William Knox Schroeder
July 20, 1950 – May 4, 1970
Early Life:
Growing Up in Lorain, Ohio
Our son was born strong in mind and body with a desire to make this country a better place. While still in elementary school, Bill was recognized as an honor student. At the age of 8, he joined the Cub Scouts and the Service Club and started cornet lessons. In fifth grade, he was chosen to be captain of the school safety patrol and he played in the Larkmoor School Orchestra. While in Junior High, he was elected to the Student Council and the All City Band. Shortly after his thirteenth birthday, he earned the last of the Boy Scout merit badges required for the rank of Eagle Scout.
Bill loved sports. He had to forego football to play in band, but he continued in basketball and also participated in track and cross country. He was elected captain senior year.
—Adapted from the biography written by Mr. and Mrs. Louis Schroeder.
Bill was one of 12,000 high school boys who applied for the 900 United States Army ROTC four-year scholarships which were granted in 1968. The recipients were permitted to attend the college of their choice, and Bill chose to attend the Colorado School of Mines, in Golden, Colorado. He had been told that it was the best place to study geology.
Bill was concerned with the causes and effects of the wars, as well as with the dates and places and people involved. Perhaps, it was his habit of getting emotionally involved with the causes of wars which led to his application for the Army ROTC Scholarship. In 1969, while still 17 years old, he signed away 10 years of his life – four in college, four on active duty, and two more in the Army Reserves.
Golden, Colorado:
The Colorado School of Mines
While at the Colorado School of Mines, he was named to the academic honor roll with a 3.1 average, played intramural basketball, was in the ROTC Band, and was a member of Counter Insurgency Unit Training Group. After the start of his first semester, the Colorado School of Mines dropped Geology as a major. Bill decided to transfer to Kent State University and to change his course of study to a major in psychology.
Kent State: A New School, A New Major
The transfer to Kent and the decision to pursue a career in psychology proved to be wise moves. Bill had always been willing to earn his own way, and the way seemed to be getting smoother.
As soon as he arrived at Kent, Bill took a job in the school cafeteria where he was paid in wages and free meals. Later he worked for the McDonald’s restaurant near his house in Kent. When the hours there conflicted with his classes, he began working for International Powdered Metals Company on S. Water Street for four hours a day.
Bill’s grades at KSU reflected his intelligence. He decided that the presence of a trained psychologist on the military front could be as important as the soldier’s rifle or the chaplain. He hoped to attend graduate school for further training before going on active duty.
Even if Bill had not done so many things of which we could be proud, it would have been a blessing to have him for a son. He lived to learn and wanted to share what he learned.
He always knew what he wanted and where he wanted to go.
Below are letters Bill wrote to his mother Florence, who he lovingly referred to as Florrie-Dorrie. These letters were written between 1968 and 1970.
“Later in life as I got older, went to college, married and bought a house of my own, the only person left in that little house in Lorain was my grand’ma. We asked if she would like to live with us and in 2006 she moved in with me and her great-grandchildren.
With her she brought a box labeled “Keep Forever” written on masking tape. I knew generally that the box held keepsakes and letters from Billy.
From this and other materials, I believe we’ll all get to know a little better who my Uncle Billy was through his exhibit.”
—From David Tuttle’s speech delivered on May 4, 2018.