A Hoosier's Journey

At age 17, I went home from work and told my mother that I had received an appointment to study engineering at GMI. She said, “I didn’t know you wanted to be an engineer.” I said, “I do today!” I didn’t even know where GMI was located. On October 1, 1951, I entered Flint, Michigan to start my education with General Motors Institute.

When Dad died, Mother was not employed. She said we were all going to stay together. The state would separate us if we couldn’t survive without Dad. I can still...