Augie Sweethearts: P. Douglas Williams '80 and Karen Paulus Williams '79

Submitted by P. Douglas Williams of Kalamazoo, Mich.

He was a cute, smart, friendly guy in Dr. Parkander’s freshman rhetoric class with me, who wrote an earnest essay about his newspaper route in Idaho. Early in fall quarter, outside of East Hall, a classmate introduced us.

She was tall and smart but reserved until our sophomore year organic chemistry lab. My lab bench spot, only five feet from the class melting point apparatus, became her favorite destination as the term unfolded and we realized that more than the crystals were melting. 

Sometimes, we think, “it was all chemistry,” as we remember how two chemistry majors fell in love. How our conversations became elemental. How we were proud of his car’s “Honk if you passed P-Chem” bumper sticker. How we skipped physics class once to go get hot chocolate. How we tried to stay focused but the chemistry prevailed for the rest of our days at Augie and still.