DePauw Magazine Spring 2022

DePauw M A G A Z I N E

Spring 2022

IN THIS ISSUE: DePauw’s expansive contribution to book publishing / Student newspaper’s profound effect on journalism / and more

From Inkling to Ink How a book becomes a book

LEADERS THE WORLD NEEDS

’62 champ still swimming after all these years

L

ettering for four years doesn’t necessarily top off a sporting career, nor does college graduation terminate it.

A two-decade lull in competition while establishing a professional life and raising a family doesn’t spell the end. Nor does a bout of cancer. Even induction in 1996 into DePauw’s Athletics Hall of Fame didn’t cap George “Muggs” Thornton ’62’s swimming life. At this writing, the 82-year-old is awaiting word about a possible relay-team swim in the English Channel next summer.

If it happens, it will be just the latest event in a lifetime spent in the water.

Though he swam in pools throughout the recent winter, Thornton, who said he is driven to set goals and achieve them, much prefers long-distance, open-water swims.

Last August, he was the second-oldest swimmer to complete the Bosphorus CrossContinental Swim, a 6.5-kilometer race that took him from Asia to Europe in an hour and a quarter. In September, he swam on a relay team – the youngest members of which were 65 – that crossed the English Channel. Thornton originally recruited

five other octogenarians for the team, but when COVID-19 travel restrictions prevented swimmers from New Zealand and South Africa from reaching England, last-minute recruits completed the team.

The six members rotated time in the water and swam 15 hours and 19 minutes before Thornton, achieving “a lifetime goal,” walked ashore near Calais, France.

He previously attempted, at 73, to be the oldest person to solo the channel; he had swum more than 19 miles over 9.5 hours when he became delirious from hypothermia and had to stop.

From age 45 to 71, Thornton competed in 94 triathlons, which consist of swimming, biking and running varying distances, depending on the event. Twelve of them were IRONMAN® races, and two of those were on the grueling route in Kona, Hawaii.

Competing in triathlons, he said, was a manifestation of his midlife crisis.

He started swimming at age 10 for the Dayton, Ohio, YMCA and participated in the 1956 Olympic trials. When he was considering college, some friends attended Ohio State University, then a swimming powerhouse, and he thought he’d go

too. But he didn’t like “the big-school atmosphere,” and found DePauw – where still other friends attended – attractive.

He was a Rector scholar who started out studying business, but also was intrigued by psychology, especially after hearing from a guest lecturer from IBM. He saw industrial psychology as a way to combine those interests and apply “scientific methods to the study of human resource management issues.”

Meanwhile, Thornton was conference champion three years – 1960, 1961 and 1962 – in his individual events, the 220and 440-yard freestyle, and led his team to conference championships the same years.

He was captain his senior year.

He went on to earn master’s and doctoral degrees in industrial psychology at Purdue University before spending his career as a professor at Colorado State University. He also has been an industrial psychology consultant for many companies, has written seven books and has another on the way. He retired from a regular job about five years ago, but has no plans to retire from swimming.

DePauw

M A G A Z I N E

Spring 2022 / Vol. 84 / Issue 3 depauw.edu/offices/communicationsmarketing/depauw-magazine/ STAFF Mary Dieter University editorial director/director of media relations marydieter@depauw.edu 765-658-4286 Kelly A. Graves Director of creative and marketing services Joel Bottom Staff videographer/photographer Brittney Way Staff photographer Donna Grooms Gold Nuggets editor dgrooms@depauw.edu

IN THIS ISSUE

2

DePauw Digest

4

Letters to the Editor

5

Book Nook

6

From Inkling to Ink: How a book becomes a book

27

1,000 Words’ Worth

28

Old Gold by John Blake ’66

30

The DePauw at 170

39

First Person by Samuel Autman

41

Gold Nuggets/In Memoriam

Photo: Chris Wolfe

Leaders the World Needs: George Thornton ’62

The Bo(u)lder Question by Maggie Schein

EDITORIAL BOARD: Emily Chew ’99, development communications writer; Anne Cunningham, vice president for development and alumni engagement; Deedie Dowdle, vice president for communications and marketing; Sarah McAdams, internal communications manager; Leslie Williams Smith ’03, executive director of alumni engagement; Chris Wolfe, director of content and digital strategy.

SPRING 2022 DEPAUW MAGAZINE I 1

DEPAUW DIGEST Free expression President Lori White recently provided an update on the freedom of expression statement being drafted by members of the DePauw community.

The statement has been affirmed by the DePauw faculty and the Board of Trustees is expected to discuss and vote on it at its May meeting. “We really thought that our campus value statement should be reflective of the DePauw community,” and not duplicative of other universities’ statements, she said at a Feb. 10 forum that featured her conversation with Jonathan Rauch, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. “It talks about the values of freedom of expression as part of a liberal arts institution. It talks about the relationship of freedom of expression to diversity, equity and inclusion,” she said. “It talks about our rights and responsibilities, and our rights and responsibilities as members of the community.

The first step for us is for us to articulate those values and make sure that all of us understand what those values are, and commit to living up to them as part of our community.”

White said the university also has created a free expression webpage to provide resources for students and will discuss free expression at orientation for first-year students each fall.

“We really want to be a model here for freedom of expression,” she said.

Golden performance Six alumni were inducted into the DePauw Athletics Hall of Fame Nov. 6.

They are Sara Sabin Alger ’98, women’s soccer; David Blackburn II ’04, football; Katie Reis Bonomo ’03, women’s swimming and diving; Jay Pettigrew ’97, football; Steve Ray ’79, baseball; and Megan Soultz ’10, softball.

As this issue of DePauw Magazine was put to bed, university leaders at every level were putting the finishing touches on DePauw Bold & Gold 2027, the strategic plan for the next five years. Its goal is to attract and retain the best students, faculty and staff to DePauw and to be a model for the 21st-century liberal arts university, “one that fortifies and builds on our foundation as an extraordinary liberal arts institution and is responsive to the changing needs and expectations of the current and future student we are recruiting to DePauw,” President Lori S. White said.

We’ll tell you much more in the summer issue.

Gratefully gold The impact of DePauw’s Day of Giving Nov. 10 by the numbers.

6%

RAISED

Students

$408,764 1,541 DONORS

15%

FROM

40

STATES AND

8

COUNTRIES besides the U.S.

2 I DEPAUW MAGAZINE SPRING 2022

Bold and gold plan

Parents 6%

Faculty/Staff

6%

Friends 67%

Alumni

Golden achievement Six DePauw seniors have been chosen to join Orr Fellowship, a twoyear, post-graduate program that places high-achieving students into full-time, paid jobs at companies or organizations in Indianapolis. They were among 100 students offered jobs out of nearly 1,200 applicants this year.

The seniors are Cesar Mendoza, Maya Caldwell, Isabelle Beg, Jenna Purichia, Erika Marchant and Anthony Treadaway.

Civic responsibility DePauw students voted at a significantly higher rate in the 2020 presidential election than in the 2016 election. The National Study of Learning, Voting and Engagement, conducted by the Institute for Democracy & Higher Education at Tufts University, found that 71.1% of DePauw students voted in 2020, up from 44.7% in 2016, a jump of 26.4 percentage points. DePauw students outpaced their peers nationally, 66% of whom voted in 2020, up 14 percentage points from 2016, and all Americans, 61% of whom voted in 2016 and 67% in 2020.

Gridiron gold DePauw offensive lineman Zac Bowman ’22 was named to NCAA Division III Football Second Team Academic All-America® in December. Bowman, a biochemistry major, had a 3.77 cumulative grade point average.

Meanwhile, 16 players were named to the 2021 AllNorth Coast Athletic Conference football teams in November, and head coach Brett Dietz was voted Coach of the Year. Dietz, in his second year as head coach, led the Tigers to an 9-3 season (8-1 in NCAC play) and the program’s first NCAC title since DePauw joined the conference in 2012.

The team also earned a spot in the Division III playoffs, defeating RoseHulman Institute of Technology before losing to University of WisconsinWhitewater in the second round.

DePauw had never before advanced that far in the playoffs.

On the downside, the Monon Bell is in residence in Crawfordsville. Until next year, that is.

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Globally gold

Green too

DePauw was recognized for producing more scholarship winners from the U.S. State Department’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program – 53 – over the past 20 years than most small institutions in America. The Gilman provides funds for Pell Grant recipients to study abroad.

The university also was recognized among the top baccalaureate colleges in the country for opportunities for students to study abroad. The Open Doors ® Report ranked DePauw No. 2 for short-term programs of three weeks or less, with 382 students participating; No. 3 for undergraduate participation, at an estimated 115.6%, possible because some students participate more than once; and No. 4 in the number of students who studied abroad, 466.

DePauw is one of the nation’s most environmentally responsible colleges, according to “The Princeton Review Guide to Green Colleges: 2022 Edition,” published in October.

The unranked list of 420 schools was based on a survey of administrators at 835 colleges in about their institutions’ commitment to the environment and sustainability.

LETTERS

DePauw M A G A Z I N E

Fall 2021

IN THIS ISSUE: Saving one starfish at a time / It’s official: Madam President / Inspired veeps / and more

The Solution Seekers

TO THE EDITOR: Professor Dittmer’s statement [The Bo(u)lder Question, fall 2021 issue] regarding Georgia making it illegal to give water to voters standing in line is incorrect and reflects both ignorance of the law and bias and prejudice.

A cursory check of PolitiFact and a reading of the law would show the error, and “obviously targeting minority

4 I DEPAUW MAGAZINE SPRING 2022

districts” is an opinion without merit.

Also, registered students at DePauw from other states could easily have requested absentee/mail-in-ballots.

Lastly, The Wall Street Journal and other publications have surveyed many of the laws recently passed by predominantly GOP-led states and found them somewhat less restrictive than many Democrat-led states.

While most states relaxed voting procedures in 2020 due to COVID, they have revised them for many different reasons and courts have ruled that requiring a photo ID to vote isn’t racially discriminatory.

– Jim Knapp ’63 Editor’s note: We checked, as Mr. Knapp suggested, and found that the law says: “No person shall solicit votes in any manner or by any means or method … including, but not limited to, food and drink, to an elector …” (politifact.com/factchecks/2021/mar/29/ josh-holmes/facts-about-georgias-banfood-water-giveaways-vote/)

A LITTLE BIRDIE SAID:

BOOK NOOK Is a recent read occupying your thoughts? Has a book indelibly imprinted your life?

We want to hear from you. Send your recommendation to marydieter@depauw.edu.

What We’re Reading

By Courtenay Grass ’02 Octavia Butler (1947-2006) was an acclaimed and award-winning science-fiction writer and a trailblazer as one of the first Black women in the genre. Her novel “Kindred,” published in 1979, while primarily categorized as sci-fi, is a literary blend of historical fiction, enslaved peoples’ narratives, women’s fiction and fantasy.

In California in the mid-’70s (although it could easily be present day), Dana, a Black woman, is suddenly ripped from her home and her life with her new husband and transported to antebellum Maryland. She finds a white boy drowning on a slave plantation and saves him, and then is confronted with a shotgun. She’s sent back to her present day before being shot, and thus begins a back-and-forth between these two periods of time. Each instance she’s stuck a bit longer in the pre-Civil War South, becoming a resident of the plantation, where her experiences from modern America make her life in slavery even more complex and challenging to survive. Each journey back in time comes with more risk, more despair and more uncertainty of being able to return home.

The TV network FX recently ordered a series adaptation of “Kindred.”

Lisa Hendrickson ’81 “Burning the Breeze: Three Generations of Women in the American West”

Clarissa Peterson, professor of political science, and Emmitt Y. Riley III, associate professor of Africana studies and political science “Racial Attitudes in America Today/One Nation, Still Divided”

The President’s Book Club DePauw University’s mission is to develop leaders the world needs. It seems appropriate, then, that we learn about the attributes, development and obstacles of four of our nation’s outstanding leaders.

President Lori White has selected “Leadership in Turbulent Times” by Doris Kearns Goodwin for the next President’s Book Club gathering.

Goodwin, a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and author, writes about the leadership qualities of Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Lyndon B. Johnson. According to the book jacket, “this seminal work provides an accessible and essential road map not only for aspiring and established leaders in every field but for all of us in our everyday lives. In today’s polarized world, these stories of authentic leadership in times of fracture and fear take on a singular urgency.”

Dr. White will lead a Zoom discussion of the book from 7-8:30 p.m. Monday, April 25. If you’d like to participate, email marydieter@ depauw.edu by April 18 to receive an invitation to the virtual gathering.

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GOLD WITHIN

FROM INKLING TO INK: How a book becomes a book

E

ven avid readers for whom books are an indispensable ingredient of life may know little about how a would-be-author’s inkling evolves into the hefty volume, digital tome or audio rendition that so delights, intrigues, infuriates or informs them.

From authors to agents, editors to ad directors, sales people to publicists, DePauw is well represented in the book world. We asked DePauw alumni to tell us about the work they do to put the written word into readers’ hands. Or ears.

We also asked two English professors: Why do DePauw graduates gravitate to book publishing?

“I think that people drawn to publishing love sentences and feel that their work matters for intrinsic reasons: The printed word provides valuable information or exciting ideas or eloquent language – often a mixture of all three,” said Andrea Sununu, who has taught at DePauw for more than 30 years.

“Accordingly, because English majors also like people, they are eager to share this wealth. The many students I have known who go into publishing are readers who take pleasure in discussing literature and who, as either literary critics or creative writers, revel in finding the mot juste in their aim to make their own writing precise, concise and lively.”

She provided an excerpt from an email from a former student who works in publishing: “It’s kind of a riot to work on a team of people who are as fanatical about commas as I am,” the alumna wrote. “We have incredibly impassioned discussions about punctuation and how to best phrase sentences. My first week here, everyone was gathered around one of the editors, discussing an editing quandary, and I was just sort of listening and smiling to myself.

And one of them caught my eye and said, ‘You’re in heaven right now, aren’t you?’”

Gregg Schwipps, a 1995 graduate who returned to his alma mater to teach, said DePauw’s collaborative and respectful learning style prepares graduates to thrive in publishing.

His writing workshop, in which students write critiques of their classmates’ essays, “forces the students to develop their critical eye. It forces them to be able to put in writing what they think is working in a story and what isn’t working in a story. … In that way, we’re really building editors. We’re building critics. We’re building copy editors, and we’re building readers.”

Schwipps said his gut tells him DePauw graduates “tend to get promoted quicker, and over others,” largely because they’ve learned to offer criticism “without being mean. … We do produce a good number” of such people.

“Those are people that others want to be around. And so, when it’s time to promote somebody, that’s the first kind of person promoted.”

6 I DEPAUW MAGAZINE SPRING 2022

Acknowledgement We are grateful to the Queens Public Library at Hunters Point, which The New York Times’s architecture critic said is “among the finest and most uplifting public buildings New York has produced so far this century,” for allowing freelance photographer Jörg Meyer to shoot photos on site.

We extend special thanks to Elisabeth “Lisi” de Bourbon, the library’s communications director, for making the photo shoot possible.

S

amuel Autman was in his first newspaper job when he summoned the courage to write a first-person essay about his abusive father. It ran on Father’s Day 1990 on the Tulsa World’s front page.

“The response to that piece really told me that I had an interest in narrative writing,” said Autman, an associate English professor at DePauw. “I didn’t know that was what a personal essay was, but people were really moved by it.”

He wrote more essays over the years, some for the newspapers where he worked and later, after he came to teach at DePauw, for publication in literary magazines. He spent 15 years writing and revising “Our Eyes Were Watching Marcia,” a personal essay framed by “The Brady Bunch” TV show. The Bellevue Literary Review published it last October online and in the hard copy of its 20th anniversary edition, “a gift of visibility I could not have imagined.”

The essay drew the attention of the principals at a New York literary agency, who sent an email telling Autman it “made us feel that you have the talent to write a publishable book.”

Said Autman: “My hope was to write a piece that would elicit this kind of response. That was my goal all along.”

THE MEMOIRIST-IN-THE-MAKING Now he is polishing his proposal, the skeleton of which has been in the works for years, to “make the voice more in line with what the agent liked about that piece.” His next challenge, he said, is “how do you have a through line that you can continue for 15 to 20 chapters that will keep somebody interested? … I’ve got it all mapped out. It’s just a matter of putting it in a voice. And maybe this agent won’t want it, but there are other agents out there who will want it.”

Photo: Brittney Way

By Mary Dieter

SPRING 2022 DEPAUW MAGAZINE I 7

THE FICTION AUTHOR

I

f one word describes Chris White’s journey from writer to published author, it’s “perseverance.”

“Perseverance,” she said, “is all. … So much of it is sticking with it, and believing in it, believing in the project even during those hard times.”

White, a DePauw professor of English, is the author of “The Life List of Adrian Mandrick,” a novel that she worked on for 15 years before it was published in 2018.

This was after her first agent quit the business and her second decided her manuscript wasn’t sufficiently commercial.

“I had just given up on it, honestly,”

8 I DEPAUW MAGAZINE SPRING 2022

Photo: Brittney Way

By Mary Dieter

she said. “I was lying in bed one night and I said, ‘You know what? I think you may need to accept that this isn’t going to happen. How are you going to do that? How are you going to emotionally position yourself to accept that?’ And it was probably two days later that my agent said, ‘yes, Simon & Schuster wants the book.’”

Or maybe the watchword is “research.”

Hundreds of hours. “Research was paramount,” White said. “... Research isn’t just for getting things right. It’s also a generative process. You can get actual direction in your plot or reveal things about your character or characters or

location that changes plot – things that you never would find otherwise. …

“I found my best research often happens talking to people,” who “really want to talk about what they know.” Because her protagonist is an avid bird-watcher, she spoke to a dozen top birders, two of them repeatedly. Doctors helped her understand anesthesiology, her main character’s occupation. She researched locations, opioid addiction and Army Rangers.

Or perhaps the right word is “revision.”

In the book’s early iterations, its style was more lyrical and experimental; the prose included journal entries about body parts and marriage.

White’s own learning and inclination, as well as suggestions from agents and other readers, led to substantial revisions. Adrian had been the antagonist, switched after novelist Robert Boswell, at DePauw for the Kelly Writers Series, read the manuscript and told White “you just have to admit it; he has taken over the whole book.” Boswell also pointed out that “some of the best stuff in your book … has got to go.”

Said White: “I sent him a bottle of scotch and then started rewriting again. …

It’s probably inconceivable for people who maybe haven’t gone through that process to imagine how much revision was involved.”

She estimated she wrote 50 drafts.

“I really love the revision process; I genuinely do,” said White, who is working on her second novel. “The painful part for me, really, is writing the initial drafts.

Once you have something, it’s fun to mess with it and try to get it right.”

“A

good nonfiction book,” said James B. Stewart ’73, “is a tremendous amount of work. And it is hard. …

“If it were so easy, nobody would need me to do it.

So there’s a silver lining.”

Stewart would know. He is completing his 11th nonfiction book and, like most of his others, it is an expanded exploration of a topic he covered as a Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper reporter and columnist or as a contributor to The New Yorker.

The stories are timely, but because of the multi-year process spanning idea to publication, “you want themes to emerge in the book that, at least in my view, are fairly timeless” and provide “a window into human nature,” he said. He has written about lawyers and prosecutors, a murderous physician and a 9-11 hero, business and politics.

When he began work on his latest book, which details the Redstone family’s battle to control ViacomCBS Inc., he continued writing his column for The New York Times but soon took a leave of absence – a luxury that Stewart, like most new writers, could not afford early in his book-writing career. While writing his bestselling 1991 book, “Den of Thieves,” he worked days as the front page editor of The Wall Street Journal and wrote six or seven hours at night.

“When I finally got to the end of that, I said ‘never again,’” he said. Even with a leave from his day job, Stewart said, the constant work makes weekdays and weekends blur.

After he submits a manuscript to his editor and his agent for their feedback, he’ll make revisions and continue reporting, verifying facts with original sources and maybe showing them what he has written “to make sure that I haven’t misinterpreted something,” he said. If a mistake is found, “I correct that. Then somebody will give me an anecdote where there are three people involved and I have no reason to doubt them but, in the fact-checking process, if not before, I have to go to the other participants and say, ‘I heard this; did the following happen?

And, if not, what did happen?’

“I’m sure readers don’t have any idea that a one-paragraph description of the meeting can take weeks of time before you get everybody.”

Yet he is not put off by the work, which he finds “deeply satisfying. … I think every writer has moments of anxiety and doubt along the way like, ‘oh, my God, is this going to work out? Is this comprehensible? Is this really a book? Does it make sense?’

“You know, you can be wracked with doubt and you finally get over the line and realize that you are proud of it, which in the end is more important, I think, than what anyone else says. It’s a really wonderful feeling.”

THE NONFICTION AUTHOR

By Mary Dieter

Photo: Jörg Meyer

SPRING 2022 DEPAUW MAGAZINE I 9

THE CHILDREN’S AUTHOR AND ILLUSTRATOR

By Emily Chew

THE BESTSELLER

A

s a teenager, John Jakes ’53, the only child of parents who were avid readers, worked as a page in a branch of the Chicago Public Library, allowing him, he said, “to take out more ‘adult’ books such as the Ellery Queen mysteries.”

Such was the inspiration for a long and prolific career as a novelist best known for writing historical fiction and family sagas. Each of the eight volumes of “The Kent Family Chronicles,” published in the 1970s, was a bestseller. All three books of his Civil War trilogy, published in the 1980s, were No. 1 bestsellers. And he wrote many, many more books.

Jakes, 90 on March 31, said he stopped counting novels when he reached 81 books, though “a few more, though not many, followed.” He responded via email to questions posed by DePauw Magazine.

He still writes, “though no more ‘doorstop’ novels,” he said. When he was still writing those big novels, he outlined his plots, “but the final product often changes.” On a typical day, he wrote in the morning, then researched or edited during the afternoon. It took him about two years to produce a book.

10 I DEPAUW MAGAZINE SPRING 2022

Photo: Jen Krick Bischoff

N

ewspapers led Troy Cummings ’96 into his career as a prolific children’s book author and illustrator.

Practically as soon as he could hold a pencil, he was copying the Peanuts comic strip and creating stories of his own.

Later, he worked at The DePauw student newspaper to hone his illustration and graphic design skills.

In between, as a fifth grader, his school librarian handed him “The Phantom Tollbooth.” “I loved the story and the illustrations and read it a million times,” he said. “I remember seeing those names on the cover” and realizing he could aspire to a job involving writing and illustrating.

After graduation, he worked on the Chicago Tribune’s first website. “I probably could have stayed in newspapers,” he said.

“It’s a really fun place to work.”

Instead, he began taking on illustration and graphic design projects and soon was

a full-time freelancer who continued to develop his ideas for children’s picture books. He sent out dozens of book proposals, acquiring a stack of rejection letters pointing to ways he could improve.

Eventually, he landed an agent, and his first book was published: “The Eensy Weensy Spider Freaks Out!” More than 50 books have followed.

Cummings’s successes include his three Arfy books, starting with “Can I Be Your Dog?” He is in talks with a publisher to do a series of young reader books about Arfy, who is based on his childhood pet. He also has written two series of illustrated chapter books: “The Notebook of Doom” and “The Binder of Doom.”

He typically spends around three to four months on a book. With picture books, he creates a dummy, including the full manuscript and digitally created illustrations. With chapter books, he starts with a title and an outline. He ships off a completed manuscript to his agent, who provides notes; Cummings revises it and his agent shops the book to potential publishers.

His characters typically “have a big problem, or they want something and it can be something small but it needs to feel like it’s really big, emotionally big to the character,” he said. He likes to include surprises or mysteries for readers to solve or inspire them “to go out and do stuff.”

At some of his public appearances, readers will show up with notebooks full of monsters they’ve designed or dressed like his characters.

Because of the long production time – up to three years from pitch to publication – “I’m usually juggling multiple books at a time … doing some rough sketches for one book and final art for another book and then writing the text for a third book,” he said.

SPRING 2022 DEPAUW MAGAZINE I 11

THE ACCIDENTAL AUTHOR

By Mary Dieter

W.

Charles Bennett ’74 is a by-the-book guy, a straight-laced forensic accountant who had witnessed some injustices and wanted to set the record straight.

Early in his career, he investigated white-collar crime for three years as an FBI special agent, then moved to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, where for 14 years he conducted fraud investigations related to disaster cleanups. But it was in his work as a certified public accountant and consultant to professional sports organizations and figures where he ran into some situations that didn’t sit right with him.

He has written a book to give his version of the stories and exonerate a few former colleagues who he thinks were treated badly in the news media, largely because the whole story didn’t get told. “Dirt Under the Cap,” a selfpublished tome that came out last fall, is Bennett’s attempt to fix things. The title emanates from Bennett’s audit of the National Basketball Association’s salary cap, one of several stories he tells.

His book has been 20 years in the making. Back then, Bennett and Charles Grantham, the former executive director of the National Basketball Players Association, were interviewed at length by two journalists for a book about struggles in the association. But the writers were primarily focused on events that led to Michael Jordan’s second retirement from basketball in January 1999.

“This was way too much embellishment, and so we decided not to do that,” Bennett said. So he and Grantham – who had been investigated by federal agents on a separate matter – considered writing their own book.

Although Grantham was never charged, he decided against writing one, telling Bennett that doing so “would just cause some more pain.”

All these years later, it still bugged Bennett that Grantham had been wrongly accused. He also was troubled that the reputation of basketball star Isaiah Thomas, who bought the Continental Basketball Association, was, in Bennett’s view, unfairly sullied when the association went bankrupt. Bennett, who was a consultant to Thomas, decided to write about that too.

He started the book around 1999 and worked on it intermittently until 2020, when a friend challenged him to finish it.

“I’ve kept a diary for probably 40 years as to what I do every day,” and that eased the writing process. “I just basically started writing from my calendar. … The editing part was the toughest part. What did I miss? What should I not include? And what’s not clearly explained?”

He said the experience taught him that the most important ingredient for someone to write a book “is the motivation. … That’s what will help you bridge the gap between the concept and the actual, published document.”

12 I DEPAUW MAGAZINE SPRING 2022

J

onathan Bailor ’05 was a user-experience designer at Microsoft, owner of 26 patents, but something had bugged him since he worked as a personal trainer to pay for college.

Why would some people fail to lose weight even when they exercised and restricted calories, while others couldn’t gain weight no matter how much they ate?

He spent 10 years seeking answers from medical experts and other scientists. When he thought he had some, his Microsoft colleagues urged him to write a book.

He did that, and started his own publishing company to publish it.

THE SELF-PUBLISHED AUTHOR

By Mary Dieter

“I don’t consider myself to be an expert on losing weight and being fit,” he said. “I consider myself to be a systems engineer. And the human body is the most complicated system in the world. So what I’m good at and what I did … was understand how complicated systems work and how to optimize them and how to make them understandable to normal people.”

The book sold 20,000 copies. A literary agent took notice and asked if Bailor would be interested in taking the book through traditional publishing. An auction ensued, the book’s title was changed to “The Calorie Myth” and the book hit bestseller lists.

After that, “we were able to get angel funding to build a wellness technology company that created tools and services to help people act on the information found in that book,” Bailor said. He left Microsoft, and now is chief executive of the wellness company, Sane Solution, and two others: Even Better Media, which has produced a documentary called “Better,” and Nourish, which sells packaged goods.

Bailor knows not everyone can start a publishing company, so he suggests those with a passion project use a self-publishing company. Those who do, he said, must be ready to “do it on your own. You put it out there, you essentially make your own success.”

Photo: James Ramirez

SPRING 2022 DEPAUW MAGAZINE I 13

THE GHOSTWRITER

By Mary Dieter

O

ver the past 30 years, Mary Jane “Jayme” Scully Robinson ’74 has written thousands of words, and gotten public credit for almost none of them.

One man insisted that, because he could barely read, no one would believe he could write an autobiography. She got a byline for that one. But Robinson, who has written about 120 memoirs in other people’s voices, is a ghostwriter, and “you do not receive credit.

You have to know that going in, and love the task of doing it so much that it doesn’t matter.”

Her “acute interest in people and human behavior” caused Robinson, as a DePauw student, to plan a career in clinical psychology.

But it was the 1970s, and the wife deferred her own graduate schooling so her husband could attend law school. She edited his briefs and “his friends caught on to me,” and she “discovered that I had an ability to work with the words of others and make them sound just like they wrote it, but better.”

Several years later, she was asked

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to edit the life story of a 102-year-old woman – and learned the project was much more involved than spotting typos. Her ghostwriting career began.

To be a ghostwriter, she said, one must write well, conduct productive interviews, “have a deep interest in people,” be curious and nonjudgmental and engender trust.

Robinson, who may have four projects going on at once, interviews a client for 22 to 28 hours for a full-blown memoir, less time for those who want to spend less and cover only highlights of their life.

She listens carefully and coaxes clients to connect the dots in their lives, then pores over transcripts to ensure she adopts the client’s voice. When the client mentions public events, she checks facts and provides context; for example, if a client says his father fought at Iwo Jima, she’ll summarize the World War II battle.

Twelve to 18 months after the interviews are completed, Robinson delivers the first draft, then works with the client on revisions. The whole process takes at least two years, but clients are generally OK with that, she said, because “nobody wants to hire a ghostwriter who doesn’t have any jobs.”

She does not advertise; she gets her work through referrals. Most clients want to preserve their story for their offspring, but she also has been hired by companies to write founders’ memoirs. Printing orders for her books range from 25 to 12,000 copies.

A compliment from a client or a reader “means so much more than seeing my name on something. That’s not important at all, because the process of what I do is the joy of it.”

B

THE NICHE PUBLISHER

By Mary Dieter

rittain Phillips ’03 knew he wanted a career in publishing, “but I didn’t want to be in New York. …

“Pretty bad decision-making, right?” he said.

“If you want to work in book publishing, New York is the place.”

Not necessarily. Phillips and his now-wife, Sarah Glass Phillips ’03, opted instead to move to Charleston, South Carolina – something that may strike some as “an ill-advised move,” as he put it, but led him to a career in niche publishing. In 2005, he joined History Press as its first sales and marketing person. He and four other employees each “did a little bit of everything, pitching in wherever help was needed,” at the fledgling company, which published 20 local history books in its first year.

He had become managing director by 2014, when Arcadia Publishing, which likewise published local history books, acquired History Press. Phillips continued to work on the business side, rising to director of business development when, early last year, Arcadia tapped Phillips to be its CEO. Arcadia has five imprints, publishes nearly 500 books a year, has a catalogue of 17,000 titles and employs more than 100 people. Books focus on localities, their culture, folklore, events and claims to fame. In 2019, the company merited a glowing feature in The Washington Post, which credited Arcadia for “quietly rescuing remnants of history from the flames of oblivion,” with each title “conceived with a fanatically specific market in mind.”

It’s so specific that visitors to arcadiapublishing.com may search by ZIP code to find books of interest. Plug in 46135, and you’ll see, among other available books, “The Monon Bell Rivalry.”

“The sort of publishing I’m involved in is pretty different from most of the rest of the book publishing world,” Phillips said. “Local and regional publishing is definitely a niche within the publishing industry, and one that is certainly growing and being fueled by this longterm rising tide and the interest in all things local …

“Even though it can be unassuming, each place has a compelling story behind it. That certainly means more to the people who are there or the people who pass through there than it does to anyone else. But even in places that don’t necessarily seem exceptional, there are exceptional things going on and exceptional stories to be told.”

SPRING 2022 DEPAUW MAGAZINE I 15

THE LITERARY AGENT

By Mary Dieter

H

Photo: Rick Knight

e spent 13 years at a college textbook publisher, rising to become an executive editor.

But Michael Snell ’67 was bored.

It was the late ’70s, and he knew “there’s a writer sitting on every barstool in Cambridge.” But nearby Boston was bereft of literary agencies, so he decided to open one there. He relocated in 1986 to a town on Cape Cod since so much of his work was done remotely.

Over 44 years, he has shepherded more than 1,500 books to publication. Some were novels and children’s books, but his specialty is business books, including “The Oz Principle” and other bestsellers. His involvement was so extensive on some books that he merited acknowledgements and even some bylines.

Snell’s strong suit is project development, “the most important aspect of getting published,” he said. That can be as simple as copy editing or as extensive as wordsmithing. “Anybody can have a great idea, but developing that idea … takes time and patience and a lot of hard work,” he said. He requires those who query him – 50 to 100 a week – to submit lengthy proposals using his template, before he decides whether to represent them. They must provide details “on what the author is going to do – use websites, social media, speaking engagements, you name it – to sell books. Publishers like an author who can get out in front of the book and draw attention to the book. …

“The image of literary agents talking publishers into buying a novel or a nonfiction book over lunch – that’s just not the case,” he said. “It’s all done with book proposals – basically, business plans for books.”

Snell said “it’s dangerous to go to a cocktail party where people find out I’m a literary agent. … Writing a book is still a great dream for so many people, but for most people it’s not going to happen because they haven’t the wherewithal to do it.”

He tells the story of a client who heard from a reader that his 1995 book, “Finding Work Without Losing Heart,” persuaded the reader not to commit suicide.

“That epitomizes why people write books, why they should write books,” Snell said. “You write a book because you want to be rich and famous?

It’s probably not going to happen. It has to be because you want to make an important contribution, whether it’s artistically or informationally, to the world.”

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Y

ou’re in a children’s book store, and “you see a cover that’s just stunning, or it’s whimsical in some way. Or there’s an expression on a character’s face that just draws you in.

“And you really just want to open that cover and keep going,” said Kate Kendrick ’14. “And then the words draw you in, and then it becomes this beautiful, harmonious play of words and pictures. And that’s what really brings a story to life.”

Kendrick makes that harmony happen. She is an illustration agent, matching illustrators who create evocative art with publishers, licensing companies, greeting card companies and others. She is the global manager at Astound USA Inc., where she leads a team of six agents, including two in the United Kingdom, who find and develop their stable of 178 or so artists from around the globe and connect them with publishers for board books, picture books, graphic novels and more.

Publishers generally approach her team with specific ideas about the style of art – traditional mediums or graphic style, for example – that they desire, but she also pitches to publishers when “we have a pretty good idea of what they’re looking for,” she said. When the match is made, the artist starts work on a project that may take up to a year to complete.

THE ILLUSTRATION AGENT

By Mary Dieter

Kendrick, an abstract painter in her own right, is always on the lookout for new artists, and launches several each month. Her company keeps most of its freelancers busy full-time. The best part of her job, she said, is working one-on-one with an artist to develop that person’s ability to “have really good character interaction, subtle emotion or hidden details in a scene, something that you wouldn’t expect. That’s what we help them do – those little hidden gems that really put them at the next level as an illustrator.”

Photo: Jörg Meyer

SPRING 2022 DEPAUW MAGAZINE I 17

THE LITERARY FICTION EDITOR

By Mary Dieter

E

rin Wicks ’11 wanted so badly to be a book editor that she willingly took a few steps down the professional ladder to get that opportunity.

She had been hired as an e-book rights assistant at HarperCollins Publisher soon after her graduation from DePauw; within three years she was a producer of audiobooks, including the Grammynominated “Yes Please” by Amy Poehler.

But when a friend told her he was leaving his job as assistant to a renowned book editor, “I just thought I would always regret it if I didn’t see what editorial was all about.”

She got the job, and the accompanying pay cut. But it paid off. “It’s very much a mentorship industry,” she said. “That’s how I learned how to be an editor, how to do all of the other things in my job that you don’t normally think of when you think of what a book editor does.”

She started climbing the rungs again until she became a full-fledged editor at Harper, the publisher’s flagship imprint, where she acquired and edited books for the last three years. Among them was “The Love Songs of W.E.B. DuBois” by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers, an 816-page epic that landed on more “best of the year” lists than any other novel in 2021.

On Feb. 1, she moved to Zando, an independent publisher founded in 2020 that leverages the marketing clout of “influencers,” such as musician John Legend and Gillian Flynn of “Gone Girl” fame. Wicks is a senior editor there.

“As the editor, it’s your job to be bringing in the books, setting the vision

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Photo: Jörg Meyer

for publication and seeing the whole thing through,” Wicks said. “When you’re an editor, you’re wearing so many different hats.”

She courts agents “so they understand my tastes and I can get in strong submissions,” she said. Wicks’s taste in books is her “value as an editor.” She is especially interested in publishing authors who write from perspectives underrepresented in the marketplace.

When a book interests her, she calls the author to make sure they’re a good match and warns that “I am a very hands-on editor.” If the fit is good, she pitches the book up the chain of command, suggesting how much the company should bid at auction, the way most books are sold these days. If she acquires the book, she works closely with the author to develop its structure, characters and plot, conducting as many as eight rounds of edits and ultimately

homing in on individual word choices and sentence placement (but leaving grammar to the copy editors). Her edits of “Love Songs” took two years, and she often is editing four or five books at once.

Twelve months before publication, Wicks launches the book to the whole company, seeking to enlist marketers and publicists who will be as enthusiastic about the book as she is. She writes retailers’ copy and suggests a cover idea, then participates in a team that selects the final choice. She also acts as a liaison to the production team “to make the actual book happen.”

At its best, Wicks said, her relationship with an author is “deep and beautiful and meaningful. … My dream is to be the kind of editor that publishes my authors throughout their careers, and really develops those relationships.”

E

diting nonfiction books, said Brant Rumble ’95, executive editor at Hachette Brook Group, “is essentially a three-pronged job.

“One is the part that everyone would think of, which is the editing and book development, working with authors,” said Rumble. “Two is really that outreach part, where you’re networking with agents, you’re looking for writers who are doing interesting things. …

“And then three is … you’re the inhouse champion for a project. You’re not doing marketing, but you’re definitely in conversation with the person who is.”

Literary agents usually approach Rumble with a proposal for a nonfiction book, rather than a completed manuscript.

If he is interested, he meets with the prospective author and makes an offer based on his company’s expectations for sales or he pursues the book at auction.

Once a deal is struck, he gives the author a year to write the book.

Editor Nan Graham hired Rumble as her assistant at Scribner, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, a few months after he graduated from DePauw and completed a summer program in publishing. She taught him to pursue his tastes and bring in books he loved, he said. “It’s about finding the books you’re passionate about … and, of course, in order to keep going and advance, you have to have some success.”

He is drawn to books about music, sports and popular culture, especially

“quirky and fun stuff,” he said. He has published numerous bestsellers, including “Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs,” by Chuck Klosterman, and “Yours Cruelly, Elvira: Memoirs of the Mistress of the Dark”

by Cassandra Peterson. He has worked with Julie Andrews, George F. Will, Peter Frampton and Ken Jennings.

After two years with Graham, Rumble got a job as an editorial assistant. In all, he spent 19 ½ years at Scribner, moving up the ranks and “doing a little bit of everything.”

Eventually, he got restless, so he moved to Blue Rider Press. After that imprint was dissolved during the merger of Penguin and Random House, Rumble worked briefly as a freelance editor before landing at Hachette.

He publishes about a book a month.

His editing usually takes about twice as long as it would take the average reader to get through the book. “A lot of things are handled in the early development stage, when we’re talking through it and looking at an outline or an author wants me to

THE NONFICTION EDITOR

By Mary Dieter

read a particular piece to get feedback on that,” he said. “Generally, if things go to plan, usually the final manuscript I receive is in pretty good shape. It’s not something I have to rewrite or reconfigure.”

His goal, he said, is to develop a book as the author envisions it. Rumble said he rarely finds himself “pushing against a writer or trying to spin something different out of what I’m being given. It’s really a matter of helping every writer achieve that vision for what they want to do. It’s their book. Their name is on it, not mine.”

SPRING 2022 DEPAUW MAGAZINE I 19

THE ASSISTANT EDITOR

Photo: Jörg Meyer

By Mary Dieter

T

hey were riding in a car, having one of those talks, when Maria Manuela Mendez Da Silveira ’19 told her mother “I really just want a job where I can get paid to read.”

“Well,” said her mother, “there’s this thing called an editor, Maria.”

Since that day in seventh grade, Mendez knew that’s what she should do for a living.

She wavered a little when she realized, while working for The DePauw student newspaper and during an internship at CQ Roll Call, how much she loved journalism.

She was accepted in late 2019 into the Simon & Schuster Associates Program, which exposes diverse candidates to facets

20 I DEPAUW MAGAZINE SPRING 2022

of publishing. In her first rotation, Mendez worked with legendary editor Alice Mayhew, who edited books by President Jimmy Carter, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, historian Doris Kearns Goodwin and journalist Bob Woodward.

Working with Mayhew – as well as a summer institute and a master’s degree program in publishing – persuaded Mendez that she should pursue editorial work. A month after Mayhew’s February 2020 death, Mendez was plucked early and eagerly from the associates program to assist thenpublisher Jonathan Karp at the company’s flagship imprint. After he became CEO, she moved on to assist two prominent Black

women – Dana Canedy, senior vice president and publisher at the Simon & Schuster imprint, and LaSharah S. Bunting, vice president and executive editor – as well as the editorial director for fiction.

(In addition to the associates program, Mendez said she has seen progress toward diversity in the publishing industry, not only in employing those women and other people of color, but also in efforts to publish books by diverse authors and to ensure they are paid equitably for their work. “I’ve definitely seen a lot of people trying and working very hard to make sure that the industry becomes more diverse,” she said.)

As an assistant, Mendez performed administrative duties but also had the opportunity to read manuscripts, providing fresh eyes and suggesting edits. “As you go along, it’s very much an apprenticeship and you’ll start editing with whomever you’re supporting,” she said.

Earlier this year, Mendez was promoted to assistant editor, a job in which she acquires and edits her own list of books. She said she is striving to develop her taste – the hallmark of an editor – and choose between nonfiction, as she planned, and fiction, to which she recently has been attracted.

It is daunting, Mendez said, to know that her taste will determine what people read.

“But what job is better,” she said, “than being able to read other people’s blood, sweat and tears on the page and be able to publish that and work with (the author) to make it better and put it in other people’s hands?”

Y

ou’re intrigued by a book advertised on Instagram, and you click through to learn more.

Emily Jarrett ’09 has done her job. As the associate director of paid media strategy for the Random House division of Penguin Random House, she strategizes how to advertise a book, identifying appropriate social media platforms and sometimes print, television, radio and podcast media to reach the targeted audience.

Six months or so before a book is due to reach bookstores, Jarrett begins planning where to advertise it based on, among other things, its genre, its author’s renown and its target audience.

“My job is to take that budget and make recommendations on where we should spend it, where we should be promoting it with digital marketing, with advertising,” she said. “That’s based on my research, reporting and analysis of previous digital marketing campaigns and how they’ve performed. … We’re always thinking about the end reader and customizing our plans to be able to reach them.”

THE AD DIRECTOR

Photo: Jörg Meyer

By Mary Dieter

The industry is “really keen on analyzing metrics, analyzing data, to make sure that our ads are doing what they’re supposed to do, which is to inform and find the right consumer,” she said. So while some books are still advertised in traditional media, most dollars go toward digital.

After graduating from DePauw, Jarrett wanted to get into publishing so she moved in with relatives in Connecticut and took a publishing class in New York City. A classmate who worked in human resources for Sterling Publishing told her about an opening.

“When you want to get into publishing, you feel like you just get your foot in the door wherever you can,” she said. “And so it was an international sales assistant job for me.”

She worked her way up at several publishers, with detours at a streaming network and a digital marketing company, before landing at Penguin Random House in late 2020. She was on a team that executed much of the digital advertising before being promoted in December to the strategy position.

Her on-the-job training, she said, has prepared her to advertise virtually anything – she previously marketed baby wipes – but she is passionate about books.

“When you’re working in the publishing industry … you feel like it’s going to help people and help people connect with each other or help them to work through an issue they have or help them to make this beautiful meal for their families,” she said. “So I always feel good about the product I’m putting out there.”

SPRING 2022 DEPAUW MAGAZINE I 21

THE SALES DIRECTOR

By Mary Dieter

Photo: Jörg Meyer

S

he wanted to be a book editor, so Elizabeth Blue Guess ’10 took an entry sales position, “just a foot in the door,” at Hachette Book Group.

“It actually ended up being a perfect fit.”

Eight years later, Guess is the sales director of author brands, dreaming up creative ways to sell books written by such famed authors as Nicholas Sparks, David Baldacci, Elin Hilderbrand and Michael Connelly. Oh, and James Patterson, whom she calls “Jim” after spending two years focusing exclusively on the ad manturned-author, who – more than most authors – “likes especially being involved in all of the ideation and the advertising plans for every book. …

“We realized having this sort of

22 I DEPAUW MAGAZINE SPRING 2022

focused energy on some of our other authors would probably be a good idea,” she said. “So we broadened my scope a little bit to the other big commercial authors.”

Guess considers herself a “service person,” working collaboratively with individual sales representatives on major campaigns for those authors. After the sales team learns about a new book six to eight months before it is due to reach sellers’ shelves, she schedules brainstorming sessions with an individual rep whose client is, say, Barnes & Noble or Target, so as not to step on any toes. For the last several months, her major focus has been Patterson’s collaboration with Dolly Parton, “Run, Rose, Run,” published this month.

Earlier in her career, Guess sold to independent bookstores in metropolitan New York, a job she so relished that she said she may have made a career of it, had the Patterson gig not lured her away. She came to know her clients’ personalities – “what works at one store might not work down the street” – and engendered trust “that you’re making a recommendation that they think their customers will pick up.”

Her climb on the sales ladder has been rewarding – she recently was named a “rising star” by Publishers Weekly – and Guess, though an English writing major at DePauw, “quickly found that sales was just a really great balance of reading, talking about books, but also the business side of things, which was very appealing to me once I started to learn about how it all works.”

A

s publicity manager at Simon & Schuster, the third largest publisher in the U.S., Brianna Scharfenberg ’14 toils “to get the word out about new books.”

The process varies depending on the book, but Scharfenberg arranges all types of media exposure for authors, coordinates book tours with venues throughout the country, writes news releases, brainstorms opinion pieces and weighs in on editorial acquisitions.

“Any publicity hit can move a book in the right instance,” she said. So she works to cover all the bases, including spending a lot of time talking.

“Publishing is very much a people business; it’s very social,” she said. “Whether it’s editors having lunch with agents or publicists grabbing coffee with a magazine editor, it’s a big network.”

In addition, “I am there to navigate authors through the process and provide coaching and even emotional support at times,” she said. Some authors are as “cool as cucumbers,” Scharfenberg said. “But many are nervous to see how The New York Times or The Washington Post is going to review their book, or they get jitters before an NPR or ‘Today’ show interview.”

She has represented Pope Francis and the co-writer of “Let Us Dream,” and promoted biographies of Vice President Kamala Harris (“Kamala’s Way”), first lady Eleanor Roosevelt (“Eleanor”) and former German Chancellor Angela Merkel (“The Chancellor”). Subjects can be as wide ranging as NASA’s mission to Pluto (“Chasing New Horizons”) to the Brazilian Amazon (“Third Bank of the River”).

Since the pandemic caused reviewers and journalists to work from, well, wherever, Scharfenberg relies on email blasts to pitch books. Some reviewers respond, some don’t, and it may take multiple emails to get their attention.

Trade publications such as Kirkus Reviews and Library Journal print reviews ahead of publication so booksellers or librarians can order books coming down the pipeline.

Such reviews “can be helpful so that you can tell The New York Times, for example, ‘I hope you’ve enjoyed that copy I sent you. By the way, here’s what Kirkus said about the book.’ …

“And media begets media,” Scharfenberg said, so she may send another wave of outreach when the book is published to share great reviews and author interviews.

If all goes as planned, the author will go on tour and more media opportunities spring up. “I’ll continue to support them beyond publication throughout all of that too,” she said.

Photo: Flanders Creatives

THE PUBLICIST

By Sarah McAdams

SPRING 2022 DEPAUW MAGAZINE I 23

H

THE CHILDREN’S BOOK PUBLICIST

By Sarah McAdams

allie Patterson ’07 is creative. She has to be, really.

Her “clients” are kids, and getting them interested in books can be daunting, especially given the technological distractions in today’s world, not to mention the challenges the pandemic poses for authors trying to meet their young readers.

Patterson is the children’s publicity director at Abrams Books, a midsize publishing company. “I’m responsible for media and events, which are essentially how you break down publicity,” she said. “There are other pieces to it, but basically I secure media coverage and arrange author events for all of our kids’ book titles.”

She recently returned from a book tour with Jeff Kinney, author of the “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” series, whose books have sold more than 250 million copies.

With COVID-19 affecting personal contacts, Patterson and her team devised a drive-through tour to mimic traversing a movie set designed around the book’s sports theme.

“We had an oversized soccer goal and giant blowup balls.

Parents tried to ‘kick’ the balls with their car into a goal. The tours always culminate with Jeff handing the kids their signed copies of his book on a themed-device, which this time was a lacrosse stick, to embrace social distancing.

“It’s a lot of fun,” Patterson said.

She works with a marketing agency to arrange the sets.

For the most part, independent booksellers across the country host them, set up their venues and sell the books.

On the media side of the business, her goal is to make consumers aware of a book. “I work in tandem with our marketing department, which handles advertising and billboards, etc. I put together a list of media contacts to pitch.

I might say, ‘This book would be particularly good for The New York Times to review,’ or ‘this author would make a great segment on ‘CBS This Morning.’”

She identifies producers and editors to pitch. “Once I’ve secured something and an editor or journalist has said, ‘I’m interested; I want to cover it,’ I set up an interview with the author or send copies to the reviewers and coordinate those details with the author.”

Patterson works with a wide range of children’s book authors, many of whom “you wouldn’t necessarily recognize, but are wonderful to work with.” A few of her recognizable favorites in addition to Kinney are Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai; Bill Nye, The Science Guy; and newswoman Savannah Guthrie.

Photo: Jörg Meyer

24 I DEPAUW MAGAZINE SPRING 2022

THE BOOK SELLER

By Mary Dieter

Photo: Hannah Rose Gray

T

he best part of Cori Cusker’s job is helping her Bright Side Bookshop customers find their next great read.

“When you go to look for a book, you’re wanting a specific experience,” said Cusker, a 1995 DePauw graduate. “You’re wanting to feel something, right? And so I see it as my job to figure out what that is.

Are you wanting something that’s going to make you happy? Scared? Inspired? What is that emotion that you’re looking for?”

Chances are Cusker will be able to satisfy most any reader. As the assistant book buyer and a “book matchmaker” at the Flagstaff, Arizona, shop, she is intimately familiar with the inventory.

Using a detailed digital catalog of

upcoming books, she makes decisions about what books to bring into the store, which ones will resonate not only with readers but also with the store staff members who are asked to sell them. She also conducts a daily analysis of which books are selling and which ones aren’t.

“We have to be really thoughtful about what we’re carrying,” she said. If regular customers come in and see the same books, “they’re not going to come back. …

If it sits on our shelves and it’s not going anywhere, then out the door it goes,” sent back to the publisher.

She also arranges events, including a socially distant visit in March 2021 by author Jeff Kinney of “Diary of a Wimpy

Kid” fame. During a conversation with Kinney’s publicist at Abrams Books, Hallie Patterson ’07, the two women came to realize they both were DePauw alums.

Cusker, “a lifelong lover of books,” read 155 in 2021 – some for work, some for pleasure. The bookshop used to be her side gig; she had worked at Northern Arizona University eight years when in June 2020 the school laid off more than 100 nontenured faculty members.

The layoff was difficult, she said, but so was working with freshmen who were academically at risk. And by working in the bookshop, “I’m still helping people,” she said. “… It makes me happy. And I get to be around books all day.”

SPRING 2022 DEPAUW MAGAZINE I 25

THE READER

By Mary Dieter

S

he had always been a reader, taking after her late dad, David Grass ’67. Her first job was shelving books at the library and, while a DePauw student, she did that in summers too.

So Courtenay Grass ’02, who majored in English literature at DePauw and got a master’s in library science, was horrified a few years ago when, looking at the Goodreads app – what she calls “social media for book lovers” – she realized she had read only one book the previous year.

A friend “was in the same boat,” and together they resolved to read a book a month. That New Year’s resolution was “the only one I’ve ever kept” – and surpassed, said Grass, who rates books on Goodreads and posts about them on Instagram.

Grass, regional coordinator for a mortgage company, likes a variety of genres – thrillers, historical and contemporary fiction, nonfiction and memoirs. She usually uses the Libby app to borrow books from the library; binges on her Kindle on weekends (and loads the device before vacations); and recently bought a chair to furnish a dedicated reading spot in her home.

Books provide escapism for her, but one of her three book clubs has the serious mission of selecting books written by female authors with a focus on diversity.

“We need to expose ourselves intentionally to different people because that’s how you learn,” she said.

“Caste” by Isabel Wilkerson should be required reading, she said. She read “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” by Judy Blume “over and over and over” as a youngster and counts it among her favorites. Others are “Unbroken,” “The Good Earth,” “Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine” and “Untamed.”

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1,000 WORDS’ WORTH

Sherry Mou, professor of Asian studies and director of DePauw’s Asian Studies Program, celebrated the Feb. 1 start of the lunar calendar’s Year of the Tiger by presenting students in her Introduction to Chinese Culture class with traditional red envelopes filled with treats.

Photo: Brittney Way

SPRING 2022 DEPAUW MAGAZINE I 27

OLD GOLD

Meeting Jimmy Hoffa

By John A. Blake ’66

U

pon reading the article in the spring 2021 DePauw Magazine about Class of ’85 David Witmer’s book on Jimmy Hoffa, I reflected on my own encounter with Hoffa. In spring 1965, during my junior year, I participated in the Washington semester program at American University and had the unique opportunity to engage with many leading figures in government, including the chief justice of the Supreme Court, the attorney general and the speaker of the House.

These off-the-record and often candid discussions were memorable, but none left a more lasting impression than the time our small group spent with Hoffa at the Teamsters headquarters.

As an impressionable 20-year-old from Oklahoma, I was in awe and wary of being so close to a reputed notorious gangster and powerful labor leader. Although he seemed a little rough around the edges to my Midwestern sensibilities, I listened intently as he described some of the finer points of labor-management negotiations.

“Always include a demand for the one thing you know management will not agree to,” he confided. “The day that the other side meets all your demands is the day the union loses its hold on its members because the union has nothing further to promise them.”

On another occasion we met with House Speaker John W. McCormack.

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He shared his own take on the exercise of power. He was so engaged with our small student group that the one hour allotted for us rolled into two, much to the frustration of his scheduler.

He related that he read Roberts’ Rules of Order cover-to-cover twice a year. By being the most familiar House member with the book governing House procedure, he controlled the debate and ultimately the congressional legislative agenda.

We met with Justice Hugo Black in his chambers. We were free to ask any question that did not pertain to pending cases. I felt completely inadequate trying to come up with a thoughtful question, so mostly remained silent. After I became a judge myself, I reflected on those lost opportunities to ask questions that only later had relevance and to which I would love to know his answers. Many of those questions have been answered over the course of my judicial career, and my quest for those answers was in many ways fueled by the inspiration I received in the room that day.

That semester was one of the highlights of my life. It contributed to the liberal arts experience, which has led me to a life of service and a love of the law. That semester and the Wednesday chapel lectures at East College opened me to a much wider world

beyond the small Greencastle shire. That informed broader perspective with all its intellectual enrichment is what I consider to be my DePauw experience, which I have tried to share with and pass on to a new generation.

Blake spent a decade as the Garvin County, Oklahoma, associate judge, handling every kind of case from jaywalking to capital murder and performing more than 1,000 weddings before retiring in 2013. He was in private practice before his appointment to the bench.

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Class of 2026 SPRING 2022 DEPAUW MAGAZINE I 29

GOLD WITHIN

at 170 Check out

Indiana’s First College Newspaper

thedepauw

.com for the latest stories February 16, 2022 Volume 170

Issue 7

News

3

Students and staff respond to virtual snow days

Student newspaper still inspires Status returns to orange journalists the world needs COVID-19

Greek Life

By Ngan Tran

Since Dec. 27, DePauw has reported 75 positive cases of COVID-19, of which 59 are students and 16 are employees. With a large number of students arriving on campus for spring term, the Omicron variant makes it harder for the COVID-19 Mitigation Team to control the spread of the virus. According to Julia Proctor, the health and wellness director, lots of students still refuse to follow the COVID-19 protocols such as indoor masking and booster shot requirements. “Our team is trying our best to monitor and mitigate the number of positive cases. Masking with surgical masks, KN95 and KF94 are required because they offer significantly more protection than cloth masks due to their fit and filtration. However, there are still a lot of students who have not reported their booster shot, so we are still constantly sending out reminder emails.”

Fortunately, in the current week of Feb. 14, there are no positive cases. In the most recent email from DePauw’s COVID-19 Mitigation Team, our campus has moved from Red to Orange, proving the success and effort of the school’s administration. “The trend of positive COVID cases is certainly downwards,” Proctor confirms. “DePauw’s effort has finally paid off.

I’m optimistic that our status can move to yellow soon.” While the student body celebrates the shift in our COVID status, the email reaffirms that specific strategies such as indoor masking and the booster shot requirement still need to be applied to further reduce the spread of the

Stories by Mary Dieter

Recap of 2022 Indiana Asbury College – debuted April recruitment

new Omicron variant. Limits on social events are removed but the COVID-19 Mitigation Team advises students to stay cautious and make safe decisions.

Freshman Maia Casterline said, “my parents tested positive for COVID, and I tested positive.

I had to leave home early to avoid getting infected, so I was really scared to hear that our status was Red. But I’m relieved now that it has shifted to Orange which means DePauw’s COVID-19 mitigation methods are working.”

Casterline has not been able to hang out with friends much in the past few weeks, but now she is not too concerned about the spread of the Omicron variants.

Many international students have worried about the lack of access to medical care such as booster shots, ambulances, and social distancing as the COVID-19 situation on campus got worse. First-year student Lindsie Nguyen said, “My parents in Vietnam are so worried about the new Omicron variants because the number of positive cases in the States just keep rising whenever they read the news. They always told me to mask up and avoid talking with strangers on the street.” She assures her parents that DePauw has control over the spread of the virus, and now she can call her family to share the good news about the COVID status.

As DePauw’s COVID-19 status shifts from Orange to Red, parents and students become more optimistic about our campus’s mitigation methods.

Through various appellations and numerous iterations, the independent student newspaper that covers DePauw University has trained journalists who move beyond Greencastle to cover the world.

For 170 years, many alumni – the exact number is a mystery – have parlayed their experiences at The DePauw to succeed at newspapers, broadcast outlets and, in recent years, digital media platforms. It’s quite a feat for graduates of a university that does not have a journalism school.

As Doug Frantz ’71 put it in his address last year to his class reunion: “DePauw punches above its weight in terms of producing fine journalists.”

The student newspaper, Asbury Notes – so named because DePauw was then

30 I DEPAUW MAGAZINE SPRING 2022

Features

5

Jones & Co. Such as Layla Abroad: Summer Walker’s Album party who told her readers review

Meg Kissinger ’79, 7, 1852, self-styled as “a semi-monthly about frailties in the

By Ella Tobias journal devoted to improvement – moral, mental health system and now teaches Despite growing concerns around a decline in intellectual, physical, aesthetic.” wasof the future journalists. Such as Jon Fortt ’98, Greek affiliation at DePauw, theIt results Interfraternity Council (IFC) and Panhellenic’s the first printed college newspaper who creates platforms to impart his deep primary recruitment process that took place from Jan 28-31 revealed a consistent turnout. in Indiana. Some years 1907understanding of the tech world and to 265 men andlater women–joined chapters, according to director of fraternity and sorority 1920 – its successor, the DePauw Daily, share the Black experience in America. life (FSL) Frae Binder. This year’s percentage of Greek-affiliated first-years at DePauw remains Features 8 Dana Ferguson ’14, who in made DePauw the smallest university in Or such as consistent with the 2020-2021 year at 53% Roy O. West construction according to the most recent data. The official America to boast numbersafordaily the totalnewspaper. number of Greek affiliated updates her short career already has covered the students has not yet been updated.

But those distinctions compared legislatures in three states.

Due to COVID-19,pale this recruitment process different than years past, with the first to the work oflooked former staffers who went The DePauw changed their lives, two rounds being held virtually and the third round in-person. After recruitment was held on to cover wars, systemic problems, and their work has changed the lives of entirely online in 2021, this year’s final round the first official in-person recruitment event governments,was politics, business and more. countless others across the country and the since before the pandemic.

Recruitment chairs, first-years, and faculty all Staffers such as Frantz, who covered globe.

Continued on page 4 wars and foreign affairs and worked as DePauw Magazine asked some former an investigative reporter for the five best staffers who pursued careers in journalism newspapers in America. Such as Bernard about the effects of their work at The Kilgore ’29, a legendary Wall Street DePauw. Here’s what they had to say.

Journal editor and president of Dow

The DePauw provided a laboratory for experimentation and learning for Jon Fortt ’98, who continues to try out ideas as a professional journalist focused on technology.

As a student reporter and ultimately editor-in-chief, “I really fell in love with the independent student newspaper, the environment, the laboratory environment of students learning from each other,” he said. And though journalism has changed since Fortt started practicing it, “I think it’s still important to think about ways that, in a connected, digital society, DePauw and The DePauw and student media can remain that sort of laboratory.”

Fortt knows what he’s talking about, in more ways than one. Not only has he been a reporter for more than 20 years, but he has covered technology specifically almost from the beginning, having been assigned to do so during his first postgraduation job at the Herald-Leader in Lexington, Kentucky. He moved to Silicon Valley to work at the San Jose Mercury News, where he covered fledgling tech companies, including Apple and Adobe.

He switched to broadcast journalism in 2010 when he went to work for CNBC. He became co-anchor of “Squawk Alley” in November 2013 and has held the same role at “TechCheck” for the past year.

His resume speaks to his willingness to experiment: He created, hosts and is executive producer of “Fortt Knox,” a five-year-old digital interview program.

He created and writes a weekly “Working Lunch” segment, focusing on founders and CEOs, for CNBC’s “Power Lunch,” and a segment called “On the Other Hand” for “Squawk Box,” in which he argues both sides of contentious business issues.

After George Floyd was killed, Fortt – wishing to “prepare my young sons for life in America” – created a multi-part online course called “The Black Experience in America.” He also is publisher of Cross Cultural Newsletter, a Christian and cultural exploration of the Bible.

The DePauw prepared him to work in the media, he said. He covered two hazing scandals, and “they weren’t popular stories with everyone. And I learned to take the heat for those kinds of things.” Around the same time, he wrote a feature story about eating disorders, and got a tip from the president of a sorority about which he had just written. “That trust was still there,” he said, and she recognized that “I was trying to do the right thing for the community. …

“That’s part of the unique laboratory of DePauw. When it’s working the right way, you learn that sometimes all the aspects of civil society, including journalism, aren’t pleasant going down, but they’re good medicine for the body politic.”

A sense of identity The DePauw provided Meg Kissinger ’79 training in journalism fundamentals, and the connections she made there helped her land her first job out of school.

But it also gave her a “sense of identity” during a “pretty tender time in my life …

“It gave me a framework and a mission and a purpose,” she said. “And it sounds a little bit cheesy to say, but it’s very true that DePauw believed in me before I believed in myself. You know, I was a little shaky coming there as a newly turned 18 … With all the turmoil and stuff at home, just having that purpose was really good for me personally. And I think that’s why I threw myself into it.”

Kissinger was the fourth of eight children in a family beset by mental illness. Her older sister Nancy would die by suicide as Kissinger entered her senior year and became editor-in-chief at The DePauw; her brother Danny would do the same 19 years later.

Kissinger walked into The DePauw’s building on her first day on campus “and never left there.” Though her professors

Photo: Gary Porter

Freedom to experiment

SPRING 2022 DEPAUW MAGAZINE I 31

and sorority sisters wished otherwise, “my passion was the newspaper. We became family there. And we spent endless hours at the pub building.”

The need for journalists to be accountable, Kissinger said, was “really underscored when you are in a small community like that. … I learned very early to get my facts straight, spell names correctly, make sure that you’re quoting them accurately and you’re putting it into the proper context. Because if you don’t, you’re going to hear about it. That is something that resonated with me. …

“I would, without hyperbole, say that my time at the pub building was as valuable to me as anything else in the

classroom. I don’t mean to minimize at all my classroom experience. But just the idea of an independent newspaper, where students are allowed to learn for themselves by real trial and error. We didn’t always get it right, and we didn’t always give it the proper emphasis. But we learned ultimately how to do that. And it was because of our independence.”

After graduation, Kissinger covered a bunch of beats at a couple newspapers before landing at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. She ultimately became an investigative reporter focused largely on health matters, including mental illness.

Before Danny died, he wrote a letter urging her to “tell people how terrible it is

to live with mental illness. So I really took that as my battle cry.”

She has won numerous awards for that work and reporting on other subjects, and was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for an investigation about the faulty regulation of a chemical used to make plastics. She was a visiting professor at DePauw in 2015-16, then was tapped by Columbia University to teach for what was supposed to be a year. After three years, she knew it was time to permanently split from the Journal Sentinel, and she remains at Columbia.

Her memoir “While You Were Out” is due out this spring.

Confidence-builder

32 I DEPAUW MAGAZINE SPRING 2022

thought that I would get elsewhere.”

He interned at the Banner Graphic, the Greencastle newspaper, for a winter term and tinkered with nonprofit marketing and public affairs in other internships, ultimately deciding that news reporting “is the one place where I feel like I can genuinely make a difference and do something that serves the public interest.

And that’s something that I’m really passionate about, proud to do.”

Today Turner is the rural affairs reporter for Indiana Public Media in Bloomington, Indiana, covering issues such as broadband and health care access in rural communities. His stories run on WFIU local radio, WTIU local television, the web and sometimes National Public Radio and PBS. “It’s an informed, intelligent audience that really has high expectations,” he said. “… Diving into important policy issues and

connecting them with people is exactly the type of work that I want to be doing.”

Photo: Brittney Way

Brock Turner ’17 had been on campus for only a week or two, with nary an inkling of what he’d ultimately do professionally, when an editor from The DePauw pulled him aside at an activities fair.

Turner soon showed up at the student newspaper’s newsroom, and he was hooked. “It wasn’t until I stepped in and really started getting involved with The DePauw that I knew that this was something that I would start doing,” he said. “… Breaking those stories and making those connections and learning what it took to break a big story really paved the way for me to do that kind of work now.”

He said he developed and honed his news judgment while working at The DePauw for four years. “It really pushed me out of my shell,” he said, “and it gave me the confidence to go out and do things and presented the experiences that I never

Astronaut George “Pinky” Nelson was visiting a suburban Minneapolis school district, and two youngsters from each school were invited to attend his news conference.

Third-grader Eric Aasen got the nod, and he prepared at the library, researching the space program, before his father drove him to the event.

Aasen ’02 remembers reporting back to his classmates about Nelson and “going home that day, knowing without a doubt that I was going to be a journalist when I grew up.”

He never changed his mind, not after dabbling in radio and TV at DePauw before settling on print journalism.

Not through six internships. And not through four years of working at The DePauw, including a yearlong stint as editor-in-chief, during which 9-11 happened, resulting in a special edition; The DePauw’s 150th anniversary occurred,

prompting a 96-page tribute; the Rector Hall fire tossed him out of his residence but still got covered; and fraternity members, irked by a story, stole all 3,000 copies of the paper.

“When you write for such an intimate audience, you see these people. You are in class with them, or you are in the cafeteria with them; you will cross paths with them. And not that that means you need to soften the stories or the storytelling, but you have to really build up courage and a thick skin to withstand dirty looks, glares,” he said. “… Those experiences taught me a lot about life, about humanity, about journalism or fairness, about being thorough and complete.”

Aasen’s last internship developed into a full-time gig with the Dallas Morning News, where he stayed 11 years. He moved in 2013 to KERA, Dallas’s NPR television/PBS radio station, where he works as managing editor, overseeing

Photo: KERA

A solid foundation

a team of about 40 and doing work influenced by his time at The DePauw.

“Throughout the four years, I had endless experiences on real in-depth, original, rigorous reporting,” he said, “that built a solid foundation for what happened after DePauw and what has happened in the 20 years since.”

Collaborative spirit Bob Giles ’55 was mid-interview when he learned the opening at the Akron Beacon Journal was for a high school sports reporter.

Giles had covered sports for The DePauw and had played shortstop on DePauw’s baseball team before relinquishing his starting position to become the newspaper’s editor-in-chief. “I don’t think I want to be a sports writer,” he blurted to the editor. “I want to cover general news.”

He landed the job and positioned himself to rise to become the Beacon Journal’s executive editor. Along the way, Giles, as managing editor, the No. 2 newsroom position, would guide his

paper’s coverage of one of the most significant news events of the 1970s: The killings of four young people by the National Guard during an anti-war protest at Kent State University. His staff won the Pulitzer Prize for breaking news reporting.

It was the biggest story and one of the most satisfying moments of his career, he said. The other was working 11 years as curator of the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University, which awards fellowships to midcareer journalists to dive deep into topics.

Giles earned a master’s degree at Columbia University and spent two years

SPRING 2022 DEPAUW MAGAZINE I 33

in the Army before working 17 years at Akron and moving on to executive positions at the Times-Union and Democrat & Chronicle in Rochester, New York; the Detroit News; and The Freedom Forum, a nonprofit dedicated to the First Amendment. He has written two books: “When Truth Mattered,” about his paper’s coverage of Kent State, and “Newsroom Management: A Guide to Theory and Practice,” because “most editors didn’t know how to manage creative people.”

At The DePauw, then published five days a week, “I learned the collaborative spirit that drives a newsroom. … It was just like a fraternity of its own, a family of its own. …

“You were grinding out stuff every day.

It gave you a sense of what it’s like to work on deadline … All of that was a great learning thing and really positioned me to go off then to Columbia and do well.”

Ethical decision-making Covering state government and politics “is always exciting, something new every day,” for Dana Ferguson ’14, the Minnesota state government reporter for Forum News Service.

She has covered the same beat in South Dakota for the Argus Leader and in Wisconsin for the Associated Press and as an intern for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Other internships at the Chicago Tribune, the Los Angeles Times, the Salt Lake Tribune and two newspapers in Spain gave her a taste of other types of reporting.

Covering the hard news of state legislatures, she said, is “really meaningful.

These are the folks making pretty serious decisions about the way that we live our lives on a daily basis. I find it really

A way to give back Byron Mason ’20 had been shooting photos since he was 15, so he settled easily into work at The DePauw as a photographer and, later, the photo editor.

At the time, though, “I was very set on just being a writer. … Working at The DePauw helped me figure out ways to marry both my passion for the written word and for the still-image medium.”

His interests evolved, and “I started figuring out ways to combine that even further, which I think is where film came from.” When he made a documentary film for a class, “I was hooked.”

After graduating, Mason – a Rector scholar and media fellow – had an online internship at Carnegie-Knight News21 multimedia initiative at Arizona State University and then interned for the CineCares Foundation, which placed him 34 I DEPAUW MAGAZINE SPRING 2022

in the lighting department on the set of “Chicago Fire,” a TV show filmed in his hometown. It was a “humbling and … enriching experience,” he said, and he debated whether to continue working or get more schooling.

The latter won out, and he is in his second semester of a three-year master’s program in film production at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts. “I definitely don’t want to sound arrogant,” but 20 years from now, “I will be a successful writer and director who uses horror and thriller genres to speak to the nature of the human condition and Black and brown communities.” He said he also wants “to be a person who just helps and gives back and is constantly reminded of where he came from.”

fulfilling. Yeah, I got a pretty good start at DePauw,” where she was a media fellow, “and especially working at” The DePauw.

“One of the first things I learned was news judgment, and what constitutes a good story that is timely, informative and helpful to the student community on campus,” she said. She worked at The DePauw whenever she was in Greencastle, including spring and fall terms of 2013 as editor-in-chief, a spell twice as long as that of most of her counterparts.

She recalled having daily conversations with other student reporters and editors “about why we’re making decisions, what the ethics were around what we were reporting, how we could fairly and completely tell stories to our readership but without doing harm.

Photo: Jim Nord

Eye-opening experience

“We wanted to do more good than harm, but also make sure that we were getting information out there and seeking the truth and reporting it. I recall many times that we sat around as editors and reporters and talked about what the implications would be if we pursued a certain story, what adverse effects there could be and how we would justify that if our fellow students or professors or the administration came to us and wanted to have a discussion about that, or if they disagreed with what we were doing.”

Ferguson said that, as a professional reporter, she still weighs the same considerations that she did as a student reporter on a small campus, where “you really have to face the consequences of what you’re reporting and the storytelling that you’re doing. It’s good to think about things in a very personalized context, … the way that you can affect someone, depending on how you write a story or do your reporting. …

“It was one of the best experiences I’ve had in my life,” she said. “We had so much fun, but we were doing really important work. It didn’t ever feel like it was work because we just loved to do it.”

Christine DiGangi ’11 was so eager to get into journalism that she emailed The DePauw’s editor-in-chief during the summer before starting at DePauw University.

So began four years of work on the student newspaper that culminated as editor-in-chief. DiGangi, who was a media fellow, tapped skills she developed at The DePauw to pursue a career as a writer and editor covering personal finance; these days, she is the senior editorial director of The Balance, a personal finance website and one of 14 internet brands in the Dotdash group.

Journalism, she said, “was always part of the plan,” but finding a job covering finance “was very much a right-place, right-time sort of thing.” During a brief and unappealing stint in marketing, she got a call from a former colleague at The DePauw, who asked if DiGangi knew of anyone who might be interested in a writing job at Credit.com, a consumers’ website.

“I said I would actually be interested in that,” DiGangi said. “And I remember being very nervous because I didn’t know anything about personal finance, other than my own experiences as somebody who had to manage my own money.

And I worried that that meant I was not qualified. But she assured me, no, you’ll figure it out.”

She did figure it out, and stayed four years before being laid off and moving to

become managing editor at another digital financial publication. About 18 months later, another DePauw alumnus who worked at Dotdash was looking to hire an editorial director. She interviewed for the job, “and here I am.”

Her time at The DePauw “was an eyeopening experience for me” during which “I learned what journalism was. I learned how to do it.” She also met her closest friends and her husband, Matt Welch ’11, there.

She structured her class schedule around her newspaper schedule, especially in the semester when she was editor-inchief and ultimately responsible for getting the paper out twice a week. “I spent more time in the newsroom than I did in class,” she said.

“My world revolved around it,” she said. “… It was my life.”

SPRING 2022 DEPAUW MAGAZINE I 35

Lessons in accountability Ellen Kobe ’13 loved writing, and so she gravitated toward print journalism when she looked for internships and early jobs.

But she came to realize that what she loved most about working for The DePauw was “the team-building aspect of creating a newspaper twice a week,” she said. “I loved collaborating with people. That was really what made me obsessed with The DePauw for four years.”

And thus she began seeking out professional positions in audience engagement and strategy, in which “you’re working with people on a daily basis to think about how are we framing stories?

How are we providing for our audience what they need to know?

“The public service side of journalism has always been what’s most important to me. How are we providing them a public

36 I DEPAUW MAGAZINE SPRING 2022

service, in this unique environment we’re in in our industry, where people have access to all sorts of information and all sorts of ways at any time of the day? It’s a really fascinating challenge.”

She spent two years as a reporter for the Associated Press in Chicago, then moved to CNN, where she rose to be a producer. Last September, she was recruited to join the new CNN+ streaming service as an editor.

Though she has veered away from newspapers, her experience at The DePauw – where she was editor-in-chief in fall her senior year – was valuable, she said. It provided lessons in writing, editing and accountability; supplied clips and connections that helped her land internships; and gave her confidence to be “the person who said ‘yes’ to everything” and “could do the task at hand.”

The DePauw, she said, “made the whole difference.”

Stories people care about When Mark Johnson ’88 started writing for The DePauw during his first year on campus, he was fairly certain his professional future would be in newspapers.

But first he experimented a little, working for WGRE student radio and landing internships in radio, TV and the White House before a post-graduation fellowship in newswriting for liberal arts grads brought him full circle. A 22-year career in Virginia and North Carolina newspapers ensued, with Johnson covering beats ranging from the cop shop to state government to the U.S. Supreme Court to the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

“The DePauw experience gave me a great sense of what it was like to be reporting

A watchdog

and publishing stories within a community where you know people, where you have to develop sources, where the stories that you publish have impact and draw reaction,” he said. “And, most important, it taught me that what you’re trying to do is tell stories that people care about.”

In 2010, when the office of North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue came headhunting for a deputy communications director, “it was a real wrenching decision,” Johnson said. “Journalism felt very much like a calling.” But once the decision was made, “it didn’t seem so wrenching, because there were so many ways to still tell stories. …

“It was a place where, every once in a great while, you could actually see right in front of you how the work you were doing was helping people. And that’s a pretty good feeling.”

The governor chose not to seek reelection in 2012, leading Johnson to work 18 months as external affairs director at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and almost a year as a consultant.

Then he moved into higher education, first at Arizona State University and then at Davidson College, where he has been chief communications and marketing officer since late 2016.

“This is where knowledge is created,” he said. “There are just constantly great stories to tell.”

Close to graduation from DePauw, David Greising ’82 deferred his law school acceptance for a year, “thinking I would get journalism out of my system.

“And I never got journalism out of my system.”

Indeed, Greising has been the quintessential Chicago journalist, starting at the City News Bureau and fashioning a business reporting and column-writing career that led him to the Chicago Sun-Times, BusinessWeek, the Chicago Tribune and Reuters New Agency. He has written three business books (and, with his wife Cynthia Hedges Greising ’82, a children’s book), including one that gave him the bug to create a startup, the short-lived Chicago News Cooperative, to produce a Chicago news section for The New York Times.

Since March 2018, he has been president and chief executive officer of the Better Government Association, a nonprofit journalism and government watchdog group that frequently teams with the Tribune and the Sun-Times to produce news stories. The Robert R. McCormick Foundation recently gave $10 million to advance the association’s work.

Greising’s head was turned toward journalism during his senior year spring term, when he was editor-in-chief at The DePauw. Faculty fury erupted over a plan to confer a disputed honorary degree, and the university president retroactively declared the meeting off the record.

“When he called me and told me that we were not to publish any stories about it, I let him know that we were independent of the university and ... we’re going to publish. And that was the point at which I felt, wow, I really like this and I would like

to continue doing this.”

The same president later ordered student media not to publish another story.

The radio station complied, causing two of its reporters to quit and go to work at The DePauw, which published the story.

“We had two great stories during my semester as editor, and so that’s the point at which I decided to go into journalism. …

“I look back on The DePauw as teaching me the basic rudiments of journalism, teaching me the ethics of journalism, teaching me what news judgment means, what writing for readers who are not obligated to read what you write means, to write in a way that is engaging for the reader,” he said. “…

Everything I’ve done in journalism over the years you can trace back one way or another to the basics that I learned working on The DePauw.”

SPRING 2022 DEPAUW MAGAZINE I 37

He wanted to be a poet or a fiction writer.

But Doug Frantz ’71 instead became a newspaper reporter and editor for 37 years.

He is a veteran of the best newspapers in America – The New York Times, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times and The Wall Street Journal – undertaking investigations, reporting from 40 countries and covering issues such as national security and war.

He was a member of a Pulitzer Prizewinning team and, in his own right, twice a finalist. Author or co-author with his wife Catherine Collins of 10 nonfiction books, with an 11th set for publication in July. Chief investigator looking into and reporting on the failure of U.S. troops to capture Osama bin Laden before he escaped to Pakistan in 2001. Deputy staff director for the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee and an

assistant secretary of state.

He credits his success to “luck, networking and some skill” – specifically, the ability to “adapt as a reporter to the changing world. … What I loved most of all about journalism was the ever-changing challenges and the ability to grow in the job to find new challenges and new horizons.”

Frantz started working at The DePauw in his sophomore year as “a way to work on my writing skills. And it was a way to satisfy my curiosity about some of the things going on in and around DePauw.”

The newspaper, he said, “applied a polish to my work. I had an editor for the first time … and I had standards to be met. And so that was when I began to understand journalism standards.” He came to love “the camaraderie of journalism. … It was the first time I’d worked on anything, really, as

Photo: Catherine Collins

Ever-changing challenges

part of a team. And so that was important to me. And it also reinforced that idea that journalists can make a difference.”

The would-be fiction writer who still writes poetry also came to believe “that there’s a real truth out there, and that journalism’s job is to find it. And I believed that even then at The DePauw.”

When COVID-19 forced DePauw to close campus and send students home, Ian Brundige ’22 unexpectedly got a taste of the life of a professional reporter.

“I was one of the main people writing those breaking news stories,” while friends “were all just being sad about it. And I (thought) ‘Great. Now I have to do the work of writing this. I don’t even have time to process my own sadness about it.’”

Brundige, then managing editor, went on to become editor-in-chief in fall 2020, a job he won by proposing an overhaul of the staff organization. Stymied by the closed campus, he instead presided over a switch to digital publication that term, when The DePauw produced only one print issue – a recap of online stories staffers produced from afar. In spring 2021, he continued in 38 I DEPAUW MAGAZINE SPRING 2022

the top job, and the newspaper published print editions every other week.

Brundige had a reporting internship last summer with the Carnegie-Knight News21 multimedia initiative, yet finds himself drawn to newsroom supervision postgraduation. A sculptor and mixed-media artist, he also is considering designing museum exhibits or fashion runways.

“I love storytelling. I love the experience that I’ve gained from journalism,” he said. “And I think that journalism is an extremely important tool in society and extremely valuable from a storytelling aspect and storytelling about real things that are happening, affecting real people’s lives on a day-to-day basis. “… I just think that the future of that storytelling is more digital, more

Photo: Brittney Way

New approaches

interactive, more engaging pathways than traditional journalism encapsulates sometimes. So I think I see myself as a journalist; I just don’t necessarily see myself working at a newspaper or working at that standard journalism institution.”

FIRST PERSON

By Samuel Autman , associate professor of English.

F

rom spring 2003 and periodically until 2017 I had the pleasure and social treacheries of serving as the faculty adviser for The DePauw. The student journalists could listen to or ignore my input. University colleagues didn’t want me eavesdropping, knowing the content of their conversations could land in the newspaper. It’s a tightrope walk only student media advisers understand.

My fondest memories are of the musty, grimy newsroom in the Pulliam Center for Contemporary Media, where piles of newspapers created a fire hazard. Each day I passed a mini shrine to Bernard Kilgore, the famed managing editor of The Wall Street Journal who got his start at The DePauw, and through a doorway that provided an entry to a new university life for me, as I stepped away from the world of daily journalism.

Lili Wright, now emerita English professor, and I had been colleagues at The Salt Lake Tribune. Upon learning I had resigned from The San Diego UnionTribune, she invited me to serve as a visiting consultant to The DePauw in fall 2002.

When she was on sabbatical, I substituted for what was to be one semester, spring 2003.

As a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism, I was amazed by what hungry DePauw student journalists accomplished without the structures of a traditional journalism program. Students could take newswriting or advanced reporting through the English Department, but those courses were not prerequisites for writing for The DePauw.

Any student could learn by doing.

I wrote about binge drinking on college campuses when I was a higher education reporter in San Diego. Then, when I was The DePauw’s new adviser, the Board

of Trustees expressed concerns about DePauw’s boozy culture.

Andrew Tangel, a senior in the Class of 2003, got a hold of the board’s one-night drinking tab at a local bar: nearly $1,000 in less than two hours. To underscore his reportage, The DePauw ran a photo of the receipt. The board was not happy, but I call that good journalism. Andrew’s reporting won a first-place investigative award from the Indiana Collegiate Press Association and shaped the team coverage that won a first-place Society of Professional Journalists “Mark of Excellence” Region 5 award for in-depth reporting. Andrew now is a reporter for The Wall Street Journal.

After that semester concluded, President Robert Bottoms asked me to return to DePauw as a visiting instructor, teaching newswriting and advance reporting. Wright and I alternately advised The DePauw.

I suggested a student reporter and photographer do a ride-along with the Indiana Excise Police at Purdue University to document the aggressive tactics the state was using but not run into the students’ DePauw friends. Jennifer Anderson ’06 and Adie Verla ’04 won a first-place feature award from the Society of Professional Journalists for the work, and Michael Morris ’07, now an investigative journalist for the Houston Chronicle, also won a top sportswriting award that year.

While I figured out advising as I went, I saw scores of students become journalists.

Ellen Kobe ’13 is at CNN+. Her brother, David Kobe ’17, went to Fox News and later got a master’s in cultural affairs reporting from New York University. Brooks Hepp ’19 became a staff writer for the Battle Creek Enquirer. Brock E.W. Turner ’17 became a reporter for WFIU, Indiana Public Media in Bloomington, Indiana.

Photo: Brittney Way

In 2009, Margaret Sutherlin, a quiet student I had in class who had written for The DePauw, asked if I’d write a recommendation for her to submit an entry for the Indiana Collegiate Press contest.

When Margaret made the top 10 and invited me to the awards dinner in Indianapolis, of course I went. Student journalists and advisers from big journalism programs were at our table. I thought they were going to mop it up.

When the announcer said, “and the winner of the first-place prize is Margaret Sutherlin from DePauw University,” Margaret put her hand over her heart.

I looked at her and said, “Holy s---, Margaret, you won!” Now she works at Bloomberg News.

It wasn’t about the awards, but the awards indicated that we were doing something right at DePauw University and The DePauw.

Still, as I became absorbed into the campus culture and got tenure, the stories that made it into the newspaper often were about colleagues I saw daily. It was, in a lot of ways, thornier than any of my professional newspaper days.

I stepped off The DePauw tightrope after more than a decade, but I’m grateful to have been an adviser for Indiana’s oldest college newspaper. It provided the doorway to my new life in higher education, and I got to touch scores of student journalists along the way.

SPRING 2022 DEPAUW MAGAZINE I 39

YOU KNOW A DEPAUW TIGER WHEN YOU SEE ONE!

For years, DePauw has enrolled some of its most promising students with the help of our alumni.

Many of our strongest applicants for admission come from your recommendations. You know the high quality of the education we provide at DePauw and the type of high school student who would excel on our campus.

W W W. D E P A U W. E D U / R E C O M M E N D 40 I DEPAUW MAGAZINE SPRING 2022

GOLD NUGGETS GOLD NUGGETS publishes submitted updates about DePauw alumni’s careers, milestones, activities and whereabouts. Send your news to DePauw Magazine, P.O. Box 37, Greencastle, IN 46135-0037 or dgrooms@depauw.edu. Faxes may be sent to 765-658-4625.

Space considerations limit our ability to publish photos. Group photos will be considered if you include each person’s name (first, maiden and last), year of graduation and information about the gathering or wedding. Digital photos must be high-quality jpegs of at least 300 dpi. Submitted hard copies cannot be returned.

Questions? Contact Mary Dieter at marydieter@depauw.edu or 765-658-4286.

1957

1967

E. Reece Painter was elected to the Plainfield, Indiana, Hall of Fame.

She was a former Connecticut state representative and an elected justice of the peace.

Season 2 Episode 13 of the television show “Pen15,” in which Men of Note members W. Randolph “Randy” Lazear ’69, Delos N. Lutton ’67, Tim A. Grodrian ’67 (wearing a DePauw t-shirt) and John “Jack” Thomas ’67 appear, is online on Hulu.com. The foursome traveled to Los Angeles in February 2020 to perform at the invitation of Anna Konkle, the show’s co-star and daughter of the late James “Peter” Konkle ’70, who was a member of Men of Note. The foursome can be heard at 26:59 of the episode and seen at 27:06.

1965 Four members of the Class of 1965 led the procession of delegates from academic institutions and educational associations at Dr. Lori S. White’s Oct. 1 inauguration as DePauw’s 21st president. The delegates proceeded according to the founding date of the institution they represented. Thomas S. Porter represented the University of Michigan. He has an MBA from Michigan and has taught there with a specialty in entrepreneurship. He also founded three companies. Ralph T. Jones, represented Harvard University.

He has a Ph.D. from Harvard in political science and taught several years at Harvard College before founding Cadmus Group, a strategic and technical consultancy in Waltham, Massachusetts. Richard B. Ferrell represented Dartmouth College. He did his residency in psychiatry at Geisel Medical School at Dartmouth and has practiced and taught at the DartmouthHitchcock Medical Center for more than 50 years. David E. Kranbuehl represented the College of William & Mary. He spent his academic career in chemistry at William & Mary and has 14 patents. He did much industrial consulting and helped develop research programs at the university. (See photo.)

Barrie Alan Peterson led efforts to commemorate his home county of LaPorte, Indiana, for its role 100 years ago in welcoming, educating and mentoring Isamu Noguchi, who became a world-renowned sculptor. Barrie commissioned a mural in the library, which sponsored an art contest for high school students and has built an electronic archive on Noguchi.

1973 Laura L. Hull and Georgie Kajer’s documentary film, “Life Centered: The Helen Jean Taylor Story,” was aired on the PBS series “Artbound.” The film celebrates the life of the 92-year old ceramic artist, educator, ceramist and community-builder.

1976 Philip H. Godfrey II laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in

Class of 1965 delegates at the inauguration of Lori S. White. They are Thomas S. Porter, Ralph T. Jones, Richard B. Ferrell and David E. Kranbuehl.

Philip H. Godfrey II ’76 at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Arlington National Cemetery Oct. 29.

He is the president of the Old Guard Association, an alumni group of the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, nicknamed “The Old Guard.” He served the Old Guard Caisson Platoon 1975-77 riding the caisson and walking the caparison horse. (See photo.)

1978

She has worked as a medical director since 1993 for Eversight, a regional eye bank that secures donations for corneal transplants, and is a commissioner for the John M. Scott Health Care Trust, which supports the health of underserved residents in and around McLean County.

1980 Louise Van Bergen Holzhauer is the author of “5-Minute Prayer Journal for Teen Girls.” She is a licensed counselor.

She and her husband, Gregory L. Holzhauer ’80, live in Maitland, Florida.

Gregory was included in the 2022 “Best Lawyers in America©” publication. He is a shareholder of the Winderweedle Haines Ward Woodman law firm.

Patricia Strauss Grant was inducted into the Indiana Academy, which supports the Independent Colleges of Indiana Inc., at the academy’s 50th anniversary gala Oct. 18. She is executive director of the Community Foundation of Wabash County.

1979 Catharine J. Crockett is a corneal specialist and a co-owners of VisionPoint Eye Center in Bloomington, Illinois.

1982 Eleven Lambda Chi Alpha brothers gathered in early November in West

SPRING 2022 DEPAUW MAGAZINE I 41

GOLD NUGGETS Palm Beach for a mini-reunion hosted

by Robert A. Frauenheim at his family condos on Singer Island. Events included deep-sea fishing, pickleball, Frisbee, golf, poker and lots of stories. (See photo.)

of 2021 in recognition of his exceptional clinical skills and dedication to patient care. Peter also was named one of Cleveland’s “Top Doctors” in Cleveland Magazine’s November 2021 issue.

1984

1992

Pamela J. Para has launched a website for her company, CE Companion Inc., which develops continuing education materials for health care. Her first podcast, which focused on how to conduct an effective health care investigation, was downloaded or played more than 900 times within two months of its release.

Stephanie Grieser Braming was named one of American Banker’s 25 Most Powerful Women in Finance for 2021.

Jennifer L. Walter and David A. Norman were married in September. The Rev. Marianne Sorge Ell ’85 officiated, and several Alpha Gamma Delta sisters and lifelong friends attended. (See photo.)

1986 Jannie Flook Scott graduated with her doctorate in nursing practice, executive leadership, from the University of Central Florida. She is vice president of hospital IT for Surgery Partners Inc.

1987 Dennis Bland was inducted into the Indiana Academy, which supports the Independent Colleges of Indiana Inc., at the academy’s 50th anniversary gala Oct. 18. He is the president of the Center for Leadership Development in Indianapolis.

1989 Diana Carson Chapman was interviewed for an Oct. 6 episodie of The Tim Ferriss Show, a business podcast. The topic was “How to Get Unstuck, Do ‘The Work,’ Take Radical Responsibility and Reduce Drama in Your Life.” She is the co-founder of the Conscious Leadership Group and a co-author of the book “The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership.”

Peter C. Young was named to the University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center “Distinguished Physician” Class

Rodney E. Lasley was promoted to chief operating officer of the Indiana Bankers Association. He also was named 2021 Association Professional of the Year by the Indiana Society of Association Executives.

M. Davis “Dave” O’Guinn, vice provost for student affairs and dean of students at Indiana University, was presented the IU Provost’s Medal for his exceptional leadership to enhance the student experience. The medal is the highest honor bestowed by the Office of the Provost and recognizes outstanding contributions to the academic mission of IU Bloomington.

1998 Jason R. Cannon was selected as a 2022 Science Spectrum Trailblazer. He was recognized at the BEYA STEM Conference Feb. 18.

2001 Madeleine Shephard Sinclair is managing director and head of North American distribution for Blue Owl Capital Inc., an alternative asset manager.

2002 Rebecca A. Krukowski is a professor of public health sciences and co-lead of the Community-based Health Equity Research Program at the University of Virginia School of Medicine.

2004 Megan Casey Glover was named Indiana Dynamic Leader of the Year by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce.

42 I DEPAUW MAGAZINE SPRING 2022

Lambda Chi Alpha brothers from 1982 gathered for a mini-reunion. Those attending included (front row) Scott A. Hime ’80 (pledge trainer), John A. Harcourt, Mitchell Gordon, Timothy S. Maloney, (second row) Paul M. Hershberger ‘84, Robert A. Frauenheim ‘82, Richard J. Hoge ‘82, Christopher W. Bear, Christopher O. Gentry, Dave Gislason and Jerry A. Bryce.

Jennifer L. Walter ’84 and David A. Norman wedding celebration. Those attending included (left to right) Alyssa Ryba, Julie A. Cason ’84, Shari Strickler ‘84, Marianne Sorge Ell ’85, Jennifer Walter Norman ’84 (bride), David A. Norman (groom), Jilann Wilkins Savery ’86, Sandra Ratliff Rose ’84 and Lisa K. Crawley ’84.

She is the chief executive officer and co-founder of 120Water in Zionsville.

The company combines cloud-based software and digital sampling kits to execute water safety, compliance and wastewater monitoring programs.

2005 Jordan A. Dillon is executive director for the Broad Ripple (Indiana) Village Association.

2006 Lindsay Weber Gotwald was appointed chief client development and marketing officer for Faegre Drinker, a global law firm.

2007 Katie Flynn Friedman recently published “The Plastic Rectangle,” the second children’s book in a series called “The

Shape of Parenting.” It was listed among Amazon’s “hot new releases” in children’s money and savings reference books.

2010 Adam M. Gilbert was promoted to U.S. head of transformation and agency operations at Initiative, the Ad Age 2021 Media Agency of the Year. Gilbert previously was the Midwest head of partnerships and digital media.

Patrick J. Wagner was a member of the Techpoint Tech 25 Class of 2021. He is a senior program consultant on the digital strategies and transformation team at BCforward.

2011 Katherine R. Pudwill and Andrew J. Wills were married Oct. 16 in Chicago.

Close friends, family members and DePauw alumni attended.

Katherine E. Butler ’12 and Gregory Hacholski wedding.

DePauw Magazine marks the death of alumni, faculty and staff members and friends. Obituaries do not include memorial gifts.

When reporting a death, please send as much information as you have about the person and his/her affiliation with DePauw to Alumni Records, DePauw University, P.O. Box 37, Greencastle, Ind. 46135-0037 or to jamahostetler@depauw.edu.

IN MEMORIAM 1942

Julia E. Roell ’16 and Joseph C. Haynes ’16 wedding. DePauw alumni attending the wedding included Emily Bell Lang ’13, Andrew R. Lang ’13, Amber L. Franklin ’14, Kacy Rauschenberger Calderwood ’15, William A. Calderwood ’14, Weiju Wu ’16, F. Marian Hillebrand ’16, Jon A. Stroman ’14, Cara Bargiacchi Stroman ’16, Daniel T. Hickey ’15, Hayley M. Alder ’17, Taylor E. Beegle ’16, Michael J. Spier ’16, Burke T. Stanton ’16, Jackson R. Mote ’16, Robert W. Haynes ’83, Susan Henlein Haynes ’85, Grace E. Anshutz ’16, Kendall A. Querry ’13, Kaela T. Goodwin ’17, Erin K. Law ’16, Christine E. Betterman ’16, Vanessa M. Freije ’17, Lauren E. Evanoff ’16, Elizabeth “Ellie” Hoover ’16, Natasha N. Wadhwa ’16, Jacqueline M. Graf ’15, Adam M. Smith ’16, Stuart J. Ferguson ’84 and Jennifer Kneisley Ferguson ’84.

2012

2016

Katherine E. Butler and Gregory Hacholski were married in July in LaGrange, Illinois. (See photo.)

Sara V. Blanton was admitted to the Global Field Program at Miami University. She traveled to Baja California in Mexico to study desert and marine landscapes through ecological and social field methods.

Emma Lanham Copsey and her husband Brian announce the birth of their son, Charles Henry Copsey, Sept.

22. They live in Indianapolis.

Peter T. Richard was promoted to the rank of captain in the U.S. Air Force. He is serving as an intercontinental ballistic missile instructor at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming.

Ian T. Rumpp was promoted to chief operating officer of Tella.

Kacy L. Wendling was promoted to vice president of development at Junior Achievement of Central Indiana.

Page N. Daniels is a doctoral student at the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign. She published some of her thesis work in the high-profile journal Nature Chemistry.

Julia E. Roell and Joseph C. Haynes were married Oct. 23 at the Indiana State Museum in Indianapolis. (See photo.)

Hanae D. Weber is the lead civilian interpreter and a sewing assistant at Old Fort Niagara. She recently prepared period dishes in the boulangerie of the site’s 1726 French castle for an episode of PBS’s “A Taste of History” that is scheduled to air this spring.

True Davis Evans, 101, Chagrin Falls, Ohio, Dec. 12. She and her twin sister Athalie Davis Bigelow ’42 were United Airlines flight attendants who appeared in company promotions. This led to ads for Pepsodent tooth paste that queried, “Which twin has a brighter smile?” True was a skilled knitter and seamstress who ran a yarn goods store for many years.

She knitted and donated hundreds of dolls to the Ronald McDonald House, hospital pediatric units and others. She volunteered; played golf, tennis and cards; and enjoyed traveling and fishing with a bamboo pole and worms. After her husband’s death, she renewed her love of art and produced many paintings.

She was preceded in death by her sister Athalie and her brother-in-law Richard E. Bigelow ’42.

a great-great-grandfather, Andrew Sheridan, Class of 1846.

1944 Marie Kretschmer Gierke, 98, Oak Park, Illinois, July 12. She was a home economist. She was preceded in death by a sister, Lucinda Kretschmer Wellwood ’50.

1945 Marilyn Johnson Hibbs, 97, Miamisburg, Ohio, Sept. 23. She was a member of Delta Zeta. She was a Girl Scout leader and involved in Sweet Adelines. Survivors include her husband, William G. Hibbs ’44.

1947 Lola Freeman Pauly, 96, Aurora, Illinois, Dec. 17. She was employed at Dreyer Medical Clinic in the medical records department. She was an avid reader and a Chicago Bears fan who enjoyed traveling and photography.

Betty Mourning Curl, 96, Rushville, Illinois, Nov. 13. She was a member of Alpha Chi Omega. She enjoyed golf, travel, church, quilting and piano.

1948

1943

Bettye Barrett Coleman, 92, Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, March 7. She was active in her community. She was preceded in death by her husband, T. Keith Coleman ’48.

Charles H. Sheridan, 100, Grand Blanc, Michigan, Sept. 24. He was a member of Delta Chi and retired as director of alumni relations for General Motors Institute. He was a community volunteer.

Survivors include his wife, Marjorie Hamblin Sheridan ’44, and daughter, Cynthia Sheridan O’Connor ’73. He was preceded in death by his parents, Lauren E. Sheridan and Florence Swank Sheridan, both 1919 graduates; a sister, Alice Sheridan Deputy ’48; great uncles Edgar S. Sheridan and Wilbur F. Sheridan, both Class of 1885; and

Frank W. Durham Jr., 96, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Oct. 3. He was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha and the Washington C. DePauw Society and a business executive. He was involved in various churches and numerous philanthropic activities as a volunteer, board member and other leadership positions. He was a member of several barbershop quartets and church choirs.

Survivors include a daughter, Nancy C. Durham ’74, and a son, Thomas G. Durham ’70. He was preceded in death by his wife, Shirley Gilbert Durham ’47.

SPRING 2022 DEPAUW MAGAZINE I 43

GOLD NUGGETS 1949 James R. Hansen, Hanover, New Hampshire, Aug. 22. He was a member of the Men’s Hall Association, a minister and a volunteer. He and his wife traveled to Asia, Africa, Scandinavia and Alaska and especially enjoyed river cruises in Europe. He was preceded in death by his wife, Louise Flanders Hansen ’48.

Melvyn J. Huber, 92, Blacksburg, Virginia, Oct. 12. He was a member of the Men’s Hall Association, a Rector scholar and an attorney. He was a community volunteer and a member of numerous organizations. Survivors include a son, David T. Huber ’76.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Helen Talbert Huber ’48.

Christine Troxel Eltzroth, 94, Indianapolis Oct. 12. She was an interior decorator, manager and a sales associate.

She was a community volunteer.

1950 Virginia Hill Hutchinson, 93, Streator, Illinois, Oct. 24. She was a member of Delta Gamma, a secretary, a substitute teacher and a community volunteer.

Survivors include a son, Craig H. Hutchinson ’78. She was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas W. Hutchinson ’50.

Thomas M. Ostien, 94, Seattle, Sept. 11.

He was a member of Beta Theta Pi and a business owner. He earned a letter on the DePauw golf team. He was preceded in death by a sister, Lee Ostien Martin ’47.

Elizabeth Saucerman Paris, 92, Frisco, Texas, Oct. 8. She was a gifted pianist, organist and choir director. She enjoyed teaching and playing for community events. She was an avid supporter for the seeing-impaired and read and recorded dozens of books for the blind.

1951 Elizabeth Veit Boynton, 92, St. Clair Shores, Michigan, Nov. 15. She was a

member of Kappa Kappa Gamma, a real estate agent and a community volunteer.

She had a positive attitude and looked at each day as an adventure.

1952 Cynthia Cline Roberts, 90, Indianapolis, Oct. 30. She was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma, a teacher and a community volunteer. She was a strong supporter of the arts, particularly the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields, where she was a docent for many years. She was a member of the first docent group at the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art. She enjoyed golf and water sports and traveled both locally and globally. She was preceded in death by a brother, Stephen C. Cline ’56.

Margaret Marks Demitroff, 91, Kingston, Rhode Island, Sept. 19. She was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi and a retired kindergarten teacher. She enjoyed family, sports and traveling.

William R. Nesbit, 91, Carmel, Indiana, Sept. 10. He was a member of Phi Gamma Delta and Phi Beta Kappa; a Rector scholar; and an aviation economist.

Survivors include his wife, Nancy Hartz Nesbit ’52; a daughter, Elizabeth Nesbit Halbert ’76; a granddaughter, Emily G. Halbert ’11; and a niece, Julianne Nesbit ’81. He was preceded in death by his parents Harold R. Nesbit ’26 and Frances Gray Nesbit ’26; a brother, James R. Nesbit ’57; and a grandmother, Eva Osborne Nesbit, Class of 1893.

Joseph W. Nagle, 92, Madison, Wisconsin, Oct. 27. He was a member of Delta Chi. He retired from the Madison Area Technical College, where he was a computer analyst and teacher.

He enjoyed walking, bird watching and visiting the arboretum, as well as the opera and books. He was preceded in death by his wife, Joan Muzzy Nagle ’52.

Lynn Tozer Hammond Bowles, 91, Indianapolis, Oct. 1. She was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi and a community volunteer. She played tennis well into

44 I DEPAUW MAGAZINE SPRING 2022

her seventies. Survivors include sons, John R. Hammond III ’76, Jarrell B. Hammond ’78 and Joel C. Hammond ’82; daughter, Mary Hammond Atkinson ’84; and a stepdaughter, Sharon L. Hammond ’73. She was preceded in death by a grandson, Sanford N. Atkinson ’20.

1953 Charles K. Hall Jr., 89, Ooltewah, Tennessee, Nov. 2. He was a member of Phi Gamma Delta and a Rector scholar who had a 40-year career in retail real estate. After retirement, he served as a consultant to the shopping center industry. He was an avid tennis player and also enjoyed boating, snow skiing and biking in the Rockies.

Esther Julian Jones, 90, Jocotepec Jalisco, Mexico, Oct. 19. She taught high school English and later served as public relations director at Culver-Stockton College and Upper Iowa University.

Survivors include her husband, Robert C. Jones ’53; sons, Todd A. Jones ’79 and Barry A. Jones ’82; and a brother, Paul R. Julian ’51. She was preceded in death by her parents Forbes Julian ’24 and Dorothy Esther Julian ’24.

Kendrick A. Shedd, 93, Roswell, Georgia, Nov. 3. He was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha and had a career with Travelers Insurance Co. He was a fan of Atlanta sports and enjoyed playing ALTA tennis for many years.

F. Michael Wahl, 90, Vero Beach, Florida, Dec. 16. He was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha and the Washington C. DePauw Society. He was a professor of geology; a geological consultant; and executive director of the Geological Society of America. He was preceded in death by his wife, Dorothy Daniel Wahl ’53.

1954 J. Barry Baumgardner, 88, Dayton Nov. 2. He was a member of Sigma Nu and a Rector scholar. He was a stockbroker for several firms. He was an avid golfer

and Dayton city champion in 1966. He was nominated to the Senior Olympics Hall of Fame for his distinguished performance in golf events at the local, state, regional and national level.

Survivors include his wife, Jane Mills Baumgardner ’55.

Betty Davis Givens, 88, Indianapolis, July 21. A longtime DePauw benefactor, she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta. She taught in Crawfordsville, Indiana, and the Washington Township Schools in Indianapolis. Betty and her sister, Marjorie Davis Morehead ’54, and their spouses, David Givens and David Morehead ’53, respectively, established DePauw’s MoreheadGivens Endowed Scholarship to provide study-abroad travel stipends for students and Betty bequeathed her valuable collection of T.C. Steele paintings to the university. She served on boards for the Indianapolis Zoo and Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields, where she was a docent. Devoted to the arts, Betty cofounded the Indianapolis Arts & Antiques Show through the Methodist Hospital Task Corp. She volunteered at the Indianapolis Children’s Museum Haunted House and the Indianapolis Children’s Bureau. She was survived by David, her husband of 66 years, who died Jan. 27. Other survivors include her sister, Marjorie Davis Morehead ’54; brother-in-law David J. Morehead ’53; and nieces Elizabeth Morehead Wilson ’83 and Anne Morehead McClellan ’88. She was preceded in death by her mother, Doris Leavitt Davis ’26.

John R. Walker, 89, Charlotte, North Carolina, Nov. 2. He was a member of Beta Theta Pi and a businessman. He was an Olympic-level swimmer in college.

He and his wife traveled extensively.

Survivors include a niece, Jane Lehman Triaire ’78. He was preceded in death by his wife, Carol Mahood Walker ’55, and a sister, Judith Walker Buchanan ’56.

1955 Dolly Weaver Deary, 88, Brick, New Jersey, Oct. 23. She was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma and the Daughters

of the American Revolution. She worked many years as an elementary school aide.

She enjoyed the beach, reading, cooking and handicrafts. She was preceded in death by her husband, Roger R. Deary ’54.

Jim Totman, 88, Scottsdale, Arizona, Dec. 18. He was a member of Delta Tau Delta and a track athlete. An ROTC participant, he became an Air Force officer who specialized in Soviet military and economic affairs. As an Air Force pilot he flew more than 1,400 sorties in Vietnam and was an instructor in the Strategic Air Command. He earned master’s degrees from Auburn University and Thunderbird School of Global Management. In his later career he served as a commercial adviser for aeronautics. He enjoyed competitive running throughout his life, with recent awards in Senior Olympic competitions.

He also enjoyed traveling, gardening and good food and wine. He was preceded in death by his wife Janis Campbell Totman ’55. Survivors include daughter, Julie Totman Springer ’84.

1956 John R. Dehner, 87, Richmond, Indiana, Oct. 17. He was a member of Beta Theta Pi; a Rector scholar; and a radiologist.

Survivors include sons, John S. Dehner ’89 and Thomas R. Dehner ’90, and a niece, Elizabeth Copher Browning ’84. He was preceded in death by a stepdaughter, Sister Dana M. Augustin ’90, and a sister, Martha Dehner Copher ’55.

Donald W. Garlinger, 87, Winfield, Illinois, Dec. 5. He was a member of Sigma Chi; a Rector scholar; and an attorney. He enjoyed baseball, coaching his children’s Little League games, theatrical roles and sailing. Survivors include his wife, Barbara Thompson Garlinger ’56; a son, Peter W. Garlinger ’87; a daughter, Martha Garlinger Underwood ’88; and a brother-in-law, Lawrence E. Thompson ’63. He was preceded in death by his father-in-law, Albert H. Thompson ’28, and his motherin-law, Helen Egbert Thompson ’32.

Gerrit C. Hagman, 85, Atlanta, Dec.

12. He was a member of the Men’s Hall Association and a periodontist.

He taught classes at Emory University Continuing Dental Education for 10 years. He was a member of several dental organizations, including the International College of Dentists, for which he was a lecturer. He was preceded in death by his wife, Ann Lancaster Hagman ’57; his grandfather, Charles V. Bailey ’39; and a cousin, E. Richard Lewke ’49.

Peter D. Hoagland, Glenside, Pennsylvania, Nov. 3. He was a member of the Men’s Hall Association and a Rector scholar. He was a researcher for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

He was an avid photographer, model railroad enthusiast and tennis player, who also enjoyed chess and the piano.

Survivors include a brother, Richard P. Hoagland ’58.

Richard E. Knapp, 86, Buffalo Grove, Illinois, July 5. He was a member of Phi Gamma Delta and the Washington C. DePauw Society and a patent attorney. He was a community volunteer.

Survivors include a daughter, Jennifer Knapp Henrikson ’84; and a son-inlaw, H. Andrew Henrikson ’83. He was followed in death by his wife, Ann Bland Knapp ’57.

Richard B. Mueller, 90, Florence, Kentucky, Dec. 23. He was a member of the Men’s Hall Association. He had a 30-year career as a credit sales manager with Sears. After retirement, he was rehired to represent Sears in bankruptcy courts. Survivors include his wife, Marjorie Hall Mueller ’56.

1957 Ann Bland Knapp, 86, Buffalo Grove, Illinois, Nov. 3. She was a member of Delta Gamma and the Washington C. DePauw Society. She was an English teacher, a writer and an editor for Ann Knapp Productions. She was a community volunteer. Survivors include a daughter, Jennifer Knapp Henrikson ’84, and son-in-law, H. Andrew Henrikson ’83. She was preceded in death by her husband, Richard E. Knapp ’56.

Elizabeth Ives Thompson, 86, Loveland, Colorado, March 8. She was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta. Survivors include nieces, Susan Ives ’76 and Nancy Ives Brock ’86; a nephew, Robert T. Ives ’79; and a sister-in-law, Mary Shattuck Ives ’53. She was preceded in death by her husband, William J. Thompson ’57, and a brother, Joseph T. Ives Jr. ’53.

Kenneth L. Novander, 86, Frankfort, Illinois, Oct. 27. He was a member of the Men’s Hall Association. He retired as a general counsel from the Illinois Central Railroad. Survivors include his wife, Amy Wright Novander ’58.

Carolyn Uhlinger Shantz, 86, Oakland Township, Michigan, Dec. 6. She was a professor of psychology and held numerous positions in the American Psychological Association. She was author and co-author of several books and published many chapters and journal

articles. She enjoyed traveling through Europe with her husband; taking road trips through the Appalachians, Colorado, Montana, the East Coast and Northern Michigan. She was an avid reader and a gardener who loved to play games and do the New York Times crossword puzzle every Sunday.

Ruth Wessman Dietel, 85, West Palm Beach, Florida, Oct. 7. She was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi who had worked for the Chicago Daily News. She and her husband lived and owned a landscaping business in Florida for many years.

1958 Richard T. Crane Jr., 85, Litchfield, Illinois, Sept. 19. He was a member of Delta Chi. He worked at the Department of Agriculture and later in the insurance business. He enjoyed traveling and buying and selling antiques.

Timothy H. Ubben ’58, who gave time, talent and treasure to DePauw, died Dec. 13 in Florida. He was 84. He was a Rector scholar who majored in economics. He lettered in golf three years; was a member of Delta Tau Delta, the Union Board, the “D” Association and the German Club; worked for WGRE radio; and was a co-founder and chairman of the first Little 500 bike race. After graduating, he earned an MBA from Northwestern University and served in the U.S. Army. He founded Lincoln Capital Management, a Chicago investment firm, in 1967, retiring in 1999. He and his wife of 62 years, Sharon Williams Ubben ’58, made their first donation to DePauw – $26 – the year they graduated, and they continued their giving ways for more than 60 years. Their generosity supported need-based financial aid for DePauw students; endowed 15 faculty chairs; renovated several academic buildings and athletic facilities; and created an eponymous lecture series that has brought 116 world leaders to campus. They expanded the Posse program, which partners with DePauw to provide scholarships to students whose talents might be overlooked by the traditional college application process. Ubben served on the Board of Trustees from 1987 until his death; he was board chair 1998-2001.

He also was a member and president of the Alumni Association. He chaired the Leadership for a New Century campaign 1995-2000 and was honorary chair of The Campaign for DePauw 2012-19. He served three terms as chair of the Annual Fund and participated in presidential search committees in 2007-08 and 2015-16. DePauw awarded him the Old Gold Goblet in 1993 and an honorary Doctor of Public Service degree in 2012. The former North Quad was renamed Ubben Quadrangle in 2013. He also received the Ernest T. Stewart Award for Alumni Volunteer Involvement from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education in 2012. The Council for Independent Colleges presented his Award for Philanthropy (Individual) to Tim and Sharon Ubben in 2020. In addition to his wife, survivors include his sister, Lou Ubben Walton ’57; two brothers-in-law, Jerry L. Williams ’54 and Dwight Walton ’57; a sister-in-law, Jane Jones Williams ’57; a niece, Brynne Williams Shaner ’83; and a grandniece, Morgan MacBride Shaner ’16. He was predeceased by his father-in-law, Rollin Williams ’27.

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GOLD NUGGETS Joseph M. Lawlor, 86, Columbus, Wisconsin, Dec. 8. He was a member of Sigma Nu and had a career in sales and banking. He enjoyed playing golf and keeping in touch with school friends.

Survivors include his wife, Mary “Mimi” Dyson Lawlor ’58. He was preceded in death by a brother, Matthew C. Lawlor ’59; a sister-in-law, Nancy Dyson Stark ’53; and a brother-in-law, Edward H. Stark ’51.

Charlotte Stafford 1925, and an uncle, J. Howard Stafford ’33.

Jean Landon Wilson, 84, Chicago, Nov. 11. She was a member of Alpha Pi and worked in administrative assistant roles, computer programming and real estate. She enjoyed walking her Golden Retrievers, golfing, gardening and interior design.

1959

George L. Mazanec, 85, Houston, Oct. 21. He was a member of Alpha Tau Omega and the Washington C. DePauw Society. He was a lifetime member of DePauw’s Board of Trustees. After graduating from DePauw, he pursued a MBA at Harvard Business School.

His 50-year career included positions as the vice chairman of PanEnergy Corp., president and chief executive officer of Texas Eastern Transmission Corp., executive vice president and chief financial officer of Texas Gas Transmission, vice president and chief financial officer of Duquesne Electric Co. and president of Northern Natural Gas Liquids. In retirement, he was a board member of Dynegy, National Fuel Gas, PanEnergy and Westcoast Energy as well as adviser to the chief operating officer of Duke Energy. He and his wife established the Mazanec Family Endowed Scholarship at DePauw, which is awarded to junior and senior economics majors. He enjoyed fly-fishing, bird hunting and traveling the world with his wife and friends. Survivors include a son, John C. Mazanec ’90, and a granddaughter, Rachel E. Mazanec ’14.

Charles B. Stafford, 85, Cincinnati, Aug. 31. He was a member of Delta Chi; a Rector scholar; an actuary; and an IRS tax examiner. Survivors include a brother, Stephen W. Stafford ’63.

He was preceded in death by an aunt,

Nancy Waymire Munroe, 85, Tucson, Nov. 5. She was a member of Delta Gamma; a community volunteer; and an insurance agent. She was a University of Arizona Wildcats fan and rarely missed a game. After retirement she traveled the world, making friends and memories.

Joyce Bittner Wylie, 84, Mount Pleasant, Michigan, Oct. 27. She was a member of Delta Gamma, a science teacher and a school counselor. She served as a Boy Scout and Girl Scout leader. She enjoyed watching choirs, sporting events and dance recitals for her children and grandchildren. Survivors include a daughter, Allyson Wylie Klak ’89, and a sister, Jane E. Bittner ’63.

Leslie C. Glaser, 84, Salt Lake City, Oct. 16. He was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon; a Rector scholar; and a retired math professor. He was the author of numerous research papers and of Geometrical Combinatorial Topology Vol. 1 and Vol. 2. He was a food and wine lover. He and his wife enjoyed traveling to France, Alaska and Italy. Survivors include his wife, June Higgins Glaser ’61.

Nancy Lendrum Modzelewski, 84, Phoenix, Nov. 30. She was a member of Kappa Gamma Gamma. She volunteered for the Phoenix Humane Society Society, Goodwill, the Phoenix Cotillion and the Visiting Nurses. She loved crafts, all animals (especially bunnies), bowling, traveling and playing the piano. Survivors include her husband, Ernest F. Modzelewski ’58.

David W. Sowersby, 86, St. Augustine, Florida, Oct. 29. He was a member of Phi Gamma Delta. He worked for 36 years as a district manager for Crane Packing Co. He enjoyed traveling and camping with his family; playing golf; and singing in the church choir.

Janet M. Stelmasek, 84, Chicago, Sept. 22. She was a social worker

46 I DEPAUW MAGAZINE SPRING 2022

Robert J. Darnall ’60 died Oct. 19 in Chicago. He was 83. He worked for Inland Steel Industries Inc. for 36 years, rising to become chairman, chief executive officer and president. He next joined Ispat International N.V., now Arcelor Mittal, as head of its North American operations. He left Ispat in 2000 to head the metals procurement company Prime Advantage until 2002. He sat on several boards, including that of the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago; Cummins Inc.; and U.S. Steel Corp. He was past chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and the American Iron and Steel Institute. He was named “Steelmaker of the Year” in 1995 by New Steel magazine and awarded the Gary Medal by the American Iron and Steel Institute, of which he was chairman. He was past chairman of Junior Achievement of Chicago and past chairman and trustee of Glenwood Academy. He had long-term involvement with Fourth Presbyterian Church and United Way of Chicago. He was a former member of DePauw’s Board of Trustees and Board of Visitors. He was a Rector scholar who received the Rector Scholar Achievement Award in 1985. He lettered in baseball in 1958 and was a member of Sigma Chi. He earned a second bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Columbia University in 1962 and an MBA from the University of Chicago in 1973. He and his wife established the Robert J. and Marletta Farrier Darnall DePauw Trust Scholarship, which supports students of high academic achievement who demonstrate financial need. Survivors include his wife, Marletta Farrier Darnall ’61; his son, Matthew S. Darnall ’85; his daughter, Jill Darnall Tanner ’91; and a granddaughter, Nicole Darnall ’16. and an elementary school teacher who retired from the Social Security Administration. She was an avid fan of Chicago sport teams. She loved Chicago and enjoyed walking and taking part in neighborhood activities.

1960 John M. Cassady, 83, Columbus, Ohio, Sept. 29. He was a member of Alpha Tau Omega and the Washington C. DePauw Society and a Rector scholar.

He pitched on DePauw’s baseball team, won a letter for three years, was named twice to the all-Indiana Collegiate Conference and was inducted into DePauw’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011. He was a former Alumni Board member. He was the sixth dean of Ohio State College of Pharmacy, where he was named dean emeritus. He was the author of more than 150 manuscripts and abstracts on cancer research. He received an honorary degree from DePauw in 1989. Survivors include a son, John M. Cassady ’91.

Laurence F. Skelton, 83, Carmel, Indiana, Sept. 8. He was a member of Beta Theta Pi and a Rector scholar who was a first baseman for DePauw’s baseball team, for

which he was inducted into DePauw’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2002. He also played two years on the basketball team.

He won the competitive spirit award, the most competitive award and the Tucker Memorial Award for athletic leadership.

He retired as director of manufacturing operations for AT&T Montgomery Works. He was a talented gardener and a community leader, serving on the boards of the United Way of Aurora, the Salvation Army and the Boy Scouts and as president of the Naperville North High School Booster Club for two years. Survivors include a daughter, Nancy Skelton Bielefeld ’93; sons L. Matthew Skelton ’87 and Timothy J. Skelton ’89; and daughters-in-law Victoria Blum Skelton ’88 and Patricia Cowan Skelton ’92.

1961 Elise Medlin Lednum, 82, Asheville, North Carolina, Nov. 2. She was a member of Delta Zeta and a nurse.

She was involved in ministry with Child Evangelism Fellowship and was instrumental in starting a ministry to Hispanic immigrant families.

Kenneth E. Truelove, 81, Chicago, Oct. 27. He was a minister of the Episcopal

Church. He was an avid book collector; a creative writer; and a baseball fan.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Theresa Wilson Truelove ’63.

1962 Linda Bollinger McCoy, 81, Seymour, Indiana, Oct. 26. She was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. She was a sports fan, especially the Indiana University Hoosiers. She and her husband traveled extensively. She was a generous donor to many philanthropies. Survivors include a daughter, Elizabeth McCoy McCarty ’92; granddaughters Margaret McCoy Royalty ’16 and Samantha L. McCarty ’20; a grandson, Alexander C. McCarty ’25; a brother, Thomas R. Bollinger ’65; nephews Timothy M. Pugh ’88, Jason A. Pugh ’91 and John C. Stadler ’92; a niece-in-law, Vicki Freeman Pugh ’87; a grandniece, Aline P. Pugh ’20; and a cousin, Richard S. Bollinger ’73. She was preceded in death by her husband, James T. McCoy ’62; her father, Don M. Bollinger ’36; an aunt, M. Louise Bollinger ’42; an uncle, Richard L. Bollinger ’47; and her grandfather, Don A. Bollinger 1908.

Sandra Frakes Parsons, 81, Glenview, Illinois, Dec. 10. She was a member of Delta Delta Delta. She was a community volunteer who was involved in the arts community and enjoyed annual travels with her friends. Survivors include a daughter, Laura Parsons Schoch ’87; a grandson, Grayson A. Schoch ’18; and a son-in-law, Breton A. Schoch ’86. She was preceded in death by her husband, Warren F. Parsons Jr. ’62.

John M. Sayre III, 81, Richmond, Indiana, Nov. 25. He was a member of the Men’s Hall Association; an attorney; a community volunteer; and a member of professional organizations.

He was an avid sportsman who enjoyed quail hunting, field trialing, fishing and horseback riding. He was a sports enthusiast. Survivors include a brother, Larry E. Sayre ’60, and a sister-in-law, Nancy Zark Sayre ’61.

Robert T. Whetzel, 81, Upper Arlington, Ohio, Sept. 1. He was a

member of Beta Theta Pi and had a career in banking. He enjoyed golf, family gatherings and community volunteering. Survivors include his wife, Sherri Brown Whetzel ’62; a son, David B. Whetzel ’92; and a daughter, Kimberly Whetzel Whitman ’86.

James P. Zerface, 81, Nashville, Tennessee, Oct. 23. He was a member of Phi Kappa Psi and a Rector scholar. He lettered in basketball three years and was named to all-sectional, all-regional and all-semi-state teams. He was inducted in 2006 into the DePauw Athletics Hall of Fame. He was the director of pupil personnel services for Metro Nashville Public Schools and, after retiring, was a research associate at Vanderbilt University and volunteer for Urban Housing Solutions. He was a successful country music songwriter whose compositions were recorded by Jerry Lee Lewis and Reba McEntire.

1963 Kyle M. McGee, 79, Hartford, Connecticut, Sept. 12. He was a member of the Men’s Hall Association; a Rector scholar; and an Episcopal priest.

1964 Martha McLaughlin Dore, 78, East Freetown, Massachusetts, Nov. 23.

She was a member of Pi Phi. She was an associate professor at Columbia University School of Social Work and, later, research associate at Harvard University Department of Psychiatry and director of research and evaluation at The Guidance Center in Cambridge.

She wrote numerous articles on child and family welfare, served as a reviewer on a number of editorial boards and was coauthor of the book “Creating Competency from Chaos: A Comprehensive Guide to Home-Based Services.”

Jay W. Troyka, 79, St. George, Utah, Aug. 26. He was a member of Alpha Tau Omega and a Rector scholar who had a career in management consulting.

He enjoyed the outdoors, where he golfed, hunted, fished and boated. He

traveled nationally and internationally.

Survivors include a sister, Gail Troyka Martin ’62.

Cynthia Werner Noel, 79, Carmel, Indiana, Dec. 7. She was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta; a teacher; a business investor; and a community volunteer.

She enjoyed reading, traveling and spending time with family and friends.

1965 Cecelia Helwig Hilgert, 78, Washington D.C., Aug. 17. She was a member of Alpha Gamma Delta. She was employed as a statistician by the IRS and was a hospital volunteer.

Michael W. Street, 78, Morehead City, North Carolina, Dec. 8. He was a member of Sigma Chi; a Rector scholar; and chief of the fisheries management section of the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries. He received many awards for his work, including North Carolina’s highest civilian award, The Order of the Longleaf Pine, in 2007.

1966 Theodore F. Hegeman, 76, Indianapolis, Nov. 12. He was a member of Phi Kappa Psi; a physician; and a community volunteer. He was president and chief executive officer of nephrology and internal medicine at IU Health Methodist Hospital from 1977 to 2007.

He also served as the medical director of the Dialysis Institutes of Indiana 198195. Survivors include his wife, Linda Mills Hegeman ’66.

James “Jim” Means, 77, Natick, Massachusetts, Oct. 26. He was a member of Phi Delta Theta. He was an international businessman in the field of medical devices who traveled and lived around the world and was fluent in Spanish, Portuguese and French. He developed his interest in languages, internationalism, aviation and foreign travel while studying abroad as a DePauw student and later at Thunderbird School of Global Management. He loved convertibles,

Rotary International, The Dover Church, the Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress, skiing, ice skating, tennis, badminton and being on the water in a canoe, kayak or sailboat.

Judith Sheagren, 77, Baltimore, Aug. 28.

She was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi. She was a psychotherapist and held several faculty positions before going into private practice. She studied and practiced meditation and Buddhist teachings and sang with the Baltimore Choral Arts Society.

1967 Arthur W. DePrez, 76, Bokeelia, Florida, Oct. 12. He was a member of Delta Tau Delta and an attorney. He was the general manager of the Shelbyville News in Indiana 1973-86, and later formed a printing company. He served as city attorney for Shelbyville 1996-2000. Later he worked as a federal administrative law judge for Medicare hearings and appeals. He had a knack for storytelling, an interest in history and love for his country. Survivors include a daughter, Megan DePrez Booth ’88.

William A. Grossman, 75, Indianapolis, Oct. 19. He was a member of Beta Theta Pi and a real estate appraiser. Survivors include sister-in-law, Molly Cadwallader Grossman ’71; and a cousin, Nancy A. Gregory ’83. He was preceded in death by his father, Irvin A. Grossman ’31; a brother, Thomas G. Grossman ’71; and aunts Wilma Grossman Allen ’30 and Pauline Grossman Gregory ’44.

1968 Arthur L. Rice III, 75, Barrington, Illinois, Sept. 18. He was a member of Phi Delta Theta and had a career in publishing. He enjoyed shooting skeet, fly fishing and golf. Survivors include his wife, Lynn Davies Rice ’68, and a niece, Heidi L. Douglass ’00.

1969 Charles W. Leffler II, 74, Memphis, Sept. 28. He was a member of Sigma Nu.

SPRING 2022 DEPAUW MAGAZINE I 47

GOLD NUGGETS He was a professor of physiology and pediatrics at the University of Tennessee, where he was named a distinguished professor in 2011. He was the founding director of the school’s Health Science Center Laboratory for Research in Neonatal Physiology and director of its Cardiovascular Renal Center. He published more than 260 papers on blood flow in newborns during stressful and pathological situations. He enjoyed skiing, snorkeling, golf and travel.

1970 Cynthia Devoe Price, 73, Peru, Indiana, Dec. 13. She was a nurse for 43 years, the last as a hospice nurse.

1971 Lida Gail Gordon, 71, Louisville, July 17. She was a member of Delta Delta Delta, a noted visual artist and a professor of fine arts. Working with textiles and fiber was her first love, but she also drew, painted, shot photos and made prints.

She was active in efforts to increase recognition for women artists and artists of color and founded the organization Louisville Area Fiber and Textile Artists.

She was a focused listener and a quick wit; she loved dogs and travel.

1972 Thomas N. Jones, 71, Albuquerque, Nov. 10. He was a member of Beta Theta Pi; a Rector scholar; and an attorney.

Survivors include a sister, Janet L. Jones ’69, and a nephew, Benjamin C. McCormick ’97.

Luke J. Ruane, 71, Montezuma, Ohio, Oct. 15. He was a member of Phi Gamma Delta and general manager for Electricon Corp. He enjoyed sports, camping, model trains and woodworking.

1975 Dawn Hedmark Segalo, 68, Kansas City, Missouri, Aug. 22. She was a member of Pi Beta Phi. She was a stay-at-home mom for 21 years, homeschooling her children and

attending their activities. She enjoying reading, watching old movies, sewing, gardening, playing the piano and singing in the messiah choir.

Bruce E. Ploshay, 67, Indianapolis, April 22. He was a member of Delta Chi; a Rector scholar; and a financial adviser. He was an avid reader, enjoyed crossword puzzles and was a lifelong handyman. He enjoyed fishing, golf and racquetball. Survivors include his wife, Anne Hensley Ploshay ’76.

played football at DePauw, winning three letters and being named MVP in the 1978 Monon Bell game. He was a sports fan and adored live music, theatre and fun. Survivors include a daughter, Katrina J. lorio ’19.

Michael D. Milatovich, 64, Greencastle, Dec. 1. He was a member of Phi Gamma Delta. He lettered three years in football and a year in track and field.

He was an avid sportsman, freelance writer and racing trivia buff.

1977

1983

Olivia Lane Kuchefski, 70, Bloomington, Indiana, Oct. 21. She was an elementary school teacher for more than 40 years. She enjoyed travel and all things related to her grandchildren.

Margaret Ehlers Kool, 60, South Haven, Michigan, Sept. 26. She was a member of Alpha Phi and a zoological consultant.

She was an active volunteer and started successful companies growing flowers.

Survivors include a sister, Susan E. Ehlers ’84; a brother, Michael A. Ehlers ’87; a niece, Lauren L. Ehlers ’24; an uncle, Philip J. Ehlers ’58; an aunt, Charlene Sorensen Ehlers ’59; and a sister-in-law, Elizabeth LeSourd Ehlers ’89. She was preceded in death by her father, Albert G. Ehlers ’54.

Sue A. Millis, 66, Lebanon, Indiana, Oct. 21. She enjoyed reading, family history, card games, gardening and cooking.

1978 James A. Renn, 68, Paragon, Indiana, Sept. 23. He was an elementary school teacher, a mechanic, a business manager and a pastor. He enjoyed playing cards, spending time on the beach in Florida and time with his family. Survivors include his wife, Leann Bailey Renn ’78.

Judith White Ornella, 67, Georgetown, Ohio, Aug. 19. She was an IRS tax examiner and a reference librarian.

1979 Daniel J. Kennerk, 69, Fremont, California, Sept. 28. He had a career counseling/resume business and then worked for the State Employment Development Department.

1980 Craig S. lorio, 64, Des Plaines, Illinois, Nov. 18. He was a member of Sigma Nu and a chiropractor. He and his wife enjoyed traveling and attending concerts around Chicago. He spread joy and laughter through his storytelling. He

48 I DEPAUW MAGAZINE SPRING 2022

Steven W. Steinway, 65, Danville, Indiana, Sept. 18. He taught industrial arts and coached sports and was the owner of Steinway Insurance Agency. He was involved in his church and community.

He spent more than 25 years refereeing football, basketball and volleyball.

1984 Leah Littlewood Hamrick, 69, Indianapolis, Oct. 10. She was a member of Delta Delta Delta. She found joy in the simple things of life, such as sewing, gardening, raising chickens and going on walks with friends. She was a community volunteer. Survivors include a sister, Linda Littlewood Johnson ’75, and a brother-in-law, Richard C. Johnson ’74.

She was preceded in death by her father, Thomas B. Littlewood ’52.

1992 Andrea Powelson Singer, 51, Indian Hill, Ohio, June 26. She was a member

of Kappa Kappa Gamma and the Washington C. DePauw Society.

She advocated for children’s literacy education and volunteered for the Boys and Girls Club of Cincinnati. Survivors include her husband, David L. Singer ’91; her father-in-law, Carl P. Singer ’66; her brothers-in-law Carl P. Singer Jr. ’86 and Brian L. Singer ’89; a nephew, Graham T. Singer ’14; and a niece Alison E. Singer ’17.

1998 Susan Jackson Learned, 45, Indianapolis, Dec. 18. She was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. She was vice president for the management consulting firm Public Knowledge. She and her husband traveled with friends to 42 countries, including Croatia, India, Vietnam and Iceland, and she had hoped to reach 50 by age 50. Her passions included her dogs, restoring old houses and entertaining friends.

2019 Bradley S. Burton, 24, Dallas, Sept. 27.

He was a member of Phi Kappa Psi and played baseball at DePauw. He was a salesman for AT&T.

2021 Samuel B. Yeager, 24, Denver, April 3.

He was a member of Beta Theta Pi. He was an avid outdoorsman and felt most at home in nature.

Friends Anthony J. Ingram, 49, Greencastle, Dec. 18. He worked 20 years for Marsh.

He was a writer and entertainer. He owned and operated Big Daddy A.D. J. Service. He did the first hour of entertainment of First Friday on the square in downtown Greencastle. He had a published book, “Coming Out of My Cocoon.”

THE BO(U)LDER QUESTION

By Maggie Schein Maggie Schein, author of “Cruelty: A Book About Us,” recently spent two years as writer-in-residence at the Prindle Institute for Ethics. We asked her:

Why are people cruel?

I

t depends.

That is how most people first interrogate cruelty. During my three decades of study of cruelty, I have found that most people, when first interrogating cruelty, pose that question. We want to identify a confusing kind of pain or a sense of un-belonging within ourselves or the world. We want to describe the discomfort that goes beyond bad, skirts law or religions and can even align with – and this can be a really aversive/ divisive thought – “good intentions.” Yes, cruelty can be well-intentioned. It is a counterintuitive thought, but a necessary one for making sense of ourselves. Think of Richard H. Pratt, now infamous but famed in his time for organizing the destruction of American Indigenous peoples, who coined the catch-phrase: “Kill the Indian; save the man.”

I suggest we begin our conversation asking “what is cruelty?” before we try to deconstruct the many “whys” cruelties are committed, or even “who” can count as a perpetrator or a victim. “Why” is a necessary question, but distant from our starting point.

Cruelty belongs to all of us, each of us: in our kitchens, with our guns, families, WMDs, tortures and genocides. Cruelty has an unlimited reach; it perverts what we think of as “humanity,” hence, why we can speak of “inhumanity” in relation to instances of it. For contrast, we do not say a bad gopher is an “in-gopher.” Why not?

What is the underpinning moral grammar, the moral valence or expectation, that allows that difference? Cruelty opens gaps in our moral foundations; it can go beyond legality, morality, religion and custom.

There were manuals for how to properly draw-and-quarter a convict (when that was a legal punishment) and what size stones are acceptable, under certain interpretations of Sharia law, for stoning a person to death. Varieties of moralities, religions, conventions and legalities have evolving boundaries around “humanity” versus “inhumanity;” “cruelty” is the outlier for each. Like a virus, it does not discriminate in a morally familiar manner and, like pornography, we know it when we see it.

This work aims to invite, even demand, because we, all of us, have to be in on the

conversations. I was fortunate enough to present recently to a DePauw forum. I will be upfront: I was disappointed I did not have answers for the participants. I had suggestions to begin the conversation.

When asked to define cruelty, the participants offered up “intention,” “suffering,” “indifference.” Those notions mostly revolve around why certain people become cruel. We are at a deficit and we need one another’s help to discuss what we are talking about when talking about “cruelty.” Are we talking sociopaths?

Psychopaths? Ordinary humans? By what criteria? Our answers tell us about ourselves; codified moralities, religions, legalities, psychologies? That is, what is humanity, such that it can be cruel, can be inhuman?

We need to further define cruelty so that we can understand why people are cruel.

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