Summer 2001 - Wayne State College

Graduate Brings History to Life for His Students“This is What ServiceLearning is All About”When WSC graduate Gerald D. “Jerry”Meyer read an article about the late AndrewJackson Higgins in the Omaha World-Herald on June 6, 2000, little did he knowthat it would lead him and his historystudents at Columbus High School on anexcellent adventure in service learning.“It was an article about a Nebraskanative who set thecourse for World WarII,” said Meyer. “Ihad just finished[Stephen] Ambrose’sbook on D-Day andwas very familiar withthe name Higgins--come to find out thatJerry Meyerhe’s from Columbus.”The Higgins boat, ashallow draft boat that Higgins designed andmass-produced during World War II, wascredited by the late Gen. Dwight D.Eisenhower as being a major factor in theAllied victory.“As I watched a program about theHiggins boat on C-SPAN, the idea stuck fora service-learning project,” Meyer said.“Dr. Barb Black really introduced thepractical application of such a learning styleover the course of my master’s program atWayne State.” Fellow CHS teacher JanellMustard agreed to participate in the project.Over the summer, Meyer set upguidelines for the program, contactedHiggins’s two daughters to get theirpermission for the project, and asked Gov.Mike Johanns to sign a proclamation makingAugust 28, the birth date of Higgins,“Andrew Jackson Higgins Day” in Nebraska.“The obvious question my students hadwas, ‘If he’s so famous, why don’t we have amemorial for him in Columbus?’ The ideaof a memorial started there,” Meyer said.“At first, they brainstormed and looked atother memorials. They wanted somethingmore unique than a stone and plaque in thepark. They really put a lot of brain power onthe subject.”The classes formed six committees forvarious aspects of the project and assignedchairpersons. A local architectural firmdonated the time and money to create theplans for the memorial.“This was all student-driven,” Meyersaid. “They wanted a memorial that wouldput a ‘star’ on the map next to Columbussaying ‘Birthplace of Andrew JacksonHiggins.’ We capped them out at $100,000for a budget, and off they went to work!They have been active in the communityinterviewing vets, collecting information,fund-raising, appearing on radio shows andmore.”One of the most unique aspects of theproject is the collection of sand samples from51 beaches around the world where theHiggins boat was employed during WorldWar II, the Korean and Vietnam wars. Thestudents on the “sand” committee sent lettersand e-mails around the world asking for helpwith the project. After they received wordback from individuals willing to help, theysent a small container for sand samples alongwith a disposable camera to photograph thebeaches where the Higgins boat landed.A highlight of the year-long project wasa bus trip to New Orleans last March whenstudents, veterans, and WSC assistantprofessor Maureen Carrigg visited the D-DayMuseum and met with Higgins’s daughters.They also visited Higgins’s grave site,becoming the first large group to honorHiggins since his death in 1952. Carrigg ishelping the CHS documentary committeeproduce a documentary entitled, “TheNebraska Noah.”One of the most exciting events cameon May 10 when Gov. Johanns traveled toColumbus High School to receive a briefingon the project by all six committees. Alsopresent for the occasion were a number ofveterans who had served on a Higgins boatduring their military service as well as otherlocal dignitaries.“Meeting the governor was a definitehighlight,” Meyer said. “So much hashappened since he signed that proclamationlast year.” And more is to come. InAugust, a parade and dedication of thememorial are planned for the city’sColumbus Days celebration. The Higginsmemorial will be in Pawnee Park inColumbus.Meyer, who received a master’s degreein education at WSC’s Maycommencement, has an enthusiasticsupporter in Dr. Barb Black. “This isexactly what service-learning is supposed tobe,” she said. “Jerry has done a tremendousjob. His students will take this experiencewith them for the rest of their lives.”Left: Students in Jerry Meyer’shistory classes presented a briefingon the Higgins project to Gov. MikeJohanns at Columbus High Schoolin May. Each of the six committeesgave a report.Below: Area veterans are shownbeaches around the world where theHiggins boat was deployed.Wayne State Magazine 9WSC Magazine Summer 01910/2/01, 2:48 PM