Alumni Spotlight: Art Angood

Art Angood has spent almost all of his life in the Battle Creek area. So, when high school classmates who were members of Delta Chi invited him to pledge, he said it felt like “coming home.”

Art’s parents came to Battle Creek at the personal request of W. K. Kellogg in 1933.  His father, Bernard, served as Kellogg Co.’s controller and senior vice president.  Growing up, Art attended Battle Creek Public Schools, graduated from the University of Michigan, and served as a U.S. Naval Officer aboard the aircraft carriers Bennington and Midway in the 1950’s.

He met his wife Judy (Arnold) during her junior year at the University of Michigan. They married in 1957. He was honorably discharged from the Navy in 1960, and they returned to Battle Creek.  Art was hired to teach at Northwestern Junior High School. Judy played flute and piano in the Battle Creek Symphony Orchestra, along with a host of volunteer efforts.  They have two sons together, David and Todd.

Art served many roles in his career with the Battle Creek Public Schools. He served as counselor and assistant principal at Northwestern, and moved to Southeastern Junior High School as principal in 1965. He earned a master’s degree in educational administration from Western Michigan University.  In 1968, he moved to the BCPS District Office to handle personnel and special services, and in the 1970’s was named Associate Superintendent.  He retired from the schools in 1989.

He is credited with rejuvenating the local Junior Achievement program, where he was a volunteer. JA had 900 area students when Art first got involved.  Today, JA serves more than 19,000 students. He was instrumental in development of the Kellogg’s Cereal City USA attraction.  He has been a generous beneficiary; donating money to the University of Michigan scholarship fund under the Angood Family Scholarship, and funded a scholarship which is handled by the University of Michigan Marching Band, to name just a few.  

He has served on the Miller Foundation Board of Trustees and for a time as its president.  Robert Miller, for whom the trust is named, is publisher of Battle Creek’s newspaper The Enquirer. The trustees wanted to address local needs, and decided to start a college for juniors and seniors in Battle Creek.  So, the Miller Foundation funded Miller College. He served as its first president, and retired a few years ago.

He remembers fondly his years on campus at the University of Michigan and his time in the halls of Delta Chi.  He felt as though the house was a ‘regular mix of middle class guys’ who were well rounded, good in academics and IM sports, and had a tremendous amount of fun. 

He is now retired and enjoying this season of life.  He is recovering from a recent surgery, so we do send him best wishes for a full and speedy recovery!