ABSTRACT
What at the time was normal hazing on the part of senior students and young faculty knocked people newer students back, but Jim was there to put perspective even on that process. As anyone who met Jim will attest, he was a genuinely kind, humble, and entertaining person. He went out of his way to bring his students to his home, introduced people to his delightful wife Kelma, and made them feel secure in what was a rather intimidating and always competitive environment. His modus operandi as a teacher and mentor was to provide stability in a novel academic world that threw up constant challenges which initially appeared insurmountable to new initiates. But, as high as he set the bar, Jim also provided the support people needed and served as a one-man-safety-net. He tested people every step of the way, but he truly wanted them to succeed.
