Io Triumphe! Fall - Winter 2020-21

Io Triumphe!

THE MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF ALBION COLLEGE

FALL-WINTER 2020-21

BOLD BRITONS New leaders for Albion’s new moment SPECIAL SECTION Celebrating our successful $100 million campaign

Fall-Winter 2020-21 | 1 VOL. LXXXV, NO. 1

Contents

FALL-WINTER 2020-21

Features FLASH FORWARD

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A CERTAIN SYMMETRY

16

A CHAMPION FOR BELONGING

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ENDURING. EMERGING.

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A VICTORY FOR THE AGES

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Dr. Mathew Johnson, Albion College’s 17th president, meets an unprecedented moment head on, with purpose, yet always stays a few steps ahead.

Across 50 years in higher ed, Mauri Ditzler never kept his Indiana farm far from view.

Now, the 16th president is home again.

Dr. Shannon O’Neill, associate dean for student success, talks about the resources to be found in the brand new Cutler Center.

And staying connected, always. Snapshots of Britons being Britons amidst the COVID-19 reality.

In 1970, the Albion baseball team beat Michigan State. A letter-winning pitcher revisits the special day.

Special Section OUR CAMPAIGN: WE DID IT!

Generous gifts from thousands of donors exceed a $100 million goal. A celebration of a college and its community.

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Departments BRITON BITS 3 ALUMNI ASSOCIATION NEWS 61 ALBIONOTES 62 THE BACK PAGE 72

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On the cover: President Mathew Johnson (right) and Dr. Shannon O'Neill in downtown Albion.

Left: The Hannah Street boulevard on campus was renamed Ditzler Way by the City of Albion.

BRITON BITS

An Albion of Purpose, Belonging, and Action We may be living in a time of accelerating change—as individuals, as a country, as a global community—but one thing that hasn’t changed is a new college student’s combination of excitement and curiosity, and perhaps a bit of nervousness, during their first days of their first semester on campus.

To a degree, that could be extended to a new college president’s first days of their first semester as well. But I think a certain humility also factors into the feeling, and it’s with that in mind that I want to express what an absolute honor it is to serve as the 17th president of Albion College.

Yet even before Dr. O’Neill and I finished packing in Providence last spring for our move to Michigan, we had become well aware that Albion students bring something else with them as they move into Wesley Hall: an innate sense of purpose. That purpose is honed and refined and finds its focus over four years, through the connections students make in their coursework, with their professors, with their classmates, and with their community.

Witnessing that growth in students from their first year to their senior year continues to inspire me every day.

The Albion experience allows our students to major in purpose, a pursuit that rises out of the College’s own purpose to provide access to a high quality liberal arts education. Today, we are reimagining how we might achieve this purpose with new students arriving from new families, new neighborhoods, and new life experiences than those of generations past. In order to fulfill our purpose, we must become an institution where every student feels that they belong and that Albion belongs to them.

Belonging is central to academic achievement. When a student feels they do not belong, they must do extra cognitive work to negotiate the psychological impact of not belonging alongside their academic work. When students feel they belong, Albion College becomes a home for them in which they can succeed personally and academically. While the commitment to create a belonging community starts with the president, it’s a commitment and responsibility we all share as Britons. And over the next

year the Board of Trustees, faculty, staff, and students will affirm this commitment through conversations, ideas, and planning that will become our Blueprint for Belonging, guiding our work as a College.

Many of the conversations around how we might become a community of belonging will be personally and organizationally challenging. Many of the ideas that emerge will be bold, and some will be fairly easy to achieve. As plans become actions and actions become the changes we seek, the fruits of our commitment to belonging will become evident. Students will thrive, they will explore, they will develop and focus their purpose and move briskly into the purpose-driven work of life after Albion.

Indeed, their lives will be full of action; our alumni do not sit back and watch the world go by. They act, again and again, as intrepid forces for good in the world.

Similarly, their alma mater’s intrepidness continues to stand out. Thanks to the tireless work

of so many, our Together Safely plan has enabled Albion students to experience an in-person fall semester during a pandemic.

Our Theatre Department’s determination to stage a play in September—socially distanced on the Quad—that explores our ongoing national reckoning with race is another example.

As we build out our Blueprint and further engage with our community in the months and years ahead, I look forward to meeting more alumni and friends of the College—both virtually and in person—and listening to their thoughts and ideas about this truly special place. Our current students are on a remarkable journey. So is their college. And we need you to be part of it.

Dr. Mathew B. Johnson President

President Johnson watches an Albion College Theatre Department performance of Detroit ’67 from the steps of Kresge Gymnasium. Go to albion.edu/iotriumphe for a story about the extensive preparations that went into the production.

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New Novels

BRITON BITS

Looking to add an Albion touch to your holiday reading or gift-giving? Consider these works from a pair of Briton alums.

The Brief and True Report of Temperance Flowerdew (Blackstone Publishing, 2020), the second novel from Denise Heinze, ’78, is a historical-fiction exploration into the story of Jamestown: Determined to set the record straight, and clear her conscience, the title character—the wife of Virginia’s first two governors—puts quill to paper, recounting the hardships that nearly brought America’s original colony to its knees.

Heinze, a descendant of Louisa May Alcott and a former literature professor now writing fulltime, majored in German and English at Albion and received her Ph.D. from Duke University. deniseheinze.com

Brewing Up Michigan’s Best Burger Ben Wade, ’99, wasn’t thrilled when his business partner (Albion physics professor Charles Moreau) insisted that what their microbrewery really needed was a great burger. “It’s something every restaurant serves and I didn’t think we could drive business with such a common item,” he admits with a smile. “I was skeptical until I tried it.”

Since Albion Malleable Brewing Company’s 2018 opening, a lot of people have reached the same conclusion—including the folks at MLive, the statewide media corporation that recently awarded its Michigan’s Best Burger title to the Malleable.

With some 500 restaurants nominated, the Best Burger category is by far MLive’s most competitive award, and Wade—the brewmaster behind the Malleable’s full range of Belgian-inspired beers—says he and Moreau were thrilled to learn they had made the cut for the top 30. The win itself was a shock, but as the news sinks in, perhaps it’s not too much of a surprise.

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“People taste the fresh beef and flat-top-seared crust on the patty and they love it,” says Wade about the brisket-sirloin-chuck-blend burger. (The Malleable has its own veggie burger recipe, too). “We always wanted the best quality possible in whatever we were going to do. This is how we get it. People respond—they recognize it’s a better product, even if they’re not sure why.” –Jake Weber

Unite and Ignite

“MLive has a million Facebook followers and people started showing up within an hour of the announcement,” says Wade, noting that they have had visitors from across, and even out of, the state.

Despite COVID-19 restrictions limiting the brewpub’s seating capacity, the week following the announcement was the Malleable’s second-busiest, with weekend sales alone topping 1,200 burgers.

Find a link to an MLive video interview of Ben Wade and Charles Moreau at albion. edu/iotriumphe. Learn more about the Malleable’s story at albionmalleable.com and on pages 20-21 of the Spring-Summer 2018 edition of Io Triumphe!

Hillbilly Hustle (West Virginia University Press, 2020), by Wesley Browne, ’96, sees a Kentucky pizza shop owner become entangled with a local drug supplier in what Publisher’s Weekly describes as a “wry, thrilling debut … will appeal to fans of Daniel Woodrell and Charles Portis.” Browne, who practices law and owns restaurants in the Bluegrass State, studied creative writing at Albion under professor emeritus Paul Loukides and received his J.D. from the University of Kentucky College of Law. wesleybrowne.com

Her Teaching Yields a Bounty Six years ago Tasha Danielle, ’08, planted Financial Garden, a company devoted to bringing financial education to K-12 Detroit students. Her “Garden” really grew this summer, as Danielle was awarded $15,000 as a national finalist in the Build Your Legacy Contest presented by Essence magazine and Pine-Sol. “Essence was always on the coffee table when I was growing up,” Danielle says. “I was very surprised and very happy.”

Financial Garden offers a number of financial education programs, from single-session projects for kindergarteners all the way to year-long enrichment programs for high schoolers. To her surprise, Danielle also discovered early on that teachers and parents were part of the audience as well.

“I’m working with the kids but I see teachers writing everything down, and afterwards they have questions for me,” she says.

“They tell me that no one has ever explained things so well before.

But when you’re talking about investing to elementary school kids, everybody can understand that.”

Danielle got further proof of her impact during an interview with Detroit’s FOX-2 news, which sought feedback from some young participants. “I wasn’t sure parents would want their children on TV, and I didn’t know if the kids would have anything to say,” she recalls.

“It was amazing to see how much the children remembered, and the parents were fine with their kids talking about what they learned.”

Danielle’s passion stems in part from her firm conviction that Financial Garden will help transform her community. “I grew up in a low-income household, and when you’re just doing enough to get by, you get stuck.

If you think everyone lives from paycheck to paycheck and you’re not exposed to other thinking about money, it’s hard to imagine that you don’t have to live that way,” Danielle reflects. “We’re not saying you have to be rich, but

National Notice If recent 2021 national rankings are any indication (see back cover), Albion is further establishing itself as one of the top liberal arts colleges in the U.S. Consider these accolades: •

U.S. News & World Report has Albion at No. 29 in its list of the 50 Most Innovative national liberal arts colleges. The publication also ranked Albion 56th among national colleges

and universities in First-Year Experience programming (up 32 spots from a year ago), and 75th among national liberal arts institutions in social mobility.

•

Money.com (formerly Money magazine), combining quality and affordability, ranks Albion as the No. 1 small college in Michigan and No. 38 in the U.S.

there’s more than just struggling to survive.”

The Build Your Legacy prize will help Financial Garden design materials specifically for the all-online presentations planned for this coming year. The prize will also underwrite a sequel to Amina’s Bracelets, Danielle’s first book teaching entrepreneurial concepts to children.

Danielle has been successful enough to hire staff for Financial Garden, but she still does many of the presentations herself, on top of her full-time job as a certified public accountant.

“I work nine-to-five and I’m tired when I get to the school, and then they say, ‘The Money Lady’s here!’” she says with a grin. “That keeps me going.” –Jake Weber

•

The Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Rankings includes Albion among the top 100 U.S. liberal arts colleges, at No. 71.

•

Washington Monthly listed Albion as the No. 2 liberal arts school in Michigan, No. 24 in the Midwest, and among the top nationally.

This fall, more than 500 new students matriculated as Albion posted an official enrollment of 1,509.

CPA Tasha Danielle’s impact has extended far beyond her usual client base. Visit financialgarden.com to learn more about her work with Detroit youth.

“Albion College has welcomed one of its largest classes in a decade despite a pandemic that is impacting colleges across the country,” said Dr. Hernan Bucheli, vice president for enrollment and strategic initiatives. “Against the headwind of those challenges, Albion is providing the quality liberal arts education that is so vital in a changing world.”

Did you know? A college’s financial resources (spending) per student and the percentage of alumni who give comprise 13 percent in the methodology of U.S. News’ ranking?

Every gift to Albion makes an impact!

See page 54 for more.

Rise to the Moment

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BRITON BITS

Impressions That Will Last Art professor emerita Anne McCauley treasures four decades of inspiring students.

Anne McCauley’s connection to Albion College began shortly after she received her M.F.A. from Michigan State University.

By Jake Weber In the late 1970s, Anne McCauley was delighted to meet then-art professor Richard Brunkus at their two-person exhibition opening, in large part because he offered the young artist access to Albion’s printmaking presses, equipment she couldn’t otherwise afford.

“I was working alongside the students, some were only a few years younger than me,” McCauley recalls. “I never wanted to be a teacher. Then someone asked me to teach a course overload. It

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was when I was a sabbatical replacement that I fell in love with teaching.”

critiquing still inform my ways of thinking and guiding my own students.”

From part-time adjunct to endowed professor— and, as of last spring, emerita—McCauley’s 41 years with the Art and Art History Department have produced remarkable art and scholarship, from the students and from McCauley herself.

Along with teaching printmaking, book arts, and 2D processes, McCauley has spent most summers in artist’s residencies and workshops, bringing new ideas and techniques back to her students and colleagues.

McCauley has been recognized as Albion’s New Teacher of the Year, Teacher of the Year, and Phi Beta Kappa Scholar of the Year. She also held the W.W. Diehl Endowed Professorship and has received numerous College grants.

McCauley’s intense interest in pairing creativity with scholarship led her to devise some of Albion’s most unique and popular course offerings. She and art history colleague Bille Wickre taught a number of courses that required students to study historic prints from Albion’s extensive print collection while learning the processes used to create them. They also led multiple groups of students to publish catalogs of scholarly work on the College’s print collection.

Visual Poetry, a class developed by McCauley and poetry professor Helena Mesa, combines writing and printmaking to produce broadsides of original poetry hand-printed on letterpresses in the printmaking studio.

“Anne’s classes were as practical, precise, and generous as she is, guiding developing artists in how to make an idea tangible,” says Amy Weinmeister Rahn, ’05, an art professor at the University of Maine-Augusta. “She taught us how to turn a thought over and over in physical artistic process until it became an artwork that contained not only the germinal idea, but also something beyond it—a garden of ideas grown riotous and intertwined in the process of making.

The techniques she taught us in creating and

“As a professor Anne uses every crumb of her time with students: lunch time, breaks, before class, after class, into the evening, and on weekends,” notes Wickre. “One of her hallmark phrases is ’Let’s do it together.’ When a student is struggling, she never lets them give up; she just works with them until they understand how to do it and can accomplish the assignment.”

With Psychological Science’s Barbara Keyes and Biology’s Dale Kennedy, McCauley helped establish the Foundation for Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity (FURSCA), one of Albion's most distinguished academic programs.

But where does her greatest pride lie?

“I would absolutely say I’m most proud of the students I’ve worked with,” McCauley says. “I have many students who have gone on to graduate programs and continue making art, or have gotten jobs in areas that are tangentially related to art and creative thinking. A number of our students are wonderful artists and creators. I’m very proud of that.”

A third Albion faculty member received emeritus status this past spring: Geological Sciences’ Bill Bartels, who was featured in “An Explorer Through and Through” on page 29 in the FallWinter 2018-19 edition of Io Triumphe!

Moss’s Movement The kinesiology professor emeritus leaves a department that now offers one of Albion’s most popular majors.

By Jake Weber Bob Moss is infamous among his students and colleagues for usually being the most enthusiastic person in the room, starting every class with his trademark, “Fire up, scholars!”

This enthusiasm—for students, for teaching, for his profession—has helped propel Albion’s Kinesiology Department to its current status as one of the five largest majors on campus.

Almost as importantly, this enthusiasm propelled Moss through a tumultuous final semester. With just a few weeks remaining in his teaching career, Bob—who says he has long had the College’s IT Help Desk on speed dial—had to move his course load to an online-friendly format.

“Going online wasn't like having your shoelaces come untied 10 yards from the finish line; it was more like stopping and having to try on a new pair of shoes, multiple new pairs,” he laughs. In actuality Moss found that the key was, essentially, to keep doing what he was doing, through a combination of recorded and live PowerPointbased lectures.

“I also continued to tell my corny jokes and stories, because the students seemed to like that,” he says, adding that he focused his attention on student comprehension during Zoom meetings and communicated more via email outside of class.

“All the grades stayed relatively the same, before and after we switched to the virtual class, and some students even did a little better after. I think the young scholars did a pretty good job.”

Moss’s recruitment to Albion in 2000 was somewhat of a coup and a boost to the College’s

desire for an athletic training major. Then a member of Western Michigan University’s graduate program faculty, Moss also served on the national accreditation board for athletic training programs. Bob’s wife, Carol, was an athletic trainer and the director of the sports medicine clinic at WMU, and the family was happy in Kalamazoo.

Nonetheless, when Albion’s head athletic trainer at the time, Dan Obey, ’90, one of Moss’s graduate students from WMU, told him about the Albion position, Moss was intrigued enough to meet with Provost Jeff Carrier.

The job quickly went from “interesting” to something close to “dream.” Albion was happy to add Carol as assistant athletic trainer (she declined the lead position) and instructor in what was then the Physical Education Department. (She later became full-time faculty as the Kinesiology Department evolved.)

“Carrier asked me if there was anything else that would be helpful for starting an athletic training major,” Moss recalls, “and I said, ‘How about a cadaver lab?’” Moss saw it as indispensable in teaching gross anatomy and preparing students for athletic training and other medical fields.

“Bob always told us, ‘To learn the muscle, be the muscle,’” says Yume Nakamura, ’10, now a physician’s assistant for cardiac surgery at the University of Michigan. “If you learn the insertion and origin points of the musicles, you can ‘feel’ what they are. I went to PA school in 2016 and aced the anatomy, even though it was so many years since I took Bob's class.”

Bob and Carol Moss have been a part of the Albion College family since 2000. “We formed a team in which the whole was greater than the sum of its parts,” says Bob.

parents were struggling in the global recession and they wanted me to come home,” she says. “Bob and Carol let me spend the summer at their home, and helped me find scholarships and work so I could graduate a semester early. It was very special for me, but they have so much generosity for all their students.”

Like many professors just entering retirement, Moss anticipates missing the day-to-day interactions with colleagues and students. But he is enthusiastic for Kinesiology’s future at Albion.

“Bringing in the quality people we’ve hired, from both a teaching and personal level, will help get the department to its greatest potential,” he says.

“I’m excited to see what they'll do.”

Nakamura further recounts how Bob and Carol’s concern for student success was key to her own journey. “I’m an international student and my

Fall-Winter 2020-21 | 7

BRITON BITS

Albion 24/7

“Take care of yourself. Take care of each other. Take care of our community.”

–Leroy Wright, vice president of student development and dean of students, whose regular message to the entire campus community has become a core element of a unique academic year.

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members of the extended Albion College family— alumni and friends, faculty, students, parents— participated in Web Series virtual events hosted by Institutional Advancement to help people stay meaningfully engaged during the pandemic’s stayat-home period.

Build With Purpose

of workout space and more than 40 new pieces of exercise equipment make the brand-new Serra Fitness Center at the Dow an exciting and healthy addition to campus for the benefit of all students. The Center is also a gathering place, complete with study booths, a lounge area, and even a smoothie bar; upgraded locker rooms and new office facilities add to the impact. See page 50 for more.

Albion women’s basketball players eclipsed 1,000 career points in 2020: Evelyn Wischmeyer, ’20, Emily Bernas, ’20, and Rain Hinton. ’21 (left to right). It’s the first time in Albion history the feat has been accomplished by three players on the same team.

Fulbright Teaching Assistantships have been awarded to graduating Albion students in the last 17 years.

The most recent recipient: Sunny Kim, ’20, who is assigned to teach English in Mexico in 2021.

Briton teams took home MIAA championships back in February: men’s swimming and diving captured its third league title in four years, and men’s basketball won its first regular-season crown since 2005. Go Brits!

Two Minutes with . . .

HEATHER BETZ

The associate professor and Kinesiology Department chair adds more to an already full plate.

Io Triumphe!: During the summer President Mathew Johnson shared with the campus community your appointment as dean of curriculum. What is central to your new role?

Betz: The three areas that fall under this position are advising, assessment, and curriculum, and those are three areas that have always interested me.

With curriculum, in the 10 years I’ve been here, there’s always been talk of the need to revamp our core curriculum. What do our students need today? What core curricular aspects will our students need five years, 10 years from now? To have a chance to be a part of that is really exciting.

Also, advising is a huge aspect of what I do within the Kinesiology Department. I love advising students and connecting with them during that time. Now, with our changing student demographics, we need to ask how can we be revolutionary in advising first-generation students?

We need to make sure we’re giving them the best advising possible.

Not just the best classes to take— this is about their journey and where they go after they leave us.

All three are huge areas. They’re complex. But they’re at the core of how we make Albion even greater than it already is.

So how do you take those three areas from where we are now to where they can be in the future?

We’re looking at leaders in liberal arts education and seeing how they incorporate the relevant topics that students today need backgrounds in: social justice, racial and cultural inequities, and climate change. Those are the things our students want to know more about. If you look at leaders in liberal arts education, those topics are at the core of many of their curricula.

You also talk to faculty. Our faculty is amazing and they have awesome ideas. They’re aware of our need to change, and that’s an important first step. Changing the core curriculum is not a one-person job; all faculty will be involved.

We also need to look at the data around all three areas—advising, assessment, and curriculum.

Where are we succeeding and where are we falling short? Where can we make quick, decisive changes, and where do we need to spend more time exploring our options?

Do you have a time frame for implementing these changes?

With the advising piece, we’ll be working with the Cutler Center for Student Success and Academic Achievement, which opened this fall, figuring out what changes need to be made. With curriculum, I’d like to start having discussions with faculty as soon as possible.

I’m teaching an almost full load this fall, so I’ll be easing into it. But the first step is to start having those discussions on campus. With assessment, there’s a transition between Dianne Guenin-Lelle (professor of French and recent associate provost for advising and assessment) and me.

We’ll be making that transition as the fall progresses.

Community is a primary focus for President Johnson. How will that manifest in your work as dean of curriculum?

There is a lot of discussion about community engagement and how that fits into the bigger picture.

There’s an appetite for change, and I want to help lead us and guide us. I want to make sure the faculty is heard as far as where we are going in advising, assessment, and curriculum.

A Bay Area native, Betz received her Ph.D. in kinesiology in 2011 from Michigan State University after earning her bachelor’s degree at St. Mary’s College of California and her master’s at San Francisco State University.

In one of her positions after SFSU, she oversaw all health and wellness programs at Lucasfilm, spending some of her time at Skywalker Ranch, the work place of Star Wars creator George Lucas. “It’s pretty beautiful to sit on the porch at Skywalker Ranch while overseeing the flu-shot program for the employees,” she says.

How does the COVID-19 pandemic impact things?

In some ways it’s harder, but in some ways it’s easier. We can’t get a big group together in a room, but we can get people together on a Zoom call pretty quickly, so we can start thinking about some of these changes. There’s an unknown to this fall. It’s going to add some complexity, but we’re Albion and we roll with the punches.

Interview by Chuck Carlson.

Fall-Winter 2020-21 | 9

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the first step in collaborating with dr. mathew johnson, albion college’s 17th president, is keeping up with him. in this uniquely challenging time that is 2020, his bold ideas, pinpoint focus, and boundless energy in engaging communities to make those ideas real have already taken the institution on an extraordinary journey. the action-packed ride promises to continue, precisely because the present calls for a college like albion to act. quickly. decisively. purposefully. president johnson is meeting the moment head on—and staying a few steps ahead.

By Chuck Carlson

Keator laughs at the memory.

It was years ago and a lifetime away when Mathew Johnson and his buddy Chris Keator went deer hunting in the frozen woods near their home in upstate New York.

“That’s the epitome of him,” Keator continues. “He’s always going, pushing himself harder and farther than anyone else. I don’t know what drives him. He’s always been on the go.”

Keator recalls the story with the details borne of an adventure not soon to be forgotten. And as he relates the tale, he’s chuckling through it as he tries to put his friend into something resembling context.

“It was probably one of the coldest days ever,” says Keator. “We were walking this 15 percent grade and it’s probably a good quarter-ofa-mile walk and a foot and a half of snow. I’m looking one way for a deer and he’s looking the other and we only have one gun. So we see this deer and he rests the gun on my shoulder. He says, ‘I just want to look.’ The next thing I know the gun goes off and I’m deaf and seeing stars. He runs, jumps the creek, and says, ‘I got it!’”

That Mathew Johnson of so many years ago clambering through a snowy field is, today, Dr. Mathew B. Johnson, a sociologist of world renown and the new president of Albion College. He would earn his undergraduate degree in three years. As an educator he would become one of the youngest tenured faculty in the University of Maine system’s history. And he would dive into the issues of community engagement and social justice with a zeal that continues today.

That determination, which has flowed from his belief that there are no problems that can’t be solved, is as strong now as it was then.

“He jokes that he works at one speed and that’s lightning fast,” says Kelly Finn, who is Johnson’s chief of staff at Albion and a former student of his at Siena College who then became a staff person at Siena and continued to work with him at Brown University.

But it’s not a joke.

Ideas and suggestions, and questions and plans, and random brainstorms fly from Johnson like sparks. And that can sometimes, for example, lead to the random 3 a.m. email to an unsuspecting colleague that is simply part of Johnson’s genetic makeup.

Dr. Johnson smiles. He’s heard all of this before.

“That’s just how I’m built,” he says. “A question I get asked in interviews is how do you do life-and-work balance and I say, ‘I don’t know how to do that.’ I’m lucky. I get to do a job that doesn’t feel like a job most of the time. The

idea that I would do a job where I would want to feel like there was a hard boundary between the job and my life doesn’t make sense to me. People ask, ‘What is your hobby?’ This is my hobby. This is my life.”

His childhood friend is now Dr. Christopher Keator, a biology professor at Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine in Kalamazoo, and he is certain his friend has changed very little.

“There’s just an internal drive in him to succeed,” he says. “And that’s going to be a benefit to Albion.”

THE CHALLENGES THAT AWAIT The 17th president of Albion College takes over in a maelstrom, and that drive to succeed may never be more important than it is right now.

Across higher education, the COVID-19 pandemic has shattered

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he will challenge you but do it in a positive way. i think he’s the right person at the right time. he has a lot of energy.”

— mae ola dunklin, member, board of trustees

budgets and curriculum; it has rattled students, faculty, and staff.

It has changed the landscape for enrollment and classrooms and what can really constitute higher education these days. And there are no answers to when, or even if, the world as it was will return.

In the middle of all of this, Albion College found itself in the final stages of hiring a new president to replace the retiring Dr. Mauri Ditzler, whose six years as president saw Albion re-energize and reshape itself.

Out of the some 100 applicants who applied for the position, Johnson rose up the list quickly.

Michael Harrington, ’85, chairman of the Albion College Board of Trustees who also chaired the search committee that hired Johnson, was on board early.

“It was when he told his story,” Harrington recalled. “He grew up on a farm. He is the first in his family to earn a college degree, and then a Ph.D. There are a lot of firsts in his life that are a result of that undergraduate degree. A lot of our students and alumni have a story like this. I thought that he’s going to relate to a lot of our students who face the challenge of being the first.”

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But Harrington and the rest of the committee saw something more, something deeper.

“He’s going to include a lot of people in terms of input and analysis, but he’s going to make some bold decisions,” Harrington says, “He’s very direct. There will be no confusion on what his views will be. He’s going to be a change agent.”

Longtime Albion resident Mae Ola Dunklin, a revered and retired educator and current College trustee, was on the search committee as well. She saw it, too.

“The first time I interviewed him I got this feeling in my stomach,” she says. “I thought that we have this fantastic president retiring and we need somebody to pick up the mantle. Dr. Johnson believes in community engagement, diversity, inclusion, and he doesn’t just base this on his feelings.

He bases it on research. He will challenge you but do it in a positive way. I think he’s the right person at the right time.”

Then she adds, simply, “He has a lot of energy.”

To gather any clues of where Mathew Johnson’s determination was forged, look no further than

the family farm in Laurens, N.Y., a town near nothing in particular though it is 30 miles or so south of Cooperstown, home of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

This was not the farm of waving wheat, majestic fields of corn, and blossoming fruit trees. This was rugged, low-margin, highproduction farming.

“The chickens lay eggs on Saturday, Sunday, Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving,” Johnson says. “Every single day they lay eggs, the sheep and cows need to be fed, manure needs to be dealt with. Every day is a work day, so it’s the way the world works in my mind. I often don’t know what day of the week it is.”

He remembers Laurens Central School, which housed all 450 students in town (with the high school occupying the second floor).

“I was one of the last farm kids,” Johnson recalls. “And there was a stigma attached to the families who held onto farms. I remember when I was 13 or 14, my father had a flock of chickens that had the avian flu and we had to destroy a whole flock. And that was our income for the year.

laser focus on public health During the summer, Albion College and the Lisa and James Wilson Institute for Medicine launched a Comprehensive Public Health Initiative that is advancing community conversation and understanding of the social, political, economic, and public health dimensions of the devastating COVID-19 pandemic.

The endeavor features a range of academic components for students— including training in contact tracing and expanded nursing opportunities— as well as public health training for all members of the Albion College community.

The multifaceted initiative also included an online seminar series this fall developed and led by Dr. Jim Wilson, ’77, featuring worldrecognized experts in public health and policy. Among the special guests: • • • • • •

Stéphane Bancel, CEO of Moderna Therapeutics Dr. Troyen Brennan, executive VP and chief medical officer for CVS Health Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel from the University of Pennsylvania Dr. Fritz François from New York University Rep. Debbie Dingell of Michigan Former Speaker of the House of Representatives Newt Gingrich

Each episode of the nine-part seminar series was streamed on Albion’s YouTube channel in September and October and included questions from Wilson Institute students.

“We want Albion students to understand right from the beginning that being a Brit means learning and doing,” President Johnson says. “We chose to move beyond coping with the tragedy of the pandemic and into adaptation, recovery, and solution seeking.”

Find links to each seminar discussion and learn much more about the new offerings for students through the Initiative at albion.edu/cphi.

President Johnson with his partner, Dr. Shannon O’Neill, at the corner of Superior and Cass streets downtown. They first met in 2007 and bring to Albion a passion for connecting higher education with community engagement and public purpose.

Gone. You deal with life-and-death things every single day. You walk into a barn and there’s a dead cow.

There’s not much romance there.

On the other hand you learn to be resilient, to pick yourself back up, to plant now for harvest later, and you get to see directly the results of your hard work.”

And while he managed to squeeze sports between his farm responsibilities, especially football, the farm remained a dominating force in his life through his teen years.

“Three times a year I’d go to school for two weeks with gloves on because my hands were so penetrated by the ammonia from the chicken manure. During those times we swapped out the flocks.” he says. “It didn’t matter how many times you cleaned your hands, they still reeked. So you’d wear gloves to school so the kids don’t pick on you. That’s a different kind of farming than in the movies or what people see, and it really shaped me. Parts of it I loved and parts of it I miss.”

He smiles again.

“Most parts I don’t.”

FINDING HIS PASSION Through much of that time, Johnson and Keator, whose families were neighbors, were inseparable. Though not from a farm family himself, Keator understood quickly how intractable that life was for Johnson and his family.

“If you’re a farmer, you have three days of sunshine and you have 100 acres of hay to get in,” Keator says. “That’s a different mentality growing up. The best term is probably ‘urgency.’ You have to get it done and get it to market. You had to take this pile of lumber and build this. You had to get it done.

It wasn’t just self-sufficiency; you needed self-directed learning.”

But in high school Johnson was still seeking that self-direction, unsure what he wanted to do or where he wanted to go. In fact, he only took the SAT on a dare

and recalls how certain teachers grew bemused and perhaps a little frustrated with Johnson’s penchant for needing more than just the right answer.

“I used to drive [high school math teacher] Mr. Olson crazy,” Johnson recalls. “I never wanted to do things the way the formula tells me. I want to know why it works. I was good in math but I was difficult to teach, because I was not ready to plug and play the formula. I wanted to understand the math theory behind it. He got really frustrated with me, but by the end of high school we were really close.”

Had it not been for a great performance on the field in a nine-man football game, Johnson’s sights may have focused elsewhere.

Keator relates the story of a game their senior year played in a driving rainstorm. Keator, a linebacker who had to sit out the second half of the game due to an injury, recalled how Johnson was everywhere on defense, first as a

defensive end and then replacing him at linebacker, a position he had never played before.

“We had to literally carry Mathew off the field afterward and take his pants off him in the locker room,” Keator says. “He got the game ball and he deserved it. Not only did he move over to a new position for the betterment of the team, he adapted fast and literally learned the position on the fly.”

Johnson would go on to be named all-conference, on both offense and defense, after playing almost every play of every game on both sides of the ball. Meanwhile, a rival coach had taped the rainstorm game and soon the film found its way to Johnson’s coach, then to college recruiters.

Eventually Siena College, a liberal arts school 90 miles to the east, showed interest.

It proved to be not only Johnson’s destination, but the spark for his career. When a broken leg made football impossible, he turned his focus to his studies and flourished.

Fall-Winter 2020-21 | 13

“The key for me was faculty,” Johnson said. “I got connected with some really amazing faculty as an undergraduate.”

He was introduced to a world that had little to do with farming or football or the outdoors. It dealt with culture and society, why we are who we are, and the entrepreneurial spirit.

He would go on to present at several academic conferences as an undergraduate around the country, much like Albion students often do through FURSCA. “You name it, I went to it,” Johnson recalls.

He earned his bachelor’s from Siena and his master’s and Ph.D. in sociology from Brandeis University before he found his calling in community engagement.

Over the next 20 years at the University of Maine–Presque Isle, West Virginia Wesleyan College, his alma mater Siena, and then Brown, Johnson worked on the creation and implementation of community engagement centers on both the national and international levels and launched the largest national study of community engagement in higher education.

From establishing a First Nations Institute for Native American students at Presque Isle, to empowering the children of miners in West Virginia, to creating and coordinating the National Assessment of Service and Community Engagement at Siena, to directing the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification and then leading

14 | Albion College Io Triumphe!

“I’m lucky. I get to do a job that doesn’t feel like a job most of the time,” says Dr. Mathew B. Johnson, who officially became Albion College’s 17th president on July 1.

the Swearer Center at Brown, the scope and significance of community engagement has become Johnson’s quest. His work touches higher education institutions from Australia and Canada to Ghana, Hong Kong, Singapore, and other locations around the world.

at Siena when Johnson returned to campus as a faculty member in 2007, she first met him in the school cafeteria. Their interests dovetailed almost perfectly.

Along the way, Johnson became a passionate advocate for the civic responsibility of institutions of higher education, diving deeply into the issues of racism, inclusion, and diversity. Together with community engagement, they are issues that remain central to who he is and issues that cannot be ignored. And Albion, he believes, is where these ideas can continue to flourish.

But their commitment to social justice, community engagement, and student success created a partnership and then a relationship that has continued ever since. O’Neill was recently named the first director of the new Sarah S. and Alexander M. Cutler Center for Student Success and Academic Achievement (see page 24).

“My dream is to build a publicpurpose institution,” he says.

“Liberal arts colleges exemplify that purpose in an important way, and all those ways are under attack. If we’re going to survive and thrive as a nation, we need to reinforce public-purpose colleges, as we need to prepare students for novel jobs that we can’t even imagine right now.”

These are topics that are also close to Dr. Shannon O’Neill, Johnson’s colleague and partner for the past 13 years. Already teaching

“We were doing similar work and sometimes we stole each other’s students,” she says, laughing.

“She’s an incredible talent,” Harrington says.

OFF AND RUNNING So, a new presidency has begun, in a time that is less secure and less certain than when the Albion opportunity first came to Johnson’s attention. But the moment is no less exciting.

The announcement of his appointment came on April 23, and even though he didn’t officially begin until July 1 there

was no time to lose. Almost from the day he was hired, the sparks started flying.

Johnson began meeting with faculty and staff, asking questions and seeking advice, and suggesting new directions and ideas. He spent more than 400 hours—through Zoom calls, phone calls, and extended email exchanges—getting to know Albion before he arrived. To say he hit the ground running is to seriously understate his pace.

And everything was on the table, from curriculum to staffing to facilities. He is even bringing in landscapers to look at the campus.

“There’s a disconnect between curb appeal and the interiors of some spaces on campus,” Johnson says. “There are some gorgeous buildings on campus. The atrium of the Science Complex is gorgeous. Upper Baldwin, it’s gorgeous. We need the beauty of outside spaces to invite visitors into these beautiful inside spaces.”

But the real key are the people who will be implementing his vision and the students who can benefit from it.

“You hear people’s stories, you hear people’s dreams,” Johnson

says. “And then you start to put together what this place could look like 10 to 20 years from now. When students come to our door, it is our job to become the institution they need to succeed in the world, not the other way around.”

And in many ways that starts with student development, retention, and education.

Kelly Finn has known President Johnson for eight years, first as his sociology student at Siena and then as a student leader.

She is the template, Johnson believes, for what driven students can accomplish when given the opportunity.

“She became almost like a staff person as a senior,” he says. “She’s an amazing young woman because she started at 17 and she didn’t wait for professional people to do things. And there are a lot more students out there who think that way. By the time she graduated she had done 2,100 hours of high-skill community engagement.”

Finn says her experience working with Johnson has taught her a lot about him but just as much about herself.

“He definitely has had an impact on me,” she says. “He believes

very strongly in the power of young people. He sees more in young people than they ever see in themselves. For me it was more than just a typical professor/ student relationship; I felt he was mentoring me in a professional capacity. And he sets a really high bar.”

For example, in coordination with many others on campus, Johnson has helped steer a new Comprehensive Public Health Initiative that featured virtual guest speakers this fall and will involve the entire campus as it works to deal with the long-term impact of the coronavirus.

Johnson and O’Neill have settled into their new home at 501 E. Michigan Ave., and the plans are formulating. By now, their habit of putting up butcher paper on the walls of their home, where they literally write down their ideas and plans and goals, is probably well under way.

He has also worked with others to revamp the 2020-21 academic calendar, breaking both the fall and spring semesters into twomodule formats that will keep students, faculty, and staff as safe and engaged as possible.

“We game our ideas with each other,” Johnson says. “Where are we today? Where do we want to be tomorrow? What about the next five years? We draw pictures and write stuff down. Then we’ll unroll it three years later and say, ‘Oh my God, we did most of the things we said we were going to do.’”

The current task is immense and the roadblocks are many, but Johnson is convinced everything he’s done to date has put him in this place at this time to do great work. He can now, as he puts it, “look behind the curtain” and make the kind of substantive changes that will be necessary in a world changing every day.

But there is always more to do, always more to share. And that’s exactly what drives Mathew Johnson.

“I will need everybody’s help, and the only way I get everybody’s help is if everybody knows what’s going on,” he says.

And anyone who isn’t sure what’s going on need only follow the sparks.

Visit president.albion.edu to watch and hear more from Dr. Mathew B. Johnson, as well as from leaders across higher education who share their thoughts about the 17th president of Albion College.

he believes very strongly in the power of young people. he sees more in young people than they ever see in themselves.”

year of inauguration, years of bold plans While the pandemic may have prevented a large in-person ceremony this fall, plans are in the works for a formal on-campus inauguration of Dr. Mathew Johnson as the 17th president of Albion College in spring 2021. Look for a date and details to be announced in the weeks to come.

Until then, mark your calendar for continued special virtual events each month throughout the academic year, as President Johnson hosts members of the Albion community for conversations that explore the three pillars of his vision for Albion College: public purpose, belonging, and action.

Among this fall’s events: November – Dr. Jess Roberts, professor of English, joined President Johnson to talk about how, in its sixth year, Albion’s Big Read continues to strengthen the Albion community.

This year’s book is Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds.

December – Lux Fiat from Albion College! Join President Johnson, Dr. Shannon O’Neill, and Mae Ola and Robert Dunklin as they celebrate the holiday season and the impressive accomplishments of this challenging semester. Hear why working together as a College and City has been so meaningful for Albion in 2020.

Offer well-wishes, ask questions, and share in the excitement for our College’s future. Visit president. albion.edu/inauguration for video links and more information.

— kelly finn, chief of staff, office of the president Fall-Winter 2020-21 | 15

A Certain

Symmetry Dr. Mauri Ditzler stands on Hannah Street during his final days on campus as Albion College’s 16th president.

One of the first projects he led upon his July 2014 arrival was the renovation of Hannah from Erie to Cass streets, adding a boulevard to enhance campus connectedness.

16 | Albion College Io Triumphe!

It is often said that there is beauty in chemistry.

Across his 50 years in higher education—as a student, a professor, an administrator, and a president—Mauri Ditzler practiced and engaged in unique brands of chemistry particular to the time and place, and particular to the stages of his career and life. All along, from North Carolina to Massachusetts to Illinois to Michigan, the farm in Indiana was never far from view.

And now, following a six-year Albion College presidency that featured new and promising formulas for long-lasting success, Mauri Ditzler is home again.

By Chuck Carlson The farm has never been far from Mauri Ditzler.

tree frogs and watch the lightning bugs come out and think about the farm.”

At last, that time has come.

In his six years as president of Albion College, the farmer’s son would, on most Friday evenings and when higher education circumstances allowed, hop in his car, head south from campus, turn west in Fort Wayne and connect with the “Hoosier Heartland Expressway.” Eventually, tucked in seemingly endless farm fields, he’d be home.

“The first two hours I’d think about what was going on at the College,” Ditzler says. “And about the halfway point I’d make the transition to what I was going to do at the farm. Then I’d go full tilt Saturday and Sunday on the farm and then Sunday about 6 o’clock I knew I had to get back on the road.

And the first half of that trip back I’d think about the farm and the second half I’d get excited about getting back to the College. But even on Sunday nights, as I left, I thought that someday there will be a Sunday night where I don’t have to leave. I can sit on this porch, my back to Long Lane, listen to the

THAT SPECIAL PLACE It’s called Cherrywood Farm and it’s just a little north of nowhere and just south of somewhere else in the middle of Indiana’s Parke County in west central Indiana.

And for Mauri Ditzler and the love of his life, his wife Judi, it has never been just a place to live.

course,’” Ditzler says with a laugh.

“That was at about a quarter to 10, and I said, ‘Well we need to decide in the next 10 minutes.’ So we bought it without having seen it in the last 30 years.”

Combined with the Ditzlers’ adjoining farm, Cherrywood— named for the striking staircase in the home (“Though it might be walnut,” Ditzler muses)—sits on 100 acres and features apple trees planted by his dad and is open to local families to pick strawberries, cherries, and peaches.

It has been a sanctuary and a workshop. It has been a place to decompress and to dream. It has been the place that, when nothing else made sense, this place most certainly did.

“We don’t have a lot of anything but we have enough that during the strawberry season we can have enough for about 200 families a day,” he says. “And with blueberries we can handle 30 families a day.”

They bought the place, then owned for decades by the Yowell family and sitting adjacent to the Ditzler family farm, on a turbulent day—September 11, 2001.

Since moving in, Ditzler, an amateur plumber, has installed five bathrooms. He’s also rebuilt several of the out buildings, including an old barn.

“I remember the deadline for buying the farm was 10 p.m. and I said to Judi, ‘Should we buy the Yowell farm?’ And she said, ‘Of

Mauri Ditzler tells that story in a way only Mauri Ditzler can tell it:

big beams that are 12 inches by 12 inches by 30 feet long and put together with hand-drilled holes and hickory pegs. I replaced the roof and I was fixing the cupola on the top of the barn when I got a phone call. This is 16 years ago and it was an offer to be president of Monmouth College.

“I sat on the peak of that roof and accepted the job and we talked about what we were going to do.

We talked for about an hour and a half and then we talked some more about people we needed to raise money from. And I walked off the roof and down the ladder and under a shade tree and we talked some more about what we were going to do.

“And then I went to work as a college president and I haven’t been back on that roof since. I haven’t gotten back to fixing that cupola. I’m 15 years older now and I’m not sure I want to go back up on that barn and fix that cupola.”

He laughs at the memory.

“It’s a stunning barn built with

“I look up there every once in a while and the equipment I was working with is still up there

Fall-Winter 2020-21 | 17

because I never went back up again. The power cord to run the drill is still strung up there. There’s probably a hammer up there. I don’t know who will eventually discover it. Maybe 100 years from now somebody will find that old drill and power cord.”

These are the stories Judi Ditzler has heard forever. She grew up near Mauri, the daughter of a minister. Mauri was two years older and she rebuffed his advances when she was 11. But, eventually, she relented and now they’ve been married 46 years.

And while Mauri has split his time between running colleges and wondering about the farm, she has remained for the most part on the farm as its caretaker.

“He worries about the farm when he’s not there,” she says. “My being at the farm was at his pleasure. It was reassuring for him for me to be here. It was his escape to talk with me about the farm every night.”

And she knew before anyone what the place means to him.

word and, at last, Mauri can enjoy it in the way he always hoped he could but was never sure he would.

“I’ve loved every job I’ve had going all the way back to second grade and picking potatoes,” he says.

“I think I probably cried after I picked up the last potato of the season.”

And for as long as he can remember, he has fought the battle between his two callings— academics and farming.

“I always found a way to farm,” he says, recalling how he’d leave campus every summer during college research projects so he could tend the land that meant so much to him. “I wonder how my academic career would have been different if I’d been 100 percent devoted to it. All the years I was a chemistry professor and running my research program and then summer would start and I’d get four, five, six kids to do research and we’d get the project started and I’d say, ‘I’m going away for six weeks to go farm.’”

He pauses at the thought.

“It’s always been a very romantic picture for him, this farming life,” she says. “It’s just something he’s enjoyed doing. He likes watching things grow. I think it’s nostalgic for him. It’s a simpler way of life and he wants to do that.”

This is home in every sense of the

18 | Albion College Io Triumphe!

“It takes six weeks out of the summer and it would knock a big hole in my research programs,” he continues. “How many more papers would I have published?

Would I have been a more famous scientist if I hadn’t done that?

How would my work as a dean

or president have been different if I had been on campus every weekend?”

change the world. You need to trust people to do the right things.”

He pauses again and smiles.

Six years ago, that was easier said than done.

“I don’t really have any regrets, it’s just more curiosity. I’ve always enjoyed doing lots of things so I probably wouldn’t have been a good scientist or president, because (farming) cleared my mind and gave me inspiration.”

Back then, Albion’s enrollment was decreasing. Alumni, some disenchanted and many others simply disinterested, stopped donating. It was only a few years removed from financial issues that led to cuts in curriculum and jobs.

Always, it’s about the farm.

The College and the struggling town of Albion were, in an existential sense, barely on speaking terms. There was resentment by some in the predominantly African American community that white, affluent kids from somewhere else and with bright futures all but assured would come to the College, stay four years, and leave behind unchanged a community that had lost its identity.

BIG CHALLENGES, BIG VISION On June 30, Mauri Ditzler officially stepped away from his duties as Albion College’s 16th president with few regrets, a million memories, and the realization that, just maybe, he has left the school better than he found it.

He came to campus at a time of upheaval and uncertainty, taking over a job in which his ideas and beliefs would be tested. There was also an understanding that the changes he envisioned for Albion might find their start with him but could not possibly be completed.

Still, issues had to be confronted, decisions made, and the job begun.

And in the midst of that, in 2013, the College needed to find a new president.

“No one comes to work at a college to get rich,” Ditzler says. “You come because of idealism, because it’s the way to change people and

“First, we needed someone who would hit the ground running, and we needed someone with strong communications skills who could

“The College and the entire higher education sector had been going through a lot of change,” says Mark Newell, ’77, a member of the Board of Trustees and head of the presidential search committee that unanimously selected Ditzler.

bring all the constituencies of the College together. The challenge of the preceding years had created an issue of morale and uncertainty and it was important we break through that. We needed Albion and the community aligned in the same direction, and with Mauri we found someone who did both of those things wonderfully. In fact, he exceeded them.”

Diztler saw a college and a community that needed to work together so that both could survive and thrive. It wasn’t necessarily a new idea but it was one, Ditzler knew, that Albion had to embrace.

And one of his first decisions may have been one of his best—he moved the presidential residence from two miles south of campus to two blocks from campus, back to 501 E. Michigan Ave. It was symbolic and convenient, but it was also important.

Faculty and staff noticed. Students noticed. And perhaps most important, so did members of the community.

He did that very early on, traveling around town, speaking with

and we enjoyed having him,” Dunklin says.

During the evening of his inauguration, in September 2014, Mauri and Judi were invited to Lewis Chapel, one of the oldest African Methodist Episcopal churches in town, for a blessing ceremony.

It was just one of the steps Ditzler knew he needed to make for the College, for the town, and for himself.

“I went in and saw him and I went, ‘Whoa, that’s the College president,’” Dunklin says with a laugh. “And there was such a welcoming for him there. We let him know he was welcome.

I was so impressed with how comfortable he was. When he spoke, he spoke from the heart.”

Ditzler would attend church services there often over the next six years, and when Judi was in town, she would often play piano at the service.

“Lewis Chapel became an important part of my life,” Ditzler says. “It has blessed my time in Albion.”

This was the start of the vision Ditzler had for Albion College and for the town.

It was the start, if not of a love affair between a community and a college president, of a mutual respect that went far beyond campus.

“Mauri was there to engage with the people, to talk with the people,

“What I was struck by was that the campus community understood that their future was linked to the town, and the town understood it was linked to the College,” he says. “I always wanted to chase that vision. I think that’s the fundamental essence of our kind of college. It’s serendipitous learning, one-on-one interaction that occurs because you have a residential faculty and a residential staff.

“My first goal was to make sure we came together around this fundamental understanding of who we were and what we were trying to do, and then execute that,” he says.

He also knew that for campus and community to meld, the College had to be diverse and inclusive— to make Albion look more like America, as he says often. He also knew that as an overwhelmingly residential campus, it was important for faculty to spend as much time in town and close to the students as possible.

He knew that when students met with faculty outside the classroom that new ways of learning could take place. And he knew that as

Snapshots of a Presidency From preceding page, left to right: November 2014 — President Ditzler announces the creation of the Build Albion Fellows Program.

Since Fall 2015, the College initiative has offered four years of tuition, housing, and meals to local students in exchange for service in the community. To date, more than 50 students have benefited.

May 2016 — Ditzler (third from right) participates in the groundbreaking for the Courtyard Marriott hotel in downtown Albion with (from left) Robert Mahaney, ’80, of Marquette-based hotel operator Veridea Group; Mayor Joe Domingo; City Manager Sheryl Mitchell; Emily Petz of the Michigan Economic Development Corp.; Sam Shaheen, ’88, of Saginaw-based Shaheen Development; and Peggy Sindt, ’73, of Albion Economic Development Corp. The hotel opened in March 2018.

August 2018 — Ditzler put his personal touches on the Matriculation ceremony to start the academic year, including the presentation of a commemorative coin, unique for each class year, to students after they signed the College parchments and stated their names as Albion’s newest matriculants.

September 2019 — President Ditzler donned a tuxedo in announcing the launch of the public phase of the Purple & Bold comprehensive campaign during the College’s 10th annual Grand Getaway alumni event at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. The campaign eclipsed its $100 million goal in June 2020.

Dream No Small Dreams

“He wanted to embed himself in the City,” says Mae Ola Dunklin, the longtime resident, retired public school educator, and current College trustee. “Having him live in the City and put his footprint in the City was remarkable.”

residents, and listening as they spoke with him.

Fall-Winter 2020-21 | 19

a residential college, this could help Albion stand out from other schools.

“It was a way to understand the value of accidental or unexpected learning that occurs when faculty

or staff members and students pass on the Quad or see each other at a play and talk afterward about it,” he says. “And it was clear to me that the campus understood that and it was clear to me it wasn’t working as well as people

on campus wanted it to. I said that I wanted to participate in the fulfillment of that vision. People said we were struggling because people aren’t on campus enough.

Students were, but it was not residential for faculty and staff. We needed to rekindle that.”

is the time we are present and the education of students who attend with us. Just like our responsibility on the farm is for the crops when we are caring for the farm, not for 50 years out.”

What followed over the course of six years was that very rekindling, in one significant way, in the form of the Harrington Neighborhood, named for Michael and Judy Harrington, ’85 ’86, whose gift allowed faculty and staff seeking to live in town to receive lowinterest loans to purchase or renovate homes.

So Mauri Ditzler believes he has left Albion College better than he found it. Enrollment has risen. The financial concerns, while they may linger in this extraordinary and world-changing time, continue to be addressed.

Programs that had been cut, like the computer science major, have returned. His charge to make Albion look like America has succeeded with dramatic increases in first-generation and underrepresented students as well as the College’s commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Between the Harrington Neighborhood and the rejuvenation of downtown, now more than half of the faculty live in Albion.

“He was ready to do things that were different,” Newell says. “The College needed to take some real steps toward change and that has always stayed with me. He brought all those things together and he’s positioned Albion to face the challenges of the future. He deserves great credit.”

A GOOD TIME TO LEAVE To Mauri Ditzler, college presidents have a shelf life.

Indeed, when he was hired, he promised the Board five years at Albion, maybe six, and then he would move on so that someone with a different vision, a different skill set, could come in.

More than 100 cars organized for a socially distanced parade May 22 celebrating the Ditzlers, starting in the Ferguson Building parking lot and proceeding on Hannah Street and Michigan Avenue before concluding at the President’s Home. Watch a video of the event at albion.edu/iotriumphe.

20 | Albion College Io Triumphe!

“Presidents can get carried away with their own importance,” Ditzler says. “And sometimes we judge ourselves if we’ve prepared a college for the next 20 years or 50 years. Our primary responsibility

Again, the farm looms.

The Davis Athletic Complex is now a Britons showpiece. The Dow Athletic and Wellness Center has just undergone a multimilliondollar expansion (see page 8), as has the Nancy Held Equestrian Center.

The new Lisa and James Wilson Institute for Medicine is envisioning and offering a fresh look at pre-med education. The Build Albion Fellows program has helped address the issue of qualified local students who want to attend Albion having the opportunity to do so.

Meanwhile, downtown Albion has experienced a rebirth: a renovated Bohm Theatre, a Courtyard by Marriott hotel, a new bookstore and new restaurants. Not to mention bringing the College downtown via the Ludington Center; offering more and easier healthcare access to both students and community members through a partnership with Oaklawn at Munger Place; and championing

recreation with the College’s involvement in expanding the Albion River Trail.

“Mauri is a rare jewel and I’m glad he found his way to Albion College and the City of Albion,” says Dunklin. “He has made a tremendous impact on the College and the community, and I think the College and the community have changed.”

Judi Ditzler has seen it, too.

There was a time, she says, when the couple had talked about their next phase of life, perhaps even outside of higher education. Then came the chance to come to Albon.

“Albion was Mauri’s capstone,” she says. “He was delighted and the community was champing at the bit to do something. It was a perfect match.”

Of course, Ditzler leaves but issues remain, both new and old, for which the new president, Dr. Mathew Johnson, is tasked with navigating.

“What made this hard was I decided to retire before we knew there would be a pandemic

and before we knew how many challenges there would be running a dramatically residential liberal arts college in the fall of 2020,” Ditzler says. “If I’d known that, I might have said I need to stay another year to work this out.

But it turns out we hired a great president, so it’s good to retire.”

On his last day on campus, May 21, a car parade to honor the Ditzlers ended its route at the President’s Home. The couple sat in lawn chairs as cars filled with faculty, staff, friends, and admirers streamed past.

Due to lockdown concerns brought on by the pandemic, organizers hoped for 50 cars to take part. The final count was 103.

“It did make you realize that people really did care,” Judi says.

“It really choked us up.”

But it was also a realization that it was time to move on. Soon after the parade, the couple hopped in their car, drove south, headed west from Fort Wayne and, eventually, back to the place where everything makes sense.

“We drove up from the south when

we first started,” Mauri Ditzler says. “And we’ll leave the same way. There’s a symmetry to that.”

He pauses one more time.

“I like symmetry.”

An Epilogue Kirk Heinze, ’70, offers a reflection from the 2013 presidential search.

(Read more from Kirk about a proud Briton baseball moment on page 34.)

I was privileged to serve on the search committee that unanimously recommended Mauri Ditzler to the Board of Trustees to become the 16th president of Albion College.

Early in the search, we identified 20 or so candidates (among the 80-plus who applied) for whom we would check references. I noticed in his application materials that one of Mauri’s references was a former student of mine at Michigan State with whom I had remained in close contact. She had

worked for Mauri at Monmouth College as a key member of his leadership team. Knowing she would give me an unvarnished assessment, I requested that Mauri be the candidate for whom I would check references.

When I called her—and I will never forget this—she said: “Kirk, when I accepted my dream job and had to leave Monmouth, I went into Mauri’s office to let him know I would be leaving. I actually broke down in tears because I so much loved working for Mauri. He then said, ‘Molly, you have done a wonderful job here, but you have this rare opportunity. You need to follow your heart.’”

When I reported this conversation to the search committee, along with what other references had shared, I remember adding that Mauri would likely be among our top finalists. Everything I had heard from those references about Mauri’s character, creativity, leadership, wisdom, and energy has proven true—for the enduring betterment of Albion College and the Albion community, and to the continuing delight of all who have rejoiced in the remarkable Albion College renaissance.

Judi and Mauri Ditzler stroll toward their farmhouse, Cherrywood, in Indiana.

Fall-Winter 2020-21 | 21

Dr. Shannon O’Neill stands in Stockwell-Mudd Library’s Cutler Commons, which this fall is being re-envisioned and remade into the Cutler Center for Student Success and Academic Achievement.

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All students need resources and support as they chart their individual paths toward degree completion.

But before they can attain that goal, they first need to feel welcome.

That Albion is indeed the right place for them.

Enter the College’s new associate dean for student success, a national leader in the field.

For Dr. Shannon O’Neill, the first director of the new Sarah S. and Alexander M. Cutler Center for Student Success and Academic Achievement, nothing has been more important in her academic career than providing opportunities and removing barriers so students can thrive.

It is a goal that has taken many forms, including as a women’s studies professor and women’s center founding director at Siena College, and as an associate dean for junior and senior studies, prelaw advisor, and dean for recovery and substance-free initiatives at Brown University. At the heart of each of those roles: the concept, and practice, of engaged learning and making sure students have the tools they need to succeed in college—and that institutions are providing inclusive and welcoming spaces so that students have the environment they deserve to participate in higher education.

An ardent advocacy for gender equity and human rights is foundational in O’Neill’s work and goes back to her own days as a student—at St. Catherine University in her native Minnesota, where she earned a B.A. in women’s studies and psychology, and at the State University of New York at Albany, from which she received an M.A. and Ph.D. in social-personality psychology.

O’Neill now brings her expertise to Albion, and specifically the new Cutler Center, created through an $8 million gift from Sally Cutler, ’75, and her husband, Sandy (see page 25).

The Center, which is making its home in Stockwell-Mudd Library, is committed to facilitating institutional change that will remove barriers for students— especially underrepresented, first-generation, and lowincome—in all stages and facets

of their college experience, with a particular focus on individual mentoring that begins from admission all the way through graduation.

As the start of the fall semester approached, Dr. O’Neill spoke with Chuck Carlson about her role as well as her goals for this transformational addition to Albion College.

Io Triumphe!: What sparked your interest in social psychology, engaged learning, gender equity, and human rights?

Shannon O’Neill: I participated in a co-curricular engaged learning experience in Civil Rights when I went to Selma, Alabama, as an undergraduate and that was pretty impactful. And not just learning about and experiencing the trip down to Selma—we also went to Montgomery and Birmingham— but having that opportunity

to go there and to be a student leader in that experience was very important.

And I think opportunities like this are a reason students might choose Albion. I went to a large urban institution (Marquette University in Milwaukee) and then I transferred to St. Kate’s, a smaller school in a more residential area. I remember I was on the walking path at St. Kate’s when the registrar engaged me in a conversation and said if I had any problem just talk to her. That stayed with me. It was engaged faculty and staff, and being in an all-women’s environment … seeing women as leaders and how important it is to see yourself. I thought that this is the atmosphere I need—seeing myself as someone who could make a difference in this world, and how we all could play a part in making a difference in the lives of others.

Fall-Winter 2020-21 | 23

Cutler Center close-up: Christopher Berry (right), assistant dean of students, is interviewed by Erica Eash of Marshall-based BluFish Consulting for a video describing the academic resources and student services that will be more centralized and easily available through the newly created Cutler Center. Says Berry: “The way I would define student success is that we often talk about students being college-ready, and student success is colleges being student-ready­—being prepared to meet students where they are and the needs that they have.” Find a link to the video at albion.edu/iotriumphe.

How have you been able to put those impactful experiences into practice?

We know high-impact practices result in student success and being able to thrive. I also had a research opportunity to conduct my own social psychological research on campus. It was that research experience that allowed me to imagine myself as a doctoral candidate. That one grant, I think it was a $1,500 grant in the early 1990s, helped set my trajectory.

I think about how impactful that gift was. It’s pretty amazing. I remember holding my research survey in my hands and thinking it was my survey, it was my data.

I was very active in the fair trade movement for a while and I’ve always been involved

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in addressing injustice and the organizations that do such work, both in the community and connecting students with opportunities to take on leadership roles in organizations and movements.

Can you talk more about your research?

As an undergrad, I was looking at attitudes toward feminism on campus. It was that experience that prepared me and put me in contact with faculty for recommendations to graduate school. There was a lot of misconception about feminism and being feminine. Students felt ambivalent about that.

As a faculty member in women’s studies, I also started a travel

course with colleagues in political science. The course examined gender equality in the Nordic countries; it was a different perspective to go somewhere where women were very much better off than women in the United States. We always went to Sweden and we went to Iceland and, depending on the year, we’d go to Denmark, Norway, Estonia, and Finland.

We looked at how gender equality was impacted by policies and practices of the Nordic countries.

I took students on these trips and some of them had never flown before, so it wasn’t just the topic, it was exposing students to developing a sense of self-efficacy about their ability to navigate travel.

What do you hope the Cutler Center will provide for Albion students?

The Cutler Center will play a role in reviewing current policy and practices and identifying institutional barriers to success.

One example: there’s no good central location for emergency funds for students. We will need to create and standardize that process. And make sure everyone’s widely aware of it. Good policies, widely distributed and equitably applied, help to address the potential for inequities.

The Center will facilitate student success by serving as a one-stop shop for students. Reducing the need to refer students elsewhere is removing a barrier. We know that all successful students utilize

resources: they participate in tutoring, they seek assistance with their writing for their personal statement, they need someone to help them troubleshoot a barrier to their academic success.

Student-success resources do not just include things like the Writing Center, but also, for example, fellowship advising.

My perspective and best practice is to have these services in areas where students already are. They should be centrally located and easily accessible so that students are not always having to go to the administration building for answers. That’s why the Cutler Center will be located in the library. Students can go to where they’re already living their lives.

The library bridge, with all those booths, is pretty popular. That is where we want to be. The Cutler Center will be open for students to use during evening hours as well.

It will be student space.

How is student success best attained?

It depends on the students. We have to look at institutional barriers that have been in place that may have worked 10 or 20 years ago but no longer serve the institution or students. In the past we may have pathologized the student and say they are not motivated. Institutions have often unknowingly erected institutional barriers to student success, especially for first-generation and underrepresented students.

We have good research on what works. We have some of those resources and it’s important to make resources more ubiquitous.

What needs to happen is to understand that student success is everybody’s responsibility.

Identify how you can contribute

to first-generation and underrepresented students. We all need to engender that belonging.

Research tells us how important a sense of belonging is.

What do you see for the Cutler Center one year, five years, 10 years down the road?

We’d like to move the needle on the retention rate and get data on a sense of belonging. I hope to have students securing Fulbright and Truman scholarships. I hope that when you walk into that space it’s clear to you that all students feel comfortable there, that there is collaboration and support at the Cutler Center.

And if they’re encountering trouble in class, a peer says, “Go to the Cutler Center.” Or a faculty member says, “If you’re thinking of a Fulbright scholarship, go to the Cutler Center.” You’d be able to tell as soon as you go that the Cutler Center is there to help you in any way it can.

What an amazing and gamechanging gift this is, and I see there’s a desire to collaborate and work together. In one conversation I had during the summer, over the course of several hours students mentioned several of their favorite faculty and favorite courses. I think we have an impressive and engaged faculty, which bodes well for all of our students.

The opportunity for impact is huge. We have the opportunity to make that kind of institutional impact not only now, but for the future. And that’s very exciting.

Sandy (left) and Sally Cutler’s gift was first announced in October 2019.

Exponential Outcomes The Sarah S. and Alexander M. Cutler Center for Student Success and Academic Achievement was unveiled this fall amid the uncertainty brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

But for Sally Cutler, ’75, who along with her husband, Sandy, provided a landmark $8 million gift for the creation of the Center, she is heartened that the coronavirus eventually will pass while the benefits of the Center remain— and even magnify over the course of an Albion graduate’s career and life.

Indeed, the Cutlers see the Center quickly becoming an integral resource for current and future Albion students, as it brings together in one inviting and

student-friendly space a range of services often found in different areas of college campuses.

“The Cutler Center is there to help people, and it seems to me that seeking academic assistance during this time will be even more crucial to students,” Sally Cutler says.

“We hope that the students who have participated in the offerings of the Cutler Center will take their learned skills and apply them in jobs that are meaningful to them and will provide support for themselves, their families, and their communities,” she adds. “We also hope that they will remember the help they received and, in turn, provide the same to others throughout their lives.”

Fall-Winter 2020-21 | 25

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A “pandemic edition” of this magazine was never going to happen.

But amid the chaos, the pain, the frustration, the ubiquity, flecks of adaptation and ingenuity, of growth and the future, have regularly come into view.

Jake Weber focused on a few of those Albion flecks, both on and off campus, and developed the following snapshots.

At the time of Albion College’s 1835 founding, its students had likely never ridden a train or had their photograph taken, and most of their grandparents were older than the United States itself.

They wouldn’t have recognized the current campus and certainly would have been confused by most of the current curricula.

About the only thing left of that “first” Albion is the idea that going to college means showing up for class.

being done on the fly—and with the assumption that it was a temporary off-ramp—the switch turned out to be a weird and wonderful demonstration of Albion’s core, and that even when “showing up for class” experiences change, a nearly two-century-old commitment to excellence never wavers.

already more than halfway over, and abandoning it was not an option.

IT: Training, Tracking Down Equipment, and More Training

Within hours of the announced campus closure in March, Mohler and her staff were training faculty on using course-management software and videoconferencing programs. Some faculty had a lot to learn, but Mohler notes that at the end of a week she and her staff had every professor ready to roll online.

As Michigan implemented its statewide shutdown last spring due to the coronavirus and COVID-19 outbreak, Albion spent just one week dismantling and rebuilding an educational tradition that, for 185 years, seemed unassailable. Despite

“Every academic institution was trying to deal with this pandemic. News of other college closings changed by the hour; it was chaos,” says Robin Mohler, director of instructional technology and media services.

Albion’s spring semester was

Software of course, doesn’t do much without hardware, and Mohler points with pride to IT’s proactive support here as well.

As the department’s “loaner” equipment quickly went out the door with remote workers, staff members swept the campus for

laptops and webcams in public kiosks and wired classrooms, and tracked down sources for new equipment despite a national spike in demand. They packed and shipped laptops to students who didn't have computer access at home. And on top of all the extra work, the IT help desk expanded to 11-hour days, providing more service to remote employees and students in different time zones.

“Speaking with IT colleagues at our sister institutions,” Mohler reflects, “the level of unique and personal customer service we provide at Albion is second to none. Not only that, we got it done in time for everyone to complete their classes and finish the semester.”

Fall-Winter 2020-21 | 27

Yes, COVID has made every job that much harder. But the Office of the Registrar may have been impacted on a different level.

Typically, a semester has barely begun when the office begins organizing 150 faculty and academic staff, 1,500 students, and 75 classrooms into nearly 400 courses for the next term. “It takes about six weeks to create the course schedule,” says Drew Dunham, associate dean of academic affairs and registrar.

“This summer, we had to do it in under two.”

Dunham’s team didn’t simply redo the fall schedule (which had been completed just before the shutdown); rather, Registrar staff and a faculty group developed an entirely new course system. For the 2020-21 academic year, each semester consists of two sevenweek modules, with students taking two courses per module.

This system reduces the number of people encountered each day, and will make a transition to remote learning easier in the event of another campus closure.

Still, bringing students back to class wasn’t simply about devising a new system. Dunham and the faculty spent weeks hammering out the details of adjusting courses to the accelerated timeline, while his staff recoded the entire registration system. Doug Laditka, associate vice president for facilities management and development, and his staff spent weeks measuring nearly every indoor space on campus to determine its socially distanced capacity. They also created new classroom spaces in Baldwin Hall

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and Washington Gardner School; even the Quad, through the use of large open tents, is serving as the official "classroom" for several courses.

The new space requirements had a huge impact on the course schedule. “All of a sudden, classrooms that used to hold 30 people could only hold 12, and squeezing one more student into a class, that was gone,” Dunham says. “We also tried to not schedule classes back-to-back in any spaces.”

Through it all, so far, Dunham has found at least one silver lining. “For the fall semester, every student registered for their first-choice class on the first day, their second-choice class on the second day, and so on,” Dunham says. “This lets more students get the classes that they really want.

We’re definitely going to keep doing this.”

Large open tents on the Quad have been used as outdoor classrooms this fall.

TOM WILCH PHOTO COURTESY BATTLE CREEK ENQUIRER

Registrar: A Total CourseSchedule Rebuild

Faculty: ‘Thinking Bigger’ and ‘A Greater Appreciation’ Albion’s Comprehensive Public Health Initiative (see page 12), announced by President Mathew Johnson during the summer, includes opportunities shortly before each semester for enrolled students to earn additional academic credit at no extra cost. The initial response was immediate: 10 Albion faculty created courses in July focused on COVID or race in America.

Jon Hooks, professor of economics and management, and Dawid Tatarczyk, assistant professor of political science, found that their students in these courses worked well as a group even though they

For Thom Wilch, professor of geological sciences (who this summer was named dean of faculty affairs), teaching his spring-semester Natural Disasters course as COVID-19 grew into a pandemic provided a rare opportunity to alter a syllabus midstream. “It is,” he says simply, “a teachable moment that every person on the planet is implicated in.” Read more online: find a link to the story at albion. edu/iotriumphe.

Students attended an Ian MacInnes English class as sock puppets during the spring semester’s remote-instruction phase.

kept fall classes in-person through the first 10 weeks (at press time), but with the spring experience still fresh, it’s only natural to think about the possibility of a pandemic-forced return to remote instruction. Says Ian MacInnes, professor of English, about that scenario: “I’m less worried about my ability to deliver quality instruction but more worried that I won’t be able to develop authentic relationships with students that can lead to mentoring.”

“I would say we all got a greater appreciation for Albion from this experience,” Tatarczyk reflects. “Students value Albion’s community because they see how much we are all connected to Albion. If COVID showed anything, it showed that bond, and I have a greater appreciation for it.”

Abby Cahill, assistant professor of biology, concurs, with a bit of added urgency. “When we’re on campus and I have a student who is struggling psychologically, I know where to send them. When a student is at home and struggling, I can’t just walk them to the counseling center.”

never met in person. “I didn’t have to keep track of student participation, that’s for sure,” says Hooks of his COVID Economy students.

Their respective courses blended pre-recorded lectures with live class discussions and independent reading and writing. Hooks’ course focused on up-to-the-minute government data, legislation, and media, while Tatarczyk’s students looked at democratic political systems over the past few millennia.

The professors have a similar philosophy that encourages shared opinion, which in turn helps students feel that they know each other. “I don't expect students to agree,” Tatarczyk says, “but they need to have an elementary understanding of why people disagree with them.”

Of course, remote learning cannot completely replicate the teaching and learning dynamics that have evolved over centuries. An enormous amount of communication occurs in an in-person classroom, from an overheard comment to the chatter of multiple small-group discussions to nonverbal cues.

The room itself communicates as well: the lectern and the chalk or whiteboard establish the mindsets and then facilitate the acts of teaching and learning.

Then there are those organic and memorable walking conversations immediately after a lecture or seminar discussion, perhaps one that ends by the professor’s office door or in line at The Eat Shop.

Albion’s Together Safely strategy (albion.edu/together-safely)

The common concern has spawned a variety of ideas.

MacInnes focused on live group discussions and distinct elements of fun, such as having class meetings where everyone attended as a sock puppet.

MacInnes even got an iPad for his therapy dog, Stevie Wonderful, when students asked for him to continue being part of class. Cahill gave her students pre-recorded lectures but utilized the course management software to track student progress and inform the agendas for her regular one-onone virtual meetings.

“Google exists, so what is the role of an educator when students have an encyclopedia on their phones?”

Cahill asks. “We’re ‘thinking bigger,’ in teaching students to piece together facts and conceptualize them in a bigger way. That work is important.”

The College’s recently announced Comprehensive Public Health Initiative includes training students in contact tracing following a COVID-19 positive test case. Lucretia Woods, ’21 (above), and Camari Jones, ’23, members of the Lisa and James Wilson Institute for Medicine, put their training into practice this summer at Chicago’s Howard Brown Health in an internship that Howard Brown board member Austin Baidas, ’92, helped make possible. Read more online: find a link to the story at albion.edu/ iotriumphe.

Fall-Winter 2020-21 | 29

Meeting Real-Time Demand, Informed by the Past “I research the dark side of history: disease, war, infant mortality. I never wanted to experience any of what I study as a scholar,” says Dr. Jim Harris, ’08. “But, here we are.”

From Albion through graduate school to his current faculty position at The Ohio State University, Harris has enjoyed the life of an academic historian.

His expertise on the history of World War I and the 1918 influenza pandemic wasn’t exactly frontpage news.

“It’s been crazy being something of a public intellectual,” says Harris.

Ironically, Harris’ teaching load last spring was all online, so he and his students were minimally

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“I was getting all these media requests and trying to help the other people in my department, and the Ohio State shutdown came one week after I started a sevenweek course,” Harris says. “I threw all my assignment deadlines out of the window and my research went on hold. I had to do these things because I teach the way I was taught at Albion, and that means the students come first.”

Harris notes that in his many media interviews, he is asked about parallels between COVID-19 and the 1918 flu. There are many, but he sees two differences as more important.

First, more than a century ago, Americans were united on how to best combat epidemics.

Quarantining and distancing were practiced across the country, and Harris notes that in San Francisco children learned a nursery rhyme about the importance of wearing masks. These measures, he notes, resulted in an American death rate much lower than that in England, where preventing the spread was not a nationwide effort.

Coming to Albion, Jim Harris knew he would major in history, but he wasn’t sure at the time what he would do with the degree. Just a few weeks into his first history course, Europe 1500-Present, “I knew what I wanted to do with my history major,” he recalls. “I said to myself: ‘I want to be that guy!’” That guy was Geoff Cocks, now professor emeritus and living in California. Read more about Geoff’s ongoing impact at Albion on page 46.

“That’s why in The Washington Post I said I was sure Americans would get behind mask wearing,” Harris says. “I was sure wrong about that.”

The other difference between the pandemics is more hopeful.

“In 1918, scientists couldn’t see viruses under a microscope, and a flu vaccine wasn’t developed for decades,” he says. “With

Find Your Fire

Over the past six months, however, Harris has contributed to articles in The New York Times and on the History Channel and written an op-ed for The Washington Post. He has won a prize offered through Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government for his overview of pandemics throughout recorded history, titled “Pandemics: Today and Yesterday.” He also was one of two historians featured in a full-length documentary. All of these projects have been related to the COVID-19 outbreak.

disrupted by Ohio State’s transition to distance learning.

His colleagues, however, were a different story—and they leaned on Harris as the department’s “expert” in online instruction.

COVID, the gene was sequenced in weeks and we’re talking about a vaccine in 18 months.”

Harris concludes, “It’s amazing how far we’ve come, but we can still learn from history. There’s tremendous work to be done but we know what’s worked in the past, and if we follow that public health history, we’ll get through this.”

Fighting the Spread, One Face Shield at a Time Tanya Jagdish, ’22, had it in mind that “someday” she would sign up for one of the College’s 3D printing classes. It seemed like a good skill to have, but she didn’t know what she might do with it.

As it turned out, her introduction to 3D printing came this past spring, making personalprotective-equipment (PPE) components that likely saved lives.

home when Michigan’s shelterin-place order began, Jagdish spent the entire spring semester on campus, participating in her online classes and worrying about the global spread of COVID. At one point, while surfing the Internet for information, the Bangalore, India, resident saw requests for volunteers who could make PPE equipment on their 3D printers.

“When COVID hit there was so much happening all at once and the uncertainty made me feel helpless,” Jagdish recalls. “I am very passionate about social justice and community service, so like always I just wanted to do something and help in any way possible.”

Of course, she didn’t own and couldn’t operate a 3D printer, but nonetheless Jagdish brought a proposal to Albion’s Instructional Technology team. If they would train her to use the College’s printers, Jagdish would join a project at Michigan State University, which was assembling and distributing face shields to Michigan hospitals.

As one of the small handful of students who were unable to get

“We wore masks and I sat on the other side of the room and taught

Tanya Jagdish at the 3D printer (far left); a stack of newly made faceshield pieces; Jagdish sanded down each piece after printing.

her how to use the printers,” says instructional technologist Sarah Noah. “I helped with printer maintenance when Tanya couldn’t be there. She used every scrap of printing filament we had and got more from MSU. She did all the work.”

Jagdish learned that 3D printing is a far cry from the “point and click” technology of 2D printing. The printers require near-constant monitoring and adjusting, as the heated filament can burn, foul various parts of the machine, and otherwise cause havoc in half a dozen ways. “One time the filament got stuck and Sarah wasn’t around, so I had to Google how to fix it and ended up dismantling one of the parts of the machine,” Jagdish recalls. “I put it back together in the end, though!

I learned so much by doing things myself.”

In May and June, Jagdish spent approximately 80 hours on the printing, working an hour or two every day before her full-time commitment to her summer project through the College’s Foundation for Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity (FURSCA). In all, she created more than 120 pieces for the MSU effort, helping to meet the need for face shields. And Jagdish is ready to get back to the printers if demand spikes again.

“I did all I could in my capacity and I’m grateful for the opportunity,” she says. “It definitely feels good knowing that my actions helped my community.”

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Farm-to-Doorbell: Designing a Locavore Solution When Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced the statewide shutdown in March, Drew Patrick, ’00, had been working on a plan for a food-based venture for more than a year— plans that he threw out to chase a bold new idea.

The owner of Detroit’s Skidmore Studio, a design and marketing agency, Patrick gathered his staff and asked them: How quickly could they launch a new business website? And, would they jump in as temporary employees to help him get it started?

“That was March 16,” Patrick recalls. “On March 21, we decided we could do it. The website launched on April 6 and we made our first deliveries on April 9.”

Through August 1, Michigan Fields (michiganfields.com) made more than 1,200 direct deliveries of Michigan produce and foods to customers in metro Detroit. The company boasts two full-time employees (Patrick’s Skidmore staff have gone back to the studio) and the company will be featured during the upcoming season of PBS's Start Up series.

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The hyperdriven success story grew from Skidmore Studio’s experience with numerous Michigan food-based businesses and Patrick’s realization that he wanted to contribute more directly to the local food economy.

Then came COVID, the shutdown, and an unforeseen food-business hole. “People were looking for grocery delivery and the stores never really figured out how to do this,” Patrick says. “We launched without any marketing or promotion, knowing that we were going to have challenges figuring out the delivery routes. But our customers gave us a lot of grace because no one was doing a good job.”

Software has ironed out the delivery issues, and Patrick is on to more permanent challenges. For example, “Food spoils. That’s not something we worry about in the creative world,” he says with a laugh. With more than 50 Michigan Fields suppliers—and the company’s focus on farm-ripened produce—it’s a big issue, especially because for Patrick, waste is not an option.

“I go to the grocery store,” he says, “and when I look at the produce department, all I can think

is, ‘How much of this is going to end up in the dumpster?’ We're working with our suppliers so we can minimize, if not eliminate, waste.”

While Michigan Fields’ growth has slowed after the rocket launch in April, Patrick is cheerfully confident about its future.

“In May, people did start to go back to the grocery store. and we started to build the business the right way,” he says. “We’re passionate about local food and the health and the local economic benefits of eating it. Now is the fun part of finding our core customers in southeast Michigan and make sure we’re meeting the needs and exceeding their expectations of what we provide.”

Becca Rychener and Max King with their EMT certifications; Rychener continued her EMS work this past summer in her Ohio hometown (left).

year, but they’re quick to note that the club has a long-term purpose that the new EMTs can’t yet see.

“Facing the realities of emergency healthcare, and growing into successful and higher-level providers is hard,” Rychener says. She notes that she and King “have seen the struggle in our communities” and have felt the immense privilege and responsibility of giving care to people on some of the most difficult days of their lives.

Following a Passion, First Responders Find Purpose Becca Rychener, ’21, and Max King, ’21, are full-time students and part-time lifesavers, emergency medical technicians (EMTs) with both state- and national-level licenses. In 201920, they juggled classes, homework, and Greek life with work at Jackson County Ambulance (JCA), providing trauma care, life support, and other medical services as part of an ambulance crew.

And still it wasn’t enough activity for the friends, who also established the Albion College Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Club, which had a wildly successful first year (even with one-fourth of it being lost to the spring campus closure). Through Albion’s Kids Cardiac Life Support program, EMS Club members worked with Harrington Elementary School students covering everything from

dialing 911 to actual CPR training. The club also hosted a campus CPR training class, led by certified trainers Rychener and King, that resulted in several Albion students being certified to perform CPR. The Club’s highlight accomplishment, however, was organizing, through JCA, a semesterlong EMT certification course designed specifically for Albion College students. The course combined online study and instruction with hands-on training scheduled on the weekends at JCA facilities in Jackson. Fifteen Albion students passed the state certification exams this summer, allowing them to work as Michigan EMTs.

Rychener and King know their support for each other is a crucial part of their success and want to make sure similar support is available to campus EMTs. “We want the EMS Club to build a community of people our members can fall back on when things get hard,” Rychner says.

One stressor, of course, is COVID-19. Like hospital workers, ambulance crews are affected by staff shortages and the constant worry that they have been exposed to the virus, or could take it home to family. In addition, Rychener notes that unlike hospital workers, emergency responders aren’t able to test patients before starting treatment.

Still, Rychener loves the work. “On the days that I feel like giving up when my pre-med coursework becomes overwhelming, I think about the sense of purpose I get when I’m in the back of that ambulance with a patient,” she says. “If I wasn’t able to work as an EMT while going to school, I would not be as successful and determined as I am now. I’m reminded that I’m following my passion, and this journey is worth it.”

Rychener and King are proud of what the EMS Club and its members have done in just one

Fall-Winter 2020-21 | 33

I

n late spring, when it wasn’t yet known if there would be any more team sports in 2020, a group of Albion baseball alums marked 50 years after a memorable win over Michigan State. Here, a recollection and reflection from a Briton who was on the diamond that day.

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The 1970 Albion College baseball team. Front/bottom row, left to right: Kim Kezlarian, Dave Moeller, Kirk Heinze, Ron Megregian, Duncan Beagle, Tom Myers, Craig Georgeff, Art Kale; second row, left to right: Coach Morley Fraser, Rick Jones, Don McClellan, Chuck West, Ben Hubbard, Harry Turney, Greg Macy, Rick Knock, Chuck Arey, Manager Keith Kerr; third row, left to right: Jeff Kezlarian, Chris Mark, Pete Brown, Dennis Farr, John Salvadore, Rick Rodes, Rich Bowman; back/top row, left to right: Claude Little, Tom Conlon, Michael Powers, Daryl Todd, Jim Peck.

By Kirk Heinze, ’70 May 26, 1970—Alumni Field, Albion College — The late afternoon shadows are gently edging across the newly dedicated baseball diamond. The balmy temperature and gentle breezes belie the growing drama witnessed by one of the largest crowds in Albion baseball history. Briton senior right-hander Duncan Beagle, his back turned to home plate, is looking southwest over the outfield fence, into the wooded fields beyond. “This will be my last game at Albion College,” Beagle is thinking. “One more out, and this Briton team gets a victory for the ages.”

It’s the top of the seventh and final inning in the nightcap of a doubleheader against the vaunted Michigan State Spartans. Albion clings to a 3-1 lead, with two outs and two runners on. Beagle has been masterful, limiting the Spartans to one hit. But the previous hitter walks, putting the tying run on first base. Catcher Art Kale, who has come to the mound for a brief exchange with

his pitcher, settles into his crouch behind home plate. Beagle slowly turns toward the batter, toeing the rubber. Pitching from the stretch with men on, he bends slightly at the waist, gets the sign from Kale, brings his glove and throwing hands together at his chest, and goes into his delivery.

Albion has not beaten MSU in baseball since the Spartans last visited Albion—in 1907. Legendary Briton coach Morley Fraser is 0-27 against the Spartans, all but one loss coming in East Lansing. Oh, how badly he wants this one …

The Backdrop The beautiful weather and the rare MSU visit to Albion were a welcome, albeit brief respite during that springtime five decades ago. Vietnam War protests had increased dramatically on campuses across America.

After the shocking Tet Offensive in early 1968, many Albion students who had supported the war effort became increasingly frustrated by the politicization

of the conflict and the stalemate on the battlefields. Some had participated in protest marches around the country, including the massive “March Against Death” in Washington, D.C., the previous November. Demonstrations also occurred closer to home, including on the Albion College Quad. The tragic Kent State shootings had occurred just 22 days earlier.

Thirteen students, four of whom died, were shot by Ohio National Guardsmen.

During the subsequent Albion Commencement on June 7, many in the graduating class would silently protest the presence of the speaker, Sen. Robert Griffin of Michigan, a staunch and intractable supporter of the Nixon Administration’s policy in Vietnam. Many of those same seniors were also facing the draft and the prospect of deployment to Vietnam. Graduate school, marriages, travel plans, pending job offers were on hold based on one’s draft number—determined by a macabre, nationally televised drawing of Ping-Pong balls from a rotating drum.

In addition, the spring of 1970 marked the inaugural Earth Day celebration. As chronicled in local and national media outlets at the time, and more recently in a fascinating alumni Web Series Zoomcast, Albion students and faculty provided visionary leadership in organizing events to mark that historic day. (See albion.edu/iotriumphe for a link to the “Earth Day Celebration” Zoomcast.)

In short, the traditionally serene liberal arts college was roiled and animated by a confluence of events that marked the spring of 1970 as one of the most tense, charged, and memorable in American higher education history. A baseball game, featuring a rare visit from the Spartans, provided a few hours of much needed relief from the turbulent winds swirling across the land.

The Matchup The MSU doubleheader had been rescheduled due to an

Fall-Winter 2020-21 | 35

early-season rainout. Albion, a preseason favorite to win the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association title, had gotten off to a horrific and inexplicable 1-7 start in league play. But the Brits had rebounded, winning four straight to conclude their MIAA season.

As usual under MSU skipper Danny Litwhiler, the Spartans fielded a strong team. His 25-14 squad featured a trio of future major leaguers: infielder Rob Ellis, All-American outfielder Ron Pruitt, and pitcher Rick Kreuger.

MSU had only a season-ending doubleheader against Ohio State left on its schedule. And for one Spartan player, that was an issue.

“On the bus down to Albion, many of the guys were talking about Ohio State,” recalls second baseman Whitey Rettenmund.

“I had played with and against Beagle since we were kids, and I had seen Heinze pitch in Flint the previous summer. I told my teammates we had better take Albion seriously; they had a squad that could beat us.”

In the opener, the Spartans scored two unearned runs in their first at bat, the result of a walk, two hits, and three Albion errors. But senior left-hander Kirk Heinze— with excellent pitch calling from Kale—scattered just three more MSU hits and fanned seven as Albion blanked the Spartans the rest of the way. Although Albion outhit MSU and put several runners on base against Spartan right-hander Kirk Maas (son of former Detroit Tiger Duke Maas), the Brits failed to score.

Despite the tough loss, Albion took the field for game two, confident and tasting revenge.

The nightcap saw Albion strike first, plating two runs in the third inning. Center fielder Dave Moeller had singled, advanced to second on a walk to All-American shortstop Ron Megregian, then stole third. Moeller then scored on

36 | Albion College Io Triumphe!

an error by Ellis, with Megregian taking third. Left fielder Jeff Kezlarian then executed a beautiful suicide squeeze bunt, scoring Megregian.

In the top of the fifth inning, Spartan slugger Shaun Howitt homered to center, MSU’s first hit off Beagle. But Albion quickly answered with a run in the bottom of the inning, Megregian again scoring on a clutch single by Kezlarian.

After the Albion batters were retired in the bottom of the sixth, Coach Fraser gave Beagle a pat on the back and had a couple of brief words with Kale as the Britons took the field for the final inning.

Everyone knew what was on the line, and most of the fans had remained in the stands, riveted to each pitch.

Beagle was facing the heart of the Spartan batting order. He got the No. 2 hitter, Rich Vary, on a soft popup to Megregian. Ellis then walked, but Beagle bounced back to strike out Howitt. Pruitt worked Beagle for a base on balls, which brought MSU catcher Phil Rashead to the plate. Two on, two out. The tension on the field, in the dugout, and in the stands was palpable. Everyone was on their feet, including the Spartans.

… Picking up the sign from Kale, Beagle delivers a sweeping curveball which just misses off the outside corner. Rashead then fouls a fastball into the stands. Beagle fires another fastball, up and in, driving the Spartan catcher off the plate. On the 2-1 count, Kale wants the breaking ball. Rashead takes a crisp cut. The curve dips down just enough that Rashead’s bat catches the top of the ball, sending a sharp grounder directly at Albion’s shortstop. “I don’t remember the contact,” Megregian recounts. “I just know, with the game on the line, I want the ball coming to me.”

Scorecards of Albion and Michigan State from Game 2 of their May 26, 1970 doubleheader. MSU had the tying runs on base in the seventh and final inning, but Beagle and the Brits held on for the 3-1 win, giving Morley Fraser one of his sweetest victories as a coach.

With two outs, both Spartan runners are on the move at the crack of the bat. And so is each Briton infielder. As Megregian cleanly fields the grounder, third baseman Rick Rodes covers his bag in case Megregian opts for the lead runner. First baseman Greg Macy, one foot on his bag, extends his long frame in case the throw comes to first. And All-MIAA second baseman Tom Myers immediately breaks for his bag; the ball is coming his way. He waits and squeezes Megregian’s short toss just ahead of Pruitt advancing from first. Fielder’s choice, the third out. Game over!

Bedlam, euphoria ensue. The Briton dugout empties onto the field. Players are screaming, dancing, crying, hugging one another and mobbing Beagle.

Many fans are also streaming onto the field. Unmitigated joy. Albion has done it! The Brits have beaten the Spartans for the first time in 63 years.

“I will never forget, as long as I live,” Myers remembers, “Morley running out on the field, hugging me, with tears in his eyes, only able to choke out, ‘Thank you. Oh, thank you.’”

Kirk Heinze spent 31 years at Michigan State University as a faculty member and administrator.

After retiring from Michigan State, he hosted a weekly radio program, Greening of the Great Lakes, which aired on WJR-760 AM in Detroit for 10 years. He and his bride (and relentless editor), Katha, ’70, have been married 49 years. They live in Mason, Michigan.

Visit albion.edu/iotriumphe for more recollections from both Britons and Spartans about this remarkable day on the diamond a half-century ago.

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You are BOLD. The numbers prove it. Over the course of this campaign (which officially closed July 31, 2020), 13,257 donors gave a total of more than $101 million. It was the most successful campaign in our history, and you helped propel us further than we thought possible.

It’s an incredible achievement. But the numbers don’t tell the full story.

The full story is this: because of your generosity, we have more scholarships than ever to make it easier for smart, determined students to say “yes” to an Albion education and change the trajectory of their lives. We are making sure that faculty members have the cutting-edge equipment to support great teaching and research, and the resources they need to offer unique, life-changing classes. We are building the best possible spaces to help students stretch themselves—intellectually and even physically.

This successful campaign goes beyond the campus of Albion. Our future is intertwined with the town that we call home. That’s why we have made significant investments in local businesses and organizations, and have found new ways to partner with our neighbors. We are stronger together.

In the pages that follow, we are thrilled to celebrate all that we have accomplished with you. But it is only the beginning. In the coming years, we will continue on the path we have set together: to support our students, our faculty, our campus, and our community at an even higher level.

We are so grateful to you and so excited for future generations of Britons who will come to Albion, be transformed, and go on to live bold lives filled with purpose. Thanks to you, we are all Purple & Bold.

On behalf of your Institutional Advancement team,

Bob Anderson Executive Vice President for Institutional Advancement and External Affairs

38 | Albion College Io Triumphe!

P u r p l e & B o l d $1 0 0 M i l l i o n C a m p a i g n Every gift and every donor counts.

The numbers below help tell the story.

Together, when Albion Britons act with purpose, amazing things happen!

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Dream No Small Dreams.

Today, students can dream bigger than before.

Thanks to new scholarships and support, we are strengthening our commitment to build a diverse and inclusive campus community of belonging, one that focuses foremost on student success. Through Briton Scholarships, Chicago Transformation Scholarships, and endowed scholarships, we are able to financially invest in a full 99 percent of our students. Through initiatives such as the Build Albion Fellows program, students from the Greater Albion area have the opportunity to take their education further at Albion College.

Our investments in financial aid will help us ensure that bright and tenacious students who have dreamed of becoming Britons can do so.

We are proud to share the stories of a few of the people who are making the success of the next generation of Britons possible.

Keith James, ’86 Because we’ve got work to do together. With his support of the new James Curtis Student Leadership Award, Keith James is helping make the College’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion real. The College’s decision to choose this namesake for the award—Dr. Curtis is a 1944 African American alumnus who went on to a distinguished career in psychiatry—is an example to Keith of the critical importance of honoring the past while inspiring a more equitable future, as envisioned by Albion’s Blueprint for Belonging (see page 3). “It’s important for the college community, and certainly students, to value the role of diversity and inclusion in all aspects of life, to make sure that all voices are heard, even in the face of disagreement,” he says. “There’s so much more to do in this space.”

Mark, ’80, and Jean Lewry Because we honor the past by building the future. As chair of an alumni committee raising funds to honor two former Gerstacker Institute faculty members, Mark Lewry made calls to classmates whom he sometimes hadn’t seen in more than three decades. “It’s amazing,” Mark says. “It’s like you were at college last week. Everybody was like, ‘Let’s do this.’” While the idea of honoring past mentors Frank Burdine and John McConnell was what first motivated Mark, he said the fundraising effort ultimately focused on Albion’s future. “One part of the vision of Purple & Bold has been to make Albion more representative of the community and provide more opportunity for those who may not otherwise have it,” he says. “This effort aligned well with supporting Albion going forward.”

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Keith Roberts, ’81 Leaders in Giving

Because Albion has earned his trust. Keith Roberts has confidence in Albion today and in the future. When he offered the College a $1.5 million planned gift, he put the designation in the College’s hands. “Thrilled” is the word he uses to describe his reaction when the College came back with a plan to amplify his gift by using it to match future gifts to endow 60 scholarships. Strategic thinking like that gives him confidence that his support will continue to make a significant impact on Albion students. “I have complete faith that they are going to be able to use that money in the best way possible to benefit the College and the local community,” he says.

Don, ’82, and Angela Sheets, ’82 Leaders in Giving

Because scholarships support bold ambitions. For years, Don and Angela Sheets have taken the two-hour drive to campus for luncheons where they meet the students whose scholarships they support.

Their favorite way to pass the time on the road is by reading letters from those students. With stories of how the scholarships help make their ambitions possible, the students affirm the power of philanthropy to change students’ lives. It was one of the motivations that led Don and Angela to make a new $1 million gift to scholarships to kick off the Purple & Bold campaign. “We thought it was important to give while we can be good stewards of the gift and, frankly, to enjoy what the gift is able to do for people,” they say.

Chaplain, Col. Katherine A. Shindel, ’67, USAF (Ret.) Leaders in Giving

Because the College opens the world. Retired U.S. Air Force Col. Kathy Shindel, a former military

chaplain, calls her nearly 40-year streak of annual giving to Albion an act of tithing. Her loyal support of the Briton Scholarship Fund is rooted in the safety net she found when allergies derailed her dream of becoming a doctor. People who cared helped her find a new direction—ministry in the Methodist church—and her first opportunity to go abroad, to Germany and then Yugoslavia during the Cold War. “Albion opened the world and gave me confidence,” she says.

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Cezara Siotean, ’19, and Courtney Rogers ’19 Because we are all Albion’s future. “Going to Albion is something

to brag about and be proud of,” Courtney Rogers says. “You meet Albion grads everywhere you go.” She and four 2019 classmates—Cezi Siotean, Matthew Stander, Carrigan Theisen, and Zane Brooks—channeled that pride into action by leading the Class of 2019 Senior Class Gift committee. For their class, they mixed things up. Rather than raise money for a physical gift on campus, the effort supported the Brits Give Back Scholarship, and 55 donors joined them, raising more than $1,600. “Albion has made such a huge impact on all of us,” Cezi says. “I wanted to be involved in this legacy.”

Barbara Weiskittel, ’83 Leaders in Giving

Because Albion is still home. Barbara Weiskittel took her first swimming classes at Albion College.

That’s how deeply both the College and the town have always been part of her life. That lifelong connection is also why, even from her home today in New Jersey, she recognized how important it is that alumni “step up and be part of the fabric of reinvigorating both the College and the community,” she says. For her, stepping up meant support for Build Albion Fellows, an innovative program that provides tuition, housing, and meals for Albion-area students who decide to study at the College and commit to serving their community. “We’re building our community, and we’re building it from the ground up,” Barbara says.

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During the last six years, campaign leadership gifts from these visionary contributors have propelled our College forward. We celebrate all donors and salute those who have contributed at the leadership level during this campaign period.

Robert, ’70, and Deborah Armitage

Bob and Debbie Armitage created a scholarship to support talented, deserving first-generation students.

Kevin, ’86, and Essie Asher

Kevin and Essie Asher supported the Albion College Fund and an endowed scholarship for talented students studying accounting.

Austin Baidas, ’92

Austin Baidas supported the creation of the Chicago Transformation Scholarship to impact students from Chicago.

Shirley, ’53, and Philip Battershall

Philip and Shirley Battershall endowed a four-year continous scholarship for a high acheving student who is part of the Gerald R. Ford Institute for Leadership in Public Policy and Service or a history major.

Muriel, ’51*, and James Benedict, ’51*

Muriel and James Benedict supported deserving students through their gifts to the Briton Scholarship Fund.

Victor* and Margery Burstein*

Victor and Margery Burstein provided strong support for endowed scholarships and co-curricular travel and study programs.

James Carr, ’81, and Diane Sentkeresty Carr, ’81

Jim and Diane Carr established an endowed scholarship so deserving students can excel.

Roger Chope, ’68

Roger Chope supported annually expendable, flexible scholarships.

Glenn, ’61, and Nan Dalsimer Corliss, ’63

Glenn and Nan Corliss strengthened four scholarship areas that they support.

Lois Carpenter, ’83, and Keith Costello

Lois and Keith Costello created an endowed scholarship for students in vocal music performance.

Karl, ’75, and Nancy Couyoumjian, ’75

Karl and Nancy Couyoumjian created an endowed scholarship to support transfer students.

Harold, ’21*, and Miriam Covert*

Harold and Miriam Covert created an endowed scholarship to support Britons today and tomorrow.

Sue E., ’58, and David H. Dinger, ’58

David and Sue Dinger created a scholarship to support high-achieving students who would benefit from a scholarship that makes their attendance possible at Albion College.

Quince, ’75, and Patsy Donahey

Quince and Patsy Donahey created the Quince Scholars Program to remove the financial burden for approximately 24 deserving students from the city of Detroit.

Ernst & Young Foundation

The Ernst & Young Foundation, through the employee match program, supported initiatives across campus.

William C., ’52*, and Joyce G. Ferguson

Joyce Ferguson supported her family’s endowed scholarships and the music program through a lead gift to name the Mel Larimer Choir Room.

Lynne Futter Gilmore, ’74

Lynne Futter Gilmore enabled students to select Albion as their school of choice regardless of financial concerns.

* Deceased Fall-Winter 2020-21 | 43

Robert Gamage, ’69

Donald Haffner, ’72, and Carol Benson

Jane L. Gilmore, ’79

Beverly Hannett-Price, ’58

Robert Gamage created a scholarship in memory of his parents to support bright and deserving students.

Jane Gilmore, inspired by an act of generosity that had a profound impact on her life, believes in paying it forward. Her scholarship to support pre-medical students does exactly that.

Beth Goebel, ’55

Beth Goebel established an endowed scholarship to support deserving female scholars.

Meg Goebel, ’79

Meg Goebel established a fund to pave the way for students to attend Albion without fear of financial worry, for all four years.

William R., ’63*, and Janet Matilo Goudie, ’64

Janet Matilo Goudie endowed The Goudie Family Gerstacker Endowed Scholarship in memory of William R., ’63, and Douglas R. Goudie, ’92, that will support a full-time student enrolled at Albion College, and shall award preference to a member of the Gerstacker Institute who maintains at least a 3.5 GPA.

Michael, ’63*, and Barbara Grice*

Michael and Barbara Grice created an endowed scholarship to support history scholars.

Harold R. Gronseth, ’52*

Harold Gronseth established his endowed scholarship in honor of his father to encourage writers and talented communications students to select Albion College.

Larry, ’69, and Nan Hacker

Larry and Nan Hacker endowed the Elsie Deutscher Endowed Scholarship that will support a high-achieving full-time student(s) with financial needs enrolled at Albion College majoring in economics and management or business administration.

Donald Haffner and Carol Benson have committed to creating a scholarship to support underrepresented students.

Beverly Hannett-Price created an endowed scholarship focused on future teachers.

Robert B. Hetler, ’64, and Gail Snyder Hetler, ’68

Bob and Gail Hetler have been leaders in giving for each of their class scholarships and by making internship experiences at PwC possible.

Larry Hoellwarth, ’70

Larry Hoellwarth believes in supporting the next generation and that when we all help each other possibiities are expanded.

Spencer, ’62, and Nancy Holmes, ’62

Spencer and Nancy Holmes created an endowed scholarship for premed students.

David, ’63, and Ruth Keefer

David and Ruth Keefer supported the Albion College Fund and Briton Scholarship Fund, helping to address the College’s greatest needs across the board.

Robert, ’71, and Sarah Kuehl

Robert and Sarah Kuehl created a scholarship for computer science to help relaunch the program.

Kathy, ’77, and Brian Lee

Through their endowed scholarship, Kathy and Brian Lee committed to helping students who would not otherwise be afforded the opportunities a liberal arts education has to offer.

Katherine Look, ’75

Dr. Katherine Look has given to general scholarships and research to support students’ accessibility to an Albion College education and to all the experiential and leadership opportunities it provides. * Deceased

44 | Albion College Io Triumphe!

Norris, ’64, and Susan March, ’66

Norris and Susan March created an endowed fund to support a veteran or current member of the armed forces or a student enrolled in the Wilson Institute for Medicine.

Michigan Colleges Alliance

John, ’61*, and Karen Munro Vournakis, ’66

John and Karen Vournakis established two endowed funds to pave the way for the next generation in biochemistry and art.

Kurt, ’78, and Barbara Swancutt Wiese, ’78

The Michigan Colleges Alliance supports current and future Britons through scholarship.

Kurt and Barb Wiese created a scholarship that supports Gerstacker Institute students from Oakland County, the State of Michigan, or who are not the first to attend Albion College.

Robert Musser, III, ’86, and Marlee Brown

James, ’77, and Donna Williams

Beverly, ’54, and Clark Noirot

Jess Womack, ’65

Elizabeth Huckle Rader*

Jeffrey, ’81, and Catherine Youle

Dan Musser and Marlee Brown support an annually expendable, flexible scholarship.

Beverly Noirot believes in the well-roundedness of a liberal arts education and the importance of the impact music can have on one’s liberal arts experience.

Elizabeth Huckle Rader created an endowed scholarship in honor of her father, Arthur, Class of 1913.

William, ’70, and Barbara Rafaill, ’72

William and Barbara Rafaill created an endowed scholarship for students in biology, the sciences, and mathematics.

Richard, Jr., ’66, and Susan Ritter

Richard and Susan Ritter created a scholarship for students from beyond Michigan’s borders.

James and Donna Williams supported scholarship funds for predental students at Albion College.

Jess Womack has continued to support his endowed scholarship, both through outright gifts and pledges, while being a strong Admissions partner in the Los Angeles area.

The Youle Family Endowed Scholarship impacts high-achieving academic scholars in the fields of biology, economics and management, and mathematics.

Many donors give to various priority areas. These listings include specific examples of the impact of their giving and may not include all details of individual donors’ contributions. For a full listing of campaign Leaders in Giving, go to bold.albion.edu/campaign-leadership.

Larry, ’59, and Sally Robson, ’59

Larry and Sally Robson created a named scholarship to put an Albion education within reach for students in need of financial assistance.

Jeffrey Schragg, ’82

Jeff Schragg created a scholarship for students at Albion who aspire to compete and thrive in graduate school and beyond.

Murray, ’56, and Jean Penzotti Swindell, ’58

Murray and Jean Swindell created an Impact Scholarship to fully support bright students with high financial need.

James Taup, ’59

Jim Taup created the Ballard/Taup Family Modern Languages and Cultures scholarship to support exceptional students who are in pursuit of academic excellence, and he created a fund to support the men’s and women’s cross country program to remove any financial barrier to Britons competing in the sport they love.

Howard, ’42*, and Cecilia Thomas

Howard Thomas was inspired by his love of music to establish an endowed scholarship to draw passionate musicians to Albion College.

Casper Uldriks, ’73, and Evandro Fontoura

Cap Uldriks created a scholarship to support students in philosophy.

* Deceased Fall-Winter 2020-21 | 45

F i n d Yo u r F i r e .

A new era of teaching and learning at Albion brings more faculty and students beyond the classroom.

Your support for the Foundation for Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity (FURSCA) empowers students to take on meaningful projects with faculty support. Additional funds enable student experiential learning and travel on faculty-sponsored trips. And a dedicated and passionate focus on the future of medicine is fueling the next generation of top doctors and other healthcare professionals.

These initiatives, paired with more robust support for first-year students and new endowed professorships, bolster ambitious faculty efforts and embolden Briton academic pursuits in and out of the classroom.

What follows are stories of some who have stepped up to support the life-changing work Albion faculty do for their students.

Geoffrey and Sarah Cocks Leaders in Giving

Because history holds important lessons. In 2001, Albion students placed a plaque on an old

factory building in Kraków, Poland, where Oskar Schindler saved 1,200 Jews from the Nazis. This moment marked one important outcome of a First-Year Experience seminar on the Holocaust, team-taught by Geoffrey Cocks and Frank Frick. In the years since, many faculty and students in the Holocaust Studies Service-Learning Project in Poland have worked to complete the restoration of the New Jewish Cemetery in Wrocław. Currently, HSSLP is looking for other projects involving human rights and historical memory.

This expansion of HSSLP’s work has been assisted by a faculty support endowment gift from Geoffrey and Sarah Cocks. “Historical knowledge is particularly important at this perilous and challenging time in our common history,” they say, “in order for students to understand what consequences can come from human intention, action, and indifference.”

Brian Longheier, ’00 Because every Albion student deserves an opportunity. When his friend and Albion classmate Melissa Peterson Roudabush, ’00, passed away unexpectedly, Brian Longheier wanted to honor her legacy.

He and classmate Scott Smith, ’00, felt an endowed scholarship for the Holocaust Studies Service-Learning Project most aligned with Roudabush’s passions and penchant for helping others. She was part of the inaugural seminar class, and later completed her honors thesis on the subject of the Holocaust. “There are too many students who self-select out of great opportunities because they can’t afford the cost,” Longheier says. “Both Melissa and I benefited from the generosity of others, and I’d like to be part of helping current students enjoy similar opportunities.”

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Mark Sheldon Putnam, ’41*, and Mildred Plate Putnam, ’41* Leaders in Giving

Because generations before showed the way. “Giving back to Albion has been important to every generation in our family, since our grandparents began their studies there in the early 1900s,” says Barbara Putnam Smith. Over the years, the Putnam family has demonstrated their belief in the power of a liberal arts education, from Putnam Hall, constructed in 1969 and named for 1910 alumnus Mark E. Putnam, to their endowed campaign gifts supporting the Chemistry Department, awards and scholarships to encourage students, and an endowed faculty award honoring faculty from across the college. “The lessons on sharing and giving back were always shown to us by our parents and grandparents,” Smith says. “We hope to pass these values on to our future generations.”

Steve, ’77, and Lori Sarns Leaders in Giving

Because the band must play on. Steve Sarns was never in the band at Albion—but that didn’t

dampen his passion. He sees music as a way for students to build relationships over shared interests, showcase a talent, or discover newfound confidence. Through the Sarns Build the Band Fund, Steve and his wife, Lori, hope to see the British Eighth marching band triple in size over the next five years. Their gift will fuel recruitment by providing new instruments, equipment, and uniforms; updating the outdoor practice field; hiring a full-time director and specialized instructors; and covering travel expenses. “I see the band as a shining light,” Steve says, “that can have a positive impact on all students.”

Larry, ’72, and Frances Schook Leaders in Giving

Because one experience can shape the trajectory of your life. At Albion, Larry Schook learned about global religions, arts, and culture, laying the groundwork for the years he spent living abroad as an international scientist. Now, Larry and Frances Schook want to ensure experiential learning is available across all Institutes, Centers and Programs at the College to benefit curious, determined young lives. “Our family gift is meant to enable the faculty and staff—who know students best—to identify and support young scholars who will do innovative, dynamic activities across disciplines. Our endowment removes financial barriers and literally opens global doors.” Regardless of personal financial hurdles, the Schooks want to equip tomorrow’s leaders with immersive, varied experiences today. Larry says, “Learning outside the classroom can unlock a scholar’s potential to create solutions we need on the front lines of every community across the globe today.”

* Deceased Fall-Winter 2020-21 | 47

Margaret (Peggy) Meyer Sindt, ’73, and Conrad Sindt, ’69* Campaign Co-Chairs

Because service to others can take many forms. Volunteering for the Albion Ambulance Service as was a fortuitous decision for both Peggy and Conrad Sindt. Not only was the ambulance service where the couple first met, they also expanded their worldviews by meeting people of all backgrounds. It’s where they learned the value of community service—a shared commitment that extended to Albion College. The couple has long supported academic experiences and during the campaign, they established the Conrad J. and Margaret Meyer Sindt Experiential Learning Endowment. “Conrad and I benefited from volunteer activities during our college years,” Peggy says. “The skills we learned in those real-life situations were extremely useful as we built our careers. Every student deserves that opportunity.”

Conrad Sindt, ’69, a Calhoun County Circuit Court judge for 25 years and co-chair of the Purple & Bold campaign, passed away Feb. 11, 2020. A political science major at Albion, Conrad served as a patrol officer and detective for Albion Public Safety while earning his law degree from Thomas Cooley Law School. He spent a decade as the county’s chief prosecutor before his election to the Circuit Court, where his service on the bench included two stints as chief judge. He was deeply committed to the well-being of many of the region’s most disadvantaged citizens, serving on the boards of a local women’s shelter and nonprofit organization, collecting and distributing used household goods, and working with the University of Michigan’s Innocence Clinic. “Conrad exuded calm and confidence in everything he did,” wrote President Mauri Ditzler in a letter last winter to the community. “You just had the feeling that what you saw was what you got: a person of great integrity who cared deeply for his friends and his community.”

Lisa, ’79, and James Wilson, ’77 Campaign Co-Chairs

Because Albion laid the foundation. Both Jim and Lisa Wilson say they’re grateful to Albion for giving them the confidence and educational groundwork to pursue successful careers. Now, they want to ensure today’s Britons have that same competitive advantage. Through a $5.1 million statement—at the time, the largest gift by an individual or couple in the College’s history—the Wilsons have established the Lisa and James Wilson Institute for Medicine. As COVID-19 swept the globe, Albion began reworking prehealth coursework, balancing sciences and the liberal arts to educate healthcare professionals who are both technically skilled and compassionate humanists. “We saw in Albion an organization that was absolutely committed to student education,” Jim says, “but it also has a certain appetite. This change requires the school to be mission-focused, to be hungry, to be agile.” * Deceased 48 | Albion College Io Triumphe!

During the last six years, campaign leadership gifts from these visionary contributors have propelled our College forward. We celebrate all donors and salute those who have contributed at the leadership level during this campaign period.

Sally Beal Weiss, ’74

Sally Beal Weiss created an endowed professorship in art to honor her mentor, Vernon Bobbitt.

Sarah S. ’75, and Alexander M. Cutler

Sally and Sandy Cutler equipped the College with a gift to launch and permanently endow a Center for Student Success and Academic Achievement to increase success for all students by decreasing barriers and improving outcomes.

David, ’71, and Mary Ann Stokes Egnatuk, ’76

David and Mary Ann created two separate funds to support two of the programs they have tirelessly supported during their time at Albion College: the swim and dive program and the football program.

Rollin M. Gerstacker Foundation

The Rollin M. Gerstacker Foundation supports Albion students through their support of the institutes’ curricular and co-curricular programs.

Stephen, ’74, and Susan Brochu Greenhalgh, ’75

Stephen and Susan Greenhalgh created an endowed student experience fund so students can fully participate in faculty-sponsored academic travel experiences.

Nancy Overholt, ’74

Nancy Overholt, motivated by her transformative experience while studying abroad in France, created an international education scholarship to help others find and build a foundation for a life of purpose and passion.

Alan Reed, ’59

Alan Reed has supported the Foundation for Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity through his philanthropy because he believes the program helps students find real-world soloutions to real-world problems through investigation, interpretation, and presentation.

George, ’65, and Rebecca Ristow

George Ristow has always believed in giving back to the college that helped him become who he is today, and remains grateful for the many opportunities a liberal arts experience has afforded him. He wishes to provide similarly for current and future students, and his endowed fund has gone to the department he knew best, Biology.

Lawrence and Jean Taylor

Larry and Jean Taylor steadfastly supported the Geological Sciences Department and the Albion College Fund.

Many donors give to various priority areas. These listings include specific examples of the impact of their giving and may not include all details of individual donors’ contributions. For a full listing of campaign Leaders in Giving, go to bold.albion.edu/campaign-leadership.

R. Bruce, ’67, and Jane Harper

Bruce and Jane Harper have helped ensure that meaningful student experiences that benefit the environment will always be possible.

David, ’70, and Kate Johnson

Dr. David and Kate Johnson created an endowed chair in chemistry to support the remarkable faculty that help students realize their dreams of pursuing a career in medicine.

Roger Landrum, ’59*

Roger Landrum was passionate about education and service learning through civic engagement abroad and created a fellowship that provides Albion College students an opportunity to develop lifelong learning and living skills by serving abroad in a non-academic capacity, through volunteerism and communtity engagement.

C. Robert, ’63, and Sara Maxfield, ’64

Bob and Sara Maxfield created an endowed fund to enhance the curricular and co-curricular programming at the Fritz Shurmur Center for Teacher Development.

Geoffrey Morris, ’66*

Geoffrey Morris established a fund that is one of a kind within the Art and Art History Department, offering the faculty flexibility to creatively explore.

* Deceased Fall-Winter 2020-21 | 49

B u i l d Wi t h P u r p o s e .

New and revitalized spaces—both on campus and off—will make a difference in the ways that Albion students live, work, and play.

A bold vision for musical arts will transform the way students rehearse and perform. Expanded fitness and competition facilities are giving Albion students and student-athletes an edge. Enhancements to residential living spaces and a fund to attract more faculty to the town of Albion—to live where they work—strengthens the true liberal arts experience that the College provides.

We’re honored to recognize these Albion builders who brought these improvements to life.

Chuck, ’77, and Julie Frayer, ’77 Leaders in Giving

Because need is real and access changes lives. In the spring of 1973, Dean of Admissions Frank

Bonta, ’49, knew he was admitting his daughter Julie with the Class of 1977. He probably had no idea he was also admitting his future son-in-law. Chuck and Julie Frayer’s Albion love story was possible only because of financial help that kept Chuck at the College. That’s why they supported the transformation of the Bonta Admission Center into the Bonta Welcome Center. This renovation and expansion brought admission and financial aid together under one roof. “Financial aid was extremely important to me,” says Chuck, whose father died when he was 16. “Now kids who need some help can get the admissions experience and then right in the same office meet with financial-aid folks,” helping them better see their future with Albion.

Michael, ’85, and Judy Harrington, ’86 Leaders in Giving

Because campus and community are interconnected. When Michael and Judy Harrington

attended Albion in the 1980s, it was common for students to visit faculty members in their homes, and interact at basketball games and concerts on campus. Over the years, that environment shifted. “We thought that that was a loss for students,” Michael says, “but it was also a loss for the community.” The Harringtons worked with their alma mater to identify a nearby neighborhood and established a grant program to help faculty and staff build a new home or renovate an existing property in the area. The changes also inspired existing residents to reinvest in their homes. “We’re seeing sidewalks, flowerpots, and beautiful street lamps going in, and kids’ bikes parked in front of their houses,” Judy says. “It feels like it’s coming alive.”

50 | Albion College Io Triumphe!

Mark, ’63*, and Judy Hector Leaders in Giving

Because excellence has a heart. Mark and Judy Hector knew they wanted their estate to benefit

their alma maters, and for Mark there was never a question about his area of Albion support: StockwellMudd Library. Stockwell was his second home as a student, and new libraries became his home away from home on every campus where he taught. Although Stockwell has changed over time, it remains the beating heart of the College’s excellence. “Throughout Mark’s career, he loved libraries wherever he was, whether as a student or a faculty member,” Judy says. “Libraries are still a significant portion of students’ academic experience.”

Jeff, ’85, and Gina Petherick Leaders in Giving

Because some gifts can last for generations. Jeff Petherick’s parents—Keith, ’59, and the late

Wendy Wheeker, ’60—may have influenced him to attend Albion, but he didn’t fully appreciate the experience until well after he graduated. By the time Jeff talked to his son, Chad, ’10, about attending Albion, he described the values of learning to think globally and having a heart for others. That same desire to inspire future generations of Britons was behind Jeff and Gina Petherick’s decision to fund the Petherick Family Walk of Scholars, along with contributions from his parents and his son. “Our gift was intended for all future graduates and generations to understand it’s not what we have left when our time on earth ends that counts,” he says, “but what we have given away to the benefit of others.”

Joe, ’82, and Julie Serra Campaign Co-Chairs

Because a welcoming environment makes a college a community. “Once you get to Albion,

you’re going to love it,” Joe Serra says. With a gift to fund the Dow Recreation and Wellness Center, Joe and his wife, Julie, have given prospective students one more great reason to make the unforgettable visit.

Fitness—in the form of a 5,000-square-foot weight room and cardio center—is just one part of the new center. It also includes a multipurpose room/dance studio, smoothie bar, and ample hang-out space, places where everyone in the community can gather and feel welcome. “I’m really excited about where Albion is today, the direction that it’s going in, and what the future holds,” Joe says. “They’ve got a strong future ahead of them.”

* Deceased Fall-Winter 2020-21 | 51

Charles J. Strosacker Foundation Leaders in Giving

Because victory on the field is just the start. At Albion, athletics

is about wins, yes, but there is also a much more important goal: providing an excellent student-athlete experience. Bobbie Arnold says Albion’s philosophy is a natural match for the mission of the Charles J. Strosacker Foundation, a strong supporter of liberal arts education in Michigan. That’s why she—as the foundation’s president and CEO—along with her husband, Dave—he is Strosacker’s chairman—steered the foundation’s support for the renovation of the football team’s locker room. It is named for Craig Rundle, ’74, who retired in 2018 as the program’s all-time winningest head coach. “Craig contributed so much to the College,” Bobbie says. “At Albion, the focus is true academics and pure athletics. It really is athletics at its best.”

Jennifer, ’90, and Tim Wyman, ’91 Leaders in Giving

Because every day is a great day to be a Briton. “Albion College has always been embedded in

our hearts,” Jennifer and Tim Wyman say. One of the reasons was Dave Egnatuk, ’74, one of Tim’s football coaches. “I can still hear Coach Egnatuk entering the weight room, classroom, or athletic field bouncing off his toes yelling, ‘It’s a great day to be a Briton!’” Tim says. Both student-athletes at Albion, Tim and Jennifer gave a gift to name the weight room in honor of Egnatuk because they appreciate Albion’s rich athletic tradition as an important ingredient in a world-class liberal arts education. “We want to play a role in giving others the tremendous benefit of a residential liberal arts experience that has played a meaningful role in our lives,” they say.

52 | Albion College Io Triumphe!

Gary, ’57, and Peggy Noble* During the last six years, campaign leadership gifts from these visionary contributors have propelled our College forward. We celebrate all donors and salute those who have contributed at the leadership level during this campaign period.

Gary Noble invested in a Living Learning Community to elevate the connections between students from diverse backgrounds and varied academic interests, to build synergy and new ideas to unravel complex issues.

Arlene, ’33*, and Chauncey Norton, ’34*

Arlene and Chauncey Norton supported Briton athletics.

Helen, ’41*, and Charles Burns, ’40*

Helen and Charles Burns supported the Held Equestrian Center.

Nick Cucinella, ’01

Nick made a meaningful gift to support the Goodrich Club since it was so instrumental to him during his time at Albion.

Cedric, ’54, and June Luke Dempsey, ’54

Ced and June Dempsey prioritized the phyiscal and mental health of Britons today by supporting the Serra Project.

Ernst & Young LLP

Ernst & Young LLP committed support for the Ludington Center project.

Robert, ’69, and L. Susan Hayes, ’70

Robert and Susan Hayes supported the Bonta Welcome Center project to ensure that future Britons feel at home from their first moment on campus.

Michael, ’81, and Chris Kabot Timothy Kabot, ’76, and Linda Hime

Brothers Mike and Tim Kabot along with their wives Chris Kabot and Linda Hime created the Kabot Family Endowed Pre-Dental Scholarship and supported the renovation of the Sigma Chi fraternity house.

Bruce, ’53, and Peggy Kresge, ’53

Bruce and Peggy invested in the College with a hope that all students discover a sense of belonging, wellness, fellowship, and prosperity.

Ray Loeschner, ’53

Dr. Ray Loeschner has helped the College celebrate the remarkbale history and tradition of our Athletic Department with the Loeschner Hall of Honor.

Kip, ’59, and Wendy Petherick, ’60*

Kip and Wendy Petherick along with their family created the Petherick Family Walk of Scholars to celebrate the rich tradition of supporting scholarship at Albion.

Chad, ’10, and Jordyn Petherick

Chad and Jordyn Petherick along with their family created the Petherick Family Walk of Scholars.

Jacqueline and Gary Shuk

Jackie and Gary Shuk supported the renovation of the volleyball team locker room to celebrate and recognize the transformative experience co-curricular participation can have on an Albion College experience.

Stafford and Janice Smith

Stafford and Janice Smith supported the renovation of Haven House.

Harry A. & Margaret D. Towsley Foundation

The Towsley Foundation supported a new home for music studies.

Weatherwax Foundation

The Weatherwax Foundation helped reimagine the Stockwell-Mudd Library space.

Linda and Richard Wells, ’67

Linda and Richard Wells enriched the grounds of the equestrian center.

Many donors give to various priority areas. These listings include specific examples of the impact of their giving and may not include all details of individual donors’ contributions. For a full listing of campaign Leaders in Giving, go to bold.albion.edu/campaign-leadership.

Katie Matick, ’62

Katie Matick supported the Grab and Go Juice Bar in the new Serra Fitness Center in hopes that it will become the special gathering space the Eat Shop was to her generation of Britons.

Brian, ’78, and Janet McPheely, ’77

Brian and Jan McPheely supported a number of infrastructure and capital improvements, including wifi and technology across campus, the Bonta Welcome Center, and the McPheely Commons inside the new Serra Fitness Center.

William Miller, ’66*

William Miller generously supported Briton athletics. * Deceased Fall-Winter 2020-21 | 53

Rise to the Moment.

In moments of uncertainty, flexibility is key. Your support for the Albion College Fund continues to allow us to take advantage of unexpected opportunities—and respond to urgent challenges—in the moment. Such support has helped us continue to thrive.

Your annual fund support also does much more than that.

It is the engine that makes Albion run every single day, funding everything from faculty and student needs to campus beautification.

We are thankful for those who have stepped up in an extraordinary way to support Albion every day.

Robert Richmond* Because he believed in the promise of a liberal arts education. Robert Richmond spent just two years at Albion, but the experience left a lasting impact—one he returned in the form of a $7.5 million bequest. His gift—one of the largest in Albion’s history to be used at the College’s discretion for the best area of impact—established the “Michigan 2020 Promise,” which covers 100 percent of tuition and fees for Michigan students whose families make less than $65,000, as well as generous scholarships for families making more than $65,000. Lori Troop says the gift was her stepfather’s way of helping students find their path at a top-ranked liberal arts college. “Albion definitely left an impression on him,” she says. “He felt everyone should go to college who wanted to, and learn about life in general.”

Brenda, ’90, and Wolfgang Schmitz Leaders in Giving

Because they can help Albion meet its greatest needs. When Brenda Schmitz enrolled at

Albion, she thought she would follow in her father’s footsteps: major in physics, and then pursue a degree in engineering. Two years later, she changed course after she found a better fit in accounting. Today, both Brenda and her husband, Wolfgang, believe in the open exploration offered by a liberal arts degree. When supporting the Purple & Bold campaign, the Schmitzes wanted to help Albion respond to its greatest needs and unexpected forks in the road. That’s why they supported the Albion College Fund. “They’re closer to what’s going on, and know what the needs are,” Brenda says. “They have a more global understanding, and can make those decisions.” * Deceased

54 | Albion College Io Triumphe!

Sam, ’88, and Holly Shaheen Leaders in Giving

Because generosity will inspire others. Inspired by Don, ’82, and Angela Sheets, ’82, whose gift

launched the campaign for Albion, Sam Shaheen and his wife, Holly, gave the capstone gift to Albion’s $100 million campaign, putting it well beyond the goal. “Our good friends Don and Angela set an example for all alumni to think philanthropically about Albion,” Sam says. “When the opportunity presented itself to close the campaign, it made it even more rewarding.” The Shaheens’ gift is their latest investment in redeveloping the campus and surrounding city, which will pay dividends to both the community and the College for generations. “We will see a college-community line that becomes increasingly blurred,” he says.

“The extension of the campus into the community, and vice versa, will ensure that the residential liberal arts experience exists for generations to come.”

During the last six years, campaign leadership gifts from these visionary contributors have propelled our College forward. We celebrate all donors and salute those who have contributed at the leadership level during this campaign period.

Ruth, ’38*, and R. William Caldwell*

Ruth and R. William Caldwell supported the College through the Albion College Fund.

Brett Decker, ’93

Scott Pirochta, ’85, and Elizabeth Jamieson, ’85

Scott Pirochta D.D.S. and Elizabeth Jamieson J.D. believe in a strong endowment and have chosen to support the general endowment fund through their philanthropy to help further the mission of the College.

Richard Smith, ’68, and Soon-Young Yoon

Rick Smith and Soon-Young Yoon supported the Albion College Fund and the impact it has on Albion in all areas of campus opportunities for residential learning.

Marilyn Snodgrass, ’49*

Brett Decker created a flexible endowment to support the College’s bright future.

Marilyn Snodgrass supported flexible funds to enable the Albion College president to respond to the greatest and most promising needs.

Bill, ’74, and Karen Dobbins, ’74

William K. Stoffer, ’74*

Wiliam and Karen Dobbins continue to support many causes on campus and in the City of Albion including scholarship, athletics, and community engagement opportunities.

Edna Fairbanks, ’51*

Bill Stoffer supported the Albion College Fund to support the most pressing projects throughout campus.

Dennis, ’74, and Joyce Wahr

Edna Fairbanks supported the President’s Campus Fund to make meaningful improvements to campus.

Dennis and Joyce Wahr supported the Albion College Fund, recognizing the impact it has on the College’s ability to innovate and thrive.

Faith Fowler, ’81

Jeff, ’75, and Cheri Lee Weedman, ’77

Rev. Fowler boldly supported the Albion College Fund, enabling the College to respond to opportunities and challenges alike.

Jean Laughlin, ’50

Jean Laughlin has steadfastly supported ongoing programming at the Held Equestrian Center and beyond.

Mark, ’77, and Jo Ann Newell

Mark and Jo Ann Newell enabled Albion's ability to Rise to the Moment -- now and well into the future.

Jeff and Cheri Weedman supported a multitude of programs that are focused on Albion student’s experience, both on and off campus.

Many donors give to various priority areas. These listings include specific examples of the impact of their giving and may not include all details of individual donors’ contributions. For a full listing of campaign Leaders in Giving, go to bold.albion.edu/campaign-leadership.

Jeffrey Ott, ’86, and Mary Ann Sabo

Jeff Ott and Mary Ann Sabo unflinchingly provide flexible support through the Albion College Fund. * Deceased Fall-Winter 2020-21 | 55

Un i t e a n d I g n i t e .

Our hometown makes our college stronger. New and strengthened partnerships ensure that we’ll continue to grow, together.

The Build Albion Fund supports cooperative outreach and enrichment programs between the Albion community and Albion College. The Albion Reinvestment Corporation promotes growth in the downtown business district.

And Superior for Business helps local small businesses succeed by connecting them to the College.

We are thrilled to share the stories of community members who have supported a larger vision for our college and the place we call home.

Bill, ’74, and Karen Dobbins, ’74 Leaders in Giving

Because Albion’s future will be forged by all of us. Albion’s future is strongest “when we take control of our own destiny,” Bill Dobbins says. He and his family are walking that walk. Bill and other members of the Dobbins family lead local businesses and civic organizations focused on the rejuvenation of downtown. Through Ace Investment Properties, for example, they’ve renovated the Peabody Building for mixed residential and commercial use. Through the nonprofit Albion Reinvestment Corp., they’re providing capital and leadership to roll out the Big Albion Plan, an ambitious effort to revitalize business activity and add residential options on and around Superior Street. “I love Albion,” Bill says. “If we want something better for this community, we’re going to have to go out and work in it.”

Bob and Mae Ola Dunklin Because strong partnership increases opportunity. Until about 10 years ago, the College hosted one set of events to honor the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. every January, and the Albion Branch of the NAACP hosted another for the community. Mae Ola Dunklin, a College trustee, and her husband, Bob, president of the NAACP’s Albion Branch, helped bring them together. The cooperation strengthened the MLK Convocation and Community Celebration for both the College and the Albion NAACP right from the start, including increased fundraising for scholarships. “Even at the onset of this partnership, people were excited,” Mae Ola says. “It has been a rewarding and growing opportunity for the College and the community.”

56 | Albion College Io Triumphe!

Clifford Harris and Karen Erlandson Because music makes us feel more connected to each other. Professors Cliff Harris and Karen Erlandson—he’s chemistry, she’s communication studies—credit their co-founding of Blues at the Bohm to, in Karen’s words, “a propitious set of circumstances.” Specifically, Cliff wanted to hear more live music, and the historic Bohm Theatre downtown had just been restored. They also created Albion’s version of Walk the Beat, an organization that hosts a music festival, supports the local music scene, and raises money for music lessons and instruments for local students. For them, music has an uncanny knack for their real goal, bringing people together. “I no longer differentiate between my work at the College and my work in town,” Cliff says. “Working on community-building and bringing people together is what both of my jobs are about.”

Jim and Staci Stuart Because the College and the community strengthen each other. With its inviting booths

and coffee-scented ambiance, Stirling Books and Brew on Superior Street is as cozy a spot as any student could desire. Its co-owners, Jim and Staci Stuart, are part of the revitalization of Albion’s downtown and the growing connections between the central business district and the College. Jim, who is also on the College’s Information Technology staff, and Staci say that there’s still plenty of untapped potential for partnership.

“The City recognizes how important the College is, and the College recognizes how important the City is,” Jim says. “We’re excited to be part of it.”

Jess Roberts and Nels Christensen Because shared experiences bring people together. English professors Jess Roberts and

Nels Christensen welcome the ways that Albion’s Big Read, which they plan, blurs college-community distinctions. Big Read middle school and high school student leaders are frequently on campus, and Big Read events regularly draw attendees from both the City and the College for shared experiences. But Jess, the program’s director, points out that the connections run even deeper. For example, 10 of Albion’s current Build Albion Fellows are former Big Read leaders. “I think they’re an important example of a kind of fusion of the College and the community,” she says, “and the Big Read is an important part of that.”

Fall-Winter 2020-21 | 57

Mauri Ditzler Because Albion was ready for a paradigm shift. “I’ve always felt that colleges are successful

when they understand who they are, what they’re doing, and have a shared sense of purpose,” says Albion College’s 16th president. Purple & Bold was an opportunity for the Albion community to come together and identify those areas of shared purpose: the importance of connection between the College and the town, and the value of diversity and inclusion. The campaign also positioned the College to weather crises—like the COVID-19 pandemic—from a position of strength. “I think confidence and campus vitality is closely linked to a sense of purpose,” Ditzler says. “And perhaps creating that sense of purpose was the paradigm shift that transformed, for the better, the way the College functions.”

58 | Albion College Io Triumphe!

Bold From the Beginning.

The success of the $100 million Purple & Bold campaign is ours to own, together. And, because of the visionary leadership and commitment of Don Sheets, ’82, the achievement we celebrate in fall 2020 has happened both above the goal and ahead of schedule.

Don, a member of the Albion College Board of Trustees since 2006 and chair from 2013 until 2020, sparked this historical success in many ways.

Not the least of which were his pivotal roles during the selection of Albion’s 16th president, Mauri A. Ditzler, and during the very earliest days of the campaign. In fact, Don and his wife, Angela (Scott) Sheets, ’82, committed the founding gift to the campaign in June 2014.

But for the steadfast commitment, sound business management, and passion that Don generously gave to Albion College through his service on the Board of Trustees and through his and Angela’s philanthropy, the $100 million campaign may not ever have gotten off the ground, or been considered at all.

It is the audaciousness, tenacity, and boldness displayed by Don and Angela that define Albion College Britons.

Don and Angela Sheets announced their founding gift on the day of President Mauri Ditzler’s inauguration, September 12, 2014. Don also announced the launch of the public phase of the campaign, Purple & Bold, during the Grand Getaway at Mackinac Island’s Grand Hotel, September 28, 2019.

Michael J. Harrington, ’85, who succeeds Don Sheets as chair of the Board of Trustees, was instrumental in this campaign’s success. A board member since 2012 who previously was chair of the Institutional Advancement Committee, Mike’s dedication, zeal, and philanthropic mastery guided the $100 million campaign. And he and his wife, Judy (Small) Harrington, ’86, made a gift that was nearly as transformative in its symbolism as it was in its impact.

Samuel J. Shaheen, ’88, played a quiet and nearly immeasurable role in the success of our $100 million campaign. Were it not for Dr. Shaheen’s leadership and community development expertise, the revitalization happening in downtown Albion would not have been possible.

While the investment that has happened on Superior Street and beyond is not counted in the $100 million campaign total, it has made a profound impact on Albion—the College and the City.

Mike and Judy Harrington paused for a photo on the porch of the President’s Home at 501 E. Michigan Ave. on February 18, 2016, the day before they announced their two-part gift that provides funds for the building and rebuilding of homes in the surrounding neighborhood, and dedicates additional financial support for students.

Sam Shaheen spoke to more than 200 College and community members on May 12, 2016 in downtown Albion moments before the ceremonial groundbreaking that would result in the March 2018 opening of the 75-room Courtyard by Marriott hotel. One year earlier, in January 2017, Shaheen’s efforts led to the complete renovation of the centuryold building at the northwest corner of Superior and Cass streets into what is now known as the Ludington Center.

Fall-Winter 2020-21 | 59

Our campaign began as a bold dream.

Yo u m a d e i t r e a l i ty.

Pushing into new frontiers is a part of our history, and thanks to you is part of our future. When we began our campaign, we knew we were on the precipice of changes that would require us to forge ahead in new ways: intellectually, technologically, societally.

Today, there is no question that we live in a changed world. At a moment of great challenge, you stepped up.

Albion stands in a new and stronger position because of your support. Our incredible students and innovative faculty will benefit. Our partnerships with our community will expand. And our impact on the world will grow.

This accomplishment is not Albion’s alone. It’s yours. It is ours, together.

The stories we have shared in these pages are just a fraction of the generosity that this $100 million campaign has inspired.

Your work—and the success of this campaign—is fueling a brighter future for Albion. We are humbled and grateful for your strong voice of support.

Io Triumphe!

60 | Albion College Io Triumphe!

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION NEWS

A Message from the Alumni Board President Dear Britons,

Offering Their Voice Last spring the Albion College Alumni Association Board of Directors welcomed eight new members.

As members of the Alumni Association Board of Directors, we see Albion navigating through a pair of monumental challenges much larger than the College itself: systemic racism and the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet they are challenges Albion College must overcome, and in doing so each alum can play a part in firmly establishing Albion as a model to follow, among liberal arts institutions and all of higher education.

Aligning with President Johnson’s leadership, the Alumni Board has an explicit focus on promoting inclusion and supporting our diverse student body. We’re proud to champion the College’s Blueprint for Belonging—a public commitment to being an anti-racist institution.

Our work to build more inclusive, representative communities extends to the composition of our Board as well. Over the last few years we have sought to increase the diversity of our Alumni Board, and this goal is now more crucial than ever. Our mission is for the diversity of the Board to reflect the diversity of our alumni and current students. Representation enables us to better understand, support, and connect with our students.

Mark Abbott, ’89 (Bethesda, MD)

Abbe Lindemood Ernstes, ’01 (Indianapolis, IN)

Ted Everingham, ’61 (Grosse Pointe Park, MI)

Tom Long, ’68 (Palm Desert, CA)

Kevin Opple, ’93 (Edinboro, PA)

Cezara Siotean, ’19 (Rochester Hills, MI)

Zahra Ahmed, ’22 Ex-Officio – Student Senate President (Rochester Hills, MI)

Olivia Palasek, ’23 Ex-Officio – Student Senate Vice President (Covington, KY)

As many have experienced in their own lives, the pandemic has radically reshaped the Alumni Board’s processes, especially as we typically host multiple in-person events throughout the year. The Board continues to assist the College with transitioning these events into meaningful virtual experiences, such as our Homecoming celebration in October. The pandemic has also deepened our focus on connecting students and alumni, as we recognize that these are unprecedented times during an especially transformative period in students’ lives.

Amy Everhart Perry, ’08, associate director of campaign and leadership engagement, continues to serve as our institutional lead for the Alumni Board.

Amy recently reflected, “Serving in this position has deepened my connection with my alma mater. I’m continuously inspired by our incredible alumni and our Board, who are so fiercely dedicated to our dear Albion.”

There is much exciting work ahead of us, and we welcome interested alumni to join us in this new era of the College! If you are interested in serving on the Alumni Board and/or would like to talk about opportunities to connect with Albion and support students, please email alumniengagement@albion.edu.

Nominations for the Alumni Board (albion.edu/alumniboard) will open in December and close in March for the next class of members.

Io Triumphe!

Upcoming Events Ronald Lessard, ’82 Alumni Board President

With the ongoing need for flexibility in scheduling events (in-person or virtual), planning continues for 2021 Albion Everywhere, the Alumni Awards, Milestone Reunions, the presidential inauguration, and more Albion celebrations. Bookmark albion.edu/alumni/events and refresh your inbox for the latest information!

Fall-Winter 2020-21 | 61

ALBIONOTES

‘He Taught Me to Be a Better Person’ Dr. Len Berkey in 1982.

learning, and scholarship. Len always challenged students to move outside their comfort zone and work toward a more just society.

–Barbara Keyes, professor of psychological science As a bio major, sociology was a bit foreign to me, but Len and I had some great talks in his office that semester. He always had time to chat with us. Great professor and I remember many of the lessons he shared with us.

–Aaron Gillett, ’99 I’ll never forget a day in his class where we students were not very talkative, and he said, “Let’s call it and just go get ice cream cones.”

And we did!

–Marcy Lindberg, ’91

Len Berkey, professor emeritus of anthropology and sociology who impacted generations of Albion students for more than 35 years, passed away August 3 in Washington State (see page 69). Here, several of his students and colleagues share their remembrances of a beloved scholar, mentor, and friend.

Len was everything a liberal arts prof should be. He really opened up my mind and heart for social justice.

–Julie French-Bloomfield, ’90 His classes were the ones where, as the students walked out, we continued the discussion as long as we could. Every single class was that way, because it was such life-changing material.

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He handled things with grace and with strength. He looked to right people's wrongs in a way that called them in as opposed to calling them out.

–Clarence Stirgus, ’12, assistant director of global diversity It was a privilege and honor to collaborate with a colleague so committed to integrating service,

He was a great professor. I wish I had the opportunity to take more than one of his classes.

The class I had with him had a profound impact on my personal growth. He is one of the reasons I am a proponent of a liberal arts education.

–Andrew Karpenko, ’93 Even when I talked to him late in his sickness, he pushed me on crime levels in my city, the city response, the court systems and the awareness our city had of racial inequities. Even in those last conversations, I felt myself on my toes, answering, defending and questioning all that I was presenting. He was challenging me to speak from evidence and not emotion.

–Anne Jarrad, ’96

I talked to Len earlier this year; he was thinking about the pandemic and how he would teach it. He almost wished he had a class.

He gave me career advice and no one I know had a better academic adviser. But mostly he taught me to be a better person.

–Erik Love, ’01 Yes, Len influenced many students individually, opened their minds to new perspectives and helped shape their futures.

But he was a change leader for the whole College.

–Trisha Franzen, professor of women’s, gender, and sexuality studies He was one of the original antiracist educators on campus and was one of a handful of faculty whom students of color and other underrepresented students went to first when they wanted mentoring and support. It’s humbling to share a profession and department with someone who enjoys the depth of love, respect, adulation, appreciation, and more from so many former students and colleagues that Len does. His alums are his legacy; they are devoted and impressive.

–Scott Melzer, professor of anthropology and sociology

‘One of the Greats’ that was the job. He loved doing it. He loved being part of the College, and going to games and performances, and being part of the Albion community."

–Nicolle Zellner, Herbert H. & Grace A. Dow Trustees’ Professor in the Sciences and Physics Department chair

Dave Seely in 2011.

I can actually draw a boundary in my life between the time before taking Dave’s course and the time after, in terms of who I've become and who I want to be in this world. Anyone who has ever had an essential mentor can know exactly what Dave has meant to me in my career and in my life.

He has been lifting me up for years, and my memory of Dave will continue to do so.

–Kevin Chalut, ’99

Dave Seely, professor of physics, passed away in his Albion home September 3, two weeks shy of his 62nd birthday (see page 69 for highlights of his 27 years at Albion). Below and at right, his students and colleagues share thoughts about a teacher and researcher who immersed himself in all things Albion.

We went to football games, basketball games, softball, soccer, whatever we could find to do.

We'd have coffee in the morning, meet for lunch, work out together and maybe meet for coffee again in the afternoon. Sometimes, if I went somewhere by myself, people would ask me where Dave was. We were like brothers because it was just so fun to be together.

He'd say he was going home for dinner and then he'd be holding a 10 p.m. study session. For Elkin

Isaac [Symposium] and other events in the Science Complex, he'd be there moving furniture and helping with setup. He just wanted to help people. He did so much when nobody even knew he was there.

–Paul Anderson, professor of mathematics and computer science For a while, Physics was Dave and three junior faculty he was shepherding. … He saw every kind of problem that had to be resolved and he did it because

He was a man who brought others together, a teacher who nurtured learners with compassion for their mistakes and excitement for their triumphs, and a leader who could guide a room with his calm and quiet influence.

–Leanne Wegley, ’18 One of the best men I have encountered in my life. Positive, selfless, supportive, and a true Brit. We will miss Dr. Seely on our campus. One of the greats.

–Dustin Beurer, ’05, head football coach I remember spending a summer with him, shuttling pieces of a particle accelerator between the University of Toledo and the depths of Palenske Hall, and witnessing Dr. Seely’s endless

commitment to science and education of young people.

He was so passionate about the project and the new things we would learn as a result of getting this accelerator online. … I find peace knowing he was someone who made an incredible contribution in the time he was with us.

–Andrew Gleason, ’99 I had the rare privilege of thriving as Dave’s student in his first years teaching at Albion and then, 14 years later, by growing as he mentored me in my new role as a young, panicked faculty member. Dave played a pivotal role in forming young scientists, entrepreneurs, doctors, humanitarians, and even an astronaut. … He leaves a legacy of literally thousands of improved lives—a legacy that will have lasting effects for generations.

–Aaron Miller, ’95 When I took over as department chair, I made that transition by saying, “What would David do?"

He was the vision and driving force of the department. Any time I had to do something as a faculty member or chair, I would just think about what he would do and measure myself against that.

We all tried to emulate him and looked to him for guidance. David was the best of us.

–Charles Moreau, associate professor of physics

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THE BACK PAGE

A Modern Family The ties that bind, the bonds that break, leaving home, and concerns about eating eggs.

By Chuck Carlson To all those who know them, Sid and Nancy have had what could charitably be called a difficult relationship.

Sid, short for Darth Sidious of Star Wars fame because of his blazing eyes, wants more from his partner, Nancy, than she is sometimes willing to give.

That has led to some unpleasant encounters between the two, including Sid’s constant nipping at Nancy’s legs in what he views as amorous advances but which Nancy views as simply annoying.

“The nature assistants and I nicknamed their habitat the Playboy Mansion as a reminder to check the habitat before showing it to school kids,” said Jason Raddatz, ’91, director of Albion College’s Whitehouse Nature Center.

“But we had to separate her from Sid because he was after her the whole time to make babies.

It’s impressive when you consider he’s like 90 years old. He’s getting up there. And Nancy is about 60. But all that Sid wants to do is eat and make babies.”

Oh, by the way, Sid and Nancy are Eastern box turtles.

They are longtime residents of the Nature Center, and while their relationship has often been turbulent, it has also been, well, productive.

In February, for the second time in three years, Nancy dropped eggs, and while the first batch two years ago produced no offspring, of the six she laid this year, one survived and produced a hatchling.

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Raddatz said the newcomer, which hatched in March, is a female and thriving on a diet of rehydrated peas and mealworms sprinkled with calcium dust to promote shell growth.

“She’s feisty,” Raddatz said. “Just like her dad.”

In June, as the Center’s three adult turtles (Elvira is the third) were enjoying the sunshine outside and away from their enclosures, all three began to wander off while Raddatz stepped away to deal with other issues. He corralled Elvira, but both Sid and Nancy, using the Nature Center’s foliage as camouflage, slipped away.

That the new turtle is here at all is impressive.

“They’re considered a species of special concern, which is one, maybe two steps from endangered,” said Raddatz, who said Eastern box turtles do not often reproduce successfully outside their native wild habitat, which is usually no bigger than an acre. “There’s maybe a five percent success rate in getting them to reproduce.”

“It’s really difficult to distinguish their markings from the ground,” Raddatz said. “And they’re really good at hiding.”

But in late July, biology professor Doug White found Sid near the student farm, more than a mile from the Center. “He either had to traverse the Kalamazoo River or utilize the bridge to get there,” Raddatz said of Sid’s sojourn. “Either is impressive.”

The hatchling caused a stir among the Albion students who work at the Nature Center in roles ranging from trail maintenance to growing crops at the student farm. Indeed, the new addition was made possible when volunteer Alexa Alley, ’21, brought in an incubator.

Students monitored the eggs, making sure the incubator’s temperature was kept at 87 degrees. They also made sure to keep Nancy away from her eggs; she might have eaten them, Raddatz said.

“This is a really big deal,” said Kierra Bush, ’20, who worked at the Center for a year and a half before graduating with an English degree this last spring. “Turtles can be fertile up to seven years after they mate and there had been no eggs for a long time, so we were surprised when we saw eggs in her habitat.”

Sadly, though, as with many star-crossed relationships, this one has taken a turn.

Sid in his terrarium home.

So, while Sid is home, Nancy remains in the wild and likely will never be found.

“She’s living her best life free and in the wild,” Raddatz said. “I hope she’s happy.”

Io Triumphe!

EDITOR John Perney CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Chuck Carlson, Kim Catley, Matt Dewald, Kirk Heinze, ’70, Erin Peterson, Jake Weber CLASS NOTES WRITERS Bailey Burbank, ’22, Jake Weber MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS Susannah Pentelow, Eric Westmoreland DESIGNER Nick Hernandez BrickStreet Marketing, Albion, MI Io Triumphe! is published twice annually by the Office of Marketing and Communications. It is distributed free to alumni and friends of the College.

Letters to the editor may be sent to: Office of Marketing and Communications Albion College 611 E. Porter St. Albion, MI 49224 communications@albion.edu www.albion.edu ABOUT OUR NAME The unusual name for this publication comes from a yell written by members of the Class of 1900. The beginning words of the yell, “Io Triumphe!,” were probably borrowed from the poems of the Roman writer Horace.

In 1936, the alumni of Albion College voted to name their magazine after the yell, which by then had become a College tradition. For years, Albion’s incoming students have learned these lines by heart: Io Triumphe! Io Triumphe!

Haben swaben rebecca le animor Whoop te whoop te sheller de-vere De-boom de ral de-i de-pa— Hooneka henaka whack a whack A-hob dob balde bora bolde bara Con slomade hob dob rah!

Al-bi-on Rah! ALBION COLLEGE’S MISSION Albion College is an undergraduate, liberal arts institution committed to academic excellence. We are learning-centered and recognize that valuable learning takes place in and outside the classroom, on and off campus. We prepare students to translate critical thought into action.

Time and again, when Albion College students most need the support of alumni and friends like you, you boldly respond.

When a global public health crisis challenged higher education in ways never before encountered, you boldly responded.

To all those who contributed to the Healthy Campus Fund, thank you. With your gifts, Albion was able to prepare for the fall by acquiring the necessary personal protective equipment, by making improvements to our living and learning spaces, and by implementing a state-of-the-art testing program. Your support made a safe return to in-person instruction possible.

For those who would like to contribute, please visit albion.edu/giving/making-a-gift.

FIND MORE ONLINE: www.albion.edu

Connect with students, faculty, staff, and alumni through Albion College’s social media channels.

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Office of Marketing and Communications 611 East Porter Street Albion, MI 49224

The Word Is Getting Out As recognition continues to roll in, more people are realizing what we’ve known all along: from impactful first-year experiences and inspiring professors to innovative programs and overall value, Albion is one of the top liberal arts colleges in the country.

See page 5 to learn more.

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