History

Arthur Rock is an alumnus of Syracuse University and a military veteran. You should know his story because it’s a Syracuse University story—one that speaks to our past, our present, and our future.

Arthur was born just up the road from Syracuse in Rochester, New York in 1926 as the son of a Russian immigrant and a first-generation American mother. His father owned a candy store in Rochester, and Arthur has described his upbringing as one of financial hardship, “We were lower middle-class.”

Arthur was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1944, but never served overseas since World War II had come to an end by the time he completed training. Utilizing the benefits from the GI Bill, he attended Syracuse University and earned his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. Later, he pursued a M.B.A. at Harvard Business School in 1951. He has since credited the G.I. Bill as the sole reason he was able to pursue higher education after his time in the Army.

Upon graduation from Harvard, Arthur moved to New York City. There, he began a successful career in corporate finance. Starting as a securities analyst, he quickly moved up in the ranks to join Hayden, Stone & Company in New York. There he gained experience in raising funds for emerging technology companies.

Though he has not been given due credit over the years, Arthur was instrumental in the early days of new technology; he was one of the first venture capitalists who invested in a region in California that we now know as Silicon Valley. He helped to launch and fund early technology companies like Fairchild Semiconductor, Intel, Scientific Data Systems, Teledyne; not to mention becoming a member of the board of a little company called Apple Computer.

Today, Arthur has retired from corporate life, and spends most of his time giving back as a philanthropist. Along with his wife, Toni Rembe, he founded the Rock Center for Corporate Governance at Stanford University. His hope for this center is to encourage and teach ethical corporate responsibility to upcoming generations, and founded it in the midst of the Enron crisis. His colleagues have described Arthur as someone who is “wicked smart and has an unbelievable sense of integrity,” truly a testament to his character and dedication towards ethical responsibility.

Arthur Rock is an alumnus of Syracuse University and a veteran of the U.S. military. You should know his story.

Louis F. Bantle is an alumnus of Syracuse University and also a military veteran. You should know his story, because it’s a Syracuse University story—one that speaks to our past, our present, and our future.

Born into the Great Depression in 1929, Louis F. Bantle witnessed first-hand the strengths and weaknesses of U.S. economy as well as its global reach. Influenced by his early childhood and by his father, Louis A. Bantle, Mr. Bantle attended the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University in 1951, graduating with a degree in business administration. After graduation, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean War and was quickly promoted to the rank of Captain.

Following is service in the Korean War, Mr. Bantle began his business career in Greenwich, Connecticut as an advertising manager for U.S. Tobacco (UST), which is known for its smokeless tobacco brands Skoal and Copenhagen. By 1967, Bantle was elected vice president of marketing and a member of the board of directors. Six years later, he rose to chairman of the board and president and, later, CEO, until his retirement in 1993. Under Mr. Bantle’s leadership as CEO, the United States Tobacco Company became a Fortune 500 Corporation, growing ten-fold in revenue. During his tenure, UST is also accredited with acquiring Chateau Ste. Michelle, Washington State’s largest winery, and with initiating a partnership with NASCAR through sponsoring the “Skoal Bandit” Grand National race car.

Notably, Mr. Bantle was also a philanthropist and humanitarian who drove social change on both international and American soil. In 1996, he founded and funded the International Institute for Alcohol Education and Training (IIAET) and its Center for Healing—the House of Hope—in St. Petersburg, which introduced Alcoholics Anonymous to Russia. Bantle and his wife, Virginia, were pioneers in helping establish both The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis and The Buoniconti Fund in the quest to find a cure for paralysis and treat spinal cord injuries. Mr. Bantle also helped to develop one of the nation’s most successful and replicated Explorer Programs: the Explorer Post 53 Ambulance Corps.

Even as Mr. Bantle was highly active in both corporate and philanthropic life, he was also contributing to Syracuse University’s growth as an alumni. In 1979, he received the George Arents Pioneer Medal Award, our university’s highest distinction for alumni who demonstrate excellence in their chosen career fields. A year later, he joined the university’s board of trustees, serving until 1997. Still, Mr. Bantle’s accolades continued. A former member of our varsity golf team, Mr. Bantle was named a Letter Winner of Distinction in 1986. Then, in 1991, he received the Chancellor’s Medal. In 1994, he was named the Whitman School of Management Alumnus of the Year and was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters. Mr. Bantle’s legacy at Syracuse University lives on through two endowed faculty Chairs and several scholarships.

Mr. Bantle’s accomplishments were also recognized nationally and globally. In 1990, he received the prestigious “Semper Fi” award from the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation. The following year, President George H.W. Bush appointed Mr. Bantle to the advisory committee on the arts for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Mr. Bantle was also a Knight of the Royal Order of the North Star, an exclusive investiture of the government of Sweden, rarely granted outside that country. Louis F. Bantle peacefully passed away in October 10, 2010, but will forever be known as a prominent American business leader of the 20th century.

Louis F. Bantle is an alumnus of Syracuse University and a veteran of the U.S. military. You should know his story.

Wilmeth Sidat-Singh is an alumnus of Syracuse University and also a military veteran. You should know his story because it’s a Syracuse University story—one that speaks to our past, our present, and our future.

As an African American, Wilmeth grew up in a time where segregation was an everyday part of life. After the death of his father at a very young age, his mother re-married and moved to Harlem, New York. During high school, Wilmeth showed promise on the basketball court and was named an All-New York City basketball player in the Bronx. In 1935, Sidat-Singh was awarded a scholarship to attend Syracuse as member of the basketball team. While at Syracuse, his athleticism on the court left the Orange with a 40-13 record during his career on the team. Wilmeth dominated on the court and was even extended an offer to join the football team.

Syracuse University was one of the first schools to allow African-American players on their football team, demonstrating the progressive nature of the institution. During one game against the University of Maryland, however, Wilmeth’s identity as African-American was revealed and he was barred from playing. The Orange lost 13-0, but he returned the following year and led the Orange to beat Maryland 53-0.

After graduating from Syracuse, Wilmeth joined the police force in Washington, D.C. Once the United States entered World War II, Wilmeth chose to serve his country by joining the Tuskegee Airmen, the U.S.’s only African-American Unit in the Army Air Force. He earned his wings as a pilot shortly thereafter. Sadly, during a training mission in 1943, the engine on Wilmeth’s plane failed and his plane went down in Lake Huron.

To honor his legacy, Syracuse University retired Sidat-Singh’s basketball number. Today, his jersey hangs in the rafters of the Carrier Dome.

Wilmeth Sidat-Singh is an alumnus of Syracuse University and a veteran of the U.S. military. You should know his story.

Robert A. Beck is an alumnus of Syracuse University, and also a military veteran. You should know his story, because it’s a Syracuse University story – one that speaks to our past, our present, and our future.

Born in 1925, Robert A. Beck was raised in Morris Heights, a low-income residential community in the West Bronx, New York City. Beck was the son of a telephone operator supervisor and an army officer. His father, Arthur C. Beck, a career Army officer who received a battlefield promotion during WWI, passed down the axiom later inscribed on an Army entrenching tool that read: “If you can’t find a way, make one.” Beck exemplified these words in his personal and professional life. In 1942, at age 16, Beck graduated from the Bronx High School of Science. Until he was old enough to enlist in the Army, Beck worked as an audit clerk at the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company in Manhattan.

Enlisting in 1943, Robert A. Beck served five years in which he rose from private to 1^st Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. After basic, Beck earned his parachutist badge and joined the officer ranks. In 1945, Beck was sent to Southern Germany as part of the Allied Occupation Force (AOF). When Beck returned from Germany, he was stationed at Fort Bragg, NC, where he served in the curious role of insurance officer for the 82^nd Airborne Division. One of his clients was William Westmoreland, who later commanded American forces in Vietnam.

Following his honorable discharge, Robert Beck attended Syracuse University to study marketing and management. He graduated with the Class of 1950 and took a financial analyst position at Ford Motor Company, under Robert S. McNamara, who was later appointed to Secretary of Defense under the Kennedy administration. Beck left Ford a year later for a sales position with Prudential Financial, Inc., the nation’s largest insurance company.

Robert A. Beck had a knack for prioritizing customer needs over pushing products. Unsurprisingly, he quickly rose from Prudential’s door-to-door sales agent to its chairman and CEO. During Beck’s tenure, Prudential became a major player in the financial services industry and expanded its services to home mortgages, credit cards, group health insurance, and homeowners and auto insurance.

Beck was also a leader of several civic and professional organizations to include United Way of America and the Business Roundtable. In 1981, President Reagan appointed Beck to the National Committee on Social Security Reform; and until 1983, he served on the executive committee for Reagan’s Private Sector on Cost Control. Robert A. Beck played a major role in critical U.S. government affairs affecting the insurance industry. TIME Magazine named him as “the leading new spokesman in Washington likely to play a role in shaping major policy issues,” evident in concerning issues on insurance taxation, IRA, Social Security, and Cost Control.

In 1986, Robert A. Beck was awarded the George Arents Pioneer Medal, recognizing his excellence in business as a Distinguished Syracuse University Alumnus; and in 1988, he was inducted into the Insurance Hall of Fame, the preeminent insurance award for excellence.

Robert A. Beck is an alumnus of Syracuse University and a veteran of the U.S. military. You should know his story.

Richard L. Thompson is an alumnus of Syracuse University, and a veteran. You should know his story, because it’s a Syracuse University story – one that speaks to our past, our present, and our future.
Mr. Thompson certainly has an insatiable thirst for knowledge. His undergraduate studies originated at SUNY Albany where he graduated with a B.A. (cum laude) in History and Political Science in 1966. One year later, he completed his M.A. in Political Science at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs.

Mr. Thompson put his studies on hold, however, to serve his country as an officer in the U.S. Army Signal Corps in Vietnam. During his two years of military service, he was awarded a Bronze Star, two Army Commendation Medals, and the Vietnam Service Medal. Thompson naturally returned to graduate school, earning a law degree from Catholic University in 1975.

Thompson boasts a lengthy and successful career in both government affairs and the private sector. He served for eight years in several executive and committee staff positions in U.S. House of Representatives to include Republican staff director, chief counsel to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and minority counsel to the Subcommittee on Intergovernmental Relations and Human Resources. During his time on Capitol Hill, Thompson and his staff undertook efforts to increase government accountability through the creation of several inspector general postings across the Executive Branch and providing oversight of the FDA and the Health Care Financing Administration.

With his impressive service record and extensive experience with the pharmaceutical, food, and drug industry, Mr. Thompson transitioned to the private sector where he served as Senior Vice President of Policy and Government Affairs for Bristol-Myers Squibb. There he successfully grew a global staff of 45 people and served as the company’s senior representative to industry associations. Later, Thompson served as senior counsel for healthcare and pharmaceuticals for the public policy law firm Patton Boggs, LLP. Thompson now provides consultation services through Akin Gump in Washington, D.C.

In addition to his extensive public and private sector experience, Mr. Thompson sits on the board of several non-profit, professional, and academic institutions. Notably, he is currently the chairman of Syracuse University’s Board of Trustees as well as an advisory board member of the Institute for Veterans and Military Families. He previously served on advisory boards of the Martin J. Whitman School of Management and the Maxwell School. Demonstrating his commitment to the arts, Thompson has also served as chairman of the board of Ford’s Theatre and the governance committee for Meridian International Center, a leading cultural diplomacy center.

Beyond his trusted support and engagement in Syracuse University’s stewardship and governance, Mr. Thompson and his wife are generous donors of Syracuse University’s Remembrance Scholarships, awarded annually in memory of the 35 Syracuse University students who lost their lives on Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie in 1998.

Richard Thompson, U.S. Army, is an alumnus of Syracuse University, and a veteran of the U.S. military. You should know his story.

William Safire was an alumnus of Syracuse University and also a military veteran. You should know his story because it’s a Syracuse University story—one that speaks to our past, our present, and our future.

Born in New York City, William (Bill) Safir’s father passed away when Bill was five years old. His mother raised him and he graduated from the Bronx High School of Science in 1947. He attended Syracuse University, but left after two years to work for The New York Herald Tribunecolumnist Tex McCrary. He enlisted in the US Army in 1952 to serve as a reporter for the Armed Forces Network in Europe. While in the Army, Safir added an “e” to the end of his surname to ensure correct pronunciation.

A few years later in 1959, while working as a public relations executive in Moscow, Safire deftly persuaded Vice President Richard Nixon and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev to participate in the famous “kitchen debate” pitting capitalism versus communism. Nixon quickly hired Safire for his 1960 presidential campaign against John F. Kennedy. Nearly a decade later, he joined the Nixon administration as a speechwriter and special assistant.

A distinguished author and columnist for The New York Times, Safire won the 1978 Pulitzer Prize for distinguished commentary for his political column. In addition to his political analysis, he wrote a weekly column called “On Language” and published several fiction novels including Freedom (1987), Full Disclosure (1977), Sleeper Spy (1995), and Scandalmonger (2000).

In a useful column titled “Rules for Writers,” Safire provides a comical account of guidelines for aspiring writers to follow. His recommendations include: “Don’t overuse exclamation marks!!; Proofread carefully to see if you words out; Remember to never spilt an infinitive;” and naturally, “avoid clichés like the plague.”

Though he may not have graduated from Syracuse University, Safire delivered commencement addresses in 1978 and 1990 before becoming a university trustee. Bill also donated numerous books from his private collection to E.S. Bird Library in 1996 as a token of gratitude for a scholarship that he had received while attending.

Sadly, after a long battle with pancreatic cancer, Bill Safire passed away in 2009 at the age of 79 in Rockville, Maryland. He was survived by his loving wife, Helene; children Mark and Annabel; and his granddaughter, Annabel.

William Safire was an alumnus of Syracuse University and a veteran of the U.S. military. You should know his story.

Major General Franklin J. Blaisdell is an alumnus of Syracuse University and also a military veteran. You should know his story, because it’s a Syracuse University story—one that speaks to our past, our present, and our future.

Also known as Judd, Maj. Gen. Blaisdell was born on September 15, 1949 in Clifton, Virginia. He is a descendant of Ralf Bleasdale from 1593 Hawkshead, England whose family line boasts The Blaisdell Papers—the 5^th oldest family publication in the United States. In 1971, Blaisdell graduated from Syracuse University with a Bachelor of Arts in history and as a distinguished graduate of the Air Force ROTC program.

Blaisdell launched his Air Force career at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California where he underwent basic officer missile operations training. During his distinguished U.S. Air Force career, Maj. Gen. Blaisdell held multiple commands across the U.S. at multiple levels ranging from missile squadron to two separate space wings. He was a master missileer and master space officer with more than 250 combat alerts in Minuteman II and III (intercontinental ballistic missile) systems, as well as 12 consecutive successful space lift missions. Blaisdell also continued his education throughout his military career, attaining a Master of Science from South Dakota State University and completing several advanced professional and senior executive education programs at the National War College and at Harvard, Syracuse, and Johns Hopkins Universities.

After serving as Commandant of the Armed Forces Staff College (now the Joint Forces Staff College) in Norfolk, VA, from 1998 to 2000, Blaisdell began his last assignment in the Pentagon. For four years, Maj. Gen. Blaisdell held several senior positions on the Air Staff including Director of Strategic Security and Deputy Chief of Staff for Air and Space Operations, in which he was responsible for providing policy, guidance, expertise and oversight to the Air Force nuclear, space, force protection, and homeland defense programs. Notably, during his time at the Pentagon, Blaisdell also participated in the response efforts during 9/11 and was selected by Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Richard Myers to serve on the Single Integrated Operational Plan Targeting Review Committee, which would significantly alter the course of worldwide nuclear targeting requirements. Blaisdell was a firm believer in the need for space and missile defense operations. “Space assets will save lives,” he explained in a 2003 Pentagon press briefing. “It keeps [us] from putting our troops in harm’s way.”

Maj. Gen. Blaisdell retired from the Air Force in 2004, having served 33 years on active duty. Among many distinctions throughout his service, he was recipient of the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, and the Legion of Merit. Now a private citizen and entrepreneur, Blaisdell co-founded Strativest, LLC in 2007, which provides strategic planning, financial, and human resource management consulting services.

Maj. Gen. Franklyn Blaisdell is an alumnus of Syracuse University and a veteran of the U.S. military. You should know his story.

 

Warren Bruce Rudman was an alumnus of Syracuse University and also a military veteran. You should know his story because it’s a Syracuse University story—one that speaks to our past, our present, and our future.

Born on May 18, 1930 in Boston, Massachusetts, Rudman was the son of two Jewish immigrants who boasted a hardy German, Polish, and Russian lineage. Rudman spent much of his life in New Hampshire and Washington, D.C., save a handful of spells at Valley Forge Military Academy in Pennsylvania, at Syracuse University for undergraduate studies (’52), and in the Korean War as a US Army infantryman. After returning from Korea, he earned a law degree from Boston College in 1960.

As an attorney, Rudman grew increasingly active in government in the 1960s, eventually serving as legal counsel to the Governor of New Hampshire. By 1970, he was appointed as New Hampshire’s Attorney General, a position he held until 1976. Without delay, Rudman entered politics by successfully running for a seat in the U.S. Senate. Senator Rudman served from 1980 to 1993 and built a strong reputation as “the Sledgehammer” on ethical matters in Congress and a moderate with the deeply-held belief in bipartisan compromise as a cornerstone of good government.

Senator Rudman distinguished himself on federal budget and national security and foreign policy issues. He was a key sponsor of the historic Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Balanced Budget Act of 1985. He also served on a number of oversight bodies and investigative panels, including vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Secret Military Assistance to Iran and the Nicaraguan Opposition—better known as the Iran-Contra Affair. He worked closely with Senator Inouye from Hawaii to uncover the fact that White House aides violated the law by selling weapons to Iran and financing anti-Communist rebels in Nicaragua with dirty money. Continuing his work in national security, Warren served as an Advisory Board member and Co-chair of the Partnership for a Secure America, a non-profit that strived to broker relationships across-the-aisle to advance interests in American national security and foreign policy.

Rudman was so widely respected among his contemporaries that, following his tenure in the Senate, Ross Perot offered him the slot as his 1996 vice presidential running mate (though he declined), Senator John McCain appointed him as his 2000 presidential campaign chair, and Senator John Kerry included him on his short list of his 2004 VP running mates. Senator and later Secretary of Defense William Cohen of Maine said of Rudman, “In two terms, he had as great an impact as any senator that I’ve known.”

In 2001, President Clinton honored Senator Rudman with the Presidential Citizens Medal to commemorate and celebrate his legislative accomplishments. Rudman later championed a team of lawyers as independent counsel to investigate the suspicious accounting practices that had been occurring at Fannie Mae from 2004-2006.

Prior to his death in 2012, Rudman sat as the co-chair of Albright Stonebridge Group, a global consulting and strategy organization co-founded by former Secretary of State Madeline Albright. He is remembered best for fighting for the middle ground, notably from President Obama who also applauded Rudman’s early efforts advocating for fiscal responsibility and a balanced budget. Senator Rudman’s legacy is honored at the University of New Hampshire Law School; The Warren B. Rudman Center for Justice, Leadership, & Public Policy is dedicated to his memory.

Senator Warren Bruce Rudman was an alumnus of Syracuse University, and a veteran of the U.S. military. You should know his story.

William “Bill” F. Allyn is an alumnus of Syracuse University and also a military veteran. You should know his story, because it’s a Syracuse University story—one that speaks to our past, our present, and our future.

William “Bill” F. Allyn is the grandson of William Noah Allyn, co-founder of the Skaneateles-based medical device manufacturer Welch Allyn. Despite being born with large shoes to fill, Bill emphatically met and exceeded the task.

Of all his business and family accomplishments, Bill Allyn served our country for three years in the U.S. Coast Guard. Following his service, he attended Dartmouth College to earn a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and then an M.B.A. from Syracuse University in 1959. He married his wife and SU alumna, Penny, in 1960. Together they raised a family of four sons and 11 grandchildren.

From 1980 to 1999, Bill Allyn served as the Chief Executive Officer and President of Welch Allyn, Inc., the family-owned holding company. While CEO, Bill led the company through incredible growth, transforming it into a competitive, global enterprise. He also founded Handheld Products, Inc. and Everest VIT, which manufacture remote visual inspection devices for boilers, jet engines, and nuclear reactors.

An unmistakable Renaissance man in the business world, Bill Allyn has served as board member, trustee, or director to numerous corporations and organizations including the John Dau Foundation, Allyn foundation, Manufacturers’ Association of Central New York, Business Council of New York, and M&T Bank Corporation. In 1999, William F. Allyn was a finalist for Ernst & Young’s New York Entrepreneur of the Year. The Business Journal quoted Allyn on his leadership philosophy stating, “My father’s favorite saying is ‘always be kind and true.’ At Welch Allyn, we strive to implement this through integrity and the golden rule.”

The Allyn family remains an active Syracuse University supporter too, for example, through the creation of Blue Highway LLC, a health-technology incubator that offers internships to SU students. The Allyn Foundation has also helped to fund The Warehouse and the IDEAS Collaborative at Syracuse University. In 2012, Bill Allyn received the Melvin A. Eggers Distinguished Alumni Award for his loyalty and service to Syracuse University as a life trustee and visionary donor.

While Bill and Penny Allyn spent the majority of their lives in Central New York, they now reside in Naples, Florida, and return home to Skaneateles during the summer. SU news highlighted that one of Bill’s fondest memories was coaching Skaneateles boys’ youth hockey for 19 years and winning three New York State championships.

William F. Allyn is an alumnus of Syracuse University and a veteran of the U.S. military. You should know his story.

Lieutenant General Charles P. McCausland, USAF retired, is an alumnus of Syracuse University, and also a military veteran. You should know his story, because it’s a Syracuse University story – one that speaks to our past, our present, and our future.

General McCausland was born 1935, in Flushing, N.Y., and graduated from Great Neck (N.Y.) High School in 1953. He then enrolled as a student in the College of Arts and Sciences at Syracuse University, and graduated in 1957. Upon graduation and completion of ROTC training at SU, he was commissioned as a 2^nd Lieutenant in the United States Air Force.

General McCausland served a long and distinguished career in the Air Force (1957 to 1992).  His career culminated with his selection to command Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), and as DLA Director responsible for inventory management of more than four million spare parts; industrial commodities; fuels and petroleum products; consumable items such as medical supplies, clothing, and subsistence; cataloging; property and hazardous material disposal; storage and distribution; and the contract administration of all military procurements. Staffing of the agency exceeded sixty thousand personnel, with an operating budget in excess of three billion dollars.

During his tenure, supply chain management was introduced and adopted at the Department of Defense. Prior to being assigned to the Defense Logistics Agency, McCausland held a variety of positions in the Air Force Logistics Command. He served as the vice-commander; chief of staff; and deputy chief of staff for plans and programs, for logistics operations, and for maintenance. He also served as the commander of the Ogden Air Logistics Center in Utah. Prior to that, McCausland served as the commander of the Defense Contract Administration Region, Los Angeles, and of the DOD Cataloging Activity in Battle Creek.

Since retirement, he has been active with industry, government and education, serving as a director and a member of the Audit Committee of the Dynamics Research Corporation, past president of the Ontario County Association for Retarded Children, a trustee of the Finger Lakes Community College and a member of the advisory Board of the H.H. Franklin Center for Supply Chain Management at Syracuse University.

General McCausland is an alumnus of Syracuse University, and a veteran of the U.S. military. You should know his story.