This is another in the series The Sun is running about
people who make significant contributions to the community.
By: Saul Resnick
Some people measure success by money and power and others, by the simple joys of living and helping others.
Jim Dunn, a tall angular 6'4" man with an affable personality, a ready smile and happy disposition, measures his success by family, career and many friendships he has developed with 65 Club members, as well as through world travels and a lengthy college teaching career.
“Life has been a great trip, with a wonderful woman I’m married to, Bernadette (who I’m very lucky to have), and three sons and their wives, who have made us very proud, as well as seven grandchildren,” said Jim with great enthusiasm. “Even better, everyone lives within minutes of us, so we get to see them often and be doting grandparents. Add to that a great 40-year career as a college professor, and an active life in retirement with good health, and I could not ask for anything more.”
Jim has also been a significant contributor to his communities, both local and in his college career. He has helped countless youngsters through challenges of growing toward adulthood with groups like the Indian Guides, the Boy Scouts, and Little League. His mentoring of numerous college students — especially those with problems — has helped them toward academic and professional success.
“All of this has been extremely rewarding,” said Jim, “When I run into my former students, they always remind me how helpful I was to them when they needed it most,” said Jim with great pride.
But Jim’s good life today — filled with family and friends — stands in sharp contrast to his time growing up, and finding his way as an only child in a challenging world.
Jim was born in 1943 in Haddon Township. His dad, James A. Dunn Sr., and mom, Mary, were faithful Catholics who helped give Jim discipline and love in large doses, and encouraged him to do his best in school.
“They obviously did well by me,” recalled Jim, “Because in my senior year at Camden Catholic High, in a class of 400, I was voted class president and graduated with honors.”
“I earned a full scholarship to LaSalle College. At the time, I was dating Bernadette Angelucci, a pretty young lady who lived nearby, and we even went to our senior prom together.
Then, I was totally surprised when she told me she was going into a convent to become a nun! She stayed there for eight years. Meanwhile, I zipped through LaSalle (including a year of study in Switzerland), then went on to the University of Pennsylvania, where I earned a PhD in Political Science. During those years, Bernadette and I had virtually no contact, but I frequently thought about her.”
Then another surprising twist of fate entered the lives of Jim and Bernadette.
Bernadette, right on the cusp of taking final vows, made a life-changing decision. “I decided that as worthwhile as my life would be as a nun and a teacher, I wanted to take another path — marriage and children,” said Bernadette. “So I left the convent. Jim and I got reacquainted through mutual friends. And in June, 1970, we were married. Life surely takes some fascinating turns,” said Bernadette with a thoughtful smile, “and our turn began a great adventure for both of us. As I look back, no regrets. Jim has been a wonderful life partner.”
Then the couple turned west. “I accepted an assistant professorship at the University of Missouri-Kansas City,”
said Jim. “Bernadette acquired a teaching position to supplement our income. Then our children came along, Michael born in 1972, Bryan in 1975 and David in 1978.
“But something was pulling on us. And despite a promotion and achieving tenure at Missouri, when I was offered a tenured-associate professorship at Rutgers, we came back home to our roots. As soon as our youngest, David, entered school full time, Bernadette began teaching at the Pennsauken campus of the Camden County Vo-Tech School, and stayed there for 17 years. I continued with my career at Rutgers, taking on positions involving transportation policy, while serving as chair of the Political Science Department and then as chair of the Public Policy and Administration Department.”
Jim’s career also allowed him to write two books. While at Missouri, he was a visiting scholar for nine months at the University of Bonn in Germany, where he wrote “Miles to Go. European and American Transportation Policies” (MIT Press). He wrote a second book, “Driving Forces: the Automobile, Its Enemies, and the Politics of Mobility” while at Rutgers, and it earned him a full professorship and tenure.
“During my time at Rutgers, I was asked by Louis Gambacine, then head of the NJ Department of Transportation, to be chairman of the newly-formed South Jersey Transportation Advisory Committee,” said Jim, understating an important role in helping evolve policies specific to South Jersey localities.
An author, a scholar, semi-fluent in French and German thanks to his foreign travels, and an admired and respected college professor for 40 years, Jim embarked on a new path in 2010 — retirement. Jim and Bernadette have traveled extensively since then.
Regarding the 65 Club, Jim joined four years ago, initially to participate in golf outings which the club arranges.
“But the weekly meetings with guest speakers talking about a whole range of subjects are interesting and entertaining,” said Jim with appreciation. “And the club’s involvement with various charitable activities I’ve participated in have been rewarding. All in all, I’ve had the chance to explore new avenues in life, and made many new friends.”
