Wednesday night, the Auburn vs. Alabama famous alumni arms race was taken to DEFCON WON. Yes, it’s official (and so much more of a bigger deal than when he was just second in command)—the leader of Apple is an Auburn Man.
But Tim Cook, Class of ’82, isn’t just some just-a-diploma alumni. He is by all accounts full of the Auburn Spirit. Coming back “to a place that really feels like home and a place that brings back so many fond memories” for that commencement address wasn’t just an ego trip. He came back because he cares.
And apparently to stock up on swag, yo.
“Auburn has a played a key role in my life and continues to mean a lot to me, as anyone who comes in my office at Apple or my home in Palo Alto instantly discovers,” Cook told Auburn’s Class of 2010. “I have so much Auburn memorabilia, you might think it’s the California outpost of J&M and Anders.”
Not only that, he says he almost didn’t leave Compaq to join Apple in 1998 because California was twice as far from Auburn football as Texas.
(Also, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, watching Auburn win the national championship was likely “one of the best moments of his life.”)
But the sign of true devotion? Dude cared enough to get his Glom photo taken all four years.
Who does that?
An Auburn warrior, that’s who.
“When I was in high school, some teachers advised me to attend Auburn. Some teachers advised me to attend the University of Alabama,” Cook said in his address. “And, well, like I said, some decisions are pretty obvious.”
So yeah, Bama — we’ll see your Sela Ward… and raise you the leader of the free digital freakin’ world.
War Eagle, Tim, and congratulations.
Related: Jordan-Hare Stadium, Home of the Fighting iPods!
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I’m not in the Glom at all from my four years there, unless it’s a group picture with the ROTC department.
Wow… when I compare “ours” vs “theirs”, “ours” is noticeably longer…
I think I managed my freshman year, right at the last second. Like I think I was literally the last in line.
should of mentioned the inventor of Wikipedia a Auburn grad
I think I made it all 4 years, at least 3 for sure! 🙂 Congrats to Tim, he definitely earned it if Jobs promoted him up, that is one hard arse to work for. 🙂
Ron ’80
Dude, that hair! War Eagle.
Bernie Madhoff attended Bammer. (’nuff said)
I made it into the Glom my senior year (figured I better at least show up in it once), then I left my 92 Glom in my duplex on Samford when I graduated. All that “work” and nothing to show for it.
As President Obama says “Tim you didn’t build that!”. Steve Jobs built it and Barner Tim is in the process of being overtaken by Samsung! RTR !!
I just noticed Tim had Andy Travis hair as a freshman. (See: WKRP)