Blast from the Past With Hal and Rosie Wyman
Bob Jensen at Trinity University

In December of 2011 we received a Christmas letter from Rosie Wyman. After Hal died she moved back to Palo Alto, California where I first met Hal and Rosie. years earlier --- when Hal and I were in the Stanford University doctoral program together. There were some important differences between us in those days. I was still a young buck, whereas Hall was a seasoned executive who spent over ten years with Standard Oil in Peru before being admitted to Stanford. Hall and Rosie were married parents, whereas I was single and still setting traps for coeds in my pink and white Olds convertible. And Hal earned his PhD in finance. Ostensibly I received a PhD in accounting, although since I came into the doctoral program as a CPA with an MBA in hand, I was routed mostly through an operations research curriculum. But I understood that there was a better academic future in accountancy.

Hal and I remained professional and social friends for the rest of our lives. Although Hal had a PhD in finance, he learned fast about the job market and became an accounting professor during his years of teaching and deaning. He also sent many years as an accounting department head.

Serendipitously on New Years Day 2012, Erika was going through some old pictures and came across the picture below. I think this picture was taken at a European Accounting Association meeting in Munich. The Wymans and the Jensens stayed in the same hotel near the famous Munich Hofbrau House.. We also attended EAA receptions and had nights on the town together. Hal and Rosie were always up for a good time. One difference is that Hal Wyman was more cultured than Bob Jensen. Whereas Bob spent is days listening to dull accounting research presentations, Hal and Rosie preferred to search out art museums and attend only the receptions. Afterwards Hal attentively listened to my account of every my dull days in Munich.

 

Here's my tribute to Hal in 2004, the year that Hal passed on.

On Saturday I received a message from Rosie Wyman announcing that her longtime husband passed away on Friday, January 31. Services were scheduled for February 7.

Hal Wyman was a special friend since we passed through the doctoral program side-by-side in the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University. Hal entered the doctoral program after being a Standard Oil Corporation executive for many years in Peru. Although his doctorate was in finance, he crossed over to teach and conduct research in accounting at the University of North Carolina, the University of Connecticut, and Florida International University. I may have missed a few stops along the way since I cannot find his resume online. Throughout most of his professional career he was either a department chair or a dean.  He was involved in many international programs and lectured extensively around the world.  He was also sought after as a consultant.

Shortly after Hal stepped down as Dean of the College of Business Administration at Florida International, Hal commenced to write plays.  When he became seriously ill he was working on a play that he hoped to land on Broadway.

Hal Wyman was a Renaissance man in every sense of the word.  He devoured books and was active in book reading clubs.  He loved to travel.  At each stop, he actively toured about and searched out the history and culture of cities and towns.  He truly enjoyed museums, art galleries, theatres, concerts, unusual restaurants, and five-star hotels.  Unlike me, he would rent automobiles and tour about the country in nations where he did not speak the language (although he was very fluent in Spanish).

Whenever we crossed paths at conferences, the Jensens and the Wymans generally went out on the town together.  My heartfelt sympathy goes out to Rosie and her surviving daughter (Angela).  Rosie is a cancer survivor herself who lost one of her two daughters to cancer when the young woman was entering the prime of her life.  Now Rosie lost her soul mate.

God Be With Hal "Till We Meet Again!"

Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming -- WOW -- What A Ride!
Author unknown