University of Illinois - Illio Yearbook (Urbana Champaign, IL)

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DEDICATION m It is unusual to find at a large University such as Illinois a man who is as dedicated to his work, to the students, and to other people in his community as MR. PAUL MCMICHAEL, publisher-general manager of the Illini Publishing Company. The IPC publishes the Daily Illini, the ILLIO, and the Techograph and administers the student-operated WPGU radio station. Mr. McMichael, a graduate of the University of Illinois School of Journalism in the class of 1934, was on the Daily Illini editorial staff during his student days and was chief news editor his senior year. He remained at the Illini Publishing Co. following graduation as an office assistant. He says, When I first started here, I thought it was temporary; but it got to be a good job. I started with the same salary as I got before I came to college — $20 per week. The following year he became assistant manager and later was named business manager. During 1949 and 1950 he was acting general manager; however, at that time he was not interested in being head man. He did not think the added headaches were worth it. In 1955 after 21 years of service, he was named publisher. At this time things were going badly financially; the company had just remodeled and put in a new press, leaving them with very little capital. As the new publisher, Mr. McMichael devoted himself to an economy drive aimed at paring the deficits of the previous years. His economy drive did not entail drastic measures, but centered around increasing small savings wherever possible. Though keeping economically sound is always a pressing problem, under Mr. McMichael's directorship the IPC has consistently remained in the black. One of Mr. McMichael's major interests in the community is Boy Scouting with which he has been associated for more than 40 years. While he was a scoutmaster better than 200 boys had the privilege of being registered for scouting under him. In 1939 he was the proud recipient of the Silver Beaver award for the year's most outstanding service to scouting at the annual Arrowhead Council. In 1965 one still finds him giving up his Saturdays in November to make hot chocolate and cookies for the boys who come to chop down their own Christmas trees at a nearby Boy Scout camp. He also serves at Boy Scout leadership conferences— not in the capacity of a director as his experience might indicate, but as a conference chef. He is behind the scenes cooking everyone's meals in the magnificent way that only Mr. McMichael can. He has given many boys the thrill of a vacation cruise on Lake Michigan. He is the type of man who gives a boy a ride home from a banquet and makes a life-long friend. His service is one of sincere dedication which comes from, as one of his former scouts says, extreme interest in people that is not at all selfish. To Mr. Paul McMichael, who has dedicated his life to people, we dedicate the ILLIO of 1966. 11

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