Real Stories From Niagara's Luncheon Forums

" Are you my high school principal? "

The story is brief but happy. At the Luncheon Forum of September 11, 2007, I spotted a tall familiar looking man whose name tag suggested that he was my high school principal, Dr. Donald Prince, whom I had last seen in my home town of Princeton, Illinois in 1960. I asked the now much older man, "Are you my high school principal?" He answered, "I remember you; you forgot to turn in your homework." Don Prince was the high school principal in Princeton from 1957 to 1960. He then left to form the PHD program at Illinois State University in the Department of
Education. He then had a 23 year career in charge of Education at Rand McNally. He is further largely responsible for helping establish the Illinois guaranteed college fund program which allows for pre-payment of college tuition at the then established level. Dr. Donald Prince resides in Winnetka and has 2 grown children. His son works at Northwestern University. It was good to reminisce about people we know in common and to marvel that we should meet after such a long period of time. It was a happy coincidence that Dr. Henry Bienen of Northwestern and Dr. Prince are well known to each other. Thank you for making this happy meeting possible.

Best wishes,
E. Garnet Fay
VicePresident, Justice Coalition of Greater Chicago

"But I never imagined Niagara's fabled "networking" would reach back 47 years. "

My Pastor Kirk Reed, when he invited me to be his guest at your lunch, told me that President Bienan would make a fascinating presentation (I've admired his leadership at Northwestern for years), the lunch buffet would offer a creative menu that would taste good, and that I would meet some most interesting people. ALL TRUE! But I never imagined Niagara's fabled "networking" would reach back 47 years--when I was Garnet Fay's Principal at Princeton Township High School in Illinois (a more modest-sized New Trier in quality of students and faculty, curriculum, and even the building design itself). Interestingly, at least to Garnet and me, we recognized and remembered each other. Perhaps not everyone would want to be remembered by his/her Principal, but in Garnet's case, it was a pure "plus." I remember a very bright student, an exceptionally creative one, and one who had the talent and self-confidence to be different--in a positive sense. Not surprising to me, he is now a Partner in a Chicago law firm. Thank you so much for a delightful lunch and meeting.

Don Prince