I applied to SIUC because Tom was a visiting artist at the University of Wyoming. I was one of two undergraduates  that Thad Duhigg, sabbatical replacement at UW that year, chose to pour Tom’s work. Tom made a resounding  impression on me at that time; thus when it came time to apply to graduate programs years later, SIUC remained my  number one preference. During one of my phone calls to SIUC, I introduced myself to Tom and shared, “You  probably don’t remember me, but I was one of the UW students that poured your pieces.” Tom replied, “Yes, of  course, I remember you,” and our conversation about grad school at SIU was off and running.

My family, Jennifer, Marissa (4) and McKinley (8 months), and I moved to Carbondale in June 1996, two months  before I was scheduled to start the grad program. I’ll never forget the two statements I received when I arrived at the  foundry that June day. The first was from Tom in all his directness who stated, “Well, you might as well get to work!”  The other statement was from a third-year grad student who said, “Adjust your clocks 20 minutes fast. You are now  on Tom time.”

Over the proceeding years, I grew in my appreciation for Tom and his directness, his vast knowledge, his time  management and the significance of his dedication to studio time/practice. I also appreciated and valued Tom’s  commitment to his students’ studio practices and production; and the value he instilled in all of us to be productive as  artists and people. He didn’t lead by talking about it, he led by example, setting the bar that many of us (specifically  me) still struggle to achieve. As a mentor, I have the utmost respect and appreciation for Tom. I recognize his  influence in my work habits and practice every day, even this many years after. In 1999, the summer that Tom  retired, he placed me as one of the cupola masters and had me help with all visiting participants mold making for the  two-day pour. I didn’t recognize the significance of these assignments until months later, when I was fortunate to be  scheduled as a visiting artist for numerous iron pours wherein I conducted mold making workshops and managed  large scale iron pours at eight universities across the U.S. These activities contributed significantly to my early  professional development as a professor and facilitated me in securing my current position.

I, like most of Tom’s students, also appreciated the numerous “Tom-isms” that many of us still use today. They are  especially evident when any number of us get together. The Tom-isms inevitably start to flow. Here is a sampling:

“Ah, get to work…” this is self-explanatory and used on a daily basis with my students.

“Ah, well okay…” or “Ah, well of course…” when you obviously said something that was less profound than you  intended. Also heard when you asked an obvious question that Tom expected you to already know. “Psssh …” was applicable to a number of situations and usually included hand gesture with both hands out in front in  a hold off type of position.

“Yeah, well, handle it…” usually when you presented a situation that Tom knew you could handle. “Ah, are you available now?” This would usually occur when you were already in the studio and another grad student was late to their scheduled one on one with Tom. Mind you, Tom was also usually 30+ minutes early to the said one  on one - Tom time!

“Ah, you’re late… “ This could happen even if you were 10 minutes early to the scheduled event, again Tom time. And one of my favorites, “Without vision, technique sucks.” To characterize this, one time following the heat and  chaos of a massive conference pour, wherein I cast a very large-scale mold, Tom walked up to me and asked “What  is most important?” I knew immediately what he was asking, and I responded, “what’s inside the mold is the most  important.” Tom acknowledged and quietly walked away. I have always appreciated his approach in acknowledging  all the energy that goes into the development of a thing, while also acknowledging that the vison or what is inside is  most important.

These are but a few shared memories as it truly is hard to put into words what Tom and Linda mean to me and my  family. My deepest appreciation for Tom as a person really grew in the years since graduate school. Wherein, I will  forever be grateful for the visiting artist/workshop stints at SJSU and for our time at Tom and Linda’s in California. It is  during these times and in our conversations, that Jennifer, the girls and I have truly grown to value Tom, Linda and  Michael as family.

I am currently starting my 25th year at the University of West Georgia; wherein, I am a full professor of sculpture having served as Department of Art Chair for 14 years; Chair of the Department of Art, Philosophy and History for 5  years; and am currently serving as Director of the School of Visual and Performing Arts. I continue to participate as a  visiting artist, attending conferences, conducting workshops and iron pours; and I continue my studio practice through  commissions and making and exhibiting work whenever possible. Regardless of what I do, in the back of my mind, there will forever be a voice urging me to be fully dedicated to my studio practice and productivity both as an artist  and human. For that, I have the utmost appreciation. Thank you Tom!