Stephen S. Nwabuzor (SJC 192) 1961-1965 Retired Professor of Engineering Hydrology Pioneer Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Federal University Otuoke, Nigeria.

It is indeed a pleasure to write this short piece on Brother Francis Thomas McCrea. In 1961, when I gained admission to Saint Joseph’s College (SJC), Brother Thomas was merely a twenty-eight (28) year old man, and I was eleven.

SJC was populated by what we then termed Canadian Brothers with Brother Bernard Broderick as the Principal. Along with other sanguine Revd. Brothers, the students of those days worked hard to build a school from the forest that housed SJC. The attributes of a boarding school with discipline and moral instruction were not in short supply and were a beauty to behold.

Brother Thomas was pivotal in ensuring that sporting activities were alive. I vividly recall the removal of the stones on the basketball court and installation of the hoops, which he supervised. He also ensured that baseball became an integral part of the sporting activities by improvising used car tires as base stations.

Part of his lasting impact on my impressionable mind was walking “Bingo”, a communal dog owned by the Revd. Brothers, to the dormitories. “Bingo” always gave Brother Thomas away in his daily rounds, especially to my irrepressible and restive spirit. The latter ensured my name in the weekly roll of honor dubbed “Disobedient Twenty.” I topped the list for two years. Up till today, I remain fond of dogs, and one of them is named Bingo, a nostalgic memento to Brother Thomas.

Brother Thomas, to me, was the solo secret police of the then-staff at SJC. His countenance betrayed his emotions towards me revealing whenever I ran afoul of school rules, and punishment wasn’t far away.

Brother Thomas, I sincerely thank you for the spirit of sacrifice, discipline, and doggedness which you and your confreres instilled into our lives. I am sure you would love to know that I triumphed against all odds and proceeded to obtain a Ph.D. degree in Civil Engineering from the Imperial College of Science and Technology, London, UK; became Professor of Engineering Hydrology and pioneer Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at a Federal University in Nigeria. May God continue to bless you and extend your years.

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR 90th BIRTHDAY ANNIVERSARY!