Monmouth College Magazine - Spring 2022 by Monmouth College

VOL 37 | NO 1 | SPRING 2022

MONMOUTH COLLEGE MAGAZINE

A cause for celebration

PHOTO: KENT KRIEGSHAUSER

Fifty years ago, Monmouth basketball players Delaney Scheidenhelm, Anna Caster, Biancha Luna and Lily Harlan could have cheered on the sidelines of a Fighting Scots athletic event, but it wouldn’t have been their own. The signing into law of Title IX on June 23, 1972, changed all that. Learn more about the progress in women’s sports in the past half-century, as well as hurdles still to clear, in this issue’s cover story . (page 18).

MONMOUTH COLLEGE MAGAZINE

SPRING 2022

PRESIDENT Dr. Clarence R. Wyatt BOARD OF TRUSTEES

12 LIGHTING THE WAY FOR FUTURE STUDENTS Scholarships help push Light This Candle Campaign toward successful conclusion

18 EVENING THE SCORE FOR WOMEN A half century after its enactment, Title IX

is elevating women athletes to new heights

24 INSPIRING INTERESTING OCCUPATIONS Alumni attribute their successful careers to lessons learned at Monmouth

FRONT COVER: Basketball guard Tarae Warner ’22, pole vaulter Jessica White ’08, pitcher Sarah Christensen Nelson ’09 and the 2019 Midwest Conference champion women’s soccer team are among the hundreds of Fighting Scots who have benefited from Title IX legislation.

around campus newsmakers academics books sports alumni news the last word

3 6 7 9 18 30 48

MISSION STATEMENT: Monmouth College provides a transformative educational experience within a caring community of learners. As a residential liberal arts college, we empower students to realize their full potential, live meaningful lives, pursue successful careers, and shape their communities and the world through service and leadership. Monmouth College does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, national origin, ancestry, disability, age, military service, marital status, sexual orientation, pregnancy or other factors as prohibited by law. Monmouth College admits students of any race, religion, color, sex, and national or ethnic origin to all rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to Monmouth students. Monmouth College, an Equal Opportunity Employer, is committed to diversity and encourages applications from women and minority candidates. Any inquiries regarding Title IX or the College’s Policy Prohibiting Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation (www.monmouthcollege.edu/nondiscrimination-policy) should be directed to the Title IX Coordinator identified below. The Coordinator will be available to meet with or talk to students, staff and faculty regarding issues relating to Title IX and this policy. Michelle Merritt Title IX & VI Coordinator 309-457-2114 titleix@monmouthcollege.edu

Mark Kopinski ’79, Chairman Dr. Ralph Velazquez Jr. ’79, Vice Chairman Douglas R. Carlson ’66 Daniel Cotter ’88 Robert Dahl Dr. Harvey Echols ’81 Nancy Speer Engquist ’74 Christine Beiermann Farr ’90 Robin Ottenad Galloway ’90 William J. Goldsborough ’65 Kevin Goodwin ’80 Augustin Hart III ’68 Mahendran Jawaharlal ’86 F. Austin Jones John Kemp ’82 The Rev. Robert C. McConnell ’72 Michael B. McCulley, Esq. ’70 J. Alex McGehee ’81 Bradley C. Nahrstadt ’89 Gail Simpson Owen ’74 J. Hunter Peacock J. Stanley Pepper ’76 Anthony J. Perzigian ’66 Dennis M. Plummer ’73 Anita Ridge ’88 Susan Romaine The Hon. John J. Scotillo ’72 Dr. Carlos F. Smith ’90 Sherman Smith ’72 Nancy L. Snowden Mark E. Taylor ’78 Dwight Tierney ’69 Beth Bowdoin Tyre ’96 Jean Peters Witty ’88 Jackie Bell Zachmeyer ’89 ALUMNI BOARD REPRESENTATIVES TO THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES Marybeth Dues Kemp ’93 Andrew Kerr ’73 Roy Sye ’13 ALUMNI BOARD EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Andrew Kerr ’73, President Sean Maher ’95, Vice President Evelina Lipecka ’06, Secretary Michelle Perry ’89, Member at Large EDITORIAL BOARD Duane Bonifer Associate Vice President for Communications and Marketing Kristen English Vice President for Enrollment Management Hannah Maher Vice President for Development and College Relations Barry McNamara Associate Director of College Communications Jeffrey D. Rankin College Editor and Historian

MON MOU TH COLLEGE MAGA ZIN E

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

VOL. 37 | NO. 1 EDITOR AND DESIGNER Jeffrey D. Rankin ASSOCIATE EDITOR/WRITER Barry McNamara Monmouth College Magazine is published three times a year for alumni, students, parents and friends of Monmouth College. All opinions expressed in signed articles are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the editorial staff or the College. CONTACT US: MAGAZINE EDITOR jrankin@monmouthcollege.edu 309-457-2314 ADDRESS CHANGE monmouthcollege.edu/update 888-827-8268 Development & College Relations Monmouth College 700 East Broadway Monmouth, IL 61462-1998 ALUMNI PROGRAMS 309-457-2231 888-827-8268 alumni @monmouthcollege.edu REGISTRAR 309-457-2326 registrar@monmouthcollege.edu ATHLETICS 309-457-2176 athletics@monmouthcollege.edu GIVE TO MONMOUTH 309-457-2231 888-827-8268 monmouthcollege.edu/give ADMISSION 800-747-2687 admission@monmouthcollege.edu

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MONMOUTH COLLEGE MAGAZINE

A CELEBRATION OF WOMEN’S ATHLETICS

mong the many strong traditions and points of pride at Monmouth College, our athletic programs surely rank high. Lobie and I love cheering on all of our athletes, and the excitement of their contests is a great part of the fabric of life on campus. As enjoyable as the thrill of competition is, it is what precedes the cheering and what endures after the last echo fades that is most important. Discipline, pride, confidence, the pursuit of excellence and commitment to others are the ingredients that make success on the court, diamond, field, and in the pool possible. And they are the qualities that will make possible success in all aspects our students’ lives long after they hang up the uniform for the last time. What a tragedy it would have been, then, had these opportunities for growth and achievement, for excitement and celebration, not been available to our women students. Fortunately, that has not been the case. This issue of the magazine celebrates the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the federal legislation that, among other things, mandates equal opportunity in athletics for women. The pages that follow illustrate the powerful role that athletics has played in the lives of our female students and

alumnae and, through them, the life of the College. As this is written, another example of that power unfolded. I spent Feb. 25–26 with a group of dedicated families and fans cheering on our women’s basketball team as it competed in the Midwest Conference tournament at Ripon College. The team had graduated some outstanding players from its 2020 conference tournament championship team and was picked to finish near the bottom of the conference in 2021–22. But the team, led by first-year head coach Megan Jones and assistant coach Jim Cole, surprised the other teams as a roster of 10 players made its way to the tournament as the second seed. They defeated Knox College (yay!) in the semifinals and very nearly upset Ripon on its home floor in the championship game. They played with intelligence, discipline and dedication to each other. These are the lasting legacies of our athletics program, and we celebrate the women who have worn the White and Crimson with such pride—past, present and future. Roll Scots!

Dr. Clarence R. Wyatt President

AROUND CAMPUS

KAPOOR TO ADDRESS GRADS Kunal Kapoor ’97, chief executive officer of Morningstar Inc., will deliver Monmouth College’s Commencement address on May 15. Since joining Morningstar in 1997 as a data analyst, Kapoor has held a variety of roles at the firm, including leadership positions in research and innovation. He served as director of mutual fund research and was part of the team that launched Morningstar Investment Services, Inc., before moving on to other roles including director of business strategy for international operations and, later, president and chief investment officer of Morningstar Investment Services. During his tenure, he has also led Morningstar.com and the firm’s data business as well as its global products and client solutions group. Kapoor received Monmouth College’s Young Alumnus Award in 2005 and was the College’s Wendell Whiteman Memorial lecturer in 2017. After graduating from Monmouth with a degree in economics and environmental policy, Kapoor earned an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. In 2010, Crain’s Chicago Business named him to its annual 40 Under 40 class, a list that includes professionals from a variety of industries who are contributing to Chicago’s business, civic and philanthropic landscape.

Center for diversity and inclusion to honor former slave Monmouth College will mark a milestone on April 29 with the dedication of a new campus center that will focus on addressing and celebrating issues of diversity and inclusion through special programming and support. Named in honor of a former slave who purchased his own freedom and settled in Monmouth, the Champion Miller Center for Equity, Inclusion and Community will be located in what is currently known as the Intercultural House at 727 East Broadway, across from the Center for Science and Business. The name for the center grew out of the Champion Miller 1860 Fund, which since 2021 has raised more than $27,000 for DEI programming and support. Born a slave in Kentucky in 1808, Miller was taught to read and write by a student at Monmouth’s Theological Seminary

of the Northwest between 1858–60. Miller was instrumental in the organization of the First African Church of Monmouth, which was founded by Monmouth College President David Wallace in 1865, and which later became Fourth United Presbyterian Church. After that congregation was disbanded in 1871, Miller attended First United Presbyterian Church, which was organized by the founders of Monmouth College in 1853. He and his wife, whose freedom he also purchased, are buried in Monmouth. A student research project to learn more about Miller and other early Black citizens of Monmouth is planned for this August through the College’s Summer Opportunities for Intellectual Activities (SOFIA) program.

SPRING 2022

AROUND CAMPUS

49 years overdue

Carlson’s well-read book on military history gets returned.

John Carlson and his 1974 Monmouth classmate Lynette Johnson Carlson have been married for 46 years. But there’s a relationship that’s lasted even longer in Carlson’s life, although it came to an end last Nov. 22. On that day, Carlson returned to the College’s Hewes Library the book Battles on the Monsoon: Campaigning in the Central Highlands by S.L.A. Marshall. Its original due date was Oct. 16, 1972, meaning Carlson held onto it for more than 49 years. “We’re back on campus all the time,” said Carlson, who lives in Orland Park, Ill. “I thought, ‘One of these days, I ought to return it.’ Finally, last month, I stopped by the library, and I said, ‘I need to ’fess up here. I’m throwing myself at the mercy of the court.’ (Hewes Library Director Sarah Henderson) said the overdue fee was waived. Thank goodness!” Carlson, who was an ROTC student at Monmouth, said he has “always been interested in history, especially military history.” “S.L.A. Marshall was an Army historian, and he published this book in 1966, so it has the perspective of our early years of involvement in Vietnam. I just found it fascinating,” he said. Following his graduation from Monmouth, Carlson was on active Army duty for threeand-a-half years, then served more than two decades in the Reserves for a total of 26 years, retiring as a lieutenant colonel. “I took the book with me everywhere—to Fort Benning in Georgia and to Fort Sill in Oklahoma,” he said. “I was actually reading it on the C-141 aircraft when I flew to Frankfurt. I was stationed in both West Germany and Luxembourg.”

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Eckstine ready to strike up the band COVID had a crippling effect on collegiate cocurricular activities nationwide, not the least of which was musical ensembles such as marching bands. Veteran music educator John Eckstine, who joined the Monmouth faculty last fall as director of the Monmouth College athletic bands, hopes to change that—at Monmouth, at least. Eckstine brings more than 30 years of experience and awards to the position, most recently serving as athletic director/dean of students at Pendleton County Middle/High School in Franklin, W. Va. Eckstine’s career includes serving as director of bands and instrumental music specialist with the nationally recognized Spring-Ford Area High School Band in Montgomery County, Pa., where the band was five-time Tournament of

Bands Atlantic Coast Group IV Champions and three-time Cavalcade of Bands Yankee Open Class Champions. “I’ve been fortunate enough to enjoy a lot of success with high school bands, and I am excited about getting started at Monmouth and bringing a high level of excellence to the Monmouth athletic bands,” he said. Eckstine has led marching bands in the Hollywood Christmas Parade in California, the Miracle Mile Holiday Parade in Chicago and the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade. Spring-Ford’s wind ensemble performed at the 2009 Pennsylvania Music Educators Association annual in-service convention. His jazz ensemble was a two-time Tournament Indoor Association Atlantic Coast Open Class Champion.

LET THERE

GROVER STANDS AT THE FORMERLY DARK INTERSECTION.

A corner of Monmouth’s campus is brighter—and safer—thanks to the diligent efforts of a staff member. Few people know the details of the College’s physical layout better than senior security officer Mark Grover, who has traversed Monmouth’s campus more times than he can count. The more he did so, the more he realized that a change was needed at the corner of Sixth Street and East Broadway, which is the southwest corner of campus. “Making my regular rounds, I come upon this intersection many times per night,” said Grover. “Students frequently pass by it when coming back from town, as do many community residents both late at night and early

LIFELONG PASSION FOR ANIME PAYS OFF Monmouth College art major Jennie Nichols ’23 earned third place in a national Nengajo (New Year’s card) design and drawing competition sponsored by the American Association of Teachers of Japanese. Her prize-winning work is a 4x6-inch postcard, designed in a digital version of the traditional Manga (Japanese comics) black-and-white halftone style. The roots of Nichols being so proficient at recreating the style of Japanese anime go back to her days as an elementary school student. As a fifth-grader, Nichols started following anime because a boy she liked was interested in it. “My 10-year-old thoughts were that would be a good way to get him to like me,” said Nichols. Eventually, she moved on from the boy, but her interest in anime and Japanese comics intensified. Last fall, her Japanese professor,

BE LIGHT in the morning when out for a walk or run. It’s a very dim to dark intersection and thus very dangerous.” In November, Grover expressed his concern to Ameren, and a staff member at the power company agreed. She told Grover the protocol was to contact the City of Monmouth. In mid-December, the city’s public works director contacted Grover to let him know he had submitted a request to Ameren from the city for an additional street light at the intersection. “On Dec. 27, I saw the flags being placed for marking the location,” said Grover. “Then on Jan. 12, they installed the pole and light. I was so excited. I felt it was the best gift.”

Wenhong Teel,

told Nichols and the rest of the class about the competition, and she even dangled an enticing carrot—doing the research for the competition and executing the work would Nichols’ prize-winning postcard features the Lunar New Year tiger. count as the students’ cultural ed art majors James Woeltje ’25 and project for the semester. Natalie Takahashi ’22—participated. More than 750 students submitted The theme of this year’s contest was entries, and Teel said it was the first time “Tiger,” which is the zodiac sign for the Monmouth students—which also includLunar New Year in 2022.

No longer bored by keyboards We’ve all the heard the call to slow down, to relax, to unplug. Brad Rowe says that one way to do that is by steering clear of technology with a more “old school” approach. “Older ways of doing things have always appealed to me—I’d rather play a vinyl record with my grandmother’s 1966 player than pop in earbuds,” said Rowe, a Monmouth educational studies professor. Last fall, Rowe used his sabbatical to explore the world of typewriters. He learned how to repair them, and has enjoyed watching as students young and old sit down to type at one, most of them for the very first time. Rowe said that younger students “are often awestruck the first time they encounter a typewriter. They light up with wonder and possibility.” His older college students have

taken to the machines in a social setting, which Rowe called “Snail Mail Socials.” “The fact that students want to spend an afternoon with a typewriter writing a letter to a loved one—rather than mindlessly scrolling Twitter or TikTok—means the world to me. I am so moved by the response and turnout at these events,” he said.

Rowe with three of his restored typewriters.

SPRING 2022

NEWSMAKERS

GALLOWAY ’90 NAMED TO BOARD OF TRUSTEES Robin Ottenad Galloway ’90 has been

named to the Monmouth College Board of Trustees. The president of the ice cream division of DFA Dairy Brands, a national milk marketing cooperative based in Kansas City, GALLOWAY Mo., Galloway previously worked in finance for a variety of industries, including Amoco Oil Co., Johnson Controls and Dean Foods. She was also CFO of Restaurants Unlimited, Wells Enterprises and Schwan Foods, and CEO of Fieldbrook Foods. An accounting major at Monmouth, she is looking forward to taking an active role with her alma mater and creating “opportunities that will support the next generation of Monmouth students.”

DATLOF TAKES TOP PRIZES IN MOOT COURT COMPETITION Matthew Datlof ’22, a four-year participant in Monmouth’s moot court competition, last fall won both the legal brief-writing competition—a component DATLOF he helped institute in 2020—and Top Advocate in the oral argument competition. Datlof, who is also a pitcher for the Fighting Scots, is in the process of applying to law schools.

ACTOR AND SINGER MAKES HISTORY IN COMPETITION a theatre and computer science major, made history in January by becoming the first Monmouth College student to become a semifinalist in MADU the Region 3 Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship Auditions of the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. In addition, she placed second in the musical theater competition—also a Monmouth first. As one of 16 competitors in the Irene Ryan semifinals, she performed a monologue from the Nilo Cruz play Anna and the Topics. Her musical theatre performance was the song “You Must Love Me” from Evita. Due to pandemic restrictions, the annual competition has been held online the past two years. Gabriela

Madu

MONMOUTH COLLEGE MAGAZINE

’23

GUSTAFSON TAPPED FOR LINCOLN LAUREATE AWARD Elizabeth Gustafson ’22 has been

named Monmouth College’s Student Laureate of the Lincoln Academy of Illinois, an honor given to an outstanding senior at GUSTAFSON each of Illinois’ four-year degree-granting institutions. A business administration and communication studies double major, she carries a 4.0 grade-point average and is a member of the prestigious Stockdale Fellows Program. She is active in Alpha Xi Delta, serving in two vice presidential positions, as well as academic achievement director. As Monmouth’s Student Laureate, she will also have the honor of addressing her fellow graduates at this year’s Commencement.

PETERSON PERFORMS INDEPENDENT RESEARCH Gabriela Peterson ’23, a chemistry and political science major, spent eight weeks last summer researching propolis, a substance that bees produce. Working under chemistry professor Audra Goach, she PETERSON studied how propolis acts as an antibacterial agent. Because her senior research mentor had graduated, she decided to pursue the project under the Kieft Summer Research Program, in order to be better prepared for her senior year. A cross country/track athlete, she was a finalist in the 2021 moot court competition and is spending the spring semester in Washington, D.C., through The Fund For American Studies.

OTT ACCEPTS DEANSHIP The Rev. Daniel Ott, associate professor and chair of the department of philosophy and religious studies, has been named dean of theology, humanities and performing arts at Eastern Mennonite OTT University in Harrisonburg, Va. A member of the Monmouth faculty since 2011, he has also served as associate dean of academic initiatives and coordinator of the peace, ethics and social justice academic minor program.

ACADEMICS

Rocking in the new year in El Salvador While many folks spent New Year’s Day watching bowl games, snacking or sleeping in, a group from Monmouth College celebrated the first day of 2022 in a much more adventurous fashion, traveling via horseback to the top of a volcano in the Central American country of El Salvador. “I’ve got to imagine that was a first for some,” said welltraveled Monmouth biology professor James Godde of the equine companions for the 13 students who made the trip. “Many of the trips new location. I want it to be a new adventure.” I’ve led have been “One highlight of the trip was interacting with the people of over Christmas El Salvador,” said Wilbourne. “We spent New Year’s Eve in the break, and I try to streets of Suchitoto lighting off fireworks with neighborhood schedule a really kids. The trip was a great opportunity to put cool experience my Spanish into practice and connect on New Year’s with the locals.” Godde said some eyebrows were Day, like when raised over traveling to El Salvador, our group visited Machu Picchu (in Peru). I wanted to have a and that caused some students to stay super-cool experience in El Salvador, and this really was.” Godde atop home, along with COVID concerns. “While El Salvador wasn’t my first time out of the country, Izalco Volcano But he said those who made the trip it certainly took me the furthest out of my comfort zone than were impressed by the country, which any travel I’ve done in the past,” said Shannon Wilbourne is bordered by Honduras, Guatemala and ’22. “Professor Godde will be the first to tell you getting the Pacific Ocean. uncomfortable is what travel’s all about.” “We saw the really good side of El Salvador,” said Godde. “It The students had taken an “Academic Travel” Reflections can have a bad reputation—even scary—but we never had a course taught by Godde that emphasized ideas such as mindful single trouble. It’s not on a lot of people’s ‘to see’ list, but it really travel and making pilgrimages. It was similar in that respect to should be, because it was fabulous.” other Reflections-inspired trips that Godde has led to Colombia “I think the greatest highlight of the trip was scaling the active and Belize, which also featured visits to old churches, Mayan volcano Izalco, which is considered the second most difficult ruins and other sacred sites. volcano to climb in El Salvador,” said Wilbourne. “That hike is A slight difference was that this year’s group consisted of the most terrifying and impressive feat I’ve accomplished in my students from two Godde classes. His planned trip abroad with life. Before we even started our trek up the mountain, we had the students who took his class in the fall of 2020 was canceled to walk down 1,475 steps. After the grueling descent from the due to the pandemic. summit of the volcano, down sand and loose rocks, we had to Godde, however, kept his string of years traveling abroad make our way up those steps again.” intact. His Belize trip ended in the first days of 2020, two Other highlights of the trip were relaxing at Lago de months before the pandemic began. The El Salvador group Coatepeque, a crater lake in the western portion of the country, left the United States on Dec. 28, providing him his 2021 and spending the last full day in the country on the beach. international travel just days under the wire. His streak started “I’ve learned from experience to schedule the beach day later by leading a Monmouth study-abroad trip to Japan in 2006, the in the trip,” said Godde. “That way, I can tell the students, ‘If you year before he spent a sabbatical there. get through this, there’s the beach day at the end.’” “This was my first time in El Salvador,” said Godde. “One of my criteria when planning these trips is to try to find a brand—barry mcnamara

‘We spent New Year’s Eve in the streets of Suchitoto lighting off fireworks with neighborhood kids.’

The Monmouth College travelers pause for a photo at the Casa Blanca archaeological site in Chalchuapa.

SPRING 2022

e t h m o i s n y g a s e e s s , o g m n i u e h t o fy

ACADEMICS

Students in professor Andre Audette’s political psychology class surveyed more than 1,200 persons throughout the United States.

Students examined how 9/11 phrase changed everyday life

By Barry McNamara

he phrase “if you see something, say something,” is closely linked to the 9/11 terrorist attacks on America. Its origins are traced to the day following the attacks, Sept. 12, 2001, and to New York advertising executive Allen Kay, who is credited with coining the phrase. Last semester, a Monmouth College political psychology class became interested in how the phrase “impacts everyday life and social situations,” said the professor who teaches the class, Andre Audette. “While there have been reports that the phrase has led to discrimination against Arabs and Muslims in the United States, we wanted to see if the effects would be felt in other situations involving racial and ethnic minorities, as well,” said Audette. “We hoped to test whether or not being primed with the phrase ‘If you see something, say something’ makes individuals more likely to find others suspicious and to take action against them,” said Shay Hafner ’23, one of Audette’s students. The class conducted a nationwide survey experiment on Amazon Mechanical Turk, gathering data from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. territories. In total, Audette and his students had 1,216 respondents. Each respondent was assigned a scenario involving potentially suspicious behavior and was asked how they would respond. “We could then see if exposure to the phrase leads them to behave differently,” said Audette. “We found that such exposure does lead people to be more likely to act, especially in our fictitious scenario involving a Hispanic woman. It also leads to differences in people’s attitudes about individuals from other races. Interestingly, the phrase also seems to be more effective among women respondents, making them more likely to respond across our different scenarios.” Ezzie Baltierra-Chavez ’22 said the groundbreaking

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research by her and her classmates has potentially wideranging implications. “These findings are important to our lives, because evidently we still live in a nation where racial and ethnic discrimination taints our perceptions of individuals,” said Baltierra-Chavez. “Not only does it taint our perceptions, but it also hinders our political progress for policies that are inclusive and socially aware of the challenges that these minority groups face.” Audette’s students helped select the topic, develop the experiment and analyze the results. “This survey provided a unique opportunity for students to collect original data and contribute to the field of knowledge in political psychology,” said Audette. “They are the first to work on this particular research area, which may lead to opportunities to continue developing the results for publication in an academic journal.” Two of Audette’s previous political psychology classes have used surveys, as has one of his public opinion classes. Those surveys looked at perceptions of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, political consumerism and the effect of social media on U.S. politics. “Monmouth is a great place to get hands-on research experience in a number of different fields, whether it is working individually with a faculty member on a project or collectively as a class,” said Audette. “The ability to work closely with students on these projects is one of the major benefits of a liberal arts education at Monmouth.” International student Michaela Jelenová of the Czech Republic found the project to be helpful as she acclimates to U.S. society. “Politics here is so much different from what I know from the Czech Republic,” she said. “It’s a bit crazier here, I think. But this class helped me find some order and reasons about why things are the way they are here.”

CADELL

CHAVEZ

ENGST

HERRING

ANDAL

GORE

HIESER

REIS

ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP COMPETITION DRAWS GIFTED CANDIDATES Eight high school seniors make up the top scholars in Monmouth College’s Class of 2026. The students were chosen from a group of 130 high school seniors from 16 states and two foreign countries who competed in early 2022 for the top three scholarships awarded to incoming freshmen. Two students were named William J. and Beverly Goldsborough Scholars, a four-year, full-tuition scholarship, available to students from the Chicagoland area: Margaret Cadell of Lisle, Ill., a veteran computer coder who plans to major in computer science; and Endrass Chavez of Chicago, who plans to study neuroscience at Monmouth, en route to a career as a pediatric neurosurgeon. Two students were named Admiral’s Scholars, a four-year, full-tuition scholarship plus a $5,000 academic enrichment fund and a place in the James and Sybil Stockdale Fellows

leadership program: Carina Engst of Bloomington, Illinois, who plans to major in biochemistry and seek a career in dentistry; and future art major Abby Herring of Appleton, Wis., who hopes to also participate in volleyball and track and field. Engst was also named a Kieft Scholar by the chemistry department. Four students were name Trustees’ Scholars, a four-year, full-tuition scholarship: Michael Andal of Crystal Lake, Ill., who plans to major in engineering; Kailyn Gore of Marlton, N.J., a future lawyer who plans to major in international studies; Madison Hieser of Pekin, Ill., who plans to major in history and international studies, in preparation for a career as a museum director; and Jamison Reis of Quincy, Ill., who plans to major in business administration. Each of the scholarships is worth more than $160,000.

Be a Scots Name-Dropper. If you’re like many Monmouth alumni, you wouldn’t trade your college experiences for the world. But wouldn’t it be great to be able to share them? You can, by submitting the name of a child, grandchild, niece or nephew—or any talented young person who you believe could benefit from a Monmouth education. Perhaps you’re considering making an estate gift to Monmouth, but recommending a prospective student can be done today, and ultimately have as great an impact. It’s easy to do. Just go to:

www.monmouthcollege.edu/future-scot and nominate a high school student who you believe would be a great match for Monmouth!

SPRING 2022

BOOKS

DEERE DEARBORN Dahlstrom chronicles little-known but pivotal period in agriculture history

hortly after the turn of the 20th century, the Midwest was an agricultural battleground.

During the century’s first three decades, American businesses fought to reign supreme on the farm by developing a reliable, affordable tractor. Monmouth College alumnus Neil Dahlstrom ’98 tells that compelling story in a lively and engaging way in the critically acclaimed book Tractor Wars: John Deere, Henry Ford, International Harvester, and the Birth of Modern Agriculture. Published by Matt Holt in January 2022, Tractor Wars was praised in a review in the Wall Street Journal as “a superb history of the tractor and this long-forgotten period of capitalism in U.S. agriculture.” Dahlstrom, who was a classics and history major, said his third book “started very innocently.” “It started with me doing my job, which is working in the corporate archives at John Deere,” said Dahlstrom, a 21-year veteran employee of the company who manages its archives and history. “In early 2016, I started preparing for the 100th anniversary of the John Deere tractor (in 2018), and while doing the research I just kept finding stories that I would put to the side and say, ‘Well, that’s

Although the names John Deere and International Harvester are synonymous with tractors today, there was a time when Henry Ford’s tractor dominated U.S. agriculture.

MONMOUTH COLLEGE MAGAZINE

interesting. I hadn’t read that before, I didn’t know that before.’ … So it started very innocently with no intention of writing a book.” It wasn’t long before Dahlstrom’s research helped him realize “there might be a story here.” The result is a fascinating book that spans 1908–28, when companies were racing to develop a tractor that would be reliable, affordable and could be mass produced. The book’s cast of characters includes risk-takers, innovators, quiet and steady leaders, and individuals who were prone to ballyhoo and exaggeration. Although the names John Deere and International Harvester are synonymous with tractors today, there was a time when Henry Ford’s tractor, the Fordson, dominated U.S. agriculture, owning as much as 75% of the market. “I really got sucked into the history by Henry Ford and his entry into the tractor business,” said Dahlstrom. “The relationship between Deere and Ford in the 1910s was one that I just didn’t know much about.” In addition to meeting market demands to make agriculture more efficient and productive, the push to develop a dependable tractor was also driven by a growing labor shortage on U.S. farms. As Dahlstrom writes, by the turn of the 20th century, four million people had left rural America for its cities, leaving the nation’s farms shorthanded for the work of plowing, planting, cultivating, harvesting and threshing. U.S. involvement in World War I would only exacerbate the labor scarcity. The typical U.S. farm in 1900 was also small compared to today, averaging less than 50 acres. “But if you own 50 acres, you’re probably only farming eight or 10 acres of it because that’s all that you can accomplish,” said Dahlstrom.

“…it started very innocently, with no intention of writing a book.” —NEIL DAHLSTROM ’98

In addition to Ford, International Harvester was an early major player in the tractor wars. The nation’s fourth largest corporation, International Harvester had a breakthrough in 1920 when adjustments and enhancements by its engineers made the company’s tractor competitive with Ford’s Fordson. In the early 1900s, John Deere was known as the “world’s largest manufacturer of steel plows.” As Dahlstrom writes, Deere’s leader, William Butterworth, was “cautious with the family money that still financed the company, pushing for long-term gains in a cyclical, low-margin, weather-dependent business.” Butterworth’s leadership style during the tractor wars proved to be the foundation for a winning business strategy. Deere purchased the Waterloo Gasoline Engine Co. in 1918, which allowed the company to sell Waterloo Boy tractors until 1923. That’s when Deere’s iconic green-and-yellow John Deere Model D tractor made its debut. Ford pulled out of the tractor market in 1928 to shore up his sagging automobile company, leaving Deere and

International Harvester as the sole tractor pioneers to make it through the 20th century. Although the tractor came to have a worldwide impact on food, labor and the economy, the tractor wars were fought primarily in the U.S. Midwest and on the Great Plains—including on fields in Minnesota, Nebraska, Kansas and, of course, around the Quad Cities. “It’s a local and regional story, and of course it has global implications,” said Dahlstrom. “But at its heart it’s a local history story (about the Quad Cities) in so many ways.” Dahlstrom grew up in the Quad Cities, but “I knew almost nothing about John Deere when I joined the company.” “I always had an interest in history, and that’s what I studied at Monmouth,” he said. “I worked in the College archives, so that was very much my start in the profession. I just fell in love with history because of that experience and my work with my professors.” Although Dahlstrom was a bit surprised to find the genesis for a history book about the U.S. tractor, he said he would not be surprised if the Deere archives contain much more material for other books in its boxes, files and folders. “We’ve not even begun to tap into all these stories,” he said. “They’re incredible, they’re so rich, and the people behind products are just so interesting and fascinating.” —Duane Bonifer

Ford pulled out of the tractor market in 1928 to shore up his sagging automobile company, leaving Deere and International Harvester as the sole tractor pioneers to make it through the 20th century.

SPRING 2022

Seeing the light at the end of an ambitious campaign By Hannah Maher Vice President for Development and College Relations

y first day of work at Monmouth College was in the fall of 2010, but my love for the institution and conviction that it was an incredibly special place came in the weeks before, during my interview process.

After more than a decade at Monmouth, I know how rare this combination of scholars, artists, advisers, coaches and mentors is within an undergraduate liberal arts context. As I travel around the country, I become increasingly convinced of the real treasure that is Monmouth College.

My first experience with Monmouth faculty and staff during that time left a permanent impression on me. I vividly remember leaving campus after my interview thinking, “Even if I don’t get this job, I am a better If we want to maintain person for having had the our best traditions— experience with this group of people.” Fortunately, that was the ones that show not my last experience with who we really are Monmouth and I still count myself very fortunate to be and what we really part of this community.

value—we need to back

It does seem to me, for what it’s worth, that our commitment to the liberal arts and to the time-intensive, labor-intensive—and let’s face it, very expensive—project of learning to read, write and think critically remains as strong as ever.

That, of course, is where fundraising Obviously, an enormous part up our educational comes in. of what makes a Monmouth education unique is bringing and experiential If we want to maintain our best traditions— together intelligent, talented the ones that show who we really are commitments with and motivated students and and what we really value—we need to financial support. faculty to create experiences back up our educational and experiential unavailable anywhere else. commitments with financial support. Over the years I’ve spoken to countless alumni, parents and friends about “The Monmouth Experience.” I’ll reiterate—I count myself fortunate to be a part It’s what most of us have always known: What we do of this community. I find it extremely rewarding to here is different. It’s not for everyone and it’s not al- engage in conversations with alumni and friends ways easy. If you want a real education and not just a who are just as passionate about Monmouth straight-up degree, there’s no substitute for it. College and our hallmark experience; who reflect

MONMOUTH COLLEGE MAGAZINE

on that change-point in their lives that they pinpoint as their time at Monmouth. And who desire to make an impact today for the future of tomorrow’s students. I recently spent several months working with an alumnus who has such a deep love of alma mater. He shared conversations with me, reflecting back on his ability to attend Monmouth because of generous scholarship support. Having gone on to have a successful career in business, he also knew how important internship opportunities are for today’s students. However, his own experience proved that many opportunities

a reminder that a Monmouth education is just the beginning. The excitement and momentum continue to build, and I am

$75M Our Goal

delighted to announce we are nearing the finish line of our Light This Candle Campaign. We have raised $72,838,014, placing us 97%

available had limited or no compensation. Removing barriers for students to be able to take those one-of-a-kind internships, to have unique opportunities, to build their résumés before completing their time at Monmouth—that was important to him. But beyond providing an endowed fund to support these kinds of experiences, a deep commitment to a high level of student impact was a priority.

of the way

97% $72.8M Raised

toward our $75 million goal. With a blend of current gifts and deferred

gifts, the generous support from alumni and friends will continue to strengthen a Monmouth College education now and into the future.

We were able to establish that gift—one that builds the endowment for perpetual support, while also funding the internship opportunities in the short term. Our students this year will be richly rewarded because of the generosity of a fellow Scot.

This is our time. You can help ensure that

We all know many alumni who have had great impact on their communities, professions and families. And who continue to have a great impact on the students of Monmouth College. Space does not permit me to highlight all of these legendary stories; however, I hope you enjoy reading those contained within this issue of Monmouth Magazine—each demonstrating evidence of care, loyalty, legacy and leadership by alumni. Heartwarming, yes; but each story also serves as

Monmouth is changing lives every day. I know our

Monmouth College remains a place of distinction for future generations of Fighting Scots. Envision what the future could hold if more young people could obtain a Monmouth education. alumni and friends believe strongly in the countless stories of success at Monmouth. I am asking you to be a part of writing countless more. Onward to $75 million!

SPRING 2022

Stories by Barry McNamara

Making internships more accessible no compensation,” said Yahnke. Instead, Yahnke said that summer jobs, loans and scholarships were “essential to paying for and completing my education. Those circumstances exist for many of our An internship experience is a critical students today.” résumé item for college students, as Yahnke’s Monmouth education well as providing direction for them as served as a springboard to the success they seek employment or determine a he experienced—first as a Navy line career future. officer aboard the USS Massey with Dick Yahnke of Fort Collins, Colo., two overseas deployments in the a member of the Monmouth College 1960s, then throughout his 40-year Board of Trustees for 25 years, and marketing and management career his wife, Lee, have made a gift to with Deere & Co. help ensure that students seeking “My business degree and the broad internships have the means to do so. liberal arts education I received at The couple has created the Yahnke Monmouth College provided a strong Business and Economics Endowed foundation and preparation for my Internship Fund at Monmouth, where military and business career,” he said. Yahnke studied business, graduating Yahnke held a variety of in 1966. management experiences in numerous Dick Yahnke ’66 “Internships provide an opportunity marketing and manufacturing for real-world practical business locations for John Deere, including experience for students seeking business-related degrees,” an assignment as marketing manager for Australia and New said Yahnke. “Those experiences add strength and depth to Zealand. He retired in 2006 as vice president of worldwide Monmouth’s business degrees and programs, which continue agricultural parts marketing. to be among the most popular and important for the College.” An example of a Monmouth student who is now in a The newly established endowment is geared toward position to give back to the college that shaped him, Yahnke students who fully appreciate the value of an internship but said he hopes his gift will come full circle time and again. who need help to make the experience a reality. “Strong business programs produce outstanding business “An endowment for business internships will provide graduates, who ultimately will be likely to give back their funding and accessibility for more students who simply could time, talents and wealth to our College,” he said. not consider an internship due to their financial limitations,” And having an internship endowment in place will help the said Yahnke. College attract and retain those high-achieving students. Six decades ago, Yahnke was that student who appreciated “Endowed internships are one component that can help a helping hand as he navigated the college experience. Monmouth College achieve recognition and enhance the “I was the youngest of five children and the first in my reputation of its outstanding business department and family to attend college,” he said. “I had strong parental programs,” he said. “The availability of funding for business support, but very limited financial means.” internships will be appealing to prospective high school Also limited were the opportunities to apply for and accept graduates and community college transfers and their parents internships. The few possibilities that existed had “limited or as they make a college choice.”

Yahnkes’ gift will help business students cover internship expenses

MONMOUTH COLLEGE MAGAZINE

Jones family endows professorship

amily ties that go back more than a century are part of the impetus behind a new endowed professorship at Monmouth College. Through a trust gift from their late father, Addison Jones, brothers Austin Jones and David Jones have established the Marion Austin Jones Endowed Professorship in Theatre. The gift honors the life of Marion Austin Jones ’50, an emerita member of the Monmouth College Board of Trustees, of which Austin Jones is a member today. “The professorship “My father was a Grinnell honors one of Mom’s grad, and he loved his great loves—theatre and experience there,” said Austin, singing—only second who lives in Grinnell, Iowa, to her family and and is president and CFO of Monmouth College,” Grinnell State Bank. “But his said Austin. experience with Monmouth “I remember is what moved his life, what discussing the notion changed his life. He always felt for this gift the week welcomed at Monmouth. It was before Dad passed (in just a very warm feeling, and he Marion Austin Jones ’50 2021),” said Austin. “He was very comfortable. He believed looked at me, and he said, ‘Let’s get this it was a well-run organization that really done.’ It was his wish to honor his wife.” cared about people.” The Jones Professorship is intended Austin said his father often to serve as a model for similar endowed accompanied Marion to board meetings professorships in other disciplines, as at her alma mater. these professorships become valuable “Mom loved working with the board, tools to recruit, reward and retain the professors and the administration, outstanding faculty members at the and my father was always so impressed College. that he could sit in on the open part of the “Higher education is going through a board meetings,” he said. “He thought the transition period right now,” said Austin. leadership of the College was so insightful “Education is going to change—it is and thoughtful, and I particularly changing. I believe in the importance of remember him being overwhelmed as being able to work one-on-one with your plans were being made for the Center for professor, and being involved with an Science and Business. It was a huge leap administration and a faculty that gets to for the College to do a project like that, know you and works with you. Being able and he was very impressed.” to have small classes and to participate in Monmouth’s $42 million Center for athletics and other extracurriculars like Science and Business opened in 2013. theatre are all so important.” The Jones name holds a special Addison’s decision to give was place in Monmouth College history, made even easier by his own favorable and so does the name Austin. In 1901, experience with Monmouth, despite the Austin’s great-grandfather, T. Merrill fact that he wasn’t an alumnus of the Austin, was appointed to direct the College. College’s Conservatory of Music, which

flourished during his 35 years of leadership. One of his star pupils was the legendary Gracie Peterson, a 1922 graduate who taught piano at Monmouth for 50 years and was still performing at the age of 100. “Mom had such a passion for the school,” said Austin. “She shared wonderful stories of being on stage with Gracie Peterson. Gracie said that my great-grandfather was her favorite professor, and my mother’s favorite professor was Gracie. The heritage is deep-rooted in our family. Continued Austin, whose daughter Miranda Jones graduated from Monmouth in 2017: “We know she would be proud of the continued legacy at Monmouth through her grandchildren and so many other extended family members, but also in service to the College leadership.” Miranda’s Monmouth experience is another big reason Austin supports the College. “Miranda’s experience was incredible for her,” said Austin, who graduated from a large university. “Had I attended Monmouth, I think it would’ve been so much more fun. You can get lost at a big school, especially if you’re not self-motivated. So many of my friends took four-and-a-half, five, six years to graduate. The system’s not made to help you. Prerequisites for a major can change, and they don’t tell you. At Monmouth, Miranda’s adviser made sure she stayed on track and got done in four years.”

Austin Jones is following in the footsteps of his late mother, serving on the College’s Board of Trustees.

SPRING 2022

Helping the transfer student succeed William Simpson ’65 and his wife, Joyce, of

Monmouth “was always on my horizon,” as his Everett, Wash., have established a new scholarship father, Marshall Simpson, was a 1940 graduate. He to create more opportunities for transfer students. ultimately chose the residential liberal arts college, The William and Joyce Heald Simpson even as many of his friends selected larger state Endowed Scholarship will be awarded annually schools. to a transfer student from an Illinois or Iowa Starting out as a government major, Simpson community college. Preference will be given said he received only average grades. But as to initiated members of Phi Theta Kappa he progressed, he said he was “nurtured” by international honor society and to first-generation Monmouth’s faculty. college students. “I kept getting better and better,” said Simpson, “I’ve always felt it was unfortunate if people who competed in cross country and track and didn’t go to college because they lacked the funds,” coached both sports after leaving Monmouth. “The said Simpson, an emeritus trustee of Monmouth fit was just outstanding, and my involvement with William Simpson ’65 who also served as president of John Wood Sig Ep (Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity) also made a Community College in Quincy, Ill., for 11 years. “It’s not that significant impact. Being student body treasurer and being in you can’t be happy in your life if you don’t go to college, but you Blue Key (honor society)—Monmouth opened doors to things might not fulfill your potential.” I wouldn’t have been able to do at a larger school. I might’ve Simpson said that higher education offers a person a gotten swallowed up if I’d gone to the University of Illinois. I transformative experience to realize their full potential. probably would’ve been in the Army the next year.” “College is one of the final steps in the maturation process,” After receiving a master’s degree from Illinois State University, he said. “It teaches independence, teamwork and how to be Simpson taught government for 11 years at Carl Sandburg dependable and reliable. It prepares you to go to work and to College in Galesburg, Ill., adding a doctorate in education during understand your profession, and how to be analytical in that that time. After his time at Sandburg, he worked at colleges in profession and in your life. It helps you be a better participatory Iowa, Illinois and Washington before assuming the presidency citizen, which could be as simple as voting, or it could mean at John Wood in 1997. He was the recipient of Monmouth’s seeking office or serving the public in some other manner. Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2016. It makes you a little more open to different arguments and Simpson’s experiences as a community college professor and perspectives, and it helps you make our country a little better administrator have given him plenty of first-hand knowledge of place to live.” the importance for students of finding the right next school to The Simpsons have supported several of the College’s turn their associate’s degrees into four-year bachelor’s degrees. initiatives over the years. Attracting such students is also a win for Monmouth, he said. “Bill and Joyce believe deeply in higher education, and “Every college has attrition, and to replace that, you need furthermore, in access for disadvantaged students to achieve a to bring more students in,” he said. “Transfer students are a college degree,” said Hannah Maher, Monmouth vice president for way to assuage that. I hope that transfer students can come to development and college relations. “With Bill’s life work serving Monmouth and have a similar experience to what I had.” and leading community colleges, paired with his own attainment Simpson said it’s important for colleges like Monmouth to of advanced degrees, he has been a strong leader on our Board have plans in place for the future. He said that the scholarship of Trustees. Likewise, Joyce devoted herself and her work to that he and his wife established is one way to do that. education and to teacher instruction, ensuring students’ needs in “We’re not just trying to get through the next year,” said the classroom were met.” Simpson of his gift, specifically, and of the College’s Light This As he neared his 1961 graduation from Peoria (Ill.) High Candle Campaign, in general. “We’re looking at how we sustain School, Simpson said he knew he wanted to pursue college. the College.”

MONMOUTH COLLEGE MAGAZINE

First-gen grad honors parents with scholarship

efore he became a popular Monmouth College lecturer, political campaign consultant and host of the successful Heartland Politics public radio program and podcast, Robin Johnson ’80 was a firstgeneration college student finding his way. Johnson, who joined the faculty in 2000, has established a scholarship for first-generation students. He did so in honor of his parents, who didn’t attend college but encouraged their three children to do so. The Harlan and Delores Johnson Scholarship honors parents who “worked hard and sacrificed” so that Johnson and his siblings, Frank Johnson ’76 and Dawn Johnson ’97, could graduate from Monmouth. “Neither of my parents attended college, but both were adamant about my brother, sister and me attending college,” said Johnson. “My mom graduated from Roseville (Ill.) High School, and my dad left high school to enlist in the U.S. Navy during World War II. For as long as I can remember, it was a given in our household that we would go to college and pursue opportunities for a better life. It’s the American dream. My scholarship is in honor of them and targeted to other first-generation students whose parents are working hard and sacrificing to put them through school to be able to pursue similar opportunities.” When Johnson attended college, he took classes from professors he called “some of the icons of Monmouth”— including Mary Crow, Doug Spitz, David Allison, Bernice Fox, Rod Lemon, Steve Buban, Stafford Weeks and his favorite professor, Bill Urban. Roy McClintock and Cecil Brett were his primary professors within the government department.

partnerships and full-cost accounting of public services. He has also helped candidates win elections for the U.S. Senate, Congress, state legislatures, the judiciary and local government. His weekly radio show Heartland Politics with Robin Johnson attracts national and regional figures from the worlds of politics, media and government.

“Neither of my parents attended college, but both were adamant about my brother, sister and me attending college.”

Robin Johnson ’80

“The College exposed me to differing points of view that challenged my existing opinions,” he said. “I would leave a course after hearing Dr. McClintock espouse progressive views on government regulation and an hour later hear Dr. Lemon take a more deregulatory point of view. I loved every minute of it, and I feel my education at Monmouth is the major reason for my more middle-of-the-road views on political issues. I still like to hear both points of view and that has always influenced my approach to teaching political science at Monmouth.” In addition to teaching, Johnson works as a political consultant on campaigns. An expert on government reform issues, Johnson has consulted with local governments on consolidation/merger, public-private

It is produced at WVIK-FM and distributed to NPR affiliates as well on numerous podcast platforms. Johnson’s thoughts about the Midwest political landscape often appear in the media, including a recent analysis of this year’s midterm elections he published in Washington Monthly. Johnson’s mother, who worked for the Illinois Secretary of State’s office, is still living. His father, who served as president of Local #1218 of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, died in 2014. “My only regret is not doing this sooner when my dad was still alive because he knew the importance and value of education,” said Johnson. “But I know this: when I was done signing the papers to formalize the scholarship on a cold December afternoon, it was the best feeling in the world to be able to honor my parents and give back to future students and their families the opportunity to attend Monmouth College.”

SPRING 2022

SCOTSPORTS

THE TRIUMPH OF TITLE IX

By Barry McNamara

Fifty years ago, Monmouth's women athletes were awarded a long-overdue opportunity, and they haven't looked back since

‘N Taking aim at equal rights Before the advent of women’s intercollegiate athletics, one of the few sports in which women could compete on a national level was competitive rifle shooting. Hazel Hatch Wharff ’49 won first place in the 1948 NRA National Individual Women’s Championship with a near-perfect score, and for that feat was inducted into the M Club Hall of Fame in 1984. By 1953, an entire women’s rifle team, known as the “Annie Oakleys,” had been organized. Led by student coach Neil Verigan ’54 (top row, right), the team defeated such powerhouses as Cornell University, the University of California and Ohio State to capture the 1953–54 national intercollegiate championship. Joan Phifer Hunt ’55 (bottom row, right) was national individual women’s champion and joined Wharff in the M Club Hall of Fame.

MONMOUTH COLLEGE MAGAZINE

o law has done as much as Title IX to empower women since women earned the right to vote in 1920,” said Monmouth Director of Alumni Engagement Jen Armstrong, who is leading campus efforts to observe the 50th anniversary of the landmark legislation, which was signed into law June 23, 1972. One of those efforts was a Feb. 2 panel discussion, “Title IX Turns 50: Celebrating Women in Athletics.” More than 100 people viewed the virtual event, including Monmouth students in kinesiology instructor Jen Braun’s Reflections course, “Athlete: Commodity or Human,” and coach Alexa McClaughry’s softball team.

‘IT’S A SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUE’ One of the four panelists was Heather Benning, commissioner of the Midwest Conference, of which Monmouth is a member. She, too, referenced the power given to women when discussing the importance of Title IX. “At the end of the day, it’s a social justice issue. We feel this in so many ways in this society, which for the past 150 years has had to legislate to treat people fairly,” said Benning, citing, in particular, the 14th and 19th Amendments, which made former slaves citizens and which gave women the right to vote. “We have these things because we don’t always approach life and say ‘This is right.’ We need to have these discussions about change.”

Other panelists included former Fighting Scot athlete Raven Robinson ’14 and two representatives from the National Collegiate Athletic Association—Joni Comstock, the NCAA’s senior vice president for championships and its senior woman administrator, and Louise McCleary, the interim vice president for Division III. Former Monmouth student-athlete Michelle Perry ’89, a member of a Monmouth committee organized to plan the celebration of the Title IX anniversary, was director of NCAA Division I women’s basketball for 10 years and helped secure Comstock and McCleary’s involvement in the discussion. Former Monmouth professor Simon Cordery, who in 1994 took the reins of the College’s new women’s soccer program and led it

for seven years, moderated the panel discussion. “It’s a forgotten part of history, but Title IX is language that changed our understanding of gender,” said Cordery, now chair of the history department at Iowa State University, in his opening remarks. “Actual change was slow, and there is still work to be done.” “We have to be vigilant about that work,” said Comstock. “The experience for men and women should look the same,” said Benning. “Sport is sport.” “Change is not always easy,” agreed McCleary, who is the first woman to lead the NCAA’s Division III, the division in which Fighting Scots teams compete. “It takes courage.” Over the next 50 years, said

Birth of a championship sport Just three years after softball had debuted as an intercollegiate sport at Monmouth, the 1978 Fighting Scots team was already showing promise under coach Barb Priest. The following season, it would be the first Monmouth women's team to capture a conference title. BACK ROW (from left): Peggy Cain ’78, Cathy Crum Hartman ’80, Judy Vance Melton ’80, Cindy Schaefer ’82, Sue Sucharzewski Buresch ’80, Paula Heller Rankin ’81, Tammy Caffray Long ’81, Patti Kafer Davis ’81, Chris Birkhead Swanson ’81, Kim Lewis Slover ’80 and Coach Barb Priest. FRONT ROW: Bettina Helm-Thornell ’81, Cheryl Brown Huber ’81, Beryl Currie Richards ’79, Conny Davinroy Beatty ’81, Shelly Coats Merritt ’79, Chesney Hunter ’79, Cindy Trout ’81 and Becky Mosley Howell ’81.

(Continued on next page) SPRING 2022

SCOTSPORTS

title ix in action

Shelley Brown Postin ’89 Financial Representative COUNTRY Financial ON LESSONS LEARNED THROUGH ATHLETICS Being part of a team is to be a part of something bigger than yourself. You have to push yourself to be the best version of yourself for the team. Learning how to win, how to lose and how to take risks are all very important life skills that can be applied in all areas. With each loss, you have a choice—to be bitter or work to be better. With each win, you have to learn to take pride in, and enjoy the rewards of, your hard work while remaining humble in those wins. Athletics taught me that every team member has a role, and every single one of those roles plays an important part in the success of that team. I was an average athlete who was lucky enough to be surrounded by really great athletes and coaches. My impact and role in each of my sports was very different, yet they were all important. I am thankful for those many life lessons that humbled me, taught me and molded me to be successful in life.

ON DECIDING TO BECOME A FIGHTING SCOT Athletics was definitely a factor in my decision to attend Monmouth. I wanted to go where I had to work hard, yet had a chance to earn a spot on the team(s). I knew I wanted to compete in multiple sports while getting my degree and Monmouth was a perfect fit.

ON MEMORABLE ATHLETIC MOMENTS I have many fond memories over the course of my four years, including gearing up for games against that school in Galesburg. One of my memorable in-game moments was earning my place in the record books (for a few short years) holding the discus record. A talented Karen Seeman Hillis came along and blew it away, but I enjoyed my moment while I had it. One of my proudest accomplishments was being elected the first female M Club president.

ON ATHLETICS AND CAREER SUCCESS Being an athlete has helped me through a lot of tough times in my life. Athletes develop a different kind of mental toughness and competitive drive that has seen me through many challenging times. The relationships forged in sports with your teammates is a bond that is unlike any other.

MONMOUTH COLLEGE MAGAZINE

A different kind of 'sweater girl' Even though they couldn’t compete in intercollegiate athletics, by 1932 Monmouth women could win letters and letter sweaters through the Women’s Athletic Association. By participating in intramural sports such as field hockey, basketball, swimming and tennis, they earned points. An “M” was awarded for 1,200 points and a sweater could be won with 1,500 points.

McCleary, even more representation is needed from women in head coaching positions and in athletic administration. “The other thing is money,” she said. “We’ve had great progress over the last 50 years (in terms of making things more equitable), but more progress is needed in that area, as well.” TEACHING WOMEN TO TAKE RISKS In some cases, the change sparked by Title IX was immediate. Comstock and Benning were both coached primarily by women, with Benning playing high school volleyball in Colorado in the late 1980s for legendary coach Lo Hunter, “an amazing mentor” whose teams put together streaks of 182 consecutive wins and eight state titles. There were also female athletic directors at both of the colleges Benning attended. “My experience was not like that of a lot of other women at the time,” said Benning. “It was like a green light was welcoming me. People who looked like me were doing things that I had a passion to pursue.” Comstock, who was in high school in the 1970s, remembers the initial impact of Title IX. “We didn’t have any organized sports until Title IX came about,” she said. “I played basketball, and that first season, we had 10 games. We were thrilled. Since then, the opportunity to participate has changed dramatically.” Female participation in high school athletics increased from 294,015 in 1972 to 3.4 million in 2019. Ten-game prep seasons have developed into 30-game schedules. On the evening of Feb. 2, for example, the girls basketball team at Monmouth-Roseville High School had a 20–7 record, with four games remaining in the regular season.

M O N M O U T H WO M E N ’ S AT H L E T I C S

What I try to do is open doors so women who are really talented have a place to shine. We should aspire to support each other to our highest dreams.”

MILESTONES 1898 1st women’s basketball teams organized

1925 Women’s Athletic Association formed Swimming, field hockey introduced

1954 Rifle team wins national championship

1974 Volleyball is first intercollegiate sport

—LOUISE McCLEARY, Division III interim vice president “Through being able to participate in sports, women learned to both win and lose, and to go on from both of those,” said Comstock. As a result, she said, ‘Women are willing to take risks. ... I’ve seen doors opened for me, and in my career, I’ve tried to provide opportunities for others to do the same.” ADVICE FOR STUDENTS Robinson is part of a generation that has always known abundant opportunities in women’s athletics. Unlike Comstock and Benning, she competed for a male coach, Brian Woodard, as a track and field athlete at Monmouth, and she appreciated his approach. “I didn’t feel he treated me any differently,” said Robinson, who developed into a five-time All-American. “He treated us like athletes. Up by 6 a.m. to hit the weight room, things like that. We felt empowered as women, and we were empowering each other.” She uses the lessons learned as a Fighting Scot athlete to this day. “The discipline you have to have as a student-athlete allows me to excel now at work,” said Robinson, who is the associate director of the visit experience at Washington University in St. Louis. “I put my

1979 1981

Softball wins 1st women’s sport conference title

Volleyball wins 1st of 2 conference titles

1984 1st women inducted into M Club Hall of Fame

1992 First women All-Americans: Linda Schmidt, Karen Seeman

1993 Track wins 1st of combined 36 indoor/outdoor team titles

1999 Kari Bailey ’97 (volleyball) 1st alumna to lead team sport

2001 2002 Golf wins MWC title

Constance Jackson 2nd in nation in 200-meter dash

2008 Cross country wins MWC title

2011 Track places 10th at NCAA indoor meet Scots top MWC all-sports standings for 1st of 2 times

2012 Basketball 1st women’s team to qualify for NCAA tourney

2013 Indoor track 5th at NCAA meet

2019

Contact sport Field hockey became one of Monmouth’s most popular women’s sports in 1925 when Elizabeth Ricketts, the daughter of a local bank president who had played the sport at Vassar, taught it to Monmouth coeds. The first truly physical sport, injuries were common, even with shin guards.

Soccer advances to 1st NCAA tourney

2020 Basketball wins record 21 games; qualifies for NCAA tourney

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SCOTSPORTS

title ix in action

Erin Willhite Lafary ’ 15 Assistant Director of Admissions/ Assistant Swim Coach Monmouth College ON LESSONS LEARNED THROUGH ATHLETICS There were times that I would be upset with my performance but I would lean on my teammates who constantly reminded me that as long as I was giving it my all, that is a win. This helped me move forward and have fun with my races and practices. Hard work and dedication can look different athlete to athlete, and learning throughout what it means to win and lose is a huge takeaway from athletics.

ON DECIDING TO BECOME A FIGHTING SCOT After my last high school swim meet, I knew that I was not ready to throw my goggles to the side. As I started looking at colleges, I wanted to have an atmosphere where I could focus on classes and also swim at a fun level but still competitive. Monmouth’s coach was very welcoming and talked about the team atmosphere. I knew that Monmouth was just the place for me—somewhere I’d be valued academically but also in the pool.

ON MEMORABLE ATHLETIC MOMENTS My favorite memory from my athletic career at Monmouth was conference championships my sophomore year. I was in the final heat of the 100-yard freestyle and I remember hearing my teammates at the end of the pool cheering me on. My heart was beating so fast for this race. On my last lap, I put my head down all the way to the wall and touched the wall to stop the clock. I looked up and saw that I placed second overall and broke the Monmouth record in the 100 freestyle. My teammates and coaches ran over to me as I got out of the pool and were so happy. This moment really will forever be with me. Having a team and coaches that truly cared for me and wanted to see me succeed was everything.

ON ATHLETICS AND PERSONAL SUCCESS Being involved with athletics for such a long time, I have found that I hold myself to a very high standard. I push myself to do my best work, which translates from the dedication I had while a college swimmer. Now as a coach, I witness how athletics are a very important piece to these students in a way I wouldn’t have seen as a swimmer.

MONMOUTH COLLEGE MAGAZINE

best foot forward, and I try to leave my mark.” In that respect, said Robinson, she “competes,” no matter if she’s wearing a red and white track uniform at a stadium or dress clothes in the office. “You can still be an athlete at heart,” she stressed to students who might be nearing the end of their careers in organized sports. “It doesn’t have to stop.” ‘DREAM BIG’ McCleary encouraged today’s students to “dream big and to vocalize what you want to do. That’s important. If you don’t verbalize it, it makes it hard for those dreams to come true. What I try to do is open doors so women who are really talented have a place to shine. We should aspire to support each other to our highest dreams. I will always engage with a woman who says, ‘Can you help me?’” McCleary shared a Louisa May Alcott quotation she has in her office: “I am not afraid of storms, for I’m learning to sail my ship.”

The 2011-12 women's basketball team was the first women's team to advance to the NCAA playoffs. Members are pictured as they board a bus to the tournament. Although they fell to the University of Chicago 75-68, they did leave a mark on Monmouth history. Before they got on the bus, they signed a steel girder that became part of the new Center for Science and Business.

title ix in action

Conny Davinroy Beatty ’81 Attorney U.S. Postal Service ON LESSONS LEARNED THROUGH ATHLETICS I firmly believe that participating in athletics helps one gain a tougher mental capacity, and that mental toughness can help lead to a successful career. You learn early in life to fight the really tough battles. You learn to fight through all kinds of adversity–getting yourself mentally prepared to run washboards or fight through overtime exhaustion, playing a technically better opponent where the chances of a win are far from guaranteed, or learning to lose gracefully. I have used game principles in court. I think sports also contributed to a better ability to think on my feet and make split decisions whether to ask that one follow-up question or make that additional legal point. I work as a team on most of the cases I handle. You have to learn how to work together. When you have worked solidly as a teammate in the team environment, those principles almost automatically get incorporated into your life.

“Try to tamp down that fear of failure,” she said of its meaning. “If you have that inner drive, say ‘Let me stretch myself, and let me find others who will stretch me.’” Once students find themselves in an organization or committee, or even out in the post-college world at a job, McCleary encouraged them to speak up. “Find ways to help whoever is supervising you,” she said. “Come up with solutions and use your voice. You have a seat at the table. Let’s hear what you have to say about it.” Like Benning, McCleary said the positive outcomes from a major legislative change 50 years ago should drive today’s society toward what else can be done. “If we’re not intentional on our campuses, there’s the danger of falling back on the excuse ‘That’s the way it’s always been done,’” said McCleary. “We need to be intentional and really look at an issue and make a commitment to change it. And that’s not just issues related to gender, but other things that are going on in this country at the moment.”

ON DECIDING TO BECOME A FIGHTING SCOT I basically knew nothing about Monmouth until a recruiter from the Alton area visited my high school and sold me on a visit and academic scholarship opportunities. Even though I visited MC on an ugly rain day when the campus was nowhere close to as beautiful as it is today, once I met Barb Priest, the then-softball and basketball coach, my decision was easy.

ON MEMORABLE ATHLETIC MOMENTS I remember playing basketball at Bradley University on their raised court, where Terri Brooks almost slid off the court. I also remember Kathy Wagoner telling a teammate in practice that they were defending too far out on the court, that no one would make a shot from that spot, and then taking a shot from that spot and sinking it. We still laugh about that moment.

ON ATHLETICS AND PERSONAL SUCCESS Relationships with teammates can be life-long. The fun memories last. You will always cherish those moments and those people. They likely will play a substantial role in your post-college life. Kris Marlovitz, a tennis and softball teammate, was a bridesmaid in my wedding.

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SCOTSPORTS

A proud tradition of women’s athletics By Jeff Rankin

onmouth College women have always asserted their independence. From the day the College first opened its doors in 1856,

they enrolled in the same courses as male students, and when Monmouth men organized Greek-letter fraternities after the Civil War, they responded by founding the first women’s fraternity in the nation. On this 50th anniversary of the passage of Title IX, it’s interesting to note that Monmouth women were also on the forefront of athletics as early as the 19th century.   

When YMCA instructor James Naismith invented the new sport of basketball at Springfield, Mass., in 1892, it spread like wildfire through the network of YMCAs across the United States. At nearby all-female Smith College, a physical education instructor created new less-rough rules for women and staged the first women’s basketball contest that same year. Just eight years later, as Monmouth College men began forming a basketball team, their female counterparts wasted no time in forming their own. Prior to 1902, Monmouth College had no gymnasium, so students of both sexes used the Warren County YMCA—then in a converted Methodist Church at First Street and First Avenue—for physical education. During the fall of 1898–99,

MONMOUTH COLLEGE MAGAZINE

after Monmouth’s men began playing basketball at the Y, a group of seven women decided to organize a “Girls’ Basket Ball Association” at the College. They began by publishing a manifesto, which stated: “Heretofore the exercise of the girls has been limited to cycling, tennis, Indian clubs, ‘skittering,’ and strolls—exercises good in themselves, but insufficient for the total development of their physical powers, which make the woman of the nineteenth century loved and respected. “We, therefore. … do, in the name and by the authority of the good girls of the college, solemnly publish and declare that the girls of the college shall play basketball.” On Nov. 2, 1898, two teams of Monmouth College women faced off at the YMCA, with admission 10 cents. Rules in that game were a bit different from today. Teams were composed of

Monmouth College’s First Team (wearing letters) and Third Team pose for the first-ever women’s basketball team photo in 1898.

seven players (including a left center and right center) and the court was divided into seven sections, with each player staying within her own section. No dribbling or guarding was allowed. Players were given six seconds to aim and shoot the ball and no backboards were used. A one-handed push shot was required— it would be 40 years before men’s teams adopted a one-handed shot. A “first team” and a “third team” were formed (why there was no second team is a mystery), and the first team girls adorned their uniforms (long dresses) with athletic letters—an intertwined M and C cut from cloth. The last basketball game of the 1898 season was between the seniors and the freshmen, with the freshmen victorious 3-0, all points having been scored by Mary Brent. The gallery was full, and by the end of the game, the athletic association’s coffers

had been enriched to $10 (rent on the gymnasium was $1 per game). The student newspaper reported that the team felt the first basketball season “had been not only an enjoyable one and a financial success, but one productive of no evil results, either in the way of injured bodies or ill-feeling among the members of the association.” The following year, with coaching by some of the male students, the women practiced at the armory—“the long, cold walks to and from the practice games were very effective in cooling the ardor of the B. B. girls,” a yearbook editor wrote. Rule changes had reduced the number of players to just five. Only one game was played, versus the City Team on April 7, and the College’s girls lost 9-6. The construction of the College’s first gymnasium in 1902 brought a new infusion of interest in the women’s team, and by 1904 it was well established, winning six out of eight games, and playing Washington (Iowa) Academy and Augustana College, as well as teams from Little York and Macomb. An apparent lack of interest caused no women’s team to be fielded in 1910, possibly because the administration had put a ban on intercollegiate athletics for women. During the next few years only intramural basketball contests between literary societies or between classes were played. In 1920, the student newspaper commented that “Faculty members, athletes, and would-be feminine athletes have expressed their interest…and their wonder at the lack of girls’ athletics in Monmouth. There is splendid basketball material in school. It would be well if girls’ athletics became a college activity just as Glee Club or Literary work.” The completion of the modern Waid Gymnasium in 1925 brought renewed interest in women’s athletics at Monmouth and the formation of the Women’s Athletic Association. The College’s first swimming pool caused women athletes to gravitate toward that sport, and a new nationwide interest in women’s field hockey effectively curtailed women’s basketball at Monmouth until 1974, when Title IX reforms were introduced. In that first season, Monmouth played only Coe and Knox among future Midwest Conference hoops opponents—most of the other teams being from community colleges. The Midwest Athletic Conference for Women (MACW) was formed in 1977 to conduct women’s championship competition.

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VAN ALSTINE RETURNS AS HEAD MEN’S LACROSSE COACH Thomas Van Alstine ’20 is currently in his first season as head men’s lacrosse coach, leading a program he helped build. “The opportunity is what brought me back to Monmouth,” said Van Alstine. “I know what these guys are capable of. I was fortunate enough to play with a handful of them so I know the personnel I’m getting. They were so close to winning a conference championship last year and have a great base of talent heading into the 2022 season.” A double major in economics and Spanish, Van Alstine has coached lacrosse at multiple levels. He coached club teams for Yeti Lacrosse in West Dundee, Ill., working specifically with the 12- and the 14-year-old youth players but also working with the older players. Last spring, he coached the Wauconda (Ill.) High School team, falling in the first round of the sectional. “Van Alstine succeeds Chris Klaiber, the coach who recruited him to Monmouth. Van Alstine played 31 games under Klaiber, who is now the head coach at Aquinas College in Michigan. “It is a little strange to be replacing my former coach but I learned so much from him,” said Van Alstine. “He passed on so much lacrosse knowledge to me and I watched the way he carried himself on and off the field with us. I’m excited for

the challenge and Coach Klaiber has already reached out to congratulate me and told us to ‘go get ‘em.” A McHenry, Ill., native, Van Alstine ranks second on the Scots’ career list for points (87), goals (69) and goals per game (2.22). He was passed in all three categories last spring by Jeff Knapp, a player he is coaching this spring. Van Alstine scored at least 20 goals in all three seasons he played at Monmouth. He netted 28 goals with 10 assists in 2018 and was off to a fantastic start in 2020 with 20 goals in five games before the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered the season. His single-game record of seven goals was also broken by Knapp last spring. “There’s no one else I’d have rather had break my record than Jeff,” said Van Alstine. “I was stoked for him and I’m sure he’s going to erase me from more record books this season and we’ll have some fun with it. His leadership in the locker room this season will be key for us and I’m excited to be able to coach him.” The Scots went 6–3 in a shortened 2021 season, with all three losses coming to the University of Northwestern-Minnesota. The Scots were 4–2 in the Midwest Lacrosse Conference and 3–1 at April Zorn Stadium. Monmouth qualified for the MLC playoffs for the first time in program history in 2021. The Scots beat Cornell 14–6 in the conference semifinals before falling at Northwestern in the championship.

HUNT TAKES HELM FROM WELTY IN CROSS COUNTRY Brady Hunt has

been named the new Monmouth College men’s and women’s head cross country coach. Hunt, who also serves as an assistant coach for Monmouth’s track and field teams, comes to the Fighting Scots after three years as head cross country coach at Kishwaukee (Ill.) College, where he sent runners to the NJCAA nationals each year. “Coach Hunt has outstanding experience from his background as a student-athlete and the coaches he has

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been influenced by,” said Director of Athletics Roger Haynes. “His plan for our distance group showed a strong attention to detail during the interview process. We are pleased to have him join the coaching staff at Monmouth College.” Hunt began his college career at Loras College, where he majored in kinesiology and exercise science. He ran on both the cross country and track teams at Loras and graduated in 2016. Hunt moved on to Western Illinois where he ran for one season while earning a master’s in kinesiology and exercise science. During his second year at WIU, Hunt was a graduate assistant

for the cross country and track and field teams. Upon earning his master’s, Hunt returned to Loras as a volunteer assistant prior to his role at Kishwaukee. In high school, Hunt ran at Marmion Academy, where is also played soccer. During his time at Marmion, the cross country team finished third in the state and won two regional titles. Hunt was a two-time all-state qualifier while also earning all-conference and all-area honors. Hunt replaces Jon Welty ’12 , who moved to the St. Louis area with his wife, Julianna Graf ’16.

SCOTSPORTS

SPORTS INFORMATION AND MEDIA MINOR TAPS INTO EXPANDING INDUSTRY

ast September, Minnesota United FC and D.C. United met in a Major League Soccer match at

Audi Field in the nation’s capital. When that rematch is held this July, two Monmouth College graduates will have more than a rooting interest in its outcome. Andrea Correa ’17 is Minnesota’s digital content editor, while Kensey Arlt ’21 is D.C. United’s video producer. BELOW: Andrea Correa ’17 has added sports photography to the growing list of skills required of her sports information position with the Minnesota United FC professional soccer organization.

More Monmouth graduates will soon be set to join Arlt and Correa in the sporting world, thanks to a new minor in sports information and media. The program features a sports media track and a sports information route. “This grew from a couple places,” said communication studies faculty member Chris Goble. “First, it grew from the sports communication class we started a few years ago. The initial thought of that class was to see if this interest in working in sports

was a real thing or not, or if it was just a perception. The result was positive, and it got me thinking, ‘Maybe we should look at this as a minor in this climate. Why not provide a path where students can do this?’” Goble said a second origin source was Arlt herself. “She self-designed some of this,” he said. Goble said that Arlt “kind of hodge-podged a major” out of a variety of sources—an independent study with him and “internships all over the place,” including with the soccer team Tulsa FC, the Savannah Bananas professional baseball team, the Orange Bowl and the Rice University athletics department. In addition to positions similar to those held by Arlt and Correa, Monmouth’s sports information and media program is designed to prepare students for careers as a social media manager, special events coordinator, sports information director, public relations director, sports writer and sports announcer. Through their academic work, Monmouth students in sports information and media will take a deeper look at sports and the role it plays in society. Goble said that the global sports market is “an almost $400 billion business that is projected to grow annually 13%.” The sports information and media minor focuses on developing effective written and verbal communication skills (critical in today’s 24/7 sports news cycle), while also providing flexibility to personalize students’ experiences. For example, electives in

The college experiences of Kensey Arlt ’21 helped inspire and shape Monmouth’s new sports information academic minor.

Continued on next page

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SCOTSPORTS SPORTS INFORMATION MINOR Continued from previous page sports photography or videography, social media or graphic design can help round out the minor. Sports information can be effectively paired with such majors as communication studies, business administration, public relations, exercise science or health science and human movement. Students in the minor gain practical on-campus experience through key responsibilities with the athletics department, where the responsibilities of covering Fighting Scots sports has grown by leaps and bounds over the past two decades. The College’s sports information office produces webcasts of many home events, and most sports have stat crews staffed by multiple workers. A required practicum with the sports information director provides experience in social media promotion, fan engagement, news writing, photography and broadcasting. One Monmouth alumnus whose student experiences two decades ago helped propel him up the ranks in athletics is Matt Troha ’04. An intern in the College’s sports information office, he worked as the Midwest Conference’s first full-time sports information director before joining the staff at the Illinois High School Association, where he currently serves as an assistant executive director. The executive director is another Monmouth graduate, Craig Anderson ’91. In their professional sports work, Arlt and Correa are frequently tasked with graphic design, photography and

Matt Troha ’04 (right) presents an award on behalf of the Illinois High School Association, for which he serves as assistant executive director. He got his feet wet in athletics administration serving as an intern in Monmouth’s sports information office.

shooting video. Correa, who is bilingual, also generates content for her team’s Spanish-speaking fans. “I wish this was a thing when I was at Monmouth,” said Correa, who went on to receive a master’s degree in 2020 in digital communication and media arts from DePaul University. She began her job with Minnesota United later that year. Graduating four years apart, Correa and Arlt were never teammates on the Fighting Scots women’s soccer team, but they will be linked for their success in the sports industry, blazing a trail they hope many Scots will follow. —barry mcnamara

Celebrating Title IX’s 50th Anniversary and Women in Fighting Scots Athletics

8th Annual

GOLF OUTING FRIDAY & SATURDAY, JUNE 24-25 GIBSON WOODS GOLF COURSE MONMOUTH www.monmouthcollege.edu/golf-outing

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SCOTSPORTS

FALL AND WINTER SPORTS SUMMARY

Korbyn Personett ’22

FOOTBALL A rare loss in a regular season Midwest Conference home game, the Fighting Scots’ first since 2014, cost them a share of the league title. On Oct. 30, Lake Forest left April Zorn Memorial Stadium with a 24–10 victory. Earlier in the season, Monmouth had kept its title hopes alive with a thrilling 40–37 home win over the University of Chicago, one of eight games that saw the Scots score at least 31 points. The other blemish on Monmouth’s 8–2 record was a season-opening non-conference loss to Wartburg. Offensive standouts included three All-MWC selections—junior running back Henderson Francois and senior wide receivers Jake Uryasz and Nathan Graham. The defensive standout was Korbyn Personett, who was named an AFCA All-American and the conference’s defensive line MVP. The senior’s 16 sacks led all of Division III and broke Monmouth’s single-season record. Personett also made the D3football.com All-Region team, as did his classmate, safety Kaleb Plattenberger, and juniors Derek Brown (center) and Addison Fletcher (punter). Other All-MWC picks were senior linebackers Drake Dietrich and Evan Otto, and defensive back Devin Graham and offensive lineman Matthew Shimko, both juniors.

VOLLEYBALL In coach Emily Thebeau’s second year, the Scots made their first MWC

playoff appearance since 2012. To get there, Monmouth won its final four regular-season league matches. The Scots also entered the playoffs on a three-match winning streak after winning a tournament hosted by Central. Defensive specialist Kaylee Woodard made the All-MWC team and was named the league’s Newcomer of the Year. The senior paced the team with 597 digs. Junior Amanda Dybdal and freshman Layne Wright had 225 and 213 kills, respectively.

CROSS COUNTRY Four senior runners earned all-conference honors as the women’s team placed fourth at the league meet and the men took fifth. Joining ninth-place finisher Arika Hoffman as All-MWC women were Ezzie Baltierra-Chavez and Mik Moore. Riley Dulin led the men with a fourth-place finish.

SOCCER Under a pair of first-year head coaches, both of Monmouth’s squads got off to rocky starts in non-conference play, but the women almost rallied to reach the MWC playoffs. Coach Lucas Henderson’s team fell just short, losing in double-overtime to Lawrence on the final day of the regular season. His first squad, which finished 5–11–1, was represented on the All-MWC squad by sophomore forward Madison Walker and senior defender Erica Bossard. Walker was named the league’s Newcomer of the Year. Ian Hatleli posted his first Monmouth win on the season’s final day, as senior Nicolas Esparon’s goal was the lone score in a 1–0 victory. Esparon made the all-conference team.

GOLF AND TENNIS Two freshman paced the other two fall sports squads. Jennifer Shimmin had the most wins for

the Scots’ tennis team, while golfer Amanda Stevens tied for 21st at the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletics Conference Championships.

INDOOR TRACK

The Fighting Scots beat every team in the MWC except Ripon, which topped Monmouth three times, including 62–55 in the championship game of the league tourney, ending Megan Jones’ first year at the helm with a record of 14–10. Senior Josie Morgan was named the MWC Player of the Year after leading the Scots with 15.1 points per game and 91 assists. Five other Scots averaged at last seven points per game, including her classmate, Kaitlyn Osmulski, a second-team All-MWC pick.

For the first time this century, Monmouth’s men did not win the MWC indoor team title. The Scots placed second to Ripon, snapping their string at 21 straight. Riley Dulin did all he could to rack up points, turning in a trio of top-three finishes in individual distance races, as well as a runner-up effort on a relay. The men won a pair of relays, with senior Alexander Brock, junior Luke Ditsworth and sophomore Patrick Shepherd on both squads. Ditsworth added a pair of top-three individual finishes in the sprints. The women placed runner-up for the sixth year in a row, led by seniors Jordan Peckham and Kareema Lawal, who both took home Most Outstanding Performer honors from the meet, which was hosted by Knox. Peckham swept the sprints, winning the 60, 200 and 400 in 7.80, 25.57 and 59.21 seconds. Lawal won the weight throw with a heave of 54-6¾ and placed second in the shot put. Other winners for the Scots were junior Alyssa Villarreal in the long jump (17-7½) and junior Reed Wilson in the pole vault (16-1¾).

MEN’S BASKETBALL

SWIMMING

Josie Morgan ’22

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

The one-year break due to COVID slowed the momentum in coach Todd Skrivseth’s program, which had won at least 13 games three seasons in a row. That nucleus departed, and Skrivseth only returned 4% of the Scots’ offensive production from the 2019-20 season. Consequently, wins were hard to come by, as the Scots finished 3–21. The team was led by seniors Jordan Metcalf and Jonathan Oradiegwu, who averaged 14.7 and 13.6 points, respectively. A second team AllMWC pick, Metcalf became just the fourth player to lead the Scots in points, rebounds and assists since the latter became an official NCAA stat in 1986-87.

Junior Jaidlyn Sellers and senior Brooke McCormick both set a pair of school records at the MWC Championships, where the women’s team placed sixth and the men took eighth. Sellers had the high finish of the weekend, placing fifth in the 100-yard backstroke. She broke an 11-year-old team record in the prelims, than bested that time in the finals (1:00.25). McCormick placed ninth in the 100-yard butterfly, setting a new record of 59.84. Both swimmers bettered the old mark in the 200-yard backstroke, where McCormick placed 10th and Sellers took 11th. McCormick’s new top time is 2:14.20.

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ALUMNI STORIES

TAKING ON THE PANDEMIC THROUGH THE LIBERAL ARTS

Chemistry grads employ array of skills learned at Monmouth By Barry McNamara

n St. Louis, four Monmouth College alumni are part of a team at an international company that is fighting COVID-19.

future scenarios. Here’s how much material we need. Here’s how much each site can produce. Here’s what our customer needs. If there’s a gap, how do we close that gap?’” Coming up with those answers is more complex than a simple formula or consulting a slide rule. White said he constantly Gianna Scumaci Connolly ’12, Jennifer Scott Hazer ’08, draws on skills he sharpened at Monmouth. Michelle Tank ’11 and Corey White ’07 all work at MilliporeSigma “I don’t necessarily use the science that I studied at Mon(formerly Sigma-Aldrich), a global life science and technology mouth,” said White, who majored in biochemistry and chemistry company that provides tools, services and digital platforms that and was a production chemist at Sigma-Aldrich before making empower scientists and engineers. a course change that led to his current position. “What I do use “Our company has played a large role in the fight against is the problem-solving skills I learned at COVID-19 as a Monmouth.” critical raw ma“I don’t necessarily use the science White said he is grateful he experienced terial supplier that I studied at Monmouth. What the hard science part of the company before for diagnostic making the decision that “I wanted to mantesting, vaccine I do use is the problem-solving age people.” manufacturing skills I learned at Monmouth.” “I have a better understanding of all and therapeutic aspects of the company because I see the treatments,” COREY WHITE ’07 day-to-day questions from our customers, said White. White noted and I also have an understanding of what that MilliporeSigma’s sites are particularly accelerating the prohappens on the manufacturing side,” he said. “Being able to probduction of lipids, a key part of the COVID vaccine. lem solve is something I’m able to do because of my liberal arts “Our sites are impacting the detection of and resolution to this education. To me, that’s the benefit of the kind of education that global pandemic,” he said. Monmouth offers. It opens up so many doors for you.” Even before there was a virus to eradicate, White was proud of Hazer, who serves as a biologics operational excellence manthe work his company does. ager, said her liberal arts education was “an integral part of my “To me, that’s the most rewarding part of being in this field,” career success at MilliporeSigma.” said White, who was the first of the four Monmouth alumni to “Over time, I found myself becoming more than a chemist,” join the company, fresh out of college. “You see a commercial for said Hazer, who was a chemistry and mathematics major. “I a pharmaceutical on TV, and you’re able to say, ‘My day-to-day was becoming an employee who needed skills in engineering, work is changing people’s lives.’” White serves as MilliporeSigma’s head of production “It was not just the chemistry planning in St. Louis. He’s used to working months ahead on his company’s manufacturing needs, and the pandemic has courses that allowed me to get factored into that planning in a major way. to where I am today. It was … the “We’re always working six to 12 months ahead,” he said. “In small lessons from each professor.” the last two months of 2019 and the beginning of 2020, we started to see changes in the supply chain from China. We JENNIFER SCOTT HAZER ’08 had to start thinking about ‘What is the impact downstream?’ That’s a huge part of what I do. We’re constantly looking at

MONMOUTH COLLEGE MAGAZINE

maintenance, quality, leadership, technical writing, project “With (skills gained at Monmouth), and financial management, drawing and teamwork, among many others. I am a chemist by trade, but it was not just the I have been able to participate in chemistry courses that allowed me to get to where I am today. and lead large process improvement It was all the courses, the small lessons from each professor, projects for multiple facilities.” that has enabled me to pursue the path that’s right for me.” She still references lessons from professors such as Marjorie MICHELLE TANK ’11 Bond and Michael Sostarecz , specifically, as well as the general “logical and creative thinking that was integrated into every course during my four years.” participate in some of the continuous improvements happening “Monmouth College has given me the foundation for success at my facility.” in my career and has enabled me with the tools to pursue any A fifth Monmouth connection to MilliporeSigma is Laura future path that I choose,” she said. Stella Pearson ’83, who recently retired as a senior supervisor Tank supervises the company’s quality assurance departin quality assurance after 34 years with the company. ment, which is responsible for ensuring that the products Among her career highlights were leading the training team manufactured comply with internal, customer and regulatory for more than 350 employees, participating in FDA inspections requirements. A biology major at Monmouth, she credits her for new drug approval and overseeing the launch of the alma mater for developing her leadership and critical-thinking company’s Quality Systems software. skills. “One of the key components of my role was teamwork,” “Being a smaller liberal arts college, Monmouth allowed me she said. “I worked closely with all departments, including more opportunities to get hands-on leadership skills through operations, quality control and safety. Learning at Monmouth involvement in Greek life and extracurricular groups, as well in such a tight-knit environment taught me how important it is as critical thinking skills through various research projects, to work as a team and how to collaborate with others.” and team collaboration,” she said. “With these skills, I have Pearson’s career grew from yet another Monmouth connecbeen able to participate in and lead large process improvement tion to the company. projects for multiple facilities at MilliporeSigma, which “I got my first job in this industry due to Monmouth alum ultimately improve the Sandy Tirpitz Haman ’80,” she products we provide said. “Her boss was so impressed “My experience at Monmouth with her work that she requested to our customers and names of other Monmouth grads. patients.” (taught me) team collaboration, Sandy contacted Dr. David Allison, Connolly’s experience critical-thinking skills, mentoring who in turn contacted me. I was is similar to Tank’s. She abilities and leadership skills.” hired with very little discussion also works in quality based on the quality of Sandy’s assurance and cites her GIANNA SCUMACI CONNOLLY ’12 work.” Greek life experience as MilliporeSigma’s website a positive influence on includes the statement, “We believe science offers unlimited her career. possibilities.” “My experience at Monmouth allowed me to explore ways For Monmouth science students thinking about their of getting involved in extracurricular activities such as post-college destinations, that’s very good news. Chorale, sports and Greek life,” she said. “The skills I gained “My advice to students is what you do in college will get you while involved in those activities were team collaboration, in the door,” said White. “But you have to take advantage of the critical-thinking skills, mentoring abilities and leadership opportunities once you’re there. You’ve got to keep doing that to skills.” be successful.” As far as her academic training, the Monmouth biochemistry Those opportunities include work at White’s company. Last major particularly draws on what she learned in organic chemsummer, it was reported that MilliporeSigma was looking to istry. add more than 155 jobs in the St. Louis area alone due to the “That class has definitely helped out with my professional pandemic creating additional demand of the company’s more career the most, as I support the bio organic group at than 300,000 products. The jobs ranged from sales and marMilliporeSigma,” said Connolly, who has been with the keting roles, to lab-based scientific positions, to manufacturing company for four years. “I have been able to use these skills and packaging jobs. to help better train new and existing employees, as well as

SPRING 2022

ALUMNISTORIES

ALL THINGS COFFEE

By Barry McNamara

peakers across the land couldn’t articulate a commencement message any

better or more concisely than Monmouth College alumnus Brian Franklin. “The end of college is just the beginning,” said Franklin, when asked to offer advice to seniors at his alma mater. “Now you get to decide what your skill set will be.” For Franklin, that skill set has become all things coffee. He is the founding owner and roastmaster at the innovative DoubleShot Coffee Co. in Tulsa, Okla., which he opened in 2004.

Brian Franklin on the scene in Colombia, where his coffee beans are being harvested.

MONMOUTH COLLEGE MAGAZINE

Four years later, Franklin traveled to Colombia, one of the largest coffee-producing countries in the world. There, he met Cristina Garces, a professional coffee taster whose father was the largest coffee producer in the country, and her boyfriend, Ariel Montoya, owner of the farm Hacienda El Boton. “My exuberance for coffee production and experimentation led the three of us to perform some trials on a special variety of coffee at El Boton called Maragogipe,” said Franklin. “One of the trials turned out to be a really amazing coffee, so in 2009, we planned to export it to the United States.” That type of coffee had never been exported from Colombia. The Federación Nacional de Cafeteros (FNC), a federal organization in Colombia that regulates coffee exports, initially rejected the export request. “I contacted the director of coffee quality at the FNC and convinced him to let us carry on with the export as

planned,” said Franklin. “The El Boton Nathe can make wise fiscal decisions for his ural soon became the first of its kind in the business. His psychology classes opened “I’m always dreaming, U.S. Today, I am roasting the 12th iteration the door to better understand how to mancreating, designing. I’m of El Boton Natural, the Maragogipe variety, age staff and how psychology plays into excited about sourcing new salesmanship. which produces unusually large coffee beans. We now call it ‘Maduro,’ and it is better than Franklin didn’t realize he did not want to coffees and reengineering ever.” have a career in accounting until after he all of the tools we use every The same could be said for Franklin’s graduated from Monmouth and went to an day to make coffee.” business, which was featured recently in Daily interview at Arthur Andersen in Chicago, Coffee News. then one of the Big 5 accounting firms. “I’m always dreaming, creating, designing,” Franklin told the “I could tell I was out of my element and that I wanted to publication. “I’m excited about sourcing new coffees and reengi- work in a field that is more active and creative,” he said. “So neering all of the tools we use every day to make coffee.” my first business was in personal training.” The article paid special attention to DoubleShot’s new Being a personal trainer required a certain level of fitness site, The Rookery, which opened to the public in 2019. It was from Franklin. It also required coffee. constructed from the timbers of an Amish barn built in 1850 “I was getting up in Berne, Ind., and also has generations-old brick enclosing the early every day for the onsite roastery that was sourced from a shuttered Muskogee job, and coffee became Coca-Cola bottling plant. Its upstairs loft flooring is made from a part of my daily ritwood originally used in oil field plank roads. ual,” he said. “I started Operating his business in Tulsa and being involved in his learning more and site’s construction both tie into his first year after graduating more about it and how from Galesburg (Ill.) High School, which was spent studying to make it better.” architecture at Oklahoma State University. Then Franklin “But I found that I missed football and I wanted to be at a saw an ad for a home smaller school where I could have more of a chance to interact coffee roaster and with my professors and feel like I was getting the education I tracked one down, was paying for,” said Franklin, who then transferred to Monbuying it along with mouth to work on his college degree and to play football. several coffees from His point when giving his advice to seniors is that he didn’t around the world and learn any specifics about coffee roasting in college, nor nea book on how to roast gotiating with Colombian officials or selecting appropriate coffee. 170-year-old building materials. “Roasting that first “I’m not sure anyone really knows how to do anything when batch and drinking they graduate from college,” he said. “So I knew I had to start it, the coffee felt alive in my mouth, and I realized I’d never teaching myself everything I needed or wanted to know. I had coffee that wasn’t stale before,” he said. “And that’s when I started reading and doing things I’d never done, and now I have had an epiphany about coffee. It wasn’t until a few years later a diverse set of skills including podcasting, graphic and packwhen I lost my grandpa and a friend in a short time frame aging design, web design, product development and, of course, that I made the leap and decided to make coffee my career. coffee roasting, cupping and brewing.” But to this day, I still roast all the coffee for DoubleShot, and But that doesn’t mean Franklin, a two-time All-Midwest freshness is one of the core tenets for how we serve coffee.” Conference selection for the Scots, doesn’t value his Monmouth Franklin enjoys taking what he’s learned from his cofeducation. fee-related travels and roasting and brewing experiences and “At Monmouth, I took classes that required a diverse range “becoming a resource to help people enjoy better coffee at of skills,” he said. “From my hand-built pottery class, I’ve come home, in their workplace and in our café.” to know and appreciate one of the preeminent potters in the “I want them to have memorable coffee experiences and United States, Doug Casebeer, who is an artist in residence at impress their friends and family with their exquisite taste,” he the University of Oklahoma, and he makes cups especially for said. “It’s really a passion of mine.” DoubleShot.” Information about purchasing coffee and merchandise from Franklin majored in accounting, and he uses those skills Franklin’s company is available at doubleshotcoffee.com. to read financial statements and make spreadsheets so that

THE ARTIST AT WORK: Brian Franklin still roasts all the product at his Tulsa, Okla., business, DoubleShot Coffee Company.

SPRING 2022

ALUMNISTORIES

FOR THE LOVE OF

LAKES By Barry McNamara

Long prepares to collect a sediment core with a device that takes four samples at once.

Long’s career immersed in the study of water

he science studied by college freshmen has generally changed—often drastically—by the time they reach the end of their careers. David Long ’69 can relate. Last year, Long received the Geological Society of America’s prestigious Israel C. Russell Award, given for major achievements in limnogeology, the study of the biological, chemical and physical features of lakes and other freshwater bodies. Lakes have been studied for centuries, but limnogeology is a relatively new development. The term did not become popular until the 1990s, when it became clear that lake deposits contain continental environmental and climate records. The GSA first named an annual award recipient in the field in 2010. During his acceptance speech, Long, who retired as a professor of aqueous and environmental geochemistry at Michigan State University in 2019, discussed the somewhat random way he got into the field. “Lakes have stories in their mud,” he said. “My stories have focused on a time span recording the antics of humans. How

MONMOUTH COLLEGE MAGAZINE

I got involved in mud stories is like a pachinko machine in which a small steel ball falls through a maze of brass pins. Hitting a pin changes its direction.” Some of those first pins were at Monmouth College, after the initial pins of Long’s upbringing. He said his roots in science go back to watching “B-type sci-fi movies” with his father. “Lab coats and perplexing questions did it for me,” he said. Long chose to attend Monmouth “because of its reputation in chemistry,” and also studied Russian. However, when his passion for chemistry waned, his Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity brother Chuck King ’69 suggested he switch to geology, providing a way for him to still be involved in science. “I took the introductory class in geology from John Palmquist ,” said Long. “My first impression was, ‘Wow, do people really do this?’ and I changed my major to geology. My dad asked, ‘What do you do with geology?’ Funny thing was, at the time, I didn’t know. I just knew I’d found my passion.” Glen Merrill replaced Palmquist and became Long’s adviser,

involving him in his research, which included “collecting and processing samples, analyzing the samples and preparing the manuscript for publication—‘the big three,’ so to speak,” said Long. “Glen was a stratigrapher, paleontologist and carbonate petrologist. When I went for my master’s, I was planning on doing similar work and started a thesis in that area. But I started thinking about what really interests me, and the word ‘water’ kept coming up.” So Long changed course, first to the physical flow aspects of groundwater and then to its geochemistry. “My adviser’s specialty was the physical aspects of groundwater, not the chemical,” said Long. “This meant that I had to essentially teach myself. Monmouth gave me the tools and confidence to do this.” Just before getting his master’s degree, a professor on his committee said, “Dave, you know there is more than just groundwater. It’s part of the water cycle. You need to consider the whole system.” “That statement moved me to become an earth scientist, which for me was the interaction of the biosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere and atmosphere,” said Long. “I went on for a Ph.D. in aqueous geochemistry. This allowed me to study the chemistry of all aspects of the water cycle.” A major new phase in Long’s career began unexpectedly with an encounter with a colleague from outside his department. “Walking down the hallway (at Michigan State) one day, Bill Cooper from zoology yelled out, ‘Hey Dave, do you want to go for a ride in a submarine?’” said Long. “That started the Laurentian Great Lakes studies, from below and above,” which started his limnogeology studies and geochemical work to help solve societal problems. “Example problems include contaminated sites, impact of land-use change on the environment, and the role of the chemistry of the environment in health and disease,” said Long, who has been to the bottom of all the Great Lakes except Erie, investigating contaminant cycling.

Long (on right) prepares to board the Jonson Sea Link manned submersible.

Although he regularly studies bodies of water close to his Michigan base, Long has also traveled far and wide as a limnogeologist. His international experiences include teaching and research activities in Australia, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Greece, Israel, Japan, Kenya, Macedonia, Malawi, Mexico, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, South Korea and Turkey. “His leadership and scientific contributions on Lake Tyrrell, a playa lake system in eastern Australia, led to some of the first publications describing in detail the geochemistry and the hydrogeology of a contemporary acid groundwater-lake environment,” said his nominator for the award, Berry Lyons, a past recipient of the Israel C. Russell Award. “His ability to integrate geochemical, hydrological and ecological principles into his research has been an important attribute of his work.” While accepting the honor, Long thanked his colleagues, his graduate students, his many undergraduate students (including his son Jonathan), his wife, Jean Walter Long ’69, and “all the brass pins in my life.” Another pin is emeritus Monmouth professor Lee McGaan ’69, Long’s roommate. “What’s great is that five of us—(1969 classmates) Lee, Lou Herrin, Chuck King and Mark Hughes—that hung together in SAE are still doing it now via Zoom,” said Long. “We reconnected when the pandemic hit, and it was like we never were apart.” Those sessions bring back memories of his experiences at Monmouth, which launched his successful career. “My full understanding of research came during my master’s work, but it was the training and education at Monmouth that was the underpinning for my master’s and Ph.D. work. In my research and working with undergraduate and graduate students, it was being able to do ‘the big three’ that made what we did so rewarding. Being able to do that as an undergraduate was invaluable. My only regret is that I didn’t go out for the baseball team.”

Long employs a glove bag to reduce contamination while working on water samples.

SPRING 2022

The wisdom you’ve acquired through your lifetime had its foundation at Monmouth. With age comes wisdom, and members of the McMichael Heritage Circle are discovering that a planned gift to Monmouth not only honors the College by investing in its future, but it also can be a wise personal investment. And beyond current financial advantages, a planned gift provides peace of mind, knowing your values will be communicated beyond your lifetime. Whether you begin your giving now, or through your estate, Monmouth College can help you realize your specific philanthropic goals. You can design a planned gift in many ways that benefit you, your family and Monmouth College. Here’s how: Make a gift that “gives back” to you. Some gifts can provide extra income (charitable gift annuity, charitable remainder trust) Support the areas on campus that you care about (student scholarships or academic departments), all while maximizing the financial advantages available from a planned gift Defer or reduce estate taxes Honor someone special through a named fund If you are considering a legacy gift, or you already have planned for the College in your estate, please let us know. We want to thank you and ensure that your gift can be used as you intend.

For more information, contact:

Gena Alcorn ’88, cfre Assistant Vice President for Development and Legacy Giving

galcorn@monmouthcollege.edu

MONMOUTH COLLEGE MAGAZINE

309-457-2427 Or visit: monmouthgift.org

NEWS

WE WELCOME NEWS AND PHOTOS related to your career, awards, reunions or travel with your Monmouth College friends, and any other information of interest to your classmates or alumni. We also welcome announcements and photos of alumni weddings and births, as well as alumni obituaries. Please see page 36 for submission guidelines.

1952

Ralph Whiteman 301 Courtyard Blvd. Monmouth, IL 61462-1098 ralphwhiteman1@gmail.com

Pat Acosta Wiedenman of Avinger, Texas, spent her 91st birthday “visiting the family.” She reports she is healthy and enjoying life and its challenges. Mickey (Ethel) Bailey of New Wilmington, Pa., is dealing with rheumatoid arthritis while keeping up with her achieving family as well as the ongoing situation in the Middle East, where she and Ken (MC Hall of Achievement) spent much of their lives. Barbara Atchison Bailey, whose husband, Jim ’51, died just a year ago, is holding forth and participating in many activities at Penney Farms, Fla., while keeping track of her sons. A recent visitor to the Maple City with his kids was Carroll Toal—one of Gracie’s Boys—who is still singing in Windsor, Conn. We received a wonderful and perceptive Christmas note from Jeannette Feeheley, widow of our iconic classmate and all-around good guy, Jack. Jack Kelly, the athlete, pitcher, Monmouth and Yale scholar, university professor and author, still calls Jekyll Island, Ga. home— it’s been almost three-quarters of a century since he threw his first MC pitch! We hear often from Hal Campbell, turned quality email philosopher and humorist, from Weaverville, N.C. Peg Deschwanden Foster has turned 91 and hikes seriously twice a week. The fact that she does that in Honolulu might be a motivator. Since her husband, Dick, died, her daughter has moved there, becoming quite a Hawaii devotee, and her son joined them for Christmas. June Erdmier Salen is enjoying life in the Palm Harbor, Fla., area—fully recovered from her big 90th birthday bash!

Four Monmouth College alumni are making an economic impact in Aledo, Ill. Kenzi Lafferty ’19 is the programs manager for High-Tech Small Town in downtown Aledo. The new company recently hired a pair of 2021 Monmouth graduates with computer science degrees—Mitchell Perez and Shayne Sendera—and is currently looking to expand. Also located in the company’s century-old building that was originally a Carnegie-funded library is 2013 Monmouth graduate Kyle McEwen, who serves as executive director of Mercer County Better Together. Pictured from left are McEwen, Sendera, Perez and Lafferty.

Shirley Moser Irion of Normal, Ill. remains physically active, still playing a good game of golf. Husband, Ron, and she try to travel and keep on the move. Janie Black Snyder is no longer teaching the birds (or others) to sing and has moved east to Rochester, N.Y., in congregate housing and to be close to offspring.

1955

65th REUNION JUNE 2-5, 2022

1957

65th REUNION JUNE 2-5, 2022

1960

60th REUNION JUNE 2-5, 2022 Nancy Van Natta Wherry 1910 Highwood Ave. Pekin, IL 61554 njwherry@gmail.com

1956

Carolyn Williams of Charlottle, N.C., is hoping for a trip to Ireland. Her family keeps her busy and she enjoys life with friends and family. She keeps up with Mary Ford.

Sally Smith Larson 5135 Davantry Dr. Dunwoody, GA 30338-4554 larsar@bellsouth.net

Florida interior designer Jackie Hoover Campbell continues to use her skills to help people enhance their homes. She has had many adventures housesitting in various

65th REUNION JUNE 2-5, 2022

SPRING 2022

ALUMNI NEWS | CLASS NOTES

countries.

mouth’s historic Holt House over the years.

Judy Lamb of Tamarac, Fla., is one adventurous classmate, visiting so many different countries while hiking, rafting and working with Habitat for Humanity.

Ed Wentland and his wife, Joan, are still enjoying their beautiful lakefront home in Webster, Mass. They have made many trips visiting their children and grandchildren and friends.

Tom Cheetham of Jacksonville, Fla., is enjoying retired life with family and friends. He has been working hard on his house, adding hardware to assist with senior living. He enjoyed trips to St. George Island and Elgin, Ill., where he stayed at a B & B on the Fox River. Don Wirth (dwirth38@yahoo.com) keeps kept in touch with several alums, but would like to hear from many others. Carol Kemmerer Wetzel is now living in St. Louis. She keeps busy on outings with family and friends, and still stays in touch with some Kappas. Joe Suffield of Peoria, Ill., is a busy author, currently working on book No. 6. He stays in touch with Peoria-area alumni. Nancy Acheson McGaan of Manchester, N.H., was a recipient of the Distinguished Service Award from the Currier Museum of Art for her docent work. She has a new home at Birch Hill Retirement Community in Manchester and is still working with her artistic abilities. Jim and Bev ’61 Nelson are still enjoying their life at their lakefront home in Moutonborough, N.H. They have acquired a new chocolate lab pup, which keeps Jim taking walks. Their family count—children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren—now stands at 24. Barb Divinski Brundage is living in South San Francisco, Calif., where she enjoys taking long walks to Crystal Springs and the Golden Gate Park. She loves to have visits from her grandchildren and goes to visit them, also. Joan Schilthuis Wagenknecht had a wonderful 85th birthday party. She recently moved into a new retirement community in Wildwood, Mo. Floyd Sours of Janesville, Ohio, is a clinical psychologist and author. His 2010 book, Burnt Offerings: The Art of Politics and the Consequences of Freedom, is available on Amazon and still relevant to today’s political atmosphere. Patty Baird Link of St. Louis has retired from the Pi Beta Phi Foundation, where she worked for many years. She does miss the friends that she made while working at her position. She made at least 14 visits to Mon-

MONMOUTH COLLEGE MAGAZINE

reunion. This will give you a chance to meet friends who you rarely are able to see. So think strongly about attending. This may be the last chance to visit with old friends. Call someone and invite them to join you.

60th REUNION JUNE 2-5, 2022

You notice that our scholarship continues to grow and the amount each student receives does also. This is what we voted for 15 years ago and hoped would happen. I’ll be attending Scholarship Day in April to meet the new scholars and give you a glimpse of them in my July newsletter.

Fred Wackerle continues to produce beautiful art—his newest works being oil on Nepali Lakto paper—but his plein-air nature, landscape and still life paintings are still in his repertoire.

I regret to tell you that Peter Anderson passed away in early January. He was a member of Theta Chi and president of the M Club. He was also a member of the football, track and baseball teams.

Richard Wherry of Pekin, Ill., has finally retired after 41 years as the attorney for Pekin Park District and the City of Tremont.

1961

1962

60th REUNION JUNE 2-5, 2022 Deeks Carroll 12433 Steamboat Springs Dr. Mokena, IL 60448-1639 deekscarroll@yahoo.com

This is the eve of our 60th reunion. As of now Bob Ardell and I are on the planning committee. We don’t know what to plan for our class because we don’t know what they will be able to do. There will be more classes at this reunion much younger than us and many events planned that we can attend or not. If you would like to participate, please let me know. We will also have two dinners for our class. If you would like to talk to us about interesting things you have done, please let me know. Because of the pandemic, the classes of 1960 and 1961 will also be invited to this

1963

Larry and Olivia Lunn Gibb recently moved from Rancho Mission Viejo, Calif., to San Juan Capistrano, Calif.

1964

Tom Rezner of Sun City Center, Fla., lost two stepsons to death in 2021. Neither was due to coronavirus.

1965

55th REUNION JUNE 2-5, 2022

1966

55th REUNION JUNE 2-5, 2022 Susan Kauzlarich Kuster 1863 Township Rd. 2850N Seaton, IL 61476-9608 susan.kuster@gmail.com

Submission Guidelines Submit your news online at monmouthcollege.edu/alumni/ updates, by email to alumni@monmouthcollege.edu, or by mail to Monmouth College Magazine, Attn: Alumni Programs, 700 East Broadway, Monmouth IL 61462-1998. Digital photos should have a minimum resolution of 300 pixels per inch. Please include a photo caption with full names that clearly match faces, class years, date and location. We reserve the right to reject images for any reason, especially those with low resolution and those that require purchase from a photo gallery website. Submissions will be published at the discretion of the editors on a spaceavailable basis.

ALUMNI NEWS | CLASS NOTES

Professional (EDFP) through the National Development Council. In 2017, he served as chairman of the board of directors for the Texas Economic Development Council.

see. Several of us lived on third-floor McMike with Kellie our freshman and sophomore years. She was one of the sweetest, most genuine people and she will be greatly missed.

1973

1984

Nick Tucker 429 Linden Ave. Apt. 1-W Wilmette, IL 60091 njtuckersr@gmail.com

1975

1987

1976

1995

45th REUNION JUNE 2-5, 2022

1977 Andy Stumpf ’04, a middle-school principal in Winchester, Ill., received two Principal of the Year awards in 2021.

Chris Pio 4262 Maple Dr. Galesburg, IL 61401-9510 cpio4262@gmail.com

45th REUNION JUNE 2-5, 2022

1978

35th REUNION SEPT. 30-OCT. 2, 2022

Danielle Nierenberg of Baltimore is one of three Dean’s Scholars-in-Residence this academic year at New York University Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development. The president of Food Tank, she is participating in master classes, workshops and public events for the school’s Nutrition and Food Studies department.

1967

Kathleen Clark Kimmel 347 Blackhawk Dr. Hopewell, IL 61565-9457 kckcat@gmail.com

1992

1968

1980

1997

55th REUNION JUNE 2-5, 2022

Cheryl Trostrud-White ’68 of Kent, Ohio, lost her husband, Bill White, to pneumonia caused by Covid in December. He died two days shy of their 40th anniversary. She notes that they both had all three vaccinations.

1969

David Ward of Brooklyn, N.Y., and his wife, Susan, are new grandparents, their daughter and sonin-law having adopted a son.

1970

50th REUNION JUNE 2-5, 2022

1971

50th REUNION JUNE 2-5, 2022

1972

50th REUNION JUNE 2-5, 2022

Fred Welch has been named executive director of the Copperas Cove (Texas) Economic Development Corporation. The 30-year veteran in economic development in Texas most recently served as senior director for economic development for The Greater Houston Partnership. Welch is a certified economic developer through the International Economic Development Council and a certified Economic Development Finance

Kevin Goodwin of Kirkland, Wash., a pioneer in ultrasound, is CEO of EchoNous—a company he co-founded in 2016 that combines artificial intelligence and deep learning with extreme miniaturization to provide highly accurate diagnostic medical imaging. Its newest product, called Kosmos, is a handheld device that weighs under two pounds, which physicians can use at a patient’s bedside.

25th REUNION SEPT. 30-OCT. 2, 2022

1999

Ann McClung Klungseth 512 N. Main St. Washington, IL 61571-1525 ajclung@hotmail.com

2002

1983

2004

Traci Abbott 9802 Cardiff Park Ln. Houston, TX 77094 tabbott2@sbcglobal.net

Paula Rundell Brooks has handed off the job of class agent to me, so I will be cheerfully pestering you all for news to share in Monmouth College Magazine, and reminding you of important upcoming events—like a 40-year reunion coming up next year. Forty years…how can that be possible? It means we are all now members of the prestigious “60” Club. I do have sad news that some of you may not have heard—our beloved classmate, Kellie Sumner Schroll lost her battle with cancer last May at her home in Tennes-

NIERENBERG ’95

30th REUNION SEPT. 30-OCT. 2, 2022

1982

40th REUNION SEPT. 30-OCT. 2, 2022

WELCH ’72

GOODWIN ’80

20th REUNION SEPT. 30-OCT. 2, 2022

Andy Stumpf of Carrollton, Ill., was selected as the 2021 Illinois Principals Association Middle School Principal of the Year and the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP)’s Illinois Principal of the year. The principal of Winchester Elementary School, he also had an article titled “Principal Loneliness” published in the February issue of NASSP’s Principal Leadership magazine.

2007

15th REUNION SEPT. 30-OCT. 2, 2022 Hilary Hawkinson Stott P.O. Box 83 Bristol, IL 660512 hilhawkstott@gmail.com

SPRING 2022

ALUMNI NEWS | CLASS NOTES

2008

Kate Fitzsimmons Cross of Roscoe, Ill., was appointed by the 17th Judicial Circuit Court to serve as public defender for Boone County, Ill.

2012

10th REUNION SEPT. 30-OCT. 2, 2022

BOEHME ’12

WILLIS ’13

Zach Boehme of Queen Creek, Ariz., has been recognized by Railway Age magazine as one of its 2022 “Fast Trackers” Under 40 honorees. Boehme started his railroad career as a conductor before moving up to engineer and trainmaster, then entered various management positions with Genesee & Wyoming Railway. In 2018, he began his current role as assistant vice president of industrial development for Genesee & Wyoming Railroad. Among his duties are creating transportation solutions for the wind turbine industry—hauling blades up to 243 feet long. Ed Wimp of Apopka, Fla., presented Monmouth College’s annual Martin Luther King Day lecture in January. Titled “Sowing Seeds of Legacy,” it was originally scheduled to be given in front of a live audience, in conjunction with student performances, but concerns over the recent rise in COVID cases changed it to a Zoom event.

2013

MAINZ ’17

DODSON ’18

Jake Willis of Metamora, Ill., is marking five years with the City of Peoria Police Department. Two years ago, he became a member of the Special Response Team (SWAT). In 2021, he became a Field Training Officer, working with new officers who have just graduated from the University of Illinois Police Training Institute. Willis says that enforcement today is a very difficult yet rewarding career, and he hopes to show current Monmouth College students that law enforcement can be a rewarding career option after graduation.

2017

5th REUNION SEPT. 30-OCT. 2, 2022 Jacob Marx 106 S. Front St., Apt. 2D Philadelphia, PA 19106 jacob.p.marx@uscg.mil

DAY ’18

Johnny Williams is pursuing an MLitt in Shakespeare and an MFA in Performance at Mary Baldwin University in Staunton, Va. This spring, he will perform as Cleon in the Blackfriars Playhouse production of Pericles and as Duke Senior in As You Like It.

MONMOUTH COLLEGE MAGAZINE

Last fall, he directed A Midsummer Night’s Dream and will direct Twelfth Night for the summer season. The Blackfriars Playhouse is the world’s only recreation of Shakespeare’s indoor theatre. Molly Weaver received her master’s degree in social work last May. She recently accepted a job as a school social worker in Merrillville, Ind. Claire Griffith of Moline, Ill., has been promoted to manager of human resources and development at Fortress Bank. She will complete yoga teacher training this summer and then begin teaching. Andrea “Dre” Corea earned her master’s in digital communications and media arts from DePaul University in May 2020, during the early days of the pandemic. During her two years at DePaul, she worked as a multimedia specialist for Du Page County, and interned for Chicago Fire Rec Soccer, the Chicago Red Stars and the National Women’s Soccer League. After graduation, she became digital content editor for Minnesota United FC, a Western Conference team in Major League Soccer, where her Spanish-language skills have been helpful in translating news releases, managing the Spanish Twitter account and creating closed captions in videos for players. This season she will travel with the team to capture digital content. Austin Hardy and Kirsti Barton ’18, who met as students at Monmouth, were married last September. They currently reside in Kirkwood, Ill., where he works as a State Farm agent, while Kirsti is a health fitness specialist in Burlington, Iowa. In August, they will move to Tennessee “to begin our next chapter.” Emma Vanderpool in February presented a Bluegrass Classics Lecture on the topic “Moving Forward: A Novella Writer’s Perspective.” The lecture series is a collaborative project between the MCL Classics Working Group at the University of Kentucky and the Classics Department at Transylvania University. A Latin teacher at Springfield Honors Academy in Massachusetts, where she earned the Distinguished Teaching Award in 2019, Vanderpoool has published more than a dozen novellas in Latin.

Nick Mainz is serving as an archives technician at the National Park Service, Lake Superior Collection Management Center in Calumet, Mich. The government archive serves three National Park units— Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Keweenaw National Historical Park and Isle Royale National Park.

2018

Keri Dodson is the new community engagement director for Bridgeway Inc., a health and human services agency in Galesburg, Ill. She previously worked for the Rockford (Ill). Rivets baseball team where, in a similar position, she played a role in doubling average attendance to 1,500 fans. At Bridgeway, she is overseeing public relations efforts, community event planning and the creation of the organization’s promotional materials. Saxon Day will complete dental school in May at the University of Pennsylvania, and will begin an oral and maxillofacial surgery (OMFS) residency at Baylor University Medical Center. OMFS residency is six years long, and he will spend about three of those years also getting a doctor of medicine degree in additional to his dental degree.

2019

Ridge Greenman of Andover, Ill., a graduate of AlWood (Ill.) High School, where he was a standout baseball, basketball and football player, was inducted into its athletic hall of fame in January.

2020

Campbell Quirk has accepted a full-time position with the St. Louis Cardinals organization as a player development strength and conditioning coach.

IN THE SCOTLIGHT

WILL DEUERLING ’13 His homemade sauces are becoming a hot commodity started down his path when she’d have him work alongside her in the family garden. “It’s got a light, bright lemony flavor, and ooking to take your entrée from good to great? Then it then a savory flavor from the garlic,” he said. might be time to #GetWillyWithIt. “My mom doesn’t like really spicy stuff, but That would mean breaking out the Willy Sauce, made even she likes that one.” by 2013 Monmouth grad Will Deuerling of Elburn, Ill. Of the other sauce, he said, “It’s not overly Deuerling has been dabbling in hot sauces for a while now, fruity, and the sweetness from the pineapple but he stepped up his game in 2020—partly due to a brief cuts through the heat. I really like it on pizza. furlough from his day job due to COVID-19—and made 250 It’s a very versatile sauce.” bottles. Most of them sold at a local Kris Kringle market, and Deuerling started out with tomatoes and friends and family got the rest of the bottles. other “simple stuff” in his In 2021, Deurling’s company was gardening, but he now enregistered as an LLC, with “all the joys working with peppers fancy food licenses I needed.” And on the hotter end of the he tripled production, producing 750 spectrum. bottles, with sales at the Kris Kringle Similarly, his first market again being a major help in attempt at making a hot moving his inventory. sauce was based on a As a high school student from Batasimple recipe he found via, Ill., Deuerling didn’t have his heart online. set on a particular college or major. “It helped me get the gist of it down,” he Ultimately, his choice came down to a said. “But going forward, I’ve been able to big school in the big city (DePaul) or to make it my own. I shared the first batches the opposite, Monmouth. The smallwith friends and family, and they said it school experience won out, and “It was pretty good.” proved to be a good decision,” he said. Despite the more adventurous plants, A holiday display showcases Deuerling’s colorful Deuerling was active on campus his product isn’t the type that can only be variety of hot sauces. through such commitments as the eaten on a dare. Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity and serving as a Scot Ambassa“I focus on flavor over heat,” he said. “But it does have hot dor. He studied communication and art—beneficial disciplines peppers in it, so it’s going to have a little spice to it.” for his new business pursuit. For Obscurity Brewing in Elburn, Deuerling is working on a “I’ve designed all the labels for the sauces and the logo used smoked honey habanero sauce that will pair with the restauon merchandise and T-shirts,” he said. “It’s in hibernation now, rant’s focus on barbecue. but I also created and designed a website for Willy Sauce. Af“It fits their niche really well,” he said of a potential large-scale ter graduation, I didn’t know what kind of job I really wanted, client. “Hopefully, it all pans out over the next few months.” so I’ve really enjoyed this opportunity to combine communiDeuerling, who makes Willy Sauce out of his own kitchen, cation and art. Prior to the bartending I do now, I did some also plans to move his operation into a larger space, courtesy website and social media stuff, but doing it for somebody of some friends. else, my heart wasn’t in it as much as it is now with my own “I really want to get it into some smaller local restaurants,” product. It’s nice to use the skills I learned at Monmouth. It’s a he said. “For the time being, this is just a side hustle, but it win-win.” would be kind of nice for it to be more. Hopefully, it could be productive enough to be my main gig. I’m just taking it one And it’s a win for Deuerling’s customers, too. Two of his day at a time. There’s nothing you can do that’s any faster top-selling sauces are pineapple habanero and hot lemon than that.” garlic. The latter is endorsed by his mother, who got Deuerling

By BARRY McNAMAR A

Deuerling credits skills in art and communication learned at Monmouth for helping him market his hot sauces.

SPRING 2022

WEDDINGS

KAREN SKADOW ’10 AND LEONARDO JIMENEZ

EMILY BELRICHARD ’10 AND JEREMY PEACE

KAITLYN WASHBURN ’14 AND TYLER COCKERHAM

EMILY FLINT ’16 AND MATTHEW SCHMIDT ’14

2010 Karen Skadow and Leonardo Jimenez July 12, 2020 Emily Belrichard and Jeremy Peace September 5, 2021

2014 Kaitlyn Washburn and Tyler Cockerham October 16, 2021 Adelaide Columnas and Alex Woods ’12 December 18, 2021

2013 Clarissa Gardner and Alex Brooks October 11, 2021

2016 Emily Flint and Matthew Schmidt ’14 June 21, 2021

KIRSTI BARTON ’18 AND AUSTIN HARDY ’17

2018 Kirsti Barton and Austin Hardy ’17 September 18, 2021

Have a photo to share? Send us a photo of your future Fighting Scot, and we’ll send you this colorful Monmouth College baby bib! Visit monmouthcollege.edu/wee-scots to submit your baby photo and information. For wedding photos, email high-resolution digital images to alumni@monmouthcollege.edu. For all photos, be sure to include all pertinent information, including date of wedding or birth, couples’ and parents’ names and class years (if applicable), and identification of all individuals in photos, if not obvious.

MONMOUTH COLLEGE MAGAZINE

BIRTHS 2008 Cassie Jensen Gauf and Scott a son, Caleb Alan September 14, 2021 Karah Goetschius Hoffer and Erik Hoffer a daughter, Kaycee Elizabeth November 2, 2021 2009 Paige Halpin Smith and Henry a daughter, Alice Noreen March 30, 2021 Emily Demerath Graham and James Graham ’10 a daughter, Elaina “Lainey” July 22, 2021

CALEB ALAN GAUF

KAYCEE ELIZABETH HOFFER

ALICE NOREEN SMITH

ELAINA “LAINEY” GRAHAM

BEAUDEN KRISTOPHER BAKER

BROOKS ANDREW JOHNSON

BRYNLEE GRACE SELLMAN

WYATT ALLEN PLATA

HAZEL BERG

2011 Samantha Latora Baker and Kris a son, Beauden Kristopher July 3, 2021 2013 Lindsay Franey Johnson and David Johnson ’14 a son, Brooks Andrew November 27, 2021 2015 Megan Shultz Sellman and Tyler a daughter, Brynlee Grace March 25, 2021 Emily Holt and Alejandro Plata a son, Wyatt Allen July 22, 2021 Jill Vass Moore and Patrick a son, Mason Patrick October 20, 2021 2016 Brittany Shumaker Berg and Chris a daughter, Hazel January 24, 2022

SPRING 2022

IN MEMORIAM

1940

Elizabeth Jones Oakberg, 103, of Oak Ridge, Tenn., died Dec. 18, 2021. Born in Walla Walla, Wash., in 1918, she studied English and education at Monmouth, then earned a master’s degree from the University of Iowa in 1942. Oakberg was a teacher for more than 25 years, most of that time leading a third-grade classroom in Oak Ridge. An active ham radio operator, she achieved many awards in the field and had radio contact with the Russian MIR space station.

1945

Mary Ann Thome Johnson, 97, of Washington, Pa., died Nov. 23, 2021. She graduated with a degree in English and was a member of the synchronized swim team and Kappa Kappa Gamma. Johnson, who completed a master’s degree in English at Bryn Mawr (Pa.) College, taught high school and college English, the latter at Washington and Jefferson College in Washington. She was preceded in death by her husband of 56 years, Roger Johnson ’44. Survivors include her children, Maj. Gen. Stephen Johnson ’72 and Emily Johnson Minor ’76, and a granddaughter, Katherine Minor ’04.

1946

Virginia Holmes Majer, 97, of Sandpoint, Idaho, died Dec. 24, 2021. She began her college education at Monmouth, where she started her lifelong association with Kappa Kappa Gamma. She then left school after two years to support the World War II effort. Majer graduated from a modeling school in Chicago and then, after the war, completed her bachelor’s degree in home economics at Washington State University. She was a homemaker, but after her children went to college, she became an original employee at Nordstrom in Spokane, Wash., and she worked there until she retired.

1949

Joseph Staudenbaur, 96, of Madison, S.D., died Oct. 10, 2021. After serving in World War II, he graduated with a degree in mathematics and was a member of Alpha Tau Omega. A sales executive with Sun Oil Co. for 25 years, he then started Specialty Oils, Inc.,

MONMOUTH COLLEGE MAGAZINE

running it until he was 88 years old. He was known for his expertise in making perfectly smooth ice rinks and for cultivating peonies.

1950

Marcia Talbott Caltrider, 92, of Long Beach, Calif., died Dec. 25, 2021. A member of Kappa Delta, she headed to Long Beach in the early 1950s to find work, along with three Monmouth girlfriends. Caltrider taught 37 years for the Long Beach Unified School District and mentored teachers at California State University Long Beach for 11 more. Stephen Kennedy, 95, of Clarkston, Mich., died Dec. 27, 2021. He graduated with a degree in business administration and was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon. A World War II veteran, he enlisted the day after his 17th birthday and was a medical corpsman. Kennedy was among the first U.S. soldiers to occupy Nagasaki after the atomic bomb was dropped. At Monmouth, he met his first wife, Patricia McConnell ’50. Kennedy worked in retail and ended his career as president of Crowley’s department store in Detroit, retiring in 1986. He also served as a photographer for Oakland County Parks.

1951

Charles Burke of Carmel, Ind., died Jan. 24, 2021. He graduated with a degree in business administration and was a member of Alpha Tau Omega. He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Shelby Burke ’53. Martha Buschart Dilthey, 92, of Florissant, Mo., died in late November 2021. She completed her degree at Washington University and became an occupational therapist, serving as the first OT at Shriners Children’s Hospital in St. Louis. Dilthey had a professional career spanning more than 40 years. James Berry Williams, 98, of Mount Carroll, Ill., died Dec. 18, 2021. After serving in World War II— enlisting in the Navy at the age of 16—he graduated from Monmouth with a degree in psychology. Williams taught at Savanna (Ill.) High School for many years, retiring in 1986. He recommended Monmouth to many of his students.

1952

Robert Miller of Phoenix, Ariz., died Sept. 4, 2021. He graduated with a degree in chemistry and married Martha Claycomb Miller ’54, who survives. Marian Prugh Nichol of Columbus, Ohio, died Oct. 24, 2021. She graduated with a degree in music and was a member of Kappa Delta. Nichol worked at Chemical Abstracts Services, ultimately serving as supervisor of the company’s document delivery service department. Survivors include a number of cousins who attended Monmouth.

1953

Jo-anne Lusk Meyers, 90, of Bu rli ng t on, Iowa, died Aug. 6, 2021. A Monmouth native, she was a member of Kappa Delta during her time on campus, earning teacher certification. Meyers worked for the National Research Bureau for seven years and for two radio stations. Genevieve Gould Michael, 90, of Leadville, Colo., died Dec. 17, 2021. She spent her first two years at Monmouth, where she was a member of the synchronized swim team and Kappa Delta. She completed a degree in dance at the University of Illinois, where she became chapter president of the sorority. Mary Margaret Stewart, 90, of Gettysburg, Pa., died Oct. 10, 2021. A member of Kappa Delta, she graduated with a degree in English, then completed a doctorate in English literature from Indiana University. Stewart taught English at Gettysburg College for 37 years, serving as chair of the department for some of that time. She was also instrumental in adding women’s studies to the Gettysburg curriculum.

1954

Neil Verigan, 89, of Hillsboro, Ore., died in October 2021. A member of Theta Chi, he graduated with a degree in history. A certified NRA rifle instructor, he taught rifle in Monmouth’s physical education classes and coached the College’s teams, leading the team to a national individual and team title. His association with rifle coach Garrett Thiessen led to his joining Thiessen’s team that in 1952 rescued the College’s fabled Civil War cannon, which had been lost in a creek for nearly 50 years. Volunteering for military service

ALUMNI NEWS | OBITUARIES

IN MEMORIA M

Professor Gary Willhardt ’59 Emeritus professor of English Gary Willhardt slipped into the “Realms of Light” on Nov. 27, 2021. He was 84 at the time of his death in Clarksville, Iowa. “He was an outstanding teacher,” said Jeremy McNamara, a longtime colleague in the English department. “I don’t know anybody who didn’t enjoy his classes and get a lot out of them. Right from the beginning, he was a success.” That beginning came in 1967. As the new chair of the English department, McNamara was charged with hiring faculty, and Willhardt came recommended from the department chair at Ohio State University. Willhardt was completing his doctorate at Ohio State, which included a thesis on 18th-century English poet John Byrom. He and his first wife, Janet Miller Willhardt ’60, moved to Monmouth along with their young son, Mark Willhardt. The end of his teaching tenure came in 2000 and overlapped the beginning of Mark’s career in the English department. Today, Mark is the College’s dean of the faculty and serves as vice president for academic affairs. “In academics, it’s unusual to follow one’s parent into the same discipline, but it’s practically unheard of to do so at the same institution, as well,” said Mark. “That I could build my career upon his legacy is truly something special, and something I have cherished from my first day on faculty.” Between 1966 and 1995, either McNamara or Gary Willhardt served as chair of the English department. Gary manned the post from 1971–88, and Mark was twice chair of the department from 2011–18. “Gary was a very close friend,” said McNamara. “We really hit it off, both in the department and out of the department. I can’t imagine a closer, more productive, more enjoyable relationship with anybody. We really agreed on what a small-college English department should be.” Willhardt articulated his viewpoint on that subject in a 1986 article in Scots Newse, the College magazine. “Education cannot simply be external,” he wrote. “One thing students have to do is develop some sensitivities and begin to understand what they feel about things, not just what they know about things. … ‘Who am I and what do I believe in?’” Willhardt’s belief, expressed in a 1980s-era admission piece,

was that “literature can make a difference in people’s lives … through literature, students can learn more about themselves and about society.” When the careers of Gary and Mark intersected in 2000, Scots Newse ran a piece comparing and contrasting the teaching and fashion styles of the father and son. Their department colleague, emeritus professor Craig Watson, contributed to the article, citing Gary’s “18th-century elegance.” Today, Watson, who taught with Willhardt for 14 years, expanded on that sentiment. “Wry, elegant, self-deprecating and very funny—Gary was in every sense and on every occasion a gentle man of belles lettres. He happily taught writing and literature as achievements of style in service of a gentler ‘cultivated society.’ He epitomized and taught students to value reflection and taste and, to use a Jamesian term I appreciate, ‘sensibility.’ In short, we already know painfully what it is to miss him and his influence.” Emeritus history professor William Urban also touched on Willhardt’s wit when offering his remembrances. “He was by far the best after-dinner speaker we had in my 50 years of experience,” said Urban. “His dry wit, delivered flat, always had a point, but he was careful to keep that lowkey. Each presentation was fresh, modest and devoid of any pretense of superiority.” In a 1996 newsletter that featured a history of the English department, Willhardt, who was by then its senior member, wrote, “When the question of who would write (it) came up, all turned to me. Apparently, the old guy is typecast as the chronicler. I’m the man who came to dinner and never left.” Willhardt came to study at Monmouth from Washington, Ill. He was a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, later joining its alumni board and serving as president. He met Jan at Monmouth, and the couple was married 32 years until her death in 1993. He married Jean Woltemath in 1996, and she survives, along with Mark and daughter-inlaw Kat Argentine Willhardt ’12, and granddaughter, Emma Willhardt. In addition to serving on various faculty committees, Willhardt was a presence on the Warren County Library Board, the Monmouth City Planning Committee and as a founding trustee of the Buchanan Center for the Arts. The latter volunteer work dovetailed with his hobbies of painting and woodcarving. “He was a skilled woodcarver, an art requiring patience and great care,” said Urban. “The large piece he entered in the competition at the Buchanan Center was magnificent.” —Barry McNamara

SPRING 2022

ALUMNI NEWS | OBITUARIES

1953 (continued) IN MEMORIA M

Professor Esther White Emerita professor of education Esther White died Dec. 30, 2021, at a Monmouth nursing home. She was 101. After a long career as a teacher and administrator in Keokuk, Iowa, esther White came to Monmouth in 1974 as a professor in the education department. She intended to stay only a year or two but taught until 1988, preparing students to be the next generation of educators. She cited the relationships she built and the creation of Monmouth’s summer enrichment program, College For Kids, as reasons why she stayed. Among the last students she taught was Sandra Pragas ’88, who returned to her native Malaysia and eventually started her own kindergarten. Traveling to Malaysia to help Pragas formally launch the school was one of White’s career highlights and is a memory also treasured by Pragas, who keeps a photo of the occasion. “Among my first course subjects with Ms. White was ‘Children’s Literature’—a textbook that I still have in my library of books to keep for life,” said Pragas. “In came this lady on the first day, with bright red lipstick and a big smile. She chuckled and introduced herself. She had me at ‘hello.’ But that smile also came with a firmness and high expectations from her students.” Another of her former students, Crystal Krug Sargent ’85, recalled White’s passion for children’s books. “She loved children’s literature and had such a strong knowledge of it,” said Sargent, a former special education teacher who is now a teacher of English language learners in the Galesburg school district. Sargent called White a “pioneer” for the administrative roles she held as a woman during the middle of the 20th century. Born in 1920, White grew up near the tiny community of Argyle, Iowa. She gave a great deal of credit for her longevity to her very rural upbringing, which included experiencing the Great Depression. To get to school, she rode a horse-drawn bus, which stopped at her farm’s one-lane dirt road. White not only attended a one-room schoolhouse but eventually taught in one, fulfilling a goal she’d had from a young age. A 16-year-old high school graduate, she took courses at Fort Madison Business College until she turned 18 and was old enough to teach in Iowa. In 1938, she took a 10-week set of classes at nearby Iowa Wesleyan College, which qualified her to be a teacher at a one-room schoolhouse, earning $50 a month. She went back each of the next four summers to get her full teacher’s certification, then became a teacher for eight years—and then a principal—in nearby Keokuk. During the early days of the pandemic, White’s 100th birthday was celebrated with friends and former students and colleagues driving by her home near campus, while she sat outside and waved. A brief memoir she wrote for the occasion concluded with the following words: “I wish to each of you a long life also and one surrounded by love and appreciation made evident by all of us. Only as we make our love evident does it add to our living.” —Barry McNamara

MONMOUTH COLLEGE MAGAZINE

in 1954, Verigan qualified for the Army’s Counter Intelligence Corps School and was subsequently appointed a special agent. His professional career included 14 years with Employers Insurance of Wausau and 12 years as assistant vice president of marketing for Rollins Burdick Hunter in Portland, Ore.

1955

John Leach, 88, of DeKalb, Ill., died Dec. 23, 2021. A member of the swim team and Alpha Tau Omega, he completed his degree at Michigan State University. He worked at his family’s business, Leach Brothers Lumber and Coal, before branching out to start Leach Homes, a land development and homebuilding business. A nursing scholarship that he and his wife started evolved into the Leach College of Nursing at the University of St. Francis in Joliet, Ill., where he lived most of his life.

1956

Evard Best, 87, of Blue Ridge, Ga., died Dec. 3, 2021. A member of Theta Chi, he graduated with a degree in economics. A teacher in Minnesota, Best held a master’s degree from Mankato State University.

1957

Constance Jefferies Behrman of Spokane, Wash., died Dec. 20, 2021. She graduated with a degree in English, worked for The Oracle and was a member of Alpha Xi Delta.

1959

Arthur Gust, 84, of Fayetteville, Ark., died Nov. 4, 2021. He studied chemistry at Monmouth and was a veteran of the Air Force. Gust worked in a fast-paced industry for three decades, managing thousands of employees, then was an educator in a college classroom. He also had a radio show focusing on jazz. Elspeth Barclay Peterjohn, 84, of Willoughby, Ohio, died Jan. 9, 2022. She graduated with a degree in English and was a member of Kappa Delta. When not raising her family, Peterjohn taught for many years—much of that time at Shaker Heights High School—retiring in 1996.

1960

June Christiansen Fredericks, 82, of Plain field, Ill., died Dec. 28, 2021. She was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma and the synchronized swim team. For 23 years, she managed the Jazz Members Big Band, also known as the Chicago Jazz Orchestra. She also did office management work.

ALUMNI NEWS | OBITUARIES

1961

John Phillips, 82 of Geneseo, Ill., died Dec. 13, 2021. A member of the football, wrestling and track teams, he graduated with a degree in physical education. In 1972, he completed his master’s degree in education from Eastern Illinois University. Phillips was a teacher and coach in four Illinois school districts, including Harlem in Loves Park, Mattoon, Atkinson and Erie, retiring in 1993. Survivors include a daughter, Cathy Jo Phillips Zahari ’91.

1963

Virginia Cleff Ford, 80, of Elizabeth City, N.C., died Nov. 26, 2021. She graduated with a degree in sociology. Ford served for 30 years with the Elizabeth City school system, retiring in 2005. A diehard Chicago sports fan, she coached Little League for many years. Phillip Raistrick, 78, of Bradenton, Fla., died Nov. 20, 2019. A sociology major, he was the founder of En-Vision America, an assistive technology company that helped blind and visually impaired individuals overcome their disabilities. Raistrick worked for computer technology firms for three decades before founding his company in 1996. Mary Jane Jones Singer, 80, of Zionsville, Ind., died Nov. 4, 2021. She studied art history and was a member of Kappa Delta. Survivors include her husband, Robert Singer ’61.

1964

Stuart Fanning, 78, of Hampton, N.H., died Oct. 3, 2021. He graduated with a degree in business administration. Fanning was an administrative officer in the Air Force, a business manager at the Strafford Guidance Center and a real estate broker.

Marshall Peterson of Murphy, N.C., died Dec. 14, 2021. A physical education major, he was a member of the basketball and track teams, the Octopus Club and Theta Chi.

1967

Keith Sanderson, 75, of Loudon, Tenn., died Jan. 9, 2021. He graduated with a degree in history and a minor in English, and was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. An advertising and marketing executive who held major communication positions at twop Fortune 500 companies, he became director of e-business strategic planning for the multinational construction company Komatsu, headquartered in Tokyo. As vice president, he wrote and promoted construction equipment, and helped him form an e-commerce system for Komatsu America. In later life he became an animal advocate and podcaster for Pet Life Radio. Survivors include his wife of 51 years, Helen Pedersen Sanderson ’70, and a son and daughter.

1968

Thomas Schneider, 75, of Brookfield, Wis., died Jan. 3, 2022. He graduated with a degree in biology and was a member of Alpha Tau Omega. An accomplished surgeon, Schneider was also a member of the founding team of the Wisconsin Association for Fire Safety’s Camp for Burn Injured Youth.

1970

Eric Rosenblum of Levittown, N.Y., died in August 2018. He graduated with a degree in English and worked for the College radio station.

1976

Rick Amy, 67, of Illinois City, Ill., died Dec. 3, 2021. A physical education major, Amy was a member of the football, track and soccer teams and Alpha Tau Omega. He was a teacher and coach in the Rockridge (Ill.) school district for 35 years, leading the Rockets to state titles in football and wrestling. He was inducted into the Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Hall of Fame, as well as the hall of fame at his high school alma mater, Sherrard.

1983

Kellie Sumner Schroll, 59, of Thompson Station, Tenn., died May 1, 2021.

1984

Alicia Peterson Pallister, 59, of Burlington, Iowa, died Aug. 21, 2021, of complications associated with liver disease. She graduated with a degree in business administration and was a member of Pi Beta Phi. For three decades, Pallister worked in advertising sales and marketing for the Burlington

companies of Case Corporation and MediaCom.

1985

Donald Brandon, 59, of Springfield, Ill., died Dec. 29, 2021. He studied physical education and was a member of the basketball team. He worked as a security guard at Southeast High School in Springfield, where he had been a standout point guard. Brandon was affectionately known at the school as Mr. Spartan. Nick Johnson, 58, of Kewanee, Ill., died Oct. 25, 2021. He studied business administration and was a member of the football team and Alpha Tau Omega. Johnson worked at Pines/ Great Dane for a number of years, as well as several other Kewanee-area businesses, including Rookie’s Food and Spirits in Bradford, which he owned. He was also a basketball, football and baseball official. Survivors include his brother, Michael Quagliano ’83. Aileen St. Ledger, 59, of Grayslake, Ill., died Dec. 17, 2021. An art major at Monmouth, she was with Jewel/Osco in Grayslake for many years. She was preceded in death by her father, longtime Monmouth staff member Dean St. Ledger. Survivors include her mother, longtime staff member Nancy St. Ledger ’69, and a brother, Raymond St. Ledger ’85.

2013

Daniel Hardaway, 31, of Tavares, Fla., died Dec. 19, 2021. A financial consultant, he graduated with a degree in business administration and was a member of the football team.

Faculty and Staff: Eunice Reynolds, 88, of Monmouth, a former member of the admission office staff, died Dec. 9, 2021. James Wyman, 73, of Sandwich, Ill., a former member of the College’s communication and English faculty, died Jan. 9, 2022. Carolyn Tinkham, 72, of Warrenville, S.C., a secretary for various departments from 1987–2005, died Jan. 18, 2022. Thomas L. Fernandez, 92, associate speech professor from 1963–69, died Jan. 26, 2002 in Tyler, Texas. After Monmouth, he served as vice president of student and academic services at Emory University and as provost at the University of Texas at Tyler.

SPRING 2022

THE LAST WORD

BY KATHY WAGONER

TITLE IX BROUGHT OPPORTUNITY TO WOMEN’S ATHLETICS, BUT BIG CHALLENGES REMAIN

s a 1970 high school graduate, I had no

ness is not working for our young athletes. High levels of anxiety, eating disorders on the rise, and dropout formal opportunities to be coached, nor to parrates by both girls and boys are all signs that we are ticipate in athletics. With the passage of Title IX moving in the wrong direction. in 1972, however, girls and women were finally given a With the recent addition of NIL (Name, seat at the table, but not without a diffiThis loss of role Image and Likeness) contracts for college cult period of growth and development. With the formation of the National Asmodels has been athletes, we have entered a very dangerous, slippery slope for young developing sociation for Girls and Women in Sports devastating for athletes and their coaches as they now (NAGWS) and the Association of Interyoung girls, try to navigate million-dollar deals. Just collegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) as they don’t stop and think of that in terms of Title came an explosion of opportunities for IX! Sure, there will be some top female females as athletes, coaches and adminsee athletics athletes who will receive these lucrative istrators. Finally, there were the so very as a career deals, but many, many more male athletes important athletic role models sending opportunity, will receive bigger contracts leading to a the message that not only could women nor do they see further wage gap. compete but we could also lead! strong women I urge you as parents, athletes and Women had the opportunity to develop spectators to help lead us back to a more our own model of sport, one based on opas leaders. just and healthier model of athletics that portunity and fair play. Girls were finally is about opportunity, a diverse group of leadership role reaping the physical, social, mental and emotional models, fair play, sportsmanship, less specialization benefits that come from athletic participation. and, above all, more fun for our children. Unfortunately, our success and growth led to difficult I congratulate Monmouth College for celebrating the decisions for colleges and administrative organiza50th anniversary of Title IX and offer a big shoutout to tions. The AIAW was taken over by the NCAA, which all of the former Monmouth athletes and students who meant not only the loss of the female model of sport, touched my life with such joy and passion. but a dramatic loss of leadership and coaching opportunities for women. This loss of role models has been Kathy Wagoner is a 35-year veteran of higher education, devastating for young girls, as they don’t see athletics having served as head softball coach and volleyball coach at as a career opportunity, nor do they see strong women both Monmouth and Knox colleges, as well as coaching basketas leaders. We are currently in a downward spiral, with ball and tennis at Monmouth. A member of the M Club Hall of fewer female coaches and young girls dropping out of Fame, she also taught physical education and health classes at athletics at earlier ages. both schools and served as associate director of residence life It appears to me that the model of overcompetitiveand housing at Monmouth.

MONMOUTH COLLEGE MAGAZINE

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Monmouth College Magazine - Spring 2022

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