Dieter Pressler: Gonzaga up close and personal
Sharp Avenue was easy to find, but where is the entrance to Gonzaga U.? -- There is no fence, no gate. Finally, a bank's reader board provides a hint. I stop at the corner parking lot to inquire and find myself at Dillon Hall, my home for the weekend. From there I would walk South toward The Crosby and Bing's statue, prominently visible at the end of a pedestrian mall.
The campus has grown since my visit in 1978 and now fronts on Sharp Ave. Homes have made room for parking and student housing, with the exception of Bing's parental abode, which serves as the headquarters of the Gonzaga Alumni Association. The old main building, still housing classrooms, administration, a theater and the large chapel, stands in a park that extends to the rest of the campus. St. Aloysius is just West of it. Imagine Bing's glorious voice filling this park with high fidelity!
Even with the limited and repetitive program, I found it impossible to attend every function. I scheduled my rounds and decided to skip the movies, owning copies of all but the Gonzaga saga and the British documentary. Trying to fit in a lunch break and rushing from place to place, I felt like a student again. I had admired the Crosby displays 25 years before, when they were all held in the large second story room across the (then) Crosby Library. The collection, now larger and sorted, was scattered in several places for the occasion, and serious perusal did not really fit into the time available. I'll just have to visit Gonzaga again.
I did manage to take a good picture of Bing's painted portrait in a display case at The Crosby. Due to the angle required to avoid flash reflection, his face appears leaner than in the copy in the Spokane Review, which had published a great spread on Bing on Sunday, May 11.
The food at the banquet far surpassed my expectations, and the music was enjoyable. The speeches were endurable, including Frank Sinatra Jr.'s, which did not yield much Crosby information. The low point was the reading of the official letter from Club Crosby, whose VIPs were absent. To my knowledge, this virtual obituary, reprinted in the final BINGANG, was the only message the Club ever wrote on the stationery I designed for the BCCC2003.
At a panel moderated by broadcaster Lorne Harasen, I saw a chapel full of Bing's admirers and felt moved to call them to action. Lorne told me to give him a script, and he read it, professionally: "A Crosby activist wants to take the occasion of this enjoyable moment to impress on you the opportunity we all have, to promote the legacy of our great American entertainer, Bing. Each of us can bring Bing to the attention of less informed, younger citizens, according to our various connections; in libraries, schools, and fraternal organizations. Be creative and keep Bing 'alive' in 2003!"
On a lighter note, Kathryn Crosby disclosed in a panel session that Bing smoked a distinctive pipe tobacco which she could not stand. I used to smoke the same aromatic mixture, Balkan Sobranie, and told her that my wife dubbed it "camel dung". Mrs. Crosby received this valuable information with her usual grace, and a good time was had by all.
What made the Gonzaga experience so unique and exciting for me were the people with whom I came in contact. It felt like a small community where you could talk with celebrities, VIPs, and with like-minded fans from around the world; time permitting, of course.
Howard Crosby collected registration materials for the Crosby family while I was displaying my homemade souvenir ribbons in The Crosby on Friday; and I had a chat with Ken Barnes there. Nearby was the picture and sound display of the Irish Music Archives with Barry Stapleton. Judy (the Mystery Woman) was more interested in VIPs than in talking with me.
Kathryn Crosby was almost everywhere; this was her show, and she has great stage presence. She graciously accepted my ribbon before the rededication; and she competently employed her German while signing several books for me. A big disappointment was the absence of the second generation of Bing's immediate family. Phillip was not well; and mother Kathryn explained her children's absence with conflicting family matters. Nephew Howard ably made up for this. The third generation was represented by Lindsay's son Kevin and Phillip's children, Mary and Bing, who modestly called himself Phil, a.k.a. "Flip". I talked briefly with him at the reception.
Next to Kathryn, Rich Little and his talents made the day, and the honor of leading us through the agenda fell to another true fan and old friend of Bing's, Gordon Atkinson. Bob Pasch sounded so much like Bing that I believe Kathryn was transported back in time. I sat close and behind her and observed her reaction but did not dare intrude. Later she gave me permission to take a picture, but the spell was broken. Bob's voice moved me, too, though his show was a bit too routine.
I am sorry we did not have all out-of-town participants under one roof. Dillon Hall, a women's dormitory that resembles the best of modern European youth hostels, was a great place to meet Crosby fans, old and new. People who stayed elsewhere will never know the camaraderie of our community at Dillon, where everything revolved around Bing and the celebration. I met established "Bingfans" there: Natalie with her mother; Priscilla, former president of Club Crosby; quiet Pete; and Stan. (Did I forget anyone?) New fans were added to our roster, who will read these lines. And then there were some folks from the BINGANG who did not care to help us plan for the BCCC2003 but tried to sign up for this newsletter…
Gonzaga University was a great host. Most people were friendly and eager to make you feel welcome. There were a few glitches: One of the oldest folks was assigned a room on the top floor, far from his friends; and the beds were never lowered from five feet (no ladders!) to normal height for some of us. One microwave was supplied upon request, for all three kitchens. These were minor gripes, however. My problem was that the organizers reneged on a promise to sell my souvenir ribbons through the University store. I had a choice: sell in The Crosby, or participate in the festivities. That has cost me as much as a trip across the country. – Still, I am happy that I went to Spokane.