1. I am an ardent believer in lifelong learning (which happens to be a Siena core value). I graduated from high school at 16, college at 20, MBA at 30, Ph.D. at 47, pilot license with instrument rating at 50, and my wife and I are now studying Swedish.
2. I started full-time at Siena in the fall of 1979. One evening that fall, we had a faculty dinner and my wife, Cris, and I happened to be sitting at a table with Fr. Hugh Hines, the college president. Around 10:00 that night, security came in and told Fr. Hines a Siena student had been in a bad auto accident and was on the way to the hospital. Fr. Hines stood up and said “let’s go”. He was at the hospital before the parents. What an impression that made on the student and his parents. I doubt there are many college presidents who would do that, but it’s the Siena way.
3. Cris and I were married at Siena College. I asked Fr. Blaise Reinhart to marry us, and he said he could not since I was Protestant. “True,” I said, “but Cris is Catholic.” His eyes lit up, and he said, “I can do that!” We were the first couple to be married in the new Friary.
4. Another first – I finished my MBA at Siena in December, 1965. The Business dean at the time was Dr. Joseph Buff, and he offered me an adjunct position starting in January, 1966. At the time, Roger Bacon was under construction and not yet finished. Siena was short of classrooms, so they gave me a classroom in Roger Bacon, as it was being built. The blackboard was on the floor and there were no tables, but I was the first person to teach there!
5. I grew up in the little village of New Salem. There was a two-room school house there that was part of the Voorheesville School District. Grades 1-3 were in one room; grades 4-6 were in the other. Academically, our students did well because we heard the grade 3 and grade 6 lectures three times. Also, as a 10 year old, I was the newspaper boy for the village delivering the Knickerbocker News, which no longer exists.
6. During WWII, families were encouraged to grow their own vegetables. These were called Victory Gardens and I grew potatoes, corn, tomatoes, rhubarb, and others. I also raised 20 chickens for eggs (we had one rooster, who used to beat me up) and 30 rabbits. My favorite animals are dogs, horses, deer and rabbits. Our current dog is Driver, a Golden mix. His brother was Putter - both excellent golfers. As a kid, I was a Roy Rogers fan, so after college I bought a Palomino. We now have a life-sized carved wooden horse at the end of our driveway that looks like Trigger (below).
7. While still a student pilot, I purchased a Cessna Skyhawk. I named it the “Siena Skyhawk” (below). I used to arrange flights for Siena’s Big Brothers program. Fr. Kevin Mackin, Siena President, would go with us and give treats to the kids. I also flew Fr. Mackin to St. Bonaventure for the inauguration of their new President. He said, “This beats driving.”
8. All four of my grandparents were Swedish immigrants who settled in Brooklyn, where I was born. Naturally, I grew up a Dodger fan until they moved to LA. I use to go to Dodger games at Ebbets Field. I attended Drew University in New Jersey and played varsity baseball for four years, the last two as a team captain. I was offered a minor league contract by the Giants and Red Sox, but not the Dodgers. Cris and I now have a condo near Tampa so we have become Tampa Bay Rays fans.
9. My grandmother worked for a famous radio newsman. In 1948, he had a birthday party and I was invited – the only 11-year-old kid there. Margaret Truman, her father, Harry, was President of the U.S., saw me sitting alone and asked me to dance. (She always said that was the highlight of her life… I assume!)
10. I have written five books – three on golf history, one about great American Presidents and one about the JFK Jr. plane crash. I have also presented academic papers all over the world from South Korea to New Zealand, to Canada, to Europe. I also hosted a golf TV show for five years on Time Warner Cable Sports. At Siena, I served seven years as a Department Head and seven years as Dean of the Business School. Along with Professor Tom Kelly, we created the Siena College Research Institute, and I am still active as Founding Director.
