My name is Diane (Baker) Harwell and I am from the class of 1968. My twin, Harriet (Baker) Parker ’68 was already a student at Andrew and convinced me to transfer in the spring of 1967. Well, as it turned out, it was the best move I ever made.
There was a shy guy that I saw around the campus and was introduced to him in the Sweet Shop. My dorm room in Old Main had a good vantage point to watch the tennis courts below. Well, one day I saw my shy guy Joe Harwell ’68 playing tennis with a friend and I thought, this is my chance. I gathered my tennis gear and headed over and sat on the bench nearby. I looked like I was obviously waiting for someone to meet me and play. Joe asked me who I was waiting for and I said, “Charlotte Johnson,” a made-up opponent. Joe said that he would hit with me when he was finished. So we hit and then were off to the Sweet Shop for a cherry Coke and their yummy French fries. That meeting led to the Wednesday Night Movie the next night and we continued to see each other on a daily basis. We ate all of our meals together, studied together and were pretty much inseparable.
As Joe was from Savannah and I was from Atlanta we spent our summers mostly apart. Our relationship was a long distant one for a while. We eventually married in December 1969 and then my twin, Harriet married shortly after in July 1970. She married an alumnus, Bob Parker ’68. We both borrowed an Andrew alumnae’s wedding dress. Her name was Phyllis Prickett Adams ’68.
Joe and I will celebrate 50 years in December and Harriet and Bob will celebrate 40 years in July. We all have the fondest memories of this wonderful place and we made lifelong friends that we will treasure forever.