A cache of experiences to last a lifetime

The first time he saw the Northern Marianas in the 1950s as a submariner detailed in the South Pacific, Dr. John Griffin promised himself that he would return to this paradisiacal islands in the Pacific.

The myriad byways of life, however, brought him to unexpected passes and detours that kept the Northern Marianas just a tad out of reach. He rose through the ranks from being a regular Navy man to Naval commander, all the while earning a wealth of experience as a film actor, a commercial model, television anchor, and newspaper executive, among others—and as professor.

When he saw the opportunity to teach at the Northern Marianas College years after retiring from the military service, Griffin did not let the chance pass by and applied for the position, becoming an instructor at the college’s Rota campus in August 2000.

“Rota is the greatest place I’ve ever been to because that’s where I met my wife, Mila,” Griffin said.

Since then, Griffin has held various positions at the NMC by becoming chair of the Business Department and Academic Council and as faculty senator, among others. He is now an instructor of Business, Hospitality and Computers at the NMC’s Saipan campus.

Unknown to many, Griffin, who hails from Boston where he used to be a member of the National Guard, has had his share of unconventional experiences that spiced up his life of teaching and the military service.

He once became a film actor, after meeting Hollywood bigwigs Tony Curtis, Jonnie O’Brien and Dina Merrill in the 1950s at the submarine he was assigned to as U.S. Navyman. He became a cast member of the film Operation: Petticoat, a comedy film by Republic Pictures.

He initially quit military service and became a professional actor in Washington, where he appeared in the national theater. “It was just a fun thing to do.”

While he was in Hawaii, he also became one of the chairs of the recount of votes in the U.S. presidential elections, which John F. Kennedy won.

In 1972, while he was a teacher in Boston, the Navy commissioned him to the rank of Lieutenant Jr. grade, tasked with debriefing prisoners-of-war who came back from Vietnam. He then joined the Pentagon’s Intelligence unit.

But what Griffin liked most in his more than 20 years of colorful military career was his shift to the task of public relations and the media. He held various positions in those fields while in the military and became deputy commander and editor of the Tokyo-based Pacific Stars and Stripes, a military newspaper being circulated in the Far East.