HOMECOMING

October 27-28

Oct. 27, 10 a.m.

5th Annual Homecoming Golf Tournament

Swan Lake Golf Course

Oct. 27, 6 p.m.

Military Alumni Chapter Scholarship Dinner

Morgan University Center Ballroom

Oct. 28, 8 a.m.

50 Year Reunion, Class of 1973 Reception

Iris Room

Kristopher R. Phillips, MSL (’91, ’21)

Vice President of Alumni, Engagement and Philanthropy Executive Director of APSU Foundation

Oct. 28, 9 a.m.

Distinguished Alumni Awards Ceremony Morgan University Center Ballroom

Oct. 28, 11 a.m.

APSU Homecoming Parade APSU Campus

Oct. 28, 1-2:30 p.m.

#ExperienceAustinPeay Tailgate Tailgate Alley

Oct. 28, 3 p.m.

Govs vs. North Alabama Football Game Fortera Stadium

For more information, visit www.alumni.apsu.edu/homecoming

39th Annual Candlelight Ball

Saturday, May 6, 2023 • Omni Nashville Hotel • 6 p.m.

RSVP by April 28 by visiting: www.alumni.apsu.edu/candlelight2023

Candlelight Ball is an Austin Peay State University tradition with a history of providing scholarships to students each year. Established in 1984, the Ball was founded by the late Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Wendell H. Gilbert to raise scholarship funding for APSU students. Gilbert served as APSU’s Vice President for Development and University Relations for 17 years.

Over time, underwriters and guests have aided in scholarships and funding for renovations to the Pace Alumni Center at Emerald Hill and resources for the APSU Center for Teaching and Learning. We are proud that this event offers a meaningful way for community members to give back to APSU, while also helping students achieve their goals and enhancing the Austin Peay Experience for our entire campus community.

Thank you to Fortera Credit Union for serving as our inaugural Governor Sponsor, which is the 2023 Title Sponsor for Candlelight Ball.

WENDELL H. GILBERT AWARD

Dr. Joe (’70) and Estella Greer

Dr. Joe Greer graduated from APSU in 1970 with bachelor’s degrees in Chemistry and Biology. He earned his D.D.S. from the University of Tennessee Center for the Health Sciences in 1973. In 1991, he received his Master of Science in Health Promotions from Memphis State University. Since then, Joe has maintained a successful private practice in Memphis and has been an instructor at the UT College of Dentistry. He was named the APSU Outstanding Alumnus in 2015 and he is a past president of the APSU National Alumni Association (NAA). Estella Mayhue-Greer earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Memphis. She spent 21 years with the Mid-South Food Bank, serving in various roles, including president and CEO, prior to her retirement in 2019. In 2015, she received the Humanitarian of the Year award from the Memphis City Council. Joe created the Nannie Mae Wooten Memorial Endowed Scholarship and Estella created the Dr. Joe C. Greer Endowed Scholarship. Both scholarships benefit APSU African American students.

Kitty Harvill

Alumni and Annual Giving Corner

In the Austin Peay State University Office of Alumni and Annual Giving, we work to serve you and our entire campus community through a variety of outreach initiatives, opportunities and events.

Our office is a part of the APSU division of Alumni, Engagement and Philanthropy. It is our goal to encourage and foster lifelong alumni participation, involvement, and commitment.

We are responsible for APSU fundraising campaigns such as Govs Give, GOVing Tuesday and the SHAPE Campaign for APSU Faculty and Staff. Our intent is to provide giving opportunities that will appeal to our many stakeholders, including students, faculty, staff, community members, fans of our Governors sports teams and of course - our alumni.

Lately, one of our primary goals has been to emphasize the importance of involvement from our young alumni. The individuals who make up this group form a critical bridge from the Austin student experience to the alumni experience.

Spirit Of Austin Peay Award

Larry (’97) and Barbara Goolsby

Master Sgt. (Ret.) Larry Goolsby graduated from APSU in 1997 with a bachelor’s degree in Public Management. He had a 20-year career in the United States Air Force, working in Human Resources and recruiting. Larry earned many awards throughout his career, and was named the Top Human Resource NCO in the World for Recruiting Service. He was also awarded the Gold Badge for being the Top Recruiter in Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama and Indiana. He has been with Goolsby & Rye Used Appliances, a business owned by Barbara, for the 29 years since his retirement. Barbara trained in the Tennessee Disaster Relief Program to assist with relief efforts in West Virginia and Virginia Beach after Hurricane Frances. She has coached youth basketball and youth soccer. Larry and Barbara have supported APSU through the Govs Club, the Monocle Society and the Tower Club and by creating the Larry and Barbara Goolsby Business Endowment and contributing to the Patricia Goolsby Gregory Memorial Endowment to honor Larry’s late sister, an Austin Peay alumna and a 2007 recipient of the APSU Outstanding Alumna Award.

In 2022, Kitty Harvill, daughter of the late F. Evans Harvill (‘44, ’47), was recognized for her contribution to art and wildlife with the prestigious Simon Combes Conservation Artist Award. The award is the top honor given by the Artists for Conservation (AFC).

Kitty is co-founder of Artist and Biologists Unite for Nature (ABUN). She has provided many works of art to the Agreement on the Conservation of Albatrosses and Petrels (ACAP), both individually and through ABUN, in support of World Albatross Day and to illustrate articles posted to ACAP Latest News. She recently provided the illustrations for “Wisdom, the Midway Albatross: Surviving the Japanese Tsunami and Other Disasters for Over 60 Years,” a book written by Darcy Pattison.

Kitty visited the APSU campus in October 2022 to commemorate the naming of the F. Evans Harvill Quad and the F. Evans Harvill Memorial Highway in honor of her late father, an outstanding alumnus with a family history of giving back to the University in many ways.

Whether they are attending annual events like Homecoming and the Candlelight Ball, mentoring current and future Governors or checking out one of our Govs Gatherings in cities across the country, our young alumni are making connections and contributions that strengthen our network of Governors.

So far this year, we have already hosted successful events in Charlotte, North Carolina and Orlando, Florida. If you live in Texas and want to join in on the fun of our Govs Gatherings, don’t miss our events in the North Fort Worth area on May 15, followed by another event the next day in the South Fort Worth area. We will then move on to the Round Rock area of the state for another Govs Gathering on May 17. We will also have a Govs Gathering in Clarksville on Aug. 25 and another in Knoxville on Sept. 8.

Thank you for being an active member of our Austin Peay alumni family. We hope to see you on campus soon!

If you have questions, suggestions or need information about APSU alumni events, or you if are interested in forming a new alumni chapter, please feel free to contact us by email at alumni@ apsu.edu or by phone at 931-221-7979. We are eager to help you.

Sincerely,

Brad Averitt (’10, ’17)

APSU Assistant Executive Director of Alumni and Annual Giving

Austin Peay has partnered with FreeWill, a free online tool that guides you through the process of creating a will in just 20 minutes. FreeWill helped APSU alumna Donna Glenn (’97) create an estate plan to fulfill her goal of giving back to her alma mater. Visit FreeWill.com/APSU to start your free will today!

“I arrived at Austin Peay as a nontraditional student who had struggled to complete my degree. As soon as I stepped on campus, I was welcomed and immediately felt like I had found a new family. Every member of the faculty and staff was ready to guide and mentor me so that I could be successful. Because of their help, I was able to complete my degree and even went on to complete a graduate degree. At the beginning of my second semester at the Peay, I earned a scholarship for being an athletic trainer and I decided then that someday I would pay the University back for their generosity. I have always told my husband that I wanted to leave something to the University when I pass, I just never knew the process to make that happen. The FreeWill tool helped me organize my affairs and walked me through every step of the process to make sure my wishes will be honored. It was quick and easy to understand, and I feel better knowing my executor will have direction when handling my estate. Transferring to Austin Peay and receiving that scholarship changed my life and I want to help future students have the same opportunity for success that I was given.” -

Donna Glenn (’97)