PHOTOS: See Harrison Ford's College Years

Disclosure note: The writer of this piece also attended Ripon College.

Before Harrison Ford was Indiana Jones or Han Solo, he was a student at Ripon College. The small liberal arts college in Wisconsin, now celebrating its 175th anniversary, has shared some images and drawings with us from Ford’s time at the school. We’ll also share some interview quotes from Ford about his time at college or the early days of his career.

Photos within this article were all provided with usage permission by Ripon College.

Harrison Ford College Years

Harrison Ford, on a couch, as Mack the Knife in Ripon College’s 1963 production of *The Threepenny Opera.* Courtesy of Ripon College archive.

“In my third year of college, I was a little lost,” Ford said of his time at Ripon College during his SAG-AFTRA Life Achievement Award in March. “I was failing at school. I felt isolated, alone, and then I found the company of people putting on plays — storytellers, people I once thought were misfits and geeks turned out to be my people. I found a calling, a life in storytelling, an identity, in pretending to be other people. The work I do with other actors is one of the great joys of my life.”

Harrison Ford, surrounded by officers, as Mack the Knife in Ripon College’s 1963 production of *The Threepenny Opera*. Courtesy of Ripon College archive.

“I did a couple of plays, and people encouraged me,” Ford said in a March 2000 interview with Bangor Daily News. “It was the only thing I had found in college where I felt a sense of community and utility.”

Harrison Ford, third from left, as Mack the Knife in Ripon College’s 1963 production of *The Threepenny Opera*. Courtesy of Ripon College archive.

Harrison Ford in Ripon College’s 1963 production of *The Threepenny Opera*. Courtesy of Ripon College archive.

If you watch Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, there’s a scene in which Ford ad-libbed a line. He said: “Archaeology is the search for fact, not truth. If it’s truth you’re looking for, Dr. Tyree’s philosophy class is right down the hall.” Dr. William Tyree was one of Ford’s philosophy professors at Ripon College, where he majored in Philosophy.

Harrison Ford as Mack the Knife in Ripon College’s 1963 production of *The Threepenny Opera*. Courtesy of Ripon College archive.

Harrison Ford, standing far left, as Mack the Knife in Ripon College’s 1963 production of *The Threepenny Opera*. Courtesy of Ripon College archive.

In his early days of movie stardom, Ford opined about not being recognized by filmgoers. “Well, you know I saw the film with an audience for the first time about three days ago,” Ford said to journalist Bobbie Wygant in 1977, shortly after the release of Star Wars. “I sat next to two people who were sitting through [Star Wars] for the second time, and they engaged me in a conversation about the film, telling me how much they enjoyed it and what it was all about… After the film was over, they asked me why I had left during the middle of it, if I didn’t like the movie. And they didn’t recognize me at all…”

Harrison Ford, second row, third from right. 1963 Crimson yearbook photo of the Zeta Tau chapter of Sigma Nu fraternity. Courtesy of Ripon College archive.

Harrison Ford, back row, second from left, in a 1961 Crimson yearbook photo of Sigma Nu fraternity pledges. Courtesy of Ripon College archive.

In 1979, Ford did an interview with Banta Tracks, the Star Wars fan newsletter. When asked about the acting work he had done before playing Han Solo, Ford replied: “I had done very little stage work. I had done a season in summer stock and one or two plays after that. That was my total stage experience. In the 7, or 8, or 10 years I had been in the business before I did Star Wars, I had done mostly TV, some film, but I had been in about six pictures, had done quite a bit of TV. I stopped doing TV before I started to do Star Wars, because I was afraid I’d use up my welcome and get typecast in the same kind of role I was always being offered on TV.”

Harrison Ford as El Gallo in the 1963 Ripon College production of *The Fantasticks*. Courtesy of Ripon College archive.

Harrison Ford, standing, as El Gallo in the 1963 Ripon College production of *The Fantasticks*. Courtesy of Ripon College archive.

In that same interview with Bantha Tracks, Ford explained that he thought the role of Solo was “a real good part.” “I thought it was real good part – the character was humorous, and I thought that those things that weren’t exactly funny in the script, probably would be – I thought it was going to be funny,” he told the outlet.

“I didn’t think it was going to have such a wide audience, it was just a good part for me! I never tried to judge whether this was going to be successful or whether people would like it. For me, it was a simple opportunity to play a character that I knew the audience would like. It was the first time a character I had played was so important to the film. It was necessary that this character worked, as necessary for them as it was for me – so, that opens up a kind of atmosphere, a good environment for collaboration.”

Harrison Ford, center, in the 1964 Ripon College production of *The Skin of Our Teeth.* Courtesy of Ripon College archive.

Harrison Ford, seated center, in the 1964 Ripon College production of *The Skin of Our Teeth.* Courtesy of Ripon College archive.

In one of his earlier interviews with Today in 1977, Ford told movie critic Gene Shalit about seeing the reactions to Star Wars: “It’s great to sit in a theater and see people really enjoy something like that…it’s easy to be anonymous at this point. Nobody recognizes us when we go to the theater, which is a pleasure, I must say.”

Harrison Ford, standing center, in the 1964 Ripon College production of *The Skin of Our Teeth.* Courtesy of Ripon College archive.

Harrison Ford, seated at right, in the 1964 Ripon College production of *The Skin of Our Teeth*. Courtesy of Ripon College archive.

Even after the success of his breakout role of Han Solo, Ford told the public that the success of the film was more related to his ongoing work than he was. “The films I did after the first Star Wars are more the result of the success of the film than a personal triumph,” he told Show Biz in 1980.

Harrison Ford, left, in the 1964 Ripon College production of *The Skin of Our Teeth.* Courtesy of Ripon College archive.

Harrison Ford, top left, from a 1961 Crimson yearbook photo of the WRPN radio staff. Courtesy of Ripon College archive.

In that same interview with Show Biz, Ford was asked if the character of Han Solo changed him. To which he said, “Every experience affects you to some extent. I mean, in general terms, just the experience of making the movie, of doing a job, enriches your life. To have it be successful, to have people appreciate your endeavors, to be part of what turned out to be a social phenomenon is all very interesting.”