After graduating from Clear Lake High in 1958, I went to the University of South Dakota. I graduated in 1962 with a degree in beer drinking – straight A’s I got. Jack Stunkard and I went to Ft. Leonard Wood in August of ’62 and became trained killers (he as a cook, me as a supply clerk). We came home six months later (we were trained killers in the reserves). Jack had gotten married to Myrna during our stay in the “Armed Forces.” I had gotten thirsty. So I returned to the U. of South Dakota, moved into my old fraternity house with all my old drinking buddies, drew unemployment, and began doing post-graduate work on my major (beer drinking) without having to be constantly bothered by classes and stuff. Had one of the best times in my life.
I went to work cashing tickets at the dog and horse tracks in Sioux City that summer, where I had worked for three summers while in school. My girl friend went home to Rapid City. I had bought from her dad the ‘55 Chevy that she drove. Great car. I wish I still had it. But he didn’t care for me very much. Actually, this is putting it mildly. He thought I was a lowlife unfit to be in the same room with his daughter. In fairness to him, he was right. I was not much of a “catch” at the time. She wised up and dumped me. When the tracks closed that fall, I drove to Washington, D.C., where I planned to stay with a friend until the dog tracks (run by the same company) opened in Orlando, Florida in late December.
In the meantime, I got a dead end job working as a file clerk in a newsletter operation that specialized in covering legislative and regulatory affairs that affected the pharmaceutical industry. I ended up staying there for eight years. I settled down a little and worked my way up to Financial Editor. During that time, I married the love of my life and had three kids.
I quit that job to go to work for the Social Security Administration. We were drafting a plan to provide outpatient drugs under the Medicare program, which didn’t happen until 30 years later. I left the government to join the Washington Research office of a Wall Street Brokerage house called Drexel Burnham Lambert (no longer in existence). My job was to provide the firm’s big institutional investment clients with information about what was happening in Washington that would impact their portfolios, with a special emphasis on the drug industry and health care.
I stayed at Drexel for 10 years and then opened a Washington research office for Prudential Securities. I stayed there for 17 great years, traveling all over the United States and Europe on a regular basis. Great fun, great job. But then, I had a series of serious disagreements with management and was fired. Big fight. Was subject of a feature story in Barron’s Magazine. I came out of it just fine. In fact, better than fine.
I joined Lehman Brothers’ Washington Research office on a part time basis for a year, but didn’t like it, and started by own consulting firm called The Political Forum, which serviced the same Wall Street clients with whom I had been working for the prior 30 years or so. I’m still doing it, along with a partner who worked for me at Prudential.
I also raise cows. While at Prudential, my wife and I had bought a 200-acre farm in Mount Jackson, Virginia, where we spent most of our weekends for many years. Soon after leaving Prudential, we sold our house in McLean, Virginia and moved to the farm full time. The Shenandoah Valley is not the most beautiful place in the world, but it is the most beautiful place within 100 miles of Washington, where I still need to go now and then.
My wife died in March 2008. The word ‘terrible” doesn’t even begin to describe how I feel about that. I grieve every day. It was the worst shock of my life. Right now, I can’t imagine ever getting over it. But I know I will. In the meantime, I am blessed with three wonderful kids, five wonderful grandkids, many, many wonderful friends in Mount Jackson. and good health.
Taking care of the farm and keeping The Political Forum going keeps me very busy. But I hunt, fish, read a great deal, am writing a book, spend a lot of time with my kids and grandkids, and drink a lot of beer with my buddies at the local Moose Lodge (some things never change).
I stay in touch with Jack Stunkard, Jim Knapp, and Les Falk, although not as much as a should. I love those guys.
I have an enormous affection for Clear Lake and my memories of the years I spent growing up there. I truly believe that growing up in Clear Lake in the 1950s was something very special, a gift from a loving God. God willing, I will be in Clear Lake for the 50th reunion. I am really looking forward to it.
