Jimie Kusel ’55

Jimie, whose career ranged from colonel in the Air Force and director of accounting and finance for the Military Airlift Command to teaching advanced university courses in accounting and auditing at the University of Arkansas, Little Rock, died Feb. 26, 2025. Princeton classmates might remember him as Jimmy Kusel; he later adopted Jimie as his first name.

Jimie was born June 21, 1933, in Fort Smith, Ark., and attended Fort Smith Senior High School, where he was first in his class, student body president, and participated in basketball and key club. At Princeton, he majored in economics and was a research assistant, joined Dial Lodge, played IAA pingpong, joined the Air Force ROTC, and won a scholarship from the General Electric Co.

After graduation Jimie was commissioned as an officer in the Air Force, rising to the rank of colonel. After earning an MBA from Michigan State University, he went on to become a certified public accountant, certified internal auditor, and certified government financial manager. He was twice awarded the Legion of Merit and was selected to become comptroller for the Strategic Air Command. But after 24 years in the Air Force, he resigned his commission and started a new career with a tenure track position at the University of Arkansas. Jimie published more than 50 articles in professional journals and co-authored work used in graduate-level classes, winning awards for teaching and research in the College of Business.

His wife, Janet, died in 2020.