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Lee Zerull Mathison '46
and Ruth Elinor Baker Mathison '44

	UW-Eau Claire alums Lee and Ruth (Baker) Mathison have been married 61 years. Their first date was at the school's junior prom in 1943.
Above, Ruth Baker and Lee Mathison posed with the rest of the Eau Claire State Teachers College 1943 prom court. Below, they led the grand march.

We met in 1943 on the campus of the Eau Claire State Teachers College, now known as UW-Eau Claire. Ruth was preparing to teach in the elementary grades, and Lee was preparing to teach in high school. World War II had begun, so Lee was enrolled in the Enlisted Reserve Corps at the college.

That year Lee was elected prom king, and he chose Ruth to be the prom queen. The prom (our first date!) was held Feb. 26, 1943, downtown at the Elks Club. The early date was due to the arrival of 300 aviation cadets to be housed in Schofield Hall, the only campus building at that time. The prom was a festive time, but we all knew it would soon be goodbye to the final group of young men on campus.

The reserves left shortly after the prom. Lee became a member of the 14th Armored Division and fought in the European Theater. We kept in touch, and after the war ended we became engaged. We married on Jan. 3, 1947. Ruth was teaching in Rhinelander and Lee had completed his credits for graduation. We lived in Eau Claire and had a son, Thomas, and a daughter, Kerry Lou, and now have three grandchildren. In 2008 we celebrated 61 years of marriage. We currently reside in Carrollton, Texas, to be near our family.

We have many fond memories of our years at UW-Eau Claire. That wartime prom is a special memory. We continue to be interested in the activities of our alma mater. Ruth taught in the Eau Claire public schools and earned a master's degree from UW-Eau Claire. Lee was employed at National Presto Industries and later at UW-Stout.