How a Corporate Lawyer Found His Mission-Driven Path (Bob Norton)

This is the Mrs. America and stories we tell stories about everything you're on the show. As you well know from the arts to sports, from business to history and everything in between including your stories, send them to our American stories.com there are some of our favorites and we love to tell stories ordinary people on the show not just George Washington and Arnold Palmer and the great singers and artists. We talk a lot about one particular college Hillsdale College on the show a lot. Their proud sponsors of our history stories always brought to us by Hillsdale College was founded in 18 44 x 3 Baptist abolitionists to school today is notable for teaching the things that are on life in the matter in life and our next story is about the school, but it's about somebody who works there is name of Norton. Here is Doug writer with his story Bob Rupp in Mount Clemens, Michigan outside of Detroit. I'm not sure why it's called Mount Clemens because there's no mountain there but it's called Mount Clemens and I grew up there and I had a great childhood part of Bob's childhood was family coming together to support a young girl with disabilities. My sister was born three years after I was born and my sister is challenged. So my mom really dedicated her life and main parts to the raising of my sister and provided for her care. She is mentally challenged. She's three years younger than I am. So right now she's about 55 years old and she has the mentality of about any so it was a lot of challenge for my mom and it wasn't a very enlightened time there in the 60s so it was a difficult time to have a child like that and my mom didn't excellent job of making sure my sister cared for with all the love and support his family. He still had difficulty understanding his sister's disabilities. It was hard to understand her and sometimes understand what she was doing confusing for me as a child is to well why she was different than other people sister's so that was its own challenge that you deal with as a child, but then as she got older I was raised in a family where my grandfather had been a golden glove boxer and he thought we should protect the ladies of the family, especially if there's any any issue where some young lady, but especially family members being dealt with poorly. Then you're supposed to step in.

So my sister found that to be a great form of entertainment. She often find me that fight of the day was somebody that is 10 something bad to her. She would tell people my brothers going to beat you up so that made for an interesting life. So that's the question did Bob fight I did actually beat my grandpa had made sure that I knew how to tip to protect myself and defend other people. So yeah, I did end up getting a lot of fights as a boy, not really so proud of that happened at that time. That was the code is the way I thought it was that if somebody said something to one of my female cousins that was inappropriate or was even again, you would step in if somebody was being rooted difficult with their girlfriend or somebody else. It was the job of the of the man to step in and defend in the Norton family men were the protectors they stepped up, but it's such a young age.

While I was the oldest grandson and my grandpa had taught me how to box and I was sorta told that was my role.

I wasn't left for me to figure out. I was told you need to get in there and do something is at an early age.

Bob took to heart his responsibility to defend the cost. His grades, I was had a failing school after fourth grade I was distracted doing other things, including having my own police club that I had started we would please the playground and keep it free from bully sissy. I really took to this dark Guardian of other people think. But then the fourth grade turned around, started getting all A's and doing well in school. Bob is done well academically.

Ever since, but he still can't help himself as an adult in a very responsible job General Counsel Hillsdale College did it again.

That aspect of my personality is still sort of there to this day. It was recently somebody and I'm an art store that was being extremely rude to woman. Cricket said he was going to punch her and was a couple miles over and I couldn't help myself but to say and then you can get a chance to fight a real man which one be the one media claim of everyone in the store and I kind of thought later myself. It's probably not a smart thing to say and do these days. It was just there below the surface, back to Bob's early years, he did more than just fight his family had a business and like most kids growing up in a family business.

Bob spent much of his early childhood years working in my case it involved that going to work with my father. Most Saturdays starting about the age of eight years old father owned a car dealership with a partner.

He would bring me to work and I did all kinds of things that I thought were very useful and necessary to the running of that car dealership, only later to realize he was giving me makework projects probably to get me out of my mother's here for the Saturdays I was told like pick up things around the service department growing up in the 60s was a great time because we had toys like wood burners where you give a childish hot object and tell them to burn wood and in my case, my father said go wander around the service department where there's all kinds of power tools and welders and things that could fall off of voice and pick up things so I would go around the coffee can and pick up little nuts and bolts of things he told me to pick up and at the end of the day, he would pretend as though he made some kind of measurement to determine how much money at me and you been listening to Bob Norton talking about all of the forces that helped shape and form them. Most importantly, that sister of his and him being the protector of her and that of others is a just and the endgame naturally to Bob by the way, you can't make all men or women be productive. Some are, some aren't there all types we feature every type here on the show when we continue more about Norton story here on our American stores view of the great American stories we tell and love America like we do, or asking you to become a part of the all American stories family. If you agree that America is a good and great country. Please make a donation monthly gift of $17.76 is fast becoming a favorite option for supporters to allow American stories.com now and go to the donate button and help us keep the great American stories coming that's our American stories.com Tory went to 10 MG podcast we have such a special episode brought to you by near attack ODT we recorded at iHeartRadio type windows hang out near attack ODT were not apparent 75 mg can help migraine sufferers still such an exciting event. Windows hang out I had when I took minor attack ODT and I was present amazing time.

A little glimpse of our conversation with some of our closest friends & was brought to you by near attack ODT my magic pants 75 mg life with migraine attacks can mean missing out on big moments with friends and family, but thankfully no attack ODT were magic pants 75 mg is the only medication that is proven to treat a migraine attack and prevent episodic migraines and adults sell lively events like Windows hang out down have to be next to millions will make Medicare coverage decisions for next year and United healthcare can help you feel confident about your choices for those eligible Medicare annual enrollment runs from October 15 through December 7. If you're working past age 65. You might be able to delay Medicare enrollment. Depending on your employer coverage.

It can seem confusing, but it doesn't have to be this UHC Medicare health plans.com to learn more United healthcare helping people live healthier lives. I know everything there is to know about running a coffee shop for small business insurance.

I need my State Farm agent and company business owners to help you pass. State Farm is in your corner and on my neighbor call your local State Farm agent for quote today and we returned to our American stories and the story of Bob Norton happens to be the General Counsel for Hillsdale College.

But that's not why we were doing the story. His life is just so darn interesting. Continue with the story.

While Bob cut his teeth working at his dad's cardio ship picking up junk. He also sold Christmas cards, flower seeds, door to door his imagination soon went to bigger ideas. Well, I remember that I found that you could make pretty good profit margin if we took used tires that other people had discarded that they were no longer fit for like every day use which could take the used tires and at that time they were just coming out with the many spare tires that that people hated the and so I could get a used wheel in the used tire and sell them to people out front filling a mystery like to have a real spare rate and I knew my inventory and by the way, I took the tires and painted them.

I found that there were such a thing as paint you compete tires as I would paint these tires be black from head to foot. My skin was completely black, but I would paint these tires and put a nice label on them and I would sell the person a spare tire and wheel for Santa going $35 back in the 70s.

That's pretty high price. Think about but I would sell them this spare tire real spare tire was people craving and still is room in the trunk of the Spirit for the full-size spare we just gone to these tiny tires after the oil embargo so I would sell these things and my dad said he would give me 10% of whatever I I made selling these used tires and wheels so I worked away and kept track of my inventory and that I casted and probably it was the end of the summer and I remember I made $1400 which might my mother thought it was an obscene amount of money for me to make note no teenage boy should be making that kind of money, but my father treated shooters where my father paid me the 10% and if I wasn't already an entrepreneur from my seat selling and other ventures that certainly told me you know I like this business idea, like being able to provide a service people want and me being able to make a profit. This is a great way to make a living at that time is the way I thought it was dispersed. My first car I bought when I was 14 and it was a 1956 Lincoln that I saw an add member back in the old days there was classified at the paper and I saw somebody had an ad for this Lincoln but I didn't really realize how big that car was. It was a huge cart with monster so we went to go buy this car was it was an older lady in Detroit selling it in the garage door would shut the garage door was resting on the trunk of the car because it was a small garage and so we my father came with me after work one night and we borrowed a wrecker from the next-door gas station and we towed the car back from Detroit all the tires been flatly brighter tanks with us and I filled the tires up by that age I or you knew enough about cars tires. I thought I could just look by Itel household plated tire was. So I inflated the tires. It is through driving along way overinflated. When the front tires are so heavy sidewall balls and that tire was actually from still too much air, so the car broke loose on the record start swinging back and forth from left to right the rope that it tied off the steering wheel with became afraid loose so the car took out mailboxes trees alongside the road.

By the time I did stop yet the car barely headed that and I brought it back in front of our tire store parked alongside the road basically will not work on that car. Try to bring it to life. Someday when I was be able to drive and 70 came bought the car from and I don't remember the exact crisis of hatred from multiples of what I paid for this rich tremendous.

I thought this car only had to go drive 20 miles away tow it up every day to make, but I'm sure is only hundreds of dollars to me while Bob was hustling tires and cars in the city.

You have to remember that he came from a family farm was always looking for more opportunities to expand his business and feed his entrepreneurial spirit. The Norton's are farmers there from three Rivers, Michigan state of Michigan since before Michigan was even a state and one of my uncles said you know you you think you can sell firewood.

You think people there. Mount Clemens would like firewood because I got lots of trees here, I can cut up so I said I don't know. So I went around door-to-door and I sold firewood and it was something like $45 a quart of what I need to know what a court of what was in the city was wearing my Keanna pants and my mind would heal choose the school little multi-layers of a tall wooden heels. She would I do know recording what was I went knocked on doors and some people say yeah you know you you bring it you deliver it. Absolutely. I will definitely deliver it so I sold all this would my uncle seemed happy. So one day after school was determined he was going to come that would and I remember much like I guess a comedy scene in the movie Mike outside my neighborhood and here comes this huge truck full of what Michael's large military trucks. They call me to send half trucks with a bunch of men get on the back mounded with.

I'm thinking I hope that can't be all of the wood that I have to deliver today and he and I deliver that word until I does 1030 at night and we both remember he's still remembers and we worked so hard stacking. All it would some people wanted us to put it around the back of her house and I had made it clear whether or not that was part of the deal. So we sold that would, but he was happy was a lot of money's worth of wood and again whatever commission he paid me I thought was great as a teenager and budding entrepreneur Bob earn more than just money he earned the respect of his father and assumed a bigger role in the family business.

By the time I was 14 I could give my dad a day off somewhere particular I could run the store and we had older mechanics that work there and I was the boss I set the schedule down in a test my authority to tell them you're going to work on this car.

Not that one. We generally got along, but I could do the full day's work, including making the bank deposit and so when running the counter. One day this gentleman came in and he needed something to discard what I remember was the first time I ever paid attention to cufflinks have these nice cufflinks in short, so I realize she's wearing a suit not ever seen cufflinks before. I like what it was that and so he had. He had a tie-in cufflinks in the space because Sukkoth was over his arm has briefcase. I don't remember but I do remember the cufflinks thing and so why I called in the credit card that time you did an imprint of the credit card you called when I called and they said is the card that you're holding yes it is gold and is this card has no credit. Please do not detain a long as I looked down and the name on strong which is the name of the beer ice cream in Detroit so I turned around and asked I said are you and he says yeah yeah I am now how great that was exciting so I taking care of my mind was a celebrity. Well after that, he would always come in and see me right he like that. I started working on his car as a younger, but he would wait and deal with me. He thought it was kind of cool the beginning. This teenage kid little business and I'm sure he'd let me upsell him to something you know slightly more extravagant, so we formed deliver friendship to one day asked them if they can ask you question. He said sure what I said why do you drive a Plymouth station way and he laughed and he said because when I drive to downtown Detroit. I don't want to stand out and I said yeah but it has vinyl seats and no air conditioning and he thought that was hysterical. He was only money that I would like, dude, you gotta get better car.

So I then go to law school later in life. The whole of the story and I end up getting assigned to be the General Counsel product liability nationwide counsel for product liability for strawberry and as were going along I settle these cases and resolve them and I needed to have a signature of a corporate officer for some bigger settlement it so rather than sending a runner over. I drove myself to stroke and asked if I could see Mr. show and there said well who are yes it would tell him his lawyer, Mrs. Sam, so I went into the office and I said that. Remember, the guy is noise by tires from Lake Rainey said yeah I said that's me and he jerked like you've been electrocuting what happened. So we laughed and we we talked about it but it was that my life become room full circle and I was one of his outside lawyers. I was coming to his office and you're listening to Bob Norton and now you know why we wanted you to know Bob only come back more about Norton's story and there's a lot more to come here on our American store, this is Tori, and Jenny went to one OMG podcasts we have such a special episode brought to you by near attack ODT we recorded at iHeartRadio and Windows hang out near attack ODT were not pants 75 mg can help migraine sufferers still such an exciting event Windows hang out I had when I took minor attack ODT and I was present amazing time. A little glimpse of our conversation with some of our closest friends & was brought to you by near attack ODT my magic pants 75 mg life with migraine attacks can mean missing out on big moments with friends and family, but thankfully no attack ODT were magic pants 75 mg is the only medication that is proven to treat a migraine attack and prevent episodic migraines and adults sell lively events like Windows hang out down have to be next to millions will make Medicare coverage decisions for next year and United healthcare can help you feel competent about your choices for those eligible Medicare annual enrollment runs from October 15 through December 7. If you're working past age 65.

You might be able to delay Medicare enrollment. Depending on your employer coverage. It can seem confusing, but it doesn't have to be this UHC Medicare health plans.com to learn more United healthcare helping people live healthier lives.

I know everything there is to know about running a coffee shop for small business insurance. I need my State Farm agent make sure my business people, and competent business owners to help you best.

State Farm is in your corner and on my neighbor call your local State Farm agent for quote today and we returned to our American stories in our story Bob Norton happens to be Hillsdale College's General Counsel known Bob for very long time.

We don't do a lot of stories about people you know but we don't want to exclude as a matter to last left off Bob's entrepreneurship skills. He developed a young age. Working at his dad's car dealership more than paid off and he become a lawyer for man he used to serve their before he got to that point to first tackle other challenges. Let's continue with Bob Norton story. Bob was ever the happy warrior and had his successes then came the curveballs, so we moved to Oxford we moved out of the country on 10 acres, which seemed like a huge farm to me, having moved from the city where we had small city lots and so we removed this farm that had a barn had little corralling a Chicago fenced in area and my uncle have been boarding a horse somewhere at some bar and I never seen this will work and he decided you know what I could stop paying for the horse and you can have the horse he had mentioned this like a family birthday party and I got this horse maybe you want to see if it could work. You next thing I know there's a trailer pulling up. I don't know how long we lived there. I think this weeks after he got there he pulled up this trailer and I had a horse saddle.

He brought all of things to go with the horse and said there you go you got a horse and how hard can it be exactly that to me. I don't think he was coy about that.

Think it was like, here's the deal you can have the horse, but you gotta feed and take care of it.

I got a go by. I didn't ask for the horse. I wasn't sure I like the idea of the horse and I don't know that I never ridden a horse maybe a pony maybe had been on a horse but wasn't as though I had posters of horses on my wall right it pushes the cars in my wall. We got the horse.

I was not sure if I like this idea.

Not until I figured out that teenage girls generally like horses and I couldn't drive yet. So I thought this horse could come in very useful so my what yeah my wife met my wife on the school bus and she was 14, I was 15 and turned out. Lo and behold, she did like horses. Only downside is she like the horse a lot better than she likes me for about the first 90 days but if I bring the horse over, she would go riding the horse with me, so was the horse that got the girl not the car it was.

Although, since she wasn't dating me. It was as plutonic as two people could be writing a horse together. I thought so and she was willing to go along with it so she would make us like go over and ride the horse like in her friend's front yard, which you know it wasn't quite something from Hallmark movie at that point because her friend would even come out and we give the I get off and let the friend ride the horse or the friend would even ride with me on the horse so you know my wife was very careful to say I like the horse but not so much. You oh I you know I would fall off the horse a lot in the beginning, hopefully without her around because I didn't even know how to tie the saddle on the horse. I've been riding the horse for a while before one of the other neighboring young ladies that had aforesaid let me show you how to tie a saddle. It was fascinating no idea there was all that involved in things that it took some time to learn how to saddle. He did learn got the girl and then faced the challenge of calling college was harder than high school event. One professor in particular, Dr. Varner is Varner did not like my writing said it was not up to college standard. The first paper I turned in college. She gave it back to me F minus this writing is not up to college standards. If you do not improve your writing will not pass this class. I don't think I maybe I got one D in my life but I now know I never got anything like that but I think somewhere along the way. I picked up the notion of well okay then that means we got improve so I went up to her after class.

I think I know what's wrong with this paper. She said what I said someone's written all over it in red ink. She didn't even break a smile. She said come to my office so I had a standing appointment at her office on Tuesdays to go in and she would tutor me to try her best through me and eventually my writing got a little better little better and I got to where I was getting like a C in the class, which wasn't a very common occurrence for me, but I said you know can I stop now. I mean do I have to still keep coming. She said yes because you can do better and so it seems she made me work hard and then later in life. I decide to go to law school, and there was a legal writing class yet to take and of course everything on Moscow's competitive. It is especially back then it was like you see in the movies that cutthroat, everybody's trying to get top grades in at the top of the class. So while legal writing class, no exception.

Semester do this in one person's going to get the a in the class and at the end I got BA in the writing class and I called Dr. Varner is now Abilene University of Leeds where she may still be, and I called her and she cried well plot a ladies cry when I talk to them but I was glad that she felt emotional as she is that she is worked worked so hard to help me in that it paid off. Bob did do well in college so well.

He was accepted to the University of Michigan Law school, where he faced a new set of challenges short on money short on time, married with a two-year-old living in student housing. I found out that when I came home I could have a dinner with family with my son. My wife is shortly after that excuse myself and I would go down in the basement of the married housing unit that we were now renting from University of Michigan and I went down there down the basement and studied in my underwear that you stay awake better when you're really cold and if you let yourself get warm, so I would study cold and keep myself awake and sometimes get up at 530 in the morning and do it again while Bob was doing well in law school, he was still broke being really really poor during law school and the effect after law school really put money even our credit cards to make it through to the very end. So I find that the most cost-effective lunch.

I could eat with some rice cakes and a yogurt so Kathy would buy me a sleeve of rice cakes and yogurt and out one of the professors.

One of the partners at the law firm would comment about what a health would not this look eats is and I've course. Why just kind of course went ahead and went with that.

Yeah yeah you know I'm just trying to be healthy, but it was really because it was the cost-effective way I was driving a little expensive car, but you least.

It was no rust on it little three cylinder car originally lost one that I got a lip to a four-cylinder car and being a car guy come a long way since my Cadillac days I was driving a little a little economy car. Funny story there is that the other law firm was a nice law firm. I was fortunate to get a good job and good firm financing debt payoff so they had a firm outing at the Detroit yacht club and nice place and everybody ahead of me is driving a Mercedes Cadillac and the guy at the security guard in this column of car stops my car you I'm with this firm really show him some idea if you like okay and anyways all the cars but a little bit like the Sesame Street. One of these things is not like the other and you been listening to Bob Norton tell some really good stories and I keep thinking about that Mrs. Warner we all have a Mrs. Warner in our lives. Someone will look pretty tough on us, but also loves us and wants to see us do better in F minus Bob saw that red writing on his paper and then did that other thing which is come to my office every Tuesday when Bob got his grades up to see and wanted to stop. He said there's more to do.

You can do better and Bob had the grace and the decency to call her up all about writing work paid off while he was lost in the mere act of thanking her, made her cry.

We should all call over Mrs. Warner's in our lives from this one is in our lives. More often think this too often probably never get the call. I know my dad was one of those people. He was an amazing teacher and some people actually called shoulder the difference it made what I thought was an unsentimental man. When we come back more with Bob Norton dear on our American story, this is Tori OMG podcasts we have such a special percent brought to you by near attack ODT we recorded at iHeartRadio and Windows hang down near attack ODT were magic pants 75 mg can help migraine sufferers still such an exciting event like Windows hang out I had when I took minor attack ODT. I was present amazing time.

A little glimpse of our conversation with some of our closest friends & was brought to you by near attack ODT were magic pants 75 mg life with migraine attacks can mean missing out on big moments with friends and family, but thankfully near attack ODT were magic pants 75 mg is the only medication that is proven to treat a migraine attack and prevent episodic migraines and adults sell lively events like Windows hang out don't have to be next to millions will make Medicare coverage decisions for next year and United healthcare can help you feel confident about your choices for those eligible Medicare annual enrollment runs from October 15 through December 7. If you're working past age 65. You might be able to delay Medicare enrollment.

Depending on your employer coverage.

It can seem confusing, but it doesn't have to be this UHC Medicare health plans.com to learn more United healthcare helping people live healthier lives.

I know everything there is to know about running a coffee shop for small business insurance. I need my State Farm agent make sure my business people and company business owners to help you best. State Farm is in your corner and on neighbor call your local State Farm agent for quote today and we returned to our American stories in our story, Bob Norton, Hillsdale College is counsel. Let's continue with his story, Bob became a highly accomplished attorney who specializes in excelled in love.

The art of negotiation which took him to his next role in Visteon a major automotive parts. The fun thing about that company is spun off from for and so everything was up for renegotiation and I had become trained in negotiations at University Michigan take apart some training programs that Harvard and I really like negotiation that have been on my resume is something I like doing so. Stacy Fox was the General Counsel like Stacy Stacy.

Also with the Michigan law school and Stacy said okay you're to be the principal negotiator, whatever that is. So I get to negotiate with all of these companies on significant contracts worldwide so we got a bitter dispute with Microsoft about the license for all of our laptop software, servers, everything Microsoft said the license agreement with Ford was invalid and we needed entirely new license agreements so I had a pitched battle with the lawyer for Microsoft and it went on for months. Lots of money exchanges between us because she was very determined. She was when I was determined I was and eventually I had escalated to Ford management I not escalated any other Visteon issue, but it escalated into the Ford management. We got a problem, Microsoft help me in a civil Bill Gates is coming on Monday so I went back to my office and called my archrivals and look out of professional courtesy. I want to let you know. Bill Gates is going to be here Monday and this is going to be the number one issue.

She was equally startled to hear that Bill Gates was coming on Monday and she said you know, let me get back with you so about 20 minutes or so after that I get a phone call from this very obsequious vice president for Microsoft. Mr. Norton, I understand we have a little disagreement between us. I'd love to get this worked out and I said yeah I think were past the point of just working it out. We've been at war for long time. I'm getting need to hear from your counsel that she agrees this matters completely worked out that there's no legal issue still extra license agreement. Let me get right back with you humans later my phone rang and it was a woman I've been dealing with and I said look, there's nothing personal between us and she read like the scrap I am calling to let you know there is no further remaining issues between our company, Microsoft, and I went on to explain look less. This is some point in the future will get together and laugh about this and it was a dialtone she hung up on Bob was on a fast track as successful as he was as much as he loved his work. The impersonal and short-term focus of the corporate world left and dissatisfied and unfulfilled. The untimely death of a close family member cause Bob to reflect on his career.

Was he headed in the same direction was his life on the same track. My father-in-law unfortunately passed away at 56 years old.

As an executive at EDS and he died on a weekday. I don't remember exactly to say it was a Tuesday and my mother-in-law received a phone call. Let's say it was Friday. Relatively few days later asking if she could please come by the office and pick up his things well. My mother-in-law still in shock from this car accident death arrive there and the I guess temporary receptionist assistant showed her back to where the boxes were put outside of his office and inside the glass walls of the office she could see the new person was on the phone with his back to her in the new name on the door and that left a pretty indelible impression on me that in the corporate world, you know you're here one day you're going tomorrow new name on the door you person filling the role you better not be getting too much of your fulfillment out of the fact that you know you've carried this place on your shoulders and but for you it would exist. It turned out, EDS apologized and said it was a temporary person and they should not of called her about her, but it made the point to me that's really what does happen, you know, okay.

Who else do we have in thanks you know where on to the next person.

It wasn't just that Bob was afraid he would be a cog in a big machine.

There were other drivers remember Bob as the descendent of a long line of preachers, their values is values percolated.

Bob was at a fork in the road. He consulted a family confidant when making a decision.

2009. My uncle have an uncle who's been financially successful. When I was asking some of his advice about the career path. He said you know you have to determine some point.

When is enough enough on the monetary side and when is it the other things you're looking for, not Avenue. You alone can decide where that balances and that was pretty profound was that was something that Kathy and I both thought about okay where is the right amount of compensation, coupled with a sense of mission the right place to be.

So Kathy and I sat on our couch and overlooked the lake worry where we happen to live at the time and looking out of the lake and thinking deep thoughts. We decided which direction is the best direction for our life and we decided it was time to take the more mission driven path and that path ultimately is led to his after careful thought and consideration, in consultation with his wife Bob took the road less travel the road that led to a small town in rural Michigan that is the home to a liberal arts college founded by abolitionist in 1840. I think he'll still stands for constitutional way of life and understanding of the founding documents that has been forgotten and are too many sectors of our society. The unique place that Hillsdale holds is a promise to educate our country and the citizens as to the freedoms and liberties which they should expect they could enjoy and Hillsdale is also unique place.

My daughter ended up going to college. Has them graduating along the way. It was truly amazing to watch the difference it made her life and the way it shaped her into the fine person that she is. I remember the first semester. Kathy and I thought that Katie would probably not be going back to Hillsdale complex because she was suffering greatly under the increased workload and expectation level of Hillsdale College for identifying high school students by the public school system that she went to his fine public school system.

She have a 3.8 grade point in is on the executive student Council and honor Society and just thought she was a pretty darn good. Students will gave her the confidence to come here and when there was a rude awakening that the level was at a much higher level than she anticipated. And it was hard to reach it. We were surprised and relieved when she went back after the first Christmas break of the first year, but her determination to have to adjust whatever it was that help her get by is really a credit to her, because in the end she is getting four points. Many of her later years, she had an outstanding psychology thesis that she put forward and was even able to get a summer internship in expandable further make a presentation of itself. She hung in there but many people experience the first year of Hillsdale. I guess other schools are known for their freshman 15, Hillsdale is known for freshman rude awakening. In some people's minds that they're not just can always get all A's in my other two sons went to Pepperdine University which is a fine University, but I think that it was our conclusion that Katie was receiving a better education and Hillsdale. She was more solid on things that we thought were important, not just including history and the Constitution, but also is receiving very fine education. Bob found his home.

Hillsdale College's love for the school.

Their mission and the students reinforce and validate every day's decision to leave the corporate world for more mission driven life. Students here are really wonderful. Our first semester here, we've moved into a campus house.

They were kind enough to let us land and while we figured out the area forget we want to live and get a dog and we were to be doing some traveling, so we want somebody to watch the dog so I put up some notice on the bulletin board that the second dog watcher wanted in a dog walker and watcher wanted and we went away somewhere. We came back we always messages our answering machine and they sounded like people applying for White House positions. Mr. and Mrs. Norton I saw your posting. I'm wondering if perhaps I could drop by and meet your dog perhaps going to trial run with the dog and then talk with both of you about your expectations for the dog walking.

After about the third one I stopped the tape until Kathy, it's a dog walking position, but you know it it's the way things are done here.

You nothings expected to be done in a proper way.

I have some rental housing around the area and the students are so polite and respectful. It really is a joy you know it's usually Mr. Norton and Mrs. Norton this and even if something is broken, they try very hard to stay civil and say, could you please get this working. We often comment about how when the students go to lunch. They mark this seat they want to say that with either iPhone or iPad or the wallet and then walked out of sight stand in line to go get the food, knowing that when they get back nothings minister in a set kind of unique place is a lot of faith in the leaders of tomorrow and around the house and you been listening to Bob Norton story and what a story indeed.

Again, if you have stories by friends, a college town, whatever it might be. Send them to our American stories.com there. Some of our favorites and by the way I teach that Hillsdale every year for two weeks. Bob Norton is so right places special proud of Hillsdale sponsors.

I'm proud to know Bob Norton: a friend Bob Norton story here on our American school