James “Jim” Bonaventure was born June 15, 1949 and was raised in Steubenville, Ohio. His family moved to Las Vegas, Nevada in 1958. He’s worked since he was 13 years old and entered the hotel casino industry at 16. The weekend buffet at the Hacienda Hotel was not his cup of tea, but he hit his stride at his second job, the Horseshoe Hotel and Casino, and stayed there for seven and half years. But it was the work at the Union Hall that he loved.

Carol Harter and her husband of 46 years started their married lives by running away from college in their sophomore year. They spent the 1960's working toward their degrees. Harter earned her bachelor's in 1964 and her master's in 1967. Dr. Harter completed her PhD in 1970, and because her husband wanted to work on his doctorate, they moved to Athens, Ohio. She taught at Ohio University while he completed his courses. They lived, worked, and raised their children there for 19 years.