Winter 1996
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Winter 1996 |
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Bill Sisson retiring after 28 years of service to Rose-Hulman
After 28 years of service to Rose-Hulman, Sisson plans to retire in January. He has served the school as registrar, director of placement, and director of annual giving. Twenty-five years of his Rose-Hulman tenure were spent helping Rose-Hulman students secure careers upon graduation. A big part of Sisson’s work involved building relationships with corporate recruiters, including warning them about those pesky gunshots. In earlier days, interviews were conducted throughout campus. Many times recruiters worked in the "B" section of Moench Hall, directly above the school rifle range. "It was fun watching new recruiters come flying out of there when the guns went off," Sisson recalled. Of course, Sisson’s work went way beyond firearms explanations. He cultivated corporate contacts, brought faculty and staff into that process, and encouraged students to be aggressive in their job searches. Through it all, he carried a personal touch. He exemplified that style in the hiring of secretary Sonnie Hill 19 years ago. Sisson hired her, but she quit after one week. "I was confused and felt I was not qualified to do the job," Hill recalled. "Bill came to my home to talk about what the problems might be. How often does a `former’ boss come to your home to talk to you after you quit on him? We talked for a couple of hours, discussing the job and just talking in general. As he was getting ready to leave, he asked if I would come back and try it again. I did and I worked for Bill for 17 years." Alumnus Dan Price (‘75, C.E.) provides a view of Sisson from "both sides of the table - the industry perspective and the student perspective." "Probably through time Bill was the consistent point of contact industry looked to at Rose-Hulman," said Price, director of Tissue/Towel Product Supply-North America for Procter & Gamble. "He also was a great cheerleader for Rose-Hulman, and he would kick students in the tail to help motivate them in the job search. He could bring a tough-love process to dealing with students." Recognition of Sisson’s success came in 1976 whan he received the President’s Outstanding Service Award. The memorable part of the recognition was a standing ovation from the graduating class. The gratitude of alumni continued in 1991 when they named him an Honorary Alumnus of Rose-Hulman. When asked to cite the highlights of his career, Sisson noted working with students was always at the top of his job satisfaction list. He pointed out "it was not just Bill Sisson; it was a Rose-Hulman family effort that we never let go of a student until that student was placed." Sisson also felt his office had an impact on the personal appearance factor at Rose-Hulman, at least during interview season. "Our office was probably responsible for more shined shoes and short hair than the ROTC program." The biggest challenges Sisson faced were the students "who didn’t seem as concerned about their job searches as much as we were." Sisson also had to contend with changes in industry. Trends in the marketplace affected how he and his office approached placement. Boom times in the ‘70s and ‘80s brought multiple jobs offers. In the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, corporate downsizing and budget-cutting meant fewer recruiters coming to campus. Whatever the economic trend, Rose-Hulman reached nearly 100 percent placement annually. The reflection of Sisson’s link to alumni was recognized two years ago when Rose-Hulman began its "Vision to be the Best" fund-raising campaign. Because of his strong alumni ties, he was put in charge of the annual giving from alumni. When Sisson packs up his office to spend more time with his wife and grandchildren, there is one item that will not fit in the box - the friendships generated during three decades of service to Rose-Hulman.
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Corporate recruiting has never been for the faint of heart at Rose-Hulman. Our history includes the tension of the interview process, the probing questions, and the gunshots. It also includes Bill Sisson.