A Vintage Career Ken Laird cultivates a lifelong journey out of a Napa Valley vacation By Joseph P. Irwin Photographs by Michael A. Schwarz
he Napa Valley of
Georgia Tech," Laird says, adding that he also liked the "big-name California has sports that Georgia Tech had." emerged over the He arrived on cafnpus in 1953 past 30 years as one and studied mechanical engineerof the finest areas on m ing for the next four years with Earth for growing grapes and makthe intent of graduating on time and getting out into the world. ing world-class wine. The next time "All I wanted to do was get you pour a glass offine cabernet out and get to work," says Laird, saiwignon, you might just be enjoywho joined the Air Force ROTC ing the fruits — literally — of the while at Tech With hopes of hard work of a Georgia Tech alumKen and Gail Laird married when he was a Georgia Tech becoming a pilot. Laird also played baseball at nus. student. Married more than 50 years, they have reared four children — and a world-class vineyard. Tech for two years under coach Joe Ken Laird, ME 57, and his Pittard. But most importantly of all, fa mi ly have been growing grapes he met and married his wife, Gail, for the finest winemakers in the as a Tech sophomore. He recalls that Gail worked full time at valley for more than 30 years. It's a great story from a lot of Pure Oil Co. in downtown Atlanta and made $210 monthly angles, not the least of which is the old adage "the harder you while he went to Tech. "We were able to make it by on that." work, the luckier you get." Laird was born in Virginia to a tobacco-farming family. , After he graduated inT957, Laird was called in by the Air As a young man his family moved to Amityville, Long . Force and did his pilot training in Moultrie, Ga., then was Island, in New York, and he finished his secondary education transferred to San Antonio and finally to Tucson, Ariz. At that there a year early. He'd always been good at math and time, the Air Force required three years of aotive duty and thought he wanted to be an engineer. He was accepted and then five years of inactive duty. Laird did his three years in enrolled initially in the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy but the Air Force and then moved into the private sector. decided after six months that it wasn't the'right place for him. His first job coming out of the service was as a sales engiMe decided to enroll at Georgia Tech. neer for Union Carbide in Los Angeles. The Lairds spent the next six years in Los Angeles and then were transferred back1 "I always set my sights high. I wanted to go to the numto Atlanta when he was named regional manager. The > » ber one engineering school in the country and to me that was / Georgia Tech Alumni Magazine • Winter 2007