Jim Porter hasn’t lived in Alabama since he boarded
a train for college in the fall of Jim and Linda got masters degrees from Eastern Kentucky University, which is in Richmond. Linda taught school, and after Jim completed his MBA in 1969, he began working with the Square D Company, which is a supplier of electrical products, systems and services. Square D was taken over by a French company, Groupe Schneider, in 1991. Jim has remained with the company since 1969 and has steadily climbed from his beginning position of Application Engineer to his present position as the Corporate Economist. In this capacity, he is responsible for forecasting business conditions for the company’s annual sales in North America.

After teaching school fifteen years, Linda went to the University of Kentucky and completed her EDS degree. She became a trainer for the University of Kentucky and then for United Airlines. She later formed her own training company, doing training all over this country and the world for her former employer, United Airlines. During these years, Linda and Jim traveled extensively in the United States as well as Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.

Jim and Linda lived in Kentucky until his company transferred them to corporate headquarters in 1988. Since then, they have lived in Algonquin, Illinois, a northwest suburb of Chicago. Linda is now semi-retired and Jim plans to retire in about three years. They made many friends while living in Kentucky and are still U of K fans. They plan to retire back to the “heart of the bluegrass.”

Reading is a favorite pastime for the Porters, and Jim has become interested in the Civil War. They are planning to visit Civil War battlefields after he retires. He is also a member of the American Power Boat Association, and enjoys attending three or four races a year. He developed this interest as a boy when there were power boat races in Guntersville. The Porters enjoy fishing, but have not done as much of it in Illinois as in Kentucky.

Jim and Linda are Unitarians, and very active in their church. They enjoy working in the prairie restoration of their five-acre church property.

Jim is the youngest of four siblings and they are scattered across the United States. One sister lives in California, his brother lives in Colorado, and another sister and her husband retired back to Scottsboro. Maybe, just maybe, he’ll plan a visit with his sister at the same time as our forty-fifth reunion!