Although admittedly shy and more comfortable as an attentive listener, Tom Stewart is also friendly and accommodating. He graciously agreed to share his thoughts about some of the important experiences in his life. Tom is that rare bird, a native Floridian, from West Palm Beach, 68 miles north of his Miami home. He received a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering in 1956 from the University of Florida where he was president of his Alpha Tau Omega fraternity chapter. After graduating from UF, he moved to Texas to work at Dow Chemical Company. He spent three years in the U.S. Air Force, and in 1964 he returned to UF and earned a master's degree in Teaching Math. In the summer of 1965, he started his career at Miami-Dade Junior College as a math instructor.