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Thread: Back when academia stayed on campus.

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    Lummy's Avatar Senior Member
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    Back when academia stayed on campus.

    When I was in high school, on an airline trip, I sat next to a guy who at the time was, if I recall approximately, head of one of Boeing Aircraft Co's manufacturing segments. It might have been McDonnell-Douglas, given the era. I don't remember, but it isn't important. He told me a little about himself, that he had a family, made very good money -- approximately low six figures, and never went to college.

    His story, one of success without a college degree has been echoed many times. You probably know at least one person who fits the description. Howard Hughes, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Ted Turner, Michael Dell, ... wait, I think there's a list ... OMG there is! Here's an actual list of some well-known, successful people who either never went to or never graduated from college:

    1. Bill Gates
    2. Thomas Edison
    5. Richard Branson (didn't finish high school)
    6. Lawrence J. Ellison
    7. Michael Dell
    8. Steve Jobs
    9. Henry Ford
    10. Walt Disney
    11. Ray Kroc
    12. Debbi Fields
    13. Cosmos Maduka
    14. Ingvar Kamprad
    15. Carl Lindner
    16. Simon Cowell
    17. Mary Kay Ash
    18. Coco Chanel
    19. Wayne Huizenga
    20. Barry Diller
    21. Andrew Carnegie
    22. Sir Philip Green
    23. Madame C. J. Walker
    24. Mark Zuckerberg
    25. Ted Turner
    26. Cornelius Vanderbilt
    27. Mayer Amschel Rothschild
    28. Ty Warner
    29. Howard Hughes
    30. Giorgio Armani
    31. Asa Candler
    32. Jenny Craig
    33. Rachael Ray
    34. Milton Hershey
    35. Frank Lloyd Wright
    36. David Geffen

    You recognize at least a few of these for their monumental success and/or celebrity. They have been among titans of the US economy or otherwise hugely influential in American business. They are all rich, of course.

    Their accomplishments had little or nothing to do with higher education and academia. Zero. So isn't it interesting how universities chase these people down and give them honorary degrees and of course money for recombinant associations with Harvard, Stanford, Yale, and yada yada.

    With a good deal of fanfair and publicity, they are then "knighted" by the institution for lending their name for the prestige of the institution that in no way contributed to what they've done and with no chance of ever devising a recipe for a curriculum that will duplicate those achievements, as if that was possible.

    It's celebrity association with the school for the school's bragging rights in the yearbook, in advertising, for endorsements, naming rights, promotions and whatever else is included. This is important. It's fake but important.

    Anyway, this Boeing or M-D plant guy was head or director of a section or division of engineers with PhD's and Master's. I'm sorry but the details I've long-forgotten. These were well educated men, (men being exclusively what they were back then), highly intelligent men that knew their stuff but that couldn't lead a horse to water or coordinate a bar brawl, which is why the company created his position.

    I had forgotten about him and what he told me until yesterday. Thank you Mister D and Calypso for bringing him to mind. It's all to suggest two things, it seems to me. For one, outside your own $#@!, your brains, knowledge and ability don't count for much and possibly nothing at all; and two, college is by no means a be-all to end-all, and in itself means very little. Stupid people who graduate from college usually remain stupid.

    Kinda interesting.
    Last edited by Lummy; 08-10-2020 at 03:56 PM.

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    Reminds me of a joke about a debate centering around the most important organ in your body.

    I've heard of all of them except one. He may be rich but im not clicking on Cosmos Maduka.
    Sounds like virus from outer space or a professional wrestler.

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    What?

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    Quote Originally Posted by Lummy View Post
    What?
    The brains said, "I should be the boss because I do all of the thinking.
    The mouth said, I should be boss because without me, there is no energy for you to consume."
    The lung said, "I should boss because I do all of the respiratory work."
    The stomach said, "I should be boss because I process all of the food for you."
    The ass said nothing, but closed up shop.
    Guess who was elected to be the boss?

    I probably screwed that up, but you get the drift...............
    For waltky: http://quakes.globalincidentmap.com/
    "The Nation that makes a great distinction between its scholars and its warriors will have its thinking done by cowards and its fighting done by fools."
    - Thucydides

    "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote" B. Franklin
    Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum

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    Quote Originally Posted by stjames1_53 View Post
    The brains said, "I should be the boss because I do all of the thinking.
    The mouth said, I should be boss because without me, there is no energy for you to consume."
    The lung said, "I should boss because I do all of the respiratory work."
    The stomach said, "I should be boss because I process all of the food for you."
    The ass said nothing, but closed up shop.
    Guess who was elected to be the boss?

    I probably screwed that up, but you get the drift...............

    I heard it a little differently, but when your a$$hole speaks , even EF Hutton listens .

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    Quote Originally Posted by Lummy View Post
    What?
    I'm tempted to go look up cosmos medusa, but if I never heard of it in any Star Trek series on H & I , I'm gunna pass.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Lummy View Post
    When I was in high school, on an airline trip, I sat next to a guy who at the time was, if I recall approximately, head of one of Boeing Aircraft Co's manufacturing segments. It might have been McDonnell-Douglas, given the era. I don't remember, but it isn't important. He told me a little about himself, that he had a family, made very good money -- approximately low six figures, and never went to college.

    His story, one of success without a college degree has been echoed many times. You probably know at least one person who fits the description. Howard Hughes, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Ted Turner, Michael Dell, ... wait, I think there's a list ... OMG there is! Here's an actual list of some well-known, successful people who either never went to or never graduated from college:

    1. Bill Gates
    2. Thomas Edison
    5. Richard Branson (didn't finish high school)
    6. Lawrence J. Ellison
    7. Michael Dell
    8. Steve Jobs
    9. Henry Ford
    10. Walt Disney
    11. Ray Kroc
    12. Debbi Fields
    13. Cosmos Maduka
    14. Ingvar Kamprad
    15. Carl Lindner
    16. Simon Cowell
    17. Mary Kay Ash
    18. Coco Chanel
    19. Wayne Huizenga
    20. Barry Diller
    21. Andrew Carnegie
    22. Sir Philip Green
    23. Madame C. J. Walker
    24. Mark Zuckerberg
    25. Ted Turner
    26. Cornelius Vanderbilt
    27. Mayer Amschel Rothschild
    28. Ty Warner
    29. Howard Hughes
    30. Giorgio Armani
    31. Asa Candler
    32. Jenny Craig
    33. Rachael Ray
    34. Milton Hershey
    35. Frank Lloyd Wright
    36. David Geffen

    You recognize at least a few of these for their monumental success and/or celebrity. They have been among titans of the US economy or otherwise hugely influential in American business. They are all rich, of course.

    Their accomplishments had little or nothing to do with higher education and academia. Zero. So isn't it interesting how universities chase these people down and give them honorary degrees and of course money for recombinant associations with Harvard, Stanford, Yale, and yada yada.

    With a good deal of fanfair and publicity, they are then "knighted" by the institution for lending their name for the prestige of the institution that in no way contributed to what they've done and with no chance of ever devising a recipe for a curriculum that will duplicate those achievements, as if that was possible.

    It's celebrity association with the school for the school's bragging rights in the yearbook, in advertising, for endorsements, naming rights, promotions and whatever else is included. This is important. It's fake but important.

    Anyway, this Boeing or M-D plant guy was head or director of a section or division of engineers with PhD's and Master's. I'm sorry but the details I've long-forgotten. These were well educated men, (men being exclusively what they were back then), highly intelligent men that knew their stuff but that couldn't lead a horse to water or coordinate a bar brawl, which is why the company created his position.

    I had forgotten about him and what he told me until yesterday. Thank you Mister D and Calypso for bringing him to mind. It's all to suggest two things, it seems to me. For one, outside your own $#@!, your brains, knowledge and ability don't count for much and possibly nothing at all; and two, college is by no means a be-all to end-all, and in itself means very little. Stupid people who graduate from college usually remain stupid.

    Kinda interesting.
    I know a guy who has a college education , a STEM education in fact but without a graduate degree having trouble findiing a professional job right now ( no doubt hindered by COVID) He is the type of person who could do things well out of his field and has a broad knowledge base. Specifically he can vet research quickly and find the holes in the study if they exist as well as remarkable knowledge about how everything works.
    I mention this because back in the day not only could you go do well without that college degree sometime but if you had one you could land work outside of your education field.

    To be fair this young man and your co-passenger are not the norm but it was nice to know those opportunities were out there for the right people. But education became a business and our kids the widgets. If you really look at what you learn academically in college it could often be taught much more quickly, especially in Non-STEM fields. You would think there would be more stress on internships, more people knocking off a degree in 2 1/2 or 3 years or making the whole thing more like a job with more hands on and less free time and even less cramming. But the stress in on the product, our kids. Market party to them and over hyped placement to the parents, take as long as possible to do it and make all the money you can off them, then harrass the parents for donnations!

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