Alumni Profile
Gregory Sprague
BS'80, Business
Executive recruiter, Sprague & Associates, Sherman Oaks, Calif.
"A lot of people
I still talk to today were in the School of Business and took the same classes and had the same
teachers. People remember the people that they shared an experience with."
Gregory Sprague
Gregory Sprague came to Bloomington for three reasons: the strength of the business school, to land a job after graduation, and because he was impressed by the reputation of the IU Alumni Association. You would expect such systematic practicality from an aspiring accountant. In fact, it was this practicality that led Sprague to jettison his aspirations to be a sports commentator in favor of the stability of an accounting career. Practicality and planning only get you so far. For example, logic might lead you to predict that a Chicago native would find a small town in Indiana very restricting — but Bloomington is no ordinary town, and Sprague must have sensed that.
"My first impression of IU was how much diversity existed in one place. I had grown up in an all-white suburb of Chicago and here I was at IU with people from all over the world," says Sprague.
It wasn't just the diversity, but the sheer volume of activities and interests on the IU campus that was a real eye-opener. "What stands out about IU student life is all the different activities people were involved in," says Sprague. "You could spend your entire time at IU pursuing different activities and you would probably never get through all of them."
Clubs and activities bring people together, as do shared professional aspirations, and Sprague felt a certain sense of brotherhood with those with whom he studied accountancy. "A lot of people I still talk to today were in the School of Business and took the same classes and had the same teachers," he says. "People remember the people that they shared an experience with."
Students' memories of their favorite professors can reveal volumes about their personalities, and Sprague is no exception to that rule. CPAs tend to have an ultra-professional exterior that conceals their inner selves. "My favorite teacher at IU was an accounting professor named L. Vann Seawell (MBA'54, DBA'58)," says Sprague. "He was absolutely fantastic — very bright; he also had a dry sense of humor. He was extremely quiet and private, but under that he was one very interesting person. I think he played quarterback on the Wake Forest football team when he was young," says Sprague. "He is the reason I am a CPA today. He not only taught accounting, he also talked about being an accountant and what a job in public accounting would be like."
Though his college days are in the past, this Los Angeles resident continues to treasure his IU connection. "We had about 150 alumni get together about a year ago to hear Mark Cuban (BS'81) come and speak to our group. It was great being around a bunch of Hoosiers and talking about the old days," says Sprague. "Every year I can go to Indiana Day here in Los Angeles and hear someone from campus speak about what is happening at IU. It is what keeps me connected."
Like his favorite teacher, Sprague too, has a secret self. Given the chance, he would love to develop real estate in Southern California. "Taking raw dirt or old buildings and transforming them into something new and exciting would be my idea of a great day at the office," says Sprague. Balance is the essence of accounting, and Sprague understands the necessity of achieving balance in all aspects of his life.
Very active in his community, Sprague coaches his kids' sports teams and is involved with the Indian Guide/Princess program. He has a student send-off each August at his home for all the incoming IU freshmen from Los Angeles County. Sprague's genuine love for IU and his continued involvement in alumni events keep him in touch with the forces that have helped shape his outlook on life.