James Alexander, Ph.D., joined the U.S. Navy in 1947 at the age of 17, a 10th-grade high school dropout, and advanced through the ranks to become a chief warrant officer. The navy served as a cocoon that allowed him to mature, gain an education, learn leadership skills, and develop social graces. The story is told with the banter, sea stories, and salty language typical of the era. Alexander is Dean Emeritus of the Meinders School of Business at Oklahoma City University, and is the author of 31 books.