Never Give Up: My Journey from Dakota Farm Boy to Accounting Professor

I never thought of my life as being very consequential. Afterall, I’m not a famous Hollywood actor, musician, or author. I’m not a politician that saved the world or invented the internet. I’ve led what I consider to be a very normal life. However, during my lectures when I used examples from my life to help illustrate a point, students would often tell me that I should write those stories down in a book. I never thought seriously about doing it until after I retired, and I worked with my wife to write a book for our children and grandchildren that we called “The Story of Our Family.” During that process, I started thinking about those student comments and thought that maybe others might be interested in my story after all. So, here it is, “My Journey from Dakota Farm Boy to Accounting Professor.” I’ve tried to keep it interesting by including current events that occurred during my lifetime as I journeyed from a farm in South Dakota, to a failed attempt at college, to a term in the army, to a more successful attempt at college, to a career as an accountant and financial manager to a return to college and an academic career as an accounting professor at Kansas State University. I encountered many obstacles that provided challenges, but I never gave up and kept on living life as it unfolded for me. Along the way I met and married a wonderful woman that I have been able to share my life with and who helped me through those challenges. Whenever I might have been ready to give up, she provided the motivation and courage needed to continue (aka a kick in the behind). It is my hope that in some small way, sharing this story with others may help them address the obstacles they encounter in their life and “Never Give Up.” ---John J Morris