A remarkable, personal glimpse of Black student life at Indiana University in the early 1960s. In 1961, a skinny African American boy from Indianapolis arrived at Indiana University Bloomington determined to become a doctor. For the next three years, Lester Thompson kept a detailed, intimate diary of his journey to graduation. In Lucky Medicine, Lester returns to his long-ago journal and, with honesty, humor, and a healthy dose of rueful self-reflection, shares stories from his college years at Indiana University. Fascinating glimpses emerge of Black Greek life at the time, including the building of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity house and the successes, struggles, and social lives of its members. Lester's student years were driven by hard work, but also bustled with fun and drama. He recalls his time studying at the university library, falling in and out of love many times, becoming friends with fellow fraternity brother Booker T. Jones, a truly memorable invitation extended to meet with George Wallace, and an epic, no-holds-barred brawl with limestone cutters at the 24-Hour Grill. Lucky Medicine offers a closeup, unforgettable look at IU student life just before the sweeping social changes of the 1960s, when students of color accounted for less than 2 percent of the Indiana University's student body.
Dr. Lester Thompson is a retired Seattle urologist, originally from Indianapolis, Indiana. He received undergraduate and medical degrees from Indiana University in 1965 and 1968. Following two years of active duty in the US Navy, he moved to Seattle and practiced until 2012. Dr. Thompson and his wife Lori have three children and four grandchildren.
Preface Part One: Before 1. L.L. Goodman 2. (Dis) Integration 3. My Son Is Going to Be a Doctor 4. A Family Crises Changes the Paradigm 5. My Personal Goal 6. The End of the Dream? 7. Moving On Up, Sort of 8. Schooled 9. Why Am I So Fortunate? 10. A Sixteen-Year-Old Boy's Dream 11. Junior Vaudeville 12. Saying Goodbye and a Glimpse of My Future Part Two: Year One, 1961-1962 13. Your Mama Doesn't Live Here Anymore 14. Okay, It's Show Time! 15. What's Your Name? Where Are You From? 16. What's a Greek? 17. A Peek at What Lies Ahead 18. The Cleavers or the Bunkers? 19. Ray Charles 20. A New Low 21. Something Really Special 22. I'm Terribly Aware of Her Presence 23. It's My Turn or Is It? 24. What In the World Was That About? 25. Let's Try This Again 26. Be Careful What You Ask For 27. Welcome to the World of the Black Working Class Part Three: Year Two, 1962-1963 28. Lickety-split 29. Armageddon? 30. The Unanticipated Price of Brotherhood 31. Life As an Active Becomes Real 32. The Elusive 3.0 GPA 33. Here Come the Sammies 34. Joy and Sorrow Interlaced 35. The Horn Sounded and the Walls Came Tumbling Down 36. Second Verse Same as the First? 37. With Power Comes Responsibility 38. The Challenge of the Dream Part Four: Year Three, 1963-1964 39. If We Cannot Make Our Sun Stand Still, Yet We Will Make Him Run 40. WTF? 41. September 19th 42. The Big Hurt 43. The End of Camelot 44. Hooray! I'm In! 45. The 24 Hour Grill 46. Really? 47. The Storm Becomes a Hurricane 48. The Last Dance 49. Branching Out 50. Little George 51. The Music Man from Memphis 52. Something Completely Different 53. It's All over but the Shouting Part Five: After 54. Reflections Epilogue Acknowledgments
Sometimes, change can come with a big ka-BOOM. Other times, it sneaks in the back door and sits quietly. That mixture's what you get with this unique memoir, Lucky Medicine. (Indianapolis Recorder)
