Auburn Magazine Winter 2016

MAGAZINE / WINTER 2016

Unchained Melody Bucky Heard harmonizes with the legendary Bill Medley to revive the Righteous Brothers

A L S O F E AT U R I N G

75 YEARS OF FLIGHT . ROD BRAMBLETT'S 'SECOND'

THIS IS A

BIRD’S-EYE VIEW.

Auburn’s eagle had a new colleague flying above the stadium at several home football games this season as an unmanned aircraft system, or drone, delivered the game ball from high in the sky.

Unmanned aircraft systems are more than a fun way to open a game. Auburn faculty are exploring ways the aircraft can be used by the nation’s industries and are conducting research in engineering fields, building science, and precision agriculture.

From helping the Alabama Department of Transportation modernize bridge inspections to giving farmers a bird’s-eye view of their crops, Auburn provides professional training with these aircraft as more and more businesses, state agencies, law enforcement professionals, and enthusiasts enter the skies. In 2015, Auburn received the nation’s first FAA approval to operate an Unmanned Aircraft Systems Flight School as part of its Aviation Center.

Auburn has provided aviation education for more than 80 years, including flight training for auburn.edu/climatechange traditional pilots for 75 years, and offers three aviation/aerospace degrees: aviation management, professional flight management, and aerospace engineering.

Auburn is soaring.

THIS IS AUBURN.

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Passing the Time Did you know Aubie has his own pinup calendar?

University photographer Jeff Etheridge captures our feisty feline in a variety of priceless poses for the 2017 edition of the annual calendar. www.auburn.edu/student_info/student_life/aubie/calendar.php

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FROM THE PRESIDENT

Where Eagles Soar IMAGINE someone asks you the question, “What do

you love most about Auburn?” What would you tell them? Although there is likely similarity among responses, each of us in the Auburn Family has a unique, personal lens through which we view the university. Research has shown what many of us already know: Auburn is a great place—so great that 95 percent of recent graduates say they would attend again if given the chance. Auburn is a part of us; it is who we are.

Even though we are a large university, our students benefit from an extraordinary sense of community. Their experiences are enriched by caring professors who go the extra mile and by boundless opportunities for growth both in and out of the classroom. Freshmen do not have to be here long to understand they are in a special place.

But how does Auburn stack up in the eyes of those who judge us and evaluate us but have never experienced Auburn firsthand? In 2016, that question was answered several times over by national heavyweights such as Forbes, Money and U.S. News & World Report.

In its rankings of the nation’s top colleges, Forbes selected one university as the best in each state. Based on high marks in a number of areas, the publication chose Auburn as the top college in Alabama. Looking from a financial perspective, Money also ranked us tops in the state, scoring the university

highly in educational quality, affordability and alumni success.

And for 24 years running, Auburn is a top 50 public university, according to U.S. News.

We’ve also been recognized recently for having the state’s smartest students, the nation’s friendliest fan base and top college traditions. The list goes on.

Our current public service announcement, which has aired nationally during football and basketball games and is online at auburn.edu/commercial, brings to life the devotion our alumni feel toward the university and clearly illustrates how an Auburn education can propel our graduates to successful careers.

Auburn people do not need glossy magazine features and online rankings to tell them our university is special, but these citations are hard to ignore. The university’s impact on our state, nation and world is great, and we challenge ourselves every day to make it even greater.

War Eagle,

Jay Gogue ’69 President, Auburn University

jgogue@auburn.edu

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FROM THE VICE PRESIDENT FOR ALUMNI AFFAIRS

Holiday Greetings and Gratitude I HOPE this issue of Auburn Magazine finds you well and enjoying a festive holiday season. As 2016 draws to a close, I wanted to offer my thanks for making a difference! Thousands of alumni and friends continue to show their passion and support of Auburn University by participating in Auburn Alumni Association-sponsored programs and services. Because of you . . .

250 scholarships were provided to students! Through the Auburn Alumni Association Endowment and the Auburn Club Scholarship program, the association in 2015-16 awarded more than 250

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165,458 ALUMNI & FRIENDS CONNECTED

scholarships for use by students in the following academic year.

After a successful Tiger Giving Day, the association created a new, fully funded scholarship endowment of more than $25,000 for U.S. military veterans wishing to attend Auburn.

165,458 alumni and friends connected! Signature events such as Lifetime Achievement Awards, Golden Eagles Reunion, Black Alumni Weekend, Club Leadership Conference and Hospitality Tailgate continue to be popular and well attended. Additionally, the outreach and engagement of alumni and friends reach across campus in partnerships with athletics, academic units and research, along with growing community partnerships such as A-Day and homecoming festivities.

17,000 alumni participated in Auburn Club and Affiliate events! Volunteer leaders ensured alumni around the globe were able to network with each other through regular meetings, Tiger Trek events with the AU coaching staff, and game-watch parties.

Additionally, Auburn Clubs engaged close to 600 high school students in freshman send-off events across the country.

We served 4,000 scoops of ice cream! Whether you sampled the famous original Spumoni recipe or ventured out with new flavors such as Charles Barkley Butter Pecan, we hope you enjoyed the recreated Sani-Freeze in front of the Auburn Alumni Center during our hospitality tailgates this fall.

Last, but certainly not least, I want to say thank you to the members of the Auburn Alumni Association Board of Directors for their commitment and leadership to the association. During the Oct. 1 annual board meeting weekend, the group formally adopted a new strategic plan whose mission states: the association is dedicated to enhancing the engagement and connection of all Auburn University alumni and friends.

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ALUMNI PARTICIPATED IN CLUB AND AFFILIATE EVENTS

As this new plan is implemented, I invite you to take advantage of our new programs and services. One of the most immediate is the Auburn Alumni Directory app, an exciting new tool designed to foster alumni networking, information sharing, and connectivity. No matter where you are, simply use your alumni app and reach out to fellow Auburn University alumni. To learn more, please check out the alumni.auburn.edu website and read about the app on Page 11 of this issue.

Thank you for your continued thoughtfulness, participation and generosity. Best wishes to you for a wonderful holiday season!

With gratitude,

Gretchen VanValkenburg ’86 Vice President for Alumni Affairs & Executive Director, Auburn Alumni Association gretchenvan@auburn.edu

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FROM THE EDITOR

A Righteous Man No doubt like many of you, I don't remember when I first heard the Righteous Brothers (or that I knew so many of their songs)—not until the infamous pottery wheel scene in the 1990 hit movie Ghost featured the original version of the Righteous Brothers hit “Unchained Melody.”

Oh, that was the Righteous Brothers.

The song, re-released by Polygram Records, hit the

Top 20 a quarter-century after its first appearance on the charts. Also on the charts at the same time? Another version of “Unchained Melody,” which the Righteous Brothers—Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield—quickly re-recorded in light of its newfound popularity.

A compilation of the duo’s hits, including “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ ” and “Rock and Roll Heaven,” also was released.

Medley and Hatfield, whose high tenor marked so

many of their hits, re-formed the band and began touring again until Hatfield’s death in 2003.

Over the years since, Medley (who hit the Top 10 OZELLA TAYLOR FIRST WOMAN MEMBER OF AUBURN'S AERO CLUB

again in 1987 with “[I’ve Had] the Time of My Life” from another film, Dirty Dancing) had been approached numerous times about re-forming the Righteous Brothers,

FEATURES

but he’d never heard anyone he thought could do justice to Hatfield’s vocals—until he came across a guy named Bucky Heard.

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Heard, a powerful tenor with a vivacious personality,

was performing in Branson, Mo., at the time. Against the unlikely backdrop of a Fuddruckers burger joint, the

Unchained

HE MIGHT BE SINGING “YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVIN’ FEELIN,’ ” BUT BUCKY HEARD ’89 FEELS ANYTHING BUT LOST AS HALF OF THE RE-FORMED RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS. BY DEREK HERSCOVICI

Auburn grad and alumnus of the AU theater program joined forces with the legendary Bill Medley to re-form

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the Righteous Brothers.

Heard has spent the past eight months playing

Harrah's in Las Vegas. You can read his story in this

Taking Flight

FROM THE DAYS OF THE WRIGHT BROTHERS TO TODAY’S WAR EAGLE FLYING TEAM, FLIGHT EDUCATION AT AUBURN MARKS 75 YEARS OF LONG, HARD-WON HISTORY. BY ALEC HARVEY

issue—and dust off those old 45s.

42 Suzanne Johnson Editor, Auburn Magazine

The Second Heard Round the World

LONG KNOWN BY FANS AS THE "VOICE OF THE AUBURN TIGERS," VETERAN SPORTS ANNOUNCER ROD BRAMBLETT BECAME A 2013 MEDIA SENSATION IN THE SPAN OF ONE SECOND. IN AN EXCERPT FROM HIS NEW AUTOBIOGRAPHY, HE RECALLS THE MOMENT, PLAY BY PLAY. BY ROD BRAMBLETT.

suzannejohnson@auburn.edu

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EDITOR

Suzanne Johnson ART DIRECTOR

Heather Peevy ASSISTANT EDITOR

Derek Herscovici ‘14 UNIVERSITY PHOTOGRAPHER

Jeff Etheridge

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EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

Reagan Berg ‘20 DESIGN ASSISTANTS

Mitch McHargue ‘16, Kaleigh Peltack ‘17 IT SPECIALIST

Aaron Blackmon ’10 PRESIDENT, AUBURN UNIVERSITY

Jay Gogue ’69 VICE PRESIDENT FOR ALUMNI AFFAIRS & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AUBURN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Gretchen VanValkenburg ’86 PRESIDENT, AUBURN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

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Beau Byrd ’89 AUBURN MAGAZINE ADVISORY COUNCIL CHAIR

DEPARTMENTS

Neal Reynolds ’77 AUBURN MAGAZINE ADVISORY COUNCIL

7 From the Editor

19 Magic Markers

Catching up: Righteous Brothers 101.

Auburn industrial design students make it onto Pat Dye Field with high-tech eDown markers.

CONCOURSE 10 On the Hunt With the announcement of President Jay Gogue's pending retirement, the search is on for a new educator-in-chief.

14 Storm Force Could the decline of the Mayan civilization be tied to that era's hurricane frequency? AU researchers say maybe so.

17 Time Line: Fads Are you from the streaking era? Panty raids? VW stuffing?

Or Pokemon-GO? A look at a few AU fads over the years.

18 Out to Sea Auburn University teams up with the City of Gulf Shores to create a new Gulf Coast learning center.

20 Philanthropy Auburn seeks to increase its participation rates—a key factor in university rankings and outside support.

THE CLASSES 53 Class Notes 57 On the Board

62 In Memoriam

AUBURN MAGAZINE (ISSN 1077– 8640) is published quarterly; 4X per year; spring, summer, fall, winter, for members of the Auburn Alumni Association. Periodicals-class postage paid in Auburn and additional mailing offices. Editorial offices are located in the Auburn Alumni Center, 317 South College St., Auburn University, AL 36849-5149. Email: aubmag@auburn.edu. Contents ©2016 by the Auburn Alumni Association, all rights reserved.

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ADVERTISING INFORMATION Contact Jessica King at (334) 844-2586 or see our media guide at aualum.org/magazine.

Meet the newest members and officers of the Auburn Alumni Association Board of Directors.

ON THE COVER Auburn Magazine needs its name in lights to keep up with the shining star that is Bucky Heard ’89. Heard recently joined forces with the legendary Bill Medley to re-form the Righteous Brothers, complete with a stint in Las Vegas.

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Maria Baugh ’87, John Carvalho ’78, Jon Cole ’88, Christian Flathman ’97, Kay Fuston ’84, Bob Jones ’74, Julie Keith ’90, Mary Lou Foy ’66, Eric Ludgood ’78, Cindy McDaniel ’80, Napo Monasterio ’02, Carol Pappas ’77, Joyce Reynolds Ringer ’59, Allen Vaughan ’75

POSTMASTER Send address changes to AU Records, 317 South College St., Auburn, AL 36849–5149.

AUBURN NEWS & VIEWS

Concourse IN THIS SECTION

Presidential Search 10 Research 14

Edible Arrangements

Timeline: Fads 17

The Auburn Hospitality Management Program will soon have a tasty new academic option for students: culinary science. At its October meeting, the Auburn University

First and Goal 19

Board of Trustees approved a Culinary Arts Building to be located next to the Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center. No culinary science program currently exists in Alabama, forcing students interested in culinary science degrees to go out of state. There are about 220 undergraduate and 50 graduate students in the hospitality management program, numbers that should grow even more with the addition of coursework in culinary science.

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THE SEARCH IS ON “WE’RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE, BUT WE DECIDED IT’S TIME TO STEP DOWN AS PRESIDENT NEXT YEAR AND BEGIN THE NEXT PHASE OF OUR LIVES.”

At the October meeting of the Auburn University Board of Trustees, AU President Jay Gogue announced his plan to retire sometime in 2017.

“Susie and I have had a blast at Auburn the past 10 years,” said Gogue, a 1969 AU graduate who was lured back to his alma mater in 2007 from his position as president of the University of Houston and chancellor of the University of Houston System.

“We’re not going anywhere, but we decided it’s time to step down as president next year and begin the next phase of our lives.”

Charles McCrary ’73, president pro tem of the board of trustees, appointed trustee Raymond J. Harbert ’82 to chair the search committee.

Harbert asked trustees Michael DeMaioribus ’76 and Sarah Newton ’74 to serve with him. Also serving on the committee are

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Beau Byrd II ’89, president of the Auburn Alumni Association; Deacue Fields, chair and professor of agricultural economics; Thom Gossom ’75, outgoing chair, Auburn University Foundation; Sharon Haynes, county coordinator, Alabama Cooperative Extension System; Rhea Ingram, business dean at Auburn University Montgomery; Timothy Jones ’01, chair, Auburn Administrative & Professional Assembly; Laura Plexico, associate professor of communication disorders; Chris Roberts, dean, Samuel Ginn College of Engineering; Althea Tate; chair, Auburn Staff Council; Larry Teeter, professor, School of Forestry & Wildlife Sciences; and Jesse Westerhouse, president, Student Government Association.

The committee will work with R. William Funk & Associates, a higher education search firm based in Dallas.

Oak Trauma The Auburn Tigers’ Sept. 24 win over Louisiana State University in football came with a high price after a 29-year-old Auburn resident allegedly set fire to the toilet paper draping the oak tree on the Magnolia Street side of Toomer’s Corner while fans celebrated nearby.

The fire resulted in significant damage to the tree, one of two planted to replace the original oaks poisoned in 2010. A German citizen with no affiliation to the university was arrested and charged with first-degree criminal mischief and other offenses. AU horticulture professor Gary Keever said experts won’t know until spring the extent of any long-term damage. “I don’t think the fire killed the tree, but we may never see it return to its appearance before this act.”

A NE W KI ND OF

FAMILY REUNION THE AUBURN FAMILY HAS ALWAYS BEEN CLOSE, BUT NEVER LIKE THIS. The end of 2016 saw the unveiling of the Auburn Alumni Directory app, a portable directory for all Auburn alumni and registered members of the Auburn Alumni Association.

Blending a combination of our records and your own data from Facebook and LinkedIn, registered users will be able to connect with Auburn graduates living anywhere in the U.S.

Look up old classmates from across the country and contact them directly through phone or email using your mobile device; stay updated on all things Auburn with the “New and Social” feature; click on “Tell Your Friends” to help us spread the word!

Network with Auburn alumni in the same profession or similar industries based on LinkedIn information using the “Auburn Alumni Nearby” option. New in town and looking for a tailgate? Users can interact with and locate their nearest Auburn Club in seconds.

For the sake of privacy, only users who choose to participate in the Auburn Alumni Directory app will have their information made available after a two-factor authorization; even then, there are plenty of security parameters to present as much or as little information as you’d like.

The Auburn Alumni Directory app is free and can be located in the Apple App Store, with Droid access coming in January 2017. Let’s all get connected!

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for lack of a big blow MORE THAN A MILLENNIUM AGO, in present-day southern Mexico and Central America, the ancient Mayan empire stretched across an area the size of Texas. Then, in approximately A.D. 1000, the Maya inexplicably disappeared. For centuries, the collapse of the Maya civilization has puzzled researchers, but a recent study by Martin Medina, associate professor in Auburn University’s Department of Geosciences, determined that drought due to low tropical storm activity could be to blame.

“Paleoclimate records discovered in the last two decades show that the Mayans experienced severe drought,” said Medina.

“We found that during the collapse, the Yucatán Peninsula in particular experienced eight events of drought. Knowing about the agricultural systems in the region and how they had to capture water in order to sustain their populations, a drop in precipitation by half would have had important implications for the Maya civilization.”

Medina developed a series of paleoclimate records by looking at stalagmites and stalactites in caves that are formed from drips of rainfall containing specific minerals. “Inside the stalagmite it has growth bands like tree rings, each corresponding to a certain time. We take samples and measure the

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proportions of two forms of oxygen in the carbonate, and these tell us how much it rained in the past. The more it rained, the more of one of those forms of oxygen there will be.”

Once Medina determined the droughts existed, he and his team then looked at the reason these droughts occurred.

“There is a strong relationship between tropical cyclone frequency and precipitation variability in the region,” said Medina. “When cyclones were more frequent in the region, it rained more, and when the frequency of tropical cyclones was lower, there was a drought.”

The study forced Medina to look at tropical storms in a different way. “We never thought of tropical storms as being a positive force until we did this research. Typically, you think of tropical cyclones only as destructive forces. If we overcome the negative impacts, that will allow the natural systems to replenish themselves through tropical cyclones, which they’ve been doing for thousands of years.”

Medina’s study was the cover story for the September edition of the scientific journal, Quaternary Research. For more information on Medina and his research, visit his website at http://www.medinaelizalde.net/Martin/Welcome.

MIXED MEDIA Now Playing ON THE BIG SCREEN Spencer Stars Academy Award-winning actress Octavia Spencer ’92 has had a busy year, appearing in the films The Free World (playing Linda Workman); Zootopia (as the voice of Mrs. Otterton); The Great Gilly Hopkins (playing Miss Harris); and Car Dogs (as Mrs. Barrett).

ON THE BOOKSHELF The Innocents, by Ace Atkins ’85 (GP Putnam’s Sons, 2016) The sixth in Atkins’ Quinn Colson series, which The Washington Post calls “a joy ride into the heart of darkness.” In this novel: A high school dropout named Milly Jones is found walking down the middle of the highway, engulfed in flames. It is up to Sheriff Quinn Colson, back on the job after a year away, and his deputy Lillie Virgil to investigate what happened and why.

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION Hidden Figures (January 2017) This upcoming film tells the story of a team of black women who provide NASA with important mathematical data needed to launch the program’s first space missions. It will costar Octavia Spencer ’92 (on right in poster at left).

A World War II Flight Surgeon’s Story,

by S. Carlisle May ’81 (Pelican, 2015) As Axis planes darkened the skies of the European Theater during World War II, the Allies rallied to the challenge. Daring pilots fought and died under extreme conditions, racing to end the war that was wreaking such devastation. Stress, injury, infectious disease and trying living conditions took a high toll, and flight surgeons battled to keep the men hale.

Lamb Myhr was one such surgeon, serving in North Africa and Europe. Author May traveled across the U.S. and Europe researching the experiences of Myhr, her great-uncle. (Read about her son’s heart transplant on Page 55.)

ON THE PLAYLIST Singer-songwriter Kate Campbell ’98 has released The K.O.A. Tapes, Vol. 1, featuring 20 tracks that include her interpretation of classics from Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird” to Janis Joplin’s “Me and Bobby McGee” to Richard Thompson’s “From Galway to Graceland.”

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Women WHO

Shape STATE THE

Auburn University alumna Kyes Stevens ’94 has been recognized as one of this year’s “Women Who Shape the State,” a program created by AL.com and Birmingham Magazine.

Stevens is a poet and director of the Alabama Prison Arts + Education Project, part of the Department of Human Development and Family Studies in the College of Human Sciences at Auburn University.

She founded the project in 2002 as a way of sharing the arts and humanities with individuals in Alabama Department of Corrections’ facilities. Over the years the project curriculum has expanded to include not-for-credit higher education course offerings in science, hunger studies, history and engineering in 10 of Alabama’s 18 prisons.

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Stevens graduated from Auburn with a bachelor’s degree in English and went on to earn a master’s in women’s history and a Master of Fine Arts in poetry from Sarah Lawrence College in New York.

She was inspired to start the Alabama Prison Arts + Education Project after teaching poetry at Talladega Federal Prison.

More than 100 women were nominated as “Women Who Shape the State” for changing their neighborhoods, cities and the state of Alabama for the better. The Birmingham-based program, Women Who Make a Difference, started

in 2013 and expanded last year to honor women throughout Alabama.

Other women on the list include Deborah Barnhart, CEO of the U.S. Space and Rocket Center; Elizabeth Beierle, a pediatric surgeon at the University of Alabama at Birmingham; Tara M. Bryant, chief medical officer at Viva Health; Virginia Caples, the first female president at Alabama A&M University; Allison Black Cornelius, CEO of the Greater Birmingham Humane Society; and Tricia Wallwork, CEO of Milo’s Tea Co. —Amy Weaver

TIMELINE Fads

MASS MADNESS? Pokémon Go, an augmented-reality interactive game, was all the rage on the AU campus for about a minute and a half before someone in a clown suit sent players scurrying indoors (thanks, Stephen King). Other campus fads have included (clockwise from Pokémon) toga parties in the late ’70s, walking like Egyptians in the late ’80s, hacky sack in 1992, and baring it all in the early ’70s.

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Gulf Growth AUBURN UNIVERSITY AND THE CITY OF GULF SHORES are moving forward with plans to build a complex in Gulf Shores to serve as both an educational outpost for Auburn and a resource for Gulf Coast residents.

A number of Auburn programs are expected to operate out of the new 24,000-square-foot building, which will be located at the corner of the Beach Express and County Road 8. It will lie adjacent to land acquired by the City of Gulf Shores for a new high school and the planned Coastal Alabama Center for Educational Excellence.

The centerpiece of the Auburn Education Complex will be a referral center for the College of Veterinary Medicine. It will serve as an extension of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital in Auburn to provide specialty veterinary services and related education opportunities for Auburn veterinary students in south Alabama and the surrounding region.

Calvin Johnson, dean of the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine, said its Veterinary Teaching Hospital has engaged south Alabama and the Gulf Coast region for many years with specialty veterinary services and continuing education for veterinarians.

By having a base of operations in Gulf Shores, Auburn can enhance student engagement in veterinary clinical education and lab training in disciplines unique to Alabama's Gulf Coast, such as marine mammal medicine, aquatic animal pathology, zoological and wildlife medicine and emergency response.

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The Coastal Alabama Center for Educational Excellence is part of a strategic plan, “Small Town, Big Beach Vision 2025 for Sustainability,” adopted by Gulf Shores Mayor Robert Craft and the Gulf Shores City Council in 2014.

Additional Auburn programs expected to use the new facility include:

College of Agriculture—Ongoing teaching and research activities related to marine fisheries and aquaculture and ornamental horticulture.

Auburn Aviation Center—non-credit training courses such as an Unmanned Aircraft Systems certificate; specialty courses such as mapping/surveying, precision agriculture and public safety; and K-12 outreach through the Striped Wings student ambassador program and camps for various grade levels

Office of Research and Economic Development—coordinating research in additive manufacturing and training highly skilled technical personnel heavily focused for aerospace and providing collaboration opportunities with selected research institutions, community colleges, Airbus and its suppliers, GE Aviation and other manufacturers in the Gulf Coast region

Alabama Cooperative Extension System—plant diagnostic laboratory to support the local commercial market and homeowners, master gardener's resource office and various 4-H activities and extension meetings for area residents.

—Amy Weaver

GONE TOO SOON:

QUENTIN GROVES

First

e Down

“IT’S ONE OF THOSE IDEAS that is so good you wonder why it hadn’t been done before. It just makes sense,” said Randy Bartlett, professor of industrial design in Auburn University’s School of Industrial and Graphic Design.

He’s referring to entrepreneur Hutch Hammond’s vision of a more reliable and easier-touse digital LED down marker in football games.

Hammond, vice president of operations at Victory Game Clocks, enlisted the help of Bartlett’s third-year industrial design studio to make the LED down markers a reality. The Auburn Technical Assistance Center in Auburn’s Raymond J. Harbert College of Business helped arrange the collaboration that has led to the design of eDown, an electronic down marker used on football Saturdays in Jordan-Hare Stadium this fall.

Victory Game Clocks, located in Roanoke, designs and manufactures electronic products for professional, college and high school sports. The company has distinguished its product line by creating innovative products, such as wireless controllers, which are designed to provide ease of operation, better reliability and more flexibility. Current down markers use digits that are painted on plastic or metal plates and flipped when the down changes.

Sixteen students in teams of two spent the 2015 spring semester researching and designing concepts that were lighter, more flexible and much easier to use—with their result hitting the Auburn gridiron at the start of the 2016 season.

They worked with Dana Marquez, athletic equipment manager for Auburn’s athletics department, and Wes Fuller, member of the Auburn University “chain gang” football game officials, to understand the human factors involved in using the down markers. The students developed eight viable concepts that were turned over to Victory Game Clocks.

This past A-Day spring game, the first production models of the eDown markers were used in Jordan-Hare Stadium, and the eDown marker is now on the market and being sold nationally. More information about eDown is available on the Victory Game Clocks website at http://www.VictoryGameClocks.com. —Stephanie Bond

Quentin Groves, a popular Auburn football player who was known for his sacks and his smile, passed away in his sleep on Oct. 15 in Trinidad, the homeland of his wife, Treska Baptiste Groves ’06. He was 32.

Groves was a high-profile signee for Auburn from Greenville, Miss., in 2003, and played for the Tigers from 2004-07. His 26 career sacks are tied for the school record.

Groves was a second-round pick in the 2008 NFL draft and played with seven NFL teams from 2008-2014.

He was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, which causes a rapid heartbeat, at the NFL Combine in 2008 and had surgery to minimize the problem before the draft. “It’s an extra circuit in the heart, and it speeds up your heartbeat; it’s nothing too critical, but you have to take care of it,” Groves said at the time.

He made his mark at Auburn, and was a member of a senior class whose players won 50 games over the course of their careers.

—Charles Goldberg

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A deep commitment to ensuring that Auburn continues to change the lives of our students, as well as the world around us.

AT THIS TIME OF YEAR, we naturally reflect on those things for which we are most thankful. Among the many, many things for which I am thankful is the very generous philanthropy of our Auburn Family. Your gifts to Because This is Auburn—A Campaign for Auburn University have an incredible impact on the life of our university, and they represent a deep commitment to ensuring that Auburn continues to improve the lives of our students, as well as the world around us.

I am particularly grateful for the way in which our collective gifts help create something greater than ourselves. Sometimes these gifts are large, transformational investments, like the $15 million commitment from Raymond ’82 and Kathryn ’81 Harbert to construct a new state-of-the-art business building.

Other times, these gifts consist of annual support that is equally transformative in its collective power to sustain important initiatives that help our students obtain a world-class education, engage in outside-the-classroom experiences, or travel abroad to get a glimpse of the global society in which we live.

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Every gift, no matter the size, makes an indelible mark on the future of Auburn University. And these gifts take many different forms. But one thing is certain: Philanthropy always is a very personal choice. It is born of a willingness to use our resources to benefit others and, most often, it carries with it a feeling of gratitude for the places and people who have changed us. You will see in our story about Dr. Cary Gannon’s creative approach to supporting scholarships that there are many ways to give back to the institution that helped shape us both personally and professionally.

In this season of thanksgiving, I encourage you to consider why you are thankful for Auburn University and how your philanthropy can inspire those who come after you.

Jane DiFolco Parker Vice President for Development President, Auburn University Foundation because.auburn.edu

Giving Back

A Matter of the Heart CARY GANNON, a 1999 graduate of the College of Sciences and Mathematics, credits her strong work ethic and professional trajectory with being created, shaped and nurtured during her time at Auburn. She points to the first line of the Auburn Creed as helping her understand that you can count only on what you earn and that relationships are the global currency.

“Auburn represents family to me,” she said. “It was at Auburn that I learned the difference between acquaintances and friendships. It was at Auburn that I learned loyalty. To contribute in some small way to the institution that is largely responsible for the fact that I get to help people live their best lives is not a matter of obligation; it’s a matter of the heart.”

In 2013 Gannon, now a podiatric surgeon who practices at the University Foot and Ankle Center in Franklin, Tenn., launched AILA Cosmetics (pronounced eye-luh) to address industry demand for healthier beauty products. Today, she shares proceeds from her highly successful company to support the AILA Cosmetics Annual Scholarship for women with a pre-health concentration in Auburn’s College of Sciences and Mathematics.

“Students need as clear a path as possible toward their destinies,” said Gannon. “What they don’t need is a stifling financial burden while they’re literally planning their futures.”

AILA features a growing nail lacquer collection that is free of the eight most commonly found ingredients in traditional nail lacquers, many of which include harmful chemicals. Gannon uses earnings from two of the colors in the collection—not surprisingly, “The New Black” (orange) and “My Two Jeffs” (blue)—to fund the scholarship.

Gannon created the company at a time in her life when she was making major changes relationally, emotionally and physically. Her daughter, Aila, for whom her company is named,

loveaila.com was diagnosed with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), and Gannon was struggling with her own health issues. She believed she was trapped in a cycle that demanded too much of her.

Realizing that the only thing she could control was herself, she instituted healthy changes in her own life that ultimately led to her creation of AILA Cosmetics.

For Gannon, giving back is synonymous with paying it forward, and for her, not supporting Auburn is simply not an option.

“Auburn gave me more than I could ever quantify,” she explains. “There are very few opportunities to give generationally. Philanthropic contributions to Auburn aren’t just about helping people, although that’s reason enough to do it. It’s about legacy.”

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AUBURN’S SECOND TIGER GIVING DAY SET FOR FEB. 21 FOLLOWING A HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL Tiger Giving Day in 2015, Auburn University is preparing for its second day of giving on Feb. 21, 2017. The 24-hour, university-wide online giving event features projects that range from building a display and information kiosk for a fossilized dinosaur egg to helping students launch a satellite into space (including an opportunity to put your name on it).

The projects were developed by schools, colleges and units across the university and offer the Auburn Family unique opportunities to give to programs and initiatives that might not be well known. The full selection of projects will be featured at

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www.tigergiving.org. The official hashtag for the day is #tigergivingday.

The inaugural Tiger Giving Day occurred Dec. 1, 2015. The event fully funded 18 projects, making a significant difference for many of Auburn’s students, faculty members and programs.

More than 2,100 donors from 38 states and seven countries contributed to the inaugural Tiger Giving Day’s success, with gifts ranging from $5 to $50,000. Donors who participated were inspired by the unique, 24-hour online approach to giving and the opportunity to support a number of projects.

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Auburn Magazine

For Alumni & Friends of Auburn University

Auburn Magazine

For Alumni & Friends of Auburn University FA L L 2016 Auburn Magazine 27

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au ua a ll u um m .. o o rr g g Auburn Auburn Magazine Magazine a 59AuburnMag_Fall08.indd 59

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59 57

7/11/08 5:34:32 PM

Auburn University and Equifax – Come Home to Auburn

Measure It. Improve It.

To meet our growing need for top-tier IT professionals, Equifax is looking for Auburn grads with first-class IT pedigrees and a passionate interest in DevOps. Our new Global IT Talent Center in Auburn takes advantage of our strategic partnership with Auburn University and the university’s growing reputation for excellence in business, software development, and engineering.

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IT’S TIME TO START THINKING ABOUT

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Keep Your Legacy in the

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From timberlands to farms, any generational property you own is a deeply-rooted part of your family story. With that property, you have an opportunity to have an impact on the Auburn Family while still honoring your legacy.

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A gift of land to Auburn University can provide you with tax benefits, relief from the burden of maintaining the property, freedom from the hassle and fees of selling and, depending upon the type of gift you choose, it also could yield lifetime payments for you.

For more information about how to honor your legacy while creating a new one, contact the Auburn University Real Estate Foundation at 334-844-1137 or email stephan@auburn.edu.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFF ETHERIDGE

UNCHAINED

By Derek Herscovici ’14

Bucky Heard has had his name up in lights since his days at Auburn, but a call from the legendary Bill Medley to re-form the Righteous Brothers has amped up the volume.

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T

he crowd inside the showroom at Harrah’s Hotel and Casino on Las Vegas’ Miracle Mile is packed. Sprinkled into the audience of Baby Boomers are wide-eyed youths coming for a glimpse of rock and roll royalty.

At 6:15 p.m. sharp, the lights dim, the orchestra hums to life and the curtain draws up to the cheers of the restless onlookers.

Standing before them is Bill Medley, his 76-year-old voice as sweet and silky as it was in 1964, when “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” propelled the Righteous Brothers into stardom. Most in

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the room never expected to see the rock legends return after the death of the other “brother,” Bobby Hatfield, in 2003.

But here, emerging beside Bill Medley in the spotlight at the front of the stage, is someone else: younger, looser, a definite contrast to the staid, elegant Medley. His hair is long; his voice is powerful; he’s definitely not Bobby Hatfield.

His name is Bucky Heard.

This is his story.

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Chapter 1 Weldon Howard Heard was born in Dadeville on July 14, 1965, named for his father Charner Heard’s best friend, Weldon “Bucky” Howard, who introduced him to his wife, Betty.

Growing up in a house of devout Elvis and Chuck Berry fans meant hanging in the background, listening to the rock ‘n’ roll soundtracks of his parents’ parties.

In 1974, Heard bought the Righteous Brothers’ 45-rpm single, “Rock and Roll Heaven.”

“That’s probably my favorite Righteous Brothers song,” Heard says. “I played that 45 over and over and over again, trying to sing just like Bobby Hatfield. I literally wore that record out.”

During show and tell in fifth and sixth grade, Heard would sing the songs popular at home: Chuck Berry, the Righteous Brothers and Elvis.

On Fridays students were allowed to play their records from home. One day someone brought in a KISS record, sparking a lifelong love. Heard says he learned how to sing by listening to KISS singer Paul Stanley, so often that as punishment his parents would confiscate his records.

Heard’s appreciation for the nuances of both soulful crooning and all things that rock would prepare him for the biggest gigs of his life.

Heard admits that when he enrolled at Auburn in 1985 as a geology major, it was an attempt at “running from my destiny.”

He abandoned college altogether his junior year to join a band.

A year later, when he broke the news to his father that he

wanted to return to Auburn—as a theater major—the elder Heard asked what took so long.

Back at Auburn, Heard quickly immersed himself in the Auburn theater program, at the time enjoying a high-water

Bucky Heard (front) played Claude in a 1989 AU performance of the rock musical Hair.

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mark producing complex, thought-provoking performances.

Under the lead of then-Alabama Shakespeare associate director Bill Gregg, the Auburn Players performed the 1960s counterculture drama Hair, a controversial choice in 1989 but one that students and audiences loved. Heard was cast as lead character Claude, a role he was ambivalent about at the time.

“I wanted to establish myself as a serious actor, so when I auditioned for Hair, I really didn’t try hard. When I finally got into the rehearsal process it was one of the most challenging roles as an actor I’ve ever done and one of my fondest memories.”

Heard's successors at Auburn will have even fonder memories thanks to a planned performing arts center. The university currently is working to raise $15 million to add to a $25 million commitment from 1957 graduates John and Rosemary Brown as part of a larger gift to Because This is Auburn—A Campaign for Auburn University and a matching $25 million from the university. Once funded, the center will be located on South College Street opposite the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Arts.

Chapter 2 From 1987 to 1989 Heard was selected for “Birmingham Summer Fest,” a series of musicals hosted by the former Town & Gown Theatre, now the Virginia Samford Theatre at Caldwell Park.

Opened by UAB’s James Hatcher in 1950, performers from across the Southeast would audition for the chance to work with well-known directors, choreographers and future stars, among them Jodi Benson, who eventually became the voice of Ariel in the animated Disney film The Little Mermaid.

Heard worked as Hatcher’s assistant after graduation, but as the theater season ended he started looking outside his home state of Alabama.

“Michael Bolton was really big back then and I knew the cruise ships were looking for that sound,” Heard says. “So I went in and recorded a three-song demo [where] I tried to cop his voice, then I got a book with all the addresses of cruise ships and started sending them out.”

Heard’s gamble paid off when he was booked by Royal Caribbean. Entertainment Director Maryann Delaney still says he’s the only person she ever hired from a cassette tape.

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HE’S THE ONLY ONE SHE EVER HIRED OFF OF A CASSETTE TAPE.

Playing roles in productions like Phantom of the Opera in addition to singing Bolton, Heard’s dancing experience served him well on the cruise ship—and introduced him to his future wife, AJ, also a dancer with Royal Caribbean.

Through some divine clerical error he met James Ingle, a Branson, Mo.-based music director, after Ingle’s luggage had been lost the night of a black-tie event—Heard supplied him with a tuxedo. The two became fast friends, and for years Ingle tried to lure Heard to Branson. Heard always refused—until job prospects threatened to separate him from his wife. On a whim, they drove from Dadeville to Branson for a weekend.

Ingle had already set up an audition when they arrived at Silver Dollar City, Branson’s Wild West theme park. Upon landing a role, AJ Heard learned through the show’s director that magician Kirby Van Birch needed an assistant. Within a week the couple both had found jobs.

Twenty-two years later, they still call Branson home.

“Isn’t that crazy? God works in mysterious ways,” Heard says. “If James hadn’t lost his luggage I never would have gone to Branson.”

Chapter 3 Since moving to Branson in 1994, Heard has shared the stage with the likes of Tony Orlando, Yakov Smirnoff, Glen Campbell, Mickey Gilley, Johnny Lee and The Platters, to name a few.

He’s hard to miss around town. He wrote and sang the 2012 tornado-relief ballad, “We Stand,” and sang “Listen to the Music” in a nationwide Branson promotional video. He even was

UNCHAINED

nominated for a 2016 Regional Emmy for hosting an episode of the Vacation Channel’s “Everything Outdoors” about Branson.

On weekends, he sings with a Chicago-style jazz rock band called the Horn Dawgs and an ’80s cover band called Retro.

Heard’s efforts have not gone unnoticed. In 2005 he received the Branson Critic Award for Male Vocalist of the Year, thanks to his presence in the Horn Dawgs and a rendition of “O Holy Night” during the Blues Brothers set at Legends in Concert.

In 2006, the Heards welcomed a daughter, Cydney, into the world and the family business; at 10 she’s already singing, playing guitar and starring in the Hallmark production of Maxine’s Christmas Carol at the Andy Williams Moon River Theatre.

Chapter 4 “[Orange County, Calif.] was about the whitest place in the country, but the black Marines from the nearby base heard there were two guys singing rhythm and blues, so they came down to hear us,” Medley wrote in his memoir, The Time of My Life. “At the end of our songs they’d yell out ‘that’s righteous, brother!’ and that’s how we got our name.”

The originators of “blue-eyed soul,” Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield’s recorded hits like “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin,’ ” “Unchained Melody” and “Ebb Tide” crowned them kings of the pop world in the 1960s before creative differences pulled them apart.

Medley enjoyed a moderately successful solo career, but when his voice began to strain he decided to re-form the Righteous Brothers, make some money and retire. He found Bobby Hatfield broke and alone in an unfurnished apartment, near eviction.

Their comeback hit, 1974’s “Rock and Roll Heaven,” propelled them through a national tour, working steadily until 1976, when Medley’s ex-wife was murdered in her Los Angeles home.

It wouldn’t be until the pottery-wheel scene in the 1990 film Ghost, featuring “Unchained Melody,” that the Righteous Brothers found themselves unexpectedly back in the Top 20.

Medley and Hatfield quickly put out a re-recorded version to additional acclaim, becoming the first act ever to have two versions of the same song in the Top 20 at the same time.

In 2003 they were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Months later, Hatfield died an hour before a tourstarting show at Western Michigan University; he was 63.

Chapter 5 Bumping into Bill Medley at a Branson wedding in 2015, Heard mentioned he was doing a Journey tribute show at Legends in Concert. Medley, dubious of Heard’s ability to match the high falsetto of Journey frontman Steve Perry, accepted Heard’s invitation to the show.

“I just went there to watch him bomb,” Medley says.

“I sat there and he hit those notes … I was simply amazed how great Bucky was. It just dawned on me. I said, ‘Man, that’s the Righteous Brother. If I was ever going to do the Righteous Brothers again, that’s the guy.’ ”

Medley had been hammered with offers to bring the Righteous Brothers back since Hatfield’s death. Various singers had auditioned for the role but the chemistry and the “fun” wasn’t there.

n

so Bran

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“BILL MEDLEY HAS LEFT THE RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS TO PURSUE A SOLO CAREER…” —BILLBOARD, FEB. 24, 1968

Taking a contemplative walk on Branson Landing after seeing Heard’s show, Medley decided to invite Heard to lunch at Fuddruckers the next day.

“I told my wife, ‘Bill invited me to lunch out of the blue,’ and, kidding, I said ‘I wonder if he wants to get the Righteous Brothers back together?’ AJ said, ‘Eh, he probably needs a yard boy.’ ”

One of Medley’s close friends, Jerry Perenchio, former record exec and senior member of Caesar’s Palace Entertainment Worldwide, had offered Medley a residency in one of the main showrooms in Las Vegas if he could find a partner.

“[It’s] not that if you can do Steve Perry you can do Bobby Hatfield, but as important, if not more important, we were good friends and I knew what to expect,” Medley says. “I knew that he was a good, strong Christian man, a good father and husband and a good laugher. We can laugh together, love together, sing together; that’s as important as all the rest of it.”

After some jamming, the two sent Heard’s version of “Unchained Melody” to Perenchio, who promptly “flipped out,” Heard says. The duo flew to California to record an album of hits and new gems, but ran into a few obstacles.

While preparing him for vocally demanding songs like “Unchained Melody,” Heard’s experience with the Legends in Concert tribute shows had left him focusing too much on a perfect cover, not a personal interpretation. Medley had a solution: “Pretend you’re a 21-year-old rock ‘n’ roller who knows nothing.’ ”

Landing on a winning combination of Hatfield’s style and his own power-packed range, Heard was introduced as “a friend from Branson with a great voice” at the duo’s first gig performing Righteous Brothers material, a charity event at the Choctaw Casino in Denton, Okla. Before the show, Medley was concerned that people didn’t care about the

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Righteous Brothers’ music anymore, or how audiences would respond to replacing Hatfield.

“We went out and got a standing ovation for two songs,” Heard says. “Bill was like, ‘OK, that’s a green light.’ ” Chapter 6 The Righteous Brothers show opens with some standards before performing their first hit, “Little Latin Lupe Lu,” followed by classics “Soul and Inspiration” and “Rock and Roll Heaven.” Then, during a brief interlude, Heard formally introduces himself.

“I say, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, this is a wonderful opportunity for me. I am a huge Righteous Brothers fan just like you; even more so, I’m a huge Bobby Hatfield fan, and I’m honored and privileged to keep this music alive.’ ”

Heard then sings Roy Orbison’s “Cryin,’ ” giving it his own twist. From that moment on, the crowd accepts him.

Longevity is the hardest accomplishment in show business; once the final curtain drops there is no 401K, no tenure to fall back on, no guarantee that your job will be there tomorrow.

But in another sublime twist of fate Heard may be more prepared than most for whatever comes next. Medley has made it clear that sharing the stage with a Rock & Roll Hall-of-Famer opens a lot of doors.

Until then, Heard has no intention of leaving. “I told Bill, ‘They’re going to have to drag me off the stage one day.’

That’s a fact.”

“They’re going to have to drag me off the stage one day.

That’s a fact.”

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g n i k a T

75 years

tion a i v A n r of Aubu c

By Ale

Harvey

tion burn avia u A r o f ars of the limit tes 75 ye a r The sky’s b le e c ion. iversity t educat h as t h e u n ig fl e c spa manned

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t h g i Fl

A HULLABALOO IN AUBURN!

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hen Kiah Erlich was researching colleges, Auburn University seemed a logical fit for the California high school student who wanted to go into aviation.

“I researched only aviation programs because my heart had been set on that for quite some time,” she says. “Auburn had one of the few aviation management programs in the country, so I made the move.”

Erlich pulled up stakes, came down South and found exactly what she was looking for in a college and aviation experience.

And more.

Erlich, a 2010 aviation management graduate who is now director of flight support services at Honeywell Aerospace, attributes that in great part to Dale Watson, director of aviation education at the Raymond J. Harbert College of Business. Watson took Erlich under his wing and helped shepherd her through her Auburn experience.

“He is a true living example of the ‘Auburn Family,’” Erlich says. “It was that family feeling I got instantly when I went to Auburn that told me it was the place for me. Like Auburn, aviation embodies the same family feeling. It was a natural fit that Auburn have an aviation program.”

Not only does Auburn have an aviation program, Erlich says, it has a top-notch one at that.

After two near-death experiences that threatened to end the program in the past 15 years, 2014 saw the formation of the Auburn University Aviation Center, with plans to move the aviation programs from the Harbert College of Business to the interdisciplinary University College, where more aviation core

courses can be offered and the program can soar to new heights.

It already has a good start.

“I remember sitting in Dale’s office,” Erlich recalls. “He looked at me and my parents and said, ‘Auburn aviation is the best-kept secret in the country.’ To this day, that still rings true.”

Auburn’s aviation history goes back a long, long way, almost

to the start of aviation itself.

At the end of 1903, brothers Wilbur and Orville Wright made history in an airplane just outside of Kitty Hawk, N.C. Four years later, the siblings came to Alabama and, according to Auburn native Robert Knapp, stayed at his home while meeting with Alabama Polytechnic Institute engineering professors to redesign their airplane so it could be transported in a wagon.

In his 2002 History of Auburn Aerospace Engineering, John E. Cochran Jr., former head of the aerospace engineering department, said that while the Wright visit could not be verified, the brothers most definitely visited Alabama in 1910, looking for a location for a winter flight school. They landed near Montgomery at what is now Maxwell Field and provided instruction there for three months.

There was already aeronautical instruction going on at API, and that increased during World War I. According to Cochran’s history, “a visit by Charles Lindbergh to Birmingham in 1927 added to the considerable interest in aeronautics at API.”

The program really came into its own in 1939, when the Civil Aeronautics Authority came calling. “When the CAA decided the country needed to prepare for the war that was imminent, they

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Orville

created an act to fund airport aviation facilities at mostly landgrant colleges to prepare pilots for World War II,” says Gary Kiteley, professor emeritus in Auburn’s aviation program.

At the time, the Auburn/Opelika airport was a private venture, but Robert Pitts, head of API’s aviation program, worked with the airport commission, convincing them that turning the airport over to API would allow the airport to “qualify for a grant to develop the airport, extend the runway and do a lot of good things to serve as a World War II pilot training platform,” Kiteley says.

The CAA program began to grow, as did Auburn’s reputation for training in aerospace engineering. Astronaut Ken Mattingly earned a degree in the program in 1958, as did Ron Harris, who became a NASA engineer and Rocketdyne manager. Axel Roth, a 1959 graduate, became associate director of NASA’s George C. Marshall Space Flight Center.

The CAA program led to a nationwide program to support military pilots, which in turn led to an ROTC contract program that brought Kiteley to Auburn in 1965.

“Auburn had the largest ROTC contract flight program of any of the universities, and they were looking for someone to run that program,” says Kiteley, who was then chief flight instructor at Purdue University. “I had an advanced student who needed a long, cross-country flight, so we arranged a flight from Lafayette, Ind., to Auburn. We got there at 1 or 2 in the morning; my interview was the next day with Robert Pitts, and I was offered the position.”

At that time, the only aviation program at Auburn was the aviation management program, which was part of the aerospace engineering department. “I saw the importance of tying the flight program in with the academics since at the time there was no professional flight degree program,” Kiteley says. “There were courses offered, but that was it. One of my goals was to develop a curriculum in flight, and after three years, it became an official degree program in 1970.”

The program Kiteley developed was intended to train civilians, not military pilots, so they would qualify for civilian flight positions such as with airlines. That program complemented the aviation management degree program, which trained students to, among other things, run airports of all sizes.

In the 1990s, as Auburn University struggled financially in

light of dwindling public funding, so did many of its programs.

In 1998, plans were made to close the aviation management program, leaving the aerospace programs too small to justify a separate department for them in the College of Engineering, according to Cochran’s history. Outcry from students and alumni

FIRST STUDENT PLANE saved the programs, but the aviation management program moved to the College of Business.

Some 15 years later, the threat of closing the programs returned. With dwindling numbers of participants, the Harbert College of Business made plans to keep the aviation management program but sunset the flight program.

Once again, though, alumni and other supporters rallied.

“It was absolutely heartbreaking to hear they were trying to close the program,” says Erlich, who went on to get her MBA from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. “It was sad; it was sickening; it was infuriating … I am grateful to those alumni who completely went above and beyond to fight to save the program. They are my heroes. They are the embodiment of the Auburn spirit.”

In the end, Provost Timothy Boosinger created the Auburn University Aviation Center and William Hutto ’90, who has been Auburn University Regional Airport director since 2001, was put in charge of it. The flight school is part of that effort, as is the initiative to move the other programs from the Harbert College of Business to University College, an umbrella for interdisciplinary units of undergraduate study. The move will free students from having to complete core business requirements and make room for more aviation courses.

“If all goes as planned, we would start this new program next fall,” Hutto says. Once everything is in place, the professional flight management and aviation management majors and minors now part of the College of Business will be offered by University College. Flight school courses and labs will be offered through the Auburn University Aviation Center in the University College. Also planned is a new minor in Unmanned Aircraft Systems, or

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drones. “Auburn was the first entity, public or private, to get FAA approval to teach people to fly drones outdoors and untethered,” Hutto says.

Hutto says there are “roughly 4,000 alumni” of Auburn’s aviation programs, with graduates working as pilots, running airports, and working in computer avionics and for weather companies, among other types of jobs.

“With the flight school, we have our professional flight degree program for those interested in flight for a living, and we also have a flight minor,” Hutto says. “We also teach Auburn students who just want to learn to fly.”

Ashley Tucker, 22, is a media studies major who is minoring in German and in professional flight.

“I grew up in an aviation family, so my whole life was surrounded by the love of flying,” she says. “But it wasn’t until my second semester here at Auburn that I decided I wanted to

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pursue flying myself. A good friend of mine was doing lesson preparation in our dorm’s study room, and he had his aviation study materials spread out across the table. I was immediately fascinated and quickly discovered aviation was a major/minor through the university. Within the week I declared my minor in aviation professional flight.”

Highlights of her training have included her first solo flight and a more recent flight this summer.

“I flew our Seminole, a multi-engine plane, for the first time, and it was the most exciting flight I’ve had next to my solo,” she says. “I didn’t stop smiling the entire flight because it felt like the first taste of true aviation. That hour in the air gave me a glimpse of the next step of flying larger aircraft, and it confirmed my passion for aviation even more.”

Tucker plans on a career in aviation after graduating.

“I hope to soon work for the Auburn flight program as a

PHOTOGRAPH BY JEFF ETHERIDGE

TAKING FLIGHT

flight instructor until I build my hours, and then move on to the regionals and, ultimately, the majors,” she says.

In addition to the move to University College, a new aviation education facility at the airport is on the horizon, Hutto says.

“It’s going to more than double what we have in total space right now,” Hutto says of the facility that could open in the fall of 2018. “The flight school right now is in an old 1950 building supplemented by a double-wide trailer. Potential students will come and visit, and they love campus, but when they see that flight education building, it’s somewhat of an obstacle for us to overcome.”

The flight program—which has 141 students, up from 115 last year, according to Hutto—also introduced this fall what could be another football pregame tradition. At the home games this fall, a drone hovered 80 feet above the field, delivering the game ball to Aubie.

“It got a lot of visibility,” Hutto says. “I was pleasantly surprised by how many people talked about it. At the end of the day, part of our initiative is outreach, to inspire people to achieve dreams.”

Events like the drone flying over the stadium, which Hutto hopes will continue next year, are much more than stunts.

The outreach helps spread the word about the Auburn program, something Kiah Erlich is ready to happen on a large scale.

She wants what Dale Watson called one of the country’s “best-kept secrets” to go public. “I would love my colleagues to say, ‘Wow, you went to Auburn. I heard they have an excellent aviation program.’ Instead they say, ‘Auburn—they have an aviation program?’ ” Erlich says, sighing.

“Auburn has a gem in its aviation department, and that gem deserves to be shared with the world.”

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N W O D H C U !

O T UBURN A blett m a r dden od B u R S , y ” la d.

-by-p ne secon lem. y a l p o p ro b rs of tion in “ o a e N y ? eing a s s b s n u l n s o i p e n t a ts ea 20 nigh l complic igers” m r After e v o Trave Auburn T e an ? m h a t c r be the 4/7. f be 2 f f , o o o y e g pla “voic ready to e h t g Be i n ett

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PHOTOGRAPH BY JEFF ETHERIDGE

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N ov e m be r 2013

F

inally, game week rolled around. Alabama was ranked no. 1. Auburn was No. 4. The last time both teams were ranked in the top five when they met was Nov. 27, 1971.

Auburn was fifth and Alabama was third. That game turned out to be no contest as the Crimson Tide easily won, 31-7. But that game didn’t have the same aura to it. The winner of this game, 42 years later, won the Western Division [SEC] title and earned a shot at an SEC Championship the following week. The winner of this game had a shot at a national title. In a state where college football is religion to some, this Iron Bowl was of biblical proportion…

The buildup was unprecedented. It was so massive that by Wednesday of game week, you were ready to crawl in a hole and tell someone to come get you when it was time for kickoff.

Everyone was just ready for the game to start. The atmosphere at the stadium was more than electric. I’m not sure there were any words to describe the excitement, tension, emotion—whatever you want to call it—that permeated Jordan-Hare…

[The game] was 21-14 going to half with Auburn set to get the ball first coming out of the locker room.

On that first third-quarter possession it was Tre Mason and Nick Marshall carrying the load running the football. Nine plays into the first possession of the second half, Auburn was deep in Alabama territory again at the 13 when they went to an old standby play call that had worked against Mississippi State earlier in the season—a pass to C.J. Uzomah in the corner of the end zone.

Auburn had now scored 14 unanswered points to tie the game at 21-21, and we were off and running in the second half.

This was about to get real good.

The remainder of the third quarter was scoreless, with

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Alabama ending it by driving the football all the way down to the Auburn 11-yard line. A 14-play drive ended with yet another missed Cade Foster field goal—this one from just 33 yards out.

However, Auburn couldn’t do anything on its next possession that ended with one of the best punts you will ever see by Steven Clark. The tall drink of water from Kansas City, Mo., pinned Alabama at their own 1-yard line.

All appeared well in Tiger land until Nick Saban decided to go the non-conservative route with his back to his own end zone. A.J. McCarron took the shotgun snap and heaved it down the near sideline where one of the best receivers ever to play the game, Amari Cooper, hauled it in and took it the distance— 99 yards.

Boom! Just like that, the stadium was silenced.

The longest pass play in Iron Bowl history had given Alabama the momentum and the lead, 28-21, with 10:28 to go in the game. On the next possession, Auburn was the one that gambled as Gus Malzahn decided to go for it on four-and-1 from his own 35-yard line. To be honest, we were a little surprised in the booth. Adrian Hubbard dropped Nick Marshall for no gain. The ball went to Alabama on downs, and the Crimson Tide had a short field to work with. Up by a touchdown, another here at this stage of the game could have been deadly for Auburn.

Like Auburn had done in the second quarter, Alabama tried the same approach on this possession, turning to their star running back, T.J. Yeldon, who got the ball four consecutive times. His first carry went for 13 yards and a first down, but the next three left Alabama one yard short of a first down. Knowing a touchdown could seal the deal, Saban went for it. ..

TOUCHDOWN AUBURN!

5:52. 5:51. Clock continues to run. Auburn, trying to hold on fourth-and-inches. McCarron under center. He may just sneak it. Down to two. Down to one. He’s gonna turn and hand it to Yeldon…AND THEY STOPPED HIM! Auburn stopped him!! On fourth down, they stopped ’em!! 5:34 to go! And Auburn has stopped Alabama on fourth-and-inches!

In what was quite possibly the biggest play of the season, the Auburn defense reignited the crowd, but unfortunately it didn’t bleed over to the offense, which went three-and-out and had to punt it away. It marked four consecutive drives where Auburn came up empty. It appeared the Alabama defense had figured some things out with the Auburn offense by focusing on the running attack and basically daring the Tigers to throw.

Only 4:26 minutes remained when Alabama started their next drive on the Auburn 25-yard line. Clark had to punt from his own end zone and could only get it out to the 44, and Christion Jones took it back 19 yards. Now it was a situation where a field goal would basically end Auburn’s hopes. The Tigers’ defense, at the very least, actually held Alabama in check and forcing a field goal attempt of 44 yards. Cade Foster, who had missed two already, was given the opportunity to be the guy who closed out Auburn in their own stadium and sent his team on to the SEC Championship Game as the No. 1 team in the country.

AUBURN

21

An unsportsmanlike penalty on Alabama helped on the first play, moving the ball out to the 35-yard line. Remember that drive we talked about in the second quarter? The one where Auburn dared Alabama to stop Tre Mason and they couldn’t?

Well, Gus Malzahn used the same blueprint with the game on the line. Mason for seven yards up the middle. Mason for one yard up the middle. Timeout called by Alabama with 1:43 to go. Mason up the middle for five yards. Mason over left guard for five yards. Mason three yards up the middle. Mason five yards up the middle.

The no-huddle fast pace had taken its toll on Alabama.

There wasn’t one single “big” run, but they kept hammering at the heart of the Crimson Tide defense. But now, time was definitely a factor. With just under one minute to go Auburn was at the Alabama 39-yard line. Looking back, I truly think because Auburn had hammered the middle time and time again, the Crimson Tide defense became solely focused on stopping Tre Mason—that’s why this play worked to perfection.

47 seconds to go in the football game. Clock starts again.

Auburn on the move again…first-and-10. This time it’ll be Marshall on the keeper, and then he throws. Oh—he’s got Coates at the 20! To the 10 to the 5…Touchdown Auburn! Touchdown Auburn! Razzle dazzle from Gus Malzahn! 32 seconds to go…

this was about to get real good

Well, here’s Cade Foster. He could redeem himself big-time right here. This could all but seal it for Alabama…a 44-yard field goal attempt for Foster. Let’s see if Auburn goes after the kick… here they come…and it’s BLOCKED! Auburn’s blocked it! Picked out of the air by Ryan Smith!

There was still a breath of life left for the Tigers, but they would have to move the ball 80 yards in just 2:30 minutes against an Alabama defense that had stopped them on four straight possessions.

ALABAMA

21

Cyrus Jones hit on the Marshall run and then Nick dumped it over the top! Holy cow, Sammie Coates scores!

At that point, with so little time remaining, my thoughts went directly to overtime. I really didn’t think Alabama would have time to get into field goal range. I also thought, “Wow, this might be the greatest Iron Bowl ever played.” It was…and it was about to get even better.

Alabama got the ball at their 29-yard line with 25 seconds remaining. An 11-yard pass, followed by two T.J. Yeldon draw play runs totaling 33 yards, and the clock said 0:00. I thought the game was headed to overtime. Stan White thought the game was

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TOUCHDOWN AUBURN!

heading to overtime. Alabama head coach Nick Saban did not.

So the officials reviewed the last play. We watched the replay over and over and finally had to admit…yes…there should be one second put back on the clock.

What would Saban do? With all the struggles his kicker had already been through, surely he would lob one up for his AllAmerican wide receiver Amari Cooper and take a chance at the

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Hail Mary—but no. Out comes Adam Griffith, who had attempted only a few field goals all year. He had the strongest leg of the two kickers. My mind had visions of Van Tiffin. In 1985, Auburn was ranked seventh in the country and faced an unranked Alabama team at Legion Field in Birmingham. Tiffin nailed a 52-yard field goal as time expired to break Auburn’s heart, 25-23. Surely, history wouldn’t repeat itself here.

PHOTOGRAPH BY WADE RACKLEY

:01

All right, here we go…56 yarder. It’s got, no, does not have the leg, and Chris Davis takes it in the back of the end zone. He’ll run it out to the 10, 15, 20, 25-30, 35-40, 45-50, 45—THERE

GOES DAVIS!...Davis is gonna run it all the way back!

Auburn’s gonna win the football game! Auburn’s gonna win the football game!

Chris Davis is gonna drop back into the end zone in single safety. Well, I guess if this thing comes up short he can field it, and run it out. All right, here we go…56 yarder. It’s got, no, does not have the leg, and Chris Davis takes it in the back of the end zone.

He’ll run it out to the 10, 15, 20, 25-30, 35-40, 45-50, 45—THERE GOES DAVIS!...Davis is gonna run it all the way back! Auburn’s gonna win the football game! Auburn’s gonna win the football game! He ran the missed field goal back—he ran it back 109 yards! They’re not gonna keep ’em off the field tonight! Holy cow!

Oh my God! Auburn wins! Auburn has won the Iron Bowl!

Auburn has won the Iron Bowl in the most unbelievable fashion you will ever see! I cannot believe it! 34-28! And we thought a miracle at Jordan-Hare was amazing! Oh my Lord in heaven!

Chris Davis just ran it 109 yards and Auburn is goin’ to the championship game!...

I finally got to hear my call of the Chris Davis run on my way home after the game. I was listening to ESPN Radio (I believe) and they played it not once but multiple times. I flipped around to Fox Sports…same thing. Everywhere you turned the radio, that call was being played. In the process, my head was getting bigger and bigger. I had convinced myself that when I got home, my family, who usually didn’t have the same passion for collegiate athletics and in particular what I did for a living, would finally see the light and appreciate how important my job was (I’m being facetious) to the entire world!

By the time I arrived home, it was after nine o’clock. I walked in through our garage, where I was greeted with two garbage bags that needed to be taken out, and everyone was in their respective rooms getting ready for bed. I guess I expected a greeting of, “Oh, father, we are so proud of you! You are the greatest announcer in the world!” Instead, I got nothing, which is why my wife and children are the best in the world. Keeping me grounded and in check at all times. I don’t recall what time I actually got to bed that night, but it was late….

The next 48 hours would be the most whirlwind of my career.

The morning after the Iron Bowl was not too terribly unusual. I took the family out to breakfast as we always try to do on Sunday mornings. The only difference was that I tried to find every newspaper I could just so I could save them. I didn’t watch much

TV on this day, as I had to pack and get ready for my first-ever trip to Ames, Iowa. We (the basketball traveling party) departed from the Auburn airport late in the afternoon Sunday. I had received a few interview requests via email or text, but nothing out of the ordinary. By the time I landed in Ames, my email box had blown up with requests. I really didn’t know how I would fulfill all the requests, so I had to pick and choose who I talked to. I did a couple Sunday night from the hotel room in Ames, but the bulk of the requests were for Monday. …

Fox finally got in touch with me, and I was on with them early Monday morning. That was just the first. Before the day was done, I was interviewed by Tim Brando, Dan Patrick, the New York Times, ABC News and the Wall Street Journal, not to mention numerous radio stations, both local and national.

It was nonstop from 6:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m., when I finally got a chance to shower and get ready for Auburn’s [basketball] game against Iowa State that Monday night. The following week the interviews continued. I had at least two a day for a couple of weeks following the game. It was an honor to do every single one of them. I was representing my alma mater and the entire broadcast team. This was good for Auburn. The Tigers had become the national darlings of the 2013 football season.

And then you had the fans’ reactions. My favorite was from a young lady who lived in Denver. I believe she was originally from North Carolina. She wasn’t even an Auburn fan, but a YouTube video of her lip-syncing the call went viral. We connected on Twitter and have stayed in contact since. She said it took her about 10 times to get it right, but when she did, she nailed it. Then there were all the fan-reaction videos that popped up online. You saw fans in their homes, at the game itself, with huge groups going nuts at the end of the game. I received emails from fans telling me where they were and when they heard the final call. The video with the call on the official Auburn Tigers athletic YouTube page (as of this writing) has almost 3.5 million views. When you factor in all of the videos with the call that are out there it probably tops 10 million. Amazing!

This article is reprinted with permission from Touchdown Auburn! Carrying on the Tradition of the Auburn Tigers by Rod Bramblett, 2016, Triumph Books, www.triumphbooks.com.

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COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE, DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION | COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE | RAYMOND J. HARBERT COLLEGE OF BUSINESS | OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT FOR RESEARCH & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT | COLLEGE OF EDUCATION | SAMUEL GINN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING | SCHOOL OF FORESTRY AND WILDLIFE SCIENCES | SCHOOL OF NURSING | HARRISON SCHOOL OF PHARMACY | COLLEGE OF SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS | COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE | JULE COLLINS SMITH MUSEUM OF FINE ART | HONORS COLLEGE | GRADUATE SCHOOL | ALUMNI AFFAIRS | COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS | AUBURN UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES | DIVISION OF STUDENT AFFAIRS | UNIVERSITY OUTREACH | OFFICE OF ACCESSIBILITY | COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE, DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION | COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE | RAYMOND J. HARBERT COLLEGE OF BUSINESS | OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT FOR RESEARCH & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT | COLLEGE OF EDUCATION | SAMUEL GINN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING | SCHOOL OF FORESTRY AND WILDLIFE SCIENCES | SCHOOL OF NURSING | HARRISON SCHOOL OF PHARMACY | COLLEGE OF SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS | COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE | JULE COLLINS SMITH MUSEUM OF FINE ART | HONORS COLLEGE | GRADUATE SCHOOL | ALUMNI AFFAIRS | COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS | AUBURN UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES | DIVISION OF STUDENT AFFAIRS | UNIVERSITY OUTREACH | OFFICE OF ACCESSIBILITY | COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE, DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION | COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE | RAYMOND J. HARBERT COLLEGE OF BUSINESS | OFFICE OF20+ THE VICE PRESIDENT FOR RESEARCH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 24 HOURS. PROJECTS. ONE BIG &FAMILY. | COLLEGE OF EDUCATION | SAMUEL GINN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING | SCHOOL OF FORESTRY AND WILDLIFE SCIENCES | SCHOOL OF NURSING | HARRISON SCHOOL OF PHARMACY | COLLEGE OF SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS | COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE | JULE COLLINS SMITH MUSEUM OF FINE ART | HONORS COLLEGE | GRADUATE SCHOOL | ALUMNI AFFAIRS | COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS | AUBURN UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES | DIVISION OF STUDENT AFFAIRS | UNIVERSITY OUTREACH | OFFICE OF ACCESSIBILITY | COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE, DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION | COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE | RAYMOND J. HARBERT COLLEGE OF BUSINESS | OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT FOR RESEARCH & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT | COLLEGE OF EDUCATION | SAMUEL GINN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING | SCHOOL OF FORESTRY AND WILDLIFE SCIENCES | SCHOOL OF NURSING | HARRISON SCHOOL OF PHARMACY | COLLEGE OF SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS | COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE | JULE COLLINS SMITH MUSEUM OF FINE ART | HONORS COLLEGE | GRADUATE SCHOOL | ALUMNI AFFAIRS | COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS | AUBURN UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES | DIVISION OF STUDENT AFFAIRS | UNIVERSITY OUTREACH | OFFICE OF ACCESSIBILITY | COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE, DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE | RAYMOND J. HARBERT COLLEGE OF MARK| YOUR CALENDAR. PICK A PROJECT. GIVE. BUSINESS | OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT FOR RESEARCH & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT | COLLEGE What do a dinosaur egg, a satellite, and puppies have in common?

OF EDUCATION | SAMUEL GINN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING | SCHOOL OF FORESTRY AND WILDLIFE Find out on February 21, 2017 — Auburn University’s second Tiger Giving Day. SCIENCES | SCHOOL OF NURSING | HARRISON SCHOOL OF PHARMACY | COLLEGE OF SCIENCES AND For 24 hours the Auburn Family has a chance to come together online at TigerGiving.org, MATHEMATICS | COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE | JULE COLLINS SMITH MUSEUM OF FINE ART pick a project, and help fund different projects in our colleges, schools, and units. | HONORS COLLEGE | GRADUATE SCHOOL | ALUMNI AFFAIRS | COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS | AUBURN UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES | DIVISION OF STUDENT AFFAIRS | UNIVERSITY OUTREACH | OFFICE OF ACCESSIBILITY | COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE, DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION | COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE | RAYMOND J. HARBERT COLLEGE OF BUSINESS | OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT FOR RESEARCH & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT | COLLEGE OF EDUCATION | SAMUEL GINN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING | SCHOOL OF FORESTRY AND WILDLIFE SCIENCES | SCHOOL OF NURSING | HARRISON SCHOOL OF PHARMACY | COLLEGE OF SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS | COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE | JULE COLLINS SMITH MUSEUM OF FINE ART | HONORS COLLEGE | GRADUATE SCHOOL | ALUMNI AFFAIRS | COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS | AUBURN UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES | DIVISION OF STUDENT AFFAIRS | UNIVERSITY OUTREACH | OFFICE OF ACCESSIBILITY | COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE, DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION | COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE | RAYMOND J. HARBERT COLLEGE OF BUSINESS | OFFICE OF THE VICE PRESIDENT FOR RESEARCH & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT | COLLEGE OF EDUCATION | SAMUEL GINN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING | SCHOOL OF FORESTRY AND WILDLIFE SCIENCES | SCHOOL OF

GIVING DAY

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NURSING | HARRISON SCHOOL OF PHARMACY | COLLEGE OF SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS | COLLEGE OF VETERINARY COLLINS SMITH MUSEUM OF FINE ART | HONORS S H A R E Y O UCOLLEGE R N E W S W I T H |U GRADUATE S A T A U B M A G @ A U SCHOOL BURN.EDU A Z I N E . A U B U R N .|E JULE DU 50 A U B U R N M A GMEDICINE | ALUMNI AFFAIRS | COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS | AUBURN UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES | DIVISION OF STUDENT

ALUMNI CLASSNOTES > IN MEMORIAM

the Classes IN THIS SECTION

Classnotes 53 Nick's New Heart 55 Pistol Pete Comes to Town 60 In Memoriam 62

Hear Them Roar!

In 1892, these students made history as among the first women to enroll in a four-year college in the state of Alabama. Three women first enrolled in the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Alabama in 1892, making next year the 125th anniversary of women's education at Auburn. Stay tuned for a list of special commemorative events in the next issue of Auburn Magazine.

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THE CLASSES > CLASSNOTES

This is Family I was humbled and honored to be installed as president of the Auburn Alumni Association on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2016. It was fitting that I had many of my family members, college friends and fellow Auburn fans there with me on that day. I had my immediate and extended “Auburn family” there, and that made it special, personal, emotional and— honestly—totally Auburn.

As I reflect on what the “Auburn Family” means to me, many images come to mind: • Late nights studying accounting with a group of fellow accounting majors during my senior year and making frequent visits to "The Flush" for some “brain food.”

• The 18 young Auburn men and women who stood with my wife and me almost 27 years ago as we got married.

• Going to Auburn games over the years with my wife and my sons, who at first could barely walk but could still amazingly break down the games with everyone around us.

• My young sons wearing their Auburn hats and sweatshirts in our Christmas card pictures year after year.

• Six fellow Auburn couples who, along with our 15 kids, road-tripped together to New Orleans for the 2005 Sugar Bowl.

• Hundreds of middle school students who have faithfully worn their Auburn colors to school with my wife, their teacher, every November—through “ups” and “downs”—for the last 22 years.

• Saturdays in the fall with 87,451 Auburn Family members, crowded into JordanHare Stadium to support our Tigers.

• Dancing on the field with those same, countless fans after the “Kick 6” in 2013.

• Young families lined up at Tiger Walk with babies in strollers and toddlers with tiger paws painted on their cheeks.

• Fans gazing into the sky to watch an eagle circle a stadium and land on the 50-yard line.

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• Trees draped with toilet paper by excited fans celebrating each and every Auburn victory.

• Chance encounters in random cities with people proudly wearing Auburn gear and sharing a “War Eagle!” with them, enjoying the common bond that we share, even as strangers.

I love Auburn and appreciate all that she has provided me over the last 27 years. I am sure all of you have your own “reel” of Auburn memories. These images running through our minds are reminders of just why we love Auburn. These “snapshots” are Auburn, and they represent the Auburn Family.

I am excited to work over the next two years to further unite our Auburn Family— near and far—as we continue to work for the betterment of our beloved university. Under the direction of Jack Fite, outgoing president of the Auburn Alumni Association, and Gretchen VanValkenburg, executive director of the Auburn Alumni Association and vice president for alumni affairs, we have positioned our association for great things. We want to better serve the entire Auburn Family, and with the implementation of a new five-part strategic plan, I hope that we will impact each of you, our Auburn brothers and sisters. This is our mission; Auburn is our bond; and you all are a part of our Auburn Family. As George Petrie famously wrote in The Auburn Creed in 1943—and I will change it ever so slightly—“[We] believe in Auburn and love it.”

And WE are family—the Auburn Family.

God bless and War Eagle!

Beau Byrd '89 President, Auburn Alumni Association bbyrd@bradley.com

S H A R E YO U R N E W S W I T H U S AT AU B M AG @AU B U R N . E D U

THE CLASSES > CLASSNOTES

Send your classnotes and other updates

Barker received a B.A. from Auburn

service in the Air Force and Army,

to Auburn Magazine, 317 South College St.,

University and a J.D. from Samford

retiring as colonel and chaplain.

institutions manage their invest-

Auburn University, AL 36849

University’s Cumberland School of

Other duty stations were Camp

ment portfolios. Runkle has spent

or aubmag@auburn.edu.

Law.

Greaves, Republic of South Korea,

his entire career at Merrill Lynch,

the Netherlands, and Sembach,

joining the firm in 1983. He and his

1950s JOHN BEASLEY ’55 served in the

1970s COLONEL JAMES S. VOSS ’72 has

focuses on helping families and

Germany. He had an operational

wife, Susan, are also active at First

deployment to Bosnia-Herzegovina

United Methodist Church in

and two combat tours to Afghani-

Montgomery.

stan, and currently works as a

Alabama House of Representatives

won the 2016 AIAA Haley Space

bereavement coordinator for

NORMAN GUNTER GUY JR. ’78 was

from 1984-94. He is a member of

Flight Award. From 1984 to 2003,

Kindred Hospice in San Marcos,

named chair of the trustee council for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

the Alabama Pharmacy Hall of

Voss worked with NASA as an

Texas. He lives in Cibolo, Texas, with

Fame and graduate of the Harrison

astronaut, engineer and manager,

his wife, DIAN DYE SELLERS ’79.

School of Pharmacy, and recently

completing five space shuttle

celebrated the 60th anniversary

missions and four space walks. He

WILLIAM G. LEONARD ’76 was one

of his pharmacy in Columbia.

was the first American astronaut to

of 19 attorneys from the law firm

1960s

by Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley. He and his wife, PATSY WRIGHT GUY ’86, live in Montgomery.

train and fly on the Russian Soyuz

Taylor English Duma nominated for

ROBERT MCCANTS FRANKLIN ’78

spacecraft as a flight engineer and

The Best Lawyers in America, 2017.

was honored as one of the Society of

as commander of the Army

Leonard specializes in banking and

American Foresters’ 2015 President’s

detachment at Johnson Space

finance litigation.

Award winners at their national

H.B. “WOODY” BARTLETT ’64,

Center. Voss was a professor of

a veterinarian and alumnus of the

mechanics at the U.S. Military

SUSAN ELIZABETH BYRD ’76

convention. Franklin, a retired Clemson University Cooperative

AU College of Veterinary Medicine,

Academy at West Point and

has worked for Parker-Hannifin, a

Extension Service forestry and

owns Bartlett Ranch, comprising

associate dean of engineering for

global leader in motion and control

wildlife specialist, is employed with

three properties totaling almost

external affairs at Auburn University.

technology, since graduating from

the Longleaf Alliance as the

90,000 acres in Alabama, Texas and

He currently is a fellow and scholar

Auburn. Byrd has been featured in

Southern Low Country and ACE

Wyoming. Each February, AU

in residence at the American

Women Worth Watching. She

Basin Longleaf Partnership coordinator.

students led by College of Veteri-

Institute of Aeronautics and

currently lives and works in

nary Medicine professor and equine

Astronautics (AIAA) at the

Switzerland.

surgeon Reid Hanson spend a full

University of Colorado–Boulder.

day working with horses on the

1980s

MEG PETROSKI ’76 has retired

Flying “B” portion of the ranch,

BUDDY YOUNG ’72, a graduate of

located east of Montgomery.

the Harrison School of Pharmacy,

after 35 years with the State of Florida Department of Children

ROBERT D. THRELKELD ’81 of

recently announced his retirement

and Families. She now resides in

Clanton is plant manager of two

CAPTAIN E. ELLIOTT “SKIP”

as pharmacy director at the East

western North Carolina.

Tenaska generating plants in

BARKER ’65 was recently appoint-

Alabama Medical Center in Opelika.

ed by President Barack Obama as

Taking his place will be CHUCK

ROBERT F. RUNKLE ’77, a

Tenaska in 2001 as plant manager

designee for member, Board of

BEAMS ’97.

managing director and wealth

and guided both plants through

management advisor with Merrill

startup and commissioning. Prior

Visitors to the United States Naval

Billingsley. He started working for

Academy. He has practiced law since

BARBARA SKELTON OSER ’75 has

Lynch, was recently recognized as

to Tenaska, he was an officer in the

1972 and currently practices civil

retired from the Santa Rosa County,

the Top Financial Advisor for the

U.S. Navy, retiring as a commander

litigation with Pilcher & Pilcher, P.C.,

Fla., school board after 30 years of

State of Alabama on Barron’s

after 20 years.

in Selma. Barker retired from the

teaching. She lives in Milton, Fla.,

“America’s Top 1,200 Financial

Navy in 1994 after serving as a swift

with her husband, KEN OSER ’81,

Advisors: 2015 State-by-State List.”

AMY B. BERGE ’84 was elected a

boat skipper in the lower Mekong

an independent forest manager.

In addition, he was recognized in

director at Middleton Reutlinger

Delta and as a Navy school manager in Saigon, Vietnam. He was

ZANDE (ZAN) SELLERS ’76

The Financial Times “Top 400

law firm in Louisville, Ky. She

Financial Advisors” in March 2016.

serves as an advisor and litigator,

awarded the Silver Star Medal and

recently retired from the U.S. Army

His team, Runkle & Associates, with

providing strategic counseling and

the Navy Commendation Medal.

after more than 29 years of military

offices in Montgomery and Atlanta,

business advice to both small and

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THE CLASSES > CLASSNOTES

large companies regarding

undergraduate university in Canada.

intellectual property, technology,

Selma-Dallas County and

comprising more than 2,300

Centreville-Bibb County for

military flying hours and 3,000 civilian flying hours.

advertising, online privacy and

JAMES JEFFREY DEERY ’87 was

Trustmark National Bank. A member of the golf team at Auburn,

licensing. She has litigation

one of eight attorneys from the law

experience before federal and state

firm Winderweedle, Haines, Ward

he now serves as chairman of the

courts, as well as the Trademark

and Woodman nominated for 2017

Selma and Dallas County Economic

relocated to Rome, Ga., and is the

Trial and Appeal Board.

The Best Lawyers in America. Deery

Development Authority. He is a

development director for the Boys

board member of the Cahaba

& Girls Clubs of Northwest Georgia.

specializes in commercial litigation.

AUBURN BRASHER ’94 recently

DAVID BALLEW ’85 was appointed

Mental Health Foundation, past-

The club promotes education,

chief operating officer at TD Artisan

president of the Selma Country Club

character, health, fitness and the

and works with the Shareholders

arts for children who do not have

Club to raise funds for Auburn’s

adult care at home.

Spirits, overseeing the success of the

1990s

joint venture recently formed by Terlato Artisan Spirits and Distell

RUTHIE BOLTON ’90 was the

Raymond J. Harbert College of Business.

USA. He was senior vice president

keynote speaker at the 5th Annual

of sales for the Diageo Moët

NCAA Sports Diversity and

Hennessy portfolio at Glazer’s Inc.

Inclusion Symposium in Indianapo-

CHRISTOPHER SMITH ’91 published

in Dallas.

lis. A former Auburn basketball

Salamanders of the Silk Road in

Services. Agape is a faith-based

player, WNBA professional athlete

September 2016 by independent

nonprofit in the Memphis area that

JOHNNY BROOKLERE ’85 has been

and Olympian, she also served as

startup Lanternfish Press. Salaman-

works to provide children and

named president of the Alabama

a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army

ders is a surreal novel about an

families with healthy homes. She

Pharmacy Association, taking over

Reserve.

1,800-year-old man taking a

and her husband, Gary, have two

vacation to Florida with his

daughters, ages 10 and 13.

for BECKY SORRELL ’83. JARED JOHNSON ’01 was selected

president-elect.

JEFFERY FOSTER THORNE ’90 was

LISA M. PERRY ZYRIEK ’96

currently serves as chief financial officer for Agape Child and Family

terminally translucent wife while

hired as chief technology officer at

they try to decide what to make of

JANET RUTH SIMPSON ’96,

Northern Light, a market research

what’s left of their lives. One

an interior design graduate,

DANIEL J. WEEKS ‘89 is currently

and intelligence company in Boston.

chapter is set in a fantastic version

was recently named president of

serving as president of the

Thorne also is on the Auburn MBA

of Auburn, where historic Burton

Thompson Ventulett & Stainback,

University of Northern British

Advisory Board.

Columbia (UNBC) in Canada. After

Street exists forever in a well-main-

an Atlanta-based architecture and

tained spatial pocket. Smith,

design firm. She has been with the

receiving his doctorate from Auburn

JOHNNY M. THORINGTON III ’90

formerly with the Auburn Plains-

firm for nine years and is only the

and a postdoctoral appointment at

was appointed as the chief

man and past editor of the Auburn

third president in its 48-year history.

Purdue, Weeks briefly served as an

technology officer for Huntsville-

Circle, is now an editor at The

assistant professor at Lakehead

based Synapse Wireless, a company

Tennessean in Nashville.

University before moving to Simon

specializing in software, hardware

Fraser University in Vancouver,

and networking solutions. He has

CHRISTOPHER KEVIN MILLER ’98

and his wife, Mandy, announce the COLONEL ALLISON MILLER ’93

birth of their daughter, Harper Kate Miller, on Aug. 24, 2016. She joins a

enjoying a productive 17-year career

been with the company since April

is currently assigned as the director

as a behavioral scientist, professor

2014 and will continue to serve as

of safety for the Air National Guard.

big sister, Baylee Grace. The family

and administrator. Prior to moving

its vice president and general

She is responsible for managing all

lives in Rainsville.

to UNBC he was the vice-president

manager. He is on the board of

ANG ground, flight, weapons and

for research at the University

directors for the AU Research

space-safety programs for all 90

of Lethbridge for five years when

Center, the Industrial Advisory

flying and mission support units

it was named Canadian Research

Board for the AU Department of

encompassing more than 105,000

University of the Year. Since his

Electrical and Computer Engineer-

members and 1,100 aircraft. She has

2000s SUZANNAH C. CAMPBELL ’00

arrival at UNBC, Weeks has led the

ing, and the board of advisors for

served in Operations Noble Eagle,

is the administrator of the new St.

institution to a significant increase

Engineering Design Technologies,

Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom

Vincent’s Hospital in Chilton; in her

in sponsored research, philanthropic

Thorington-Hines Architects Inc.

and Inherent Resolve, and sat alpha

10 years at St. Vincent’s she served

alert in support of homeland

as director of business development,

gifts and new international students.

This past year UNBC was recog-

JAMES ANDREW “ANDY” STEWART

defense. Miller is a decorated pilot

administrative director of opera-

nized as the top primarily

’90 is market president for

with a diverse background

tions and as VP of operations for St.

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THE CLASSES > CLASSNOTES

A Gift of the Heart

By Susan Carlisle May ’81

“HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT A HEART TRANSPLANT?” the surgeon asked my husband and me.

That question would have been terrifying enough if the doctor had been referring to one of us, but that wasn’t the case.

He was asking about our 1-year-old son.

Nick, the youngest of our four, was born with a malformed heart. He had three chambers when he should have had four.

He underwent his first surgery at only a few days old, another at three-and-one-half months, followed by seven weeks in the CICU on a respirator. At age 1, he underwent another surgery.

Now, we were being asked to consider a heart transplant for our 20-month-old child.

In order to save Nick’s life we agreed to the transplant. He was placed on the national waiting list and received his new heart six weeks later.

His heart surgeon promised us that with a transplant Nick would have “quality of life,” and he has more than lived up to that. Since Nick’s heart transplant he has attended preschool, ridden the bus to school on his first day of kindergarten with his brothers and sister, learned to water ski and has traveled through 49 of the 50 states plus 13 European countries.

For me, “quality of life” has meant not seeing an empty chair at the dinner table, celebrating birthdays, enduring headlocks as Nick playfully wrestled me to the floor, and hearing the the whisper that he loves me before he goes out the door. Nick’s heart transplant not only gave him life; it added value to our family’s life and our friends’ lives as well.

Today, 22 years later, despite the often-difficult road Nick has traveled, he attends college, works part time and

has married. From a front-row seat I’ve watched a miracle unfold. As his mother, I’m humbled to have been a part of it.

Nick’s life wouldn’t have been possible without the selfless gift a family gave by donating their child’s organs during the most dreadful time in their lives. By every definition of the word, they are heroes. Nick is alive and well today because of the amazing gift he was given. My chest constricts at the gratitude that wells up in me when I think of the strangers who gave me my child’s life.

Most people think of organ donation in the same vein with making a will or planning a funeral. It’s something they don’t want to contemplate, much less discuss. But that is just what they need to do—tell their next of kin. Having it designated on your driver’s license isn’t enough. If you wish to be an organ donor, you must share this with your loved ones.

Beyond any doubt, organ donation saves lives. Nick’s life wouldn’t have been possible without the precious gift of a new heart. At our house, we know firsthand the importance of organ donation. I see it each day. Every anniversary of Nick’s transplant I remember the donor family who lost a child at the same time they saved mine. I say a prayer for them and look at my precious young man and thank God for them and him.

Susan Carlisle May ’81 and her husband, Thomas Andrew May ’82, live in the Atlanta area. She is a published novelist, writing as Susan Carlisle; her nonfiction book written as S. Carlisle May is featured in the “Mixed Media” section of this issue of Auburn Magazine.

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THE CLASSES > CLASSNOTES

Vincent’s in Birmingham. She

of clinical sciences for LMU-CVM.

last year. He works for Birmingham-

serves on the board for the Alabama

Johnson is also the executive

based civil and structural engineer-

warfare officer for the Navy,

chapter of the Leukemia and

director of the Center for Animal

ing firm LDYD, where he has been

Graham completed the military

Lymphoma Society and its “Light

Health in Appalachia, Ky.

for the past eight years. Also

qualifying round and advanced to

involved in the project: CURTIS

the military finals competition in

WALKER ’05, BRAD CHRISTOPHER

San Pedro City, Calif. Ultimately,

the Night Walk.” She also serves on

experience as a nuclear-trained

the Samford University Healthcare

FOB JAMES IV ’04 joined Burr &

Advisory Committee.

Forman’s general commercial litigation practice in Birmingham.

Conway & Owen Inc. and KEVIN

DEANNA BOYETT WOODS ’01 and

After earning his undergraduate

BLAKE ’86 from CTL Inc.

THOMAS C. MCNIDER ’09 married

her husband, Wesley, announced

degree from Auburn, he received

the birth of a son, Carter Wesley,

his law degree from Vanderbilt

ANDE SUMNER ’06 teamed up with

2015, at the Cathedral Church of the

on June 3, 2016. The family lives in

University Law School.

fellow Auburn University Marching

Advent in Birmingham. The couple

Band alumni to develop the

lives in Hoover.

Tupelo, Miss.

’91, CHARLIE CONWAY ’86 from

he placed 20th overall.

Marion Gillespie Pradat on Sept. 12,

JEFFREY A. STRATFORD ’05,

Drumbelt, which allows marching

ARLANA CAMAGNA JOHNSON ’02,

associate professor of biology at

band drummers to take greater

managing director for the Junior

Wilkes University, received the

advantage of the drum carrier. A

League of Huntsville, was chosen to

Carpenter Award for Teaching,

former band member herself,

2010s

lead the Flagship 30th Anniversary

recognizing outstanding teachers

Sumner added her band experience

COLIN GREGORY MORRIS ’10

Class of Huntsville/Madison County.

in their fields. Stratford has been

to her expertise in biomechanics to

and JESSICA MASSEY MORRIS ’07

Leadership is a 10-month program

with the university since 2007.

develop a method for relieving

announce the birth of their son,

that focuses on community issues

physical discomfort by redistribut-

Everett Colin Morris, on Feb. 17,

and practical application of servant

PATRICK RICE ’05 and his wife,

ing the load from the drummers’

2016. He joins a big sister, Virginia.

leadership.

Christine, announce the birth of a

shoulders to other areas of the body.

The family lives in Troy.

JASON WESLEY JOHNSON ’03,

2016. The family lives in Walnut

MEREDITH ARDEY BAGGETT ’08

KELSEY HENDRIX ’13 married

associate professor of theriogenol-

Creek, Calif.

and ALAN STEPHEN BAGGETT ’06

DEVIN LONG ’14 on July 23, 2016.

of Ocean Springs, Miss., announce

She teaches third grade at Kermit

son, Charles John Rice, on May 19,

ogy, a field of reproductive science, and medical director of the DeBusk

JARED KIME ’05, was the lead

the birth of their second daughter,

Johnson Elementary and he is a

Veterinary Teaching Center at

designer and project manager for

Amelia Claire, on Nov. 6, 2015. She

compliance safety manager at P&S

Lincoln Memorial University, has

the new big-screen video scoreboard

joins a big sister, Allyson Grace.

Transportation. They live in

been selected as the associate dean

at Jordan-Hare Stadium unveiled

Birmingham.

JUSTIN SAIA ’08, senior director

of strategic communications for

SPENCER GENE PURSLEY ’13

transactions, crisis and restructur-

volunteered as a construction intern

ing at FTI Consulting, was an

with Next Step Ministries in Haiti at

inaugural recipient of one of the

the Fond Blanc Orphanage in 2015.

Public Relations Society of America,

He previously worked for Winter

New York chapter’s “15 Under 35”

Construction in Atlanta.

awards. The award is granted to young talent in the New York metro

JENNIFER BOICE ’14, an AU

area public relations industry.

chemical engineering graduate, currently works as a process

Dad's Dilemma

What was a dad to do when his new son chose to arrive a month early and an hour before the 2015 Iron Bowl? Scott Partain ’06 stayed with his family—at least physically—while Casey Partain ’04 shared the good news.

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DANIEL W. LOWE ’08 and

development engineer with

JENNIFER L. WALZ ’08 married

Albemarle Corp. in Baton Rouge,

on May 15, 2016.

La., which specializes in lithium,

DEON GRAHAM ’09 was featured

applied surface treatments.

bromine, refining catalysts and on season seven of the hit TV show “American Ninja Warrior.” With

S H A R E YO U R N E W S W I T H U S AT AU B M AG @AU B U R N . E D U

ON BOARD THE CLASSES > CLASSNOTES

DIRECTOR BIOS

OFFICER BIOS

SHIRLEY F. BOULWARE '91 Tyrone, Ga. Member, Special Events & Programs and Auburn Club Committees

ELON W. MADDOX JR. '73 Cropwell, Ala. Member, Finance & Operations and Auburn Club Committees

Shirley Boulware graduated from Auburn University in 1991 with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering with a pulp and paper option.

She received her MBA from Auburn University Montgomery in 1995. She has held several engineering, operations, management, leadership and human resources roles in her career. Boulware is manufacturing recruiting manager for Georgia Pacific Corp. in Atlanta. She serves on various organizations and boards at Auburn, which include the Auburn Pulp and Paper Foundation, the Engineering Alumni Council, Chemical Engineering Alumni Advisory Council, 100 Women Strong, Eagles Society, War Eagle Society and Foy Society.

Elon Maddox graduated from Auburn University in 1973 with a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering and in 1974 with a master’s degree in industrial engineering. Maddox is currently supporting bill media operations in finance with AT&T in Birmingham. His work experiences in telecommunications have included positions in engineering, building construction, real estate planning, personnel, operations research, customer call center operations and finance. Maddox currently serves on the board of directors of the Greater Birmingham Auburn Club (GBAC) as 2016 past president. He is a life member of the Auburn Alumni Association and has recently served four years on the Industrial and Systems Engineering Advisory Council at AU in the College of Engineering.

LAURA C. KEZAR '08 Houston, Texas Member, Communications & Marketing and Special Events & Programs Committees Laura Kezar graduated from Auburn University in 2008 with a bachelor of chemical engineering. In her current role as a process engineer for Chevron, she leads the development of process deliverables for an early concept deepwater Gulf of Mexico major capital project. She also supports diversity and inclusion in Chevron through roles on both the Global and Houston Women’s Network leadership teams. Kezar serves as the current president of the Greater Houston Auburn Club. At AU, she is a life member of the Auburn Alumni Association, chair of the Engineering Young Alumni Council and member of 100 Women Strong in Engineering, the Foy Society, the Samford Society and the Engineering Eagles Society.

JEFFREY B. MOORE '88 Poolesville, Md. Member, Finance & Operations and Communications & Marketing Committees Jeff Moore graduated from Auburn University in 1988 with a bachelor’s degree in economics and in 1997 with a master’s in business administration from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.

Moore has served in senior executive roles in Fortune 1000 multinational companies including Teleflex Inc., The Home Depot Supply and Sodexo. His contributions have included corporate strategy, business development, mergers and acquisitions, and operational improvement. He is vice president of strategic planning for the corporate services segment in North America. He is a life member of the Auburn Alumni Association and a member of the Samford Society.

member of the Foy Society, the Circle of Excellence Society, Shareholders Club and the 1856 Society.

WILLIAM C. “BEAU” BYRD II '89 Birmingham, Ala. President Chair, Executive Committee; Member, Nominating Committee Beau Byrd graduated from Auburn University in 1989 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and then earned a juris doctor in 1992 from Cumberland School of Law at Samford University.

Byrd has extensive experience representing lenders, developers and owners in a wide variety of commercial real estate transactions throughout the country, including NMTC, HTC, senior housing, retail, office and multi-family. Byrd is a life member of the Auburn Alumni Association and serves as a member of the Professional Advisory Board of Auburn University’s Master’s of Real Estate Development Program. At Auburn, he also is a member of the Foy Society, Circle of Excellence Society, the Samford Society, and the George Petrie Society.

M. VAN HENLEY '80 Colleyville, Texas Vice President Member, Finance & Operations, Executive and Membership Committees

MICHELLE M. GRANBERRY '92 Auburn, Ala. Treasurer Chair, Finance & Operations Committee; Member, Membership and Executive Committees Michelle Granberry graduated from Auburn University in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, accounting. She is currently managing partner of Lovoy, Summerville & Shelton, LLC, in Auburn. Granberry concentrates on the affordable housing industry and provides service to more than 500 clients in a wide range of industries, nonprofit organizations, businesses and individuals throughout the Southeastern U.S. At Auburn, she is a life member of the Auburn Alumni Association, a member of the Auburn University School of Accountancy Advisory Board and the Foy Society.

Van Henley received a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Auburn University in 1980. He is a tax partner with Ernst & Young, LLP, and serves his clients as tax account leader, coordinating all aspects of their tax compliance and tax planning needs. As part of the federal tax practice, Henley has more than 36 years of experience. He is a certified public accountant, a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the Alabama Society of Certified Public Accountants. He also served on the AU School of Accountancy Advisory Council for more than 20 years. Henley is a life member of the Auburn Alumni Association and a

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MARCHING ON The Auburn Alumni Band held its 29th reunion on Oct. 1 at homecoming. Some 260 band alumni performed in the stands and on the field at halftime, creating an Auburn ensemble more than 635 strong after joining ranks with the Auburn University Marching Band. In addition to the homecoming ceremonies, this year’s halftime show paid tribute to Wilbur “Bodie” Hinton, director of the Auburn University Marching Band from 1956-69 and head of the music department from 1969-84. Hinton died this summer at age 95.

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Several recent engineering graduate have been named National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellows, which recognizes graduate students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics: CONNOR DOBON ’16, CHRISTY PICKERING ’16, SEAN BITNER ’16

and BEN SPEARMAN ’14 of chemical engineering; HANNAH MASTEN ’15 of electrical engineer-

ing, and CHRISTOPHER MAURICE ’16 for mechanical engineering.

LET FREEDOM RIDE As part of Black History Month, Bill Harbour and Charles Person, two of the 1960s civil rights activists known as the Freedom Riders, will speak at Auburn on Wednesday, Feb. 22, at The Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center.

The Freedom Riders were a group

of activists who rode interstate buses into the segregated South beginning in 1961 to challenge the non-enforcement of U.S. Supreme Court civil rights decisions.

A native of Piedmont, Harbour was

one of the first to exit the bus when the Nashville Movement Freedom Ride arrived in Montgomery, and was met at the bus station by 200 people carrying baseball bats and lead pipes. Although he survived the riot, he was expelled from Tennessee State University along with 13 other Freedom Riders.

Charles Person, at 18, was the

youngest member of the 1961 Congress of Racial Equality Freedom Ride. He was one of the most badly beaten of the Freedom Riders during the May 14, 1961, riot at the Trailways bus station in Birmingham.

For more information, contact Erin

Hutchins at erinhutchins@auburn.edu or (334) 844-1146.

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The Night

Pistol Pete Came to Town

by Orville Bach '69

T

he old Sports Arena, an all-wooden building that resembled a small airplane hangar, was home to the Auburn basketball team from 1946 through the 1967-68 season. The arena, affectionately called “The Barn,” had a seating capacity of only 2,500, and was usually packed with a very loud and raucous throng of students. Auburn had some incredible and exciting victories in the Barn over the years, especially over Kentucky in 1960 on the way to an SEC championship.

I had the privilege of attending one of the wildest and most thrilling games ever to be played in this unique building, and it occurred on the night of Feb. 7, 1968, during the last season Auburn played in the Barn.

It was the night a basketball magician by the name of “Pistol Pete” Maravich came to town, and played in one of the most memorable basketball games in Auburn’s history. In those days televised games were very rare.

Maravich was only a sophomore playing his first varsity season (freshmen were not eligible to play on the varsity) and was averaging 44 points per game. In an earlier game played in Baton Rouge, Maravich had scored 55 points as LSU defeated Auburn 76-72.

The entire campus was abuzz as the game approached. Everyone on campus, it seemed, wanted to see Pistol Pete in person.

A couple of days before the game, my roommate, Charles Beam, and I had given a ride on campus to Bobby Buisson, an all-SEC guard

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AUBURNMAGAZINE.AUBURN.EDU

for Auburn who had completed his career the previous season. I asked Bobby, “How in the world is it possible for Maravich to average 44 points per game?”

“As soon as he dribbles across mid-court, he can score,” Buisson replied.

Charles and I knew that the 2,500 tickets would go very quickly, so even though the game did not start until 7:30 p.m., and the ticket office did not open until about 5 p.m., we headed to the Sports Arena after lunch. We were shocked to see a crowd of about 500 people already pressed up to the ticket windows. There were no organized lines. We immediately moved as close as we could to the front of the crowd.

As the afternoon progressed the crowd grew until it became obvious that everyone was not going to get a ticket. By 4 p.m., the situation had become rather dangerous. There were thousands pressing the crowd forward into the building at the ticket windows. I felt as though I was in an intense rugby scrum.

Ticket Manager Bill Beckwith emerged and stood on the counter and shouted to the crowd to stop pressing forward, but fans immediately screamed at him to start selling tickets before someone was injured. A few minutes later all of the ticket windows opened and tickets went on sale. However, once you had your ticket in hand there was no way you could turn and walk

S H A R E YO U R N E W S W I T H U S AT AU B M AG @AU B U R N . E D U

THE CLASSES > CLASSNOTES

away given the huge crowd pressing in toward the front of the building. The only way to move to the rear was to leave your feet and pop up on top of the crowd, which then passed you over their heads to the rear.

As I clutched my ticket close to my chest, I first felt like a watermelon seed getting squeezed upward, then I felt like a human balloon as hundreds of pairs of hands passed me away from the building.

As soon as the gates opened at 6 p.m., Charles and I rushed into the Barn and took a seat. Within a few minutes the arena was jam-packed. The official attendance was listed as over 2,600, but I think more than that had crammed in. We were packed in there like sardines. Many of the frustrated fans who were unable to get tickets climbed on the roof, entered through the windows and hung from the wooden rafters above the bleachers.

As game time approached, the atmosphere was electric. The throng of Auburn students could not wait to see this Maravich fellow.

Finally, both teams came onto the court. There was Pistol Pete

with his floppy hairdo and his old dingy socks crumpled around his ankles. Maravich stood 6-5 and was quite lanky.

During warm-ups, he began to put on a show. He would spin the ball on his fingers, make behind-the-back passes and knock down one long-range fade-away shot after another. Even his dribble had a unique spin and would return to his hand like a yo-yo. The crowd was going wild and Maravich was eating it up. Each time the crowd cheered, he would grin at the packed student section.

As the game began it became clear that Bobby Buisson had been correct. After Maravich crossed mid-court, he soon was in range for his fade-away jump shots. Auburn’s defenders could not stop him, as he went on to score 49 points (there were no three-pointers then), though Auburn prevailed, 74-69. The home crowd cheered Auburn on, but also applauded the accomplishments of the amazing Pistol Pete Maravich. I was fortunate to see many great games in the old Barn, which provided an incredible home court advantage. However, I never saw it rock like it did on the night that Pistol Pete came to town.

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THE CLASSES > IN MEMORIAM

IN MEMORIAM:

GABRIEL C. OLSEN ’50 of

JIMMY LOU FOSTER BOULT ’55 of

JAMES W. LOYD ’58 of Lady Lake,

For more obituaries, visit

Pensacola, Fla., died May 13, 2016.

Tampa, Fla., died on June 9, 2016.

Fla., died on April 14, 2016.

auburnmagazine.auburn.edu.

ELLWOOD W. BURKHARDT ’50 of

O’NEAL DUFFEY ’56 of

FRANK TOMMY LORINO JR. ’59

Dunedin, Fla., died on May 24, 2016.

Tampa, Fla., died on July 30, 2016.

of Auburn died on May 22, 2016.

CLYDE PAUL USSERY ’43 of

EARL MOODY SHIELDS ’51 of

BILLY JOHNSON ’56 of Toney

J. ROBERT THRASHER ’58 of

Daphne died on July 12, 2016.

Marietta, Ga., died on June 16, 2016.

died on Aug. 21, 2016.

Huntsville died on May 25, 2016.

CLIFTON T. HALLMARK ’43 of

JAMES ELLIOTT FORD ’51 of

GEORGE D. BYNUM ’56 of

JOHNNIE E. HUEY ’59 of Kennesaw,

Snellville, Ga., died on May 21, 2016.

Georgetown, Ky., died July 2, 2016.

Birmingham died on July 12, 2016.

Ga., died on June 18, 2016.

ROBERT GORDON VICK ’47 of

ANN JACKSON EDGE ’51 of

JAMES ROBERT EVANS ’56 of

MORGAN S. MALOY ’59 of Fort

Dothan died on June 16, 2016.

Birmingham died on July 5, 2016.

Birmingham died on June 20, 2016.

Worth, Texas, died June 14, 2016.

MARIAN GAY PARKER ’48 of

WILLIAM R. POOR ’51 of Birming-

LOWELL M. CARTER ’56 of

CHARLES L. JARRARD ’59 of

Montgomery died on June 14, 2016.

ham died on July 30, 2016.

Troy died on July 16, 2016.

Palmetto, Ga., died on April 21, 2016.

JAMES ASBURY LAY III ’48

CARTER H. KYSER ’51 of

JULIAN REESE ’56 of

DALE H. ARNER ’59 of Starkville,

of Gulf Breeze, Fla., died on

Auburn died on July 30, 2016.

Rome, Ga., died on July 8, 2016.

Miss., died on June 10, 2016.

June 14, 2016.

GEORGE MOSLEY COOPER ’51 of

ALBERT F. READ ’56 of

A. HUDSON MCDONALD ’59 of

JAMES P. WOODSON JR. ’48 of

Tuscaloosa died on June 12, 2016.

Birmingham died on June 30, 2016.

Spanish Fort died on May 23, 2016.

Tuscaloosa died on May 27, 2016.

B. T. SIMMS JR. ’51 of Pontotoc,

VAN LEE BLACKWELL ’56 of

DOROTHY EDNEY BRANCH ’60 of

J. GREELEY MOORE JR. ’48 of

Miss., died on June 9, 2016.

Trussville died on June 1, 2016.

Montgomery died on July 17, 2016.

Madison died on April 10, 2016.

JOHN WILLIAM WEBB JR. ’51 of

JOHN MILES BENTON JR. ’56 of

WILLIAM F. WALDROP ’60 of

FRANCES L. WEEKS ’48 of Chelsea

Louisville, Ky., died on June 7, 2016.

Birmingham died on May 28, 2016.

Deland, Fla., died on July 15, 2016.

died on April 11, 2016.

JAMES ALSOBROOK SR. ’52 of

JAMES O’ROURKE ’56 of Menlo

TERRY SELLERS JR. ’60 of

ERWIN HENRY MANGRUM ’48 of

Lanett died on June 25, 2016.

Park, Calif., died May 10, 2016.

Oneonta died on June 9, 2016.

Montgomery died on May 17, 2016.

EARL H. PEARCE SR. ’52 of

MONA FULLER YARBROUGH ’56

GARY LEE TONEY ’60 of Centre

W. O. LANCE ’49 died July 7, 2016.

Springville died on Aug. 5, 2016.

of Montrose died on June 3, 2016.

died on June 6, 2016.

J. PAUL SCHERER ’49 of Montgom-

ROY RAMSEY FROOM ’52 of

ANN POWELL HANNUM ’56 of

RAYMOND O. FUNKE ’60 of

ery City, Mo., died on July 11, 2016.

Memphis, Tenn., died June 18, 2016.

Huntsville died on May 30, 2016.

Orange, Calif., died May 25, 2016.

PORTER ADERHOLT JR. ’49 of

JAMES EDGAR NICHOLS ’52 of

DONALD G. DAVIS ’57 of

HERMAN JOSEPH POPEWELL ’60

Pinson died on Aug. 12, 2016.

Irondale died on June 8, 2016.

Loachapoka died on June 24, 2016.

of Fayetteville, Fla., died June 7, 2016.

THOMAS P. ISBELL ’49 of

CLAUDE E. BARTON ’52 of

JAMES F. LACEY ’57 of

Albertville died on July 4, 2016.

Nashville, Tenn., died May 14, 2016.

Birmingham died on July 12, 2016.

MARJORIE HIGGINS FITZPATRICK ’60 of Auburn died on May 14, 2016.

THOMAS O. DAVIDSON ’49 of

BILLY N. RUSSELL ’53 of

SARAH HIGGINS COOPER ’57 of

MARY SEYMORE LEWIS ’61 of

Decatur died on June 19, 2016.

Hartselle died on June 17, 2016.

Marietta, Ga., died on June 8, 2016.

Anniston died on July 4, 2016.

JOE K. WALLACE ’49 of Crossville,

JAMES LAMAR POUND ’53 of

JACQUELYN W. RISINGER ’57 of

MAY HANDEY SMITH ’61 of

Tenn., died on June 2, 2016.

Covington, Ga., died May 25, 2016.

Shreveport, La., died June 17, 2016.

Montgomery died on July 13, 2016.

COOLIDGE W. ISBELL ’49 died on

RICHARD ALBERT BAKER ’54

LEWIS E. PARKER JR. ’57 of

BUSH S. ENGLISH JR. ’61 of

May 27, 2016.

of Auburn died on June 8, 2016.

Orange Beach died on June 13, 2016.

Camden died on July 9, 2016.

JEROME L. BOYD ’49 of

MARY ROY TUCKER ’54 of

WALTER K. IVEY ’57 of Fayetteville,

JACK P. ROBINSON ’61 of Mel-

Gardendale died on May 29, 2016.

Birmingham died on June 6, 2016.

Tenn., died on June 5, 2016.

bourne, Fla, died on June 12, 2016

JOSEPH S. CLARK ’49 of Bain-

BETTY COSTON LASSEN ’54 of

ELLSWORTH M. RICHTER SR. ’57

ANNETTE M. WAITES ’61 of

bridge, Ga., died on May 12, 2016.

Birmingham died on May 25, 2016.

of Madison died on May 18, 2016.

Lafayette died on May 9, 2016.

ELIJAH O. HERREN ’49 of Warrior

ELIZABETH ROGERS BARNHART

LUTHER M. REEDER ’58 of

LELAND W. LAMBERT ’61 of

Columbus, Ga., died June 24, 2016.

Huntsville died on May 18, 2016.

died on May 24, 2016.

’54 of Atlanta died May 28, 2016.

FLETCHER L. FOLKS ’50 of Hoover

JAMES BLANCE WHITE ’54 of

PATRICK BYRNE ’58 of Pensacola,

MARY H. BROWN ’61 of Grand

died on July 6, 2016.

Birmingham died on May 18, 2016.

Fla., died on July 13, 2016.

Junction, Colo., died on May 18, 2016.

JO ANN WALKER WIGGINS ’50

MARY P. BLANKENSHIP ’54 of

JOAN RICHARDSON MOORE ’58

JOHN H. LESTER ’62 of

of Opelika died on June 12, 2016.

Birmingham died on June 2, 2016.

of Titusville, Fla., died May 28, 2016.

Enterprise died on July 18, 2016.

WILLIAM ROBERT MILLER ’50 of

FAYE MEZICK ROSS ’55 of

DAVID N. PROCTOR ’58 of

CHARLES W. BAKER ’62 of Laurel,

Summerdale died on June 2, 2016.

Opelika died on June 14, 2016.

Rome, Ga., died on May 12, 2016.

Md., died on June 22, 2016.

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THE CLASSES > IN MEMORIAM

DANIEL O. DULANEY ’63 of

RAYMOND CONLEY HARRIS ’68 of

MICHAEL R. HOLLEY ’74 of

Valley died on July 3, 2016.

Hueytown died on July 27, 2016.

Birmingham died on May 13, 2016.

Montgomery died on May 18, 2016.

TOM BEN DAKE III ’76 of Auburn

MARILYN SPARKMAN GARRISON

died on July 26, 2016.

DOROTHY JACKSON RAINEY ’63

BUNITA MODLING MARTIN ’69 of

of Albany, Ga., died on July 5, 2016.

Aiken, S.C., died on May 19, 2016.

GLEN D. MOHLER ’63 of

JERRY C. BUSH ’69 of Bishopville,

ORIN BURHL BOND JR. ’75 of Fisher-

Springs, Fla., died on July 15, 2016.

Asheville, N.C., died on July 5, 2016.

S.C., died on Aug. 15, 2016.

ville, Ky., died on June 17, 2016.

DENNIS L. HIPPENSTEELE ’76 of

Billerica, Mass., died on July 4, 2016.

’75 of Gadsden died on July 18, 2016.

WAYNE D. SHARRETT ’76 of Bonita

DUNCAN M. DOTY ’63 of Rocky

LYNDAL B. SIMPSON ’69 of

NANCY EICH MCGUIRE ’75 of Pearl,

Mount, N.C., died on July 2, 2016.

Auburn, Ga., died on June 7, 2016.

Miss., died on March 22, 2016.

KAY DAVIS ’76 of Birmingham died

BILL NELSON ROSS ’63 of

JENNIFER QUINN-WHITE ’70 of

MERLE LEVINE WRIGHT ’75 of

on June 25, 2016.

Odenville died on May 20, 2016.

Mifflinburg, Pa., on June 24, 2016.

Montgomery died on June 1, 2016.

TIMOTHY E. HUGHES ’76 of

Mobile died on June 10, 2016.

JONATHAN E. WISE ’64 of

CLAUDIA W. MEADOWS ’70 of

STEVEN C. BRUGGE ’76 of

Equality died on July 4, 2016.

Ashford died on May 22, 2016.

Birmingham died on June 12, 2016.

GAETANE E. THOMPSON ’77 of

THOMAS R. JOHNSON ’64 of

WILLIAM J. BUCK ’70 of

DIANE BARKER ROGERS ’76 of

Montgomery died on May 21, 2016.

Alexander City died on June 23, 2016.

Fairhope died on May 22, 2016.

DOROTHY FOREMAN PALMER ’64

JOE ALLEN PONDER ’70 of

of Pike Road died on June 19, 2016.

Jackson’s Gap died on May 16, 2016.

PAULINE M. STEVENSON ’64 of Palm

SAMMY W. TETTER ’70 of

Beach, Fla., died on June 15, 2016.

Montgomery died on April 20, 2016.

DAVID B. BRANTLEY ’64 of

LLOYD N. HOOVER ’71 of

Marietta, Ga., died on May 25, 2016.

Altadena, Calif., died on July 2, 2016.

RAYMOND H. ERKEL JR. ’65 of

FLORINE ALLEN HENDERSON ’71 of

Montgomery died on Aug. 12, 2016.

West Point, Ga., died on June 12, 2016.

ROBERT HARRY HARDY ’65 of

JOEL PAUL JACOBS ’71 of

Auburn died on May 30, 2016.

Northport died on June 11, 2016.

JOHN M. HART ’66 of

HARRY ELLIS WOMACK ’71 of

Montrose died on July 14, 2016.

Salisbury, Md., died on June 10, 2016.

EMMA F. MCCALLISTER ’66 of Boca

RONALD DAVID BRANDON ’71 of

Raton, Fla., died on June 23, 2016.

Gardendale died on June 8, 2016.

CHENG FAN LO ’66 of Vancouver,

EDWIN FRANCIS RUMSEY ’71 of

Wash., died on May 17, 2016.

Seneca, S.C., died on April 22, 2016.

ALLAN L. OWEN ’66 of Klein, Texas,

GODFREY H. STRAUB III ’71

died on May 18, 2016.

of Coden died on May 14, 2016.

BESSIE EMRICK WHITTEN ’67

PATRICIA S. BLANKENSHIP ’71

of Auburn died on July 2, 2016.

of Valley died on May 16, 2016.

MICHAEL T. BORELLI ’67 of

SHIRLEY ROUNTREE REID ’72 of

Huntsville died on June 29, 2016.

Swainsboro, Ga., died on July 1, 2016.

MARTIN RAY SORENSON ’67 of

PHILIP STUART BALL III ’72 of

Jackson, Mo., died on June 28, 2016.

Hixon, Tenn., died on June 11, 2016.

KAY ELLEN DORR ’67 of Glasgow,

DANNY HALL BROWN ’72 of

Montana, died on June 20, 2016.

Birmingham died on May 22, 2016.

MILDRED F. LASLIE ’67 of Micanopy,

RODNEY LEE HARMON ’73 of

Fla., died on June 8, 2016.

LaGrange, Ga., died on June 15, 2016.

PATRICIA K. LEWIS ’68 died on

KAYE E. MCREE ’73 of Madison

Sept. 12, 2016.

died on July 5, 2016.

EVE SMALLWOOD SIMPKINS ’68

DUANE L. SPRUILL ’74 of

of Eufaula died on June 16, 2016.

Carrollton, Ga., died on July 3, 2016.

JOHN E. AYCOCK JR. ’68 of Canton,

JOSEPH PAUL MASCHI ’74 of

Ohio, died on June 12, 2016.

Montgomery died on June 15, 2016.

Jack Simms 1926-2016

A LASTING LEGACY Jack Simms, a highly regarded journalist, veteran and alumnus who guided the AU Department of Journalism through its infancy, passed away in his sleep Nov. 8, 2016. He was 89.

Simms was an API student for a single quarter when he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II, serving in a machine gun squad during the Battle of Iwo Jima. Returning after the war, he served as Plainsman editor until graduation in 1949.

Simms had a 23-year-tenure with the Associated Press, serving first as bureau chief for Kentucky and New England before becoming the deputy sports director, coordinating international press services for most major sports events and four consecutive Olympic Games.

In 1974 Simms returned to Auburn to chair the newly formed journalism department, a position he held for 18 years.

Simms’ legacy at Auburn will carry on in many ways, none more so than the infamous ‘Journalism 101’ class, a three-part “weed-out” test where only scores of 83 or higher passed.

Simms is the co-author of Auburn: A Pictorial History of the Loveliest Village with former journalism professor Mickey Logue.

“I honestly can say that I've never known anyone who didn't love Jack Simms. Students would tell Jack years later how the class changed their lives, made them journalists,” said former Auburn journalism professor Ed Williams.

W I N T E R 2016

Auburn Magazine

63

BACKCHAT Around Campus

AROUND TOWN (Clockwise from top left) The 5K Color Run, hosted by the Student Alumni Association; Piglet dons Auburn spirit wear, courtesy of owner Molli Harris ’15; the Auburn Alumni Association unveils its new website at alumni.auburn.edu; Aubie “Thinks Pink” for breast cancer awareness; the Sani-Freeze is re-created for the Auburn Hospitality Tailgates; and sometimes even the bunnies at the art museum pond need a good bath.

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THE CLASSES > IN MEMORIAM

Auburn Alumni Center 317 South College Street Auburn, AL 36849-5149 www.alumni.auburn.edu