Although I wasn't born in Cairo like most of my
classmates, I did go through all twelve years of
public school in Cairo, after moving to town at the
age of five. My father had been transferred to Cairo
by the Missouri Pacific Railroad. We arrived from
Hurst (near Herrin or Marion or Carbondale, take your
pick.)
I went to Safford grade school, before CJHS and CHS.
The two major events in my high school life were the
motorcycle wreck that kept me out of the first six
weeks of my senior year and the motorcycle wreck that
took Sammy Dewey's life six weeks before graduation.
I went off to the University of Illinois in the fall
of 1966, and on to SIU, picking up a bachelors and
most of a masters in Journalism before I entered the
USAF as a 2nd Lt.
In 1969 I married Vicki Axelson ('67). We were
divorced in 1972, the same year I came off of active
duty.
By 1973 I was working in St. Louis for ACF Industries,
a Fortune 300 manufacturing company. In 1975 I married
Janet Rohn, a native of St. Louis. We have two lovely
daughters, Julie, a corporate attorney for NEXTEL, and
Natalie, a renal dietician. Julie and Natalie are both
married and live in St. Charles county near us. Julie
has a two year-old son, Beau, our first and only
granchild. (More to come, I'm sure.)
I spent 12 years with ACF. In 1982 ACF was "raided" by
Carl Icahn. I spent a couple of years in New York
reporting to the treasurer of Icahn and Company. Along
the way I had picked up an MBA in Finance, and I am
part of the way to a doctorate in finance at St. Louis
University.
In 1985 I returned to St. Louis to be the director of
corporate finance for The May Department Stores
Company (Lord & Taylor, Hecht's, Strawbridge's,
Foley's, Robnsons-May, Filene's, Kaufmann's,
Famous-Barr, L. S. Ayres, The Jones Store,
Meier&Frank, ZCMI, and David's Bridal.) In 1986 I
became vice president and treasurer, and in 1991 I
became a senior vice president.
My hobbies haven't changed. I still ride motorcycles,
drive fast cars, and target shoot. (I don't hunt or
fish much anymore, but I still like to.) I also hike
and bicycle, a lot. I write lots of bad poetry and
read even more than I did in high school.
My accompanying picture was taken a couple of years
ago after I had hiked up from the floor of the Grand
Canyon. I'm sitting on the north rim at sunset.
