Charles Weston graduated from Mercer University’s undergraduate school in 1968 with a degree in history and in 1971, he graduated from Mercer’s law school. His wife, Gwen Weston graduated from Mercer in 1969. They have two children and four grandchildren and are currently residing in Macon. Charles, who is a senior lecturer at Mercer, sat down with the Cluster to share some of his fondest college memories:
Cluster: What made you choose Mercer?
Weston: Mercer offered me a full-ride basketball scholarship, so naturally I chose to come here.
C: Were you involved in any organizations or clubs?
W: I did join a fraternity, but that wasn’t really significant. I mostly joined because that was the best way to meet girls, but I didn’t drink and I hated parties so being in a fraternity was not all that fulfilling to me. I did join the ROTC my senior year after I stopped playing basketball due to knee and achilles tendon injuries. It was an unusual situation because I joined my senior year. They allowed me into the program on the condition that I be accepted into law school, so I could finish the last three years of ROTC requirements. I was the last cadet in America allowed to join that late.
C: What is it like teaching in the same halls that you previously walked as a student?
W: It’s interesting because the law school used to be located on the main campus, and Langdale Hall where my office is now, used to be the law library. I remember sitting in the same general area of my office, looking out the same window, studying for exams and doing homework.
C: You’ve been teaching at Mercer for over a decade. What did you do between graduation and teaching?
W: After fulfilling my ROTC commitments at Fort Gordon in Augusta, I worked in the local District Attorney Office of the Macon Judicial circuit, as a state prosecuting attorney. I was very blessed to have had the opportunity to try nearly 300 major felony crimes. I loved working cases in the court. It was important to me to bring energy and hard work to every case. Macon is a high crime district and it was fulfilling to bring many of those criminals to justice. While I have a JD (Juris Doctor) instead of a PhD, I believe that 31 years of basically living in the courtroom is extremely valuable for teaching criminal justice. Teaching utilizes court tactics such as closing arguments which I’ve spent my whole career practicing. I am very blessed to be teaching at Mercer.
C: You and your wife met at Mercer, can you share a bit of your story?
W: Ours was a classic college romance. I knew of this girl Gwen Johnston because her father taught in the Christianity department. At the time, chapel was mandatory for all students, and we had assigned seating. My seat was directly behind where she sat. After I asked her out April of my junior year, we went on our first date and we never looked back. We were married 23 months later. We both knew it was right from the start. Within four weeks of dating we had already taken part in the Greek tradition of lavaliering, which was sort of an engagement to be engaged.
I am a very sentimental man. When I first started teaching I would point out to my students the bench where I first kissed Gwen. It’s been moved now, but the memories are still there. This March, we will have been married for 44 years and my family is my life.
C: With Valentine’s Day around the corner, do you have any advice for the romantic college student?
W: A guy is a fool who does not treat his woman like a princess. And a girl is a fool for not expecting to be treated as such. Girls need to look for someone who not only makes their bells ring, but would also be proud to call him the father of their children. If a boy is not treating her right, she needs to drop him fast and run. Young boys need to learn how to treat girls, and young ladies should not settle for less.
Popular
More
