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Mr. Bill Joseph, Vice President for Business Affairs, will retire from his position in the Business Office effective July 2006.
Joseph joined Wesleyan in 1966 as the Business Manager with the intention of only staying for a short time.
"When I first came here, I thought I'd be here three years and move on," Joseph said. Forty years later, however, Joseph still has the same job.
"We kept expanding," he said. "Buildings, faculty, students."
Joseph remembers Wesleyan at that time as very different from the Wesleyan of this time.
"When I first got here, we had Bray Village," Joseph said. "We worked there. Kellam was administrative offices. Grounds were rented out from the farmers. Basically, I spent most of my time on the financial side."
While dealing with the basic financial needs of the school like accounting, Joseph was also responsible for tasks like billing students.
Joseph said that he and his workers had to "gradually grow into a college. It was young, and challenging. Still is, in many respects."
Even though that Virginia Wesleyan was quite different than what it has become, one thing has stayed the same: his job.
"My duties haven't changed," Joseph said. "They've expanded. I meet on an informal basis with most of the people here. Cary Sawyer, Bruce Vaughan and Barbara Fried. They cover all the aspects of what goes on."
During his forty years, he has experienced some great times at Virginia Wesleyan.
"The fondest memories are the great people I've gotten to know and work with," Joseph said.
Another favorite memory of his was the spring of 1967, which was part of his first year at the College.
"The first year, my wife and I had a party at our house," Joseph said. "The entire freshman class came over."
So what is next on Joseph's agenda?
While he is retiring from the position he has held for so long, he will stay on at the College part-time as an advisor to Virginia Wesleyan's business operations -- a position that will ential meeting people in the office and working with the physical plant and food services. And, when he's not involved with that, there is another big project to tackle.
"My wife is a therapist who has her own business," Joseph said. "She wants me to help out. She is trying to make sure I don't become a couch potato."
Reflecting on his time at Virginia Wesleyan, Joseph sums the experience up as "unbelievable. Never thought I'd go for 40 years. The last 10 years have been the most relaxing, enjoyable of all. We have a wonderful staff here. It's just been a great experience."
Joseph credits the enjoyment he finds in his work as one key to his longevity at Wesleyan. He has advice on what people should do if they hate their job.
"If you can't work and enjoy what you're doing, you're in the wrong business," Joseph said. "I love that feeling of security. When you have the opportunity to make life better for people, you do."
With Joseph leaving, his positive outlook will not be forgotten.
"Each day the future, even with all its struggles, looks very good for the College," Joseph said."The option of having a student come in and grow to his or her maximum potential is what we're all about."
The Virginia Wesleyan community wishes Mr. Bill Joseph a very happy retirement.