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After leaving Phillips
in 1962, I went to Texas Tech in Lubbock TX. I completed my BS in math in
1966 and then my MBA in 1968. I was drafted into the Army in January
1969. I was very fortunate to spend the next two years in Manhattan KS
for my Army career. After Army duty, I spent the next year in Columbia MO
attending the University of Missouri. In June, 1971 I went to work for
Edward Jones in St. Louis MO. For a 6 month period in 1972, I lived in
Houma LA working for Edward Jones, then returned to St. Louis, where I
spent the next 36 years, my entire career, working for Edward Jones.
My brother Charlie and
I are unusual in that respect. He is a Professor at Washington State
University in Pullman WA, where he has also spent his entire career. I had
various responsibilities at Edward Jones including being on the management
committee of the firm.
With my dad and mother
being teachers in Phillips, Charlie and I learned the importance of
obtaining an education. As a result, my brother received his PHD from
Cornell and I received a MBA from Texas Tech. In my junior year in high
school there were five people in the bass horn section including my
brother and myself. Out of those 5 people, 3 earned PHDs, one an MBA and
the other received a BS degree. My wife thought we must have all attended
a private school instead of a public school.
I participated in some
sports, I still remember some of the sayings that were stressed such as
"winners never quit and quitters never win". Throughout a person's life,
one has always had to overcome struggles and those sayings kept me going
on.
Our family lived in
Johnson Camp in a house that the school provided. The school also provided
the various services such as plumbing, so I never learned some of the ways
to repair various items. There were only 10 houses so we were close to
the other families who lived in the camp. The Monks, who lived next door,
sat with us when my parents went places. I remember playing baseball with
my friends who lived in Johnson Camp, as well as playing and watching
others play baseball in Electric City which was across two highways from
our camp. |
My love for golf
started in Phillips, where we would play golf at Phillips Country Club.
Our golf team won district our senior year. I would play with employees
from the refinery who belonged to the club. I still play golf today and
have been fortunate to play many courses thorough the world, including
Augusta GA and St. Andrews, Scotland.
I remember going on
many trips with the band as well as numerous summer travels with my
parents. I still remember going to the state high school championship
game with the band when I was 10 years old. I think because of all the
traveling we did as a family, I enjoyed the traveling that I did in my
career with Edward Jones.
Also I learned very
early that it was important to understand directions, time lines and other
rules that you needed to follow. I still remember making a zero on an
English test in Miss Boyd's class because we did not take the test before
we left on a band trip. We learned to always do the test before we left on
any trip that required missing school.
I have kept in touch
with Ken Hunt over the years. I love going to Austin to watch Missouri
play Texas in football, as well as playing golf with Ken in Austin. As a
result of this friendship he helped our family with a medical condition
that I had. Dr Hunt worked with my wife to help her make a decision
regarding the medical treatments that were necessary. I am very grateful
for Ken pointing us in the right direction.
Cherry and I have been
married for 38 years. Even though Cherry was from Flour Bluff TX, I met
her in St. Louis. I told everybody that the reason we were going out was
that she could understand my Texas accent. We were married in August,
1974. We have two children, Stacy, 33 and Craig, 31. They both live here
in St. Louis. Stacy has two children, Alexis and Tristan and they live
only three houses from us. Craig is married and will soon finish his MBA
in finance. He works in the brokerage industry.
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