A Snow-Day Experience That Got Frozen In Time
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Morning Edition, January 2, 2009 ·
In January 1951, a massive blizzard hit the southern United States, blanketing the region in ice and snow. At the time, Dr. Jim Fleming was a high school student in Greenwood, Miss. In an interview with his daughter Janetta, he recalled how he spent those snowy days in the Deep South — and how it affected him for years to come.
After the blizzard hit town, Fleming says he was stuck at home with nothing to do. School was cancelled for two weeks, and all the telephone lines were down. But he had brought home his textbook from biology — a class he loved.
"So during these two weeks, I memorized the animal kingdom — the order and the genus and the species, phylum — the whole deal," Fleming notes.
When he returned to school, his biology exam asked students to write down what they knew about the animal kingdom. Fleming says he "wrote like the dickens."
But the next day, he says he was summoned to the principal's office and accused of cheating.
"Wait a minute now, I didn't cheat, I know that," Fleming told the principal. "He said, 'Nobody knows that.' Well, I do."
The principal challenged him on the spot to write down everything he knew about the animal kingdom. And he did — just like he had on the exam.
But the kicker to this story, Fleming says, came years later, when he was a student at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. During a freshman biology class, the final exam asked students to write down what they knew about the animal kingdom.
"A couple of days later, Dr. Farrell called me in. He said, 'No one can write the animal kingdom like that — you copied out of a book,' " Fleming says. "No, Dr. Farrell, I did not."
The professor challenged him on the spot to write down everything he knew about the animal kingdom. And he did — just like he had on the exam.
"By that time, I knew it very well," Fleming jokes.
Fleming graduated and became a doctor. One night, he says, he got a call from the Vanderbilt emergency room. He went in and assessed the patient, a girl, and concluded that she needed surgery. The nurse said he needed to get consent from the girl's father.
"So I went out there to talk to the father, and there was Dr. Farrell," Fleming says. "And he looked at me and he said, 'Animal kingdom, aren't you, boy?' "
When Fleming said yes, the man responded, "Well, you're OK — you go ahead and operate on my daughter."
Produced for Morning Edition by Vanara Taing. The senior producer for StoryCorps is Michael Garofalo.
To listen to this story Click Here and then click on Listen Now.
Morning Edition, January 2, 2009 ·
In January 1951, a massive blizzard hit the southern United States, blanketing the region in ice and snow. At the time, Dr. Jim Fleming was a high school student in Greenwood, Miss. In an interview with his daughter Janetta, he recalled how he spent those snowy days in the Deep South — and how it affected him for years to come.
After the blizzard hit town, Fleming says he was stuck at home with nothing to do. School was cancelled for two weeks, and all the telephone lines were down. But he had brought home his textbook from biology — a class he loved.
"So during these two weeks, I memorized the animal kingdom — the order and the genus and the species, phylum — the whole deal," Fleming notes.
When he returned to school, his biology exam asked students to write down what they knew about the animal kingdom. Fleming says he "wrote like the dickens."
But the next day, he says he was summoned to the principal's office and accused of cheating.
"Wait a minute now, I didn't cheat, I know that," Fleming told the principal. "He said, 'Nobody knows that.' Well, I do."
The principal challenged him on the spot to write down everything he knew about the animal kingdom. And he did — just like he had on the exam.
But the kicker to this story, Fleming says, came years later, when he was a student at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. During a freshman biology class, the final exam asked students to write down what they knew about the animal kingdom.
"A couple of days later, Dr. Farrell called me in. He said, 'No one can write the animal kingdom like that — you copied out of a book,' " Fleming says. "No, Dr. Farrell, I did not."
The professor challenged him on the spot to write down everything he knew about the animal kingdom. And he did — just like he had on the exam.
"By that time, I knew it very well," Fleming jokes.
Fleming graduated and became a doctor. One night, he says, he got a call from the Vanderbilt emergency room. He went in and assessed the patient, a girl, and concluded that she needed surgery. The nurse said he needed to get consent from the girl's father.
"So I went out there to talk to the father, and there was Dr. Farrell," Fleming says. "And he looked at me and he said, 'Animal kingdom, aren't you, boy?' "
When Fleming said yes, the man responded, "Well, you're OK — you go ahead and operate on my daughter."
Produced for Morning Edition by Vanara Taing. The senior producer for StoryCorps is Michael Garofalo.
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