Decade: 1950-59
Mary Ann Williams
What do you do? Bob Williams, whom I met at MU and my husband of 57 years, and I are happily retired from his practice of 35 years at a large multispecialty clinic. Our son and daughter provided us with five grandchildren and are our pride and joy. I worked for AT&T as a employment … Continued
Robert Skole
What do you do? I have reached the stage and age where I am able to limit my practice (as the doctors say) to subjects of interest. I only work with people whom I enjoy working with. I always say I’m a reporter. How did you get your job? I got my first jobs by … Continued
Larry Postaer
Six decades in the mercurial world of advertising…how did you manage to survive? Luck for sure. I was fortunate to work with a lot of talented people and great clients. To pay tribute to all of them, I just finished a memoir available on Amazon and Kindle. Its called: “Pickett, Plunkett and Puckett.” The quirky … Continued
Jim Overbay
What do you do? Retired as news manager for Meredith Broadcasting. Previously, news director at KCTV, Kansas City, communications manager at the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City, and the assistant news director at KMBC-TV, Kansas City. How did you get your job? Perseverance. Contacts. Luck. What is the best professional lesson you learned … Continued
Peter Mayer
What do you do? Chairman of the board of Peter A. Mayer Advertising, Inc. in New Orleans, Louisiana. Actually semi-retired. How did you get your job? Survival. What is the best professional lesson you learned at the J-School? Show up when you have an assignment. What advice do you have for current students? Get as … Continued
Robert Lewis
Give us a summary of your career. I was hired by the Topeka (Kan.) State Journal upon graduation in 1951 to replace a reporter who had been called by the U.S. Navy to the Korean War. After I was on the job, his orders were revoked. So, I then found employment as a reporter/photographer for … Continued
John Lesser
John Lesser, BJ ’50, has spent over 60 successful years in the advertising and promotions field, serving major corporate clients such as Sharp, Toshiba, Panasonic and Olympus Optical, just to name a few. Now focused on just one client with the consultative agency he founded in 1971, John Lesser and Associates, Lesser took time to … Continued
Robert S. Leaf
Growing up in New York, N.Y., Robert S. Leaf, known as Bob, never imagined that he would embark on a career that would lead him to travel the world and be in charge of establishing worldwide strategy for the PR firm that was to become the largest in the world. “I never pictured myself living … Continued
Frosty Landon
A Lifelong Fight for Open Government Roanoke, Va. (March 15, 2007) — The personalized “Open Gov” license plate on Forrest “Frosty” Landon’s Volvo station wagon is the first tip-off to his lifelong passion. For more than 50 years, Landon has worked alongside – and faced off with – lawmakers at all levels regarding policies governing … Continued
Warren Kininmonth
What do you do? Own and operate a full service advertising agency in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. Just completed our 32nd year of operation. What is the best professional lesson you learned at the J-School? Honesty and integrity goes before anything. What advice do you have for current students? Don’t waste one minute … Continued