Collin College Instructor Mike Howard, Retired Secret Service Agent, Shares His-Story with Scholars Active in Learning

In commemorating the 60th anniversary of the JFK assassination in November, retired Secret Service agent Mike Howard engaged a class of Scholars Active in Learning (SAIL) at Collin College with riveting tales from his extensive career safeguarding Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson.

Howard, 93, has shared stories about his experience as a Secret Service agent to the 55-and-older audience in the SAIL program for the past 20 years.  He enjoys the looks on their faces as he captivates them with the personal stories of the presidents and their families.

“My wife could tell you that she had the honor of going into Jacqueline Kennedy’s closet where she kept her shoes – about 20 rows of them,” Howard said. “And she had tons of shoes. This was about the biggest thing in her life, she got to look at all those shoes. That’s the kind of thing that I’m talking about, personal. You don’t see this in the newspaper.”

Mike Howard’s most favorable stories were about the children of the presidents. He spent a lot of time looking after them. One of his most memorable stories was about President John F. Kennedy’s daughter, Caroline. Howard describes her mischievous nature and penchant for seeking adventure, such as requesting piggyback rides just before nap time.

“She would come out for instance and wanted me to go piggyback,” Howard said. “I picked her up, threw her on my back and we went walking around outside. She kept pointing to different places she wanted to go, and finally, she wanted to go over to this tree. We got behind this tree and she said, ‘Mr. Howard, do you have any chewing gum?’ So, I give her a piece of chewing gum. While she was taking a nap, she got the gum in her hair. Ms. Maud – Maud was the name of the caretaker – came out the front door and if she had had a shotgun, she would have been after all of us.”

Howard is one of the many professional experts in the SAIL program, who provides a platform for lifelong learners aged 55 and older to share their insights and knowledge. He advocates for the program’s significance and encourages people to enroll.

“SAIL should be in the top ten of importance to the college,” Howard said.  “They have a lot of professional people. Students learn something that you didn’t learn before. And if I can do the same thing, if I can give somebody just a little bit of history that they don’t have, then I’m a success. I’ve accomplished something.”

For more than 27 years, Collin College has offered the SAIL program, managed by program director Sherry Scamardo. Under her guidance, the program regularly features esteemed speakers and instructors like Howard, who share their wealth of knowledge with SAIL's members.

“Mike Howard has truly been the voice of history for our SAIL program,” said Scamardo.  “We consider it a privilege and honor that he chose to share his experience through the SAIL program. The college is very grateful for his willingness to relive history and allow others to experience an up close and personal look into the lives of President Kennedy, President Johnson, and their families.” 

To learn more about the SAIL program, visit www.collin.edu/sail/index.html.