dispatches from the new world of work

Happy Birthday!

My Dad would have been 103 today. He died in June 1981, literally three days before an OpEd piece of mine was published in the Wall Street Journal. That was the first thing I'd ever had published in the national press—he would have been beside himself with pleasure. And I would have been beside myself that he was beside himself—Frank Jacob Ebert Peters was as German as the name suggests, and praise didn't exactly emerge from his mouth with regularity. (He was first generation American—my Granddad Peters, a contractor who among other things built Bancroft Hall at the U.S. Naval Academy, came over in the 1870s.)

Tom Peters posted this on 05/03/06.

Comments

What a legacy, to have built Bancroft Hall, the home to tens of thousands of naval officers from all over the world.

Remembering a deceased parent's birthday is important...Jan 8 and July 23 are important days for me. We do not stand on our own...we stand on their shoulders.

Thanks, Tom.

Posted by Joe Ely at May 3, 2006 11:10 AM

And I understand better now your love for all things NAVY - dads are so important - hope to hear more from you about the importance of dads to kids.

Posted by Sean at May 3, 2006 11:23 AM

Gents,

Mother's day is round the corner. Let's remember em too..
What was the first "goodie" you remember your Mom making for you?

- Arun

Posted by Arun Sadhashivan at May 3, 2006 1:46 PM

Speaking of Moms, what are some best practices for introducing new brands to moms?

Posted by Ed Delia at May 3, 2006 1:59 PM

Tom,

My Dad was in the Royal Navy in WWII. Some of his experiences were such that he wouldn't talk about them, and despite much pressure from me, never wrote them down. He died on Mother's Day 1990, at age 67. I'm 42 now, and increasingly see him in the mirror! I hope I took his best bits and made him proud. As with you, though, most of whatever I've achieved has come since his death.

Thank you for making me pause to remember him, and I salute yours too.

Posted by Stephen Spencer at May 3, 2006 4:50 PM

Tom,
My own father would have been 105 this year. How lucky we both were to have known them. Hope they both have a chance to meet some day, along with our mothers.
Seems as we get older, we become our parents. Let's all celebrate.

Posted by lem at May 3, 2006 6:12 PM

reading your stuff makes me ponder will i still remember which day my dad passaway (he is still living).

Makes me feel a bit guilty though, I have forgot when my grandpa pass away.

Posted by kay at May 3, 2006 8:40 PM

Fantastic Tom! Having the last name Peters, I can gladly say that my came over from Germany as well.

Posted by Casey Peters at May 8, 2006 10:51 AM