Learning today of the death of Van Cliburn, I thought back. I remembered back to January or February of 1959 in Austin when I was very fortunate that my freshman roommate, Ed Pickett from Liberty (as I was) insisted that I get up early one Sunday morning to hustle over to Gregory Gym from Goodall Wooten. Van Cliburn gave a wonderful 10 a.m. concert, still fresh from his Moscow musical victory. It was a musical moment, the personal significance of which has grown more important to me over the years. I thought of Van Cliburn when I visited Moscow in 1990. A great Texan.
Dale P. Johnson, UT alumnus 1962
