President's Perspective 27 Class Notes

Dear Kentucky Wesleyan Family,

The fall semester has been a time of celebration at KWC. We were thrilled to welcome our students to a fully residential in-campus environment in August. Our entire campus community has worked diligently to keep everyone as safe as possible as we have continued to navigate the challenges of the pandemic, and it is a joy to be together again for campus events.

We were tremendously moved by the announcement of the generous gift of the Jack Wells '77 (1955-2020) Charitable Trust and honored to name the Jack T. Wells Activity Center at 3300 Frederica St. in his memory. He was a stalwart champion of KWC for decades, and this gift will positively impact generations.

We are deeply grateful to the Marilyn and William Young Foundation for their investment in the College. The beautifully transformed auditorium, located in the Jack Wells Activity Center, named for the foundation, is a beautiful and versatile space with seating for 500 guests. The centerpiece of KWC's newest addition, it provides a flexible venue for campus and community events.

We are also humbled and very thankful for the many gifts of our alumni and friends for named spaces throughout the Wells Activity Center. It is a significant addition to our campus that is constantly in use by our on-campus family as well as the larger Owensboro community.

Homecoming 2021 was a marvelous time to reunite following the virtual nature of last year's events necessitated by the pandemic. From a winning football game to the Back Together Bash on the front lawn to the Alumni Hall of Fame and Awards Dinner, it was truly a celebration of Panther togetherness, and I enjoyed meeting many of you.

We have passed the midpoint of the semester and are quickly moving toward the holiday season. As you commemorate Thanksgiving and prepare for Christmas and the New Year, I encourage you to consider celebrating your relationship to our College with a gift. The loyalty and generosity of our alumni and friends have made KWC the outstanding institution it is today.

I extend my best wishes to you for a happy Holiday season – and hope you will plan to visit campus soon.

Thomas M. Mitzel, Ph.D.

President

The courthouse square thermometer, with the help of fireman James Gaddis, updates the community on campaign progress.

in owensboro

by Katherine Rutherman

The picturesque Kentucky Wesleyan College campus had been located in Winchester, Ky., near Lexington, since 1890. By the late 1940s, the institution's viability was questionable. Enrollment had steadily declined for several years, and budget deficits were alarming.

Rev. Glenn Sowards '53 arrived on the Winchester campus as a freshman ministerial student in 1949. He remembers the campus as "small, but beautiful and impressive with a strong spirit of caring and a bond between faculty and students." But the College's future did not look bright. "I knew something had to change, but I didn't know what."

Owensboro alumni were concerned, as well. A loyal group of graduates, led by Merlin "Ham" Glenn '27 and Talmage Hocker '27, met at the Hotel Owensboro in February 1950 to assess their beloved alma mater's precarious situation and discuss what they could to do help the College survive. According to David Hocker '59, as the discussion progressed, his father, Talmage, shared an astounding option with the group. "Let's move KWC to Owensboro," he declared.

With that emphatic statement, a grassroots movement began to raise $1 million to relocate KWC. J.W. Snyder, Owensboro High School principal, took a leave of absence to serve as campaign chairman, and an executive

board was appointed, which included Dr. D.D. Heltsley, father of Margaret (Heltsley) Schertzinger '59.

David Hocker says the campaign to move KWC was "the talk of the town, very exciting for the community and for me personally." With large gifts by area businesses and donations from school children, individuals, churches, local organizations and even bake sale proceeds, the campaign reached its goal in March 1951, ensuring the move from central Kentucky to Owensboro.

Joe Berry, executive director of the Public Life Foundation of Owensboro, calls the effort amazing and transformative. "It was a citizen-led campaign, a great testament to community leadership and solidarity, and it made Owensboro more competitive in attracting new companies. I can't imagine Owensboro today without Kentucky Wesleyan. Graduates are everywhere, serving our community as great employees and business leaders, and it all began with that meeting at the Hotel Owensboro over 70 years ago."

The College's first purchase in Owensboro, a building called Frederica Flats at Seventh and Frederica, became the women's dorm and included classrooms. The temporary campus extended to several other downtown buildings, including churches whose congregations offered space for classes.

Glenn Sowards recalls that the citizens of Owensboro welcomed KWC with enthusiasm and support. "Everywhere we turned, we were well received,"

Above: Rev. Glenn Sowards '53, president of the student body, breaks ground for the new campus with President Oscar Lever at his side. Below: Spring 1955 with Scherm Road in the foreground.

Below: Frederica Flats at Seventh and Frederica Streets housed the women's dorm, dining hall and classrooms.

he says. "The city made every effort possible to help the administration of the College ‘begin again.' It was a time of great promise."

He describes the temporary downtown campus as a "run here and there campus" scattered around and centered mostly on Frederica.

The site committee charged with selecting a permanent campus location quickly chose forty acres of farmland south of Owensboro on what was then called Livermore Road. Sowards remembers his initial reaction when he saw the property. "It was a soybean field, and Scherm Road was gravel. I was honored to break ground with Dr. Lever (KWC president) in December 1952 for the new campus. I recall having difficulty putting the shovel in the ground through the bean stubble. I remember that whenever I'm on the campus today and enjoy the beautiful landscaping."

Sandra (Schmidt) Dickinson '57 arrived at the downtown campus in September 1953 and lived on the third floor at Frederica Flats. "I was upset, as my mother wanted me to attend in KWC, but I wanted to go to a large university," she remembers. "I didn't even know where Owensboro was, but I soon felt right at home. I realized it was the right place for me. I loved KWC and Owensboro right away. Students, faculty, Owensboro residents – everyone was friendly and helpful. It was a good environment for me, and I gained self-confidence." The female students packed their belongings and rode by bus down Frederica to the new campus and their new dorm in December 1954. "The move was very exciting for all of us. We felt we were a part of something big and historic, and we were." She recalls that the first semester on the new campus was fun, but muddy. "There was no grass, and it seemed that it rained the entire semester. We walked on boards from building to building. I think of that when I see the beautiful campus today."

The impact of the move to Owensboro didn't end with raising $1 million and establishing a campus of bricks and mortar. George Tinsley '69 arrived on campus eight years after Sandra Dickinson left. He says he was introverted with no experience outside his Louisville neighborhood. "It was the biggest change I had ever made in my life, and it took me a while to be comfortable." He was one of only five Black students, all men, on campus when he arrived. He describes his KWC experience as magical. "It was as good an experience as anyone could have, and it prepared me for life. I became a well-rounded man with compassion for others."

A Panther basketball legend, he played on three NCAA championship teams (1966, 1968, 1969) and toured West Africa with the 1966 team at the invitation of the U.S. State Department. He was the first Black to be inducted to the

Order of Oak and Ivy and the first Black to graduate. "I experienced camaraderie and teamwork, and relationships that began way back then continue today. I really felt loved by students and faculty."

Dr. Catherine (Eblen) Sherrard '95, a member of the KWC Board of Trustees, says she is grateful for the foresight and determination of the group that brought the College to Owensboro. "I found my voice here. My parents [Rev. Tom Eblen '68 and Ann (Tabor) Eblen '68] had great experiences here, and I loved KWC long before I was a student myself. I was embraced and encouraged as a student. I got my drive to achieve at KWC, and I would have been lost at a large university."

Scott Kramer '87 says Gus Paris is the essence of the KWC spirit. He is grateful for many people over the decades who have contributed to the College's success in Owensboro and particularly remembers Paris, who as a new faculty member in 1951, helped with the move to Owensboro. "He locked the doors at the old campus in Winchester and then came to Owensboro to help start the new campus. He was a stabilizing influence for decades who dedicated his career to our students."

David Hocker drives down Frederica past the campus, sees what used to be a soybean field and marvels as he remembers the determination of his father and so many others to save Kentucky Wesleyan. "They would all be so proud today. They made a big difference in more lives than they can could ever have imagined. It was a tremendous team effort, and there has been a ripple effect around the world for decades."

Above: This 1966 photo show the construction of Peeples Dorm.

Below: The campus today shows the Jack T. Wells Activity Center on the far left.