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« on: September 10, 2008, 11:12:47 AM »Does he really sound like the Godfather?
Does he look like the Godfather?
Does he really sound like the Godfather?
Face to face with Robert Kelleyhttp://www.grandforksherald.com/articles/index.cfm?id=84981§ion=homepage
Tu-Uyen Tran
Grand Forks Herald - 08/24/2008
This past week, UND President Robert Kelley toured the state of North Dakota. We talked to him about that tour, and we learned a little more about what he enjoys about Grand Forks, who’s inspired him and whether he’s got a voice that says he’ll make offers you just can’t refuse.
Q. What was your impression of the Badlands?
A. You know, I grew up in New Mexico, and I have to tell you, I felt very much at home in the Badlands. The part just north of Albuquerque and toward Espinola, and then beyond Espinola, New Mexico looks very much like that.
I felt like I had gone home. The air was dry; it was a nice, warm day. And boy, it reminded me of being down in New Mexico when I was a boy.
Q. Have you had a chance to see much of Grand Forks?
A. Yes, we’ve gotten over Grand Forks quite a bit. Marsha and I have ridden our bicycles down along the Greenway; it’s a beautiful way to see the edges of the river. We’re kind of interested in birding, so we pay attention to the birds that we’re seeing. We’ve had a chance to talk to people who are down there exercising and riding their bikes.
We’ve gotten down to the big King’s Walk Golf course, gotten down to the country club, started to get to know the downtown area, the restaurants, some of the museums down there.
We’re getting to .?.?. know the business leaders in town, which is very nice for us to do.
Q. What do you think is your favorite haunt, your favorite place to go, in Grand Forks?
A. We’ve been to the Toasted Frog more than we’ve been to any other place, I think, just with groups, meeting people there for a quick dinner after work. So, I guess I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite place, but it’s a place I’ve gotten to know.
Q. What’s your favorite drink?
A. Boy, I’ve got several. I’m very fond of hot chocolate in the wintertime. And in the summertime, I kind of like a slightly sweetened green tea, an iced tea. I buy that stuff by the carton, stick it in the refrigerator, and when I’m going somewhere, I’ll grab a bottle of that and take that with me.
Q. What’s your favorite part of campus?
A. You know, the new President’s house is right on the Coulee, and I walk to work every morning. I just enjoy that walk immensely.
The bridge going up over the English Coulee, you know I saw a beaver there the other day. It was the biggest beaver I have ever seen.
It was just kind of feeding along the edge of the Coulee. How good is this? I mean life can’t get any better — a wonderful walk, beautiful flowers, a little wildlife. I just think this campus is exceptionally lovely.
Q. What kind of music do you like to play?
A. I’m a band guy. I like to play the trombone. I’ve been able to sit with the community band a time or two and play some marches and some swing tunes.
I just like to sit in the back with my trombone, in the trombone section and join a group of musicians to play John Philip Sousa and Copeland, whatever we can play together. That’s a lot of fun for me.
When it comes to listening, I’m kind of universal in my tastes. I’ll go from Mozart to just about anything contemporary; it just kind of depends on my mood. I like country western, I like classical, I like swing, I like the big band era from the ’30s and ’40s. I listen to any music that’s interesting, and for me, just about all of it is.
Q. Who do you admire the most?
A. Well, of people that I’ve known, I have to say my dad.
There are two men that have influenced me tremendously in my life: my father, David Kelley, and my major professor, Richard Eakin, when I was a graduate student at Berkeley. He was one of the finest professors I’ve ever known, and it was a tremendous privilege to not only have grown up with my father but to have studied with Richard Eakin at Berkeley. So, those are two men that I admire and respect tremendously.
I’m fascinated by the lives of great leaders — Gandhi, Roosevelt, Truman — I enjoy reading biographies of people who have made major impacts on the history of our civilization. So, there are a lot of people I have tremendous admiration for, but closer to home, it would be my major professor and my father.
Q. So, do you hear any Godfather jokes? Do people compare your voice to a character in the Godfather movie?
A. People do comment about my voice, but not in the Godfather sense. Some people say it has a peculiar bell-like quality; other people say they feel like maybe they keep clearing their throats when they listen to me. Ryan Bakken at the Herald said I had a frog in my throat.
This is my father’s voice. I inherited his vocal cords; if you had listened to my father when he spoke, you would have said, “gee, Bob sounds just like his dad.” It’s what I’ve got. In some ways, it’s one of my most characteristic features.
I’m rather amused by the Godfather remark; I don’t usually make offers that people can’t refuse (laughter).
Reach Tran at (701) 780-1248; (800) 477-6572, ext. 248; or send e-mail to [email protected].