He Will Be Grand Marshal Of SIU Homecoming Parade
CARBONDALE — SHARP MUSEUM will be the new name of the University Museum at SIU in Carbondale. Professor James Franklin Sharp has donated $1,000,000 to the Museum.
Professor Sharp will be honored with several events at SIU during Homecoming week. On Thursday, October 19th he will be honored at a dinner by the SIU Foundation. On Friday afternoon, the SHARP MUSEUM will be formally dedicated. On Friday evening, there will be a Dedication Dinner. On Saturday morning, Professor Sharp will be Grand Marshal of SIU Homecoming Parade. On Saturday afternoon, he will be an honored guest at SIU Football Game. On Saturday evening, there will be a Farewell Dinner.
Professor James Franklin Sharp is a 1954 graduate of Chester High School in Chester, Illinois, who lives and works in New York City. He has been recognized by Chester High School for his generosity and accomplishments with the Professor Sharp Bench, Professor Sharp Cafeteria & Entrance Lobby, and Professor Sharp Library & Media Center. He has been asked to give several Graduation Talks at Chester Grade School and Chester High School.
After Chester High School, Professor Sharp attended SIU in Carbondale. He completed the two-year Pre-Engineering Program in 1956.
This was before SIU had a four-year undergraduate degree program in Engineering. Professor Sharp says he really enjoyed attending SIU.
He had small classes with excellent instructors, that were mostly senior professors. He even had courses taught by the Head of Mathematics, Head of Physics, and Head of Economics. He lived in the conveniently located Doyle Dorm, very close to the compact SIU campus at that time, behind the Old Baptist Foundation and next to the original home of President Morris.
Doyle Dorm had a popular Cafeteria, and a Snack Shop. He played seven intramural sports for Doyle Dorm: football, corkball (his best sport), basketball, volleyball, softball, badminton, and horseshoes (his worst sport). He became a member of Theta Xi Fraternity.
His generosity to SIUC and his accomplishments have resulted in the SHARP MUSEUM being named after him, and Membership in the Chancellors Council. He has donated $1,000,000, that museum officials called a transformational gift. SHARP MUSEUM is located in the southern end of Faner Hall, close to the Old Baptist Foundation & Doyle Dorm. It has 10,000 square feet of exhibit space and has about 70,000 artifacts. It was previously called the University Museum and has been collecting artifacts since before 1871. There is a large Art Collection, a large Humanities Collection, and a large Science Collection. These are displayed in 10 Galleries, including the newly named Rosanna Sharp Myers Southern Illinois Gallery. She is a 1962 SIU graduate, and the sister of Professor Sharp. Curators of the Sharp Museum are Wes Stoerger and Susannah Monson.
Professor Sharp transferred from SIU to the University of Illinois to complete an undergraduate degree in Industrial Engineering. He has been recognized as an Illinois Outstanding Alumnus, and Membership in the Illinois President’s Council. He did his graduate study at Purdue University, where he received MSIE and PhD degrees. He has been recognized as a Purdue Outstanding Alumnus, and Membership in the Purdue President’s Council.
Professor Sharp was a professor at three universities: Assistant Professor of Industrial Engineering at Rutgers University. Associate Professor of Quantitative Methods at New York University Stern Graduate School of Business. Full Professor of Finance & Investments at Pace University Lubin Graduate School of Business. He had management positions at AT&T in Internal Consulting, Corporate Planning, and Financial Analysis. Professor Sharp then founded Sharp Seminars In NY, that became a leading provider of training for Wall Street Investment Analysts, and Investment Portfolio Managers.
Professor Sharp has written 36 books related to investing, and has had many articles published. He has achieved the following professional designations: CFA, CIPM, CMA, CFM, Mensa. He has been President of Professional Organizations, and has given talks to local, national, and international organizations. More than 100 articles have been written about him.