Days Gone By

Paul S Hickman was born in Tullahassee, Oklahoma - a small rural African-American township. He attended a rural elementary school and graduated from the academic Manual. Training High School in Muskogee, Oklahoma. During his 26 years of military service, he concurrently completed four college degrees; a post-graduate degree from Vanderbilt University - a graduate degree from Claremont Graduate University - a graduate degree from Golden Gate, and a bachelor with La Verne University in the disciplines of Human Develop and Counseling - Executive Management-Public Administration and Economics. Because of his great skill in job performance, organizational and leadership qualities, he was selected to be the Project Officer for several high-profile military operations in the USA, Greece, and the UK. In addition, he chaired two Military 'Black History Month' Celebrations with University of Oxford academic scholars in attendance in 1981 in the UK, and with US Embassy Staff in attendance in 1986 in Greece. During this period in the UK, he was an adjunct Lecturer of undergraduate courses of Economics, Management, and Business Administration Courses for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and the City Colleges of Chicago in the UK. After his retirement from the military, he returned to Kifisia Greece, and was hired by Southeastern College in Kifisia Greece as an Associate Professor with the duties as the Business Department Coordinator and a lecturer of Management courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Further, he was an Adjunct Lecturer as well as the supervisor for three MBA candidates who completed their thesis with the marks of ’Commendable’ at the University of Laverne in Greece. Because of his commitment to bridging cultural gaps, he was inducted into the American-Hellenic Economic Progressive Association [AFIEPA] all in Greece where he was instrumental in arranging a social function for the 1984 American Olympic delegation to Greece with the Honorable Mayor Thomas Bradley-the Mayor of Los Angeles. After returning to the United States and employed with the State of Maryland as a Disabled Veteran Outplacement Professional for 2 years. While employed there his supervisor made the comment that he did not know what made him tick. With that, he penned and submitted a poem entitled 'Spirit Eagle' to the North American Open Poetry contest. His poem was selected for publication by the National Library of Poetry. Then he informed his supervisor that this is who he really was - a poet! Golden Apple Press published his poem 'Simple Things' as the Editor’s Choice in their publication entitled 'Little Poems-Big Thoughts. He was selected by the National Library of Poetry to submit any one of his poems for their collection of new poems in their 'The Best Poets' entitled Best Poems publication. The International Society of Poets rendered him free membership in their society as well as an invitation to become a Distinguished Member of the Society.