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 Neela Sakaria: Thank you for your time. You talk about your admiration for Studs Terkel, the oral historian. Please tell us how he has inspired you.
Sam Kegley: I like the word perspective and Studs Terkel has interviewed more than 9000 people and given their perspective on various subjects, such as the great depression, Discovery Street America, the Good War (World War II), Working. etc. Studs is a national treasure. He is a Chicago guy; however, the Good War and Working came from interviews with people all over the world.
Neela: ACQUAINTANCES WITH INTEGRITY is your second book, correct? Tell us how it differs from your first, W.C DENISON: A 20th CENTURY ENTERPRENEUR.
SK: W. C. Denison was the entrepreneur of the hydraulics company I worked for 12 years, i.e. Abex Corporation, Denison Division, in Columbus, Ohio. I had heard many stories about W. C., which intrigued me about the man. I had worked towards my Masters in Business Administration at Ohio State while employed at Denison; but gained a lot of respect for those men who begin and stay with an entrepreneurship in the business academic discipline. Dension
brought the company through a lot of challenges until he sold to a larger corporation for a profit. I felt the people I worked with were exceptionally fine men and women and believed they would give me good stories.
Acquaintances With Integrity came about because I realize that many good people were so important in helping me stand by the good things in my life. I'm certainly not completely full of integrity, but I respect each of the interviewees and thoroughly enjoyed getting their stories from them.
In my opinion, each is a different kind of perspective book.
Neela: In ACQUAINTANCES WITH INTEGRITY, you explore instances in which people display honesty and virtue -- moments which you refer to as the "true stuff of life." What made you decide that interviews would be the best way to achieve this goal in terms of the writing/format of the book?
SK: I formulated a set of questions without knowing the answers would give me the story I was after. I feel that I got lucky in that respect, because the people and their answers were all very interesting to me. I guess my admiration of Studs Terkel convinced me that interviews were worthwhile.
Neela:You mention that EJ Thornton (the publisher) suggested that 40-50 interviews would be a good number for the book. In the end, you include 30. Did you feel satisfied with that number? Were there other interviews you conducted but did not choose to publish?
SK: The Denison book had 33 stories and I was not disappointed with its length. E. J. was giving me an honest goal; however, I probably just got anxious to get the book in print, so I satisfied myself with 30. I may continue other books along the line of Acquaintances With Integrity and I will probably stick with 30 stories or thereabouts. I'm satisfied now with that length and it takes me about the gestation time for a baby (nine months) to conduct the interviews and get the book completed.
Neela: How did you decide who to interview?
SK: In each book, more people indicated to me that they would like to contribute their story to my subjects. I had many more names selected for each book, but got to the interviews as a matter of convenience. I'm so fortunate to have so many I can claim as acquaintances, even if many of the acquaintances are fairly slight on the part of the interviewees. They
cooperate beautifully anyway, which is remarkable since I am an unknown author to them, and the world.
Neela: Did you find any common themes among the interviewees in terms of their views on integrity? Were there any surprising differences?
SK: Common themes ran throughout with the different interviewees. Parents, teachers, coaches, peers all had effects, positive in the main, with the different people. Many of those who affected my people, did so without ever being told I believe. I'd like those people to read the stories and reflect upon the successes of their lives. I wish the books could be read by a fairly wide audience, because I believe the readers should like the people who have impressed me in their lives.
Neela: And of course, how would you define integrity and its place in your own life?
SK: I thought about your question along the way of writing and admitted to myself that it would be tough to be completely honest in the answers. I'm proud that there was little hesitation by those I interviewed. I would define integrity as basic honesty when confronted with a situation which demanded a response. I have tried to stick to the honest response myself.
I am from a family of ten kids and my parents and each of my siblings teased a lot. I tease that I am the Innocent One, but none of them buy that. Neither do my good friends. Everybody who knows me knows I am not perfect, by any means, but I hope they might say that I have some integrity anyway.
Neela: Do you think that integrity is something that there is more/less of in today's society than there has been in the past?
SK: I have been teaching and tutoring math students at Columbus State Community College as an adjunct for twenty years. Our students continually impress me with their integrity. I never look for perfection, but, like all educators, still love the outstanding students in particular and the ones that put forth their best efforts, if the results are not so outstanding, even more. I think that it is remarkable that today's young people can come through their formative years and still look for the good in life. Our elders worried about the affects comic books and cowboy movies had on my generation; however our young today have so much more to contend with in their lives.
Neela: Is there anything else you'd like to share with our readers.
SK: I'd like your readers to read my books. The Acquaintances book has a more general interest; but all people should appreciate that keeping a company viable, and providing employment opportunities alive, such as Mr. Denison did, is not an easy task and is deserving of admiration.
Thanks again for your interest and your good wishes.
Acquaintances With Integrity
ISBN: 1932344055
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