Ole Miss Alumni Review - Spring 2009

Ole Miss Alumni Review Sprin g 2009 Vol. 58 No. 2

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Spring 2009

Campus organization helps families with sick children Getting brides down the aisle is right up her alley

TimetoSay Goodbye Chancellor Robert Khayat looks back, forward at end of 14-year career

A Legacy of Leadership...

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Savvy travelers know, the pleasure of a stay is in the details. And here at The Inn at Ole Miss, we’ve been finessing the fine points for years now. Whether you’re looking for meeting space or breathing space, The Inn has a room set aside for you.

Nestled in the heart of Oxford, The Inn has amenities and facilities that meet your demands and exceed your expectations. And the future of The Inn is all the brighter. With a record-setting expansion on the horizon, you’re sure to find a home you can’t wait to return to.

GUESTS OF THE INN ENJOY: • Swimming pool • High-speed Internet access • Individual climate controls in each room • Same-day valet laundry service • Voice mail • Full-size ironing boards and irons • Hairdryers • Free continental breakfast (7-9 a.m.) daily

• Coffeemakers • Auditorium, conference facilities and meeting rooms with multimedia support • Golf, tennis and off-site workout facility • Groups welcome • Enjoy beautiful walks around historic Oxford and Ole Miss

When you’re coming to town, give us a call. Whether you’re here on business or pleasure, you’ll find an unparalleled welcome. And enough smiles to keep you coming back.

P: 662.234.2331 The Inn at Ole Miss

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The University of Mississippi Alumni Association P.O. Box 1848 University, MS 38677-1848 (662) 915-7375 www.olemissalumni.com

RevolutionaRy ReseaRch

at t h e u n i v e R s i t y o f M i s s i s s i pp i

ACOUSTICS

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or information on research being conducted at Ole Miss or to become involved by helping support a particular research effort, please contact the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research at 662-915-7583 or changeagents@research.olemiss.edu.

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Vol. 58 No. 2

features

26 AwithConversation Khayat on the cover

As Ole Miss’ leader contemplates retirement, the future occupies his thoughts as much as the past

by Barbara Lago

20 It Takes a Village Friends of the Children rallies Ole Miss family to help critically ill toddler by deborah a. purnell

24 The Power of Speech

departments 6 From the Circle

The latest on Ole Miss students, faculty, staff and friends

16 Calendar 40 sports

Football Coach Houston Nutt joins group of coaches heading to Middle East to visit U.S. soldiers

Ole Miss alumni lead American SpeechLanguage-Hearing Association

44 arts and culture

by jeffrey alford

46 travel

34 The Bride Whisperer

Groomsman arrested? Thunderstorms predicted?

Car stolen? No worries. Wedding planner Kate Rosson has it all under control by sabrina brown

On the cover: Changes at The University of Mississippi under Chancellor Robert Khayat are far-reaching, from the construction of the Civil Rights Monument and Paris-Yates Chapel to the establishment of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College and Lott Leadership Institute.

50 alumni news

Six Ole Miss alumni serve in the 111th Congress

Ole Miss A lumni R eview P ublisher Warner L. Alford (60) Timothy Walsh (83) Editor ditor E Jim Urbanek II (02) Jim Urbanek II (97) jim@olemiss.edu jim@olemiss.edu Creative Director A ssociate ditor and SabrinaEBrown A dvertising Director Designers Tom Speed (91) ? tom@olemiss.edu

Chancellor Dear Alumni and Friends,

Creative Director Editorial A ssistant Sabrina Brown Macaulay Knight Designers C orrespondents Rachael? Davis Eric Summers Editorial A ssistant Lauren Smith C orrespondents Andrew Abernathy (08), Jeffrey Alford, KevinABain (98), Harry Briscoe, Rebecca dvertising R epresentative Hemmins (MADiggs 96) (82), LauckCristen Cleary (97), Mitchell Jennifer Farish662-236-1700 (01), Jay Ferchaud, Robert Jordan (82), Barbara Lago (82), Jack Officers of The University Mazurak, Erin A Parsons, Elaine Pugh, of M ississippi lumni A ssociation DeborahChance PurnellLaws (MA(63), 02) Jennifer Southall (92), Edwin Smith (80), Sonia president Thompson, Dabney Weems (97) David McCormick (77), president-elect Officers of The University Rose Jackson Flenorl (79), of M ississippi A lumni A ssociation vice president Rose Jackson Flenorl (79), John T. Cossar (61), president athletics committee member Charles Clark (72), president-elect Roger Friou (56), athletics committee member Bill May (79), vice president A lumni A ffairs Staff, O xford John T.(60), Cossar (61), director Warner Alford executive athletics committee member Wendy Chambers Carmean (97), assistantKaren director marketing Leefor(73), member Clayathletics Cavett committee (86), associate director Josh Davis (99), assistant A lumni A ffairs Staff, Odirector xford Martha systems programmer II TimothyDollarhide, L. Walsh (83), executive director Sheila (75), assistant directorI JosephDossett Baumbaugh, systems analyst Annette Kelly (79), accountant Wendy Chambers Carmean (97), David Gilmore, analyst I assistant directorsystems for marketing manager, ClayRobert Cavett Radice, (86), associate director The Inn at Ole Miss Josh Davis (99), assistant director Scott Thompson (97), alumni assistant, Martha Dollarhide, systems programmer II club coordinator Sheila Dossett (75), senior Jim Urbanek II (02),associate director assistant director for communications Kelly (79),associate accountant Tim Annette Walsh (83), senior director Rusty Woods (01), editor Tom Speed (91), publications assistant director for information services Scott Thompson (97), assistant director James Butler (60), director emeritus Jim Urbanek II (97), Herbert E. Dewees Jr. (65), assistant director for communications executive director emeritus Rusty Woods (01), assistant director for information services A lumni A ffairs Staff, Jackson James Butler (53), director emeritus Geoffrey Mitchell (70), alumni director Ginger Roby Daniels assistant director Warner Alford (60),(77), executive director emeritus The Ole Miss Alumni Review (USPS is published by The561-870) Ole Miss Alumni Reviewquarterly (USPS 561-870) The University of Mississippi Alumni is published quarterly

by The University of Association and Association the Officeand of Alumni Mississippi Alumni the Office of AlumniAlumni Affairs. Alumni Association offices Affairs.

Association offices are are located at Triplett AlumniCenter, Center, Room located at Triplett Alumni Room 172, University, MS 38677.

Telephone 662172, University, MS 38677.

Telephone 915-7375.

662-915-7375.

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2 A lumni R eview

fromthe

Fourteen years ago I was granted the extraordinary privilege of serving as chancellor of our university. As an alumnus and faculty member, I viewed the opportunity with reverence and accepted the office with profound respect for the university and the chancellorship.

From the outset, it was my intent to assemble a team of smart, capable, dedicated associates to develop our plan, establish goals and work tirelessly toward realizing our over-arching objective of joining the circle of elite universities in America.

All of us on the management team knew that success depended upon clearly defined objectives and a unified university community. Alumni, faculty, staff and student participation was critical. As we look back to 1995, we see that most of the time we were unified as we confronted many challenges.

At the core of everything we tried to do was a standard of excellence. Mediocrity was unacceptable, and goals were expected to be challenging. From athletics to zoology, this community focused on being—and being recognized as—a great public university.

Academic programs, such as the Honors College, the Croft Institute, the Winter Institute, the Lott Leadership Institute and the Overby Center, led the way, while buildings and grounds were repaired, renovated, built and treated with loving care. We became a more diverse community; organizational glass ceilings were removed, and difficult issues were confronted. Systematic preparation of students for prestigious scholarships including Rhodes, Truman and Goldwater became a part of the mission of the Honors College, and the number of Ole Miss students selected as recipients of these scholarships increased dramatically.

Inculcated in our culture is an expectation that we will exceed norms typically found at universities. Hosting the first presidential debate of 2008, the visit of Gen. Colin Powell and the performance of the National Symphony are clear examples of the diverse opportunities created by our faculty, staff and students.

As I leave the office of chancellor, I do so with deep gratitude for having had the privilege of serving. I treasure the friendships and will forever be grateful for the support my family and I received.

Throughout the years of my service, the Alumni Association and individual alumni have been remarkably supportive. I am grateful to each of you and look forward to returning to the general membership of the association.

Warmest Regards,

Robert C. Khayat

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THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI

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fromthe

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President Dear Alumni and Friends,

Las Vegas Tribute to Motown MAY 1

MAY 2

When I was a child, my mom would let me play after school with my friends. She had one rule: I had to be home before dark.

If I was late, from the back door my mom called, “Mayne Rose Jackson, get home now!”

When I was a teenager, my dad taught me to drive. When I decided it was time for dad to buy me a car, he explained he couldn’t afford it on his teacher’s salary. I advised him to get another job. He said no. He was called to teach.

My father-in-law was a Baptist preacher. My husband loves sharing the story of the day his father was called to the ministry.

Robert C. Khayat was called on July 1, 1995. I am glad he answered the call to serve as the 15th chancellor of Ole Miss.

For the past 14 years, Robert Khayat has led our university’s unprecedented growth and success. Enrollment has increased 43.6 percent. Research and development grants have topped $100 million for each of the past eight years. We were awarded a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s most prestigious honor society.

The university’s operating budget grew from less than $500 million to nearly $1.5 billion. The number of National Merit Scholars has more than doubled, and the university produced its 24th and 25th Rhodes Scholars.

More than $535 million has been invested in physical facilities on the Oxford and Jackson campuses. The Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, Croft Institute for International Studies, Lott Leadership Institute and William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation were all created.

Just in the past year we hosted 2008’s first Presidential Debate, we won the Cotton Bowl, and we expanded The Inn at Ole Miss. We also are building our first Residential College, and construction on the new law school building, which will be named for the chancellor, is under way.

To call means to summon, to demand, to order, or to request to undertake a particular activity or work. Answering a call means becoming a servant. Once you’re chosen, you’re shaped and refined by the role. Not all your days are easy. But when you’re called, you’re equipped to be used mightily.

I will miss Robert Khayat as our leader. I will miss having a man with such vision, charisma and fortitude as our chancellor. I will miss my hugs and the greatest encourager a woman could ever have.

When you answer a call, when you use your talents for good, when you are a servant leader, I believe you are rewarded. Chancellor, thank you for 14 years that have transformed this university. The Ole Miss family—faculty and staff, students, friends of the university and alumni—thank you.

“Well done, good and faithful servant.”—Matthew 25:21 Sincerely,

The Ten Tenors MAY 3

Tickets available at 662.915.7411 or www.olemiss.edu/fordcenter 4 A lumni R eview

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Spring 2009 5

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The latest on Ole Miss students, faculty, staff and friends

Commanding Presence

former secretary of state meets with students, speaks to community

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ormer U.S. Secretary of State Colin L. Powell visited the university on Feb. 9 to deliver a public address to more than 1,200 students and members of the Ole Miss community at the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts. His visit coincided with the spring convocation for the UM Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College and with Black History Month.

While on campus, Powell had dinner with 20 honors students in Tim Nordstrom’s American Foreign Policy class. The students discussed foreign policy with Powell before his speech, which was titled “A World of Opportunity and Challenge.”

Powell also sat down with a group of UM student leaders who were involved in Black History Month events across campus to answer their questions on foreign policy. The discussion was led by Graham Purcell, senior political science major and president of the Associated Student Body, and Brittany Smith, senior chemistry major and president of the Black Student Union.

“I’ve met some very wonderful and accomplished students today here at Ole Miss,” Powell says, noting that this was his first visit to the campus. “It’s a beautiful place, with a beautiful history. [America] is changing, and nowhere is that more the case than at Ole Miss.”

In his address, Powell covered a number of issues. He spoke on the state of the economy, changes he faced after stepping down as secretary of state and the presidential election. He also discussed race issues in the United States.

Despite highlighting challenges facing the world, Powell’s message was uplifting. “You are entering a world with enormous opportunities. I don’t want you to believe we are leaving you in a world of chaos,” he said to the students.

“America still remains the leader of the world who wants to be free.” AR

Colin Powell makes a point during his public address in February as Chancellor Robert Khayat (left) and Jim Barksdale, founder of UM’s honors college, watch from the stage of the Ford Center. Photo by Robert Jordan 6 A lumni R eview

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fromthe

Circle Sparkling Achievement nutrition and dietetics major crowned miss university 2009

Miss University 2008 Mary Brandon Norman crowns Brooke Beard as Miss University 2009. Photo by Harry Briscoe

M

onths of preparation paid off for senior Brooke Beard when she was crowned Miss University 2009 on Feb. 5 at the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts.

“I’m a bit overwhelmed but completely excited,” Beard says. “The fact that I can represent the university my senior year is a dream come true.”

Besides winning the crown, Beard received $2,000 in scholarships.

A nutrition and dietetics major from Madison, Beard is the daughter of William L. Beard and Madeline Beard. She is a student in the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College and a member of Delta Gamma, Order of Omega and Mortar Board.

Throughout her reign as Miss University, Beard will be promoting the Children’s Miracle Network as her platform.

“Children’s Miracle Network is an organization of hospitals across the nation that serves children regardless of their ability to pay,” she says.

“I chose it because I have been volunteering at Blair Batson Hospital in Jackson for the past six years, so after volunteering there for that amount of time, it just felt natural to select that as my platform.” AR 8 A lumni R eview

UM Wins 4 awards for best practices in ihl competition

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he University of Mississippi has won four Best Practices Awards for 2008—one in each category of the awards—from the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning. UM was the only university to win four awards, placing first or second in each category. The competition was open to all eight institutions of higher learning in Mississippi.

The university earned first place in the Academic Affairs category for its Contractual Readmission Program; first place in Information Technology for “An Automated Solution for Processing Transfer Work”; second place in Business, Finance and Administration for the Interactive Employee Appraisal System; and second place in the Student Services category for the Luckyday Success Program.

The Contractual Readmission Program is a system to help students returning from academic suspension or dismissal to develop into self-directed learners who successfully complete their degree requirements.

The Information Technology award is for an automated system to equate course work from other institutions to UM academic credits. About 53 percent of Ole Miss undergraduate students have completed course work at community colleges and/or other universities, and these courses must be verified to allow prerequisite checking and degree audit.

The Interactive Employee Appraisal System replaces the old system of conducting annual employee evaluations using paper forms with an interactive online system. A collaboration among the offices of the Provost, Human Resources and Information Technology, the new system reduces waste, speeds the appraisal process and provides easy access to evaluation information for supervisors making tenure and promotion decisions.

Established in 2003, the Luckyday Success Program each year provides training to help about 130 incoming freshmen—all recipients of Luckyday Opportunity Scholarships—adjust from high school to college.

Funded by the Luckyday Foundation, the scholarship program provides up to $28,000 per eligible student for four years of undergraduate study.AR

Hats Off!

versatile vice chancellor ends “amazing” 42-year career

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loria Dodwell Kellum has worn many hats since joining The University of Mississippi faculty in 1966.

As an administrator, she chaired UM’s Sesquicentennial Celebration.

As vice chancellor for university relations, she directed two major capital campaigns and provided leadership to improve race relations. As a professor of communicative disorders, she helped grow a small speech pathology and audiology program into a nationally accredited educational and clinical program and taught hundreds of students.

Now it’s time for Kellum to put on a new hat—one that goes well with retirement. On Feb. 27, the campus honored her many contributions to Ole Miss with a daylong celebration; her retirement becomes effective June 30.

Chancellor Robert Khayat recognized Kellum’s leadership abilities in 1995, when he tapped her to chair the university’s five-year Sesquicentennial Celebration and to direct the Commitment to Excellence Campaign, which surpassed its original goal and raised a stunning $525.9 million in private funds. She became vice chancellor for university relations in 1998.

“Much of the progress made at the university and in Oxford over the past 14 years is attributable to Gloria Kellum’s energetic, almost relentless commitment,” says Khayat. “Since 1994, we have worked together on numerous projects. She is smart, energetic, dedicated and loyal to the university family.

“Although she is best-known for her work as vice chancellor, she is a remarkable teacher and an active citizen in this community, as well as in the Episcopal church. She is immensely popular among our faculty, staff and students, and she enjoys the unqualified respect of all who know her.”

In addition to the Commitment to Excellence Campaign, Kellum led the recent MomentUM Campaign, which

Vice Chancellor Gloria Kellum meets retirement with a smile at a luncheon in her honor.

Photo by Robert Jordan

raised more than $200 million. In all, more than $800 million has been raised for the university during her tenure.

The campaigns produced one-of-a-kind partnerships such as the 2+2 Scholarship Initiative with Northwest Mississippi Community College, the William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation and the Ole Miss Women’s Council for Philanthropy.

“It has been amazing to watch our fundraising dollars move this university toward the 21st century to become a great public university,” she says. “The economy was amazing. It was just our time—the resources, vision, partnerships and leadership just seemed to come together.”

Kellum is quick to point out that while others looked up to her, she also had a lot to learn.

“Transitioning from a professor to an administrator and fundraiser was different for me, but it was worth it, knowing that the funds raised from the campaign would help students, faculty and staff,” she says.

However, throughout Kellum’s socalled “transition,” she never really left

the classroom.

“The fact that she has continued to teach while serving as a university administrator is a testament to her love for students,” says Linda Chitwood, dean of the School of Applied Sciences.

“Even today, alumni from 40 years ago speak emotionally of their time with her.”

On the eve of her retirement, Kellum looks back over her years at Ole Miss with no regrets. She happily talks about her plans to spend more time with her family, including husband, Jerry—“the cute guy in a green blazer” that she spotted her first day on the job at Ole Miss— their daughters Kate Kellum (BA 91) and Kelly Weems (BSW 95), and the fa mi ly’s ne west add ition, Weems’ 1-year-old daughter Cecilia Grace.

With the assurance that she will continue to be available as an Ole Miss “volunteer,” Kellum says, “I’m not really leaving. You never truly leave Ole Miss. I’m going to miss my job because I believe this university has a sense of purpose and is dedicated to providing opportunities for all.” AR

Spring 2009 9

fromthe

Circle marker stakes out ole miss’ Spot on blues trail

L

iving Blues magazine and the Blues Archive recently received a Blues Trail marker at UM from the state of Mississippi Blues Commission.

The marker dedication was held Feb. 27 on the Barnard Observatory lawn. It is the first trail marker to be placed in Lafayette County and is sponsored in part by the Oxford Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The dedication was part of the annual Living Blues Symposium, sponsored by Living Blues, which is published at UM. Having a Blues Trail marker gets Oxford on the Blues Trail Web site and maps, giving visitor s more access to information on Oxford’s vibrant musical culture, says Hugh Stump, executive director of t he O x for d Convention and Visitors Bureau.

“Showcasing the Blues Archive at Ole Miss and Living Blues magazine as Blues Trail marker recipients makes Oxford a mustsee stop on the Blues Trail tour of the state,” Stump says. “The Blues Archive hosts one of the largest collections of blues publications, recordings and memorabilia in the world.

Blues lovers from around the state, region and world travel yearly to Mississippi to learn more about their beloved music, and a trip to Oxford and the new Blues Trail marker will be a highlight of their tour.” AR 10 A lumni R eview

Gender and Depression psychiatrist discovers physical link to higher rates of depression in women

A

t first glance, Mark Austin doesn’t look like a women’s issues leader. His salt-and-pepper hair and beard say distinguished researcher. His wellorganized office, a lab coat hung on the door, portrays a man of science. And the antique bottles he unearthed as a younger man, which now line his window, suggest he’s comfortable digging patiently for one treasured result at a time.

But his latest findings could change the ways doctors treat depression in women. They also could thrust gender awareness into the field of psychiatric neuroscience research.

Austin, a researcher and associate professor of psychiatry at The University of Mississippi Medical Center, studied the way human brains produce and use serotonin, a key chemical in regulating mood. Scientists knew that depressed people don’t make enough serotonin, and previous studies showed depression alters the level of serotonin receptor genes in a person’s brain.

That indicated depressed people’s brains have trouble using what little Dr. Mark Austin analyzes sections of human serotonin they produce. What still puzbrain to determine serotonin use. Photo by Jay zles scientists is why depression is about Ferchaud twice as common in women as in men.

Austin, who spent more than a decade studying serotonin, read a 2003 article by Canadian neuroscientist Paul Albert. In research Albert conducted at the University of Ottawa, he discovered a protein called NUDR, which regulates serotonin receptor genes. Austin contacted Albert and found him excited to collaborate.

With the help of researchers in Cleveland and colleagues at the Medical Center, Austin and his former postdoctoral student Bernadeta Szewczyk assembled brain samples from 50 deceased people. Of those, 25 were normal and 25 had major depressive disorders.

Austin then cataloged the levels of specific serotonin receptor genes and NUDR protein in the brain samples.

When separated by gender, the results showed that depressed women have lower levels of both receptor genes and NUDR protein than nondepressed women. But in men’s brains, the levels were the same whether the man was depressed or not.

“It’s probably one of the first evidences of a gender-specific change in a serotonin marker,” Austin says.

The findings, which are scheduled to be published by the International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology, could lead to gender-specific treatments for people with major depression.

Though Austin is more scientist than social activist, the fork he uncovered in the path to understanding depression could lead to a deeper appreciation of gender in the scientific community.

“I hope other investigators will run with this,” he says. “There’s still so much unknown out there.” AR

Getting Their Feet Wet ole miss has second-largest collegiate scuba program in u.s.

T

he University of Mississippi is probably not the first place that comes to mind for those looking into scuba diving lessons. After all, Oxford is more than 300 miles from open water suitable for scuba diving. But surprisingly, UM has the second-largest collegiate scuba program in the country, behind only the University of Florida.

More than 70 Ole Miss students are enrolled in scuba diving classes this spring, with the majority taking the basic course and some 25 enrolled in advanced diving, says Steve Bramlett, director of the Aquatics Program.

Each semester, 100 slots are open for the 1-hour academic credit courses (EL 142 and EL 243), which are taught by diving instructor Will Sobecki.

To help students enrolled in the advanced course prepare for more challenging dives, Bramlett, with assistance from others in the program, recently conducted a nighttime diving class. To simulate nighttime and deep-sea diving conditions, lights surrounding the Turner Center pool were turned off.

Bramlett, who has been diving for nearly 30 years, says the program is run with the cooperation of the Dive Shop in Memphis. Students completing each of the courses have the option of becoming certified, but certification is not required to pass the courses.

Alex Harris, a freshman from Jackson, Tenn., says she got her scuba diving certification from Ole Miss in the fall and wanted to complete the advanced course in order to dive in Belize.

“This is really just the next step in being able to do deeper dives,” she says.

Mark Garneau, UM director of risk management and aquatics, says this is the first year the advanced diving class has done a night dive at the Turner Center.

“It is unique for a university to be so open to hosting so many different kinds of events,” he says. “Each year, we host everything from swimming lessons to aqua aerobics and scuba diving to state swim meets. It really is wonderful that the university allows all of these different types of activities to happen here.” AR

Students in UM’s advanced diving course discuss plans for the day’s activities before donning their gear at the Turner Center pool. Photo by Robert Jordan

Cheryl and Roland Burns

family of educators creates endowed chair in accountancy school

U

niversity of Mississippi alumnus Roland Burns (BAccy, MAccy 82) is a man dedicated to education. In 1999, with what started as an interest in his own children’s school, Burns, along with his wife, Sheryl, took on the responsibility of helping open what is now Legacy Christian Academy in Frisco, Texas. The school now has 725 students on its 30-acre campus.

More recently, Burns made a gift of $1.5 million to seed the Roland and Sheryl Burns Chair of Accountancy in UM’s Patterson School of Accountancy.

“The generosity and commitment of the Burns family will create new educational opportunities for our accounting students,” says Chancellor Robert Khayat. “We are grateful for and inspired by their support.”

The chair will help the Patterson School recruit and retain the best possible faculty to ensure that quality teaching, research and service will be available for current and future generations of Ole Miss students.

“The School of Accountancy is an outstanding program,” Burns says. “We thought this would be a good way to give something back and attract some world-class talent to the school. Faculty support is a great need and is something I feel strongly about supporting.”

The Burns Chair is the third endowed chair in the Patterson School of Accountancy.

“We have been fortunate to have a tradition in the Patterson School of distinguished, dedicated, student-oriented faculty who truly set the program apart from the competition,” says Mark Wilder, accountancy dean. AR Spring 2009 11

fromthe

Circle

More Than Words MFA graduate lends unique sculpture to University Museum

A Ted Ownby

new director named for center devoted to southern culture

A

fter searching far and wide for a new director of the Center for the Study of Southern Culture, it turns out the ideal candidate was close by. The center’s interim director Ted Ownby, University of Mississippi professor of history and Southern studies, has been chosen as permanent director.

Ownby, who earned his B.A. from Vanderbilt, and M.A. and doctorate from Johns Hopkins University, is a co-editor of the forthcoming Mississippi Encyclopedia and co-editor of the volume on gender in The New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture. He is the author of two books, Subduing Satan: Religion, Recreation, and Manhood in the Rural South, 1865-1920, and American Dreams in Mississippi: Consumers, Poverty, and Culture, 1830-1998, and has edited collections of essays on slavery, the role of ideas in the civil rights movement and manners in Southern history.

Ownby says it is crucial that Southern studies keeps changing because it is not just about race or literature or music.

“Part of the excitement of this program is that the students change, academia certainly changes and the South itself keeps changing,” Ownby says.

“Part of our job is to take the topics that bring people to Southern studies, study those topics well, and also to expand the range of things to study.”

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12 A lumni R eview

picture may be worth a thousand words, but in Cliff Tresner’s case, the words actually are the picture. Make that sculpture.

Using words he designed and cut from sheets of aluminum, the University of Mississippi alumnus has welded “See What I’m Saying?” a 12-foot, 200-pound figure that stands in front of the University Museum. The piece is on exhibit through July 31 at the museum, located at Fifth Street and University Avenue.

“I owe a lot to Ole Miss for giving me a chance to develop my talent,” says Tresner (MFA 92), an Indiana native. He teaches sculpture and drawing at the University of Louisiana at Monroe.

“By loaning this piece to my alma mater, I feel like I’m giving something back,” he says.

Tresner’s sculpture belongs to the Masur Museum of Art in Monroe. A similar piece is permanently displayed at Riverwalk Casino in Vicksburg.

“I was reintroduced to Cliff ’s work while serving on the art selection committee for the casino,” says Albert Sperath, director of University Museum and Historic Houses. “In search of a new piece for the sculpture pad here, I asked him to consider loaning us one of his for six months.”

Tresner’s work, which is featured on the Web pages of both the Southern Arts Federation and Tri-State Sculpture, has received critical acclaim from experts in the field.

Tresner says he’s just glad that his feelings—and their expression— have found an appreciative audience. AR

“See What I’m Saying” is on loan to the University Museum.

Honoring Khayat

Gifts to chancellor khayat’s legacy fund will help offset effects of economy

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he University of Mississippi Foundation has announced the creation of the Robert C. Khayat Legacy Fund, which will provide a means for Ole Miss alumni, faculty, staff, students and friends to honor the outgoing chancellor. The fund will be used to help offset the negative effects of current economic conditions on Ole Miss students and on the academic family.

Chancellor Robert Khayat Photo by Robert Jordan

“Chancellor Khayat’s role as leader, caretaker, mentor, teacher, nurturer and friend has transformed our university’s campuses in so many positive ways,” says Wendell Weakley (BBA 76), UM Foundation president. “Creating this fund is a very small token of our appreciation and will allow him to direct such resources to areas of greatest need at Ole Miss— a role truly consistent with his character and practice as our chancellor.”

Gifts to the Khayat Legacy Fund will be receipted into a special account at the foundation. Khayat will then determine which university initiatives will benefit from the donations. Priorities include completion of a new law building, as well as funding student scholarships and academic programs adversely impacted by the current economic climate.

Weakley says that in addition to honoring Khayat’s vision and leadership, those giving to the Khayat Legacy Fund will help Ole Miss maintain its current momentum.

“Although economic conditions are harsh, the university continues to make great strides forward,” Weakley says. “In order to continue on our progressive path, we must overcome state budget cuts and the negative effect of the financial markets on our endowment. We are confident our alumni and friends will step up to help us do this.”

For more information, contact Weakley at 662-915-5944. To donate to the Khayat Legacy Fund, send checks payable to the UM Foundation/ Legacy to P.O. Box 249, University, MS 38677. Gifts may also be made online at <www.umfoundation.com/legacy> or by calling 800-340-9542.

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Class project takes online mba students to panama canal

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or a handful of students enrolled in the Professional MBA program at Ole Miss, the winter break included a five-day trip to Panama, which served as the site for the last step in their final PMBA class.

Tony Ammeter, associate dean of UM’s School of Business Administration, traveled with the four students to study the expansion of the Panama Canal as part of the students’ online project analysis class, which he teaches. The expansion project calls for a series of new locks and approach channels to facilitate a growing number of ships— a major project that racks up a tab of more than $5 billion. The project is expected to be finished in 2014.

“It’s a very interesting project, and it is very important for North America,” Ammeter says. “Whenever you can ship something by road, air or ship, the ship is always cheapest and uses less energy. [The canal] is going to be 50 percent deeper and 50 percent wider.”

The trip was a bit of an experiment for the online program, but both Ammeter and his students felt it was a nice capstone to the program and could be a good change for the current curriculum.

The PMBA offers a flexible online cohort of course work. Students take one to three classes a semester and usually complete the program in two to six years. The emphasis is on setting a pace that works for the individual student.

To Ammeter, who has taught both online and on-campus MBA seminars, the classroom variable does not take away from the program; the endgame is the same as the full-time program. AR

Tony Ammeter (left), associate dean of the UM School of Business Administration, visits the Panama Canal with PMBA students Drew Shull, Tammy Mailhot, Tami Busby and Ginny O’Hara.

Spring 2009 13

fromthe

Circle Job 1 for new provost is providing stability during time of transition

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orris H. Stocks, interim provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at The University of Mississippi since Jan. 1, 2008, has received a permanent appointment to the position.

The appointment was announced on Jan. 28 by Chancellor Robert C. Khayat.

“We are fortunate that Dr. Stocks accepted our invitation to serve as provost during this time of transition,” Khayat says. “I am confident that all of us will be supportive of his efforts as we continue to move the university forward.”

Stocks began serving as interim provost following the December 2007 retirement of Carolyn Ellis Staton, who had held the position since 1999. The provost is the university’s chief academic officer.

Ole Miss launched a search for Staton’s replacement last fall, but after Khayat announced his plans to retire, he decided to suspend the search and appoint Stocks to Morris Stocks the position to maintain institutional stability and continuity, says Alice Clark, vice chancellor for research and sponsored programs, who chaired the search committee.

“I fully support the appointment of Dr. Stocks to the permanent position,” Clark says. “He is a very able administrator and will provide immeasurable guidance and institutional knowledge to our next chancellor.”

Stocks, former dean of UM’s Patterson School of Accountancy, served three years as associate provost. He also served as senior vice chancellor for planning and operations in 2006-07.

Stocks joined the UM faculty in 1991 and was named outstanding researcher and outstanding teacher in the accountancy school. He won the campuswide Elsie M. Hood Outstanding Teacher Award in 1998.

Stocks, who holds bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in accounting, says Ole Miss has been blessed with strong leadership, outstanding faculty and students, and a devoted group of alumni.

“I consider it a tremendous privilege to serve The University of Mississippi community as provost,” says Stocks. AR 14 A lumni R eview

Doing the Right Thing new center for bioethics will help Embed ethics throughout medical curriculum

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or almost two centuries, the standard of ethics in the medical profession was the oath of Hippocrates. But the ancients knew nothing of genetic testing and therapy, organ transplantation, assisted reproduction, cloning, international epidemiological studies and highly virulent diseases such as ebola.

With that in mind, the Bower Foundation has given The University of Mississippi Medical Center $1 million to create the Center for Bioethics and Medical Humanities.

Calling the gift a “down payment,” foundation off icials pledged to match up to $3 million in funds invested by the Medical Center, potentially raising $6 million to endow the initiative.

Many academic medical centers have established formal programs in bioethics and medical humanities over the last two decades. New technologies that blur the line between life and death and concerns about conflict of interest raise questions that should be explored in the training of health professionals, says Dr. Dan Jones (MD 75), UMMC vice chancellor for health affairs.

“We’re deeply grateful to the Bower Foundation for entrusting us with this resource,” says Jones. “This investment, and others it will attract, will help us bring more structure and depth to this critically important aspect of being a professional caregiver or biomedical scientist.”

Dr. Ralph Didlake (BS 75), professor of medicine and surgery, will direct the center.

“Our very first step is to develop a curriculum and decide how best to include ethics in what is already a very crowded curriculum,” Didlake says. “Teachers are already pressed for time to get in all they’re required to, so instead of having a separate Dr. John Bower and his daughter, course, we plan to embed ethAnne Travis, of the Bower Foundaical issues throughout.” The tion. Photo by Jay Ferchaud idea is to make ethics seamless, as it is in life, when nearly every activity can be viewed through a prism of right and wrong and ethical behavior.

The new center also will expand the scope of the already existing ethics consult service, available to physicians and families facing medical decisions where their culture and religion intersect to create an ethical question. AR

Trailblazer former provost leaves her distinctive mark on um

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hen Carolyn Ellis Staton decided to leave New York and return to her roots, the Vicksburg native knew exactly where she wanted to work.

“The University of Mississippi was the only place I ever applied for employment,” says Staton, who began her UM career in 1977 as a law professor and retires from the university effective June 30. “I saw a bright future here, and I wanted to be involved in that.”

During 32 years of dedication to Ole Miss, Staton has gone far beyond just being involved. Known statewide as a trailblazer for women, she became UM’s first woman provost and chief academic officer in 1999. Previously, she had held the posts of interim law school dean and associate provost.

During her tenure as provost, Staton played an integral role in establishing the Croft Institute for International Studies, the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College and UM’s first Residential College, scheduled to open this fall.

“I’ve always viewed being provost as an opportunity to enhance academ-

“

Carolyn Ellis Staton Photo by Robert Jordan

mental in the successful positioning of Ole Miss as a great American public university.

I’ve always viewed being provost as an opportunity to enhance academics at Ole Miss. That’s what really appealed to me.

—Carolyn Ellis Staton

ics at Ole Miss,” she says. “That’s what really appealed to me. I’m also grateful to Chancellor Khayat for allowing me a chance to discover and develop skill sets I never knew I had.”

Khayat, who also retires June 30, credits Staton with having been instru-

”

“Dr. Staton has provided vigorous and devoted leadership as an advocate to the faculty,” Khayat said during his announcement of her plans to retire.

“Perhaps after she is effectively resigned from the university, we will be able to call her for guidance, support, ideas and

consultation.”

Recognizing Staton’s devotion to students, Ole Miss alumni have honored her by establishing the Carolyn Ellis Staton Endowed Scholarship to benefit deserving law students.

Staton earned a Juris Doctor degree from Yale Law School in 1972, a master’s from the Teachers College of Columbia University in 1969 and a bachelor’s from Sophie Newcomb College of Tulane University in 1967. She began her professional career as an English and speech teacher at Warren Central High School in Vicksburg.

She was named Mississippi’s first Outstanding Woman Lawyer in 1995 for her contributions to education, professional support of women in law, promotion of women’s rights, addressing child-abuse issues and service to the state. AR

Spring 2009 15

It Takes a

Village Friends of the Children rallies Ole Miss family to help critically ill toddler

b y D eborah A. Pu rnell

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The heart-shaped cards and candies celebrating Valentine’s Day hold a special meaning for 2-year-old Sophia Grace Jackson and her family. It was on Feb. 14, 2008, when Sophia was just 14 months old, that her own little heart survived surgery to correct two life-threatening defects.

20 A lumni R eview

That day was actually the second time Sophia Grace had beaten the odds by making it through open-heart surgery.

She was born with Trisomy 21 (more commonly known as Down syndrome) and in addition has two major heart conditions: atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD) and tetralogy of Fallot (TOF).

AVSD and TOF meant Sophia’s heart had several small holes, putting her at risk for heart failure or cardiac arrest.

For Sophia’s parents, Philip and Nicole, discovering their daughter’s dire condition was one of the most devastating moments in their lives. What’s more, the young couple had recently moved from

Robert Jordan The Friends of the Children Foundation helped the Jackson family (Julia, Nicole, Sophia and Philip) overcome a serious health threat.

Spring 2009 21

Columbus, Ohio, to Oxford and had no family in their new hometown. It was fall 2006, and Philip had just taken a temporary position in the art department at The University of Mississippi.

“We knew no one in Oxford—just the people in my department,” says Philip, now assistant professor of art at Ole Miss.

“We were scared. We were worried. Everything just seemed to be happening so fast.”

Through UM’s Friends of the Children Fund, Philip, Nicole and Sophia soon realized that they did indeed have “family” in their new community. The Friends of the Children Fund provides advice and support to full-time Ole Miss employees and students seeking medical treatment for their children who have been diagnosed with critical medical conditions.

Kim Shackelford (PhD 06), immediate past chairman of FOTC commit-

Nicole agrees. “We were not surprised to discover Ole Miss was such a close community. People have just rallied around us—coming out to show love and unconditional support. We didn’t go looking. Next thing we knew Dr. Shackelford came to us about FOTC.” “Dr. Shackelford was great,” Philip adds. “She would drop everything to help Sophia. She called everyone she knew and got everything working.”

“Everything” included making sure Sophia had the best care possible.

“We started Sophia’s treatment in Memphis, but later learned about a surgeon in Texas who is a pioneer in heart surgeries for babies,” Nicole says.

Nicole and Philip took Sophia, then just 5 months old, to Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston. At the time of her first surgery, Sophia’s heart was no bigger than a strawberry, Nicole says.

“Sophia is an amazing little girl who

“

When someone learns that their child has a serious illness, it’s just devastating. Being able to provide whatever assistance we can through FOTC is not enough, but it is helpful.

—- K im s h ac kelfo r d

tee, says the fund was created by a group of Ole Miss faculty, staff and student volunteers who “simply wanted to help their peers.”

“When someone learns that their child has a serious illness, it’s just devastating,” says Shackelford, associate professor of social work. “Being able to provide whatever assistance we can through FOTC is not enough, but it is helpful.”

For the Jacksons, FOTC provided more than help; they provided an “unconditional support” system.

“It started with the folks in my department. They came to us with open arms,” Philip says. “Dr. Nancy Wicker [immediate past chairman of the Department of Art] simply wanted to know how to help.

They really lifted a hand to help in whatever way possible.”

22 A lumni R eview

”

has overcome so much. After doing blood work on her, the doctors also discovered a heart murmur, plus we learned Sophia was having low oxygen. We had to return two weeks later,” Nicole says.

The Jacksons were told that Sophia needed open-heart surgery to rebuild her heart and, as a result, would need at least one blood transfusion. For Sophia’s first surgery, the Jacksons would end up staying in Houston for a month.

“When we arrived at Texas Children’s Hospital, the hospital staff told us we’d need to donate blood for our daughter,” Nicole says. “There was a very short window of time in which the blood could be donated prior to surgery and here we were in another new city.”

The Jacksons soon found out that their new Ole Miss family extended far

beyond Oxford and even Mississippi.

“It was Dr. Gloria Kellum [vice chancellor for university relations] and her staff who notified alumni in Houston about Sophia’s condition,” Philip says.

“After that, we received calls upon calls of alumni wanting to donate blood in Sophia’s name.”

“It was these same people who opened their homes to us,” Nicole continues.

“They’d never met us, but they called and said, ‘You can stay at our home.’ When you don’t know if your child will live or die, but you have loving and kind strangers show so much love, you realize God puts you where you need to be.”

While FOTC cannot provide reimbursement for hospital bills and medical treatments, the fund does provide support for airline tickets, meals, lodging, mileage or child-care fees. The support of the Friends of the Children Fund meant the Jacksons could fly to Houston and be with Sophia. The fund also provided support for the family’s second trip to Houston.

“They also gave us money for food and lodging if we needed it,” Philip says. “We were so blessed by this donation. It meant so much to us to not have to worry about our expenses while we were in Texas.”

“No words can express our thanks or our gratitude to our Ole Miss family. And I want Dr. Kellum to know how much I appreciate all of her efforts on behalf of my child,” Nicole says. “We now know that someone greater than us put us together, and that’s nothing less than a miracle.”

Today, Sophia, who turned 2 in December 2008, is happily adjusting to her life in Oxford. She even has a little sister, 9-month-old Julia, to keep her company. Sophia’s and Julia’s proud dad says, “There might be another surgery later in Sophia’s life, but it may not be as invasive.

She’s doing the very best any child could do in this situation.”

Mom agrees. “She’s so happy, healthy and full of life. Both girls are. We are so blessed by this town, by these people— our family. They will never, ever know how truly grateful we are for the town of Oxford and the people of Ole Miss.”

For more information about the Friends of the Children Fund or for information on how you can help a family with a sick child, e-mail fotc@olemiss.edu. AR

thepowerofspeech Ole Miss alumni lead American Speech-Language-Hearing Association

by Jeffrey Alford

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hen Sue Hale’s son, Scott, was 4 years old, he asked how Tommie Robinson was related to the family. It was an innocent, but revealing question from the toddler. Twenty years later it’s still not easily answered.

You see, the relationship between Hale (BAEd 72, MCD 75, SpecCD 78) and Robinson (BA 84, MS 86) is a complicated one. At the time, Tommie L. Robinson Jr. was an undergraduate in the communication sciences and disorders program at The University of Mississippi and Sue Hale was his faculty adviser. But her son’s question clearly suggested something more than the typical teacher/student connection.

“Both of us grew up in rural Mississippi, not from advantaged backgrounds,” says Hale. “Ole Miss—especially the faculty in the communicative disorders department—has had an extraordinary influence on both our lives.”

Robinson, more effusive, puts it this way: “When I came to the university and met Mrs. Hale, I was in love with the idea of becoming a speech-language patholo-

24 A lumni R eview

Sue Hale (left) and Tommie Robinson

gist. There was a wonderful sense of security here. The people were kind, compassionate and supportive. The faculty were ‘help-minded’ people. She became my adviser, mother, big sister and eventually

my colleague.”

Today, the two have risen to the top of their profession. Hale went on to Vanderbilt in 2000, where she is now an assistant professor of hearing and speech sciences and director of clinical education at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Robinson is an associate professor of pediatrics at the George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences and director of the Scottish Rite Center for Childhood Language Disorders in the Children’s Hearing and Speech Center at Children’s Hospital in Washington, D.C. Hale is serving this year as president of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). Robinson is president-elect and will succeed her as president in 2010.

They are the Mississippi Mavens— products of The University of Mississippi communication science and disorders program who are serving as spokespersons for a prestigious national organization representing more than 130,000 audiologists, speech and language pathologists, clinicians, researchers and medical people in private practice.

Kevin Bain

Hale and Robinson have enjoyed a working relationship for more than 20 years.

The role is not an honorary position.

It is hard work. Hale expects to make 40 trips on behalf of the association this year, testifying before Congress and representing the organization at state and regional meetings.

“Tommie always thought he would be president of the association,” says Hale. “I never expected to see my name on a ballot and never aspired to be a national spokesperson. But the Ole Miss faculty put us in leadership positions and instilled in us that this was not just a job—it was a profession with a responsibility to serve.”

Both say they were motivated by the example and encouragement of the Ole Miss faculty. Robinson says his role models were Hale, Gloria Kellum, Tom Crowe and Margaret Wylde, among others.

“I’ll never forget in 1986 Dr. Crowe told me that one day I would be president of ASHA,” says Robinson.

“Tommie always had goals, and the faculty quickly realized that he was destined for leadership in the profession,” says Hale. “We were a small department, with a small faculty. When we saw poten-

tial for excellence, we did everything we could to help you realize it.”

Gloria Kellum, a faculty member in communicative disorders since 1966 who has served as vice chancellor for university relations for the last 10 years, was one of those who saw a spark in the two.

“The graduates of the department are a special group of alumni of the Ole Miss family. We are fortunate to have Sue and Tommie represent Ole Miss in such distinguished leadership positions. We are proud of them and know they will represent us well,” says Kellum, who will retire from the university June 30.

Now colleagues, Hale and Robinson carry on the bond that was forged as teacher and student, mentor and mentee, working to ensure the legacy is passed on to the next generation of students. In addition to their other responsibilities, the duo currently are serving as advisers on a self-study committee as the department prepares for reaccreditation next year. They are concerned that a shortage of Ph.D.s is leading to a faculty shortage that eventually will lead to a shortage of

professionals in the field.

They also want to ensure that the spirit of leadership and service that has always been a hallmark of the department is carried on in future generations of graduates from the Ole Miss program.

“It is an honor to be asked to serve,” says Robinson. “It’s what they taught us.”

Hale expresses similar sentiments more philosophically.

“We are members of a community who are called to help people with communication challenges—with problems of the human condition. Helping others gives us great satisfaction, and Ole Miss is where we learned to satisfy that calling.”

That calling brought Hale and Robinson together more than 20 years ago in a family that is the Ole Miss Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders.

It is a family bond that continues today, and one they are determined to pass on.

“Every time I return to the campus it just feels good to be home,” says Robinson.

Not an easy concept to explain to a 4-year-old, but time tells the tale. AR Spring 2009 25

A C onve r sation with

Chancellor Robert Khayat As Ole Miss’ leader contemplates retirement, the future occupies his thoughts as much as the past

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or 14 years, Robert Khayat asked the tough questions. Can we operate this $1.5 billion enterprise more efficiently?

What do we need to make our academic programs as rigorous as the country’s best? How can we let prospective students know that everyone is welcome here? Can we get that message across to our state and nation?

Now, on the eve of Khayat’s retirement June 30, the Alumni

by

26 A lumni R eview

Review turns the tables on the Ole Miss chancellor. UM Director of Media and Public Relations Barbara Lago facilitates a conversation in which Khayat shares his take on serving as chief executive of his alma mater, his view of where the university should be headed in the years to come and his plans for his rapidly approaching golden years.

B ar b ara L a g o

Robert Jordan

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he montage that plays in Robert Khayat’s head when he thinks about being his alma mater’s chancellor includes an abundance of new programs and buildings: an honors college; international studies, leadership and racial reconciliation institutes; a chapel, performing arts center, indoor practice facility, and adult and children’s hospitals. All these things were only dreamt about a decade ago. The montage also includes a parade of academically gifted students who won Rhodes, Goldwater, Truman, Marshall and Fulbright scholarships; plus a procession of national and international dignitaries who visited the Oxford campus, including Donna Shalala, John Grisham, Prince Edward, King Abdullah II of Jordan, Morgan Freeman, Colin Powell and Barack Obama.

The achievements just kept coming, an endless list prompting many to dub Khayat’s term a “renaissance.” The number and impact of these achievements for which he has had a frontrow seat “just puts me on my knees,” says the unassuming but extremely grateful campus CEO. “In the years to follow, I hope I’ll have time to really think about it. There is so much activity that it’s hard to keep it clear in your mind what you’re really experiencing.”

That’s telling, coming from a man who rises at 6 a.m. and puts in a three-mile walk before arriving at the office at 8 or 8:30 to take care of the day’s business, which often means working until 10 or 11 p.m. The grueling schedule has meant less time for himself and his family. But the hectic pace and demands on his time will come to an end July 1, which prompts our first question.

Being chancellor of Ole Miss is a 24/7 job. What are you going to do after you retire?

Retiring is a huge transition. All of us work, work, work, and then suddenly, bingo, you have time on your hands. So, first, we’re going to take a monthlong vacation in North Carolina and try to separate emotionally from Ole Miss and Mississippi. Then maybe we’ll travel some the next month, maybe to Michigan to visit our daughter. After that, I might begin looking at opportunities to do something that would enable me to use the experience I’ve gained in this wonderful position.

Are you thinking about some business opportunities?

I’m wide open on that. I’ve been contacted by some organizations—including some businesses and firms, and some foundations—so I’m just going to be open. There are lots of things I’m interested in, but I hope to find a way to use what I’ve learned here in a really effective and productive way.

When you told me you had decided to retire, you mentioned going into a department store and having an epiphany.

Yes. Through the years I’ve only gone into men’s stores because I’ve had to have blue suits, red ties and white shirts. But recently I was out of town and I needed a jacket, so I went to a department store. When I first walked in, I just sort of stopped and looked. Over on the left was where the hardware began, and I could see Weed Eaters and lawn mowers, and straight ahead were things like silver, china and crystal. And over on the right 28 A lumni R eview

was men’s and women’s clothing, and these two escalators going upstairs to furniture.

I was just stunned, so I called Margaret and said, ‘Margaret, I feel a little like Rip Van Winkle. I just realized I haven’t been in a department store since July 1, 1995.’ I hadn’t, and the realization was a sobering experience. So I actually stayed about an hour and a half and just walked around, looking.

In your view, what is your single most important achievement as chancellor of Ole Miss?

Well, being a native Mississippian, I felt that Mississippi people have suffered from having a sort of inferiority complex. It seems that when these negative lists come out—illiteracy, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, etc.—we tend to be at the top. And when the good lists come out—college degrees, literacy, income, etc.— we seem to be down toward the bottom.

I’ve always believed that this university had not only the responsibility but also the ability to help lift the state, and I guess if I had an overriding objective as chancellor it was to enhance our self-perception and enhance the way we are perceived by others.

I’m one who believes that if you don’t have confidence in your ability to achieve what you set out to achieve, you’re going to fail.

And it’s easy to hit your goals every time if you set them low. So I thought if we could set some lofty goals and succeed, then we would feel better about ourselves, and the nation would feel better about us.

What was your proudest moment as chancellor of The University of Mississippi?

Boy, that’s a hard question, because I’ve been blessed to have a number of things happen during this 14-year period that really just filled my heart with warmth. One was when Phi Beta Kappa told us we were acceptable, because we had tried unsuccessfully to get a chapter for so many years. Another was the night we had ‘Open Doors,’ the 40th anniversary celebration of the university’s integration, because this entire community came together to not only acknowledge the unpleasant event of the past but also to affirm our commitment to the future.

On several occasions our students received nationally prestigious scholarships, and my heart really jumped. I loved that. And getting the chapel done, because this campus was talking about a chapel when I was a student in 1956. It was certainly a thrill to see that happen. And the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts.

As far as the overall impact on the campus, having a fine performance hall has had a huge impact. We could not have hosted the presidential debate had we not had the Ford Center. To have the nation come to us and see that beautiful facility, to see the sort of state-of-the-art support and technology in place here, and to welcome the first debate for the presidency of the United States—that was a heart-popper, too.

There were others, and I could go on and on, but I’ll stop there.

What were some of the more painful experiences as chancellor?

Almost every year, we lost one or more students in some sort of

tragic accident, and two students I knew personally had terminal illnesses. Because we are such a close community, losing students to tragedies were probably the saddest times.

Probably the most trying time was the year we spent getting people to understand that the Confederate flag could not be a symbol of our university. It was a very divisive and mean-spirited time. I understand the feelings people have about that flag, but I also understood that if we were going to be citizens in the national community, then we could not be known by the Confederate flag.

There were groups around the country with no interest in Ole Miss that took a major interest in us that year. But we had great student, alumni, faculty and staff leadership. They helped get it done, and the flag is no longer a burden. We can memorialize that flag. It is part of our history, but it cannot be associated with Ole Miss.

Is it true you received death threats during that time?

Yes, I actually did. I’ll have to admit I was naive about the level of emotion evoked by symbols. People get really stirred up over symbols, so over that nine-12-month period, we received thousands of pieces of correspondence just excoriating me. There were 14 that were reviewed by law enforcement because they were sort of frightening.

And there was one person who followed me around for about eight months. Every time I spoke somewhere, he was there, and he looked at me with a mean look. I don’t know if I was frightened, but I thought I should just be aware. I got a lot of mail

“

... [I]f I had an overriding objective as chancellor it was to enhance our selfperception and enhance the way we are perceived by others.

”

—Chancellor Robert Khayat from people who where mad at me, but the death threats came from out of state.

Dealing with that took a lot of courage.

It took a lot of courage for this community to come together and deal with that, but sometimes you have to make hard decisions.

What’s the funniest thing that happened to you during your 14 years as chancellor?

Probably the funniest is when an 18-year-old male student said he needed to talk to me. So we sat down and talked a bit, and then he said, ‘I need to ask you a question.’ And I said, ‘Well, what?’ And he said, ‘What do you do with girls?’ And I said, Spring 2009 29

‘What do you mean, what do you do with girls?’ And he said, ‘Well, do you hold hands? Do you put your arm around them?

What do you do?’

I had a lot of other funny moments, but I think that was the most surprising question, for which, of course, I had no answer.

I think I told him something stupid, like ‘You just leave it up to her. She’ll help you out.’

It was an off-the-wall question, but he was dead serious. He wanted to know. And I thought, ‘Here I am—in an academic community, I have a degree from Yale—and I’m answering questions that mom should be answering.’

I’ve had lots of funny calls. I had one the day of a football game this year, and this guy says, ‘Hey Robert, this is Gerald.’

And I said, ‘Gerald, how ya doing boy?’ I didn’t have a clue who Gerald was, but he says, ‘We ain’t got enough port-a-potties in the north end zone.’ So I said, ‘Well, Gerald, you have called the right man. I can do something about port-a-potties.’

That was pretty funny. But, mostly, people have been real nice to me—the faculty, the staff, the students and our alumni, as well as people who didn’t know Ole Miss before but know Ole Miss now. It’s been a life-enriching experience.

What was your biggest frustration as chancellor?

Feeling that the people of Mississippi and its leadership should pay more than lip service to the importance of higher education.

When we believe in something, we put funding into it. If you were to list this state’s priorities, you’d get lots of vocal support for universities. But when the time comes to divide the money, which is absolutely essential to run quality programs, universities almost invariably are at the bottom of the list.

My frustration is knowing that an educated populace is so much more prosperous in every way but not being able to get the message across that universities are a great investment. Educated people are healthier, more active in civic affairs, more likely

Ole Miss

2029 Master plan calls for new arena, residence halls On the Map 1. Lyceum 2. residential buildings 3. basketball arena 4. science buildings 5. parking

30 A lumni R eview

to contribute to the well-being of their communities and more likely to support worthy causes. They earn a lot more, spend a lot more and pay a lot more in taxes. To know all those facts, and that every dollar invested in this university generates three dollars for the state, and not reach a point where this state places us near the top of the list, if not the top, is a major disappointment.

What are your goals for the remainder of your tenure? For April, May and June?

First, we have the challenge of a budget reduction, so we’re working pretty hard trying to manage with available resources. Second, with the state’s declining resources, enrollment growth and increasing tuition revenue become even more important, so we’re working on these items, too. Third is to help ensure the success of the events we have scheduled this spring: Honors Day, Red/ Blue Weekend, Commencement. We have the National Symphony Orchestra coming to the Ford Center, which is quite a tribute to our state and to the university. So I hope to promote that and help it be successful, and just go about the business of being chancellor.

I’m also attending a good number of alumni luncheons. I would love to have a chance to say ‘thank you’ to our alumni, present a status report and introduce our long-range plan. What I don’t want to happen is for us to slow down or spend much time looking back. I feel we have a lot to celebrate, but I think where we are going is more important. I hope we can get that message out there.

If you could give your successor two or three pieces of advice, what would they be?

The first thing would be to listen and hear. There are two parts to that. Listen and hear! When I first took this job, people would make appointments to see me, and I thought they wanted to hear

I

n reviewing The University of Mississippi’s recent accomplishments, Chancellor Robert Khayat is using a series of alumni luncheons to provide the Ole Miss family with a glimpse at what the Oxford campus might look like in the year 2029.

This vision of the future comes as a series of slides taken from the university’s master plan, which was designed in an effort to provide for the university’s infrastructure needs over the next 20 years.

The plan includes more than three dozen new or renovated buildings, all of them necessary to help the university keep pace with rising enrollment and educational demands.

Included in the new structures are a second residential college, more than a dozen smaller residential buildings and a large science building.

“We need several new residence halls,”

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from me. It didn’t take me long to figure out that they didn’t want to hear from me. They wanted me to hear from them! So early on I started listening, and by listening and hearing I found out how people feel and what their interests are. So I think item one would be to listen.

Item two would be to remember that it is not about you.

As chancellor you represent the university. You’re out front, and many people either pat you on the back or boo you. But it’s really not about you. It’s about the students, the faculty, the staff, the alumni. It’s about this university making our society better.

You’re just the lucky son-of-a-gun who has an opportunity to play a leadership role in it.

For me, one of my first management rules was to know this university’s personality, to know who we were and try to make who we were better, rather than trying to make us something different, because that hardly ever works. And secondly, get some great people to work with you, and don’t be afraid for them to be smarter than you. It’s just great if they’re smarter than you and better at what they do than you are. Then give them the responsibility and the authority they need, which doesn’t always happen. And thirdly, give them the credit. No one person makes a big organization or a family go, so one person surely doesn’t make a 10,000-employee, $1.5 billion-a-year business go. So share the responsibility, share the credit, listen to people, hear what they say, develop a plan, and be true to your personality.

I really learned a lot on the job, and it’s a little bit painful to realize that just about the time you learn how to do it, you’re through.

Fifty years from now, how do you want historians to remember your time as chancellor?

When Willie Nelson was asked what he would like on his tombstone, he said, ‘His intentions were good.’ My intentions were good. I just hope that, if it’s talked about or thought about,

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which it may not be, that we would generally agree that Ole Miss became a better place during these 14 years.

Just after I was named chancellor, I went to see the University of Kentucky president and asked for advice. He said, ‘Robert, the measure of your chancellorship will be whether the university is a little stronger, a little prettier and a little richer.’ So, that would be fine with me, but if this time is viewed as one in which we made a commitment to high expectations and to being the university that Mississippi needs to lead the state, and to be nationally respected, that would be a bonus.

The university has made tremendous strides in race relations in the last 14 years. What role did you play in that?

And what is the next step?

Because of our state’s unique history with regard to race and our unique role in that history, it seemed to me that this was the ideal place to lead the way in race relations. That incident here in 1962 with James Meredith was one of the defining events in our 160-year history, so the university had a responsibility to take a leadership role in reconciliation. Plus, our people—Ole Miss people, Southerners, Mississippians—really are compassionate, loving, kind people. Some of them are white, some of them are black, and some are Asian, Latino or Native American. They come from all walks of life and, on the whole, are generally kind people who show respect for others. So I and other members of this community thought we should be leaders in this whole area of race relations.

We worked hard on it. We recruited black students. We acknowledged our past. We made it clear what our commitment to the future was, and is. We have tangible evidence on our campus of that commitment. At the town-hall meeting we held back in 2000 for the President’s Initiative on Race in America, we packed Fulton Chapel. There were 900 people there. There

Khayat told an alumni gathering at The Inn at Ole Miss in February. “We know that’s one of our most pressing needs. We also need a new science building with lots of laboratory space so we can continue to provide our students with the educational experiences they need to succeed.”

The plan includes several new academic buildings to address a campuswide need for classroom space, new mechanical infrastructure, a couple of new streets and a new basketball arena. It also features up to four new parking structures.

“I know it’s hard to believe, but we have more parking spaces per capita than any other university in America,” Khayat says.

“The problem is that most of them are not in front of the academic buildings.”

An artist’s rendering of how the campus might look from the air shows planned buildings in red, with existing structures in

orange.

While the image might be a bit startling at first glance, it represents a continuation of the past decade of growth, says Ian Banner, university architect.

“Actually, this plan adds slightly less square footage than we’ve added since 1995,” Banner says. “It’s just that it seems overwhelming when you see it all in one take.”

Some of the components should be under way soon, he says. University officials hope to start work this summer on the second residential college. Expansion of the Student Union and Turner Center are slated to begin as soon as funding can be secured.

After some fine-tuning, the plan will be posted on the university’s Web site, Banner says. —Mitchell Diggs AR

Spring 2009 31

were 23 of those meetings across the country, and the commission concluded that ours was the best and most productive.

Out of that came the idea for the Institute for Racial Reconciliation. We brought back the National Guard, the marshals, people who worked the night of the riot. We brought back former U.S. Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach, who represented the Kennedy administration during the uprising, James Meredith and his family, Merlie Evers and Gov. William Winter.

We had a host of people here who were involved in that tragic night, but, ultimately, that tragic night became a victorious night because it prompted change here.

We’ve brought in speakers and programs and had events that emphasized the need for us to be one without regard to race, or gender, or religion, or wealth, or politics—that we are just Americans who are at Ole Miss. That’s sort of been the driving commitment for me and for most of us at Ole Miss.

Is there one thing that you wanted to achieve at Ole Miss but didn’t?

One of the interesting characteristics of a university is that it’s never finished. Our goals kept changing. We had a goal of having an honors college, and we achieved that. Then we wanted an international studies program, and that became a reality. Then a leadership institute, a racial reconciliation institute, a performing arts center and a science building, which we don’t have yet.

We also want modern residence halls for our students, and we’re building our first one. We need state-of-the-art fitness facilities for our students. The culture of students has changed dramatically through the years, and we have a Student Union building built in 1975, so one of our questions is what sort of student union and student services do we need today?

I could give you a long list of things that have not been done, but the university is a work in progress, and it just keeps growing.

The research park is well under way with the first level of funding and planning, but probably another $400 million or $500 million worth of work needs to be done.

What I worry about most are the high-rise dorms. I really wish we didn’t have any students living higher than the fourth floor. I have a fear of fire on the 10th or 11th floor. If I could wave a magic wand, probably the first thing I would do is close every floor above four, so students could walk down the steps if they had to.

Really and truly, when you think about a community of 14,000 people between the ages of 18 and 22, who are active 24 hours a day and are not aware that they are vulnerable and not invincible, something really bad could happen in just a second. My No. 1 concern has been the safety and well-being of our students. I hope and pray that they will have the opportunity to be successful and that they will avoid the hazards that are out there, whether it’s alcohol, careless driving, controlled substances or fire. When we lost those students at the fraternity house, golly, that’s the sort of thing I wish we could have done more to prevent.

As chancellor, you’ve rubbed elbows with kings, congressmen and presidents—some pretty famous people.

My wife, Margaret, and I have talked about how rare this expe32 A lumni R eview

rience has been, to have a meal with Prince Edward, to welcome King Abdullah, to welcome President Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain, and Gen. Colin Powell, probably one of the most well-respected people in the world. If we went back and listed the nationally and internationally prominent people our students have had access to, it would be hard to comprehend.

My favorite example is that six-month period in which students in the Honors College had the opportunity to sit on the same sofa in the same little room with Donna Shalala, who was secretary of health and human services, and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. That is amazing. They met two of our nation’s leaders, whose political philosophies are 180 degrees apart.

The list of dignitaries who have come here is long and impressive. Spike Lee, for example, who can be pretty direct and pretty abrasive, called me the day after he got back to New York and told me how much he loved being at Ole Miss, how nice everybody was to him and how surprised and pleased he was.

I would like to have the list of prominent visitors to our campus.

What would that young Robert Khayat growing up in Moss Point, Miss., think of the opportunities that you’ve had?

I don’t want to sound sanctimonious, but it just puts me on my knees to have had the opportunity to serve as chancellor; to know so many fine students, faculty, staff and alumni; and to meet these dignitaries and well-known people. For example, Morgan Freeman called me, wanted to come over and have lunch, so here I am with Morgan Freeman, one of the greatest actors in the history of theater, and the two of us are downtown having lunch. He’s gifted, he has a voice, he can act, he can dance, he can sing, and he’s performed all over the world. But Robert Khayat is having lunch with Morgan Freeman, talking about Mississippi issues. And being invited to a party at John Grisham’s house and being there with people from all over—it’s all pretty amazing to me.

Plus the joy of meeting 18-year-olds who have their lives ahead of them and are so excited about it, and watching them grow from awkward young deer to fairly sophisticated men and women. It’s just overwhelming.

In the years that follow, I hope I’ll have time to really think about it, because it passes so fast, and there is so much activity that it’s hard to keep up and keep it clear in your mind what you’re really experiencing.

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ith that, our chancellor is off. There is an executive management council meeting to chair, a PowerPoint to present at an alumni club luncheon, an awards ceremony to emcee and a banquet to attend. As you reflect on all that has been accomplished at our alma mater under Robert Khayat’s leadership, don’t overlook the obvious. His intentions were good.

Barbara Lago (BA 82) is director of media and public relations at Ole Miss. She wrote about Chancellor Khayat’s first 10 years as campus CEO in our summer 2005 issue. AR

34 A lumni R eview

Whispeî&#x17D;˘er The

Bride

â&#x20AC;˘

Groomsman arrested?

Thunderstorms predicted?

Car stolen?

No worries.

Wedding planner Kate Rosson has it all under control

b y S a b r i n a B row n

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When she was 10, Kate Barron Rosson (BA 03, MA 05) talked her mother into buying her a second-hand copy of Modern Bride magazine. Somewhat more obsessed with weddings than the average 10-year-old girl, she felt she had struck the mother lode. She worked her way through every feature story, sidebar, caption, photo and advertisement touting the merits of various wedding gowns, flower arrangements and multitiered cakes. And then she did it again.

36 A lumni R eview

Robert Jordan

“It became my bible,” she says.

She spent that summer poolside—with her blue telephone and her dog-eared copy of the magazine—planning spectacular weddings for all her fifth-grade friends.

In the movies, this is where the story would cut straight to grown-up Kate fulfilling her oneand-only lifelong ambition of being a wedding planner. Of course, real life rarely is that predictable. Though she knew she loved event planning, Rosson made a few unexpected detours along the way from her “Here Comes the Bride” summer to being the owner of A Bash, a full-service event-planning firm in Oxford specializing in weddings.

A bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism and stints selling ads for a radio station and writing for a trade magazine left Rosson feeling decidedly unhappy. She quit her desk job and started A Bash in 2004 with a box of business cards and a $50 investment in an Internet domain name.

She planned 12 weddings that first year and 37 in 2005, a “wild year” when she also finished a master’s degree in higher education. Since then she’s trimmed back the number of weddings she takes on to about 25 a year, but the size of the events has grown. She also plans several nonwedding events each year, including fundraisers, holiday parties and anniversary parties.

Her success with A Bash merited the attention of the Mississippi Business Journal, which named her one of Mississippi’s 50 Leading Business Women in 2007. Budgets for the weddings she handles have been as much as $275,000, but $65,000-$75,000 is the average, says Rosson, who has planned more than 150 of the events so

Wedding planner Kate Rosson (center) assures brides that by the time of the rehearsal the wedding is on autopilot. Bride Melinda Trotter and groom Daniel Thompson appear relaxed and happy the night before their wedding.

Robert Jordan

Robert Jordan

Nathan Latil

Top

•

Intern Callie Little (left) and Rosson discuss the order of the procession at a rehearsal.

Bottom left

Tuxes, shoes and accessories are checked and double checked before being handed out.

Bottom center

Rosson gives groomsmen final instructions before the ceremony.

Bottom right

Intern Sloan Johnson, a senior hospitality management major from Little Rock, Ark., sets up the cake at a reception at the Lyric Theater in Oxford.

far. Her fee is 10 percent-20 percent of the budget, depending on what she has to do—and that can be just about anything.

Wedding planners are a special breed. They have to be more prepared than a Boy Scout, more patient than Job and better at predicting the weather than Al Roker. They are designers, therapists, personal shoppers, subcontractors, travel agents and hardnosed businesspeople (with a sugar coating).

“What keeps me calm is knowing that we’ve covered all the details and everything will fall into place,” says Rosson. “What I always tell brides the day of the wedding is, ‘Your wedding is on autopilot now.’”

Melinda Trotter Thompson (BA 03) seemed to already have taken that advice to heart at her wedding rehearsal on a Friday evening in January. “Kate has so much positive energy. She can take care of anything,” said Thompson. “She is so enthusiastic and reassuring.”

Groom Daniel Thompson (BBA 04) agreed. “Kate has held my hand through the entire thing. I’m usually pretty uptight, but she really helps you relax a little,” he said.

Of course, at some weddings there can be a few bumps along the way to the perfect ceremony and reception. Take, for example, the case of the pugilistic groomsman.

Spring 2009 37

Nathan Latil Nathan Latil

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Top Nothing escapes Rosson’s eye for detail.

Bottom Intern Callie Little prepares the flower girls for

their walk down the aisle.

38 A lumni R eview

In her standard speech at rehearsals, Rosson admonishes everyone to stay out of trouble the night before the wedding. “I do not want to bail you out of jail,” she says. It’s a warning born not of caution but of experience.

“I had a wedding where a groomsman got into a fight with the bartender at a club after the rehearsal dinner,” she says. “The police arrested both of them. I got this call in the middle of the night and had to go bail [the groomsman] out at two o’clock in the morning the day of the wedding.”

A warped sense of humor also seems to be a characteristic found among groomsmen, as Rosson relates in this story from another wedding.

“The father of the groom and the groom have identical BMWs. The night before the wedding, the father’s car goes missing from the front of the house. We call the Oxford police, call the insurance company. Lo and behold the father’s wallet is in the car with $3,000 in cash and his credit cards.

Now they’re really panicked.”

Rosson finally called the family together at 11 a.m. the day of the wedding and told them to “stop talking about this. Today is about the wedding.” The car turned up on the Square an hour before the ceremony. The groomsmen, who had sworn their innocence when questioned earlier, were actually guilty of one very unfunny prank.

They had intended to steal the groom’s car.

Brides, on the other hand, can present their own special challenges.

“One bride was pregnant and didn’t let me know. That would have solved a world of problems if I’d known her hormones were out of whack,” Rosson says.

Another “Bridezilla” bomarbarded Rosson with constant demands and a nonstop litany of “‘I must have this, Kate. I must have that. This is ridiculous. This is ugly,’” Rosson says, still shaking her head over the experience. “I couldn’t cook or clean for months because of her.”

In that case, it wasn’t bride’s special requests but her attitude that took Rosson to the edge of her legendary patience and calm demeanor. She actually thrives on making each bride’s wedding different and personally meaningful. Things like setting up a special doggie treat station for guests who brought pets, working with a baker to design a wedding cake in the shape of Oxford’s City Grocery restaurant or finding custom couture tailored linens are part of what she loves about her job.

Nathan Latil

Minutes before the ceremony, Rosson makes sure everything is on schedule.

“What I strive to do is not make something cookie-cutter,” she says. “I want your guests to have the best time ever. I’m always thinking, ‘What will the guests smell? What will the guests taste? What will the guests think about this?’ If that means one curve ball or 50, I want to make it unique.

“For one wedding, the bride wanted something fun for the getaway. I remembered I had gotten an e-mail from a vendor telling me to check out this new product—sky lanterns. They’re nonflammable, biodegradable paper lanterns that float up into the sky after you light them. It was very whimsical. My job was accomplished. People walked away from that wedding talking about something they’d never seen before.”

Another part of Rosson’s job is to keep those brave souls who plan outdoor weddings apprised of the weather.

“I live by radar,” she says.

Hours before one ceremony she was watching a storm steadily heading straight for Oxford from Clarksdale. As it got closer and closer, Rosson advised the mother of the bride that they needed to

move indoors, but she refused.

“The system went just south of us,” Rosson says. “She literally prayed that rain away.”

Helping Rosson deal with the endless details of her business is a group of Ole Miss students. As many as 12 sign up each semester for internships that, though unpaid, provide academic credit for 200 hours of work. Most of the interns are hospitality management majors, but the opportunity is open to any student who’s willing to take on the commitment. In addition to the class credit, the interns get real experience for their resumes; Rosson gets lots of free help.

“I started the internships in 2005.

I don’t know how I ever did it without them,” she says.

Callie Little is a journalism major who signed up to work a second semester with A Bash this spring, even though she will receive neither pay nor academic credit for this tour of duty.

“I truthfully have been infatuated with weddings from a very young age,” says Little, a junior from Richmond, Texas.

“Going to office hours [at A Bash] is

the most fun of my whole week. One of the things that I learned early on is that Kate really treats her interns like adults, like professionals. She says, ‘Girls, it’s OK to trust yourself. You can trust your instincts.’”

Susannah Hackel, a junior hospitality management major from Waycross, Ga., agrees that Rosson gives interns real responsibilities.

“It’s not busy work. She’s asking for our input. Like, ‘I want a new idea for how to set up this venue’ or ‘I want a new idea for doing the lighting.’”

Little says working at A Bash has turned her into someone who can solve problems in a crisis without breaking a sweat. Just like her mentor.

“I have never seen her outwardly flustered—never,” Little says of Rosson.

Little isn’t sure what she wants to do after she finishes her education, but she says Rosson is an inspiration. “Seeing Kate start her business from nothing and build it up makes me see I have the potential to do the same thing.” AR Sabrina Brown is director of publications at UM. Spring 2009 39

Sports From End Zone to War Zone

Nutt joins group of coaches heading to Middle East to visit U.S. soldiers

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le Miss Head Football Coach Houston Nutt will be taking part in the Second Annual Coaches Tour presented by Under Armour, traveling to military bases throughout the Middle East to visit U.S. troops.

Four other coaches have committed to join Nutt on the trip, which is set to run May 28-June 4. The coaches will visit bases in Afghanistan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

The group, which includes head coaches Mack Brown (Texas), Troy Calhoun (Air Force), Rick Neuheisel (UCLA) and former Ole Miss and Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville, will be heading to the Gulf on a USAF KC-135 Refueling Tanker. They are expected to

citizens who wear the uniform visit more than 12,000 troops of our country,” says Mike and travel 20,000 flight miles.

Whalen, Morale Entertain“It is such an honor to be ment partner. “Additionally, asked to go to boost morale and the presence of Coach Nutt will uplift our troops, who risk their help to illustrate the significant lives every day to protect our contributions of the Missisfreedom,” says Nutt. “I’m look- Houston Nutt sippi Air National Guard, the ing forward to the camaraderie with the other coaches and being a part folks who have taken on the lion’s share of the aeromedical mission of flying our of this very special experience.”

Last year’s tour was the first of its kind wounded back from the battlefield and for NCAA football and for Armed Forc- military hospitals for many years.”

Armed Forces Entertainment is the es Entertainment. Morale Entertainment is organizing the tour in association with lead Department of Defense agency for providing entertainment to U.S. military Armed Forces Entertainment.

“Houston is a guy who has always personnel serving overseas, with priority supported the United States military and given to those in contingency operations is keenly aware of the sacrifices of our and at remote and isolated locations. AR

Delta Experience The ultimate

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Check in at the fabulous and funky Delta Cotton Company apartments located above Ground Zero Blues Club, which is a stone’s throw away from the famous Delta Blues Museum and Cat Head Delta Blues and Folk Art. Spend an evening dining at world− class restaurant Madidi, then get down with the beat at the world−famous Ground Zero Blues Club.

Delta Cotton Company Apartments (662) 645-9366 40 A lumni R eview

Ground Zero Blues Club (662) 621-9009 www.groundzerobluesclub.com

Madidi Restaurant (662) 627-7770 www.madidires.com

On the Fast Track Track Team Sets New Records

T

he Ole Miss track and field team posted two school records and two NCA A provisional marks at the Arkansas Last Chance Meet in March.

Sophomore Juliana Smith set a school record in the weight throw and improved her NCAA provisional mark with a distance of 62-04.25 en route to a second-place finish. Smith broke her own previous school record distance of 62-03.00, which she set last week at the SEC Indoor Championships.

Junior Davina Orieukwu posted an NCAA provisional mark and set a school record in the shot put with a distance of 50-07.50 on her way to a second-place finish.

On the menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s side, senior Derek McGuire placed first in the shot put with a mark of 57-06.50. Fellow senior Wale Odetunde turned in a fourth-place showing in the triple jump with a distance of 46-04.00.

Senior distance runner Kyle Lewis, who competed Davina Orieukwa was one of several members of the Ole Miss at the Alex Wilson Invita- track and field team to post school or NCAA records in March.

Orieukwa set a school record in the shot put with a distance of tional in South Bend, Ind., 50-07.50. finished in eighth place in the 5000 meters with a time win raced to an NCAA provisional mark and the second-fastest time in school hisof 14:19.14.

The Ole Miss womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 4x400 meter tory with a time of 3:36.86. The quartet relay team of Jasmine Dacus, Sofie Pers- finished in fourth place at the Alex Wilson, Britney Barnard and LaJada Bald- son Invitational. AR

Spring 2009 41

Sports A Whole New Ballgame

Revamped NCAA Championships format spells opportunity for golf program

W

hen Head Coach Ernest Ross returned to his alma mater in 2004, he set out to steer the UM golf program back to the pinnacle of the sport. With back-toback NCAA regional appearances, he’s achieved a large measure of success, but he’s not ready to declare victory yet. This year he’s got his sights set on the NCAA Championships.

This year’s NCAA Championships will feature a different format adopted by the NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Committee in July 2008. Instead of

cutting the field to 15 teams after 54 holes and crowning both an individual champion and team champion after 72 holes of stroke play, the NCAA individual champion will be determined following 54 holes of stroke play, with the top eight teams advancing to a singleelimination match play tournament.

Looking to create more appeal for television coverage, the team with the lowest score after three rounds of competition will play the team with the eighth-lowest score and so on until a team champion is crowned.

The Ole Miss men’s golf team has their sights set on the NCAA Championships, which will feature a revamped format this year. The Championships will take place this May in Toledo, Ohio.

Regional play will change as well.

Three regions will expand to six regions to create more postseason opportunities. In the past, 81 teams were selected to compete in three regions. The top 10 teams in each region advanced to the NCAA Championships. This year a total of 84 teams will qualify for regional play with the top six teams from each region advancing to the 36-team field at the national championships.

This year’s NCAA Championships will be held May 27-30 at the Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio.

“I am really excited about the new format,” Ross says. “It should lend itself to drama that may make college golf more marketable to TV. Since we don’t play many match play tournaments, it will be a new experience for many players. Our goal is to get to finals, advance to match play, and then have fun. I believe our team has the talent to go a long way.”

The Rebels hope that with a blend of experience and young talent they will be one of 36 teams making reservations for Toledo at the end of the year. AR

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arts &

Culture Jeff Immelt and the New GE Way by David Magee, 272 pages, $25.95 (Hardcover), ISBN: 9780071605878 When it was announced in late 2000 that Jeff Immelt would be taking the helm of GE, some skeptics were quick to voice their reservations about the future of the company after Jack Welch.

Not only were Welch’s shoes particularly large ones to fill, but the economy was dallying with recession, China and India were taking their first giant steps into the global economy, and just four days into Immelt’s tenure came the biggest game changer of all: 9/11.

Written with the full cooperation of Immelt and GE senior executives, Jeff Immelt and the New GE Way tells the amazing story of how Immelt defied the skeptics and successfully reengineered one of the world’s oldest and largest global conglomerates to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

David Magee (BA 98) is the author of How Toyota Became #1; Turnaround: How Carlos Ghosn Rescued Nissan; The John Deere Way; and Ford Tough. His books have been reviewed in The Wall Street Journal, The Harvard Business Review and Newsweek. Magee now lives on Lookout Mountain, Tenn., with his wife and three children.

A Perfect Plan by Pete Boone.

304 pages, $7 (Paperback) Pete Boone (BBA 72) is probably best-known for his banking career and his role as the athletics director for Ole Miss. But with the recent release of his first novel, A Perfect Plan, he can add “writer” to his résumé.

The suspense thriller 44 A lumni R eview

chronicles an apocalyptic showdown that intertwines global politics, terrorism and theology.

Marshall Gunter, son of the German Chancellor, had a clear vision about his future and the future of the world. He had been directed since his early childhood days by a spirit he called master. After the death of United Nations Presi d e n t Ja s o n Bi s h o p, Gunter assumed Bishop’s vacated position.

He was now supreme leader of the world, just as his plan dictated.

For John Morris, everything changed one day as he sat by a small creek at his family’s farm in Oxford, Miss.

Michael, God’s Archangel, revealed part of God’s plan for mankind.

Morris and Marshall, each led by his own God, are on a collision course. The stakes are simple…the future of mankind.

The book is available in Oxford at Square Books, Barnes & Noble on campus and The Rebel Shop.

Full Circle by Rocket 88, CD, SelfReleased, $12.97 Featuring the husband and wife songwriting duo of Jamie Posey (BBA 98, BBA 00, MBA 03, PhD 07) and Rosamond Posey (BBA 00, JD 03), Oxford-based Rocket 88 has been described as everything from juke-joint gospel to twang-rock.

The band, which also includes bassist Nathan Robbins, keyboardist Rober t Chaffe (BE 96) and dr um-

m e r Ry a n Ro g ers, describes its sound as drawing from a melting pot of influences that includes gospel, traditional c o u n t r y, ’ 7 0 s rock, ’90s alt-country, and Delta and Hill Country blues. All of those influences are revealed on their debut album, “Full Circle,” which features 10 original compositions.

The CD is available online at <www. amazon.com> and other outlets. For more information, visit the band’s Web site at <www.rocket88music.com>.

A New Day in the Delta: Inventing School Desegregation As You Go

by David Beckwith, 276 pages, $29.95 (Hardcover), ISBN: 0817381104 In 1969, at the height of the Age of Aquarius, Greenville native David Beckwith became part of this era of change when he participated in a social experience that would change the face of public education forever. A New Day in the Delta tells the graphic story of how he became a token white instructor in an all-black school in a Mississippi Delta school system, which was about to be dismantled and refashioned by the federal courts into a fully integrated system.

This evolving landscape changed him and his colleagues forever… into black and white Southerners with a heightened social consciousness and a new understanding of how to tolerate and respect each other.

Beckwith (BBA 69, MBA 71) has spent most of his working career in the securities industry and is currently a

A native Mississippian, Anne Percy (MA 94), moved to Oxford in 1991 to enter graduate school at The University of Mississippi. After receiving her masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree in Southern studies, she chose to remain in Oxford. Some of her children and grandchildren also live in Oxford.

vice president and financial adviser with Morgan Stanley. He lives in Vero Beach and Little Torch Key, Fla. Early History of Oxford, Mississippi by Anne Percy, 247 pages, $28 (Hardcover), ISBN: 9780615222875 Early History of Oxford, Mississippi tells the story of the first 50 years of Oxford, which was incorporated in 1837. Those early years shaped Oxford, a town that was unique long before the time of William Faulkner.

The freedmen of Oxford enter the story after the Civil War, and they were an industrious group. With income from skills learned as slaves, they began to buy property for their homes and churches.

When given the right to vote, the freedmen did so in great numbers. A few of them served as Oxford aldermen.

Like those who live in Oxford today, the people of early Oxford were not dull people. They were special, and they should not be forgotten.

Information presented in this section is compiled from material provided by the publisher and/or author and does not necessarily represent the view of the Alumni Review or the Ole Miss Alumni Association. To present a recently published book or CD for consideration, please mail a copy with any descriptions and publishing information to Ole Miss Alumni Review, Ole Miss Alumni Association, P.O. Box 1848, University, MS 38677-1848. AR

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Spring 2009 45

Travel planner 2009-10

A

lumni and friends of the university enjoy traveling together.

For 2009-10, the Alumni Association is offering some spectacular trips.

Alumni and friends obtain group rates and discounts.

All prices are per person, based on double occupancy. Airfare is not included. For a brochure or more information, contact the Alumni office at 662-9157375. You also can find these trips listed on the Ole Miss Alumni Association’s Web site at <www.olemissalumni.com>.

Tuscany/Cortona May 6-14, 2009 Tuscany is celebrated for breathtaking natural beauty, magnificent Renaissance art and architecture, superb cuisine and some of Italy’s most charming people. Its historic hilltop towns are living postcards where ancient ramparts encircle colorful piazzas, elegant Etruscan fountains, stately pa lazzos and bustling cafés.

Explore the myriad fascinations and f lavors of this spectacular region from medieval Cortona. Travel past Etruscan

tombs and through the gorgeous hill country while indulging your senses in the beauty and simplicity of the land, dense with olive groves and vineyards, cypress and pine.—$2,495 Cruising the Baltic Sea and Norwegian Fjords May 26-June 7, 2009 In the tradition of ancient Viking mariners, sail across the Baltic Sea under sunlit northern skies to experience the magnificent beauty of Norway’s fjords, the cultural rebirth of the Baltic States and the imperial riches of St. Petersburg on this special voyage. From the medieval treasures of Riga, Tallinn and Gda´nsk, to the unrivaled artistic heritage of St. Petersburg, Russia, delve into the region’s fascinating historical legacy. This customized itinerary encompasses numerous cultural enhancements, including a special early opening tour of the world-acclaimed Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, and features accommodations aboard the deluxe M.S. Le Diamant, one of the world’s most celebrated small cruise ships.

A pre-program option in the Hanseatic city of Bergen, Norway, and a two-night Stockholm post-program option also are offered.—$6,295 Village Life in the Italian Lake district june 6-14, 2009 Savor “la dolce vita”—the sweet life—in Italy’s legendary Lake District for one week while discovering the renowned art, magnificent architecture and storied history of a region whose beautiful and romantic alpine setting has inspired some of Western civilization’s greatest creative minds from Virgil to Hemingway. While spending seven nights in the lakeside village of Cernobbio in the charming Hotel Regina Olga, explore the rich historical and cultural heritage of

Norwegian Fjords 46 A lumni R eview

Lombardy and the Lake District through educational lectures, meetings with local citizens and specially arranged guided tours. You will also learn the secrets to preparing authentic Italian cuisine during a hands-on culinary class and meal at the Centro Studi Alberghiero Casnati cooking school.—$2,795 Ukraine and Romania June 23-July 6, 2009 On this journey, you’ll gain a full understanding of the historical and political events that led to Ukraine’s independence while immersing yourself in the lifestyle and landscapes unique to the region. The voyage will take you from Kiev—where you’ll walk alongside locals, see the lush landscapes that inspired Alexander Pushkin, taste local cuisine, hear renowned musicians, visit two UNESCO World Heritage List sites and be entertained by native Cossacks—to Bucharest. It’s a trip overflowing with education, exploration and enjoyment.

Accommodations include 10 nights aboard the M.S. Dnieper Princess and a two-night stay at the Athenee Palace Hilton in Bucharest, Romania. Entertainment includes performances by the Ukrainian National Choir, Black Sea Naval Fleet Ensemble and a folklore group.—$2,295 Great Journey through Europe June 24-July 4, 2009 Immerse yourself in the cultural and scenic treasures of Europe’s heartland on this unique cruise and rail itinerary tracing the Rhine River from the North Sea to the Swiss Alps. Board the deluxe M.S. Amadeus Princess in Amsterdam and travel upstream for five nights through Holland, Germany and France.

Disembark in Basel, Switzerland, and travel overland by road and rail to the pristine alpine resort of Zermatt, nestled beneath the craggy peak of the Matterhorn, and the beautiful lakeside town of Lucerne. During your stay in Switzerland, experience the soaring majesty of the Alps on three of Europe’s most spectacular rail journeys—the Gornergrat Bahn, the Glacier Express and the Mt. Pilatus Railway—and enjoy two nights in Zermatt in a chalet-style hotel and two nights in Lucerne in a deluxe hotel. A special Amsterdam pre-program option is also available.—$3,195

Lucerne, Switzerland

Ireland/Ennis Aug. 21-29, 2009 Set on Europe’s outskirts against the waves of the Atlantic Ocean is a rare land—the legendary Emerald Isle. Begin your exploration in Ennis, County Clare, and travel to the ancient Burren and windswept Cliffs of Moher. Visit Bunratty Castle, the most complete and authentic medieval castle in Ireland, then continue to Bunratty Folk Park, whose recreated 19thcentury village provides insight into the life of bygone days. Cruise to the Aran Island of Inishmore and marvel at the cliff-side fortress of Dún Aengus. Appreciate the country’s epic literary heritage at Coole Park in County Galway, with its beech tree bearing W.B. Yeats’ initials and the 16th-century tower of Thoor Ballylee, where he resided. Don’t miss this opportunity to explore Ireland, a captivating island of legend and history, lively villages and peaceful countryside.—$2,395 Celtic Lands Aug. 22-Sept. 2, 2009 Embrace four millennia of Celtic history on this remarkable 12-day voyage aboard the deluxe, exclusively chartered M.S. Le Diamant. Cruise around the misty, legend-haunted islands of Scotland and

along the verdant coasts of southern England and northern France. Experience the stark beauty of Scotland’s Hebrides; admire the elegant architecture of Edinburgh; observe the enduring Celtic heritage of Northern Ireland and Wales; and revel in the historical charms of the Cornish port of Penzance. In Normandy, France, admire the soaring grace of MontSt-Michel and stroll along the historic beaches where Allied forces landed on D-Day. We also invite you to enhance your travel experience with an exclusive pre-program option in Dublin and/or a post-program option in Paris, the romantic “City of Light.” —$5,195 Ancient Wonders of the Western Mediterranean Sept. 11-21, 2009 Join in an expedition to the heart of the Mediterranean, and experience the grand colosseums, spectacular temples and ruined cities of the classical world on this 11-day voyage aboard the exclusively chartered deluxe M.S. Le Diamant.

Cruise along the stunning coasts of the French and Italian Riviera, and marvel at Michelangelo’s David in Florence, “Cradle of the Renaissance.” Sail in the wake of Roman galleys, medieval mariners and Spring 2009 47

an inexpensive, wonderful Thai massage.

Visit the Specialty Groups tab at <www. chinadiscoverytours.com> to learn more about this Ole Miss tour.—$2,599

Honfleur, France

the sleek triremes of Phoenician sea traders to the ancient port of Sicily. You will also tour the fabled Oracle of Delphi, one of the most sacred sites in ancient Greece, and walk the hallowed grounds of Gallipoli.—$3,995 Island Life in Ancient Greece Sept. 27-Oct. 5, 2009 Discover a region acclaimed for its fascinating history, stunning natural beauty and deep-rooted cultures on this distinctive weeklong voyage across the Aegean Sea through the Greek Isles and to Turkey’s historic coast. Explore Greece’s most fabled islands, including Santorini, renowned for its pristine beaches. Stroll through the ruins of Ephesus, and sail in the wake of Achilles, Odysseus and Agamemnon to legendary Troy aboard the exclusively chartered M.S. Le Diamant, one of the finest ships to cruise the eastern Mediterranean. Enhance your understanding of the region’s history and cultures through educational lectures and a comprehensive series of excursions. You are also invited to join a two-night preprogram option in the ancient Greek capital of Athens and/or a two-night postprogram option in Istanbul, crossroads of East and West.—$2,995 village life along the Seine River Oct. 2-10, 2009 Explore the tranquil beauty, fascinating history and rich artistic heritage of the French province of Normandy while 48 A lumni R eview

cruising on the Seine River aboard the intimate, five-star M.V. Cezanne from the historic port of Rouen to the splendid French capital of Paris. Enjoy excursions to the provincial capital of Rouen, renowned for its exquisite cathedral; Claude Monet’s house and studios in Giverny; and Auvers-sur-Oise, where Vincent van Gogh spent his final days.

Also visit the Normandy Beaches where Allied Forces landed on D-Day in June 1944, and savor regional specialties like Camembert and Calvados. Conclude in Paris, one of the world’s most romantic cities, and stroll through the streets of the legendary bohemian neighborhood of Montmartre, where artists and musicians like Pablo Picasso and Django Reinhardt once lived and worked. —$2,695 Thailand Discovery Tour Oct. 23-Nov. 1, 2009 The Thailand Discovery guides you to vibrant cities and gorgeous white sand beaches on an exciting cultural adventure.

Purchase exotic fruit and unique gifts while relaxing on a Thai Long Tail Boat through the Floating Market in Bangkok. Absorb the Long Neck Karen Tribe culture in Thaton, and sit atop enormous elephants on a thrilling jungle ride. Cool off after a spicy Thai dish with a tasty Thai iced tea, swim in crystal clear water along Phuket Island, and venture through caves and islands in Phangna Bay via canoe.

Complete your Thailand Discovery with

Passion Play Oberammergau July 11-19, 2010 Join us on this once-in-a-lifetime journey combining a performance of the legendary 2010 Passion Play in Oberammergau with a delightful cruise through the heart of Bavaria. Sail along the Main and Danube rivers aboard the exclusively chartered M.S. Amadeus Symphony, a member of the prestigious Amadeus Premium river fleet and one of the finest vessels to ply the waterways of Europe. As you cruise through the beautiful countryside of Bavaria, call at some of Germany’s most enchanting medieval towns and villages, including Würzburg, Bamberg, Nuremberg and Regensburg, before disembarking in Passau. Our journey culminates with a unique opportunity to attend the 2010 Passion Play of Oberammergau, a revered tradition that dates to 1633.

More than 2,000 participants enact this fascinating rendition of the story of Jesus Christ on the large, open-air stage of the Passion Play Theatre. Staged every 10 years, this incredible performance incorporates magnificent costumes, scenery and orchestral accompaniment to create a memorable spectacle.—$2,995 Cultural Capitals of Russia October 2010 Encounter the timeless pageant of Russian history and culture. You will experience the imperial splendor of Moscow and St. Petersburg along with luxury rail travel through the Russian countryside aboard the first-class Grand Express Train. Explore the unrivaled artistic and architectural treasures of St. Petersburg during specially arranged visits to the world-renowned Hermitage Museum and Catherine’s Palace, with its recently restored Amber Room. Throughout your journey, enjoy the finest accommodations available in Moscow and St. Petersburg at deluxe hotels in the heart of each city, and aboard the Grand Express Train, the finest passenger train in Russia.—$2,995 AR

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Spring 2009 49

News alumni

Rebels on the Hill Six Ole Miss alumni serve in the 111th Congress

Six members of the 111th United States Congress hold degrees from Ole Miss: (from left) Congressman John Fleming (La.), Sen. Roger Wicker (Miss.), Sen. Thad Cochran (Miss.), Congressman Gregg Harper (Miss.), Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (N.H.) and Congressman Travis Childers (Miss.).

W

hen the 111th United States Congress convened for its first session in January, it included six Ole Miss alumni. Among the Mississippi delegation, both senators and half of the state’s representatives hold degrees from The University of Mississippi. A senator from New Hampshire graduated from Ole Miss, and one alum represents the state of Louisiana.

The senior member of the delegation is Sen. Thad Cochran (BA 59, JD 65). Elected to the House in 1972, he has held his Senate seat since 1978.

He currently serves as ranking member of the Appropriations Committee and the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee. He also serves as a member of the Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee and the Rules Committee.

Sen. Roger Wicker (BA 73, JD 75) was elected to the Senate in 2008, after being appointed by Gov. Haley Barbour

50 A lumni R eview

(JD 73) to serve the remaining term of retiring Sen. Trent Lott (BPA 63, JD 67). Wicker had previously served seven terms in the House, representing Mississippi’s 1st Congressional District since 1994. He currently serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee; the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee; the Foreign Affairs Committee; the Small Business Committee; and the Veterans’ Affairs Committee.

Also in 2008, Travis Childers (BBA 80) was elected to fill the seat vacated

by Wicker when he moved to the Senate. Childers is on the House Agriculture Committee and is co-chair of the Congressional Rural Caucus.

Mississippi’s 3rd District is represented by Congressman Gregg Harper (JD 81), who was also elected in 2008.

Harper serves on the Committee on House Administration, the Committee on the Judiciary and the Committee on Budget.

New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (MSS 73) is the first woman in history to be elected both a governor and a senator. She served three terms as governor of New Hampshire from 1997-2003, and was elected to the Senate in 2008. She is currently serving on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. She is the chair of the Subcommittee on European Affairs.

Additionally, John Fleming (BS 73, MD 76), a family physician from Minden, La., was elected to Congress in December 2008. Fleming represents Louisiana’s 4th Congressional District.

He is a member of two House Committees: Armed Services and Natural Resources.

Congressman Frank Wolf of Virginia attended Ole Miss for one year, but took degrees from Penn State (BA) and Georgetown (JD). AR

Mission: Peru Accountancy grads bring stability to mission field

A

fter Bill Bradford (BAccy 90) graduated from UM’s Patterson School of Accountancy, he planned to take the path of his father as an accountant in Jackson, but his heart was pulling him in another direction.

In July 1992, Bradford began studying at Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, working part time as a youth director and helping his father during tax season. Seven years later, equipped with master’s degrees in divinity and theology and inspired by a Peruvian pastor he met while in seminary, Bradford and his family, along with two other American families, formed Peru Mission in Cajamarca, Peru.

He quickly found he could apply his background in accountancy to Peru Mission’s economic development ministry, developed in an effort to bring financial stability to impoverished communities there. Over the years, several other Patterson School alumni have joined Bradford to apply their accountancy expertise to the mission.

Jamey Elkin (BAccy 07) has worked with Bradford since he graduated from the Patterson School. He has helped Peru Mission by investigating account activity, devising account charts, creating monthly budget requests and analyzing the cash flow of the mission’s various ministries, most notably the SALI, the mission’s English institute. The institute is managed for-profit to provide funds for other ventures such as medical clinics.

“Jamey’s presence in the office has also enabled us to have another accounting check, thus improving our financial control,” Bradford says. “These activities are foun-

Bill Bradford (left) and Jamey Elkin are working to establish an accounting system for Peru Mission’s ministries.

dational to the implementation of our new accounting system.”

In summer 2008, graduate accountancy student Evan Norton worked with Sinergia Microfinance, one of Peru Mission’s most successful projects. Modeled after Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus’ microcredit concept, Sinergia Microfinance is a microfinancing institution that works with women in the Wichanzao parish.

“Sinergia works with solidarity groups of five women that own small, family-based businesses and need loans to buy more milk for their stores, more bundles of firewood to sell in the street and more chickens to sell at the market,” Bradford says. “The women are accountable to each other to make their payments, and, if they don’t, the group will

be disqualified for further loans. Their personal friendships serve as collateral.”

As the women continue to make payments on the small loans they get through Sinergia, they can eventually qualify for higher loan amounts from banks, allowing their businesses to grow.

Norton did an internal audit on the project through mid-2008, prepared financial statements and made an annual report presenting the goals, history, state of the company and some projections for the following year.

Finally, Alex Sherling (BAccy 01, MAccy 02), who is now pursuing an international Master of Business Administration degree at UM, also spent some time with Peru Mission.

From 2005-06, he served as director of the SALI English Institute.

With Bradford’s guidance, Elkin, Norton and Sherling have all realized their accountancy backgrounds can be used for higher purposes. —Sarah Cure AR Spring 2009 51

News alumni

Class Notes Due to space limitations, class notes are only published in the Alumni Review from active, dues-paying members of the Ole Miss Alumni Association. To submit a class note, send it to records@alumni.olemiss.edu or Alumni Records Dept., Ole Miss Alumni Association, P.O. Box 1848, University, MS 38677-1848. Class notes may also be submitted through the association’s Web site at www. olemissalumni.com. The association relies on numerous sources for class notes and is unable to verify all notes with individual alumni.

’60s

Louis F. Allen (LLB 64) of Memphis, Tenn., was na med to Mid-South Super Lawyers. Allen practices in the area of personal injury defense and general law.

J. David Blaylock (LLB 64) of Memphis, Tenn., was named to MidSouth Super Lawyers. Blaylock practices in the area of bankruptcy and creditordebtor rights law.

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George Byers (BA 69, MURP 75) of Englewood, Colo., was elected the 2009 president of the Northwest Mining Association, a 115-year-old mining industry trade group with more than 2,200 members in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

Robert A. Herring III (BA 69) of Greensboro, N.C., was promoted to full professor in the School of Business and Economics at Winston-Salem (N.C.) State University.

Page 1

James Kitchens (JD 67) of Jackson was elected associate justice of the Supreme Court of Mississippi. He previously served as a district attorney and was then in private practice.

’70s

Mark Cameron (JD 74) of Jackson wrote the book “ T he Blu f f s of De v i l ’s

Swamp.”

James E. Donald (BA 70) of Decatur was appointed to the State Board of Pardons and Paroles in January; his term expires Dec. 31, 2015.

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52 A lumni R eview

Leadership Ole Miss

Ole Miss Alumni Association club volunteers returned to campus in February for the annual Leadership Ole Miss Conference. Representatives from clubs around the state were joined by leaders from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Minnesota, Tennessee and Texas. Photo by Scott Thompson. AR

Larry Furlong (BA 71) of Maitland, Fla., joined Old Republic Title Insurance Company as assistant vice president for sales.

Ellen Hartman (BA 73) of Atlanta, Ga., received the Paul M. Lund Public Service Award at the national convention of the Public Relations Society of America.

Mark Henry (JD 79) of Brandon was named the chief of staff to Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant. Previously Henry served as an administrative judge at the Workers’ Compensation Commission for more than eight years.

Vernon “Randy” Kelley III (BBA 70, MURP 72) of Tupelo received the President’s Award from the National

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Spring 2009 53

News alumni

George J. Nassar Jr. (BBA 77, JD 79) of Memphis, Tenn., was named to Mid-South Super Lawyers. Nassar practices in the area of estate planning and probate.

Kenneth B. Roberts (PhD 75) of Lexington, Ky., was selected the 2009 Outstanding Dean by the American Pharmacists Association’s Academy of Student Pharmacists.

William L. Waller Jr. (JD 77) of Jackson was elevated to the position of chief justice of the Supreme Court of Mississippi.

Wendell Wiggins (BM 77) of Brandon was named national sales manager for World’s Finest Chocolate.

’80s

Cheryn Natz Baker (BA 88) of Jackson joined the Mississippi Secret a r y of State’s Office and serves as the assistant secretary of state of the new Research and Policy Division.

Perrin Shumake Hunter (BPA 83) of Eads, Tenn., was appointed to a position on the Northwest Mississippi Community College Foundation board of direction, serving on the foundation’s scholarship committee.

William T. Mays (BBA 81) of Memphis, Tenn., was named to Mid-South Super Lawyers. Mays practices in the area of tax.

Rev. Paul McLain III (BBA 82) of Lawrence, Kan., was ordained as an Episcopal priest at Grace Cathedral in Topeka, Kan., on Dec. 6, 2008. McLain now serves as curate at Trinity Episcopal Church in Lawrence, Kan.

’90s

David Anthony Chandler ( JD 94) of Jack son wa s elected as an associate justice of the Supreme Court in Mississippi. He most recently served as a judge on the Mississippi Court of Appeals.

Tom Faust (BA 94) of Marietta, Ga., was promoted to executive news producer at CNN in Atlanta, Ga. Mark E. Gardner (BA 93, JD 06) of Waynesville, Mo., was named trial counsel, 1st Engineer Brigade, Fort Leonard Wood, Mo. Robert Jones (BA 94) of Fort Washington, Md., received a R AND Fellowship. The fellowship is for boardselected military officers to work with the RAND Corporation on projects for the Department of Defense.

Randy G. “Bubba” Pearce (JD 97) was elected and sworn in as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of Mississippi. Pearce, a former state lawmaker, most recently served as Chancery Court judge in Pascagoula.

Mark Prince (BBA 92) of Tupelo was named new area development manager for Cellular South.

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Southern Land Company, TN LLC Lake Gates: (800) 525-5127 54 A lumni R eview

www.southernlandco.com Oxford Office: Larry Butts 662-816-7949

L A N D F O R S A L E

Top of his Field Pharmacy administration names Alumnus of the Year

O

xford businessman E.M. “Mick” Kolassa (PhD 95) has been recognized as the 2009 Alumnus of the Year by The University of Mississippi Department of Pharmacy Administration. Selection is based on contributions to the discipline of pharmacy administration. He was honored during School of Pharmacy Alumni Weekend March 6-7.

Kolassa is chairman and managing partner of Medical Marketing Economics, LLC. He received his doctorate in pharmacy administration from UM in 1995.

“Dr. Kolassa is most deserving of this award,” says Donna West-Strum, department chair. “He is an expert in pharmaceutical pricing and has contributed significantly to research and scholarship in pharmacy administration. We are extremely grateful to Dr. Kolassa for his commitment of time and other resources to the pharmacy administration graduate program.”

Kolassa is recognized internationally as a leading expert on pharmaceutical pricing and value-based strategies. He is an adjunct professor of pharmacy administration at the UM School of Pharmacy and adjunct professor of pharmaceutical business at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia.

He is editor of the Journal of Pharmaceutical Marketing and Management, author of several articles and book chapters on pharmaceutical marketing and pricing issues, and co-author of the book Pharmaceutical Marketing: Principles, Environment and Practice.

Before forming his company, Kolassa was associate professor of pharmacy administration and associate professor of marketing at UM. He previously served as director of pricing and economic policy at Sandoz, where he created and instituted that company’s first pricing and health economics departments. He also held positions at the Upjohn Co., the Strategic Pricing Group and Hastings Healthcare. AR

Donna West-Strum, chair of the Department of Pharmacy Administration at UM, presents Oxford businessman E.M. “Mick” Kolassa with the department’s Alumnus of the Year award during recent School of Pharmacy Alumni Weekend activities. Photo by Scott Thompson.

Spring 2009 55

News alumni

T

will also serve as the 2009-10 9th Circuit Representative to the South Carolina Bar’s Young Lawyers Division.

Anne D. Percy (MA 94) of Oxford is the author of Early History of Oxford, Mississippi, which is available at Square Books in Oxford.

Thomas J. Rosser ( JD 95) of Oxford returned as Of Counsel with the Oxford law firm of Mayo Mallette, PLLC. He continues his specialized practice of immigration and nationality law.

Kirk Talbot (BBA 92) of R iver Ridge, La., was elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives. Talbot represents District 78, which is part of Jefferson parish in the suburbs of New Orleans.

weddings Nadia Laine Ahmed (BBA 03) and Kevin Eugene Thornton, Nov. 8, 2008.

Shannon A. Baker and Hunter J. Richardson (BBA 98), Nov. 8, 2008.

Erin Melissa Floyd (BA 07) and Jason Allan Innman (BFA 06), May 31, 2008.

Uta Gminder and Michael Baynard Hixson (JD 02), Dec. 12, 2008.

Sara Alison Gray (BA 02) and Andrew Noble Jackson, Nov. 29, 2008.

Mary Clift Hitt (BA 04, JD 07) and Gerald M. Abdalla Jr. (BA 00, JD 03), Jan. 10, 2009.

Heather Elyse Kirkland (BBA 07) and William Scott Moseley (BBA 07), Aug. 2, 2008.

Laura Katie Laird (BA 06 ) a nd Townes Wade Maxwell (BA 06, JD 08), Dec. 27, 2008.

Amanda Elizabeth LeBlanc (BBA 07, MBA 08) and Justin Paul Janaskie (BSGE 05, MSES 08), July 19, 2008.

Jane Olivia Lusco (BAccy 06, MAccy 07) and James Christopher Champion (BBA 06), March 29, 2008.

Secret Weapon Course reveals benefits of underused surgical procedure hough it has been 30 years since minimally invasive laparoscopy was first introduced, the procedure is still not widely used. This despite the fact that it offers less pain, less scarring and a shorter recovery period. Surgeon James “Butch” Rosser (BA 74) wants to change that. He has developed the “Top Gun” Laparoscope Skills and Suturing Super Course, currently being conducted at the Morehouse School of Medicine. AR James “Butch” Rosser

’00s

Allison Adams (BSFCS 04) of Topeka, K an., is assistant events coordinator for the Kansas Lottery in Topeka.

Dustin Dunbar (BAcc y 03) of Spring Hill, Tenn., was appointed to the Spring Hill Economic Development Commission in January.

C . T y s o n N e t t l e s ( J D 0 4 ) of Charleston, S.C., was appointed by Gov. Mark Sandford to the South Carolina Board of Architectural Examiners and

Leave The Comfort of Driving To Us Airport Trips Athletic Events Business Trips Birthdays Concerts Weddings Special Events 56 A lumni R eview

Vans • Cadillacs • Lincolns

Charter Services 662-234-2250 877-234-2250 www.mdtransportationinc.com Advance reservations required Full payment due before services rendered

Head of the Class The Student Alumni Council was honored as the Most Outstanding Student Alumni Organization at the 2009 CASE ASAP District 3 Conference in February in Chattanooga, Tenn. Pictured are SAC officers (from left) Brantley Davidson, Neal Ann Parker, Layson Lawler, Collins Tuohy, William Denney and Andrew Walker. AR

A SSISTED L IVING

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•

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ermitage Gardens of Oxford is honored to be a longstanding and respected member of the Oxford community. We offer an uncompromising, high standard of living with all the warmth and hospitality of home, right here on our beautifully landscaped campus.

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TOUR! Spring 2009 57

News alumni

On Camera Nic Lott (BA 01), former student body president at Ole Miss, was a guest on a special edition of CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360˚” in Feburary that focused on successful innovators who are working to make improvements within African-American communities and around the country. Photo courtesy CNN. AR

Megan Earline Norris (BA 03) and Thomas Matthew Jones (BS 03, MD 07), Feb. 23, 2008.

Martha Lindsay Pryor (BA 02) and Marc Russell Jenkins (BA 99), July 26, 2008.

Suzanne Therese Reine and James A. Cartreine (MA 94, PhD 97), Aug. 3, 2008.

Hannah Ruth Sooter (BBA 06) and William Alexander Dow Jr., Jan. 24, 2009.

Morgan Leah Stone (BAcc y 05, MAccy 06) and Scott Aaron Samuels (BAccy 05, MTax 06), Nov. 8, 2008.

Leigh Carol Taylor (BBA 07) and John Eric Jernigan (BBA 07), Aug. 25, 2007.

Sherilyn Elizabeth Temple (BBA 05) and Charles Matthew Huey (BBA 07), Jan. 10, 2009. births Connor Michael, son of Kristy Stinson Bass and Christopher Michael Bass (JD 05), Sept. 18, 2008.

HERE’S YOUR LICENSE TO BRAG! Now you can sport the official University of Mississippi license plate!

For an additional $50 a year — $32.50 of which returns to Ole Miss for educational enhancement — you can purchase this “license to brag” about your alma mater. When it’s time to renew your license plate, simply tell your local tax collector you want the Ole Miss affinity license plate. It’s an easy way to help your University.

This particular tag is available to Mississippi drivers only. Some other states, however, offer an Ole Miss affinity license plate. Check with your local tax collector for availability.

58 A lumni R eview

Relive the historic game with fellow Rebel fans every time you relax in your

Cotton Bowl 2009 chair!

Copyright 2009 EUREKA WOODWORKS, INC.

Jackson Story, son of Nancy Shands Bass (BAEd 02, MEd 03) and Dustin Adam Bass, July 9, 2008.

Michael Patrick, son of Robin Netterville Brown (BBA 00, MA 04) and Shane Brown, June 26, 2008.

Katherine Olivia, daughter of Andrea A. Faust and Thomas L. Faust II (BA 94), Feb. 22, 2008.

John Charles and Brooke McLain, twins of Susan J. Fitzgerald and John Jarrett Fitzgerald (BA 96), Dec. 12, 2008.

Jett William, son of Tera F. Gardner (BSW 94) and Mark E. Gardner (BA 93, JD 06), Dec. 12, 2008.

Colin A lexander, son of Julie Searfoss George (BSPh 98, PharmD 00) and Eric M. George (BA 02), Sept.

6, 2008.

Chloe Abigail, daughter of Shane Hill and Michael Blair Hill (BBA 00), Nov. 14, 2008.

Graves Benjamin, son of Joanna Graves Hinshaw and Corey Donald Hinshaw (JD 04), Dec. 15, 2008.

Benjamin Baker, son of Melanie Baker Jolly (BA 01) and Willis Hanks Jolly III (BA 00, JD 05), July 27, 2008.

Sophia Elizebeth, daughter of Dana Dale Jones (MD 01) and Henry Lee Jones (BSME 95), Jan. 15, 2009.

Madeline Margaret, daughter of Melissa Lawrence and Robert C. Lawrence (BA 98), Nov. 16, 2008.

Calvin Forrest, son of Mary Mac Porter Lax (BA 00) and Joseph Benjamin Lax, Oct. 20, 2008.

Wesley Kirby, daughter of Windy Ward May (BAEd 99, MEd 02) and George Kirby May (BA 97, JD 01), Jan. 16, 2009.

Mason Leonard, son of Susan Osten Mickler (BBA 98) and R. Robert Mickler III (BA 98), Dec. 1, 2008.

Katherine Taylor, daughter of Karen Kelly Miller and Logan Miller (BSJ 94), Jan. 7, 2009.

Jonathan Parker, son of Christie G. Norwood and Henry A. Norwood (BSPh 92), Dec. 17, 2008.

Eleanor McManus, daughter of Monica Hewes O’Mara (BA 92) and Stephen S. O’Mara (BBA 97), Sept.

30, 2008.

Jane Madeline, daughter of Gina Kay Moss Roman (BAccy 01, MAccy

n o i t i d E d Limite

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These chairs will be true collector’s items!

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All designs are handcrafted from high-quality Western red cedar by skilled woodworkers in the USA.

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Spring 2009 59

News alumni

At Your Service Alumna receives PR service award

In Memoriam 1930s Carter D. Dobbs (39), Dec. 26, 2008 Mildred Wood Harmon (BSC 38), Jan. 19, 2009 Caroline Rosson Hewes (38), Jan. 6, 2009 Anna Ayres Packer (BA 39), Jan. 13, 2009 Prescott A. Sherman (BSCvE 38), Jan. 19, 2009 William John Tremaine (33), Dec. 21, 2007

E

llen Hartman (BA 73) head of Weber Shandwick’s Atlanta office, received the Paul M. Lund Public Service Award at the recent national convention of the Public Relations Society of America. The award is given annually to a PRSA member whose volunteer public service has benefited the community and made significant contributions to the industry. Hartman is president of Fitzgerald + CO Public Relations, an Atlanta-based unit of the Interpublic Group, one of the largest communications companies in the world. AR Ellen Hartman

02) and Theodore J. Roman (BPA 98, MS 01), Aug. 20, 2008.

Samuel Morris, son of Deanna Lamb Seabolt (BSPh 96, PharmD 99) and Brian R. Seabolt, Nov. 11, 2008.

Jackson Bienville, son of Jennifer Jones Skipper (JD 02) and William B. Skipper (JD 00), Feb. 19, 2008.

Brennan Adams, son of Amanda Whaley Smith (BA 99, JD 02) and Kent E. Smith (BAccy 88, JD 91), Dec. 12,

2008.

Harlynn Lorraine, daughter of Jill McCallum Stephens (BSPh 97) and Rodney A llen Stephens, Sept. 16, 2008.

Maddox Michael, son of Ashley Scruggs Welgan (BBA 03) and Michael J. Welgan (BSES 03), Dec. 1, 2008.

Christopher Mettro-Dixon, son of Rebecca Bond Garner (JD 2002) and Todd Garner, Dec. 9, 2008.

1940s Nona McGuire Barnett (48), Nov. 24, 2008 Grace Brewer Begley (BAEd 47), Aug. 8, 2008 Joseph Burrill Bernheim (BA 43), Nov. 6, 2008 Dorothy Woodward Cresswell (BAEd 44), Dec. 31, 2008 John B. Cunningham (BBA 49), Dec. 28, 2008 John Richards Ear ly (BBA 48), March 3, 2008 Robert Byron Ellis (BBA 48, MBA 49), Feb. 1, 2009

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60 A lumni R eview

Mother Knows Best

High Cotton

In memoir, Hollywood power broker gives credit for success to how he was raised

S

am Haskell (BA 77) has made a career out of navigating Hollywood’s treacherous waters, but he’s never forgotten his Mississippi upbringing and the valuable lessons he learned from his mother. In fact, his life story is one that seems right at home in Tinseltown.

Haskell moved to Los Angeles in 1978 after graduating from Ole Miss with a degree in theatre arts and began working in the mailroom at the William Morris Agency.

By 1980, he was an agent in the television department, working on variety specials with stars like Lily Tomlin, Lynda Carter and Diana Ross.

By 1990, he was the youngest senior vice president at the agency. In 1999, he was named world wide head of television. Haskell revamped the Miss America pageant and helped package such monumental TV programs as “The Cosby Show,” “Everybody Loves Raymond,” “Murphy Brown,” “Lost” and “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.”

His client list has included some of the brightest stars in Hollywood.

Haskell credits much of his success to the core values he learned from his mother, Mary—values of faith, integrity and honor—that made the boy from Amory, Miss., a power broker in Hollywood.

In his new memoir, Promises I Made My Mother, Haskell recounts these lessons as he weaves them throughout his own personal history. The memoir reveals how he made a pledge to his mother to live a good life, a pledge that allowed him

Luxury condos ½ block off Oxford’s Square.

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Sam Haskell

to remain grounded as he embarked on a career in a cutthroat industry.

Haskell relates his mother’s tenet that “it takes a good parent to make a good child,” which he used as a guiding principle in raising his own children. The memoir is intended to be a testament to mothers everywhere who instill in their sons the lasting values they need to become devoted fathers.

“People find it hard to believe that a guy with [Haskell’s] outlook and approach to life can ever make it in this business,” says actor Ray Romano in the foreword to the book.

“That’s what amazes me. He did and still does, and I don’t see him ever compromising who he is.”

Promises I Made My Mother was published by Ballantine Books in April. AR

2 Bedroom, 2 bath condos 0.3 miles from Campus. Prices starting at $99,900 Swimming Pool, Gated Entrance, Totally renovated units

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Freestanding condos off Frontage Road.

Prices starting in the low $300,000’s Swimming Pool, Gated Entrance, Community Shuttle Service, Units with private garages, Pine floors, High Ceilings and Balconies

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Call any Guest Realty agent at our THREE Oxford Office locations: 1721 University Avenue 234-5600 119 Heritage Drive 234-5611 1300 Van Buren Avenue 234-5624 Spring 2009 61

News alumni

Esther Lewis Ethridge (BA 46), Nov. 26, 2008 Martha Gooch Gardner (BAEd 46), Nov. 24, 2008 Hilary Lawrence Hengen (BA 41), Jan. 31, 2009 Chatwin M. Jackson Jr. (BSC 43, LLB 48), October 2008 Joseph Cooper Johnson (BSHPE 48), Feb. 15, 2009 Julian E. Johnson Jr. (46), Dec. 30, 2008 Thomas Douglas Jordan (BSPh 48), Nov. 9, 2008 Charles David McCool (BBA 47, MBA 48), Jan. 10, 2009 Walter V. McLellan (BBA 49), Jan. 11, 2009 William Frank Moore Sr. (40), Nov. 30, 2008 Robert L. Netterville (LLB 43), Feb. 2, 2009 Dixie Truett Oxnam (BA 45, BS 54), Nov. 9, 2008

Elizabeth Robinson Renaud (41), Feb. 14, 2009 Charles Wright Robison (BM 49), Dec. 3, 2008 Jeanne Wheeler Runyan (BA 49), Dec. 25, 2008 Billie Fox Shackleford (47), Nov. 22, 2008 Richard Shelby (47), Jan. 31, 2009 Doyce Odis Whitehead (BSPh 48), Sept. 15, 2008 Marjorie Webster Wilkes (BBA 48), Nov. 23, 2008 Mary Kittrell Winnard (MA 49), Nov. 11, 2008 1950s Charles Haseeb Abraham Sr. (BBA 51), Dec. 14, 2008 Jeanne McGraw Barrier (BAEd 53), Dec. 5, 2008 Perrin L. Berry Jr. (MedCert 50), Dec. 5, 2008 Bedford C. Bradley (BBA 55), June

8, 2008 Oscar D. Brent Jr. (50), June 9, 2008 Calvin William Brown (BSPh 52), Nov. 18, 2008 Lois Bailey Combs (MLS 59), Dec. 11, 2008 Harry Clifton Danciger (BA 52), Nov. 27, 2008 Thomas Douglas Jr. (LLB 52, 68), Nov. 11, 2008 Charles E. Duck (BSHPE 57, MEd 63), Dec. 23, 2008 Dorothy Fields Dulaney (BA 51), Jan. 7, 2009 Harmon Giles Everett Jr. (BSPh 52), June 21, 2008 Jerry Hugh Futrell (BSPh 57), Jan. 26, 2009 Thomas Joseph Gill Sr. (BSPh 51), Jan. 24, 2009 Thomas Laverne Goldman (BBA 54, LLB 55), March 31, 2008 Richmond Nathaniel Gore (BA 56), Feb. 18, 2009

GOAL: 24,000 ACTIVE MEMBERS Only you can help your Ole Miss Alumni Association reach this important milestone!

Make your Alumni Association the strongest in the SEC and the nation by renewing your alumni membership each year and encouraging classmates, friends, neighbors, fans and Ole Miss supporters to also join and remain active.

Even fans who didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t graduate from Ole Miss can join as Associate Members with full benefits.

Single Membership __$40 Annual __$800 Life __$850 Life Plan ($170 x 5 years) Joint Memberships __$50 Annual __$995 Life __$1,050 Life Plan ($210 x 5 years)

62 A lumni R eview

Last Name: ________________________First:_______________________ Middle Name: __________________Maiden Name: ___________________ Address: ______________________________________________________ City, State, Zip, Country: ________________________________________ E-mail: ________________________Phone:_________________________ Window Decal Preference: Inside _____

Outside _____

Go online to renew your membership and update your contact information at <www.olemissalumni.com> or fill out this form and mail to Membership, Alumni Association, P.O. Box 1848, University, MS 38677. Phone 662-915-7375 CODE: REV

And the Award Goes To...

Five alumni were honored for achievement and service March 7 during the Alumni Association’s Black Alumni & Family Reunion. They were (from left) Robert M. Walker (MSS 68), Rev. Wayne Johnson Community and Civic Award; Edith Kelly-Green (BBA 73) and Tina Mabry (BA 00), Alumni Achievement Award; Dorothye “Dottie” Chapman Reed (BA 74), Dr. Jeanette Jennings “Trailblazer” Award; and Nate Wayne (BPA 98), Celebrated Athletic Award. Photo by Nathan Latil. AR

234-8648 Alumni Owned And OperAted Spring 2009 63

News alumni

People Person

New leader of personnel board is business, law alumna

L

ynn Fitch (BBA 81, JD 84) has been appointed by Gov. Haley Barbour as executive director of the Mississippi State Personnel Board.

She had been deputy executive director of the Mississippi Department of Employment Security since 2007 and chaired the employment agency’s board of review. Fitch previously practiced law with the McGlinchey Stafford Law Firm and Holcomb Dunbar Law Firm and served as counsel for the Mississippi House of Representatives. AR Lynn Fitch

All tailgating Packages include the following: • Team Tent • Electrical Power For Tailgate • 32 Inch Flat Screen Tv • Rope Lighting For Night Games • iPod Sounddock • Full Dish Tv And Receiver • 2 Tables With Team Table Cloths 20 Ft. Flagpole & Team Flag • Tailgate Set-Up • Tailgate Take-Down And Storage

WWW.ULTIMATETAILGATING.NET 64 A lumni R eview

Need To Change Your Address?

John Kenneth Gresham (55), Feb. 2, 2009 William W. Griffin Jr. (MS 58), Feb. 17, 2009 Rayford Gustafson (MS 51), Nov. 12, 2008 Joe Weems Hobbs (LLB 57), Dec. 9, 2008 Elizabeth Duke Jackson (BAEd 50, MEd 74), Dec. 21, 2008 Albert Sidney Johnston III (LLB 55), Nov. 13, 2008 Jacqueline Glass Levasseur (BAEd 51), June 15, 2008 William Harley McKeel (MEd 59), Dec. 2, 2008 Merle Tennyson Montjoy (MA 58), Nov. 5, 2008 Ernest Huston Patton Sr. (BBA 56, MBA 57), Nov. 20, 2008 William P. Patty (BSME 59), Feb. 9, 2009

Keep in Touch Want an e-mail address that doesn’t change?

Sign up for your free

olemissalumni.com forwarding address.

Just set it to forward to your favorite address, be it work or home. Then change it whenver you like.

Sign up now at www.olemissalumni.com

Lillian Marie Raggio (MEd 50), Jan. 17, 2009 Franklin H. Russell (MedCert 59, MD 63), Dec. 26, 2008 Robert Cecil Travis (BA 57, LLB 61), Dec. 5, 2008 Robert Lloyd Truax (MA 58), Nov. 21, 2008 John A. Welsch Jr. (LLB 56), Nov. 24, 2008 James T. Williams (BS 56), Feb. 4, 2009 Sherwin O. Williams Sr. (MBA 58), Nov. 14, 2008 John Talley Wiygul (BSGE 58), Nov. 27, 2008 Robert W. Wyatt Jr. (BSPh 59), Dec. 18, 2008 1960s Gladys Fox Adkins (MCS 67), Oct. 3, 2008 G. Michael Arnold (BAEd 68), Jan.

18, 2009 Steve Ballard Jr. (BBA 62), Nov. 28, 2008 Dorothy Louise Bodiford (MLS 68), Nov. 11, 2008 Katherine Bourland Boozer (BBA 69), Nov. 19, 2008 Guy Ray Braswell (MD 64), Nov. 7, 2008 Calvin Cotten Brister (BSPh 63, PhD 72), Dec. 30, 2008 Kathy Smith Burns (BAEd 63), Sept.

6, 2008 Jonathan Campbell Jr. (MD 64), Jan. 6, 2009 Dudley Haskell Carter (JD 69), Jan. 23, 2009 Anne Eavenson Hafler (68), June 18, 2008 James Arlis Harrelson (BSHPE 69), Dec. 16, 2008 Janis Henry Holley (BA 69), Feb. 13, B.J. Sanders 2009

INSIDE OXFORD, INC. the design firm Oxford, Mississippi (662) 234-1444 Spring 2009 65

News alumni

Raising the Bar

Memphis Bar recognizes alumna’s service

Y

olanda Ingram (BA 91), associate dean of the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law at the University of Memphis, was recently awarded the Memphis Bar Association’s President’s Award, recognizing her exemplary service and dedication in fulfilling the goals and missions of the association. Among her accomplishments, Ingram played a crucial role in planning and organizing the events for the 2008 High School Summer Law Intern Program. The event included professionalism and business etiquette workshops and undergraduate and law school admissions seminars. AR Yolanda Ingram

Ole Miss Alumni Association

Vicki Smith Holmes (BSHPE 65), Nov. 12, 2008 Virginia Hutcheson Kennedy (BAEd 63, MEd 73), Nov. 12, 2008 Everett W. Kinsey (BBA 60), Feb. 10, 2009 Frederick Jones Kittrell (MBA 67, PhD 70), Jan. 31, 2009 Thomas L. Martin (BA 64), July 27, 2008 Lynn Jones McCullar (BAEd 69), Jan. 11, 2009 James Elra McLarty (BSHPE 60), Jan. 31, 2009 Vada Jenkins O’Neal (MD 65), July 21, 2008 Harrell Eugene Patterson (61), Nov. 18, 2008 Daniel B. Rusak (MEd 65), March 26, 2008 Marcus L. Rush III (BA 64), Oct. 25, 2008 Donald Freeman Seay (BPA 60), Feb.

an InCircle community

Rebel Network Your

Find Jobs • Meet Alumni in Your Area Catch Up With Old Friends • Share Photos Network with Alumni Around the World

Ole Miss

Connection

66 A lumni R eview

http://rebelnetwork.olemissalumni.com

5, 2009 Ernest Lafayette Shelton III (BA 60, LLB 63), Jan. 17, 2009 Robert H. Taylor Jr. (JD 69), Nov. 24, 2008 Esther M. Tripp (BA 67), April 22, 2008 William H. Watson III (BSCvE 60), Jan. 7, 2009 1970s Rosa Fortinberry Adams (BA 77), Nov. 12, 2008 Marion Eugene Bazaar (BA 71, MA 73), Feb. 22, 2008 Harmon Talby Bevill Jr. (77), Jan. 15, 2009 George Read Blackman ( JD 70), Nov. 18, 2008 John Franklin Bryan IV (JD 77), Feb. 19, 2009 William Alton Flynt Jr. (BSPh 71), Dec. 17, 2008

Evelyn Mullen Frederick (MEd 71), Jan. 30, 2009 Dorothye Fairley Gilbert (MCS 72), Nov. 16, 2008 Knox McCombs Gregory (MEd 76), Dec. 28, 2008 John Paul Haire Sr. (BSPh 71), Dec. 29, 2008 Doris Hutchison Hayman (BAEd 71), Dec. 10, 2008 John Charles Hughes (MA 71, PhD 79), Jan. 28, 2009 Virgil Michael McCarver (BSHPE 79), Dec. 7, 2007 Eugene L. McLemore (JD 70), Dec. 12, 2008 Eddie Franklin Moore (Cert 77), Dec. 29, 2008 Paul Winston Norris (BSHPE 71, MEd 83), Jan. 19, 2009 Mary Cerny Park (BA 77), Dec. 18, 2008 Troy Samuel Pickens Jr. (BPA 73),

March 30, 2008 Stephen Alexander Rogers (BSPh 75), Jan. 23, 2009 Thomas Nevin Sledge (BBA 70), Dec. 25, 2008 Mary Smith Starmann (BA 72), April 25, 2008 Charles Marvin Wright (MA 78), Feb. 11, 2009 1980s Cynthia Martin Alewine (BAEd 83, MEd 97), Feb. 1, 2009 John Wills Teloti Kaniku (MA 80), Nov. 27, 2008 Frederick Raymond Seal Jr. (BSGE 80), Jan. 28, 2009 Rose Brown Thompson (MS 84), Jan. 16, 2009 1990s Peter Joseph Bagley (JD 94), Feb. 16, 2009

Spring 2009 67

News alumni

Kelly Wayne Hudson (BAccy 91), Jan. 29, 2009 Francile T. Kirkpatrick (BA 93), Feb. 5, 2009 Elizabeth Baker Rowzee (BA 96, BA 00), Dec. 15, 2008 Rory Allen Warren (BSN 94), Nov. 23, 2008 2000s Chadwick H. Bailey (03), Nov. 18, 2008 Paul Justice Bowles (BBA 02), Jan. 15, 2009 Robert Todd Gilbert (Cert 00), Nov. 6, 2008 Raven Roshonda McCoy (DPT 07), Dec. 8, 2008 Jennifer Michelle Miller (BA 04), Feb. 7, 2009 Michael Lanning Rhoades (BA 03), Jan. 6, 2009 Sheila Gale Sowden (BBA 08), Jan. 2, 2009

Friends and Faculty John Boyd Apple Sr., July 27, 2008 Howard A. Atkinson, Sept. 20, 2008 Edgar V. Baker, Feb. 14, 2009 Katie Ruth Bush, Feb. 15, 2009 Grover C. Clark Jr., Jan. 16, 2009 Nathan Clark, Jan. 19, 2008 Edward Louis Clinton III, Jan. 25, 2009 Jerline Coleman, Nov. 30, 2008 C.W. Cox, Nov. 11, 2008 Guy B. Feltenstein, Jan. 5, 2009 Charles Carter Fraley Jr., Nov. 15, 2008 John Harold Hembree Jr., Jan. 5, 2009 Pup McCarty, Feb. 8, 2009 Mar y Williams Norwood, Nov. 4, 2008 Randall O’Brian, Dec. 16, 2008 Faye Hitt Parker, Dec. 12, 2008 Charlotte Gulledge Peets, Dec. 1, 2008

Catherine H. Sadler, Jan. 27, 2009 Stanley Cabell Shull, March 3, 2008 Denton L. Flop Thomas, Nov. 22, 2008 Edgar Wallace Wood, Nov. 24, 2008 Mildred Mercier Worsham, Nov. 24, 2008 To submit a class note, send it to records@ alumni.olemiss.edu or Alumni Records Dept., Ole Miss Alumni Association, P.O. Box 1848, University, MS 386771848. Class notes may also be submitted through the association’s Web site at www.olemissalumni.com. The association relies on numerous sources for class notes and is unable to verify all notes with individual alumni.

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68 A lumni R eview

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