Laurens Reeves and friend; Bill and Etta Merle (Sullivan) Hendry
1952(?) Informal Initiation
1954-55 Officers
Walter Tarr on the way to the Gator Pond
1965 Football Game
1979 Informal Date Auction
Bev and Andy
Bev and Marilyn
Dan Stanfill
5 Ladies of CLO
Induction into CLO
Ric, Bev, Marilyn & at Gators’ Game
1980-81(?) Officers
Stories of CLO
In this section, we have tried to capture some of the feelings of our alumni
about what CLO has been in the past, and what it meant to them to be members of
the organization. We will post interviews with alumni here, as well as
reminiscences written by alumni themselves. It is our intention to develop an
oral history of CLO, so that recent alumni as well as current CLO members can
gain an understanding of where CLO has come from — and thereby help chart a
course for the organization well into the 21st century.
Sagid Salah, summarized by Roger Johnson:
For the past 12 years since the CLO Alumni Foundation has been involved in rescuing CLO from being shutdown by UF, I’ve been connecting with alumni and their stories. Recently I learned one from 65 years ago I want to share with you. This one wins my prize for the most exotic path to CLO. Sagid Salah, born 1932 recently wrote his memoir; I’ve read it and will give you the short version. Sagid’s father, of Turkish descent and from the Republic of Tatarstan, (part of Russian. Google it.) fled during the Russian Revolution to Korea. Sagid was born in Seoul, South Korea. His family lived there until North Korea attacked in 1950 and captured Seoul, taking his family as prisoners of war to a series of camps and horrible conditions on the Yalu River on the northern border with China. They were there with other prisoners until the armistice nearly 4 years later, when they were released, barely, because Sagid and his family were part of a small group who were considered stateless and noone was negotiating for their release. When they were released, Sagid’s father immigrated to Turkey, his mother and siblings remained in S. Korea, and Sagid was sponsored by a US Army major who gave him the option of going to Gainesville and UF. He went by ship to San Francisco, and several plane flights to Florida. After living in the dorm for a term, he discovered CLO and joined in Jan 1955, staying for 4 years, earning a BS in engineering. He moved out of CLO, but remained at UF until 1964, earning a PhD in nuclear engineering. He still remembers CLO and the friends he made there fondly.
The alumni website brought back old memories of seventy years ago – I lived in downstairs of 1643 W. Orange “Chow Hall,” which had good supply of peanut butter. Roommates were Frank Reeves, Ph.D., Tommy Evans, LLB, Laurens Reeves and in 1949-50, Frank “Sonny” Williamson, BSA Agriculture.
I joined Air Force in Sept. 1950, with one semester to go for graduation, but came back for the one semester in Sept. 1951 under a military program called “Operation Bootstrap” and finished with BSA Agriculture. Came back to UF when discharged after serving as a 5/Sgt. In the base JAG office, as NCOIC Lt. Louis deLaparte, from Tampa, also UF law and a JAG officer encouraged me to return to UF law, which I did and lived at Fla. Vet III and graduated in January 1957 and began law practice in June after passing April bar exam. Gov. Bob Graham appointed me a Circuit Judge in 19 th Circuit. I retired after 15 years (term limits), but served 13 more years as Senior Judge. Now approaching 90, I grow cottons and caladiums for fun, but I still enjoy peanut butter.
The information presented here is based on some solid evidence, some hearsay, and some guesses. Please send corrections and additions to “clowebmailer@gmail.com”
Cooperative Living Organization 
