Celebrating the publication of "The Man in the Red Tie: Professor Harold Jeskey"

DALLAS (SMU) - The publication of a biography about the late Harold Jeskey, a popular SMU chemistry professor, will be at a celebrated Sept. 25 in McCord Auditorium on the third floor of Dallas Hall.

The event, which is free and open to the public, will be at 2 p.m. and will include remarks by Sterling E. Moore, author of The Man in the Red Tie: Professor Harold Jeskey. Friends and family will be invited to share memories.

From the Publisher

The late Dr. Jeskey, professor of chemistry at Southern Methodist University, had a signature look: a red tie. To him, red ties represented excellence, which is why he awarded them to outstanding students in his classes.

Kindness and compassion, as well as academic brilliance, continually defined the professor's life. Born into poverty in 1912, Jeskey lived through two world wars and the Great Depression. A lifelong fascination with science and medicine led him to pursue a doctorate in chemistry. After joining the SMU faculty in 1945, he spent the next thirty-four years inspiring students to strive for excellence in all facets of life.

The Man in the Red Tie: Professor Harold Jeskey is a meticulously researched biography that stems from the author's deeply personal experiences with the professor himself. Interviews with family, friends, colleagues, and former students paint a vivid picture of a man whose legacy is deeply ingrained in the collective memory and culture of SMU.

About the Author

Moore took Jeskey’s organic chemistry class in 1951. He’d later go on to study medicine and serve in the United States Air Force. As a doctor, Moore worked in private practice, and held clinical teaching appointments at the university level. Following his graduation from SMU, Moore and Jeskey remained in touch for forty years.