(The following information was gleaned from New Mexico State University's website. It is their profile on Peter Dillaway, head of the Accounting and Business Computer Systems Department.)

EDUCATION

Ph.D. (Business Administration) University of Florida, 1980.

M.B.A. UCLA, 1965.

B.S. (Accounting) University of California (Berkeley), 1964.

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Department Head, Department of Accounting and BCS, New Mexico State University, 1996-present.

Professor of Accounting, New Mexico State University, 1987-present.

Associate Professor of Accounting, New Mexico State University, 1982-1987.

Assistant Professor of Accounting, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, 1976-1982.

Instructor, University of Florida, 1971-1975.

Assistant Professor, Fort Lewis College, 1969-1971.

PERSONAL (Submitted by Peter, June 2005)

Shortly after graduation in 1955, I entered the US Coast Guard Academy, in New London Connecticut. I really liked the academy experience—the professionalism, comradeship, esprit de corps, and challenge. But after two lengthy summer cruises, I concluded that I suffered from sea sickness more than most of my colleagues. This wasn’t something I couldn’t deal with, but it was a major discomfort and I resigned in 1957.

During 1957-58, I attended San Jose City College, taking general education courses that would transfer, and wondering about the choice of a major field. I enrolled at Cal in the fall of ’58, but I was still searching for a career path. The only BHS grad I recall running into was Bill Arnold.

Uncle Sam beckoned, and I found myself at Fort Ord in January 1959, taking Army basic training. Later that year, I was accepted into Artillery Officer Candidate School at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Following graduation, and commissioning as a second lieutenant in March 1960, I was stationed in Aschaffenburg, Germany. For the next two years, perhaps the height of the “cold war,” I served as an artillery platoon leader.

In 1962, I returned to Cal and finished a BS degree, in Accounting, graduating in January 1964. I spent the spring semester at SF State, where I ran into Walt Jessen. Then, I decided to transfer to UCLA to finish my MBA, which I completed in one year

. I worked for a firm in Los Angeles which is now a part of Ernst & Young, one of the four major international CPA firms. After finishing tax season in 1969, I concluded that being a practicing CPA, on the fast track in a big firm, is a “rat race.” I was rarely allowed to take time off, worked long hours, and was seemingly locked into the same group of annual audits in perpetuity.

I resigned and decided to spend the next year or two on leisure activities. After no more than a month and a half, I realized that I must have another job.
I decided to try academia, and quickly landed a teaching job at Fort Lewis College, Durango, Colorado. In brief, this turned out to be the most fun I’d ever had as an employee. The students were pleasant, not at all like those at Cal during the ‘60s, and the overall atmosphere at the College was very congenial. The countryside was gorgeous—not yet discovered. Great hunting, fishing, hiking, and skiing were just minutes away.

It didn’t take long to decide that I should obtain a Ph.D. if I wanted to make progress in academia. The latter was a necessity, since I married Patricia in the summer of 1970. I started looking at accounting doctoral programs at universities where the cost of living would be low.

Eventually I chose the University of Florida, enrolling in 1971. I finished my course work at Florida in 1975, and began teaching at Virginia Tech in 1976. The next few years were a struggle, finishing my dissertation, being a good partner and a new parent, maintaining our farmstead in Floyd County (horses), and fulfilling the requirements for promotion and tenure (publish or perish).

When my case was reviewed in 1981, I had a lot of research in the pipeline, but not enough in print. The negative decision was not a big disappointment, since Patricia and I were eager to get back to the mountain west. Also, many of my academic papers were soon accepted, giving me a good profile for job-hopping. We decided on New Mexico State University because of its mild winters. I moved our family (then including Daniel and Sonia) here in the fall of 1982.

So here I am, still in Las Cruces, after 23 years, the last nine as Department Head of Accounting and Information Systems. Adam was born in Las Cruces in 1983. Patricia and I were divorced in 1994. I married Barbara, a CPA, in 1995.

My leisure time is illusive, with our young bunch (Allison, 6; Louis, 4; and Charles, 17 months). I have a couple of motorcycles that I like to ride, and five early ‘50s Hudsons which I plan to restore. Barbara and I would also like to do some traveling—especially to the California coast. Presently, I decide to continue employment on a yearly basis. I anticipate retiring in ’06 or ’07.

( Ed. Pete retired June 30, 2007.)

Dillaway Family Photo, December 2012
(children l. to r.) Allison, Charles, Emorie, Louis
(parents) Peter & Barbara