JOHN ALLEN FLANDERS

After high school I attended the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in Washington DC, where I graduated in 1971. That fall I enrolled to study Economics at Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA. I was there through the end of 1978 but only earned a Masters Degree. My first job in academics was at Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville (just east of St. Louis, MO). In the fall of 1981 I took a job teaching Economics at Central Methodist College (now University) in Fayette. MO. I will start my 37th year teaching there this fall (I plan to retire in 2021 after teaching 40 years at CMU).

I was captain of the debate team my senior year. The year before the team went to nationals, as they did the year after my senior year. My year? Nope. I recall riding home from tournaments and thinking of brilliant arguments just a few hours too late.

I was in French for 5 years through my senior year. At Georgetown they made me take two more years and the oral exit exam was a scary challenge.