| Dr. Ebright entered WSU in the fall of 1941 and lived in the Lambda Chi Alpha house. He enrolled in the pre-veterinary curriculum with his love of farm animals and pets helping him to make that decision. Since the war effort was beginning at that time, the students were subjected to an accelerated academic program to graduate early, which included going to classes year around. After graduation, he was drafted into the military service and after the war was over, he returned to Bellingham, his hometown, and began to work in private practice. During his term as president of WSVMA, the association hired an executive secretary who worked out of his home since there was no official office at that time. All letters, checks and correspondence usually passed through several hands before finally arriving at the correct place for a signature. At this time, the Korean War had started and there were several anti-war groups in the area. It was brought to Dr. Ebright’s attention that someone had seen our executive secretary passing out anti-war leaflets at the Blaine border crossing. Several members called on him to be fired “immediately if not sooner.” In the end, things settled down, and he was kept on the job. For Bob, the conventions, board meetings, and interactions with other members were the highlights of his presidency. Although retirement has been nice, Dr. Ebright has remained active in the community serving as a Whatcom County Public Utility District Commissioner for the last 35 years. |
