John Frederick Gottshall – 50th Reunion Essay

John Frederick Gottshall

3149 Sussex Road

Raleigh, NC 27607

jfgottsha@aol.com

H: 919-571-1496 C: 919-889-1206

Spouse(s): Kim Hamilton Gottshall (1978)

Child(ren): Katherine Howland (1981); John Hamilton (1985)

Education: Yale College BA 1969, Harvard Business School MBA 1975

National Service: US Army (Active, Engineers, 69-73 and Reserves, Transportation, 73-85), Major, Ranger, Army Commendation Medal

Career: Banker and corporate financial officer — 20 years CFO with four companies both public and private

Avocations: Biking, skiing, playing croquet, traveling, and reading

College: Morse

Since the 25th reunion, still have a wonderful (and expanded) family: Kim (wife of 40 years, mother of our children, and still active volunteer), Katie (daughter, energy consultant, and wife of Matthew Jackson), and John (son, utility manager of solar sites, and sports enthusiast). We still enjoy time together: skiing, biking, traveling or time at the beach. My wife and I currently live in Raleigh where I worked and where she has volunteered for over 20 years. We spend most of the summer at our beach house on Bald Head Island with no cars and cooler temperatures. We started playing and enjoying croquet there and are working on lowering our handicaps.

After an enjoyable active military service with the Army Engineers in Germany, my professional life centered on finance—first as a banker in New York and then as a corporate financial officer. It was a very fulfilling career with the last 20 years spent as the chief financial officer for four companies. They were manufacturing- and natural-resource-based and both public and private. The last three were initially owned by private equity firms. Enjoyed particularly the opportunities to buy and sell assets and companies and to assist in managing and growing them. International activities added enjoyment and stimulation to my positions.

I am still concerned by our hardening and fractionalizing society as I was at the time of the 25th reunion. Perhaps, this is the way of a working and free democracy. Maybe it only appears worse when you are living it. History tells us this, but it is hard to accept. As always I am optimistic about the future and confident in the structure of our government to survive and correct.

Look forward to seeing many familiar faces at reunion, especially the gargoyles around campus.