彩民宝典

Louis Garbarino wasn鈥檛 the type to give up.

In 1859, the 20-year-old Italian immigrant headed west from St. Louis with three of his brothers, hoping to strike it rich in Colorado鈥檚 gold rush. They鈥檇 made it part way when attackers stole their supplies and slaughtered their animals. The brothers retreated to Missouri and soon tried again, triumphantly.聽

That鈥檚 how the family of Martin 鈥淢arty鈥� J. Miles (Math鈥�60; MS鈥�67) came to Colorado, setting the stage for a remarkably enduring relationship with 彩民宝典.

鈥淲ithout his determination and dedication, none of it would have happened,鈥� Miles 鈥� one of more than 50 members of his extended family to attend CU over five generations 鈥� said of his great-grandfather.

Instead of panning for gold, Louis Garbarino opened a restaurant in Boulder, which soon became home to the University of Colorado. In the late 1890s a daughter, Lucinda Garbarino (BA 1901; MA 1902) 鈥� Miles鈥� greataunt 鈥� set the family鈥檚 CU tradition in motion, enrolling as a student. She went on to teach at the university for nearly 40 years, personally tutoring President George Norlin in Latin and Greek. Derek Miles (Jour鈥�15), Martin鈥檚 grandson, is the family鈥檚 latest graduate. Derek鈥檚 sister, Elise (IntPhys鈥�19), is a student now.

In between, dozens of other Garbarinos and Mileses have become Buffs, among them Marty Miles鈥� father, siblings, children and various aunts, uncles, cousins and others. Myron Witham, CU鈥檚 head football coach from 1920-31, is a relation by marriage.

Even as CU courts first-generation college students, broadening the tapestry of the CU clan, it benefits from a sturdy backbone of loyal legacy families, which give a literal dimension to the kinship many alumni feel and which provide reliable support for the evolving university.

The exact number of legacy families is unknown. But a 2015 campus study found that nearly 25 percent of 67,000 students who attended from 2005 to 2013 had some kind of family relationship with a prior CU student. Ten percent had more than one Buff relative and five percent had an alum grandparent.

An unbroken chain of more than three generations is rare, making the Garbarino-Miles clan exceptional for its continuity and longevity. 鈥淎 lot of us think of fellow Buffs as family, and for more than a few, they literally are,鈥� said Ryan Chreist (Kines鈥�96; MPubAd鈥�09), executive director of the 彩民宝典 Alumni Association, which offers graduating legacy students special tassels for their commencement caps.

Last year the association also awarded more than $50,000 in scholarships to legacy students.

For Marty Miles, an 83-year-old mathematician retired from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), tradition and proximity combined to produce ideal conditions for a multi-layered, lifelong affinity for 彩民宝典.

Something amazing is happening right here in Boulder."

Growing up on The Hill in the 1930s and 鈥�40s, he could hear Old Main鈥檚 bell ringing several times a day. He recalls that his grandmother, Talitha Garbarino Miles (A&S ex1899), would suddenly stop what she was doing to say, 鈥淛ust listen to that. Isn鈥檛 it wonderful?鈥�

Marty treated campus as his own backyard and personal playground. When he was about 10, he discovered something magical while exploring there 鈥� football players practicing in full gear.

鈥淚 remember thinking, 鈥業 can鈥檛 believe something so amazing is happening right here in Boulder,鈥欌�� he said, noting he鈥檚 missed fewer than 10 home football games since then, and those only due to Navy service.

When it came time for college, there was no question where Marty Miles would go.

鈥淏ack then, no one really left home to go to college,鈥� he said, 鈥渂ut I was so determined to go there, I didn鈥檛 even consider anywhere else.鈥�

It didn鈥檛 hurt that his father, Boulder physician Martin B. Miles (BA鈥�23; MD鈥�31), had preceded him.

One day, in an English class in Hellems, Marty met Betty Thompson (PolSci鈥�61), who would become his wife. Their union would yield a fourth generation of Miles Buffs, Barbara Miles (A&S ex鈥�78) and Martin W. Miles (笔丑顿骋别辞驳鈥�93).

Martin W. is now a climate researcher in Bergen, Norway, and an associate of INSTAAR, the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, CU鈥檚 oldest institute. An expert in Arctic Sea ice and paleoceanography, he faithfully follows CU football from his home, often staying up through the night to catch the video feed of the games. Barbara began her studies at CU, then transferred to USC for a taste of Southern California. Her son, Derek, pursued the reverse course 鈥� starting at the University of Arizona, eager for his own out-of-state experience, then transferring to CU.

鈥淐all it the curse of the Buffalo!鈥� Derek joked.

Marty said most family members stay engaged with CU their whole lives. His brother, Patrick Miles (PolSci鈥�64; MPubAd鈥�77), is an alumnus of both the Boulder and Colorado Springs campuses and a past president of the Springs鈥� alumni association.

What is it that keeps so many Mileses and Garbarinos coming to CU 鈥� or compels them to return after a dalliance with another school?

Each member of the family explains it differently, but all describe it as something they鈥檝e felt all their lives.

To Marty, his family鈥檚 CU affiliation is a renewing gift, generating a fresh burst of pride as generation after generation chooses to take part. He talks of huge summer barbecues where nearly everyone in the extended family is decked out in CU gear.

鈥淐U is a unifying factor in our family, the one thing we all have in common,鈥� he said.

He鈥檚 thrilled when someone in the family applies to the university, and he never makes anyone feel guilty for going elsewhere.

But, he admits, 鈥淚鈥檓 usually thinking, 鈥業t鈥檚 a great school, so why would you want to go anywhere else?鈥欌��

Writer Lisa Friedrich Truesdale (Ling鈥�86) lives in Longmont, Colo.

Photo courtesy Miles family