Fred Guy Jr., associate professor and director of the Hoffberger Center for Professional Ethics

THEN: Thirty-eight years ago, Atlanta native Alfred “Fred” Guy Jr. had no idea that the University of Baltimore existed. Thirty-seven years ago, he took a job at UB as an untenured assistant professor of philosophy with an appreciation for Baltimore’s quirkiness and a penchant for cheesesteaks. “I liked the people here immediately and believed UB to be the kind of place in which I could teach and engage in philosophy with few restrictions,” Guy says. “At the time, UB was a very down-to-earth, unpretentious, fairly wild and wooly place. What wasn’t to like?”

Also, there was entertainment: “UB was surrounded by bars and strip clubs, which were always a source of jokes and interesting goings on … I think a few [of the ladies] tried to sneak into class a couple of times,” Guy recalls. He got “the best cheesesteak subs you ever ate” at nearby Little Caesar’s grill and ordered pizza and beer from a loud-mouthed Marge at the Rathskeller. He remembers “a lot wilder” block parties held where the Fitzgerald at UB Midtown now sits, and soccer and basketball teams that did the University proud.

NOW: Guy eventually became a tenured associate professor, served a short stint as acting dean of the College of Liberal Arts, was chair of the Department of History and Philosophy for 10 years during the ’80s and, as of 1994, is the director of the Hoffberger Center for Professional Ethics. Guy finds he’s reliving history, teaching students whose parents were once in his classes. “The best thing about teaching is to hear your former students, after many years, tell you that you made a difference in their lives,” he says.