50 years later, Wayne State still strikes a chord for Dr. Millard Golusin, '68, M.S. '70, M.D. '75
This article is a brief introduction to one of the many alumni who will be celebrating their 50th anniversary of graduating from Wayne State University at the Golden Jubilee on June 8.
Millard Golusin, '68, M.S. '70, M.D. '75 delivered more than seven hundred babies throughout his forty-year career as an obstetrician/gynecologist. As a violinist, he has also helped bring countless symphonies to life.
Born and raised in Detroit, Dr. Golusin is a three-time alumnus of Wayne State University. He received his Bachelor's of Science in Biology in 1968, a Master's of Science in Biology in 1970, and a Doctorate of Medicine in 1975.
Despite these accomplishments, however, Golusin said the road to achieving them was not an easy one. Much of his higher education occurred during the tumultuous Vietnam War era.
"When I was in graduate school at Wayne State working on my master's degree, I was drafted. At that time, President Johnson had removed the student deferment for graduate students to build up troop numbers for the Vietnam conflict."
Golusin had undertaken graduate studies for only nine months before being forced into active duty. However, the acting chair of the Department of Biology arranged for him to finish his degree program while he served. The favor allowed Golusin to earn his degree in 1970, and following his discharge in 1971, he began work on his doctorate that fall.
In the Army, Golusin's educational prowess gained the attention of a master sergeant, and the officer assigned Golusin to run the bacteriology lab in the Army hospital. Golusin said that though it was undoubtedly bittersweet, his time in the military did wonders for developing his medical knowledge.
His talents are not purely medical, however. From a young age, Golusin has been deeply interested in music. He learned to play the violin at age seven and enjoys playing even more so now in retirement.
Golusin plays violin for the esteemed Detroit Medical Orchestra. This non-profit organization encourages musical endeavors in the medical industry and features the musical talents of many Wayne State University medical students and alumni. In addition, the orchestra provides community services and community arts services that aim to improve the quality of life for all in the Detroit community. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, rehearsals occurred on Wayne State's campus in the Gordon H. Scott Hall of Basic Medical Sciences.
Golusin said playing the violin has allowed him to nurture his love for music and revisit a passion he'd possessed since childhood. Since his retirement in 2017, Golusin and his wife – a Wayne State University alumna herself – have split their time between Detroit and Florida. He remains busy as a member of the Gulf Coast Symphony, which he says has continued operating virtually post-pandemic and should return to regular operations next year.
When asked what he remembers most fondly about Wayne State University, Golusin had one response: the buildings.
"A lot of the buildings that we sort of take for granted were relatively new," he recalled. "The [College of] Education Building, the McGregor Memorial building, DeRoy Hall, you know those were relatively new buildings," Golusin said. "The student union was in David Mackenzie Hall, and it was an old hotel that was right on the corner of Cass and Putnam. That hotel is now torn down, but that was David Mackenzie Hall, and that was the student union. I used to meet my friends there."
Golusin said he is excited to attend the Golden Jubilee celebration on June 8 remotely. Graduates of the classes of '70 and '71 are invited to join in virtual events commemorating 50 years since graduation on Tuesday, Jun. 8, 2021, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. EDT.
By Angelica Williams, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences alumni communications student assistant