Who is Tom Klamm? A guy who wears white shirts with a beard the same color, and much more.

This is a random collection of information, stories, and a few photos of the first fifty years of my life. I hope you enjoy this insider’s view.

Growing Up
Thomas Charles Klamm
Born February 1, 1956
1:16 am
7 pounds, 6 ounces
Evanston Hospital
Parents Wayne and Lucille Klamm
Married for 10 years
Brothers Ron-8, Rick-6, Ken-1

Autographs I have collected:
-Bobby Hull-Chicago Black Hawks hockey player
-Stan Makita-Chicago Black Hawks hockey player
-Gary Gabelich-set a world land speed record of 622.287 mph in the rocket-powered Blue Flame on October 23, 1970
-Hermann Zapf-Type designer
-Garrison Keillor-author, storyteller, performance artist, and comedian
-Lou Boudreau-Hall of Fame baseball player and Chicago Cubs broadcaster
-Harry Caray-Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame baseball broadcaster
-Ernie Banks-Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame baseball player
-Ryne Sandburg-Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame baseball player
-Rick Sutcliff-Chicago Cubs baseball player
-Dennis Eckersley-Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame baseball player
-Mrs. Betty Ford-First Lady to Gerald Ford, 38th US President
-Livingston Taylor-Singer/songwriter and brother of James Taylor

The funniest person I know is my brother Ken.

My most regretted use of money...
I used a large amount of S&H green stamps to buy my mom a ice crusher for her birthday so I could make Slushies.

I became Christian during my Sophomore year in high school.

I have a great fear of heights, particularly in open areas (such as fire lookout towers, top of silos, ladders to the third floor windows, etc.)

My first plane ride was on North Central Airlines with Ed Meerbrey flying from O’Hare to Rhinelander, Wisconsin in 1973. We had stops in Milwaukee, Madison and Wisconsin Rapids before reaching Rhinelander.

I wanted to stay up for 100 straight hours during summer after senior year in high school but my father was vehemently opposed to it.

I tried smoking cigarettes and then cigars in 2nd grade. I never tried again.

I first fell in love with printing because of my brother, Ken. He started Authority Printing in our basement during high school. Authority used letterpress printing with 12 type styles and a hand press with a 5 x 8 chase.

I had full or part time printing jobs with
-Evanston Township High School running a press
-Recreation Department in Evanston running a press
-Moody Church in Chicago running a press
-Washington National Insurance Corporation in Evanston assembling jobs and making plates

My career pursuits were not always in printing. For a time, I wanted to become a nurse or EMT (ambulance technician).

As part of the requirement to become an EMT, experience in the medical field was strongly suggested. I worked as an Orderly in the Operating Room at Evanston Hospital on days; Spring, 1974.

I worked at the Post Office, downtown Evanston during the Autumn of 1974, sorting outgoing mail. I lasted about six weeks.

I ran down 42 flights of stairs at board of trade building during Spring Break of senior year in high school, 1974.

I registered for the military draft in the spring of 1974.

I won the James Hartrey award and financial scholarship-highest award given to a senior in Industrial Arts, Evanston High School, 1974.

I rode my bike around the border of Evanston in 1974.

I went and tried a different flavor each day at 31 Flavors Ice Cream during the autumn, 1974.

I have maintained a daily log of activities since the winter, 1974

The last time I shaved was August 5, 1975.

My Dad was not much on participating in sports. Sometimes we would get up early on Sunday morning and go play tennis together. But horseshoes was his game. So much so, that we researched and put in professional horseshoe pits in the back yard. Just the right angle to the stake. Just the right clay. Just the right oak block which was soaked in creosote for months to prevent rotting. Horseshoes were always attracted to the stake when dad pitched them. Magnetism? I don’t know. But when we played (why he wanted to play with me was always a mystery), he scored a ‘ringer’ as 1 point (they are worth 3 points), I scored the regular way and he always slaughtered me.

I grew up in a house where Mom cooked and Dad loved to have meat and potato dinners. So my favorite meals were foods like baked chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy and spaghetti and homemade pizza and pork chops with rice. I never cared for spicy foods. Cottage cheese is about as spicy as I can handle comfortably.

I did not have many pets growing up as Dad did not think animals belonged in the house-they are suppose to live outdoors. But I had several chameleons and aquariums of fresh water fish.

My Dad’s ‘hobby’ was cutting grass. Consequently, he made it mine as well. At the peak of business, we had 21 neighborhood yards.

I have never paid for a haircut.

I chipped my front tooth in 6th grade.

When I was 7 or 8, I had a large icicle fall from a gutter onto my left hand thumb and rip the nail completely off.

I started wearing glasses in 3rd grade.

Mom worked in the Nichols Junior High cafeteria, before and while I was a student there.

I was never been musically inclined...but played percussion, in the grade school orchestra and took drum lessons for one year, 5th grade.

I had a model rocket club with my friends in junior high building and launching Estes model rockets.

I played in the Evanston Recreation Department Soccer league in 5th and 6th grade. Our team name was the Unbeatables and we lived up to it.

I ran the 50 yard dash in grade school, 5th grade, in 5.6 seconds.

I was on the Nichols Junior High basketball team, in 7th and 8th grades. I never played much, but got to suit up.

I played hockey freshman year for an Evanston Recreation Department league.

I played floor hockey intramurals in high school senior year. Our team was the Anonymi and we went undefeated. I still have my stick and use it in our basement playing floor hockey.

I won a trophy in an Evanston kite derby in 1967. My home-made kite achieved the highest altitude in the shortest amount of time.

I took bowling as a physical education class at RIT. I ended with the highest average in the class; 176 and I even got an A! For my bachelor party, my brother Rick and Ken took me bowling and rolled a 202 (second time in my life over 200). I even had my name and score announced our the PA system.

Kim and I loved to ice skate together at Larimer Park in Evanston in junior high.

I wanted to go out for pole vault in track senior year but Dad said no.

In 1974 I ordered 4 tickets for the Bozo circus. A postcard came back indicating 4 tickets have been reserved for me for May 10, 1982. Several years later, a letter came indicating my new date was December 19, 1982. Unfortunately, Kim and I were in Mt. Kisco, New York during that time. My sister-in-law, Berta, used the tickets. In the late 80’s I took Eric for a show and Kim took Amy for a show.

During high school I fell in love with the Wisconsin northwoods where Kim and her family had a large resort on a lake, so I planned various ways to get there: train, bus, bike and canoe. I determined I could navigate the entire distance by water except for a short two mile portage in northern Wisconsin.

One of the first dates with Kim was to go to the YMCA play, Brigadoon. After I invited her and she accepted, I was asked to work on the stage crew. So I was back stage while she was seated in the audience for our date. We did go out for ice cream after the show. The year was 1974.

Cary Lachman made a plaque for me for my 40th birthday.
-T is for Technology–You blaze the way;
-H is for Hockey–the painful way;
-O is for the Offbeat Humor you display;
-M is for Magenta and Moiré
-A is for the Annual Pancake Day’
-S is for Sire–the fatherly way
Happy 40th Birthday Tom!

Ron died on September 19, 2001
Dad died on December 16, 2002
Mom died on September 27, 2005