From logging camps to dugouts to an office: Norm Kolb, longtime accountant for Leo Adler, reminisces about his childhood, college years and career

Nov. 2—By LISA BRITTON —lbritton@bakercityherald.com

Norm Kolb starts his story with a phrase that applies to so much of his life: "Timing is everything."

And on a snowy October morning in Baker City, Kolb, 90, shared stories about decisions and circumstances that have defined his life — including 31 years as the accountant for Leo Adler, who left his $20 million estate to benefit Baker County and North Powder for generations to come.

Kolb was born in Baker City in June 1932.

His parents, Frank and Marian, had married in 1929, right at the start of the Great Depression.

Kolb's father worked as a logger near Sumpter.

"When I was a baby, I was in the logging camps. In tents," he said.

Then they spent a winter at McEwen, in Sumpter Valley, again living in a tent, this time on his uncle's place.

Moving with jobs — a tough prospect during the Depression — the next spot was North Powder where Frank ran a ranch for one year. The pay was room and board, plus $1 a day.

Then the family moved to Baker so Frank could work on the family ranch, which bordered the present-day Quail Ridge Golf Course to the west.

"Dad worked there during the day and at night worked for the Oregon Lumber Company," Kolb said.

In 1936, Kolb's grandfather, Adam, sold 60 acres to the city for the golf course, which was funded by a federal WPA grant (Works Progress Administration).

"They sold the first nine-hole golf course site for $500," Kolb said.

Lots of work — and sports

Kolb, with a grin, credits his variety of part-time jobs for lending lots of experience to his resumé.

First, around age 12 or 13, he was a "horse hair picker," which meant collecting hair to be used in hairbrushes.

This job involved separating hair trimmings from the other stuff that falls to the floor of a horse's stall.

Then, at noon and 6 o'clock, he washed dishes at the Venture Inn, a cafe by the old post office. Later he also washed dishes at the Tops Cafe.

But mostly, Kolb loved athletics.

In high school, he managed the baseball team at Baker High School during his freshman and sophomore years.

At that time, he said, a league for men's fast-pitch softball was going strong, and Leo Arany asked him to keep score — two games a night, five days a week.

"I'd keep score for a dollar a game," he said.

Kolb graduated from Baker High School in 1950, and went to the University of Oregon in Eugene.

Again, he sought out sports.

Kolb managed the freshman football team, which was coached by Bill Bowerman (who also coached track and field, and co-founded Nike with one of his former runners, Phil Knight).

"Bowerman told me where to go and what to do," Kolb said. "He was very disciplined, direct, no nonsense."

Then Kolb heard that the U of O baseball team manager had quit, so he applied with head coach Don Kirsch.

"I managed the baseball team for four years," he said. "Kirsch was the most dedicated, disciplined individual I've ever known."

He remembers what Kirsch told his players:

"You have to remember who you are, and what you represent."

In 1954, the Ducks baseball team made it to the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska, and in 2006 Kolb was inducted into the Oregon Athletics Hall of Fame.

Again, he points to timing and circumstances.

"And all because I started a dollar a night keeping score at a softball league," he said.

Graduation and career

Kolb graduated from the U of O in 1954, and served 21 months on active duty in the transportation corps in Seattle.

Then his accounting career began, first in the Sweet Home area.

Two years later, Kolb decided to attend Golden Gate College in San Francisco for specialized education.

Then he had his choice of careers, including at Stanford or Shell Oil. He took a job with LH Penny & Co., already with several years of accounting behind him.

"I had a leg up on everyone else in the firm," he said.

But life soon changed for Kolb and his wife, Gretchen.

In May 1959, his grandfather died and Kolb returned to Baker for the funeral.

His father-in-law, Gordon Dunlap, and family friend Henry Levinger told him an accounting firm from Ontario was looking to open a location in Baker.

He took the job, and they moved home in 1959.

With no local clients, Kolb was sent on the road to locations around Southern Idaho. Also, because the CPAs in the Weiser office didn't like municipal audits, Kolb would travel there to do those tasks.

"I was on the road a lot," he said.

Leo Adler comes calling

Then one day Leo Adler, one of Baker's most prominent business owners, walked in the door and asked if Kolb would be his accountant.

"I said 'Mr. Adler, yes, I'd be happy to.' "

But Kolb was quickly corrected by his new client.

"I'm not Mr. Adler, I'm Leo," he was told.

Adler was 67 at the time, and Kolb was 29.

He remained Adler's accountant until 1993, when Adler passed away on Nov. 2 of that year. Adler's will established the Leo Adler Trust to provide scholarships and community grants to benefit Baker County and North Powder.

Kolb, thinking back to the circumstances that led him to that point in his career, remembers advice he received from a college career counselor:

" 'Never forget you have connections in your hometown that you don't know about.' That was great advice, as it turned out."

Earning a reputation

The accounting ethics code restricted accountants from advertising their business, or recruiting.

"Word of mouth is the way you developed, and reputation depends on your performance," Kolb said.

So he got involved in the community — first with Little League, which was newly started by Gene Rose.

(Rose was Adler's longtime attorney.)

"I became secretary/treasurer of the Little League — I had two daughters, no boys," Kolb said with a laugh.

He also joined the Rotary Club, the Chamber of Commerce, and was treasurer of the golf association.

"Being involved," he said.

Adler was often at those same functions, many times as a financial supporter.

Every December, Kolb said, Adler would walk in the door with his own set of numbers and a plan for donating to local organizations.

Adler's business was magazine distribution, and Kolb said Adler read five publications every day.

He especially liked to read about people from Baker.

"One of his greatest interests and pride was following anybody from Baker who was successful," Kolb said.

In 1991 Adler, who never married, worked with Kolb and Rose to establish the Leo Adler Trust to benefit Baker County and North Powder. By law, the foundation has to give away at least 5% each year — by Adler's request, 60% goes to scholarships and 40% is for community grants.

"The Baker area and North Powder were his family," Kolb said.

Adler chose US Bank as the foundation's trustee. The original three committee members were Kolb, Henry Levinger and Roger Ager, who was a trust officer with US Bank.

Kolb said they asked Adler if he wanted to name others to serve on the board in the future.

Adler declined.

"He said 'I have confidence in my committee. They'll do right when something needs to be done,' " Kolb said.

Levinger resigned several months after the foundation was established, and Rose took his place.

The board later expanded — with approval from the Department of Justice.

Kolb still serves on the board. He reviews applications, listens to presentations, and thinks back to the Adler he knew.

"I've tried to interpret in my mind what Leo would do," he said. "He wanted to provide opportunities."

Adler's death, his foundation has now awarded nearly twice as much money as his original gift.

"We're approaching $38 million," Kolb said.