development development
On the
Road with Frank
Vis its with Coker Alumni and Friend s >> Frank Bush - Executive VP for Institutional Advancement
In QuEst of ExcEllEncE:
A History of Coker College on its Centennial (ISBN 978-0-9703644-3-2) is a 364-page, hardcover book with over 200 photog raphs, including 38 in color. Limited edition published by the Coker College Press. Written by Dr. Malcolm C. Doubles, former provost and dean of the faculty, the history examines the first 10 decades of the College’s existence and discusses special topics, such as Kalmia Gardens, unique Coker traditions and athletics.
Order Your Copy Now! $50 per book ( includes S & H ) 1.800.65.COKER or alumni@coker.edu chapteRs include: • • • • • • • • • •
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During the Major’s Lifetime: 1908-1918 From the New Deal to Civilization: 1933-1945 Civilization: 1946-1966 End of Civilization & the Coker Plan: 1966-1974 Coker and the GSSM Coexist: 1986-2003 The Contemporary College: 2003-2008 Traditions Peculiar to Coker Athletics The Alumni(ae) Association AND MUCH MORE!!!
W INTER 20 0 9 CAMP US ISSUE
Let’s begins this installment of Travels with our alumni trip to Washington, DC, in February. We had 30 alumni and friends of the College spend a long weekend together. It was a great trip – although the weather was not on our side. It was one of the coldest weekends I have ever spent, but we all huddled together and had a fun time. I urge each of you to look for information on Coker’s next trip. We have exciting plans for alumni travel. A lot of my time in the last few months has been spent with people planning for Dr. Wyatt to meet alumni and friends of Coker College. The times and locations and dates of these parties can be found in this issue of the Commentary so be sure to join us at the event closest to you. Dr. Wyatt is an intelligent, bright young man with a great sense of humor. There is no doubt in my mind that he is the right man to lead Coker in this time in the College’s history. It will be a privilege for me to travel with him during his first several months here introducing him to all of our friends and alums. On January 9 I attended an art opening at Black Creek Arts Center in Hartsville for Nate Gulledge ‘03 who works at ReachSmart Interactive in Columbia. By the way, the Director of Black Creek Arts Council is Bruce Douglas ‘03 who is married to Brianna Bunce Douglas ‘01. Bruce is also an adjunct professor at Coker and Brianna has recently been named coach of Coker’s new Varsity Cheerleading squad and the Charmer’s Dance Team. My first visit in January was in the S.C. Upstate stopping in to see Allen Toole, a pharmacist in Liberty who has been very supportive of the College and, as you have read in a recent Commentary, endowed a scholarship for his mother, Gretchen Livingston Toole ’43. We had a good visit and I thanked him for his continued support of the College. I went from Liberty to Clemson to visit with Jane Gardner Hunter ‘44. I had not seen Jane since the death of her husband, Bill, last year. We had a good visit and I received one of the kindest letters from Jane that I have received thanking me for my visit. No one has a more loving spirit than Jane Hunter. In early February I took a trip to Charleston and had dinner with Trustee Eliza Ingle and her mother,
Penelope Coker Hall. I caught them up on the College and what is going on in our lives. Eliza, as you know, is a member of the Coker family who has been very active on the College’s Board of Trustees and teaches dance at the College of Charleston. The next morning I had breakfast with Martha Langford Derrick ’56 and her husband, Fletcher, in their beautiful home on Orange Street. We discussed the party we would have for Coker’s new President in Charleston and, as always, Martha agreed to help in any way she could. As you will see, we are having an oyster roast out on the Isle of Palms. What a fun time we will have. Joanne Moody Zobel ’49 and Bud, and Martha and Fletcher have agreed to host it. I hope we have a huge turnout. The next morning I drove up to Summerville and met with Jonathan Lee. Jonathan is the son of Ione and John Lee of Atlanta and is the fifth generation of the Coker family to serve on the Board of Trustees. He is in land development and real estate in Summerville and will be a great addition to the Board. He and his wife, Virginia, have a daughter and twin sons. As luck would have it, the next week I was in Atlanta attending a CASE meeting and had lunch with Ione and John Lee, Jonathan’s parents, in their beautiful home in downtown Atlanta. In the 30-odd years I have been at Coker, I cannot count the times I have enjoyed their company. They are certainly two of my favorite people – loyal supporters of Coker College. They continue to play an active and supportive role in the Lois Walters Coker Lecture Series, established by Ione’s mother. The last person who came to Coker and lectured as part of this series was Gus Speth, Dean of the School of Environmental Studies at Yale University, who is married to Council Speth ’64. Everyone enjoyed his thought-provoking lecture which was part of our Centennial celebration. In late February I made a trip to Myrtle Beach to meet with one of our younger, successful graduates, Michael W. Eisenrauch ’91. Mike lived in Columbia but moved to Myrtle Beach and is managing attorney with Parker, Poe, Adams & Bernstein, LLP. We are very proud of Mike and his accomplishments - Mike is most proud of his son. During the month of February I had visits in Florence with two of our trustees, Emerson Gower and Frank Avent. I had a great visit with Emerson, Vice President for Special Projects at Progress Energy. Emerson has chaired the Board of Trustees and given so much leadership to the College. The Florence community and Coker College are going to miss Emerson when he retires from Progress Energy this year. He and his lovely wife, Jane, have done so much for so many people and I am sure they will continue. We wish him well on his much-deserved retirement. Frank Avent, President and CEO of Pepsi Cola of Florence, has been a very active member of the Board of Trustees and has given great support and interest in the planning stages of Coker’s new field house/ gymnasium. Frank believes strongly that this facility needs to be built for the College to continue to recruit and retain top students. W W W. C O K ER . ED U / D EV EL O PM EN T