Thomas Addis Emmet Jr

Thomas Addis Emmet Jr. was born on July 26, 1930, in Detroit, Mich., to the late Thomas Addis Emmet Sr. and Leona Schneider Emmet. He was pre-deceased by his wife, Anne Baker Emmet. He passed away Nov. 5, 2014, at Archbold Memorial Hospital, Thomasville. He was educated at Campion High School for Boys in Prairie du Chien, Wisc., and continued his Jesuit education at the University of Detroit where he received his bachelor’s degree in philosophy in 1952, and his master’s degree in education in 1953. He completed his Case Method Design and Teaching Courses at Harvard Business School, summers 1954-1955. He later attended the University of Michigan, where he received an Education Specialist Degree in 1963 and his Doctorate Degree in Education in 1964. Dr. Emmet founded Higher Education Executive Associates in 1967, which merged with Steven Strategy in 2007 and has been a consultant to over 1,900 Higher Education Institutions of all types since 1954. His consulting services were expanded to include seminars on Legal Ownership of Catholic Colleges, Department Chairs and Dean Leadership. He was Dean of Men at University of Detroit. He was a senior advisor on leadership programs for the American Council on Education in the 1980s and early 1990s. Dr. Emmet taught the A.C.E. Fellows program for twenty-five years. He was a Special Assistant to the President and Professor of Education, Regis College, 1971-1991, at Regis University, Denver, Colo., then retired but remained loyal to the University as an active Senior Consultant to the President. He received numerous university degrees in humanities and higher education administration including three honorary doctorates, one of Laws from St. Norbert College, one of Educational Leadership from Quincy University, and one from Regis University in Humane Letters. Dr. Emmet worked with over three-hundred Board of Trustees and was the Association of Governing Boards first consultant, setting up their Seminar programs for the Trustees and Presidents in the 1970s. He has served as Trustee for the College of Santa Fe, Santa Fe, N.M., from 1975-1983 and Emeritus from 2002-2005, Siena Heights College in Adrian, Mich., from 1982-1994 and Hussian College in Philadelphia, Pa., from 2011-2014. He consulted with colleges in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Guam and Canada on educational collective negotiation, legislation, process, contract management and faculty personnel issues. Dr. Emmet received many awards including Council of Independent Colleges (Allan Splete Award) in 2005, Jesuit Association of Student Personnel Administrators (Victor Yantielli Award) in 1989, and University of Detroit (John P. McNichols Award) in 1986, and the Adult Student Personnel Association of New York (Bernard Webster Reed Award) in 1963. Dr. Emmet was proud of his family’s catholic heritage and was the fifth-known Thomas Addis Emmet in his family, the first being an attorney born in Ireland in 1764. The second was a doctor and the son of a University of Virginia chemistry professor; the third was a bishop and professor at Georgetown University. The fourth was his beloved father, Thomas Addis Emmet Sr., who was an assistant to George Ricks, the owner of the Detroit Lions, and who was an acting manager and promoter of the Lions from 1934 to 1940. Growing up in Detroit, Dr. Emmet assisted his father, who helped organize the first Thanksgiving Day football game, as well as the first professional football game featuring a college marching band, Wayne State University, at half time, both of which are now national traditions. He also befriended Danny Thomas, who was given his first job as a runner for the Lions. Dr. Emmet was known for his love of people and his uncanny ability to remember the names of virtually every person he ever met. He would regale his friends with stories of those he met along his journey of life. He was a trustee of Donna Reed’s non-profit foundation, after she married his dear family friend, Tony Owen, who left Detroit for Hollywood to become an agent. Dr. Emmet frequently visited Washington, D.C., in the early 1960s, where he met President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy, and was impressed with the first lady and her elegant shoes. He even counted Lou Gehrig among his many friends and was distraught upon his retirement from baseball due to illness. One of his most impressive personal accomplishments was saving Guy Lombardo from drowning in the 1950s. Dr. Emmet and his friends happened to come upon the accident scene after Guy Lombardo’s vehicle ran into the river near Detroit and rescued him from the cold water. Ever since that chance encounter, Dr. Emmett would always try to catch Mr. Lombardo’s concerts, and Mr. Lombardo would always come over to Tom’s table for a visit and introduce himself to his friends. Dr. Emmet was born in the North, but came to love Southerners for their hospitality, church socials, birthday parties and close friendships, and chose to spend his final years as a Southerner. He is survived by his stepchildren, Lynn Novitsky of Colorado, Anthony Novitsky of Arizona and William Novitsky of Minnesota and his first cousins, Annmarie Emmet of Washington, D.C., Frank Emmet of Queenstown, Md., Alice Emmet de Groot of Centerport, N.Y., Irene Emmet Kelley and Robert Emmet, both of Kensington, Md. In Thomasville, he was survived by close friends and care-givers, Shelba Sellers, Mark Mitchell and Nita Lovett. Friends and family are encouraged to sign the online register at www.allenfh.com , and provide your favorite memory of Dr. Emmet. He was in the process of writing his autobiography at the time of his death, with the assistance of Dr. Robert Abene, who will finish his posthumous biography in cooperation with Dr. Allan Service, Provost Emeritus, Regis University. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Regis University, Denver, Colo. A Memorial Mass for Dr. Emmet will be conducted Saturday, Nov. 15, 2014, at 2 p.m. at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Thomasville. A memorial service will be held Dec. 7 at 3 p.m. in the Regis Chapel, Lowell Campus, Regis University, Denver, Colo. A memorial service is planned for University of Detroit, where he was Dean of Men, and will be announced there at a later date.