MOSS SCHOOL EXPERIENCE
Robert Entered Moss in 1957 & Graduated Moss in 1958

Who were some of your Classmates?  Sue Summy, Randal Cherry, Charles Moles, Bob Crelia, Shirley Evans, Marilyn Smith, Marshall Richardson, Rose Letka.  Others in lower classes were: Dale Turner, Larry Webber, P.D. & Jackie Brown, Don Smith, Marilynn Summy, Lloyd Morrow, Charles Huff, James Martin, Gary Shields, Eulene Noblett, Sandra Hull, Jean Roberts and more Stringfellows than I can name.

Who were some of your Teachers?  Joe Raunikar, Kenneth Hull, Joy Gentry, Mr. Lindley (on occasion).

What were some of your Sports, Activities, Etc.?  I started in 4-H at Fairview, and even though Moss was predominately FFA, I continued my 4-H activities and was elected the Oklahoma State Vice-President for the Southeast District.  I played basketball (not well) and baseball (moderately well) and was on the State Championship team.  I played outfield mostly, because I could run pretty good, and chase down those long fly balls that Randal let the other teams launch (just kidding).

What was school life like?  I started first grade at Fairview in 1946, but the High School was closed after my Junior year because we didn't meet the State daily attendance requirement.  There were only 3 in my Junior class.  I was the best looking boy in my Junior class, since the other 2 were girls.  When I went to Moss for my senior year, I knew some of the students because we went to Banner Baptist Church at Horntown.  So that made the transition quite easy.  Randal & I pal'd around a lot and were always the first to volunteer for any of Coach Hull's special assignments that would take us away from the classroom.  I don't recall spending many afternoons in class or study hall.

Where did you live while attending Moss?  On a farm-ranch; we had Hereford cattle and raised peanuts, maize, alfalfa.  We even had a field of popcorn one year, but that apparently was not an economical crop for our particular situation.  I did the usual 4-H stuff, raised some show hogs (Hampshires), and had pretty good luck with a Hereford heifer, which won 1st. place in class at the county fair.  After Mom died last year, I found the bill of sale where I sold the heifer at the special auction held after the fair.  It was a little over $100, which was pretty good money in those days.

POST GRADUATION
College/Schools:  I started Oklahoma State University, in Stillwater, as a freshman in the College of Agriculture, because that was where I received some scholarships.  I changed over to the Business school as a 2nd. semester sophomore and concentrated my major in Economics, with minors in Political Science and Chemistry (quite a combination?).  I graduated and continued at OSU for a year as a graduate student in Economics.  I took employment at Sandia National Lab, in Albuquerque, and after a 3 year break from school, I started back at the University of New Mexico, in the Business School MBA program, attending classes in late afternoons and evenings.  When I finished, I remember making the comment, "I didn't quite know what to do with all my free time, now that I'm only working 40 hours a week".

Vocation:  I started with Sandia in the Purchasing Dept. as a Buyer, and progressed to a more senior position before leaving in 1973 to work at Motorola, Government Electronics Div., in their Purchasing Dept. as a Manager.  I eventually became a Division Purchasing Manager and then embarked on a different career with Motorola, in their internal software development group where I was a Project Business Analyst and then Project Manager.  5 years later, I again switched career paths and went to Motorola's Satellite Communications Division, to work on the Iridium Program as a Strategic Alliance manager (focused on managing major software subcontracts). The Iridium Program's mission was to launch and manage a network of 66 communication satellites which would provide communication services worldwide.  The program was a tremendous success technically, but the market was overtaken by more rapid expansion of cell phone networks than projected.  Even though the satellites were designed for a 7 year life, the constellation is still operating and providing service, projected to last thru 2012-2014 (more than double the projected life).

CURRENT
Family: I have 2 daughters, Leslie & Kendal, from my first marriage.  Leslie lives with her husband in Maricopa, Arizona, about 25 minutes from my house.  Kendal lives in Albuquerque and has 1 son, Gavin John (9 yrs.), who is my only grandchild.  My wife, Tila, and I will celebrate our 25th. anniversary this fall (2009).

Retirement:  I retired from Motorola in 2001, and haven't looked back since.  I did volunteer work for a few years - doing work for the Literacy Volunteers as an ‘English as a second language’ tutor.  I also spent some time reading to 4 classes of pre-schoolers (ages 3-5).  I would read to them 1 day a week and then when they & I started to get bored with the same stories, I started to take in 4 or 5 photos of things I thought would interest them (animals, trains, planes, cars, sports, etc.) and we would discuss them.  It got so that my photography perspective became, "what would the kids like to see?"

Hobbies:  Tila & I travel a bit.  In the last few years we've been to Lake Tahoe (several times); California (twice); Williamsburg, VA & Washington, D.C.; St. Maarten; Vail, Colorado; and Mexico - Puerto Penasco (Rocky Point), Alamos, Cabo San Lucas (twice), and Mazatlan.  We're going on a cruise down the Pacific Coast of Mexico this fall (2009).  In 2004, I drove from Phoenix up thru the Mt. Rushmore area and then across to the Hudson Valley, NY to volunteer in the U.S. Amateur Golf Tournament at the Winged Foot golf club, and then on down South to see the country and relatives; then back thru Oklahoma and Albuquerque to Phoenix (26 days).  I also volunteered at the PGA Championship when it was at Southern Hills, Tulsa a few years back.  I play more golf now that I'm retired, but I'm still trying to break the "bogey" barrier.  My main avocation has become photography and I have been on several photo-shoots to Monument Valley, the slot canyons around Page, AZ; to New Mexico sites such as the Shiprock Monument, Chaco Canyon, Acoma Sky City, Bisti Badlands, Zuni Pueblo, and the Bosque del Apache wildlife sanctuary.

Personal Message to Alumni:  I've been to a couple of Moss Reunions and I have really enjoyed them, particularly '08 (my 50th.), because I got to see people I haven't seen in so long and may not see again.  I encourage you to attend one when you can.  You'd be surprised how old everyone else looks!  You can hardly recognize them, much less remember their names (if you can't see their name tags).

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