Chris Wetzel grew up in a suburb 35 miles north of Chicago. He lived the life of Christopher Robin in "a 1,000 acre wood." He grew up on a 1,000 acre rural, prep school campus where his father was an English teacher and coach (football and track). He led an idyllic life until he decided to go South to college at the University of North Carolina. After surviving the late 60's and early 70's as "a Yankee, hippie, draft dodger, religious cult member," he graduated, only to find himself back in Chapel Hill for another 5 year stint in graduate school (in social psychology). But his luck turned when he met the lovely Marsha Walton (on a blind date!).

After earning his Ph.D., Chris accepted a job at Duke University. The next year, Duke decided to eliminate the social psychology program, so Chris migrated to 'Ole Miss. Unfortunately, Marsha was still working on her Ph.D., so they had a "long distance" marriage for 1 year, until she finished her degree and got a job at an obscure college in Memphis called Southwestern.

They maintained a "commuter marriage," alternating visits to each other's apartments for two more years. These week-end trysts finally lead two years later to Marsha giving birth to a child, Jennifer. This pivotal event finally forced the couple together as Chris left Ole Miss to join Marsha at what was now called Rhodes College. They have lived happily ever after.

Chris' hobbies involve outdoor activities: backpacking, whitewater canoeing, and canoe tripping. He and Marsha own 10 acres of "unimproved" land near the Cohutta wilderness on the North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia border. For 10 years, Chris has been fantasizing about building a cabin there. He has paddled the Grand Canyon (albeit in a raft) and plans to spend a few weeks every summer for the next 10 years paddling the Voyager (fur-trading route) from Lake Superior to the Arctic Circle.

Photo of Marsha and Chris Photo of Jenny and Chris Photo index of New Zealand Sabbatical