I like to start the show with a an interesting story and I I have a story
for you that I've never told anyone else before and it's uh it doesn't put me in
a very flattering light but who cares okay it's uh high school going back to my days
in high school and I was in the Class of 65 at Broad Ripple High School and
man recognizing numbers he's heard before well that's good
um and there was some sort of end of the school year graduating seniors only convocation and
so we were all dismissed early from our class and we were going to go down to the
auditorium for the graduating seniors end of the year convocation right so we're all down
there and because uh I was a dope that no one liked and I was always trying to
call attention to myself and I had a very small peer group and they weren't even crazy about me
so it was a constant struggle and I don't feel I was alone in that I think that describes a
lot of people in high school you you want to be recognized you want people to like
you but they don't um uh so I had with me a smoke bomb a tiny smoke bomb about that
big oh boy and uh we're all standing around getting ready to go into the convocation end
of the year graduating senior smoke mom I mean convocation and and uh and I lit the smoke bomb
and and I had a hole in my pocket and dropped it through my pants onto the floor thinking
I mean is that as slick as it's going to get in the world of smuggling it wasn't a very large
smoke bomb and and then and pretty soon it was like a lame special effect it was like I don't
know three cubic yards of dry ice just kind of and and you know when my pant leg was on fire so uh it
wasn't it wasn't hard to tell who would drop the smoke bomb all right and I remember thinking I'd
gotten away with it and then the next day after the graduating convocation uh Robert Ludlow uh
the teacher who was the history teacher and also the driver's ed teacher called me up to his office
and he said uh uh I know you think that was funny dropping that smoke bomb uh I saw you do it I know
you did it and let me just say one thing I will never recommend you for a job as long as I live
yeah well that's a cute story that really is do we have him here is he here tonight
let's bring them out now okay we have a surprise for you no no I wish we did
and and of course he's right I mean who was right was it a young punk dope Dave no I was completely
in the wrong doing something to oh everybody will think I'm cool well no or or was Robert
Ludlow a history driver's ed teacher right I think he of course uh was right yeah and and
I believe he was also the golf coach oh so he was absolutely right and and as a matter of fact when
CBS wanted to hire me away from NBC they said geez we got this call from Robert London Robert
gig [Applause]
and and I tell you some nights when I'm having trouble going to sleep I think about that and
think about that and think about that and what a dope I was yeah I I mean the the truth of it
is it was a small device but it could have been one of those things where run for your
lives you could yeah and you don't want that of course you never know no you never know
so Robert Ludlow yeah Bob Ludlow Big Bob Ludlow um oh you know what speaking of crime that uh
were you charged were you charged no they weren't only charging are you out on bail still not no all
right I have a copy of the 1965 Broad Ripple High School yeah the riparian this is your riparian so
named because the uh the high school is still there and a beautiful structure uh and a high
quality School in the Indianapolis Public School System it sits right on the the banks of the White
River and riparian that's the name of the thing here and we found uh uh Mr Robert Ludlow Bob
let's see what we can see is he in there should be him right here for Bob Ludlow right here I
believe let me see that cat yeah yes there is Robert Ludlow now look let's see what he uh
bsms Butler University great College social studies assistant wrestling coach assistant
track a coach uh Letterman's Club sponsor a senior class sponsor senior counselor uh Cadet teacher
sponsor that's Bob Ludlow right there look at how young he is I know he was probably only about 21.
right and you he was actually younger than many of the students he was yeah people that got held
back and said he's he's the reason I never got a decent job apparently so you wouldn't rip on
an engine you know God bless guys like this yeah keep in Law and Order and he did the right thing
he called it to my attention pointed out the mistake and he behaved uh in in an appropriate
way so as not to really you know he could have sent me to jail I could be in prison now you
could right yeah so hats off hats off to the man that's off to Ludlow yeah that's right Bob Ludlow
are you in there no no well of course I'm in here well
you can we see a picture of you well maybe I it's just that all right yeah
well it really wasn't that active um
apparently the only thing I did really was drop the smoke bomb
terrible see I'll get this in a minute would it be under the L's
oh yeah sure oh here here we go okay look at this guy
look at that
uh David Michael Letterman basketball freshman
Reserve second year track freshman Reserve to uh Hall Monitor [Laughter]
oh my God this is sad life ladies and gentlemen I'm told here on the phone is Mr Robert Ludlow
oh no Franklin Indiana really yes the man that I was talking about and uh he's 82 years old
now no kidding yeah so let's just see what we have here hello Mr Ludlow yes hello hi hi this is Dave
Letterman how are you well just fine I'm pretty excited to hear from you yes it's it's nice to
hear from you you sound well I hope everything is good in your life yes doing doing very well
how how long did you teach at Broad Ripple High School I was there about 14 years and uh I wonder
if you're half mile times have gotten any better since you ran track for the rocket well you know
what over the weekend I was able to shave another tenth off my half mile well I believe we can get
you in some special Adidas track shoes in for a half miles all right thank you very much now
uh Mr Ludlow the reason I'm calling I was talking to the audience about something that I've thought
about almost every day of my life and it was a at the end of my senior year and uh you you watched
me drop uh thoughtlessly a smoke bomb in a in a crowded part of the school and and you
called me aside afterward and and you did what I thought was a very wise thing you you could have
really had me taken downtown and interrogated by the police but but you decided the thing to do
uh the better part of uh Valor is discretion if that in fact applies you said that going forward
because of that act you would never be able to give me a reference for a job and I thought that
I thought that possessed great wisdom because it's it's something that I thought about and
felt like well more than the act itself I've let this man down and I had great respect for you so
I just wanted to tell you that and thank you for being much smarter than a 17 year old kid
well I think your record was very very good at high school at Broad Ripple High School and uh
feel quite proud to know you thank you and and now and now going forward if I ever do need a job
could could I count on a recommendation I think
we can work something out there David all right thank you very much Mr Ludlow
wow I'm glad to get that off my dad I hope you feel better yeah I do feel better
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