When Charles Dorn (’80) first arrived at UH as a student, he and his roommate vowed to make it to as many “away” football games as possible — no small feat, considering that the Cougars were in the Southwest Conference at the time, with games all over the region. “Experiencing big time college football for the first time as a city kid was something totally beyond what I ever could have expected,” he recalls.
After returning to his native New York post-graduation, Charles has kept the Cougar spirit shining brightly by organizing, hosting and attending events, both for the Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management and the UH Alumni Association. So of course, he was at the Highlight Houston reception at the Grammercy Hotel on October 28, 2015 — but this event was a little different than others in the past.
For example, he had never introduced President Renu Khator at an event before, let alone to a group of alumni with such a wide range of careers — and graduation years.
“This event was memorable. We’re at a point in the University’s history that every time President Khator speaks, you know it’s going to be a great experience,” he says. Khator emphasized plans for a medical school and breaking into a Power Five conference: plans that are eye-opening for east-coast alumni who may not absorb as much Texas media. Did attendees leave with a renewed sense of Cougar pride? “I don’t think there’s any question about it,” Charles answers. “All you have to do is watch the video, or talk to [Associate Vice President for Alumni Relations] Mike Pede for a few minutes to catch that excitement.”
Although he’s been attending and organizing UH events for years, Charles noted he’d never seen more young alumni at an event. “It is a really refreshing thing,” he says. Increased participation was evident at the recent football game against UConn a few weeks after the Highlight Houston event; despite being a few hours’ drive from the city in Hartford, Conn., UHAA sold out their ticket block for the game. “There was more UH red in that stadium than I thought existed in the northeast. I was shocked!”
Charles may be more up to speed on UH happenings than most alumni, and not only because of New York events: as Chairman of the Dean’s Advisory Board at the Hilton College for the past ten years, he’s involved at a significant level, and travels to Houston three to four times per year. Additionally, he is a dedicated donor. “I owe a tremendous amount to UH and the Hilton College,” he muses — and not only because it gave him his first taste of college football culture. His career began to take shape, he says, when Hilton College luminary Clinton Rappole “coerced” him into becoming the first student president of the UH chapter of the Club Managers Association of America. “That got me going to conferences across the country, and now, my career has essentially been wrapped in the club business.”
He also names former Hilton professor “Coach” Don Smith as an important mentor. “I learned so much from him on a daily basis, and it continues to this day,” Charles says. Smith’s nickname reflects not only his background as a football coach, but his teaching philosophy: “The whole concept of teamwork — building a team and everyone being on the same page — is an important life lesson,” Charles says. As a devoted member of the Cougar alumni team, Charles, like all UH alumni, friends and community members, have an important place in our University’s future.