While at West Point, Art was known for pipe smoking and surviving academics.  He played football for two years, and his near-weekly letters home to his parents often read like a sports report.  One of his roommates at West Point, Donald R. Matheson, remembers, “Art one day effectively disrupted a complicated equestrian formation by departing from the back of his steed.  With his foot caught in the stirrup, he was dragged dangerously until the instructor, in his wisdom, brought the formation to a halt.  Surprisingly, neither horse nor rider was injured, merely subdued but philosophical.  In his easy-going way, Art enjoyed, somewhat more than his roommates, periodic attempts at coaxing music from a trumpet, his greatest aspiration being to duplicate the recorded intricacies of ‘Carnival of Venice.’ Certain techniques persisted in avoiding his mastery.  He was a devotee to jazz, and we were graciously entertained by his recordings, although a stern line was drawn by [roommate] Gordon Clarkson, who banned all music before breakfast.” Ultimately, Art graduated in the middle of his class and was commissioned as an Infantry officer. 

Pictures of Lieutenant Gorham before graduation and In officer’s uniform following graduation

Marriage to Corrine Elizabeth Bennett

During the fall of his senior year at West Point, Art met Corrine Elizabeth Bennett when her cadet date from Wichita, Kansas, passed her off to him so he could dance with another lady at the traditional formal dance, called a “hop,” following a football game.  Corrine was the head cheerleader of the Wichita University cheerleading squad.  The Wichita football team played an exhibition game against the Army Team at West Point.  The Secretary of the Army was from Wichita and had arranged the contest.  Of course, the cheerleaders accompanied the team on their rail trip to West Point.  Corinne was then a senior and president of the Pi Beta Phi sorority (then called the Sorosis Sorority), captain of the rifle team, and held titles in golf and tennis.

Following Art’s graduation from West Point, while awaiting transportation from Governor’s Island to the 30th Infantry at the Presidio in San Francisco, California, Art renewed his previous acquaintance with Corrine, who was “coincidentally” visiting her aunt who managed the Governors Island Officer’s Club.  That rendezvous led to a wedding a year later on June 21, 1939, in Wichita, Kansas.  The Wichita newspapers called it the social wedding of the year.

The young couple

Following their wedding the young couple were off to their first duty station together at the Presidio outside of San Francisco.