Monmouth College recognizes Carl Hamberg for 55 years of service

by Barry McNamara

Monmouth, Ill. (12/16/2022) — When he took a seat in the Private Dining Room of Monmouth College's Stockdale Center to be interviewed on the final day of the fall semester, Carl Hamberg's long career on campus had come full circle.

In 1968, Hamberg had sat in that very room to be interviewed for a position with the College's food service. Fifty-five years later, Hamberg still works for the food service provider, which is now Aramark.

Monmouth College honored Hamberg for that remarkable 55-year milestone at its annual Employee Recognition Event, held Dec. 8 at the American Legion.

A lot has changed since Hamberg came to work at the College. The most recent change occurred Oct. 6, when a fire in Stockdale Center closed the building for several weeks.

"I was off from the 6th of October until I came back on the 3rd of November," he said.

Parts of Stockdale Center are now open, although meals will still be served in the College's Center for Science and Business until early February. In the meantime, the recovering building, which was fairly new when Hamberg began his career, looks a little different in some areas.

How it began

"My dad found the job in the newspaper," said Hamberg, looking back 55 years to when he lived in what he called the "Oquawka washboard" and had just graduated from Union High School. "He asked me if I could work there, and I said I could. I was interviewed by Tom Carlson right here in the Private Dining Room," which has temporarily been converted into a storage room.

"On my first day, I peeled 500 pounds of potatoes," said Hamberg. "I used to bake donuts, and I've unloaded trucks, worked with pots and pans and then the dish room," where he currently works.

"Carl has been a joy to work with since I started working here," said Angela Cox, Aramark's dining service director. "He always has a positive attitude, and everyone enjoys working with him. Carl is a very dedicated employee and he seems to love to work here serving the Monmouth College students."

Hamberg's longevity has been assisted by his good health. Five days a week, he walks nearly a mile to work and back.

Over the years, Hamberg has crossed paths with scores of fellow employees. Some of the co-workers who stand out in his memory are Sarah Greenstreet, Juanita Acre, Pam Fields, Roy Boyd, Orville Showalter and Ronnie Jones.

"I like it," he said of the 55-year milestone. "I'm glad to work here."

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Carl Hamberg, a food service employee with more than a half-century of service to Monmouth College, was congratulated at the Dec. 8 Employee Recognition Event by President Clarence Wyatt.

Monmouth College

Monmouth College recognizes Carl Hamberg for 55 years of service

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Monmouth College

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