Auburn Magazine Fall 2011 by Auburn Alumni Association

STUDENTS Maryland fried turkey recipe pg 20 SPORTS Can this year’s Tigers football team make it two in a row? pg 24

100 things we love about Auburn pg 28

FEATURE SUMMER 2011

Screen gem Octavia Spencer ’94 speaks out in ‘The Help’

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Directions from downtown Auburn: Take N. College Street to Shelton Mill Rd. Turn right onto Shelton Mill Rd. Follow Shelton Mill Rd to US Hwy 280. Cross over US Hwy 280 onto Grand National Parkway (GNP). Follow GNP to the entrance to the Grand National golf facility. Turn right onto Robert Trent Jones Trial. Go around the first round-a-bout into National Village. Follow signs to models.

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Tigers in the House Auburn’s national championship football team greeted President Barack Obama on June 8 in the East Room of the White House. “This team played one of the toughest schedules in all of college football last year,” Obama told onlookers. “In nine games, they came from behind to win—including after being down 24-0 on the road to Alabama. That was an unbelievable game. I watched that game. I’m busy, but I watched that game.” Wide receiver Kodi Burns, who graduated in May, presented Obama with an AU helmet and jersey. Photograph by Todd Van Emst ’94

F A L L

2 0 1 1

From the Editor

National treasure

Betsy Robertson

BETSY ROBERTSON

Suzanne Johnson

Editor, Auburn Magazine

EDITOR

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

A couple of politicians from Alabama and Florida dug themselves a hole this spring in Washington, D.C., but it had nothing to do with the federal budget deficit and debt crisis that have occupied their fellow congressmen and President Barack Obama over the past few months. No, these gentlemen—U.S. Reps. Dennis Ross ’81, RFlorida, and Spencer T. Bachus III ’69, RAlabama, literally put shovel to dirt in May to plant a tiny Toomer’s oak sapling on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol. Ross, who graduated from Auburn with a degree in organizational management, began lobbying the Architect of the Capitol for permission to plant the tree even before news broke in February that the original Toomer’s oaks on the corner of Magnolia Avenue and College Street in Auburn had been poisoned, allegedly by an embittered University of Alabama football fan. “That just made it more important that we get it done,” Ross told The Birmingham News. The tree planting apparently had another advocate in D.C.’s halls of power as well: retired U.S. Air Force Col. David Ferguson ’74, another Auburn business graduate who now serves as chief administrative officer for the Architect of the Capitol. Ferguson and his colleagues are responsible for the maintenance, operation, development and preservation of 17.4 million

square feet of buildings and more than 460 acres of land throughout Capitol Hill, including the Capitol, House and Senate office buildings, Supreme Court, Library of Congress and the U.S. Botanic Garden. At a May 13 planting ceremony on the Capitol’s southeast lawn, Ross, who lives in Lakeland, Fla., said he wanted the tree to honor not just his alma mater’s athletic teams but also its contributions as a land-grant university. States around the country began establishing land-grant institutions as a result of the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890, which designated federally controlled land for universities that taught agriculture, military tactics, engineering disciplines and other fields as well as liberal arts. At the time, such institutions were also meant to provide access to higher education for those who might not otherwise be able to afford it. U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Alabama, whose district includes the city of Auburn, also attended the ceremony. Want to visit? The 4-foot baby tree is located on the House side of the Capitol in a spot designated for a tree in Frederick Law Olmsted’s original 1874 landscape design for the area. And in true Auburn tradition, the sapling’s tiny branches have already been spotted sporting their first streamers of toilet paper. War Eagle!

AUBURN MAGAZINE (ISSN 1077– 8640) is published quarterly; 4X per year; spring, summer, fall, winter, for dues-paying 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. Phone (334) 844–1164. Fax (334) 844–1477. E–mail: aubmag@auburn.edu. Contents ©2011 by the Auburn Alumni Association, all rights reserved.

LETTERS Auburn Magazine welcomes readers’ comments, but reserves the right to edit letters or to refuse publication of letters judged libelous or distasteful. Space availability may prevent publication of all letters in the magazine, in which case, letters not printed will be available on the alumni association website at the address listed below. No writer is eligible for publication more often than once every two issues. No anonymous letters will be accepted. Auburn Magazine is available in alternative formats for persons with disabilities. For information, call (334) 844–1164. Auburn Magazine is a benefit of membership in the Auburn Alumni Association and is not available by individual subscription. To join, call (334) 844–2586 or visit the association’s website at www.aualum.org.

ADVERTISING INFORMATION Contact Betsy Robertson at (334) 844–1164. POSTMASTER Send address changes to 317 South College St., Auburn, AL 36849–5149.

Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g

Shannon Bryant-Hankes ’84 ART DIRECTOR

Stacy Wood UNIVERSITY PHOTOGRAPHER

Jeff Etheridge EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS

Sarah Hansen ’11 Morgan McKean ’12 DESIGN ASSISTANTS

Shannon Allgood ’12 Juliana Bone ’12, Jake Odom ’12

PRESIDENT, AUBURN UNIVERSITY

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

Deborah L. Shaw ’84 PRESIDENT, AUBURN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Bobby Poundstone ’95 AUBURN MAGAZINE ADVISORY BOARD CHAIR

Neal Reynolds ’77 AUBURN MAGAZINE ADVISORY BOARD

betsyrobertson@auburn.edu

Maria Baugh ’87, John Carvalho ’78, Ed Dickinson ’70, Christian Flathman ’97, Tom Ford ’67, Kay Fuston ’84, Julie Keith ’90, Mary Lou Foy ’66, Eric Ludgood ’78, Cindy McDaniel ’80, Carol Pappas ’77,

Joyce Reynolds Ringer ’59, Allen Vaughan ’75

THE CELEBRATION continues...

The national championship Spirit of Auburn credit card allows you to honor Auburn’s winning season all the time! Plus, you help Auburn students by supporting Auburn’s scholarship fund when you use the card for all your everyday purchases—at no additional cost to you. To date, our credit card program has generated more than $4.5 million for freshman academic scholarships. And you’ll earn WorldPoints® rewards points on purchases that can be redeemed for travel, merchandise, or cash rewards. Yet another reason to celebrate.

For details or to apply, visit www.auburn.edu/spiritcard.

The Spirit of Auburn credit card is made possible by the Auburn Spirit Foundation for Scholarships (ASFS), which is affiliated with Auburn University. This advertisement was paid for by the ASFS. For information about the rates, fees, other costs, and benefits associated with the use of these cards or to apply, visit www.auburn.edu/spiritcard and refer to the disclosures accompanying the online credit card application. This credit card program is issued and administered by FIA Card Services, N.A. Bank of America and the Bank of America logo are registered trademarks of Bank of America Corporation. Visa is a registered trademark of Visa International Service Association and is used by the issuer pursuant to license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. MasterCard is a registered trademark of MasterCard International Incorporated and is used by the issuer pursuant to license. Platinum Plus and WorldPoints are registered trademarks of FIA Card Services, N.A. © 2011 Bank of America Corporation.

For thousands of young people, enrolling at Auburn University is not only an aspiration, it’s a family legacy. As college costs continue to rise, these students need your help. The Auburn Alumni Association’s Circle of Excellence Society is a unique giving opportunity for life members to support scholarships specifically designated for the children and grandchildren of alumni. Because that’s the Auburn way.

Give a little.

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Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g

• Dothan • Inverness • Opelika • Mobile • Newnan, GA • Warner Robins, GA • Columbus, GA

• Columbus (uptown) • Troy • Huntsville • Alabaster • Trussville • Boaz

7/1/11 11:31 AM

On the cover Actress Octavia Spencer was photographed by Brigitte Lacombe, whose portraits have appeared on the covers of Vanity Fair, Newsweek and other publications.

Fall 2011 F R O N T 4 From the Editor

Alumni congressmen plant Toomer’s oak on Capitol lawn. 8 The First Word

Alumni remember special places on campus—and take issue with the tissue.

Football players train for kickoff

24 Tiger Walk

Catching up with the “Round Mound of Rebound.” Plus: our summer sports recap.

10 College Street

Goodbye Mell, Sewell and Alpha Psi; hello new wellness center. Plus: an update on trustee selection.

B A C K 47 Alumni Center

Administrators green-light rolling the Toomer’s oaks again this year. Also: Hats off to our Young Alumni Award winners.

Auburn students swimming at Lake Auburn off Wright’s Mill Road, circa 1937

16 Research

A satellite named after Auburn’s mascot heads into orbit. Also: the smell of death. 18 Roundup

What’s happening in your college? Check it out. 20 Concourse

Fall semester has begun, and students are putting their money where their mouths are. Plus: dorm decorating.

Samford Hall originally had a bell that rang hourly to mark the beginning and end of classes. Today, an electronically controlled clock marks time.

F E A T U R E S

Repeat or Rebuild?

The Tigers football team hits the gridiron Sept. 3 on the heels of its winningest season in years. Can Auburn maintain the momentum? Inside the Auburn Tigers editor Mark Murphy offers a preview of AU’s post-national-championship prospects. by mark murphy ’75

100 Things We Love About AU

49 Class Notes 53 In Memoriam 64 The Last Word

We believe in Auburn and love it: especially the battle cry, Toomer’s Corner, Samford Hall, the Lathe, the Kopper Kettle and, oh, about 95 other things. Read this if you’re in the mood for nostalgia as another academic year—and football season—begins. by suzanne johnson design by shannon bryant-hankes ’84, stacy wood and jake odom

Coach Trooper Taylor and Vicki Evans Hough ’73 at the Lanierland Auburn Club meeting

Gainesville, Ga., attorney Wyc Orr ’68 recalls the love of a father for his Auburn family.

Acting Out

A chance meeting with novelist Kathryn Stockett leads to a breakout role for Montgomery native Octavia Spencer ’94 in Steven Spielberg’s “The Help.” by candice dyer Move-in day on campus

Wyc Orr and his dad, Johnny

a u a l u m . o r g Auburn Magazine

L E T T E R S

T O

T H E

E D I T O R

The First Word THE TOPIC In Auburn Magazine’s summer issue, we asked for stories about those special places on campus—spots where you shared a laugh, contemplated life, fell in love or otherwise spent pivotal moments during your college years. Up on the roof

It is difficult to discuss only one special place at Auburn during the four years I attended. One was climbing the boulders at Chewacla State Park with friends. Another memorable spot was the sun deck of the dorm (actually the roof), where the coeds would begin sunning in February, preparing for summer. Dorms 9 and 10 were the ones where I spent much time with foil (to attract sun rays) surrounding the wooden platforms on which we lay. Once in a while, a helicopter would fly over and some—who were bolder than me and wore less— would scramble for cover. The sun deck provided me with a special place to sit at night, talking with a friend or two, often discussing the problems of the moment or sharing the latest info about a date. Sometimes we would decide to drive into Columbus, Ga., for pizzas and bring them back for a late snack on the deck. Not only did the deck provide us with a summer refuge, but my suitemate had ice skates! When it would ice over in the winter months, we would don our heavy coats and skate. —Patricia Russo Wills ’62, Birmingham, Ala. Repetitive motion

The old drill field at Alabama Polytechnic Institute: I was the platoon leader of the Auburn Rifles, a crack drill platoon that performed at ball games, parades and other special events. We spent many hours of practice on the old drill field to perfect all the different formations. —John M. Benton Jr. ’56, Mountain Brook, Ala. Prank place

In June 1976, four scared “potluck” roommates moved into the top floor of Dorm K on Auburn’s “The Hill.” We quickly dubbed ourselves the “Penthouse Pigs” as we unwittingly began to form a lifetime bond. That summer, our greatest concern was passing the mandatory swim test while the whole PE class watched. Our pastimes included pranks involving pickle juice, sloe gin, ammonia capsules and the Boy Scouts’ hut in the wooded area behind our dorm. The ammonia capsules came from a football-playing boyfriend and were popped open under the nose of anyone who dozed off during an all-night study session—namely me. The pickle juice was poured out the window on an annoying guy who stood on the lawn and yelled up at the girls in the dorm. Pranks—not getting hammered—were

Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g

our chosen form of entertainment. Our exercise was the new craze, jogging, as well as aerobics in “The Barn” with coach Albert “Al” Martincic, who must have been 70 even then. We also enjoyed the new craze of frozen yogurt on campus and replaced our Terrell Hall “Maryland fried turkey” entree with it often. Life was good, and we made precious memories in the Dorm K “penthouse.” —Linda Sanders Johnson ’79, Birmingham, Ala. Grad romance

An office in Funchess Hall holds a special place in my memory bank: It is the place where I met my future wife. I was a full-time researcher working for the University of Georgia. Out of the blue, the department head of entomology at Auburn called and offered me a teaching/research position. Going home was grand, so I immediately accepted. During my last week in Georgia, while reading the Columbus Enquirer, I ran across a photo captioned “College rat in good hands.” The picture showed a very pretty Auburn graduate student holding a white rat. Upon further reading, I discovered that Rebecca Ruth Lanier was a Ph.D. student in the department that had just hired me. I moved to Auburn on Sunday and learned I was scheduled to teach a 7 a.m. class the next morning. Immediately afterward I began to look in each office to find the animal-physiology major I’d noticed in the newspaper. I was about to give up when I found the young lady in an office two doors down from mine. We were married two years later, and soon both of us began positions at Clemson University. Forty years later we retired from Clemson. She still teaches a course occasionally, and I spend my time working with more than 130 pecan trees and in my woodworking shop. That Auburn rat was in good hands, and I’ve been in those same good hands for over 45 years. —Sidney Brooks Hays ’53, Anderson, S.C. Campus courtship

I met my wife, the former Carolyn Mahoney, on the steps of Hargis Hall in September 1969. We were both members of the marching band and were reporting for the opening of band camp prior to football season. She was a new freshman “rat”; I was a sophomore. As was the custom, we all had to stand up and introduce ourselves. When Carolyn stood, I said to myself, “She’s cute!” I was not exactly “Joe Cool” when it came to girls, but I knew I wanted to get to know her. After she had turned me down three days in a row for dates, she turned to me and said, “L.B. Groover, you need to learn not to wait until the last minute to ask me for a date. I’m available Friday night.” I quickly seized

the moment. Friday night finally arrived, and I picked her up in front of her dorm. We went out to Shoney’s at Midway Plaza and had strawberry pie and coffee. After that we drove over to downtown Opelika and back to Auburn, just cruising and talking. Eleven months later, I knelt down in front of my wife-to-be, who was sitting on a bench in front of Samford Hall, and asked her to marry me. We were married on June 12, 1971, in Mobile. God has richly blessed us over the last 40 years. We have two fine sons, who have provided two wonderful daughters-in-law and three beautiful grandchildren. We love them all, even if two of them are consigned to be Georgia Bulldogs fans. —L.B. Groover III ’73, Tyrone, Ga. A lasting memorial

As the experts struggle to save the Toomer’s oaks, I see an opportunity for a tribute that’s unique and enduring. If the trees can’t be saved, maybe they can be rebuilt out of materials that can stand both celebrations and attacks. Honoring our trees with full-sized replicas could be a fitting and timeless tribute. The trees could even be decorated with a few permanent streamers of paper so the victory never ends. —R.W. “Bo” Burks III ’87, Montgomery, Ala. Tissue issue

I just received the newest edition of Auburn Magazine. Although I understand the motive of the roll of tissue on the cover, I did not find the cover art to be attractive or interesting ... rather, distasteful. There may be nothing quite as magical as Toomer’s Corner draped in tissue, but really—a roll of paper under the word “wipeout”? Please! —Kathy Perdue Davis ’62, Rockmart, Ga. Too much information

I was so disappointed with the summer edition of Auburn Magazine; in fact, I could hardly believe my eyes, from the tasteless cover to the revolting streaker article and photos. Usually I share my magazine with other Auburn fans, but not this one. —Ruth Mary Wise Kirkland ’56, Darlington, S.C. NEXT TOPIC Thousands of students will converge on campus this fall for the beginning of another academic year at Auburn University. What do you remember most about your freshman year? How did it feel to exercise your independence? Were you homesick or happy? What favorite item did you bring from home? What most delighted or appalled you about college life? Tell us all about it: Write Auburn Magazine, 317 South College St., Auburn, AL 36849-5149, or email betsyrobertson@auburn.edu.

C A M P U S

N E W S

COLLEGE STREET Q and A You were the first woman from your village in Kenya to earn a doctoral degree. Who were your role models?

“(My parents) were teachers, but because of the meager salaries paid to teachers, they had to sacrifice almost everything to keep us in school. I still remember vividly how my parents would travel to the city of Mombasa to collect their paychecks but eat nothing before coming back in the evening, hungry and tired. I wondered at their ability to be in town, with money to purchase food, but choosing not to spend it on themselves so that we could go to school. Such determination in my parents inspires me and gives me the strength to reach for the stars, and persevere against challenges however daunting they seem.”

Esther Ngumbi ’11

Room to work out DESIGNING

Mentor, Auburn Women in Science and Engineering Institute, who graduated with a Ph.D. in entomology

Above: An elevated

In 1984, Brigham Young University won the NCAA football ti- running track, outdoor tle, John McEnroe was terrorizing the tennis circuit and Ameri- swimming pool, sand court and yoga cans were asking, “Where’s the beef?” ad nauseam. A Texas busi- volleyball studio are among the nessman named Michael Dell started a risky venture that year, features of Auburn’s new selling computers under his own name directly to consumers, student wellness center, and, at Auburn University, students flocked to a new mammoth- slated to open in 2013. sized, state-of-the-art gym that would soon become known as the “Student Act,” short for Student Activities Center. That was then, this is now: Dell Inc. has made its founder one of the world’s richest men; McEnroe has learned how to keep his cool doing sports commentary; and the Student Act lives on—at least for another 18 months. This spring, the university broke ground on a new recreation-and-wellness center that is expected to add the “wow” factor to intramural sports and extracurricular fitness programs on campus. The building is being funded by student fees and is scheduled to open in 2013. “Official groundbreaking took place April 15, but they’re moving dirt this summer,” says Student Government Association president Kirby Turnage. “We should start to see infrastructure up during football season.” The 240,000-square-foot center, located at the intersection of Heisman and Donahue drives, will feature an indoor walking/running corkscrew track spiraling over two levels, cardio/fitness areas, weight-training areas, six basketball courts, an outdoor leisure pool, a three-story rock-climbing wall, group exercise studios, outdoor recreation equipment, locker rooms, a golf simulator, racquetball courts and more. “This (project) is a huge testament to the power of the student voice,” says Turnage, referring to the vote of approval given the project by the student body in 2008. Even though he and his classmates are paying fees for a facility most of them won’t get to use before they graduate, he says it’s worth it. “I like knowing I’ll leave Auburn better than I found it,” he says.—Sarah Hansen

Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g

for PRIZES Marzette Fisher admits he

The contest for

wasn’t the most talented

fourth-year architecture

would-be architect among

students has become a

the two dozen or so

rite of passage at Auburn.

students who graduated

Winners receive money

from Auburn’s architec-

to help pay their college

ture school in the class of

costs. “This competi-

1971. Still, his ego got a

tion is always the most

lift that year when he took

complex project these

top prize in the College

students will have faced,”

of Architecture, Design &

says David Hinson ’82,

Construction’s Alagasco-

head of the college’s

More On board Alabama Gov. Robert

nees for vacant seats. The

Bentley has restarted the

selection committee itself

process of filling nine new

was divided on several

or emerging vacancies

nominees, with Bentley

on the Auburn University

casting the deciding votes.

board of trustees.

Senate president pro tem

The governor, who

would not allow the trustee

of the board of trustees,

nominations to move

withdrew a previous list

forward under the circum-

of nominees in June after

stances, and Montgomery

the confirmation process

alumnus Andy Hornsby

stalled in the state

’68 filed a court challenge

legislature. Several key

claiming the selection

senators had objected to

committee had violated

the haste with which the

Alabama’s Open Meetings

nomination process was

Act. The court action has

conducted and criticized

since been dropped.

the lack of time for public

In restarting the

input into the selection.

process, Bentley said

Bentley agreed the initial

the selection commit-

time frame was too short,

tee would interview

and he promised a more

applicants before making

deliberative process.

recommendations. Nomi-

The initial process

nations could go before

of choosing members of

the Senate at the start of

Auburn’s governing board

its 2012 session, before

began March 31 and

all nine positions become

concluded eight days later

vacant.

as Bentley and a selec-

Del Marsh ’80 said he

also serves as president

Under the legislation

tion committee rushed

that created the current

to get the nominations

board structure, a sitting

introduced to the Senate

trustee may serve up to

prior to the end of this

an additional year if a seat

year’s legislative term on

is unfilled when his or her

June 9. At the time, the

seven-year term expires.

committee recommended

Two current members

that six trustees be allowed

whose terms are expiring

to continue serving in their

may serve until Feb. 9 if

positions for another term

no appointment is made

and chose three new nomi-

before then.

Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g

Many of you, like me, probably recall when classrooms were nothing more than a chalkboard, a teacher’s desk, a flat floor and student desks. Today, especially on university campuses, things have changed considerably. To be thought capable of preparing today’s students, a fully equipped classroom typically boasts tiered seating, wireless access, an instruction podium offering various multimedia options and interactive whiteboards. Although dry-erase boards behind large, automatic projection screens are included, chalk is considered an extra. Beginning this year and continuing for at least the next decade, Auburn University will be altering its landscape to make way for new classroom buildings to keep apace of these advanced learning environments. The board of trustees, in continuing to plan strategically to prepare our students to be outstanding future leaders, has approved the development of a large classroom facility in the core of campus. This signals a move away from multiple, generic classrooms in each college and school, and toward more efficient use of space and dollars. A central facility with labs, classrooms and lecture areas also will give Auburn a continuing competitive edge in attracting bright students. Colleges and schools would still have dedicated labs and academic areas to meet specific needs. The classroom facility will provide greater diversity in size and seating capacity, be configured with the flexibility to be adapted for different instructional methods and requirements, facilitate learning and student collaboration, and be set up for use of emerging technologies. Mell Hall, Sewell Hall and the Alpha Psi fraternity house are scheduled to be torn down this year to make room for such new aca-

demic space, and the university is also looking at how central, fully-equipped, modern classroom facilities could replace classrooms provided by larger buildings which are outdated and would be too costly to renovate. Haley Center, along with Parker, Funchess, Upchurch and Spidle halls, are on the list for eventual replacement. Those buildings contain 91,000 net square feet of classroom space, 41 percent of the total instructional space on campus. A new building or buildings could provide the same functions in 77,000 net square feet. Earlier this year, the board of trustees also approved a plan to build a new residence hall to help meet the ever-increasing demand for on-campus housing. In keeping with our mission, Auburn uses the knowledge and skills it creates to benefit the people of Alabama and beyond. Therefore, we are very proud to have been honored at the highest designations for our community outreach. The distinguished Carnegie Foundation selected Auburn for the 2010 “Community Engagement Classification,” recognizing Auburn’s commitment to community partnership and public service through its mission of outreach. Soon afterward, Auburn was also named to the 2010 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with distinction, a recognition of the nation’s leading colleges and universities for their dedication to civic engagement, service-learning and volunteering. There’s perhaps no better honor for our campus than to be recognized for helping others. I applaud students, faculty and staff for their dedication to public service. War Eagle!

jgogue@auburn.edu

In making a $10 million pledge in memory of Wilford and Kate Bailey, John Brown â&#x20AC;&#x2122;57 and Rosemary Kopel Brown â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;57 challenge alumni and friends of veterinary medicine to collectively generate an additional $10 million to complete construction and to equip the new teaching facility. The Wilford and Kate Bailey Small Animal Teaching Hospital will be built adjacent to the existing hospital on the veterinary medicine campus. The new facility, featuring 200,000 square feet of clinical, examination, and client-use space, will include services such as community practice, critical care, oncology, neurology, imaging, and orthopedics.

Providing State-of-the-Art Veterinary Care in Community Practice Neurology - Oncology - Orthopedics - Internal Medicine - Dermatology and Emergency and Critical Care

Dr. Wilford Bailey dedicated his life to Auburn University. A veterinary parasitologist, he held a 50-year continuous faculty appointment at Auburn after receiving his veterinary degree in 1942. He served in positions ranging from instructor to university president.

To support the campaign, visit vetmed.auburn.edu/campaign

The spirit to innovate The heart to heal

DR. WILFORD BAILEY

The Wilford and Kate Bailey Small Animal Teaching Hospital Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine (p) 334.844.4690

The campaign for the College of Veterinary Medicine at Auburn University

C O L L E G E

S T R E E T

Meet the Prof Chris Locke Assistant professor of social work, College of Liberal Arts BACKSTORY After earning a bachelor’s degree

in psychology from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, Locke switched fields, receiving his master’s and doctoral degrees in social work, a discipline that examines the concepts of social justice, social welfare and social change. He joined the College of Liberal Arts faculty last year and was chosen in November as one of the country’s most influential young social-work professors by the Masters of Social Work’s Social Betterment Blog. Locke has worked in various areas of the mentalhealth field, including conducting outpatient therapy for sex offenders and domestic-violence offenders. His research interests include the stigma of mental illness and the treatment of domestic-violence perpetrators. THAT’S THE WORD: Archivists are displaying part of Auburn University’s collection of rare and historic Bibles this fall to mark the 400th anniversary of the first publication of the book’s King James translation. The exhibit includes a fac-

IN CLASS Locke teaches “Introduction to Social

simile of the 1525 Tyndale translation along with original printings of King Henry VIII’s Great Bible, the Geneva Bible, the

Work,” which, ironically, tends to attract majors from other disciplines. “I hope that they leave with an understanding of what social workers actually do,” Locke says. “The field is broader than just child-welfare workers. You can work in the government, in nursing homes, as a therapist, in mental health—the list is endless.” Students who take the class often end up changing their majors to social work.

Bishop’s Bible, the Rheims New Testament and a 1613 printing of the King James Bible. Patrons may view the free exhibit through Nov. 30 in the special collections and archives department of the Ralph Brown Draughon Library on campus.

They all fall down Auburn University workers prepared to demolish three campus buildings over the summer as administrators began to pursue a location for at least one classroom facility to replace Haley Center and several other buildings. Dan King, assistant vice president for facilities, told Auburn’s board of trustees in June that Mell and Sewell halls and the old Alpha Psi fraternity house were projected to come down by the end of the summer. Mell Hall was constructed in 1925 and named in honor of Annie White Mell, a campus and community social leader in the early 20th century. The building is in such poor condition that renovation would be too costly, King said. Sewell Hall, built in 1962, served as Auburn’s athletic dormitory for about 30 years. The building was named for West Georgia clothing magnate and philanthro-

Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g

pist Roy Sewell, who commissioned the creation of Auburn’s fight song, “War Eagle,” in 1954. Auburn trustees voted earlier this year to build a new dorm in the vicinity rather than renovate the old building. The old Alpha Psi fraternity house west of the new Village residence halls also dates from the early 1960s and has fallen into disrepair. The organization’s campus chapter has relocated to Lem Morrison Drive. Trustees authorized AU administrators to develop a large classroom facility in the core of campus. Subject to the availability of funding, Haley Center leads the list of buildings targeted for replacement over the next decade or longer, along with Parker, Funchess, Upchurch and Spidle.—Roy Summerford ’73

OUT OF CLASS Locke plays tennis daily and has a firstdegree black belt in karate and taekwondo. He even fought for Team America in Dublin in 2003 and received a bronze medal in weapons. “I’m so laid back in the classroom that I don’t think the students would expect that out of me,” he notes.

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Research

Eureka! Auburn researchers earned 25 U.S. patents last year in biotechnology, environmental sciences and other fields, beating the university’s previous record of 19 patents in 2007. “Cyber-security”—the protection of sensitive material that travels over the Internet—is one of Auburn’s growing research programs, says AU research vice president John Mason.

Good dogs Gold digger

Auburn geology professor

tracking from northern

James Saunders ’75

Nevada to Yellowstone

embarks frequently on

National Park.

pilgrimages to a place

called War Eagle Moun-

finding of ours was that

tain, which has nothing

a number of these gold-

to do with his alma

and silver-lode deposits

mater’s famous battle cry

formed about the same

but does offer clues as to

time the Yellowstone

how gold deposits formed

hotspots first emerged,”

in Idaho millions of years

Saunders says. “This is

ago, prompting fortune-

the first time such a link

seekers to begin settling

between gold ores and a

the area shortly after the

hotspot, which is deep

Civil War.

mantle plume, has been

The mountain,

proposed and could lead

which sits 70 miles

to interest in looking for

southwest of Boise in

gold at other hotspots

Silver City, may have

around the world.”

been named by Confeder-

ate soldiers who escaped

ermal gold deposits have

West, but more fascinat-

long been associated with

ing to Saunders is what

volcanoes. Gold is a trace

the mountain contains:

constituent in basaltic

gold produced by long-

magma; degassing of

ago volcanic eruptions.

the magma chamber re-

leases vapors containing

“Our research here

“One important

High-grade epith-

at Auburn has focused on

gold and other volatile

those gold ores formed as

elements that mix with

part of volcanic activity

cooler ground waters,

in Nevada and Idaho,”

causing them to deposit

he says. “We study when

with quartz into rock

and how those gold ores

veins. Such deposits offer

formed in relation to the

Saunders and his team

volcanic rocks, with a

a geographic map of the

goal of helping explora-

hydrothermal activity as-

tion strategies designed

sociated with volcanism.

to locate new deposits.”

me how something so

Over the years, the

“It always amazes

North American conti-

beautiful (gold deposits)

nent has shifted from

can come from something

northeast to southwest,

so dangerous (volca-

creating volcanic hotspots

noes),” Saunders says.

Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g

Dogs trained to sniff out a deadly root fungus may end up helping researchers solve the mystery surrounding a disease that is killing Southern pine trees. The pathogenic fungus involved in “Southern pine decline” is introduced by beetles that burrow belowground to attack tree roots. The disease now affects more than a million acres in at least 80 counties across the Southeast, says Lori Eckhardt, an associate research professor in Auburn’s School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences. Drought-stricken trees are particularly susceptible because they produce a chemical that attracts beetles. “The current way to detect the fungus is to dig up the roots, but this method is time-consuming and does not cover much area,” Eckhardt says. “Airplanes are useful in helping us spot dying trees, but this just looks aboveground. We have to look belowground for these beetles.” Already widely used in law enforcement, military and security work, “de-

tector dogs” from Auburn’s Canine Detection Research Institute are being taught to track two insidious fungi, Leptographium and Heterobasidion. An advantage of using the dogs is that the animals neither disturb the beetles nor the infected trees’ roots, which could spread the fungus. “Digging up the roots disturbs the trees, causing them to release stress chemicals that can attract more beetles to the area,” Eckhardt notes. “Cutting down the trees doesn’t help, because the beetles stay underground.” Handlers hope to perfect a process by which a trained dog would sniff through a pine-tree stand while handlers record the location of “hits”—areas where the dog sits down—marking the area and percentage of infected trees. “It’s not a cure, but we hope the dogs will help advance our management of the pine plantations and help in our research to stop the disease,” Eckhardt says.

Weightless wonders The “Flying Tigers,” a team of six educators from Auburn University, Auburn City Schools, and the Alabama Math, Science and Technology Initiative, in July traveled to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston to conduct experiments aboard a modified Boeing 727 aircraft that simulates a zero-gravity environment. The group examined the equilibrium and stability of solids and liquids under near-weightless conditions.

C O L L E G E

S T R E E T

Space cadets

Check mates With the aid of wireless technology developed by Auburn engineering majors, a veritable army of student nurses will soon be making sure Alabama’s underprivileged kids are getting proper medical care. Alabama’s KidCheck health-screening program is expanding statewide due in part to a new system that allows nursing students to input heart rate, blood sugar, vision data and other measurements into handheld computers rather than filling out forms by hand. “In the past, KidCheck used a manual screening process, leaving school nurses with the daunting task of going through a stack of paperwork, reaching out to parents and sending follow-up paperwork to health care providers,” says Jeff Haddox, chief executive officer of Sight Savers America, the Birmingham-based nonprofit organization that administers KidCheck. “This often took months, which slowed down the coordination of follow-up care for the children.” The technology, funded by a $23,000 grant from the Verizon Foundation, was

developed last year as part of a student project guided by Richard Chapman, associate professor of computer science and software engineering at Auburn. “When this project began, we identified shortcomings in the previous system that we thought could be more userfriendly during screenings and would let us gather data more efficiently,” Chapman says. “As KidCheck software is being put to use, we’ll see how we can expand and continue our research. I like getting students involved in the project and allowing them to work with the people who will be using the software they develop.” KidCheck has been implemented in 43 school systems statewide in conjunction with more than 20 Alabama nursing programs. Screenings take place in school gyms with stations that record height, weight, body-mass index, temperature, blood pressure, and heart and respiratory rates, along with vision and dental screenings and eye, ear, nose and throat exams.

It’s smaller than a backpack but bigger than an iPod: A small cube nicknamed “AubieSat-1”—Alabama’s first student-built satellite—is set to be launched into space in October. Funded by individual donors and the NASA Space Grant Consortium, AubieSat is the work of some 35 Auburn students working as volunteers under the direction of physics associate professor J.M. Wersinger. AubieSat is a miniature cube satellite, or CubeSat, which is typically made of commercially available electronics components and must weigh less than 2.2 pounds. Cube-satellite projects, Wersinger says, are not intended to spur major scientific breakthroughs but

do represent a way for NASA to help college students get hands-on, practical experience for their future careers. About 40 universities, high schools and private firms are developing similar miniaturized satellites. AubieSat will be tucked aboard a Russian-built Delta II rocket, which will enter a low Earth orbit carrying a variety of payloads and is capable of circling the planet in less than two hours. Auburn’s mini satellite will be controlled and monitored from a ground station in the physics department’s Allison Laboratory. It is designed to collect data on gamma rays produced by high-altitude thunderstorms—and will also transmit the “War Eagle” battle cry upon request.

a u a l u m . o r g Auburn Magazine

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Roundup COLLEGE OF

Agriculture A shortage of trained professionals in the aquaculture industry is the impetus behind an online training-andcertification program now available through the Department of Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures. The multilingual program aims to develop the discipline worldwide. “A lot of people working in aquaculture right now have not had the opportunity to receive formal training in the field,” program director Antonio Garza de Yta ’01 says. “They may be biologists or veterinarians, or sometimes even psychologists, but regardless of their formal education, they typically don’t have the technical background needed to serve the aquaculture industry.” The potential market for the Certification for Aquaculture Professionals program includes policymakers, extension agents, farm managers and suppliers in the U.S. and other countries. The curriculum covers principles of aquaculture, water quality, physiology, hatchery management, genetics and breeding, aquatic animal nutrition, aquatic health, aquaculture production, and aquaculture economics and extension methods. Participants may access the

10 course modules online at any time and from anywhere in the world, and can complete the program in about six months. For more information, see cap.auburn.edu. COLLEGE OF

Architecture, Design and Construction If developers must pave paradise to put up parking lots, they may as well do it in an environmentally friendly way, according to one Auburn researcher. Building science professor Michael Hein advocates the use of pervious concrete, a highly porous pavement ingredient, to control stormwater runoff that can contribute to erosion and stream pollution. The material also promotes efficient land use by minimizing the need for stormwater management

devices and has been used to create parking lot pavements that keep people and their cars safe from water

Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g

spray, hydroplaning and skids. Working with Auburn’s facilities staff, Hein and his students have completed various pervious concrete projects on campus and in the surrounding area. For more information, see https:// fp.auburn.edu/ heinmic/pervious concrete/index.htm.

COLLEGE OF

Education

A four-member team from Auburn’s Physicians Executive MBA class finished second in an international case competition hosted by Bocconi University in Milan, Italy. More than a dozen teams from around the world participated in the competition, which challenged graduate students to develop a proposal for how Novartis pharmaceutical company could redefine its role in the Italian health care

ogy, cardiology, and emergency medicine, presented a proposal that envisioned the creation of OneNovartis, an entity that would team up with patients to develop individual wellness plans. “The unique contribution of the Auburn team was a vision for Italian health care that included patient participation in their own health and well-being, and a program whose goal was to provide costreduction incentives for patient participation,” says Joy Clark ’80,

system. Auburn’s team, which included physicians specializing in the fields of anesthesiology, hematology and oncol-

associate business dean at Auburn University Montgomery. Clark served as the team’s faculty adviser.

COLLEGE OF

Business

The college’s Truman Pierce Institute and Auburn’s Office of Professional and Continuing Education cohosted an anti-bullying summit in June in Mobile, kicking off a series of yearlong anti-bullying activities around Alabama. Thanks to the explosion of text messaging and social media, the methods of schoolyard predators have become more relentless and sophisticated, educators say. At least 14 cases of student suicide were linked to bullying last year alone and, according to the U.S. Department of Education, about 160,000 children stay home from school on any given day because they are afraid of being bullied physically, verbally, emotionally or sexually. At least 10 percent of public high school dropouts cite a lack of safety in their school, or bullying, as the driving factors in their decision to quit school. “When you’re talking about cyber-bullying issues, it’s 24-7,’’ says institute director Cynthia Reed. “It never stops. It’s anonymous, it’s very public, and it

can be broadcast. It changes the dynamics incredibly.’’ Reed and her colleagues hope to inspire educators, administrators, student and community leaders, policymakers, and police to find ways to create bully-free schools. SAMUEL GINN COLLEGE OF

Engineering An Auburn research team is finding new ways to develop renewable fuels and high-value chemicals from cellulosic biomass by revolutionizing a process originally developed in Germany in the 1920s. Led by chemical engineering faculty member Mario Eden and department chair Christopher Roberts, the team recently conducted studies that demonstrate how the Fischer-Tropsch process can be modified to produce large amounts of oxygenated chemical compounds that have a high intrinsic value in the marketplace. Eden received a five-year, $1 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture for the project. Additional research on biomass

Asian infusion More than 70 pieces of porcelain, stoneware and carved jade are on display through Nov. 26 at Auburn’s Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art. The exhibition, dubbed “On the Silk Road and the High Seas: Chinese Ceramics, Culture and Commerce,” explores how the decorative arts were influenced by the opening of trade routes between eastern Asia and Europe.

separation and gasification will be conducted by Steven Taylor, chair of Auburn’s Department of Biosystems Engineering, and Sushil Adhikari, a faculty member in the department who is also a researcher in Auburn’s Center for Bioenergy and Bioproducts. “USDA and President Obama are committed to producing clean energy right here at home, to not only break our dependence on foreign oil but also boost rural economies,” said U.S. agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack. “These projects will give us the scientific information needed to support biofuel production and create co-products that will enhance the overall value of a bio-based economy.” For more information about Eden’s research, see www. eng.auburn.edu/users/ edenmar. SCHOOL OF

Forestry and Wildlife Sciences The School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences is now offering a bachelor’s degree in natural-resource management, a major that may be paired with a minor in political science, fisheries, business, recreation, hydrology or any number of other disciplines related to the field in which a student hopes to eventually work. A year of biology and chemistry is required, along with

courses such as calculus, ecology and basic soil science. Students may also customize the major with electives in statistics, economics, management and landscape. COLLEGE OF

Human Sciences Students are raving about the college’s for-credit, month-long European backpacking adventure known informally as the “Bang, Bang Tour of Europe.” Participants plan the entire trip themselves— down to each hour of every day—including how to get from place to place, where to eat, what to see and do, and where to stay, all within an assigned time frame and budget, and taking into account the chance that someone might get separated from the group or need medical attention. No student is allowed to pack more than 40 pounds of stuff—and everything must fit into a backpack. It’s a lesson in responsibility as well as a chance to learn about hotel and restaurant operations in some of the world’s most sophisticated cities, says Martin O’Neill, head of the Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Hospitality Management. “In very rapid order, (students) drop into Europe and experience 14 cities in 10 countries—different currencies, public transportation and different values—in four weeks,” O’Neill says. “It offers

a world view for those students who have never left Alabama. They all see how their profession is in each of these countries. And when they come back here, they actually look at their profession through a different set of eyes.”

C O L L E G E

received the Rome Prize from the Academy of Arts and Letters in 2009 and has held a George Starbuck Lectureship at Boston University as well as a Wallace Stegner Fellowship and Jones Lectureship at Stanford University. He is editor-in-chief of Literary Imagination, the journal of the Association of Literary Scholars and Critics, published by Oxford University Press. SCHOOL OF

Nursing Campion COLLEGE OF

Liberal Arts An Auburn faculty member was among a group of 180 U.S. and Canadian scholars, artists and scientists who received Guggenheim Memorial Foundation fellowships this year. Peter Campion, assistant professor of English, is the author of two poetry collections, Other People (University of Chicago Press, 2005) and The Lions (University of Chicago Press, 2009), as well as a monograph on contemporary American painter Mitchell Johnson. Campion’s poems and prose have appeared in ArtNews, The Boston Globe, The New York Times, The New Republic, Poetry, Slate and The Yale Review. His interests include contemporary poetry, prosody and the relationship between poetry and the visual arts. Campion

The Auburn University and Auburn University Montgomery schools of nursing held a charity golf tournament, “Mulligans for Masters,” in June at Moore’s Mill Club in Auburn to raise money for the schools’ Master of Science in Nursing programs. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, U.S. nursing programs turned away more than 67,000 qualified applicants from nursing programs last year, most due to faculty shortages. Auburn’s Master of Science in Nursing program trains nurse educators and nurse practitioners, both of which are needed to grow the nursing workforce. Enrolled students may pursue the degree in order to take their careers to the next level, whether they want to improve patient care, get promoted or begin teaching. “We wanted to have an event that was fun and that also pro-

moted healthy living,” said nursing dean Gregg Newschwander. “Since golf is a popular, lifelong sport, a golf tournament made sense. Supporters of all ages came out, had a good time and helped us build the graduate program in nursing.” HARRISON SCHOOL of

Pharmacy

The school will host its 15th annual scholarship golf tournament Sept. 9 at the Auburn University Club at Yarbrough Farms. Registration opens at 7:30 a.m. with a shotgun start at 8 a.m. Events include a putting contest along with other activities. Proceeds support pharmacy-school scholarships. For more information, contact Amy Parker at amy. parker@auburn.edu or 334-844-8287. College Of

Sciences and Mathematics A team of research mathematicians from the Department of Mathematics and Statistics received a $200,000 National Science Foundation grant to fund the U.S.-Africa Advanced Study Institute and Workshop Series in Mathematical Sciences, a key component of the Masamu Program. The Masamu Program brings together mathematicians from Africa, Canada, the United Kingdom and the U.S. to spur collaboration among advanced graduate students, early-

S T R E E T

career faculty, senior research faculty, and department heads and chairs. The program will promote research and professional development as well as provide participants with an online forum to maintain research projects. Auburn researchers will implement program activities in partnership with the Southern Africa Mathematical Sciences Association and the University of Sussex. The first study institute and workshops will be held in Zambia in December. COLLEGE OF

Veterinary Medicine Anatomy, physiology and pharmacology professor James L. Sartin ’73 was named president-elect of the Champaign, Ill.-based American Society of Animal Science. Sartin teaches courses in endocrinology and molecular endocrinology in the veterinary curriculum. His research focuses on growthhormone secretion, the physiological consequences of disease, the effects of disease to limit normal animal growth and the use of anabolic hormones and other molecules to help overcome the negative consequences of disease processes. He has received more than $3 million in research grants and served as editor-in-chief of Domestic Animal Endocrinology journal.

a u a l u m . o r g Auburn Magazine

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JEF F ET H ERI DG E

CONCOURSE

No more mystery meat Interview Michael Carroll Graduate student, electrical & computer engineering THE 4-1-1 A decade of building robots brought

Michael Carroll ’10 to the cutting edge of engineering. In June, the Decatur native, along with his two roommates, placed second in a national competition and won a $10,000 prize for creating a robotic lawnmower—dubbed “Moe”—able to cut grass while dodging flower beds, fences and even a car. CUTTING CORNERS The contest, sponsored by the Institute of Navigation’s Satellite Division and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, annually pits college teams and their unmanned lawnmowers against each other. Carroll and his teammates equipped Moe with light radar sensors to detect obstacles. “You just press one button and let it go,” Carroll says. Moe had to maneuver around the obstacles, including a remote-controlled poodle, to score points. “There are two classes to the competition, static and dynamic,” Carroll explains. “The static competition features a rectangular playing field with a single standing obstacle. The dynamic competition is more complicated, because it is a non-square playing field and has two static obstacles—a fence and a flower bed—as well as a dynamic obstacle, a remote-control car. We focused on software development and controlling the robot instead of the mechanical and electrical aspects.” First place went to Case Western Reserve University. SPARE TIME “Are graduate students allowed to have free time?” jokes Carroll, who is pursuing a master’s degree in electrical engineering. Although he started designing Moe as an undergraduate project, it’s now just a hobby. He also does volunteer work for Auburn’s annual Boosting Energy and Science Technology robotics competition for high school students.

L I F E

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Auburn alumni are apt to wax nostalgic about campus traditions ranging from Tiger Walk to Toomer’s Drugs lemonade, but a battered-and-browned poultry cutlet oddly named “Maryland fried turkey”— served regularly in the old War Eagle Cafeteria during the ’70s and ’80s—rarely makes the list. “I mean, who has ever heard of Maryland fried turkey? The first quarter, I didn’t even eat it,” Kathleen Saal ’83 recalls with a chuckle. “It was just a joke.” These days, food is serious business on campuses nationwide, where administrators must juggle competing priorities—including nutrition, waste management and pricing—while also offering dining venues that spur both eating and socializing. Today’s students—who spend upwards of $3,800 annually on food, according to University Business magazine—want made-to-order meals, broad operating hours and lots of food choices. To meet the demand, Auburn boasts 29 eating venues in eight locations. Breakfast and coffee stops open at 7 a.m., and a Denny’s restaurant outpost in The Village residence complex serves late-night customers until 1 a.m. Students who live on campus must purchase a $995 meal plan

each semester to cover their meals, while students living off campus pay $300. Communication disorders major Laura Howard lives in an apartment off campus but typically eats lunch with her classmates twice a week in Auburn’s Student Center, which opened in 2008. “It’s a fun time to not think about school, and hang out and laugh,” she says. Auburn students can now treat themselves to sushi, grilled shrimp quesadillas and turkey sandwiches topped with cranberries and Brie. Popular chains, including Chick-fil-A, Starbucks and Au Bon Pain, are represented in the Student Center food court. And what about that culinary classic served during the disco era? Maryland fried turkey is no longer offered, but you can make it yourself, if you must. Kaki Tucker Barto ’78, whose mother, Inez, ran the old War Eagle Cafeteria in those days, recently posted the recipe for Maryland fried turkey on the Auburn Alumni Association’s Facebook page: Dip slices of baked turkey into a batter made of beaten egg whites (from one or two eggs), two cups of flour, one cup of milk, egg yolks, black pepper and salt, then fry in deep fat until golden brown.—Morgan McKean

Less green for grads You think tuition is expensive? Nearly 31 percent of Americans spend about $90 each on graduation gifts each year—but fewer are giving cash. The number and amount of individual cash gifts recently reached a five-year low, perhaps reflecting the state of the economy, the National Retail Federation reports. More popular? Presents that can be bought on credit, such as gift cards, apparel and electronics.

C O N C O U R S E

Room to move Just as they were 50 years ago, dormitory rooms on Auburn’s Quad and Hill are roughly 135 square feet and haven’t expanded with age. But that doesn’t stop students from cramming enough belongings into their living quarters to qualify for an episode of the TV show “Hoarders.” College students around the country this fall will pack up their clothes, iPods, laptops and bed linens, and relocate to dorm rooms that might measure half the size of the bedroom they have at home and also contain a roommate. “Today you see students bringing in more and more stuff,” says Kim Trupp ’79, Auburn’s director of housing and residence life. “Everybody has all of the electronics now. Back in the earlier days, everyone didn’t have a TV or stereo.” Auburn’s Quad and Hill rooms, which are designed for two students to share, come equipped with a pair of beds, dressers, desks and study chairs. Living spaces in the university’s newest residence complex, The Village, also include furnished living rooms and kitchens.

“I usually tell parents it’s OK to bring a lot of stuff, because they can take it back home if it doesn’t fit,” says communication disorders major Lauren Thomas, who conducts housing tours for incoming Auburn freshmen and their parents. The start of a new school year is the second-largest consumer event on the calendar, with back-to-college merchandise alone accounting for $33.77 billion in spending last year, according to the National Retail Federation. “I think my biggest expense was adding up all of the little things that you take for granted when you live at home, like an iron and sheets and things like that,” says Sterett Seckman, an economics major from Franklin, Tenn., who lived in Glenn Hall during his freshman year. “That summer, I got the dimensions of my room and then figured out where our bed and desks were going to go. And we were bringing a futon, so I wanted to make sure it would fit.” Seckman’s priority—function over beauty—mirrors the mindset of most college men, says Trupp. Female students,

Auburn’s fall classes began Aug. 17. Need dorm decorating ideas? See a list of do’s and don’ts, plus a cool online slide show complete with floor plans, at: https://fp.auburn. edu/housing/.

though, often get significantly more creative in terms of interior design. “The decorating just blows my mind on how they do some of these rooms,” Trupp says. “They look like they are right out of Better Homes and Gardens magazine. It’s just amazing.” Margaret Anne Hendry, who’ll move from Birmingham to Auburn to begin her freshman year this fall, spent the summer gathering things meant brighten up her space. “My roommate and I went to T.J. Maxx and Stein Mart, because they have cute stuff that’s not expensive,” she says. Meanwhile, accounting major Sarah Oliver was searching for a bedroom set and sofa for her place in Two21 Armstrong, a newer off-campus complex with its own Internet café, swimming pool and fitness center located off Thach Avenue. “I did a lot of asking around, talking to people who just graduated who may have extra stuff they didn’t need,” Oliver says. “I also went to antique stores and thrift stores.”—Morgan McKean

a u a l u m . o r g Auburn Magazine

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United we sand Nearly 100 students from Auburn and the University of Alabama teamed up for four days in July to help build a home for a Tuscaloosa family whose house was destroyed by a tornado. Dubbed “A House United,” the residence is located off Crescent Ridge Road in Tuscaloosa’s Holt community.

Syllabus COURSE NAME HORT 4300 “Computer-Aided

Planting Design INSTRUCTOR Carolyn W. Robinson ’96, assistant

professor of horticulture, College of Agriculture THE SCOOP Students use two landscape-design pro-

grams, DynaSCAPE and PRO Landscape, to create scaled, two-dimensional site plans representing plantings, hardscapes, irrigation systems and lighting. VOCABULARY WORD “Polylines” are curved or

straight lines that can be joined together to create plans for curved planting beds or custom hardscapes, which are popular among customers looking for relaxed, casual landscape designs. SUGGESTED READING Robinson keeps a bookcase stocked with Landscape Architect and Garden Design magazines, along with design books, to generate ideas.

Can you dig it? school. In June, they

coming home covered

student Eric Schlosser

found artifacts on part

in dirt and sweat.”

was digging at the site of

of Auburn’s E.V. Smith

a Native American village

agricultural research

digging at the site of a

bank of the Tallapoosa

occupied about 700 to

center in Macon County,

house, have uncovered

River, which flooded

800 years ago when he

on a bluff by the

lots of daub: clay and

more often, bringing

heard a “tink”—the

Tallapoosa River and

mud the people plastered

nutrients to the soil.

sound of his metal trowel

Calabee Creek.

on the home’s walls,

Unearthed trash pits

Students say

which would have been

show the villagers grew

they’ve learned about

constructed of wood or

corn, hunted deer, ate

around the object,

using shovels, trowels,

river cane.

nuts and fished.

found about 20 inches

small sticks and

belowground, and

brushes to search

Hooker says daub made

have been a “Super

gently scraped dirt

through soil, layer by

an impression on her.

Walmart” of its day, but

from a piece of pottery

layer, finding stone

“You can see where

others may have wanted

about 2 inches long and

projectile points and

they used their hands

to live there too.

wide, apparently broken

pottery pieces as well

and fingers to smooth it

Students over the years

from a larger object.

as bits of animal bone,

out on the outside,” she

have unearthed lines of

The pottery dates from

stone flakes and other

says. “It’s kind of neat

different-colored soil

about 1250 to 1300

signs of life long ago.

to put your fingers

that show where Native

A.D., estimates

Auburn student Katie

where their fingers

Americans dug ditches

University of Vermont

Hayes from Palm City,

were so long ago.”

in which they placed

anthropology professor

Fla., recently picked

At its peak, the

posts made of large

Cameron Wesson.

out pieces of animal

village covered about

trees to create a

bone, quartz and flint

six to eight acres,

protective wall, or

about 30 students from

by sifting soil through a

Wesson says. Hundreds

palisade, Wesson says.

the University of

fine plastic mesh. “I

of people probably

Earlier fieldwork shows

bluespiritjewelry.com

Vermont and Auburn

definitely found out that

lived there, adds John

the wall encircled the

PO Box 58645 • Nashville, Tennessee 37205 615.519.6555

University who since late

archaeology is for me,”

Cottier, an associate

village.—David White ’78/

May have been attending

she says. “I’m happy

professor of anthropol-

The Birmingham News.

an archaeology field

digging, I’m happy

ogy at Auburn.

Reprinted with permission.

hitting ceramic. He slowly dug

Presenting the Toomer’s Spirit Bracelet & Toomer’s Oaks Pendant

Honoring our Auburn Family Tree

Cottier says the

University of Vermont

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Schlosser is one of

Other students,

Auburn senior Andi

villagers likely farmed on the lower, north

The site would

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o / u d e . burn

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a u a l u m . o r g Auburn Magazine

S P O R T S

TIGER WALK Todd van emst

Repeat or rebuild?

With few returnees and lots of question marks, Auburn fans are speculating about how the Tigers will perform this season.

Tigers fans hope for another magical season As football fans make their way into Jordan-Hare Stadium on Sept. 3 for the Tigers’ season opener against the Utah State Aggies, they might be wise to invest in a game program: There’ll be recognizable numbers on the roster from last year’s national championship team, but not a lot of them in the starting lineup. Auburn holds the nation’s longest winning streak—15 straight games dating to the team’s Outback Bowl victory over Northwestern in January 2010—but most of the key players from its most recent games are gone. In their places are dozens of fresh young faces eager to show what they can do. Whether the team can maintain its winning streak depends largely on how quickly the freshmen, redshirt freshmen and true sophomores develop this fall, Tigers head coach Gene Chizik says. The team boasts talented recruits—this year’s signee class was ranked No. 1 nationally by Scout.com—but lacks starting

Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g

experience: The senior class has just one player—former defensive back Neiko Thorpe, who started every game last season— yet even he is playing a new position. Thorpe will go in as a safety for the first time this fall after making the move from cornerback in spring training. The team boasted two dozen seniors last year in addition to its standouts: Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton and Lombardi Award winner Nick Fairley, both of whom were top NFL draft picks in April. “It will go back to how fast we develop some great leaders on this team,” Chizik predicts. “How fast that turns into great team chemistry will give us the identity of our team. That is the way it is going to have to unfold. We have to start out getting some leaders on this team who know what ‘great’ looks like and continue to push everybody else in that direction.”

Rolling on As Auburn Magazine went to press, the announcement finally came after a summer of discussions and speculation: Fans will be allowed to roll the Toomer’s oaks this football season. Post-celebration cleanup will be done the hard way, however. Workers will remove the toilet paper by hand so as to reduce stress on the trees. For updates, see www.auburn.edu/gameday.

W A L K

The major area of concern on defense is at tackle. There are no candidates with Fairley’s combination of game-changing talent and experience. The projected starters, true sophomores Jeffrey Whitaker and Kenneth Carter, are still green, and the Tigers will have to rely on true freshmen to contribute immediately. The situation is better at the two end spots with returning starter Nosa Eguae back along with two other players, Dee Ford and Corey Lemonier, who saw significant playing time last year. Fan favorite Craig Sanders, who is up to 6-4, 270 pounds, should figure into the mix, too, after being a star on special teams as a freshman. Auburn coaches may direct larger ends such as Sanders to bolster the depth at tackle, especially in passing situations. The Tigers also have rebuilding to do in the kicking game. Sophomore Cody Parkey is expected to replace four-year starter Wes Byrum, the leading scorer in Auburn history. Another sophomore, Steven Clark, will likely be picked as starting punter, replacing Ryan Shoemaker. In addition to having a target on their backs as the defending national champs, the Tigers face difficult road tests at Clemson, South Carolina, Arkansas, LSU and Georgia. Kentucky is off the schedule this season, and Florida is back on. The Gators will travel to Jordan-Hare Stadium, as will an improving Mississippi State team, visiting for the SEC opener on Sept. 10, while Alabama will be in town for the regular season finale on Nov. 26. Meanwhile, players say they have no intention of letting 2011 be a down year for Auburn football and, in Chizik’s two seasons as head coach, Auburn has exceeded the pundits’ preseason expectations. With a little luck, it shouldn’t be a big surprise if they do it again.—Mark Murphy ’75/Inside the Auburn Tigers at www.insidetheauburntigers.com. Todd van emst

Because of his team’s youth, the Tigers need a solid start, as they face a particularly demanding schedule, Chizik adds. “We would like to have early success,” he says. “I think that is always a key early in the season so the players gain confidence. That is not a deal-breaker though. That doesn’t mean we can’t overcome some early struggles, because I feel with this team, with it being young, we will get better and better.” Despite losing eight starters, including All-Southeastern Conference linemen Lee Ziemba and Ryan Pugh, there is hope in the Auburn camp that the Tigers will again be one of the top offensive teams in the country. A pair of talented running backs will return to lead the way: Speedy Onterio McCalebb, who set a school record with an average of 8.5 yards per carry last season, is back for his junior campaign, and sophomore Mike Dyer returns after breaking Bo Jackson’s legendary freshman rushing record that had stood since 1982. Offensive line coach Jeff Grimes faces the challenge of trying to blend a new group of tackles, guards and centers into a smoothly functioning unit that offers McCalebb and Dyer room to operate and protects the starting quarterback, whoever that may be. Redshirt junior Barrett Trotter and redshirt sophomore Clint Moseley battled to be No. 1 on the depth chart during the team’s spring training, but offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn also threw high school All-American quarterback Kiehl Frazier into the mix. Frazier has been working out on campus since May after producing impressive statistics and three state championships at Shiloh Christian School in Springdale, Ark. One of the toughest players to replace from the group of missing starters on offense will be wide receiver Darvin Adams, who went pro after his junior season. To help fill the void, versatile Philip Lutzenkirchen, a 6-4, 264 junior with good hands and big-play ability, will see playing time at wide receiver in addition to his duties as a tight end, H-back and fullback. This could also be the year that improving junior Emory Blake steps into the role as Auburn’s No. 1 receiver. The wild card: freshman Trovon Reed, who was shut down and redshirted last season due to a knee problem. Like his counterpart on offense, defensive coordinator Ted Roof must also replace eight starters, plus key reserves from the national championship team. Thorpe, who ranked third in tackles last year, is the only returning player who was in Auburn’s top 10 in that statistic for 2010. He is also the lone returning starter in the secondary. Still, there is talent from which to draw: Defensive backs Demetruce McNeal, T’Sharvan Bell, Chris Davis and Ryan White have biggame experience. They will be pushed for playing time by true freshmen Erique Florence and Jonathan Rose, along with redshirt freshman Jonathon Mincy and others. Despite losing two of the three starting linebackers, the Tigers look to be more athletic at those positions, with juniors Daren Bates and Jonathan Evans likely to start at the outside spots and sophomore Jake Holland ready to take over in the middle for Josh Bynes. Eltoro Freeman, who can play any of the three positions, has a solid chance to break into the starting lineup.

T I G E R

a u a l u m . o r g Auburn Magazine

T I G E R

W A L K

Author! Author! Tigers head football coach Gene Chizik, collaborating with Fort Worth Star-Telegram columnist David Thomas, writes about his contentious departure from Iowa State, his decision to accept his current position at Auburn and the role his faith played in the tumultuous yet ultimately successful 2010 season in a new book, All In: What It Takes to Be the Best (Tyndale House, 2011).

Baseball

Georgia in the second

Auburn’s baseball team

round. The team (16-10,

ended its season at .500

6-5 SEC) finished 19th in

after losing to Georgia 3-2

the final Intercollegiate

on May 26. The loss

Tennis Association team

evened Auburn’s record at

poll of the 2010-11 season.

29-29, ending any hope of

It was the ninth time the

additional postseason

Tigers finished in the Top

play as at-large teams

25 under head coach Eric

must be above .500 to be

Shore. Four players were

eligible. The Pittsburgh

represented in the final

Pirates picked up junior

2010-11 ITA rankings:

Dan Gamache, the Tigers’

Senior Tim Puetz and

designated hitter, in the

junior Alex Stamchev

sixth round of the Major

finished at No. 18 and No.

League Baseball draft,

114, respectively, while

while infielder Casey

Puetz and freshman

McElroy went to the San

partner Daniel Cochrane

Diego Padres in the 11th

finished the year ranked

and pitcher Derek

No. 13 in doubles, and

Varnadore went to the

Stamchev and sophomore

Florida Marlins in the

partner Andreas Mies

17th. Bradley Hendrix,

ranked No. 84.

Tony Caldwell and Kevin Patterson were also drafted.

Pitcher Angel Bunner and shortstop Lauren Guzman

Golf

were named to the SEC

The women’s golf team

All-Tournament team,

won the SEC champion-

becoming the first Auburn

ship in April, holding off

players to achieve the hon-

a late run from defending

or since 2005. The Tigers

champion Alabama.

lost in the second round of

Cydney Clanton, a senior

the SEC tournament but

Second Team All-Amer-

still advanced to the NCAA

ican, finished in third

Regionals in Seattle,

place with a 2-under-par

Wash., where they beat

score out of a field of 60,

Portland State but were

while the team finished

eliminated by Brigham

at par on the par-72

Young University, finishing

course. It was the team’s

the season 40-19.

eighth SEC championship and the second in three years. The Tigers ended their season May 7 with a 13th-place finish at the NCAA East Regional Championship in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Softball

Track and field The women Tigers finished their season

Todd van emst

Sports roundup

Sir Charles speaks Auburn hoops legend Charles Barkley ’86 visited campus this summer, dropping in on Tigers head basketball coach Tony Barbee’s summer camp. Here’s what was on his mind.

and these long-term deals being handed out, it’s going to get ugly. I do think we are going to lose less money not playing. I feel bad for the fans (and) for the players, but there are some legitimate economic concerns.”

On the Tigers’ men’s basketball program “The bottom line is their track record. They have reached out to older players. We want to be a part of the program and, to be honest, it’s the first time they’ve really reached out to us. We want our school to do well. Let me rephrase that: We want our basketball team to do well. We’re proud of what our football team accomplished, but we want Auburn basketball to do better. I thank them for reaching out to us, because we want to be a part of this.”

On Auburn’s most recent hoops record “I don’t count the first year for any coach … Tony (Barbee) has had a chance to recruit, and I expect them to be much better this year. Auburn got better as the season went on. They had some big wins in the final stretch of the season, and they had a lot of close games. That tells me the players didn’t pack it in. That was what I was watching for more than anything. A lot of players are motivated off of emotions, so when you watch that team play in the beginning to late in the season, you could tell that Barbee had those kids engaged when a lot of teams would just pack it in.”

On Auburn “Auburn is a unique place. I’ve been all over the world, and people scream ‘War Eagle!’ at me all over the place.”

June 11 after tying for 14th place at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The 4-x-400-meter relay

Tennis

team broke a previous

The men’s tennis team

Drake Stadium record

competed in its 12th

and surpassed Auburn’s

consecutive NCAA

previous school record of

tournament, losing to

3:27.93 set in 2006.

Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g

On the potential for an NBA lockout “It’s going to get ugly. I’ve already been on record saying that I don’t think they’re going to play at all next season. I’ll be honest with you, I always pull for the players, but I do think the owners have some legitimate concerns. We’ve been in a recession, and the only thing that hasn’t gone down is players’ salaries. You can think the owners are full of it, but, in fairness to them, considering the recession

On being a Tigers basketball standout during the Bo Jackson years “You know, I spent last week with Bo. We were playing golf all week at Joe Carter’s golf tournament in Canada. We both called each other ‘No. 2’ because of a debate on who is the greatest jock in Auburn history. We had so much fun. Bo arrived a day ahead of me, and he had everyone calling me ‘No. 2.’ It’s all fun, but I’ve told people, watching Bo Jackson play was one of the highlights of my life.”

a u a l u m . o r g Auburn Magazine

Your heartbeat races, your spirit stretches skyward, your mind wanders back to another time. Something has triggered a memory. The beat of an eagle’s wings over a roaring crowd might do it, or the shadow of a clock tower stretching across a green lawn. Maybe it’s a high-stepping drum major, a deli sandwich dripping with a secret sauce, or a whisper of orange on a field of navy blue.

It’s Auburn, and we love it. As a new academic year begins and football fandom cranks up once more, it seems as good a time as any to remind ourselves what’s special about our alma mater. So, without rank or pretense of objectivity, we offer Auburn Magazine’s first-ever list of favorite things about our university.

Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g

I L LU S T R AT I O N B Y J A K E O D O M

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No. 1 “War Eagle!” It’s more than a battle cry. It’s a way of saying hello, goodbye or just plain old “hey there.”

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TOOMER’S CORNER The intersection of Magnolia Avenue and College Street represents the heart of Auburn—whether or not our beloved trees live or die. The area is well known as the place for celebrating sports victories, but it also

has a long history as a meeting place where townspeople and students gathered to hear wireless radio reports of wars and awaygame victories, chat with friends, or engage in minor public displays of affection.

No. 3

Tailgating No.

5 Hey Day

No. 6

No. Samford Hall After Old Main, the original classroom building of East Alabama Male College, burned down in 1887, workers constructed the brick-and-mortar icon we know and love today, William J. Samford Hall. Auburn’s most recognizable landmark, which incorporates bricks salvaged from Old Main, houses the university president’s office and remains one of the most photographed buildings on campus.

Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g

AUBIE

He began life as a 1959 cartoon tiger on the Phil Neel-inked cover of the Auburn/HardinSimmons football game program, began walking upright in 1962 and first wore clothes in 1963. Sixteen years later, with the help of a New York company that designed costumes for Disney, our favorite Tiger started creating comedy mayhem on the sidelines at sporting events. Now, Aubie is a highly soughtafter campus celebrity and consummate professional who has won six national collegiate mascot competitions, more than any of his counterparts at other institutions.

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Momma Goldberg’s Deli Who doesn’t crave some “Momma’s Love”? The iconic Auburn restaurant’s signature roast beef, ham and turkey hoagie gets a kick from a combination of spicy brown mustard, mayonnaise and a mysterious condiment known simply as “momma’s sauce.” No. 8

FOY INFORMATION DESK Before there was Google, and even before the Internet itself, there were encyclopedias, thesauri, dictionaries, almanacs and—yes, Virginia, it’s true—other printed material available to expand one’s knowledge about a given topic. But if looking something up seemed like too much work, there was also Auburn’s legendary Foy Information Desk, staffed by students who’d do the job. Once featured in O, The Oprah Magazine and on NBC’s “Today” show, the Foy info desk still cranks out answers to callers’ questions but is, alas, a shadow of its pre-digital self.

No.

RURAL STUDIO

Chewacla State Park

Located in tiny Newbern and tucked in the heart of Alabama’s Black-Belt region, the Rural Studio is a model of accessible architec-

Ralph Brown Draughon Library

tural design. Founded in 1993 by the late Samuel Mockbee ’74 and colleague D.K. Ruth ’68,

Jordan-Hare Stadium

the studio has been responsible for building

more than 80 homes and community facilities for some of the state’s poorest residents. For more, see www.citizenarchitectfilm.com.

Bo Jackson ’95

Bo knows, and so do we. Auburn’s second Heisman winner—following Pat Sullivan in 1971 and preceding Cam Newton in 2010—remains the yardstick for sports success, an athlete so good he mastered both football and baseball, then returned to Auburn to finish his undergraduate degree.

Toomer’s Drugs lemonade

No.

14 Charles “Round Mound of

The Glomerata

No. 15

Rebound” Barkley ’86

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WEGL-FM 91.1 Boasting a meager 10 watts of power, Auburn’s WEGLFM began airing from Haley Center with Paul McCartney’s “Another Day” on April 21, 1971. Six years later, the station broadcast its first song in stereo and, by 1988, had upgraded to 3,000 watts. Student deejays now spin tunes out of the Student Center.

No.

“Bodda Getta”

No. 20

Eagle flights Our hearts and heads swell when one of Auburn’s covey of golden and bald eagles soars over the stadium crowds in fall. The folks from the Southeastern Raptor Center, who care for the eagles as well as dozens of injured hawks, owls and other birds of prey, happily offer flight demonstrations and educational presentations for school groups and other audiences. For more, see www.auburn.edu/raptor.

Ralph “Shug” Jordan ’32

Bodda Getta, Bodda Getta, Bodda Getta bah! Rah rah rah! Sis boom bah! W-eagle, w-eagle, war damn eagle! Kick ’em in the butt, big blue! HEY!

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We may sing Auburn’s “Alma Mater” on formal occasions, but it’s the “War Eagle” fight song, introduced in 1955, that sets our toes tapping. The Samford Hall clock tower carillon chimes the song every day at noon.

No.

Rosen-Hutsell ODK Cake Race

Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g

24 A-Day

TIGER WALK

The male and female winners of Omicron Delta Kappa honor society’s annual 2.7mile race each receive a cake as a prize— along with a kiss from a student dignitary.

No. 32

FIGHT SONG

No.

25 “PUNT, ’BAMA, PUNT!”

The phrase was coined during the 1972 Iron Bowl, when Auburn met an undefeated Alabama and came from behind on a pair of consecutive blocked Tide punts, running both in to win the game 17-16. Alabama dropped to No. 4 nationally by the end of the season, and “Punt, ’Bama, Punt!” became not just a rallying cry but a prevailing attitude.

No. No.

AUBURN CREED

No. 31 Orange and blue

Tiger Stomp Students practice for months before the annual step show known as Tiger Stomp, in which teams representing African-American fraternities and sororities compete for cash prizes by performing elaborate percussivedance routines. Hosted by Auburn’s Black Student Union since 1994, the event attracts thousands of spectators.

No.

No. 30 Cater Hall callouts

No. 32 Residence halls

No.

DOWNTOWN AUBURN

University Chapel Built in 1851, the small brick chapel at the corner of Thach Avenue and South College Street is the oldest public building in the city of Auburn. Residents have used the building variously as a Presbyterian church, an Episcopalian church, a Civil War hospital, civic center, United Service Organizations venue, classroom and, from the late 1920s through 1972, a performing-arts theater. University-owned since the early 1900s, the 90-seat chapel now mainly serves as a rental hall for weddings, memorial services, meetings and other special events.

From the tiny rooms of the Quad and the Hill to apartment-like living in The Village, each campushousing cluster boasts its own personality. The old Magnolia Hall may best the others, though, with its quirky history: Built in 1948, “Mag dorm” contained rooms so small that state attorneys used it in their defense of a civil suit involving prison inmates who contended that the miniscule size of their jail cells constituted cruel-and-unusual punishment. The state argued that if the rooms of Magnolia Hall—which actually were smaller than the cells in question— were deemed fit for public-university students, then it followed that the prisoners had no room to object to their own living quarters. Not surprisingly, Auburn students made light of the situation, wearing T-shirts depicting a convict wearing a ball-and-chain emblazoned with the phrase, “Mag. Not just a dorm, a way of life.” Mag dorm was demolished in 1987; its reincarnation opened in The Village residence complex in 2008.

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33 Roommates

36 CAMP

WAR EAGLE

No. 37

Donald E. Davis Arboretum

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“Alma Mater”

Commencement

No. No.

THE AUBURN FAMILY If you’re part of it, you know it. More than a bonding of like-minded sports fans, being part of the Auburn family is a way of walking the walk.

No.

Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g

40 Greek life

Possibly Auburn’s best-kept secret, the College of Sciences and Mathematics maintains a 13.5-acre park just south of the President’s House that contains more than 300 species of native plants and is open year-round from sunrise to sunset. Best of all, admission is free.

WRECK TECH PARADE From 1892 to 1987, the Auburn-Georgia Tech rivalry was as fierce as any in college football, which is why Auburn’s Wreck Tech Parade—which commemorates a century-old student prank—is still so much fun. In the early hours of Nov. 7, 1896, the story goes, pajama-clad Auburn students greased the rails of the train tracks leading southbound into Auburn with lard. When the train transporting Georgia Tech football players arrived from Atlanta later that day, the cars slid halfway to Loachapoka before braking to a stop. The situation forced the Yellow Jackets to trudge back to Auburn on foot, subsequently losing the game 45-0, according to Evan Woodbery’s 100 Things Auburn Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die (Triumph Books, 2009).

No.

Game-day buttons

They’re catchy and clever and cool: The gameday buttons produced by the Auburn University Bookstore have their own set of fans, some of whom have been collecting the free pins since 1987. The bookstore holds contests to determine which smart-aleck slogans—describing ways to best the Tigers’ football opponents—to print on the buttons each year.

No. 42 No.

Auburn University Marching Band

43 Niffer’s

Place

Owned by former Auburn swimming-and-diving All-American Keely Beasecker ’82, Niffer’s has been serving up half-pound burgers, corn nuggets, fried pickles and other fare from its location on Opelika Road for the last two decades. A second location near Lake Martin opened in 2002.

No.

AUBURN ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Auburn vanity plates Alumni have petitioned successfully to make Auburn license plates a reality in more than half a dozen Southern states from Texas to Virginia. In some states, including Alabama, a portion of the proceeds supports scholarships for prospective Auburn students. For more, see www.auburn.edu/communications_marketing/cartags/information.html.

No.

46 No. 47

No.

RAT CAPS

The Plainsman

The Bottle

49 THE LATHE

Donated to the university in 1936, the Lathe, on display between Samford and Langdon halls, was once used to bore gun barrels for the Confederate Army. After being confiscated by the Yankees, the machine was buried at Irondale and later adopted by the Birmingham Rolling Mill Co. industrial plant.

No.

Interlocking AU logo Other logos may come and go, but the classic combination of Auburn University’s “A” and “U” continues to stand the test of time, serving as an instantly recognizable visual shorthand for our alma mater.

Built in 1924, the 64-foot architectural icon known simply as “The Bottle” marked the intersection of U.S. 280 and Ala. 147 for a scant nine years. See photo, Page 11. a u a l u m . o r g Auburn Magazine

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FREE MOVIES

Once upon a time, you could catch the latest flick at Langdon Hall. These days, students gather once a month or so to watch films in the Student or Haley centers, even occasionally crowding the field at Jordan-Hare to view Brad Pitt’s pecs on the stadium’s high-definition Jumbotron.

No. 52 War Eagle Girls and Plainsmen

No.

Eagle’s Nest No.

The top floor of Haley Center, Auburn’s largest classroom building, boasts a small 10th floor glass-walled classroom with panoramic views of campus.

Haley Concourse

No. 55

COMER HALL COWS

AU Singers No. 56 The cast of “Glee” has nothing on Auburn’s

No.

show choir, founded in 1972. Its members have toured Europe, played Carnegie Hall and sung at the U.S. Capitol, but still find time to perform popular shows on campus in spring and fall.

Tigers in Space Auburn’s research and programs in aerospace engineering date to the Wright Brothers’ flight school in Montgomery. The university has produced six astronauts:

Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g

Jan Dozier Davis ’77, Henry “Hank” Hartsfield ’54, Thomas “T.K.” Mattingly ’58, Kathryn Cordell Thornton ’74, Jim Voss ’75 and Clifton Curtis “C.C.” Williams ’55.

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59 Alumni in the arts No.

No. 60

Millard Fuller ’57

In a riches-to-rags story wor-

A handful of singers, actors and artists have spent time on the Plains and, whether they finished their degrees or not, we’re happy to brag on them. Here are a few you may have heard of: singer/songwriters Jimmy Buffett, Bobby Goldsboro, Taylor Hicks, Paul McDonald and Toni Tenille ’62; actors Thom Gossom ’75, Josh Hopkins, Victoria Jackson and Octavia Spencer ’94; artist Jon Coffelt; and cartoonists Bill Holbrook ’80 and Jimmy Johnson ’74.

thy of his humanitarian aims, the late Millard Fuller gave up

No.

a lucrative career in marketing

to create Habitat for Humanity, a Christian-based organization that began with a small group of volunteers in Americus, Ga., and has built almost a halfmillion homes for 1.75 million people across five continents

President’s House

to date. No.

WAR EAGLE SUPPER CLUB

No.

SPORTS RIVALRIES We love to trash-talk ’Bama athletics, but our crossstate nemesis isn’t the only university in Auburn’s crosshairs, particularly during football season. There’s also Georgia, our oldest Southeastern Conference

rival. And what about the Tennessee Vols, with their sherbet-orange uniforms? And don’t even get us started on those “faux” Tigers in Louisiana. Off the field, they’re our neighbors, friends, family and even spouses, but come game day, the gloves are off.

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KOPPER KETTLE “At about 8 a.m. on Jan. 15, 1978, in subfreezing temperatures, downtown Auburn exploded,” writes Kelly Caldwell Kazek ’87, author of Hidden History of Auburn (History Press, 2011). Before it fell victim to a gas leak that also damaged more than 60 other buildings, the 24-hour nosh-pit known as the Kettle had seen about 15 years’ worth of late-night ketchup fights. Afterward, it was the disaster itself that was memorialized on dozens of “I survived the Kopper Kettle Explosion” T-shirts and in at least one novelty song.

No. No. 66

J&M Bookstore

No. 67 The Flush In the late 1930s, a tiny eatery on East Glenn Avenue opened as The Doll House. Twenty years later, owner Bennie Hunt transformed the place into an ice cream parlor and renamed it the Sani-Freeze. Auburn students bastardized the moniker, nicknaming the place “The Flush” after a popular toilet-bowl cleaner, Sani-Flush, in stores at the time. For the next half-century, The Flush was a late-night, date-night tradition before finally closing in 2000, according to author Kelly Caldwell Kazek ’87.

No.

Auburn Knights Orchestra No. 69

Alumni pioneers We salute those who sacrificed themselves for a cause throughout Auburn’s 155year history, often paving the way for others. Our heroes include the first female students to enroll at Auburn in 1892; the university’s first African-American student, Harold Franklin ’64; the first U.S. soldier to die in combat in the War on Terror, CIA paramilitary operations officer Mike Spann ’92, who was killed in Afghanistan in 2001; and many, many more. 38

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DETECTOR DOGS

No. 70

Auburn athletes No.

George Petrie Historian George Petrie (18661947) was a professor and administrator at Auburn for more than 50 years, but he’ll be forever remembered for two accomplishments: He organized and coached the university’s first football team, and wrote the Auburn Creed.

No. 72

ROTC

Auburn alumni, faculty and students have served in the U.S. military at virtually every level over the past 155 years, and many got their start in the Army, Navy/Marine Corps and Air Force Reserve Officers Training Corps on campus. Auburn’s Army ROTC program is one of the top-rated training programs in the country.

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WIRELESS ENGINEERING

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Tim Cook ’82 One of the most powerful corporate executives on the planet, Cook has served as chief operating officer of Apple Inc. since 2007 and is frequently described in the financial press as heir-apparent to company founder and chief executive officer Steve Jobs.

No. Auburn faculty

In the classroom and the lab, the university’s 1,200plus faculty members—from tenured professors to parttime instructors—are responsible for the myriad “teaching moments” that produce educated Auburn men and women, as well as for the research breakthroughs that improve the quality of our lives.

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TIGER TRANSIT Seriously—think how bad traffic would be without Auburn’s campus bus system, which carries between 12,000 and 13,000 passengers per day over 20 routes. The only time we love to hate Tiger Transit is when we get stuck behind one of its 52 buses.

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Alumni authors Here are a few scribes whose work is worth considering for your next book club discussion: Ace Atkins ’94, Tim Dorsey ’83, Paul Hemphill ’59, Rheta Grimsley Johnson ’77, Jason Sanford ’93, Anne Rivers Siddons ’58, Eugene Sledge ’55 and Jake Adam York ’93.

Established in 2002, Auburn’s undergraduate wireless-engineering major was the first of its kind in the U.S.

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The Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center

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Starbucks, Chick-fil-A and video games. Need we say more? No.

FISHERIES Since its beginning in 1933, Auburn’s Department of Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures has hatched the top fisheries graduate program in the country, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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TIGER Lab Students using the College of Business’ Trading, Investment, Global Economic Research lab can buy, sell, and learn about real-time securities analysis and asset management at 40 workstations.

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Because you can’t throw a rock here without hitting somebody’s pulled-pork plate.

83 Toomer’s oak seedlings

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85 No.

EQUESTRIAN TEAM Auburn’s horsey set claimed the national championship, Southeastern Conference crown and hunt seat title this year. Winners!

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State officials may have rerouted U.S. 280 away from the town of Waverly (population 180), but that hasn’t kept Auburn folks from flocking to the Old 280 Boogie festival each spring to experience an eclectic assortment of musicians and artists.

Founder of the smarty-pants website known as Wikipedia. No.

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89 Drake

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Jimmy Wales ’89

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Barbecue

Infirmary Auburn Flight School The flight-education program within the College of Business is one of only two dozen in the U.S. accredited by the Aviation Accreditation Board International. Founded in 1942 as the Auburn School of Aviation, instructors trained civilian pilots for Army Air Corps duty during World War II and now offer private and commercial pilot certification, instrument ratings, multi-engine ratings and flight-instructor courses.

87 Pine Hill Cemetery

Located two blocks from campus, the old Pine Hill graveyard is the final resting place for a number of Confederate soldiers as well as former Alabama Polytechnic Institute president Charles Coleman Thach (18601921), Auburn Creed author George Petrie (1866-1947) and town founder William Harper (1799-1838).

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Old Rotation First planted in 1896, Old Rotation is the oldest continuous cotton experiment in the world and third-oldest field-crop experiment on the same site in the U.S. It was one of the first experiments to demonstrate the value of rotating cotton with other crops to improve yields.

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While everyone else cheers for and grouses about football, Auburn’s men’s and women’s swimming-and-diving teams have quietly proven themselves perhaps the university’s winningest group of athletes, collecting 13 NCAA national championships, 21 SEC titles, 28 Olympic medals, 82 NCAA individual championships, 308 SEC individual/relay championships and a whopping 2,065 All-America honors.

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Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art No. 96 Committee of 19 Just when we thought college students had become a largely apathetic demographic, along comes the Committee of 19, a campus organization that has worked with the World Food Programme since 2004 to bring attention to the problem of global hunger. No.

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THE BARN Auburn’s original basketball arena ended its half-century of service in a blaze of glory during the Auburn-LSU football game on Sept. 21, 1996, when sparks from a tailgater’s barbecue grill provided some accidental fireworks.

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98 CLASS RINGS

Don Logan ’66 Logan headed Time Inc., the largest publishing company in the country, and served as chairman of Time Warner Inc.’s Media and Communications Group before retiring in 2005. He now owns the Birmingham Barons baseball team and the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society, founded by fellow Auburn alumnus Ray Scott ’54.

Encyclopedia of Alabama Need info on the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, Alabama’s agri-tourism industry or the location of the state’s first Baptist church? See www.encyclopediaofalabama.org, an online reference work founded and housed at Auburn.

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Online course registration We think we can all agree on this one—because nobody misses standing in the drop/add queue.

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Years ago, during a blistering New Orleans summer, a would-be novelist met a frustrated, outspoken actress whose spitfire personality would inspire a key character in one of the hottest books on The New York Times best-seller list. Now, O c t a v i a S p e n c e r ’ 9 4 brings The Help to life on-screen. b y

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Acting Out As an award-winning actress with an outsized disposition, Octavia Spencer was accustomed to stealing scenes, holding court and generally being watched. Even in the hammy social circuit of Hollywood, she stood out for her straight-talking, no-bull charisma. She did not know, though, that an unpublished writer was quietly scrutinizing her ways and finding in her a heroically cantankerous muse. As a result, Spencer is now enjoying one of those monumental, art-imitates-life twists on the Hollywood dream by starring in DreamWorks’ “The Help,” the much-anticipated Steven Spielberg-produced film in theaters now, playing the role of “Minny Jackson,” the character she originally inspired in the best-selling novel by Mississippi native Kathryn Stockett. In 2002, during a vacation in New Orleans, Spencer, a 1994 Auburn University liberal arts graduate, met Kathryn Stockett, a soft-spoken, belle-ish University of Alabama alumna, through mutual friends. Both had been English majors, and Stockett was exploring an idea for her first novel. Spencer was trying, grudgingly, to slim down for the camera. “I was 100 pounds heavier then and on a diet,” Spencer recalls. “It was August, so it was hot, and I was hungry and surrounded by all that rich New Orleans cuisine that I wasn’t supposed to eat. I was extremely grumpy.”

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Stockett, drawn to Spencer’s amplitude of form and attitude, took notes for her book-in-progress. The resulting “Minny”—a plump, deliciously defiant maid—became one of the principal narrators and most memorable characters in The Help, a story of race relations and from left, female friendship in segregated, 1960s- Actresses, Viola Davis, Emma era Jackson, Miss. Stone, Octavia Spen “Minny was probably the easiest cer and Bryce Dallas Howard join forces in character for me to write because of the screen adaptaOctavia,” says Stockett, who grew up tion of debut novelist Stockett’s in Jackson and now resides in Atlanta. Kathryn best-selling book “At the time, we were more acquain- The Help . Stockett, tances than friends, but I would watch a Jackson, Miss., and Alabama her at parties—her mannerisms and native graduate, already gestures. She’s just hysterical. She’s ex- had Spencer in mind tremely intelligent and well-educated, when she wrote the character of Minny, but Octavia will definitely tell you like so when it came time it is. You can just imagine the look on to cast the movie, her was a her face when some skinny white girl participation no-brainer. Spencer came up and said to her, ‘I’ve written is best known for her a book, and you’re one of the main role as an INS case characters.’ She rolled her eyes and worker-turned-stalker in the popular ABC said something like, ‘that’s good,’ and comedy “Ugly Betty.” walked away!”

P hotograph B Y E ric J amison / A ssociated press

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Photograph BY Dale robinette © Dreamworks II Co, llc.

pencer, who lives in Los Angeles, puts her harrumphing reaction in context: “In Hollywood, everybody—and I mean everybody—is shopping around a book or a screenplay or a video or an idea at every turn.” All of that shopping around paid off for Stockett, whose manuscript famously was rejected by at least 45 literary agents before being released by Putnam in 2009. The Help became one of the publishing world’s Cinderella stories, cresting The New York Times best-seller list for 103 weeks. Spencer, not unlike members of book discussion groups around the country, started reading the book and was won over. “Frankly, I approached it reluctantly—I bristled at the dialect,” she says. Minny’s first words are: “Standing on that white lady’s back porch, I tell myself, ‘Tuck it in, Minny. Tuck in whatever might fly out my mouth and tuck in my behind too.’” Says Spencer: “I thought, ‘Oh, God, not another one of

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The relationship bethose books about the South.’” white Southern The 41-year-old actress’ reading tween women of the 1960s tastes lean toward Langston Hughes, and their AfricanZora Neale Hurston and Maya Ange- American maids was and often lou, she explains—so she feared The complex surprisingly poignHelp might be just another exercise ant. Spencer (forein moonlight-and-magnolias cliché, a ground) approached The Help reluctantly, hoop-skirted white author getting the but the book quickly vapors about some one-dimensional won her over. “mammy.” “I was naturally curious, though, about this ‘spitfire’ based on me, and once I cracked the book open, I ended up skipping a party to sit down and devour it, and decided it was one of the best books I’d ever read in my life,” Spencer recalls. “It really resonated with me as a Southern woman, and I realized immediately that the important themes and the rich complexities of these characters would resonate with readers across racial, regional, socioeconomic and generational lines. Suddenly, I had high hopes.”

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I realized the rich complexities of these characters would resonate with readers across racial and generational lines.

projects, begged for the film rights anyway and went to work on a screenplay. Two years ago, as The Help began generating virtually manic fanfare, Entertainment Weekly named Spencer one of its “25 Funniest Actresses in Hollywood,” and DreamWorks got behind the movie project. “We all had run around together, and since Kathryn modeled some of Minny’s traits after Octavia, we felt no one else could play her but Octavia,” says Taylor, who made authenticity his mission (read: refreshingly believable drawls), shooting the film in Greenwood, Miss. “When I was looking for actors, I was looking at how they talked, the way they moved. I didn’t want to do a ‘Hollywood-ized’ version of the South. The South is an oppressive, complicated, beautiful, tragic, loving place, all in one bundle.” Ironically, Spencer had drilled away her Alabama accent over the years. “I partially paid my way through Auburn with public-speaking scholarships, so I had to put that lilt back in my voice,” she says. Ultimately, Spencer so embraced the dialect that she read for the audiobook version of The Help and accompanied Stockett on a book tour in which she delivered the novel’s African-American voices during readings. In the film version, “some people suggested I might be underplaying Minny,” Spencer says. “You can read her rebellious thoughts in the book, but realize that to talk back to a white employer during that era was dangerous. She couldn’t publicly express her feelings. So I tried to play it down rather than overacting and overplaying her fiery spirit.” The character’s saltiness comes through in the movie, though, in every knowing, sidewise glance. Spencer, Stockett notes, can’t help “telling it like it is,” just like her alter-ego, Minny, who muses: “Truth. It feels cool, like water washing over my sticky-hot body. Cooling a heat that’s been burning me up all my life.” Photograph BY Dale robinette © Dreamworks II Co, llc.

pencer grew up in Montgomery, a bookworm in a family of seven children. “Most people in Hollywood are dreaming of acting, of being in front of the camera, but ever since I was at Auburn I’ve called myself a writer,” she says. “I had a minor in theater arts, but I had to be more or less dragged in front of the camera.” Spencer’s career-making turn came while she was working behind the scenes as a production assistant on the 1996 crime drama “A Time to Kill,” starring Matthew McConaughey, Sandra Bullock and Samuel L. Jackson. A director asked her to read, and she landed a small part in the movie. On set, she became fast friends with another up-and-comer, actor Tate Taylor, who was a staff assistant on the film. The pair lit out for Los Angeles and lived as roommates for four years, eventually accumulating a coterie of “expat Southerners” in the dues-paying stages of their red-carpet aspirations. Taylor had grown up with Stockett in Jackson, Miss. “We all had culture shock in L.A.,” Spencer says with a laugh. The reluctant actress began burnishing her résumé with roles in “Dinner For Schmucks,” “The Soloist,” “Seven Pounds,” “Bad Santa,” “Spiderman,” “Big Momma’s House” and “Being John Malkovich.” On the small screen, Spencer became a familiar, apple-cheeked face, starring in the Comedy Central series “Halfway Home,” and appearing in prime-time favorites “The Big Bang Theory,” “E.R.,” “CSI,” “Raising The Bar” and “Medium,” along with a memorable five-episode arc as a lusty immigration-agent-turned-stalker in “Ugly Betty.” Meanwhile, Stockett had nearly given up on ever selling her novel to a publisher. Taylor, who had directed several indie

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Pop in for a visit.

www.aualum.org/tent Want a hassle-free tailgating experience? Auburn Alumni Association members enjoy free entry to the Alumni Hospitality Tent prior to home football games. The largest tailgate party on campus features a big-screen TV, food, entertainment and our lovable mascot, Aubie. Bring the whole family and enjoy one of the best benefits of membership. Wear your pin to get in!

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Calendar

Trustee selection on track

Sept. 3

BOBBY POUNDSTONE ’95

President, Auburn Alumni Association The constitutional amendment setting forth the procedure for selecting trustees for Auburn University provides that the selection committee consists of the governor of Alabama as chair, plus two trustees and two members of the Auburn Alumni Association board of directors. The terms of nine of the 13 trustee seats are expired and must be filled. Because trustees selected by the committee must be confirmed by the Alabama Senate during its regular session, which begins in January, the terms of two more of the trustee seats will also expire, and will likely be filled, during the next session. This scenario was caused by a number of factors, including a controversial attorney general’s opinion interpreting when trustee terms begin and a state senate that has held up the vote on confirmation of nominees over political issues. I point to those two examples to highlight that, with the governor and Alabama Senate directly involved in the selection process, it is more political than any of us would like. With this many seats open, we are in the middle of a “perfect storm,” both because of the logistical difficulties in filling so many positions and because the number of open seats magnifies the politics within the process. Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley originally called for nominations for trustee candidates in April and provided only about a week for nominations to be submitted. The governor then quickly called the committee to meet and select nominees without interviewing any candidates. Such an abbreviated process lacks the transparency that the Auburn family wants. Much has been said about motives for the abbreviated process; however, I want to emphatically say that I do not believe Gov. Bentley had any nefarious intentions toward Auburn. Rather, I think the abbreviated process was put in place because, still being in the middle of the transition process, the governor had a

full plate of tasks to accomplish and was facing a legislative session quickly coming to an end. I think he would also admit he was unaware of the importance the Auburn family places on the way the selection process is conducted. Even so, there were more than 200 worthy candidates, which is a testament to the zeal Auburn people have for serving our university. The alumni representatives approached it with the same diligence we have always brought to the process and voted our consciences. We literally received thousands of pages of materials on the candidates and spent countless hours doing background homework. The trustee representatives also approached the vetting process diligently and, frankly, the dialogue about the merits of the candidates in the first selection committee was as good as it ever has been. The slate of candidates originally selected would have made for a capable board, but questions would always have lingered about the integrity and transparency of the process. Fortunately, Gov. Bentley recognized the error, publicly admitted he was wrong and withdrew the nominees from consideration. We are now starting over, and the process will be better and more transparent. Although it is logistically impossible to interview all of the nominees, there will be meaningful interviews with the most viable candidates, and the committee can do its work in a more deliberate manner. The alumni representatives and the trustee representatives are approaching the process with civility, honesty and openness. All of these are positive developments. As a committee member, I value your input on the nominees and the selection process itself. Please do not hesitate to contact me at bpoundstone@babc.com. Until next time, War Eagle!

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ALUMNI HOSPITALITY TENT

Auburn vs. Utah State tailgate hosted by the Auburn Alumni Association. 8-10:30 a.m. on the Wallace Center lawn. Info: 334-844-2960 or www.aualum.org/alumni/tent.html. Sept. 10 ALUMNI HOSPITALITY TENT

Auburn vs. Mississippi State tailgate hosted by the Auburn Alumni Association. 8:30-11 a.m. on the Wallace Center lawn. Info: 334-844-2960 or www.aualum.org/alumni/tent.html. Sept. 13-23 WAR EAGLE TRAVELERS: WATERWAYS OF RUSSIA

This cruise from St. Petersburg to Moscow showcases a pageant of Russian history. From $3,795. Info: 334-844-1443 or www.aualum.org/travel. Sept. 16-18 AWAY-GAME TRAVEL

Auburn vs. Clemson in Clemson, S.C. Package includes accommodations at the Marriott Greenville and transportation from hotel to stadium, plus a tailgate party. From $270 per person. Info: 334-844-1144 or www.aualum.org/travel. Sept. 20-25 WAR EAGLE TRAVELERS: CHICAGO

Enjoy discussions with Windy City insiders highlighting Chicago politics, architecture and art. From $1,995. Info: 334-844-1443 or www.aualum.org/travel. Sept. 24 ALUMNI HOSPITALITY TENT

Auburn vs. Florida Atlantic tailgate hosted by the Auburn Alumni Association. Starts three hours before kickoff on the Wallace Center lawn. Info: 334-844-2960 or www.aualum.org/alumni/tent.html. Sept 30-Oct. 2 AWAY-GAME TRAVEL

Auburn vs. South Carolina in Columbia. Package includes accommodations at the Marriott Columbia and transportation from hotel to stadium, plus a tailgate party. From $270 per person. Info: 334-844-1144 or www.aualum.org/travel. Oct. 8 AWAY-GAME TRAVEL

bpoundstone@babc.com

Auburn vs. Arkansas in Fayetteville. Package includes chartered flight from Birmingham, transportation from airport to stadium and more for $599 per person. Info: 334-844-1144 or www.aualum.org/travel.

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Calendar Oct. 15 ALUMNI HOSPITALITY TENT

Auburn vs. Florida tailgate hosted by the Auburn Alumni Association. Starts three hours before kickoff on the Wallace Center lawn. Info: 334-844-2960 or www.aualum.org/alumni/tent.html. Oct. 21-23 AWAY-GAME TRAVEL

Auburn vs. LSU in Baton Rouge, La. Package includes accommodations at the Marriott New Orleans and transportation from hotel to stadium. From $345 per person. Info: 334-844-1144 or www.aualum.org/travel. Oct. 29 ALUMNI HOSPITALITY TENT

Auburn vs. Ole Miss tailgate hosted by the Auburn Alumni Association. Starts three hours before kickoff on the Wallace Center lawn. Info: 334-844-2960 or www.aualum.org/alumni/tent.html. Oct. 30-Nov. 6 WAR EAGLE TRAVELERS: PARIS

Discover the City of Light. From $2,595. Info: 334-844-1443 or www.aualum.org/travel. Nov. 1-14 WAR EAGLE TRAVELERS: CRADLE OF HISTORY

Come aboard a cruise with ports of call in Turkey, Cyprus, Israel, Egypt and Greece. From $4,299. Info: 334-844-1443 or www.aualum.org/travel. Nov. 11-13 AWAY-GAME TRAVEL

Auburn vs. Georgia in Athens. Package includes accommodations at the Marriott Gwinnett Place and transportation from hotel to stadium, plus a tailgate party. From $270 per person. Info: 334-844-1144 or www.aualum.org/travel. Nov. 19 HOMECOMING

Auburn vs. Samford. Included: MAIN Event (www. aualum.org/main/ or 334-844-1113); Alumni Hospitality Tent (www.aualum.org/alumni/tent.html or 334-844-2960); and the Auburn Alumni Association annual meeting at 9 a.m. in the Auburn Alumni Center. Nov. 26 ALUMNI HOSPITALITY TENT

Auburn vs. Alabama tailgate hosted by the Auburn Alumni Association. Starts three hours before kickoff on the Wallace Center lawn. Info: 334-844-2960 or www.aualum.org/alumni/tent.html.

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Visiting congregations Headed to Clemson, South Carolina or Georgia for the Tigers’ away football games this fall? Find friendly faces by attending tailgating events sponsored by the Auburn Alumni Association and its local clubs: Sept. 17 in Clemson, S.C.; Oct. 1 in Columbia, S.C.; and Nov. 12 in Athens, Ga. To register, see www.aualum.org/travel.

Let’s roll again this fall DEBBIE SHAW ’84

Vice President for Alumni Affairs and Executive Director, Auburn Alumni Association War Eagle! It looks like we’ll be rolling the Toomer’s oaks this fall after all. Since the poisoning of the trees several months ago, a team of horticulture experts and campus representatives have met regularly to determine the oaks’ fate. While the trees are not expected to live (I am told it is difficult to accurately predict the exact date of their demise), it has been determined that the rolling of the trees actually does them no harm even in their fragile state. What may speed up the death of the trees is the pressure-washing method of cleaning the toilet paper off the trees after they have been voraciously rolled. After months of reviewing options, Auburn officials have decided to allow the tradition of rolling Toomer’s Corner to continue, at least temporarily, this fall. At the recommendation of our experts, the university will no longer use high pressure hoses to clean the trees; they will be cleaned by hand. Many alternatives were carefully considered, including suspending the tradition or moving it elsewhere. Most of these options created new or additional concerns related to crowd control, traffic, safety issues for our fans and opposing teams’ fans, access, community property, and the health of other landscaping and park-like areas. We do ask our fans to avoid moving the celebration into Samford Park, where the roots of plants and trees aren’t protected by concrete pavers. I would be remiss if I did not thank the many Auburn alumni and friends who donated funds totaling $114,000 toward the effort to save the oaks. Not only were our fans supportive of the fund, compassionate University of Alabama fans, through a Facebook group known as “Tide for Toomer’s,” donated more than $44,000 to the cause. It

is encouraging to see our sister schools come together for a common purpose. Our sadness at losing our precious Toomer’s oaks simmered as a much bigger catastrophe occurred in Alabama and surrounding states: The deadliest twister outbreak since the Great Depression hit and demolished many buildings, homes and towns. More than 300 people died, and hundreds more were injured. Tuscaloosa was especially hard hit, and Auburn supporters felt a strong need to reciprocate the kindness shown to us just months earlier. As of this writing, Auburn fans have donated more than $200,000 to the American Red Cross on behalf of Tuscaloosa and other Alabama cities affected by the storms. Many Auburn alumni as well as the families of current students live in the cities hit by the tornadoes, and some have lost their homes, relatives and friends. A number of Auburn student groups, faculty, staff and alumni clubs have joined to help those in need. Another example of Auburn people joining together to make a difference has been the eight “Tiger Trek” events this spring and summer sponsored by the Auburn Alumni Association. Tiger Trek consists of eight Auburn clubs or areas hosting large gatherings for Auburn supporters with Tigers head football coach Gene Chizik as the key speaker. The focus of these meetings is to raise money for student scholarships. At press time, more than $60,000 had been collected. We owe a big thanks to the volunteers who make this happen, as well as other Auburn clubs that work tirelessly to raise scholarship dollars. Now let’s get ready to support our Tigers as football season begins. War Eagle!

debbieshaw@auburn.edu

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Class Notes GOT NEWS?

James R. Lowry ’63 of

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Moultrie, Ga., plans to retire as president and chief executive officer of Colquitt Regional Medical Center on Sept. 30. He is vice president of the Georgia Board for Physician Workforce, a state agency that advises the governor on physician-workforce issues and medicaleducation policy.

317 S. College Street Auburn University, AL 36849-5149, or aubmag@auburn.edu Life Member Annual Member

’20–’59 Frederick Denton Jr. ’55, a business consul-

tant in Montgomery, was inducted into the Murphy High School Hall of Fame this spring in Mobile. He and wife Evalu have 15 grandchildren. George Kirchoff Jr. ’55 of Montrose retired

as a vice president with Autoliv Inc., a company that manufactures vehicle safety products such as airbags, seatbelts, safety electronics, steering wheels and anti-whiplash systems. James C. Taylor ’59 of Peachtree City,

Ga., was ordained as an Episcopal priest in June at the Cathedral of Christ the King in Sharpsburg, Ga. He has worked as a church youth pastor, church music director and prison chaplain throughout the Southeast.

’60–’69 John B. Givhan Sr. ’62 of Andalusia is a

retired lawyer and U.S. Army lieutenant. A Vietnam War veteran, he was recognized by the State Board of Prosthetists and Orthotists for his service to Alabama citizens.

David Harris Hill ’64

of Panama City Beach, Fla., was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame’s “OldTimers” category in May. A former Auburn Tigers offensive lineman, he played football for the Kansas City Chiefs from 1963 to 1974. Also inducted posthumously was former Tigers basketball captain Henry Hart ’60. Bill N. Gilley ’64 of Philadelphia, Miss., was elected president of the Auburn University Agricultural Alumni Association board. He has served on the board since 1988.

Don Logan ’66,

co-owner of the Birmingham Barons minor-league baseball team, was named the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame’s Distinguished American Sportsman for 2011. He also co-owns Celebration, Fla.-based B.A.S.S., the largest membership organization of bass anglers in the country. William Reeder Jr. ’68

received the Louisiana Dental Association’s Distinguished Service Award in April. He retired as a professor at the Louisiana State University School of Dentistry. He and wife Mary live near Eureka Springs, Ark. George Schrader ’69

taught at Auburn University Montgomery for 16 years. The Department of Political Science and Public Administration at AUM now offers an Outstanding Graduate Student Award in his name.

’70–’79

water, Tenn. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association recognized him last year as one of the organization’s top membership recruiters. James S. Voss ’72

was inducted into the Alabama Aviation Hall of Fame in March. A retired NASA astronaut, he is vice president of space exploration systems for Sparks, Nev.-based Sierra Nevada Corp. James M. Love ’75

retired as a captain in the U.S. Navy Reserve. He is an insurance agent and city councilman in Jacksonville, Fla. Julius Blackmon ’77

was named vice president of preconstruction in the Atlanta office of Skanska USA, a construction and project-development company for private and commercial properties. His initial focus will be on the University Medical Center project in New Orleans.

Michael Rogers ’71 James F. Vickrey Jr. ’64 received the James

Madison Award in First Amendment Studies from the Southern States Communication Association in March and received the 2011 Intellectual Freedom Award from the Alabama Library Association in April. He has taught speech communication at Troy University for 20 years.

was promoted to assistant vice chancellor for faculty development with the Atlanta-based University System of Georgia. Debra Gunter ’72

and husband George Davis have retired and built a home in Panama City Beach, Fla. Hugh McCampbell ’72 is a large-animal

veterinarian in Sweet-

Dennis M. Kaan ’77

of Fort Collins, Colo., was named president of Mason Technical Services Co., a consulting firm that helps companies pursue federal government contracts. Scott Osbourn ’78

manages the Tampa, Fla., operations of Golder Associates, an environmental engineering consulting firm.

Love it!

Looking for love? Stop by the Auburn Alumni Association’s Alumni Hospitality Tent on the Wallace Center lawn prior to the Tigers’ seven home football games, where Momma Goldberg’s Deli will be serving up versions of its “Momma’s Love” roast beef, ham and turkey sandwich this fall. “We’re teaming up with Momma Goldberg’s this year to offer a new-and-improved tailgating experience for visitors,” said association executive director Debbie Shaw, Auburn’s vice president for alumni affairs. “Momma Goldberg’s will provide the food each week. This partnership allows us to keep admission prices at the same level as last year while enhancing the overall experience for alumni.” Located steps away from the stadium’s west entrance gate, the Alumni Hospitality Tent also features a big-screen TV for monitoring other Southeastern Conference games, visits from AU mascot Aubie and the birds of the Southeastern Raptor Center, giveaways, and more. Admission is free for association members and children under 3; members may bring one guest for $5. Children ages 4-12 pay $5. Admission is $10 for all other guests. Alumni association members also may host private tailgate parties within the reserved Wallace Center lawn area for $325 per game. Amenities include a pop-up tent, tables, linens, and setup and breakdown labor. For more information, plus times and dates, see www.aualum.org/ alumni/tent.html or call 334-844-2960.

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Class Notes

Ch-ch-ch-changes The Auburn Alumni Association board of directors has recommended several potential changes to the association’s bylaws that are intended to clarify, correct and eliminate confusion in the set of rules governing the organization. The proposed amendments, which are limited in scope and impact, are recommended for approval by the members of the association in order to improve the group’s organizational framework. Changes include the elimination of conflicting sections as they pertain to voting directors; clarification of the mechanism for electing directors to fill board vacancies; a clearer definition of voting versus non-voting members of the association; a revision of the provisions of the bylaws regarding Auburn clubs that takes into account the membership-unity program; and the inclusion of email and website options for communication where appropriate. Members may review the complete text of the proposed bylaws amendments online at www.aualum.org. As provided within the association’s bylaws, the amendments will be up for adoption at the association’s annual meeting at 9 a.m. Nov. 19 in the Auburn Alumni Center. ’80–’89 Leigh Viverette Grantham ’80 was

named chief executive officer of Choctawhatchee Electric Cooperative Inc. in DeFuniak Springs, Fla. She is the daughter of Charles L. Viverette ’73 of Pensacola, Fla. Christopher Payne ’80,

an associate professor of art at Huntingdon College in Montgomery, received the college’s Exemplary Teacher of the Year award in April.

Victor Hugo Bray Jr. ’81 is dean of the George S. Osborne College of Audiology at Salus University in Elkins Park, Penn.

Anson Lewis ’88

joined Fifth Third Bank in Nashville, Tenn., as a credit manager specializing in handling wealth-management issues in the entertainment and professionalsports industries. Stuart Noel ’88 was

named interim dean of humanities and fine arts at Georgia Perimeter College in Atlanta. He had served as humanities department chair since 2006.

partner in the Atlanta office of Locke Lord Bissell & Liddell law firm. He serves on Georgia State University’s Risk Management Foundation board. Robert H. Smith Jr. ’86 was named vice

president/dealer finance officer at Regions Bank of Alabama.

Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g

Gray Absher ’91 of Atlanta is a senior financial analyst for DataScan Technologies. He and wife Kimberly will celebrate their second anniversary in September. Alex Powell ’91 was promoted to territory principal for Hooker Furniture. He will be relocating to Oxford, Miss., with wife Jen-

Frank E. Thomas Jr. ’89

nifer Costar Powell ’91

of Libertyville, Ill., a former Southeastern Conference MVP on the Auburn Tigers baseball team, was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in May. He was a designated hitter and first baseman in the major leagues for 18 seasons, including for the Chicago White Sox, the Oakland Athletics and the Toronto Blue Jays, and retired from the pros in February 2010. He founded and now runs a music label, W2W Records.

and children Caroline, 14, and Chip, 11.

’90–’99 Cary Matthews ’90

Brian T. Casey ’84 is a

anthropology department at the University of Vermont.

accepted a position as vice president of operations for CMI marketing research firm in Atlanta. Cameron B. Wesson ’90 was named the Lucy G. Moses Professor of Environmental Anthropology at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa. He formerly chaired the

Elizabeth DiBene-

Wesley Pattison ’93

joined Opp Veterinary Hospital as a staff veterinarian. He formerly practiced in Boone County, Ky. Mark Pelham ’93, a Birmingham veterinarian, participated in Operation Arctic Care, an annual military exercise that provides medical care to remote villages in Alaska. Other Auburn alumni who participated in this year’s exercise were John Turco ’85 of Wakefield, R.I.; Christa Parrish ’01 of Fairbanks, Alaska; Jeff Nix ’89 of Dayton, Tenn.; and Eric Storey ’96 of Saskatoon, Canada.

Charlene ThomasSwinson ’92 was named

assistant coach of the women’s basketball team at Indiana University. A former Auburn Tigers basketball player, she previously coached at the University of Tulsa for six seasons. Jason Wallace ’92 is

a history professor at Samford University in Birmingham. His book, Catholics, Slaveholders and the Dilemma of American Evangelicalism 1835-1860, was published last fall by the University of Notre Dame Press.

Larry Lowe ’97 is vice

president of engineering for GATR Technologies, a Huntsville-based company that makes inflatable satellite antennae. Allen C. Winsor ’97 is

a business litigator with the Tallahassee, Fla., law firm of Gray-Robinson. Albert E. “Bo” Rivera ’98 completed a

detto Gulledge ’92

received a doctoral degree in nursing from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in December. She is an assistant professor of nursing at Jacksonville State University.

John Hecker ’97 is a captain in the U.S. Navy serving as a third C-130 pilot and ground-safety officer for the Blue Angels flight demonstration squadron.

Jessica Raia-Long ’93

of Tampa, Fla., opened a catering service called Just Jessica Catering. Jason Sanford ’93 of Columbus, Ohio, wrote and published Never Never Stories, a digital collection of 14 science fiction and fantasy short stories. Mark Pierce ’95 was hired as a national account manager for DDN, a company that designs outsourcing strategies for the lifesciences industry. He formerly worked for Allergan Inc. and Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America Inc.

dermatology residency at Northeast Regional Medical Center in Kirksville, Mo. He plans to undertake a one-year micrographic surgery fellowship in Des Moines, Iowa. Corey L. Maze ’99

received a Best Brief Award for the third year in a row from the National Association of Attorneys General. He is the solicitor general for the state of Alabama. BORN A daughter, Edith Grace, to Stacy Blankenbeck Brown ’93 and husband Carter of Pensacola, Fla., on Dec. 16.

Terry Sparks ’96

was made a partner in the Birmingham office of PricewaterhouseCoopers financial services firm.

A son, Franklin Xavier, to Marc Minish ’93 and Chantel A. Gurney Minish ’01 of Huntsville on March 23.

Get out of town Join other members of the Auburn family on caravan to the Tigers’ five away football games this fall. Most travel packages include accommodations, tailgating events and the services of an on-site hospitality desk. For more information, see www.aualum.org/travel.

A daughter, Catherine Emily, to Michael Noell ’96 and Christine Murphy Noell ’95 of Wetumpka on Sept. 20. She joins brothers Will and Andrew. A daughter, Brooke Kerr, to Iain Steel ’96 and wife Paige of Chelsea on Aug. 25, 2010. She joins brother Graham Owen, 4.

Neely of Covington, La., on July 5. She joins brothers Cooper and Avery.

’02

Whitehead Hartsell

Aimee Gapultos is a

and husband Jason of Russellville on Dec. 2.

project architect with Nashville, Tenn.-based EOA Architects.

Ronwyn Raines Larson

A daughter, Emma Claire, to John Bradford Baty ’97 and

’06 of Charleston, S.C., on March 30.

Sharon Riddle Baty

’01

’98 of Huntsville on

Thomas C. Howard III

Sept. 24.

and wife Melissa of Calgary in Alberta, Canada, climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, reaching its summit on March 8. The climb supported the charity CARE Canada.

A son, Smith Brian, to Christina Cobb Million ’97 and husband Jeremy of Atlanta on May 22. A son, Robert, to Wade Gunter ’98 and

wife Michelle of Gardendale on March 23.

’00 Russell Clayton

received a doctoral degree in business administration from the University of Mississippi in May. He will join the faculty of the University of North Carolina at Asheville as an assistant professor of management. MARRIED William Forrest Black to

Erica Danielle Ledbetter on Oct. 30. They live in Montgomery. BORN A daughter, Elizabeth Reese, to Matthew W. Estrade and wife

Tyler M. Peterson is the dean of admissions and recruitment for Auburn University Montgomery.

MARRIED Michael Hoyt to Laurie Angerdina on May 14. They live in Fairhope.

BORN A daughter, Molly Claire, to Jeremy Hilton and Brandi Stansell Hilton of Columbus, Ga., on April 10. She joins brothers Walker, 5, and William, 3. A son, Grayson Michael, to Jody Hughes and wife Stephanie of Homewood on April 11.

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A daughter, Emma Reese, to Dan Middlebrooks and wife Ashley of Knoxville, Tenn., on March 15.

A daughter, Zoe Jane, to Samantha

A daughter, Brynnleigh Kennsington, to Andrew W. Larson and

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George M. Shehi Jr.

graduated from the University of South Alabama College of Medicine in Mobile and plans to complete a psychiatry residency.

Family gatherings

Jack Hinnen was named

Two weeks after tornadoes devastated parts of Alabama in April, about 50 people gathered for an emotionally charged meeting of the TUSCALOOSA/PICKENS COUNTIES AUBURN CLUB. The April 27 tornadoes left 44 people dead in Tuscaloosa County alone. Organized by club president Tim Martin ’78, a pharmacist at DCH Regional Medical Center in Tuscaloosa, volunteers were determined to hold the meeting as scheduled. The Auburn Alumni Association chartered a bus and sent a caravan of staff from Auburn University’s Office of Alumni Affairs, plus members of the COLUMBUS/PHENIX CITY, LEE COUNTY, MONTGOMERY, GREATER BIRMINGHAM and AUTAUGA COUNTY Auburn clubs, to show support for alumni living in the storm-ravaged area. Auburn Tigers cornerbacks coach Phillip Lolley was the featured speaker. In other club news:

campus chaplain at Birmingham-Southern College in Birmingham. He previously served as associate pastor and primary minister for contemporary services at Riverchase United Methodist Church in Hoover.

• The WEST GEORGIA AUBURN CLUB organized a funeral luncheon in LaGrange, Ga., for friends and family of Auburn Tigers freshman football signee Quan Bray, a Troup County (Ga.) Comprehensive High School graduate whose mother, Tonya Bray, was shot and killed in July. Bray’s father, Jeff Jones, is being held in the Troup County Jail in connection with the crime. The club also held an auction at its annual meeting in May that netted nearly $10,000 for its scholarship endowment; the Callaway Foundation matched the amount.

MARRIED Ashley Deitchman

to Kenneth L. “Lee” Miller ’99 on May 7. Ashley is a sales executive for SAY Media, and Lee is an associate director for NBC’s “Today” show. They live in New York City.

’03

MARRIED Amanda Leigh Fielding

• More than 800 alumni and friends attended the CULLMAN COUNTY AUBURN CLUB Tiger Trek event in May featuring Au-

to Joseph Moore on June 18. They live in Montgomery.

burn head football coach Gene Chizik at the Cullman County Civic Center. The event raised a record $25,000 for local scholarships.

LeAnn Watson to Tim Brown on Aug. 28, 2010. LeAnn is a nurse anesthetist with Anesthesia Medical Group in Nashville, Tenn.

• Tornado damage at Guntersville State Park didn’t deter alumni and fans in DeKalb, Marshall and Jackson counties from attending the NORTHEAST ALABAMA REGIONAL AUBURN CLUB meeting in May. Organizers moved the event to Goose Pond Civic Center in Scottsboro, where Chizik spoke to 400 attendees.

a u a l u m . o r g Auburn Magazine

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Class Notes BORN A daughter, Maya Francesca, to John Amari and wife Amber of Birmingham on July 27, 2010. She joins brother John Paul. A daughter, Hadley Mae, to Hope Hodges Murray and husband Will on April 18. They live in Cataula, Ga.

’04 James T. Farmer III

SNAPSHOT

Wild blue wonder For 25 years, Larry Wilhite ’77 planted his feet on terra firma, designing control systems for airplanes. Now his head is in the clouds. The Bolivar, Tenn., native is an electrical engineer and section manager at the U.S. Air Force’s Arnold Engineering Development Center, a flight-test facility on the grounds of a former Army base and World War II prisoner-of-war camp northwest of Chattanooga, Tenn. But for the past five years, he’s had a secret mission: to build a flying machine on his own. He began constructing an RV-7A aircraft in September 2005 and finally flew it for the first time last fall. Sporting, naturally, an orange-and-navy-blue paint job, Wilhite’s plane is no flying bucket of nails. “The plane has autopilot on it, along with other sophisticated electronics, because that’s what I do,” Wilhite explains. “The average speed is 180 to 190 miles per hour. It moves along pretty good.” Wilhite took flying lessons during his undergraduate years at Auburn University but had been grounded for decades until he and wife Teresa traveled one year to Wisconsin’s EEA AirVenture Oshkosh, which bills itself as the “world’s greatest” convention for aviation enthusiasts. At a display for Aurora, Ore.-based Van’s Aircraft Inc., he saw it: what he’d heard was the most successful home-aircraft kit on the market. “That was it,” Wilhite says. “I had the bug.” He began working on his pet project about 10 hours each week, even traveling to Texas for parts to build the engine. Five years later, he took to the sky. “I enjoyed every bit of the building process,” says Wilhite, who has made more than 200 landings and logged 60 flight hours in his plane since September. Still, he aims to earn an instrument rating that will allow him to fly under varying weather conditions—so as not to be just another fair-weather pilot.—Sarah Hansen

Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g

owns a landscaping and interior design firm in Kathleen, Ga. His book, A Time to Plant: Luxurious Garden Living (Gibbs-Smith, 2011), is scheduled to be published in September.

Rebecca Joy Quinney ’04 to Alfred F. “Rick” Schober III ’98

on March 26. They live in Orrville. BORN A son, Carter Timothy, to Natalie

Richard Martin Holston

McCarthy Seahorn

Jr. to Rena Lara Jones

and husband Steven of Springville on May 12. He joins brother Brandon.

on March 19. They live in Millbrook.

’05 Zachary P. Funk gradu-

ated from the University of South Alabama College of Medicine in Mobile. He plans to begin an emergencymedicine residency at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.

degree in aerospace engineering from Texas A&M in May. He is a user-interface developer for Wolfram Research Inc. in Champaign, Ill. James Morgan Tucker

Jessie Jean Ellefson

III graduated from the

is the editor of the Macon County Chronicle in Lafayette, Tenn. She and her fiancé, John Douglas Williams, plan to marry in October.

Benjamin B. Spratling

They live in Pike Road.

Amy Danielle Mutarelli to Gary

Edwards Taylor Jr. on May 27. They live in Tallahassee, Fla. Ashley Nicole White to John Jackson Sanders ’99 on May 14. They

live in Montgomery.

’06 Barry Dale Ballard Jr.

Lauren J. Platt gradu-

ated from the University of South Alabama College of Medicine in Mobile, where she boasted the highest GPA in the graduating class. She plans to begin an orthopedic-surgery residency at the University of Missouri School of Medicine in Columbia, Mo.

IV received a doctoral

Megan German to Joel Hughes on May 14.

Garrett Gossett of Char-

lotte, N.C., is an electrical engineer for Clark Nexsen architectural and engineering firm.

Yarbrough on May 21. They live in Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.

graduated from the University of South Alabama College of Medicine in Mobile. He plans to stay in Mobile to complete a generalsurgery residency. Brett N. Bishop is a

U.S. Marine Corps helicopter pilot stationed in Okinawa, Japan. Katelyn Virginia Bras-

University of South Alabama College of Medicine in Mobile. He plans to begin an obstetrics-and-gynecology residency at the University of Kentucky Medical Center. MARRIED Walter Bryce to Amanda Jedlicka on April 2. They live in Loganville, Ga.

well graduated from the University of South Alabama College of Medicine in Mobile. She plans to stay in Mobile to complete an obstetrics-and-gynecology residency.

MARRIED Mandy Chambliss

to Robert Lynn on July 17, 2010. They live in Auburn. Joshua Christian Diehl to Alice Anne

Andrew R. Grucza

graduated from the University of South Alabama College of Medicine in Mobile, receiving an achievement award for his work in

Where the skies are blue Former Auburn baseball player Joey Huskins ’09 is one of 20 wouldbe suitors vying for a chance to win the heart of a Southern belle on CMT network’s new reality matchmaking series “Sweet Home Alabama,” airing at 8 p.m. CDT Thursdays. Huskins, now a stockbroker in Phoenix, is one of 10 “city boys” who face off against 10 “country boys” to get the girl. The show was filmed in Fairhope.

microbiology and immunology. He will begin an emergency-medicine residency at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital. Robert A. Lockwood

graduated from the University of South Alabama College of Medicine in Mobile, receiving an achievement award for his work in pharmacology. He will begin an internal-medicine residency at the University of Virginia. Christin Davis Taylor

graduated from the University of South Alabama College of Medicine in Mobile. She plans to stay in Mobile to complete an obstetrics-and-gynecology residency. MARRIED Donna Lee Davis to Alex Sullins on April 23. They live in Dalton, Ga. Jon Christian Ware to

Ashley Nicole Hooks on Dec. 18. They live in Birmingham. BORN A girl, Elizabeth Joy, to David Ely and Mary Beth Stegall Ely of St. Louis on Feb. 3. She joins sister Caroline, 2.

’07 Tyler Paul Black

graduated from the University of South Alabama College of Medicine in Mobile. He plans to complete an internal-medicine residency at Duke University Hospital.

Brent T. Goedjen graduated from the University of South Alabama College of Medicine, where he received the John W. Donald Memorial Award for Surgery. He plans to complete a dermatology residency at the Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education’s Jacksonville, Fla., clinic. Alison Leigh Douillard

joined the Montgomery office of Beasley Allen Law Firm as an associate attorney in the practice’s consumer-fraud section. Darnell R. Harper com-

pleted basic training at the U.S. Navy’s Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Ill. Matthew R. Irvin

graduated from the University of South Alabama College of Medicine in Mobile. He plans to complete a family-medicine residency in Orlando, Fla. Sarah E. Stephenson

graduated from the University of South Alabama College of Medicine in Mobile. She plans to complete an anesthesiology residency in Denver.

She plans to complete an internal-medicine residency at the University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington, Ky. Micah R. Whitson

graduated from the University of South Alabama College of Medicine in Mobile. He plans to complete a residency in internal and emergency medicine in New Hyde Park, N.Y.

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relations department as a communications coordinator.

Miller on Dec. 18. They live in Auburn.

Kiara Pesante received

Guillermo J. Pierluisi

a master’s degree in public administration from Howard University in May.

was named the state surgeon of the Georgia National Guard. He received a master’s degree in business administration at Auburn in May.

MARRIED Brenna Donatell to Wyatt Batchelor on July 2. Brenna works in the athletics department at Austin Peay University in Clarkesville, Tenn.

’11

MARRIED Samantha Sylvest to Bret

McKissack on April 30. They live in Trussville.

Jamie Michelle

Whitney Anne Vincent

Ferguson to William

to Justin Paul Saia ’08 on June 5. They live in Gulf Shores.

Lawrence Hiebert ’06

’32 of Kingsport, Tenn.,

on May 21. They live in Birmingham.

Patrick Maher ’07 on

died March 25. A U.S. Army veteran of World War II, he retired as chief engineer for the Holston Army Ammunition Plant.

March 19. They live in Jacksonville, Fla.

Wayne L. Dowdey

’08 Ashleigh deMoll served on a medical mission in Honduras on behalf of Bristol, Tenn.-based Christian Medical and Dental Associations. She is a second-year medical student at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Suwanee, Ga., campus.

Mallory Rice to

’10 Daniel Dorr of Rancho

Palos Verde, Calif., has joined ABB, a multinational engineering firm, as a field services engineer. Robert D. Johnson com-

pleted basic training at the U.S. Navy’s Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Ill. MARRIED

James B. “Jim” Nix

joined Birminghambased Intermark Group Inc. as an assistant account executive. Lauren Williams Tucker graduated from the University of South Alabama College of Medicine in Mobile.

BORN A son, Zachary Michael, to Michael Carter and wife Natalie of Auburn on April 30.

’37 of Litchfield Park, Ariz., died March 4. He served as executive vice president of Envirotech Corp.

Birmingham died May 24. He was a partner in Arnold Brown Metals and Supply Co. Hester Sidorfsky Garrett ’38 of Montgomery died Nov. 23. She taught home economics.

’09

Allie McLeod Stanton

ory Griffin on June 18. They live in Auburn.

’39 of Plymouth, N.C., died May 12. He was a surgeon and a U.S. Army Medical Corps veteran of World War II.

to Andrew Lane Hagan on April 16. They live in Birmingham.

Ga., died March 29. She taught school for 35 years and was a past president of Alpha Delta Kappa, an honor society for female educators.

of Atlanta died March 10. A World War II veteran, he founded a construction company and was a fellow of the American Institute of Constructors.

Bessie Swanson Bryant

Byron Wilson Carrell ’42 of Decatur died May 27. A World War II veteran, he was a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserve and retired as director of training for Mutual Savings Life Insurance Co. in 1987. B.B. Darnell ’42 of Notasulga died May 28. A World War II veteran, he retired as Southeastern states regional sales manager for Allied Mills Inc.’s Wayne Farms division.

’41 of Huntsville died

Jazmine Motley-Maddox

joined The Weather Channel’s public

Bailey ’42 of Griffin,

Earl Waller Brown ’38 of

Capps to Adam Greg-

Kathryn Elizabeth Green

Pat H. Perry Jr. ’41 of Hurtsboro died June 17. A U.S. Army veteran of World War II, he owned a hardware store and was a founding member of the Russell County Historical Society.

T.R. Benning Jr. ’42

Katherine Anne Lauren Thomason

as high school English and math, plus speech and reading at Faulkner State Community College in Bay Minette.

Dotty Bowen Hill

In Memoriam

MARRIED

BORN A girl, Annie Kathryn, to Richard Aaron Chastain and Kathryn Chandler Chastain on Feb. 26. They live in Montgomery.

C E N T E R

Melissa Decker Joseph to William David

May 27. She taught kindergarten as well

Samuel James Kellett ’42 of Easley, S.C.,

a u a l u m . o r g Auburn Magazine

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In Memoriam

Permanent marker

Auburn University alumni and friends may soon have the chance to see their names etched in stone as part of an Auburn Alumni Association scholarship fundraising program. The association is building its new “Alumni Walk” out of brick, blue stone and granite pavers personalized with a name or a short message. The walk will be located at the Auburn Alumni Center’s front portico just outside the building’s College Street entrance. Individuals and groups may buy pavers to honor or memorialize alumni and friends of the university. Pavers are available in three sizes: 4-by-8-inch bricks are $200 each; 8-by-8-inch blue stone squares are $500 each; and 12-by-12inch granite pavers are $1,000 each. Proceeds will benefit student scholarships, and purchases are tax deductible. “We are excited to offer members of our Auburn family the opportunity to have their names and legacies engraved in a walk at the entrance of our building,” said Debbie Shaw, Auburn’s vice president for alumni affairs and executive director of the Auburn Alumni Association. “There are several paver projects around campus, but ours will be dedicated to all Auburn alumni, friends and their families.” Workers will build the walk in phases as pavers are sold. When complete, the association’s Alumni Walk will contain up to 4,000 engraved bricks and stone squares. “This is such a special way to display your name in perpetuity at Auburn,” said project coordinator Toni Rich. “Generations from now, family and friends can come to the alumni center and find the bricks of those they knew and loved. It is also a permanent reminder of those who ‘laid the groundwork’ for Auburn to be the university it is and continues to be.” For more information or to purchase a paver, call Rich at 334-844-7420 or email tonirich@auburn.edu.

Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g

died May 9. A U.S. Army Veterinary Corps veteran, he built the first animal hospital in Oconee County, S.C., and practiced veterinary medicine for 41 years. Nell Kinney Lazenby ’42 of Forest Home

died March 5. She was an elementary school teacher. Melvin W. “Bob” White ’42 of Tusca-

loosa died March 17. A U.S. Army Air Corps veteran, he retired from Alabama Power after 45 years of service. James Manning Culpepper ’43 of Albany, Ga., died June 6. He was an employee of Lilliston Corp. for 37 years. Olyn Kelly Matthews ’43 of Milton, Fla.,

died April 12. He practiced veterinary medicine at Matthews Animal Clinic for 45 years. Ruth Henry ’44 of

West Haven, Utah, died March 23. She enjoyed playing piano and gardening. Robert Henry Svenson

County School System for 20 years. Nylen W. “Eddie” Edwards ’46 of Columbia, Mo., died April 8. A U.S. Navy veteran, he taught at the University of Missouri for more than 30 years. J. Erskine Jordan ’46

of Gordo died March 9. A U.S. Army veteran, he practiced veterinary medicine for 55 years and was a founding director of First National Bank of Central Alabama.

’46 of Mobile died May 4. A U.S. Army veteran of World War II, he retired as a colonel in 1973 and was the first professor of military science at the University of South Alabama. He was Kiwanis’ Alabama district governor for two years. Gordon Roswell Isbell Jr. ’47 of Gadsden died

March 19. A U.S. Army veteran, he owned Isbell & Hallmark Furniture Co. and was a past president of the Gadsden Kiwanis club. Norman John McConaghy ’47 of Satsuma

died June 19. He retired as a project manager and engineer for Goodrich Corp.’s tire division.

died March 6. A licensed pharmacist for 63 years, he founded McConaghy Drug Store Inc. and McConaghy Home Medical. He served on the Satsuma City Council for 20 years.

Jones ’45 of Florence

died May 10. She taught at Central High School for 15 years and was the food-service supervisor for the Lauderdale

charge of the Georgia field office of the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Willis “Bill” Cleveland

Herman Slaton ’48 of Valley died May 27. He was an educator, gardener and genealogist.

’48 of Huntsville died

June 15. A World War II veteran, he worked for the U.S. Army Space & Missile Defense Command until his retirement. Guy Burnard Cofield Sr. ’48 of Birmingham died

May 12. A World War II veteran, he retired from Alabama Power after 39 years of service.

Alder Francis Castanoli Jr. ’48 of Gallipolis, Ohio, died April 11. A

William Edward Stephenson ’48 of

Chattanooga, Tenn., died June 1. He worked for the Tennessee Valley Authority until his retirement in 1987. James Murphy Taylor ’48 of Buckhead, Ga.,

John Hayes Maddox

Jr. ’44 of Akron, Ohio,

Ardelle “Tommie”

U.S. Navy veteran of World War II, he was a project engineer for NASA during the Apollo moon landing.

George Elias ’48 of

Newport Beach, Calif., died May 2. He worked as an aeronautical engineer for 40 years and was a board member at Hoag Hospital for more than three decades. Alice Norrell Enochs ’48 of Maumelle, Ark.,

died March 9. She worked for Chevron Corp. and Magnolia Oil Field Services Inc.

died March 28. A U.S. Army Air Corps veteran of World War II, he retired as test laboratory division chief with the U.S. Army’s Redstone Arsenal. Roy Grey Bagley ’49 of Montgomery died May 12. A World War II veteran, he established Old South Wrecking Co. Inc. in 1959. Jack Phillips Bentley

Joe Bennett Fowler ’48 of

’49 of Birmingham died

Oneonta died April 7. A World War II veteran, he was pastor of Oneonta Bible Church for 10 years and Grace New Testament Church in Tuscaloosa for 22 years. He also founded a home business, Fowler Water Filters.

May 16. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran of World War II, he worked for Pizitz department store for 23 years.

Frasier T. Galloway ’48

of Athens, Ga., died March 3. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran of World War II, he was a credit investigator with Dunn & Bradstreet Inc. and retired as statistician-in-

Charles Walter Boyles ’49 of Pensacola, Fla., died May 13. A U.S. Army veteran of World War II, he retired as a pharmacist after 50 years. Joe Bush ’49 of Naples, Fla., died April 10. A U.S. Navy veteran of World War II, he was

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Cub Corner vice president of sales for Avondale Mills textile manufacturing company. William Byron Covey

II and the Korean War, he served in the U.S. Air Force for 20 years. He was also a pilot and amateur radio operator.

’49 of Orange Beach

died March 9.

John W. Townsend Jr. ’49 of Jackson, Tenn.,

Mary Geraldine “Gerry” Groth ’49 of

Auburn died March 12. She was a member of Phi Mu sorority, Green Gardeners and P.E.O. International Chapter X. Daniel Ward Houston III ’49 of Birmingham died

April 6. A U.S. Army Air Corps veteran of World War II, he ran his family’s business, H&H Electric Manufacturing Co.

died May 2. A U.S. Navy veteran, he retired as vice president of operations for Bemis Co. packaging manufacturer.

Let’s make some noise Cheer on the Auburn Tigers with your very own orange-andblue noisemaker. These easy directions explain how to make one, so you’ll be ready for the next game! Don’t forget to email a digital photo of your finished work to aubmag@auburn. edu so we can recognize your artistic Auburn spirit!

Supplies • an empty, clean plastic water or soda bottle • handful of dried beans • craft glue • orange-and-blue tissue or construction paper, plus ribbon, stickers, glitter, etc.

Instructions 1. Tear the label off the empty bottle, fill it with dried beans and seal the cap with glue. 2. Glue strips of orange-and-blue paper (we used tissue paper) all around the outside of

Sarah Kent Adkins ’50 of

Riverdale, Ga., died May 10. She taught school in the Birmingham area and then worked for Liberty Mutual and Connecticut General Life insurance companies in New Orleans. She was a member of Delta Zeta sorority.

the bottle. Let dry. 3. Add additional pizzazz with decorative ribbon and more tissue around the top. You can also add glitter, stickers or even the Auburn Alumni Association logo (cut on dotted line below)! Let everything dry after applying. 4. Shake that bottle and make some noise!

James Warner Humphries ’49 of Louisville, Ky., died April 7. A U.S. Army Air Corps veteran of World War II, he retired as a sales representative for Arrow Co. B.R. Lowe Jr. ’49 of

Montgomery died May 17. A U.S. Marine Corps veteran of World War II, he retired as executive vice president of Sherlock, Smith & Adams Inc. architectural and engineering firm. William “Doc” Sellars ’49 of Opp died June 2. A U.S. Army Air Corps veteran of World War II, he was the chief of hospital pharmacy at Eglin Air Force Base in Valparaiso, Fla., for more than 36 years. Milton G. Swearengin ’49 of Palm Harbor,

Fla., died March 27. A veteran of World War

Joseph J. Burnett ’50 of Birmingham died

March 21. A U.S. Army veteran of World War II, he founded Burnett Equipment Inc. and had held a private pilot’s license since age 16. He was a member of the Birmingham Aero Club, the Southern Museum of Flight board, the Quiet Birdmen and Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. Joseph S. Lushington Jr. ’50 of Montgomery died April 27. A U.S. Army Air Corps veteran, he was a customer engineer in IBM Corp.’s Montgomery office for 44 years.

Jack McElvy Pickard ’50 of Columbus,

Ga., died April 16. A U.S. Army Air Corps veteran of World War II, he owned and operated Pickard Realty Co. until his retirement.

Theodore Calvin McCall ’50 of Gainesville, Ga.,

died March 18. A U.S. Army veteran of World War II, he retired from Fieldale Farms Corp.

Leon Smith Jr. ’50 of Fernandina Beach, Fla., died April 15. A U.S. Navy veteran of World War II, he retired as executive vice president

of special operations at Southern Railway.

the Atlanta Skylarks Travel Club with her husband.

Robert Nall Talmage Sr. ’50 of Auburn died May 20. He operated a national management consulting firm for nearly 40 years.

June 7. A U.S. Army Air Corps veteran of World War II, he worked for DuPont for 34 years.

Edward “Red” Whitsett ’50 of Villa Rica, Ga.,

Alfred Martin Creswell

’50 of Vinings, Ga.,

died June 10. A U.S. Navy veteran, he taught in the Atlanta Public Schools system for 25 years and was a Major League Baseball scout.

died June 24. She was an elementary school teacher and co-owned

of Jackson, S.C., died

’51 of Jackson, Tenn., died April 27. A U.S. Navy veteran, he opened a private veterinary practice and later served as assistant state veterinarian of the state of Tennessee until his retirement in 1990.

Elizabeth White Vason

J. Eugene Blakely ’51

a u a l u m . o r g Auburn Magazine

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Young Alumni Achievement Awards Auburn University’s Office of Alumni Affairs this year established the Young Alumni Achievement Awards program to recognize extraordinary accomplishments by graduates under age 40. The 2011 winners represent fields ranging from architecture to veterinary medicine. Nominations for next year’s Young Alumni Achievement Awards will open in November.

Jonathan Charles Bell ’00

Having earned a bachelor’s degree in health administration, Bell joined his father’s company, Vital Care Inc. To help himself acquire the clinical knowledge to operate Vital Care, which provides patients in 18 states with home treatments, he returned to Auburn for a nursing degree.

David H. Clark ’96

Clark joined Amazon.com in 1999 and led the startup of the company’s first Japanese fulfillment center. He now serves as Amazon’s vice president of North American operations. Clark graduated from Auburn with a degree in music education.

Deeatra Seaborn Craddock ’01

A faculty member of the Texas Tech University School of Pharmacy, Craddock has helped expand community-based immunization and diabetic-shoe programs, served as a consultant to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and is a student adviser for the National Community Pharmacists Association.

Nicole Faulk ’96

Faulk built a successful career in the field of nuclear engineering with Southern Nuclear Operating Co. Inc. before being named manager of nuclear regulatory affairs for Georgia Power. She sits on the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering’s Mechanical Engineering External Advisory Board.

James Lee Fenn III ’96

Fenn began his career as a plant manager in Blakely, Ga., for Universal Blanchers. He was promoted to vice president of Georgia operations in 2000 and, after the company’s acquisition by Olam International, advised on international agronomy and manufacturing. Fenn is now chief operating officer of Olam’s U.S. peanut operations.

Bradley Fields ’05

Fields is a captain in the U.S. Army Veterinary Reserve Corps. He has managed an agricultural emergency-operations center, a state agriculture response team and a disaster animal-sheltering program, and has been involved in individual incident response and recovery efforts.

Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g

Allison M. Floyd ’05

Floyd works for B.L. Harbert International as the sustainability/design coordinator for the firm’s U.S. Embassy projects. She has raised funds to assist an orphanage in the Republic of Congo and earthquake survivors in Haiti, and currently is coordinating a project to set up rainwater collection for a remote village in Honduras.

Betsy Lynne Hall ’04

At 30, Hall was appointed deputy country director for Samaritan’s Purse, where she has assisted with earthquake recovery in Haiti. She has also managed a $22.5 billion portfolio for U.S. Housing and Urban Development, including budgets for Section 8, Katrina Disaster Housing and Housing for Special Populations, and assisted with the Capital Fund, Operating Fund, HOPE VI and the Office of Native American Programs.

Brian Higginbotham ’02

Higginbotham is an associate professor of family, consumer and human development at Utah State, where he was honored with a Robins Award for Faculty Researcher of the Year and the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services Researcher of the Year. He cowrote the Utah Marriage Handbook and has secured more than $4 million in external funding.

Wade McCollum ’98

As an Auburn student, McCollum traveled with a group from Opelika to Orphanage Emmanuel in Honduras and, upon graduating, returned to the orphanage to establish a farm that provides food for about 500 children and staff. He was named executive director of Orphanage Emmanuel last year. McCollum holds Auburn Day at the orphanage, a day when all the children wear Auburn T-shirts donated by retailers and alumni.

Marie O’Brien ’93

After receiving a master’s degree in business administration from the University of California, Los Angeles, O’Brien co-founded EarlyBirds Learning, a company that teaches Spanish, Chinese, French, Italian and German languages to children through games, songs, and arts and crafts. Now known as Yak Academy, O’Brien’s “world language playground” includes preschools, camps and mobile programs.

Michael S. Parmer ’97

Parmer, who holds bachelor’s degrees both in animal dairy sciences and wildlife sciences, has been helping restore the bobwhite quail population at Grey Rocks, a privately owned, 5,500acre preserve in Autauga County. He and his father also own Parmer Ranch, a commercial cattle farm; in 2007, the Alabama Beef Cattle Improvement Association named the ranch its Producer of the Year.

Nicole Seline Schiegg ’99

Schiegg serves as senior adviser for strategic communications at the U.S. Agency for International Development, which provides economic and humanitarian assistance around the globe. Schiegg is the media spokeswoman for two of President Barack Obama’s development priorities: global health and food security.

Mark Holton Thomas ’95

Thomas is senior vice president of security and environmental solutions for Integration Innovation Inc., a Huntsville-based software engineering company. He has served as vice president for Radiance Technologies Inc. and as lead software engineer for TRW Inc.’s systems and information technology group.

Steven Speakman ’95

A Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar, Speakman earned a diploma in legal studies from the University of Oxford in 1996 before entering law school at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va. He was elected district judge of Lee County in November and assists Auburn students with applications for postgraduate scholarships to study abroad.

Antarrious Williams ’06

An Auburn football letterman, Williams, a sales representative for Forest Pharmaceuticals Inc., serves on the board of Columbus, Ga.-based Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Chattahoochee Valley and received the Columbus Sports Council’s 2010 Janice Davis All-ByCity Alumni Award. He helped establish the Columbus-Phenix City Auburn Club’s “Tigers for Heroes” program, which offers Auburn football tickets to military veterans.

A L U M N I

C E N T E R

U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Aaron Allmon II

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A L U M N I

In Memoriam Fred Willis Kilgore Jr. ’51 of Montgomery

died May 10. A U.S. Army veteran of the Korean War, he served in the Army Reserve for 30 years and was an agricultural assistant extension agent for Sumter and Clarke counties. Robert E. “Bob” Scarborough ’51 of

SNAPSHOT

Ripe now When a spate of tornadoes tore through Alabama in April, chef Rob McDaniel ’02 hid along with his staff and customers in the well house of SpringHouse restaurant near Lake Martin. The eatery’s private dining room—accessible only by tunnel— kept them safe, but many area residents fared badly, losing their homes or businesses. At the time, McDaniel’s reputation was just beginning to crest: SpringHouse was becoming known as the place to go for fine food in Alexander City, and Mother Nature Network recently had named the restaurant’s young executive chef as one of its “40 Chefs Under 40” to watch. Given that McDaniel advocates supporting local growers, he agreed to help pull together Chefs to the Rescue, a June charity dinner that raised $50,000 for tornado relief. McDaniel also heads up Slow Food Crossroads, a local chapter of Slow Foods USA, a group that advocates community-supported agriculture. Like many Southerners, McDaniel’s passion for food was born out of watching and eating meals made by his grandmothers. “From one grandmother, I got steak made on a grill inside the house, and from the other I got fried chicken made in a cast-iron skillet,” he recalls. “They did amazing things with what they had in front of them.” He’s infused the “progressive Southern” menu at SpringHouse with meat, dairy and vegetables produced by nearby farmers. At the height of the summer growing season, diners can choose from cornmeal-crusted green tomatoes with homemade chow chow, a veggie plate brimming with creamed corn, field peas, grilled okra, summer squash and sliced tomatoes, or roasted Springer Mountain chicken. “Southern cooking and sustainable foods go together,” McDaniel says. “(Farmers) ask me what they should grow, and I tell them, ‘Don’t grow specifically for me, but tell me what you have in excess. I’ll buy that.’ I have the ability to change the menu at the drop of a hat.”—Sarah Hansen

Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g

Eufaula died June 17. He served in the U.S. Air Force Medical Corps, owned and operated Eufaula Drugs Inc. for 39 years, and was a former president of the Alabama Pharmaceutical Association.

and was a member of Alpha Gamma Delta sorority. Jack S. Buchanan ’52

of Panama City Beach, Fla., died April 22. A U.S. Army Air Corps veteran of World War II, he operated a small-animal clinic in West Virginia and retired after 36 years of service as a veterinarian for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. James Winston Lawson Sr. ’52 of Moody died

June 7. A U.S. Army veteran, he retired as president of LM&B Inc. Sam Fletcher Ledbetter

Katharine Avery Sherrer ’51 of Columbus, Ga.,

died May 20. She was an award-winning seamstress and quilter as well as a Red Cross volunteer.

Jr. ’52 of Linden died April 19. He retired as an administrator for the Farmers Home Administration of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Ralph Outlaw Walton Jr. ’51 of Hamilton,

Joe M. Millican ’52 of

Ga., died April 17. A veteran of the U.S. Army Signal Corps, he launched several agricultural businesses.

Montgomery died April 26. A World War II veteran, he was a retired Alabama state employee. Cenus Owen Murphy ’52

Dan Starke Albritton ’52 of Camden died

April 10. A U.S. Navy veteran of World War II, he owned and operated Albritton Drugs in Camden for 50 years. Dorry Ann Hayes Johnston Blackburn ’52

of Auburn died March 26. A former Miss Auburn, she helped start J&M Bookstore in 1953, was instrumental in founding the Auburn Beautification Council

of Tallassee died April 25. She was a teacher at Tallassee High School.

mechanical engineer with Sherlock, Smith & Adams Inc. architectural and engineering firm for more than 30 years. Jo Kirby Stephenson ’52 of Sheffield died

May 3. She retired as an administrative assistant for Reynolds Metals Co.’s research division and was a member of the Muscle Shoals District Service League, the Tennessee Valley Art Association and Alpha Gamma Delta sorority. William F. “Billy” Walker ’52 of Opelika died

March 22. A World War II veteran, he was a postmaster with the U.S. Postal Service. Roy Wayne Andrews ’53 of Bossier City, La.,

died April 24. He was a dentist specializing in prosthodontics and had retired as a colonel in the U.S. Air Force. Clayton Verl Aucoin ’53

of Pendleton, S.C., died April 5. He was a retired professor of mathematical sciences and former dean at Clemson University. Oscar P. Boyles ’53 of

John L. Parrott ’52 of

Auburn died June 5. A World War II veteran, he retired as head of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System’s communications department. Clyde Somerset Jr. ’52 of Montgomery died

June 2. A U.S. Navy veteran of the Korean War, he was a registered

Smiths Station died April 17. A U.S. Army veteran of World War II, he was a lifelong educator and school principal. Jasper Grigg ’53 of Lawton, Okla., died March 11. A U.S. Army veteran, he retired as a colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve, worked for 30 years at Fort Still, oper-

Returning to normal Alabama suffered more damage than any other state in the South following the series of tornadoes that hit the region on April 27—and experts are describing its recovery as the most massive rebuilding effort since the Civil War, USA Today reports. Insured losses alone are estimated at as much as $4.2 billion. “I have no problem believing the outbreak will be our costliest disaster,” said Anthony Donaldson, an assistant professor of history at Auburn. “There’s really no past event we can compare this to as far as natural disasters go.”

ated a consulting firm and served as president of Allen J. Bilbrey Realty. Walter Joseph Krueger ’53 of Hunts-

ville died April 30. He was a mechanical engineer who designed missile-and-rocketlaunch systems. Sam Moore Phelps ’53

of Grove Hill died April 18. A U.S. Air Force veteran, he practiced law in Tuscaloosa County for more than 45 years. William A. Rawls ’53 of

Robertsdale died July 9. He was a pharmacist and had owned Lee Drug Store Inc. in Robertsdale for 51 years. Lawrence Hudson Russell ’53 of

Marlton, N.J., died Oct. 16. An industrial management major, he retired in 1996 after working in production control and as a project-control administrator for Hazeltine Corp. and RCA Corp.

Fort Walton Beach, Fla. He also served as head coach of the Mobile Tarpons, a semi-pro football team, and was director of the Okaloosa County vocational-technical school for 21 years. Jo Anne Denman ’54 of Samson died April 7. She managed Flower & Gift World of Samson for 35 years, served as a master judge in the Alabama Council of Flower Show Judges of the Garden Club of Alabama Inc. and was a member of Alpha Gamma Delta sorority. Patricia R. Johnston ’54 of Daphne died

March 7. She was a teacher at Silverhill Elementary School, a founding faculty member of Bayside Academy and a member of Alpha Gamma Delta sorority. Joan Burk Nelson ’54

of LaGrange, Ga., died April 6. She retired as a teacher for the Jefferson County School System in Alabama.

Luthersville, Ga., died April 17. A U.S. Army veteran, he was a farmer, a builder and a pilot.

March 12. He was a real estate developer.

Nancy Killian Williamson

Mike Piazza ’54 of

’53 of Opelika died April

Kingsport, Tenn., died June 5. He retired as a vice president of Eastman Chemical Co. and was a fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

Edward V. Baker ’54 of

Fort Walton Beach, Fla., died April 8. A U.S. Air Force veteran, he was a high school football coach in Bay Minette, Mobile, Robertsdale and

Barbara Searcy Wilkerson ’54 of Montgomery

died April 6. She taught high school English, speech and drama, and was a member of Chi Omega sorority. Willie Cline Williamson

Robert Perry Sr.

of Greensboro died May 31. A U.S. Army

Richard Boyette ’56

of Eufaula died May 4. He was a certified public accountant, had served as city clerk of Eufaula and was a member of Sigma Nu fraternity. Sue Orr Burrus ’56

of Winter Haven, Fla., died Dec. 3. She was a poet and tennis instructor.

died March 29. A U.S. Army Air Corps veteran, he was a coach, teacher, school principal and school-system administrator.

Ershel H. Carr ’56 of

James Woods “Jim”

Charles Havis Dawson

Baxter ’55 of Auburn

’56 of Enterprise died

died May 29. A U.S. Air Force veteran of the Korean War, he was a pharmacist and worked at Norman Bridge Drug Co. for 35 years.

June 17. He was a territory manager for Lennox International Inc. and a member of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity.

Auburn died Jan. 5. A U.S. Air Force veteran, he was an employee of USG Corp. in Baton Rouge, La.

David Ramon Ferwerda Harold T. Johnson

April 11. A U.S. Army veteran of the Korean War, he was an academic dean at Georgia Southwestern State University and was a real estate agent in Houston County for 20 years.

’54 of Huntsville died

James Seale Jr. ’54

C E N T E R

Jr. ’54 of Huntsville

’55 of Dothan died

Houston White Jr. ’53 of

26. She was a schoolteacher for 32 years.

veteran, he was a retired farmer and employee of Bayer Corp.

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William George Rogers ’55 of Birmingham

died June 1. A U.S. Air Force veteran, he coowned a construction company and RPM Installations Inc. Daryle E. “Moose” Whitfield ’55 of Prentiss, Miss., died June 15. He was a World War II veteran and a veterinarian.

’56 of Ocala, Fla., died May 8. He taught school in Broward County, Fla., until his retirement in 2005.

Auburn University Club

a t

y a r b r O u g h

f a r m s

William Don “Bill” Gladden ’56 of Ocean Springs, Miss., died May 4. A U.S. Army veteran, he was a regional and district manager for the U.S. Social Security Administration. Paul Mellon Lefstead ’56 of Dunwoody, Ga.,

died June 3. A U.S. Army veteran, he retired from Norfolk Southern Corp. after 40 years.

www.aucyf.com O ur 18 hOle champiOnship gOlf cOurse will take yOur breath away. {Our membership dues won’t.}

James Bruce Somerset ’56 of Santa Rosa Beach,

Fla., died March 3. A U.S. Army veteran of the

For more information contact: Ricky Smallridge, 334.524.0747

a u a l u m . o r g Auburn Magazine

A L U M N I

Here she comes Auburn alumna Courtney Porter ’09 was crowned Miss Alabama during a June beauty pageant that served as a preliminary for the Miss America title. The 24-year-old Clay native, who majored in communication and served on the Tiger Paws dance team at Auburn, will compete in the national pageant in Las Vegas in January.

C E N T E R

In Memoriam Korean War, he was chief engineer and vice president of Metric Systems Inc., and later helped form DataCom Corp. James Thomas Baggett ’57 of Pensacola, Fla., died June 25. A U.S. Air Force veteran, he was an electrical engineer for the U.S. Navy Public Works centers in Pensacola and the Philippines.

vice president for J.C. Penney Co. Inc. Annette Ramsey Hicks ’57 of Leola, Pa., died April 19. She was an executive secretary for the Twin Cities Chamber of Commerce in Valparaiso, Fla., and retired as a substance abuse counselor for Okaloosa County, Fla. Charles Felix Howell

Jimmie Donaldson Davis ’57 of Overland

Park, Kan., died April 21. He retired from Elanco, a division of Eli Lilly and Co., after 37 years.

’57 of Rome, Ga., died

April 17. A U.S. Navy veteran of the Korean War, he worked as an industrial engineer. Betty Palmer Parker ’57 of Hartselle died

Margaret Richardson

March 8.

Force veteran, he was a farmer who later began a real estate agency and a crop insurance business. Jo Ann Bryan Wil-

Loree McLean Fagerstrom ’57 of Pensacola,

Fla., died April 13. She worked as a real estate agent for more than 25 years. William Harold Grant ’57 of Gardendale died June 5. He was a former dean of students, special assistant to the president and professor of counselor education at Auburn. After retiring from Auburn, he served as director of family life ministries for St. Columba Catholic Church in Dothan.

Vernie Wallace “Wally” Parker ’57 of Leesburg,

Fla., died April 27. A U.S. Army veteran of World War II, he was an accounting professor at Murray State University in Murray, Ky. Jim Pyburn ’57 of Jasper

died May 21. He was a third baseman and outfielder for the Baltimore Orioles and an assistant football coach for the University of Georgia from 1964 to 1979. Gene Smith ’57 of Houston died June 10. A U.S. Navy veteran of the Korean War, he retired after 25 years at Anchor Hocking Co. and worked more than 10 years for Bering’s hardware store.

Allen Hale ’57 of Hat-

tiesburg, Miss., died June 10. A U.S. Air Force veteran, he retired as a

John M. Swearingen Sr. ’57 of Pike Road died April 16. A U.S. Air

Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g

’59 of Banner Elk, N.C.,

died April 25. A U.S. Air Force veteran, he retired as a Delta Air Lines pilot after 28 years of service.

liams ’57 of Montgom-

ery died April 28. She taught at Maxwell Air Force Base Elementary School for 26 years.

Constance Dufford ’60

of Gray, Ga., died May 18. She was a retired teacher with the Jones County School System.

Marjorie Cabaniss Bridges ’58 of Milton, Fla., died May 24. She retired as a computer programmer for the federal government.

Robert A. Miller ’60

of Cantonment, Fla., died June 8. He was a mechanical engineer. Carl W. Wilson ’60 of

James Ervin “Jim” Burdette ’58 of Opelika died April 5. He was a captain in the U.S. Air Force.

Erskine ’57 of Virginia

Gardens, Fla., died May 15. She worked as a youth director for Miami Springs United Methodist Church.

Charles Nicholas Prosch

Bob Kimble ’58 of Dillon, Colo., died April 9. He was a U.S. Army paratrooper and later a resident engineer with the U.S. Corps of Engineers.

Evergreen died March 27. He was a veterinarian.

Wayne Swingle Sr. ’61 of Brandon, Fla., died May 11. A U.S. Navy veteran, he was executive director of the Tampa, Fla.-based Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council for more than 30 years.

of Auburn died April 23. She worked for the Auburn athletics department and later formed the Auburn Fraternity Purchasing Agency. Luanne Mount Cutchins

Herman C. Wilborn ’61

’64 of Auburn died

of Auburn died May 27. He was a teacher and coach at Lyman Ward Military Academy in Camp Hill for 17 years and was the commandant of cadets at Gulf Coast Military Academy in Gulfport, Miss., for 10 years.

June 23. She was partner in Reid & Mount Advertising in Birmingham before acquiring a master’s degree in elementary education.

Dorothea “Thea” Dick Neil Bostick ’61 of Ev-

’62 of Lineville died June

ans, Colo., died April 11. A U.S. Air Force veteran of the Vietnam War, he worked as a computer programmer after retiring from the military.

19. She taught biology and other sciences at Lineville High School for more than 25 years.

Lee W. Harrell ’64 of

Poulsbo, Wash., died May 6. A U.S. Army veteran, he was a veterinary officer for the Northwest Fisheries Science Center, an entity of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Ewart Andrew Speer Jr. ’62 of Milpitas, Calif.,

Bob Platt ’64 of Aiken, S.C., died May 27. He was a retired pharmacist and a reserve police officer.

Talladega died March 1. He was an accountant with General Motors Co. for 37 years.

died April 9. A U.S. Navy veteran, he was membership director of the Silicon Valley ModelA Restorers Club.

David Perry Doss ’61

Ki Saing Bai ’63 of

Allen ’65 of Alexander

of Hoover died May 2. He retired from Sequoia Construction Co. Inc.

of Conroe, Texas, died June 18. He retired from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service after 43 years with the agency.

Lafayette, Calif., died June 2. He owned an engineering company and several import-export businesses for 30 years.

City died April 10. She taught at Jim Pearson Elementary and Stephens Elementary schools for 33 years. Edith McClung Hale ’65

Emil “Jack” Kluever

Thomas Beaty Peel ’61

Richard A. Byrd ’63 of Flowery Branch, Ga., died May 15. He retired as a civil engineer for the federal government.

Trease Donald Adams ’59 of Birmingham died April 4. A U.S. Army veteran of the Korean War, he worked for South Central Bell Telephone Co. for 31 years. W. Howard Caton ’59

’59 of Las Vegas died

April 23. He was a 30year military veteran, serving in World War II as well as the Korean and Vietnam wars. He also worked as a test pilot for NASA.

Wayne Bowen ’61 of

Patricia B. Walker ’63

Kathryn Newberry

of Dothan died March 1. A U.S. Air Force veteran of the Korean War, he worked for the state of Alabama for 30 years as a supervisor in the Houston County food stamp office and the Alabama Medicaid Agency.

Lynette Yandle Patterson ’63 of Macon, Ga., died

May 27. She taught high school English for more than 15 years at Miller High School and Stratford Academy.

of Columbus, Ga., died April 28. She taught in the Muscogee County School District for more than 40 years and was the proprietor of Hales Grocery. Theodore “Ted” Franklin Mallory III ’65 of Fayetteville,

Ga., died June 26.

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He served in the U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard for 36 years, retiring as a major general and chief pilot and director of flight training for Northwest Airlines.

Industry and was a past president of the National Plant Board, the National Plant Board Advisory Council and the Entomological Society of America. John Phillip Moore Sr.

died May 24. She enjoyed teaching, music and gardening.

’66 of Leesburg, Fla., died May 7. He retired as a computer programmer with Rotech Healthcare Inc.

Timothy Pearson

John Carey Pruett ’67

Maye Springer Parker ’65 of Union Springs

’65 of Arlington,

Texas, died May 7. He coached basketball in Hawaii and at the University of Melbourne in Australia. Jimmie Hodge Timmons Jr. ’65 of Arlington, Ga., died April 5. He served as a state senator and superintendent of the Calhoun County school system.

of Verbena died April 28. He worked as a civil engineer. Denny Romine Jr. ’67 of Auburn died April 25. He worked in General Electric Co.’s aerospace division in Cincinnati for 35 years. Kenneth R. Allen ’68

died March 7.

of Jasper, Ga., died July 9. He was the founding president of North Metro Technical College in Acworth, Ga.

Richard Charles “Dick”

Donald Michael

Fontaine ’66 of Atlanta

Cassaras ’69 of Roanoke, Va., died April 19. He was employed at AECOM technical management and support services company for more than 35 years.

Earl Vardaman Jr. ’65 of Birmingham

died April 29. A U.S. Air Force veteran, he was a pilot for Delta Air Lines for 35 years. Gary White Gross

C E N T E R

Hoops legend gone at 55 Former Auburn Tigers forward Mike Mitchell, who made his professional debut with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1978 and played for the San Antonio Spurs throughout most of the 1980s, died June 9 after a two-year battle with a rare form of lung cancer. He was 55. The 6-foot-7 Mitchell, known for his loud laugh and killer mid-range jumpshot, was an All-American at Auburn and remains the university’s all-time leading rebounder with 996. He left school as the Tigers’ all-time leading scorer with 2,123 points and continues to be second on the Tigers’ scoring chart behind only Chuck Person, who is now an assistant coach for the L.A. Lakers. Mitchell was selected as a second-team All-American as a senior in 1977-78, when he averaged 24.9 points and 8.9 rebounds. The Atlanta native was a four-time All-Southeastern Conference selection, including a first-team pick three years. Auburn athletics director Jay Jacobs described Mitchell as one of the greatest basketball players in Auburn history. “After earning All-America honors at Auburn, Mike went on to become an NBA All-Star and enjoyed a phenomenal professional career,” Jacobs said. “Our hearts and prayers go out to Mike’s family during this difficult time.” Mitchell was a first-round draft choice by the Cleveland Cavaliers and played in the NBA for 10 years with the Cavaliers and the San Antonio Spurs. He was an NBA All-Star in 1981, averaging 24.5 points and 6.1 rebounds to rank eighth in the league in scoring. He then teamed with George Gervin and Artis Gilmore in leading the Spurs to backto-back Midwest Division titles. Mitchell averaged 25.7 points and 8.3 rebounds in the 1982 NBA Western Conference finals against the Lakers. He closed out a 22-year professional career by playing his last 12 seasons in Italy, most recently with Pallacanesstro Reggiana. Mitchell retired from pro basketball in 1999; afterward he returned to San Antonio, where he counseled at-risk teenagers.

’66 of Athens died

March 17. He was a physician and National Guard veteran of Operation Desert Storm. Herman Brown “Jack”

Blake Coker ’69

of Byron, Ga., died May 23. He worked for Georgia Power for 31 years as well as for MEAG Power.

Jackson Jr. ’66 of West

Union, S.C., died April 3. He retired as head of the Clemson University Department of Plant

Edward A. Wells ’69

of Spruce Pine died June 14.

Theodore “Ted” James Eckert ’70 of Santa

Maria, Calif., died June 7. He retired as director of safety for the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center. Sharon Carey McDonald ’70 of Mobile died May

22. She was a teacher and counselor at McGillToolen Catholic High School for 32 years. Maggie Minear Nettles ’70 of Athens, Ga.,

died June 9. She taught English at Athens Technical College and also

worked in the School of Ecology at the University of Georgia. John Hurd ’71 of LaGrange, Ga., died May 23. He was a biology professor and department chair at LaGrange College.

William E. “Bill” Glasscock ’71 of Au-

burn died May 18. He was a carpenter. Paula Gentry Southworth ’71 of Saint Augus-

tine, Fla., died March 23. She maintained the daily operations of her family’s

a u a l u m . o r g Auburn Magazine

Auburn University then and now, portr ayed in photogr aphs

Can you imagine engaging in a mock battle on the lawn of Comer Hall,

Even though a winter storm brought ice and snow to the state on Jan. 10, 2011, it did nothing to quiet the cheers of thousands of Auburn fans celebrating the national championship win at Toomer’s Corner. The chant “It’s great to be an Auburn Tiger,” was heard well into the night.

attending mandatory Sunday services in the University Chapel, typing term papers on a manual typewriter, or searching for information on a laptop computer with a Wi-Fi connection in

on the chosen to $80 depending ranged from $25 Male College Alabama Male College tuition at the East the East Alabama In 1870, the cost of and lodging. In return, the country.” $15 to $20 for board in any institution in plus an additional as can be found courses of study, adopted the a course of instruction college in 1872, it as full and thorough Alabama’s land-grant offered to “furnish College became became Alabama East Alabama Male until 1899 when it When the original a name it retained were called cadets College of Alabama, A&M of Alabama and Mechanical male students at name Agricultural of their early 20th-century exercises as part Nineteenth- and and engage in military Polytechnic Institute. military-style uniforms and wear gray wool buy to required and and until 1892. with faculty and cadets were not admitted LeRoy Broun, center, education. Women President William Wilmore and Arthur (upper right) is of professors John Jay The group photograph faculty included the East The Hall. equipment, Samford or of uniform 1890 on the steps was part of the cadet’s was taken about dedicated depict the coat that the Alumni Association photos on this page memorial sign from Dunstan. The other from 1886, and a registration book during the Civil War. Alabama Male College’s of the Confederacy fought on the side to the students who

Auburn University

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the student center? If you’re an Auburn graduate, the chances are good that you’ve done at least one of those things on campus. Relive the memories in Echoes Strong and Clear, a 12 x 12-inch, 160-page photographic compilation depicting Auburn University’s historical transformation from its beginning to the present. If you are one of the more than 270,000 Auburn alumni, the images in Echoes Strong and Clear will give you a sense of what student life was like for those who went before, during, or after your time here.

Echoes Strong and Clear is available for $39.95 per book. Pre-order your copies directly from Auburn University Photographic Services.

www.auburn.edu/photo or (334) 844-4560.

A L U M N I

C E N T E R

In Memoriam business for 24 years and was a member of Alpha Omicron Pi. Steve Wooten ’71 of

Montgomery died June 6. He was a juvenile probation supervisor for Montgomery County.

Steven L. Brown ’76 of Montgomery died March 18. He worked for the state of Alabama for more than 30 years. Lemuel Greene

Patrick Walker ’79 of

Loudon, Tenn., died May 3. A U.S. Army veteran of the Vietnam War, he founded Loudon County Animal Hospital.

Boyett II ’76 of Sul-

ligent died June 14.

Betty Sue Waldrep ’80

of Columbus, Ga., died June 19. She developed TennisWorks, a charity that provided tennis equipment and training for at-risk youth.

Larry C. Bishop ’72 of

Edward Charles

Blue Ridge, Ga., died April 16. A U.S. Army veteran and bluegrass musician, he owned a Burger King franchise.

Brueggemann ’76 of

George “Bus” Davis

rington ’77 of Auburn

’81 of Gulf Shores

’72 of Richmond, Va., died June 4. After careers in the U.S. Air Force and Virginia Air National Guard, he worked with the Henrico County Police Crime Stoppers program.

died March 26. He was a flight instructor at Auburn as well as a Baptist minister and cattle famer.

died Feb. 13. She was a pharmacist.

Fairhope died June 11. He was a pharmacist for more than 35 years. Joseph Kirby Far-

Michelle Drake Porter ’73 of Clay

died April 28. She taught kindergarten for 33 years at Erwin Elementary and Center Point Elementary schools. Norman Winn Lipscomb ’74 of Ralph died April

4. He was a real estate agent and broker for 31 years with Gulf States Paper Corp. and The Westervelt Co. Joseph D. “Joe” Hubbard ’75 of Oxford

died July 4. He retired as district attorney for Calhoun County.

Susan Rawls Baker

Bobbi Lee Danford Riddle ’82 of Wetumpka

Thomas D. Samford IV ’77 of Montgomery

died April 15. A U.S. Navy veteran, he was an attorney for the Alabama Judicial System’s Administrative Office of Courts and the Alabama Public Service Commission. Thomas David Howle ’78

of Fayetteville, Ga., died May 8. He was a fourthgeneration Auburn graduate and a member of Kappa Alpha Order. Bruce Cardin Stewart ’78 of Niceville,

Fla., died May 23. He coached college basketball at several schools, most recently at Northwest Florida State College.

died March 25. She retired as a lieutenant colonel with the Alabama Army National Guard after 30 years and served in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Ronda Whitlock Dalenberg ’82 of Ridge Grove

died April 12. She retired from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s rural housing development office in Opelika.

chapter at the University of West Georgia. Deborah Dupree Smith ’83 of Cumming, Ga.,

died May 27. She established the preschool and women’s ministries at Midway Community Church. Walter J. “Jerry” Dunaway III ’84 of La Porte,

Texas, died May 4. He taught science at South Houston High School for 25 years. Robert Stephen Malone Jr. ’84 of Birmingham

died May 23. He was a real estate agent with the Mountain Brook office of RealtySouth. W. Scott Arledge ’85 of Birmingham

died April 10. He practiced pharmacy for 25 years and had recently opened Helena Hometown Pharmacy. He was a member of the dean’s advisory board for Auburn’s Harrison School of Pharmacy. Ronald “Ronnie”

Jean M. Franklin ’90

Melissa Dawn Spicer

of Montgomery died April 24. She was a speech pathologist for Montgomery Rehabilitation Hospital and HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital in Panama City Beach, Fla.

’02 of Alexander City died April 12. She was a ministry assistant for The City Church in Auburn.

Tim Justice ’90 of Opelika died April 23. He was the dean of applied business at Columbus Technical College in Columbus, Ga., and was an adjunct professor at Southern Union Community College.

Brian Christopher

Frederick Lee McCain ’90 of Anniston died

April 6. A U.S. Army Reserve veteran, he was a lab technician and director for Tallassee Medical Center.

Jay Hudson ’93 of

Birmingham died June 7. He taught science at Bumpus Middle School.

Todd Randall Lightner

Drew Elliot Armstrong

’89 of Louisville, Colo.,

’00 of Plantation, Fla., died April 17. He was a production manager for The Pepsi Bottling Group for six years and worked as an operations manager for McDonald’s for four years.

ville ’79 of Portland,

of Opelika died May 7. He retired as principal of Carver Primary School.

Conn., died May 29. He worked as a mechanical engineer for Pratt & Whitney for 30 years.

Ga., died May 13. She was a member of Alpha Gamma Delta sorority and served as chapter adviser for the Gamma Tau

David McCaleb ’89 of Birmingham died April 26. He was an architect.

’07 of Auburn died June 1. He was a research associate in Auburn’s School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences.

Faculty and Friends Escarpanter of Auburn

May 3. He owned Blue Ridge Flooring.

Larry Strickland ’75

Kevin James Kleiner

Jose Antonio “Pepe”

Albany, Ga., died April 3. He was a partner in the veterinary practice of Dockery, Williams, Odom & Deriso.

Burns ’83 of Bremen,

ven, Fla., died April 26. A member of the U.S. Army Reserve, he worked at Tyndall Air Force Base as a chemist.

Ga., died June 10. She was an occupational therapist.

Waller Williams ’85 of

Mary “Mikki” Sewell

Evans ’06 of Lynn Ha-

man ’92 of Grayson,

of Plano, Texas, died May 9. He was a policeman and detective for the city of Auburn and served as a U.S. marshal in Houston before becoming a mortgage banker.

Timothy Andrew Mille-

died March 2.

Gloria Larussa Feld-

Daniel Donnelly ’82

died May 28. He was managing partner of The Melting Pot restaurant.

Scott Matthew James ’05 of Houston

died May 30. He was a professor in Auburn’s Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures for 20 years. Richard McCarthy Patterson of Auburn

Earl Timothy Wilder ’95 of Greenville died

died March 25. He served as an assistant agronomist in Auburn’s Department of Agronomy and Soils and retired as the head of researchdata analysis. Charles Spencer Rose Jr. of Auburn died June 6. He taught literature as an associate professor at Auburn for 34 years.

a u a l u m . o r g Auburn Magazine

A L U M N I

C E N T E R

The Last Word

On the origins of the Auburn spirit BY WYC ORR ’68 Cultural historians have often observed that Major League Baseball depends more on nostalgia than do other professional sports. The iconic “Field of Dreams” movie exemplified this phenomenon, but the same might be said of college football. Legendary sportswriters such as Grantland Rice, with his immortal tribute to Notre Dame’s 1924 backfield and victory over Army (“outlined against a blue-gray October sky, the Four Horsemen rode again”), symbolize the sport’s tie to the past. Surely no collegiate football rivalry depends on reverence for the past more than that of Auburn University and the University of Alabama. Much of that love of legacy is about family—our own individual families’ participation in the rivalry as well as the participation of each institution’s alumni family. After Auburn’s historic 28-27 comeback win against the Tide in last year’s Iron Bowl, one example leapt into my mind. It was Nov. 30, 1963, just eight days after the tragic shock of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination. Although my family and I couldn’t allow ourselves to think it, we probably knew that this was to be the last Auburn-Alabama game that my dad, who was dying of lung cancer, would ever see. He was little more than a month past having a cancerous lung removed, but he was determined to watch his beloved Tigers take on the Tide at Legion Field in Birmingham one more time. Never has there been an Auburn alumnus who loved his school more. Captain of the Tigers baseball team during his senior year, 1935, and contemporary and friend of legendary Auburn athletes Ralph “Shug” Jordan ’32 and Joel Eaves ’37, Johnny Orr was of an era in which most AU students were the first in their families to attend college. Having lost his own dad, who died suddenly when Johnny was only 12, his mother Miriam became an ideal model for single mothers determined to see their children become upright, successful citizens. As manager of a cotton-mill-owned hotel in tiny Lindale, Ga., her work, grit and determination were devoted to earning the sustenance needed to properly raise Johnny and his older sister, Mary. In a nation mired in the Great Depression, college for my dad and so many others was not just a heady learning experience—it was a ticket to a better life. The shared joy of opportunity and camaraderie in that challenging era no doubt bred so much of what has become universally recognized as the “Au-

Auburn Magazine a u a l u m . o r g

burn spirit.” Growing up as the child of such men and women, one could sense that spirit in so many ways, spoken and unspoken. They radiated it. My dad certainly did—and was a shining symbol of the Auburn spirit if ever there was one. To Johnny Orr, every trip back to Auburn—usually for a football game, but occasionally at other times of the year—was a pilgrimage. He just loved being in Auburn. I can see him now, eyes closed briefly during a ball game. I never knew for sure whether he was praying for Auburn or reveling in the moment, but probably both. By the time of that 1963 fall classic, I was a high school senior tapped by my mother to drive her, my dad and my younger brother, Robert, to Birmingham from our home in Tifton, Ga. She attended to my dad, who was lying prostrate underneath blankets in the back seat. It was cold and windy where our seats were located in the end zone at Legion Field. No doubt my mother tried to discourage my dad from attending the game, but he wouldn’t hear of it. He was determined to see the Tigers against the Tide one more time. Auburn rewarded my dad’s devotion with a 10-8 victory, holding off ’Bama from a late attempt to drive into field-goal position. My dad never saw another Auburn-Alabama game, but thank God he saw that one. I have no doubt my dad was looking down on the 2010 Iron Bowl, remembering with a smile another late fall afternoon long ago, when his beloved Tigers also downed the Tide. The Auburn spirit is born of such memories, and we honor that spirit—as well as our forebears—by continuing to pay homage to our alma mater. Surely that is part of what the Tigers’ original football coach and history professor George Petrie meant so long ago when he penned the immortal words of our Auburn Creed: “… And because Auburn men and women believe in these things, I believe in Auburn and love it.” Gainesville, Ga.-based attorney Wyc Orr served as a Georgia state legislator from 1989 to 1993 and is a former member of the Auburn Alumni Association board of directors. He received an accounting degree from Auburn in 1968.

Honoring a Mentor and Lifelong Friend

Auburn Scholarship Campaign

Dawn Robertson ’77, Fashion Merchandising with Dr. Mary Eileen Barry (right). An early proponent of students and faculty expanding their global focus, Dr. Barry taught 26 years at Auburn.

Dawn Robertson enjoys a successful 25+ year career in the fashion industry, having been president and CEO of several large clothing retailers. She credits her success to an Auburn professor who “expanded my horizons about what I could achieve in the fast-paced retail world.” Dawn was so inspired by her mentor and friend, Dr. Mary Eileen Barry, that she established an endowed scholarship in her honor. “Dr. Barry began as my teacher and became an inspiration for myself and my daughters; her curiosity has taken her around the world in her quest for new cultures, new trends, and new friends. Her relentless pursuit of ‘making things happen’ has resulted in great partnerships and opportunities for students and alumni. “In the past 30 years, Dr. Barry has provided support, great advice, a lot of fun, and most of all, she has become my lifelong friend. The main reason for this endowed scholarship is that I wish for Auburn students to have the same type of role model in their lives.” As part of the Auburn Scholarship Campaign, Dawn’s gift will be paired with a Spirit of Auburn Scholarship and awarded to students studying apparel merchandising, design and production management in the College of Human Sciences.

To learn more about the Auburn Scholarship Campaign, visit www.auburn.edu/scholarshipcampaign.

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