Ken Muir was born in Detroit, Michigan, just as the Cold War was beginning to heat up. Perhaps sensing the trouble of finding a nuclear bunker in the large city, Muir's family moved to suburban Rochester where he lived a Hemingwayesque lifestyle hunting and fishing in the wilds of Michigan. Muir married his high school sweetheart, Lisa, just after the recession and gas lines of the late 1970s moved into full swing.
Sensing it was time to find their fortunes elsewhere, the two packed up and moved to Florida where Muir worked as a journalist at a small newspaper before enrolling at the University of Florida where he received a dual masters degree in journalism and mass communication. Muir graduated in 1985 just after Gator football coach Charlie Pell led his football program into the greatest NCAA infraction scandal of all time.
Again, sensing it was time to move on, Muir and his wife moved to Virginia where he received his Ph.D. in sociology from Virginia Tech in 1993 just as the recession of the early 1990s was taking hold and a Republican Congress took power. Visiting Professor positions followed at West Virginia University and the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay before Muir was hired at Appalachian State University as an assistant professor of sociology. Muir's teaching and research interests are in media sociology, theory, introductory sociology, and sport sociology.
Muir spends his spare time woodworking, playing guitar, and playing/reffing rugby. A nationally certified rugby referee and coach, Muir works with the University's men's and women's teams. Other highlights of interest:
1957, born.
1968, attended, with about 40,000 others, Detroit Tiger baseball game in which Denny McLain won his 30th game of the season.
1971, attended Bob Seegar's live performance at Cobo Hall.
1980, adopted first basset hound, Klem.
1980, evicted from first apartment because of "no pet" clause.
1981, extra in Burt Reynold's movie "Smokie and the Bandit, Part II"
1982, met, along with Klem, Perry Como at a Florida bait shop.
1983, visited Scotland; played Royal and Ancient Old Course, St. Andrew's
1989, scored three tries in rugby match against UVA.
1999, 20th wedding anniversary with first wife, Lisa. |
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