The Story
Fifty Years Later, Wolf Remembers his Own Convocation
Henry “Hank” C. Wolf (’64 J.D. ’66), the keynote speaker at this year’s convocation ceremony and the rector of the College's Board of Visitors, spoke with the DoG Street Journal about his time at the College. A businessman whose Forbes.com profile reveals him to be director of AGL Resources, Inc. and Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. as well as the former Chief Financial Officer of Norfolk Southern Corporation, he has been a dedicated alumnus to the school that helped cultivate that business savvy.
DSJ: You must hold some very fond memories of the College to be such a committed alumnus, joining the Board of Visitors and agreeing to speak at the 2010 Convocation Ceremony. What do you remember most about your days as a student in Williamsburg?
Henry Wolf: My fond memories are of a place that nurtured its students and allowed them to grow and mature. I recall the classes where I learned from dedicated faculty who devoted themselves to teaching the students and preparing them to compete at the highest levels of whatever endeavor they pursued. It was a place that enabled me to accomplish much of what I have in my lifetime.
I also remember Colonial Williamsburg as a community that has remained relatively unchanged [for] over a half of a century. It was a wonderful, idyllic place that is conducive to learning and living one of the most important chapters of my life.
DSJ: As the wealthy former Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer of Norfolk Southern Corporation, what advice would you offer the College's ambitious students who dream of being rich someday?
HW: I cannot admit to being wealthy! It is a relative term. But I can say that if one aspires to achieve some measure of wealth, the best advice is to work hard at whatever you do and hope that you have some very good luck.
DSJ: How does the process of becoming a convocation speaker work exactly? Did they approach you, or did you volunteer yourself to them?
HW: I am not sure how it all came about, but I believe that it was largely rooted in the fact that I will be observing the 50th anniversary of my own convocation in 1960.
DSJ: When you were a freshman at the College, if someone had told you that one day you would be giving a speech at a Convocation Ceremony, how do you think you would have replied?
HW: I would have reacted with disbelief and dismissed the notion as utter nonsense.