Favorite Memories > Jim Harryman

Submitted by President B. Jean Floten

Jim Harryman was BCC's athletic director and had a real passion for sports, and was, well, a "man's man." He also had a history of heart trouble, despite his fastidious regiment of eating healthily and exercising.

As a new president, I asked Jim to become the executive director of the BCC Foundation in 1990. Members of the community had told me Jim was one of the best-connected people in the community -- which proved true. Anyway, Jim accepted and had the office right next to mine.

One day I was meeting with Ed Dolan, the dean of instruction, when I heard a guttural groan and thud come from Jim's office. I asked Ed if he would go check on Jim, worried that Jim may have experienced another heart attack. After being gone five minutes or so, Ed came back with a very sober look on his face and said: "Oh, Jean, Jim had a heart attack all right; but, of a different sort...He ah, well....,ah, he just heard that the University of Washington hired a woman athletic director."

With total incredulity at his gender insensitivity, I popped my head in Jim's door only to find out he still wasn't over it. In fact, he looked at me and said: "Can you believe it?" I gave him a solid D-for audience analysis, but an A+ in Archie Bunker quotient!

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