Cy Leslie 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.

Seymour “Cy” Leslie was born in December of 1922, in Brooklyn, N.Y.  Raised in the Bronx, Cy was a child of the Great Depression, and from an early age took on the burden of working to support his sister and widowed mother, delivering ice and other goods throughout the neighborhood.  After graduating from DeWitt Clinton High School, Cy went on to Syracuse University, and then wartime service with the United States Army’s Signal Corps during World War II.

After the war, Cy started composing birthday songs and other musical themes with his wife Barbara.  The husband-wife team recorded the songs on 45s as greeting cards, and sold them through drugstores.  It was from these humble beginnings, that a career and an entertainment industry icon was born.

In 1953, Cy Leslie founded Pickwick Records, named for the first volume in a set of Dickens novels Leslie had treasured as a youth. The company created compilation discs, a revenue source neglected by the major record labels.

Pickwick went on to experience rapid growth, and became one of the first publicly traded record labels.  By 1957, the label had sold more than 100 million records, licensing efforts from the likes of Sammy Davis, Jr., Fats Waller, and Dizzy Gillespie. Pickwick also released any number of rock & roll records, several of them featuring a then-unknown Lou Reed, who served as a staff songwriter at Pickwick. Pickwick also spun off the subsidiary labels P.I.P. and De-Lite, with the latter notching a series of hits via the funk band Kool & the Gang.

In 1980, Leslie entered the nascent home video business as president of CBS Video Enterprises, two years later becoming founder and chairman of MGM/UA Home Entertainment Group. During his tenure at MGM/UA, Cy was instrumental in transforming home video from a rental business into a sell-through enterprise, in part by introducing and popularizing boxed sets. Among MGM/UA’s first release was the Wizard of Oz, something that didn’t surprise those who knew Cy well (it’s said that Cy always had a ‘crush’ on Judy Garland).

Cy Leslie died in 2008, just a few days past his 85^th birthday.  He was a true pioneer of the entertainment industry, and was widely recognized as one of the 20th Century’s most influential and outstanding leaders in the industry. Some of those recognitions include the Record Industry’s Man of The Year (1975), the Presidential award from the National Association of Record Manufacturers (1976), and Time Magazine’s Home Viewer/Time Magazine Man-of-The-Year Award for special achievement (1987). Cy was also Vice Chairman of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, and an active member of the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Seymour “Cy” Leslie is an alumnus of Syracuse University, and a veteran of the U.S. military. You should know his story.

The Honorable Norman A. Mordue 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.

Norman Mordue was born in Elmira, NY in 1942. As a Syracuse University Economics student, he was part of the ROTC program and commissioned as a Second Lieutenant upon graduation. After completing Basic Training, the new First Lieutenant heroically led his platoon during the Vietnam War. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross after his selfless efforts to relieve another platoon that had come under heavy artillery fire. Armed with a machine gun, First Lieutenant Mordue rescued two of his men who had been injured from enemy fire. Though he was severely injured after the incident, he refused to accept medical help until his men could withdraw and they could order artillery strikes on enemy positions.

His commitment to leadership and courage in the face of adversity helped advance the American offensive and eventually defeat the enemy. Norman was also awarded the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star, retiring from the military as a Captain in the U.S. Army.

Following his distinguished military service, Norman returned to Syracuse University in 1971 to earn a degree in law. After graduating with his J.D., he served as the district attorney for Onondaga County. He eventually worked his way up to the bench, serving as the State Supreme Court justice in the county from 1986 until 1998.

Nominated by President Bill Clinton and confirmed in only sixteen days, Norman was appointed to the Northern District of New York, serving from the chief judge of the court until 2011 when he became the Senior Judge on the bench. His distinguished career as a judge has garnered him great respect in his local community. Judge Mordue and his wife, Christina, have three children: Daniel, Jackie, and Michael.

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

Daniel Patrick Moynihan is a faculty 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.

Daniel Patrick Moynihan was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma and grew up with humble beginnings as a shoe-shiner in New York City. He attended public and parochial schools in the city, ultimately graduating from Benjamin

Franklin High School in East Harlem. Before he began college, he worked as a longshoreman on the piers. After his first year of college at City College of New York, he entered the U.S. Navy.

Moynihan served as an active duty sailor from 1944 to 1947, last serving as a gunnery officer on the USS Quirinus. After leaving the Navy he went on to earn his M.A. and Ph. D. in Sociology from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, and then later studied economics at the London School of Economics as a Fulbright fellow.

Daniel enjoyed an impressive career working in the Executive Branch of government, serving under four different U.S. Presidents in a number of capacities. Notably, as a member of the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, Daniel served as the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Policy Planning and Research, dedicating much of his efforts to eliminating poverty in the United States. Under President Nixon, Daniel was appointed as Counselor to the President on Urban Affairs. During this time, Daniel was instrumental in bringing issues of acid rain and the greenhouse effect to the attention of NATO as pressing concerns for the future and for social policy research. Daniel then pursued a career in international diplomacy, first working tirelessly as the US Ambassador to the United Nations and then to India. In 1976 Moynihan was elected to the US Senate to represent the state of New York, and held that position until 2001.

During his career, Daniel Patrick Moynihan was held in high esteem by his colleagues for his commitment to bipartisanship, and for his ability to identify and enact innovative and novel solutions to the most pressing problems of the day. He is remembered for his affinity toward seersucker or tweed suits, and for exhibiting a flair for captivating speeches.

After leaving the Senate, Moynihan joined the faculty at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University.

Daniel passed away in 2003 from complications of a ruptured appendix. In 2005, the Maxwell School honored him by renaming the Global Affairs Institute as the Moynihan Institute of Global Affairs.

Daniel Patrick Moynihan was a faculty alumnus of Syracuse University, and a veteran of the U.S. military. You should know his story.

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.