There must be a story here... we will
leave it to your imagination for now - but soon the complete
story will be printed here, as soon as someone, who knows all
the facts, writes it.... Just enjoy the video.
It's too bad that the sound track is missing. It is part
of Ron Cook's past.
...ask and ye shall receive...
"The Big Kiss"
In 1957, my senior year for football, Ohio State won the Big
10 and National Championships. As Big 10 champs, we played in
the 1958 Rose Bowl game against The PAC 8 (now PAC 10)
champions, the Oregon Ducks.
Several days before the game, the Rose Bowl Committee hosted
a dinner for the team at the Biltmore Hotel in LA. The ballroom
was packed with OSU fans, alumni, the band, and cheerleaders.
After the dinner a variety show was held with Bob Hope as Master
of Ceremonies. Bob had just returned from an USO trip and had
with him Miss Jayne Mansfield.
Before the show Bob Hope talked to Coach Woody
Hayes about having one of the players on stage to receive a kiss
from Jayne. For whatever reason, Coach Hayes selected me to go
on stage.
During the show Bob Hope called me up on
stage. After some witty remarks, Bob said he had a special gift
for me and he said "Here she is Miss Jayne Mansfield". She came
walking out in a tight dress, black hat and high black heels.
The crowd went wild. After Bob introduced us he left the stage
to Jane and me.
After a few pleasant words, Jayne said "You
know Ron, they say animals are raised and humans are reared". I
said OK. And then she said "Are you ready". I said "Anytime you
are". She then closed her eyes and puckered up. I thought to my
self, this is only going to happen one time. So I grabbed her
like I was going in on a tackling dummy and put a big kiss on
her. I wasn't about to let go. Finally, she wiggled lose and
with her big wide eyes turned to the microphone and said "I can
see you were raised". Needless to say the crowd really went wild
and I was the envy of all the guys on the team.
One of the assistant coaches filmed the show
on 16 mm film. Several years later I was able to make a copy of
the film showing the big kiss, where we stayed the night before
the game, and the field goal that eventually won the game for
us, 10-7. I was able to convert the 16 mm film to a video
and then to a DVD.
Marvin and
Amelia (Hammond) Watkins were married September 6, 1959 in the
garden at the home of the brides' parents in Powell. They are
the proud parents of four sons: Mark (Donna) of Copley; Kevin of
Mesa, AZ; Donald (Katie) of Solon; and Douglas (Kelley) of
Hilliard. They have five grandchildren: Connor, Aaron, Alexa,
Nicholas, and Nathan. Marvin retired from Rockwell International
Heath, Oh. Amelia retired from Licking County Health Dept. A
family celebration dinner was hosted by their children.
From the Sunday, September 13th
Columbus Dispatch
8/12/2009
The news clipping below was sent to Toby Fields
by Clarence Jones
lou723@bright.net recently...Thanks Toby and
Clarence for sending it. Rollie
55th Year Class Reunion
Front Row, L to R – Craig
Tone, Nancy Gordon Cook, Marilyn Thomas
Hathaway, Ann Bercaw,
L to R - Tom, Ann E, Lee,
Ann M, Craig, Donna, Marjorie, Shirley, Nancy,
Mary, Martha Jo, Betty,
Carolyn, Ron, John, Rollie
Classmates Attending the Reunion
John Bercaw
Ed Berthold
Margaret Branson Krouse
Tom Burkholder
Shirley Chancellor Miller
Ron Cook
Sharon Croy Edwards
Leota Dally Martz
Martha Jo Davis Backstrom
Steve De Weese
Ann Edman Schneidhorst
Toby Fields
Sandy Glazer
Nancy Gordon Cook
Tom Greenland
Jim Gross
Carol Guyton Goodell
Jerry Hance
Larry Harman
Clarence Jones
Barbara Jones Burget
Paul Krouse
Shirley Lambert
Virginia Lee Lhamon
Dick Lhamon
Ann Mathews
Wally Maurer
Kathleen May Reinke
Lvera McLaurin Sprague
Shirley McMichael Sprinkle
Jane McRitchie Miller
Jerry Milbourn
Judy Miller Huston
Beverly Oard
Donna Parsel Greenland
Jace Patton
Maurice Pfeifer
Betty Prichard Grubaugh
Carolyn Redd Detrick
Iris Richter McElfresh
Marjorie Roeder White
Frank Romaker
Mary Rossfeld Wolfe
Fay Shellenbarg Mort
Brenda Schneider Fischer
Marjorie Schofield Miller
Joan Shepard
Paul Sillin
Rollie Smith
Don Snook
Marilyn Thomas Hathaway
Craig Tone
Marvin Watkins
Russ Wilt
Jim Woodward
Missing Classmates from the Lima Central Class of 1954
The following is a list of classmates that we have been unable to contact either because of mail or e-mail being returned or we
have no address information at all…If you have information about any of those listed below please contact either Rollie Smith at 419-423-3724 or email
rollyk@aol.com or Ron Cook at 419-222-9086 or e-mail rcook26@woh.rr.com
