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Major General Joseph August “Bud” Ahearn, U.S. Air Force 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 your past, our present, and our future.

After graduating from the University of Notre Dame in 1958 with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, Ahearn was commissioned as a second lieutenant and began his career as a civil engineer officer in the U.S. Air Force. He later pursued his Master’s in Engineering Administration from Syracuse University, graduating in 1967.

During his 34 years of experience with the Department of Defense, Major General Ahearn was responsible for shaping financial strategy, developing budgets, and executing infrastructure programs totaling more than $7 billion annually. As the Senior Civil Engineer for the U.S. Air Force, he directed the development and operations of all U.S. air bases around the world.

Ahearn was decorated with several honors for his service, including the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with “V” device, Federal Republic of Germany Army Cross of Honor in Gold and the Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces Honor Medal. In 1984, General Ahearn was awarded the Society of American Military Engineers Newman Medal for his outstanding military engineering contributions in Europe.

Ahearn is affiliated with several professional societies, including the American Society of Civil Engineers, the National Society of Professional Engineers, the Society of American Military Engineers, Civil Engineering Research Foundation, and the American Public Works Association.  He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2010 “for contributions to improving the environment and transportation infrastructure through engineering and construction projects.” In 2012, he received the Carroll H. Dunn Award of Excellence from the Construction Industry Institute.

In his talks, Ahearn stresses the essentials of authentic leadership:  the ability to embrace uncertainty; performance readiness; and openness and inclusiveness. Above all other traits, he values strength of character—integrity in all actions, service to others before self, and excellence in all endeavors. Major General Joseph August Ahearn is an alumnus of Syracuse University, and a veteran of the U.S. military. You should know his story.

Maj. Gen. James E. Freeze, U.S. Army, (ret.) 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.

Growing up in rural Marengo, Iowa, James Freeze enlisted in the Army in 1949. As the Korean War showed no sign of dwindling, Freeze desired the opportunity to move up within the ranks of the Army and continued his education through the University of Maryland as part of the officer corps program. Later, Freeze graduated from Syracuse University with a Master of Business Administration degree.

Freeze served 32 years in the United States Army. He enlisted as a private and rose through the ranks to Major General. He was the first cryptologic officer to be selected for flag rank. Freeze established an impressive career contributing to intelligence operations with the Army. He led the Army Intelligence Agency and Security Command Group in a number of capacities until he ultimately retired from his role as the senor cryptologic officer for the US Army.

Today, James Freeze serves as the Chairman of the Board for Pinkerton Government Services, Inc., (“PGS”) and Paragon Systems, Inc. His military experience combined with private-sector knowledge provides Freeze with over 50 years in the intelligence, security and electronic warfare arena. Freeze rose from Private to Major General during a 33-year Army career. He subsequently established The Freeze Corporation, a professional services firm that provided intelligence, security and management support to government and corporate clients. Major General Freeze was honored for his admirable dedication to his work in 1987 when he was inducted into the Military Intelligence Hall of Fame.

In his spare time, James Freeze enjoys hitting the ski slopes and spending time with his wife, childhood sweetheart Dorothy Tompkins. They have two grown children and have been blessed with two grandchildren.

James E. Freeze is an alumnus of Syracuse University and a veteran of the U.S. military. You should know his story.

Colonel F. William (Bill) Smullen, US Army (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.

COL Smullen attended the University of Maine where he earned a B.A. in Business and Economics in 1962 and a commission as a U.S. Army infantry officer. Following two tours to Vietnam, he returned to school in 1974 to pursue a Master of Arts degree in Public Relations from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications.

In the course of his 30-year military career, COL Smullen held numerous command and staff positions as an infantryman and public affairs officer with additional overseas assignments to Korea and Panama. Notably, he served as the Special Assistant to the 11^th and 12^th Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral William Crowe, Jr., and General Colin Powell.

Bill Smullen’s successful career continued in the public sector in which served as an executive assistant and, later, chief of staff to Secretary of State Colin Powell, where he monitored the formulation and implementation of State department policies and assisted with planning and development of U.S. foreign policy strategy.

Since 2003, Smullen has served as Director of the National Security Studies program and Senior Fellow in National Security Affairs at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School. He also teaches public relations at the Newhouse School of Public Communications. Drawing on his rich experience in the military and in public service, Smullen recently published the book Ways and Means for Managing Up: 50 Strategies for Helping You and Your Boss Succeed.

He has received numerous accolades as a public servant.  Smullen’s military decorations include—among others—the Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Combat Infantryman’s Badge. He has also been elected to the Syracuse University Newhouse School Hall of Fame and University of Maine ROTC Hall of Fame.

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

Bismarck Myrick is an alumnus of Syracuse 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.

Bismarck graduated from the University of Tampa in 1972 with a degree in History and subsequently earned an M.A. in History from Syracuse University in 1973.

As an enlisted army private, Bismarck served his country as a military police officer in Okinawa and Germany before later being assigned to South Korea as an infantry officer. After his service during the Vietnam War, Bismarck left the military as a decorated war veteran. He was awarded the Silver Star, the Purple Heart, and four Bronze Stars for his heroism in combat. In 1996, he was inducted into the Army’s Hall of Fame at Fort Benning, GA.

Bismarck entered the Foreign Service in 1980 and worked as Desk Officer for Somalia during its largest mass refugee crisis and war with Ethiopia. He then served as a Political Officer in Liberia. Later, he worked out of Washington, D.C. as the Action Officer in the Office of Strategic Nuclear Policy and eventually served on the U.S. Delegation to the Geneva Nuclear Testing Talks. During his tenure as a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, Bismarck served as the U.S. Ambassador to Lesotho from 1995-1998 and to the Republic of Liberia from 1999-2002. Notably, the Ambassador was fortunate enough to represent the United States at the swearing in of South Africa’s first democratically elected parliament under Nelson Mandela. His support for the evolving nation helped provide an American presence in the former apartheid state as it transitioned to an emerging democracy.

Today, Ambassador Myrick has returned to his home state, Virginia, and spends some of his time as a lecturer of political science and history at Old Dominion University in Norfolk. He enjoys travelling and completing study projects in southern and western Africa.

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

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.