Alumni News + Notes

A License to Honk

Readers share photos of their Go Blue vanity license plates.

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When we asked readers to submit photos of their Go Blue vanity license plates, we received more than a dozen snapshots as well as the stories behind the cars that bear them and people who bought them. Consider this gallery, filled with Maize and Blue numbers and letters, a magical summer road trip beckoning you back to campus.

(Click images for a larger view)

When Albert Pickus, ’53, a former president of the Alumni Association, moved to Ohio he bravely got a GO BLUE license plate—and then another when the first one expired. An Ohio State fan and friend of Pickus, Stanley Gottsegen, decided to ramp up their rivalry in 1975. He wrote to Ohio Gov. James Rhodes, alerting him to a person “advertising and extolling the virtues of one of our most noteworthy competitors” and demanding the governor have the plate destroyed. Learning of the feud, Michigan Gov. William Milliken piped in soon after. He wrote a letter to Pincus commending his “extreme courage” and “true allegiance,” while promising to “marshal all the resources at my command” if the plate should be revoked by Ohio. Fortunately, the director of Ohio’s Department of Highway Safety could not legally revoke it because it was not obscene. But in his letter to Gottsegen delivering the bad news, the director added the final dig: “’GO BLUE’ followers need all the help possible in order to compete on an even basis with the Buckeyes.”

Charlie Dillon, MBA’81, had to make a new choice when he learned GO BLUE, IGOBLUE, and MGOBLUE were all taken in his state. So he grabbed NGOBLUE in the spirit of “rock ‘n’ roll.” Above, Dillon mimics John Wrangler throwing the famous 45-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Carter in the 1979 Indiana University game.

Though Charry Boris, ’73, wanted a GOBLUE plate when she applied in Connecticut, upon learning it was taken she quickly opted for GOBLU-1. She now wishes she had chosen MGOBLU since, given the New York Giants’ team color, this plate has led to many people asking her, “Are you a Giants fan?”

This GO BLUE plate adorns the car of David Witte, ’79, MSE’88, who secured it two years ago. The only problem, according to Witte, is that U-M is a bit obscure in New Mexico so he has to explain its significance.

Doug Levy, ’85, in Tucson, Arizona, loves his Maize and Blue license plates, hence the GO BLU85 in his left hand. The UM UHS plate (left car) stands for U-M and University High School, which both his daughters attended. His wife, Nanci Ogur Levy, ’88, drives the car with the GOBLUE88 plate (middle car), while the GO BLUE plate (right car) is an expired New York plate he temporarily slapped on his vintage Mercedes for this photo. Normally, the Mercedes bears a UMICH85 plate (not pictured), though it once displayed the now expired GO BLEU plate in his right hand—his second choice when he learned GOBLUE was taken in Arizona. Levy’s friend Bruce Zenkel, ’52, previously owned the New York GOBLUE plate. Before Zenkel moved to Connecticut, he informed Levy of the plate’s auto registration expiration date so he could grab it before someone else did.

Jeff Holmstrand, ’84, JD’87, and his wife, Linda MacKenzie Holmstrand, ’85, acquired two Maize and Blue West Virginia plates in 1987. Living only five miles from the state of Ohio and roughly 120 miles due east of Columbus, the couple receives many comments on their plates. Check out the next slide for the story behind their second Wolverine plate.

When Jen DeGeus, ’95, learned that GO BLUE was, not surprisingly, taken in Illinois (lots of U-M alumni there), she went with the next best thing.

Walking out of a bakery in Holland, Michigan, one day, Jennifer Nelson, ’91, saw these two red cars displaying their love for U-M. She quickly asked her husband, Jeff Nelson, ’90, to pull their blue car into the space in between so she could take this snapshot.

Karen Hockstad, ’87, and her husband, Jim Bemiller, bravely drive their car with this AMAIZED plate around their home town of Columbus, Ohio.

Libby McKay, ’89, loves her UMGOBLU plate but originally requested 1GOBLU. She secured that plate, but not for long. Due to an address error by the Michigan Secretary of State office, she had to return it and another Wolverine snapped it up. So she settled for UMGOBLU. As she says, “redemption came recently.” After years of trying to secure the plate VICTORS, it is now proudly displayed on her car (see next image).

Libby McKay, ’89, loves her UMGOBLU plate but originally requested 1GOBLU. She secured that plate, but not for long. Due to an address error by the Michigan Secretary of State office, she had to return it and another Wolverine snapped it up. So she settled for UMGOBLU. As she says, “redemption came recently.” After years of trying to secure the plate VICTORS, it is now proudly displayed on her car.

Linda MacKenzie Homstrand, ’85, and her husband, Jeff Homstrand, ‘84, JD ‘87, acquired two West Virginia plates in 1987. Soon after getting this GOBLUE plate, the couple received a notice from the city of Ann Arbor saying they owed several hundred dollars in unpaid parking tickets. Apparently, the previous owner of the GOBLUE West Virginia plate had lived in Ann Arbor. After explaining that they did not own the plate during that period, they received a very nice exonerating letter from the city wishing them well. It was signed “Go Blue!”

Upon learning in 1980 that the GOBLUE plate was already taken in California, Maureen Jones, ’67, MA’72, selected the plate above. She says it has given her “years of joy,” with people honking as they pass and giving her the thumbs-up sign.

To keep U-M with her at all times in Minnesota, Saralyn Klein, ’86, MD’90, secured this license plate, which also helps inspire her daughters, Rebecca and Madeline, to become Wolverines.

When Shawn Lamb, ’00, MSE’01, went into labor, husband Charles Lamb, ’00, MSE’01, grabbed the car with the MAIZE plate (above left), instead of the N BLUE plate, to take her to the hospital. But time was not on their side. Their daughter was born in the front seat of the Maize vehicle, where she cuddled with her parents until the ambulance arrived.

The basement in the East Lansing, Michigan, home of Susan Allis, ’56, is a shrine to the University and her now-deceased husband, Harry Allis, ’51, MD’59. Harry was a football player who led U-M to two national championships as well as the 1950 Snow Bowl and 1951 Rose Bowl. But it is their collection of expired family license plates (three of the four Allis children attended U-M) that dazzles. With more than 20 lining the room, those pictured are just a sampling of the plates on display, which includes the backward UL B OG that their son bought in California when GO BLUE was taken.

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