HawkStrong: Alumnus played baseball for HFC, served as a state trooper for 28 years

F rom the time he could walk, run, and throw, baseball became HFC alumnus Jim Paul’s passion.

“I started to play Little League at 9, Babe Ruth Baseball at 13, Federation Class E at 15, and Federation Class D at 17. I then played Adray League Baseball at 18. I also played four years of high school baseball at St Mary's of Redford (High School in Detroit),” said Paul, of Wayland. He has five children (including Detroit News sports writer Tony Paul, who mentioned his father playing for HFC in an article), two stepchildren, six grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

At St. Mary’s of Redford, Paul was named to the First Team All Catholic League in both his junior and senior years. His highlight during his high school career as a pitcher was an earned-run average (ERA) of 0.63 during his senior year.

Playing ball for HFC

In January 1970, Paul came to HFC (when it was Henry Ford Community College) to play baseball. He played two seasons for the Hawks under Coach Frank Freeburn. Paul was primarily a pitcher, but also had the opportunity to play other positions, because he was a good hitter.

“I chose (HFC) because of their reputation and the also the opportunity to play college baseball. I enjoyed my years at the College – especially the baseball experience. We had a good group of guys. We didn't win any titles but we held our own,” recalled Paul, who attended HFC from 1970-72, majoring in liberal arts.

Around the time Paul began playing for HFC, he was drafted by the Boston Red Sox.

“I was not offered any bonus money, so I decided not to sign in the hopes of improving my skills and possibly get redrafted in a better round. That never came to fruition,” said Paul. “I continued to play amateur baseball in the Detroit area for the next six years.”

Joining the Michigan State Police

In 1978, Paul joined the Michigan State Police (MSP). He reported to the MSP Training Academy in June 1978, where he spent the next 14 weeks being trained in all areas of law enforcement. He graduated from the academy in September 1978, at which time he proudly took the oath of office and became a certified police officer with the MSP.

“I chose the (MSP) because, at the time, they were the elite law enforcement agency in the country, and I settled for nothing less.”

Paul served in the MSP for nearly 30 years. He was stationed in Paw Paw, Detroit, and Wayland. After retiring from the state police, Paul worked in campus safety at Calvin College in Grand Rapids for three years, becoming a campus safety supervisor. He left Calvin 2010 and joined the corporate security staff at Herman Miller, Inc. in Zeeland for five years. He retired again in 2017.

“My 28 years in the Michigan State Police were very rewarding,” he said. “I have lots of memories from my career with the state police. For most of those guys, it would be the successful conclusions of major investigations in respect to burglary rings, attempted homicide, and homicide cases. For me, nothing could be more satisfying than to be able to tell victims and their families that their cases have been solved and convictions rendered.”