Tom came to Humboldt with his wife and their children in 1964 following a 21-year career in the Navy. He was a Professor Emeritus of Humboldt State University where he taught in the School of Business until his retirement in 1987. His tenure at Humboldt included being Department Chairperson and creating the Human Resource core for Natural Resources and Forestry majors. He always had an "open door" policy for students and was known for being an insightful, creative, and challenging instructor.