Alumni Magazine

Emory& Henry A L U M N I M AGAZ IN E S u mmer 2 0 1 3

President Schrum set to Unleash the Liberal Arts

Hermesian Society Re-formed Atkins Addresses 2013 Grads The Gift of Glade

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From the President

eldom in life does one have the privilege and opportunity to provide significant service to not one or two but, indeed, three fine institutions of higher education. So first, Jane and I want to express our heartfelt thanks for your invitation to serve as your next presidential couple. We are genuinely thrilled with the prospect of joining each of you in the Emory & Henry College family as we all seek to “increase in excellence” the great work that has been underway at the College since 1836.

In the evening recently, I have taken time away from my packing chores to read the book Legacy and Vision which was written and published to celebrate Emory & Henry’s distinguished history over the last 175 years. So far I am struck by several important themes which are always prominent in the Emory & Henry saga. The first is survival.

This is important because it reminds us to be thankful that of the approximately 2,000 colleges and universities started by the Methodist church during the history of the United States only a few more than 100 have survived.

The Civil War almost closed the College, and if it hadn’t been for the Navy V-12 program some believed that the College’s survival would have been at risk during World War II.

Today Emory & Henry’s vitality will depend on our creativity in the provision of higher education that honors what has worked in the past, but also responds to present innovations. The program in Physical Therapy is an important step in this new direction.

Perhaps the most important or, as some scholars might suggest, the theme of utmost importance is the College’s emphasis on a strong and rigorous academic program from its very beginning. The original Board of Trustees must have wanted a first president with prestigious academic credentials so they hired a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. At that time Wesleyan was considered one of if not the premier college of American Methodism.

I find it somewhat interesting that I was working for the Chaplain at Wesleyan University when I was 25 years old. President Collins, our first president who had come to the College from Wesleyan, was himself only 25 years old!

Today the emphasis on academic excellence continues with the College’s faculty not only winning numerous state and national teaching awards, but also finding the precious time to craft a new core curriculum which, in my opinion, is second to none.

Finally, and especially appealing to me is the College’s emphasis on the education of the mind and the heart. It is a signal honor that Emory & Henry was recognized by the President of the United States as having one of the strongest civic engagement programs in America. One of the key aspects of preserving our democracy is our ability to educate people who not only care about doing well themselves, but who also are concerned about the common good. This is a large part of what has made America the envy of the world. It comes from our Methodist roots.

These and other themes which have helped determine Emory & Henry’s place and importance in higher education are what make our future bright with possibilities.

Jane and I are eager to join the Emory & Henry family and to do all we can to work with each one of you to advance the blue and gold and to “increase in excellence.” Go Wasps!

Most Sincerely,

Jake B. Schrum

U.S. Department of Education Recognizes Emory & Henry for Service

E&H Ranked Safest Four-Year Institution in Virginia

Emory & Henry has been named to the 2013 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS).

The Honor Roll recognizes higher education institutions that reflect the values of exemplary community service and achieve meaningful outcomes in their communities.

Emory & Henry’s selection to the Honor Roll is recognition from the highest levels of the federal government of its commitment to service and civic engagement.

This marks the fourth consecutive year that Emory & Henry has been recognized by CNCS and the U.S. Department of Education.

In 2010, Emory & Henry was first honored when it was one of only six institutions nationwide to receive the President’s Award, the highest national recognition for service learning. In 2011, Emory & Henry was recognized as one of 11 finalists for the President’s Award.

Emory & Henry is the only college or university in Virginia to ever win the President’s Award and one of only a few institutions to win the award or be named a finalist in two consecutive years.

Emory & Henry College is the safest four-year college or university in Virginia, according to an annual safety ranking by StateUniversity.com, an online educational ranking and research service.

Among all colleges and universities in Virginia, Emory & Henry ranked second in safety, behind Virginia Western Community College. Last year, Emory & Henry was ranked the sixth safest school in the commonwealth.

“Emory & Henry enjoys a safe campus, which is in large part the result of a campus community that deeply values citizenship, leadership and service as well as the pursuit of academic excellence,” said Pam Gourley, the E&H vice president of student affairs.

The Safest Schools findings are based on incidents of campus crime as reported by campus safety officials. As part of the Safest Schools ranking, StateUniversity.com analyzed crime statistics for 450 colleges and universities, and assigned a safety rating to each school.

E&H Professors Again Ranked Among Top 25 in Nation

For the third consecutive year, a survey conducted for Forbes magazine has ranked Emory & Henry College professors among the top 25 faculties in the nation.

Emory & Henry professors ranked No. 20 nationwide in the survey, which was conducted for Forbes by The Center for College Affordability and Productivity.

Emory & Henry Voted Among Top Eight Adventure Schools

An online poll conducted in May by Blue Ridge Outdoors magazine ranks Emory & Henry among the top adventure colleges and universities in the East and Southeast.

Emory & Henry was selected as one of 32 schools to compete in a bracketed competition that allowed readers to vote for the top adventure school. Emory & Henry advanced to the quarter finals of the competition, defeating Lee-McCrae College and Warren Wilson College along the way.

CONTENTS Emory & Henry College Executive Council President Rosalind Reichard Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty David Haney Vice President for Business and Finance Dirk E. Wilmoth Vice President for Enrollment Management David S. Hawsey Vice President for Institutional Advancement Joseph Taylor Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students Pamela L. Gourley Director of Public Relations Dirk S. Moore Director of Athletics Myra Sims Executive Assistant to the President Mark R. Graham ’85

Jenny Poston Bishop ’93, President Greg Hagee ’86, Immediate Past President Allison Mays ’95, Vice-President Scott Sikes ’99, Second Vice-President Anne Gerard Carty ’76, Tenn.

Monica Gonzalez, ’98, Tri-Cities (Tenn.)

Beth Deskins, ’85, New River Valley Catie Neal, ’10, Shenandoah Valley Speedy Williams McClure ’95, Washington County Kathy Cox ’92, Smyth County Margaret Turman Kidd ’98, Richmond Pat Shrader ’93, North Carolina Ann Rector Shupe, ’69, Piedmont Jon Crutchfield ’91, Roanoke Valley Byron Cantrell ’81, Mountain Empire Stewart Whitmore Plein ’82, West Virginia Chuck Alexander ’89, D.C./Maryland Allison Waugh ’10, 2010s Rep. Bobbie Frentz ’03, 2000s Rep. Andy Zimmerman ’90, 1990s Rep. Anne Thomas-Abbott ’89, 1980s Rep. George Whitley, ’77, 1970s Rep. Dean Newman ’62, 1960s Rep. Sally Sprinkle Bentley ’54, Gold Club Cyndi Jennings ’91, At-Large Cindy Barker Blevins ’84, At-Large Shalonda Carter ’09, At-Large Doug Dalton, ’94, E-Rep.

THE / ALUMNI PRESIDENT

It is exciting to consider that a new class of Emory & Henry seniors has just crossed the threshold into the world of alumni...and it is just as exciting to know that a new class of Emory & Henry first-year students is preparing to start their education at our alma mater.

The Alumni Association talks to our newest students during orientation to reinforce the notion that they will soon be alumni of this wonderful college.

We also try to communicate to recent grads that they need not wait to start participating as alumni in the life of Emory & Henry. Events like Robe-n-Ready (where alumni help graduates get robed and lined up for commencement) and the Faculty-Staff Social for E&H employees sponsored by the Alumni Association are events where all alumni are welcome and encouraged to participate. The Emory & Henry Alumni Association is eager to have everyone participate as much as they can – by attending events, returning to campus, supporting the Emory & Henry Fund, recruiting students, and showing our E&H pride in our home communities. No matter how you choose to be supportive, I encourage your involvement! What a wonderful College we have in Emory & Henry – don’t miss a chance to participate!

Hail, Emory!

Jenny Poston Bishop, Class of ‘93 President, E&H Alumni Association

The Emory & Henry Alumni Magazine Director of Alumni, Alumni Editor Monica S. Hoel ’85 Associate Director of Public Relations, Art Director/Writer Jamie Smyth

ALUMNI MAGAZINE SUMMER 2013

covER STORY JAKE SCHRUM: EMORY & HENRY’S 21ST PRESIDENT

DEPARTMENTS ON THE CAMPUS p8-13 feature p8 Back to the Future:

Hermesians Return IN THE CLASSROOM p14-19 feature p14 The Gift of Glade

Front Cover: Jake Schrum, 21st President of Emory & Henry College Back Cover: Commencement 2013

Director of Public Relations, Editor Dirk Moore

EMORY & HENRY

/ REPORTS

Contributors: Karen Doss Bowman, Writer Dave Grace, Photographer Tim Jackson, Writer Joe Matthews, Writer Leah Prater, Photographer Brent Treash ’01, Photographer, Writer Rhonda Widener, Class Notes Manager Carolyn Wilson, Writer, Photographer

The Alumni Magazine is published regularly for alumni, parents and friends of Emory & Henry College. Send news, letters or change of address to the following:

ADVANCEMENT p20-23 feature p20 McGlothlin Center for the Arts SPORTS p24-27 feature p24 Brooks Field House ALUMNI ROUNDUP p28-34 feature p28 Bonner Scholars Part 2

The Alumni Magazine Emory & Henry College PO Box 950 • Emory, Virginia 24327-0950 Phone: 276-944-6126 • E-mail: alumni@ehc.edu Website: www@ehc.edu

CLASS NOTES & ALUMNI FEATURES p35-41

The Alumni Magazine © 2013 Emory & Henry College

IN MEMORIAM p42-44

4 / SUMMER 2013 / E&H Alumni Magazine

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cover

Unleashing the Liberal Arts:

transformed Texas Wesleyan to his highly successful leadership of Southwestern University in Georgetown,

President Schrum Hopes to Harness E&H Potential for Doing Good

“The liberal arts are under attack, and we are going to have to re-imagine and repackage the liberal arts in ways we have never done before.”

looks forward to applying his energies to the advancement of an institution that he believes is poised for strong growth, thanks largely to the efforts of his predecessor, the College’s

On the latter point, the new president also sees one

of national higher education. “The liberal arts are under attack, and we are going to have to re-imagine and

In addition to these problems, the institution was on the verge of finan-

repackage the liberal arts in ways we have never done

cial collapse.

before,” Schrum said. “I don’t think Thomas Jefferson and

These were the challenges that Jake Schrum inherited when he

the other founders would have suggested the democracy

became president of the University in 1991. These were problems that within

that we have now if they had not thought that most people

nine years he was able to overcome, expanding the University’s endowment

were going to have a liberal arts education. Unfortunately,

from $22 million to $46 million and doubling enrollment from 1,400 to 2,800.

that is becoming rare these days.”

The solution involved community relations. Schrum invited the parents

from the nearest local high school to a community meeting, which also

Emory & Henry has the opportunity to contribute to

a transformation in the liberal arts and thereby unleash

included members of the school board, the mayor and other dignitaries. To

its own potential, according to Schrum. Under President

a packed auditorium, Schrum announced that Texas Wesleyan was offering

Reichard, Emory & Henry made two bold steps in this

a full scholarship to any student from the high school—and their parents—

regard: updating and expanding its physical plant and

who had at least a C average and who had taken the appropriate high

developing an advanced degree program in the health

school courses.

sciences. The first action meets one of the most important

“We knew that we would be able to help these students get state and

needs of today’s prospective students. The second

Pell grants, so Wesleyan was just making up the difference in what they

expands the E&H liberal arts mission, in particular its

would be getting already in financial aid. We estimated that we would be

science program, in a way that attracts both graduate and

admitting no more than twenty or thirty takers each year, so we believed we

undergraduate students.

could afford it,” Schrum said.

More important than the scholarships was the desire on the part of

Added to these assets are the institution’s service

learning program, which has the potential to improve the

Texas Wesleyan to demonstrate to the community that it was a part of the

region’s economy while promoting the college, and the

neighborhood. The results were dramatic. The graffiti stopped immediately.

award-winning E&H faculty, which has demonstrated a

Soon afterward theft became virtually non-existent. And the “New Urban

capacity for innovative thinking while valuing the liberal

University,” a phrase coined by Schrum, was born.

As the 21 president of Emory & Henry, Schrum now

but also for the state of democracy and for the quality

was reported stolen from the campus grounds.

of his greatest challenges, not just for Emory & Henry,

perimeter walls of the campus with graffiti, and each week at least one car

u u u st

its liberal arts heritage.

theft. Young people from the surrounding neighborhood were defiling

University has raised nearly $150 million.

Wesleyan University in the early 1990s was the target of vandalism and

Texas, where he improved enrollment and, in 13 years, the

national reputation for service learning, and the strength of

Located in a blighted, crime-plagued part of Fort Worth, Texas

Later, Schrum applied the same creativity that

arts. “The new core curriculum is as cutting edge as

“People in our neighborhood began to show more respect for the

anything I know,” Schrum said. “For the faculty to be able

University, because everyone knew that Texas Wesleyan could at some

continued

point be on their radar screen as a college choice,” Schrum said.

6 / SUMMER 2013 / E&H Alumni Magazine

E&H Alumni Magazine / summer 2013 / 7

he were to be a college president again, of all colleges and

understand that people are extremely important to him,”

of necessity as they were out of a desire to advance

universities, which institutions would he most wish to serve?

Pendleton said of Schrum. “It’s students, of course. But it’s not

institutions and people for whom he has had a great care.

On his list were just two colleges: Emory & Henry and

just them or the faculty and the chief administrators, it’s the

Wofford. A few weeks later, Schrum came home with the news

maintenance staff and the people who run the cafeteria. It’s all

graduate from a college like Emory & Henry is that they

that both Emory & Henry and Wofford were searching for new

employees.”

not only do well in life, but that they also do some good

presidents.

with their life,” Schrum said. “I believe Emory & Henry

“It was not hard to choose Emory & Henry,” Schrum

years, said she is highly enthusiastic about the potential of her

is the nation’s best college where doing well meets doing

explained. “I knew about the distinctions of both institutions,

successor. Not only does he have the passion and experiences

good. But even though this is the heart of the matter,

but Emory & Henry just seemed to be more alive with

to build upon the many achievements at the institution during

Emory & Henry is first of all an academic community,

possibilities. Emory & Henry is comfortable in its own skin.

the last few years, but he and Jane bring a sincere desire to

and most of the College’s national recognition can be

We have a clear understanding of what we do well, and we’re

nurture and uphold members of the campus community. “Jake

attributed to creating this special type of intellectually

ready to unleash that capacity.”

and Jane are very warm, humble and loving people who will

stimulating environment. It will be my great task to

blend well with the people of this place. I am thrilled to know

encourage creativity and innovation and to acquire the

president, Schrum told a gathering of college employees that

that they will be joining our E&H family.”

resources necessary to support and further sustain this

to envision something that is that creative and is so in-tune

a large part of his life has been conducted in preparation for

strong and imaginative educational experience. Jane and I

with how someone gets into the stream of a liberal arts

being president of the College. That preparation has involved

out of his love for people. The New Urban University and the

look forward with much anticipation to joining the Emory

experience is quite unusual in higher education right now.”

an emphasis on service, particularly through the nationally

Paideia Program, one of the most distinctive undergraduate

& Henry Community.” u

recognized Paideia Program at Southwestern, a multi-

Jake Schrum addresses the community at the announcement of his appointment as president of Emory & Henry.

In addition to his success as a creative chief

On his first day at Emory & Henry after being selected

administrator, Schrum brings to Emory & Henry immense

faceted, multi disciplinary program that requires students to

skills in fundraising, according to Bill Pendleton (’72),

make connections between their leadership, cross-cultural

chair of the E&H Board of Trustees.

experience, collaborative research and service learning and

their academics.

Schrum began his fundraising career at the Yale

Alumni Fund and quickly moved to Yale’s Divinity School

in 1975. He was one of just two development officers

involved making the liberal arts a high priority and making

then and helped raise nearly $7 million in two years.

it relevant. While at Southwestern, for example, Schrum

Before beginning his presidency at Texas Wesleyan he

presided over the move of the National Institute for Technology

served as vice president for development and planning

in Liberal Education, a 150-member liberal arts consortium

at Emory University in Atlanta. While there he initiated

partially funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, to the

and directed a successful $400 million comprehensive

Southwestern University campus.

campaign.

intimately, they have become more confident in their choice to

“When you’re dealing with the clientele with whom

Setting the stage for his work at Emory & Henry also has

President Reichard, who has known Schrum for several

Schrum has made a career out of creating opportunities

People First, Ceremony Last

continue in higher education and with Emory & Henry. Both

money,” Pendleton said. “Jake became very good at

Jake and Jane have expressed joy in the warmth of their Emory

going to people who had great resources and developing

& Henry welcome. “If you are supposed to be coy when you are

a relationship with them and helping them to become

falling in love with someone, we’re not doing a very good job of

enthusiastic about the missions of the institutions of

it,” Jake said. “Already, both of us are in love with the Emory &

higher education for which he worked.”

Henry family.”

That warmth speaks to what this College values – people.

many options. He could go into retirement, celebrating his

It is a demonstration of a conviction to serve and to do good at

highly successful contributions to higher education. Or

every turn, according to Schrum. And it speaks to a desire to

he could pursue other, more lucrative opportunities in the

work hard, be creative and to be alive to opportunities for the

private sector. He could also remain in higher education.

liberal arts and the students it serves.

8 / SUMMER 2013 / E&H Alumni Magazine

“I have always said that my hope for students who

Jane Schrum does not stand on ceremony.

She is genuine and straightforward, gracious and hospitable. Although she is an introvert and prefers to stay out of the limelight, she is nevertheless animated and engages people in a way that makes them feel special.

A former elementary choral music teacher and a talented pianist, Jane has a bachelor’s degree from Southern Methodist University and a master’s degree

She loves her family and has said that she already is falling in love with the Emory & Henry family.

As the Schrums have come to know the College more

he has worked you learn to talk with people who have

After deciding to leave Southwestern, Schrum had

“If you spend even a moment with him, you can

programs in the country, were borne as much out

At one point, Schrum’s wife, Jane, asked her husband, if

E&H Alumni Magazine / summer 2013 / 9

from the Hartt School of Music. She enjoys gardening, sewing and cooking as well as being a homemaker, mother, spouse and caretaker of two wonderful dogs.

She loves her family and has said that she already is falling in love with the Emory & Henry family. She prefers not to be referred to as the “first lady,” a title she feels should be reserved for those who stand on ceremony.

Jane’s grown daughters affectionately call her “The Jane” because she is a force in the lives of those close to her. She values honesty, humility, genuineness and thoughtfulness. Her friends and family would say she possesses all of these qualities. “What you see is what you get,” she likes to say of herself.

As a “tom girl” growing up in Decatur, Ga., Jane spent much of her time playing outdoors, hence her passion for the environment and sustainability. With every move comes her clothes line, which is put to use before boxes are unpacked. Although she doesn’t expect others to be as passionate about recycling as she, she does wish people were more conscientious about saving the planet.

She feels as comfortable in overalls as in formal dress. But do not be confused, Jane does not stand on ceremony. u

feature

on campus

Back to the Future:

Hermesian Society Re-formed on Campus

by Tim W. Jackson

“It’s amazing to think about people debating the great issues of the day 150 years ago and today we come under the same banner and debate, fundamentally, the same questions.

That’s a great tradition.”

History and tradition are not lost on the members of

one of Emory & Henry’s newest student organizations—

Christensen said that the group’s main function is to

years ago and today we come under the same banner and

one with a history that dates back to 1841.

sharpen oratory skills. “The literary part comes in

debate, fundamentally, the same questions. I think that’s a

presenting classical texts and relevant literature as part of

great tradition.”

concept,” says Colin Christensen, a rising senior from

the debate,” he added. “I think it operationalizes everything

Strasburg majoring in political science and economics. He’s

the liberal arts stand for. It puts all of what you learn to

participants must have completed at least one semester

the president of the newly revived Hermesian Literary

work in a venue that is adversarial, where you have to be

at Emory & Henry and have at least a 3.5 grade point

Society, taking up where the organization left off in the

sharp and on your game.”

average. In addition to this relatively high standard,

1960s. “I have a lot of respect for the Emory & Henry

Christensen points out that there is no academic credit for

students who came before us. We want to re-instill that

the premiere social outlets on campus in the 19th century.

the students involved.

tradition in the College.”

Over time, the Greek fraternities and sororities and sports

teams took on more importance and the popularity of the

intellectual and social capital you gain. We hope that it

new Hermesian Society discovered the group, as well as

literary societies waned. Today’s founding students believe

encourages students to go above and beyond in their

the old Calliopean Society, after rooms dedicated to the two

that there is a place for the Hermesian Society amid the

were renovated on the third floor of Byars Hall. After a bit

high-tech, fast-paced world of today’s students. “Hopefully,”

of research, students worked with faculty to be officially

Christensen said, “it’s something for students who may not

recognized as a student organization. The initial induction

know what they want to do. It provides a theater to sharpen

ceremony took place in November 2012 and the group’s first

skills and find a sense of direction.”

two debates happened in the spring semester of 2013 in the

Hermesian Room.

relevance of the issues, Christensen adds. “It’s amazing to

“For me, at least, there is a lot of gravity to that

Christensen and the other founding members of the

While the organization is called a literary society,

think about people debating the great issues of the day 150

The old Hermesian and Calliopean societies were

Colin Christensen, president, Hermesian Literary Society.

Previous page and above: Emory & Henry students Kyle Boden and Mary Ruth Pruitt help to kick off the revival of debate on campus.

The group’s constitution states that prospective

“We’re doing it for the sake of the act. It’s for the

classwork so that they can become part of the society. And moving into the future we hope it helps to discover a spark in each student and shape their academic trajectory in a positive way,” Christensen said.

Tim W. Jackson is a freelance writer and editor who lives in Asheville, N.C.

As important as the facts in the debate is the

10 / SUMMER 2013 / E&H Alumni Magazine

E&H Alumni Magazine / summer 2013 / 11

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E&H Alumni Magazine / summer 2013 / 11

on the campus/news Atkins Encourages E&H Graduates to Envision a Better World

COMMENCEMENT

2013

One of the most powerful political leaders in California

Commencement speaker Toni Atkins (top); senior orator Rayce Lamb (left); and master’s orator Natalie Hudok.

honorary doctorate degree in humane letters. (See related story on page 38.)

Six graduating seniors also were given special awards. Alex Clement of Marion, Va. was awarded The Byars Medal in Science; Allie Firebaugh of Glen Allen, Va. was honored with the Eleanor Gibson Via Science Award for Women; Yancey Wilmoth of Glade Spring, Va. received the Senior Service Award; Rachel Witt of Kingsport, Tenn., was honored with the Snavely Senior Scholarship Prize for the highest academic average; and David Ross Ellis of Abingdon, Va. and Mary Beth Tignor of Lebanon, Va. received Outstanding Senior awards.

Graduates and guests also heard from senior orator Rayce Lamb of Hendersonville, N.C., who spoke of an ongoing battle for social justice during a time of great political polarization and “when religion is considered an enemy rather than an ally.” He asked his fellow graduates “to go forth from this place knowing that we still have a lot of work to do.”

Natalie Hudok of Huttonsville, W. Va. delivered the master’s oration, encouraging fellow graduate students to transform their educations into “something worthwhile” for others. “Every day let’s work to make this world better. Let’s not be afraid to let our light out. We never know who will be depending on it.”

In addition to awarding undergraduate and graduate degrees, Emory & Henry honored Joe P. Johnson (’57), a longserving delegate to the Virginia General Assembly, with an

SUMMER 2013 2013 // E&H E&H Alumni Alumni Magazine Magazine 12 // SUMMER 12

E&H Alumni Magazine / summer 2013 / 13

PHOTOS BY DAVE GRACE For more Commencement photos go to the Emory & Henry Facebook page.

ON THE CAMPUS

urged Emory & Henry graduates to envision the world in which they would like to live and then work to create it.

Toni Atkins (’84), majority leader of the California State Assembly, reminded students of what is for them a familiar mantra as she spoke of her own dreams and the course she has established for fulfilling them. She delivered her message to 203 graduates and a large crowd of guests assembled on the south lawn of Memorial Chapel.

“I made it my mantra,” said Atkins. “Whether as a career, or a volunteer or through community organizing, I would work towards my dream of creating a world I would want to live in.”

A native of Roanoke, Va., Atkins’ father was a coal miner and construction worker. Her mother was a factory worker and seamstress. They lived in substandard housing without running water or a bathroom. She recalls not having access to healthcare, being looked down upon in school for being poor, and coming out at an early age as a lesbian. “All these things made me dream of and envision a different world,” she said.

Speaking from experience, Atkins said students who graduate from Emory & Henry leave with a foundation and solid skills to help them reach their dreams. “What Emory & Henry gave to me was a deep understanding of how I could function in a world that up until then I thought wasn’t about me. How I could engage and participate fully with meaning and purpose. This place helped me identify direction and purpose.”

Once named by the Democratic Leadership Council in California as a “rising star,” Atkins is a former member of the San Diego City Council and a former interim San Diego mayor. Shortly after being elected to the California Assembly in 2010, she was named majority whip. In 2012, she was appointed by the Speaker of the Assembly to serve as majority leader.

Much of her political reputation is built on the successful work she has done on behalf of the disadvantaged communities in San Diego. She fought for and achieved affordable housing in the city’s challenging housing market. She has worked successfully on behalf of veterans, the elderly and the homeless while remaining focused on fiscal responsibility.

As interim mayor, she earned high praise for her management expertise, her work ethic and her ability to organize disparate factions of the community. She also earned national press attention as the first openly gay leader of a major U. S. city.

Atkins urged graduates to believe all good things were possible for them and their world. “Don’t think that it is impossible for you to achieve that vision—I could never have predicted I would end up where I am today. I don’t think I even knew such a path existed.”

on the campus/news

Staff Spotlight “The gift of life and the talents we are given are sacred trusts that we should use to our fullest and until the end of our days.”

Sacred Trusts, Citations and Awards Highlight Founders Day

Members of the Emory & Henry College community have a sacred trust to preserve the values of the institution while seeking boldly newer horizons that enrich a commitment to students and the people they serve, according to E&H President Rosalind Reichard.

Reichard delivered the keynote address during the College’s annual Founders Day celebration March 21 in Memorial Chapel.

“The gift of life and the talents we are given are sacred trusts that we should use to our fullest and until the end of our days,” Reichard said.

Reichard said she has always believed as president that she has a sacred trust to “every single individual” connected to the college. She has sought to provide challenges to individuals, “to stretch you, so that you can know both your strengths and your weaknesses.”

At the same time, she has had a sacred trust to the college as an institution “to foster a community of integrity, dignity and pride… and a place where people believe that they can do whatever they set their minds to and succeed.”

Reichard’s speech was followed by the awarding of Founders Day Citations to Dr. Rachel D. Fowlkes for her leadership as the executive director of the Southwest Virginia

Higher Education Center in Abingdon; Dr. Henderson P. Graham, who led efforts to establish the E&H doctoral degree in physical therapy in Marion; and the Glade Spring Presbyterian Church for its historic support of the College.

Distinctive Alumni Awards were given to Dr. Felicia Mitchell, an E&H English professor who was honored with the James A. Davis Faculty Award; Jay Webb (‘99), a meteorologist for WDBJ7 in Roanoke, who received the A.L. Mitchell Young Alumnus of the Year Award; Ben Jennings (‘68) of Abingdon, a leader in supporting the arts, who received the Distinguished Achievement Award; and Becky Kurtz (‘84), the director of the Office of Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs in Washington, D.C., who was honored with the Carl and Ruth Looney Humanitarian Award.

In addition, three alumni from the Class of 1968 who served the Henrico County (Virginia) Schools for numerous years were honored with the Fred Selfe Distinctive Service to Emory & Henry Award: Ellis Sasser, Betsy Farris Hulcher and Ruth Anne Farley Davis. The three were instrumental in the inauguration and success of the E&H alumni college, More Than a Vacation.

Passion for Students Earns Clark Top Student Affairs Award

Todd Clark, associate dean of students at Emory & Henry College, has been selected to receive the James E. Scott Outstanding Mid-Level Student Affairs Professional Award by the National Association of Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education.

Clark competed against higher education professionals from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.

“I am fortunate to have a great and caring staff to work with,” said Clark. “We support each other and any recognition like this is simply a product of that teamwork and devotion.”

One of Clark’s biggest professional challenges over the past year has been the improvement of student retention. As part of his responsibilities, Clark helped implement new retention software that allows faculty and staff to keep track of student reporting.

Clark also serves as an advisor to the social fraternities and sororities on campus. In this role, Clark has worked diligently to build a community where each group can grow and learn from one another.

“He has a long list of professional successes and involvement in our field, but it’s his day-to-day interaction with and impact on students that make him such a fine mentor, student affairs professional and friend,” said Pam Gourley, vicepresident for student life and dean of students.

Inclusion and diversity are two additional areas of personal passion for Clark. His desire for justice for the people in and around the Emory & Henry community has inspired him to take on a leadership role in promoting these passions.

NASPA is the leading association for the advancement, health and sustainability of the student affairs profession.

A reception was held in May in Byars Hall to recognize the College’s retirees. In addition to President Reichard, history professor Jack Roper retired in May 2013. (See related story on page 17.)

Luke Holbrook also retired, in December 2012, after 36 years on the facilities staff.

According to Laura Pruitt, custodial manager for the College, Holbrook took pride in his work and wanted only the best for students and employees, a trait he exhibited during his entire career at the College.

Holbrook also would pitch in, according to Pruitt, and help wherever he was needed. He was an excellent “floater,” since he knew every square foot of the buildings on campus.

Holbrook is also an avid supporter of E&H athletics and a favorite among students and colleagues.

Students Benefit from Professional Relationship with Barter Theatre

Emory & Henry College and Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Va. signed an agreement this spring that continues a collaborative arrangement aimed at enhancing professional theatre education for E&H students. The agreement establishes a variety of programs that connect E&H students with the professional actors and staff at Barter.

One of the features is a mentor program that allows E&H students to “shadow” the work of a Barter professional and an observation program, which allows students to observe daily rehearsals, productions meetings and performances throughout an academic year.

Alumni Magazine Wins Honors

During Founders Day, President Reichard unveiled a new set of college logos, the last component of a branding campaign that has reinforced the perception of Emory & Henry as an institution that changes lives and increases excellence. The designs include a new institutional logo, as well as a new athletic logo.

Re-examination of the College’s graphic identity was the last step in a branding study that began four years ago. A revised communications policy, including standards for using the new graphic identity, has been adopted and internal discussions about branding have begun.

The review that led to a change in the college logos was conducted by a committee comprised of representatives from faculty, staff, alumni, students and members of the Board of Trustees, led by Jamie Smyth, associate director of public relations. Jensen Designs, Inc. was retained to produce the designs with input from the committee. Numerous focus groups with E&H faculty members, staff members, alumni and students, both current and prospective, were held.

E&H Alumni Magazine / summer 2013 / 15

ON THE CAMPUS

The Emory & Henry Alumni Magazine won the Award of Excellence, the highest recognition given, during an awards ceremony of the Tri-Cities chapter of the Public Relations Society of America.

The award recognized Dirk Moore, editor and director of public relations; Monica Hoel (’85), alumni editor and director of alumni affairs; and Jamie Smyth, art director and associate director of public relations.

Brent Treash (’01), assistant director for media relations, received the award of quality for a video entitled “Going Professional.” Jessica Daddio (’13), from Boyce, Va., won the top prize in a category devoted to student public relations work.

E&H Unveils New Logos

SUMMER 2013 2013 // E&H E&H Alumni Alumni Magazine Magazine 14 // SUMMER 14

Holbrook one of Three Retirees

feature

in classroom

Glade Spring, a Gift to

weaknesses. That work was carried forward with the help of

with names associated with the town, and a specialty food

other E&H alumni and employees who helped craft economic

store, which will feature locally grown produce, among

development strategies for the community. In recent years,

other items.

E&H students have been heavily involved in the community

through market research, project management, event

development is another enterprise—the Town Square Center

planning, and community beautification and cleanup.

for the Arts—which is slated to open by early fall. The center is

A thriving Glade Spring is important to Emory & Henry

the work of Project Glade, a non-profit organization that raised

ust a few years ago, a handful of stores operated out

students, said Will Leigh, a first-year student from Loudoun

approximately $580,000 in state and federal grants to purchase

of the Glade Spring Town Square, including Surber &

County, Va. majoring in public policy and community service.

an old bank building in the Square and renovate it into a center

Son, a hardware store offering friendliness and a vast

Glade Spring “orients” the E&H student, he said. “Glade

where area artisans can create and retail their work.

variety of home, garden and sporting goods and owned by

offers us a place to work and connect. Also, we would be

a determined Tony Surber.

largely missing interactions with several age groups, both

the artisan center provides tremendous opportunities for

younger and older than us, if it weren’t for Glade.”

Emory & Henry. “The Center showcases for E&H students

Emory & Henry

J

G

After years of holding on in a forgotten business district,

Glade Spring extends the College boundaries and

Perhaps the chief catalyst for much of the recent business

Leslie Peterson (’89), president of Project Glade, said

and others the creative culture of this region,” Peterson said.

Surber now looks from his corner of the Town Square at a

bustling commercial area filled with automobiles, people and

its sense of place and community, according to Robin

“Through art, students have perhaps one of their greatest

new enterprises, and he is amazed at what he sees.

Grossman, E&H director of service-learning placements,

insights into the community in which they live while they

partnerships and support. “The College is not just 337 acres

are here.”

center, Salt Trail Professionals, has been established in

of land designated as the main campus. The College includes

a newly renovated structure. Beyond that, Fiddlehead

all of the places and people served by or contributing to the

provides students with opportunities for social engagement,

Junction, a large business encompassing several stores­—

education of our students.”

shopping and employment. “A thriving community within a

an outfitter store, general store, and wine, bread and

few minutes of their campus can greatly enrich the college

cheese shop—has opened.

connections to the E&H community. According to research

experience for students, especially when that community is

conducted by E&H students, many in the E&H community

working as intentionally as ours is to understand and meet

Son stands the new town library, recently relocated from a

value the types of businesses that are expected to come to

the needs of E&H students,” Peterson said.

smaller building to a once blighted and much larger space.

the community during the next year.

Elsewhere in the Square other businesses have cropped

up in the last few years, including Coburn Creative, an

known as Central Café), a microbrewery that features beers

Just down the street from Surber’s store, a new office

At the opposite corner of the square from Surber &

As Glade Spring’s economy grows, so do the

Those new businesses include a coffee shop (to be

Beyond the artisan center, Glade Spring, as it grows,

S A tiny town of cottages, churches and winding streets,

Glade Spring has for many years been overlooked. With

the help of E&H people, however, the town is showing great

award-winning advertising and marketing firm; Salon on

promise as a robust community with a growing number of

the Square, a popular hair salon recently selected as one of

business entrepreneurs who see value in locating near a

the best in Southwest Virginia by Virginia Living magazine;

top-rated college and in a community that is defining itself in

and the WhistlePig Bistro, an eatery recently ranked by

terms of sustainable agriculture, access to the area artisan

a blogger for the Virginia Department of Tourism as one

culture and the outdoors.

of the top 10 southern comfort dining experiences in the

commonwealth.

associated with the advancement of the community, Glade

But for many of the students who have been closely

Spring is more than buildings and businesses.

“If anyone had said five years ago that this could

“From my service in Glade, I count the relationships it

happen here in Glade Spring, I would not have believed

them,” Surber said. “This has been an amazing

has fostered as the greatest gift,” said Leigh. “What makes

transformation.”

Glade so special? Well, that would be the people, of course—

an action-oriented people with pride in their place and a

Much of the revitalization has been the result of

warm heart towards outsiders.”

efforts made by E&H students and employees. With help from the E&H Appalachian Center for Community Service, Glade Spring began an assessment of its strengths and

Tracey Peterson Stanley (re-’90), above, and Nancy Inazu (re-’80) have joined forces to launch Fiddlehead Junction.

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Leslie Peterson, right, in the newly renovated artisan center.

E&H Alumni Magazine / summer 2013 / 17 E&H Alumni Magazine / summer 2013 / 17

in the classroom/notes Chen First in Region to Receive Chamber Scholarship

Hai Yan Chen, a 2013 E&H graduate who received a degree in international business, has become the first student from Southwest Virginia to receive one of three prestigious Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce Student Scholarships.

A senior from Marion, Va., Chen will apply the scholarship to her study of graphic design in graduate school.

Students Propose Enhancements to Area Agricultural Economy

Two Emory & Henry students presented ideas for the enhancement of the agricultural economy of Washington County at the Appalachian Regional Commission’s Appalachian Teaching Project Conference in Washington, D.C.

Brianne Smalley of Burke, Va. and Mary Beth Tignor of Lebanon, Va. discussed the challenges of the region’s agricultural economy resulting from the end of the tobacco allotment system in 2004 and how the agricultural economy of Washington County could tie into other regional economic development efforts that seek to enhance the marketing and production of indigenous goods and services, often known as the “creative economy,” of Southwest Virginia.

Short Awarded ACA Scholarship in Support of Mathematical Research

Students Recognized for Inspirational Art and Literature

The editorial staff of Emory & Henry’s literary magazine announced winners for this year’s art and literature submissions.

The Ampersand staff, comprised of editor Judge Fulenwider, art directors Ashley Kincaid and Hai Yan Chen, and faculty advisory Caroline Norris selected the winners among the nearly 50 entries submitted for this year’s edition.

Jason Hill of High Point, N.C. was the recipient of the Most Inspirational Literature Award. Ashley Helbert of Disputanta, Va. was voted the Most Inspirational Art.

The college’s literary magazine was first published during the 1979-1980 academic year, and it has been published annually by the English Department ever since. All issues of the Ampersand can be found in the periodical section of the library.

Award-Winning Summer Program Brings 91 Students to Campus

Voted best summer camp by Virginia Living magazine, Emory & Henry’s 2013 Summer Scholars Institute held in June welcomed 91 high school and middle school students to campus.

Summer Scholars is a one-week residential camp for academically enthusiastic and talented rising sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth graders. This was the first year that sixth graders were accepted.

The camp offers learning activities designed to broaden a student’s interests. Participating students also receive a glimpse into life on a college campus.

Classes included Mindstorm Robot, Crypto-PopupBookbinder, and Extreme Make-over/Wellness.

Rising tenth, eleventh and twelfth grade high school students attended the Summer Scholars Leadership Program which provides skills and tools to aid students in becoming better prepared for leadership roles in high school and college.

Wells Receives Travel Grant

The Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges (VFIC) has awarded the Maurice L. Mednick Memorial grant to Emory & Henry religion professor Adam Wells.

Wells will use the grant to travel to Germany for research into his topic, “The Kenotic Reduction: Toward an Absolute Science of Scripture.”

Wells hopes to spend several weeks at the archive of German philosopher Eugene Fink examining Fink’s contribution to the field of phenomenology.

“The Bible is often read differently in the classroom and the church,” said Wells. “I’m interested in a more holistic approach to the Bible that considers both historical and theological phenomena.”

Wells is a 2007 graduate of Yale Divinity. He received his Ph.D. in comparative scriptures from the University of Virginia in 2012.

More details, more stories: www.ehc.edu

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PROFESSOR’S LEGENDARY STATUS

Dr. Jack Roper enters his classroom in Creed Fulton Hall while his students are still chatting, too busy to notice that class is ready to begin.

Roper introduces himself as Abraham Lincoln. “Suddenly, all eyes are on him,” recalls one of his former students, Melinda Medley Sprinkle (’95).

The lesson begins with a poem related to the day’s topic, and then students begin to question “Lincoln” and gain, according to Sprinkle, a deeper understanding of the topic and an ability to search for answers on their own.

His legendary status in the classroom climbed with his habit of dressing up in a gorilla suit to give his annual “structure, infrastructure and superstructure” lecture.

These are typical days for Roper and the hundreds of students who have pulled up a chair to a unique professor with a unique view of history.

Beyond his unusual teaching methods, Roper thrives on his love of students and his passion for history. He is not reluctant to tell his students that as he has taught them, they also have taught him much.

“When I see a young student develop confidence and get out there and project his or her voice with an idea of their own, then I cannot forget the moment —and it does not matter whether I inspired the student or John Morgan or Tom Little or Teresa Keller or someone else,” said Roper. “That response to inspiration stirs me. We get a lot of that here—and it will continue long after I am gone from the campus.”

With his retirement at the end of the 2013 academic year, Roper leaves behind a legacy that is matched by few before him. Dr. John Morgan, an E&H professor of geography, called Roper the College’s “most accomplished scholar.”

In 2005, the Carnegie Foundation and the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education named Roper the Virginia Professor of the Year.

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Outside of the classroom, Roper is known by many as one of the most loyal supporters of the E&H athletic programs. He has received the football team’s “Twelfth Man” award and was honored with the Fanelli Award for support of women’s athletics.

In his life after Emory & Henry, Roper plans to finish the biography of Congressman William Jennings Bryan Dorn, his former congressional representative in South Carolina. After the completion of the book, Roper may expand his study of the 1974 gubernatorial campaign in South Carolina, part of the Dorn biography, but casting it widely.

Roper also plans to do volunteer work at Huntington State Park near his home in Pawleys Island, S.C. “I also need to be paid to do something,” joked Roper. “They don’t pay historians to write books.”

As the E&H Concert Choir reached the crescendo of the singing of Hail, Emory! at this year’s commencement ceremony, Roper once again became the College’s biggest cheerleader. Turning toward the audience with his hands in the air, Roper belted out the final words of the college’s alma mater.

Hail, blue and gold! True as of old!

Hail, Em’ry! Hail, Em’ry!

Hail to old E.H.C.!

As the last words left his mouth, Roper tossed his program into the air with joy. It was a fitting way for the historian to leave his final mark. “I will miss these beautiful old hills and these inspiring colleagues and wonderful students,” said Roper.

In the classroom

Isaac Short, an E&H sophomore, has been awarded a scholarship from the Appalachian Colleges Association that will enable him to conduct mathematical research over the next year.

A mathematics and religion major from Gate City, Short was awarded the Lee B. Ledford Scholarship for Student Research. The scholarship will allow him to explore the relationship between two constituent truth sets in a defined mathematical equation.

The research will focus on determining the sets of numbers that make a specific equation true. By using principles of calculus and graphical renderings and analyses from advanced mathematical software, the hope is to determine general rules regarding the sets that make the equation true across all possible dimensions.

Faculty Spotlight

The Appalachian College Association has awarded scholarships to two Emory & Henry students to work with a collection of undocumented historical materials that could shed new light on the history of the Newbern and New River Valley areas of Southwest Virginia.

The students—Caitlin Hollaway of Bristol, Va., and Stephanie Taylor of Gate City, Va.—will read, summarize, catalog, index, and digitize the materials now held at the Wilderness Road Regional Museum in Newbern. The documents are legal records, store receipts and records, ferry accounts for ferries on the New River, tavern records, legal proceedings, documents from the sheriffs’ office, as well as some county records prior to the Civil War.

Hollaway and Taylor were each awarded a 2013 Appalachian College Association Colonel Lee B. Ledford Scholarship for Student Research. The research will support the writing of a book by Dr. Tal Stanley (’83), associate professor of public policy and community service at Emory & Henry and director of the Appalachian Center for Community Service.

In addition to Hollaway and Taylor, a third student, Joanna Golde of Asheville, N.C., will participate in the project.

Golde’s research is supported through the Bonner Scholars Program at Emory & Henry and the Appalachian Center for Community Service.

Established in the late eighteenth and early years of the nineteenth

centuries, Newbern was a major stop on the Great Wagon Road that connected Virginia and the eastern seaboard to the Southwest and Northwest territories. With the formation of Pulaski County in 1839, Newbern became the first county seat.

Stanley hopes to use these historical resources to explore how Newbern, the farms along the New River, and that portion of the Great Wagon Road through Southwest Virginia contribute to a larger understanding of the American story—its conflicts,

contradictions, and civic possibilities, as well as the ways that story is rooted in the foundations of the earth.

Stanley sees the work of Hollaway, Taylor, and Golde as one way of helping support the work of the Wilderness Road Regional Museum and the New River Historical Society. “Although the full extent of the collection is not certain, I fully expect these materials to enrich and deepen the understanding of this part of Southwest Virginia as well as the significance of the Great Road to American history,” Stanley said.

Left to right, Stephanie Taylor, Joanna Golde and Caitlin Hollaway at work in Newbern.

The structure that houses the Wilderness Road Regional Museum, located in Newbern, Va., was originally two homes, one built in 1816 by the town’s founder, Adam Hance, the other an 1810 weatherboarded log structure that served as a dwelling, tavern, store and post office.

Because of its early significance, Newbern was placed in the state and national Registers of Historic Places in 1979 as a unique remnant of 19th century villages.

New E&H Program Leads to both BA, MA Degrees in Five Years

A new interdisciplinary program at Emory & Henry

allows students to earn both a bachelor’s degree in their chosen discipline and a master’s degree in organizational leadership in five years.

A typical bachelor’s “Allowing current college students degree requires four years of study, while a the opportunity to build on their master of arts degree is chosen undergraduate majors by at least two more years. offering this graduate program Under the new program, gives them tremendous flexibility students who normally in the job market.” must earn 32 credit hours toward a master of arts degree can apply nine hours of that total toward both their undergraduate and graduate credithour requirements.

The graduate degree would be a master’s degree in community and organizational leadership (MCOL). The degree is aimed at helping students develop practical skills in leadership, grant writing, strategic planning, budgeting, human resources, and building successful organizations.

“This is a very valuable degree in a field that is growing,” said Shelly Koch, director of the E&H MCOL program.

“Allowing current college students the opportunity to build on their chosen undergraduate majors by offering this graduate program gives them tremendous flexibility in the job market.”

Over the past three years, Emory & Henry has offered the degree as a two-year program to students who already have a bachelor’s degree, many of whom are working professionals looking for career enhancement.

The degree has offered valuable credentials for students interested in working in non-profit organizations, government agencies, community organizations and for-profit businesses.

One of those students, Rakeem Rutherford, said the program offers graduates flexibility in choosing their careers. “The MCOL program has provided me with leadership skills to use in whatever career I choose,” he said.

Visit www.ehc.edu/mcol5 for more information.

Students Help Homeless in NYC

Seventeen Emory & Henry students travelled to New York City in March to assist in projects related to hunger and homelessness.

The students, who are E&H Bonner Scholars, sorted and distributed food in large-scale food pantries, cooked and served meals to homeless guests, and assisted in childcare facilities. Bonner Scholars are awarded scholarship in recognition of their commitments to service.

E&H students partnered with the Youth Services Opportunity Project, which divided the E&H contingent into four groups serving four New York boroughs— Brooklyn, the Bronx, Manhattan and Queens.

The students included Megan Brittain of Wytheville, Madison DeBord of Williamsburg, Chelsea Delapp of Bristol, Brenna Dunning of Stuarts Draft, Rashaad Ford of Petersburg, Mitchell Kalala of Centreville, Jenna Lottman of Bedford, Rennel Marshall of Rustburg, Zachary McCown of Lebanon, Taylor Moxley of Axton, Chase Reed of Ooltewah, Tenn., Benjamin Robinson of Dunning and Rashaad Ford, first-year Chilhowie, Tory Brenna Bonner Scholars during the New York trip in Schneider of March 2013.

Williamsburg, Kaila Smith-Harrison of Roanoke, Stephanie Taylor of Gate City, Tevin Turner of Martinsville, and Amber Wilkins of Rural Retreat.

“The students worked hard at their service sites, listened to the stories of the people they served, and nearly mastered the subway system as they explored all that the city has to offer,” said Shannon Hoffman, the E&H Bonner Scholars coordinator.

College Radio Station Celebrates Anniversary

Terri Kirby Erickson Featured Poet: Leidig Lectureship

Award-winning author Terri Kirby Erickson was featured at Emory & Henry’s annual Leidig Lectureship in Poetry to inaugurate National Poetry Month in April.

Erickson met with student poets and presented a workshop while on campus. The event culminated in a keynote poetry reading by Erickson.

Erickson is the author of three collections of poetry, and her work has appeared or is forthcoming in numerous literary journals, anthologies and other publications. She has won first-place honors in literary contests and her work was among 11 winners of the international 2011 Nazim Hikmet Poetry competition and has twice been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. ™

The prestigious Leidig Prize, a poetry award named after Dan Leidig, a beloved alumnus who also taught in the English Department, was awarded this year to Jessica Hughes of Franklin County for her poem “Strong Night.”

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October 2013 marks the fourth anniversary of Emory & Henry College’s radio station’s increased wattage to 9,000.

The “College and Community Station” continues to thrive and maintain a strong schedule of programming, thanks in large part to shows hosted by members of the E&H faculty and staff, students and community members.

Some favorites are Professor Emeritus Steve Fisher’s “Rise Up Singing,” Check us out at 90.7 FM or www.wehcfm.com alumnus Dr. Mark Handy’s (’86) “30-Minute Appointment,” and Brian Johns’ “Building Power.”

E&H E&H Alumni Alumni Magazine Magazine // summer summer 2013 2013 // 21 21

In the classroom

In the classroom

Students Research Undocumented Materials for Insights into History of Newbern, New River Valley

feature

advancement

The late Woodrow W. McGlothlin (’37) understood how art reflects the values and qualities of the cultures which produce it, according to Dr. Charles W. Sydnor (’65), a former president of Emory & Henry and longtime friend of the much-admired benefactor of the College.

Sydnor, speaking at the April 19 groundbreaking for the new Woodrow W. McGlothlin Center for the Arts, said McGlothlin was fond of the dictum of the late state Sen. Hunter B. Andrews, who observed that the arts were “by no means frivolities or luxuries, but rather the necessary amenities of a civilized life, in a civilized society, and therefore deserving of civilized support from a civilized public.”

McGlothlin’s legendary generosity to Emory & Henry was “a natural personal quality,” Syndor said, “that he learned from example early in his childhood and practiced throughout the course of his long and remarkable life.”

For McGlothlin, Emory & Henry was a life-defining transition the he continually acknowledged through his

generosity, becoming one of the greatest benefactors in the institution’s history.

Lead gifts for the McGlothlin Center were provided through the personal generosity of McGlothlin and the McGlothlin Foundation, which he founded.

Speaking on behalf of the Foundation, McGlothlin’s son, Tom McGlothlin (’68), thanked President Reichard for bringing the project to life while he thanked the E&H community for welcoming his father’s name to the center of campus. “Even though it’s been a long time coming, our Foundation is happy that today will mark the beginning of a new era at Emory & Henry.”

“This is an historic day in the life of Emory & Henry College, a day which many at the College and many in the community have long anticipated,” said Reichard.

According to Dr. Lisa Withers, chair of the E&H

Division of Visual and Performing Arts, the McGlothlin Center will provide E&H students with state-of-the-art performance, rehearsal and gallery spaces to enable and

inspire young actors, directors, scenic designers, visual artists, musicians and audiences.

“Although I am a great believer in the idea that great art can happen anywhere and anytime, a space that is designed specifically for the arts will stimulate the imaginations and hone the professional skills of our students in ways that we cannot quantify,” Withers said.

Woodrow McGlothlin served Emory & Henry on the Board of Visitors for 30 years and as president of that board.

He taught school and worked in social services before partnering to form what is now The United Company.

His belief in the intrinsic value of rural communities and his deep philanthropic and personal commitment to the region and its people drove his generous support of the arts, education and youth programs in the region.

According to Sydnor, the Center was blessed not merely by McGlothlin’s support, but also by the gift of his name and the qualities of excellence that are ascribed to it. “Emory & Henry is associating the future of the arts at

the College with a distinguished graduate and benefactor who learned here to live his life to make a difference… for his community, for his favorite charities, for the people of this region, and most of all for his alma mater, his beloved Emory & Henry.”

Bill Pendleton (’72) (board chair), Dean Dave Haney, Mickey McGlothlin, Tom McGlothlin (’68), Sandy McGlothlin, President Reichard, Dr. Lisa Withers (VPA division chair), Dr. Ed Damer (project shepherd), first-year students Osama Ashour of Falls Church, Va. and Jessica Hughes of Union Hall, Va.

McGlothlin’s Legendary Generosity Benefits the Future of the Arts

The new center will consist of 40,000 square feet of space for a 450-seat theater, a proscenium stage and fly system, a 150-seat black box theater, dressing rooms, production areas, gallery space, a three-dimensional design studio and the College’s radio station.

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INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT/news

Hickory Hall Sets a ‘High Bar’ in Building Energy Design

Grant paves way for E&H Laboratory School

Emory & Henry cut the ribbon in March on a new, 119-bed residence hall that has been described as “truly remarkable” in its design and innovation.

With the cutting of the ribbon, Emory & Henry celebrated the nation’s first large-scale residence hall to be built with passive energy design. “This is a worldclass building,” said Steven Strauss, representing Structures Design/Build out of Roanoke, which served as consulting architect for the project. “It is truly remarkable in the United States to have this kind of building built.”

The ribbon was cut on the building on Founders Day, which celebrates the anniversary of the College’s founding in 1836.

E&H President Rosalind Reichard, who will retire July 31, is known at Emory & Henry as the “Building President.” She has presided over more than $50 million in new or planned construction and renovation, all of which has met some level of LEED (Leadership in

A $200,000 grant from the Virginia Department of Education will enable Emory & Henry to collaborate with Smyth County Public Schools in the planning of a school for cutting edge instruction for students from kindergarten to the fifth grade.

The program will seek to employ innovative, researchbased practices for teaching and learning science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics (known as a STEAM curriculum). The goal of this work is to enhance the quality of learning in school districts throughout Southwest Virginia and beyond.

The College was one of two higher education institutions to receive money from the pool, the other being the University of Virginia. Emory & Henry is the only private, liberal arts college to receive one of the six grants awarded in the last two years. According to Gov. Bob McDonnell, the applications were reviewed by “a distinguished panel of individuals from higher education, local school districts and the business community.”

Energy and Efficiency in Design) from the U.S. Green Building Council.

The new facility, which cost an estimated $7.5 million, represents the College’s most significant initiative in energy efficient construction. The new building, which was constructed with the aim of obtaining LEED Silver certification, incorporates passive house designs, which reduce the amount of outside air coming into the building and thus reducing heating and cooling costs.

Passive house technology has been used for years in Europe, but mostly in homes. Hickory Hall would be the first large-scale residence hall in the nation to be built to such high standards for energy efficiency.

Emory & Henry’s student government president, Yancey Wilmoth, said the building represents much of what the College values, including innovative thinking and sustainability. “This is the physical manifestation of the goals of Emory & Henry.”

OTHER FACTS

ABOUT HICKORY HALL

“This is a worldclass building.

It is truly remarkable in the United States to have this kind of building built.”­ —Steven Strauss

New Space Dedicated to Study of Poetry

The Robert D. and Rachel K. Denham Poetry Collection consists of approximately 2,800 poetry books and magazines.

A gift from Robert Denham, a former E&H professor, and his wife, Rachel, has enabled the College to catalog the collection and create a designated area in Kelly Library for the collection, fulfilling Denham’s hopes of enshrining a location on campus for the reading and study of poetry.

Denham taught in the English Department at Emory & Henry for 23 years. From 1986 to 1988 he was director of English programs and director of the association of departments of English for the Modern Language Association in New York City. He has devoted much of his professional life to the criticism of Northrop Frye.

Rachel K. Denham graduated from Emory & Henry in 1975 with a degree in art. She received her M.A. in art is from New York University, and she holds an M.F.A. from Radford University. For eight years she taught art in the public schools of Smyth County, Va., and from 1991 to 2004 was a professor of art at Ferrum College.

Robert and Rachel Kanipe Denham (’75) at the dedication.

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E&H Alumni Magazine / summer 2013 / 25 E&H Alumni Magazine / summer 2013 / 25

ADVANCEMENT

• The largest Passive House Residence Hall in the country (by a factor of 20) • The largest Passive House building of any type in the country (at least for the next year or so; a larger project is slated to start construction late this spring) • Incorporates innovative geothermal heating and cooling system that also provides domestic hot water • Provides a constant supply of fresh, outside air through 90% efficient energy recovery ventilators • Triple-pane windows, R-30 walls and R-50 roof • Low-flow plumbing fixtures and high-efficiency lighting with occupancy sensors • Low-VOC building materials and recycled content furniture • Modeled to use 74% less energy than code and 50% less than Elm Hall, which is already our most efficient building on campus • Will save an average of $15,000/year (compared to Elm) over the first decade and nearly $700,000 over 30 years. Compared to a code-compliant building it will save more than $1.5 million over 30 years.

• It will also save 86 tons of CO2 annually compared to Elm Hall, the equivalency of the amount of carbon sequestered by 64 acres of forest or the consumption of 181 barrels of oil

“The Laboratory School would be a win-win for the college, local schools throughout the far southwest region of Virginia, and members of the greater community at large,” said Dr. Janet Justice Crickmer, chair of the E&H Education Division. “Smyth County Schools is excited to partner with Emory & Henry College to create a great learning experience for students in Smyth County,” said Dr. Michael Robinson, superintendent of Smyth County Public Schools.

feature

sports

SPORTS/highlights

Brooks Field House A First-Class Facility

The 18,237-square-foot James H.

opportunities to the student athletes

ways for so many years to

Brooks facility towers over the

to have a first-class facility.”

come,” said E&H Head Football

east end zone of Fullerton Field.

Coach Don Montgomery during

It stands as a symbol of the new

tribute to two former E&H athletic

the dedication.

modern face of Emory & Henry

directors; the late Fred Selfe

athletics.

(’69), whose memory inspired

building are locker rooms,

The building also pays

On the first floor of the

the creation of the field house,

showers, training and equipment

for the late James H. Brooks, a

and Selfe’s good friend, the late

rooms, and mechanical rooms.

passionate fan of E&H football

Bob Johnson, who pushed for the

The second floor contains a

and of the College. Brooks was a

construction of the field house and

lounge space, classrooms, a

former member of the E&H Board

the development of the Fred Selfe

conference room, offices for

of Visitors, and was considered by

Stadium.

coaches, and a viewing deck.

many to be one of the College’s

most ardent ambassadors.

350 people, including current and

a nice facility,” said rising senior

The field house is named

A crowd of approximately

“It’s amazing to be in such

former student athletes, assembled

DeMikael Burse. “Before the game

house named after my father,”

on the football field to witness the

you just look around at this brand

said Jimmy Brooks, the son of the

dedication of the new $5.3 million

new locker room, and the doors

late James H. Brooks, a member

field house Oct. 18, 2012.

open and you are right there on

of the E&H Class of 1992 and a

the field with the Fred Selfe rock

former member of the E&H football

role in the advancement of the

and the fans lined up on the field.

team. “The real honor is providing

E&H athletic program in so many

It’s an incredible scene.”

“It’s an honor to have the field

“This facility will play a major

26 / SUMMER 2013 / E&H Alumni Magazine

The Emory & Henry Women’s Swimming Team: (left to right): Sam Brown (Memphis, Tenn.), Nicole Powell (Apex, N.C.), Payton Shirey (Seaford, Del.), Sophia Alonge (Vienna, Va.), Lauren Frizzell (Blacksburg, Va.), Taylor Guardalabene (Charlotte, N.C.), Tyler Ann Herron (Calhoun, Ga.) with coach Dave Giffore.

Women’s Swimming Makes Strong Show in First Varsity Season

Picked to finish seventh at the 2013 ODAC Championships, the E&H Women’s swimming team pulled off a fourth-place finish under first-year Head Coach Dave Griffore. The Wasps went into the meet with a 9-1 season record and a 5-1 mark against league competition, but were not satisfied with that.

With a team of just seven first-year students, Emory & Henry finished in the top three in 11 of the 16 races, with three wins. Payton Shirey (Seaford, Del.) won the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle, with her 50-free time of :23.98 breaking the ODAC record. Lauren Frizzell (Blacksburg, Va.) dominated

the 1650-freestyle, winning by nearly 12 seconds.

The last time an Emory & Henry athlete won an ODAC Championship was in 2003 when the softball team captured the ODAC Tournament title and advanced to the NCAA Division III Tournament. The last individual to win a championship was Ruthy Woodring, who won the 1991 Women’s Cross Country title, and finished 70th in the Division III meet.

During the season, the Wasps earned four ODAC Swimmer of the Week honors, with Taylor Guardalabene (Charlotte, N.C.), Frizzell and Shirey (twice) winning the award.

Women’s Basketball Reaches ODAC Tournament with Seven Wins

After just two wins in 2011-12, the E&H women’s basketball team turned the corner this season.

Powered by first-year All-ODAC Third Team selection Karina Farr (Graham, Wash.) in the post, the Wasps earned seven victories, more than the past two seasons combined. Emory & Henry also reached the ODAC Tournament for the first time since the 2007-08 season.

Farr was the first all-conference pick for E&H since 2007-08 as well, as she averaged 10.5 points and 9.8 rebounds per game for the year, and was the only player in the ODAC averaging a double-

E&H Alumni Magazine / summer 2013 / 27

double for much of the season.

Sophomore guard Michelle Williams (Stokesdale, N.C.) broke the school record for three-pointers made in a season (72) and tied the top mark for three’s in a game, hitting nine against Covenant College on December 8 in the John Rutledge King Center.

Sophomore guard Kristie Langley (Staley, N.C.) continued to be a top contributor on the court, but her best accomplishment came when she was named Academic All-District for her efforts on the court and in the classroom. She is the first E&H women’s basketball player to earn

Softball Earns Several Honors

The Emory & Henry softball team won 12 games on the field this season, and despite finishing 10th in the ODAC, the Wasps gave their fans reason to be proud. Emory & Henry finished second in NCAA Division III in home runs per game and saw players named All-ODAC for the first time since 2007.

The Wasps had a home run race of their own between senior catcher Ashley Ebersole (Maurertown, Va.) and first-year third baseman Hannah Bays (Abingdon, Va.). Ebersole hit six in one week en route to being named ODAC Player of the Week and became the first-ever Wasp to have 10 or more home runs in a year. She tied the school record for home runs in a career with 22, after hitting 11 this season.

Bays then broke Ebersole’s single-season record, before finishing the year with 12 home runs en route to All-ODAC First Team and NFCA AllAtlantic Region Third Team honors.

Ebersole earned all-league second-team honors and became Emory & Henry’s first Academic All-District Selection since 2004. Both Bays and Ebersole earned All-State Second-Team accolades from the Virginia Sports Information Directors.

Women’s Tennis Makes Strides, Increases Wins

Junior Alyssa Wingate and first-year Taylor Evans paced the E&H women’s tennis team this year. Both players earned ODAC Player of the Week honors during the year. Evans was 13-5 on the year while Wingate posted a 10-8 singles record.

Men’s Tennis Repeats Success First-year third baseman Hannah Bays set the Emory & Henry record for home runs in a season en route to being named First Team All-ODAC and Third Team All-Atlantic Region by the NFCA. She is the first player since 2004 to earn all-region honors for the Wasps.

Two E&H Baseball Players Honored; Career Records Broken (94) and runs batted in (93). On the year, Houff led the team in batting average (.363), hits (57), doubles (11), RBI (33), stolen bases (19) and at bats (157).

Junior catcher Connor Wise (Cookeville, Tenn.) also earned

All-League Second-Team honors in his first year in a blue-andgold uniform. Wise hit .311 on the season and led the Wasps with six home runs and 26 runs scored. He also drew a teamhigh 18 walks and was hit by

The Emory & Henry men’s tennis team finished in third place in the league this season, and reached the ODAC Tournament Semifinals for the third-straight year. The Wasps posted a 14-4 record on the year with an 8-2 mark in the ODAC this year and won 13 of 15 matches during a stretch in the season.

Emory & Henry was represented with eight All-Conference honors as first-year James Keighley (Heswall, Mercyside, England) and senior Webster Gilley (Bristol, Tenn.) earned All-ODAC Second-Team honors for their efforts in singles and doubles. Seniors Matt Nelson (Galax, Va.) and Adam Henderson (Abingdon, Va.) were named Second-Team All-League in doubles and Third Team in singles. Firstyear student Alex Minasyan (Moscow, Russia) and senior Zach Eccher (Madison, Ala.) were selected to the All-ODAC Third Team for their work in singles.

Senior Matt Nelson posted a 14-2 dual match record on the year, going 8-1 in ODAC matches. He finishes his career with 122 wins across singles and doubles play.

Emory & Henry Men’s Basketball Names New Head Coach

Senior centerfielder Eric Houff led the Wasps this season on the field and in the classroom. He was selected to the All-ODAC Second Team and was named Academic All-District V by CoSIDA. He led the team in batting average (.363), at bats (157), hits (57), doubles (11), RBI (33) and stolen bases (19) and finished his career as the E&H record holder with 175 hits, 511 at bats and 35 doubles.

David Willson at the press conference announcing his appointment.

28 / SUMMER 2013 / E&H Alumni Magazine

E&H Alumni Magazine / summer 2013 / 29

The Wasps are entering a new era as David Willson was hired in May as the new head coach. Willson comes to Emory & Henry after serving as a Division I assistant coach for the past nine years. He was most recently at Furman University where he helped lead the Paladins to their highest two-season win total in more than 30 years.

No stranger to the ODAC, Willson played for three years at Hampden-Sydney College during a time that the Tigers won two league championships. H-SC earned three-straight NCAA Division III Tournament berths and advanced to the Final Four in 2003.

SPORTS

SPORTS

The Emory & Henry baseball team came up a bit short of expectations after last season’s third place finish in the ODAC, winning just nine games this year.

With 11 more runs across eight games, the Wasps would have eclipsed last year’s win total and set a new school record for wins in a season.

Senior centerfielder Eric Houff (Blacksburg, Va.) was named to the All-ODAC Second Team and Academic All-District First team after breaking three career records and finishing in the top three in two other categories. Houff now holds the E&H record for career hits (175), doubles (35) and at bats (511). He is second in runs scored

The Emory & Henry women’s tennis team is continuing to make strides and look upward in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference.

For the second straight year, the Wasps have increased their win total, this season winning eight matches, including three of their last five.

First-year Taylor Evans (Weber City, Va.) won 13 singles matches including her first eight of the year and paired up with junior Alyssa Wingate (Independence, Va.) for nine doubles wins. Wingate won 10 singles matches of her own as both players earned ODAC Player of the Week honors during the season. It was the first time in seven years that a Wasp has taken home weekly honors in women’s tennis.

feature

alumni

N

20 Years of Bonner Scholars Where are they now? Part Two

ow just over 20 years old, the Bonner Scholars Program at Emory & Henry College continues to transform the lives of students as they work to transform communities and the lives of others. Below is the second in a two-part series of stories about E&H graduates who were members of the program.

Funded by the Bonner Foundation, the program assists college students by providing financial support for them as they provide service to communities. The program is based on the premise that young people care about others and, given the opportunity, will become active in their expression of that care.

Below, in their own words, Bonner graduates and one former administrator of the program reflect on its continued impact on their lives.

CHARLIE HENRY “BUDDY” DAWSON Class of 1995; bachelor’s degree in chemistry and physics; currently resides in Huntsville, Ala., working as a principal engineer at a small company focused on Department of Defense work and government support contracting.

Being a Bonner scholar served a few functions within my life. It provided a means to make my education at E&H affordable and that is why I initially pursued the scholarship. Once enrolled and participating, the Bonner Scholars Program allowed me to be enriched by the local community in ways I had not imagined.

The community service I participated in was generally focused on children in the community. I tried to help show the children I worked with an alternate way to approach things but also provide them with the knowledge that someone out there cared and wanted to help them reach their goals.

I remember working with children tutoring at an elementary school and followon work with a family I met through Big Brothers and Big Sisters. I still keep in touch with that family today and feel as though they are my family. I also enjoyed the peers I made through the Bonner program and try to keep in touch with friends I made to this day.

I have shared stories and approaches learned through the Bonner program with other community service organizations I have worked with. Some of those approaches and plans were useful and created a longer-term approach for these small groups.

I think the Bonner program is one of the biggest influences I have had in my life and am thankful to have had the opportunity to take part in this excellent program.

BENITA JOHNSON CUNNINGHAM A 2001 E&H graduate with degrees in public policy and community service and psychology; currently serving as a clinical social worker for the Department of Veterans Affairs in Waimea, Hawaii; originally from Marion, Va. The Bonner program provided me an opportunity to attend college, an opportunity that I may not have had due to the expenses of a four-year degree.

The program helped me learn to take risks, take responsibility for my actions and provided me with an opportunity to meet wonderful people who are still my closest friends.

It did change me. Through the journals and reflection groups, I learned how to appreciate diversity and how to tolerate conflict when it arose. I also learned to appreciate my own culture. I became curious for the first time about who I was in the context of a global society.

My most valuable Bonner experience happened during my first year as a Bonner. It was during a reflection group. I listened as a woman named Regina recounted her experiences. She was so articulate, strong and confident. She spoke about her family and culture all of which were very similar to my experience.

Her courage in sharing her life experiences ignited a spark in me. She showed me that all people have a story and all people’s stories should be heard.

This program has provided me the opportunity to meet amazing people, many who are still my close friends. I have been enriched by these relationships

both personally and professionally. It provided me an opportunity to reflect on important issues that affect the lives of many, such as poverty, health care, jobs, diversity and many other topics. I learned how to respectfully listen to others’ stories. This helps me as I work in a Hawaii with much diversity and various cultural differences. I am better able to assist people with their problems.

JEFF BARY Born and raised in Welch, W.Va., the heart of the state’s coalfields; a 1995 E&H graduate with a bachelor of science degree in physics and mathematics; currently resides in Hamilton, N.Y.; assistant professor of physics and astronomy at Colgate University.

Back home in Welch and the surrounding coal camps, people really needed and relied on each other. There I learned the value of serving your community and the rewarding experiences that came with putting yourself out there. For me, being a Bonner Scholar reinforced what I had learned about the personal benefits of performing community service. Whatever you give in terms of your time are returned to you in manifold ways from the smiles of people you help or the knowledge that you are making your part of the world just a little better.

Today, my job as a university professor is all-consuming. While I know that I am making a difference in the lives of my students, I miss the opportunity to get out into the community on a regular basis to make a more tangible difference. If anything, my Bonner experience has forever placed that nagging voice in the back of my head that says, “Get out there and make a difference in your community.”

As a result of my Bonner experiences, I have remained socially conscious throughout graduate school and into my professional career as a professor and research scientist. I know firsthand the challenges that many people face both back home and in my new community in a rural part of central New York. The Bonner program put me in the position of interacting with a diverse group of people, further developing my compassion and empathy for all people and the struggles they face in their lives.

It appears to me that the most visible and successful programs at Emory deal with community service and outreach activities. Emory & Henry has built a reputation as a school that attracts and promotes community-minded students. I imagine a lot of these activities and programs can trace their roots back to the Bonner program.

KATYE FOX ROLLINS The Class of 1995, former assistant coordinator of the Bonner Scholars Program; bachelor’s degree in art and classical studies; and an ordained United Methodist clergyperson serving as a hospice chaplain in Southwest Virginia and East Tennessee.

My time in the company of Bonners (while I was a student and after) helped expose me to a range of issues of social and economic justice which my previously insulated world had kept me from seeing.

I learned a great deal about partnerships and collaborative work that I’ve used throughout my professional life and still use today. My work in Hospice takes me across Southwest Virginia, so I am often making referrals to the same community service agencies with which Bonners worked in the early and mid 1990s. If I hadn’t had that exposure to service learning and community partnerships, I’d not have those tools in my belt now.

Because of Bonner, students and the College become linked with agencies, churches, service groups that they might not otherwise have known. It’s funny how often I meet people who know of Bonners from Emory & Henry and other schools, or who know of agencies served by Bonners. It’s one more way Emory & Henry spreads its influence and impact across lives, neighborhoods, and communities.

I think it is wonderful that Bertram F. and Corella Bonner believed in young people to the extent that they would invest not only in them for their own personal academic benefit, but also that they would help expand their experiences and lives. Most typical students don’t get that breadth of learning experience.

30 / SUMMER 2013 / E&H Alumni Magazine

E&H Alumni Magazine / summer 2013 / 31

ALUMNI/roundup

Alumni in every season

In April 2013, alumni gathered for happy hour events called “Emory in the City.” Events took place in Knoxville, Richmond, Bristol, Kingsport, Roanoke, Washington, D.C., and Emory. More than 100 participated.

No matter the season, Emory & Henry alumni are getting together, having fun, serving the college, and showing their E&H pride. Watch for upcoming events in your region or on campus, and don’t miss any opportunities to be involved with your Alumni Association.

In January 2013, Larry (’70) and Linda Harrison, pictured here at the Chihuly glass art exhibit, and 85 others gathered at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and the Virginia Historial Society.

ALUMNI / roundup

The barn of Emory after a rainy football Saturday.

Tom (’68) and Dianne Baldwin (68) Brewer, Anne Wright Crutchfield (’89), and “The Irregulars” gathered for football fun in Bridgewater, Ferrum and Maryville, Fall 2012.

Reunion of the famed football team of 1962,

In April 2013, alumni volunteered for “Speed Networking”­an event to allow students to have short conversations with alumni professionals. Alumni from more than 20 companies participated, including Barter Theatre, C.H. Robinson, Eastman Credit Union, Eastman Chemical, Town of Abingdon, Va., Department of Corrections, Mt. Rogers Planning District Commission, Mountain States Health Alliance, Western Cedar, Starscape Media, State Farm, WCYB-TV, and George Whitley (’77), attorney at law.

November 2012

In February 2013, friends and alumni attended a UT women’s basketball game in Knoxville. Among our crew was Joy Scruggs (who played on Pat Summit’s first team) and Margaret Hutson (who coached the Lady Vols just before Summit). More than 35 gathered at Calhoun’s on the River prior to tip-off.

In May 2013, seasoned city-dwelling alumni in Washington, D.C. gathered to network with Emory & Henry first-year students.

32 / SUMMER 2013 / E&H Alumni Magazine

E&H Alumni Magazine / summer 2013 / 33

ALUMNI

In May 2013, E&H Alumni Board members came to campus to volunteer to help seniors with caps, hoods and tassel hassles at “Robe-n-Ready.”

E

Class of 1979

CLASS NOTES Class of 1939

Dr. Louisa Littleton was honored in March 2013 by Carolinas Medical Center, formerly Charlotte Memorial Hospital, for being their first female physician. She was on the 1945-46 resident medical staff.

According to an article in the Charlotte Observer, she attended medical school at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. from 1942 to 1945 and was one of only four women in a class of 84. She eventually went into pediatrics and opened her own practice in Statesville, N.C., in 1951. The article states she was “the only doctor with a non-segregated waiting room.” Dr. Littleton says she “made house calls for five dollars and gas was sixteen cents a gallon.” She now lives at Brighton Gardens Senior Living in Charlotte, N.C.

Class of 1957

Hobie Cawood and wife Addie-Lou Cawood were honored by the Friends of Independence National Historical Park at the organization’s 40th Anniversary Gala in October 2012. The Friends organization was formed 40 years ago thanks to the leadership and vision of Hobie and Addie-Lou. Its mission was to “support projects for Independence National Historical Park (INHP), raise funds for special park needs, and provide meaningful educational experiences for visitors.” At the time of the organization’s inception, 1972, Addie-Lou already had been serving as a volunteer interpreter and Hobie had been serving for one year as superintendent of INHP. Hobie won numerous awards for his work there, including the U.S. Department of the Interior Unit Award for Excellence of Service. At the gala, the couple was honored with the organization’s very first Founders’ Award “for their vision and efforts in establishing the Friends.”

Joe Johnson was featured in the Feb. 27, 2013 issue of the Bristol Herald Courier. He will retire from the Virginia House of Delegates at the end of December. See page __ for related story.

He resides in Abingdon, Va.

Class of 1963

Class of 1966

Suzanne Steele and her dog, Chessie,

Class of 1968

Jeff Binneveld is an active real estate broker in Leesburg, Fla.

Class of 1969

Mary-Margaret Justis was honored when Sullins Academy dedicated the 2012-2013 Blazer to her. She resides in Abingdon, Va.

Class of 1971

Richard Trollinger was recently named the Outstanding Published Works winner of the 2013 CASE John Grenzebach Award for Outstanding Research in Philanthropy for Educational Advancement. He resides in Danville, Ky.

Class of 1972

Lance Morehead retired after 34 years of medical practice in Family Medicine in Knoxville, Tenn. He recently was named one of the top three favorite family practice doctors in Knoxville by the readers of the Knoxville News Sentinel. He and his wife, Mary Allen Morehead (’72), reside in Alcoa, Tenn.

Class of 1973

Christine Aldrich-Costello retired in June 2012 after 37 years of teaching, including four years in Russell County, three years at a private school in Los Angeles, and the last 30 years on Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany. She and her husband now reside in Asheville, N.C.

Emmett Snead’s celebrated farm, Snead Farms, served as the pickup site in 2012 for more than 100 military families to receive a free Christmas tree from BAE Systems and USO-Metro. Families enjoyed lunch together at the farm and also received a box of ornaments for the tree.

Emmett’s farm also has become protected land as Emmett and his wife, Ellen, signed an agreement that allows for a conservation easement of 293 acres of their property.

The property easement was purchased by Fort A.P. Hill. The agreement will prevent most types of development in perpetuity.

He resides in Fredericksburg, Va.

Class of 1975

Julie Reid Gladu was honored at the February Scout Sunday service at St.

Mark’s United Methodist Church in Daleville, Va., with the Cross and Flame Award by the Rev. Dave Rochford and Scoutmaster Steve Pappas of BSA Troop 211. The award recognizes adult leaders who have given exceptional service in the use and promotion of the scouting program. Julie has served children and youth through the United Methodist Church. She and her husband, Charles, reside in Troutville, Va.

Carol Luther gave presentations at the Tennessee Two-Year-College Association Conference in the fall and at the Two-Year College Association-Southeast Conference in March.

Both dealt with a writing and art project she created for Composition II that linked Antigone and Death and the King’s Horseman by Wole Soyinka. In February, she appeared as the Player Queen in the Clayton Center for the Arts (Maryville, Tenn.) production of Hamlet, which included professional actors, community actors and college students.

She continues as professor of English and chair of the Common Book Committee at Pellissippi State Community College in Knoxville, Tenn.

Roger Osborne was featured in the March 2011 issue of Commerce, the Knoxville Chamber of Commerce monthly newsletter. He is the SunTrust Bank city president and managing director in Knoxville, Tenn.

Patti Johnson Steffey retired from the Scott County Extension Service with 32 years of service in July 2012. She resides in Gate City, Va.

Class of 1976

Thomas J. Bondurant Jr., an attorney with Gentry Locke Rakes & Moore, LLP, in Roanoke, Va., has been named to the Best Lawyers list for 2013 for Corporate Compliance Law and Criminal Defense: White-Collar. Selection for Best Lawyers is based on a rigorous peer-review survey comprising nearly four million confidential evaluations by the top attorneys in the country. The annual Best Lawyers publication has been described by The American Lawyer as “the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice.” He resides in Bent Mountain, Va. E&H Alumni Magazine 34 / SUMMER 2013 /2013 E&H /Alumni Magazine 34 / SUMMER

Class of 1980

Debbie Robinson adopted a son, Kristopher Allen, who is in the first grade.

She serves as the executive director of the Cambridge/Guernsey County Visitors & Convention Bureau. They reside in Cambridge, Ohio.

Class of 1981

Britty Hunt is a sales manager for Hapco Pole Products, which manufactures aluminum lighting poles that are sold throughout the country. He resides in Bluff City, Tenn.

Kathy Forand Kimball was recently awarded a Visionary Voice Award by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) in recognition of her outstanding work to end sexual violence. The NSVRC provides leadership in preventing and responding to sexual violence through collaboration, sharing resources, and promoting research. She served as a New Hampshire State Police trooper for 23 years. A member of New Hampshire’s Child and Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee and the Attorney General’s Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect, she helped write statewide protocols addressing sexual assault. She has been an instructor at the New Hampshire Police Academy for 14 years, teaching members of law enforcement courses on sexual assault investigations. She served on the Board of Directors for the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence for six years. She is the coordinator of the New Hampshire Sexual Assault Resource Team (SART) initiative and has been a member of the Attorney General’s Task Force on Child Abuse and Neglect, the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) Advisory Board, and several committees of the Governor’s Commission on Domestic and Sexual Violence.

Class of 1983

Joel Vaughan and wife Kellie were delighted and proud to adopt Haley, 3, and Zachary, 2, in December 2011. They reside in Colorado Springs, Colo., where Joel serves as the chief of staff for Focus on the Family.

E&H Alumni Magazine / summer 2013 /2013 35 / 35 E&H Alumni Magazine / summer

The Beauty of Living Healthy As a pediatrician, Kassie Skaggs Milam, D.O., doesn’t sport evening gowns or swimsuits in the office. But as the recently crowned Mrs. West Virginia 2013, Milam hopes to inspire her young patients—especially the girls.

“I wanted to become a pediatrician so that I could make a difference in children’s lives, and this title gives me another way that I can positively influence kids,” says Milam, a member of E&H’s class of 2000 and 2006 graduate of the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine. “Hopefully I can educate my patients about health, diet and exercise by providing an outward and visible sign that I follow that lifestyle myself.”

Milam, who practices in Summersville, W. Va., knew as a child that she wanted to become a pediatrician. Though the job presents daily challenges—particularly the frustration of dealing with health insurance regulations—Milam is enthusiastic about her work. She frequently mentors medical students to help them prepare for the realities of the profession.

“Even though I sometimes stay up worrying about my patients, there are limits to what I can do—I can’t save them all,” says Milam, who completed her residency at West Virginia University Children’s Hospital. “But if I can impart some good experiences for them or be a good role model, maybe that will change their path.”

Milam, who was first runner up in the Mrs. West Virginia 2011 pageant, will represent her home state in the Mrs. America pageant in Tuscon, Ariz., in August. She and her husband, Joey, a West Virginia State Trooper, have two sons: Lucas, 5, and Griffin, 1.

Milam is grateful for the rigorous academic experience at Emory & Henry, and credits the caring community with preparing her for life beyond college.

“Everything that happened to me at Emory & Henry was positive,” says Milam, a Bonner Scholar at E&H. “The science faculty provided a wonderful education and became a wonderful group of friends and family. I made a lot of personal connections during my journey at Emory & Henry that kept me grounded and helped me succeed professionally and personally.”

CLASS NOTES

James Rector, a former mayor of Bristol, Va., was elected chair and president of the new governing structure of the Tri-Cities Airport Authority as of January 2013. He is the first person from Bristol in the 75-year history of the airport to be elected to serve as chair.

were featured in the Pulaski Patriot newspaper for their therapy work with residents in the local health and rehabilitation center in Pulaski. She resides in Dublin, Va.

Mickey Thomas is the director of institutional relationships for the Direct Segment East, at TIAA-CREF in Charlotte.

TIAA-CREF is the largest provider of retirement plan services for higher education, K-12, museums, hospitals, not-for-profits, public radio stations, and other institutions. He leads a team of relationship managers who are responsible for the relationships of more than 600 organizational retirement plans with assets totaling more than $13 billion. His wife, Jennifer, is a nurse practitioner, and they reside in Davidson, N.C. Mickey has two children (Will, 19, and Nelle, 16) and Jennifer has three children (Ryan, 23; Ian, 20, and Anna, 19).

Myron Wingfield has been appointed assistant general secretary for clergy life in the Division of Ordained Ministry with the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry. According to the GBHEM, “He will oversee and guide the work of supervision within the United Methodist Church by providing resources for various forms of pastoral supervision and clergy support systems and providing ongoing support for the conceptualization and implementation of systems of supervision, support, and accountability within the church. He will also provide leadership and supervision of the clergy life team of the division in consultation with the associate general secretary.” He currently serves as superintendent for the San Diego District in the California-Pacific Annual Conference and will be relocating from San Diego to Nashville, Tenn. He has been an ordained minister for more than 23 years.

A Career in

Robby Boles graduated in 2008 with a double-major in environmental science and geography. He always had plans to work for the Department of Forestry, but he thought it would be in timber management. These days he only thinks of fire.

For two and a half years, Robby worked as a natural resource specialist and forestry technician for the Virginia Department of Forestry.

He worked with loggers to make sure they were abiding by water quality laws set forth by the state, private landowners to convert pasture land into woodland, andother firefighters to battle wildland fires that occurred in the areas of Buchanan, Russell, Tazwell and Dickenson counties.

These days, Robby is in California and works for the United States Forest Service on the Plumas National Forest in the Beckwourth District. He serves as a seasonal wildland firefighter on the Beckwourth Crew-1 Initial Attack Crew. “We fight the fires on the front lines,” he said. “When we are called to a fire, we drive to the fire, stop at a safe distance away from it, and then hike to where the fire is burning—all while carrying packs that are a minimum of 50 pounds containing all of our gear, equipment, food and water for the day. We are a crew that is fully selfsufficent for up to 36 hours; eating and sleeping on or near fire lines. We dig fire lines, many times right against the flaming front, but on large fires we are back away from the front. Either way it is in smoke, ash and dust-filled air, meaning we make a line where our chainsaw operators cut down all

Class of 1984

vegetation making a line between 10 and 20 feet wide while the scrapes (team members using hand tools such as pulaskis and chigadaros) remove all fuel (vegetation) down to bare mineral soil. This is designed to bring the fire right down to ground level, and once it hits the bare soil it will burn out.”

Robby says these elite crews are highly trained men and women who continously train to endure the physical rigors of the job by running, hiking, performing various versions of calisthenics and weight lifting. “We are expected to be able to hike over any terrain for miles within a day all while digging these fire lines, carrying that amount of weight on our backs and enduring the extreme temperatures.”

They also have to be mentally strong and prepared for pretty much every scenario. “Members of these crews are trained to guide helicopters and airplanes to their location to drop water or retardant onto the fire. They

know how to operate chainsaws.

They can handle medical situations, and even know how to take weather readings and decipher how these readings will affect the fire.”

When Robby was asked about the recent events in Arizona (19 firefighters were killed June 30, 2013, while fighting the Yarnell Hill fire) the tone of his voice quickly changed. “June 30 was a very sad day. Even if you never knew or worked with the crew or the members, they are still family. We lost 19 of our brothers. All I can say is that I hope that we can learn from what happened to help prevent it from happening again.”

Robby says he looks forward to continuing his work in the suppression, fuels or prevention sectors of wildland fire. But he’s not sure how long he’ll stay in California. “I am enjoying the west, but Southwest Virginia will always be a special place to me.”

E&H Alumni Magazine 36 / SUMMER 2013 /2013 E&H /Alumni Magazine 36 / SUMMER

Toni Atkins, majority leader of the California State Assembly, was the speaker for the 2013 E&H commencement. See story on page 10. She resides in San Diego, Calif.

David Bassett has been appointed to a new position within Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools. He is acting executive producer of a one-hour broadcast on local Comcast channel 10 television five nights a week during the school session. Concurrently, he provides support to instructors who train at the Martin Professional Development Center and serves in an ongoing role as technical advisor for IT purchases, lectures, films and special events. He resides in Nashville, Tenn.

Class of 1985

Michael Abbott recently graduated from the University of Florida with a doctor of pharmacy degree (summa cum laude) and received the outstanding graduate award. He currently serves as vice president of Oncology Services for LewisGale Regional Health System. He resides in Salem, Va.

Monica Hoel, alumni editor of the Alumni Magazine and E&H alumni director, along with Dirk Moore, editor and E&H director of public relations, and Jamie Smyth, art director and associate director of public relations, were recognized by the Tri-Cities chapter of the Public Relations Society of America for the alumni magazine, which won top honors for internal publications. The trio received the “Award of Excellence,” which is the highest recognition given in any category to a nominee.

Mary Munsey was featured in the Feb. 19, 2013, issue of the Bristol Herald Courier. She is a local singer and

E&H Alumni Magazine / summer 2013 /2013 37 / 37 E&H Alumni Magazine / summer

Class of 1986

Clark Jordan was promoted to vice president and general counsel for Global Trade & Compliance at Eastman Chemical Company. He will lead a team of lawyers and professionals overseeing legal matters arising in the areas of integrated global supply chain, international trade, product regulation, and mergers and acquisitions.

He also heads the company’s global corporate ethics and compliance organization. He resides in Charlotte, N.C.

Mark Tate works for the U.S. Army Special Operations Command as a public affairs specialist and web content manager at Fort Bragg, N.C. He resides in Fayetteville, N.C.

Class of 1987

Diana Brown Blackburn was featured in the March 24, 2013 issue of the Bristol Herald Courier. She was honored with a 2013 YWCA Tribute to Women Award in recognition of her contributions to the arts. She is the executive director of Round the Mountain: Southwest Virginia’s Artisan Network. She works with this non-profit agency that promotes the region’s arts and crafts. She resides in Damascus, Va.

Class of 1988

Ronda Nofsinger Dove and husband Gehrig have been commissioned with the Rafiki Foundation to serve a two-year term near Lusaka, Zambia, East Africa.

Tim Fields was recently featured in the quarterly newsletter of The Historic New Orleans Collection (THNOC).

THNOC is a museum, research center and publishing house dedicated to the study and preservation of New Orleans history and culture. The article highlights Tim’s passion for the city of New Orleans. It also discusses some of his antiques, including a collection of unique antique walking canes that have interesting features, such as a watch or a dagger that flips out in case of dangerous circumstances. Tim resides in New Orleans, La.

Sherry Sexton King was featured in the April 12, 2013, issue of the Bristol Herald Courier. She was selected the 2013 National Distinguished Principal from Virginia. She has served as principal at High Point Elementary School for the past year, but she was nominated for the award based on her ability to encourage academic performance at Greendale Elementary, where she was principal for six years. She resides in Bristol, Va.

David Williams released his latest book, Your Career and the 7 Deadly Sins. The book offers personal insights into how decisions that seem perfectly sensible on the surface can ultimately derail your career. According to the book, the business world embraces, and even promotes, a series of concepts known as the seven deadly sins that appear to offer happiness, but in the long run cannot deliver on their promise. Williams asserts that regardless of your faith, these seven sins are pathways to unfulfilled promises and personal dissatisfaction. To find the book visit http://careerandfaith.com. He resides in Paducah, Ky.

Class of 1989

Linda Coutant and her partner, Chris May, have joined with other residents of Boone to start the F.A.R.M. Café, which stands for Feed All Regardless of Means. See story on page 37. She resides in Vilas, N.C.

Class of 1990

Todd Necessary is an instructor at Marion Senior High School and the director of the play, “Too Free for Me,” which was performed at the Lincoln Theatre. His students, who won awards in district competition and first place in the region for their performance of this adaptation by Dr. R. Rex Stephenson, then took their performance to state where Tyler Calahan won the Best Actor award. Todd resides in Marion, Va.

Sarah Neighbors Whitmore is a real estate agent for Eagle Realty of Virginia in Glen Allen, Va. She resides in Midlothian, Va.

Class of 1991

Chris Barker is working in mortgage lending at Ikon Financial Group. He resides in Charleston, S.C.

Melissa Hale Bentley has been accepted into the Ed.D. program for Educational Policy Planning and Leadership at The College of William and Mary. She is a special education curriculum leader for Williamsburg James City County Schools. She resides in Williamsburg, Va.

Clay Blevins was invited by the governor of Virginia, Bob McDonnell, to sing the National Anthem at the

CLASS NOTES

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Wildland Fire

songwriter who picked up first place at the Neuse River Music Festival’s songwriting contest. She is the music director at Virginia Highlands Community College and won $100 in the contest, which was held at Lenoir Community College in N.C. She said her song, “This Side of the Wall,” was written one day a few years ago while she pondered her neighbors’ tall privacy fence. The song is about the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall and the walls people put up between each other. The song also won second place in 2011 at the Podunk Bluegrass Festival in East Hartford, Conn. She plays keyboard and saxophone and sings with the Bristol-based rockabilly and jazz group Barlow Gin and the Hatchetmen.

Governor’s tree lighting ceremony in Richmond on Dec. 7, 2012. The event also served as a salute to the troops. He resides in Christiansburg, Va.

Bob Feagins was featured in the March 2013 issue of The Business Journal of Tri-Cities TN/VA as the coordinator of the Kingsport Chamber of Commerce annual dinner, one of the largest annual dinner events of any chamber organization in the country. He and his wife, Laura, reside in Kingsport, Tenn.

Class of 1992

Will Mullins continues to pitch his screenplays to producers in L.A. while working as a business analyst for Castle Branch of Wilmington, N.C.

Frankie Carter is the new communication systems analyst for ARINC, Aeronautical Radio, Inc. The company was established in 1929 as a major provider of transport communications and systems engineering solutions for eight industries: aviation, airports, defense, government, healthcare, networks, security and transportation. The responsibilities of this position touch several areas, including ARINC satellite, HFDL, VHF communications media, numerous end systems, and applications services, while serving hundreds of airline and business aviation customers worldwide. He resides in Reisterstown, Md.

David Farmer is the managing director for The Bernstein Shur Group, a multi-state strategic consulting subsidiary of the Bernstein Shur Law Firm. The group will focus on public affairs, strategic communications, and political consulting and has offices in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. David joins the organization after two years as president of Adeline Strategic Communications, a company he started after serving for four years as deputy chief of staff and communications director for Maine Gov. John Baldacci. In 2012, he served as the communications director and a communications consultant on the historic statewide campaign to allow same-sex couples in Maine to receive a marriage license. He served in the same capacity in 2011 on the statewide people’s veto campaign to restore same-day voter registration. He resides in Portland, Maine.

Stephen James was featured in the Nov. 21, 2012 issue of the Bristol Herald Courier. In his eighth season as the head coach of the Fort Chiswell football team, he turned his team into a contender. He resides in Wytheville, Va.

Luke Sampson is the managing partner and CSO of 101 Mobility, the nation’s largest provider of installed access and mobility equipment. His primary responsibilities include franchise training

Class of 1995

Diana Fields works for Edfinancial Services, which is a student loan servicing company. She resides in Knoxville, Tenn.

Michael Lane, associate professor of chemistry at E&H, was selected by the Virginia Foundation of Independent Colleges (VFIC) as the 2012 recipient of The Hiter H. Harris, Jr. Memorial Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching.

The award recognizes him for his clear and abiding commitment to the craft of classroom teaching, the teaching-learning process, and the development of each student as an individual. He becomes the fifth Virginia professor and the first E&H professor to win the award.

Class of 1996

Melissa Mitchell Bowe is the private dining manager for EAT Restaurant Partners. She resides in Powhatan, Va.

Kevin Rowe works for Appalachian Sustainable Development as the WoodRight Business Development manager. He resides in Meadowview, Va.

Matt Whitenack is the owner and operator of TECHfabulous. He manages technology needs for clients who are not tech savvy. He resides in New York, N.Y.

Class of 1997

Hans Hobson has been named the executive director of the Tennessee State Soccer Association. He resides in Franklin, Tenn.

Class of 1998

Monica Gonzalez and Robert Hamilton were married Feb. 23, 2013. She is an attorney with The Dudley Law Firm in Bluefield, Va.

Class of 1999

Harold Craw is the general manager of Quad Cities River Bandits. He and his wife, Angie, and their daughters, Cameron, 5, and Jasmine, 14 months, reside in Davenport, Iowa.

Jason Shupe is a juvenile probation officer for the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Department of Juvenile Justice. He serves the 28th District Court Service Unit in Marion, Va.

Class of 2000

Sarah Clevinger was named to the 2012 class of 40 Under Forty by the Tri-Cities business community, which honors the best and brightest young professionals. She worked at the Bank of Tennessee where she refined the bank’s website, initiated its social media efforts and brought the bank’s communications

into the digital era. During her five-year tenure at the bank, she was involved in projects to raise money for the United Way and the American Cancer Society and was active in several area chambers of commerce. She is now the director of marketing and communications for King University, where she has been instrumental in the recruitment of students to the college and to the region. She resides in Bristol, Tenn.

Jane Horner and Shane Edwards were married Aug. 18, 2012. They reside in Roanoke, Va.

Kassie Skaggs Milam was crowned Mrs. West Virginia 2013 in February. See story on page 33. Kassie, her husband Joseph and children reside in Summersville, W. Va.

Jennifer Murphy transitioned from a government contractor to a full-time federal employee. She will continue to work in the environmental microbiology laboratory within the Waterborne Disease Prevention Branch at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Her current work includes investigation of alternative disinfectants for parasite inactivation in water as well as work to improve drinking water and hygiene in developing countries, including Kenya and Haiti. She resides in Atlanta, Ga.

Trevor Smith completed his DMA in vocal performance and pedagogy from the University of Southern Mississippi in December 2012. He resides in Lenoir City, Tenn.

Class of 2001

baseball coach at Richlands High School, where he had coached the junior varsity baseball team for five years before moving up to be the assistant coach for the varsity team for four years. He resides in Cedar Bluff, Va.

Derrick Dye is an associate attorney with Rollins, Smalkin, Richards & Mackie, L.L.C. in Baltimore, Md. He was selected for “SuperLawyer-Rising Stars Edition for 2013” by superlawyers.com.

Class of 2004

Sara Peters Schill is a mental health counselor at UVa-Wise. She and her husband, Johnathan Schill (re-’05), reside in Wise, Va. t Valerie Taylor and Frank Roth Jr. were married April 14, 2012. She is a customer care professional for American Woodmark.

They reside in Winchester, Va.

Class of 2005

Sunni Blevins Brown is the public relations and media liaison at the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. She resides in Richmond, Va.

Cortez Watson is a road trooper with the Virginia State Police. He resides in Manassas, Va.

Brent Treash, assistant director of media relations at E&H, received the Award of Quality from the Tri-Cities chapter of the Public Relations Society of America for a video entitled “Going Professional,” which promotes the E&H student athlete experience. He resides in Abingdon, Va.

Patrick Carmody completed his Ph.D. in experimental psychology and has a new job at the University of Dayton Research Institute as an associate research psychologist. He resides in Dayton, Ohio.

Hillary Crowder is a public relations and communications specialist with Samueli Institute in Alexandria, Va. The institute is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit medical research organization. She resides in Arlington, Va.

Class of 2002

Class of 2007

Matt Adkins is pursuing a master’s degree in education with a focus in math leadership in instruction at University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC). He is a member of Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society and resides in Columbia, Md.

Class of 2003

Andrea Bowman and Victor Mender were married Sept. 15, 2012. They reside in Glen Jean, W. Va.

Adam Davis was featured in the Feb. 26, 2013 issue of the Bristol Herald Courier. He was selected as the new head E&H Alumni Magazine 38 / SUMMER 2013 /2013 E&H /Alumni Magazine 38 / SUMMER

Class of 2006

Will Lauderback is serving as the associate pastor at First Broad Street United Methodist Church in Kingsport, Tenn. His wife, Kari Harper Lauderback, is a third-year student at Quillen College of Medicine at ETSU. They reside in Johnson City, Tenn.

Ryan Roorda is a recruiting coordinator for CGI Federal in Lebanon, Va. He resides in Bristol, Va.

Will Schwartzstein travelled upon invitation to Mexico to play in a professional basketball tournament called the Pinotepa Nacional Tournament, which is E&H Alumni Magazine / summer 2013 /2013 39 / 39 E&H Alumni Magazine / summer

Coutant’s Non-Profit Restaurant Helps Alleviate Hunger A 1989 Emory & Henry graduate has teamed up with members of the Boone, N.C. community to start a non-profit restaurant aimed at helping to relieve hunger in Watauga County.

Linda Coutant and her partner, Chris May, have joined with other residents of Boone to start the F.A.R.M. Cafe, which stands for Feed All Regardless of Means. The pay-what-you-can restaurant opened in May 2012 to help relieve the issue of hunger in Watauga County—where nearly 25 percent of the population lives at or below the poverty level.

As a founding board member, Linda was responsible for public and media relations and was involved in fundraising. She did a series of local media interviews, led a team of Appalachian State University students in creating communication pieces to bring attention to the cause, developed a website and interior signage, and helped raise more than $65,000 to get the cafe started.

As a result of her involvement, she was invited to serve on the national board of the One World Everybody Eats Foundation in 2013. The Foundation is an outgrowth of the first pay-what-youcan restaurant in Salt Lake City, Utah—also called One World Everybody Eats—and helps communities across the United States start and maintain their own non-profit, pay-whatyou-can restaurants to help alleviate hunger.

F.A.R.M. Cafe is located in downtown Boone, in the historic Boone Drug building on King Street. It serves lunch only and runs almost entirely on volunteers. Patrons can pay what they can toward a suggested price, pay a little more than the suggested price to help their neighbors in need, or volunteer for an hour in the cafe in exchange for a meal. The cafe’s menu changes daily and offers nutritious meals made primarily from local sources.

“I was attracted to this business model because it was innovative and added a new dimension to how we solve the issue of hunger in the United States,” Linda said. “So far, F.A.R.M. Café is working. It serves on average 75 people a day for lunch. Each month, more than 70 of these individuals work in exchange for a meal for themselves or their families—people who otherwise might not have a hot meal. We’ve also built partnerships with local farmers and other organizations toward strengthening our local food system.”

While at Emory & Henry, Linda majored in mass communications and was a former president of Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity and editor of The Whitetopper. She lives in the Boone area and works as an editor/writer.

one of the largest basketball tournaments in Mexico. While playing abroad, he pursues a dream of becoming a professional basketball player. While in the United States, he is the head personal trainer at RetroFitness in Woodbridge, Va. He also plays on a semi-professional basketball team, the Metropolitan AllStars, which travels the east coast playing other semi-pro teams. He resides in Arlington, Va.

Monica Halsey Shew works in advancement at the Barter Theatre. She resides in Abingdon, Va.

Eliza Widener is a certified athletic

trainer physician extender with Carilion Clinic Orthopedics. She resides in Christiansburg, Va.

Class of 2008

Robby Boles is a nature specialist and forestry technician for the Virginia Department of Forestry. See related story on page 39. He resides in Midlothian, Va.

J.D. Hibbitts was featured in the April 9, 2013 issue of the Bristol Herald Courier. He is this year’s Appalachian Trail Conservancy volunteer ambassador

CLASS NOTES

CLASS NOTES

Class of 1993

and territory development. He and his wife, Noleen, reside in Wilmington, N.C.

rats in our house would go next door to eat,” Johnson

in 11 of his 14 campaigns for the Legislature), faced some

his service on the Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and

joked. “I remember getting up at four o’clock in the morning

bitter voters who resented the tax increase and insisted

Revitalization Commission. As one of the state’s most

to go milking. They were long days with a lot of work, but

the legislation would not be effective.

respected delegates and one who has served on some

I knew that one day I’d like to enjoy the things that my

of the most powerful committees in Richmond, Johnson

parents did not.”

were very upset with me and who told me the legislation

has been able to parlay his influence into Tobacco

was a bad idea and I would never be re-elected,” said

Commission investments in scholarships and educational

an Emory & Henry education, which would set him up for

Johnson, who now reflects proudly upon his efforts.

programs throughout Southwest Virginia.

his dreams of becoming an attorney. Defying the naysayers

“The impact of that legislation on education in this

he graduated from the University of Richmond Law School

region has just been tremendous, more than we’ll ever be

support on the Tobacco Commission for an investment in

in 1960 and eventually undertook a successful law practice

able to document.”

health science education in the region, including support

in Washington County.

of Emory & Henry’s health science program in Marion

major education initiative in the region, the Southwest

and a medical school tentatively proposed for Abingdon.

and professors. The late Dr. George Stevenson, an E&H

Virginia Higher Education Center in Abingdon. He

history professor, stands out among those who profoundly

recalls opposition to the bond issue that funded the

in Hayter’s Gap to the halls of power in Richmond,

influenced Johnson and encouraged him to pursue his

Center from the State Council for Higher Education in

but through it all, Johnson has lived by three rules:

dreams of practicing law. In recognition of that impact,

Virginia, which said it would be a waste of money. And

Always smile, shake hands and say thank you. He has

Johnson established the George Stevenson Scholarship at

he recalls having to remind delegates from Blacksburg

long believed that through an unwavering humility,

Emory & Henry.

and Richmond that theirs are not the only regions that

a genuine politeness, and a passionate commitment,

should benefit from public support for higher education.

much can be accomplished – even when others say it’s

forgotten what education can mean to the individual as

not possible.

well as to communities. When he was first elected to

especially in regard to his support of education, has been

Among the advantages he had hoped to acquire was

Along the way he was helped by family, friends

Johnson, as a result of those influences, has never

“I remember encountering some old timers who

In 1990, Johnson was a chief supporter of another

Another area of significant success for Johnson,

Most recently he has been instrumental in rallying

It has been a long road from his two-room school

the Virginia House of Delegates in 1965, he began a long legislative career (from 1965 to 1969 and from 1989 to the present) devoted in large part to strengthening educational opportunities in Southwest Virginia and providing the same advantages to others that helped him to a full,

Johnson resides in Abingdon with his wife, Mary

Ann Johnson. Their children include two sons, Joe “Joey” Johnson III (’84), a director of outreach and education and a former college football coach, and Sage Johnson (re-’92), a circuit court judge, and a daughter, Mary Jo Neal, an

A career counselor once told Joe P. Johnson (’57) that

elementary school teacher.

he did not have the wherewithal to become an attorney.

The young man with poor parents from Hayter’s Gap,

ways,” said Johnson, who retires this year from the

Va. just was not law school material, so he was told.

legislature with a long list of accomplishments. “More than

anything, those blessings have motivated me to commit

In his typical manner, Johnson smiled, expressed

“God has been so good to me in so many different

his gratitude for the advice and walked away

myself to the people in this area.”

determined more than ever to reach his goal.

his controversial support in 1968 of a sales tax bill that

One of five children born to a tenant farmer during

Among his chief accomplishments, Johnson lists

the middle of the Great Depression, Johnson spent

helped launch the community college system in Southwest

his youth experiencing little beyond his hardscrabble

Virginia. Johnson, whose legendary politeness has helped

existence in rural Appalachia. “We were so poor the

him throughout his legislative career (He ran unopposed

E&H Alumni Magazine 40 / SUMMER 2013 2013 / E&H/ Alumni Magazine 40 / SUMMER

Y Y Y Y Y Y

—Births— 1993

Jonathan Jonas, daughter Sage Jocelyn, Jan. 16, 2013.

1996

Amanda Howery Thompson, son Micah Brayden, Nov. 25, 2012.

1997

Rylie Bane Elliott & Blaine Elliott (’98), son Walter Blaine V, Sept. 26, 2012.

2000

Whitney Mullins Compton, daughter Delaney Claire, Sept. 19, 2012.

2001

Sara Aden Hawk, son Cody Jack, Oct. 1, 2012.

Crystal Wilkins Queen & Randy Queen (’02), Mallory Anne & Oliver James, April 2, 2013.

E&H Alumni Magazine / summer 2013 /2013 41 / 41 E&H Alumni Magazine / summer

2003

Chris & Erin Caldwell Berry, son Cohen Spencer, Sept. 15, 2011.

Alanna Underwood Caracciolo, daughter Payton Marie, Jan. 16, 2013.

2004

Kim Woodie Raines & Bobby Raines (’02), daughter Emma Austin, Jan. 22, 2013.

Kimberly Fyke Vance, son Robert Anderson, Sept. 9, 2012.

2005

Sarah Moody Varnell, daughter Grace Margaret, March 3, 2013.

2007

Jessi Turner Son, daughter Aria Ann, Jan. 21, 2013.

2008

CLASS NOTES

CLASS NOTES

Smile, Shake Hands and Say “Thank You”

successful life.

for the Damascus area. His role locally is to round up volunteers and encourage stewardship of the trail in the local area, including organizing day hikes and trail maintenance. He resides in Bristol, Tenn.

Emily Sarah Phillips and Aaron Coalson were married Dec. 27, 2012. She is a registered nurse at the Southwestern Virginia Mental Health Institute. They reside in Marion, Va.

Emily Wicht is the volunteer coordinator at Indian River Habitat for Humanity and recently returned from a mission trip to Nepal. Joined by volunteers from all over the world, she helped a family build a one-bedroom house in a week. She resides in Vero Beach, Fla.

Stephen Woodward won the Write Movies International Screenwriting Competition #31 with his screenplay Crush. See related story on page 40. He resides in Kingsport, Tenn.

University of Arkansas’ Center for Space and Planetary Sciences, where her work involved earth-based geochemistry. After these two research experiences, she pursued a Ph.D. in analytical chemistry at Baylor University, where she joined Dr. Sascha Usenko’s environmental and analytical chemistry research group.

Currently she is studying contaminants in the atmosphere. At Dr. Usenko’s suggestion, she applied to and was accepted to be a part of the NASA Student Airborne Research Program (SARP) in the summer of 2012.

Sarah Kate Gravely is a program coordinator for the Alta Mons camping and retreat facility. She lives on the campus in Shawsville, Va., and oversees the programs of the campground and the summer camp program.

Class of 2009

Milo Cockerham is bank manager and assistant vice president for CommunityOne Bank. He resides in Valdese, N.C.

Megan Farris and Shawn Patrick were married Nov. 10, 2012. She teaches at Rural Retreat High School and seeking National Board Certification. They reside in Atkins, Va.

Kayla Morelock teaches mathematics at Dobyns-Bennett High School. She completed her master of education degree in December 2012 at King University. She resides in Kingsport, Tenn.

Josh Nelson is a strength and conditioning assistant football coach at Emory & Henry. He resides in Glade Spring, Va.

Class of 2010

Zach Triplett is a flight attendant for Delta Air Lines, serving customers on numerous international flights. He resides in Port Orange, Fla.

Class of 2011

Class of 2013

Hai-Yan Chen is a marketing designer for TEDS, Inc. She resides in Marion, Va.

Class of 2012

Dustin Anderson has completed his graduate work at West Virginia Wesleyan College. He is seeking employment as an athletic trainer. He resides in Buckhannon, W. Va.

Kristen Blevins has joined Farm u Credit & Country Mortgages’ Wytheville office as a loan officer. The company is a national network of lending institutions that collectively provide a wide range of financial and lending services to rural America. She resides in Abingdon, Va.

Kasey Buchanan is an administrative assistant for RS&H CS in Abingdon, Va.

Zack Edwards and Tim Kilbourne (’08) and their band Annabelle’s Curse played a well-known Nashville venue in

Bill Grose (’91), history professor for Wythe County Community College, was recently elected chair of the Wythe County GOP. Dale Yontz (’00), Rural Retreat town council member and business owner, was elected vice chair. In January, Dale & Duke Yontz hosted a “meet and greet” at Yontz Auctions in Rural Retreat for Senator Mark Obenshain, who is seeking the nomination for states Attorney General. Pictured left to right are: Jack Morgan, 9th district GOP chair; Bill Grose; Senator Mark Obenshain and Dale Yontz.

Lessons for a Lifetime became a metaphor for how they came of authors and titles of books that

Members of a 1983 women’s to feel about the subject. Pam says she studies class are getting ready to had had a keen influence on long came to feel that feminism was “having ago class discussions—and are still celebrate the 30th anniversary of the freedom to become who we can the unique academic term they influencing thoughts and decisions be. It’s about taking ownership of your shared. now. Dr. Sue Spivey (’83), professor choices, and being more intentional

The class was initiated and of justice studies at James Madison about your life.” organized entirely by students…

University, says she wore out several

Becky Kurtz (’84), director of the copies of books by bell hooks and not by a professor. Members of the Office of Long-Term Care Ombudsman Audre Lorde, and now uses the class chose books for the class, Programs in the U. S. Department of led discussion, and determined an books routinely in her classes at Health and Human Services, said that JMU. evaluation system. The class was facilitated by Dr. Stephen Fisher, 1999 Emory & Henry was one of the few

Other alumni have similar CASE U.S. Professor of the Year, and places in the world that would even memories of the impact the class allow such a class structure. “We had he is the first to admit he wasn’t in had, and continues to have, on their charge. “I didn’t teach this class; we the amazing and unique opportunity lives. Melinda Crumley Thomas —and responsibility—to create our taught each other…we learned from (’84) recalls finding a new sense own class, design our own syllabus, each other.” of self-empowerment. Veronica and evaluate our progress. I learned

Pam Kestner (’83), now Shepard Gilmer (’83) feels strongly that a great teacher helps the student serving as the homeless outcomes about ensuring that her daughter be discover and articulate what she really given the rights and opportunities coordinator for the Commonwealth already knew.” of Virginia, says this format was due to her as a woman. Toni

Women from this class recently a little frustrating at first because Atkins (’84) learned the value of a they’d look to Dr. Fisher for approval talked together, and the conversation supportive circle of women. Barb was most animated when discussing regarding decisions, and he would McClure (’83) remembers having her the reading they had done back in simply remind them it was their eyes opened in ways that have led 1983. They quickly rattled off names class. “Steve relinquished control to continued revelations. And of the curriculum. It was Chris Braudaway-Bauman one of the first experiences (’83), whose independent that forced me to take a study with Dr. Fisher was the leadership role. It made me precursor to this class, says she realize that I only get out of gained a greater understanding something what I put into it.” of powerful women throughout

Together they studied history. feminism, a class previously The reading was not offered at the College, challenging, class discussion and even though the small was often heated, conclusions class of seven students had were never easy, and their time interest in the topic many had together served to powerfully never really come to terms shape their futures. Sue Spivey with what feminism meant. In may sum up the class best in many ways, this unusual class Front row: Toni Atkins (’84), Sue Spivey (’83), Melinda saying, “I signed up for a class Crumley Thomas (’84). Second row: Steve Fisher. structure which gave the young Third Row: Pam Kestner (’83), Barb McClure (’83), and came out with a lifetime.”

Christina Braudaway-Bauman (’83), Becky Kurtz (’84), women control of the class Veronica Shepard Gilmer (’83).

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CLASS NOTES

CLASS NOTES

Addie Clark participated in undergraduate research programs at q Emory & Henry to restore the American chestnut tree. She also took part in a National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates at the

p Caroline Lawless is the art director of FAULT Magazine, a Londonbased fashion, art and culture magazine with a global audience. She was recently promoted to the position of assistant art director on the Walmart account at Pace, a custom-content publishing agency. She resides in Greensboro, N.C.

Ashley Nelson graduated from Virginia Tech with her master’s degree in statistics in December 2012. She is an applied statistician for Eastman Chemical Company and resides in Kingsport, Tenn.

December 2012. They played as part of the Music City Roots program recorded at The Loveless Barn next to the famed Loveless Café. The band’s manager is Richard Graves (’08). You can check out the video at: http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=7QkVySjuW-U.

Michael Farris earned the title of United States Marine after graduating from recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, S.C. For 13 weeks he stayed committed during some of the world’s most demanding entry-level military training in order to be transformed from a civilian to a Marine instilled with pride, discipline and the core values of honor, courage and commitment. Training subjects included close-order drill, marksmanship with an M-16A4 rifle, physical fitness, martial arts, swimming, military history, customs and courtesies.

One week prior to graduation he endured The Crucible, a 54-hour final test of recruits’ minds and bodies. Upon completion, recruits are presented the Marine Corps emblem and called Marines for the first time.

PJ Henson has been accepted into the Texas Tech Health Science Center Paul L. Foster School of Medicine in El Paso, Texas. He begins the pursuit of an M.D. degree in July 2013.

Hannah Rhodes is a media coordinator for Home Front Communications, a public relations firm in Washington, D.C. that works mainly with nonprofits and foundations (and some for-profits). The firm coordinates satellite and radio interviews, and she manages the logistics of those interviews. She resides in Falls Church, Va.

IN MEMORIAM Bondurant Memorial Scholarship Fund at Emory & Henry.

Robert H. Gammon (re-’46), Charlottesville, Va., died April 11, 2013. He was awarded the Air Medal with three oak leaf clusters for combat missions with the 15th Air Force, Italy. A varied career included work as a psychologist at Southwestern State Hospital in Marion and personnel positions with Dan River Mills in Danville and Brunswick Corp. in Marion. In 1959 he joined the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges, from which he retired in 1989 as executive vice president and corporate secretary. The VFIC was recognized as the nation’s most productive college fund in distributions to its member private colleges. He received the VFIC’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 1990. He also served as president of Gammon’s Inc. in Rural Retreat, Va. Among survivors are children Caroline Symns Gammon MacDonald and Robert Christopher Gammon.

John W. “Bud” Clark (re-’47), Bristol, Tenn., died Feb. 4, 2013. He retired from Raytheon after 37 years in quality control and served in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Among survivors are his wife, Patsy Pemberton Clark, sons John P. Clark and W. Michael Clark (’76), and daughters Patricia “Wootsie” Riddell and Susan C. Rutherford.

Robert I. Jessee (’48), Richlands, Va., died April 21, 2013. He retired in 1986 as general manager of the Permac, Inc. coal preparation facility at Page in Buchanan County. He served in the U.S. Air Force during World War II. In retirement he discovered golf and hit two holes-in-one.

He helped develop Wolf Creek Golf Course’s youth program and its weekly senior day. Among survivors are his wife, Nancy Elizabeth Thomason Jessee, daughter Nancy Alice Jessee Henderson, and sons Robert Thomason Jessee and James Randolph Jessee. Memorial gifts may be made to Emory & Henry.

Thomas K. Bruce (’49), Durham, N.C. died April 4, 2013. Among survivors is his wife, Jean Kirby Bruce (’49).

James R. “Jim” Ratcliff (re-’49), Bristol, Tenn., died March 4, 2013. He retired from Bill Gatton Chevrolet/Cadillac in August 2012. Among survivors are his wife, Linda Hoopengarner Ratcliff, and children James R. Ratcliff Jr., Richard T. Ratcliff, Amy Ratcliff Forrer, Holly E. Ratcliff and Melissa D. Ratcliff.

James A. Smith Jr. (’49), Narrows, Va., died April 7, 2013. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps near the end of World War II and was an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ. He served 12 years as chaplain and philosophy professor at Hood College in Frederick, Md., and was

academic dean for five years at Lees Junior College in Jackson, Ky. He then worked 20 years with the UCC Board for Homeland Ministries as church-college coordinator for 30 UCC-related colleges. Following retirement he worked for 10 years as interim pastor for several churches.

Among survivors are his wife, Cornelia Woodson Smith (’49), daughter Emily Smith Gray (’82) and her husband, Jason Gray (’79), and sons James Woodson Smith, Thomas Wright Smith, Christopher Hale Smith and Mark Daniel Smith.

Memorials may be made to Emory & Henry for student scholarships.

Don E. Stallard (’49), Madison, Ohio, died Jan. 8, 2013. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War and retired as a chemist after 33 years from Diamond Shamrock. He was an accountant for Analytical Biochemical Corporation in Columbia, Mo. for three years and operated D.E. Stallard & Daughters Nursery from 1972 to 2002. Among survivors are his wife, Carol June Taylor Stallard (re-’52), and daughters Doris Lee LeMoyne and Tammie Susan Stallard.

Memorial contributions may be made to Emory & Henry.

John H. Artrip (re-’50), Clintwood, Va., died Aug. 2, 2012. He operated a country store and was a farmer, raising cattle and sheep. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army and served during World War II. Among survivors are his wife, Theta Hay Artrip, and son Patrick Steven Artrip.

George T. Johnstone (re-’50), Wytheville, Va., died Dec. 24, 2012. He served his country during World War II and began his 41-year career in banking at First National Farmers Bank, which eventually became Wells Fargo. He is recognized on the Civic Wall of Honor at Withers Park.

Among survivors are daughters, Clara Nash and Jane Festa; and son George T. Jr. Memorial donations may be made to Emory & Henry.

Samuel Jones Sr. (’50), Hamilton, Ohio, died Dec. 16, 2012. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and was an accountant at the GM Fisher Body plant in Fairfield. Among survivors are his wife, Phyllis Jones, and sons Sam Jones Jr., Andrew Jones and Ben Jones. Memorial donations may be made to Emory & Henry.

Ernest C. “Buck” Scott (’50), Longview, Tex., died Dec. 5, 2012. He was employed by Brown and Root Construction Co. as a construction worker when Texas Eastman was built. He then went to work for Eastman as a production clerk. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. Among survivors is his son, Michael Scott.

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Carl F. Cooper (’52), Gainesville, Ga., died Nov. 23, 2012. He served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War and worked at the Library of Congress for 42 years. Among survivors are his wife, Marcia Cooper, and daughter Missy DeLuca.

Glen C. Winstead (’52), Kissimmee, Fla., died Dec. 17, 2012. He retired from USF&G after 36 years of service as an insurance agent. He was a veteran of the U.S. Navy during World War II. Among survivors are his wife, Viladene Winstead, son James Edward Winstead, and daughter Carrollyn Allen.

Dennis Gillespie (’53), Harrisonburg, Va., died April 8, 2013. He served seven years as a minister in the Methodist church followed by 39 years in Lutheran (ELCA) parishes. Among survivors are sons Clay Gillespie and Chris Gillespie, and daughter Beth Gillespie Mathis (’88).

Carl R. Howard (’53), Petersburg, Va., died April 1, 2013. He is a member of the E&H Sports Hall of Fame. He was a former teacher and coach and served for many years as chairman of the Automated Management Department of the Army Logistics Management College at Fort Lee. Among survivors are his wife, Nell Roper Howard, and sons Robert Scott Howard and Philip Roper Howard. Donations may be made to the Emory & Henry Tangerine Bowl Endowment Fund.

Fern Cross Brewster (re-’55), Cordova, Tenn., died April 12, 2013. Her interest in working with seniors led her to serve at the Shepherd’s Center of St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church and MIFA in developing programs for seniors.

She was a volunteer for the Suicide and Crisis Intervention Center and served as a counselor for adults with learning disabilities at the United Methodist Lakeshore Assembly. Among survivors are her husband, Jerry Brewster (re-’54), and daughters Teresa Tittley, Valerie Ratkai, Cyndi Brewster, Marcie Brewster and Rachel Doughty.

Nancy Elliott Ketron (’55), Lebanon, Va., died March 11, 2013. Among survivors are a daughter Sara Jane Poole and cousin James Elliott (’64).

Jean Reaves Lindsey (re-’56), Abingdon, Va., died March 12, 2013. She was employed by Johnston Memorial Hospital as assistant operating room supervisor and emergency room nurse.

She taught OB/GYN and medical/surgical nursing courses at Johnston Memorial Hospital School of Nursing. She was instrumental in establishing a nurse’s aide program at Smyth County Vocational School and taught classes at Smyth County Community Hospital and Virginia Highlands Community College. She was the in-services coordinator at Southwestern State Psychiatric Hospital.

Among survivors is a daughter, Anne Lindsey Owsley (re-’64).

Miriam Walters Blevins (’57), Richmond, Va., died Nov. 12, 2012. Among survivors are a daughter Martha Brissette, and sons William and Benjamin. She taught high school chemistry at Washington and Lee High School.

Kenneth S. Osborne (’57), Damascus, Va., died March 19, 2013. He retired from the State of Virginia after 35 years of service. Among survivors is a daughter, Millicent Davis.

Dorothy Ballengee Adams (re-’58), Charlottesville, Va., died Dec. 28, 2012.

She taught at Hampton High for two years before returning to Charlottesville to teach at Albemarle High School. She obtained a master’s degree in counseling and taught parenting classes for “The House Next Door,” a non-profit counseling firm in Deland, Fla. Among survivors are her husband, John (Jack) Adams, daughters Karen Leigh Oxford and Cynthia Lynn Ellstrom, and step-son John Walker Adams.

John A. Johnston (’58), Pulaski, Va., died Nov. 19, 2012. He was the principal at Central Elementary for 10 years. He was instrumental in developing plans for Critzer Elementary School, where he was principal from 1974 to 1989. He worked in the Finance Department of Pulaski County Schools before retiring in 1991. Among survivors is his son Bob Johnston (’87).

James Kelly Osborne (’58), Saltville, Va., died Feb. 12, 2013. He served for many years as a teacher, coach, assistant principal, principal, supervisor and assistant superintendent for the Smyth County School System. Among survivors are his wife, Sandra Clear Osborne (’70), son Chuck Osborne (’85) and his wife Julie Houston Osborne (’94), and brother-in-law Berkley Clear (’71).

Jack L. Cox (’59), Emory, Va., died April 20, 2013. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War and taught chemistry and biology at Marion Senior High School. Among survivors are his wife Mary Brewer Cox (retired E&H faculty), daughter Judy Miller, and son Randy Cox.

Charles W. Cecil Jr. (’65), Miami, Fla., died July 23, 2012. After a year of law school he began working for the State of Maryland as a probation officer. Several years later he began his career as a special agent with the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, which later became the Drug Enforcement Administration. He served in the U.S. Army. Among survivors are his wife, Barbara Hicks Cecil (’66), and a daughter Carol L. Cecil-Ferrer.

James McCall “Jim Mac” Lambert (’66), Bristol, Tenn., died Jan. 26, 2013. He was a disabled social worker.

Alice (Peggy) Bailey Rusek (’66), Gate City, Va., died April 27, 2013. After retiring from Mountain Empire Community College with more than 30 years of service, she served as a financial

In Memoriam

Helen Jackson Sutherland (’35), Pound, Va., died Nov. 24, 2012. She taught foreign languages in the public school system. She established the Jackson/ Sutherland Scholarship at E&H.

Pauline “Polly” Counts Holmes (re-’37) of Lynchburg, Va. died Nov. 10, 2012. Among survivors is a daughter, Carol H. Coston.

Madge Candler Greer (’39), Abingdon, Va., died March 19, 2013. She taught first grade before marrying and then spent 54 years as a Methodist minister’s wife. Among survivors are a son John F. Greer III; daughter Suzanne Greer Lay; sisters Martha Candler Gilliam (re-’41) and Lois Candler Hill (’45); and niece Betty Jane Hill Adams (re-’68).

Arnold D. Belcher (’42), Dunbar, W.Va., died Nov. 15, 2012. He was a retired United Methodist minister who had served in West Virginia for more than 40 years.

Among survivors are his wife, Helen, and sons David and Alan. Memorial contributions may be made to Emory & Henry.

Maxine Snodgrass Morris (’43), Falmouth, Mass., died Dec. 14, 2012. She taught in a one-room school and taught ballroom dancing at a YWCA. She also worked at the YWCA in Knoxville, Tenn. and retired from the Raynham School System in Massachusetts. Among survivors is a daughter, Sue Lowe.

Ewing W. “Mac” McPherson (’44), Nashville, Tenn., died Jan. 11, 2013.

Among survivors are his wife, Jane Thompson McPherson (re-’45); daughters Floy McPherson, Jane Bruce and Robinette Sneed; and brother Ralph McPherson (’50).

Lillian Kessler Bondurant (’46), Radford, Va., died March 20, 2013. Lil and Hix were honored by Emory & Henry with the honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters. She served on many boards at her church, taught Sunday school and sang in the choir. She was a member of the Grove United Methodist Women and at various times served as president of the Wytheville District. She was preceded in death by a son, Ken Bondurant (’71).

Among survivors are her husband, Hix Bondurant (’46); daughter Nancy Bondurant-Couch (’81); daughter-in-law Carolee Jackson Bondurant (’74); granddaughters Kathryn Bondurant Smith (’07), Julia Bondurant (’07) and Jennifer Bondurant (’07); grandson Ben Bondurant (’02); brother-in-law Jack Bondurant (’48); sister-in-law Becky Bondurant Lynch (’41); nephews Tom Bondurant (’76) and Jim Bondurant (’80); neice Betsy Bondurant Moreland (’77); and great neice Molly Moreland Knowles (’07). Memorial contributions may be made to the

Sara Jo Greever Bardsley (’51), Fall Branch, Tenn., died April 28, 2013. She contributed articles to several magazines and journals. Emory & Henry recognized her work with the disabled by honoring her with the William and Martha DeFriece Humanitarian Award. Among survivors are her husband, John Bardsley (’51), and children Donna Bardsley and John Bardsley.

Richard “Tammy” Farnsworth (’51), Abingdon, Va., died Jan. 25, 2013. He was a member of the Wasps football team that played in the Burley and Tangerine bowls under Coach Conley Snidow and is a member of the E&H Sports Hall of Fame.

He coached football and other sports at Dublin, Randolph Henry, and Radford high schools and served as a school administrator at Randolph Henry and John Battle high schools. He retired from Clinchfield Coal Company as a safety instructor. He was a retired VHSL basketball and football official of 35 years and worked as an Old Dominion Athletic Conference football official. Among survivors are his wife, Betty H. Farnsworth, daughter Tamara Kennedy, and son Bob Farnsworth. Memorial donations may be made to Emory & Henry.

James R. “Jim” Kiser (re-’51), Ft. Walton Beach, Fla., died Dec. 14, 2012. He joined the Army Air Corps in 1948. He was stationed in the Philippines and later in Japan. He was shot down during the conflict in Korea and continued to support POW/MIA organizations throughout his life. Upon retirement from the Air Force, he started the Sundance Agency, Inc., Realtor in 1978. He was named Realtor of the Year by the Board of Realtors in 1988.

Among survivors are his wife, Margie B. Kiser, daughters Rebecca L. Kiser and Jennifer G. K. Ogilvie, and sons James R. Kiser Jr. and Daniel S. Kiser.

Edward O’dell Smith (’51), Banner Elk, N.C., died March 24, 2013. He served in the U.S. Army, was an overseas missionary for the Presbyterian Church in Brazil, pastored the First Presbyterian Church in Jefferson City, Tenn., and was the dean of students and professor of theology and religion at Lees-McRae College. Upon retirement from LeesMcRae College, he was pastor of Arbor Dale Presbyterian Church in Banner Elk. He was preceded in death by his wife, Patricia Rees Smith (’51). Among survivors are daughters Mimi Smith Gossett (’78) and Carrie Smith Morningstar, and sons Mark O. Smith, Joshua H. Smith and Patrick Sean Smith.

Sue Cole Yeago (’51), Knoxville, Tenn., died March 22, 2013. She enjoyed golf and bridge and was active in the Episcopal Church. Among survivors are her husband, John Yeago (’53), son John M. Yeago Jr., and sisters Dorthea Cole Lewis (’42) and Helen Cole Campbell (’50).

In Memoriam

consultant. Among survivors are her husband, Joseph Rusek (’58), daughter Carol Rusek Summitt, son Joey Rusek, sister Jean Bailey Walk (’54), brother-inlaw Bob Rusek (’61), and cousin Ann Grim Sparger (’68).

Joseph C. “Bogie” Bogert (re-’67), Stafford, Va., died Nov. 17, 2012. He worked for the Library of Congress Copyright Office for 34 years. Among survivors are his wife, Sally, son Chris, and daughters Heidi and Megan.

William L. Darnall (’67), Northbrook, Ill., died Dec. 31, 2012. Among survivors are his wife, Pam Pearman Darnall (’67), and sons William L. IV and Jason W. Darnall.

Filbert “Phil” Williams (re-’67), Glade Spring, Va., died Nov. 25, 2012. He served in the U.S. Army and retired from Hapco as a salesman. Among survivors are his wife, Mary Freeman Williams, and sons Michael Williams and John Williams.

Kenneth “Gene” E. Milburn (’69), Palmyra, Va., died Nov. 24, 2012. He was employed as a systems analyst with Video Gaming Technologies. Among survivors are his wife, Juliane Milburn, and sons Ian, Morgan and Logan Milburn.

Raymond Pond (’69), Goochland, Va., died June 13, 2012. Among survivors are his wife, Betsy, son Walter Pond, and daughters Mary Hancock and Kathy Guillena.

Connie Tener (’70), Cape May Court House, N.J., died Aug. 25, 2012. She taught French in Virginia and Delaware. She was a registered nurse at Memorial SloanKettering Cancer Center in N.Y.

Edwin “Ned” C. Wright III (re-’73), Cambridge, Md., died Nov. 9, 2012. He worked for DuPont and Conoco Inc.

David W. Fink (’77), Max Meadows, Va., died April 15, 2013. He served in the U.S. Navy.

Linda K. Burnette (’80), Galax, Va., died Feb. 6, 2013. Among survivors is a sister, Jane Burnette Calhoun (’83).

Bobby Ray Blevins (’86), Marion, Va., died March 18, 2013. Bobby had served as pastor of South Fork Baptist Church, where he led the building of the new sanctuary.

He then served as pastor at Middle Fork Baptist and was currently pastor emeritus at Marion Baptist Church, where he had served as associate pastor, specializing in senior adult education. Among survivors are his wife, Joyce Rosenbaum Blevins, and son Sherrill Robert Blevins.

Michael J. Sutherland (’93), Abingdon, Va., died Jan. 3, 2013. Among survivors is his father, Ernie Sutherland.

Peggy Moore Blackwell (’97), Abingdon, Va., died March 19, 2013. She was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, having

served during the Vietnam War. Her life’s work was helping women at Abuse Alternatives and recovering addicts at Frontier Health/Bristol Regional Counseling Center. Among survivors are her husband, Charles Edward Blackwell, and daughter Rebecca Blackwell Bussey.

Steven A. Reed (’00), Stuttgart, Germany, died Feb. 9, 2013. He was a teacher and coach. Among survivors are his wife, Mairim Cobo-Reed, daughters Alexis and Lauren Reed, and sons Brandyn and Julian Reed.

Navy V-12

Ben G. Bosworth Jr., Boone, N.C., died March 18, 2013. He served in the Navy and Marines. He began work at Appalachian State University in 1960 as a faculty member in the education department, primarily focusing on student teaching supervision. Among survivors are daughters, Kathy North and Elizabeth Clark.

William E. Delaney III, Wynnewood, Penn., died June 11, 2012. He was a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II. Among survivors are his wife, Marjorie, and daughter Maryann “Mimi” Delaney.

John M. Hudgins Jr., Salem, Va., died July 27, 2012. He served in the U.S. Navy during World War II and began his career as a life insurance agent for Phoenix Mutual. He later became executive vice president of Richfood in Richmond, Va. In Salem he was general manager for Associated Grocers, founder and CEO of Hop-In Food Stores, and a commercial real estate agent for L.S. Waldrop Realty.

Among survivors are his wife, Eunice Crump Hudgins, son John M. (Skip) Hudgins IV, daughter Nancy E. Hudgins, step-son James G. Godfrey, and stepdaughter Sharlyn G. Vaughan.

Cline H. Knowles Jr., Corpus Christi, Tex., died Sept. 18, 2012. He served on several ships early in his career, including the USS Bairoko during the Korean War. After the war he attended flight school and received his wings of gold. After 23 years of distinguished service, he retired from the Navy obtaining the rank of Lt. Commander. He taught history at Mary Carroll High School for 21 years and then spent seven years working at H&R Block during tax season. Among survivors are his wife, Gloria Knowles, and sons Cline Knowles III, Robert Knowles and Paul Knowles.

Elmer F. “Bud” Nelson, Racine, Wis., died Feb. 25, 2013. He began working as an engineer for the family construction company, Nelson & Co., Inc. in 1948.

Succeeding his father, he became president of the company in 1965 and led

the firm to a prominent ranking in the state of Wisconsin, and one of the top 400 construction firms in the U.S. The company was a four-generation family construction company that built some of the most iconic and notable institutional buildings in Southeastern Wisconsin. Among survivors are his wife since 2008, Grace Rosenke, children Sue Kroyer, Jill Sturino, Karen Johnson and Jim Nelson, and step-children Linda Quillan, Lisa French, Julie Schaefer and Gretchen Rosenke.

Harold A. Poling, Pacific Grove, Cal., died May 12, 2012. He helped guide the Ford Motor Company through the recession of the early 1990s as its chairman and chief executive. He retired from Ford in 1994 after 43 years of service.

Among survivors are his wife Marian, daughters Kathryn Poling and Pam Cruden, and son Doug.

Part Time Student

Monnie Huff Fitz Patrick, Charlottesville, Va., died July 28, 2012. She was a homemaker. Among survivors are her husband, James, son David, and daughter Margaret Fitzsimmons.

Former Members of the Board of Trustees

Donald D. Jones, Marion, Va., died May 15, 2013. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army, having served in the Korean Conflict.

Following the sale of his Empire Manufacturing Company, he founded Appalachian Realty Company, which was sold in 2003. Among survivors are his wife, Carolyn Calhoun Jones, daughter Kathleen Jones Cook, and son Quincy C. Jones.

Willard L. Lemmon, Marion, Va., died Nov. 24, 2012. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He was president of Lemmon Transport Company, Consolidated Real Estate Corporation and Lemmon Investment Corporation. He was presented with an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from Emory & Henry in 1987.

He ran and was elected to represent Southwest Virginia in the Virginia House of Delegates in 1967. Among survivors are his wife, Rosa Rogerson Lemmon, and daughters Nena Lemmon Copenhaver (’69) and Betsy Lemmon Sayers (’73), and son-in-law Curtis Copenhaver (’69 Employee

Charles “Rudy” Bise, Glade Spring, Va., died March 22, 2013. He retired from the Maintenance Department after 20 years of service. Among survivors are his wife, Charlotte Bise, sons Mike Bise, Randy Bise and Tony Bise, and daughter Carmen Helton.

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