A remarkable, personal glimpse of Black student life at Indiana University in the early 1960s.In 1961, a skinny African American boy from Indianapolis arrived at Indiana University Bloomington determined to become a doctor. For the next three years, Lester Thompson kept a detailed, intimate diary of his journey to graduation. In Lucky Medicine, Lester returns to his long-ago journal and, with honesty, humor, and a healthy dose of rueful self-reflection, shares stories from his college years at Indiana University.Fascinating glimpses emerge of Black Greek life at the time, including the building of the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity house and the successes, struggles, and social lives of its members. Lester's student years were driven by hard work, but also bustled with fun and drama. He recalls his time studying at the university library, falling in and out of love many times, becoming friends with fellow fraternity brother Booker T. Jones, a truly memorable invitation extended to meet with George Wallace, and an epic, no-holds-barred brawl with limestone cutters at the 24-Hour Grill.Lucky Medicine offers a closeup, unforgettable look at IU student life just before the sweeping social changes of the 1960s, when students of color accounted for less than 2 percent of the Indiana University's student body.

PrefacePart One: Before1. L.L. Goodman2. (Dis) Integration3. My Son Is Going to Be a Doctor4. A Family Crises Changes the Paradigm5. My Personal Goal6. The End of the Dream?7. Moving On Up, Sort of8. Schooled9. Why Am I So Fortunate?10. A Sixteen-Year-Old Boy's Dream11. Junior Vaudeville12. Saying Goodbye and a Glimpse of My FuturePart Two: Year One, 1961-196213. Your Mama Doesn't Live Here Anymore14. Okay, It's Show Time!15. What's Your Name? Where Are You From?16. What's a Greek?17. A Peek at What Lies Ahead18. The Cleavers or the Bunkers?19. Ray Charles20. A New Low21. Something Really Special22. I'm Terribly Aware of Her Presence23. It's My Turn or Is It?24. What In the World Was That About?25. Let's Try This Again26. Be Careful What You Ask For27. Welcome to the World of the Black Working ClassPart Three: Year Two, 1962-196328. Lickety-split29. Armageddon?30. The Unanticipated Price of Brotherhood31. Life As an Active Becomes Real32. The Elusive 3.0 GPA33. Here Come the Sammies34. Joy and Sorrow Interlaced35. The Horn Sounded and the Walls Came Tumbling Down36. Second Verse Same as the First?37. With Power Comes Responsibility38. The Challenge of the DreamPart Four: Year Three, 1963-196439. If We Cannot Make Our Sun Stand Still, Yet We Will Make Him Run40. WTF?41. September 19th42. The Big Hurt43. The End of Camelot44. Hooray! I'm In!45. The 24 Hour Grill46. Really?47. The Storm Becomes a Hurricane48. The Last Dance49. Branching Out50. Little George51. The Music Man from Memphis52. Something Completely Different53. It's All over but the ShoutingPart Five: After54. ReflectionsEpilogueAcknowledgments