For me, it's Jack Dangermond. He's the preeminent Geographic Information Systems (GSS) guru in the world. He earned several degrees, including one at Harvard.
It was my honor to work for him in Redlands Ca from 1990 till
2004. Not only is Jack a genius, he's an all-round good guy but a person who treats everyone with dignity & respect. He has/and is using his immense wealth to make this planet a better place.
Here's an example of what his company (Environmental System Research Institute - ESRI) does ...
https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/003f05cc447b46dc8818640c38b69b83
Among the focus of his philanthropy is the Amazon rain forest and the California Coast nature preserve ...
https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/united-states/california/stories-in-california/saving-the-last-perfect-place-in-california/
I'll have to ask other people what it's like when they met me for the first time. I'm never in that position where "OG" (other guy) is the more interesting one, with my sharp-witted analysis of the world around me.
And refreshing too. My dad was like that too. I think He found humor in just about every part of his life (including himself).
aawwwwwww!
Flew on both the first manned Gemini flight and first Space Shuttle. Navy fighter pilot and test pilot.
Haha
The other was a big-time recording engineer, music arranger, owned a recording studio in NYC. He had stories about Billy Joel, Blondie, Iggy Pop that all recorded in his place. He introduced me to Wynton Marsalis and an evening of conversation. Thankful for those two . . .
Spent some enlightening time chatting with me, I always wonder what our conversation would have been like after his Desert Storm/ Supreme Commander role.
If I had to guess, he would have wanted to continue on and roll into Baghdad and finish the job.
Please nobody make this political.
Although, it's a great place to go.
I came there after I got laid-off at Edwards AFB, woking for Computer Sciences Corp. (Me and about 100 others). At ESRI I was a software project planner and later a software media QA manager.
I did meet another famous person. I had been there about a week and attended the company's User Conference. The key-note speaker was Ralph Nader. I wanted to see and hear him, so I went to the press conference.
There were just a few reporters; so he came up to me and introduced himself. He was very disappointed to find out I wasn't with the press. (Recall he was always running for president). I still get a chuckle, thinking about that !
I’ll leave out the celebrities name. And I’ll qualify the story by saying I’m not some person that just thinks their father is amazing because he’s their dad. I genuinely don’t understand how he understands everything he does. It’s mind boggling.
Anyway he had a newspaper article written about him for winning an award on the business side of the newspaper world. Not the celebrity side. He’s not tangled up with all the writers or even the famous publishers an editors. He knows many of them, but he is a complete unknown to the celebrity side
Of papers.
My father was having a business lunch at a ruby tuesdays one afternoon in Hawaii. He took the execs of the prospective advertisers out to lunch at ruby Tuesday at Kahala Mall in Hawaii. At least I remember it being a ruby Tuesday. It could have been a Friday’s or apple bees. But either way, whatever. Him and I were supposed to go fishing afterwards. I was visiting during summer break from DC so I was sitting at another table. There was a certain famous celebrity who was more from the wild side of celebrity that was at the restaurant at the same time. The type with holes in his clothes and stale cigarette smoke. Anyways he is staring at my dad and his table. I’m seeing all of this and thinking why is he staring at my dad.
So the celebrity ends up getting up, walking up to my dad and shaking his hand in front of the other guests. And he says “man I read the newspaper article about you in the advertiser last week. The part where you said your success is only possible because of your team and their ability to share your vision and see it forward was why you had success, really struck him with me. It’s so true, we can’t succeed unless those around us help us and share the same vision”.
I had always thought my dad was an amazing person, but to see that, really validated that I wasn’t just some kid that was impresssed with his dad.
To this day after 20+ years in the work world, I’ve still only met maybe 3 people on his level.
And yes, I understand that just because a celebrity tells someone they are amazing, it doesn’t mean they are. But to garner the attention of a celebrity that usually prefers anonymity and approach you like you’re the celebrity is pretty amazing.
Ned, Ned Nedermyer is that you?!?
Great story.
The famous person that I missed out meeting was President Eisenhower in 1966. He was invited to speak in Texas, at Hardin-Simmons University where I was Freshman.
He suffered a gallbladder attack, and couldn't make it.
Smart guy...
BTW... I worked for CSC (Federal Sector) for some time also. Great company, but they didn't stay competitive in a cut-throat market.
Got a nod from eli. But ended up sitting at the bar with Shaun O'Hara for a while. Not saying he was as interesting as some people you guys have discussed but he couldn't have been nicer. Talked football. Rutgers. And after numerous attempts to buy him a shot he finally told me he couldn't because "coach" had a rule that they couldn't be seen drinking in public.
What is more, is he was very gregarious and used to host "symposia" (cocktail parties) at his home where we'd discuss philosophy and anything else into the wee hours. One of those men that really loved to teach. I miss him.
I’ll leave out the celebrities name. And I’ll qualify the story by saying I’m not some person that just thinks their father is amazing because he’s their dad. I genuinely don’t understand how he understands everything he does. It’s mind boggling.
Anyway he had a newspaper article written about him for winning an award on the business side of the newspaper world. Not the celebrity side. He’s not tangled up with all the writers or even the famous publishers an editors. He knows many of them, but he is a complete unknown to the celebrity side
Of papers.
My father was having a business lunch at a ruby tuesdays one afternoon in Hawaii. He took the execs of the prospective advertisers out to lunch at ruby Tuesday at Kahala Mall in Hawaii. At least I remember it being a ruby Tuesday. It could have been a Friday’s or apple bees. But either way, whatever. Him and I were supposed to go fishing afterwards. I was visiting during summer break from DC so I was sitting at another table. There was a certain famous celebrity who was more from the wild side of celebrity that was at the restaurant at the same time. The type with holes in his clothes and stale cigarette smoke. Anyways he is staring at my dad and his table. I’m seeing all of this and thinking why is he staring at my dad.
So the celebrity ends up getting up, walking up to my dad and shaking his hand in front of the other guests. And he says “man I read the newspaper article about you in the advertiser last week. The part where you said your success is only possible because of your team and their ability to share your vision and see it forward was why you had success, really struck him with me. It’s so true, we can’t succeed unless those around us help us and share the same vision”.
I had always thought my dad was an amazing person, but to see that, really validated that I wasn’t just some kid that was impresssed with his dad.
To this day after 20+ years in the work world, I’ve still only met maybe 3 people on his level.
And yes, I understand that just because a celebrity tells someone they are amazing, it doesn’t mean they are. But to garner the attention of a celebrity that usually prefers anonymity and approach you like you’re the celebrity is pretty amazing.
If your dad is still alive you should print a copy of this thread and give it to him.
Jack Dangermond the person is interesting because as most genius are - very quirky and don't fit in the mold that others want to put them into.
My brother-in-law met Larry Ellison (of Oracle fame) once on a plane. He mentioned to Larry that I worked for Jack. Larry (who has collaborated with ESRI at times) noted that he thought Jack was the hardest person to understand, he'd ever met.
I've gotten to appreciate what kind of rascal Ellison is. He's "dog-eat-dog"; Jack on the other hand is a brilliant nerd whose seeming naviete' is his greatest asset. Jack is confusingly complex to guys like Ellison because Jack is genuine and wants to do what is ethical.
Jack's secret weapon is his wife, Laura. Right from the beginning when Jack would come up with outrageous ideas, she would (and still supports him 100%), if their check-book can afford it. Their company completely debt-free.
He was sitting at a table with no banner or info and I recognized him. Talked for about 5 minutes, took a photo and no one else recognized him. Pretty nice guy.
Met Rudy, not the actor, but the real person at a sales event at my work. Was real interesting, told great stories and was a real motivating guy. His story of making the real ND team is better than the movie.
Quote:
He’s not famous but I’ve watched in real life famous people come up to him and shake his hand and say how impressed they were with him
I’ll leave out the celebrities name. And I’ll qualify the story by saying I’m not some person that just thinks their father is amazing because he’s their dad. I genuinely don’t understand how he understands everything he does. It’s mind boggling.
Anyway he had a newspaper article written about him for winning an award on the business side of the newspaper world. Not the celebrity side. He’s not tangled up with all the writers or even the famous publishers an editors. He knows many of them, but he is a complete unknown to the celebrity side
Of papers.
My father was having a business lunch at a ruby tuesdays one afternoon in Hawaii. He took the execs of the prospective advertisers out to lunch at ruby Tuesday at Kahala Mall in Hawaii. At least I remember it being a ruby Tuesday. It could have been a Friday’s or apple bees. But either way, whatever. Him and I were supposed to go fishing afterwards. I was visiting during summer break from DC so I was sitting at another table. There was a certain famous celebrity who was more from the wild side of celebrity that was at the restaurant at the same time. The type with holes in his clothes and stale cigarette smoke. Anyways he is staring at my dad and his table. I’m seeing all of this and thinking why is he staring at my dad.
So the celebrity ends up getting up, walking up to my dad and shaking his hand in front of the other guests. And he says “man I read the newspaper article about you in the advertiser last week. The part where you said your success is only possible because of your team and their ability to share your vision and see it forward was why you had success, really struck him with me. It’s so true, we can’t succeed unless those around us help us and share the same vision”.
I had always thought my dad was an amazing person, but to see that, really validated that I wasn’t just some kid that was impresssed with his dad.
To this day after 20+ years in the work world, I’ve still only met maybe 3 people on his level.
And yes, I understand that just because a celebrity tells someone they are amazing, it doesn’t mean they are. But to garner the attention of a celebrity that usually prefers anonymity and approach you like you’re the celebrity is pretty amazing.
If your dad is still alive you should print a copy of this thread and give it to him.
Good idea, Jim. I’ll tell you, I never take a minute for granted when I’m with him. He’s still alive, 73 years old, and running his own business with my mom. After retiring he decided he wanted to keep working. He’s not the type that can just put his feet up and be un-productive.
After posting this it reminded me of another instance to validate my thoughts. I was interning for Gannet in college. And i was just a lowly intern at this big round table meeting with the heads of all their newspapers around the US. The woman that I was working for introduced me as well as the other interns at the beginning of the meeting so the others new who we were.
When we broke for a buffet style lunch I was at the table getting some food. The head of one of the papers from the Midwest, probably a 42-45 year old guy, comes up next to and says “so you’re Mike Xxxxx’s son? WOW, you’re a lucky young man to be able to have access to him on a regular basis. I’ve never met anyone like him. He usually ends up running these meetings while we all just sit there taking notes.”
Ok I’ll leave it at that. But I’ll definitely save this and show it to him at an appropriate time. Thanks for the idea.
1950's to 1981 I lived in the Nodine Hill section, right off Rumsey Road, by the water tower.