GBI Magazine

rience on the West Lafayette campus gave them. It was an opportunity Ackerman was grateful for, and I must have heard him say that a dozen times when he recalled why he loved Purdue so much. He literally was moved to tears when describing the opportunity his Purdue education gave him. "He was educated at Purdue, not just trained," Cross said. "There was a big difference in those two words and the fact he was educated allowed him to be in the right place at the right time to be a pioneer in the cable television industry." Irascible Ackerman was a tough to deal with at times. He had his opinion, and he could be gruff. But that was usually a test to make sure you were on your game, that you knew the facts. Once he determined your thoughts were pure and logic was in place, he would be your greatest supporter. In his later years he mellowed some, despite battling illness for much of the last deciade. Yet, he still had that edge that kept you on your toes. "I never heard him complain, no matter what physical battle he was facing," said Bart Burrell, the former standout receiver who worked with Ackerman to form Gold and Black Illustrated over 23 years ago. "He just refused to focus on himself or ever feel sorry for himself." Cross said the hard-shell exterior was there to disguise his big heart. "I found him to be incredibly fair," she said. "He was never a pushover, but if you presented your case with him, he would listen. He asked the most incredible, thoughtful questions that told you he was engaged." He didn't care to have the limelight that sometimes his wealth and status offered. He could see both sides of a discussion, and in his later years he developed an ability to argue his point and then let it go. "He wasn't the kind of guy who called after a loss to complain about the coach," Burke said. "When he called after a hard loss he was calling to show empathy and support. "I always appreciated that." Jim also had a sense of history and his role in it. He took it upon himself to write his biography a few years ago, not to toot his own horn, but to share his experience in the hope of helping others. One of my favorite quotes in the book, "That's My Story," says it all about Ackerman. "The future of my family fills me with hope and pride," he wrote. "The future of America is positive based on its sense of healthy optimism. We should not think of shrinking from engagement, despite the terrible risks at hand. "I urge you to become involved and engaged until the optimism that marks our future course can be spread around the world." j Bar Barry Liquors Your Tailgating Headquarters Bar Barry i 1110 Sagamore Pkwy. W. Lafayette 765-463-2206 ! s o r G E iL o Loyal Once you earned his trust, loyalty followed. It was never blind loyalty, though his love for his alma mater approached that. Yet once you had it, it was a treasure. Ackerman had a habit of making those around him better, but that often came on the heels of him believing in you first, and what you were trying to achieve second. Bar Barry ii 1601 Main St. Lafayette 765-742-2112 B Reasonable Bar Barry iii 225 Northwestern W. Lafayette 765-743-6382 Bar Barry iV 2108 Veterans Memorial Pkwy. S Lafayette 765-474-8989 Bar Barry V 3000 S. 9th Lafayette 765-474-5274 ® Gold & Black IllustrateD • volume 23, issue 5

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