MOMENTS
Big Cookie: Some Little Giant For decades, Rem Johnston ’55 was known to Wabash men as The Big Cookie, but in northeast Indiana, he was known as father, brother, best friend, and wise counsel. In August, alumni representing seven decades from across the country traveled to Ft. Wayne, IN, to honor Johnston at the first Big Cookie Athletics Spirit Fund Golf Outing. He earned the nickname Big Cookie when he traveled ahead of Wabash sports teams and placed large cookies made at a Bluffton bakery on every player’s hotel-room pillow. He was equally legendary for his clever bumper stickers, which always began with “The Big Cookie says…” Those stickers were printed at his shop and made their way to campus before big football or basketball games.
“When I think about Rem Johnston, I think of him in three ways that were important in my life,” said Kevin Clifford ’77. “I think about him as a great man, a role model and mentor, and a fan… And there have been none better than him, which is why we love him.” In 2015, Johnston established The Big Cookie Athletics Spirit Fund at Wabash, which provides resources for fun activities for students, particularly in association with athletic events. — J IM AMIDON ’87 Read more at WM Online.
As a freshman back in the day, I was among the first to live in Martindale Hall. My goal is that the Class of 2020 will love the new, redesigned, state-of-the art Martindale when they arrive even more than I did. Wabash Trustee JAY WILLIAMS ’66, who led the team that redesigned Martindale Hall, which was re-dedicated at Homecoming.
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Martindale Resident Assistant LINCOLN KYLE thanked the many people who made the renovation possible.
RE-DEDICATION—Cutting the ribbon at the newly renovated Martindale Hall Homecoming Weekend were RA Lincoln Kyle ’17, President Hess, Trustees Mac McNaught ’76 and Jay Williams ’66, architect Joe Herzog, Phil Kinney, president of Wilhelm Construction and father of Patrick Kenney ’18 and Vincent Kenney ’13, Dean of Students Mike Raters ’85, Trustee Chairman Stephen Bowen ’68, Dean for Advancement Michelle Janssen, Campus Services Director Dave Morgan, Cripe Architects+Engineers Senior Vice President Denny Southerland, Associate Dean of Students Marc Welch ’99, and Wabash CFO Larry Griffith.