on campus - Article - Manhattan College

32 manhattan.edu
Continued from pg. 31 – John B.
Walsh Planned Gift
between semesters, but, like many others,
he discovered the theory was not valid).
After a stint in the Army, Walsh returned
to the College and graduated in 1948. He
entered Columbia University for graduate
studies and became an instructor after
completing his degree.
In 1951, he helped to establish the
Rome, N.Y., Air Development Center,
where Walsh rose to be technical director
of the Intelligence and Reconnaissance
Division. He returned to Columbia to join
the faculty and became assistant director
of Electronics Research Laboratories, where
he authored three books and met and
married his wife, Marie. In the 1960s,
his illustrious career took him to the White
House and National Security Council.
Walsh moved into diplomacy as the
assistant secretary general of NATO
for defense support in 1977. He was
instrumental in obtaining the agreement
of the 15 NATO nations to undertake
the NATO Airborne Warning and Control
System joint program.
After NATO, Walsh joined the faculty
of the Defense Systems Management
College as professor and dean of the
Executive Institute. He also chaired
several defense science board study
groups and was a member of the
Scientific Advisory Group for Effects
of the Defense Nuclear Agency.
In 1982, Walsh entered the corporate
realm to become vice president and
chief scientist of the Boeing Military
Airplane Company. He later became vice
president for strategic analysis of the
Defense and Space Group, from which
he retired in 1993.
Although he’s now retired, Walsh is as
busy as he’s ever been. He devotes his
energies to consulting, writing, spending
time with Marie and traveling extensively.
The couple has three children, George,
John and Darina.
James Vodola ’69 Honors
Professor William E. Weber
James Vodola ’69
To say that James Vodola ’69 is grateful
to his former professor of accounting,
William E. Weber, is putting the matter
mildly. He attributes success in his life
and career to Weber and, just recently,
has made a major gift in memory of the
late professor to fund scholarships for
students of accounting. Vodola is now
president of his own firm, Partners
Advisory Services Corp. in White Plains,
N.Y., and his specialty is financial
consulting and litigation support. How
he came to this point is an interesting
and inspirational story.
Vodola, who resides with his wife, Judy,
in Elmsford, N.Y., didn’t meet Weber
until he had graduated from Manhattan,
spent four years in the service and
returned to Manhattan to take the
accounting courses required for the CPA
exam. This was the beginning of his real
education, and little did he know that
he had met a man who would become
one of the greatest influences in his life.
As with many accounting professors,
Weber had his own practice and, during
the years, staffed it with his students.
They were his boys, and Vodola relished
the privilege of being one of their number.
For several years following the completion
of his degree, Vodola worked part time
during the tax season with Weber with no
real inclination to become a CPA or get
the “ticket” as the professor would say.
After a couple of years, Vodola joined
him on a full-time basis, and it was
then that the Weber influence took hold.
Recognizing a man who needed a push,
the professor badgered, cajoled and
harassed nonstop.
“No one who ever worked for me
didn’t get the ticket,” he reminded
Vodola daily. Sometimes at 11 p.m.,
he would awaken Jim and ask why he
wasn’t studying for the exam. “You can’t
make any money sleeping,” he would
say over and over again.
Vodola finally got serious, studied
and passed the CPA exam. He still
doesn’t know who was prouder, the
professor or he.
Vodola continued to work for Weber
for about five years until he decided he
needed big-time experience. When he
told Weber of his decision to leave his
practice, Weber immediately picked up
the phone and called upon every Big
Eight connection he had on Vodola’s
behalf. Little did Vodola know at the time,
he already had his big-time experience.
Professor William Weber
Weber loved Manhattan College and
told Vodola so on countless occasions.
He, Dom Maiello, John Anderson, Mike
Maestes and Al Petrocine, in particular,
were some of the most dedicated
professors and the best people Vodola
had the pleasure to meet, and he is
forever grateful to them.
Ask him why he funded scholarships
in the professor’s name for accounting
students, and Vodola will say, “I believe
there are few things that would have
made Bill Weber happier.”
Through his generosity, Vodola is
providing the means for these students to
walk in Weber’s footsteps. He also hopes
that other alumni who have benefited from
the kindness of professors such as Weber
will support scholarship opportunities at
the College. Anyone wishing to make a
gift in memory of Weber should call
Mary Ellen Malone, director of planned
giving, at (718) 862-7976.