A native of Memphis, Tennessee, he holds a Bachelor of Divinity degree from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. in American History from the University of Kentucky. He taught American History at Oklahoma State University (1966 – 1974) and then joined the staff of the National Archives of the United States to develop a new electronic records program (1974 – 1994). He returned to academia in 1994 when joined the Faculty of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, British Columbia (1994 – 1999). In 1999 he commenced a third career as a records management and archives consultant with public sector and private sector clients in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Japan, the Philippines, Italy, Switzerland, Kuwait. His clients in Georgia include the Georgia State Archives and Shaw Carpet.

For several years he has considered cutting back on his consulting work and finally it will happen in 2014. In preparation for this transition, in May 2013 he and his wife, MaryJane, relocated from Oxford, MS to the Village at Deaton Creek Braselton, GA). Several months later he met Mike Freeman, a long- time ShelterBox Ambassador volunteer in northern Georgia. After talking with Mike and accompanying him on several ShelterBox presentations, he decided to become a ShelterBox Ambassador volunteer.