In this day in age, campus security guards are seldom recognized for their achievements, but for John Langley, doing the right thing is the true achievement.
70-year-old, John Langley, has dedicated the past 10 years of his life to being there to help the students and his fellow co-workers at Lewis and Clark Community College.
Anyone who has attended Lewis and Clark may recognize Langley for his uniform, his skills at giving directions to new students, and, of course, his trademark black and yellow glasses.
From his co-workers, Langley deserves to be remembered for much more than his badge.
“John is a very sweet man with a heart of gold. He’s taught me very much,”
Barb Helmcamp, a member of campus security said.
On Thursday, February 20th, John had walked the halls of L&C one more time to say farewell to his friends on staff. Later that evening, Langley was awarded a plaque of honor for his hard work and dedication to his job on campus security.
In his own words, Langley feels humbled for the plaque he has received and wishes to always use it as a reminder of how blessed he feels for his time on campus security.
However, a plaque will not be the only thing he will use to look back on his time served, but also the memories he shares with his co-workers:
“It’s been an absolute privilege to work on such a beautiful campus, with wonderful co workers, and students who are at the highest caliber. I will miss them, dearly,” Langley said.
Langley spent 36 years of his life as a postman in Alton, Illinois. Before that, he was a Combat Engineer in the military for 6 years after graduating high school in 1964. After serving his time in the military, he, too, was a student of Lewis and Clark Community college for 6 years.
Langley has worked many jobs in his lifetime, but one of the jobs he’s loved the most, is his job as a tour guide at the Alton Museum of History and Art. Langley believes Alton is one of the most historical places in the world, and is perhaps a walking encyclopedia of Alton history.
Some of his hobbies include building and collecting old fashioned vehicles, spending time with his girlfriend, and checking off goals from his bucket list. This year, he plans to fulfill his dreams in going to Europe and, hopefully, learn more history.
Langley may have been just a man with a badge to some, but he is a mentor, a good friend, and a wonderful human being overall to many. His job on campus may be over, but his legacy will be carried on.
Langley can now be seen every Saturday at the Alton Museum of History and Art, and he encourages anyone to come and visit him and what he calls the “living museum”.
