Cue the Highlight Reel RICK SPENCER LOOKS BACK AT 40 YEARS
“Behind every gift to this institution—every name on a building, endowed chair, or scholarship—is a story, and more often than not Rick is the narrator.” President Troy Hammond
With the end of his 40-year career at North Central College in sight, Rick Spencer has more than a few stories to share about the people, events and gifts that made his time here so extraordinary. The College’s vice president for institutional advancement will retire in June. You might know him as the ambitious young director of admission who changed the culture of recruiting at the College; the confident fundraiser who could ask for multi-million dollar gifts; a concerned benefactor who found support for international students; the proud father of two successful alums—one coaching at the College; and the generous philanthropist who named a classroom in the Myron Wentz Science Center for the Spencer family’s ties to North Central, including his parents, Wes ’43 and Marian (Mickey) Stahl ’43 Spencer, and sons
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Bradley ’04 and Tyke ’06, and daughters-inlaw Nikki Michelson ’17 Spencer and Kalah Thorngren ’07 Spencer (pictured, p. 4).
A CAREER LAUNCHED IN ADMISSION
Underlying his talents is a focus and dedication to the success of North Central College that transcends a 40-hour work week—as well as a love for Cardinal athletics, especially football.
After graduating from Augustana College in 1974, Spencer began his career in the admission office there. He learned lessons that would later transform North Central’s admission operation, where he took over as director of admissions and financial aid in 1981.
For Spencer, the high point of his career highlight reel was the 2019 NCAA Division III National Football Championship. It was the culmination of all things important to his life and career. “Being with my family and watching Brad coach, seeing alumni I recruited and friends of our boys, raising money for buses to take our students to the game; that game is probably my happiest moment,” Spencer said. He still aches for daughter-in-law Kalah, who had to stay in Illinois to care for her flustricken daughter Emmy.
NORTH CENTRAL COLLEGE northcentralcollege.edu
“(1981) was the hardest year of my life,” he said. “Our son Brad was born, we were living with my parents and my mother was ill. And (in the admission office) I was trying to implement evening calls, home visits, Presidential Scholarships and more campus visit days. “But by fall 1983, we had our largest first-year class ever—286. That was a big number for a school of our size at that time.” (Continued)
