Welch in 2012.

A former alumnus of the University of Illinois has passed away.

Jack Welch, the former chief executive of General Electric has passed away at the age of 84 in his Manhattan, New York home. The cause of death was renal failure, according to his wife, Suzy Welch.

Welch first earned his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He declined several offers to work at several different companies in order to attend the University of Illinois as a graduate student. He graduated in 1960 with a masters and Ph.D. in chemical engineering.

Welch immediately began to work at General Electric after graduating, starting as a chemical engineer in 1960. In 1972, he became vice president of the company, and by 1979, he had become chairman.

Welch rose to global fame when he became the CEO of GE during the Reagan Administration. At the time, corporate giants were trying their hardest to earn back some of the cash had been lost in the ‘70s, and the Reagan administration was implementing tax cuts to help start-up business again.

Welch took advantage of this and he went on to make GE one of the most successful companies of the 20^th century, raising the value of GE from $12 billion to $410 billion. Revenue also went from $1.5 billion to $15 billion.

His methodology of conducting business was somewhat controversial. He famously earned the nickname Neutron Jack from slashing the GE workforce. About 112,000 people lost their jobs between 1980 and 1985. Welch had stated they were fired due to productive reasons and saw it as a necessary pain in order to make the company more productive again.

Moreover, Welch was seen as an “inside outsider”, as he saw the rise of Japanese corporations taking over the American appliance market. Even though he had already been with the company for 20 years prior to becoming CEO, Welch’s first measure was to reform the entire company.

Welch retired from being CEO in 2000. In 2006, Welch gave his name to Sacred Heart University’s College of Business, which became known as the John F. Welch College of Business. He also began to teach a class at the MIT School of Management. He also created the Jack Welch Management Institute which has become one of the top online MBA programs in the country.

Welch is survived by his wife, Suzy Welch, as well as children, four stepchildren and 10 grandchildren.

“The Cotton Club: Encore” and “There’s Something About Mary” to Headline

Although the University’s Cotton Club event was last week, it appears that the University just can’t get enough of the popular event, because it was recently announced that the film The Cotton Club: Encore will be headlining this year’s Ebertfest.

Cotton Club 1984

The Cotton Club: Encore is based on the real Cotton Club, a popular nightclub located in Harlem, New York that was in operation from 1923 to 1940. It was known to feature some of the most popular black entertainers of the era, such as Louis Armstrong and Fats Waller.

The Cotton Club: Encore is itself based on the original 1984 release of the film. The Encore version came about because director Francis Coppola found an old Betamax copy of his original cut of the film, which was 25 minutes longer than the theatrical release. He decided to restore the cut, and release it as Encore in 2017.

After the film opens up Ebertfest on April 15, screenwriter William Kennedy will partake in a Q and A, and will be joined by Kathryn Bostic, who will perform popular jazz pieces of the era.

There’s Something About Mary 1998

Joining Encore is the 1998 film There’s Something About Mary, which will be closing Ebertfest on April 18. The film is about a Miami doctor having to deal with a love pentagon (there are four men trying to pursue a relationship with her).

Like Encore, There’s Something About Mary will feature a Q and A panel with screenwriters Bobby Farrelly and John Strauss, after the screening of the film.

The films will be showcased at the Virginia Theater located in downtown Champaign, while the panels and other events will be at the Hyatt Palace and throughout the University.

The remaining set of films is scheduled to be announced at a later date.

All of the films are being picked by the late Roger Ebert’s wife, Chaz Ebert, along with festival director Nate Kohn. They are based on lists Ebert had made for the first 15 Ebertfests.

If you are interested in attending this year’s Ebertfest is offering University students with special passes for $100. There is a limited quantity, however, as only 1,000 will be sold, so hurry up! The passes could be purchased can be purchased through the Ebertfest website, the Virginia Theatre website or the theater box office, 203 W. Park Ave., Champaign, 217-356-9063.