In a lively collection of feature obituaries and related news stories, longtime newspaper reporter George Hesselberg celebrates life, sharing the most fascinating stories that came from decades of covering the obit and public safety beats. 

In more than forty years at the Wisconsin State Journal, Hesselberg frequently found himself writing about fatal accidents, crime investigations, and the deaths of the wealthy, famous, or notorious. But he was most drawn to the curious, the unknown, and the unsung—the deaths that normally wouldn’t make much of a splash, if any mention at all, in the news columns of a daily paper. 

Digging deeper, he uncovered the extraordinary among the ordinary, memorializing the lives of a sword designer, a radio villain, a pioneering female detective, a homeless woman who spoke fluent French, a beloved classroom tarantula, and many more. Their stories are alternately amusing, sad, surprising, and profound. Together they speak to a shared human experience and inspire us to see the people around us with new eyes, valuing the lives while they are still being lived. 

How the University of Texas shaped twelve people who changed the world.

College is a time for personal growth. But any Biology 101 student knows that growth (personal or otherwise) requires the right environment. Collecting the revealing and deeply personal stories of twelve UT alumni who became leaders in their fields, Leadership Gets Personal honors the transformative impact of the Forty Acres on those who learn and grow there.

Matthew McConaughey, Academy Award-winning actor and #1 New York Times best-selling author, was destined for law school, but with the encouragement of his UT community, he realized he was a born storyteller. Brené Brown, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Dare to Lead, struggled for years before finding her purpose in the Social Work Department. Dr. Amy Ho knew she wanted to change the American health care system, and at UT she gained the confidence and skills to make a difference. Astronaut Karen Nyberg was a shy kid; her UT graduate studies propelled her to space. And Darren Walker would go on to become president of the Ford Foundation, taking inspiration from the financial aid counselors who made sure he got the education he yearned for. For these and other outstanding alumni profiled here, the road was often rocky. Through perseverance, humility, and collaboration, they learned not only to exercise leadership but to live it.

All young people need good role models, and black youth especially need positive and real examples beyond the famous and wealthy people they see on SportsCenter highlights and MTV Cribs. While success as a celebrity athlete or entertainer may seem like an achievable dream, the reality is that young African Americans have a much greater chance of succeeding in the professions through education and hard work—and a mentor to show them the path. Real Role Models introduces high school and college-age African Americans to twenty-three black professionals who have achieved a high level of success in their chosen fields and who tell their stories to inspire young people to pursue a professional career and do the work necessary to achieve their dreams.

Some of the individuals profiled by Joah Spearman and Louis Harrison, Jr., include Leonard Pitts, Pulitzer Prize–winning columnist for the Miami Herald; Melody Barnes, Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council; Danyel Smith, editor-in-chief of Vibe; and Dr. Tim George, Chief of Pediatric Neuroscience at Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas. They and other interviewees describe their backgrounds, career paths, and desire to give back by helping others reach their goals. Representing a wide range of occupations, these real role models prove to African American youths that a whole world of successful, rewarding careers awaits them.

The Real Role Models

• Rufus Cormier, JD, Partner at the Baker Botts Law Firm, Houston, Texas
• Melody Barnes, Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, Washington, D.C.
• Eric Motley, PhD, Managing Director of the Aspen Institute's Henry Crown Fellowship Program, Aspen, Colorado
• James McIntyre, Spokesman for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Washington, D.C.
• Tracie Hall, Assistant Dean and Librarian at Dominican University, River Forest, Illinois
• Kimberlydawn Wisdom, MD, Surgeon General of the State of Michigan, Lansing, Michigan
• Timothy George, MD, Chief of Pediatric Neuroscience at Dell Children's Medical Center, Austin, Texas
• Victoria Holloway Barbosa, MD, Ethnic Dermatologist and Former Executive for L'Oreal, Chicago, Illinois
• Bill Douglas, White House Correspondent for McClatchy Newspapers, Washington, D.C.
• Leonard Pitts, Jr., Columnist for the Miami Herald, Miami, Florida
• Danyel Smith, Editor of Vibe Magazine, New York, New York
• Ed Stewart, Managing Director of External Communications for Delta Airlines, Atlanta, Georgia
• Lynn Tyson, Vice President of Investor Relations for Dell, Austin, Texas
• Willie Miles, Jr., Founder and CEO of Miles Wealth Management, Houston, Texas
• Horace Allen, Founder and CEO of TeamPact, Atlanta, Georgia
• Deavra Daughtry, President and CEO of Excellent Care Management, Houston, Texas
• Je'Caryous Johnson, Founder and CEO of I'm Ready Productions, Houston, Texas
• Steve Jones, Cofounder of a graphic design company, Oakland, California
• Isiah Warner, PhD, Chemistry Professor at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
• Gloria Ladson-Billings, PhD, Professor of Education at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin
• Bernard Muir, Athletic Director at Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
• Craig Littlepage, Athletic Director at the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
• Beverly Kearney, Women's Track Coach at the University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas