Patriot Salute: Harold Hubbard

Half a Century at Cumberlands

The year was 1960. Harold Hubbard had just finished graduate school, and he and his wife had a baby on the way when John Wilson, a graduate school classmate of Harold’s and chair of the commerce department (now Hutton School of Business) at Cumberlands, offered him at job at the college. Harold took it.

He taught in the department for two years, then took a job as chief accountant at National Standard Company for four years. He missed teaching, though, so, when Dr. Boswell contacted him with an offer, Harold accepted and never looked back. He believes it was one of the best decisions of his life. In total, he served Cumberlands for half a century before he retired in May 2014.

“My favorite part about working at Cumberlands, first and foremost, was the students,” Harold said, “then the faculty, administration, and staff. Dr. J.M. Boswell was also a major influence in my life.”

Harold still lives in Williamsburg and runs into former students quite often. And he hasn’t counted, but he estimates he has about 500 former students as Facebook friends. He is happy to see so many of them enjoying success in their chosen careers and their personal lives.

As often happens, Harold worked his way up the ladder in the business department from professor to acting chair before becoming chair of the department. Cumberlands named him honorary alumnu in 2008.

Outside the classroom, Harold also worked with the Student Government Association in his early years, then Phi Beta Lambda (PBL) and Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) for several years. PBL was always one of the top clubs in the state, and Cumberlands’ SIFE group won regional competitions and competed in international competitions every year except their first. Harold worked closely with the NAIA for his last 45 years, serving as eligibility chair most of the time and acting as a member of the Constitution and By-Laws Committee and the National Eligibility Committee (NEC) for approximately 20 years. He was inducted into Cumberlands’ Athletic Hall of Fame and the NAIA Hall of Fame in 2011. Athletics at Cumberlands was an integral part of Harold’s life. The inductions were very high honors to him.

Looking back on half a century of teaching at Cumberlands, Harold said, “If I had to do it over, I don't know anything I would change.”

In his retirement, he has enjoyed reading, traveling, and spending time with his family and friends. Ever the sports fan, he has also attended plenty of football and basketball games at the University of Kentucky and Cumberlands.