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Larry Pickett

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Larry (Lawry) Pickett
Camper and councilor most of his life through 1967.

Not really Larry

          While scanning the home letters for the Nightman to put up on the site I was reminded that my last year at Hyde Bay was 1967.  I missed the final 2 years as well as 1966 and 1965, one to summer school, and one to family travel.  My excuse for missing the final 2 years was an invitation from Uncle Sam to travel the world – the vets among you know the rest of that phrase.

      When I was released (April 1971) from the Army after an interesting year in Vietnam as an Infantry 1st Lieutenant leading a Mobile Advisory Team (MAT),  I entered grad school for a MS in School Psychology at Southern Connecticut State College (along with McKee I spent a good part of that year down at Yale with Rusty, Fred and their room mates, McKee’s spin on that time is cleaned up – but I do remember most of the evenings). Then off to Graduate School at the University of Missouri – St. Louis (UMSL) for a Ph. D. program in Clinical Psychology. Unfortunately that program and I were not suited to each other and after one year of that, I went to work for 5 years as a School Psychologist in St. Charles County in Missouri.  Then 3 years as a Psychologist in the St. Louis County Juvenile Court.  I married Jo Anne in 1973.  During the 8 years as a Psychologist Jo Anne and I produced three kids at about 2 year intervals (girl, girl, boy).Larry and Carolyn

      Near the end of the psy years I came to recognize my strengths and weaknesses as in that field and took an offer to work at UMSL as a Statistical Programmer supporting faculty and grad students in their research efforts. I had picked up enough computing skills during my graduate programs to be useful in that role.  I remained at UMSL for 20 years 1981-2001 and made some progress in moving up the ranks in the academic computing world to Assistant Director of Academic Computing.  In 1987 I was divorced from Jo Ann and reentered the single world, unfortunately with my High School dating skills.

      During my stint as a Psychologist I entered a Doctor of Education (Ed. D.)  program which fitted me better than the previous Ph. D. program.  Finished that in a record 11 years (slow but sure, slow anyway).

      The computing organization at UMSL underwent some major changes and in 2001 and on exactly my 20th anniversary of starting there I was laid off (and a year later retired from UMSL – sometimes the gods smile).  Found out that all of the conventional wisdom for job hunting had changed but persevered and in July, 2002 started working at MasterCard (no, I have no way to get you a lower interest card – that is the issuing bank’s area) and remain there doing programming in support of people selling consulting services to banks and merchant.

       On September 4th, 2010 I married Carolyn, those in attendance at the last 2 Durbar’s have met her, in the pictures on the link at the end of this, she’s the smiling gray headed lady next to the bald, bearded, guy with his mouth open (like all Pickett’s constantly talking).  Rusty was in attendance and provided us with a great pictorial record of the event.
Larry and Carolyn Wedding

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