James Taw:
CLASS OF 1968
Baldwin High SchoolClass of 1968
Baldwin, NY
Valdosta State University - Graduate SchoolClass of 1975
Valdosta, GA
Valdosta State UniversityClass of 1972
Valdosta, GA
Baldwin Junior High SchoolClass of 1965
Baldwin, NY
James 's Story
Life
Retired after 30 years from the Valdosta City School System in 2001. Since the Fall of 2001, I have held a full time faculty position as a Lecturer in the History Department of my old alma mater-Valdosta State University. I am married to my college sweetheart (a retired teacher) and we celebrated 50years in March, 2021. We have one daughter who also works at VSU as an accountant and one granddaughter who graduated from VSU in December, 2015 with a BS in Nursing. I am very proud of my granddaughter as she won the University President's Award for the highest GPA in the College of Nursing and Health Sciences and the Archbold Memorial Award (voted on by peers and faculty) for achievement and leadership in the nursing field. She also published an article in November, 2015 for the Gerontological Society of America. Lots smarter then her Poppy. She is now an intake Nurse Manager at Greenleaf Center here in Valdosta. She and her fiance just recently purchased a house in a small community of homes about 1/2 mile from us. Close enough for me to aggravate her on a daily basis. They married in February, 2018. After 45 years I left full time teaching in May, 2016. I will teach one or two courses in the Fall Semester, 2016. Just can't give it up completely. After the Fall Semester, 2106 I will wait and see what 2017 has in store for me.. I have some writing to do and I am doing research with a Psychology professor at Valdosta State who, oddly enough, is from Brooklyn. I am also involved in some on going research with two colleague counterparts in the Czech Republic so I have plenty to keep me busy. Seems that life is just starting.
Well, 2017 has come around and I am teaching two classes at VSU and I will be teaching one in the Fall.. Gives me something to do two days a week and makes me appreciate the time I have off with my wife. We just enjoy being around one another. My two "old" college housemates live in town and we spend a good deal of time with them and their spouses. Lots of exaggerated story telling and since all three of us are fans of single malt scotch there is an abundance of taste testing of a variety of brands. Just enjoying life.
Well, the Dean asked me to come back full time for the Spring, 2018 semester. I did. Don't know wha...Expand for more
t Fall, 2018 holds for me right now. We shall see. My Granddaughter and her fiance were married on Saturday, February 10 at the Ritz Carlton on Amelia Island, Fla. Good time was had by all. I gave the bride away. They are doing the honeymoon thing in Italy. Life is good...Well, we started classes at VSU last week. The new Provost and Dean asked me to return full-time so I have. Can't get much better. My Granddaughter has also been promoted to a Nurse Supervisor and now a Nurse Manager. Smart 26 year old and we are super proud of her. Still working full-time at VSU and I am on the schedule for 2019-through 2021. Will have to decide in December 2021 if I return or just walk away. Just can't give it up. I am having fun and it is on my terms. I was named a "Distinguished Alumnus" in 2015. I have 53 years of great memories here at VSU. The ole alma mater has been very good to both me and my family. Three generations have passed through these halls and I still enjoy walking through them. Major updates...My granddaughter is now the Mobile Health Nurse for Langdale Forest Products and 2021-2022 will be my last year at VSU. I have been full time again since 2018. When I tendered my resignation in late April, 2021 I told my department head I would teach one more year full time so as of May 30, 2022 I will officially be retired again for a second time. That will be 50+ years of teaching and I think that is enough.
FULLY RETIRED on May 31, 2022 after 50+ years of teaching. Going through "not working withdrawal" right now. Not as bad as I thought. No more History facts racing through my head 24 hours a day. AIN'T LIFE GREAT.....
Uh oh...Been fully retired since May 2022. My former dean, dept. head, and new provost contacted me 3 weeks before the Fall, 2023 semester and asked if I would come back. I did for 2 classes. I finished out the semester and resigned the second week of December. I decided almost 53 years of teaching was enough. Had to get it out of my system. For the past 6 weeks I have done absolutely nothing but aggravate my wife just as I have done since we first met in 1969 and married in 1971. Ain't life great....
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