Destined to be the third generation working at the Cleveland Electric Illuminating Co., the Cleveland born and raised boy who got kicked out of High School 5 times before graduating, became a key founder of not only Channel 8 but also the ASU Retirees Association! Bob Ellis speaks very candidly about his life growing up in Cleveland, military service and then student at Arizona State College as a secondary education major with an emphasis in speech and drama; his first job at KOY and how he married his boss, his biggest influence in his career. Bob was an on-air personality at KOY. He was lured to come to ASU to help start a new television station that would become Channel 8 (KAET). In his interview, he tells stories of the beginnings of Channel and how it grew from being a place for “tele-courses” to a member of the PBS family. He also tells of another contribution he made to ASU – one of the founders of the ASU Retirees Association!

Robert (Bob) Barnhill came to ASU in 1986 as Chair of the Computer Science Department and left in 1997 as the Vice President for Research. The interview addresses a number of topics including the beginnings of Computer Graphics, moving the Computer Science Department to a more research-oriented effort, achieving Research 1 status, working with the University of Arizona to develop a new statewide Intellectual Property template, dodging the Unabomber and playing soccer. Common themes throughout the interview include Bob’s success at getting groups of people to actually do something other than just meet and the importance of a strategic plan.

Dr. Milton Glick grew up wanting to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a jeweler. However, his father had other plans for him and insisted that he attend college. Milt received his undergraduate degree in Chemistry from Augustana College in his hometown of Rock Island, IL. He went on to receive his PhD in Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He spent 2 years as a Post-Doctoral student at Cornell University before joining the faculty of Wayne State University. From there, he went to serve as Dean at the University of Missouri and then Provost at Iowa State University, serving as interim President in his final year. In 1991 he joined the administration of ASU as Provost and remained here for 15 years. He spent almost 5 years as President of the University of Nevada, Reno before unexpectedly passing away of a stroke in April 2011.

In this interview, Milt talks about his goals of improving the quality of the faculty at ASU from being the “ordinary” that he found when he arrived to becoming the “extraordinary”. He attributes his success in improving faculty salaries as one aspect of achieving this goal. He talks about the challenges ASU had living in the shadows of the greatness of the University of Arizona and overcoming those to where the UofA now looks up to ASU! Milt also talks about his role as the “Zen master of managing limited budgets” during his years at ASU. And he speaks of the special relationship he had with now President Michael Crow, from his years at Iowa State, to using Michael as a consultant and mentor to him in his role as Provost at ASU and finally to having Dr. Crow as his “boss”. Throughout the interview, Milt stressed his love for ASU and mentioned that ASU was “more than just a destination for sunlight.”

Born in Pittsburgh, PA and raised in a small town in Indiana (Seymour, IN), Harold Fearon received his BA in Management and his MBA from Indiana University where he became interested in teaching as a career. After his military service, he went to Michigan State University where he received his PhD in Management with a dissertation titled “Purchasing Research in American Business”. His specialty was industrial purchasing.

Harold was invited to come to ASU to be part of the College of Business by a former professor from IU who had moved to ASU. He talks about how he promised to only stay 2 years and has been here close to 30! During his time at ASU he was chair of the Department of Management in the College of Business. He became chair of the Department of Purchasing, Transportation and Operation which he founded to support the increase in interest in the purchasing field. After his retirement, he established a research institute (the first institute located at the ASU Research Park) that was nationally supported called The Center for Advanced Purchasing Studies (CAPS). He also was the founder and first editor of the “Journal of Purchasing and Materials Management” which is still in publication today. In his spare time, he was co-founder of the Rio Salado Bank, a community bank in Tempe, about which he relates many funny events!

Roy Doyle was born and raised in Arizona, the son of a cotton farmer and a teacher. Roy’s father passed away when he was in the 6th grade leaving his mother to raise 3 boys and a daughter. Roy began his working career as a morning and evening paper boy for the Arizona Republic and the Gazette. After high school, he enrolled in what was then Arizona State Teachers College to pursue a degree in Education. His college career was interrupted by the war after the attack on Pearl Harbor. After the war, he returned to ASTC, along with his new bride, to complete his degree.

His first position after graduation was at the Madison School in Phoenix. During the summers, he attended the Teachers College at Columbia University where he earned his masters and PhD in Education and Administration. He returned to now named Arizona State University where he began his career in the College of Education. His first position was as Principal of the Payne Training School, an on-campus K-8 school designed as a training school for future teachers. He served as assistant and associate dean for the College of Education prior to his retirement.

Donald (Don) Dotts began his association with ASU first as a student and then as a staff member in the ASU Alumni Association. He later became the Director of the Alumni Association before moving to the Development Office to work as a fund raiser prior to his retirement.

This interview recaps Don’s experiences working with the founder of the Alumni Association, Jimmy Creasman in developing the Alumni Association as well as his continued work in expanding the role of the Alumni Association at ASU. He also recaps experiences working for the various University Presidents who served during his tenure at ASU. He has many, many stories that will hold your attention as you listen to this interview!

Born in Arizona, the son of educators, Lattie F. Coor was the 15th President of ASU. He attended NAU for his undergraduate degree and went on to receive his masters and PhD from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. He remained at Washington University as a faculty member, eventually becoming its Vice Chancellor. In 1976, Lattie left to become the 21st President of the University of Vermont. In January of 1990, Lattie returned to Arizona to become the 15th President of ASU, remaining as President until 2002. After his retirement as President of ASU, Lattie stayed as a Professor and Ernest W. McFarland Chair in Leadership and Public Policy in the University's School of Public Affairs. He also co-founded the Center for the Future of Arizona where he continues to serve on the Board of Directors.

In his interview, Lattie recaps his life growing up in Arizona during the war years, providing many stories of his experiences with the various prisoner of war camps located in Arizona. He indicates that originally he thought he would become a lawyer and perhaps enter a political career, but then early on in his post-secondary work, he was greatly influenced by one of his professors at NAU and turned to pursuing a career in academics. From there he unfolds the story of his life as a professor and an academic administrator.

James W. Elmore will always be remembered as the founding dean of the College of Architecture at Arizona State University. Jim’s original intent in coming to Phoenix in 1948 was to work as an architect for Guirey & Jones. Jim came to ASU in 1949 to a non-existent department at then Arizona State College. He nurtured the department into a nationally prominent design school in less than 20 years. Jim was also instrumental in the design and development of the Rio Salado Project. After retirement from ASU, he continued to promote his design for aerial (elevated) transit and a city for Phoenix and greater Phoenix area.

Jim is a native of Nebraska receiving his BA degree in architecture in 1938 from the University of Nebraska. After spending six years with the US Army Corp of Engineers, he went back to school on the GI Bill and received his Masters in Architecture from Columbia University. This interview has Jim telling us about his road to becoming an architect, to becoming a teacher, developing the College of Architecture and his continued community involvement after retirement.