Following graduation I accepted a full-time position as Merchandising Manager at the Minneapolis Star and Tribune, where I had worked part-time during my junior and senior years. It involved sales promotion of national advertising and writing a column (dreadful as it was) for the Thursday and Sunday newspaper. Good that I left in 1964, for the entire department no longer exists.

In 1964, I joined Macalester in the Alumni Office and in the ensuing years had responsibility for the College’s fund raising and for the past 21 years have been Assistant to the President and Secretary to the Board of Trustees. It has been the most satisfying career that I could ever imagine – the opportunity of knowing, being helpful to, and learning from young people over 42 years has been life-changing, to say the least. I have been particularly blessed with hosting many international students and, as a result, can go almost anywhere in the world and be welcomed by someone I have entertained for Christmas or Thanksgiving dinners or other occasions.

Mary McLaughlin’58 and I were married in 1961 and had 18 years together before her death in 1979 of melanoma. One of the most fulfilling aspects of our partnership was the adoption in 1975 of 12-year old Lee Song Ho from Korea. We named him Peter in honor of an extraordinary Macalester friend, Peter Fenn ’70 (who now is a trustee), and he graduated in Japanese studies from Macalester in 1985. Peter Song Ho Hill is Director of New Business Development for Entegris with responsibility for Asia and lives in Shanghai with his wife, Christina, and their children, Sophia (10) and Brandon (6).

In 1995, I married Mary Winston Smail, then the associate Alumni Director. Her husband Professor James Smail of the biology department died in 1993. Regrettably, Mary died of cancer in 1998.

Though now alone, I remain active at Macalester, with Children’s Home Society and Family Services, and a few other organizations. My plan after retirement is to spend more time at my lake home near Park Rapids, Minn., continue to volunteer with Children’s Home Society, help with a few special projects at Macalester, and mentoring where possible. I am blessed with many, many friends and given this point of life, I am thankful that most are young!