Milton (Mike) W. Hummel – 50th Reunion Essay

Milton (Mike) W. Hummel

1135 Pam Anne Drive

Glenview, IL 60025

hummelmw1@gmail.com

224-623-3874

Spouse(s): Ann M Yoshida (37 years as of 2018)

Child(ren): Will (1989); Amelia (1993)

Education: Yale, BA 1969; Northwestern, MAT 1970; Loyola Stritch School of Medicine, MD, 1988

Career: Educator, 1969-77; Solar Industry/Builder 1977-83; Medical School 1984-88; Radiologist 1988- present

Avocations: Environment and Sustainability

College: Calhoun (Hopper)

Driving home from the hospital two nights ago at midnight after a difficult day of being the “On Call” radiologist, I flipped on the radio to an “all ’60s and ’70s” rock station as I sometimes do to relax from the day’s stresses. In the solitude of that drive, those songs inevitably bring back a flood of memories from that time in my life. Many of these songs conjure up precise moments and surroundings for me. When I hear “Nowhere Man” I am transported back to walking to home to Calhoun College, in the dark with a light snow falling, after swim practice at Payne Whitney. When I hear “Satisfaction,” I see myself as a freshman on a Saturday evening in the fall, looking out upon the dancers at a mixer unfolding in the Calhoun courtyard.

The nostalgia for Yale and those times becomes deep in these moments. I arrived at Yale the fall of our freshman year as a wide-eyed kid from Chicago. I had never seen Yale, my limited familiarity with it coming from the literature and photos sent to us from the admissions office. My flight from Chicago to JFK marked the first time I had ever been on a plane, and, in fact, this was the first time I had ever spent a night away from my family. All I knew is that I was to find the limo to New Haven, which I did, and an hour and half later I arrived at the Taft Hotel with two suitcases under each arm, tired and already homesick.

I found my way to Lawrence Hall where I met my new roommates who had already set up their living quarters, obviously comfortably independent. One was from Andover via Park Ave. and the other from the Mainline of Philadelphia. After the introductions, they asked me if I grew up on a farm. I politely replied that I was from a suburb of Chicago. The Imposter Syndrome was beginning to set in. Did I belong here? Was I out of my league?

Well, my insecurities were gradually allayed during my four incredible years at Yale. Yes, I could compete and succeed. There was an enduring confidence that I gained from being around really bright and talented people. Additionally, being a member of a nationally elite swim team played a role in building this confidence. When we filed out onto the pool deck for a competition, we just knew we were the best.

That confidence allowed me, throughout my life, to try things that were out of the norm, whether moving to the mountains of Colorado in 1973 with only a sleeping bag in my Volkswagen and without a job, a place to live, or knowing anyone, or subsequently moving to Minneapolis in 1977 following the same pattern. Deciding to go to medical school at age 37 can only be attributed to a deep conviction that I could, with dedication, succeed at whatever goals I chose. All the time, I just figured that I could cope with whatever came my way and that everything would turn out all right. Yes, I take great pride in being a Yale graduate, and it is this indelible sense of competence gained through my experience there that throughout my life has and will be Yale’s most impactful legacy.