I truly enjoyed reading the article on the golf accomplishments of Jerry Kelly, Tim Petrovic, and Pat Sheehan [Winter 2004,
The Observer]. It is amazing that a university that decided in the mid-1980s to move its athletics program from the lesser profile of NCAA Division II to the higher visibility of NCAA Division I has witnessed the increased exposure of the good name of the University of Hartford on major television networks, cable and satellite television, national newspapers, and major trade publications due to the success of its golf program.
Though the article did not mention the reclassification to NCAA Division I, one of the driving forces behind this initiative was former director of athletics, Mr. Gordon McCullough. Often referred to as the father of Hartford Hawk athletics, Gordon and then Vice President Robert A. Chernak spearheaded the move to place the then-young University of Hartford as a strong local, regional, and national institution. Today the University of Hartford reaps the benefit of their shared vision.
I served as Coach McCullough’s assistant for many years and can share that Gordon would have taken great pride in the accomplishments of the university today and those of Jerry, Tim, and Pat. He was instrumental in their recruitment to the university and their development as student-athletes. Gordon’s Irish eyes are smiling knowing that his boys are doing well and contributing back to their alma mater and the institution that he loved.
Sincerely,
Michael Gargano
Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Campus Life
University of Massachusetts
Amherst
I just read the latest issue of
The Observer [Winter 2004] and found the article on file sharing [“With A Little Help From Our Friends”] by Marcy Gotterbarn ’03 very interesting. One thing that surprised me is that the article didn’t quote Bill Stafford [Hartt ’90]. Bill is the VP of copyrights at BMG and is one of the people at the forefront of this issue in the music industry. It seems to me that Bill is a great asset to the university and would have been a perfect person to be interviewed for this piece.
Ireneusz K. Lacki ’99
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