At Hamilton College in Clinton, N.Y., Max E. Lourie, 85, a former mathematics teacher from Bayonne, N.J., was taking part in the type of program on which Elderhostel was built. He was living in a dormitory on the 1,200-acre campus, eating in the cafeteria and attending lectures on "The Thinking Person's Hamlet," "The Fate of the Family" and "Prints and Printmaking."
"I went to New York University and there's no campus there," he said, explaining his attraction to the traditional type of program. "I've always been jealous of friends who went away to school and had a campus, and I was determined to have one. This is my sixth Elderhostel, and I always choose programs on campuses -- they're so beautiful, you're inspired."
Mr. Lourie's wife was at home. "We have a philosophy that's lasted 50 years," he said. "She says, 'You row your boat and I'll row mine.' She can't see herself standing in line for food or using a communal bathroom."
