While recalling his beginnings on the Hilltop, Dr. Lawrence Durham ’63 envisions a blue book signed by his freshman English professor with the following inscription: “Mr. Durham, you can write more and say less than any student I’ve ever had. F.”

While Durham accompanies this story with a generous eye-roll, he must admit that the comment still impacts him today.

“There’s no telling how many times he employed that same tactic over his career,” Durham says. “And there’s no telling how many times I’ve remembered it over my career.”

Not one to let his failures prevent future success or (thanks to his professor) waste words that are not backed by action, Durham occupied a variety of roles throughout his illustrious career. In explaining his career path, Durham reflects back to advice from broadcaster and author Art Linkletter at a Munger Auditorium convocation: “He advised us to change jobs whenever we ceased to enjoy them… His advice often came to mind as varying professional opportunities arose.”

After holding faculty and staff positions at BSC – as director of development – and the University of Alabama and two management positions in the nuclear power industry, Durham decided in 1997 to branch out into business consulting as founder and president of Sterling Learning Services, Inc. Before his 2007 retirement, Durham served 60 organizations in 30 different countries.

Holding postdoctoral degrees and certifications in multiple fields, Durham credits his time at BSC for fostering his lifelong love of learning and equipping him with tools to explore within the realm of his natural curiosities. He says that, while many of the courses he took at BSC taught him his limits, some, like Music Appreciation – which he says “enriched my life more than any other single course” – added new dimensions to his identity, both as a person and a professional.

From teaching mathematics at the U.S. Nuclear Power School during the Vietnam Era to working as a Process Control Engineer for Monsanto, Durham points to the liberal arts mindset in preparing him to take on the task at hand. He says, “In each of those situations, other liberal arts courses came to bear: from English to French; psychology to philosophy; history to economics; physics to chemistry; sociology to political science. When I created my own consulting firm, I did so with the confidence that I was ready. BSC had equipped this Eagle Scout well to live up to the Boy Scout Motto: ‘Be Prepared.’”

Durham is married to Anne Stimson Durham ’65.

Advice: “Consider the following time-tested axioms: Learn how to listen, to learn, and to cope with change. Seek the truth – firsthand or from dependable sources. Follow ‘The Golden Rule’ doing unto others as you would have them do unto you. Help others – particularly those less fortunate than you. Believe in yourself and have confidence in yourself. You can – and will – make a difference. Maintain a positive attitude and enjoy life!”

This story was published in the Fall/Winter 2020 issue of ’Southern, BSC’s alumni magazine.

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