De Grandpre, James

James De GrandPre served in the Korean war as an airborne special forces combat infantry solider. A mining engineer who also earned a law degree, De GrandPre began working for DuPont as a project engineer in the explosives department. By his retirement in 1986, he was the corporation's marketing director.

After 1986, De GrandPre shifted his attention to personnel consulting. While interviewing recent graduates from the best universities in America, he was shocked to discover their lack of basic writing and mathematical skills.

Upon recommending none of the applicants be hired, De GrandPr...