Ask Anne

Q: Who’s the most famous golfer to ever play on the Maryland course?—Matthew Tau ’10

A: That would have to be Jack Nicklaus, who along with fellow golfers Lee Elder, Deane Beman and UMD team captain Rick Bendall competed in an exhibition on Oct. 16, 1971. Nicklaus had an unfortunate start to his day, as he swung so hard on his first shot that he split his pants below the zipper. After a 20-minute break to find him some new trousers, he came back out and dominated, shooting a three-under-par score of 68.

The other players were famous in their own right: Elder became the first African American to compete in the Masters tournament in 1975, and Beman became the PGA Tour’s second commissioner.

Q: I heard a Maryland student once swam around the island of Manhattan. Is that true?—Sasika Subramaniam ’09

A: In 1984, senior Stacy Chanin swam three laps around the island in a record 33 hours and 33 minutes. She never left the water, despite strong currents, floating debris and cold temperatures. She ate banana and honey sandwiches, pasta, and granola bars, and drank hot chocolate and lots of water. Between laps, she treaded water as she waited for the tide to change. Her record time stood until August 2007.

Q: What can you tell me about Calvert Hall, which just turned 100 years old?—Angie Minor, Department of Resident Life

A: Calvert Hall, named for university’s founder, Charles Benedict Calvert, was the first dormitory constructed after the Great Fire of 1912, and was the first campus building dedicated solely to housing students. It cost $100,000 to build and was meant for 110 students (it houses about 130 today). On Aug. 2, 1914, The Washington Post wrote, “Upon the ashes of the old dormitory buildings of the Maryland Agricultural College at College Park, destroyed by fire last year, has arisen a new, modern structure, fireproof, and equipped with every modern appliance known to the science of architecture and sanitation.” In summer 2014, the hall underwent a major renovation, with the townhouse-style apartments receiving new kitchen cabinets, flooring, countertops and stainless steel appliances.