My parents made it crystal clear that I would attend college somewhere and get a degree. I think the desire for their son to receive a college education was fostered by the fact that they both attended college – Illinois College and MacMurray College, respectively – but neither of them had enough funds to complete school and earn their degrees. The U.S. country was still in the Depression when they were going to school, and money was scarce.

Like a lot of students who attend Illinois College, I have an agricultural background. Growing up on a small farm about five miles southeast of Jacksonville, I enjoyed the experiences to which a young person is exposed in an agricultural community, but I was fairly certain that I was not going to be a farmer. I was fortunate to receive an Illinois State Scholarship, which enabled me to attend IC.

I was a "townie" and lived at home, so my acquaintance with Gamma Nu in the fall of 1967 was valuable in connecting me with college social life. I attended a couple of functions the society held in order to meet and engage students and pledged in the spring of 1968 in a rather large pledge class. I became very close to my pledge brothers, and many of us remain close friends today – almost 50 years later. In retrospect, I think the entire literary society experience brought me not only some close friends, but taught me organizational and public speaking skills, along with the importance of loyalty.

I had wonderful Illinois College professors. Two that come to mind are my English professor, Dr. Charles Frank, and my math professor, Edgar Franz. They were so passionate about the subjects they taught that students had no choice but to become engaged. Dr. Frank would become giddy discussing Chaucer and Keats. Professor Franz was absolutely elated when he completed a long derivation on the blackboard. The faculty at Illinois College truly instilled a love of learning and taught us to not be afraid to think differently than others. I would be remiss if I did not mention Dean Eldred, who took a personal interest in every student he met.

At some point during my senior year, I realized that I should be looking for a job. Since I was not really sure in what direction I was heading, I was intrigued when my roommate, Dan Hindelang ’71, asked me if I wanted to go to Champaign to take the LSAT. I replied, “What's that?" He explained it was the law school admission test, and that I should think about taking it with him. That conversation was the beginning of my legal career. I was accepted to the University of Illinois Law School and began taking law classes in the fall of 1971.

After attending Routt High School, with an enrollment of about 260 students, and Illinois College, with roughly 900 students, the idea of attending the University of Illinois with some 40,000 students was daunting, to say the least. In my first-year law school class were students who had gone to large, metropolitan high schools and big name colleges, including some Ivy League schools. Internally, I questioned whether my academic background would be sufficient. I can say now, unequivocally, that IC absolutely prepared me to handle the rigors of law school.

I have had what I feel is a successful law career working as a partner at Thomson, McNeely, Crews, Hurst & Thielen P.C. in my hometown. My late wife, Susan, and I raised three sons who are building thriving careers in their own right as a lawyer, banker and doctor. Since I live just outside of Jacksonville now, I see the campus almost daily. It has been wonderful to observe the expansion and beautification of the physical facilities. However, I know it is not the buildings that produce the college experience. It is the faculty, staff and students from varied backgrounds that generate the truly wonderful Illinois College experience.

I am proud of the foundation Illinois College provided me. The education that may have seemed accidental at the time was actually great preparation for my professional and personal life since my graduation 46 years ago.