This is a living history interview with Jack's Galilee class of 950 one conducted by Marilyn summers on June the 18th of the year 2001. 

We are at his home in Atlanta, Georgia and the subject of our interview today, it's his life in general, his experiences at Georgia Tech. Mr. Skelly, Thank you so much for letting us come see you today. Nice hot day in Atlanta, Georgia. And I'm anxious to hear your story. Where did this all begin? 

Well, I guess you always start at the beginning, don't. Yeah, I was born on August 8th, 930 in the Bronx in New York City. And that accent is still with you, isn't it? 

It is. And I've been away from New York for well, let's say since 960, so different parts of the country. 

But it stays with you and your roots are there. And, and when I talk to any relation, so a friend's it comes back even more dramatic than it. I'm sure it doesn't. Tell me a little bit about the family you were born into. I was born into a My father was say born in Ireland and was involved with the IRA. I don't know whether they called it and not that back Glen and was literally for us to leave Ireland. He went from island to England because of his involvement with the IRA. And I've gotten that information from an uncle that died recently, his brother. 

So you know it growing hat, no, not really. And your father had a colorful background, will say, I guess, aims. He was a successful guy. He always has trained. 

He was a businessman, I think originally when he got all be here, he went to work for one of the large grocery chains. 

And from that a bit of an entrepreneur he ended up, as I recall, when he died at an early age, age 41. I was 11 years old. Wow, he did. And he owned a bar and grill in the Bronx. 

So he, if he was pretty good industry, It's not typical of an Irish immigrant to make that kind of game. And, and my mother was first-generation. Her parents were both for myelin. And as you indicated, Maryland, her father having come all the was a New York policeman. I mean, that's the way it worked out. 

So unary active. And I can remember his brothers and cousins and the New York Fire Department and Police and so forth. 

So that's the way it worked, really backed them. Brothers and sisters. I had two brothers, an older brother and a younger brother. 

And notice the three scalene boys, three scholarly voice and the two older ones where the hell raisers and that would be, you know, my my older brother was it was quite a guy. He became mentally sick. 

He went away to study for the priesthood and how to break down and has really been out of business since then. Since, you know, we're at around age 20. Wow. Yeah. Lot of tragedy in your fare. 

Well, the thing here, dad so early in her brother too. 

So it was tough one when when my father died, my mother, you know, try to run the barn girl. 

It didn't work out, so we got by but we we I come from I know what it is hard not to have anything yet without making families usually clustered around each other, perhaps cluster. 

So you had my mother's just saying my mother's family, uncle and two sisters, but very good to us. 

And I think back to that time when you are being raised and the Bronx and how Sheila dentin everything. Did you have fun with it a good time? 

Oh, yeah. We always I didn't know you were four? 

No. No. Not at all. 

So when you think back to those days, it was a lot physical activity, running with the guys dwellings, going to school. Where did you go to school? 

I went to public schools in New York, elementary and high school. Were you a good student? 

Yeah. Pretty good. They were pretty good. 

So did you get the idea that with any luck at all, you might go to college? 

In our family. 

There was no question about the fact that we've done with other college kids a year, but I think there was ever any Your mom brought you up to believe that you needed to go right on. And her sisters were very one in particular was very strong and. There was just no question that we were all going to go to college. 

And where are you going to get the money to kinda account? 

Well, my my one end was said that she would hit what both by it too. That said they would help as far as school went. Great. Yeah, that's great. 

So you are pretty comfortable as you're going through high school, that you were working towards a goal then, you know, when you much in the way of an athlete where you went to no. No, no. 

So academics for your thing then while I was hung up on academics and out, but a good did, we played a lot of it. We played and lots and school yards and and things like that. It's not, you know, it's different when you're living in the city. You don't have the opportunities for athletics and whatnot in a sense that you do in a small town. 

So there's, you know, there's plus and minus growing up that way. Sometimes even though you're in the middle of a great big city with millions of people around you. 

You're still kind of isolated because everyone started sticks the same neighborhood and death, the same routine, staff and associates with the same people. No question at all about it. I was brought up was primarily Irish and Italian families. I'm smiling because I know how colorful and how noisy the bikers. 

It was a noisy, wonderful, colorful way to map what the kindness definitely read about in books and you had it. 

Yeah, I can remember when we were growing up in New York City on lodge highways where we would play football, a stick below. And this is back. I started at tech and 147 and of course she had the war in between there. There were very few automobiles. And while we were playing ball, we would want someone standing. They would stop the traffic. While we finished for the hole, we would go and they do it. They waited. I knew that there just weren't a lot of cars coming and going. 

Er, if your big city experienced, didn't include going to the theater and the museums and all that kind of things or did it? 

Yeah. Yeah. 

My mother was good about taking us to the museums and I can remember my father before dying would take, take a guess on occasion down to Broadway to see a shell and we'd go to the ball game. 

So we had, you took advantage of some of that model on it during member the war going on and you were just a while, I can remember like everyone pearl earring and a hairpin with it. A worrisome thing to you that now you might have to go no, no, never, ever sign of God man. Put a lot of our friends, my friends, the big boys, went and came. I remember that. 

So it was a reality. Oh, yeah. Yeah. 

Well, how did you decide on what school you're going to go to when it came time to pick a college? 

Well, one of the most influential people in my life was one of my aunts. And she lived up in Scottsdale. 

So you might say she had made the jump from the Bronx to Westchester County. That was always a big deal. 

On the other side of the coin, if you lived in Brooklyn, you went to Long Island, but the Bronx was usually Westchester County. 

So she was married, had no children. 

I always took a special interest in us and had some friends that were or a friend that was very successful in the textile business. And she kind of push me in that direction. I always thought I wanted to be an engineer. And she said, You know, this is really a pretty good industry. 

Of course, the big difference I learned when I went to tech is the textile business in New York is an entirely different business than down here work. And one of these Mel's got your tech stuff. 

That's, that's when we came upon it and I Tech had literally an old textile mill here, a back way back then. 

And you've really learned how had you heard about tech and then textile engineering department? 

When I started looking for looking for, for engineering school, there were several who's low up in Philadelphia. Clemson had a textile school, I'm trying to think of the ones I remember and to Georgia Tech. 

And of course, those two or three, I remember that it's always the glamour involved with the Rambling Wreck, the football was that you had heard of it? 

Oh, absolutely. Yeah. Even though you were a kid up in the Bronx, she'd heard of George's absolutely. In new. I'm a Ramblin right from George's, I think everybody at my waist. And so it had some kind of appeal that law, the typical college thing to do. And and could you afford it? 

But your aunt able to? 

Yeah. Yes. 

Well, as tech go on for in those days. Pretty good. You mean the tuition was I don't know how they could do it for, you know what, I forget. It was a quota system and the amount of tuition was unbelievable. 

My my deal with my aunts were that they would pay my room and board and tuition and then I pick up my rest of it. 

So that's how it worked. And they approved of your decision for oh, yeah. Yeah. 

Now, you've never been to the South before I even had been I had I was thinking about when we talked about talking about this, I had been to Connecticut and I believe I probably was had been in New Jersey. And that was a solid most my life was right, and that's why we call that. I had no ivory and a half that they get venture. Yeah, I really had no idea. You know, I I've I knew where Georgia was in Atlanta was, but I had no idea of the distance. And did you have any kind of preconceived idea what the South was going to be? 

Not that I'm memo. 

You were to open find interior can come for your big event pot plot of the shore and not Bragg and, or anything but just the way this whole thing comes together. 

Which makes I think, an interesting story that I've told in different pieces over the years to different people. I got out of school quite young. 

I graduated from school, the high school and I was 16, Harry, and that would have been in June of 1946, became 17 in August. And I probably I always started a little early. 

I don't know when I came to Atlanta, but I had either just turned 17, always still 16 when I came down here. And the way I got them, he was on a Greyhound bus. And so I've got my ticket. And, you know, back then I think my one and had a car that people didn't have cars. 

Now, that in big cities is nationally. And she as I recall, I can't really remember. I think she took me downtown. 

The only place to get the bus was that ACE and 42nd street or wherever it was done on the Greyhound bus and you just think about it, your mom and your fathers and you were going to have a big scared. I can't remember hammering away at all I knew is that I needed to get on with it. And I guess the important thing was the education. 

Now at that point in time, would you have written to Georgia Tech to say that you wanted to come to school? 

Oh, yeah. I was accepted and everything. 

I mean, that was the process was writing a letter and they've got your transcript and the application. 

So you had some paperwork to go? 

Oh, yeah. Yeah. You were going to be and this had to be a pretty good long haul from up there on a Greyhound. 

Well, yeah, it's 24. I'll just pick her, get them like that. 

So you're going to come into a city. You'd never been a mom who unfortunately was as small as it was. Uh, you talked funny and they touched. It was quite a class where you got here. 

So you would have come into the old terminal station with a greyhound came in those days and I can't remember exactly how I got from turn. I wonder, sorry too, if you give me remember. Taxicab trolley. I doubtful is dr. Did you have a suitcase with you all and I had a suitcase and then I think we had a trunk. 

Well, maybe that was sent down by Railway Express way back then. 

So somehow you ended up on the campus and presented yourself fans, here I am. And where do we go from here? 

No. Do you remember those days? 

First impression or tech? 

I thought it was a small school. Raise that price. That was that small. I'm not sure. I really can't remember. 

It'll fuzzy there about the way that given time, there were so many guys coming out of a GI down, well out of that crowd in school. 

That, that, that's a good part of the story with a kid like me at tech and other kids like me and other kids that we in the Bronx used to be referred to as the raw Rob boys, fraternity boys were there. 

But there were a lot of veterans. 

And fortunately, I ended up, I think the first stone material is Glenda inventory with a group of veterans. And we're talking about lieutenants, captains kernel. 

We had one fellow was Colonel that I come back and the only reason they were at school was because of the GI Bill. 

I mean, you're talking about intelligent guys from Pennsylvania and you know, all parts of the country that never would have had the opportunity. And they, they certainly had a very dramatic. Influence on me and a lot of the other kids. We were fortunate to be thrown in with them and they were they were not. I guess some of those guys got out of the army and went one way and other guys one another. 

Why? 

These are all the guys that wanted to make something out of themselves and saw the opportunity and took advantage. And so they were high caliber. Absolutely. They were focused and weren't there to play so much to learn, to learn. 

And, you know, most kids today when I know with my children, no sooner they get into college and they talking about five-years, not fully, yes. These guys wanted to get out to write three as if they could. I mean, they want to get on with their lives. Of course, that was quite a motivation for, for, for the rest of us. Are they kinda set the standard for you? 

Absolutely achieve and onwards. They, they didn't resent to rally towards all. Not at all. Some have lost contact with him because obviously the the age span was there. 

But some good friends and I can't remember anyone that would lose or in-kind or treated me in any way that I could. They were such a baby to where? 

Absolutely. And they were looking out for you guys. We went out for you. It was a strange time in the history, you know, when when you Oh, yeah. Different generation, the next thing together. Same go. Yeah. 

How long did it take you to figure out that Textile Engineering with differ in the South body? 

Oh, you're not unfairly ad for my freshman year. And then at, you know, a lot of the courses will calm. 

And for the freshman year, and, um, I had been my first quarter in the sophomore, you start going off and went into that all mil over there. 

And and I and I wasn't quite as intelligent as I thought I was as far as the technical courses or anything about that either at what comes in thinking one knows everything and finds out they don't. Yeah. 

So how talent story you buy the curriculum quite a bit. 

So you really had to behave yourself. 

Absolutely had to work on and I was astounded you talk about the way I speak in the way that people in the South talked a little differently. 

I had to take remedial English really, when I came to tech, which was kind of, you know, hopefully be fake. 

So yeah. Yeah. 

Remember any professors from that time? 

While I remember in industrial management, a couple that were kind of we had some fun with fellow by the name of it. I did go and look at some of the old blueprint books. 

And I remember one guy to, both of them are professors in the Industrial Management School was Ray shop, professor shop. 

But he was the kind of guy that everybody called him re I mean, it was pretty decent guy. Another guy was a little cookie and we called him high pockets brown to you. Is that only a barrier to my pockets is about six foot eight. 

So that's why the quantum state high buckets now, now Professor, Yeah. What, what did Professor Sharp teach in? 

I am management. 

I think he was a management today who's obese? 

Bfs, so how does but it's a pretty good pretty good guy in that he helped you learn? 

Yeah. Yeah. 

Overall, what did What was your impression of the faculty? 

Were they there to help you or to get rid of you? 

So my theory about, hey, it was, it was distant though there wasn't a lot of personal funding or anything with the professor, you are on your own pretty much, pretty much. 

What was the process for you to change from Textile Engineering Management Once you've made up your mind, quite easy Gmail and just told me you didn't change your major and it was done there. Nobody half of genuinely cared. And once you've picked up those classes, things got a little bit better for you. As the story unfolds. I I had to find a job, I had a work, and I knew that pretty quickly. And back then, there weren't a lot of jobs per se around. And one of the people I remember at Tech was one of the assistant deans, felt by name afraid Ajax. And he was kind of character. And what you do is go up to his office. I found out. 

And people that needed help, they post these, put a caught up the Call Saul and so if you wanted to work, so I I called I guess it was the first one and really then I tried those are caught up there for a Yad man from her turn a family out Buckhead. 

So I called and, uh, yeah. And I see why I don't have any car and say, well, i'll I'll you get to bulkhead and I'll pick you up. 

And so we kind of work that out that way and got on the bus, so on up there and The turn is Bob Turner was the first president of genuine plots company. And he worked for the Kiowa of phrasal who found a genuine pause Company. Bob turn, it came from Wheeling, West Virginia with Mr. Fraser. And I don't know that Bob was 15 and 16 is all. I mean, use just a scrawny kid when he came down here, 920 eight. And with very bright. And in 1947 when I got a was president of genuine thoughts company and rather young man Rayleigh. 

So long story, short story ended up being the odd man for the turn is. And she was a lovely woman or just a, you know, almost a second mother to me down here. And I could go out there and work anytime I wanted. And it just worked out beautifully it with purely serendipitous. He just happened to be the guy that picked apart. Yeah. Isn't that an amazing thing? 

And now, local folks would appreciate this. The home was over on West paste. This hurry your own. And today, I always I've cut that grass for fully 3 is anyway. And I try by them anytime well recently they tour that house down. And then putting they call it the Barkley house, 10.965, $9 million home. 

I know just what piece of property now the numerator so much this year and in fact, I still missed a turn. I miss is turn a dyed is still alive. He lives in West Palm MSP, 90, some odd years old. I I correspond with him occasionally. I met and yet they had three daughters and I know the DOD has your phone to his house. He accommodates you by taking you up and he started meshes turn a noun that Mr. turn and this is cherry picked you up. Mr. Turner was always working. Okay. And you came and you just start cutting their grasp and getting to know them. And you maintain that relationship for the whole time you were at Tech, that was Penman. And in fact that Samoan, I went home to New York. They had a a warehouse up say a genuine thoughts Did they had just purchased. 

So I work some is up there of the because they knew you really well and it was easy for you to do, wow, what a great lead that during that to be for you or whatever. Think it. No, I didn't hear you spent your entire career. And Roger, and under estimate the power of that little ad. Lucky, very lucky. 

You were like, Did you ever go back and tell DNA Jack how that played out? 

I don't think he can think felt real. I think he probably would've got to kick story. I don't know how long he lived, but but to turnover as many jobs to me, I mean, I do. And did you like cutting grass now? 

But I cut a lot of breath. It's a dad. They had they had about 4.5 acres. There was a big plenty plenty to do. 

And then the three kids were well, I guess the oldest might have been for chain and the youngest, 8 and 9, and ended up shoveling them around in the QA. Nab expanded as you have more, she taught me to dry. I didn't have a driver's license. And I can remember one time I was backing the car out of the garage. 

The they didn't have garages then but the mortals Capulet, I'm a store half but damn back and watch it. And she was calm issues. That kind of lady said, John, what have you done? 

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I said, Well, you've got to always remember when you're backing. You don't back with your foot on the gas, you do it on the brake. Say yes, Mrs. Turner? 

Well, that was the NDA and I mean, but she was good. She was a mentor, taught you a lot of ways than I am encouraging you in school. I went to what made them go to tech to find somebody to see Western attack man was a novel. He was, I don't think Mr. Turner graduated from high school, honestly. Willing West Virginia. She was a school teacher though, and a cookie sheet and low tech. I don't wish you went and her family lived here. As I knew them, I met the mother and a father, a sister is going away. They came to be a little family for you. All you away from your family impair what an interesting theorem dad is turned off. Now. 

Meanwhile, back at the school, you were either go and watch a couple nights a week or a couple days a week going and cutting grass and stuff. 

But yeah, like I say, three or four afternoons a week I go out there depending on my schedule and then of course all day Saturday. 

So it worked I mean, plenty for you to do? 

Yeah, handyman, whatever. And anytime at all. 

I mean, there was there was always work out there and I'll, uh, you know, I mean, I work to do on any question about it when the glamorous but it kept you in, in, in coin is kinda what was your social life like? 

Very little social life. I don't consider myself a an introvert at all. 

But I was very, very unsophisticated and came from really a big city, but very little sophistication at all. 

And they didn't have big city weighs about you, How way and, you know, I I I learn really to live differently. 

When I came to Texas, living in a dormitory with the other folks, the older servicemen and people in my class that came from different circumstances. 

So I learned quietly watching what was going on around you. Find in the search box D1. Got the movies ever go? 

Oh yeah, we go go to I go to the movies that would be about it. And which movies did Jakarta which have almost locks. It gets in the fat and the roads be a theater up on 14th is 16 straight men downtown. It isn't there anymore. 

I can't think of a name, but when they had the opening of those away and lows, Graham was down and the Rialto was down in Colombia, was up on she street. And we'd walk everywhere. I mean, we literally would walk from tech downtown of the theater. And one thing, nothing I'm at now. 

And of course I went to church at Sacred Heart, which was there and the only church around and walk them. Did they have any kind of programs that are neither man club programs on that and none club attack. 

So it was there and they said, oh, yeah, yeah, it was there but it was the one much till it, but it went to their churches, played a pretty big role in texts history of offering social situations to the tech ways. I mean, they would have free food sometimes or dance. 

But you see the whole, the whole church concept in the sales. Lot difference in knowledge, concept of noise. Oh yeah. I just didn't work the same way. And you go to church up in New York and you come home and they'll enough and social data at all. 

So instead of having myths and cookies and whenever the church I view correctly that attract the riff. Kirk. 

But you just walked around digit they studied most of the time. We mentioned well, be carrying working in. And they, yeah, it did. I learn to to stretch academically. 

No question about an attack which I, I, you know, I did while in New York and but I didn't have to stretch too hot. 

So I learned I learned to work physically and mentally while I was at Georgia Tech. And that's a good thing, actually. Fair pink but absolutely. 

I think the latter for the rest of your life, it always came in very handy in all my life and I I feel very strongly about what Tech helped me with my life. Very fortune. 

What about the sports programs that you go to? 

Football games? 

Oh yeah, that's that's another story. 

When I when I first started, you had a a fee that you had a pay part of your tuition and that included the football tickets. And so we'd go to the every football game. 

And at the beginning, you do line up in one of these class is for a, what I would call a AFS orientation compared to what maybe they do today. And they tell you now look the left and look to the right. I only want them to be there to get a diploma. Mean that the others are gone. And that's the way it was. The attrition was an unbelievable course. There were a lot of kids school that weren't, shouldn't have been there. Obviously, realism was a a state school and they named deserved for the average man. Yeah. Did you wear a red hat? 

I'll absolutely absolutely. That was bought at the end. No problem with it at all. Not at all. Really. Well. 

When you went to the games, freshman year yaw had to go together, right? 

You all sat in one on one sec, check in there and we all had these cards we were supposed to live not was the jaw, so they still work to go up. 

But, you know, you'd almost at the beginning with the the people leaving, love the kids academically were okay, but they weren't comfortable not being at home. 

So a lot of them would leave this. I got lonely, lonely. And but the pressure was on. 

And you know, you'd almost hope that you can be there to the next football because they had pretty good theme and I enjoyed going to the game. 

Did you what it was that they were Baghdad was coming into his own as for the games were fairly decent. Team was doing welcome. 

Did you ever consider throwing in the towel and going home? 

Has that ever in your My all null I never I never would quit because I had an opportunity and that would be a terrible thing to do. 

You know, it might be that I would have to leave for some reason, but that really isn't bad enough, but never voluntarily yet ahead and go back to those three women that were supporting you, your MPV extra, what would you have fed up? 

Would you have said? 

That wouldn't have been a there were some characters around in those days that were still there when you were there, did you ever come across uncle honey? 

No. 

You never saw him? 

How about DM Smith? 

Did you ever hand him a DM Smith? 

What's kind of thing? 

Math. Math. Math? 

I believe so. Yeah. I think I'm like that granite technically was there for so long. Yeah. He came in 1913 and he was still there when you and I believe he was an alcoholic had come in 1888. He didn't die until 1931. That maybe you might have come across them in your travels. 

How about George Gershwin? 

Did you ever come across? 

I never had a close relationship with the man at all, but, you know who he was and he had a he had a extremely fine reputation. 

I mean, everybody seemed to like them even announced a whole, you know, what, the war was over in course, during the war he was very involved with the Navy. And then coming back, he was getting tech boy's jobs. That was big thing. He's so many people came back at one time. Employment was a real a real issue. 

So I can understand why you were grateful to find a job cut grass because it was hard for kids to find jobs that were grown men with responsibilities that were haven't coupled, plus the flexibility of the job then come and gone. And it was because really, really like dowry lucky. 

Did you ever take part in any of the big band dances? 

Dances, but I didn't know how to dance, honestly, I never learned it and nobody took pity on you and tie collaborative. 

Well, you know, sometimes but I never heard that. 

If you aren't one with magic feet out. 

Now because that was a big part for a lot of people in the school. Band, dance, texts, panicky team during that time. 

Well, I don't I didn't know how to dance. I guess that would be a good reason and the other would be the the time and the cost, the money. I didn't have. I didn't I never smoke or drink. Coming from New York on until I got out of school. I never close it didn't have the money to doing and that's it. It does, it does play a role. Hopefully, he can afford to do some sort of shapes what you're going to be. And it shaped you into being a very good boy? 

Yeah. 

Why did you learn to study and you did well in school and you had a good, sensible job and very influential people who took good care of you. Hey, it sounded like a pretty neat story year. Another plot of the story. 

That as part of the lack of sophistication, while I was at Tech, one of my roommates for awhile was a Chinese boy from China. Hello, my name is James way. And I guess James might have been when I was a junior. He might have been a freshman and I graduated. He might have been a software very bright and from mainland China, but his English was quite good. And he, right now I think he says he may still be the head of the chemical engineering at MIT. 

Was very bright young man, but he Things I mentioned, he taught me to play bridge, took me to the opera. And I enjoy the opera. I've always enjoyed the up and still go to the opera. The James was the first one to insist that I go up to the Fox and see the output. 

So you know, things like you to really broaden your horizons. How wonderful he, he's a big tech success story. And you wouldn't have had that opportunity except through someone like Tag exactly. Cadaver was really big deal in Atlanta. That was really the social. You may not have been tripping the light fantastic because they do et al. Yeah. 

Oh, and I made back then you, you you could literally, if you tried, you could walk on the stage at the end and say a lot of opera singing, It's a lot. I mean, it was that kind of thing you view it was a wonderful experience. Oh yeah. I know all of the course, you know today. All of the big names you never see here in Atlanta. 

But back then when they went on tour, you had all of the big metropolitan it was the metropolitan zone. Quite an experience. It's just galley. 

Where did you guys the guys you hung out with? 

Like where did you hang out? 

Where was your place to go? 

Well, back when I was in school and because of my circumstances, we purchase these meal books. 

And so I honestly ate most of my males at the britain Hall, a part of the, part of the program and the food was not good, but it wasn't bad and it was certainly economical to eat there. Did you have a nickname for and at that time Can't to give her here called daisies hash house. 

Now, I have 1 in time. I it was called that and tell me all the domain is pretty, pretty common. 

So mostly you ate there but a lot. 

I ate their lot and then they was who was the governor of New York, New York, Atlanta for awhile, a kind of crazy guy. Talmud, know, wow. Rode the bicycle backwards. He had a cafeteria downtown. Oh, I was thinking of Hemphill. I was thinking less dramatically, right? 

Yeah. I thought he had he had a chicken place laid out here. Yeah. Way back. He had the cafeteria Cafeteria downtown and we'd go down there. 

That was a special meal and I was going to ask if you wanted to celebrate something and we'd go down there, it would be less dramatic than the tickets. Yeah. Yeah. That's what you would do. 

And then we hung out and the the YMCA seemed to me they had a moving there now and then and then in D, C, and that was cheap or nothing, no charge and it will find you ever get a haircut there? 

I don't know where I got my hair cut. I can't remember. There was a barber shop. There was probably I got it. They have the price for that. Subsidized haircuts. 10 men candidate Student Center? 

Yeah, it was really was young because the robbery, as I recall, you can get a hot dog there and it was up near the old post office. 

But that wouldn't play should spend a lot of time. At least I didn't anyone. 

What about the varsity? 

Varsity? 

We'd walk up there and the quiz, that's where we got to watch television. There was, there were no television sets in the dormitories. 

So you'd walk up there to sit in those rooms they have there and watch TV on occasion. 

Seemed acceptable as far I mean, you grew up there and sit there and watch television and they weren't bugging you are anything like they wouldn't New York, you know, you're not eating, get the hell itself. 

So we'd go up there to watch much TV, cabinets, cheap entertainment that absolutely. 

More people watching on television into the 40s early, Well, that was, you know, Sid Caesar and a lot of specials. And the who was a Christmas card people would have Hm, mock specials and want not the one. A lot of TV really, except for these Milton Berle comedies. In the evening you might watch that course that wasn't every evening, it was maybe Thursday. You've decided where I work now. And they would actually let you just come in and watch that. I buy a cup of coffee or a hamburger. 

But you sit there for an hour, an hour and a half. 

And because I think the guy that I didn't know him, but I think the fellow that own the velocity had been a tech guy, Frank Gordy. Yeah. 

So you know, it was harder and lot of the scene. Yeah. That's fine. What? 

Graduation finally rolled around. You had enough credits to get out in time. Nobody. That's another thing, low-tech that we eat. And when you see a guy that you can go to Tech, yeah. 

When do you get out? 

Did you graduate? 

When do you get when you get out? 

It's always the I survived. I got out. 

But you dig it out. 

I got out and my ON time on my four years and again, you know, I had no choice or, you know, though another six months or this or that. I mean, that was just the way it had a bay which was good. 

Any who came down for graduation? 

One of my aunts and my mother came now scratching your mom must have been hopefully. Oh yeah. And they got to meet my mentor down here. It's his turn. And they enjoyed meeting her and so it was kind of nice that way. 

Now, as you approached graduation, what were you thinking about for our career, trying to find a job. And I really didn't know what kind of a job industrial management gives you a kind of a broad brush. 

But it did you express this to Mrs. Turner that you were looking for? 

On no, not really. Because I had that job up there and I really hadn't thought about going to work for January bots. The work I did up in New York is in automotive plots warehouse. 

And it was dirty, outlawed work and I didn't really I wasn't like visualize on a onetime up there one summer. I worked as a night watch a week or a weekend night watchman. And that was down on 57 straight. And I would go to work on Saturday afternoon and they'd all leave. And they left me there and then they'd open up on Monday morning. 

So I'd be there from Saturday through Monday morning. 

So I slept there Saturday and Sunday night and I go out and get something to eat. 

But I can recall like every Saturday when I got out, I'd have to push the bums off from front of the place to walk out. You know. It was that kind of location. Yeah. Good neighborhood. Oh, yeah. 

Now that was interesting. 

And occasionally some of my friends would come down and we play chords and it wasn't a hard job, was just gotta be there. Kind of a boring yeah. 

So you were thinking for other other companies did not apply several places what we applied to United Fruit, the banana people were looking for somebody. 

So that was one of them. And then General Electric made locomotives, I think up in Schenectady, New York. That somethin I am to a three, you know, they come and go through these interviews and whatnot. I really hadn't gotten a job until I got back to New York. 

And then I thought about changing my pods company and I went down to see if they might have something for me. And I quite frankly think I don't know that they had any idea that I was the odd man. 

But they knew I knew the Turnus. And when I went, I think they were more than courteous about talking to me because I'm not at all. Yeah. And I I never used it. 

But I'm sure it happened that it was part of your obvious that she had this little halo. Know what position? 

Yeah, guy, I'll take old. They offered me a job as a salesperson or sales rep for them. 

So that was better than being and night watchmen in the warehouse. And that was your first professional job? 

Yeah. And and how did you doing sales? 

I did. Alright. 

I was again the youngest and was involved with some pretty some characters that had worked for a long time and the business, and that business was pretty rough and tumble business back then. 

A lot of lot of drinking and it was it was a kind of a heme and kind of business, if you know what I mean, Alia was such a great boy. Oh yeah. That's that's what room I can see right off the bat. 

After all these years, I had, I had one young fellow, the only the youngest, the batch who was in Life Magazine. 

He had 12 children and he was he was the I guess why did he had 12 children? 

Now? 

He was the youngest of the salespeople. That's what I had 12 children and he was still a relatively young man. I mean, something he lived out in Long Island. And what was that city there they they built after the war for all is servicemen. I'll think of it. Maybe. Levitt, Levittown. 

Remember that? 

And An old Joe was he was a Hillary's, uh, and I I would guess that I think there was six of us and probably two of them were alcoholics. 

But good guys. Nice, nice people. 

But they they they did during Thelma and solace. It was quite an experience really. 

And and then calling on our customers who are independent businessmen and all kinds of different people and you really learned it on yeah. Yeah. 

Did you stay in touch with the charters here in Atlanta? 

Iaea, Christmas cards and things like that. 

But not really real world that are now you are well, yeah, for January knew she knew him. 

And see, they had bought this thing up in New York, genuine did in 1939 or might have been a little later. 

And say it was, it was in operation with a lot of new York people working running that thing when it was purchased. 

And all of the executives that would come up to wear for Southern and it was a different world for the Southern voice come up. And and so I was in a fairly good position. I I knew what this was all about and I knew what that was all about. Yeah, I'm always kind of worked out pretty good. 

And then one of the people I came up to run the operation from Atlanta jail, from genuine pods accompanying was a fellow who has been my friend for almost 50 years now. Looney who succeeded Kyle, our phrase as the chairman of genuine boss company for many years. 

So he had I had something, you know, firsthand working with him and for him up in New York. And so that didn't hurt me at all 0s this. 

So, you know, I'm just, you know, I could have been in Boston or I could have been in Chicago, isn't working but I was there and he was there and and that didn't hurt me one bit down the road as as things develop. 

So on a lot of good fortune own way. When did you meet your wife? 

Out of school and 51. And probably I got married. Judas is my second wife. Mary. Probably in 54, 55. 

Singing started, DID yeah, this social life after you left George? 

Well, I I after I got out, I attempt to get caught up and smoking and drinking and everything that I you know, I was on a real mission. I guess you're in a crash. Make up for lost time. 

So we got married and 56 and we had our first child and 961, lisa. And then we add John couple of years later. And I'm Maryann. And finally Christopher said two boys and two girls. And 190. Who 960, three I guess it was that I was transferred to Boston and spent about three is up there. 

And I'm trying to put together a lease or our oldest was born in New York and then John and Mary and were born in Boston. And then Christopher was the youngest. In 1966, we move to Columbus, Ohio. 

So Christopher was born in Ohio. 

So genuine was transferring you around each time giving you a promotion I went to. 

So you were working your way up? 

Yeah. Management. You know, everything was going great. Really. 

When did you get transferred back to Atlanta bat 1973, I think because the time we came back to Atlanta, of course in the interim, I did have the opportunity having gone to school here in 1947 when you talk about Atlanta, which was a very small town. 

And 940 suddenly when a football game we glad on Peachtree Street and much into town and stop all the traffic and it was no big deal and when that much traffic really. 

So I've seen atlantic grow from 1947 and then working for January plots company, I'd be back and forth from meetings and so forth. And I can remember being awed at going out to capital city. 

To a meeting, you know, they belong, then we'd have meeting and now I've been a member of capital city for all time, but those are all, you know, I've seen it. The transition and a planner. Then moving here permanently in 1973 is 74, whatever. It, with a little mini boom town that things were really, really going Wow. 

So it's, it's amazing and and now living where I do and still having the opportunity on occasion to maybe drive up No. Us in Cobb County, you're out west on the size of the city is, blow your mind away. And you really can't living here, realize how big it is. 

You know, you read this 4 million people, but until you go out and drive around, then you begin to realize again, have this town has exploded. It really handless brawl is just unbelievable now. 

And it's really easier to live in town outside the perimeter with this brow, isn't it? 

Now we we our headquarters for years and he has a genuine parts company was down on Piedmont, an avenue where the Southern Company high-rises right along the highway. Power company, Georgia Power? 

Yeah. Right down that black. We were right there. They they bought that property from genuine pods company headquarters. I'm really the heart of the city out there. 

Really was no way to genuine move to where our headquarters is out in on Windy Hill in Cobb County, harder this prop. And at that time we were downtown, we add our warehouse and I headquarters in the same building. 

Headquarters has added Windy Hill in our warehouses, I don't know across, so we kind of split it up only we move down. We think about your career with them and a total of 47 years, which is almost unheard of. Did you get to go through every phase? 

Yes. I can honestly say. And someday somebody from genuine pods company might say, I'm not afraid to say it. I ran every pod a genuine thoughts company. And those for you certainly know that business insight Absolutely. 

Now, for me to say that I could go back now. And for instance, I I and I always made a lot of money for genuine pilots company. And I'm not ashamed of that. 

But I I I can I ran warehouse, several of them and I can do anything and everything in that warehouse. 

I mean, that nobody could both baloney me exactly what we had there done that no matter what it was right. 

So I get out, I knew I knew everything about it and then I I got involved with every we branched out into the industrial business and I was involved in that, ran that portion of it. And we got involved in the office supply business. And I got involved in that. And so I I I've I've done at all really and every every part of the company. Thank you. You will not. It says accent. Oh, absolutely. When I when I came to genuine in 1951, I think our total volume was $25 million. And when I left genuine three years ago, our volume was all of a sudden billion food. We talked, I mean, yeah, I grew with the company really. 

Again, I was very fortunate that there's always opportunity when a company grows like that for this or that, or get involved in and it would change about that career. The only thing I think I might change about the My nothing about my Korea. The, my only regret is that I didn't work as hard at my family as I did at my job. If that makes any sense. Yeah, it makes a lot of sense. It's a typical successful career men. 

But when you look back into play here, well, But, but, but I could have done better. I know that. I know that. 

So so my my my my wife died of cancer 980. 

But Mary raise those kids. I mean, I was work work work work all the time. 

So why you don't get to be at the top if you don't work on it. Yeah, but but now you wish you had spent more time. 

And I coulda if that's that's the differences, not time, but working as hard at being a father and a husband as you work because time doesn't mean anything if you follow what I'm trying to say. It's effort a time. 

If you had done the same. 

So that's the advice you'd give to somebody Nereid has put the effort into it, not the time. The time is not important. 

Either way, you end up even into job wasting time being there, cuz you think you have to meet and vice versa, but it's the effort to put a 100 percent here into into your job and a 100 percent f at all here being a husband and father. 

So it's the it's the data that is the way a Cadbury. Yeah. That's the way that's my only regret. And the four kids have turned out beautifully. They all graduated from school. And I'm a time right now to tell me about them. If that with Lisa. Lisa went leaser is our very bright. Elisa went to middle bury college in Vermont. Vermont. I go on. I want she got out. 

She thought she was going to go on to law school and she worked for awhile wisely as a paralegal, didn't like it in Washington. And he's decided she wanted to become an architect Sheatsley. She ended up while she was in school at middle bearing. She spent a year in London School of Economics, Science, guess so Junie. And then came back and decided she wanted to become an architect. 

So she went to Harvard School of Design, graduated from that as an OT attack. And in that three year period, went over to Cambridge to study for a year. And their archetype why she's had a lot of whole lot of Education. 

Wow, So today she's a she's working, she works for the government as an architect and has been doing that for she told me last night we were down for Father's Day. 

But she was going up to Harvard for a tenth reunion. I said ten, I've gone to my fifth year. 

So so yeah, now she's been very successful. No, she was married and her husband died rather suddenly. 

So that was something for an aldol come, but now she's dating again and whatnot. 

So she she She's don't. Okay. Next is John. 

And John is a he went to bury college and the John probably should have attempted to try to be a veterinarian, but he never worked to audit the books and he graduated from Barry and today's a painting contractor. And he does OKs, married, no children. 

And I think John is beginning to John as is good with very interested in animals and hunting and fishing and Johns painting. 

Contracting business was a convenient way for him to spend the time that he wanted to do, doing other things like hunting and fishing and then painting and wonder, which is the major plot. 

But they have, okay, I think now he's thinking maybe like to do something else because they're thinking about a family and, you know, yeah, I'm with you. How about Maryann? 

Maryann. I forget I always forget the name of the college up in Boston, teaches small college. And she then got into the cloud a little bit of an autistic clear to her. And she has worked fee is unsuccessfully at manufacturing ceramic picture frames. And still, and along the way has done some teaching. This is still doing the same. She's not married and she's doing okay and she's happy with stolen. And Christopher. 

Christopher is the I don't think there's any question about the fact that he is the best-known professional fishing guide on the shadow UCI river. 

How? 

A Abby, I'm amazed at the number of people that, you know, if he is, it was all your John scholarly son. 

Now all your crista Galli is dead. 

So it's done. An expert fish. Oh, yeah. My mother asked me. You didn't get one of them, did not at Georgia Tech? 

No. No. Never never believed and twisting arms always kind of matches their own way. 

Now, let them do that. 

Well, maybe the next generation when they begin to have brand, when you begin to gather grandchildren, blah, and influence. 

And you want to ask me or I've played a pot and other young people going to Georgia Tech and I would, you know, they've all done alright, right. 

But I would have to say, I'm sorry that one or two of them didn't go to type, honestly. Find school, find school. They'll know when I was never too late. There could be some scale is coming along. That's for a future. Christopher doesn't have children. No, he's not married in the Maryann or Christopher not know. Grandchildren yet. 

Well, we never give up. Yeah. No. Um, and you know, and that's all right. I don't that doesn't not like with some people, it's not a I make any big issue at all? 

Not at all. 

How did how did you come to the decision, the conclusion you were going to retire? 

Bain was accompany as long as I was with them and haven't risen to a pretty lofty position in the company. 

And I was on the board, uh, derive, I mean, I had a I was one of the top people in management general thoughts going. I had the option to literally retired Anytime, you know, 65. 

But I chose one ready. 

And they quite frankly, they were very good about the fact saying anytime you wanted to be tie, you can retire. 

But there's no nobody was no. 

Not you know, I I can I have a lot of good friends that work for some fine companies, which I won't mention. That ticks me off set the way they were, the way they left their companies. Having worked for them for 25, 35 years and good people. 

And having really been kinda push the sign, that would have killed me if something like that I'd have never done. And I don't think with genuine we've ever played the game that way and we've been successful. 

So but I I I retired, I guess when I was 68 and I just felt it was time to get on a satellite. 

And you were married remarry, I've been this November, we will have been married 17 years and very happily married him. 

So lovely wife and can spend time or international. Yeah. We do a lot of traveling. We've been to Europe many times and we just got back from a trip to China, which we enjoyed. And so we do a lot of traveling and do a lot of things together. And and the kids and do We were down to Elisa's house Father's Day yesterday. 

And Judy and the kids are all, you know, it's not easy, but they're all pretty good friends and get along very well. 

So orange accomplishment, I'm very happy to, very fortune, very fortunate. 

So what else do I want to talk about? 

You will look back. We've only got a couple of regrets and that's life. Yeah. You didn't buy Georgia Tech's working Sri. 

Now, and I suspect you spend a lot more time into being a father out now, you have the time to time the hashing on the 1080. I don't fill out that and bolt the boys and nuts. 

When they're not they're not signing, you know, they I could never quite understand that lie and I've got a lot of friends that are like that that upsets assessed with the the the outdo Ally File and enjoys being outside whatnot. I don't enjoy cotton grass anymore. We can have your own yard man. 

But we do give somebody else a break. I'll try and comes around. Goes around. You need a sham, right? 

Yeah. 

But there's no question in your mind that Georgia Tech was the right place for you to question at all? 

The whole story is, is just set. Let's like fate is playing out. 

And how long did your mother lymph tissue was? 

My I retired in I guess it was in February of 60 to 9868 and my mother died there that March. 

She was Aren't those 9590 said, Wow, I was going to ask if she hadn't opportunities to realize you were successful. 

But she had a couple opportunity. She had a lawn, why she do? 

Well, that's great. Yeah. That's great. I always feel good when mothers no sacrifice they made for their children really pale gray. 

And there again, I'd have to say that probably I could have done more than a better son in a way and all eyes always away, you know, living in Boston and Columbus and then down here and so there again, you gotta put the effort in and The other, the other thing you begin to realize, the older you get for what it's worth. Even friendships are can be eroded very easily unless the effort is put in. And it works both ways. 

If you don't put the effort in and you tried rest, a and B, a friend that's run. It's all always find excuses for not having the time to do these things. 

So I hear you saying that times not that important though it's all your attitudes yep. Prioritizing them. It has been quite a story. 

I wish somehow you had saved a little ad from DNA Jack's office, that God love three by five card cut, didn't it really literally did change your life. Going out for that little bit at cash money. Changed her whole life, didn't it? 

Yeah. 

And you know, the the other part of the, the whole story is the I think the false impression that some people may have in regard to the small town kid coming up to going away to college and being offered by the whole thing. Or you can take the kid from Brooklyn and the Bronx and throw him in a college. And you know, it might have been hobbit or it might have been some other school somewhere. And there's a great deal of it. All of a sudden, it doesn't matter where you came from. It's the new environment you're thrown into. 

And it can be just as awesome to a kid from the Bronx as it is for a kid from South Georgia, right? 

Well, as we said, even though it geographically it was the Bronx, it was still a small community. 

You were living in a very fixed boundaries of your community, so well, it's been quite a story line and a smile everytime I think of it. Good. The serendipitous thickness of the whole thing, Yeah. To me out for a grass cutting job and ended up 37 years with Anthony. 

Well, speaking on behalf of Georgia Tech, I am entitled to do from time to time. 

Well, I am happy that I'm here and as I say, I've had a good life and thank you for taking the time to be very, very welcome.