John Andresen: Class of 1963
I enrolled at the University of Minnesota for one simple reason: I wanted to play baseball, especially for the legendary Dick Siebert. But I soon found out that I needed to stay academically eligible to continue my participation in sports. That meant I had to find an area of study I could both handle and enjoy. My sophomore year I enrolled in a political science course out of desperation. To my surprise I liked the subject. I had found my major!
Baseball earned me All-American honors in 1963, my senior year. I signed with the Minnesota Twins and played four seasons in the minor leagues. My competition in making it to the Major Leagues was Rod Carew and Frank Quilici. When I played with them, I knew it was time to get on with the rest of my life.
My love of baseball got me to the U and the Twins, but the College of Liberal Arts helped launch my business career. My liberal arts education was important for me because I was an average student, so studying history, English, political science, and psychology allowed me to gain a broad base of knowledge for use in the real world. I was never a good reader, but with a major in poli-sci and a minor in physiology, I had to read, a lot. I learned to enjoy it, and to this day I complete a book a week. The rewards in business have been tremendous for me.
I think it’s a mistake for athletes to attend college out of their home state, not to recognize that it’s an advantage to play where you live. This community embraced me both during and after my baseball career. I completed a degree, met great people, and enjoyed two financial careers that fit me perfectly. What more could I ask? I’m glad to be a graduate of the U of M and glad to be a Gopher.
Mr. Andresen is a former stockbroker for Dain Bosworth and former managing director of Piper Jaffray, both in Minneapolis. He holds a B.A. in Political Science (’63) from the U of M.