As Veterans Day approaches, I would like to comment on the fact that many of the original founding faculty of the UTPB were first and foremost veterans of WWII and the Korean War.
This includes both high ranking officers (such as two generals -- one marine and one Air force -- Hank Heise and Jim Colwell) some middle ranking officers such as Major Ed Beck and Bob Gerry and quite a large group of enlisted such as myself and drafted common soldiers such Jim Nickle. In fact, military service candidates, in my opinion, were valued by Amstad and Cardozier as attractive potential faculty members, especially if we also were Carter School graduates with PH.D's. Having served during war time was, unofficially, especially valuable qualities in seeking candidates within that first group who came to open the University. Many of the original faculty also were not ex-service, which tended, to a small degree, create a two tier status system within the Bull Pen (the open spacer office area where for the first year all faculty and administration worked together to create the programs of the University). The ex-service faculty were hardened by war and this gave them a special quality of commitment to the task at hand. They were not afraid of conflict, but were determined to get the job done regardless of differences.
I was a military policeman who served during both the Korean War and the Cold War. I spent four years on the flight line preparing bombers to fly along the Russian border. I was seventeen when I entered the military and was rewarded with rank and with citations of recognition by the air Force. We were a proud and independent group of faculty, a faculty unlike no other.
This includes both high ranking officers (such as two generals -- one marine and one Air force -- Hank Heise and Jim Colwell) some middle ranking officers such as Major Ed Beck and Bob Gerry and quite a large group of enlisted such as myself and drafted common soldiers such Jim Nickle. In fact, military service candidates, in my opinion, were valued by Amstad and Cardozier as attractive potential faculty members, especially if we also were Carter School graduates with PH.D's. Having served during war time was, unofficially, especially valuable qualities in seeking candidates within that first group who came to open the University. Many of the original faculty also were not ex-service, which tended, to a small degree, create a two tier status system within the Bull Pen (the open spacer office area where for the first year all faculty and administration worked together to create the programs of the University). The ex-service faculty were hardened by war and this gave them a special quality of commitment to the task at hand. They were not afraid of conflict, but were determined to get the job done regardless of differences.
I was a military policeman who served during both the Korean War and the Cold War. I spent four years on the flight line preparing bombers to fly along the Russian border. I was seventeen when I entered the military and was rewarded with rank and with citations of recognition by the air Force. We were a proud and independent group of faculty, a faculty unlike no other.