Woody and Ann were such great people.
I was chairman of the program committee for American Society for Metals- Columbus chapter in the 1970's. Everybody in Columbus was saying what a wonderful speaker Ann Hayes was. With temerity, I looked up Wayne Woodrow's number and was surprised to find it in the book. With more uncertainty, I dialed the number and was surprised again by a gruff voice answering. "Er, uh, may I speak with Mrs. Hayes"? "You are." the voice answered. After trying to regain my composure, I explained that I was chairman of the local Metals Society and I wanted to see if she could speak to our chapter. "Oh, I love metals people," she answered "and I would be delighted". We arranged the date and I told her that I was surprised about several things in making the call. "What is that? she inquired. "Well, number 1, I was surprised to find Woody's name in the book. Number 2, I was surprised that you answered the phone-that is , I expected a maid or servant. And number 3, I was surprised to find you at home." Number 4, I was surprised to find you so receptive and so 'down to earth'.
"On number 1, Woody said when we came to Columbus that we would put our number in the phone book and take whatever comes. Number 2, we have no servants, in fact Woody would never let the Uiversity pay him more than $28,000 per year for coaching. He was just that loyal and appreciative of being the OSU coach. Number 3, Woody has an away game Saturday and I am at home washing his dirty underwear. Number 4, my brother is a sales metallurgist for Cruicible Steel. My dad worked inthe metals field. I grew up with microscopes and football. Our neighbor was a first class gentleman, Mars Fontana and the Fontanas are lovely people." Mars was Chairman of OSU's Metallurgical Engineering Department and was recognized along with a French gentleman as one of the two most well known and sought after consultants for corrosion problems in the world.
Our local society normally did not pay our speakers, but Mrs. Hayes told me she charged $75 which went into Ohio State Hospital's cancer fund to build a cancer hospital- much later now, the James Cancer Hospital at OSU. The society backed me in paying the fee.
I won't say all of the interesting things Mrs. Hayes told us that evening, but she did say one quite prophetic thing I remember. She said "Woody had been a golden gloves boxing champion from his hometown of Newcomerstown, Ohio. You should notice that any time Woody goes onto the playing field, he makes it a point to keep his hands in his pocket. He wants to avoid hitting anybody if his ire is too aroused. Recently he went onto Michigan's field and he kept his hands in his pockets if you may recall."
I find that to be prophetic in the ending of Woody's football career for Ohio State. The Clemson player intercepted an OSU pass that could have put OSU in position to win that last game. The intercepting player ran right up to Woody's face and taunted him. Now I am not an ex golden gloves champion, but I will admit, I wouldn't take that from a smart alec young fellow, and, were I in Woody's position, I probably would have hit the person. Of course, Woody hit him and the sports journalists brought a lot of negative publicity to Woody and the university. That was the last game Woody coached.
Sam
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