Alumni Life for
On the road again
B
BY SHAYLA BROWN (’20), alumni relations graduate assistant
ob Hume (’72) started his Madison career as a student and went on to work at the university as a driver. After making his mark in Harrisonburg, he’s heading back this spring for his 50th Bluestone Reunion. A s a student at Madison College, Hume (’72) majored in political science and originally wanted to be a school principal in Virginia Beach, Virginia. His first job out of college was with JMU Buildings and Grounds. It was during this time that he was assigned as a driver for President G. Tyler Miller— before there was even an official transportation department at the college. Since then, Hume has chauffeured four of JMU’s six presidents, including Jonathan R. Alger, whom Hume admits was his favorite. “He always interacted with me more as a person than an object.” Hume has stayed connected to the university throughout his life. In 1980, he and his wife-to-be put together a few bus trips to make some extra money. They drove groups to Busch Gardens, King’s Dominion, churches and schools, and led bus tours all over the country. They eventually expanded their motorcoach business and opened Travel Mates of Virginia Inc. in 1980, which lasted 28 years. Hume off icially started driving for JMU part-time in 2009 after men’s head basketball coach Charles G. “Lefty” Driesell convinced the school to buy buses for the athletics department. Travel Mates was asked to provide most of the transportation for the university until it hired its own bus system. Over his career, Hume has driven for every JMU sports team. His relationships
46
M A D ISON
M AG A Z I N E
with the student-athletes and the coaches are something he holds dear. After his retirement from the motorcoach industry in 2008, Hume was hired at JMU as a part-time driver and then went full time in 2016. Hume chauffeured such big names as the Rev. Jesse Jackson, author John Grisham and musician Peter Yarrow from the airport to campus. I n 2 017, J M U h i re d t r a n sp or t ation supervisor George Yocum. Hume remembers work ing with Yocum on a daily basis. “George really got the department squared away and running smoothly. He valued my 28-year experience with buses. I trained many drivers and assisted with trip routing and time
schedules. His support Bob Hume (’72) of the drivers rea lly took the wheel for every JMU made the department sports team. what it is today.” (Inset): Hume‘s H u m e m e n t o r e d 2018 lacrosse many fellow transpor- team champ ionship ring. tation employees, and his impact is still evident on campus today. “Bob is just one of those unique individuals who loves to talk to people, and they love to talk to him,” said Charlie King, senior vice president of administration and finance. “We need more ambassadors like Bob. I’m real proud I had a chance to work with him and that he remembered me.” Hume has driven for countless JMU events. One yea r, while driving the Americans with Disabilities bus during PH OTO G R A PH S BY J U ST I N ROT H
