Wilder man serves us well

Surely you have seen Harold Stout's friendly face at the Wilder information desk. Perhaps you have seen him elsewhere setting up for an event like the recent "Late Nighter" or fixing something around the student union building.

If you are an Oberlin student, it is hard to avoid meeting Stout. He has worked at Wilder for 20 years and said he likes working in a place that he describes as "fairly busy". Stout first came here in 1979 to visit a friend. "I liked it so much I decided to stay," said Stout.

He worked as a nursing assistant in nursing homes in Lorain County and then as a guard at the Oberlin Art Museum. When a position at Wilder opened up in 1980, Stout began the job he has held for the past two decades.

Stout said he has always been a people person and has enjoyed jobs which allow him to use this quality. Working at Wilder, he is in contact with students from all over the campus from nine until noon when he works at the information desk.

He also gets to know the other Wilder employees by helping them trouble-shoot. "I do trouble shooting . . . anything from plumbing to computers," he said. When Stout first came to Oberlin, he said he had no idea he would eventually be working at the College, but he said he enjoys having a job that is interesting. Stout said, " It gives me exposure to everything on the campus."

When he is not fixing things or answering questions at Wilder, Stout enjoys fishing. "Anywhere but Lake Erie," he said. Some of his favorite spots include Findley State Park and other rivers south of Oberlin. Stout is also interested in genealogy and has traced the male line of his family all the way back to 1510 in what is now Germany.

Stout's ancient roots may be European, but he was born in Texas. His father and brother still live there and he visits them each year in June. Though he enjoys these visits, Stout always returns to the east side of Oberlin, where he lives with his wife, Beverly and their many pets: two dogs, four cats and 12 fish. Stout also enjoys working at Wilder during the summer, a season he calls "fix up time." He is devoted to Oberlin and continues to serve as a mainstay of the community.

Stout-hearted man: Wilder employee Harold Stout in his element as Wilder Main desk attendent and familiar face to all. (photo by Maria Breuninger)