Partnership Educators,
Joseph Gompers had been friends with Lawerance Hummel longer than with anyone, fifty-eight years in fact. It came as no surprise to Joseph when Mr. Hummel left the bulk of his fortune to Bethany College. Hummel was eighty-two when he passed. He had been associated with the college for thirty years and in the will the respected West Virginian institution was designated to receive a million dollars and Joe Gompers was expecting that. Joseph had been Lawerance Hummel's attorney for decades.
They had met during the Depression years in the 1930s. It was in 1930 when the Lawerance Hummel family owned a dairy farm. Lawerance was twenty-four already running the place with an older brother. That same year a little neighbor boy showed up asking to help out with chores. The little neighbor boy's name was Joe Gompers and was barely six. Over the years that followed, little Joe took on more and more responsibilities around the farm and he and Larry Hummel got to be good friends. "Want to be a farmer full-time someday?" Hummel once asked the youngster. Little Joe said, "He didn't know." Joe didn't know then how different his life would turn out because eventually, Joseph went to law school, joined a law firm, became a senior partner with a prestigious practice, and as you know, Joe's most valued client was Lawerance Hummel.
By then Mr. Hummel was associated with Bethany College, a local private school with about 800 students. No longer in the Dairy business, Mr. Hummel had become somewhat of a Wall Street wiz and had made his fortune in the stock market. While at the college he talked about the Stock Market with the economics professors, with the dean of faculty, with anybody and everybody. He loved talking with others about some of his passions.
It was March 22, 1988, when our elder investor passed away and passed his fortune on to Bethany College. It was a One Million Dollar donation. Attorney Joseph Gompers saw it coming but no one else in the world did.
In 1952 Larry Hummel's mother died, Larry left the family farm and disappeared for years. He then resurfaced at Bethany College asking for a job. He stayed with that job for thirty years. While doing a job he loved he invested in a hobby with his earnings and that was only known to his best friend Joe. The professors who he discussed stock markets with didn't take him seriously really. Who within the faculty or the administration of Bethany College could have imagined that their good-natured, unpretentious, and frugally dressed janitor was going to Bethany College's future benefactor.
Kat Cole, Business Leader, said "When I am around people my heart and soul radiate with the awareness that I am in the presence of greatness. Maybe greatness unfound, or greatness undeveloped, but the potential or existence of greatness nevertheless. You never know who will go on to do good or even great things or become the next great influencer in the world. So treat everyone like they are that person."
We cannot predict the futures of the students that we serve nor should we try. Young Joe didn't know law school was in his future and certainly Larry didn't expect or predict his future either. Our efforts are instead focused on helping them all become the greatness that is inside each and every one of them. This is why we have the full spectrum of opportunities for our kids and why we push so hard for them to shoot for every choice after high school. It is difficult to rise to something you don't know exists.
Truthfully, we are also greatness seekers for each other as well. When my past students talk with me about what they remember the most about being in my class or at my school, it is always about the joy they received in my interactions with them or the fun times we had. I haven't always been successful in giving joy to others one hundred percent of the time but I have always aspired to do so. I am a work in progress for sure.
I hope this is a day that someone lifts you up and in turn gives you the opportunity and joy of lifting others.
Have a fantastic weekend,
Rob