to say it was a popular class. Some of the kids in that program hung out at our little Communications Center. These were counter culture times and Houston also had an underground newspaper. (founded by VISTA Volunteers too)

So that's the context for the two young women in the photo. They just happened to be there on the Sunday afternoon the photo was taken. It was natural that they should appear in the photo too.

Fast Forward 56 years. I recently exchanged emails with both of them. Through one of the VISTAS in the photo, Deirdre, who kept in touch with them, I was able to catch up a bit. One is in Utah now while the other is in Washington. Some folks would say leave the past alone, but I always wondered what became of them. Now I know.

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