This was from the New York Times today. I found it fascinating. Enough so that I have typed up the pertinent portions here:
Duvall Hecht - founder of Books on Tape
~ Graduated from Beverly Hills H.S as an indifferent student.
~ While studying journalism at Stanford, was recruited for the rowing team. Excelled at it earning a spot competing for the USA in the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, Finland. Did not medal.
~ Joined the Marines where he was a fighter pilot.
~ Continued training for rowing and made it into the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. Won the gold medal in pairs rowing defeating the Soviet team by eight seconds.
~ Was hired out of the Marines by Pan American World Airways. Felt bored flying commercial planes and left after one year.
~ Taught English at Menlo where he started a rowing team.
~ Earned a Masters in communications from Stanford in 1960 and worked for several different firms as an investment advisor.
~ In 1975, he was bored during his commute to work and began listening to tape recordings of books that were sold to the blind. Selection was limited so he began recording books himself.
~ Founded the rowing team at UC Irvine, later coached rowing at UCLA and then back to UC Irvine from 1965- 2001.
~ 2001 sold Books on Tape to Random House for $20 million.
~ Worked as a consultant for Random House in 2001 but not interesting so he quit.
~ Began driving long haul trucks for the next seven years. His wife said, “Those were the happiest seven years of his life.” And he spent most of his time as he drove... listening to Books on Tape.
As Paul Harvey would say, "And that is the rest of the story!"
Duvall Hecht - founder of Books on Tape
~ Graduated from Beverly Hills H.S as an indifferent student.
~ While studying journalism at Stanford, was recruited for the rowing team. Excelled at it earning a spot competing for the USA in the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, Finland. Did not medal.
~ Joined the Marines where he was a fighter pilot.
~ Continued training for rowing and made it into the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. Won the gold medal in pairs rowing defeating the Soviet team by eight seconds.
~ Was hired out of the Marines by Pan American World Airways. Felt bored flying commercial planes and left after one year.
~ Taught English at Menlo where he started a rowing team.
~ Earned a Masters in communications from Stanford in 1960 and worked for several different firms as an investment advisor.
~ In 1975, he was bored during his commute to work and began listening to tape recordings of books that were sold to the blind. Selection was limited so he began recording books himself.
~ Founded the rowing team at UC Irvine, later coached rowing at UCLA and then back to UC Irvine from 1965- 2001.
~ 2001 sold Books on Tape to Random House for $20 million.
~ Worked as a consultant for Random House in 2001 but not interesting so he quit.
~ Began driving long haul trucks for the next seven years. His wife said, “Those were the happiest seven years of his life.” And he spent most of his time as he drove... listening to Books on Tape.
As Paul Harvey would say, "And that is the rest of the story!"
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