Alumni Take Unusual Paths: Dr. Lee Loftin & Charles Tiller

Most medical doctors have undergraduate degrees in a science field. Dr. Lee Loftin, an ENT doctor in Tuscaloosa, graduated in 1980 from the Culverhouse School of Accountancy instead.

A doctor is not what he planned to become when he entered the University in 1975. Loftin wanted a major that would ensure the best opportunity for employment upon graduation, so he chose accounting, which he deemed to be the “most logical and pragmatic choice.” His twin brother and younger brother both chose to major in accounting as well.

Dr. Loftin recalls his days in college as “truly wonderful.” There was a collegial bond among the business students that also extended to the
faculty members. Professor Joe Lane taught his tax accounting class over the summer. Dr. Loftin struggled through the class only to earn a
“C”. Frustrated with the only “C” of his college career, he re-enrolled in the class the following semester with Dr. Lane and earned an “A”. Dr. Loftin attributes his courage in pursuing his dream of becoming a physician to Dr. Lane.

He acknowledges that accounting is an odd background for a doctor, but it has been a great asset to him. He believes it is unfortunate that most medical students do not receive any education in business. Dr. Loftin says, “The practice of medicine is, in part, an art, but it is also a
business.” In addition to accounting, he uses many other business skills that he learned at The Capstone such as human resource management, operations management, marketing, statistics, finance, and computer science.

Entrepreneur Charles Tiller is also an alumni of the School of Accountancy. He owns TCBY franchises in Tuscaloosa and Northport. Mr. Tiller is the son and grandson of accountants. While attending The University, accounting professor Frank Rayburn gave him the direction
he needed and challenged him.

After graduating in the early 1980s with his bachelors in accounting, he signed on at a local accounting firm as a tax accountant. But he found that tax accounting was not his calling. In 1985, his father advised him to check out an “up-and-coming fad”: TCBY ice cream shops. Finding the franchise to have low entry costs and decent profits, Mr. Tiller decided to open a TCBY shop of his own in Tuscaloosa. Mr. Tiller has successfully owned and operated two TCBY franchises for 23 years. He attributes his achievements to his strong accounting background that he received at UA. “In business, any business, you’ve got to know the numbers,” Mr.Tiller emphasizes. Accounting has assisted him in decisions such as whether to upgrade a store and what prices to set.

He stresses to students that “There are a lot of possibilities out there if you have a good education like you get at Alabama, and lots of doors
open if you know the language of accounting.”