Berry Magazine - Summer 2013

BERRY Summer 2013

a magazine for alumni and friends of Berry College

Education:

The great equalizer r. John Barge (88C) promotes opportunity D as Georgia public school chief

Rangers lead the way! ichael Moore (83c) brings M Airborne Ranger courage to medicine

Turn the radio on Kristen Gates (96C) lives on Atlanta’s airwaves

VOL. 99, NO. 3

SUMMER 2013

BERRY Features

Cultural inheritance

17

Education: The great equalizer

Dr. John Barge (88C) promotes opportunity as Georgia public school chief

20

Rangers lead the way!

Michael Moore (83c) brings Airborne Ranger courage to medicine

Departments 2

Noteworthy News

• Campus eagles attract international audience • Teacher education program earns high marks • Football team preps for inaugural season • Coca-Cola, Ford executives headline first student enterprise conference • Berry boards welcome alumni among new members • Forensics program claims first international crown

10

President’s Essay

An unexpected opportunity, a robust test

23

Learn. Live. Give.

• Longtime friend Lou Brown Jewell supports nursing program • Charitable gift annuity makes good sense for alumni couple • Bob (62H) and Kay Williams have giving “to-do” list • Becky Musser Hosea Scholarship helps student pursue passions

28

Class Notes

31

Memory and Honor Gifts

Photographer Zane Cochran captures the spring majesty of Martha Berry’s Oak Hill.

Cover photo by Terry Allen

Terry Allen

Kristen Gates (96C) lives on Atlanta’s airwaves

14

Georgia Department of Education

Turn the radio on

17

courtesy of Michael Moore

14

8

20

Gena Flanigen

Digital archive opens Martha Berry Collection to the world

Paul O’Mara

8

23

2

NOTEWORTHY NEWS

BERRY magazine

Published three times per year for alumni and friends of Berry College Editor Karilon L. Rogers Managing Editor Rick Woodall (93C) Contributing Writers Debbie Rasure Joni Kenyon Design and Production Shannon Biggers (81C) Chief Photographer Alan Storey Class Notes and Gifts Listings Justin Karch (01C, 10G), Joni Kenyon and Rose Nix Contact Information Class Notes and Change of Address: alumni@berry.edu; 706-236-2256; 800-782-0130; or Berry Alumni Office, P.O. Box 495018, Mount Berry, GA 30149.

Editorial: rwoodall@berry.edu; 706-378-2870; or Berry magazine, P.O. Box 490069, Mount Berry, GA 30149.

Majestic birds provide research opportunities for faculty, students

BERRY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION President: Haron W. Wise (57H)

MORE THAN 100,000 WEBCAM

Past President: Barbara Pickle McCollum (79C)

the Berry community, campus visitors and Georgia media outlets keeping watch this spring over the two bald eagles – and later their offspring – living in the top of a large pine tree near Berry’s main entrance. Mom and Dad established the part-time residence early last year, but it was too late for them to produce offspring. They returned in October, just in time for nesting season, and by late January two eaglets had hatched.

While the eagles are a curiosity for many, they represent an amazing learning opportunity for students and faculty. Kevin Shepherd, an animal science major, alerted Associate Professor of Biology Renee Carleton to the nest. Biology major Stuart Barrow (13C) then

Vice Presidents: Alumni Events, Ruth K. Martin (65C); Berry Heritage, Kimberly Terrell Melton (04C, 06G, FS); Financial Support, Tim Goodwin (03C); Young Alumni and Student Relations, Laura A. Sutton (09C); Alumni Awards, Rebecca Christopher (61C) Chaplain: The Rev. Scott McClure (89C) Parliamentarian: Giles M. Chapman Jr. (66C) Secretary: Nelda P. Ragsdale (64C) Historian: Dr. David F. Slade (97C, FS) Director of Alumni Relations Chris Watters (89C) Assistant Vice President for Public Relations and Marketing Jeanne Mathews Vice President for Advancement Bettyann O’Neill President Stephen R. Briggs

2

Eaglewatching

BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2013

VIEWERS WORLDWIDE joined

confirmed that it was active.

Since that time, Carleton has incorporated the majestic birds into her Principles of Zoology course and conducted research with Director of Environmental Compliance and Sustainability Eddie Elsberry to learn more about their diet.

“Their presence definitely boosts the wildlife diversity here on campus,” Carleton noted.

“Bald eagles tend to prefer more coastal areas, but they are expanding their range inland.

Our campus ecosystem apparently provides them with the habitat and resources they need.”

The eagles and their new offspring finally took leave of the nest in late spring, but Carleton expects the original pair to return in October when another nesting season begins.

“The eagles should continue to use this nest for many years to come, especially since it looks like this will be a successful location for them,” she said.

According to reports in the Rome News-Tribune, the Berry eagles are part of a growing population in Northwest Georgia.

“The numbers are slowly climbing on up, and we’re finding eagle nests in areas we didn’t expect to find them before,” stated Jim Ozier of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. “The eagle has been a good success story.”

Editor’s Note: Rome News-Tribune Associate Editor Doug Walker contributed to this story.

Alan Storey

The Berry eagles were a popular attraction for the photographers and wildlife enthusiasts who routinely gathered at the impromptu viewing area on the northern fringe of the Cage Center parking lot during the height of the nesting season. Among the “eagle paparazzi” was Gena Flanigen, a retired educator from Rome who took these pictures of Berry’s most famous part-time residents.

Inaugural football season kicks off Sept. 7 FOR MORE THAN A YEAR, Tony Kunczewski and his coaching staff

Alan Storey

+

A

Charter School earns from accreditation boards THE HIGH QUALITY OF BERRY’S TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAM

has been reaffirmed at both the national and state levels following reaccreditation visits by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and the Georgia Professional Standards Commission.

Strengths identified in Berry’s teacher education program include field experiences and clinical practice, school and business partnerships, the availability of an English for Speakers of Other Languages endorsement, the Pathways to Teaching program for minority teacher recruitment, and the engagement of Berry faculty in research related to their teaching and fields of specialization.

Value added components noted by the accrediting teams include the opportunity for Berry students to gain experience in “best practices” classrooms at the college’s three on-campus laboratory schools and the

Charter Fellows program for education alumni.

“We are delighted that both NCATE and the Georgia Professional Standards Commission recognize the strengths and relevance of our 27 distinctive certification programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels,” said Dr. Jackie McDowell, dean of Berry’s Charter School of Education and Human Sciences.

“Martha Berry taught us all to be developers of human potential. Our mission is to prepare Berry teachers and leaders who are mindful of the complex nature of our society, and we carry that mission into classrooms every day.”

Berry has held national accreditation in teacher education since 1974.

have been hard at work recruiting the scholar-athletes who will make up Berry’s inaugural football team. On Aug. 14, the practice fields behind the newly renovated Richards Gymnasium will come to life as approximately 100 Berry football players – most of them incoming freshmen – begin preparations for the Sept. 7 season opener against Maryville College of Tennessee.

For Kunczewski, that first practice can’t come soon enough.

“We cannot wait!” he exclaimed. “We got a little taste of football in the spring with our rising sophomores and juniors, but it will certainly be different when the pads come out in August.”

Though his first team will be young, Kunczewski is pleased with the group’s talent on and off the field.

“You will find that the academic profile for the football recruits closely mirrors that of the student body,” he stated.

While fundraising efforts continue for Berry’s on-campus stadium, christened Valhalla by trustee and lead donor Steve Cage (74C), home games for 2013 will be played at two nearby facilities, Barron Stadium in downtown Rome and Chris Hunter Stadium on the campus of Darlington School (see accompanying schedule).

Seven of the 10 games on the inaugural schedule feature current or future members of the Southern Athletic Association.

Asked what fans can expect of NCAA Division III football, Kunczewski responded, “I am biased because I’ve played and coached at this level, but it will be very competitive. We have a very tough schedule both in and out of conference. We certainly have our work cut out for us, but I think we’re up for the challenge.

“We hope our fans will see a team that plays hard every snap and is physical. We also hope they see a marked improvement week in and week out. We want our alumni to be proud of the young men who will be making history representing this amazing institution.”

Berry College Football Schedule DATE OPPONENT Sept. 7 Maryville Sept. 15 LaGrange JV Sept. 21 at Mercer Sept. 28 at Rhodes* Oct. 5 at Washington Univ.-St. Louis** Oct. 12 Centre* Oct. 19 at Hendrix* Oct. 26 Birmingham-Southern* Nov. 2 at Millsaps* Nov. 9 Sewanee* * SAA opponent

** Future SAA opponent

2013

LOCATION Barron Stadium Darlington School Macon, Ga. Memphis, Tenn.

St. Louis, Mo. Darlington School Conway, Ark. Darlington School Jackson, Miss.

Barron Stadium Home game

BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2013

3

IT’S NOT OFTEN THAT CNN PROFILES

A BERRY FRESHMAN,

but few freshmen are like Ryan Boyle. The Connecticut native was nearly killed at age 9 when the Big Wheel toy he was riding was struck by a pickup truck. The accident and subsequent surgery left him in a coma for two months, after which he had to relearn how to breathe, swallow, talk, eat, stand, sit and walk.

A decade later, Boyle is the author of a book about his experience, When The Lights Go Out: A

Boy Given a Second Chance, and a competitive para-cyclist who is riding in Europe this June and has his sights set on the 2016 Paralympics in Brazil.

In an interview with the Campus Carrier, Boyle recalled how a neurologist who examined him soon after his accident noted, “I am optimistic that Ryan will gain enough strength in his right hand to type.”

“Well, I think I am doing a lot better than that,” Boyle stated. reporting by student writer OLIVIA DONNALLY

student photographer Blake Childers

Freshman Ryan Boyle demonstrates his cycling prowess for CNN.

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BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2013

FRESHMAN ALEX SOROHAN RECENTLY HELPED BERRY earn

an $8,700 grant from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety to combat the perilous practice of texting while driving.

The grant is just one way she is furthering her years-long mission to educate and testify about these dangers.

Sorohan’s motivation is intensely personal. In December of her sophomore year in high school, she lost older brother Caleb to a fatal traffic accident while he was home from college for Christmas break. In the minutes leading up to the headon crash, Caleb was texting as he drove.

After the accident, authorities solicited the Sorohans’ support in the fight against texting and driving. Their involvement helped lead to passage of Georgia’s “Caleb’s Law,” which bans texting and driving and prohibits drivers under the age of 18 from using their phones at all.

“I’m not a crier, but I definitely cried that day because I was so proud of what we did,” Sorohan said.

But the fight is not over.

Since her brother’s death, Sorohan has worked closely with state officials to spread the word about the dangers of texting and driving, sharing her story with high school and college students and telling them how losing Caleb has changed her life forever. She brought her campaign to Berry last fall, and the grant she helped to secure made it possible to bring a stateof-the-art driving simulator to campus in the spring. Sitting behind the wheel of the simulator, other students were able to experience just how easy

Student Photographer Blake Childers

True grit

On a mission to save lives

Freshman Alex it can be to become Sorohan watches distracted and lose as another student control. experiences the “I don’t go perils of distracted around sharing this driving in a statestory because I of-the-art want to,” Sorohan simulator. related. “It’s hard.

But if someone had told me about their struggles losing a sibling to texting and driving, my brother would not be dead. I would have made sure he knew what I knew. I want to inspire people to care about others enough that they won’t even be tempted to do it.”

by student writer HAYDEN SLOAN

Mount ain Day

[Save the Date]

Oct . 4-5 2013

BERRY Ford executive Frederiek Toney with Berry Trustee Cathy O’Connell Anderson (77C).

[Berry People]

student photographer Mary Claire Stewart

Top executives from Coca-Cola, Ford headline conference PARTICIPANTS IN BERRY’S

THE BERRY COLLEGE

INAUGURAL STUDENT

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE gained firsthand

Alan Storey

Board leadership

insight from high-level decisionmakers representing two of the world’s most iconic brands, Coca-Cola and Ford Motor Company.

Alan L. Bridges (79C), director of trade spend optimization for Coca-Cola Refreshments and a newly appointed member of the Berry College Board of Visitors, delivered the opening keynote for the two-day event, hosted by Berry’s innovative student enterprises Alan Bridges program. He shared top billing with Frederiek Toney, corporate vice president for Ford Motor Company, president of the Global Ford Customer Service Division and one of Corporate America’s “100 Most Powerful Executives,” according to Black Enterprise magazine.

In addition to the two keynotes, the conference also featured sessions on legal/risk management, business start-up, customer service, accounting/ finance, marketing/sales and strategic planning. It was open to students at Berry and other institutions as well as the general public.

recently welcomed John Eadie (83C) as its newest member.

He previously served the college as a member of the Board of Visitors.

A graduate of Berry’s accounting program, Eadie has built a reputation as one of the nation’s top financial advisors and wealth managers. He is founder, managing director and CEO of Texas-based Covenant Multifamily Offices, a leading provider of wealth advisory and investment services representing more than $1.3 billion in managed assets.

Eadie’s 2012 professional distinctions include recognition as a Top 100 Independent Financial Advisor by Barron’s and a Five Star Wealth Manager. Earlier, he won acclaim from Worth magazine as a Top 100 Wealth Advisor. He lives in San Antonio with wife Elizabeth Webb Eadie (84C).

“It’s a great honor for me to continue my service to Berry as a member of the Board of Trustees,” Eadie said. “There is so much going on at Berry that is new and extremely exciting to be a part of right now. I look forward to being able to give back just a little to the place that has given so much to me and to others.”

THE BOARD OF VISITORS welcomed four new members this spring, including three alumni.

They are: • Alan L. Bridges (79C), director, trade spend optimization, Coca-Cola Refreshments, Atlanta.

• Elizabeth “Beth” Collins Earnst (93C), manager, employee and marketing communications, dispersions and pigments division, North America, BASF Corp., Charlotte, N.C. • Victor E. Giovanetti (94C), president, LewisGale Regional Health System, Salem, Va. • Dr. Diane Lewis, CFO, The Lewis Chemical Co., Rome.

Faculty news Richardson named provost

PROFESSOR OF COMMUNICATION KATHY RICHARDSON recently accepted a three-year

appointment as college provost (extending through the 2014-15 academic year). She succeeds Dr. Katherine Whatley, now senior vice president for annual programs at the Council of Independent Colleges in Washington, D.C. A faculty member since 1986, Richardson has been honored with Berry’s most distinguished awards for teaching and service. In 2012, she was named national Teacher of the Year by the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication Small Programs Interest Group. Professional involvement includes current service as co-editor of the National Forensic Journal and membership on the editorial boards for Mass Communication & Society and the Journal of Mass Media Ethics.

Richardson brings a great deal of experience to her new role thanks to past service as associate provost and dean of academic services (1999-2007) and interim provost (2007-08). She returned to the classroom full time in 2009 before resuming the duties of provost on an “acting” basis last fall, at which time she also received a three-year appointment as vice president for academic affairs.

Promotions and tenure Six faculty members have been granted tenure and/or promotion by the Berry College Board of Trustees. They include: Promoted to full professor (already tenured) • Dr. Todd K. Timberlake, physics Tenured and promoted to associate professor • Dr. Catherine H. Borer, biology • Dr. Renee E. Carleton, biology • Dr. Tamie J. Jovanelly, geology • Dr. Timothy W. Knowlton, anthropology • Dr. Alice H. Suroviec, chemistry In addition, retiring faculty members Dr. Steven Bell (psychology) and Dr. Mary Outlaw (teacher education) have been awarded the honorary titles of professor emeritus and senior lecturer emeritus, respectively.

BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2013

5

Fabulous “

The feeling of seeing hours of hard work pay off as well as being able to proudly represent Berry on an international level is indescribable.

”

KIM TREESE | INTERNATIONAL FORENSIC CHAMPION

Forensics...

Goes global

KIM TREESE (13C) LIFTED THE BERRY FORENSICS PROGRAM to

new heights this spring when she claimed first place in communication analysis at the International Forensic Association Championship Tournament in Antwerp, Belgium. It was the first international championship for both Berry forensics and Treese, who journeyed to Belgium in the midst of her study-abroad experience at the University of Alicante in Spain.

The May graduate competed in a total of five events, placing fourth in persuasion and 6

BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2013

finishing as a semifinalist in both prose and dramatic interpre­ tation. Treese also won the “Tour of Antwerp” experimental event as judged by the mayor of the host city, helping her secure a sixth-place overall finish for her one-person Berry team.

“The feeling of seeing hours of hard work pay off as well as being able to proudly represent Berry on an international level is indescribable,” said Treese, a visual communication major and two-sport varsity athlete. “I was so excited I couldn’t stop smiling.

The first thing I did after the awards ceremony was email Dr. (Randy) Richardson and say,

‘Well, you’re officially the coach of an international champion.’

At the end of the day, what means the most to me is being able to make people like Dr. Richardson proud because they devote so much of their own time to making others better.”

Victorious at home

BERRY WELCOMED MORE THAN 140 FIRST-YEAR SPEAKERS representing 24 colleges and universities this spring for the 31st annual Novice National Forensic Tournament. The Berry team finished fifth overall on its home turf, trailing only Miami University (Ohio), the University

International forensic champion Kim Treese (13C) at the Plaza de España in Seville, Spain; above, in front of Het Steen, a castle in Antwerp, Belgium.

of Alabama, Louisiana State University and the University of Florida. Highlights for Berry included a 1-2 finish in readers’ theater and a runner-up showing in after-dinner speaking.

The Berry speakers also continued their dominance of the Georgia Intercollegiate Forensic Association state tournament by placing first for the 19th consecutive year. The victors claimed an impressive 40 individual awards in the competition.

feats Viva Las Vegas!

It all adds up!

CENTER AMERICAN COLLEGE

Berry’s most prestigious faculty honors, Associate Professor of Mathematics Ron Taylor found himself back in the spotlight as the recipient of the 2013 Mathematical Association of America Southeastern Section Distinguished Teaching Award.

The same weekend Taylor was honored, Berry students made their third consecutive appearance in the final round of the Southeastern Section’s Math Jeopardy! competition – a first for any school in the event.

Berry placed third after three rounds of competition that started with 28 teams from 24 schools around the Southeast.

THANKS TO A KENNEDY

THEATER FESTIVAL regional

design and technology award, Benson Phinazee (13C) will head to the Stagecraft Institute of Las Vegas later this summer for an intensive two-week program.

Phinazee, who graduated in May, was recognized for his work as student technical director for the Berry College Theatre Company’s fall 2012 production of Letters to Sala.

He shares credit for his success with his mentor, staff technical director Seamus M. Bourne.

A YEAR AFTER WINNING two of

Alan Storey

Benson Phinazee (13C) has been honored by the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival for his scenic design work on the set of Letters to Sala (pictured above).

Song and dance (and a little math) A

SECOND-PLACE NATIONAL AWARD from the Broadcast Education

Association is the result of the most recent creative collaboration between Professor of Mathematics Eric McDowell and Berry’s student-run multimedia website, Viking Fusion.

Produced, directed and edited by student Josy Roman, Roll Call features McDowell robustly presenting the names of great mathematicians to the tune of Gilbert and Sullivan’s “I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General” from The Pirates of Penzance.

The video can be viewed at http://vikingfusion.berry.edu/index.php/ entertain/roll-call.

No experience?

No problem!

International voice for education

MOST of the college’s first

EDUCATION MARY CLEMENT

appearance in the Academic Quadrathlon of the Southern Section of the American Society of Animal Science by besting a number of large institutions – including defending national champion Texas A&M – en route to a second-place finish behind Oklahoma State University.

Auburn University was third in the 11-team field, which also included the University of Georgia, University of Florida, University of Tennessee, University of Arkansas and Mississippi State University. The Berry team (pictured left to right) of Maddy Esker (13C), Elizabeth Mitchell, Fallon Newell and Megan Walton (13C) was directed by Associate Professor of Animal Science Jay Daniel.

traveled to the African nation of Namibia last fall as an invited guest and speaker at an international forum attended by 300 educators representing 46 nations and hosted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Clement, who is also director of Berry’s Center for Teaching Excellence, represented the Kappa Delta Pi international honor society, which she serves as president.

BERRY STUDENTS MADE THE

PROFESSOR OF TEACHER

Writing excellence

SYDNEY KELLY (13C) CLAIMED a third-place award in the Georgia College Press Association Better Newspaper Contest for a review published in the Campus Carrier. Kelly’s distinction came in competition with writers from all four-year colleges and universities regardless of enrollment. The Carrier won a total of seven awards in this year’s contest.

student photographer Blake Childers

BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2013

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by DEBBIE RASURE

Cultural inheritance NEW RESOURCE BRINGS THE MARTHA BERRY COLLECTION TO YOU

If you think you know everything there is to know about Martha Berry, you might need to think again. New insights into her life and the early years of the schools she founded are just waiting to be revealed as her letters and photographs, long stored carefully away, enter the digital age.

T

he Martha Berry Digital Archive (MBDA) is a free, searchable online collection containing digital images of the handwritten notes, typewritten letters, photographs and other documents dating from 1885 to 1941 that make up the Martha Berry Collection in the Berry College Archives. Approximately half of the letters were written by Berry, the rest by more than 300 individuals from around the world. Their authors include family, friends and school children, as well as business leaders, educators, famous philanthropists, politicians and heads of state, among them several U.S. presidents.

All give the collection a rich social and historical significance.

Launched in April, the online archive uses geolocation to plot each letter writer’s town and state, creating a visual representation of the broad reach of Martha Berry’s influence and the profound impact she had on educational reform.

Visitors are invited to browse or search

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BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2013

a collection of more than 13,000 items (images will continue to be added until the entire collection has been digitized), explore collections organized by theme, and visit virtual educational exhibits. Registered users can further enhance the collection’s searchability by serving as community editors, using an online form to contribute such new information as what a document is about, who wrote it, where and when.

A PASSION FOR THE PAST

The MBDA is the brainchild of Dr. Stephanie Schlitz (92C), associate professor of linguistics at Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania and director of the project.

Schlitz, who works primarily with historical manuscripts, wanted to find a tangible way to teach her students how language changes over time and what it can reveal about the history and culture of a people. Because she couldn’t take her students to Europe to study historic documents written in ancient languages, she had to create a 21st century solution.

“I began to think about how I could use my background more locally,” Schlitz explained. “As a Berry alumna, I had a longstanding ‘relationship’ with Martha Berry,

and I knew that the college had an archive filled with interesting historical documents.”

Schlitz began to envision an online resource that would enable her students, Berry alumni and others to “travel back in time” to get to know Martha Berry and learn more about the world in which she lived.

After confirming the collection’s cultural and historical significance, Schlitz contacted Sherre Harrington, Memorial Library director, to propose the digitization project.

With enthusiastic support from college officials and an initial grant (another followed) from Bloomsburg University, the project was launched. A number of Berry faculty and staff were engaged as collaborators, including Harrington; Dr. Christy Snider, history department chair; and Tim Brown, director and curator of Oak Hill and The Martha Berry Museum.

A GROUNDBREAKING IDEA

When Schlitz began the MBDA project in 2010, the Martha Berry Collection was stored in more than 200 file boxes, some containing 15 or more folders. Within each folder were documents filed by year, and within each year the documents were catalogued alphabetically by correspondent.

A & Q

?

TAKE THE MARTHA BERRY CHALLENGE

In addition to being extremely large and virtually unsearchable, the collection contained many documents on tissue-thin paper, made more fragile with age and handling. Even though the care of the Martha Berry Collection complied with international preservation standards, the one-of-a-kind documents were at considerable risk of deterioration.

Digitization was the one thing that could extend the life of the physical collection that represents Berry College’s cultural heritage.

Given the green light to proceed, Schlitz found herself with an eager community of prospective editors but no way to involve them. Working with her husband, Garrick S. Bodine, manager of a software development team at Pennsylvania State University and lead programmer for the MBDA project, Schlitz designed the computer software that allows registered users to easily contribute certain descriptive information about the documents. This new method of participa­ tory editing ultimately will serve not only Berry, but also creators and stewards of other library collections.

FROM OLD SCHOOL TO MODERN AGE

With creation of the editing software complete, equipment purchased, and technical issues like site hosting, data storage and data migration being worked out between the information technology staffs of Bloomsburg and Berry, Schlitz turned her attention to transforming a mountain of documents and photographs into a digital archive. She was assisted by a small cadre of dedicated student workers at both schools and managed the project long-distance while continuing to teach in Pennsylvania.

Berry students, whose work was generously funded by the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution and the National Junior Membership Committee of the DAR, were responsible for scanning documents and photos. Both groups of students worked on reviewing and describing the documents to facilitate searchability, matching consecutive pages to ensure they were complete and flagging documents for

1

Which of the following closing phrases did Martha Berry use in letters before signing her name? a. Sincerely b. Always c. Faithfully yours d. Yours truly

2

ow much did it cost for one H student to attend Berry for a year in 1930? a. $50 b. $150 c. $175 d. $125

3

In which magazine was Martha Berry nominated as one of America’s top 12 greatest/most influential women? a.

Time b.

Life c.

Vogue d.

Good Housekeeping

4

Martha Berry was once so insistent on thanking someone for their donation that she _________________________? a. Asked the donor’s bank for his address b. Rode Roany (her pony) three hours to reach his home c. Made America’s first call to Directory Assistance d. Visited his home in New York City

5

To where did Martha Berry travel when she was 64 years old? a. Pittsburgh, Pa. b. Europe c. Chicago, Ill. d. South Africa

Answers: c, b, d, a, b

http://mbda.berry.edu

How much do you really know about Berry’s founder?

Prepared by Casey Cox, student editorial assistant, philanthropic communications

review if there were problems. The images were stored at Bloomsburg where the technical components of the project had been developed and the collection was housed during its development. It was a complex, collaborative effort, and according to Schlitz, both groups of students worked almost independently and with few errors.

“While I planned the MBDA as a collaborative project between faculty, staff and students and have known student participation would be essential to our success, I couldn’t have predicted how impressed I would be by the student partici­ pants,” Schlitz said. “It is exciting to see the students at both Bloomsburg and Berry begin to understand how important their work is, and it is a great pleasure to collaborate with my peers and the students who bring a diverse perspective to the project.”

In true Berry fashion, working with the MBDA project has helped students gain skills they can use in their future careers as writers or editors and in preparation for graduate school. In fact, one of Schlitz’s

Bloomsburg students used the experience to secure a semester-long internship at the National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. AN INVESTMENT OF THE HEART

Schlitz has found her work on the MBDA project to be especially enjoyable.

“I don’t usually blend my professional and personal lives, but I have enjoyed working on this project even more than usual,” she said. “I have a tremendous respect for Martha Berry. She is an incredibly interesting subject, and I find her simultaneously elusive, extroverted, vivacious, intense and witty. Though I’ve spent about two and a half years working intimately with her writings, I’ve yet either to tire of her or precisely to pin her down.

And the fun is just beginning, it seems, as there’s so much more yet to learn now that we have opened the project for public editing.” B Editor’s Note: The MBDA can be accessed at http://mbda.berry.edu.

BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2013

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test

PRESIDENT’S ESSAY

An unexpected opportunity,

a robust

Dr. Stephen R. Briggs

photography by ALAN STOREY

“I CANNOT CHANGE THE FACT that I lost my father at the age of six. I cannot change the fact that I do not know if my mother survived the war in Burundi. I cannot change the fact that the woman who raised me, my grandmother, is no longer with me. And I cannot change the fact that I am a refugee. Through it all, I have never used my life as an excuse. I have never once complained about the life I have lived. I have only used my past to make myself stronger. I can and I will achieve everything I want, including a college education.”

Mireille Kibibi, on her Berry admissions essay

M

ireille Kibibi was born in the turbulent nation of Burundi in Eastern Africa. She was 4 when her family fled home to the neighboring nation of Rwanda, where unspeakable genocide had just ended, to escape the violence now in Burundi. Her parents became separated on the journey, and she never saw her mother again. Her father died a few years later.

Raised mostly by her grandmother, Mireille lived for six years in Rwanda and then moved to Uganda before immigrating to the United States. Although she can speak, read and write to some extent in several languages, including Kinyarwanda, Swahili, French and English, her education was sporadic, including only three years of school­ ing in Rwanda and two years in Uganda

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BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2013

before being placed in a U.S. high school, where she earned a diploma in four years.

Mireille completed 36 credit hours during her first year at Berry, nearly all with a grade of A or B. She graduated in May with a degree in accounting and plans to earn either a master’s degree in accounting or an M.B.A. THE UNEXPECTED OPPORTUNITY

Mireille arrived at Berry as part of a program that emerged unexpectedly. In July 2009, we embarked on what I have come to view as a robust test of Berry’s core vision.

We did not set out to conduct such a test, but one opportunity led to another, and we found ourselves having accepted the challenge of this test nonetheless. We would expose our cherished ideas and assumptions

to the “grave danger of refutation,” as suggested by celebrated philosopher of science Sir Karl Popper. We would test the boundaries of our assumptions and their breaking points.

Berry seeks to graduate responsible adults who will improve the communities in which they live and work. Central to Berry’s vision is a belief in the power of an academic residential community that combines rigorous academic preparation with firsthand experience through work, research, service, leadership and campus engagement. This vision forms the basis for our aspirations and our strategic planning efforts. This cherished idea is consistent with our enduring commitment to provide an integrated education of the head, heart and hands.

t

In her day, Martha Berry tested this integrated approach by making calculated investments in boys and girls who seemed trapped in a web of poverty but to whom she was attracted because of the “sparkle in their eyes.” Some were transformed by their experience at the Berry Schools; some did not make it through. The approach worked, but it was demanding and required that students develop resolve and resiliency.

Our test started with Naing Oo, a student in Atlanta whose family had fled Burma, a nation that now calls itself Myanmar. Naing learned about Berry at a college fair, and when Dr. Wayne Anderson, president of the Associated Colleges of the South (a consortium of 18 distinguished Southern colleges) was a guest at his family’s home for dinner, Naing “grilled” him about Berry, asking whether it would be a good fit.

Anderson wrote to me about Naing in September 2008, saying, “He’s a delightful and impressive young man, and I think Berry would be great for him and he would be great for Berry. … He’s very thoughtful and articulate and has an interesting background to share. And he’s highly motivated – he wants to be the ambassador to Burma one day so he can provide help to that troubled nation.”

Anderson subsequently introduced me to Barbara Thompson, who at that time was involved with the Saturday School in Decatur, a school that provided English language support for students resettled in the Atlanta area who were refugees from wartorn nations. Thompson was a champion for

Naing, but also for several other students.

She had a dream: She wanted to see students who had survived extraordinarily challenging life experiences have an opportunity to thrive and succeed in a residential academic com­ munity such as Berry.

At the same time, we were formulating, with Audrey Morgan, the Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Program as a means by which students could “work their way through college” with the prospect of graduating debt free. All of the pieces of the puzzle were on the table, ready to be assembled.

THE ROBUST TEST

Besides Naing, Thompson introduced us to five students from the Saturday School. A seventh refugee student emerged in our applicant pool. Five of the students visited campus in February 2009. I still remember how stunned they looked and how reserved they seemed as we walked to lunch. They were exceptionally polite and attentive but restrained. In retrospect, it is entirely understandable. They were overwhelmed by the campus and the rapid pace of discussion in English, which was for all of them a second, third or fourth language and one many didn’t begin to learn until middle school. They were uncomfortable because they lacked confidence.

Imagine growing up in a nation torn by conflict in which schools were not always available, even at the elementary level.

Imagine fleeing the war zone and resettling in a nearby country – as an outsider and unwanted refugee – and having to learn a

new language. Imagine finally arriving in America in early middle school, perhaps separated from parents or siblings, and being placed in an urban housing project with its own set of challenging living circumstances.

School is now available, but you are placed, knowing little to no English, into sixth grade or higher because of your age.

By and large, this is the story of our seven students. The amazing part of the story is that they all found a way to graduate from high school. How many of us could have graduated from high school in a foreign country in a foreign language in five years?

And imagine the challenge if our schooling up to that point in our native language had been disrupted and inconsistent.

The great strength of these seven students is their resolve and resiliency. We never doubted their work ethic. We knew they were talented intellectually – how else could they have made it through high school under such trying circumstances? But this talent was not reflected in the traditional predictors of success in college. None of the students had the SAT verbal scores normally expected for admission to Berry. All of them had endured wrenching transitions, and most had suffered the ravages of war. All of them yearned for an opportunity to attend Berry College. None had the financial resources to make that possible.

Naing applied for and was accepted as one of the members of the first class of Gate of Opportunity Scholars. Fittingly, his Gate sponsors and mentors are Marti Berry Walstad and Randy Berry, members of the

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11

Fatima Boston-Ali

Kartee Johnson

Mireille Kibibi

Birthplace: Afghanistan Challenge: At age 7, fled with family to Pakistan; two brothers were separated from the family on the journey and were lost for many years.

U.S. Starting Grade: End of 6 Grades Missed: Most of 6 Other Languages (in whole or part): Farsi, Urdo, Pashto Major: Accounting Campus Work: Research assistant in business; administrative assistant for academic services; Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program Future Plans: Work in the Atlanta area

Birthplace: Liberia Challenge: After death of his father, fled to harsh life in Guinea to escape Liberian civil war. Mother died just before family was to relocate to U.S. He and four siblings came alone.

U.S. Starting Grade: 11 Grades Missed: None Other Languages (in whole or part): French Major: Biology, French Campus Work: Research assistant in biology Future Plans: Physician assistant (PA)

Birthplace: Burundi Challenge: As family returned to native Rwanda, mother became separated and was never seen again. Father died a few years later. Moved to Uganda and then to U.S. with grandmother and other relatives.

U.S. Starting Grade: 9 Grades Missed: 4, 5, 8 Other Languages (in whole or part): Kinyarwanda, Luganda, Swahili, French Major: Accounting Campus Work: Administrative assistant; research assistant; library student supervisor Future Plans: Master’s degree in accounting or business administration

Board of Trustees and the grandniece and grandnephew of Martha Berry.

The college was left with the difficult decision as to which of the other six students to admit and support. Remember, this decision came in spring 2009, when the nation was still reeling from the economic meltdown of 2008. In the end, we were simply unable to turn away any of these students because of their compelling personal histories. In choosing to accept all of them, we were fairly certain that only three or four would graduate; we assumed several might not make it to the second year.

It is not that we did not want them to succeed; rather, the odds were long and the challenges daunting. And so Berry put its vision and approach to the test, embracing the “grave danger of refutation.”

at the Virginia Webb House (president’s home) and other buildings. I still smile when I think of Lima Naseri grappling with the force of the pressurized hose.

The summer courses were Oral Communication and World Religions, both of which met general education requirements. These courses, challenging even for native English speakers, were selected deliberately to ensure that the students would have a healthy dose of reading, writing and speaking during that initial summer. The faculty in these two courses had a heart for helping students with global and trying backgrounds, which meant

helping them prepare for the rigors of the fall semester. An upper-class student, Will Watkins (10C), served as a trusted mentor for the students, someone they could turn to with questions and concerns, whether academic or relational.

THE PROGRAM

Moving quickly, Associate Provost Andy Bressette set up an innovative program for the seven students, drawing on elements of the Gate of Opportunity Program but adding two summer courses that would serve as a “bridge” for the students. Thus, they became known as the bridge students.

The students arrived on July 1, 2009, and were assigned to campus jobs. Most worked with the grounds crew that first summer, a job that included pressure washing windows

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THE RESULTS

All of the students struggled in their first summer and in their first year. Dr. Jeffrey Lidke’s first exam in World Religions was a harsh awakening, but the students describe with affection how he encouraged them and provided individualized assistance. The language demands were relentless in courses

Fakhria Hussain Birthplace: Afghanistan Challenge: Family took bus to Pakistan after father was killed; bus intercepted and one brother taken (reunited with family after 10 years).

Another brother drowned on her first day at Berry. Missed nearly all early education.

U.S. Starting Grade: 7 Grades Missed: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 Other Languages (in whole or part): Farsi, Urdu, Spanish Major: Early childhood development and family studies Campus Work: Child Development Center; internship with Rome-Floyd County Commission on Children Future Plans: Applying for an internship with the Atlanta International Rescue Committee

Paul O’Mara

Lima Naseri

Naing Oo

Ehsan Rabbani

Birthplace: Afghanistan Challenge: Family fled Afghanistan for Iran, Russia and then Belarus where she lived for seven years. Placed in 9th grade in the U.S. even though she didn’t know the English alphabet.

U.S. Starting Grade: 9 Grades Missed: 6, 7, 8 Other Languages (in whole or part): Russian, Persian Major: Accounting Campus Work: Grounds crew; financial aid; resident assistant for three years Future Plans: Possibly an M.B.A.; work with Peace Corps in follow up to inspirational experience in Costa Rica

Birthplace: Burma Challenge: Came to U.S. at age 12 after his father emigrated from Burma three years earlier to establish a new life for his family.

U.S. Starting Grade: 6 Grades Missed: None Other Languages (in whole or part): Burmese Major: International relations Campus Work: Resident assistant for three years Future Plans: Chief of Missions in Burma; starting a school like Berry in Burma

Birthplace: Afghanistan Challenge: Fled to Pakistan with family at age 1 and then moved to Iran and Azerbaijan before coming to the U.S. U.S. Starting Grade: 7 Grades Missed: 5, 6 Other Languages (in whole or part): Farsi, Urdu Major: Psychology Campus Work: Child Development Center; Alumni Center facilities assistant Future Plans: Master’s degree in government; work for an agency helping the underprivileged

that required extensive reading and writing, such as American Politics, Cellular Biology and Cultural Anthropology. Speaking up in class was stressful and something to be avoided if possible. Readings were compli­ cated by the fact that the students often did not understand context that others took for granted – who Martin Luther King Jr. was in relation to the American civil rights movement, for example.

A doctoral student from Georgia State University, Eliana Hirano, heard about our program and decided to write her 292-page dissertation on these seven students. She reports on the different strategies that the students used in that first year (tutors, writing center) to adapt to the demands of these courses. She concluded that “the supportive atmosphere at [the] College and the tremendous motivation driving these participants were key in determining the successful use of most of the resources available.” (I am pleased to report that Dr. Hirano has now joined Berry’s faculty teaching in the area of linguistics and second-language acquisition.)

With the exception of one student who dropped one course, all seven students passed all of their courses in the first year.

More importantly, all seven will graduate in 2013. Five did so in May; one will graduate in August and another in December. Each

completed a regular course of study, contrib­­ uted more than 4,000 hours of work, and participated fully in the life of the college.

Each has been an integral part of the Berry community.

It has been heartening to see the breadth and depth of relationships the bridge students formed at Berry and the help and support they received from the college community. It has also been astounding to see the breadth and depth of experiences they have acquired while at Berry. Several have studied abroad, two served as residence hall assistants, two worked as research assistants for faculty, and one was a varsity athlete. Along the way, the college learned that it must find ways to be flexible within the structure of such a program so that students can make the most of their

individual Berry experience. The turning points for these students – their most powerful learning experiences – came in ways that were often unexpected yet consistent with and significant for their evolving stories.

Each of these remarkable students passed a robust test in graduating from college. And Berry passed a robust test as well. We have demonstrated that combining the power of the Berry community with an open Gate of Opportunity results in a special type of magic, even for students facing the most overwhelming challenges. All seven students are now naturalized citizens of the U.S. They are graduating with a commitment to improve the communities in which they live and work. They are resolute and resilient.

They have succeeded, and so have we. B

They have

succeeded , and so have we.

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by ALYSSA HOLLINGSWORTH | student editorial supervisor photography by TERRY ALLEN

Turn the radio In the early morning when traffic is heavy and motivation light, Kristen Gates (96C) is the friendly radio voice thousands of Atlanta commuters depend on for information and entertainment while making the drive to work.

A

s a 19-year radio industry veteran and current morning show host for 94.9 The Bull, Kristen Gates has successfully ridden the changing tides of the radio industry and met some of the biggest names in country music in the process. Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, George Strait – Gates was hard-pressed to think of a country music celebrity she hasn’t met.

Her role as a radio personality has provided the perfect vantage point for watching some of the artists grow into their fame.

Pointing to a framed autographed note from Taylor Swift on the wall behind her secretary’s desk, Gates recalled her introduction to the future star at the CMA Music Festival in Nashville. At the time, she wasn’t terribly impressed with the then 16-year-old girl whose first single was named after renowned country singer Tim McGraw.

But Gates’ opinion quickly changed after she heard the song and got better acquainted with the voice behind it.

“Taylor Swift is great,” she declared. “If she met you in the hall, she would get your name and three days later you’d get a thank you card in the mail. And it’s not just ‘Yada, yada, yada, thanks for having me.’ She handwrites the letter and draws you a picture. She’s totally invested.”

Gates’ office in the Clear Channel Media and Entertainment suite looks out over the Atlanta skyline, providing a good view of the I-75 corridor that so many of her listeners travel daily. On her desk is a schedule that’s filled to overflowing and a big cup of iced tea. Just down the hall, past banks of lights blinking red and green and studios for other Clear Channel stations, is the 94.9 studio where the Florida native and her “Caffeinated Radio” co-host Jason Pullman greet Atlanta radio listeners with celebrity

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gossip, weather reports and concert giveaways when not playing the latest country hits. It’s a job she loves and thrives in, but it’s a calling she nearly missed.

FINDING HER VOICE

A career in radio wasn’t in the cards when Gates first enrolled at Berry. Her goal was to earn a pre-med degree and become a forensic pathologist. Halfway into her freshman year, Dana Professor of Biology Kenneth Hancock (now retired) suggested a different path.

“I had already run for class president and was very focused on trying to get onto KCAB,” she recalled. “He sat me down and said, ‘I think there is a huge difference in being really interested in something and wanting to do it for the rest of your life, and I just don’t see you wanting to be in this building for years and years. You seem to want to be around people all the time, and you’re very talkative. Maybe you should look at communication.’”

Gates resisted at first, noting, “I didn’t think communication would be a field where I could find a job that was really fun or interesting. But then I started taking the classes and, obviously, my opinion changed.”

Although Rome was more of a small town than a bustling city, Gates found that it had no shortage of opportunities. She was encouraged by a friend to make contact with the female morning show co-host at South 107, a local country radio station. That meeting provided the perfect entry point for her future career.

“I walked into that radio station and saw that there was an on-air component, but there was also the promotions side,” she explained. “I fell in love with it.”

Gates pursued an internship with the station and has never looked back.

“I was lucky to be in a place where there was a great radio station that offered a lot of possibilities,” she said. “I did promotions, production, a bit of sales, some fill-in stuff, and by the time I left I was a married mother of one doing mornings. It was the perfect place to grow.”

Her experience at South 107 eventually helped her dip a toe into the Atlanta market, where she progressed through a variety of stations and formats – 95.5 The Beat (hiphop), Star 94 (current hits) and Kicks 101.5 (country) – before settling in at The Bull.

Asked which genre is her favorite, Gates responded, “I listen to it all. I even listen to Spanish radio. I don’t know what they’re saying, but I listen to it! To me, every song on the radio is a country song. It’s just a matter of how they juice it up.”

DAYS GO BY

Gates’ years as a radio personality have coincided with a revolution in the business.

When she first started, songs were played off eight-track cassettes called carts. Workers taped phone calls using reel-to-reel technology, and editing was achieved by cutting the tape manually and piecing it back together.

“It was crazy!” Gates said. “But I would say those were some of the best times in radio.”

Flash forward two decades, and Gates lives in a digital world. Songs are on the computer; phone calls are recorded and edited electronically. There are no more “dinosaur” knobs to turn.

But the new age of radio is not without its challenges.

“Today it’s crucial that listeners have access to you,” Gates related. “So I’m not just a personality on the radio. I’m responsible for my Facebook page, portions of the station’s Facebook page, my show’s

ON

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15

Kristen Gates discusses a new CD with Kevin Cruise (center), a colleague at a sister station, and Brian Michel, her program director and operations manager.

Facebook page. I am responsible for my own personal blog, our show’s blog, for imbedding HTML on websites. I am responsible for Twitter. I mean, it never turns off.”

SHE’S EVERYTHING

Contributed by Kristen Gates

As the wife of a high school football coach with two sons of her own, Gates is amused when people assume that she is finished with her workday by mid-morning. To the contrary, she is often just getting started when the “on air” sign clicks off – especially in the fall when her husband is in the thick of football season.

During that part of the year, Gates is up at 2 each morning, works until 1:30 in the afternoon, spends the rest of her daylight hours shuttling kids back and forth to various activities, squeezes in a walk and then ends her day with three hours of show prep before going to bed. The next morning it starts all over again – at least until football season ends.

“I joke with my husband, ‘How about we don’t get to the playoffs this year? Then we could be done a month sooner!’” Gates laughed.

LEAVE THAT RADIO PLAYING

Though hectic at times, Gates believes that her home life is part of what gives her an edge in the radio game.

“I don’t think people listen to shows; I think they listen to people,” she said. “I think that if people listen to me, it’s because we relate. I am trying to be supermom. I want to volunteer at the school. I want to do stuff in the community. I want to be a great wife. I want my house clean. I want a housekeeper, but I don’t have one … all the things we want to talk about, all the things they’re going through, I feel like I’m going through it with them.”

In Gates’ mind, the ability to help listeners relate isn’t just preserving her job, 16

BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2013

it’s saving the industry. Some would say local radio is a dying medium.

She disagrees.

“Radio is never going to go out of business,” Gates said. “People always want to know what’s going on right here. They want to be able to call in someone’s birthday or anniversary. They like to talk about how our local sports teams are doing. We’re fortunate that they trust our opinions on where to buy a car or an engagement ring here in Atlanta. I’m not sure I believe that a national show is as easy to relate to. Those people don’t understand what sitting on Georgia 400 North at 4:45 on a Friday afternoon is like, but I do!”

The relationship Gates enjoys with her listeners extends beyond the studio and social media. She also serves as a host for concerts sponsored by her station and lends support to local charities. She’s even had the opportunity to branch out into television, winning an Emmy Award for The Road to CMA Music Fest, broadcast by Atlanta ABC affiliate WSB-TV. “It works well for me,” Gates said of the evolving nature of her job. “We’re there, we’re everywhere. Radio’s always changing,

and maybe that’s something I needed with my personality. And I love people – my professor was right about that, too.”

THE SECRET

Though many people assume that success in radio depends on being in the right place at the right time and meeting the right people, Gates knows it takes more than that.

The secret to her success goes back to her Berry roots: hard work.

“I worked like there was no tomorrow,” she said. “I wanted to be in the radio station when a tornado was coming through. I wanted to see how the wires worked. I had an appreciation for how all the different departments come together. I loved it, and I volunteered a lot.”

Gates’ career has strayed far from her initial ambition to be a forensic pathologist, but she wouldn’t change it for the world.

“I figured out my path in life while I was at Berry,” she said with a wide smile, “and it was nothing like I had originally thought.” B Editor’s Note: The author of this story is a charter participant in Berry’s Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Program. She graduated in May with a degree in English.

Not to be ministered unto …

I

t was through her social media efforts with 94.9 The Bull that Kristen Gates met Mark Phillippe, president of the Georgia Chapter of the Turner Syndrome Society, a nonprofit dedicated to providing health-related resources to patients, families and physicians dealing with a rare genetic disease that affects young girls. Gates wound up joining Phillippe and his daughter for a benefit walk and even spent time in a dunk tank as a way of raising funds and awareness for those battling the disease.

“Values like serving others are really important to me,” Gates said, “and I think that was fostered a lot at Berry.”

Her efforts on behalf of those afflicted with Turner Syndrome have not gone unnoticed, catching the attention of a fellow alumna with a personal connection to the disease, who took the time to share her appreciation with Berry’s alumni office.

“I have a 9-year-old daughter with Turner Syndrome who, like most other girls and women with TS, has a variety of medical and other issues associated with this condition,” explained Andrea Bryson Alexander (98C, 99G). “There are many ups and downs with it, so when someone like Kristen volunteers her time and effort to raise awareness and funds for our girls, it fills my heart with warmth and gratitude.

“I only recently discovered that Kristen is an alumna of Berry, and I have to say that it brought tears to my eyes to know that someone with such a giving heart and attitude attended and graduated from Berry.”

photos courtesy of Georgia Department of Education

“

It doesn’t matter where you come from or how much money you have or don’t have, or what your color is.

You have the same opportunity as every child in that school.

JOHN BARGE | GEORGIA STATE SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT

EDUCATION: The

”

great equalizer

by RICK WOODALL

N

o one has to sell John Barge (88C) on the power of education.

He’s experienced it for himself.

As a youngster growing up in difficult circumstances, Barge recognized that the road to a brighter future led through the classrooms of his northwestern Atlanta suburb.

“I decided in elementary school that I wanted a better life for my family when I was grown, and the only way I knew to do that was with education and to go to college,” he said. “The only way that was going to happen was a scholarship, and the only way that was going

to happen was to do well in school and learn and apply myself.”

The first-generation college student eventually wound up with not one scholarship offer but seven after graduating near the top of his class at Cobb County’s Campbell High School. He chose Berry, where he earned the first of his four college degrees en route to a career in educational leadership.

Today, he is the man tapped by voters to guide Georgia’s approximately 2,300 public schools as state school superintendent. In that role, he is committed to helping Georgia’s 110,000 public school

BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2013

17

“

It was quite surreal to see my name come up as the winner.

I was a little anxious about the big job that was ahead but excited that the voters had shown confidence in me.

”

teachers inspire their 1.6 million students in the same way that he was once inspired, understanding that many of those children don’t even recognize the opportunities before them.

“A lot of children, especially those from difficult backgrounds, don’t have the ability to see for themselves that they have the potential to improve their lives through education,” Barge stated. “So it’s really a mission to help young people see that education is the great equalizer. It doesn’t matter where you come from or how much money you have or don’t have, or what your color is. You have the same opportunity as every child in that school.”

CALLED TO TEACH

Barge didn’t graduate from Berry with plans to be an educator or an elected official. An interdisciplinary studies major in college who served as editor of the Cabin Log his senior year, the Smyrna native initially took a job conducting journalism camps and assisting high school yearbook staffs. While he enjoyed the work, it didn’t take long to realize that his true passion was the students themselves.

“I saw a lot of kids in high school that were just like me, and I thought, ‘You know what? I can help them,’” he related.

Within two years, Barge was back in school, earning 45 hours of college credit, completing his student teaching requirement and marrying wife Loraine during one whirlwind spring and summer. By the time he got his first teaching job that fall, he was already thinking about ways he could expand his influence beyond the students in his classroom.

a teacher at heart

John Barge visits with daughter Emma (bottom) and other students while traveling to schools throughout Georgia.

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“When I started teaching, I started at the exact same time working on my master’s degree in leadership,” he explained. “My thinking was that if I could influence or impact the 100 or so students that I see every day as a classroom teacher, then as a principal I could have an impact on the entire school by the teachers that I hire or don’t hire.

Well, if that’s the case, then if I was a superintendent, I could have an impact on an entire community by selecting the right principals, because you set the tone, you set the expectations.”

Barge wound up spending five years in the classroom, during which time he was honored as a STAR Teacher at Armuchee (Ga.) High School, before transitioning to the role of administrator, in which he would earn acclaim again as Georgia’s 2001 Assistant Principal of the Year for his work at Rome High School. By 2010, he had served at all levels of the state’s public school system, but it was the 2004-05 year he spent as director of career, technical and agriculture education for the Georgia Department of Education that eventually motivated him to seek statewide office.

“I saw policy makers who had never been in the classroom making policies that were directly impacting children and teachers, and they didn’t have any understanding or inkling of how those policies were impacting students,” Barge recalled. “At that point I began thinking that it sure would make sense if the people who were in these positions of making policy understood practically, through their own experiences, how those in the classroom would be affected.”

THE ACCIDENTAL CANDIDATE

As a child, Barge aspired to be president of the United States. He even went so far as to figure out when he would run, based upon his age at the time and how old you had to be, as well as the progression he would take to the Oval Office.

“Governor, senator, mayor of my hometown – I had it all planned out,” he said. “Even up to my first year at Berry, my first declared major was political science.”

That dream lasted all of one class, after which Barge concluded, “There is no way in Hades I’m doing this!” Nearly 30 years later, he voiced a similar sentiment: “Governing and politics are very different.

I really don’t like politics.”

Nevertheless, Barge threw his hat into the state superintendent’s race in 2010, the fourth candidate to join a crowded field of Republican hopefuls led by a strong incumbent. At the time, his chances of winning his party’s nomination, let alone the general election, seemed exceedingly slim.

“I talked with people before I made the decision, people in Rome that I have known for years and had confidence in,” he recounted. “I would say, ‘This is what I’m thinking about doing. What do you think?’ And they would respond, ‘I think you’re crazy. You don’t know what you’re doing. You’ve never run for office before. You’ve never run a school system before.’ And these were my friends!”

The media was just as dismissive, shaking its collective head at the unknown candidate with no prior political experience. Barge didn’t care. In his mind, he was simply heeding the call that had been placed on his devout Christian heart.

“I just knew that I was supposed to do it,” he said. “I didn’t have any clue how. I had never run for office, didn’t know what was

“

A free public education is still the best opportunity to prepare children to be productive citizens in a democracy.

involved, but I just knew I was supposed to.”

The first thing Barge did was ask someone he trusted implicitly – former teacher turned lawyer Joel Thornton (85C) – to lead his campaign. Together, the two Berry friends waded into the crowded field of candidates, drawing comfort and confidence from Barge’s sense that “this wouldn’t be a normal process, so don’t look at the way things are always done. Just pray and listen and be obedient.”

The longtime educator did just that, campaigning nights and weekends while continuing to work full time as Bartow County’s director of secondary curriculum. One challenger fell by the wayside at the qualifying deadline for the primary. Soon after, the incumbent resigned unexpectedly and pulled out of the race. Suddenly, the crowded field wasn’t so crowded anymore, and Barge found himself on the receiving end of a phone call from a political consultant in Atlanta.

“He said we need a person in this race who can win this office for the Republicans, and we think you’re the one,” Barge recalled. “And so all of the sudden the media starts talking about Barge, the accidental candidate.”

Just a few short months later, Barge traded that title for another – state school superintendent – when more than 1.3 million of his fellow Georgians chose his name at the ballot box.

“It was quite surreal to see my name come up as the winner,” noted the 2005 recipient of the Berry Alumni Association’s Distinguished Achievement Award. “I was a little anxious about the big job that was ahead but excited that the voters had shown confidence in me.”

DEFINING SUCCESS

Two years later, Barge splits his time between the Department of Education offices on the 20th floor of Atlanta’s James H. “Sloppy” Floyd Veterans Memorial Building, the adjacent state capitol and local schools all across Georgia. Thornton continues to work alongside him, now serving as chief of staff.

“I can trust him 100 percent,” Barge said of his longtime friend. “I don’t have to worry about whether he has my best interests in mind or whether he may be undermining me. I could put the weight of the whole agency on him and feel comfortable with it.”

The job isn’t an easy one. Public education represents a complex partnership between local, state and federal government, and the superintendent must work effectively with officials at all levels to be successful. At the same time he navigates these sometimes choppy political waters, Barge is working with teachers and administrators at the local level to introduce reforms he believes will improve student achievement and outcomes in a system beset by economic turmoil and lagging national rankings that feed a common perception that Georgia’s schools are failing. The superintendent bristles at that assertion and hopes to change the message, noting a long list of national assessments in which Georgia students showed improvement in 2012.

“If all people use to inform their opinion on public education are the headlines and the sound bites, then we have what we have now, which is a general public that thinks public education is beyond repair, and it’s not,” he emphasized. “It’s anything but. Our students

”

outside the class

Left: John Barge talks with Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal (second from right) and former President Jimmy Carter (left) during an event at the Georgia Dome. In the background is Arthur Blank, owner of the Atlanta Falcons. Right: Barge and wife Loraine on the family’s Floyd County farm.

right now are performing better than they ever have.”

Despite the many challenges inherent in his position, Barge enjoys his current role.

“The steepest learning curve for me was and is the political side,” he acknowledged. “It’s still the most frustrating side. But educationwise we’ve got some really good initiatives under way. We’ve got some really good changes in policy direction under way. Our districts – even though they are in the most challenging times we’ve seen in my 23 years of education – are getting some tremendous results for their students right now.”

FAMILIAR VISION

As he defines his own ambitions for Georgia’s students, Barge often cites the example of Martha Berry, believing strongly in her “head, heart and hands” philosophy of education. As he sees it, he is both a product and beneficiary of the work she started.

“The fact that she created an opportunity for children of poverty to be educated – that she had the vision to see that just because they didn’t have money didn’t mean they couldn’t learn – created an avenue for me,” stated Barge, a 2012 recipient of the Charter Fellows Award for Outstanding Service to the Profession of Teaching presented by Berry’s Charter School of Education and Human Sciences. “The scholarship programs that Berry has and the opportunity to work on campus made it possible for me to continue my education without creating added expense for my parents.”

Interestingly, the Berry Schools were founded at a time when few public schools existed. A century later, Barge hopes the system he oversees can accomplish the same goal of weaving opportunity into the lives of students who otherwise might not experience it.

“A free public education is still the best opportunity to prepare children to be productive citizens in a democracy,” he declared. B BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2013

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M. MOORE

Rangers lead the way!

New physician Michael Moore (83c) will apply Airborne Ranger courage to leadership in medicine.

by KARILON L. ROGERS

I

n 2005, U.S. Army Maj. Michael Benjamin Moore (83c) flew out of Northern Iraq’s then-besieged Balad Air Base in near blackout conditions. He was not on a combat mission, nor was he en route to tend to wounded soldiers. He was headed to the nearby nation of Qatar to take the Medical College Admissions Test because in the chaos of war, he had found clarity.

The Airborne Ranger, former attack helicopter pilot, licensed physician assistant

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BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2013

(PA) and dedicated agent of change was commanding a multifunctional combat health support unit during his second tour of duty in Iraq when a respected mentor urged him to go to medical school, telling him that, as a physician, he would have what it takes to become the kind of effective leader needed in medicine.

That suggestion turned on the proverbial light bulb in Moore’s 42-year-old head: In order to follow his passion for medicine and

photos courtesy of Michael Moore

Left to right: Michael Moore in a Warrior Dash obstacle course race in Portland, Ore.; providing medical coverage during a Medivac flight of an Iraqi girl; and offering humanitarian assistance for a school of special-needs children in Takrit, Iraq (two photos).

continue his lifelong path of looking for things to fix and improve, he had to accept the challenge.

Moore determined then and there to go “full out” for medical school when he got back to the States, but he didn’t wait to launch his quest. Just three months later, he took off for Qatar.

“I’m pretty sure I was the only person taking the MCAT that year who drove up to the front gate of a foreign university and took off his helmet, weapon and body armor before grabbing two pencils to take the test,” Moore laughed.

He scored well and, once stateside, worked as a PA in emergency services and family practice at Fort Lewis’ Madigan Army Medical Center near Tacoma, Wash., while updating his college organic chemistry and physics coursework and waiting to be released from active duty. In 2009, he entered medical school at Pacific Northwest University of the Health Sciences with his initial determination intact.

Four years later at age 50 – about the same time that his Berry classmates were celebrating their 30th class reunion – Moore graduated as a doctor of osteopathic medicine. He did so with equal clarity about both his personal future and the unique qualities he would bring to working for improvements in American medicine.

“I was good at trying to take care of people both as a company commander and a military health care provider,” he explained,

“and the day-to-day interaction with people is important to me. But I also think it was very important to be in medical school at that specific point in my life.”

This belief was strengthened in his initial days of training when another medical student approached him confrontationally asking, “Don’t you feel guilty taking the slot of a younger person who could serve as a physician longer?”

“It cut me to the core,” Moore said, “and I questioned myself: ‘Why am I here in my 40s?’ The answer is that I was there because I could bring not only the passion and sense of justice of a young medical student to the practice and transformation of medicine, but also the courage, guts and wiliness of an older person. The U.S. has a dichotomy of having both the best health care in the world and the worst from a cost and system approach. We do tons of things really well, but there are some things we are really wretched at, particularly in terms of knowing whether or not what we are doing is actually making people healthier and happier.”

GUTS, HE’S GOT!

Moore was among the first American soldiers deployed to Saudi Arabia and Iraq in 1990 for operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, the United Nations-authorized liberation of Kuwait after it was invaded and annexed by Iraq. Moore, then a reconnaissance and attack helicopter pilot, commanded an Air Calvary troop of 130 soldiers, serving as the senior officer “out in the trenches.” He described leading soldiers in combat as the heaviest responsibility a person can have and the mission in Iraq as very hard work.

“We had to just pack up and go,” he said.

“There was nothing there; we had to build everything – latrines, showers, etc. We couldn’t wash anything, including our bodies. I didn’t have a real shower or toilet for the first six months. We basically wore the uniforms off our bodies; when our pants wore out, we replaced them.”

Among his most sobering moments was the requirement to fill out the paperwork in his pack that would be used if he were killed or wounded. It was much like filling out your personal morgue toe tag in advance.

“We also carried our own body bags,” Moore said. “I found they made outstanding sleeping bag covers.”

He is proud that not one of his soldiers’ bags was used for its intended purpose.

Moore’s second and future-inspiring deployment to Iraq came 13 years later after the twin towers fell in New York City on Sept. 11, 2001. By that time, he had left active duty to study in the AldersonBroaddus College (W.Va.) PA program, earned a Master of Physician Assistant Studies degree from the University of Nebraska, and served as a medical evacuation helicopter pilot in addition to flying assault helicopters and manned Aeroscouts with the National Guard. He also worked as a PA in several civilian physician practices in Texas and New Mexico, most notably in the area of cardiovascular and thoracic surgery.

Moore was mobilized almost immediately after 9/11 to provide security within the U.S. and then served in Takrit, Iraq, from 2004 to 2006. His Combat Health Support Unit included 160 soldiers providing emergency, acute and primary care – as well as mental

BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2013

21

Michael Moore removes bomb fragments from the chest wall of an Iraqi soldier at the 228th Combat Support Hospital at Forward Operations Base Speicher in Takrit, Iraq.

health and dental services, preventative medicine and medical logistics – for more than 30,000 soldiers and Depart­ment of Defense civilians and contractors. His unit also worked to help establish health services for the people of Iraq.

SAYING NO TO THE STATUS QUO

Moore is currently serving a three-year family practice residency at Madigan Army Medical Center, which will be followed by a required four-year utilization tour. While he could be stationed anywhere in the world, he hopes to remain at Fort Lewis.

“My dream job would be primary-care transformation work with the Army or Department of Defense,” he said. “I would like to develop the Army version of a ‘primary-care medical home,’ a system that is primary-care oriented rather than specialtycare oriented. There are application issues for the general population, but I think it is definitely workable in the Armed Forces.”

As a medical student, Moore became extensively involved with social media and other outlets and organizations designed to inform and inspire positive change. He is active with the TED organization; was one of five medical student bloggers globally for www.thelancetstudent.com, a website run by and for medical students; has a sizeable Twitter following; and continues to assist NextGenU with curriculum development.

NextGenU, he said, is attempting to provide free and open access to medical education – with appropriate mentoring – around the world.

“I’ve found a niche in writing, speaking and teaching and intend to keep doing all three,” he said.

He has strong interest in outcomes assessment both for medical education and medical practice, having begun to establish a credible history in this area early on when Alderson-Broaddus College took the unconventional step of hiring him to develop outcomes measurements for the PA program in which he was still a student. Moore is concerned about the explosion in medical knowledge that is by its sheer volume transforming “starry-eyed medical students”

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BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2013

into what he describes as “beaten-down nonchange makers.”

“This prevents them from being visionary,” he asserted. “We need to fundamentally look at what we want students to learn in medical school so that our physicians can be integrators and managers of health care systems. We need good outcome measurements. One of the powers of going through medical school at my age is that I don’t accept the status quo.

I’m on a mission to be one of the people who offer solutions.”

GETTING PERSONAL

Moore’s wife, Pamela, is a pediatrician and former Air Force officer. They met after she left active duty and now have two children, Ben (11) and Katie (10).

His military honors and awards are numerous and include two Meritorious Service Medals and two Bronze Stars. He is a Distinguished Military Graduate of the U.S. Army Officer Candidate School and a graduate of the U.S. Army Ranger School, which he cites as his greatest accomplish­ ment. In fact, when he chose the Army over his late father’s Navy, it was “an Airborne Ranger thing.”

“I don’t want to sound too Neanderthal,” he chuckled, “but it was a guy thing to do. It was challenging.”

Not surprisingly, he is part of an international network of marathon runners – Marathon Maniacs – committed to frequent participation in the punishing 26.2-mile events.

Moore has been active in volunteer and community service throughout his life, with a particular soft spot for Operation Ward 57, a national organization devoted to the continuing care of America’s wounded warriors. As a former member and president of the board of directors, he helped the originally informal organization transition into a legally recognized nonprofit dedicated to strengthening care for soldiers with traumatic injuries.

As for life in the military, he has no regrets and much praise.

“I have been very lucky to have lived a

pretty darned full life,” he said. “I feel so lucky to have been able to be of service to my country, particularly during the last decade. I’ve been in the Army more than 30 years. I’m shooting for 50.” B

The Berry in him

A

lthough Michael Moore came to Berry College at age 16 and left for financial reasons in the middle of his junior year to join the Army, he recognizes the impact the college has had on his life.

“I’ve always been a person who dives in, and I learned that at Berry,” he stated. “Berry gave me the power, ability and space to become that person.”

In particular, he credits professors Dr. David McKenzie (philosophy) and Dr. Peter Lawler (government) for “stretching” him, never allowing him to accept good as good enough.

He also points to the example set for him by peers on the Campus Carrier student newspaper staff.

“Bert Clark, Greg Hanthorn, Whit Whitaker and T. Mack Brown were people who understood that you really shouldn’t settle,” he said. “Their ethic was to always do more. You couldn’t go to dinner with Bert Clark and not be stretched.”

Moore always meant to come back to Berry and often wishes that life had worked out that way. But while he regrets not having that official piece of paper that declares him a Berry College graduate, he is an alumnus and emphasizes: “Who I am is a Berry person, and for that I am eternally grateful.”

Michael Moore in headshots taken for his work on Berry’s Campus Carrier.

LEARN. LIVE. GIVE.

Longtime friend supports nursing program

Paul O’Mara

by DEBBIE RASURE

I

T’S ONLY NATURAL that Lou

Brown Jewell would care deeply about seeing Berry and its students flourish. After all, as the daughter of a former board member, the widow of another and a generous donor in her own right, she and her family have been committed to helping the college fulfill its mission for more than 50 years.

So when college officials asked Lou to help Berry start its new baccalaureate-level nursing program, approved by the Board of Trustees last spring and slated to start in January 2014, she was pleased to show her heartfelt support with a gift of $100,000.

“I think it’s a terrific idea,” Lou enthused. “I can’t think of any group of people we need more than nurses. With all of the changes that are coming, doctors are going to have to depend on nurses even more.

We need a lot more nurses in

the marketplace who can take on leader­ ship roles. I’m excited about this program and glad to be involved.”

That Lou would participate in helping launch this important program came as no surprise to Dr. Gary Waters (80C, 89G), vice president of enrollment management. Waters has worked closely with Lou on several Berry initiatives through the years and describes her as someone who personifies intentional philanthropy.

“Lou is principled, wise and highly intelligent,” he said. “Her generosity blends the heart of a joyful giver with the wisdom of a highly discerning mind. Her support for this project is a tremendous vote of confidence, and we are grateful for her endorsement.”

Lou’s ties to Berry date back to the 1960 selection of her father, Arthur N. Morris, to serve on the Board of Trustees.

He would remain involved with the institution through his 1978 appointment as trustee emeritus

until his death in 1985. Early in his board tenure, Morris introduced his daughter and her first husband, the late A. Worley Brown, to Berry by inviting them to the 1964 dedication of Hermann Hall. The couple’s interest grew with subsequent visits to campus, and in 1982 Brown joined the Board of Visitors. Two years later, he was elected to the Board of Trustees.

“We visited the campus many times while Worley was on the board,” Lou remembered. “We loved the school and the atmosphere. We became very good friends with Gloria Shatto (Berry president from 1980 to 1998). We loved her very much.”

One of Brown’s most notable accomplishments during his board tenure was leading “Berry Works,” the institution’s first successful capital campaign since Martha Berry’s death some 40 years earlier. In just three years (1985 to 1988), Brown and the Board of Trustees raised $17.7 million, exceeding the original goal by $3.7 million.

The campaign funded the renovation and expansion of

Memorial Library, among other improvements. Brown was honored as trustee emeritus in 1994 and died in 1997.

Lou’s own contributions to shaping the college’s educational program and its future have been considerable thanks to her many generous gifts for student scholarships, the Gloria Shatto Lecture Series, the Steven J. Cage Athletic and Recreation Center, and now, Berry’s nursing program.

“When Berry presidents have come to me and shared the college’s most pressing needs, I have always tried to help,” she said. “It takes a lot of money to do things in today’s economy.

Berry has done a good job of staying true to its mission. I believe the nursing program is a wonderful project, and I believe in Berry.” B

Lou Brown Jewell “

I believe the nursing program is a wonderful project, and I believe in Berry.

”

BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2013

23

Charitable gift annuity makes good sense for alumni couple

by RICK WOODALL

E

good right now,” Eddie explained. “We decided that it would be a win-win to do something that would help Berry out too. The rate you get on the money is great.”

The charitable gift annuity established by Eddie and Rosa creates a guaranteed income stream for life with an interest rate of 4.7 percent (determined by the donor’s age at the time an annuity is established). After their deaths, the balance will pass to Berry to provide funding

DDIE FITE (63C) KNOWS A GOOD THING WHEN HE

SEES IT. The Dalton, Ga., native

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BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2013

50th reunion committees, the Fites are keenly aware of the difference Berry made in their lives. Thinking back on those experiences, they are pleased to make similar opportunities available for future students.

“We took a lot away from Berry, we really did,” Eddie said, referring to lifelong friendships, valuable work experiences, good values and, of course, each other. “With all those things we took with us – you do want to give back.” B

Benefits of a Charitable Gift Annuity • A guaranteed income stream for life • Competitive interest rates based on your age when the annuity is established • An income-tax deduction at the time of your initial gift • Typically, some tax-free income • Often a method of actually increasing income • Contracts that are easy to understand and complete • A legacy of support for future Berry students

Zane Cochran

still recalls the day in the summer of 1960 when he looked across Ford Dining Hall and saw freshman Rosa Nutt (64C) standing in line. He mentioned her to a friend who, as luck would have it, was from the same South Georgia town of Vienna as the fetching new arrival. Taking advantage of the opportune connection, Eddie moved quickly to head off other potential suitors, noting, “After just a couple of weeks I already had her off to the side.”

His instincts proved correct, as that first spark of interest grew into a lifelong love affair.

Married in 1965, Eddie and Rosa built a life together. He enjoyed success as an accountant, she as a middle school math and science teacher, all while raising two sons.

“It was just a perfect, perfect match,” Eddie declared.

A half-century later, the good sense that first brought the couple together has paid dividends again, this time leading them to invest in a charitable gift annuity that has increased their own financial security while also creating a legacy of support for future Berry students.

“I had started looking at annuities because the interest rate environment is just not

for scholarships established by their 50th reunion classes.

“In a money market account or a checking account, you may get one-tenth of 1 percent on your money right now,” Eddie related. “When you compare that to the 4.7 percent we’re getting on our annuity, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out which is best.”

As they celebrate the golden anniversary of their college graduations (Eddie this year, Rosa next) with service on their

For more information contact Helen Lansing at 877-461-0039 (toll free) or hlansing@berry.edu.

LEARN. LIVE. GIVE.

Your gifts enrich the future LUMNI AND FRIENDS ARE HELPING BERRY fulfill its

timeless mission by providing support that will enrich both educational programming and campus life long into the future.

They also are creating opportunity for current and future Berry students. Over the past few months, commitments for scholarships have remained exceptionally robust, while donors have also supported construction of Valhalla, renovation of Richards Gymnasium and the launch of Berry’s new nursing program.

Every commitment of every size helps Berry students. We are pleased to list the following gifts, pledges, bequests and estate commitments of $10,000 or more made from Dec. 1, 2012, through March 15.

Thank you for making the difference for Berry students!

Eugene H. (63H) and Edna Anderson, $100,000 to create the Edna and Gene Anderson Endowed Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Anonymous, $20,000 to support the annual fund Anonymous, $25,000 addition to the Betty Anne Rouse Bell Endowed Scholarship Anonymous, $250,000 for the Tree Canopy Maintenance Fund and facilities improvement M. Bobbie Bailey, $100,000 to establish the Dr. M. Bobbie Bailey Endowed Gate of Opportunity Scholarship

Jimmy T. (60C) and Luci Hill (60C) Bell, $100,000 to establish the W.L. Bell Sr. and B.B. Hill Jr. Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Joe S. Crain (58C), $25,000 for Valhalla John Duggan Eadie (83C) and Elizabeth Webb Eadie (84C), $54,000 to support the Clark Track John Nichols Elgin (81C), $10,000 for the annual fund William H. Ellsworth Foundation, $25,000 to support the nursing program J. Paul Ferguson, $25,116 for capital needs Richard and Barbara Gaby Foundation, $50,000 for student scholarships Virginia M. George, $25,000 for the nursing program Georgia Independent College Association, $17,256 for the annual fund Walter K. Gill (63C), $11,000 to help endow the Class of 1963C Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Peter N. (53H, 57C) and Emmaline Beard (55H, 59C) Henriksen, $10,000 addition to the Cathleen Ann Henriksen Memorial Scholarship Walter Buford Jennings (58C), $25,000 for the Walter B. and Flossie R. Jennings Memorial Endowed Scholarship Lou Brown Jewell, $100,000 to support the nursing program

Stephen M. (63C) and Nancy Harkness (62C) Kelly, $10,177 to help endow the Class of 1963C Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Linda D. Kelso and John C. Kemp (64C), $15,000 for the John C. Kemp and Linda D. Kelso Endowed Scholarship Brent Dwayne Ragsdale (88C), $25,000 to the Robert Skelton WinShape Endowed Scholarship Leonard P. and Carol Roberts, $50,000 commitment to support named endowed scholarships Ava D. Rodgers (53C), $49,847 for the Juanita Rodgers Bryant Endowed Scholarship SunTrust Bank Trusteed Foundations: Thomas Guy Woolford Charitable Trust and Greene-Sawtell Foundation, $25,000 and $100,000, respectively, for the Richards Gymnasium renovation project SunTrust Foundation, $25,000 to support the Richards Gymnasium renovation project Stanley L. (65C) and Lora Stubbs Tate, $25,000 for the Richards Gymnasium renovation project Virgil P. Warren Foundation, $18,000 for equipment at the Gunby Equine Center Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation, $338,000 to provide Lettie Pate Whitehead Scholarships in the 2013-14 year

Robert H. (62H) and Katherine C. Williams, $415,300 that established the Bob and Kay Williams Gate of Opportunity Scholarship and the Ann Williams Memorial Endowed Scholarship, supported the nursing program, and provided an in-kind gift of vehicles WinShape Foundation Inc., $266,655 for WinShape Scholarships BEQUESTS

The estate of Harriet C. Brandon, $10,000 unrestricted bequest The estate of John H. Mooney (60H, 64c), $73,375 to establish the John H. Mooney Endowed Scholarship

student photographer Blake Childers

A

BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2013

25

student photographer Blake Childers

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Couple checks off list of support for Berry

by DEBBIE RASURE

B

OB WILLIAMS (62H) AND WIFE KAY may have sold

their automobile dealership and retired last year, but the two are far from just taking it easy.

Known for their active involve­ ment at Berry, the couple has been working hard on their “todo” list for the school, using $415,300 from the sale of their business to endow two scholarships, support Berry’s new nursing program and boost the college automotive fleet.

ENSURING OPPORTUNITY

Like most alumni of his era, Bob is no stranger to hard work.

The son of a sharecropper, he came to Berry ready to participate in the school’s mandatory work program. It served him well.

“What I learned here at Berry through the work program and the athletic program is why I was able to make a living,” he related. “Sometimes younger alums wonder why older alums are so devoted to Berry. It’s because almost all of us feel that we owe everything we are and have today to what we learned at Berry back then.”

Today, Berry’s Work Experience Program is a point of pride for the Rome native because more than 90 percent of

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BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2013

students work during any given academic year even though participation is no longer required.

“A lot of alumni think that Berry has done away with the work program, but it’s just the opposite,” Bob said, refer­ring to the college’s renewed focus on work, including student enterprises and the Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Program.

Kay is not a Berry graduate, yet her feelings for the school and its mission run just as deep as her husband’s, and her commitment is equally strong.

Because the couple likes that Gate of Opportunity Scholars are required to work, use most of their earnings for tuition and have the chance to graduate debt free, it’s not surprising that endowing the Bob and Kay Williams Gate of Opportunity Scholarship was at the top of their giving priorities.

The couple also knows how to recognize a good deal: The Donor Opportunity Fund, established by an anonymous friend of the college to enable more alumni and friends to create Gate Scholarships, matched every dollar given with $1.25.

“Endowing a $225,000 scholarship with a gift of

$100,000 – that’s one heck of a deal,” Bob said. “We couldn’t have done as much for students at any other time.”

The couple also contributed $25,000 to endow a need-based scholarship in memory of their daughter, Ann, who died four years ago. Recipients of the Ann Williams Memorial Endowed Scholarship must work for the men’s or women’s basketball, baseball or softball teams or coaches. If several students qualify, the Berry athletic director will select the student who best exemplifies a devotion to athletics and noble character.

“It’s something we could do for her, to keep her memory alive,” Bob said. “We’ll be helping students in her name from now on.”

NEW HORIZONS

The Williamses are especially excited about giving those interested in nursing the opportunity to pursue their dreams at Berry – and for good reason.

Their granddaughter, now a high school junior, was planning to study nursing at a nearby university. When Berry’s intention to start a baccalaureate level nursing program was announced, she changed her

plans, and the Berry-proud pair heaved a big sigh of relief.

“We want to help get the program going for her and other students who are interested in nursing,” Bob said. “She’s worked hard and is now an honor student. If she wants to do it, we’re going to help her.”

The Williamses have another grandchild also considering Berry.

GIFTS “TO GO”

As automobile dealers, the Williamses regularly gave muchneeded vehicles to the college over the years, saving Berry hundreds of thousands of dollars. Over the last 12 years alone the couple has donated 33 vehicles. Their most recent contribution will once again keep the college “on the move.”

Valued at more than $215,000, the gift included three 15-passenger vans, a mini-van, a Ford tractor, and various bus accessories and parts.

LOOKING AHEAD WITH THE PAST IN MIND

As the next phase of the couple’s life begins, Bob looks forward to having more time to focus on additional Berry projects that are especially close to his heart – helping develop

(

LEARN. LIVE. GIVE.

the Berry Sports Hall of Fame, continuing his 35-year run providing color commentary for radio broadcasts of Berry basketball games, bringing more recognition to Berry’s former high school and its alumni, and helping to soothe the disappoint­ ment that some of his classmates

continue to feel because of the school’s decision to close Berry Academy in the early 1980s.

He and several of his peers have been working with fellow alumna Dr. Jennifer Dickey (77A, 80C) to write the history of the academy, and he looks forward to its publication.

their stories: Students’ lives shaped by scholarships

“I wish my classmates would come back, not so much to see Berry but for ourselves – to see each other,” he said, with a wistful softening of his usually robust voice. “I wish we’d come back together just to remember.

Oh, the stories we could tell on each other.” B

Editor’s Note: At press time, Berry announced that the scoreboard in the Cage Center will be named in Bob and Kay Williams’ honor in appreciation of their generous lifetime giving to the school.

Monique

The perfect fit knowing she needed more than a traditional psychology degree to prepare for her dream career as a counselor and dance therapist. What she found was an educational experience she could tailor to her passions and scholarship assistance in memory of someone who shared them.

Like many first-generation college students, Masutier began her quest for the right school by simply looking for an institution that offered small class sizes and had a close-knit community. With her first visit to campus, Masutier knew she had found those qualities and more in Berry.

“I felt like an individual,” she said. “I wasn’t just a number.”

That individuality was essential for Masutier because following her dream required a program with the kind of academic flexibility found in Berry’s interdisciplinary studies program. She was able to create her own major, one that united the three fields of study essential to her future – psychology, kinesiology and dance. She also had the opportunity to gain firsthand experience working in Berry’s Counseling Center and as a peer educator, through extracurricular activities as a choreographer for the Berry College Dance Troupe, and as a volunteer teaching creative movement at the Boys and Girls Club of West Rome.

Berry was the perfect fit. But at the end of Masutier’s sophomore year, financial difficulties nearly forced her to transfer to another school that could not begin to match her personalized program. Her Berry experience was saved when she was awarded the Becky Musser Hosea Scholarship, which enabled her to remain at the school she loved.

Hosea, who died in 1992, served with passion as Berry’s

associate director of counseling.

Her memorial scholarship, which is given annually to a student with significant financial need who plans to pursue a career in counseling, was started shortly after her death

by Berry faculty and staff to honor the spirit of her work. Hosea’s brother, Peter Musser, a member of Berry’s Board of Trustees, has made generous contributions to the scholarship fund annually, ensuring that students like Masutier have the opportunity to pursue their dreams.

For Masutier, the scholarship has been especially significant.

“This scholarship isn’t just a little bit of financial help to me, it’s huge,” she said. “I wouldn’t have been able to stay at Berry without it. I would be in a completely different place in my life.”

As Masutier prepared for her May graduation, she looked eagerly ahead to her future and the graduate school and career opportunities within her reach. She has been accepted into the dance/movement therapy and counseling master’s degree program of Columbia College in Chicago.

“I wouldn’t have had these opportunities if I had gone somewhere else,” she concluded. “I can’t thank the donors enough for their generosity.”

Student Photographer Alyssa Hollingsworth

M

ONIQUE MASUTIER (13C) CAME TO BERRY COLLEGE

by CASEY COX | student editorial assistant, philanthropic communications

BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2013

27

WHERE? are they now 1960s

Stan Aldridge (65C) was inducted into the Georgia College Athletics Hall of Fame on Feb. 23.

He came to Georgia College as men’s basketball coach in 1975 and later served 17 years as athletic director. He was twice named Georgia Intercollegiate Athletic Association Coach of the Year.

William W. Evans (66C) was named 2012 National Teacher of the Year for speech and debate by the National Individual Events Tournament of Champions. A speech and debate coach at Hillcrest High School in Simpsonville, S.C., since 1989, Evans has directed his team to numerous state, district and national championships. He was inducted into the Mississippi Speech and Debate Hall of Fame in February 2012 and is a Triple Diamond Coach with the National Forensics League.

Fred J. Tharpe (68C) has been promoted to senior director of global construction management for Turner Properties Inc. He leads project management and engineering teams.

He is also a member of the Berry College Board of Visitors.

1980s

Pamela Millwood Pettyjohn (81C, 85G) wrote “Spiritual Therapy,” a story published in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Angels Among Us, which was released in January. She is a member of the North Georgia group of the Chattanooga Writers Guild.

Greg Hanthorn (82C) is on the Best Lawyers® 2013 list of Best Lawyers in America in the area of commercial litigation. He also is among Thomson Reuters’ 2013 Georgia Super Lawyers in the area of business litigation. He practices with the Atlanta office of the international law firm Jones Day and is a member of the Berry College Board of Visitors.

1990s Angie Green Lewallen (92C) and husband Randy announce the birth of daughter Caroline Grace on Sept.

14, 2012. She joined brothers Jonathan (15) and Matthew (5) at the family’s Dalton, Ga., home.

Sarah Lindner Beckham (92C) is communications coordinator at the Red McCombs School of Business of the University of Texas at Austin and is responsible for two websites and the school’s print alumni magazine.

She previously served as assistant

CLASS YEARS are followed by an uppercase or lowercase letter

that indicates the following status: C College graduate G Graduate school alumna/us A Academy graduate H High school graduate c, g Anticipated year of graduation from Berry College a Anticipated year of graduation from academy h Anticipated year of graduation from high school FFS Former faculty and staff FS Current faculty and staff

SEND ALL CLASS NOTES TO: alumni@berry.edu or Alumni Office,

P.O. Box 495018, Mount Berry, GA 30149 All class notes are subject to editing due to space limitations. Class notes and death notices in this issue include those received Dec. 1, 2012 – March 15, 2013.

life and arts editor at the Austin American-Statesman newspaper.

Jennifer Gundlach White (93C) and husband Thomas welcomed daughter Selah Rain in December 2011. She joined brothers Jeremiah and Elisha in the family’s Carrollton, Ga., home.

Rick Woodall (93C, FS) has been elected president of the Georgia Education Advancement Council for 2013 after serving as a board member since 2007 and as president-

Sharlene Atkins/Medical University of South Carolina

Degrees of success

28

WHEN SHENELLE A. EDWARDS-HAMPTON (04C)

couldn’t find exactly the right mix of disciplines for her postdoctoral clinical experience, she did the logical thing – taking the one she had and transforming it herself.

As a fellow in both behavioral medicine and the growing area of neuropsychology – the study of the structure and function of the brain as they relate to psychological processes and behaviors – at the Medical University of South Carolina’s Division of Bio-Behavioral Medicine, EdwardsHampton is leading the way in an underserved

BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2013

[Legend]

ALUMNI CLASS NOTES

area at the junction of psychological and physical health.

Edwards-Hampton is excited to be serving people in the coastal South Carolina region, where she lives with husband Kevin.

“What’s most important is that there’s a need for neuropsychologists and training programs in the area,” she said. “I feel blessed to have the opportunity to help to meet that need.”

Taking the initiative is nothing new for this Atlanta native when pursuing her educational and professional goals. At age 30, she already holds master’s degrees in psychology and theology and a doctorate in clinical psychology, all from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, Calif.

by JONI KENYON

elect in 2012. He was planning chair for the group’s 2012 annual conference and also led planning efforts for the 2008 summer conference hosted by Berry. GEAC serves advancement, alumni relations, and communications and marketing professionals at all Georgia colleges, universities and technical colleges. Rick is a member of Berry’s philanthropic communi­ cations staff and lives in Dallas, Ga., with wife Tracy, son Jackson (9) and daughter Kaitlyn (2).

Valerie Walters Hinsen (93C) received her doctorate in education from Texas A&M UniversityCommerce in December 2011.

Michael Sudduth (96C) has been promoted to partner at the Atlanta CPA firm of Bridges & Dunn-Rankin LLP. Anna Shirey (96C) wrote and performed Arise My Love: Songs Which Call Me Home, original Christian music available for down­ load from major online music stores and on CD from Amazon On Demand.

Amy Gill Leckrone (98C) is coowner of Camp Mommawatchi, an online business specializing in athome camp curriculum for mothers with preschoolers and school-aged children. She lives in Zionsville, Ind., with husband Lew and sons Will (9) and Jake (7).

Ann Purdy Heppding (99C) and husband Phil announce the birth of daughter Henley Nichole on Dec. 29, 2012. She joined brother Nolan at

?

the family home in Destin, Fla. Robert Andrew “Andy” Christie (99C), head coach for boys cross country and an assistant coach for track at Mill Creek High School in Hoschton, Ga., was named Gwinnett County Cross Country Coach of the Year, Atlanta Track Club All Metro Coach of the Year and Gwinnett Daily Post Coach of the Year after leading his team to its first-ever state cross country championship last fall.

It was the first boys’ state title in any sport for the school.

2000s Casey Smith (00C) was named by ETF Database as one of the top 20 pioneers in the usage of Exchange Traded Funds, an investment vehicle that many financial advisors use for indexing. Casey is a member of the Berry College Board of Visitors and the Planned Giving Council.

Tish Summerville (01C) and Steve Bennett were married at Mill Town Music Hall in Bremen, Ga., on March 2. The wedding celebration included special guests American Idol runner-up Bo Bice and country music artist John Berry. The couple resides in Hiram, Ga., where Tish has taught for the Paulding County School System since 2003.

Carrie Swafford (01C) has received certification as a Senior Professional in Human Resources.

She and husband Jeremy Swafford (03C) live in Canton, Ga., with daughters Caroline (5), Catherine (3) and Callianne (1).

James Garner (02C) and wife Kynna announce the Dec. 28, 2012, birth of son Eli Crawford. The family resides in Atlanta, where James is a lead analyst at the Federal Reserve Bank.

Jaime Rivet Tommasello (02C) and husband Craig announce the July 15, 2012, birth of daughter Beverly Paige, who joined big brother Charlie in the family’s Kennesaw, Ga., home.

John Grant (03C) and Stefani Millie Grant were married Nov. 9, 2012, in Alexandria, Va., where they reside.

John Sherrod (03C) and Jessica Holmes Sherrod (04C) announce the Jan. 24 birth of their second child, Martha Abigail Sherrod. John is a computer technician for The Lampo Group Inc., in Brentwood, Tenn.

Lee Pitcovich (03C) was named 2013 Young Professional of the Year by the Greater Lexington (S.C.) Chamber and Visitors Center. He founded the Lexington Young Professionals in 2007, is active with the Lake Murray Lions Club and was the Lexington Family YMCA Campaigner of the Year for 2012. He is a current board member and former ambassador for the Lexington Chamber and worked for First Community Bank and Edward Jones Investments in Lexington before opening his event planning company, Event Management LLC, in 2011.

Jacqueline Hill Scales (03C) and husband David announce the birth of their first child, David Bruce “Tripp” Scales III, on July 16, 2012, weighing 8 pounds, 10 ounces and measuring 21.5 inches in length.

Jacqueline is a part-time school psychologist for Barrow County Schools. The family resides in Snellville, Ga. John Coleman (04C) was appointed by Georgia Governor Nathan Deal as the new representa­ tive for District 1 of the DeKalb County School Board. He will serve through 2014. (See page 30.)

Jay Birkbeck (04C) and Katherine Oliver Birkbeck (04C) announce the Oct.16, 2012, birth of twins Oliver James and Olivia Ray. The family resides in Knoxville, Tenn.

Lindsay Williams Perkins (06C) and Derrick Perkins (06C) announce the birth of son Luke Allen Perkins on Aug. 31, 2012.

Patrick Murphy (06C) and Laura Hale Murphy (08C, 10G) announce the Sept. 30, 2012, birth of son Connor Owen. The family resides in Cartersville, Ga. Catherine Edenfield Price (07C) has earned her Doctor of Medicine degree from the Mercer University School of Medicine. She will perform an internal medicine residency at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C. Anna M. Pinnow (09C) and Bryan C. Payne were married Feb. 23 and reside in Peachtree City, Ga. The wedding party included Virginia Pinnow Detweiler (04C) and Jennifer Minish (10C). Derek Detweiler (03C) and Kathleen Higgins-Thomas (09C) attended.

They did it!

WHEN BRIAN (97C) AND JODI HAWKINS (98C) TUTEN FIRST PACKED UP THEIR FIVE CHILDREN and set off on their “Funhog

Family 50 State Challenge,” they never expected to welcome a new addition along the way. As it turns out, the arrival of daughter Hosanna last July was just one more joyous surprise during their 17,000-mile journey, completed last October with a visit to the 50th and final state, Hawaii.

As first reported in the Winter 2011-12 issue of Berry magazine, the Tutens began their quest in 2011, visiting 39 states (including a stop at Berry) between July and September. After spending the winter at their home in Arizona, they continued their expedition in spring 2012.

The second leg – accomplished while Jodi was expecting – took the family out West, where temperatures in April and May turned colder than anticipated. The weather at Oregon’s Crater Lake and California’s Sequoyah National Park proved especially challenging until a tent heater made camping bearable.

Following a travel break for Hosanna’s birth, the family began the final segment of their trek last October with a trip to Alaska, which Jodi described as rainy but full of wildlife. After a midnight flight home and only a week’s rest, the family was off to Oahu, Hawaii, this time joined by Brian’s parents, Leon (66C) and Diane Tuten.

Now, it’s on to the next adventure.

“It was very exciting to finish,” Jodi said, “but the kids are already trying to think up new things that we can do. Eventually, we would love to hike the Appalachian Trail together, so we’re trying to figure out how to do that with all six children.”

Visit http://funhogfamily.com for more about the Tuten’s 50-state adventure, complete with photos and videos shot along the way.

by JONI KENYON

Anna earned her nursing degree from Gordon State College in December 2012 and now works as a registered nurse at Southern Regional Medical Center in Atlanta.

Ben Popple (09C) will start a pediatric dental residency next year at Yale University’s School of Medicine.

Deaths Berry College extends sincere condolences to family and friends of the following alumni, faculty and staff members, and retirees. This list includes notices received Dec. 1, 2012 – March 15, 2013.

1940s Jeanette McCuller Hughes (40C) of Conyers, Ga., Oct. 29, 2012.

Martha Hefner Mulinix (40H, 44C) of Kingston, Ga., Feb. 3, 2013.

Elizabeth Newsome Colson (42C) of Hull, Ga., Jan. 28, 2013.

M. Virginia Moulder (42C) of Atlanta, Ga., Dec. 26, 2012.

Charlotte Griffin Terrell (44C) of Rome, Dec. 28, 2012.

Harry L. Raley (46c) of Clinton, Miss., Jan. 4, 2013.

Molly Joiner Faile (47C) of Rock Hill, S.C., Jan. 24, 2013.

Eleanor Lambert Miller (48C) of Louisville, Ky., Feb. 16, 2013.

George W. Carreker (49c) of Smyrna, Ga., Feb. 6, 2013.

1950s Cynthia Selph Ward (50c) of Jacksonville, Fla., Jan. 9, 2013.

BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2013

29

So we’ve heard

Kersha Cartwright

Dr. Brian Ridley (93C) was hailed in Haralson County, Ga., media for his selection as Georgia Middle School Principal of the Year. According to an article in the Haralson GatewayBeacon, Ridley turned around Haralson County Middle School from its place on the Georgia Department of Education’s “needs improvement” list to one of only eight “2012 Breakout Schools.” He also was a finalist for the Parent to Parent of Georgia organization’s Education Impact Award and is a member of the State Board of Directors of the Georgia Association of Secondary School Principals.

The newspaper reported that, after graduating from Berry with a degree in music, Ridley earned a Master of Music degree in tuba performance, an Educational Specialist degree in leadership and a Doctor of Education degree in school improvement from the University of West Georgia.

30

BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2013

John Barge (88C) and Joe Cook (88C) have more in common than once being roommates at Berry College – both are included on Georgia Trend magazine’s 2013 list of the 100 most influential Georgians.

Barge is superintendent of Georgia’s public school system (see page 17). Cook, who also made the list in 2011, is executive director and river keeper for the Coosa River Basin Initiative. Former Berry trustee Tom Fanning also made the list.

Fanning is chairman, president and CEO of Southern Company.

Sara Totonchi (99C) and Berry Trustee Roger Tutterow (84C) were recognized on a list of “notable” Georgians in the same issue of Georgia Trend, as was Maria Saporta, a member of the Berry College Board of Visitors.

Totonchi is executive director of the Southern Center for Human Rights, Tutterow is a nationally noted economist and professor of economics at Mercer University, and Saporta is a longtime Atlanta-area business reporter and columnist.

The Daily Citizen of Dalton, Ga., announced the selection of Tim Howard (82C) as “Community Champion.” The award is presented annually to a person who makes a difference in the community by the Murray County Family Con­ nection, a group of leaders from several government agencies and community organi­zations.

The organization’s chairwoman said she could “stand here for three days telling you about all the things (Howard) has done for our community and our children.”

University of Georgia equestrian head coach Meghan Nolan Boenig (99C) and her highly successful program were the focus of a Dick Yarbrough column in the Macon (Ga.) Telegraph as the Bulldogs pre­ pared for the National Collegiate Equestrian Association National Champion­ships in Waco, Texas.

Yarbrough lauded the five national champion­ships won under Boenig’s leadership, as well as the team’s considerable academic prowess.

“Win or lose in Waco,” he wrote, “these young competitors remind us that amid all the hypocrisy of big-time college athletics, there are still real student-athletes who bring honor to their university through excellence on the playing field and in the classroom.” Boenig, who has led the UGA program since its 2001 inception, was featured in the inaugural issue of Berry magazine.

The Atlanta JournalConstitution was among many news outlets to report the March appointment of John Coleman (04C), at right, as one of six new members of the DeKalb County School Board. The new appointees have been tasked with what was described as the difficult job of “resolving complaints of mismanagement, infighting and nepotism” brought against the school system by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.” SACS put DeKalb on accreditation probation in December 2012. Coleman is a strategic planning manager with Invesco.

The Rome News-Tribune reported in December 2012 that Robbie Robison (80C, 82G), principal of Lyerly (Ga.) Elementary School, had retired after a 31-year career in education.

In March, Barbara Struckhoff (77C) – “the matriarch of the Wayne County (Ga.) High School Lady Jackets’ sports program,” according to The Press-Sentinel of Jesup, Ga. – announced her retirement as softball coach at the end of the school year. According to the newspaper, she is the winningest coach in the history of WCHS varsity sports. She started the school’s softball program in 1978, and the softball field has been dedicated in her honor. Over the years, she also served as athletic director and girls basketball coach for both the middle school and high school. Struckhoff played basketball and volleyball while in college and was a member of Berry’s 1976 AIAW Div. II national championship basketball team.

courtesy of The Press-Sentinel

From the editors of Berry magazine: Highlights about Berry alumni sometimes come to our attention via the news media – especially when a Berry affiliation is mentioned. When we can, we want to share what we’ve heard with you. See any names you know?

JOHNNY CRAWFORD/2013 THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION

In memoriam

MEMORY AND HONOR GIFTS

Deaths continued Lunette Harrell Johnson (52C) of Eastman, Ga., Feb. 12, 2013.

Betty Porter Johnson (55C) of Acworth, Ga., Feb. 3, 2013.

Doris Tarvin Allen (57c) of Clemson, S.C., Feb. 14, 2013.

Marcus E. Cantrell (59c) of Rockmart, Ga., Jan. 1, 2013.

Walter O. Maine (59C) of Shalimar, Fla., Dec. 27, 2012.

1960s Elbert Ronald Martin (60c) of Montgomery, Ala., March 3, 2013.

David W. Allsup (67A) of Gadsden, Ala., Feb. 19, 2013.

Larry E. Libby (67C) of Cochran, Ga., Jan. 10, 2013.

Wilmer G. McAllister Jr. (67C) of Tupelo, Miss., Oct. 18, 2012.

Larry K. Durham (68C) of Summerville, Ga., May 3, 2010.

John T. Harkness Sr. (68C) of Jackson, Ga., Aug. 7, 2012.

Kay Bell Wheeler (66C) of Hazlehurst, Ga., Nov. 13, 2012.

William R. “Billy” Taylor (69C) of Smyrna, Ga., Feb. 15, 2013.

1970s Dale N. Davis (70C, FFS), former Berry director of management and

planning and head of the business depart­ment, of Portales, N.M., Jan. 13, 2013.

Ray K. Cox (71C) of Jonesboro, Ga., May 2, 2011.

Richard Kehr Dunn (74A) of Gainesville, Ga., March 15, 2013.

Ann White Fletcher (77C) of Chattanooga, Tenn., Dec. 27, 2012.

1980s Neal P. McConnell (80C) of Talmo, Ga., June 3, 2012.

Patrick T. Whittington (82A) of Rome, Jan. 3, 2013.

2000s Hugh Felton Hagen (08C) of Calhoun, Ga., Jan. 4, 2013.

Faculty/Staff Donald R. Fisher Jr. (house­ keeping supervisor, Deerfield Hall) of Rome, Dec. 17, 2012.

Former Faculty/Staff Ingrid H. McConkey (former adjunct lecturer, physics) of Mount Berry, Dec. 12, 2012.

Retired Maj. Thomas Francis Hogan III (former head, Berry College Army Reserve Officer Training Program) of Fayetteville, Ga., Feb. 8, 2013.

Jo Ann White Chambers (51H, 75G, FFS), died Dec. 5, 2012. She first served Berry as assistant supervisor of handicrafts and later retired after 20 years as director of the Berry College Child Development Center. Her husband, A. Milton Chambers, is Berry associate professor of business emeritus. The couple married in 1955 and lived on the Berry campus for more than 40 years.

Chambers had three children: Susan (77C); Allyson (80C, 84G), adjunct instructor of teacher education in the Charter School of Education and Human Sciences; and Milton (78A, 82C), associate director of regional and student programming in the Office of Alumni Relations.

Sincere sympathy is extended to her family and friends.

Catherine M. McDonald (36C, FFS) was a driving force for education both in the public schools and at Berry. Early on, she taught home economics at the Martha Berry School for Girls; later she served concurrently as head of the nursery school and as associate professor and department head of home economics. She died Jan.18, 2013. Deepest sympathies are extended to her family and friends.

McDonald was married to the late Milton McDonald (38C), who served Berry as head of the education and psychology department, acting president, advisor to President John Bertrand, and vice president with oversight responsibilities for Berry Academy. He also was president of the Berry Alumni Association. Together, the couple was instrumental in the 1977 establishment of Berry’s open-classroom early learning center, which became Berry College Elementary School.

Upon her retirement, McDonald was named associate professor of home economics emerita. She was recognized by the Charter School of Education and Human Sciences and the School of Education Alumni Chapter in 2004 for her “outstanding service to the profession of teaching.”

an individual. Honor and memory gifts can be made by noting your intentions and the name of the person recognized at the time you make the gift. Note: Memory gifts have been designated to scholarship funds named for the honoree unless otherwise specified by the donor.

MEMORY GIFTS Dec. 1, 2012 – March 15, 2013 Mrs. Doris Tarvin Allen The Rev. and Mrs. Fred L. Maddox Mrs. Erlene Shealy Bethea Mr. A. Madison Alexander Jr. Mr. Dan U. Biggers Mrs. Deborah Keith Boshears The Rev. Dewey Bowen Drs. William R. and Sara Lippard Hoyt Dr. N. Gordon Carper Mrs. Joyce B. Carper Mr. Kenneth R. Gable Mrs. Jo Ann White Chambers Mr. A. Madison Alexander Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Sammy V. Freeman Mr. and Mrs. Thomas W. Jones Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Lipham Dr. and Mrs. Robert J. Puckett Ms. Sheilah Robison Shealy Mr. and Mrs. Edward C. Smith Mr. Ralph L. White

Delta Kappa Gamma – Iota Chapter Right At Home Class of 1953C (deceased members) Mr. George Luther Weatherby Mrs. Audrey Wood Crew Mrs. Ramona Crew Scholtes Mrs. Lillian C. Farmer Mr. Bart A. Cox Ms. Carolyn Thompson Smith Mr. Richard Gardner Mrs. Sara Wilcher Raley Mrs. Rosemary M. Gill Dr. Ouida W. Dickey Mr. David E. “Pete” Gordon Mrs. Bobby Gene Walker Fulmer Mrs. Leah Jarrett Herring Dr. Alan Herring Mr. Joseph J. Hillman Mrs. Evelyn Wall Hillman Mr. Darrell Hollingshed Mr. Richard O. Coley Mr. Virgil Huegel Dr. Deborah Barber Shores Mrs. Betty Porter Johnson Mrs. Bobby Gene Walker Fulmer

Ms. Laquieda K. Joiner Dr. Ouida W. Dickey Mrs. Arelia Lorena Cole Lanier Mr. Jon David Lanier Ms. Karen J. McCary Mr. Richard O. Coley Mrs. Ingrid Krucke McConkey Dr. Stephen R. Briggs Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Andrew Chupp Mrs. Alicia Davis Clark Mr. and Mrs. Michael David Crego Dr. Ouida W. Dickey Mrs. Melanie Green Jones Mr. and Mrs. Edwin D. McConkey Mr. and Mrs. Donald A. Rimkunas St. Peter’s Episcopal Church – Rome Dr. Milton McDonald Mr. and Mrs. Clifford S. Hewitt Mrs. Catherine M. McDonald Dr. and Mrs. Lee D. Dempsey Mr. and Mrs. William G. Fron Mr. and Mrs. Thomas W. Jones Jr. Dr. and Mrs. Dwight Kinzer Ms. Catherine Kummer Mrs. Susan Phillips

[Gifts]

MEMORY AND HONOR GIFTS: Special thanks go out for the following gifts to Berry, which were specifically designated in memory or honor of

Mr. and Mrs. Robert M. Travis Mr. and Mrs. Eric Wiseman National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing Mrs. Eleanor Lambert Miller Mrs. Nora M. McLaughlin Dr. Thomas E. Miller Mr. Lucien W. Miller Jr. Mr. Richard O. Coley Mr. John “Bobby” Patrick Mrs. Nancy Eng Elrod The Rev. Harry L. Raley Mr. Earnest Rabon Rodgers Mrs. Eleanor Hale Robison Ms. Sheilah Robison Shealy Mr. Robert Roper Mr. Richard O. Coley Mrs. Patsy B. Self Mr. Franklin D. Self Dr. Gloria M. Shatto Mrs. Sandra Ayers Mr. Brian Taylor Mr. Patrick Thomas Taylor Mrs. Donna Taylor

BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2013

31

Mrs. Charlotte Griffin Terrell Mr. Robert K. Finnell Mrs. Lila Gladin Underwood Mr. Carroll C. Underwood Mr. Eugene Wade Mr. and Mrs. George F. Wade Mr. Billy Walker Mr. A. Madison Alexander Jr. Mrs. Kay Bell Wheeler Mr. and Mrs. John B. Carraway Jr.

HONOR GIFTS Dec. 1, 2012 – March 15, 2013 Mrs. Katherine Young Armitage Mr. and Mrs. Richard Byers Ms. Ruby E. Maloney Dr. Susan Jean Baker Mr. Robert A. Baker Mr. and Mrs. Robert C. Baker Mr. Robert A. Baker Miss Charlotte Beard Mr. and Mrs. Jason Emmett McMillan Mr. Billy R. Blocker Sr. Mr. A. Madison Alexander Jr. Mr. M. Scott Breithaupt Mr. and Mrs. Michael R. Luscre Sr. Dr. Stephen R. Briggs Ms. Karen Holley Horrell Dr. D. Dean Cantrell Mr. Richard O. Coley Mrs. Maureen Munro Kurowsky Mr. A. Milton Chambers Mr. and Mrs. Sammy V. Freeman Class of 1996C Mrs. Laurel Morris Duncan Dr. Ouida W. Dickey Mr. Michael Lewis Tidwell Dr. and Mrs. David V. Martin Miss Lindy Kate Hammond-Swain Mr. and Mrs. Jason Emmett McMillan Mr. Noel Lawrence Hillman Mrs. Evelyn Wall Hillman Dr. Richard J. Ingram Mr. Robert A. Baker Mr. Benjamin Aaron Joffe Ms. Rachel Joffe Mrs. Lillian Purcell Johnson Mr. and Mrs. Henry Howell Mrs. Mary Deen Reece Ms. Ellen Patricia Johnston Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Johnston Mr. Jack A. Jones Mr. and Mrs. Richard Byers Ms. Ruby E. Maloney Dr. Dwight Kinzer Dr. Richard Kauffman Dr. Thomas E. Miller Mrs. Nora M. McLaughlin

GIFTS TO NAMED SCHOLARSHIPS AND WORK ENDOWMENTS Dec. 1, 2012 – March 15, 2013 Dr. Frank and Kathryn Adams Endowed Scholarship Dr. Christina G. Bucher Dr. James H. Watkins Agriculture Alumni Endowed Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. Weldon Arvile Smitherman Edna and Gene Anderson Endowed Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. Eugene H. Anderson Leo W. Anglin Memorial Scholarship Dr. and Mrs. Wade A. Carpenter Mrs. Kathy R. Gann Dr. Karen A. Kurz

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BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2013

Atlanta Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Mrs. Nancy M. Christie Mr. Bart A. Cox Mr. David Conley Elswick Mr. Steven E. Hunter Ms. Jacklyn D. McCown Mr. and Mrs. James Earl Moody Jr. Ms. Rachel Amanda Tidwell Mr. Lowell M. Underwood Mr. and Mrs. Michael David Williams Mr. David Nicholas Yohan Dr. M. Bobbie Bailey Endowed Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Dr. M. Bobbie Bailey Lemuel, Mary and James Banks Endowed Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. Wayne W. Canady Betty Anne Rouse Bell Endowed Scholarship Anonymous Glenn W. and Hattie McDougald Bell Scholarship Mr. Robert G. Thesing W.L. Bell Sr. and B.B. Hill Jr. Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Dr. and Mrs. Jimmy T. Bell Dan Biggers Distinguished Actor Award Mrs. Shannon W. Biggers W.S. Black Conservation Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. Alan Mark Woody Beatrice Lockerman Bollam (39C) Memorial Endowed Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. Jeremy O. Bollam Mr. Richard Owen Bollam Mr. and Mrs. Aaron J. Siebeneck Joshua Bradshaw-Whittemore Memorial Endowed Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. Alfred BradshawWhittemore Steve and Brenda Briggs Endowed Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Dr. and Mrs. Stephen R. Briggs Horace Brown Chemistry Scholarship Mr. Paul D. Brown Louise Paul Brown Work Scholarship Dr. Horace D. Brown Merck Company Foundation Selma Hall Browning Memorial Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. Edward W. Sims Juanita Rodgers Bryant Endowed Scholarship Dr. Ava D. Rodgers Wanda Lou Bumpus Endowed Scholarship Ms. Julie A. Bumpus Dr. David R. Burnette Agriculture Leadership Endowed Scholarship Mr. Burton E. Winfrey N. Gordon Carper Endowed History Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. Gerald L. Blanchard Ms. Rachel Amanda Tidwell A. Milton and Jo Ann Chambers Endowed Scholarship Mr. Larry B. Adams Mrs. Frances Denney Barnett Ms. Grace H. Bellamy Dr. Stephen R. Briggs Ms. Brittany Nicole Chambers Ms. Lindsey Marie Chambers Mr. A. Milton Chambers Mr. and Mrs. Tommy L. Chambers Mr. and Mrs. William M. Chambers Mr. Grant Chambers Ms. Allyson Gayle Chambers Ms. Emma Chambers Ms. Susan A. Chambers Mr. and Mrs. Alton H. Christopher Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Walker Connally Mrs. Rebecca Nunnery Covington Dr. Ouida W. Dickey Mr. and Mrs. William G. Fron

Mrs. Lynda Gayle Gmyrek Dr. Kenneth F. Hancock Mrs. Verna Chambers Hayes Ms. Debbie E. Heida Mr. and Mrs. E. Edward Henderson Mr. Herman A. Higgins Jr. Mr. and Mrs. David W. Johnson Mrs. Joy Padgett Johnson Mr. Steven E. Kemp Dr. and Mrs. Dwight Kinzer Mr. and Mrs. Gerald D. Kuykendall Ms. Jean Benoy Lacey Mr. and Mrs. Troy W. Lee Dr. and Mrs. Malcolm W. McDonald Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Martin McElyea Mr. and Mrs. Ruben Nichols Mrs. Mary F. Niedrach Mr. Larry H. Osborn Dr. Mary Elizabeth Outlaw Mr. Wiley C. Owen Dr. and Mrs. Robert J. Puckett Mrs. Kathleen Robinson Ray Mrs. Pam Kinzer Rogers Mrs. Vesta A. Salmon Mr. and Mrs. Charles F. Seeger Ms. Mary Sexton Ms. Carolyn Thompson Smith Lt. Col. and Mrs. Reginald E. Strickland Mr. and Mrs. Larry J. Taylor Mr. Ralph L. White Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Williams United Community Bank Chiaha Scholarship Award Chiaha Harvest Fair Association James F. Clark Expendable Internship Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. James F. Clark Larry L. Schoolar and Mary E. Schoolar Clark Endowed Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. Larry L. Schoolar Percy N. Clark and Family Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. Roy A. Boone Jr. Mr. Paul Norman Clark Mr. James M. Legates Wachovia Foundation Class of 1943C Scholarship Dr. and Mrs. Loy V. Crowder Class of 1951C Memorial Endowed Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. Robert Nathan Smelley Mr. Gene A. Wallace Class of 1953C Scholarship Mrs. Ellender Fish Lee Class of 1953H in Memory of StaleyLoveday Mrs. Janet Lindsey Cook Mr. Ralph F. Daugherty Mr. Peter N. Henriksen Mrs. Irene Hardy Maguire Mr. and Mrs. William Custer Smith Mr. and Mrs. Charlie P. Underwood Jr. Mr. Peter M. Walker Mrs. Joy Bernice Ogle Whaley Class of 1954C Endowed Scholarship Mrs. Dorothy Walraven Craig Mr. B. Leon Elder Class of 1956C Endowed Scholarship Mr. Russell M. Evans Mrs. Bobby Gene Walker Fulmer Mrs. Joyce Jarvis Vickery Class of 1957C Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. Edward England Jr. Mrs. Juanita Womble King Class of 1958C Endowed Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. James Larry Ellison Mr. Thomas Ray Fewell Mr. and Mrs. George W. Hunt Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm W. Quick Mr. and Mrs. Billy Ray Traynham

Class of 1960C Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. John W. Cooper Mr. and Mrs. J. Andrew McClendon Dr. and Mrs. Larry G. McRae Mr. and Mrs. Charlie A. Powell Mr. and Mrs. W. Cleveland Rowland Mr. and Mrs. James Perry Vincent Sr. Class of 1961C Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. Alton H. Christopher Mrs. Patricia Davis Hendrix Mr. and Mrs. Bowen H. McCoy Mr. J. Ronald Thornton Class of 1962C Dairy Milk Quality Manager Endowed Work Position Mr. and Mrs. John J. Bridges Class of 1963C Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Mrs. Hazl Paige Brumby Mr. James A. Fowler Mr. Walter K. Gill Mr. J. Lewis Hamrick Mr. and Mrs. Robert Donald Henry Mr. and Mrs. Stephen M. Kelly Dr. M. Leonard Mole Jr. Mr. Larry H. Osborn Mr. Leach Delano Richards Sr. Mr. and Mrs. Robert L. Sumner Mr. Larry Bernarr Webb Mrs. Carolyn Stinson Williams Class of 1965C Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Drs. John and Wanda Aldridge Mr. and Mrs. Ronald E. Dayhoff Mr. and Mrs. Joseph L. Ragsdale Mr. and Mrs. Larry R. Sculley George W. Cofield Memorial Scholarship Fund Mr. and Mrs. Edward England Jr. Mrs. Ellen May Partridge A.T. Desaulniers Scholarship Dr. and Mrs. Dwight Kinzer Edward Gray and Doris Cook Dickey Endowed Scholarship Mr. Glenn C. Wallace Garland Dickey Endowed Scholarship Dr. and Mrs. Robert W. Pearson Jessiruth Smith Doss Scholarship Dr. Calvin L. Doss Edwards Endowed Scholarship Mr. Scott A. Edwards B. Leon Elder Endowed Scholarship Dr. and Mrs. Joe A. Elder John R. and Margaret Weaver Faison Scholarship Bryson Foundation Ltd. Dr. J. Paul Ferguson Endowed Scholarship Dr. J. Paul Ferguson First Baptist Church of Rome Scholarship First Baptist Church of Rome Ruby and Clifton Fite Endowed Scholarship Dr. and Mrs. John Donald Fite Jimmy R. Fletcher Memorial Endowed Scholarship Mr. Ernest Yen Chou Mr. Lamar W. Fletcher Mrs. Emma Fears O’Neal Mrs. Glynelle Cook Rowland Mr. and Mrs. Alan Mark Woody Robert W. Gardner Endowed Scholarship Ms. Mildred J. Gardner Ms. Pamela J. Gardner Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Martin McElyea Mrs. Rebecca Underwood Sewell Ms. Emily Catherine Spivey Ed and Gayle Graviett Gmyrek Scholarship Mrs. Lynda Gayle Gmyrek

Jorge and Ondina Gonzalez Endowed Scholarship Mrs. Ondina Santos Gonzalez Mr. Karl D. Lehman Sam W. and Lillie H. Gray Endowed Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Wendell Clamp Larry A. Green Memorial Scholarship Mr. William A. Gay Dr. Janna S. Johnson Mrs. Melanie Green Jones Lyn Gresham Endowed Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. Edgar W. Fite Mr. Walter K. Gill Mariella Griffiths Berry Loyalty Scholarship Dr. Gerald D. Jennings Jonathan Randall Hardin Endowed Scholarship Fund Mr. and Mrs. Bobby L. Abrams Mr. Jonathan C. Baggett Mr. and Mrs. Daniel H. Boyd Mr. James B. and Mrs. Laurie Hattaway Chandler Mr. William Ferrell Childres Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth L. Crump Jr. Mrs. Penny Evans-Plants Mrs. Cindy Y. Gillespie Ms. Rita Fraser Hopper Mr. and Mrs. Thomas E. Phillips Mrs. Laura L. Phillips James R. Pruitt Jr. Mrs. Kathleen Robinson Ray Mr. Jeffery R. Smith Ms. Pamela R. Smith Mr. Caio Vinicius Soares Mrs. Monica Morgan Willingham Jean Miller Hedden Scholarship Mrs. Jean Miller Hedden Heneisen Service Award Mr. James B. and Mrs. Laurie Hattaway Chandler Cathleen Ann Henriksen Memorial Scholarship Mr. Peter N. and Mrs. Emmaline Beard Henriksen Howell Hollis Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. Anthony D. Link Hollywood Chapter DAR Scholarship Hollywood Chapter DAR Lewis A. Hopkins Endowed Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. Aaron D. Britt Ruby Hopkins Outstanding Student Teacher Award Mr. and Mrs. Aaron D. Britt Mr. Howard A. Richmond II Becky Musser Hosea Scholarship Ms. Susan C. Parker William R. and Sara Lippard Hoyt Scholarship Drs. William R. and Sara Lippard Hoyt Ms. Harriette R. Hoyt Ms. Nancy Thames Lippard Emily T. Ingram Endowed Scholarship Mrs. Emily Thomason Ingram Walter B. and Flossie R. Jennings Memorial Endowed Scholarship Mr. Walter Buford Jennings Amy Jo Johnson Scholarship Fund Mrs. Malisa Sharifi Hagan Mendel D. Johnson Memorial Scholarship Mrs. Joan F. Fulghum Walter and Mabel Johnson Scholarship Col. Walter A. Johnson Jr. H.I. “Ish” Jones Endowed Agriculture Scholarship Mrs. Joy Jones Neal Joseph R. Jones Endowed Spanish Scholarship Dr. J. Kay Gardner

Kappa Delta Pi Endowed Award Dr. Mary C. Clement Dr. Mary Elizabeth Outlaw John C. Kemp and Linda D. Kelso Endowed Scholarship Mr. John C. Kemp and Mrs. Linda D. Kelso Peter A. Lawler Endowed Scholarship Mr. Jeffrey Douglas Horn Mr. Scott Thomas Poole Mr. and Mrs. Leonard P. Roberts Mr. and Mrs. Apostolos G. Spas Raymond H. and Martha C. Lester Endowed Scholarship The Estate of Martha C. Lester Fred H. Loveday Endowed Scholarship Mr. William Ralph Bannister Jr. Mr. Robert T. Campbell Mr. Julian Clifford Gray Mr. and Mrs. Henry Howell Dr. and Mrs. H. Horton McCurdy Mr. and Mrs. Thomas E. Poe Dr. and Mrs. Everett T. Solomons Mr. G. Pait Willis Mr. and Mrs. Alan Mark Woody AGL Resources Inc. James N. Luton Endowed Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. Thomas E. Poe Ross Magoulas Endowed Scholarship Ms. Darlene Daehler-Wilking Mr. Ross A. Magoulas Ms. Cecily J. Nall Mr. Darryl L. Worth Dr. Charles Scott Markle Award Mrs. Dale Matthews Ash Ms. Cindy M. Colville Mr. and Mrs. Hooper Matthews III Dr. L. Doyle Mathis Endowed Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. George W. Hunt Mr. and Mrs. Billy Ray Traynham Lawrence E. McAllister Endowed Scholarship Mrs. Mary Alice Ivey Blanton Mr. and Mrs. Richard Byers Ms. Ruby E. Maloney Edith, Harold and Charlie McDaniel Endowed Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. Edgar W. Fite Mrs. Nancy M. Gibbs Frank Miller Memorial Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. William H. Banks Mr. and Mrs. Baxter D. Burke Mr. and Mrs. Ronald E. Dayhoff Mr. and Mrs. Hudon Miller Mr. Gail Miller Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey B. Smith Mrs. Tammy Miller Stine John H. Mooney Endowed Scholarship The Estate of John H. Mooney Frank Morehead Scholarship Fund Mrs. Marjorie B. Morehead Peter and Tamara Musser Endowed Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. Peter M. Musser Mary and Al Nadassy English Scholarship Dr. Christina G. Bucher Dr. Sandra L. Meek Dr. Mark N. Taylor Dr. James H. Watkins Mary Finley Niedrach Endowed Scholarship Mrs. Florence Finley Milway NSDAR Scholarship DAR – Anne Stickney Chapter DAR – Beaver Chapter DAR – Canton Chapter DAR – Columbus Chapter DAR – Commodore John Barry Chapter DAR – Daniel Cooper Chapter DAR – Friday’s Council Tree Chapter

DAR – Illinois State Organization DAR – Maryland State Society DAR – Pennsylvania State Society DAR – Stanley Redmond Harper Chapter DAR – Texas Society DAR – Williamsburg Chapter NSDAR Bobby Patrick Endowed Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. Len H. Camp Mrs. Mary Camp Patrick Accucard Inc. James L. Paul Jr. Memorial Scholarship Mrs. Violet Paul Dr. Bob Pearson Scholarship Georgia Power Foundation Inc. Pendley Teaching Award Mr. Timothy R. Howard Neal Quitman and Emily Lowe Pope Scholarship Fund Mr. and Mrs. G. Richard Pope Mr. Neal Q. Pope Jr. Sara Powell Expendable Scholarship Mr. John W. Powell Sr. Amber T. Prince Memorial Scholarship Dr. Steven H. Bell Mrs. Kathy R. Gann Dr. Janna S. Johnson Mr. and Mrs. James R. Lindner Jr. Chester A. Roush Jr. Scholarship Mr. Kurt Alexander Roush Ann Russell Memorial Scholarship Mrs. Kathleen Robinson Ray Vesta Salmon Service Scholarship Mrs. Angela P. Reynolds Dr. Stephen H. Salmon Jerry Shelton Endowed Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. George W. Hunt Mrs. Jean Smith Massie Dr. C. Donald Norman Mr. and Mrs. Billy Ray Traynham Mr. Jimmie Witherow Ken Sicchitano/Bettyann O’Neill Expendable Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Mr. Kenton J. Sicchitano Chad Simmons Expendable Scholarship Mrs. Darci Lyn Bloodworth Mrs. Nancy Crowe Simmons Michele Norman Sims Endowed Scholarship Mrs. Anne J. Sims Robert Skelton WinShape Endowed Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan D. Purser Mr. Brent Dwayne Ragsdale Hamilton/Smith Scholarship Mrs. Belvinia H. Attaway Mr. Kenneth A. Baker Mrs. Ruby M. Curry Mrs. Terri Colson Earls Ms. Evelyn L. Hamilton Mr. Leroy Harris Mary Alta Sproull Endowed Math Scholarship Dr. Kenneth W. Whitten Reginald E. Strickland Endowed Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Lt. Col. and Mrs. Reginald E. Strickland Student Scholarships Mr. and Mrs. Gary P. Anderton Mr. and Mrs. James Alan Birkbeck Dr. and Mrs. Michael D. Blanchard Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Ramsey Cook Mr. Robert F. Cotti Mrs. Teresa B. Cruce Ms. Ashley Elizabeth Dunn Ms. Amy Melissa Fairrel Mrs. Elizabeth Steward Garner The Estate of Evelyn Carmichael Garrett Mr. and Mrs. Steve Gray

Mrs. Myrtle Beckworth Hogbin Mr. Paul Lee Howard Mr. John R. Humphreys Mrs. Betty Brown Jones Ms. Christina Catherine Lynn Mrs. Melba Shead Miller Mr. Justin A. Mitchell Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Eastwood Ragan Mrs. Kay S. Stanton Mrs. Lola Coleburn Stubbs Mrs. Lisa Myers Turner Col. Douglas W. Wheeler Mr. and Mrs. Stephen R. Wherry Mrs. Ann Allen Williams Mr. Charles R. Yarbrough Jr. Follett Higher Education Group Richard and Barbara Gaby Foundation Georgia Power Foundation Inc. Price/Blackburn Charitable Foundation Inc. Southeast Georgia Alumni Chapter Tibbals/Zellars Endowed Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Mr. Randall Alan Tibbals Mr. John Zellars Jr. Troy/Gardner Endowed Art History Award Dr. Virginia G. Troy James E. and Dorris Waters Endowed Scholarship Dr. and Mrs. Gary A. Waters Alexander Whyte Whitaker III Endowed Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Whyte Whitaker IV Lettie Pate Whitehead Scholarship Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation Inc. Ann Williams Memorial Endowed Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Williams Bob and Kay Williams Gate of Opportunity Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Williams Jeff Wingo Memorial Scholarship Mrs. Elizabeth Collins Earnst Dr. and Mrs. Todd Lynn Hold Dr. Janna S. Johnson Mrs. Kathryn M. Wingo WinShape Scholarship WinShape Foundation Inc. Haron and Virginia Wise Endowed Work Position Mr. and Mrs. Haron W. Wise Craig Allyn Wofford Scholarship Mrs. Elaine Sexton Foster Mr. and Mrs. Steven Keith Garner Mrs. Anna W. Garner Mr. and Mrs. Paul M. Kees AT&T Foundation Richard Wood Scholarship Mr. and Mrs. Sammy V. Freeman Billy Yeomans Endowed Land Management Scholarship Dr. Brandon D. Bushnell Mr. and Mrs. Alton H. Christopher Mr. Michael Dauphin Mr. Joe Hatcher Mr. D.L. Knox Mr. John B. Little Jr. Mr. Robert E. Reaser Mr. and Mrs. Leonard P. Roberts Yoda Scholarship Dr. Kyoko Leann Yoda

BERRY MAGAZINE • SUMMER 2013

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NON-PROFIT U.S. POSTAGE PAID ATLANTA, GA 30304 PERMIT NO. 2552

Berry magazine P.O. Box 495018 Mount Berry, GA 30149-5018

‘Idol’ appearance Phillip Phillips brought his American Idol-winning vocals to Berry as the headliner for Exam Jam 2013. He also found time to mug for the camera with staff members Cecily Crow (94C), left, and Lydia Gordon, right, and the hard-working students of KCAB. photos by student photographer Lauren Neumann