Paul Olsen

By Felix Ortiz (Whetstone Staff)

Fair. Outgoing. Honest. Loyal.

These are just a few of the words that Tina Heesh-Mosely, administrative assistant for Academic Affairs, used to describe her colleague and former employer, Paul Olsen, associate professor of Mathematics at Wesley.

“He is very thoughtful,” she said, “He would put vases of flowers on our desks that he picked from his garden and arranged himself.”

Olsen hired Heesh-Mosely 11 years ago as a secretary in the Mathematics department.

“He could evaluate someone on their weaknesses and see to it that he’ll make them work it into their strengths,” she said.

Olsen, 65, has been teaching at Wesley for more than thirty years, and has had several different jobs, including assistant vice president of academic affairs and director of advising. He taught at Harlaxton College in England for one semester.

“He’s thorough and very detailed,” said senior Kirk Brooks, who majors in Accounting. “He’ll help you understand the material. He’s a walking, talking textbook.”

He’s back in Cannon Hall, where he teaches many courses, including one on gambling, often wearing flame-colored pajama pants along with a black leather jacket and leisure shoes that he slips on every now and then.

The students know when it is time to learn when they see him bring his whip into class.

Born in Connecticut, Olsen said he continues to love the simple life because of where he grew up.

“I grew up in a tiny town in Connecticut,” he said. “One street light, one gas station and nothing more.”

Although he had an interest in sports, Olsen said knew that sports weren’t for him. “I was a bench sitter and I had to be realistic.”

He and his two siblings were raised by parents who, he said, wanted nothing but the best for them.

“I had a loving mother and father who wanted their children to be happy and get a good education,” he said, “They accomplished that.”

In 1970, he earned a Bachelor’s in Mathematics, and then earned a Master’s in 1972. By the time he graduated, one of his professors asked him what he wanted to do.

Olsen told him he wished he knew. He was offered a graduate assistantship at one of the college’s branch campus, which lasted three years.

That’s when he learned he loved teaching.

He got a job at Shelby State in downtown Memphis, Tenn. He earned tenure, but the area and its crime drove him out.

“The music and barbeque is great,” he said “But crime, there’s no comparison (to Wesley) in my opinion.”

He had his house broken into three times.

“Like Wesley,” he said “the college, the people were beautiful, but I wanted to run.”

The move to Wesley turned out to be a great one for him and his two children.

He was even fortunate enough to teach his children at Wesley in his own classes.

“They earned their grades,” he said. “It was fun having them, seeing them grow.”

President William Johnston said Olsen is a positive person.

“I find Professor Olsen as someone who has a special way of finding the uniqueness of everyone he meets,” he said.

Some students said they were excited when they have Olsen teach them math.

“He’s energetic and he’s enthusiastic about math,” said sophomore Genielle Snow. “He tries to get you involved a lot, and he tries to make you as enthusiastic as he is.”

Students also appreciated his advising skills, especially when he directed the department.

“He always made sure you made the right choice, especially when adding and dropping classes,” said senior Rob McCluskey. “He’s full of energy.”

Olsen has written two math books, The Mathematics of Allied Health and Real Estate Mathematics. Olsen also is a tutor for local high school students and manages a real estate licensing school, which he’s been doing for 35 years.

He walks to work from his house, one block north and across the street from the school.

“When you find a job you like to do and get paid for it, that’s a dream job,” he said. “There hasn’t been a day where I didn’t want to go to work.”

Olsen said he holds great expectations for his students and wants them to learn math and have fun doing so.

“It’s meant to be an enjoyable experience,” he said.

Olsen presses his students to get involved and seek help.

“My main goal is to help people reach their potential and succeed,” he said. “To see a Wesley graduate in four years come back and say they are successful. I remember those days well.”

About this goal he said how he would like to be remembered by the students he taught.

“I hope they would say that I was fair and expected the best out of them and that I learned something from him,” he said, “that I made the learning environment fun and conducive for learning.”