Jerry Richardson

Yes

Upon graduation from Harding, I figured I was not going to win a Super Bowl ring or knock Elvis Presley off the pages of “Variety”. So, I attended OU and was graduated with a degree in business in 1963. I married after graduation and immediately joined the Navy for two years, moving to San Francisco where I joined my ship as Gunnery and Cargo Officer. The USS Rainier (AE-5), an ammunition ship, was near the Tonkin Gulf in August 1964 when the two destroyers were attacked. That became the start of the Vietnam War. I had joined the Navy to see the world, but not go to war. We spent eight months off the coast of Vietnam delivering rockets and bombs to carriers and destroyers before coming home. When I joined Naval ROTC, I had not expected to get married after college and during the two years I served, I was only home for eight months and on duty every fourth night when the ship was at home. Decided a career in the service was not for me! So, when my ship headed back to Vietnam in the summer of 1965 and my Navy duty was over, I returned to Oklahoma City.

I joined my father in the car business and stayed there for 30 years. I sold the Ford store in 1998 and then subsequently purchased Toyota, Suzuki, and Kia franchises. I currently own a Kia/Suzuki dealership in Norman. I am essentially retired as I have a young partner who supervises the operation. I went to OCU for four years of nights and summers and when I was 51 received an MLA degree. I even had braces on my teeth during that time. Unfortunately, securing my place in history is the fact that I was on the Board of Directors of Penn Square Bank when the FDIC shut it down in 1982. I had to testify before a Congressional Sub Committee. Not fun!! This whole affair was chronicled in two books. Funny Money by Mark Singer and Belly UP: The Collapse of Penn Square Bank by Philip Zwieg. My involvement with the beginning of the Vietnam War AND being on the Board of the largest bank failure, up to at that time, are not my favorite bio entries. One claim to fame I have is my mother, Mozelle. She received her degree from OU at age 90. The oldest graduate from there. She is also listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest graduate anywhere. Embarrassing when it took her 72 years and only took me and my siblings four. And, she still drives. At 96,she recently had her 9th book "The Thyssen Affair" published. She is now working on her 10th.

One of my biggest joys (besides my wife Joy) is traveling and having an opportunity to see a good part of the world. I enjoy out of the way places and I have dragged my wife screaming to places such as Tibet, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar (Burma), East Germany and Russia (before the wall came down), Nepal, India (particularly liked Calcutta), Cuba (on a mission trip), China and other similar places. Shortly, after we left Tibet, Myanmar, and Nepal riots broke out. I must be a carrier. One of the reasons behind my wife’s screaming was that I waited until we were exiting Cambodia to tell her there was a $10,000 bounty on Americans while we were there. And, then her riot broke out. During my time in the Navy, I became a fan of the Orient. However, we have also been to more sane places in Europe. I have also tried out for "Survivor" and "The Amazing Race" seven times. Guess they think I’m too old. Been an extra in a movie and I did do a few small parts for the Lyric Theatre in Oklahoma City. Not singing parts. My most famous line was from the musical The Mystery of Edwin Drood. As a butler, I got to say, “The goose is cooked”.

Check out my blog at http://actingyourage1.bloogspot.com. This is my new avocation. See if I make it to the red carpet.

I now manage my wife’s art career. This means, I put the wires on the back of her paintings and hang them at shows. Check out her website joyrichardsonart.com

Our three children think I am cool, gutsy, and ridiculous because I have bungee jumped. My wife just thinks I’m crazy. Our children are married and have given us eight grandchildren (including identical twin boys) who are probably the cutest ones in the class. We are enjoying life at this age and I look forward to seeing many of you at the reunion.