Second act - Lake Forest Academy

“[Edward Arpee] was my inspiration. I becameinterested in history because of him.”—Joe Arnold ’60and navigate the county bureaucracy.Next, he found an appropriate locationfor his gallery, studied his supplychains, investigated the competition,and nailed down a large storage space.“From there it was a slam dunk,” hesays.In 1994, Arnold opened the doors toEast & Beyond. His gallery includesfurniture, porcelain, artwork, and textilesfrom China, Japan, and Korea.Prices range from $5 for trinkets to$30,000 for a pair of Ming horseshoebackHuanghuali chairs, with the oldestartifacts in his collection dating backto the Han Dynasty. Clientele at thegallery come from “all walks of life.”“Dealers from China and Japan, peoplefrom the embassies, ex-military, StateDepartment,” he reports. “I just solda lot of things to a person from theGreek Embassy.”Arnold traces his interest in history backto his days at LFA in the late 1950s,where he studied under legendary historyand English master Ed Arpee.“He was my inspiration,” says Arnold,noting that he still has the little greenbook about the Civil War that Arpeewrote. “I became interested in historybecause of him”—so interested, headds, that he taught history for severalyears, including at West Point.Despite the poor economy, Arnoldhas accomplished what he set out todo with the business: keep occupied inretirement, share his love of antiques,and stay connected to Asia. Owningthe business also gives him a good excuseto travel abroad once a year tohunt for new inventory and to connectwith his contacts.His advice for those thinking aboutstarting a new venture is simple andstraightforward: Do your homeworkbefore jumping into something new,be adaptable to change, and don’t letpride get in your way. And, if you arereally passionate about something,don’t be afraid to pursue it.“Too many people are closed to changeand miss out on things in life,” he says,noting that everyone should be readyto take advantage of opportunities asthey arise.When asked when he plans to retirefor real, 67-year-old Arnold laughs.“When I am 72,” he says. “I promisedmy wife.”JUDY DATESMANSome people reach a point in life whenstarting over becomes a now-or-neverdecision. Judy Datesman is one of them.Datesman worked at the Academyfrom 1977-1994, first in admissions,later as dean of students. She had justturned 40 when she realized that if shewas going to make a change in her life,she ought to do it soon.“I loved boarding school life; however,it can be all-encompassing, and I wasafraid that if I didn’t try something differentwhile I was young and solventenough to do it, I’d wake up one daywhen it was too late and wish I had,”she says.Her “something different” involvedmoving to France and starting a business.She sells pottery from the Quimperregion of Brittany via the Internet.Opening a cyber-retailing business wasnot her original intention, she says.16 Review Fall 2009 8 Click: www.lfanet.org