Albert A Mason, Jr., Professor Emeritus of Communication/Journalism, Shippensburg University, retired from the classroom in 1999, following 27 years of service to his alma mater and his students. For a ten-year period he served as the alumni director while teaching part time. He also served as a public relations and advertising consultant to a variety of clients in business, industry, politics, and education—activities which continued into retirement.

Prior to entering education, Al worked in corporate advertising for the former Armstrong Cork Company (Lancaster, PA), Stonhard Company (Maple Shade, NJ), and The Franklin Mint (Franklin Center, PA) for a total of 10 years.

When asked how he enjoyed college teaching, he replies, "It sure beat working for a living."

Next to Pat, his wife for almost 50 years, his passions are their five children, 11 grandchildren, photographing hummingbirds, singing and swimming. "I used to run to keep in shape, but I find swimming is more relaxing, and I'm a lot cleaner."

Earlier, Al was a club and lounge vocalist and emcee. He's been singing since he was 14 in the bass section of church choirs and as a soloist in a number of churches. "Over the years, I've done countless weddings, but these days I'm doing more funerals than weddings. What bride in her right mind wants a 74-year-old vocalist singing O Promise Me at her wedding?"

Today, Al spends much of his time wrapped up in photography, a carryover from his days as a PR consultant. One of his birds (201. Chipping sparrow on branch) made it onto page 21 of the January 2009 issue of Birds&Blooms Extra magazine. Then a pair of fighting pine siskins made it to page 28 of the January 2010 issue and a black-capped chickadee to page 39 of the July 2010 issue of the same publication. "In each case, I was aiming for the cover, but overshot it by more than 20 pages."

His digital compositions help raise funds for charities and appear in local galleries and a juried exhibition. "Now, my birds are on line for the whole world to see. Incredible!"

[You wouldn't be reading this if it weren't for our kids who gave me this web site for Fathers Day and daughter Lori who pulled this site together and put it on line for me. Is that cool, or what?]