Connection Magazine Fall 2011

President Leland leaves legacy of advancement

History and Heritage: Russell Auditorium

Sports: Where are they now?

FROM THE EDITOR Dear alumni and friends, hank you for taking the time to sit down with this issue of Connection magazine.

Our staff, writers and photographer put a lot of thought into delivering a publication that connects you back to Georgia College. Whether you were a “Jessie,” a Colonial or a Bobcat, we share the same affection for one of the finest institutions of higher learning in the Southeast.

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We hope you enjoy the cover story of this issue about the Golden Slipper. We think it will be heartwarming and reminiscent to many of our older alumni and very informative to our younger alumni. I was amazed at my personal lack of knowledge about the Golden Slipper, as it had faded into the memory books before my arrival in Milledgeville in the early ’90s. I hope it builds the same sense of pride in our history for you as it did for me.

Other elements of this issue that you may find of special interest: • President Dorothy Leland’s recent departure from Georgia College, and a glance at the legacy she leaves behind • A closer look at who Russell Auditorium is named for, and the incredible family story that accompanies it • An alumnus who is a globe-trotting CEO, but finds time to invest in his alma mater • A long-time science professor who wanted to help Georgia College look to the stars • And, of course, our class notes section where you may be able to catch up with friends you knew during your time at Georgia College I’d love to hear from you — about your favorite stories, what you’d like to see more of, what you’d like to see less of. All comments and suggestions are welcome at kyle.brogdon@gcsu.edu. Thanks for reading!

Kyle Brogdon (’96) Editor, Connection magazine

For advertising opportunities in Connection, email connection@gcsu.edu or call (478) 445-7828.

Interim President Stas Preczewski

CONNECTION Fall 2011, Vol. XXI, No. 1 Copyright 2011. All rights reserved.

Published by University Communications A Division of University Advancement 231 West Hancock Street Milledgeville, GA 31061

Vice President for External Relations and University Advancement Amy Amason Associate Vice President for Strategic Communications Harry Battson

Associate Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations Bill Doerr Director of Alumni Relations Herbert Agnew, (’04) Editor Kyle Brogdon, (’96) Writers Judy Bailey Candace Morrow Al Weston

Design Jon Scott, (’83) Photography Tim Vacula, (’86) Video production Chris Brown ('03), Stacey Lumley ('99), Bill Wendt ('85) Web production Barbara Monnett ('06), Mark Misinco ('09)

Please send change of address and class notes to: University Advancement Campus Box 113 Milledgeville, GA 31061 connection@gcsu.edu

gcsu.edu

Contents CONNECTION MAGAZINE

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After 7-and-a-half years of dedication and loyalty to Georgia College, President Leland resigned in June.

16

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Applying survival and navigational strategies, outdoor education courses often send adventurous students into challenging environments.

FALL 2011

22

Dr. Eustace Palmer takes Georgia College students deep into the African experience.

28

A professor’s gift provides a glimpse to the stars.

4 Up Front 9 Leland Legacy 12 Cover Story 16 Faculty 18 Heritage and History 20 Sports 22 Faculty Profile 24 Alumni Profile 27 Foundation 28 Donor Profile

19

The family of Judge Richard B. Russell has an extensive history with Georgia College.

30 Class Notes

UP FRONT

Preczewski

Interim President leads Georgia College Dr. Stas Preczewski has been appointed interim president of Georgia College.

Preczewski’s appointment, effective July 1, followed Georgia College President Dr. Dorothy Leland’s appointment as chancellor of the University of California, Merced.

Preczewski has been vice president for academic and student affairs at Georgia Gwinnett College since 2006, supervising the hiring of more than 500 faculty and academic staff members.

Preczewski earned a doctorate specializing in higher and adult education, educational psychology and cognitive psychology from the University of Missouri in 1997. He earned a Master of Arts in strategic planning from the United States Naval War College in 1998 and a Master of Science in industrial engineering and operations research from the University of Massachusetts in 1987.

He earned a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University in agricultural engineering and economics in 1980.

The University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents is currently conducting a search for the next permanent president of Georgia College.

For more information on the presidential search, visit gcsu.edu/presidentialsearch

Attorney donates Carl Vinson desk George S. Carpenter Jr., Milledgeville attorney and former member of the Georgia College & State University Foundation Board of Trustees, has donated a historic desk to Georgia College Special Collections.

The desk was used by U.S. Representative Carl Vinson when he practiced law in Milledgeville.

After Vinson’s 1914 election to the U.S. House of Representatives, Vinson gave his desk to attorney George S. Carpenter Sr., who passed it to his son.

“After years of keeping the desk in our family,” Carpenter said, “I knew it belonged in this collection where it would remain protected.”

Today, the century-old desk is part of Special Collections’ permanent Carl Vinson Memorial Exhibit on the third floor of the library.

“He was a brilliant and powerful man in Washington,” said Carpenter. “It’s a collection such as this one that will remind people of his great work.”

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Georgia College Connection • Fall 2011

Georgia College reaches agreements with Indian institutions Georgia College has extended its hand halfway across the globe to provide students and faculty enhanced international opportunities, forming strategic partnerships with five institutions more than 8,300 miles away in India.

“India is an incredibly diverse country with a vast history that offers U.S. students opportunities for affiliations and experiences that are quite different from those gained at home,” said Provost Sandra Jordan.

The partnerships are designed to provide structured opportunities for faculty to travel to India to teach and conduct research, for current Georgia College students to link projects with Indian students and to study abroad, and for Indian students to attend Georgia College or to learn from Georgia College faculty in India.

Faculty from India may come to Georgia College to teach and conduct research also.

The initial agreements between Georgia College and schools in India include:

(standing, L-R) Provost Sandra Jordan, Apeejay Stya University Pro Chancellor Aditya Berlia and Associate Director of the International Education Center Libby Davis observe while Apeejay Stya University Chancellor Sushma Berlia and former President Dorothy Leland sign the agreement.

GC theatre student places in Cannes Film Festival

• Amity University • Magarpatta City Institute • International Institute of Health Management Research • Kohinoor Institute • Apeejay Stya University

A short film created by Georgia College theatre major Joseph Dumford became a finalist in this year’s 58th annual Cannes Lions Film Festival in France.

Competing against thousands of professional cinematographers, Dumford’s film, “Magdalena Viajando,” placed fourth in the MOFILM Cannes Lions 2011: Make an Ad Competition.

The senior’s 60-second video, promoting a new perspective on Chevrolet’s “How far would you go to seize an opportunity?” campaign, earned him a cash prize.

Dumford’s film was one of six submitted by Georgia College theatre students. Two others also became finalists: • AT&T’s “Rethink Possible” campaign by Gabrielle Byndloss and Erin Borain • Glacéau vitaminwater’s “hydration only better” by Troy Hencely

To see the films, visit gcsu.edu/theatre

Georgia College Connection • Fall 2011

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UP FRONT

Georgia College partners with H I G H Museum of Art

Georgia College earns national community service recognition The Corporation for National and Community Service named Georgia College to the 2010 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for the second consecutive year. This year Georgia College advanced to the President’s Honor Roll with Distinction category.

Georgia College is one of only three University System of Georgia universities to earn the ranking.

“The program is designed to recognize the broad commitment to community service by institutions of higher learning,” said Dr. Bruce Harshbarger, vice president for Student Affairs and Dean of Students.

“Service and civic engagement are key concepts in Georgia College’s curriculum as Georgia’s Public Liberal Arts University.”

This year’s award recognizes the university and its student volunteer efforts with the YES and High Achievers afterschool programs; Georgia College Early College, and the GIVE Center’s “Hands On Milledgeville” initiative.

Georgia College has partnered with the High Museum of Art in Atlanta to enhance students’ educational experiences.

The College and University Affiliate Program allows the university and museum to share resources that integrate the arts into students’ curricula.

“The partnership offers our students many benefits, including the possibility of field experiences and internships,” said Dr. Sandra Jordan, provost and vice president of academic affairs. “Through this program students have expanded access to an exciting array of speakers and exhibits.”

Georgia College students, faculty and staff will receive free admission to the museum’s special exhibitions and permanent collection. They also can attend lectures and experience behind-the-scenes programs at the High.

Students also will have opportunities to intern at the museum in areas related to museum studies, public relations and marketing, exhibitions, membership and development.

“This partnership is one of several that will help Georgia College offer a distinctive educational experience,” Jordan said.

Georgia WebMBA earns top ranking ®

Liao-Troth

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Georgia College Connection • Fall 2011

CEO Magazine selected the Georgia WebMBA® program as a tier-one online MBA program, one of only 26 schools selected worldwide.

The J. Whitney Bunting College of Business at Georgia College is a founding member of the Georgia WebMBA® program.

“This is an accurate reflection of the quality of our students and faculty,” said Dr. Matthew Liao-Troth, dean of the J. Whitney Bunting College of Business.

The Georgia WebMBA® program began in 2001 and has grown from about 30 students to more than 400, including 60 Georgia College students.

The Georgia WebMBA® program is also ranked among the top 30 most affordable online MBA programs accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).

The online program is a cohort-based, 21-month accelerated program to earn a master’s degree in business administration.

Herty Hall greenhouse grows up on the roof Working 60 feet in the air, workers attached walls to a rooftop greenhouse. They screwed and caulked clear, corrugated panels onto the domed aluminum frame along the west side of Herty Hall’s newest addition.

The 21-foot-by-55-foot greenhouse is equipped with an automatic shade system, intake shutters, exhaust fans and heating and air conditioning to control the interior temperature.

The university’s original greenhouse on the north side of Herty Hall will remain open, said university Project Manager Donnie Beasley.

The new greenhouse opens this fall. The three-floor addition to Herty Hall, with classrooms, labs and office space, opened Aug. 15.

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For more information on the expansion of Herty Hall, see page 28.

For the fifth consecutive year, Georgia College has been named “A Best in the Southeast” by The Princeton Review in its annual survey of regional colleges and universities.

Georgia College’s inclusion on the 2012 list places it in an elite group that consists of approximately 25 percent of the nation’s 2,500 four-year colleges.

From hundreds of institutions reviewed in four regions, the online publication selected the “best” colleges and universities primarily for their excellent academic programs. The Princeton Review’s complete profile of Georgia College can be found online at www.princetonreview.com/GeorgiaCollegeStateUniversity.aspx

Georgia College Connection • Fall 2011

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UP FRONT

$176 MILLION

2,271 LOCAL JOBS

$91 MILLION

Georgia College provides $176 million impact to local counties A recent study estimates Georgia College contributed $176 million to the local economy during the 2010 fiscal year.

The report by the Selig Center for Economic Growth in the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business also showed Georgia College’s presence in the community provided 2,271 local jobs — both on and off campus — generating $91 million dollars.

Georgia College’s effect on the region’s economy is part of the $12.6 billion impact on the state during fiscal year 2010 from the 35 institutions in the University System of Georgia.

Georgia College chef named

‘Chef of Year’ Timothy Grayson of Sodexo Food Services at Georgia College has been named the United States Sustainable Pork Producers Association “2011 Chef of the Year.” Grayson was awarded for his winning pork recipes and for his lifetime contributions to the culinary Grayson arts and the practice of sustainability.

Originally from Orlando, Fla., Grayson started his career at Walt Disney World. He is a culinary graduate of Ecole de Cuisine in Paris and the Cornell University Kellogg School with a master’s degree in hotel and hospitality management. He previously co-owned the awardwinning Café Europa restaurant in Orlando and has worked for many years internationally in the hotel, cruise and club industry.

Grayson has written food, wine and travel articles for such publications as Southern Living, The Orlando Sentinel and NBC's “Today Show.”

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Georgia College Connection • Fall 2011

Nursing graduates ace national licensing exam Every Georgia College nursing graduate who took the national licensing exam for the first time between April 1 and June 30 of 2011 made the grade.

“With a 100 percent pass rate for the second quarter, we’re on a very good track for this year,” said Dr. Judith Malachowski, director of the School of Nursing.

Malachowski Georgia College nursing graduates also earned the highest overall pass rate in 2010 among public colleges and universities across Georgia.

With 83 of the 84 Georgia College nursing graduates who took the licensing exam in 2010 passing, Georgia College had a first-take pass rate of 99 percent.

Georgia College admits 104 nursing students each academic year — 48 students during spring semester, 56 during the fall. The School of Nursing receives about two applications for each available space.

PEOPLE

The Leland Legacy

By Judy Bailey

Dr. Dorothy Leland resigned her position as President of Georgia College on June 30, 2011. The impact of her years of leadership will be felt for decades to come.

STATELY COLUMNS AND CENTURY-OLD OAKS WELCOMED President Dorothy Leland to Georgia College as the calendar turned to 2004.

The 115-year-old college was flourishing, and its 7-year-old mission as Georgia’s Public Liberal Arts University had been planted, but needed nourishing.

President Leland quickly became the chief promoter and protector of the university’s liberal arts mission, from defending it at the state legislature to championing it nationally as head of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges.

During her January 2004 inaugural speech, Leland promised her support and leadership to the university.

“My pledge to you is I will lead Georgia College & State University with a steady vision, great care and deep respect for its unique mission with the University System of Georgia,” she said.

After 7-and-a-half years of dedication and loyalty to Georgia College, Leland moved west in June to accept the position of Chancellor of the University of California, Merced in her home state, near her son and his family.

“This is bittersweet — leaving all of you is difficult, very difficult,” Leland told the hundreds of community leaders, students, faculty and staff who came to her June 20 farewell tribute. “But new challenges lie ahead.”

President Leland made an important contribution to Georgia College’s rich history, said Dr. Paul Jones, vice president for Administration and Operations.

“She helped guide us at an important time in our history and cemented our place as a premier public liberal arts university,” Jones said.

“She was the right person at the right time for Georgia College.”

The president was a “transformational leader” of the university, said Dr. Matthew Liao-Troth, dean of the J. Whitney Bunting College of Business.

“President Leland implemented the public liberal arts mission with such success,” said Liao-Troth, “that she became the president of the international association, Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges.”

And wherever she traveled, she was the university’s No. 1 fan and promoter.

“Each time she described Georgia College — the faculty, staff and students — to an external constituent, her remarks were always inspiring and so genuine,” said Amy S. Amason, vice president for External Relations and University Advancement.

Dr. Dorothy Leland in 2004.

Georgia College Connection • Fall 2011

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A few Georgia College highlights under President Leland: 2004 • Dr. Dorothy Leland takes office as Georgia College’s 10th president • Week-long inaugural celebration highlights university’s achievements • Launched Bobcat Ramble as scholarship fundraiser 2005 • Launched Learning Outside the Classroom initiative 2006 • Received $700,000 endowment from the Goizueta Foundation for need based scholarship support for Hispanic students.

• Named among “America’s Best Master’s Universities” by U.S. News & World Report • Renovated Bell Hall • Received Governor’s Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation for re-use and rehabilitation of campus historic buildings • Average SAT score of entering freshmen rises to third in University System of Georgia 2007 • Ranked among “Best in the Southeast” by The Princeton Review for the first of five consecutive years.

• Launched Center for Graduate and Professional Learning, Macon • Established Georgia College Early College • Received USG Excellence in Public/Private Ventures award for West Campus student housing 2008 • Purchased the historic Campus Theatre • Partnered with Sallie Ellis Davis Foundation to transform educator’s home into African-American cultural center • President Leland received Distinguished Alumni Award from Purdue University 2009 • Established provost model for administrative organization • President Leland elected president of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC)

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• Completed renovations of Marvin Parks Memorial and Health Sciences building • Launched Herty Hall expansion, renovation • Established the Museum of Fine Arts 2010 • Broke ground on $28 million Wellness & Recreation Center • Received largest individual gift in university history from alumna Martha Newell Daniel Newell to establish endowed Visiting Scholar program • President Leland named among Georgia Trend’s “100 Most Influential Georgians” • Ranked among U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” with “A Strong Commitment to Teaching” • Received USG Excellence in Public/Private Ventures award for the Campus Theatre project • President Leland named to third term on Board of Directors of American Association of State Colleges and Universities • Recognized with President’s Volunteer Service Award 2011 • Department of Early Childhood and Middle Grades Education receives 2011 Regents’ Teaching Excellence Award.

• Received Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation Excellence in Rehabilitation award for Campus Theatre • Began public phase of $10.35 million fundraising campaign — Pillars for the Future • Brokered partnerships with higher education institutions in India • President Leland appointed to Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation Board of Trustees • Launched university’s first public radio station WRGC-FM • Named one of nation’s 50 “Best Value” public universities by The Princeton Review • Recognized with President’s Volunteer Service Award with Distinction.

• Established first doctoral program

Georgia College Connection • Fall 2011

Academics Working closely with the university faculty, staff, alumni, donors and students, President Leland began to strengthen the university’s academic core in order to enhance its public liberal arts mission: • Leland established new academic programs, including the recently approved first doctoral program • Fostered learning outside the classroom, promoting engaged and experiential learning and encouraging innovative teaching initiatives • Developed residential learning communities to integrate students’ academic, social and service experiences • Grew study broad, exchange students programs and faculty/student exchanges • Raised the admissions bar, increasing the SAT and GPA scores of entering freshmen to rival the state’s flagship universities • Established the six Programs of Distinction, with the review of faculty peers “Dr. Leland understood that our reputation as a university was wedded to the strength of our academic programs,” said Dr. Sandra Jordan, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. “The Programs of Distinction along with her work to provide excellent teaching spaces and more faculty lines have made it possible for Georgia College to fulfill its unique mission and provide an educational experience that rivals the private elite school, but at an affordable public university cost.”

Finances President Leland proved herself a fiscally responsible leader. She weathered the recession storm — always protecting the university’s academic programs.

Her budget planning ability enabled the university to improve through “move-theneedle” projects — projects to enhance the university’s academic strength, student services and facilities — despite declining state support.

She remained mindful of budgetary effects on students, faculty and staff while making tough financial decisions.

“Dr. Leland leaves Georgia College stronger than the day she arrived,” Jordan said.

“She has positioned the university admirably so we will be able to emerge from the current state

Community President Leland made the university and the community her home. Under her leadership, the university spreads its talents throughout Milledgeville and the surrounding areas, and gained recognition nationally on the President’s Community Service Honor Roll: • Volunteered thousands of hours through the GIVE Center working with local students, community projects and nonprofit organizations

Leland talks with students on the front porch of Bell Hall.

budget crisis in good shape and ready to move into a leadership role in the state.”

During these past couple of years when the economy of the state and nation presented so many challenges, Dr. Leland has worked tirelessly to preserve and advance the liberal arts mission of the institution, said Ken Proctor, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

“President Leland protected and continued to promote the goals of the college — all the college — throughout the hard times,” Proctor said. “The work of the faculty and staff has continued unabated and without disruption. We have kept our promise to our students.”

Leland brought a strong fiscal presence to the university that helped not only to sustain it but to continue making significant advances.

“Leland’s ‘move-the-needle’ program allowed us to take giant steps while still experiencing ongoing challenges,” Jones said.

Leland’s perspective on university operations was not from a single vantage point.

“She had a full appreciation of the various roles that faculty, staff, external supporters, athletics, physical plant workers, students, and all other institutional constituents play,” said Dr. Bruce Harshbarger, vice president for Student Affairs. ”As a result, staff members have not only been empowered to do their best work, they've felt valued and appreciated.”

Campus Faced with aging facilities, President Leland set out to make improvements while preserving campus history. Under her leadership the university: • Renovated and doubled the size of Herty Hall, including adding an observatory to the planetarium and natural history museum • Rehabilitated and restored Marvin Parks Memorial and Health Sciences Building • Acquired a building for the Museum of Fine Arts • Renovated the historic Thomas Jefferson building for the Graduate and Professional Learning Center in Macon • Renovated Bell Hall, one of the university’s original residence halls • Launched construction of the Wellness & Recreation Center, expected to open

by November The president involved students with decisions about the $28 million facility on West Campus.

“When the architects made a pitch of a particular idea, Dr. Leland, without hesitation, turned to me and the other students, and looked for us to answer the question,” said Zach Mullins (’11), who served two terms as president of the Student Government Association. “To me, this emphasized her commitment and dedication to the students of Georgia College.”

• Launched the restoration of the Sallie Ellis Davis House as a future AfricanAmerican cultural center • Established the university’s first public radio station WRGC, 88.3 FM • Transformed the historic Campus Theatre in downtown Milledgeville, preserving the art deco façade, into a community bookstore and performing arts theatre as well as faculty office space and classrooms “We hope this blending of the old and new will rekindle fond memories from the past and create new memories for future generations,” Leland said during the April 2010 dedication of the Campus Theatre.

President Leland provided the vision, the leadership and the creative techniques to grow Georgia College into a leader among public liberal arts universities, recognized nationally among the best.

Her leadership positioned Georgia College as a nationally recognized public liberal arts university, said Dr. Sandra Gangstead, dean of the College of Health Sciences.

“She inspired the GC family to strive for excellence,” Gangstead said, “and to stay true to our missions as an undergraduate public liberal arts college and as a graduate institution committed to meeting the needs of Georgians and the Southeast region of the United States.” ■

To see the video tribute to Dr. Leland, visit gcsu.edu/connection

Georgia College Connection • Fall 2011

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COVER STORY

The Golden Slipper

By Judy Bailey

A TRADITION GLISTENING WITH SPIRIT It’s Georgia College’s most treasured trophy of all time.

It represents school spirit, unity and camaraderie.

It’s about pride, working against odds and pulling together for the good of all.

It’s about sisterhood.

1962

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Georgia College Connection • Fall 2011

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Curtain Call In 1935 Dean of Women Ethel Adams initiated a spirited theatrical competition to boost student morale.

Adams hoped the camaraderie would soothe the homesick freshmen, most of whom were away from home for the first time.

During the annual Golden Slipper competition, upper classes embraced their younger sisters, introducing them into the collegiate world and teaching them to live and work together in harmony.

Seniors teamed with sophomores and juniors with freshmen, creating bonds that have endured distance and time.

During a Golden Slipper pajama party this June, Jessies from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s gathered around tables, talking, laughing and singing while preparing for the Golden Slipper competition later that night.

“We’ve picked up where we left off,” Smallwood said. “We developed a bond, a unity. We pulled together and worked ’til the work was done. And we always did our best. We didn’t want to let each other down.”

For two weeks each fall between 1935 and 1972, Jessies planned and organized their competitive skits.

The women wrote scripts, rehearsed original music and dance routines, sewed their own costumes and built and painted their stage props.

“We also had to keep up our classes and other responsibilities,” said Susanne Rockett (’61), who led the singers during competitions. “There were a lot of sleepless nights. It was quite the balancing act. But it

was worth it. We developed problem solving, leadership and other skills we still use today.”

Every Jessie on campus took an active role.

“We really haven’t changed,” said Cathey Penn Chastain (’61), who served as editor of The Colonnade.

“Reconnecting matters, even 50 years later. We still have that sense of being a Jessie.”

COVER STORY

OR DECADES GOLDEN SLIPPER competitions transformed individual Jessies into families at Georgia College, then named Georgia State College for Women (GSCW), uniting a student body, awakening creativity and fostering leadership abilities.

The prize: the coveted Golden Slipper, a small gold-encrusted lady’s shoe that filled Jessies’ hearts with pride. The young women called themselves “Jessies,” derived from the sound of saying “GSCWs” quickly.

“We all pulled together and made something out of nothing,” said Christine Chandler Smallwood (’60).

“We all took part — song leader, singers, actors, prop makers, writers, costume designers and stage hands.”

The 37-year Golden Slipper tradition affirmed the sisterhood of the GSCW Jessies and earned its place in the history of Georgia College.

The Competitions Competition was fierce. As the tradition grew, so did the creativity and competitiveness of the Jessies.

The Jessies’ rendition of “Peter Pan” presented Peter flying across Russell Auditorium from the balcony to the stage, outwitting the ticking crocodile and the crooked arm of Captain Hook.

Other competitions also drew on the Jessies’ creativity: • “The Wizard of Oz” featured elaborate costumed actresses portraying Dorothy, the Tin Man, Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion and Toto, too • “Dante’s Divine Comedy” starred Lucifera and a host of horned devils waving sharp pitchforks • “Hansel and Gretel” donned their German-style bibbed costumes, sharing the stage with a full-size gingerbread house During the 30th anniversary competition, freshmen and junior Jessies followed their theme, “Told with Bells,” by ringing lots of bells: countryside bells, school bells, patriotic bells, Southern belles, wedding bells, Christmas bells and a typewriter bell that ended the message with a cheerful ding.

The sophomores’ and seniors’ theme, “They Shaped It to Glory,” presented a parade of famous people: Cleopatra, Caesar, signers of the Declaration of Independence, Marie Antoinette, Abraham Lincoln and Queen Elizabeth II. The Atlanta Journal and Constitution described the Golden Slipper in 1961 as “neither a play nor a parade, but something of both. It’s the GSCW equivalent of Georgia Tech’s homecoming weekend, without football” and as competitive “as the Tech-Georgia game.”

“The ingenious girls try things even Broadway wouldn’t tackle,” the AJC stated.

But winning wasn’t the real point of the Golden Slipper, according to a 1961 freshman.

“Even if we lose, we win,” said Vickie McRae in the AJC article. “If we learn to love each other, learn sportsmanship, then we’ve really won. That’s what the whole thing of ‘Slipper’ is.”

Georgia College Connection • Fall 2011

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Scenes from Golden Slipper days

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Georgia College Connection • Fall 2011

1963

As traditions go, the Golden Slipper had a great run. For 37 years, it achieved its purpose of building sisterhood among Jessies and instilling pride, creativity and unity.

And as traditions go, change often turns rituals into history.

The college became co-educational in 1967 and received a new name, Georgia College at Milledgeville. During the fall, 185 men joined the campus of 1,216 women. Ennis Hall was converted to an all-male dormitory.

Shortly after the college accepted men onto campus, the University System of Georgia Board of Regents projected by the mid-1970s the college should expand to an enrollment of 5,000. Today the university serves 6,700 undergraduate and graduate students.

When the curtain closed at the end of the 1972 slipper competition, it also ended the 37-year tradition shared by decades of Jessies.

The Golden Slipper was packed away, stored in the alumni house on South Clarke Street and has not been seen since. The Colonnade mourned the loss of the pageant and competition in its Nov. 22, 1974, edition with a tombstone on the front page: Golden Slipper, 1935-1972, R.I.P.

Her article begins: “Where is the Golden Slipper?

Does it even still exist? Perhaps it is molding away in a misplaced box. What is a Golden Slipper, anyway? And why do we care?”

Parr describes the efforts of alumna Shirley “Sam” Mell (’60) to replace the missing slipper. After Mell was unable to locate the original Golden Slipper in the university archives, she vowed to reincarnate the slipper.

She purchased a hobnailed slipper at an antique shop in Savannah and applied 25 coats of gold paint to transform the pink shoe into a replica of the Golden Slipper.

She also recreated the pillow that held the slipper using brown velvet, gold cording and class color ribbons on the corners.

During Alumni Weekend 2010, Mell presented former Georgia College President Dorothy Leland the replacement Golden Slipper on behalf of the Class of 1960.

“And so Golden Slipper mystique and mystery continues to evolve,” Parr wrote. “Much of the magic depends on the imagination of each year’s students and how they choose to create unity and loyalty on campus.

The tradition, while ever changing, continues.” ■

COVER STORY

Last Curtain Call

Connection thanks Ann Jane Yarbrough Parr (’61) for her contributions to this article from her research on the history of the Golden Slipper.

Revitalization Talk Talks of resurrecting the Golden Slipper tradition have circulated around campus and alumni during the past several years.

During the past few years, the Alumni Association hosted Golden Slipper pajama parties, two in Atlanta and this year’s on campus, bringing Jessies together to embrace their memories and sisterhood.

One alumna, Ann Jane Yarbrough Parr (’61), researched and wrote “A Quest for the Golden Slipper” for this year’s Golden Slipper pajama party.

To hear audio of historic Golden Slipper competitions, visit gcsu.edu/connection

Golden Slipper Pajama Party Weekend Planning Committee: • Corinne McLemore Daniel (’60), Chair: Alumni Board Outreach Committee • Jo Dunahoo Benton (’60) • Ann Blakley (’60) • Catherine Penn Chastain (’61) • Ann Jane Yarbrough Parr (’61) • Frances Burke Herron (’61) • Marcia Hood LeRoux (’61) • Shirley Ann Mell (’60) • Frances Paddgett (’58) • Marcia Perry (’61) • Christine Chandler Smallwood (’60)

Georgia College Connection • Fall 2011

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PROGRAMS OF DISTINCTION:

Outdoor Education Georgia College is home to one of only five accredited programs in the nation

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Georgia College Connection • Fall 2011

MEANDERING CANYONS, PRISTINE WATERFALLS and off-course mountain trails serve as an introduction to the great outdoors for Georgia College outdoor education students.

Applying survival and navigational strategies, outdoor education courses often send adventurous students into challenging environments to learn skills such as emergency response and group leadership.

“Outdoor education career options are tremendously diverse,” said Dr. Jude Hirsch, chair and professor of outdoor education in the Hirsch College of Health Sciences. “One of our alumni wrote for National Geographic Adventure magazine.”

Paths to a Unique Career Career opportunities span from wilderness therapy to residential hospitals and from national parks to independent and public schools.

The program also prepares students for careers in environmental advocacy organizations, corporate human resources, nature centers and public and private recreation agencies. Outdoor education programs at Georgia College promote holistic wellness, stewardship of natural environments and group collaboration.

Outdoor education is one of six Georgia College Programs of Distinction — providing a distinctive niche in an academic area of state, national and international significance.

At the undergraduate level, outdoor education majors can select a specialization in therapeutic use of adventure, management, environmental education or health and physical education. They also can complete a minor in a range of disciplines such as humanities, science and business.

“If students can imagine their future out of the box, our program may be their ticket to success,” said Hirsch. “Our students develop critical thinking, leadership and planning skills for handling weather, terrain, group dynamics and participant readiness for the challenge.”

Outdoor Center Opportunities In addition to its academic programs, the Department of Outdoor Education includes the Outdoor Center at Georgia College.

The Outdoor Center provides outdoor education students with opportunities to work with Georgia College faculty, staff, students and also external organizations

nationwide. The center designs, delivers and assesses group development, outdoor recreation, leadership development and professional training programs.

Academic Excellence The Association for Experiential Education accredits the university’s outdoor education academic programs and Outdoor Center, making Georgia College one of five universities in the United States with such a distinction.

“Our academic programs are nationally and internationally recognized for their maintenance of innovative and outstanding programming at consistently high standards,” said Hirsch, who has taught higher education outdoor education management for 36 years. “We engage students in supervised, real-world professional development. We challenge them to grow as good citizens of the planet and excellent outdoor educators. We create a community of learners that is accountable to each other.”

Georgia College named outdoor education academic programs and the Outdoor Center a Program of Distinction in 2007. That year, both the programs and the center operated within the Department of Kinesiology.

Three years later Georgia College established its new Department of Outdoor Education, distinguishing it as the only stand-alone outdoor education department in U.S. higher education at a public institution.

In addition to a bachelor’s degree in outdoor education, Georgia College also offers graduate studies in outdoor education administration.

Expanding the Possibilities During the 2010-2011 academic year Georgia College’s outdoor education program also received approval for inclusion on the Academic Common Market (ACM). A group of 16 Southeastern states signed a cooperative agreement to help advance students’ access to unique academic programs like outdoor education.

The agreement allows students whose home state’s public institutions do not offer a specific program of study to attend member universities, waiving out-of-state tuition.

Hirsch constantly explores ways to improve outdoor education’s possibilities for students.

Next of Hirsch’s list is establishing a program to provide an advanced certificate in outdoor education administration for practicing outdoor educators without a baccalaureate in the discipline.

“Outdoor education is about balancing traditional and experiential learning,” she said. “The program, embodied by a group of highly dedicated faculty members, eager students and an exemplary curricula, still teaches me the importance of connectivity and collaboration in a variety of adventurefilled settings.” ■

For more information, see the Outdoor Education video at gcsu.edu/connection, or visit

outdoored.gcsu.edu

Georgia College Connection • Fall 2011

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HISTORY&HERITAGE

Russell Auditorium

By Judy Bailey

ITS TALL, WHITE COLUMNS INVITE STUDENTS AND visitors inside — to listen to jazz, watch a dance recital or solve a murder-mystery play. Russell Auditorium is a Georgia College landmark.

With Greek revival architecture and elegant décor, the 83year-old auditorium serves the university and the community.

Well-known scholars, actors and writers have performed on the 1,000-square-foot stage before packed-house crowds of 1,000 visitors.

Russell Auditorium has hosted university presidential inaugurations, graduations, Golden Slipper contests, performances, lectures, and dance and theatre workshops.

During the 1930s, “Jessies” attended weekend events in the hall with Georgia Military College cadets and talking movies came to life on the big screen.

Bob Hope aired his radio show from Russell Auditorium in May 1943 with a live audience of students and naval trainees.

A complete renovation in 1996 gave new life to Russell. Its columned front porch, curved balcony and elaborate molding and chandeliers remain images of days gone by. Corinthian columns line the walls from the foyer to the stage.

During the summer of 2006, the front landscape received a makeover, transforming what was a parking lot into a tree-lined courtyard and grand entrance. In 2008, technology came knocking with the installation of computerized lighting and sound systems and a high-definition digital projector.

Today, Russell Auditorium is in high demand. The venue hosts events at least 50 weeks of each year.

Designed by North Carolina architect J.R. MacEachron and constructed in 1926, Russell is the university’s second auditorium. It replaced the original auditorium destroyed by fire in 1924.

The university icon is named in honor of Judge Richard B. Russell (1861-1938), who served on the Georgia Court of Appeals and as chief justice of the Georgia Supreme Court. His visage on the front porch greets visitors.

In 1887, at age 26, Russell introduced the first bill to establish a publicly funded women's college in Georgia. Even though his bill failed and Georgia College had to wait another two years to be established, Russell remained one of this college's staunchest supporters, serving as president of the board of directors from 1918 until 1932. ■

For more information about the history of Georgia College, search “archives” at gcsu.edu 18

Georgia College Connection • Fall 2011

Family Connections

HISTORY&HERITAGE

Russell Auditorium’s

By Judy Bailey

Richard B. Russell

LAWYER, LEGISLATOR, BUSINESSMAN AND JUDGE, Richard B. Russell (1861-1938) served as Chief Judge of the Georgia Court of Appeals and Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court. He strongly supported Georgia College, serving as president of its board of directors from 1918 until 1932. He later was appointed to the first Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia.

Russell Auditorium, a building that has become a campus icon, was built in 1926 and dedicated in his honor.

The judge’s respect for the college prompted him to educate five of his six daughters on the campus in Milledgeville: Mary Willie Russell Green (‘13); Ina Dillard Russell Stacy (‘10); Marguerite Russell Bowden (‘15); Harriette Brumby Russell Sharpton (‘18); and Patience Elizabeth Russell Peterson (‘21), according to Sally Russell Warrington who wrote her grandfather’s biography, “A Heart for Any Fate.”

“My mother, the late Patience Elizabeth Russell Peterson, was the last, graduating in the Class of 1921,” said Hugh Peterson, an Atlanta attorney who serves on the Georgia College Foundation Board of Trustees. “Her father was the speaker at her graduation.”

Judge Russell considered it a high honor that the auditorium was named for him, Warrington said.

“Russell Auditorium enhances Georgia College by both its handsome presence and its capabilities,” Peterson said. “I am of course proud that it is

named for my grandfather, whom I admire very much.”

“Nothing could have pleased him more,” Warrington said, “that today you are writing an article which tells the history of that building and does honor to his work. That would make him supremely happy.”

Russell and his wife, Blandina (Ina) Dillard, married in 1891 and had 13 children. She was a teacher.

The university’s Ina Dillard Russell Library is named in her honor, and the Pat Peterson Museum Education Room in the library for Hugh Peterson’s mother, Patience Elizabeth Russell Peterson.

The family history of service to education and the state continued with their fourth child and first son, Richard B. Russell Jr. In addition to serving on the USG Board of Regents, he also became a state representative, governor of Georgia and a U.S. senator.

Service to Georgia College also has continued through the Russell family.

Patience Elizabeth Russell Peterson set the example for her son, Hugh Peterson, who joined the Foundation Board of Trustees in 2010.

“My mother served on the Foundation Board of Trustees in the 1980s,” Peterson said. “She also served from 1970 to 1975 on the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia.”

Today a fourth generation of the Russell family attends Georgia College.

Judge Russell’s great-granddaughter, Alexandria Russell, is pursuing a Master

Alexandria Russell, greatgranddaughter of Richard B. Russell.

of Public Administration.

“I’m proud of my greatgrandfather’s role in establishing the college. The family connections with Georgia College made my decision easy when looking for a graduate program,” Russell said. “I am very proud of my family. I hope one day to work in government as well and give back to society as much as they did.”

The Russell family tree also branches to a retired faculty member.

Biology Professor Emerita Dr. Harriett Whipple is married to the Russell’s greatnephew, Fielding Whipple.

“Our Russell family has had connections with Georgia College over the years,” Peterson said. “Grandfather Russell instilled in his family a commitment to higher education and service, which we continue to embrace today.” ■

Georgia College Connection • Fall 2011

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Soccer

SPORTS

Bobcats 2011 Fall Sports Preview

IN 2010, THE BOBCAT SOCCER PROGRAM WELCOMED THE THIRD head coach in its history in Hope Clark. Georgia College fought to a 7-7-3 overall record, taking fifth in the Peach Belt Conference (PBC). The season did end the three-year stretch of double digit wins for the Bobcats, but continued a four-year run without a losing record.

Clark returns 13 experienced student-athletes, including a pair of All-PBC players in midfielder Karen Bonilla (Manassas, Va.) and defender Tawny Moffat (Peachtree City, Ga.). Also back is the leading scorer from a year ago, sophomore Brittaney Borror (Evans, Ga.). Despite the solid base, Bobcat soccer will have a vastly new identity, due in large part to 15 newcomers to the roster.

By Al Weston

The new arrivals are highlighted by a trio of transfers from Auburn University Montgomery, Clark’s prior coaching home. The key to the 2011 season for GC soccer is making sure the newcomers gel quickly with the established players. The season began Friday, Sept. 2, and continues into late October.

Bonilla

Moffat

Borror

Horseman

Lones

Cross-Country THE BOBCATS RETURN ALL-PBC RUNNERS ON THE MEN’S and women’s sides, as senior Daniel Horseman (Cohutta, Ga.) and sophomore Allison Lones (Kathleen, Ga.) return to lead their respective teams. Both broke long-standing school records in 2010, and will be counted upon to echo those performances.

Bobcat men’s cross-country battled injuries and illnesses throughout the 2010 season, and still managed solid finishes throughout the year.

Georgia College took fourth place at the PBC Championships and a ninth-place finish at the NCAA Southeast Regional.

Bobcat women’s cross-country had a great start to the 2010 campaign, finishing in the top three in their first six races. Armed with experienced runners and led by an impact freshman in Lones, the Bobcats took sixth at the PBC Championships, adding a top-10 finish at the NCAA Southeast Regional.

Bobcat cross-country started the 2011 campaign with a home meet, the Bobcat Invitational, on Friday, Sept. 2, and will be running into November.

Lones and Horseman

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Georgia College Connection • Fall 2011

Keep up with Bobcat sports scores, statistics and more at gcbobcats.com or facebook.com/gcbobcats.

Where are they now?

Chelsea Wilson

By Al Weston

WHEN CHELSEA WILSON GRADUATED from the mass communication program in fall 2009, the Jacksonville, Fla. native also left behind a legacy on the softball field. Wilson was one of the three four-year members of that season’s senior class, the most successful four-year span in Georgia College softball history.

Wilson spent four seasons with the Bobcats, seeing time at both first base and designated player. She played in 162 games for Georgia College, and still ranks in the career top-10 in home runs. In each of her four seasons, GC advanced to the NCAA Tournament, earning a region title and trip to the Division II College World Series in 2006 and the school’s only Peach Belt Conference Tournament Championship in 2009.

Wilson couldn’t get softball out of her blood and is now the fastpitch promotions manager for Worth Sports, handling all professional, collegiate and grassroots marketing efforts for the sports equipment company’s fastpitch division.

Wilson credits her success to her time at Georgia College, mass communication classes, practicum experience in the sports information department and landing an internship in the National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) league of professional softball.

Q&A with Chelsea What was your career path?

It definitely wasn’t a set path, but definitely proved “everything happens for a reason.” After graduation, I took an internship in Allentown, Pa. with the NPF as the media relations intern for the Philadelphia Force, and then moved to Houston to do the same with the Houston Astros of MLB. How’d my job come about? It’s funny. In my Mass Comm classes, the professors always stressed “networking, networking, networking,” and that’s exactly what worked. During my internship with the NPF, I met my future boss during a rain delay. One of his sponsored athletes, Stacy Nuveman, sponsored my travel

SPORTS

Bobcat Alumni:

ball team growing up. She was there representing Worth, and while waiting on her I struck up a conversation with Dennis. Seven months later a position was created for a fastpitch manager and I got the call. If Stacy wasn’t there… if it hadn’t rained… if I hadn’t met Dennis...

How did your role as a student-athlete help shape you as a person in college?

Timeliness, time management, attention to detail, leadership, professionalism and teamwork are all characteristics taught in collegiate sports. I know how to meet a deadline, take the lead, take direction and write in AP style, too!

What was your favorite place to be on the Georgia College campus [other than the Peeler Complex softball field]?

Wow… that’s a good question. The Georgia College campus is hard to beat. To date, I have only seen one university campus that aesthetically competes with Front Campus. But, as far as favorites go, if I had to choose one place other than the field, I’d have to say Centennial Center; my family’s there.

What attracted you to Georgia College?

Love at first sight with the campus, but then I was sold with how friendly and helpful every person I walked by was. It’s unusual to get a smile and have a genuine conversation with everyone you pass. I felt at home five minutes into my visit.

What advice would you have for future Georgia College students to get the most of their experience at GC? Take opportunities and run with them.

There’s no time like in college where you can say “why not” and really put all that you have into something. Don’t be afraid to try something new.

I’ve moved from Jacksonville, to Milledgeville, to Allentown, to Houston and now to St. Louis because I welcomed opportunities. Take a chance. ■

Georgia College Connection • Fall 2011

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FACULTY

Former President Leland and former Chair of the Foundation Board of Trustees Tad Brown (left) present Dr. Eustace Palmer with the Distinguished Professor Award.

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Georgia College Connection • Fall 2011

Dr. Eustace Palmer

by Candace Morrow

A Georgia College ‘Distinguished Professor’ DR. EUSTACE PALMER TAKES GEORGIA COLLEGE STUDENTS DEEP INTO THE African experience.

From the condition of womanhood in West Africa to greed and power in unknown land, Palmer paints pictures in students’ minds of African traditions and modern-day lifestyles.

“As a critic and teacher, it’s important my students take away a sympathetic and balanced knowledge of the African situation — one that is quite different from the picture propagated by the media,” said the Georgia College professor of English.

Palmer’s research activity during the past 30 years has produced African literature internationally respected in the United States, Canada, Europe, India, Australia, Africa and the United Kingdom.

The pioneer of African studies has published four books about African literature and one on English studies. He also has published more than 60 articles, reviews and book chapters in academic journals worldwide.

He helped develop African studies both as an autonomous area of study and part of international studies at Georgia College.

Because of his dedication to and recognition in African literature, Palmer recently received Georgia College’s prestigious award as 2010-2011 Distinguished Professor.

“I’m delighted and quite pleasantly overwhelmed,” said Palmer. “I’ve received an outpouring of congratulations from colleagues and friends, not only at Georgia College and in our community, but also from former students and colleagues at institutions here and overseas.”

Palmer is a master of learning and teaching outside the classroom. The African studies trailblazer sponsors a Georgia College delegation to the simulation of the Heads of State of the African Union each fall.

In recognition of his achievements in community service, he previously earned the Georgia College Irene Rose Community Service Award during the 2007-2008 academic year.

“Like so many other things, combining a heavy teaching load, active research and scholarship and community service requires hard work and discipline,” Palmer said.

Amid an intensive 2010 academic year, the Sierra Leonian-born professor published three new books about African experience, social justice and lifestyles: Canfira’s Travels, A Hanging is Announced and A Tale of Three Women.

Palmer also authored An Introduction to the African Novel and The Growth of the African Novel, basic texts in the English curricula used by many universities worldwide.

Palmer continues to spread his knowledge and writings about Africa through thoughtprovoking literature. He currently is penning a fourth novel.

“African literature is now an established and popular component of the English major,” said Palmer. “I hope my knowledge of the African experience, past and present, gives students the desire to visit Africa at some time in the future and experience the continent firsthand.” ■ For more information contact Dr. Palmer at: eustace.palmer@gcsu.edu, (478) 445-5557, or visit africaworldpressbooks.com

Georgia College Connection • Fall 2011

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ALUMNI PROFILE

Alex Gregory (’78, ’79) takes pride in mentoring Georgia College students through the Georgia Education Mentorship (GEM) program, such as recent alumna Meredith Carpenter (’11).

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Georgia College Connection • Fall 2011

PROFILE

Alex Gregory

by Candace Morrow

Despite career demands, alumnus is making a difference to his alma mater AS THE CHAIR, CEO AND PRESIDENT OF YKK Corporation of America, Georgia College alumnus Alex Gregory (’78, ’79) zips around the globe.

His international work takes him across the United States, into Canada and to Latin America. Gregory also travels to Tokyo, headquarters of YKK Corporation, and to other locations in Japan several times a year.

Gregory oversees development of hundreds of new products manufactured under the YKK and YKK AP brands: zippers, fasteners and architectural products for commercial and residential construction.

Recently, Gregory assumed a new leadership role within the international company. In April 2011, he was named chairman to the board of YKK Corporation of America (YCA). He also was the first non-Japanese member of the Board of Directors of YKK Corporation in Japan from 2008 to 2010.

“We live in a global world offering a lot of opportunities,” said Gregory. “My favorite part of my job is networking with global colleagues and understanding the needs of our international customers.”

Gregory’s YCA oversees 13 companies operating throughout Colombia, the West Indies and North and Central America.

“I’ve always enjoyed learning from different people of different backgrounds,” Gregory said. “I also like to share my experiences with family, colleagues and students.”

Gregory earned both a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Science in Administration degree from Georgia College. His bachelor’s degree in textile engineering came from Georgia Tech.

“I enjoyed my statistics and management courses at Georgia College so much I didn’t want to stop learning and advancing my degrees,” said Gregory.

In fact, Gregory’s organization theory class made such an impact that he currently uses the course textbook, Structure and process of organizations: A systems approach by Arlyn J. Melcher, as a reference in his office.

“I took that course the summer of ’76, and what I learned then still has tremendous relevance in our organization planning today,” he said.

Despite a demanding schedule and responsibilities, Gregory makes time to give back to Georgia College. He has served as a member of the Foundation Board of

Trustees for more than 20 years, twice serving as chair.

During 2001, Gregory received the Georgia College Alumni Achievement Award, and in 2002, he was honored as Georgia College’s Executive of the Year presented by the J. Whitney Bunting College of Business.

Gregory is a longtime supporter and mentor to students participating in the university’s Georgia Education Mentorship (GEM) Program. He also donates annually to the Georgia College Foundation, and its current “Pillars for the Future: Campaign to Sustain Excellence.”

“I owe my success in large part to Georgia College,” said Gregory. “Helping to guide our future leaders is the least I can do.”

Through Gregory’s service with The Carter Center’s Board of Councilors, his GEM leadership students meet dignitaries such as former President Jimmy Carter and Consul General of Japan in Atlanta Takuji Hanatani.

“These students are going to meet individuals from all walks of life,” he said. “I strongly encourage them to pick up a second or third language during their studies.”

With 28 years of military service, the retired Naval Reserve Commander served three years on active duty in the U.S. Navy before joining YKK. Gregory remains deeply involved with Atlanta’s and Georgia’s Japanese business community. He serves on the board of the Japan America Society of Georgia. In 2000 he was awarded the Japanese Chamber’s first annual Yamabikokai Award.

He also earned the first-ever Governor George Busbee Award from Gov. Sonny Perdue in 2004.

Gregory is one of five CEOs profiled in the book Start with Humility: Lessons from America’s Quiet CEOs on How to Build Trust and Inspire Followers by Merwyn A. Hayes and Michael D. Comer. Through the stories of five humble leaders, the book discusses the true meaning of humility and why it is key to successful leadership.

“I encourage students not to get hung up on titles and salaries,” Gregory said. “I remind students all the time they should focus on joining the right company and becoming a reliable employee who is enthusiastic about accepting new challenging responsibilities. When they continue doing good things within that company, someone will notice.” ■

See Alex Gregory’s involvement with the Georgia College GEM Program at

gcsu.edu/connection

Georgia College Connection • Fall 2011

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ALUMNI Russell leads Georgia College’s Macon Graduate Center DR. KENDRA RUSSELL, (’94, ’00), HAS BEEN appointed Georgia College interim director of the Center for Graduate and Professional Learning in Macon, Ga. At the Macon Center, Russell will aid in recruiting graduate students, develop community partnerships and oversee budget and facility operations. She will continue to teach as an associate professor in the School of Nursing, where she has been assistant director for the School of Nursing in the College of Health Sciences at Georgia College.

Russell earned her Georgia College bachelor’s degree in nursing in 1994 and a master’s degree in nursing administration in 2000. She also earned a doctorate in nursing from Georgia State University.

Russell previously served as a registered nurse at Pediatric Services of America in Macon and in the neonatal intensive care unit at the Medical Center of Central Georgia. ■ Russell

Principal named for Georgia College Early College

Sallad

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Georgia College Connection • Fall 2011

DR. RUNEE BRYANT SALLAD (’93) HAS BEEN NAMED principal at Georgia College Early College.

Sallad began her duties June 1 at the non-traditional innovative school on the campus of Georgia College.

Georgia College Early College is an alternative to traditional middle and high schools operated as a partnership among Baldwin County and Putnam County schools, Oconee RESA (Regional Educational Service Agency) and the John H. Lounsbury College of Education at Georgia College.

Sallad graduated from Georgia College in 1993 with a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education.

She earned a master’s degree in early childhood education at Fort Valley State College; a doctorate in educational leadership certification and a specialist degree in educational leadership at Troy State University in Phenix City, Ala.; and a second doctorate in educational leadership from Argosy University in Sarasota, Fla. ■

‘Pillars for the Future’ Campaign Reaches 86 percent of Goal

GEORGIA COLLEGE’S FIRST CAPITAL CAMPAIGN, announced in the spring 2011 issue of Connection, has made dramatic progress the past quarter. Under the leadership of campaign chair Stan Wilson (’77) and the volunteer campaign committee, ‘Pillars for the Future: Campaign to Sustain Excellence’ is currently at 86 percent of the $10.35 million goal.

The current phase of the campaign is targeting the broad base of loyal and proud Georgia College alumni across the country. Many have already received a personal letter from Stan and Debi Wilson, and stepped up to invest in Georgia College and support this inaugural comprehensive capital campaign.

The campaign is focused on six funding priorities: • Endowed scholarships • Endowed professorships and chairs • Endowed undergraduate research • Endowed lecture series • Program support and facilities • Facilities The success of the campaign thus far has been driven by its focus on the people of Georgia College — namely our incredible students and talented faculty members.

With new cutbacks in the HOPE scholarship program, the need for additional endowed scholarship funds is at an all-time high at Georgia College. Among the recent scholarship endowments is one established in memory of Herman Hall, a longtime Milledgeville resident and community leader, by his family, including his wife, Jean, and daughters Kim Martin (’82), Karen Elizabeth Tyson (’89) and Kristin Villareal (’90). Martin currently serves on the Georgia College & State University Foundation Board of Trustees and was the driving force behind the creation of this fund to support need-based scholarships in honor of Hall and his family’s lifelong commitment to providing access to higher education.

To learn more about the campaign, visit gcsu.edu/foundation

As the state’s designated public liberal arts university, Georgia College creates an environment that fuels learning and discovery. To maintain our dynamic teaching environment, we need to ensure that we are able to recruit and retain top-flight and dedicated faculty members. In the early stages of the capital campaign, the university has been fortunate to add two endowed professorships. These prestigious endowments will ensure that the university’s distinguished legacy of stellar teaching continues. .

Georgia College Connection • Fall 2011

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DONOR PROFILE

Professor provides far-sighted gift

By Harry Battson

A father’s love for astronomy prompted Dr. Doug Pohl, professor of chemistry, to donate a gift of more than $100,000 to enable Georgia College to buy an observatory telescope.

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Georgia College Connection • Fall 2011

HE 24-INCH RESEARCHCLASS TELESCOPE — “as big as many on the East Coast,” Pohl said — will arrive this fall and provide a resource for faculty, students and the public to observe and study the stars. “The telescope will give us a really positive outreach into the community for science,” Pohl said, “and I hope it will interest more young people in the love of science as a career.”

The Herty Hall observatory will have the ability to rotate 360 degrees. With the use of filters to block the Milledgeville lights, the telescope will provide an excellent view to the planets, comets and stars.

“When school kids get a look at the moon through this scope, they’ll scream with thrill, and I’m willing to bet that more than a few Georgia College students will gape in wonder,” said College of Arts and Sciences Dean Ken Procter.

“I know I’ll get in line! I am totally bowled over by the generosity of Doug’s gift and its far-reaching impact.

What a wonderful capstone to Doug’s career as a researcher and teacher!”

The donation honors his grandmother, May W. Pohl, and his father, Herbert A. Pohl, a distinguished scientist and professor whose interest in astronomy was shared with Boy Scouts and others as Pohl grew up.

Pohl’s gift culminates 35 years of teaching at Georgia College, a period long enough for him to have past students retire before he did this summer and for him to have enjoyed teaching the children of some of his earlier students.

Although Pohl officially is retired, he continues to teach part time and chairs the local section of the American Chemical Society.

Dr. Ken McGill, chair of the department of chemistry, physics and astronomy, said the gift represents a truly gracious continuation of the way Pohl has enriched the university for many years, and has enriched many young people’s minds about the wonders of chemistry. “He has involved undergraduate students in research that piqued their desire to learn more,” said McGill. “The department can’t thank Dr. Pohl enough for this donation that will certainly keep the desire to learn more alive in all who visit the facility.”

“It’s hard for me to go anywhere without having my former students say hello,” Pohl said. “Doctors and dentists in town, nurses in hospitals throughout Central Georgia, teachers. I would say my students are a measure of my success and I’ve had some excellent students.”

Any funds remaining from his donation after the purchase of the telescope will go toward research scholarships for chemistry students. At Georgia College, each chemistry faculty member mentors a freshman and continues to guide the student’s research projects throughout his or her studies.

T

“It’s been a wonderful career here,” said Pohl. “I hope that my contributions will stimulate more students to think about science.”

Pohl attended Johns Hopkins University as an undergraduate, then earned his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Penn State in 1974.

He returned to Johns Hopkins for post-doctoral research and taught at the University of Toledo briefly before coming to Georgia College in 1976. His research interests include cellular spin resonance and selective chlorination.

Pohl credits his grandmother and father for his career in science. His grandmother encouraged his father’s education and never stopped pursuing her own. His father became a physical chemist, working for DuPont and later as a faculty member in the Physics Department at Oklahoma State University, obtaining several patents and authoring books on Quantum Mechanics for Science and Engineering and Dielectrophoresis: the behavior of neutral matter in nonuniform electric fields, the first source cited in the Wikipedia entry on the topic.

Pohl and his father were involved in a joint research project when his father suddenly died. Since a post-doctoral researcher also was involved, Pohl brought him to Georgia College — possibly the university’s first post-doctoral researcher. “The college wasn’t sure we could bring him here, but he was being paid from the grant that we had, so he was a free resource and helped to teach classes while continuing the research.”

Pohl and his wife of 44 years, Gail, have three grown children and 15 grandchildren. Their oldest son, Chris, teaches third grade in Atlanta. Eric is a physical therapist in the Macon area and Dianna married a pastor and is living in Salem, Ore. He and Gail this year are presidents of the local square dancing organization, the Oconee River Buskers. The weekly forays onto the dance floor enable him “to spend time with the love of my life.”

Pohl notes that while he was born in the United States, he was not born in any state. So where was he born?

Washington, D.C. That story is only a prelude to other births in his family.

“My grandmother’s dad was an English sea captain and, when he married, they went on a world cruise,” he recounts.

“My grandmother was born off the coast of Chile. She wasn’t christened until six months later when they returned to England. And Dad was born on American soil in Lisbon, Portugal (in the US embassy).” Pohl’s grandfather was working in Portugal at the time.

With such a global history, it’s no wonder the Pohls have cast their gazes at the stars. ■

Georgia College Connection • Fall 2011

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CLASS NOTES 1960s Ann Waits Pearson (‘69) was awarded the Outstanding Senior Volunteer award for Nassau County, Fla. Ann retired from teaching in 2004. She views her volunteer service as a gift to her community and to the educational process in general.

Ann graduated from Georgia College with a Bachelor of Science degree in education.

1970s Cathy O'Dillon (‘76) retired from the Bibb County School System after teaching music to elementary school children for 35 years. She taught in Baldwin County for two years before going on to teach in Bibb County for another 33 years. Cathy earned a bachelor’s of music education degree from Georgia College in 1976.

1990s Frances E. Cater, Ph.D. (‘91) was recently named president and CEO of the Union Mission in Savannah, Ga., by the organization’s board of directors.

In her new position, Frances will lead the charge to reduce homelessness in the Savannah community. Before joining Union Mission, she served as the associate director for academic program development at the Mercer University School of Medicine in Macon, Ga., as well as the assistant director of the master’s of public health program in the Department of Community Medicine. Frances received her master's in psychology from Georgia College in 1991. She later earned a doctorate in educational leadership in higher education at the Tift College of Education at Mercer University in Macon, Ga. Mark Weaver (‘95) (‘02) has been appointed Fine Arts Program director for the Georgia Military College Prep School.

Before taking on his new role at GMC on July 1, Mark had a 16year career at Baldwin High School as the theater director.

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Tresa Cheatham (‘96) has been named the assistant principal of Birmingham Falls Elementary School in Fulton County, Ga. Tresa has been in special needs education for both middle and elementary schools in Georgia, including a position as a special education teacher and an assistant principal in Fulton County Schools. When Tresa is not teaching, she enjoys the company of her husband, Sharif, and her daughters Chan, Aliyah and Leia. She also enjoys reading and decorating.

Richard Blevins (‘97) became partner in the law firm of Rickman & Blevins, P.C., in Marietta, Ga., on January 1, 2011.

Antonio Ingram (‘97) (‘99) is the newly appointed principal at Midway Elementary School in Milledgeville, Ga. Antonio has been teaching since graduating from Georgia College in 1997.

After only four years of teaching, Antonio was recognized as the Teacher of the Year for Baldwin High School.

Aaron Hall (‘98) was named the new head baseball coach for Thomson High School by the McDuffie County school board June 9, 2011. In addition to being the head baseball coach, he will also serve as head football coach and athletic director at Thomson-McDuffie Middle School. Before being named to his new position, Aaron served as the assistant coach for the past two years. Aaron and his wife Bekki have two children.

Tracy Davis Keil (‘99) (‘11), former Georgia College Jazz Band singer, was voted Teacher of the Year at Fairview Theme School in Covington, Ga. Tracy earned a Bachelor of Music degree in 1999 and later went on to get a Music Education Certificate in 2002. Most recently, she earned Master of Music Education in 2011.

Georgia College Connection • Fall 2011

2000s April Brooks Bragg (‘00) was appointed the chief executive officer of the MilledgevilleBaldwin County Chamber of Commerce. Prior to her appointment as the new Chamber CEO, April worked as an assistant vice president and mortgage loan officer for BB&T. She has also worked as marketing director and media specialist for The Union-Recorder. April and her husband, Terry Bragg (’95), have two children, Abi (4) and Drew (2). Terry is the director of bands at Oak Hill Middle School.

The Bragg family lives in Milledgeville, Ga., where they are active members of Northridge Christian Church.

Jason A. Peterson (‘01) received his Doctorate of Philosophy from the University of Southern Mississippi on May 13, 2011. He currently works at Berry College as an assistant professor. Jason is married to Joy Eady Peterson (‘02).

Jan Kraemer Cash (‘02) received an Ed.S. in Educational Leadership on April 24, 2011.

Matt Davis (‘02) (‘04) was appointed as the director of the Hay House in Macon, Ga. As director of Hay House, Matt will manage all aspects of the national historic landmark house museum. Prior to joining the Trust’s Hay House staff, Matt served as curator of the Old Governor’s Mansion, a property of Georgia College. While on staff at Georgia College, Matt planned and coordinated the mansion’s tourism and education program, including the WatsonBrown Foundation’s Junior Board of Trustees. Matt and his wife Lisa Pepple Davis (‘03) (‘06) (‘08) (‘10) live in Gray, Ga., with their two children, Addison and Aiden.

Elizabeth Pool (‘03) earned her Juris doctor from Mercer University's Walter F. George School of Law in May 2011. After earning her Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from Georgia College, Elizabeth worked for the Griffin-Spalding County School System and the

American Cancer Society prior to beginning law school in 2008.

Elizabeth is employed with the law firm of Smith, Welch, Webb & White in McDonough, Ga., where she will begin as an associate in the fall.

Holly Crosby Snelling (‘04) was recently appointed to director of admissions for Monsignor Donovan Catholic High School in Athens, Ga. Prior to her new position, Holly coordinated all communications for the Georgia College Registrar’s Office and also worked for Mount de Sales Academy in Macon, Ga., in alumni relations. Holly is married to Lee A. Snelling (‘01) (‘03) who is the director of development for the Eugene P. Odum School of Ecology at the University of Georgia. Holly and Lee have one son, Ethan, and live in Athens.

Megan Tiedeman Bowen (‘06) (‘08) recently opened Play! A Creative Studio in downtown Milledgeville, Ga. The unique new business provides a welcoming environment for children and their families to be inspired, to create, and to play!

Megan is extremely excited to bring this new offering to the Milledgeville-Baldwin County community.

Mike Madison (‘06) (‘07) married Megan Mabry Madison on March 19, 2011. Mike is the product manager with Possible Now. The happy couple resides in Atlanta, Ga. Justin Webb Roberts (‘06) and Jessica Chambers Roberts (‘07) welcomed their first child, Turner Webb, into the world on May 5, 2011 at 4:14 p.m. Turner was 7 lbs. 14 oz., and 21 in. long.

Katie Peterson (‘07) was recently appointed the marketing director for the Lawrenceville (Ga.) Tourism & Trade Association.

Nadirah Ross Mayweather (‘08) (‘10) was recently married to Jeremy Mayweather (‘08).

Adam Hammond (‘08) is now a reporter for News Channel 3 in Memphis, Tenn. He officially joined the team in August 2011. Before moving to Memphis, Adam was an anchor and reporter for WGXA in Macon, Ga. During his tenure at WGXA Adam specialized in legal reporting.

He also covered many historic events in Central Georgia including the 2008 Mother's Day tornadoes and President Barack Obama's visit.

Elyssa Sanner (‘09) recently began her library career as the metadata and cataloging services librarian, assistant professor status, at Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Mich. She received her Bachelor of Arts in English degree from Georgia College in 2009, followed by her Master of Science in library science degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in May 2011.

Allison Brown Wilkinson (’09) obtained her Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC) from the American Payroll Association in April 2011. Mrs. Wilkinson is a payroll analyst for the University System of Georgia Shared Services Center (SSC) in Sandersville, Ga. The SSC processes payroll for over 34,000 employees within the University System of Georgia, including Georgia College employees. She has been employed with the Shared Services Center since its opening in spring of 2009.

Allison currently dances in Georgia College’s Continuing Education Program. She and her husband, Eric, reside in Milledgeville, Ga.

2010s Kelly Daniel (‘10) and Daniel Wilkinson (‘08) were married on Georgia College’s Front Campus on June 11, 2011.

Daniel is currently working as an IT specialist at the Veterans hospital in Atlanta. Kelly works for Gwinnett County Public Schools as a special education teacher.

Tyler Adolph (‘11) will be working at Georgia College as a graduate assistant while pursuing a graduate degree.

Tracy Arnett (‘11) has recently accepted a position as a registered nurse at the Medical Center of Central Georgia.

Brad Cone (‘11) will be attending seminary in North Carolina at the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Brad and his wife, Casey Cone (‘11), will reside in North Carolina until Brad completes his studies.

John DeShazer (‘11) is a healthcare recruiter for Maxim Healthcare Services.

Cristyn Farrell (‘11) is an intern with Melissa Libby & Associates.

Jennifer Gower (‘11) will be working with Teach for America as an English teacher.

Matthew Hart (‘11) was accepted in to the management training program for Flowers Foods.

Lisa Baer (‘11) will be teaching in Korea.

Emily Hensley (‘11) was hired on at the Medical Center of Central Georgia as a registered nurse.

Madeline Balmes (‘11) has been hired on at MOGO Design, Inc. as a sales and marketing assistant manager.

James A. Hollowed (‘11) is working with Lisa Ragan Customs Brokerage as an account representative.

Jeff Brittain (‘11) is currently working for the Missouri Department of Conservation as an aquatic biologist.

Lauren Ivey (‘11) will be working for the Life Enrichment Center as a music therapist.

Zach Mullins (‘11) has accepted a position in sales as a sales associate with the Cox Media Group.

Trevor Parker (‘11) joined the team at Linode.com as the new Linux technical support associate.

Claire Cantrell (‘11) was hired on in July as a new staff administrator for Newt Gingrich’s 2012 presidential campaign. Before joining the staff for Newt Gingrich, Claire worked as an intern for Sen. Saxby Chambliss.

In Memoriam Mrs. Gertrude “Trudy” Baker Daugherty

1930s Mrs. Margaret Snow Wade (‘34) Mrs. Sara Mathis Chambers (‘35) Mrs. Sarah Owen McGarity (‘36) Mrs. Margaret Powell Talton (‘38) Mrs. Evelyn Comer Vandiver (‘38) Mrs. Margaret “Gracie” Pettyjohn (‘39)

CLASS NOTES

Jonathan Pope (‘07) was promoted to vice president and branch manager for Exchange Bank in Milledgeville, Ga. Jonathan began his career at Exchange Bank in 2000 and was accepted in the manager trainee in 2006. He has been accepted to participate in the Leadership Baldwin Class of 2011.

1940s Mrs. Ellen Ennis Killingsworth (‘40) Mrs. Amanda Hughes Moseley (‘40) Mrs. Catherine Johnson Telford (‘40) Mrs. Edith Hogg Buchanan (‘41) Mrs. Mary Burford Martin (‘41) Ms. Ruth “Tommie” Thompson Ryder (‘42) Mrs. Myrtle Livingston Meador (‘43) Mrs. Kathryn Amerson Tanner (‘43) Mrs. Ada “Nelle” Ellis Wade (‘43) Mrs. Mary Swygert Self (‘44) Dr. Kate McKemie (‘45) Mrs. Flora “Marie” Mitchell White (‘45) Mrs. Margie Holland Greenwood (‘47) Mrs. Maude Morris Claxton (‘48) Mrs. Mary Meadows Nelson (‘49) Mrs. Josephine Meador Turner (‘49)

1950s Mrs. Marie Boothe Abney (‘52) Mrs. Nellie Shirey Herringdine (‘54)

1960s Mrs. Carolyn Swearingen Jordan (‘65) Mrs. Margarita “Nina” Acosta Woodhall (‘66)

1970s Mr. Russell “Russ” Newburn Tisdale (‘70) Dr. David Henry Payne (‘72) Mrs. Barbara Pritchard Christian (‘73) Mr. Michael Cary Adams (‘77) Mr. Homer N. Childs (‘79)

1980s

Suzanne Payne (‘11) is working as a nurse for Doctor's Hospital.

Mr. Ralph Oscar Wells (‘80)

Erin Robinson (‘11) will be working as a marketing and client services intern.

Mr. Christopher Kevin Busby (‘91) Mrs. Donna Holt McElheney (‘95)

Haley Robison (‘11) is now working as a registered nurse for Gwinnett Medical Center.

Ms. Virginia “Ginny” V. Burriss (‘08)

1990s

2000s

Jessica L. Tutt (‘11) has joined the Peace Corps as a volunteer.

Submit your class notes on our website at gcsu.edu/alumni Reach us by email at alumni@gcsu.edu

Georgia College Connection • Fall 2011

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gcsu.edu/alumni Georgia College is Georgia's designated public liberal arts university,combining the educational experience expected at esteemed private liberal arts colleges with the affordability of public higher education.

S AV E T H E D AT E

HOMECOMING February 6-11, 2012

Highlighting the reunion classes of 1952, 1962, 1972, 1987, 2002 and 2007.

Contact the alumni office at alumni@gcsu.edu or (478) 445-5771 to learn more or to volunteer to serve on a reunion committee.