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Distinguished Faculty Emeritus Announced
Dr. Ron Fowler received his B.A. degree from Howard Payne College, Brownwood, Texas, in 1963 and his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, in European History/Political Theory, 1967 and 1978, respectively. Ron was in radio from 1960-1970, first in Brownwood then at several stations in Lubbock. From 1967-1968, Ron was an instructor in History at ENMU until he began his residency at Texas Tech. From 1969-1970, Ron became an instructor in Humanities at ENMU and promoted over the years as instructor, assistant professor and associate professor in European History from 1970-1995, with tenure granted in 1973. Ron was granted a spring sabbatical for European study in 1974. Ron became assistant dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences from 1978-1983. He chaired several departments including Anthropology, History and Political Science and Sociology. Ron’s professional organizations include Phi Alpha Theta, American Historical Association and American Association of Academic Deans. He has also published articles for newspapers and magazines including New Mexico Magazine and Photographic, a national publication. Ron retired as an Associate Professor Emeritus of History in 1995 after 27 years at Eastern.
Dr. Janet Owens Frost received an Associate Degree in 1964 from the College of Southern Utah, Cedar City; a B.A. in 1966 from the University of Utah, Salt Lake; and her Ph.D. in 1978 from the University of Oregon, Eugene. Jan began teaching at ENMU in 1970 and was acting assistant to the graduate dean and administrative assistant to the academic dean 1972-73, continuing to teach at Eastern. She was promoted to associate professor in 1987 and was granted tenure in 1992 with advancement to professor in 1998. Janet was instrumental in starting the Women’s Studies Committee and Program to improve instruction on women at ENMU and also worked tirelessly in several national conferences and workshops across the state. She was active in Western Social Science Association, elected to its Executive Council in 1986 and as vice president in 1993. Janet joined the General Education Committee in 1995 and later served as chair. This committee revised the general education curriculum for the first time in many years. In 2002, Jan also helped direct a NEH grant for curriculum revisions for the new diversity and globalization requirement. Jan retired in 2006 as Professor Emerita of Anthropology after serving 36 years at Eastern.
Mary Kathryn, better known as “Kay” Gunn graduated from Lovington High School as valedictorian in 1942. Kay came to ENMU in 1943 during World War II. She began as secretary to the president, who at the time was Floyd Golden, and served in that capacity from 1943-1962. Kay received her B.A. in business and economics in 1959 taking hours while working at ENMU. She became assistant registrar from 1961-1971 receiving her M.B.E. in business education in 1965.
Kay was promoted to associate registrar in 1971 serving until 1974. She was named instructor in Business Administration in 1973. From 1974-1975, Kay was director of Transfer Admissions. Then Kay became director of Admissions in 1975 until she retired in 1978 after serving 35 years at ENMU. Kay’s professional organizations include the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, the New Mexico Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers and the New Mexico Education Association. She was also a member of Alpha Delta Pi, Beta Sigma Phi and the Order of Eastern Star.
Dr. Richard Willen has a B.S. from the University of Maryland, a M.A. from Washington State University and a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of Pittsburgh. He joined the faculty at ENMU in 1978 as an assistant professor in sociology. In 1983, he was promoted to associate professor and received tenure. Richard developed courses in theory and the sociology of religion. Richard has published articles in the sociology of law (the testimonial oath) and presented papers on religion, art and ethnic relations. He has served as chair of the Department of History, Humanities and Sociology and later as chair of the Department of Psychology, Sociology and Criminal Justice. He has been active in university governance and served as Faculty Senate President. His career-long dedication to faculty rights is evidenced by his work on the Faculty Grievance Committee, Faculty Handbook Committee and the co-founding of the ENMU chapter of the American Association of University Professors. Richard retired in 2002 as Associate Professor Emeritus of Sociology after 24 years at ENMU.
Dr. David Willoughby is a graduate of Lebanon Valley College, Penn., with a B.S. in music education; a graduate of Miami University, Ohio, with a M.E. in music education; and a graduate of the Eastman School of Music of the University of Rochester, N.Y., with a Ph.D. in music education. David began his career at ENMU in 1973 as a professor of music and dean of the School of Music. He served as the first dean of the College of Fine Arts, associate dean of Graduate Studies and coordinator of the Music Business Program. He also served as president of the College Music Society, 1987-1988 and was named editor of the CMS Newsletter from 1997-2006. Following his retirement in 1993 as Professor Emeritus of Music, he moved to Pennsylvania and became head of the Department of Music at Susquehanna University. During ten of his 20 years at ENMU, David hosted the Red Back Book, a weekly music and talk radio program on KENW-FM co-hosted with Karyl Lyne. Its purpose was to explore music and musicians from diverse time periods, styles and cultures. Those one-hour Red Back Book programs were aired on public radio in N.M. and created a foundation that expanded David’s world of music and established the philosophy for his subsequent music appreciation text book: The World of Music, first published by McGraw-Hill in 1990 with the seventh edition published in 2010.
During World War I, Claude Burns Wivel served as a Chief Petty Officer in the U.S. Merchant Marine. Later he received his B.A. degree from the University of Denver. Prior to receiving his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Arizona, he taught at high schools in Douglas and Nogales, Ariz. For seven years he served as Superintendent of Schools in Tempe, Ariz. Dr. Wivel came to Eastern New Mexico Junior College in 1934 as one of the four original faculty members. During the majority of his 25 years at ENMU, he served as chairman of the School of Teacher Education, but he also served as acting dean of men, acting registrar and head of the Department of Commerce. Dr. Wivel was active in a number of professional activities beyond the classroom. He was vice-president of the National Education Association, chairman of the N.M. Association for Higher Education and president of the N.M. Association of University Professors. He was active in the PTA and was a member of the Board of Managers of the National Congress of Parents and Teachers in addition to being the national chairman of the Committee on Cooperation with Colleges. He retired from ENMU as Emeritus Professor of Education in 1959 and spent the next seven years as professor of education at the University of Texas at El Paso. In 1968, he went to the College of the Southwest in Hobbs, N.M., where he served as dean and then president. He retired from the College of the Southwest in 1971.
