Forty years ago, a girl from a small town called Whiting, Indiana, walked into the Bursar’s Office for what she thought would just be her first job out of college. Fresh from earning her associate’s degree in computer science, Loretta M. Lanfear left her small town for the big city, never imagining it would lead to a four-decade career at the University of Chicago.

Over the years, Lanfear has seen the Bursar’s Office evolve from a bustling hub where every student stopped by in person to today’s digital systems that efficiently manage accounts behind the scenes. Through it all, what remained was the sense of community, the challenges of the work, and the strong relationships with colleagues, which define her time at UChicago. Now, as Manager of Internal Controls, Lanfear oversees the verification of student accounts.

Lanfear answered our questions about her interests and experiences at the University:

Q: What initially brought you to the University? What role did you start in? What other roles have you held?

For forty years, I worked in the Bursar’s Office, holding various jobs, but I first came to UChicago because my best friend’s mom worked in what was called the Student Loan Center at the time. She found out about this accounting clerk job that became available in the Bursar’s Office. I was twenty-two and just starting to interview for jobs, so I came in for an interview. I was told that I was overqualified for the position since I had an associate's degree in computer science, and I said, “Okay,” and thought that was that. But later that afternoon, I got the call that I was offered the job in the Office of the Bursar, and well, it’s been forty years.

Q: How has your role changed/grown over the past 40 years?

Immensely. I work mostly with student information, and I’ve gone through two upgrades for the student information system. We also transitioned to a new financial system last year and we upgraded to a new accounting system. So much has changed–beyond just technical systems. We used to be completely student-based. Every student physically came to our office to get their IDs validated. We also had cashiering in our office including payments and check cashing. We dispersed all university checks through our office, which I eventually supervised.

Now, we’re remote, but even before that, we were moving toward not really having student traffic in our office. It was exciting to see all the students passing through, but I was never face-to-face with students much; I worked behind the scenes. I moved from an accounting clerk position to handling stop payments to the accountant position in the office. Then I became the supervisor over a few different areas, including our check distribution area, which dispersed payroll. That supervisory role stayed for a while. Now I’m in internal controls, which is the verification of student accounts to make sure aid, charges, and everything else balance out. I’ve transitioned a lot and have worked with student records quite a bit.

Q: Where are you originally from?

I grew up in Whiting, Indiana, just right over the border from Chicago. It’s a small town. I’ve lived now, for thirty-seven years, in Hammond, Indiana. I didn’t move around a lot; I stayed very local to be with my family. It was definitely a culture shock to go to Chicago and work with different people. I was just that small-town girl; I didn’t get out of Whiting much. But it was a great experience, it was wonderful.

Q: What is it that you enjoy most about your role?

My manager is phenomenal. And here’s that small-town connection: my manager and I grew up in the same town. We went to the same grade school and high school. To work with someone like that is special. We definitely have a personal relationship, but also a very professional one. I love the people in our office. Obviously, to stay in the same office for forty years with the same folks (although almost all the people I started with are now retired) says something. The work is challenging and keeps me on my toes. I'm still always learning, but I enjoy the people I work with tremendously; that’s what keeps me here. That’s what keeps me going. The support system we have in the office means you can always find the correct answer to almost any question.

Q: What is it that you enjoy about UChicago? What’s kept you here all these years?

Not being in Chicago proper is definitely a plus for me; I’m not one to drive into the city. When I was on campus, Hyde Park was a nice commute. It was not far. You could always go to Chicago and probably make more money, but money wasn’t what drove me to stay. I liked the campus, it’s just amazing. Being in Hyde Park and being able to walk to different restaurants was great when I was on campus.

Like I said earlier, what really kept me here were the people in the office and how my role evolved. I was extremely happy with most of my supervisors and managers. I was comfortable with them and just enjoyed working with the people I worked with. That kept me in the office. I started thinking, “Oh, I've been here five years.” Then it became eight, then forty. I’m comfortable. I’m just going to ride my time out for however long I’m here. The campus and the people are probably my biggest reasons for staying.

Q: Do you have any favorite UChicago-related memories from over the years that you can share with us?

Mori’s Deli! I remember it being in a bookstore building on campus. On Fridays, going across the street and getting a sandwich was my treat. I also remember working in what is now Edward H. Levi Hall. It was the administration building for most of my time, but one of my favorite memories was convocation in June because it was right outside our doors, in the quad. Every year when they set up the chairs, I’d go out and walk around, and it just brought chills to me. When I graduated, I remember convocation being such a meaningful moment in my life, walking across the stage and getting my degree. I loved UChicago’s convocation, especially when the bagpipers came through.

There are so many more memories: different summer picnics and Christmas get-togethers. It was just that family feeling from all the events that made it so wonderful to be part of.

Q: What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

I’m a bowler, so I bowl. Right now, just once a week, but I used to bowl three nights a week when I was younger. I enjoy getting together with my girlfriends in our women’s league. We call it “girls’ night out.” We bowl because we have to, but it’s really about spending time together.

I also spend a lot of family time with my mother in the evenings. I go to concerts, local festivals in the summer. I’m a big homebody. I like gardening, reading, or doing puzzles in my backyard. But bowling is my big passion.