Pierpont "P.A." Askren Mack, Jr.

Pierpont Askren (“P.A.”) Mack Jr. of Bloomington, Indiana passed away on October 7, 2021, after one fall too many during his lifetime. P.A. was as surprised as anyone, having assumed that he would live to the age of 100. Born on September 8, 1930, he gave it a good shot by making it to the age of 91. Born in Chicago, Illinois to P.A. Mack Sr. and Elizabeth (Crabb) Mack, P.A. grew up in St. Louis, Missouri and spent summers farming, riding horses, and playing baseball in Delavan, Illinois on the family farm. He graduated from Webster Groves High School. P.A. earned his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from Purdue University in 1952 and a Masters of Business Administration from Indiana University in 1955. His formal education continued at Iowa State University, the University of Wisconsin, and Harvard during his early career. These higher education experiences led P.A. to become a lifelong learner and an advocate for increased education opportunities for others. P.A. was preceded in death by his wife of 43 years, Marian von Lackum Mack and his “Late in Life Love” (LLL) of 18 years, Joan Olcott. Both women were regarded by P.A.’s children to be saints for their devotion to P.A. and his various pursuits. P.A. is also preceded in death by his daughter Emily, and his dear friend, Birch Bayh, with whom he established a lifelong bond while at Purdue. An animal lover, P.A. had a beloved horse named Blackie, a goat named Billy, and numerous dogs who were faithful companions. P.A. is survived by his children, Kathryn (Daniel) McDonald of Baltimore, Maryland and Jonathan of Indianapolis, IN, and by his six grandchildren Patrick, Evan, Melinda (Spencer), Holly (Drew), Ethan, and Cohen. He is also dearly missed by many friends in Bloomington, IN and the family of his late partner, Joan: daughters Jill Parker, Nancy Friedrich, Mary Sue Olcott, and their spouses, children and grandchildren. It should be noted that P.A., although possessing a deep love for his kids and grandkids, always had an exit plan in place when around kids (defined as anyone under the age of 18). P.A.’s early career included a year as a horse wrangler in Colorado, a job of which he remained proud of throughout his life. It also included a stint as a Mill Manager at Quaker Oats, in Cedar Rapids Iowa. P.A. then merged his degrees from Purdue and Indiana University to work in banking for the Tazewell County National Bank, and the Harris Trust and Continental Banks in Chicago specializing in agricultural lending and commercialization. In 1971, P.A. asked for a leave of absence from the Continental Bank to serve as the Executive Director of the Bayh for President Committee. When his friend left his presidential bid behind for personal reasons needs, P.A. remained in Washington D.C. with his family to serve Birch, who was by then Senator Bayh, as Administrative Assistant and Chief of Staff. P.A. accepted a presidential appointment from President Jimmy Carter to serve on the Board of the National Credit Union Administration in 1979. In this position, P.A. helped Congress establish the central liquidity fund while also opening the doors for credit unions to expand their fields of membership. P.A. took lessons learned from his time with Senator Bayh to encourage credit unions to serve additional populations, including increasing banking opportunities for women. P.A.’s service was so successful he was one of very few Carter Administration appointees to be reappointed by President Ronald Reagan. After his service, the American Association of Retired Person’s named P.A. as President of its Federal Credit Union in 1987. For the next five years, P.A. continued his efforts in AARP to increase access to financial services for retirees and women. In 1991, the family moved to Bloomington and P.A. was appointed by Governor Evan Bayh to the Indiana Commission for Higher Education. This began decades of service in Indiana with the goal of ensuring higher education success for the state. P.A. served on the Board of Trustees for Indiana University from 1992 to 1998. His contributions included chairing an initiative focused on the role of teaching and research in promoting student achievement and supporting continuous faculty and program development. P.A. ardently supported the Faculty Colloquium on Excellence in Teaching and co-created the Teaching Excellence Recognition Awards. P.A. was a firm believer in attending all 8 campus’ graduations as a member of the Board of Trustees. Throughout his time in Bloomington, P.A. attended as many events as possible, including football, men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball, the Little 500, baseball, soccer, women’s crew (indeed, he even has a scull named after him), as well as the theater, opera, and many music events. After service as a trustee, P.A. continued his dedication to Indiana University in many acts of service and positions, including the Board of Directors for the IU Foundation, National Board of Governors for the IU Center on Philanthropy, the Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis’s Chancellor’s Advisory Board, and the IU Kelley School of Business – Dean’s Advisory Council. Continuing his commitment to credit unions, P.A. became the Chair of the Indiana University Federal Credit Union Board of Directors, one of many opportunities he undertook to serve his beloved community of Bloomington. P.A. was also a member of the First United Methodist Church, and supported the Bloomington Hospice, American Cancer Association, Hoosier Hills Vocational School, and the Indiana University Foundation. Aside from his career and service, P.A. was a die-hard adventurer. He was proud of traveling to all the continents, and for his many escapades therein, including swimming in both the Panama Canal and the waters at the Arctic Circle; walking on the Great Wall of China; climbing the Eiffel Tower, and dancing in Madrid. Closer to home, P.A.’s taste for adventure was no less evident. He built and raced his own sailboat on Lake Michigan; bought and flew his own plane (with a minimum of three “unplanned” landings); rode his bicycle daily; and competed in many runs. P.A. also enjoyed baseball, including watching his beloved Cardinals up through their last game in October 2021. Other loves of P.A. included competitive game playing, including Rummy, Bridge, Monopoly, and Broker, admiring trains, showing people cards they had written him whenever they came to visit, and putting ketchup on just about everything. Except ice cream, which was his forever hallmark and shared joy with others. P.A. leaves a legacy of continued learning, serving, and activity. He would be both mortified by and proud of this listing of his accomplishments. His family hopes to continue this legacy. In lieu of gifts or donations, the family requests help in creating a fun game in his memory, inspired by the puzzling question of why P.A. had a fork in one of his suit pockets and a spoon in one of his suitcases, both of which were found while cleaning out his home. Allen Funeral Home and Crematory, 4155 South Old State Road 37, Bloomington have been entrusted with arrangements. Online condolences, photos and memories may be shared with family and friends at www.allencares.com

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Pierpont "P.A." Askren Mack, Jr.

September 8, 1930 - October 7, 2021