Jim's father William Hale encouraged schooling for the young Jim and his sister.  William Hale wanted Jim to attend college and schooling for Engineering as the Arnold lineage shows a long line of Engineers in the family.  Jim's 1st great uncle, Colonel Bion Joseph Arnold helped design New York's Interborough Rapid Transit subway system.  Jim spend his first year of college at Michigan State studying Engineering.  After failing 4 of 5 classes, he decided Engineering was not for him and transferred to Western Michigan to pursue a degree in teaching/education.