Monday, January 30, 2012
Ralph was a professor of mine at Morrisville College 1970-1972 in Agricultural Engineering. I had Ralph for refrigeration,tractor power trains,and electricity. The knowledge that I received from Ralph has been used my entire life. Some of his pet expressions come to mind even 40 years later. He was a great teacher and always was very enjoyable to learn from. I will never forget the time another teacher would park in front of his tractor lab door and lock his car up, blocking entry. Ralph would take a floor jack and place the car in the middle of the parking lot. I remember one time Ralph's car was moved by this same teacher into the parking lot. The story was that Ralph had some words with this certain teacher and needless to say the battle ended there, and his door was never blocked again. It was hard to fool Ralph. After college I visited with Ralph quite often as he and my dad, Bill Niles played golf together on a weekly basis after they both retired. It was a plrasure to attend his 90th. birthday and see so many of his former students. I also would stop and visit if I saw him in his yard in Dundee tending his yard. Ralph will be missed but never forgotten.
Ken Niles
