PREVIOUS CAREER

"I dedicated 68 years of merchandising, training and sales promotion to Sears, Roebuck and Co., well it was only 34 years, but I worked twice as hard." He enjoyed motivating people.

NEW CAREER

He decided to be a full-time motivator on his own in 1984 when he retired early.

KEPT STRIVING AND . . .

After retiring, he sent letters to 1,400 schools and corporations, offering himself as a speaker. He received two replies and built on that. "Every time I gave a speech, I received three more requests." He has spoken to over 800,000 students, teachers and parents and now hosts a radio and television show entitled "Accentuate the Positive."

RECENT FAME CLAIM

He's a good friend of Rev. George Clements of Holy Angels Church, and godfather to the priest's first two adopted sons. He was portrayed by actor Ron McLarty in the NBC TV film, "The Father Clements Story."

SOME MOTIVATIONAL THEMES

Variations on a Johnny Mercer song: "Accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative." Also, "Do it now," "Look for the humor in life." and "Put yourself under new management."

TOP PICKS

"The book Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill," Eli's The Place for Steak and Army & Lou's restaurant.

STATS

Product of Austin High School, Wright College and The University of Illinois. "I was going to be the world's greatest water polo coach and swimming coach, and I couldn't get a job with the school system." So, he joined Sears. he and wife Jean have three sons, live in Hinsdale.

EARLY MOTIVATIONAL MODEL

Orchestra leader 'Husk' O'Hare, 'The Genial Gentleman of the Air,' was my uncle. He raised me. Every night over WGN Radio from the Boulevard Room of the Stevens Hotel he said, 'A smile is worth a million dollars and it doesn't cost a penny.' Laugh and the world laughs with you: cry and you cry alone."

-- Bob Herguth

"We were looking for a motivational speaker who would set a very positive tone for our meeting," said Victor Wirth, executive director of the Illinois Retired Teachers Association. "We did not have a single negative reaction from any of our 425 attendees."

"O'Hare gets high marks from educators for his work with students and teachers. "Young people and teachers need positive support," said Suzanne Hetzel, Palisades principal. "They need to know people care about them. Students can relate to George. He reaches them on a level that's understandable to them."

"George provides students with real tangible examples where positive thinking and attitudes can work. They're bombarded with negativism all over the place. We all need our batteries recharged once in a while," commented Jane Thompson, assistant superindentent of Community Consolidated School District 180, Burr Ridge.

At a recent Friday morning assembly at Palisades School, Burr Ridge, 250 junior high school students wiggled restlessly on benches and bleachers waiting for the show to begin. They weren't disappointed.

O'Hare strutted, grimaced, ran, jumped, lurched, whirled and mugged for over an hour. He skillfully executed near perpetual motion with pep-rally zeal, evoking squeals from the audience.

The officiers of the eight grade class took the message to heart. Immediately after the program they invited O'Hare to be keynote speaker at the school's graduation ceremony in June."

"O'Hare's style as a motivational speaker is a blend of technique; he is part dramatic actor, part stand-up comedian, part evangelistic preacher and all ham.

"When George walks out on stage, he sets himself on fire and people watch him burn." said long time friend, Dick Gregory."