The “Quality of Life Quotient”
Investopedia. That’s the Web site I found when I Googled “return on investment.” Here’s their definition: “A performance measure used
to evaluate the efficiency of an investment or to compare the efficiency of a number of different investments.”
That “business school” solution is an easy one. After all, we know our guys do very well out there in the real world. CEOs, Presidents, COOs, CIOs, and CFOs…we have them all. We have them in New York, in Los Angeles, and in several places in between. Several are good friends of mine.
But their ROI extends well past any purely financial measure of their success.
• One former vice chairman, Class of 1955, quietly makes sure our guys have the best lab equipment they can have.
• One CEO, Class of 1969, supports Wabash students who travel abroad to expand their cultural and educational experiences.
• Another CEO, Class of 1977, has funded major scholarship programs and faculty chairs. He treasures the campus educational experience.
• One already-retired CIO, Class of 1984, jumped in when a natural disaster hit the Philippines and made it a personal mission to change the outcome.
•Still another CEO, Class of 1996, has provided opportunities for many young Wabash guys to grow and flourish in his company.
Our mission statement is “Wabash College educates men to think critically, act responsibly, lead effectively, and live humanely.” Net worth, in the grand scheme of things, goes way beyond the checkbook balance.
• Jim Cumming ’61 has been a pediatrician since medical school. I am sure
he sees the kids of the kids…You simply can’t assign a value to his impact
on the little ones we love so much.
• Charley Crowley ’70 has given a lifetime of service helping those among us with special needs.
• Fred Butler ’72 has given a lifetime of dedication in one of the toughest jobs out there—oncologist.
• Ethan Olberding ’99, Army Ranger and leader, is on the leading edge…for all of us.
• Charles Hintz ’13 serves people halfway around the world as a member of the Peace Corps.
So I hope as you read this issue you think not only about ROI, but about the Quality of Life Quotient, too.
—Grunge, Tom Runge ’71, director, Alumni and Parent Programs, runget@wabash.edu