What is your NMU connection?
Student graduating in 1971.
Your favorite NMU memory or story
Prior to attending NMU. My sister and I often biked down 4th Street to Wright St and then on to the Tourist Park. After a day of swimming, we were tired and took a short-cut through the woods of NMU to 4th street. Those woods are now occupied by buildings and I sometimes wonder if the students there know that two young children used that area for a short-cut in the 50's
Who is the most influential person you met during your time at NMU and why were they so influential?
Dr. Tom White accounting and finance. Some students avoided his class as too tough. I advised those students, yes, but he is fair and is preparing us for real life. As a result, I could always outwork my peers and advance.
Tell us about the significance of any teams, clubs, or organizations you were part of during your time at NMU
None, as I had a wife and three children and worked all the time.
What is/was your favorite thing to do in Marquette?
Go to class and work, ha.
Talk about any significant/memorable sporting events, weather occurrences or other on-campus activities
Weather........During my 4 years at NMU I lived across the street from the elementary school that is now a NMU building. I went to NMU classes through the woods to the North of that building. During the winter, due to the depth of the snow, I went across the ice rink behind that school to get to NMU. After graduation, I would see stories in the North Wind of students complaining of ice patches on the sidewalks. I would laugh at that as the rink was the largest ice patch of all.
Share any dorm/roommate stories you may have
I lived off campus but my wife and I made friends with a group of foreign students from Thailand. We invited them over for Thanksgiving in my senior year. They returned the favor by inviting us on campus for a home-cooked meal from their country.
What is your current or former profession?
CPA and Tax Director for a manufacturing company.
How did NMU help you get to where you are today?
When I graduated from Graveraet I did not take a college entrance exam as I knew I was going into military service. After 6 years I decided to go to college. At that time NMU had the "right to try" policy where one did not need an entrance exam. Also, the education I got was outstanding. When I started my employment here in Richmond, VA at an accounting firm some colleagues took a dim view of where I went to school since it was not a school like the University of Virginia or Richmond University. That attitude changed when I passed all 4 parts of the CPA exam and they did not. On a national scale, only 10% pass the first time they sit for it.