Fast Forward - Summer 2018

TH E MAGAZ I N E OF

Volume 63, No. 2 | Summer 2018

LETTER from the PRESIDENT Some said the goal was too lofty and it could never be accomplished. To any naysayer, my simple message is to never underestimate the ability and determination of the Davis & Elkins College community! $101,422,304 has been invested in Davis & Elkins College students ... present and future students. Those investments include scholarships, endowment, physical plant improvements and operations. In an ever-increasingly competitive environment for higher education, strengthening the financial position of D&E has proven critical and strategic.

I express the gratitude of the College community to every individual who contributed $1 or $1,000,000-plus to the Secure the Future campaign. Your generosity and willingness to invest your resources in this College’s mission and promising future speaks loudly and clearly to the community-at-large – that our first century has provided the foundation upon which we will build an institution of distinction and excellence for the coming century.

This “mini” edition of the College’s alumni publication Forward is focusing upon the successful conclusion of the largest capital campaign in the College’s history and highlighting the exciting changes and improvements to the Davis & Elkins College campus. As you peruse this Fast Forward, I hope and trust that you will be filled with the same gratitude and pride that I experience being a part of the D&E community.

Alumni and friends of this institution know the uniqueness and specialness of this campus nestled in the mountains of the West Virginia Highlands. Students of today, like students of yesterday, are experiencing the transformative educational experience that is central to D&E. Thanks to the successful conclusion of Secure the Future, students of many tomorrows will experience the same life-changing opportunity.

As you will see in these pages, we had a grand party on June 30 to celebrate this milestone. For all of us gathered on these sacred grounds that day, we had 101,422,304 reasons to be thankful.

With warmest wishes,

Davis & Elkins College Cabinet Editor: Linda Howell Skidmore Writers: Linda Howell Skidmore Photographers: Wendy Morgan, Linda Howell Skidmore, Josh Triggs, Jess Wilmoth

About the Magazine

Chris A. Wood, President Scott D. Goddard, Vice President for Student Affairs Robert O. Hardman II, Vice President for Business & Administration

Forward magazine is published by the Office of Communications & Marketing. To subscribe or to submit your news, please send an email to skidmorel@dewv.edu or write to Linda Howell Skidmore, 100 Campus Drive, Elkins, WV 26241.

Jamie Joss, Athletic Director

The Mission of Davis & Elkins College

Rosemary M. Thomas, Ed.D. Vice President for Enrollment Management & Institutional Advancement

To prepare and inspire students for success and for thoughtful engagement in the world.

With the successful completion of the $100 million Secure the Future campaign, Davis & Elkins College is poised to embark on a new era steadfast on a solid foundation. Keeping a focus on its mission, “to prepare and inspire students for success and for thoughtful engagement in the world,” the College will launch a new initiative with the start of orientation for the 2018-2019 academic year.

“Leading the Way” will be a prominent theme for the College, from academics to athletics, admission to advancement, and arts to achievements. The idea of “Leading the Way” encapsulates a vision for the future of the College by: building on the foundation of the College and its founders, U.S. Senators Henry Gassaway Davis and Stephen Benton Elkins; establishing D&E as a centralized destination to present leadership opportunities for prospective students from the local community and around the world; and elevating D&E’s strengths as a historic, private liberal arts college to resonate with audiences as an institution of higher learning of Distinction and Excellence.

New students participating in Orientation Weekend activities, Saturday, August 18 and Sunday, August 19, will be among the first to experience the “Leading the Way” initiative. The group will receive specially designed T-shirts and participate in a day of interactive learning experiences designed to encourage thought and reflection about their purpose in life.

The theme “Leading the Way” will remain at the forefront as D&E moves ahead to seize opportunities and overcome challenges.

Chris A. Wood President

THE MAGAZINE OF

Leading the Way into a New Era

Robert J. Phillips, Ph.D. Vice President for Academic Affairs

Davis & Elkins College Board of Trustees Elected Officers 2018-2019 William W. Nuttall, ‘70, Chair Mark S. Barber, ‘75, Vice Chair David H. Morrison, ‘79, Secretary James Bialek, ‘74, Treasurer Members Joyce B. Allen Elaine H. Christ Wendell M. Cramer, ‘59 David E. Cutlip, ‘77 Peter H. Dougherty, ‘75

Robert E. Douglas D. Drake Dowler, ‘69 Nancy EvansBennett, ‘66 Robert T. Gregory, ‘59 William N. Johnston, Ed.D. Bruce Lee Kennedy, II, CFA Kathleen E. MacGregor, M.D., ‘08 James S. McDonnell, III June B. Myles, D.H.L. Barbara A. Porter, ‘76

Rev. Edward J. Thompson Chris A. Wood Life Trustees Karen H. Berner, ‘64 Carter Giltinan John H. Harling, ‘53 Thomas J. “Jack” Martin, D.D.S., ‘50 David A. Rutherford Dorothy H. Wamsley Joseph M. Wells, III Chair Emeriti Henry M. Moore Paul S. Stirrup, ‘60 L. Newton Thomas Jr. Leonard J. Timms Jr.

D&E Invests in Facility Upgrades

By Linda Howell Skidmore

W

hen D&E students make their way to campus for the fall semester, they will see some upgrades to facilities. However, it’s the ones they won’t see that they will likely most appreciate come rain, cold weather or just about anytime they want to get online.

Once leaky roofs at Moyer Hall and above the kitchen area in Benedum Hall have been replaced, while a water runoff issue at Presidential Center has been corrected.

New boilers in Eshelman Science Center,

Davis & Elkins College, in compliance with Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the West Virginia Human Rights Act is an equal opportunity institution that does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, ancestry, national origin, age, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, gender identification, or genetic information or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, admission to and enrollment with the College, including, but not limited to, recruitment, selection, hiring, placement, transfer, promotion, training, compensation, benefits, discipline, termination, educational policies, admission policies, financial aid, scholarship and loan programs, housing, athletic and other College-administered programs and activities. Inquiries regarding Title IX and/or 504 compliance and the filing of a complaint should be referred to the College’s Title IX/Section 504 Coordinator or Deputy Coordinators.

On the Cover

Parked in front of the Gatehouse to lead the way into a new academic year are Davis & Elkins College students Jonna Burnside and Hannah Shiflett, seated, and Victor Almeida Pires and Kelsie Roby. ©2018 Davis & Elkins College

Benedum Hall and Darby, Roxanna Booth and Gribble residence halls will keep rooms warm when the fall chill arrives. In addition, more than 20 heating and cooling units were replaced in Moyer Hall and Presidential Center.

While these improvements are the most essential to campus structures, students are apt to list Internet as their top priority.

Their calls to action were answered by the Information Services Office with significant improvement to wireless access in all dorms and Madden Student Center.

The Icehouse Attempts to keep rain water out of a cylindrical structure built into a hillside had not been successful. That is until this summer when students and alumni put forth special fundraising efforts. Then, alumnus Don “Bud” Bender, ’63, and his crew from Raleigh, North Carolina, along with Dave Harper and his crew from Earthworks Excavators of Beverly, went to work to find a solution.

An upgraded drainage system, masonry corrections and water proofing should keep the water at bay. Incidentally, a new patio floor was added.

Roadways and Walkways Dodging potholes along the road leading to The McDonnell Center is a thing of the past.

Crews filled every hole and rolled a fresh coat of asphalt on the road and along the edge of the parking lot. Paving has also been completed in the parking area at Moyer Hall.

Anyone who’s weary of traveling the whole campus loop to grab a parking spot in the Boiler House lot will woe no more. Plans are in the works to widen the walkway across from Albert Hall, making it essentially an entrance ramp to the parking lot. A sidewalk will lead to the main campus drive.

Access between the upper and lower levels of Madden Student Center will be increased with a new set of stairs built into the embankment.

Outdoor staircases throughout campus also will be replaced or repaired.

Athletics Just in time for the kickoff of soccer season, fans can cheer on the Senators from elevated bleachers with a seating capacity of 300-plus.

Later, a red roof will top Martin Field House.

Inside, on the upper level, student-athletes will have their own fitness center. A new entryway will be constructed on the upper right side of the building. Robbins-Madden Fitness Center will remain open for the general campus population and visitors.

Red White and Boom: $100 Million and Climbing

By Linda Howell Skidmore

Spectacular fireworks illuminate the sky over Liberal Arts Hall to conclude the day long activities. Members of the campus community, along with thousands of area residents, lined the hillside to listen to the Davisson Brothers Band and view the traditional Fourth of July display.

“Never underestimate Davis & Elkins College!” Those were the words of D&E President Chris A. Wood in announcing that the Secure the Future campaign goal had been met and surpassed.

T

he final total of all gifts received at the conclusion of the June 30 deadline rang in at $101,422,304.

The figure topped the one Wood presented at a Garden Party luncheon for donors and their guests as the College continued to receive donations on the day of the campaign celebration.

A change in leadership for the Davis & Elkins College Board of Trustees came at the end of the day on June 30. June Myles, who served as chair of the board for the past five years, symbolically passes the gavel to the new Chair of the Board of Trustees Bill Nuttall, ’70.

Garden Party guests raise a glass to toast the success of the Secure the Future campaign.

The $100 million campaign was initiated in 2008 by D&E’s 12th President G.T. ‘Buck’ Smith as a solution to putting the College on financially stable ground. Trustee Jim McDonnell helped the campaign hit high points in 2010 with a $10 million gift from the James S. McDonnell Family Foundation and in 2015 when Secure the Future was announced publicly with a $25 million challenge from James S. McDonnell III and the McDonnell Family Foundation.

Dear President Wood,

June 3, 2018

This year is a very special time for Davis & Elkins College. When my grandfather and great uncle founded the college in 1904, they were looking toward the future. Today as you would say, “The Journey Continues.”

Congratulations on meeting the challenge of the Secure the Future campaign.

Bill and I are pleased to have been a part along with other alumni, friends, associates and the community that have helped to secure the future. Wisely allocated resources will now be available to carry out the College’s mission and protect the investment in campus facilities.

All the best, Grace and Bill Jordan

How Did We Get to $101,422,304 Million?

TIMELINE

Secure the Future Campaign initiated

2008

WHO CONTRIBUTED

Secure the Future was announced publicly with a $25 million challenge from James S. McDonnell III and the McDonnell Family Foundation

2010 $10 million gift from the James S. McDonnell Family Foundation

2015

5,700 DONORS

2018

23,900+

$100 million goal surpassed

GIFTS

HOW IT ADDS UP

GIFTS 39.5% FUTURE $40,089,304 Includes

McDonnell Challenge, Estate Commitments, Multi-year Gift Commitments

59% CASH $59,778,000 Includes

Realized Estate Gifts $7,680,573 Stocks $1,739,573

ESTATE 1.5% REAL $1,555,000

The West Virginia Highlanders of Davis & Elkins College, the campus community and area residents gather at the arcade between Albert Hall and Liberal Arts Hall before processing to the Outdoor Amphitheatre for a public announcement on the success of the Secure the Future campaign.

“

Today is a tipping point when we move courageously and boldly toward a bright future of distinction and excellence built upon a solid foundation.

– President Chris A. Wood

Some of the gifts were designated for specific purposes – the establishment of four endowed chairs, the creation of 39 new endowed scholarships and additional ongoing efforts. Other designated gifts have funded projects completed within the 10-year campaign, including the $1 million Nuttall Field, renovations to Myles Center for the Arts and new roofs at Halliehurst and the Boiler House Theatre, among others.

While gifts committed through planned giving count toward the campaign total, the

“

Students, trustees, alumni, faculty, staff and friends of the College rallied to help meet the challenge. Throughout the campaign, nearly 5,700 donors made more than 23,900 gifts represented by cash, stocks, real estate, planned giving and realized estate gifts.

timeframe in which they will be received by the College varies. Some donors have agreed to give certain sums of money in increments over an approximate five-year period topping $4 million, and others have added D&E as a beneficiary in their wills, which will eventually amount to just above $18.6 million. Gifts of personal property, such as items in the Reckling Collection in The Stirrup Gallery, count toward the goal as well.

The dedication of the Claire Deiss Fiorentino Chair in Theatre Arts at Davis & Elkins College drew current and former members of the Division of Creative Arts faculty, along with administrators, alumni and staff. From left are, Professor of Theatre Arts Emeritus Terry Hayes, Instructor of Theatre Emerita Ruth Humphrey, Associate Professor of Art Michael Doig, D&E President Chris A. Wood, Assistant Professor of Theatre Bridget Rue Esterhuizen and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Rob Phillips.

“The gifts ranged from $1 to $25 million, and this total would not have been possible without every single one of them,” Wood said expressing gratitude, humility and joy.

The celebration marked one of the most significant days in the College’s 114-year history and the success of its largest ever fundraising effort. The day long event included the installation of the A. Jean Minnick Chair in Sport Science and the Claire Deiss Fiorentino Chair in Theatre Arts at Davis & Elkins College, an art exhibit by Associate Professor of Art Michael Doig, extended hours for The

The College community, alumni and guests enjoyed a picnic supper on the Halliehurst porch before taking in the evening’s activities of music and fireworks.

Davis & Elkins College student Mason Fox, right, was among speakers at the Outdoor Amphitheatre who detailed the Secure the Future campaign by the numbers. Fox spoke about the importance of scholarships in helping students attend D&E and of the special connection he made early in his college career. In addition to obtaining an education, Fox gained a foster family – D&E Director of Admission Matt Shiflett, left, and his wife, Janet, not pictured. Vice President for Enrollment Management and Institutional Advancement Rosemary Thomas, center, cheers on the two in a day of celebration.

Davis & Elkins College Professor Emerita Dr. A. Jean Minnick, seated, is honored at the installation ceremony for the A. Jean Minnick Chair in Sport Science. Offering words of praise are, standing from left, D&E Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Rob Phillips, Chair of the Department of Sport Science and inaugural holder of the Minnick Chair Dr. Mary Ann DeLuca, ’80, D&E President Chris A. Wood and alumnae Carmel Shearer, ’82.

Stirrup Gallery and Arts Ink., a campus picnic, music by the Davisson Brothers Band and a fireworks display.

“Today is a tipping point when we move courageously and boldly toward a bright future of distinction and excellence built upon a solid foundation,” Wood said.

GIFT DESIGNATION HIGHLIGHTS

FUTURE GIFTS $40,089,304

ENDOWMENT $23,259,772

CAPITAL $16,543,601

RESTRICTED $10,857,270

UNRESTRICTED $10,672,357

Some donors agree to give certain sums of money in increments over an approximate five year period, while others have added D&E as a beneficiary in their wills.

Gifts to endowment are invested. The annual income from the investment is used to support the mission of the College.

For example:

Represents funds donors have designated for:

Some donors request their gifts be used for a specific purpose. Examples of restricted gifts for the Secure the Future campaign are:

Donors’ gifts are added to the general fund, which help support:

• 59 new or increased commitments to Heritage Society • $4.2 million to be received over the next five years

• The G.T. ‘Buck’ Smith Presidential Chair • The Joyce Butler McKee Allen Chair in Education • The Jean A. Minnick Chair in Sport Science • The Claire Deiss Fiorentino Chair in Theatre Arts at Davis & Elkins College • 39 New Endowed Scholarships

$65 M

2025 PROJECTED ENDOWMENT

$40 M

$30 M

$20 M

$10 M

$40 M

CURRENT ENDOWMENT

$21 M

2008 ENDOWMENT

• Building construction or repair • In-kind gifts • Jordan and Gross Homes added to the campus • Caboose • The Icehouse • Nuttall Field

• The Morrison-Novakovic Center for Faith and Public Policy • A four year BSN Program, coming in Fall 2019

• Financial aid and scholarships • Academic program support • Institutional support • Student services • Campus upkeep

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