James Alex
Veech (Alex)
Undergrad college/major: Arts and Sciences/College of Undeclared/School of Civil Engineering.
Affiliations at Cornell: Phi Kappa Psi; Freshman Class Council, At-large Student Government Representative; Freshman Tennis.
Advanced degrees: Masters of
Public and International Affairs,
Career/occupation: Information Technology and Management.
Honors and Awards: Winner in 2007, Creative Non-fiction,
Important affiliations: Peace Corps,
Marital status: Married.
Spouse: Linda Chou Veech
Children: Andrew Reid Veech (28); Alex Cheney Veech (26).
Outstanding Cornell memory: The wonderment for this west coast boy
of the unexpected, startlingly beautiful fall of ’57, as it unfolded before
first-time eyes, and the crown jewel that is my forever memory, the necklace of
golden aspens that graced
How has your life differed from what you expected? I planned to be a civil engineer. When that didn’t work out, I thought the Agency for International Development might be the ticket. And when that didn’t work out, I quit trying and just let life come to me. And wouldn’t you know, that worked out spectacularly well.
Post-grad Cornell activities: Tennis till I was 55. Writing since I was 60. Volunteering in the local community - webmaster, tutoring, non-profits support, civil grand juror.
Personal reflections: Sitting in Barton Hall for freshman orientation in 1957, a speaker advised those of us sitting in the audience to look to the one on the right of us, now look the one on the left of us. This we dutifully did. “Statistically speaking,” he said, ‘one of you will be gone before the end of the year, the other before four years are up.” Forgive me if I have the statistics a little wrong, but I know you remember the speech. Well, I wasn’t in the first group he spoke of; I made it to my senior year. But there I was, in the other Group of One-third, the ones that didn’t cross the finish line. I admire all of you who finished and carried home the Big Red diploma. I wish I was one of you, but even though I’m not, I’ve carried Cornell in my heart, not always with charity, but always in my heart.