PreCareer Prep 9-11-25

What we learn from the time we are born to when we enter adulthood impacts the rest of our life. I learned the importance of Humor from my family in my earliest experiences.  I learned to be myself and not take myself too seriously. I was able to become “self-taught”. I had inherited musical talent and was encouraged to develop it. Two of my Uncles died in World War II but earlier formed a Jazz Band in the 1920s. My grandmother had been an opera singer. One uncle played piano by ear. I was raised in part by 4 uncles and 3 aunts from my mom’s side. This “adult environment” accelerated my development. Both of my grandfathers were successful scientists. The families had weathered the Great Depression and remained successful. 

Early Years

When I was born in 1943, my mom and dad owned a house in Shrewsbury Mo, a suburb near St. Louis Mo.  close to my mom’s parent’s house in Maplewood Mo. My dad owned 13 filling stations and was the Night Superintendent of the Small Arms Plant during World War II.  My brother was 6 years older. My mom was the oldest girl in her family of 4 girls and 8 boys. My mom’s dad was a well-known Physician and Surgeon.  My dad was a middle child in his family of 2 girls and 4 boys. Grandpa Leahy was a Chemical Engineer, CEO, Investor and Board Member. We called him “Daddy War Bucks”.

My dad’s brother John Leahy was the Director R&D at Texas A&M. Uncle John was also the Secretary of Agriculture for the State of Texas. Uncle John was the Chemist who developed cotton seed oil for multiple uses.

Uncle John and wanted my dad to meet with the Volkart Brothers Board. They were a Europe-Based Agricultural Trading Company. My dad met with them and they wanted to hire him.

My experience growing up was a blast. My brother and I enjoyed ourselves. We were renters because we moved a lot.

In Texas, my brother and I would listen to the radio and harmonize singing hillbilly songs and toured all the sites and my brother road his horse to school. In Tennessee we shoveled 4 feet of snow one winter to clear the sidewalk and toured all the sites. In New York we sent to all the Broadway Shows and toured the sites.

Moving Years

In 1945, my mom, dad, brother and I moved from St. Louis Mo. to Hallettsville Texas so my dad could earn a Masters in Cotton Research Technology at Texas A&M.

In 1946 my dad joined Volkart Brothers to establish Research Facilities. We moved to Providence Rhode Island in 1946, Memphis Tennessee in 1947. In 1949 my dad was promoted to VP Research & Development and we moved to Queens NY.  In 1952, My Dad was promoted to Managing Director of Volkart Brothers with a transfer to Brussels Belgium. My parents separated and my mom, brother and I moved back to St. Louis Mo to be with family.

In 1952, my mom, brother and I moved to the “family apartment” in Maplewood near my grandparent’s house. My dad sent my mom a $500 check for “child support” every month. My mom got a job as the Accountant for a Jewelry Company with multiple stores. In 1952 my brother entered Christian Brothers College Military HS and I entered Immaculate Conception School. We were latch-key kids.  My mom worked from 8am to 5pm Monday through Friday. I biked to school and came home at 3pm. My brother worked at a filling station.

When I began to focus on my interest in Personnel as a career at age 10, I was told that Personnel Directors reported to Company Presidents and were among the top 5 highest paid employees in the companies.  All I had to do next was to determine if I could gain the skills to qualify. This involved learning what Personnel Directors do.

Picking an Industry was the next step. In the 1950s in the US, Manufacturing was dominant. I would not only need to understand employees, but I would need to understand production. I became a “newspaper reader” and asked many questions.

I liked to work, so when I was 8 years old I worked at the “family apartment cutting the grass, picking up peaches from the big peach tree and cleaning the garage behind the apartment. When we moved to our home across the street from my grandparents’ home in 1955, I continued to cut the grass and learned how to replace a broken side-walk.

My “family schools” were all Catholic Schools.

At Immaculate Conception I was an alter boy for the 6am Mass. I was also a Patrol Boy. I was in the Children’s Choir I was also a Boy Scout bugler. I played trumpet the grade school band and won a music scholarship to CBC. I spent a lot of time with the guys in my class playing football, baseball. Chess and hanging out. School was not hard. My Iowa Test Scores in 8^th grade were two years above my age group.

At CBC, I met my classmates the Summer Before Freshman Year. I formed a “Rock Band” at the end of the summer of 1957. I was elected Freshman Class President in 1957 and was tapped to join the Speech Club. I won gold medals for Humorous Interpretation. In my Sophomore year I was tapped to join the chorus for St Joe’s Academy

(girl’s school) musicals. I was tapped to play Sgt. Baker in the CBC play “Time Limit”.

In my Junior Year I was tapped to be the “Drum Major” of the CBC Marching Band and tapped to be a Cheerleader.

I also formed a Dixieland Band to play at away games. This was a test to verify my theory that “support” was important to maintaining CBC’s State Champion states in football and basketball and it worked. The players appreciated the extra support. I wanted to see if I could positively effect a Company Culture.

In my Senior year, I was tapped to be a Prom Magazine Reporter for CBC, tapped to be the President of the Activity Organizations and tapped to be a Yearbook Editor. I was promoted to Band Company Commander. I was tapped to take a scholarship to Berry College in Rome Georgia, but turned it down. My plan was to work my way through St. Louis U and commute from home.

My activities at CBC helped me to develop the skills I would later use in my Personnel Career. I had no time or need  for “activities” in college.

I entered the College of Arts and Sciences. Minors in Theology and Philosophy were required. These would be useful for understanding Human Nature. Companies were looking for “Liberal Arts Grads”.

I entered St. Louis U in 1961 and met with my Faculty Advisors. I asked them what I should major in to prepare for a Personnel career. They said” “Psychology”. They also said that it was rare to meet incoming Freshman who actually had already selected a profession. I signed up for 20 hours per semester.  I bagged a 3.7 GPA my first semester and my advisors let me take Science courses as a Pre-Med.

Later my advisors let me take Graduate Industrial Psychology Seminars for undergraduate credit. I graduated a semester early in January 1965.

I had taken Airforce ROTC at St Louis U, but turned down my Commission in 1965 because I failed the eye exam.

I was married in August 1964 and had a baby on the way and was exempt from the draft as a “Kennedy Father”.

From 1961 to 1965 I worked as a Bass Player 6 nights per week at the Livingroom on Gaslight Square.

I worked summer day jobs at Granet City Steel to get a feel for manufacturing and at St. Louis State School & Hospital as a Therapist.

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader