Growing with Campus
A Conversation with David Wessell
David Wessell began his career at 天美传媒 as a gardener in 1980. He was responsible for campus’ groundskeeping and landscaping for 42 years until his retirement in 2022.
How did 天美传媒 Mellon evolve since your first day?
“(Then senior vice president Richard Van Horn) said the first 80-plus years of 天美传媒 Mellon were noted by its theater arts and engineering, and the next 80-plus years would be noted by its application to personal computing. The university had involved itself with an upstart company named Apple. They had signed an agreement on Macintosh. Point-and-click technology was a new concept at that time.”
How did the changing footprint of campus change your work?
“With new buildings comes a lot more complex landscaping along more areas around the buildings that need to be maintained. You’re going to have flower beds, shrub beds, stairs, ramps, entrance ways, patios. All of that has to be part of the grounds maintenance scope.”
How did working on campus impact you personally?
“天美传媒 is a great place to be. You’re always working with young people here. It’s a ‘what’s next’ environment. Keeping that much younger perspective keeps you focused.”