I one time took a class that introduced every linked data structure (lists, trees, stacks, queues, etc) with statically allocated arrays. Only later did they show the dynamic memory implementations. I thought it was a bit weird at the time, but now I guess it was to get students to focus on the data structure, instead of worry about pointers.

Similarly for recursive algorithms in COBOL, before the newfangled RECURSIVE program type.

Nay! This ungodly nonsense be flying in the face of nature! Some things Man was not meant to meddle with.