Brief Biography:

I am a Swiss-Welsh-Irish-Scottish-English-American whose ancestors came to this country from 1630-1903.  My most recent immigrant ancestor was my grandfather, Herbert August Hauptli (born: 11/01/1890 in Thal, Switzerland; died 11/25/1945 in Dubuque, Iowa).  He arrived in the U.S.A. in 1903.  He entered Columbia University and took a Masters degree in Chemical Engineering (1909).  He served for a year there as an Assistant Professor, then went to work for industry.  My least recent immigrant ancestor uncovered thus far is Robert Lockwood (died 1658).  He arrived on the Arabella in Winthrop's fleet at Salem in 1630, and settled near Watertown, Mass.  He moved to Fairfield, Conn. in 1646.  His great-great-great-great-grandson was Abraham Lockwood 2nd was a revolutionary soldier in Captain Samuel Scott's Company of the Vermont Militia. 

I was born in Dubuque, Iowa in 1948, graduated from Henry M. Gunn High School in Palo Alto, California in 1966 (having lived in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan between Dubuque and Palo Alto).  I received my B.A. in mathematics from Lawrence University in Appleton, WI; and my M.A. and Ph.D. in philosophy from Washington University in St Louis, MO.  I married Laurie Vaile in 1968, and we have two children who are now in their mid-40s. I taught High School mathematics for one year (1974-1975), and philosophy at Drake University (1975-1976). From 1976 until I retired in 2015 I taught philosophy at Florida International University. We now live in Bath, Maine. 

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Last revised: 08/24/23.