I often get calls from former students. Having worked at Linwood for 41 of the 61 years we’ve been in existence, I know most of them. But every now and then, I am taken aback. William Greenough lives in Charlottsville, Virginia. He was a student at Linwood from 1962 to 1965. He visited Linwood a few years ago and visited again recently with his sister-in-law, Stefani who lives in Columbia, MD. A fascinating man indeed!
William is remarkably focused on his past – a past that is both meaningful and important to him. When he visited recently, he handed me a list of staff and students with whom he shared his experiences at Linwood all those years ago. I know some of these people; some have long passed away, and some are only distant memories leaving no trace of where they might be today. William speaks about them as if he encountered them yesterday. As we toured both the new and the old buildings on Linwood’s campus (William was more interested in the old), he sketched out a rough drawing of the campus as it was in 1965 (shown below).
It wasn’t until he brought out some recent photos that I realized just how accomplished he is. William proudly boasts of creating the model of Sheppard Pratt Hospital, depicted here.
I truly look forward to seeing William again at Linwood’s 60th anniversary celebration during Autism Awareness Month in April.
