The Times
Cortland seniors began their final year after quite a wild summer. The nation had been consumed for 2 years with The Watergate Scandal which finally came to a head on August 8th, 1974 as the country witnessed the first Presidential resignation in American history by Richard Nixon. From the release of the Watergate tapes to impeachment proceedings against Nixon, to the release of Woodward and Bernstein’s “All The President’s Men,” the nation witnessed the very first inauguration in the East Room of the White House naming VP, Gerald Ford, the 38th President.
A few months later, Mohammed Ali arrived in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) for the upcoming “Rumble In The Jungle,” the October 30th, 1974, the historic boxing match against George Forman. At the end of the eighth round, Ali unleashed a quick staccato of punches that stunned Forman followed by a hard left and a chopping right that sent his foe to the canvas. The referee counted Forman out and declared Ali the champion. Ali’s “rope-a-dope” strategy kept him standing against the ropes and absorb punches to tire his opponent before counterattacking. Mohammed “the Greatest of All Time” Ali was finally able to reclaim his heavyweight boxing title after 7 years. In his first interview after the fight, Ali pointed to the TV camera and shouted to the worldwide audience, “I am still the greatest of all time!”
Imagine today, writing your class papers using only a typewriter. Well, in 1974/1975, the typewriter was the main piece of student equipment needed for class. But that was about to change in a huge way! On April 4, 1975, childhood friends Bill Gates and Paul Allen founded Microsoft. Originally called Micro-Soft, 19-year-old Gates left Harvard in his quest to create a world of personal computers. What began with the creation of BASIC computer language led to creating the software operating system used by IBM and eventually turned into the world of personal computing that we all enjoy today. Just one year later, Steve Jobs launched Apple computers and eventually, students around the world threw away their typewriters!!
In 1975, Seniors were still worried about the Vietnam War, but the war was clearly winding down. On April 12th, 1975, the U.S. Embassy in Cambodia was evacuated. Operation Eagle Pull helped get American embassy personnel out before the Khmer Rouge took control of Phnom Penh. That was followed by Operation Frequent Wind, and the evacuation of more than 7,000 embassy and local people from Saigon as North Vietnam forces advanced. The operation resulted in several iconic images of humanitarian aid with helicopters landing on the roof of the U.S. Embassy and on the decks of aircraft carriers. America’s longest war was finally coming to an end.
Notable Events
- Nixon Resigns – Address To The Nation – August 8th, 1974.
- In an evening televised address on August 8th, 2974, President Richard M. Nixon announced his intention to resign. He was the first president in American history to resign a presidency. With Watergate impeachment proceedings underway, Nixon was finally bowing to pressure from both the public and Congress to leave the White House.
- Rumble In The Jungle – Mohammed Ali and George Foreman – October 30th, 1974
Considered one of the most remarkable events in boxing history, this legendary showdown between Mohammed Ali and George Foreman returned Ali’s heavyweight title after 7 years.
- The Fall of Saigon – April 30th, 1975
- Operation Frequent Wind airlifted embassy and local people via helicopters on roofs of buildings and aircraft carriers from various points in Saigon. This was both a humanitarian effort as well as the actual end of the Vietnam War for the United States.
CONCERTS THAT CAME TO CORTLAND 1974/1975
Livingston Taylor and John Sebastian – 9/28/74 – (Homecoming Weekend) Lusk Field House
Livingston Taylor
Livingston Taylor is the younger brother of James Taylor and has been performing as a singer/songwriter and a performance teacher for more than 50 years. His students over the years include Charlie Puth, Gavin McGraw and John Mayer. Back in 1974, Livingston was promoting his album “Over The Rainbow.” His set at Lusk Field House included original songs as well as several covers like “My Cherie Amour” (Stevie Wonder) and “You Send Me” (Sam Cooke) as well as the well-known title cover song from The Wizard Of Oz.
“Over The Rainbow”
“Carolina Day”
John Sebastian
Best known as a founding member and chief hitmaker of the Lovin’ Spoonful in the mid 60’s, John Sebastian performed at Cortland as a solo artist to support his third album Tarzana Kid. The album proved to be a commercial failure which is why students were happily treated to a playlist filled with Lovin’ Spoonful hits.
“Nashville Cats”
“Daydream”
“Summer In The City”
“You Didn’t Have To Be That Nice”
“Do You Believe In Magic”
America – 10/24/74 – Lusk Field House
America was formed in 1970 in London. Dewey Bunnell, Dan Peek and Gerry Beckley, were Americans living in England as the kids of Air Force personnel and put a band together with tight harmonies and an acoustic rock sound. They chose their name because they did not want anyone thinking they were British musicians trying to sound like Americans. Living in London had its advantages as they were able to enlist George Martin, the Beatles producer, to produce their fourth album, Holiday, which they were supporting in 1974. It produced the #1 hit “Tin Man” and “Lonely People” which reached #5 on the charts. Although the band is still active, Gerry Beckley retired from touring in 2024, and Dewey Bunnell still performs with his band. Dan Peek passed away in 2011.
“Tin Man”
“I Need You”
“Ventura Highway”
“Sandman”
“Horse With No Name”
P.D.Q. Bach (Professor Peter Schickele ) – 2/15/75 (Mardi Gras Weekend)
Who is P.D.Q. Bach you may ask? Well, born in 1742, he was the last and the least of the great composer Johann Sebastian Bach’s twenty-odd children and he certainly was the oddest! So wrote satirist Professor Peter Schickele, the gifted and prolific composer and musician. Performing the “discovered” works of P.D.Q., Schickele’s music combined parodies of Baroque and Classical music with slapstick comedy. He also incorporated comical arrangements of well-known works of other composers and instruments that were not normally used in orchestras like bagpipes, slide whistles and kazoos as well as experimental instruments like the pastaphone (made of uncooked macaroni), tromboon, hardart, lasso d’amore and the left-handed sewer flute. Schickele passed away in 2024.
Billy Cobham – 2/15/75 – (Mardi Gras Weekend) – Moffett Gym
Panamanian American jazz drummer, Billy Cobham is one of the most powerful fusion drummers who influenced musicians like Prince, Bill Bruford of King Crimson, Jeff Beck and Phil Collins. In the early 70s Billy was the backbeat on several Miles Davis’s albums and then co-founded the jazz fusion band Mahavishnu Orchestra with guitarist John McLaughlin. Cobham’s show at Moffett Gym featured a massive custom made clear acrylic fiberglass-shell drum kit and a 36-inch gong.
The Marshall Tucker Band (Grinder Switch opened) – 4/24/75 – PER Ice Arena
Formed in 1972 in Spartanburg, South Carolina, The Marshall Tucker Band’s music infused blues, rock, country, and jazz and helped establish the “Southern Rock” genre that included the Allman Brothers Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, ZZ Top and the Charlie Daniels Band. The Marshall Tucker Band described their own music as “progressive country” incorporating instruments like flutes and saxophones as well as a fusion of rock instrumentation with country melodies. Throughout the 1970’s The Marshall Tucker Band was known to play upwards of three hundred shows a year.
“Can’t You See”
“24 Hours At A Time”
“Take The Highway”
Grinder Switch
Label-mates of The Marshall Tucker Band (Capricorn), from Macon, Georgia, Grinder Switch opened for The Marshall Tucker Band at the PER Ice Arena. They never did achieve the same fame and success as their Southern Rock contemporaries like The Allman Brothers Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Marshall Tucker Band.