Stories
Stories
A Michigan native and graduate of the University of Southern California, Richard Stillman served full-time in the U.S. Army from 1942 to 1965. His military career, during which he rose to the rank of colonel and command of the Third Armys 20th Infantry Regiment, included nineteen months as an aide to General George S. Patton.
Stillman is professor emeritus of management at the University of New Orleans College of Business Administration, where he taught from 1967 until 1982. He has written a total of eighteen books, a number of which are devoted to management, investing, and personal finance, along with many others (including two in progress) on the subject of General Patton.
An athlete and exercise enthusiast, Stillman won six gold medals and one silver in track and swimming events in Louisianas 2002 Senior Olympics, bringing his medal count to eighteen gold and two silver since he first entered the Olympics competition in 1996. A frequent speaker on finance, investment, and General Patton, Stillman is president of R.J. Stillman Company, his writing and publishing operation.
HBS was a memorable experience for me, in particular because of the case method. Working through the various aspects of a problem in order to come up with a reasonable solution in a limited amount of time was truly useful preparation for my several careers.
Initially, Id been torn between the military and a business career, but the gathering clouds of war put the military in the forefront. Midway through HBS, in 1939, I went on active duty for a year. That was when I, a platoon leader, first met George Smith Patton Jr. during large-scale war games in Louisiana. He was a lieutenant colonel at the time and one of the umpires who assessed our performance. Despite his profane language and high-pitched speaking voice, he made a powerful impression.
I next encountered him in March 1944. I was chief of the Third Armys Test and Inspection Section, and our unit had been ordered overseas. At his headquarters in an elegant estate about 100 miles north of London, General Patton greeted us. By then, he had already successfully invaded North Africa and liberated Sicily. As we stood before him, he said, Gentlemen, look to your right, look to your left, and remember that one of you wont be around at the end of the war. That prediction caught our attention, and our unit did go on to suffer heavy casualties. I became secretary of his General Staff and was with him for D-Day, his next triumph, when the Third Army broke through on four fronts in France and raced across Europe.
In my book General Pattons Timeless Leadership Principles: Your Practical Guide for a Successful Career and Life, I examine his attributes. Perhaps the key to his success was his total knowledge of military history, tactics, and procedures. That knowledge, combined with his own World War I combat experience and his great stage presence, made him a formidable leader.
After the war, I continued with various Army assignments relating to organization and training, and eventually assumed command of the 20th Infantry Regiment. In 1965, I retired from the military and became a professor of management and business at Ohio University. Two years later, I moved to the University of New Orleans (UNO), where I taught management and finance. I enjoyed working with students from different backgrounds and from around the world, seeing their contributions and how their thinking would change as they got to know each other better. At UNO, I have funded a management chair, donated a running track to its athletic and fitness center, and introduced an annual speaking competition award. I have also donated a General Patton section at the National D-Day Museum here in New Orleans.
I first began writing books at Ohio University, beginning with Guide to Personal Finance; another book, Dow Jones Industrial Average: History and Role in an Investment Strategy was published by Dow Jones-Irwin. My Dow chart (24 x 36), which traces the DJIAs monthly movement over the past century, has gone into eighteen editions. Eventually, I developed my current firm, R.J. Stillman Company, to produce the Patton books. The two Im working on now are General Pattons Secret Missions: Little Known Facts about Intriguing Experiences of Old Blood and Guts, which hopefully will be available by years end. The second, General Pattons Major Impact on Our Lives, is about his effect on those who worked with him. He was tough but had a soft side, too, and thats what he used most with his staff. We were completely loyal to him.
I also give talks in Europe and all over America on Dow Jones, the stock market, and, of course, my old boss. Ive been fortunate to have a great education and lots of great experiences, and I feel I have an obligation to do something with that, to participate in various activities and to donate where appropriate to help others. Punctuality, good manners, physical fitness, a positive attitude, a sense of responsibility, and a commitment to leaving the world better than I found it Ive tried to follow that approach to living.
I feel blessed to have been born in the United States of America, the greatest country in the world. I hope I can continue to contribute a little bit to making it an even better place to live.
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