David Housel graduated from Auburn University in 1969. Rippon provided financial support to Miriam and Housel, even after he remarried. Housel returned to Colorado, but the two never lived together. Housel graduated from Auburn University in 1969 with a degree in journalism. Under her teaching, Housel was able to decode 3,300 messages within 21 months. In April 1994 Housel was named athletic director, a position held until January 2005.