The Blooming Tulip Trees, Kent McCarthy, Mr. Crosby Kemper and a Business Lesson for a Young A College Student
Dear Bank of Prairie Village Community ~
As I write this letter from my Bank Office today, I can see the ever present “Tulip Trees of Prairie Village” in full bloom. As today is 65 degrees and sunny, they are stunning. The dominate Kansas winds will swiftly knock the blooms down in a matter of days. However, their tulip-like petals strewn throughout Prairie Village’s sidewalks give the feeling of a tulip petal wedding carpet across the community.
The Tulip Trees and past Spring memories take me back to college. Specifically, one Spring morning in 1978. I was enjoying a cup of coffee on my fraternity house’s front porch ~ trying to make sense of the 20 percent interest rates discussed in The Wall Street Journal.
An upper classman, by the name of Kent McCarthy, approached me and said, “Bolen, in Kansas City there is a Spring Alumni Fraternity Lunch today and you are going with me and will drive.”
McCarthy came to KU from Chicago. He was one of those guys you knew was brilliant and was going to kill it post college. Specifically, McCarthy was the number one ranked accounting student. Before age 28 McCarthy became Goldman Sachs’ top trader.
He eventually named his own building at KU. It was like he was 50-year CEO in a 22-year-old college student’s body. I was generally always afraid of McCarthy.
He also had a wicked sense of humor and was tough as nails. For reasons, I never understood, he took a particular interest in “Pledge Bolen” ~ which had both its good and bad points. I think McCarthy would have been happy if I had been a pledge for just a few, if not several, more months.
I thought I could get out of taking him to this Alum function (which sounded horrific) with the perfect excuse ~ a Macro Economics Class at 11am.
As I offered my excuse, McCarthy said, “Bolen, do you want to sit in class and listen to some Socialist/Marxist econ professor -- or do you want to meet some business guys who have made something of themselves. The business world is bigger than any KU classroom. Come with me and you just might learn something important.” We were off and ~ I was driving.
When we arrived, McCarthy walked me into room full of very confident men ~ all in business suits. He pointed out the managing partners of several “Big 8” accounting firms, big law firm managing partners, CEOs, Presidents and Chairmen of a variety of companies and industries. I knew no one ~ and realized my prized brown high school Irish Tweed suit was not going to cut it in the business world.
McCarthy pointed out an elegantly dressed “Big Guy” with Silver Gray hair. There was an open seat by him at an otherwise full table. McCarthy told me to go sit down next to him. What was I to do?
I sat down at this table where this “Big Guy” was holding court. The looks toward me by my new middle-aged tablemates ranged between bemused and horrified. Somehow, I knew McCarthy had once again put me in an awkward situation to “toughen me up.”
I tried to keep my head down and say nothing. It did not take long, before “The Big Guy” in a deep voice turned and asked me to tell him all about myself. I noted he did not introduce himself, and seemed to think I should know who he was.
I explained I was a just initiated freshman, studying economics at KU with plans on attending law school. With the mention of KU his lips curled down. His lips curled even further, when I mentioned law school. “Law School!” he bellowed. “Why don’t you pick an honest profession -- like Banking. You’ll go crazy trying to make a living off billable hours.”
At this point everyone at the table was clearly biting their lips trying not to laugh at my discomfort. I assumed “The Big Guy” would dismiss me as irrelevant ~ and I could go back to pretending to be invisible.
Instead, he asked me where I was from. I meekly said, “Salina, Kansas.” For the first time he broke into a big smile.
“Salina!” he roared, “My favorite restaurant is the Brookville Hotel near Salina! I just love their Fried Chicken. Stop there every time I drive to and from the Broadmoor!” When I told him I grew up on The Brookville Hotel’s fried chicken and believed it to be the best in the world, “The Big Man” slapped my back treated me as a long-lost epicurean friend. He again, asked me my name and then repeated it to himself.
I could see all the other tablemates in suits befuddled as I had somehow, positively amused “The Big Man.” and then engaged on civil terms. (I kinda think they were disappointed not to see a complete meltdown.)
Following the lunch “The Big Man” in a voice, sounding like it should ring from the Halls of the US Senate, stated, “Remember Young Mr. Bolen – an honest profession for you-- like Banking!” He then slipped me the secret fraternity handshake ~ which fortunately I had just learned 3 weeks prior.
As I drove McCarthy back to Lawrence, he asked me with a devilish smile “If I learned anything about business at the Alumni lunch.” I asked him “Just who in the hell was this “Big Guy” and why he had me sit next him?”
McCarthy, trying not to laugh, said “The Big Guy” was Mr. Crosby Kemper, a Mizzou grad, Chairman of United Missouri Bank, and one of the most influential bankers in the Midwest.”
McCarthy noted Mr. Kemper comes every year and, although Lyle Wells, his Bank’s Vice Chairman and Mizzou pledge brother, sits on his left, no one ever sits on Mr. Kemper’s right ~ because everyone in Kansas City is at least half afraid of him because he can be intimidating. McCarthy said, he thought “It would be good for my ego to get taken down a notch sitting next to Mr. Kemper.”
I groaned and mumbled to McCarthy, “Kemper - you mean like the brand-new Kansas City Conversion/Basketball Center?” McCarthy then went on to explain there were actually two “Mr. Kemper” bankers in town. 1) Mr. James Kemper Jr. and 2) Mr. Crosby Kemper Jr. Both were the respective sons of Big James Kemper Sr. of Commerce Bank and Mr. Big Rufus Crosby Kemper Sr, of United Missouri Bank. In short, Legendary Kansas City Banking families.
As we pulled up to the Fraternity House, McCarthy satisfying said, “The good news Bolen is if you can blindly go up and sit down next to Mr. Crosby Kemper and handle his questions you will never be intimidated by any job interview, loan committee meeting, legal deposition or appearance before a judge.” I did not have the nerve to ask McCarthy what a loan committee or legal deposition was. (I did, however, know all about appearing before a judge ~ from my high school days.) I just smiled and thanked McCarthy for dragging me along.
Looking back some 40 plus years, McCarthy was right. (He always was.)
The more I thought about that Spring Day, McCarthy gave me some incredible business lessons. 1) Never be afraid to sit down with someone important 2) Don’t be intimidated and 3) Try to find common ground with something interesting to him or her.
In the end, Mr. Crosby Kemper was right. I could not handle making a living from billable hours. Surprisingly it was his cousin Mr. James Kemper who gave me the chance in “The honest profession of Banking.”
As I look from my bank office at the beautiful Prairie Village Blooming Tulip Trees ~ I take solace at their beauty ~ and the wisdom of business elders.
Let’s enjoy not only the blooming Tulip Trees, but all the Wonders of this fine Spring Season. ~
