Students Prentiss Willson and Janice Rude met at Occidental College in 1962, apparently falling in love at first sight.
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Rude hailed from a humble existence with her rough-and-ragged father in Reno, Nevada. Though their ilk weren’t highly educated, Rude’s father made sure to emphasize the importance of education and laid the foundation for her future studies.
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The small, private liberal arts Occidental College in Los Angeles’ Eagle Rock neighborhood almost became all-male in 1912 and 1931. Thankfully for the fated couple, this switch was never enacted.
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Rude took on morning shifts at the college’s cafeteria in order to help pay for her costly private school tuition. Raised with an indestructible work ethic, she worked day in and day out with a smile on her face.
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On the other side of the country and under largely different familial circumstances, Prentiss Willson was raised in a prosperous family who had high ambitions for their son. Upon his enrollment at Occidental a year following Rude in 1962, he pledged the Kappa Sigma fraternity.
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One morning at the start of her sophomore year, Rude was pleased to discover she was on cereal station duty, which was the cleanest of tasks at the cafeteria. However, she had no idea her life was about to turn upside down.
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Willson had risen early that day in anticipation of getting in a morning workout. At the cafeteria, he was stopped in his tracks upon setting eyes on Rude.
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Rude’s and Willson’s first encounter was truly magnetic, and they both felt electric rushes throughout their bodies. Rude, who was more shy than Willson, was the first to break eye contact and continue her work duties despite her attraction to the coed.
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Every morning thereafter, Willson rose at 5:30 AM to be the first in line at Rude’s station. Though she played coy and remained professional, it was only a matter of time before Rude began to convey her mutual interest.
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When Willson finally mustered up the courage to speak to her, he uttered a measly “hi” which prompted Rude to immediately blush and retreat for comfort back to her shy, passive demeanor.
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Both coeds came to learn the other’s name, silently repeating it to themselves like a mantra willing them to someday come together to actualize their feelings and attraction.
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Though Rude was a year older than Willson and he thought he was out of his league due to her beauty, that didn’t deter him from completing his daily visits to Rude’s canteen at the cafeteria.
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One day before Thanksgiving break, Willson failed to turn up at the cafeteria. His absence was sudden, and was met by Rude with clear dismay and disappointment.
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Rude did some research and discovered that Willson had already left town to spend the holiday with his family. A fellow Kappa Sigma brother of his, however, offered Rude Willson’s address so that she could follow up with the object of her affection.
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Rude drove 150 miles from Los Angeles to Santa Maria in pursuit of Willson. She finally reached his parents’ ranch following a three-hour drive.
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Given that Rude had barely spoken a word to Willson before, the last thing he expected was to have her knock on his door a way’s away from campus, but he was pleasantly surprised to discover the friendly face on the other side.
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The two muttered awkward greetings before Willson invited Rude inside to introduce her to his parents. She got on famously, with his mother especially.
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Rude spent Thanksgiving weekend with the Willson’s. By the time they made their way back to Occidental, the two had become a legitimate couple, hardly ever leaving each other’s sides.
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Despite their short courting period, Willson knew that Rude was the woman with whom he’d want to spend the rest of his life. His Kappa Sigma fraternity brothers help him set up a marriage proposal just a few short weeks later, before the new year.
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Rude didn’t hestitate before slipping her gold engagement ring on her finger. The two were overwhelmingly joyous, though their excitement would soon meet immense challenges.
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Both lovers couldn’t help but share their excitement with their friends and families. They even put an announcement in the local newspaper, which declared that a wedding date had not yet been determined.
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To her crushing dismay, Rude met immense opposition from her father, who could not accept Willson and his family due to their “superior” background of intellect and wealth. Rude’s father threatened to quit paying his daughter’s tuition if she went through with the courtship.
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Rude’s mother secretly took out a second mortgage on her house in order to help her daughter fund the wedding. Rude considered dropping out of Occidental to solve her financial woes, but feared that Willson would look down on her, or even find another coed whom he fancied more.
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Willson assured Rude that he’d love her with or without a degree or money. However, the stress of the situation took a major toll on his sweetheart. She was at a crossroads of whether or not to marry her beloved, upset her father, and continue her studies.
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Rude ultimately succumbed to the pressure and returned her engagement ring to a heartbroken Willson. She ended up graduating from Occidental, but returned back to Reno to work for her family’s diving board manufacturing company.
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Though heartbroken, Willson continued his studies and even worked his way to Harvard Law School. He’d eventually become a leading tax attorney in the San Francisco Bay area and also married, though Rude remained a constant presence in his heart and soul.
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Rude worked her way up in her field as well, eventually boasting an honorary membership in the Diving Association Hall of Fame. She, too, married, but just like Willson a ways away, the marriage ended in divorce.
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Late into their separate adulthoods, both Rude and Willson happened to lose their mothers within mere months of each other. These losses would result in startling coincidences that would change the course of their lives forever after.
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When going through their mothers’ possessions, both Rude and Willson found the newspaper clipping that announced their engagement. Willson felt the urge to reach out to his long-lost love, though he feared that Rude wouldn’t reciprocate his feelings.
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The pair met again in 2010, nearly 50 years after meeting for the first time. The spark was instantly rekindled, and they were engaged yet again within months of the reunion. Both Rude and Willson couldn’t believe their luck at finding the clipping to be reminded that they were truly meant to be together, and that their late mothers knew it the whole time.
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The couple married two years later in 2012, with several of their Occidental classmates in attendance. Their incredible union had finally been made official an incredible 50 years after they fell madly in love at first sight. The twosome proved that true love can exist and endure any test of time.
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