Courtney Meyer
Hal Wochholz speaks with endless emotional gratitude about his experience as a Michigan State University student, and its impact on his astounding engineering career.
Accompanied by his high school sweetheart and lifelong partner, Phyllis, Hal recently traveled from his home in Arizona to visit the MSU Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities for the first time since its establishment. Anticipated to be their last journey to campus due to age, the delightful, but bittersweet adventure reaffirmed and recaptured a strong love for the university that was the stepping stone to Hal's noteworthy occupational achievements. The vibrant yet humble couple brought memorable stories of the compassion of officials who promoted ability and opportunity even prior to the existence of the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities.
(After locating their name, Hal and Phyllis proudly pose in front of the donor tree featured in the lobby of the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities.)
Together, Hal and Phyllis graduated from Michigan's Albion High School, in 1949, Hal an All-State football star and class president with nine athletic letters and a plan to attend Purdue University, and Phyllis, as valedictorian. At the start of 1951 and in the face of the Korean War, Hal enlisted in the Navy, marrying his sweetheart a few months after beginning service to his country. But one night, upon reading a parenting book about how to detect polio in young children, the new father of one, soon to be father of two, knew something was dangerously wrong. On Labor Day in 1954 - only six months prior to the release of the Salk vaccine - Hal himself was diagnosed with polio, and learned he would be using braces, the support of crutches, or a wheelchair for the rest of his life. Before his hospital discharge, he was told by a wounded Marine, "Don't feel sorry for yourself, feel sorry for your wife - she has two children and you to look after!" This blunt challenge stimulated what would soon become a lifelong pursuit of excellence in an environment that was anything but suited to the success of people with disabilities, especially without legislatively mandated accommodations.
Despite a family tradition of attending The University of Michigan, Hal found himself unable to navigate the campus filled with inaccessible curbs and a public transportation system that left much to be desired by a student with mobility challenges. Choosing the flatter terrain of Michigan State University to complete his collegiate studies, he received his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Electrical Engineering in 1958 and 1959 with "Highest Honors." The encouragement and scheduling assistance he received from his department and accessible accommodations provided by the housing office left a permanently positive impression. In 2007, upon receiving the Outstanding RCPD Alumni Award, Hal emphasized that MSU had been "well ahead of the others in their accommodations for the physically challenged...Through our attendance at MSU, there was never a handicapper consideration that I required that wasn't satisfied." Phyllis also proclaimed her love for the university which has remained "so dear to us. Perhaps others will be able to find out about the RCPD's excellence and be able to obtain the high quality of living and education we experienced."
Beyond the receipt of his degrees, Hal broke stereotypes by excelling as a computer design engineer for General Electric Company, and sharing the Engineer of the Year Award of the Missile and Space Division for cost avoidance activities. His remarkable career continued, as an assistant professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of New Hampshire until 1970, during which he initiated the department's first computer design and laboratory courses. Advancing to new heights as the Vice President of Engineering at Northeast Electronics Company, he then bestowed twenty impressive years of leadership on major aerospace manufacturer McDonnell Douglas as Vice President of Engineering at McDonnell Douglas Electronics Company, and Director of the Electronics and Flight Controls Division, providing development support for the renowned Apache helicopter. Retiring from Boeing Corporation after a corporate merger, he was retained to lead educational initiatives in Arizona school districts and universities, for which he led the establishment of a tri-university Master's degree in engineering. Designated the 2004 "Rotarian of the Year," he spends his time coordinating Arizona's Choices program, a ninth grade initiative encouraging students to stay in school, take the tough courses, get yourself qualified for the job you choose, not the job you get assigned, and actively campaigning as the polio poster child for the Rotary initiative to "End Polio Now." Fueled by determined advocates like Hal, Rotary International's crusade to raise $200 million to match $355 million funds from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation could globally eradicate the disease on the 50th anniversary of the vaccine's creation.
As enrichment to his productive and fulfilling career, Hal maintained relations with Michigan State University, serving as the Alumni Board Chairman, and occasionally returning as a guest lecturer for the College of Engineering, from which he received the Engineering Alumnus of the Year Award in 1991. Wishing to convey MSU's historical tradition of accessibility, Hal and Phyllis initially established an engineering scholarship to assist students with disabilities, which continues today. However, they remained unaware of the RCPD until a friend at the university asked if the requirements they had established might be ideally focused within an office explicitly serving students with disabilities. They call it a "pleasure to give a sizeable bequest to the RCPD, [and] have those monies used to advertise...that MSU goes out of its way to facilitate handicapper people success." The Harold F. and Phyllis N. Wochholz Endowment for Persons with Disabilities leads communication efforts to families and educators about MSU's comprehensive disability services. "While it was happening, I didn't think too much about it, [but] it would not have been possible to get a quality education without it," he now fondly recalls.
Hal's reunion with the university began with an inspiring visit with the RCPD staff. The enthusiasm he and Phyllis conveyed during their return to campus was deeply felt by Director Michael Hudson. "Hal reminds each of us that the daily efforts we make today often touch lives in ways that are not fully apparent for decades. He exemplifies the sort of accomplishment each staff [member] perceives to be possible despite challenging disabilities. I'm thankful that Hal returned so many years later and reminded us of what our actions mean to students and how important MSU is in the lives of people with disabilities. Hal's investment in the RCPD is already helping us reach out to future Spartans with disabilities with a message of opportunity that accompanies quality education." An interactive dialogue with President Lou Anna K. Simon and an interview with University Relations provided the chance to convey his story of determination and ability. The magic of verifying that the institution remains a leader in converting challenges into opportunities was strongly present in their purposeful circuit around campus. Deliberate inclusion of the Clara Bell Smith Student-Athlete Academic Center, the Veterinary Medical Center, and Spartan Stadium allowed the couple to connect with today's university while revisiting the memories of their youth.
(Hal gives a "thumbs up" in front of the Hannah Administration Building following his visit with President Simon.)
Formally established as the Office of Programs for Handicapper Students during the 1971-1972 academic year by graduate student Judy Gentile, the undertaking of the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities has expanded to accommodate student and faculty concerns regarding a range of disabilities and conditions. The ultimate mission, maximizing ability and opportunity, has never wavered and each of the specialists address individual needs in a way that Hal, before his first visit, could have never imagined. His reinvestment in the university's mission upholds the same framework of inclusion that he so favorably remembers, providing others with a strong base from which to find success and inspiration no matter the odds they face.