James E. Walton, Ph.D., knows ambition when he sees it. Currently one-sixth of the board that divvies up Instructionally Related Activities (IRA) funds at Fresno State, Walton̢۪s experience as a record-setting college athlete gives him an appreciation for students trying to improve their educations.

Chair of the English department and professor of American literature at Fresno State for nearly 20 years, Walton has served on a number of committees dealing with research, academic policy, faculty and strategic planning.

But the IRA Advisory Board is a unique addition to Walton̢۪s 40-plus years as an educator. At Mount Union College in Ohio, where he taught before coming to Fresno State, no government funds that allowed students to coordinate classroom-complementing activities existed.

It has been nearly 10 years since Fresno State President John D. Welty acknowledged Walton̢۪s service on other committees and asked him to join the IRA board.

Last year, IRA fees increased by $52 per semester, giving the IRA board the ability to meet even more student requests for aid.

Walton said with $1.2 million in the coffers for 2009-10, students with fewer resources in a down economy don̢۪t have to sacrifice things like educational trips or professional lectures.

“It felt good that we could really meet some needs,â€Â Walton said. “I think the number of requests will finally catch up with the increase in the amount.â€Â

Determining who receives funding has very little to do with personal bias, Walton said.

He added that some departments simply need more to get by. The marching band, for instance, might need hundreds of thousands of dollars for uniforms alone.

The IRA committee bases its decisions on strict criteria, like whether the activity is passive or active or if it is open to a majority of students. Walton said as long as students are specific with their requests and not asking for more than they need, it̢۪s generally easy to get approved. Some only lack the discipline to apply.

“Some people just can’t do that work it takes,â€Â he said. “It only takes 15 to 20 minutes to [apply].â€Â

It took discipline for Walton to get through college himself. Graduating high school at age 16, the Alabama native left his siblings and an indifferent stepfather to join the Navy. But at his church, a benevolent stranger, Dr. Joseph Nosaki, convinced him to continue his education.

Nosaki drove Walton to the college he attended in the 40s, Andrews University of Michigan.

“I said ‘You know, if you’d like to go to the military, that’s fine; but the point is to get your education first,’â€Â said Nosaki, who finally reconnected with Walton after 40 years of absence. “I never dreamed he would go off to become a professor in English.â€Â

Even with very little money and a series of grueling jobs, including working at a steel plant and pulling weeds, he eventually received his bachelor̢۪s at Kent State University and doctorate at the University of Akron.

Despite being a proficient wrestler and breaking his college̢۪s record for the mile run, it was English and literature that he truly excelled at.

“I always thought sports would get me through school,â€Â he said. “I got a partial scholarship which wasn’t sufficient, so I had to abandon those plans.â€Â

The importance of education and fairness were lessons he passed on to his children.

His son, local DJ Leonard Longmire, admitted no lack of sweat in both a literature and a history course he took from his father at Fresno State.

“He always challenged me to use my mind,â€Â Longmire said. “He used to always say, ‘Use your head.’â€Â

Students remember Walton not only as a knowledgeable instructor, but a passionate guide and mentor as well. Fresno State Alumnus Jacq Wilson recalled how an editor was needed for the school̢۪s African-American publication, Uhuru Na Umoja. Walton strongly encouraged him to take the position.

“I didn’t want to do the job at first but he was very persistent,â€Â Wilson said.

“The thing I loved about Dr. Walton the most was he knew how to bring the best out of people.â€Â

Although Walton doesn̢۪t meet the students whose activities he approves, he still appreciates students who apply for IRA funds to further their educations.

Undertakings like bringing in professional actors to help put on university productions are prime IRA candidates, he said.

“Each one should get funding based on merit,â€Â Walton said. “In a case where students can benefit on a large scale, I think IRA serves those purposes well.â€Â