A Personal History

            of The Armchair Pragmatist                        

                                                  

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Family... One of AC’s career advancements brought him to Chicago, which has been his home since the 1980’s. He is married, has a grown daughter, and lives well below his means in a suburban neighborhood where he has lived for over thirty years. He buys a new car every eight to ten years, fitting the profile of the subject character in The Millionaire Next Door, Thomas J. Stanley’s best seller.

Early career... AC was an above-average student, but chose not to pursue a formal education beyond under-graduate. He served in the armed services reserve program for six years before accepting a position with one of the country’s leading computer technology companies in the late 1960’s, which took him to Atlanta. It was through that early corporate experience that AC found his passion for business

                                                   

To be successful in business and in life, you must chart a course with confidence and discipline, and not be afraid to fail.                                                                                                    — AC 
As an investor... AC has participated in more than one hundred ventures during his career, and has served on numerous boards in the public, private, and government sectors. Though he has been approached several times by large investment groups to head private equity firms, he has always declined.                                             
                                                             
I envy no one but admire many.           
I particularly admire the humility of successful people who give back to society.                                                                                     — AC 
I'm grateful to experience a life of good fortune and to live the American dream.                                                                                    — AC 

       

                                                                                                                           

After hours... he watches sports and well-written television series. Through the years he has come
to respect and admire the creative accomplishments
of such entertainment industry notables as Dick Wolf, Norman Lear, and Steven Spielberg who began
their careers as writers, eventually becoming award-winning directors and iconic heads of successful production companies.
Politics... Once approached to run for Congress, AC declined without hesitation as he has never had interest in political life. While AC has strong political views, he considers himself far removed from either political party. He strongly believes our country needs a moderate third party with the goal of challenging the extremes of the Republican and Democratic parties.

       

                                                                                                                           

Avid reader... Subscribing to dozens of publications, AC reads current events four hours or more each day, and for pleasure reading he prefers non-fiction. 

                                                   

       

                                                                                                                           

       

                                                                                                                           

The only child of hard-working, lower-middle-class  parents, AC lived with his family in a modest three-  bedroom, one-bath home in a small northeastern town. His parents encouraged and supported him as best they could, always making sacrifices to place AC’s activities as their top priority. By their example, he learned to maintain solid values and high ethical standards.  When he started to earn his own income, AC chose to support his parents, whom he loved dearly.