Felter Class of 1966, Robert O.

Robert "Bob" Olan Felter (1943-) received a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education with a concentration in social studies in 1966 and an Master of Arts in Student Personnel Administration of Higher Education in 1968, both from the University of Maryland, College Park. He attended the university as an undergraduate from Fall 1962 until May 1966. As an undergraduate at College Park, Felter held several positions within the Student Government Association (SGA), including Freshman and Sophomore Legislator, and also served as a Class of 1966 cabinet officer as Senior Class Vice President. An enthusiastic member of the campus Free State party, Felter also chaired and sat on many student committees and participated in the organization of student activities.

Student government in the early and mid-1960s at the University of Maryland was a very important part of campus life. Students elected members from each class to serve in the legislature, elected class officers, and elected an overarching SGA executive cabinet. Representing student interests to faculty and administration was a central part of SGA's mission, and the organization also controlled the funds raised by mandatory payment of student activities fees collected from every student. The group organized and sponsored events such as dances, speakers, and debates.

"Campaign season," as the spring came to be known, was a vibrant and competitive time for candidates to advertise creatively along both party and independent lines. The three main rival student political parties, Free State, Chesapeake, and Old Line, endorsed candidates whose objectives and values were in tune with their respective published platforms. Most party line issues were highly specific to contemporary campus life and could not be categorized using conventional terminology such as "liberal" or "conservative." In the early to mid-1960s, the Free State party was most successful, and its candidates often defeated those of Old Line and Chesapeake by significant margins. Bob Felter, a frequent Free State candidate, had a neighbor at home, a friend of his parents, who was a professional sign-maker, and who helped him create campaign materials for several successful campus races.

Throughout the school year, legislators and class officers chaired committees to oversee legislative development and to coordinate recreational and group activities. From 1964 to 1966, Bob Felter worked extensively with the Prom Committee and, in 1965, received a letter from University President Wilson Elkins thanking him for a job well done.

Felter later earned a Master of Administrative Science in 1976 from the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, and held a variety of positions at Anne Arundel Community College, including director of financial aid, assistant to the dean of students, and records management technician, for over 30 years. Felter is an active member of the Alumni Association and was a member of the Class of 1966 Reunion Committee.

From the guide to the Robert O. Felter Class of 1966 Collection, 1962-1978, 1962-1966, (University of Maryland)