Alumni Magazine Fall 2011

CELEBRATING 175 YEARS

Emory&Henry fall 2011

alumni magazine

Legacy &Vision TIMELESS QUALITY SINCE 1836

PROUDEST MOMENT • TORNADO RELIEF • JAMES H. BROOKS FIELD HOUSE • EMORY ABROAD CONNECTS

from the president Dear Emory & Henry Alumni and Friends,

On January 1, 1836, 175 years ago, a Committee of the Holston Conference

of the Methodist Episcopal Church, chaired by the Reverend Creed Fulton, visited the Crawford Farm in Washington County, Virginia. At that time, the Crawford

“Emory & Henry is more than a college – it is a way of thinking, a way of living.”

Farm was approximately 500 acres of arable land in the beautiful highlands of

of 1931, author of more than 40 outdoor, historical dramas.

Emory & Henry is ...

southwestern Virginia, surrounded by the Appalachian and Blue Ridge Mountains.

Along with its natural beauty, this land, the Crawford Farm, had a source of water, one of the upper branches of Little Holston Creek. This land also was near a major route for those who were traveling west—a route that would one day become U.S. Highway 11. On that day, the Committee voted to establish a manual labor college in this location.

Kermit Hunter, reunion class

who says

Today, 175 years later, we celebrate the wisdom of our founders, the

influence of this special place on the world, and the potential and promise of its future. Think about the people who gathered here on these rolling hills 175 years ago to celebrate the laying of the cornerstone of The College on Sept. 30, 1836.

Envision what it was like for those people. Look out at the farm. Do you see the thick stands of oak and chestnut trees? Do you see the briars and the thickets?

Do you see the clover and the hay that has been planted? Do you see the large

One of ‘America’s Best College

Secrets’

A new guide book by an expert in college admissions lists Emory & Henry College among 70 colleges and universities that are “America’s Best Kept College Secrets.”

Institutions included in the guidebook share four important

characteristics: a superior institution that is exciting, challenging and welcoming; an excellent reputation with high regard from those who know colleges; acceptance rates of more than 60 percent and retention rates of more than 85 percent; and a strong interest in applicants from outside its region.

The book is the work of Peter Arango, who has been working in the field of college admissions for 40 years, during which time he has counseled

hundreds of students and families. He is an editor of the Houghton Mifflin Guide to U.S. Colleges and Universities, a contributor to numerous publications, and a frequent presenter at workshops on preparing for the college search.

Arango describes Emory & Henry as a college that occupies “a distinguished and unique place in the history of the commonwealth and in the ranks of liberal arts colleges.” d

Among Top 20

Finalist for

limestone spring? Do you see the Crawford home, the barns and the stables? Do you see the confidence on the faces of the people—the confidence that having a school of higher learning in their midst will bring them and their descendents a better life?

When Kermit Hunter, who attended Emory & Henry College in the late

1920s, spoke at the College’s Commencement in 1958, he spoke of the “tides of influence” that have been sent forth from this special place. This alumni magazine is about the individuals and the groups that are a part of these “tides of influence.”

One of the most moving stories in the following pages—and one that

illustrates so well the “tides of influence” of Emory & Henry—is about the assistance provided by our students in the aftermath of the tornado that touched down in Glade Spring last April. Cristie Blevins Lester (’97) called our students “her angels,” as they sheltered her seriously injured mother and summoned rescue squads to her aid.

Emory & Henry College and its people are carrying out the vision of our

founders and realizing the promise envisioned by those citizens gathered here on the Crawford farm so many years ago. I know that Emory & Henry will continue its impactful journey and add to those “tides of influence” in new and amazing ways.

With Kindest Regards,

Rosalind Reichard, Ph.D. President

Nationwide In

Service Learning

Emory & Henry is among the top 20 colleges and universities in the nation that are most committed to community service, according to a ranking by USA Today.

Emory & Henry ranks 14th on the list and was the only Virginia school ranked.

USA Today is the third national news publication to recognize Emory & Henry for its commitment to community service and service learning. Last year, Newsweek magazine ranked it among the top five colleges and universities nationally for community service. In addition, Washington Monthly, while ranking it among the top 30 liberal arts institutions in the nation, praised the college for its commitment to service. d

President’s Award

For the second consecutive year, Emory & Henry College has been recognized as a leader among institutions of higher education for their support of volunteering, servicelearning and civic engagement.

The Corporation for National and Community Service has named Emory & Henry a finalist for the 2010 President’s Award, the highest federal recognition for commitment to service-learning and civic engagement. Last year, Emory & Henry was one of six colleges or universities nationwide to win the award. It is one of only two institutions to be honored as either a finalist or a winner in two consecutive years since the award was begun in 2006. d

Emory & Henry College Executive Council President Rosalind Reichard Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty (Interim) Linda Harris Dobkins

CONTENTS

DEPARTMENTS

ALUMNI MAGAZINE FALL 2011

ON THE CAMPUS p12-21 feature p12 Proudest Moment

EMORY & HENRY

Vice President for Business and Finance Dirk Wilmoth

Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students Pamela Gourley Director of Public Relations Dirk Moore

p1

cover STORY:

Celebrating 175 years

Emory & Henry College Alumni Association Board of Directors Greg Hagee ’86, President Matt Hankins ’94, Immediate Past President Jenny Poston Bishop ’93, Vice-President Anne Gerard Carty ’76, Tenn.

Monica Gonzalez, ’98, Tri-Cities (Tenn.)

Steve Walker ’72, New River Valley Judie Eller ’70, Shenandoah Valley Allison Mays Wilburn ’95, Washington County Patsy Fitts Reed ’70, Smyth County Margaret Turman Kidd ’98, Richmond Bill Naehle ’82, Northern Virginia Pat Shrader ’93, North Carolina Mike Sullivan ’68, Tidewater/Peninsula Kell Mason ’95, Piedmont Jon Crutchfield ’91, Roanoke Valley Ruth Wilson Blankenship, Mountain Empire Lee Lane McCloud ’92, West Virginia Chuck Alexander ’89, D.C./Maryland Allison Waugh ’10, 2010s Rep. Scott Sikes ’99, 2000s Rep. Andy Zimmerman ’90, 1990s Rep. Anne Thomas-Abbott ’89, 1980s Rep. David St. Clair ’73, 1970s Rep. Dean Newman ’62, 1960s Rep. Sue Young Payne, ’51, 1950s Rep. Sally Sprinkle Bentley ’54, Gold Club Kelly Espy ’94, Alumni Volunteer Aux. Cyndi Jennings ’91, At-Large Mary-Margaret Justis ’69, At-Large

ADVANCEMENT p30-33 feature p30 Brooks Field House

p30 p34

SPORTS p34-37 feature p34 Serving the Right Mix

Director of Athletics Myra Syms Executive Assistant to the President Mark Graham ’85

p22

IN THE CLASSROOM p22-29 feature p22 Larger Sense of Connection

Vice President for Enrollment Management David Hawsey Vice President for Institutional Advancement (interim) Bun Perkinson

p12

The Party Has events Started! 175th to date p10

ALUMNI ROUNDUP p38-43 feature p38 Horsing Around

p38

CLASS NOTES & ALUMNI FEATURES p44-52 IN MEMORIAM p52-54

FRONT COVER: E&H Class of 1895.

BACK COVER: The cornerstone of the original administration building and the Bible placed therein.

The Emory & Henry Alumni Magazine Director of Public Relations, Editor Dirk Moore Director of Alumni, Alumni Editor Monica S. Hoel ’85 Director of Publications, Art Director/Writer Jamie Smyth

Contributors: Dave Grace, Photographer Brent Treash ’01, Photographer, Writer Joe Matthews, Writer Rhonda Widener, Writer, Clerical Support

The Alumni Magazine is published regularly for alumni, parents and friends of Emory & Henry College. Send news, letters or change of address to the following: The Alumni Magazine Emory & Henry College PO Box 950 • Emory, Virginia 24327-0950 Phone: 276-944-6126 • E-mail: alumni@ehc.edu Website: www@ehc.edu The Alumni Magazine © 2011 Emory & Henry College

E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 4

THE / ALUMNI PRESIDENT

/ REPORTS

Dear friends:

When I was at Emory & Henry as a student I had a lot of predictions for my own future. Being president of the E&H Alumni Association, however, was nowhere on the list. But life is full of good surprises, and I am grateful to have this opportunity to serve our alma mater.

Notice that I said “our” alma mater. Our paths and interests and majors may have varied wildly, but we all have the same love and affection for Emory & Henry.

Because of that affection, we also have responsibilities. If you know someone who would be a good student at the College, encourage him or her to look at Emory & Henry. If you can make a gift to the annual fund, be a donor to Emory & Henry. And if you find yourself with some time to use for service, consider being more involved at Emory & Henry.

I never tire of meeting fellow alumni because in no time at all our conversations invariably go from a formal “nice to meet you” to heartfelt laughter. We love Emory & Henry because it gave us the strength to walk out into the world on our own. And it gave us the friends we’ll know and cherish for a lifetime. I am proud to be serving in this position, and I’m proud of the alumni I serve with side-by-side.

We’d love to have you join us. Be in touch with ideas, or to let us know you’ve got time to give. And while you’re at it, why not nominate someone for an Outstanding Alumni Award? You can find a contact link and a nomination form on the alumni section of the E&H website at www.ehc.edu.

Meanwhile, I’ll look forward to seeing you back at our alma mater.

Macte Virtute,

H. Greg Hagee, ‘86

5 / Fall 2011 / E&H Alumni Magazine

“Emory & Henry has a timeless quality that keeps reaching on and on down the years, not only blessing and hallowing this mountain country of Southwest Virginia, but also sending out tides of influence that touch the whole hungry soul of man.

This is more than a college—it is a way of thinking, a way of living.”

Since 1836...

— Kermit Hunter, Class of 1931

from concept to college to national liberal arts institution

In

his historical account of Emory & Henry, “Increase in Excellence,” George Stevenson quotes Kermit Hunter (author of “Unto These Hills”), a 1931 E&H graduate who was speaking at the College’s commencement exercises in 1958. “Emory & Henry has a timeless quality that

keeps reaching on and on down the years,” Hunter said, “not only blessing and hallowing this mountain country of Southwest Virginia, but also sending out tides of influence that touch the whole hungry soul of man. This is more than a college—it is a way of thinking, a way of living.”

Emory & Henry was founded in 1836. On Jan. 1 of that year, Creed Fulton and two other members of a

committee established by the Holston Conference of the Methodist Church met at what was then known as the Crawford Farm and pronounced the location ideal for a manual labor school.

As the years would pass, the College would endure wars, recessions and a Great Depression to become

one of the nation’s leading liberal arts institutions, recognized for its historic mission of service as well as its high standards of academic excellence. Named for Bishop John Emory and Virginia Gov. Patrick Henry, the College would become one of the few educational institutions in the nation that have devoted themselves for more than 175 years to their original charters.

This summer, Emory & Henry College began celebrating the 175th anniversary of its founding with a year of

events aimed at drawing attention to the institution’s history and timeless quality.

The celebration began in August at the opening convocation of the 2011-2012 academic year. A variety

of anniversary events will continue until July 2012, all of them celebrating the historic founding of Southwest Virginia’s oldest institution of higher education.

1836

“This will be a year of celebration not only for the Emory & Henry family but for Southwest Virginia, a

region that is dear to the hearts of Emory & Henry people and important to the mission and longevity of this

E&H campus, 1890. The original administration building is in the background. Sam Small Gymnasium is in the foreground.

incredible institution,” said Dr. Rosalind Reichard, the 20th president of the College.

E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 6

7 / Fall 2011 / E&H Alumni Magazine

/ continued on page 6 /

1836

Events for the year-long celebration include, among

In addition to the many events associated with the

other activities, lectures, concerts, Homecoming Day

anniversary celebration, Emory & Henry has published a

activities, a Cornerstone Celebration, a fireworks display,

pictorial history book, Legacy & Vision: A Pictorial History

and a keynote speech by world-renowned historian Doris

of Emory & Henry College, authored by E&H archivist

Kearns Goodwin. (See related stories on pages 8-10.)

Robert Vejnar. This 160-page, hard-bound coffee table book

is rich with photos never before published, providing views

The theme for the anniversary celebration is

“Legacy & Vision: Timeless Quality Since 1836.” The slogan

of the campus from its earliest days through the present

is derived from President Reichard’s inauguration theme in

and providing information about people important in Emory

2007 and the quote by Hunter.

& Henry’s past. (See related story on page 11.)

Edith Waterhouse, class of 1907, was the College’s first female graduate and the first female faculty member. She taught in the College’s preparatory department and was the daughter of E&H President Richard Waterhouse.

Homecoming, ca. late 1980s-early 1990s.

Graduation, 1905.

In this book, Vejnar describes what was placed in

the cornerstone of the building that would become Wiley

1836

Hall, the College’s main administration building: “The

Reverend Thomas Catlett, who would join the Board of The “Fitting School,” now Weaver Hall, a women’s residence hall.

Trustees the following year, noted in his diary that during

the ceremony a Bible, a Methodist discipline, a hymn book,

and the names of the founders (Creed Fulton, Tobias Smyth, Alexander Findlay and William Byars) were placed in the cornerstone of the building. Thus Emory & Henry College came officially into being.”

Vejnar also recounts the naming of the college.

After the names of John Emory and Patrick Henry had been suggested, it was the Rev. Samuel Patton, speaking at the annual meeting for the Holston Conference, who proposed the name. Vejnar writes that Patton, “according to an eyewitness account recorded years later, rose from his seat and spoke ardently in favor of naming the new college Emory & Henry. His logic and eloquence carried the day.” / continued on page 9 / E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 8

9 / Fall 2011 / E&H Alumni Magazine

May Day, 1939.

The celebration of Emory & Henry’s 175th

birthday is a celebration of not only its past and its potential but also of its values, according to President Reichard. “When the founders of this College named it for Bishop John Emory and Gov. Patrick Henry, they were not only underscoring the College’s

more than any other resource, however, the power and endurance of its values has helped Emory & Henry remain a vibrant college for 175 years.

According to Legacy & Vision, Emory & Henry

has endured for 175 years “because it embodies ideas

means to survive and to thrive. They were endowing

and values that simply must be perpetuated. It has

the College with the values of spirituality and civic

survived because those who love this place realize

virtue that would have relevance to students and

that this college is far more than buildings and

1836

generous philanthropists and good fortune. Perhaps

mission, they were blessing the institution with the

supporters throughout generations.”

Football, ca. 1920s.

Legacy & Vision

has endured through intelligent management,

Despite periods of adversity, Emory & Henry

Timeless Quality Since 1836

classrooms and professors and students; it is a way of living.” d

Homecoming, ca. 1950s.

Doris Kearns Goodwin delivered the keynote address to a crowd of 750 in the King Center Gymnasium.

Pulitzer Prize-winning historian delivers keynote

Doris Kearns Goodwin delivered the keynote address for Emory & Henry’s 175th anniversary celebration to approximately 750 people gathered in the King Center Gymnasium on Oct. 13, focusing on President Abraham Lincoln and his leadership of the country during a time of turmoil.

According to Goodwin, Lincoln placed his political rivals within his administration, recognizing, in spite of their animosity toward him, that they had important gifts to be exercised in service to the nation. “He said simply, ‘The country is in peril.

These are the strongest and most able men in the country. I need them by my side,’ ” said Goodwin.

Goodwin is the author of several books and has written for leading national publications. Her most recent work, a E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 10

11 / Fall 2011 / E&H Alumni Magazine

monumental history of Abraham Lincoln entitled Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, published in October 2005, joined the bestseller lists on its first week in publication, and soon reached No. 1 on the New York Times Bestseller List. It is being made into a movie by Steven Spielberg.

In 1976, Goodwin authored Lyndon Johnson & The American Dream, which became a NewYork Times bestseller. She followed up in 1987 with the political biography, The Fitzgeralds and the Kennedys, which was made into a six-hour ABC miniseries. She also wrote No OrdinaryTime: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The American Home Front During World War II, which was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1995.

Go to the website www.ehc.edu/175 for an update of all things anniversary.

Emory & Henry sponsored a stage at the Rhythm & Roots Festival in Bristol in September — the CJ & Company Stage on Sixth Street — as well as numerous bands featuring E&H alumni musicians, and threw a party for alumni and friends.

Emory & Henry College celebrated the laying of the cornerstone of its original administration building on Friday, Sept. 30, exactly 175 years after the cornerstone was laid. The occasion was marked with celebratory remarks and a return of the bell that once hung in the bell tower atop Wiley Hall. A fireworks display was presented at the conclusion of the day’s events.

The College’s Annual Literary Festival featured Barbara Kingsolver, best-selling author and resident of Meadowview, Va. Her most recent novel, The Lacuna, received Great Britian’s prestigious Orange Prize for Fiction. Left to right are festival guests Sandra Ballard, Meredith Sue Willis, Barbara Kingsolver, Steve Fisher and Linda Wagner-Martin.

The appearance of the Chinese Opera Orchestra of Shanghai in September was a major event of Emory & Henry’s Arts Series 2011-2012, as well as the 175th Anniversary of the College.

The orchestra is heralded for preserving and popularizing Chinese traditional music and in making it accessible to people of all ages in the region, the nation and the world.

The Party Has 175th events Started! to date

Related events also held are the lecture

by Jack F. Matlock, Jr., former U.S. Ambassador to the Soviet Union and the Talbert Lecturer Dr. Christopher BaileyKellogg, associate professor of computer science at Dartmouth College.

E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 12

13 / Fall 2011 / E&H Alumni Magazine

Pictorial history book portrays 175 years of Emory & Henry history

The 175-year history of Emory &

oldest institution of higher learning in

Henry College is commemorated in a

Southwest Virginia.

new 160-page pictorial history book.

The book, entitled Legacy &

Emory & Henry is one of the

few institutions in the nation that

Vision: A Pictorial History of Emory

have survived more than 170 years

& Henry College, is available from the

while remaining true to their original

College bookstore or online at www.

mission and values.

ehc.edu/175.

Emory & Henry’s archivist, and a

Some 330 images offers a glimpse

Compiled by Robert Vejnar II,

into the history of Emory & Henry

dedicated editorial committee, the

College, which was founded on

book is a fascinating and visually

farmland seven miles east of Abingdon,

compelling work that will serve for

Va. The school, which began as a

many years as both an historical

manual labor college at which students

reference and an emotional

performed physical labor to strengthen

touchstone. d

mind and body, would become the

C

“My Emory & Henry brothers and sisters saved my mother.”

Cristie

Blevins Lester (’97) lost her father during a deadly tornado in Glade

Spring on April 28. But on that day, she also found some new “E&H brothers and sisters.”

Her parents’ home was in the direct path of an EF-3 tornado that destroyed a

sizeable section of Glade Spring and parts of Washington County. Her father, Bobby Blevins (re-’74), was killed in the storm, and her mother, Debbie Blevins, was badly injured.

In spite of the tragedy, Cristie is finding herself grateful to some students she is

calling “E&H angels.”

“By the grace of God, my mom was spared. She had guardian angels that

simply appeared out of the field,” Cristie said. The angels were four Emory & Henry students, members of the Dom-I-Necher fraternity.

They were alerted to the scene by E&H senior Kevin Heideman, whose

apartment was badly damaged in the storm. He called his fraternity brothers to the location in a text that read, “Someone please help. Come to my apartment. Bring a pair of shoes.”

The E&H students went first to their friend’s apartment, gave him some shoes

and checked on his neighbors in the apartment complex. Then—as they were pummeled by rain, wind and hail—they fanned out to look for other people in need of help.

ON THE CAMPUS / feature

Heideman was eventually joined by other fraternity brothers who helped in the

search, including James McVey, Jacob Reid, Graham Grasty, Nick Jimenez, Seth Shuler, Tyler McClain and Brad Ellis. He told his fraternity brothers about a couple who lived in a mobile home across the street.

“We started looking for the mobile home and couldn’t find it,” Reid told the

Bristol Herald Courier. “Finally we were like, ‘The mobile home’s gone.’ And we realized that we were standing on their gravel. We actually yelled for a long time and walked around the field.”

After deciding that the Blevins’ had left before the storm hit, they began walking

back toward the apartments. That is when they heard Debbie Blevins’ cry for help. Thrown some 100 yards from where her house stood, Debbie had suffered a punctured lung and other injuries.

/ continued on page 14 /

The Proudest Moment

of My Life

Christie Blevins and Ashely Griggs

The E&H students quickly worked to shelter her with

Frost asked Katie if she’d seen the dog. Katie grinned

coats and their bodies while searching for emergency

and responded, “You mean Bella?!”

responders.

Blevins’ body. They found the dog’s leash hanging in a tree,

“The trauma surgeons said that had it not been for them

Griggs and McLaren had found Bella standing next to Mr.

[the fraternity brothers], I would have lost my momma, too,”

scooped her up, took her back to campus, gave her a bath, fed

Cristie said.

her and cared for her.

Later, Cristie received a photograph on her cell phone

The 12-pound Schnorkie (Schnauzer and Yorkie mix),

that continued to endear the E&H students to her. It was

ironically a rescue dog, survived the storm without a scratch.

a photo of the young men, flowers in hand, at her mother’s

And Cristie says a bit of the “twinkle” returned to her mom’s

hospital bedside. The text said, “These are the boys that

eyes once she heard this bit of happy news.

saved your Momma!”

Nechers assisted numerous others in the moments just after

In the sad and stressful days following the storm there

In addition to caring for Debbie Blevins, The Dom-I-

were to be other surprise moments of joy. The Blevins’ had

the tornado struck. They came to the aid of another seriously

two dogs. One of them had been killed in the storm; the other

injured woman, Brenda Offield, and found her husband,

could not be found.

Ronnie Offield, who had been killed when the tornado swept

their house off its foundation and into the backyard.

A family friend, Jack Frost, was sent to retrieve the body

of the deceased dog and came upon E&H student Annalise

They carried another woman, who had suffered less

Shelton, whose apartment was destroyed by the tornado. Her

serious injuries, down the hill from a separate collapsed

sorority sisters, Ashlee Griggs and Katie McLaren, had come

building, and helped Shelton and another E&H student,

to the scene to help Shelton.

Whitney Manning, escape from their badly damaged apartment. And they helped campus cafeteria workers from another destroyed apartment return to campus.

Cristie and husband, Jason Lester (’95), are both E&H alumni. Cristie said her proudest moment in life had always been the day she graduated from Emory & Henry. “That is no longer true; the proudest moment of my life is when my Emory & Henry brothers and sisters saved my mother,” Cristie said.

“Our hearts are overflowing with love for these students.

Jason and I can never thank them enough.” d

A Few of the Heroes from Emory: -Kevin Heideman, 22, a senior from Lynchburg; -James McVey, 23, a senior from Richlands -Jacob Reid, 20, a sophomore from Salem -Graham Grasty, 20, a sophomore from Roanoke

ON THE CAMPUS / feature

-Nick Jiminez, 22, a senior from New Jersey Brenda Blevins (above left) in the hospital with her “E&H Angels.”

Pictured left is Christie in the foreground and E&H students from left to right: Graham Grasty, Kevin Heideman, Jessi Shuler, Jacob Reid, Ashely Griggs, James McVey, Nick Jiminez and Katie McLaren.

-Brad Ellis, 20, a sophomore from Fredericksburg -Seth Shuler, 22, a senior from Sugar Grove -Jessi Shuler, 20, a sophomore from Sugar Grove -Tyler McClain, 20, a junior from Piney Flats, Tenn.

-Lauren Kelliher, 20 a sophomore from Clifton

E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 16

17 / Fall 2011 / E&H Alumni Magazine

tornado relief

During the night of April 27 and the early morning hours of April 28, tornadoes swept through Washington County, Va., destroying homes and claiming the lives of four residents in Glade Spring.

The tornadoes crumbled homes and

businesses, tossed vehicles like toys and forever changed the landscape outside the town, just three miles east of the E&H campus.

Emory & Henry College students

played a large role in coordinating relief efforts for victims. Immediately following the storm students helped locate missing people. Within the next few days following the tragedy, E&H volunteers helped run a shuttle service in and out of Glade Spring and helped operate a volunteer staging center located in the King Center gymnasium. As time went on, E&H faculty, staff and students also joined other volunteers in the removal of debris.

“A host of volunteers from the College

helped with this process,” said Dr. Tal Stanley, director of the Appalachian Center at the College. “I believe every member of this campus community contributed to this effort in some way and every person helped us accomplish so much in such a short time.”

Stanley said that a state official

coordinating the staging area reported that he had “never met a community or

ON THE CAMPUS / feature

an institution as gracious or as willing to help as the Emory & Henry family.” d

Previous page and above: scenes of destruction, determination and exhaustion in Glade Spring after the tornado struck; the King Athletic Center on the Emory & Henry campus, which served as a staging area for volunteers after the disaster.

E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 18

19 / Fall 2011 / E&H Alumni Magazine

The Emory & Henry graduate is an “educated rural person” who has acquired the good manners, the kindness and the respect for others that will move mountains, according to Barbara Kingsolver, the best-selling author who addressed the College’s 2011 graduating class.

Demonstrating immense leadership, citizenship and compassion, E&H students in large numbers responded to a deadly tornado that struck nearby Glade Spring on April 28.

COMMENCEMENT 2011

“Polite people

g

will rule the world.

Kingsolver Celebrates the Educated Rural Person

ON THE CAMPUS / briefs

The violent storm and the E&H community’s reaction to it were addressed by every speaker to come before the commencement crowd assembled on a sunny day on the south lawn of the E&H Memorial Chapel.

Small, rural communities have learned the skills of kindness, Kingsolver said. “If being here [at Emory & Henry] has helped you cultivate good manners, you will find them to be a profound asset,” Kingsolver told the graduates. “Manners set you apart … Polite people will rule the world.”

A resident of nearby Meadowview, Kingsolver is the author of High Tide in Tucson, Poisonwood Bible and Prodigal Summer. Her sixth book, Pigs in Heaven, became her first to hit the New York Times bestseller list. Writer’s Digest named her one of the most important writers of the 20th century. In 2000, President Clinton presented her with the National Humanities Medal, the nation’s highest award for service in the arts and humanities. d E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 20

21 / Fall 2011 / E&H Alumni Magazine

”

d

Rachel Fogg

Kellogg Kicks Off 175th Year with Focus on Namesakes

Student Body President

College Hosts Appalachian Trail Enthusiasts

ON THE CAMPUS / briefs

Emory & Henry College hosted more than 900 Appalachian Trail enthusiasts during the 38th biennial meeting of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy in July.

Participants, who gathered for meetings and workshops during the week, hiked the area trails, went canoeing, rafting, and biking, and took in many local attractions.

“Their presence at Emory & Henry reinforces the College’s dedication to the outdoors while raising awareness about our region and its many attractions and opportunities,” said Angie Werth, E&H summer conference and facilities coordinator.

During the event, a cooperative effort of the Virginia Regional Partnership Committee (RPC), the Appalachian Trail Conservancy of the Southwest and Central Virginia Region, and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, volunteers from seven clubs put in thousands of hours of trail maintenance on the Appalachian Trail.

Conference co-chair Ned Kuhns of the Tidewater Appalachian Trail Club (TATC) said Emory & Henry was chosen as the location for the meetings following an exhaustive search. The College offers a “beautiful setting, superior lodging and dining facilities, and a most cooperative, friendly, and supportive administration.” d

John Emory and Patrick Henry would be pleased with the college that bears their names, according to Dr. Fred Kellogg, who spoke at the College’s academic convocation, which kicked off a year-long celebration of the institution’s 175-year anniversary.

Emory & Henry, as it did 175 years ago when it began, lives up to its calling to seek educational excellence through an emphasis on vital piety and civic virtue, according to Kellogg.

Keeping in mind the influence of John Emory, the College emphasizes vital piety through the teaching and research of religion which is integrated across the curriculum.

While welcoming students from all faith communities, Kellogg said Emory & Henry is “not trying to give you the answers, but is trying to help you in your own quest.” d

d

After a close race resulting in nearly 59 percent of the student body casting a vote, Rachel Fogg of Carlise, Penn., formerly vicepresident, and Leroy Stickland of Landover, Md., were elected president and vicepresident of E&H Student Government.

Fogg is a senior double majoring in history and public policy and community service.

Strickland is a junior majoring in sociology.

Fogg’s goals for the year include increasing the diversity of programming and student involvement in activities around the campus. d

Hope Awards

The Appalachian Center for Community Service honored the following individuals and local organization for service to their communities and the College: Noah Hayden, an E&H senior; Sarah Gillespie, an E&H graduate; Greg McMillan, the E&H vice president of institutional advancement; Dr. George Stainback, an E&H professor of education; and the Children’s Advocacy Center of Bristol and Washington County, Va. d

Emory & Henry College has begun the process of converting some of its vehicles from gasoline to electricity, as the institution continues work toward reducing its carbon footprint.

The College, which seeks to become carbon neutral on its 200th anniversary in 2036, has introduced two electric vehicles into its transportation fleet. In addition, President Rosalind Reichard (above) and her husband, Don Reichard, have purchased an electric vehicle that they have donated to the College. d

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E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 24

Jason Jones, an E&H senior, is from Greeneville, Tenn., but since this summer he has been

feeling very much at home in Brazil.

Jones, who holds bachelor’s degrees in music education and French, is in his professional

year of a master’s degree program in education at Emory & Henry (the program allows E&H students to achieve both a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in education in five years).

He spent the summer working toward his degree while teaching English as a second

language in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The experience enlarged his understanding of cultural diversity and enhanced his competitiveness in the job market—both key objectives of the E&H study

feature

abroad program called “Emory Abroad.”

IN THE CLASSROOM /

Larger Sense of Connection

IN THE CLASSROOM

Exotic bird caught on camera by ___ in _____ country.

Opposite page: Middle photo: E&H students Kerry Palmer, Sarah Montgomery and theatre professor Biliana Stoytcheva-Horissian explore the Thracian Tomb from 4th century B.C., which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.

Right photo: E&H students Anna Davis and Tori Williams explore a monument originally called International Childrens Assembly. It has more than 100 bells of different shapes and sizes from many different countries.

EMORY ABROAD

25 / Fall 2011 / E&H Alumni Magazine

But what was perhaps more important to Jones was the sense of connection he felt to the

people he met in Brazil. “By the end of the trip, I felt as though Brazil was my home.”

Emory Abroad has begun an exponential expansion since it was formally established

five years ago. In that time the number of study abroad courses has grown from four to 11. The number of students studying abroad each year has grown by approximately 300 percent, from approximately three per year to 10 per year.

The growth is the result of a program that emphasizes faculty involvement, which,

according to Dr. Celeste Gaia, the director of Emory Abroad, provides students with choices that few colleges can with short-term study abroad experience.

“Students are able to study abroad with their fellow students and a known faculty

member; therefore, the hesitation that some students may have when contemplating international travel is dissipated,” Gaia said. “Also, students clearly see how the study abroad experience fits with course content and their academic program. It is a wonderful and affordable alternative to longer semester study.”

/ continued on page 24 /

Larger Sense continued

Emory Abroad courses are available to a wide range of students and

arise from E&H faculty interest and expertise. Gaia said the courses are meaningful experiences in part because they foster strong relationships among students and between students and faculty members. “The willingness of faculty members to teach these courses reflects their dedication to Emory & Henry, because the time and energy involved in such a course is substantial.”

The program seeks to prepare students for life in the 21st century

by enhancing their critical thinking and global awareness. In addition, Emory Abroad promotes an understanding of cultural diversity and interconnections while attempting to improve the competitiveness of students as they search for employment and graduate study.

During the past summer and spring, E&H students studied in

Australia, Belize, Brazil, Bulgaria, China, Costa Rica, China, England, France, Germany and Ireland. This fall students will travel to Brazil,

E&H Students, 4th Graders Explore Forest Preserve

Emory & Henry College students joined local elementary students last spring in a celebration of Earth Week by exploring part of a 92-acre forest preservation, which was donated recently to the College.

Twenty-one fourth-graders from Valley Institute Elementary School, guided by a half-dozen E&H students, scaled a tall hillside on the land, which was bequeathed to the College by the late Grace Rust.

As they hiked students learned about wildflowers and other forest vegetation, and about the value of forests as a habitat for animals and as a means for cleaning the air. The theme of the Earth Week outing was “Respect for Natural Places.”

In addition to conducting field trips for elementary and high school students, Emory & Henry students will use the preserve to study forest carbon sequestration, wildlife habitat quality and geological mapping.

China, the Czech Republic, France, Ireland and New Zealand.

Jones said his summer in Brazil revealed to him the fascination

Junior Ross Ellis (above) of Abingdon, Va., and senior Gavin Irvine of Hudson, Ohio, presented research posters at the American Chemical Society’s 241st National Meeting & Exposition in Anaheim, Calif.

Nearly 9,500 presentations on new discoveries that span science’s horizons—from astronomy to zoology— were presented at the conference on March 27-31. v

E&H Steps up Physical Activity Requirements

that Brazilians have for Americans as well as the difficulty for non-Americans of understanding both the English language and American culture. The experience also solidified his passion for ethnomusicology, which is the study of society and the culture of music. “My new passion is to learn about the musical traditions, the music history and music education in Brazil.”

Students Present Research at ACS Nat’l Convention

He now expects to return to Brazil soon. “I still feel so connected to it.

Eu amo o Brasil!” v

Robin Grossman, director of service-learning at the College, converses with students during the forest preserve exploration.

Students Manage Organic Garden

Clad in work boots and carrying shovels, hoes and watering cans, a group of Emory & Henry students gather to learn in a different kind of classroom.

The College’s organic garden is located behind the Buchanan-Blakemore House, a residence donated by the Blakemore family to the College in 2006.

“We’ve been told the Blakemores tended their garden years ago in the same location we chose,” said Dr. Ed Davis, E&H associate professor of geography, who convinced college administrators of its benefits four years ago. The garden supplies fresh produce for the college cafeteria, as well as to the Stone Soup Food Pantry, a project of Ecumenical Faith in Action, which serves residents in Washington County, Va. v

READ MORE ON LINE / WWW.EHC.EDU Shipka Pass is a scenic mountain pass through the Balkan Mountains in Bulgaria. It is a memorial to those who died for the Liberation of Bulgaria during the Battles of Shipka Pass in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78. When the weather is clear E&H Alumni Magazine / Fallyou 2011 /can 26 see the entire country from this location. Pictured here are, left to right, Jesse Schambach, Mickey Horissian and Seth Evans.

27 / Fall 2011 / E&H Alumni Magazine

IN THE CLASSROOM / briefs

Grace Rust, who died at age 99, was a firstgrade teacher for 41 years who valued both wildlife and education. The land was settled in the 1840s by Jeremiah Rust. The property eventually passed to Willy Garnett Rust, Grace’s husband, who grew up on the land before moving to Ohio. He died in 1974, leaving the land to his widow.

“She would be so excited to see these children— to see her will fulfilled like this,” said Jim Moody, a distant cousin to Willy Rust.

Also present for the event was Neal Kilgore, conservation easement specialist for the Virginia Outdoors Foundation. “There’s something that we lose when something green like this gets taken away forever,” said Kilgore. “We need to save enough green space that we can have clean air to breathe and clean water to drink and just places to recharge our spiritual batteries.” v

Recently, Emory & Henry was awarded a $4,712 grant from the McGraw Hill Publishing Company to help support research into the socio-cultural factors that enhance or deter college student participation in physical activity. In addition, the College has developed an instructional physical activity program that requires all students to complete two physical activity courses prior to graduation.

The project will offer physical activity courses that align with a “pleasure and participation sports model.” The model, which was designed by noted sport sociologist Jay Coakley, emphasizes democratic leadership, inclusive participation, and the use of cooperation and competition. v

Students Present Research to Sociological Society

IN THE CLASSROOM / briefss

2

A group of E&H sociology students joined sociologists from more than 10 states to present research at the Southern Sociological Society Annual Meeting last spring in Jacksonville, Fla.

Seniors Ali Nail, Kelli Smith, April Smith, and Erika Wright presented research on attitudes toward immigration, confidence in the federal government post-Katrina, the impact of religion on world views, and religion and sexuality. The students developed their research papers during the semester-long Methods of Social Research course, analyzing data from the General Social Survey, a biennial nationally representative survey of Americans’ opinions on key social issues.

“I absolutely love watching students present their research at the Southerns, particularly when they realize that their work is equal to that of undergraduate and graduate students in the field,” said E&H sociology professor Julia Wilson. v

In the past few months, two websites have ranked the E&H Theatre Department among the best theatre education opportunities in Virginia.

The IveyFiles.com has listed Emory & Henry College as one of the top five colleges in the nation where no audition is required for aspiring actors. In addition, Mademen.com ranks Emory & Henry second among the top 10 acting schools in Virginia.

Alison Cooper Chisolm, with IveyFiles, asked the simple question, “Are there any programs out there for [aspiring actors]—the ones who aren’t precocious child stars and who aren’t going to make the cut at Juilliard just yet?”

When evaluating Emory & Henry, Chisolm was able to answer that question with a resounding “Yes!”

“Emory & Henry has developed a very interesting and creative model for a theater program,” Chisolm wrote. “They

The Semester-A-Trail, a unique program that provides 12 hours of academic credit to students who attempt to hike the 2,200 miles of the Appalachian Trail, was developed for the student seeking a learning experience that goes well beyond the classroom. The program, a synthesis of academic learning and outdoor adventure, is an intensive, goal-oriented journey that seeks to challenge students both physically and intellectually.

“I wanted to move learning beyond the metaphor,” said Professor Jim Harrison, who developed the program and serves as both an English professor and the director of the E&H Outdoor Leadership Program. “We talk about education as a journey and an adventure. This course offers students a very meaningful opportunity to move beyond the traditional classroom to obtain real world experiences and competencies.”

The Semester-A-Trail also presents students with the opportunity to build independent studies and projects with field-based implications. Independent study options being explored currently by students include art and photography projects, water quality studies and a botany study. v

Blazing Their Own Trail

theatre recognized in national spotlight have a traditional theater major open to students who want to make theater the focus of their undergraduate studies, but who are not necessarily interested in going on to careers in theater. But they also have a pre-professional program that allows students to choose a ‘track’ in their upper-class years.”

In a second ranking, MadeMen.com pointed to Emory & Henry’s relationship with the Barter Theatre, a professional theatre in Abingdon, Va., which provides theatre students with internships, mentoring and workshops.

Topping this ranking was Shenandoah University’s Shenandoah Conservatory. Ranked just behind Emory & Henry, in order of ranking, is Virginia Tech, The University of Virginia, and Radford University. v E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 28

Kasi and Kyle at Springer Mountain in Georgia, the southern terminus on the Appalachian Trail where they began their journey.

P Kyle reaches the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, Mt. Katahdin, located in Baxter State Park, the highest mountain in Maine.

29 / Fall 2011 / E&H Alumni Magazine

Kasi and Kyle on top of the tower at Clingman’s Dome in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

IN THE CLASSROOM / briefss

Emory & Henry English professor Scott Boltwood, who has distinguished himself in the study of Irish literature, has been awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to research the history of the Ulster Group Theatre in Northern Ireland.

Competing against scholars from Harvard, Stanford, the University of Virginia and other prestigious schools from across the nation, Dr. Boltwood was chosen from approximately 1,000 applicants to be an “All-Disciplines” Scholar in the United Kingdom for 2011-2012. Applicants represented all areas of research, from physics and psychology to classics and political science.

The Fulbright Program is the world’s most prestigious educational exchange program, designed to “increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.”

From August 2011 until July 2012, Boltwood will be hosted by The Queen’s University of Belfast, Northern Ireland, where he will be a Research Fellow at the Brian Friel Theatre Research Centre, and he will formally present his research to faculty and students in the departments of English, Irish studies and drama. He will speak at universities in Ireland and England and will travel to London as U.S. cultural representative to meet U.S. embassy officials and members of the British Parliament. v

Jones Addresses Segregation, Education In New Book

Dr. Jerry L. Jones, an E&H professor of information management, recently completed his book titled Go and Come Again, which delves into four generations of African American education in the region, with particular focus on the struggle with segregation.

In the book, Jones discusses his own experiences as a young man who grew up in Glade Spring, Va.,

Painter and E&H art professor Charles Goolsby exhibited at The 1912 Gallery at Emory & Henry this fall.

Goolsby spoke about his work at an Artalk in September. He has been inspired by landscapes that have been significantly altered by human intervention and by traditions from nineteenth century American Landscape painting.

Goolsby is the chair of the Art Department and created this new body of work during residencies at the Vermont Studio Center, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and The Ucross Foundation in Glade Spring, Virginia, Street Vista, 2011, oil on canvas, 48 x 72 inches Clearmont, Wyo., while on sabbatical last year. He holds an M.F.A. from James Madison University and his paintings were most recently published in New American Paintings. v

Boltwood is one of only two dozen professors nationwide selected for the honor. and was bused to Bristol, Va., to attend a segregated school. He discusses the factors that motivated him, the son of a single mother, to seek a college education and a graduate degree before working as a college educator.

“We don’t seem to have a lot of documentation of the segregation experience in this region,” Jones said.

“This book is an attempt to fill that void by telling the stories of many African Americans who were educated in a segregated system that often offered them an inferior learning environment.”

Jones, born in 1947, is no stranger to segregation.

When his mother, Mary Waugh, graduated from the seventh grade in the 1920’s, no high school existed for black children in her county; she and one of her brothers were homeschooled during the eighth grade before transferring to other localities to continue their education.

“I really wanted to exemplify many of the different encounters that people had with segregation and education in this region.”

He has taught at Emory & Henry since 2001.

Before coming to Emory & Henry, he worked as a professor at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College in Richmond, Va., and as a high school teacher in Baltimore, Md.

Jones received a doctorate degree in education from Virginia Tech and is the author of a college textbook, Structured Programming Logic. v E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 30

IN THE CLASSROOM / briefs

8

RE-Shaped: The American Landscape

Boltwood Receives Fulbright Scholarship

Lang Appointed to Chair, Honored at Festival

John Lang, professor of English, was appointed to the Henry Carter Stuart Chair of English for 2011-12.

One of the two projects on which Dr. Lang is working is a chapter on Appalachian poetry for a forthcoming book titled Handbook to the Literature of the U.S. South, which will be published by Oxford University Press and edited

by Fred Hobson and Barbara Ladd. The other project is a book of his own titled Understanding Ron Rash for the series of such books published by the University of South

Carolina Press. Lang will complete the chapter in January 2012 and the manuscript for the book in May 2013.

Lang is pictured here receiving a standing ovation at the recent Literary Festival, which featured Barbara Kingsolver. Lang, who is retiring at the end of the 2012 academic year, has worked at the College for 29 years. He has organized the annual literary festival every year since 1986 and edits the Iron Mountain Review, the publication which documents the festival. v

8

The Henry Carter Stuart Chair of English was established by former Virginia Governor Henry Stuart Carter, Class of 1874, to promote interest in the study of the origin and development of the English language and literature. It was the first endowed chair to be established at Emory & Henry College (October 1924). Carter served as governor from 1914-1918, and lived in Rosedale, Va., in Russell County.

31 / Fall 2011 / E&H Alumni Magazine

College Breaks Ground on the

Emory & Henry broke ground in April on a $5.3

a conference room, offices for coaches, and a viewing deck.

used for both football games and soccer matches.

million athletic field house, which will be located

on the east end of the newly renovated Fred Selfe

Energy Efficiency and Design) Silver certification from the

soon on the Brooks Field House with the help of a loan

Stadium.

U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

from the Rural Development Agency of the United State

Department of Agriculture. Gifts to the College will be

The James H. Brooks Field House will be a

Building planners are seeking LEED (Leadership in

The field house represents the second phase of a

Emory & Henry is expected to begin construction

two-story, 18,237-square-foot structure adjacent to

two-part renovation and construction project for the E&H

used to pay back the loan.

the east end zone of the E&H football field.

athletic complex. Phase one consisted of renovations to

the Fred Selfe Stadium, which included the construction of

a former member of the E&H Board of Trustees and a

floor for locker rooms, showers, training and

perimeter fencing, a new scoreboard, lighting and a game

longtime supporter of E&H athletics. The Brooks family

equipment rooms, and mechanical rooms. The

day operation center. The renovations also included the

provided a significant lead gift to begin fundraising

second floor will contain lounge space, classrooms,

installation of artificial turf on the athletic field, which is

momentum for the new facility. d

The building will provide space on the first

ADVANCEMENT / feature

James H. Brooks Field House

E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 32

33 / Fall 2011 / E&H Alumni Magazine

The field house memorializes James H. Brooks,

Board of Visitors Reaffirms Commitment to College

At a recent meeting of The Emory &

Henry College Board of Visitors, as the College celebrates its 175th anniversary, the Board reaffirmed its role in the College's life by restating its purpose.

The Board, a companion body to the

Board of Trustees, is made up of alumni and friends of Emory & Henry who seek to be ambassadors and supporters of the College in many and various ways. The Board reaffirmed its mission as: ”As members of the Board of Visitors of Emory and Henry College, our purpose is to offer support and encouragement to faculty, staff and students; to serve as ambassadors in promoting enrollment and growth; and along with other alumni and friends, giving financial support for the endeavors of the College's programs.”

The October meeting was both

enjoyable and informative, starting with a delightful dinner at the President’s home on Friday evening and extending into the work session on Saturday morning, when the members divided into two groups and discussed and agreed to implement steps the Board can take to support the admissions program and the advancement efforts. You will receive (and may have received

ADVANCEMENT / briefs

already) more information about how you can help in these two vital areas of the College’s outreach. A terrific power point presentation and discussion led

by President Reichard left the members present excited and encouraged by the great year the College enjoyed in 201011 and the prospects for even greater accomplishments in 2011-12. d

E&H Receives $187,427 Math Grant

Emory & Henry College’s Neff Center for Teacher Education and the Mathematics Department was approved for an NCLB Title II, Part B, Mathematics and Science Partnership (MSP) Continuation competitive grant in the amount of $187,427.

The grant is in addition to an original MSP Grant of $322,000, which was awarded in 2009 and was used to establish a Regional Mathematics Professional Development Center at Emory & Henry in collaboration with 19 school divisions in Virginia. d

College Receives Grant to Aid Environmental Effort

On July 30, Dr. Charles R. ‘Chick’

Emory & Henry College and Hollins University will receive $200,000 over the next three years from the Jessie Ball duPont Fund to collaborate on an energy conservation project that will foster a culture of sustainability on both campuses.

“This is an opportunity for both institutions to significantly strengthen our energy conservation and environmental efforts,” said President Reichard. “This collaboration will aid in reducing our institutions’ carbon footprint and help us move forward in meeting the objectives set forth in the American Colleges and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment­—an initiative of which both Hollins and Emory & Henry are members.” d

unusual present: a room.

Gift Moves Physical Therapy Program Big Step Forward

generosity, donors were granted

Emory & Henry College recently accepted a check for the first $100,000 installment on the Smyth County Community Foundation’s $500,000 pledge in support of a degree program in physical therapy to be based in Marion. Also presented in a ceremony at what is to be the E&H campus for health sciences in Marion was a check from the Smyth County Board of Supervisors and the Smyth County Industrial Development Authority for $50,000 and one from the Town of Marion for $50,000.

The funds will help the College begin a three-year post-baccalaureate Doctor of Physical Therapy degree at the educational building of the Smyth County Community Hospital in partnership with the hospital and Mountain States Health Alliance. The money will be applied to the $1.7 million the College must raise to begin the program. d

of Davis.

Gift from Alumnus Honors Saliba

Peter Walters (’70) and his wife Carol Walters recently established the Samir N. Saliba Endowment for International Education.

Peter Walters currently serves as chairman of the Board for Guardian Industries in Auburn Hills, Mich.

Carol Walters is president of Walters & Associates, Inc., a firm specializing in assisting public and nonprofit institutions in organizing and executing financial transactions.

The endowment honors Dr. Samir Saliba, a longtime professor of political science and international studies, who developed the current program in international studies in the 1990s. Saliba is a 1997 recipient of the Outstanding Faculty Award. He began teaching at Emory & Henry in 1964. In 1991, he was designated Hawthorne Professor of Political Science, and, since 1995, he has been the Meyung Professor of International Studies and director of the College’s Center for International Studies. d

Davis (’52) celebrated his 81st birthday by unwrapping an

Friends and former students recently made gifts toward the campus’s new fine and performing arts building totaling $50,000. In exchange for their their wish to have a choral rehearsal room named in honor

A portrait of Davis commissioned by John Ashbury (’65) now hangs in the hall, and a sign outside the room bears his name. It will serve as a lasting reminder of Davis’ contributions to the E&H choral program as the founder and 40-year conductor of the award-winning E&H Concert Choir.

Former choir alumni gathered with members of the Davis family to commemorate the special event. Alumna Melissa Sumner (’96), just home from singing opera in Italy, used the opportunity to tell Dr. Davis how much his professionalism, talent, and attention meant to her as a student in training. Sumner’s remarks seemed to capture the feelings of many choir members as she said, “You always made me feel like my life and my voice were important.” d

“Chick” Davis A room of his own

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S

A Winner on the Court and in the Classroom T

he spring of 2011 was full of honors for Matt Nelson, an E&H junior and member of the tennis team. Nelson was selected to the Old Dominion Athletic Conference First Team at No. 1 doubles

along with sophomore Chip Wintringham of Burlington, N.C., and was named to the all-league second team for his work at the No. 3 singles position.

“Matt exemplifies the ideal of a true scholar-athlete who has been able to find the proper degree

of balance in his pursuits,” said Director of Athletics Myra Sims. “He is an excellent tennis player who has developed great skill by virtue of his talent and dedication to the sport. He has achieved this great success as a tennis player while also keeping the proper emphasis on academics.”

For the season, Nelson compiled a 15-2 record in singles play including an 8-0 mark at the No. 3 spot.

He was 7-1 in ODAC play and finished the season on an 11-match winning streak. In doubles, Nelson was 12-6 on the year and was 9-4 (5-1 ODAC) with Wintringham as a partner. For his efforts, Nelson also took home All-State College Division honors from the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID).

“Matt led us on the court and in the classroom. Between the All-ODAC honors and his inclusion

on the VaSID All-State College Division Men’s Tennis Team, Matt demonstrated tremendous talent, character, and commitment,” said Josh Parmenter, who coached both the men’s and women’s tennis squads for the 2011 season. “He is a special player and a remarkable representative of Emory & Henry and our tennis program.”

The Galax, Va., native is putting up big numbers in the classroom as well, studying in the Athletic

Training Education Program (ATEP) in the Department of Physical Education.

“Matt was a solid student from day one. He takes his academic responsibilities very seriously—one

of the best in his class,” said Dr. D. C. Cobler, coordinator of ATEP. “I was actually surprised the first

SPORTS / feature

time I saw him play. In class he’s easy going and laid back; on the court he’s completely different. He was much more aggressive and vocal than I ever expected him to be. He’s a real competitor.”

Nelson is a member of the Dean’s List and the ODAC Commissioner’s Honor Roll and was named Academic All-State by VaSID.

“He is a stellar student in our demanding Athletic Training major, and has been recognized

repeatedly at the College, conference and state level for his outstanding academic achievement,” concluded Sims. “He has performed successfully in a rigorous academic program while maintaining a high level of commitment to excellence in athletics. I am glad that we will have him representing us for two more years.” l E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 36

37 / Fall 2011 / E&H Alumni Magazine

introducing 3 new

Wasps Coaches Nathan Kish is the new head men’s

Floyd, Hatch Honored for Sports Coverage

SPORTS / briefs

The community and college radio station of Emory & Henry College, WEHC 90.7 FM, has been recognized by the Virginia Association of Broadcasters (VAB) for outstanding sports coverage by a non-commercial or public radio station.

The runner-up award was presented to WEHC at the 74th Annual Virginia Broadcasting Awards. WMLU 91.3 FM was awarded the top prize for sports coverage of Longwood University in Farmville, Va.

The WEHC broadcasting duo of play-by-play commentator Josh Floyd and color analyst Bruce Hatch (’82) was recognized for season-long football coverage.

“Listeners in this area know how great Josh Floyd and Bruce Hatch are with our sports broadcast,” said WEHC station manager Richard Graves.

“Their chemistry and charisma make Emory & Henry football one of the most exciting aspects of our operation. It was great to see them recognized at a statewide level.” l

Fenner Goes Wild

Emory & Henry senior baseball pitcher Keith Fenner was drafted this summer by the Washington Wild Things.

Fenner was picked up by the Pennsylvania team in the fourth round of the Frontier League draft.

The Frontier League is a member of the Independent Professional Baseball Federation and includes such teams as the River City Rascals, the Rockford RiverHawks and the Lake Erie Crushers.

Darin Everson, director of baseball operations and field manager for the Wild Things, said, “We had great reports on Keith from pitching coach Mark Dewey. We think he has the ability to fill many different roles on our pitching staff.”

A business management major from Chilhowie, Fenner posted a 4.35 earned run average and a 2-5 record in the 2011 season. l

soccer coach. Kish came to Emory & Henry from Catholic University where he served after coaching at his alma mater, Capital University.

While at Catholic, Kish was part of a program that posted an 11-6-4 record in 2010 and won the Landmark Conference Championship, advancing to the NCAA Division III Tournament.

Kish completed a bachelor’s degree in physical education at Capital and a master’s degree in interdisciplinary studies with concentrations in physical education and business administration at Frostburg State.

Dan Clotfelter, who served as head volleyball coach at Walker School in Atlanta, Ga., is the new head volleyball coach.

During his eight-year tenure at Walker, the team competed in four Final Fours, three Elite Eights and one Sweet Sixteen. He was selected four times as the Area Coach of the Year and was selected as a State All-Star Game Coach.

Clotfelter also has served as youth development director and coach for the A5 Volleyball Club. His teams have secured bids to four straight USA Volleyball national championships, and A5 Volleyball led the nation with 14 bids in 2010.

Rose Katz is the new head women’s basketball coach.

Katz comes to Emory from Widener University in Chester, Pa., where she served as an assistant coach for the past three seasons. During her three years on staff, Widener notched a 53-29 record.

Her collegiate experience also includes coaching two All-Commonwealth Conference first-teamers as well as the league’s rookie of the year.

In addition to coaching at the college level, Katz has extensive experience coaching AAU basketball. l

E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 38

Emory & Henry College has updated its athletic website, GoWasps. com, providing users with a dynamic, interactive online presence that highlights teams and athletes through an increased use of photography, video and feature stories.

The upgraded site, which is the online home of the Wasps, launched in September.

The upgraded site is hosted by PrestoSports, a Maryland-based company that specializes in small-college athletic websites. PrestoSports is already home to the majority of ODAC programs as well as the D3 sports site. With this relationship, score reporting and statistical updates after contests feed to those locations automatically.

“The website is the ‘front porch’ for our athletic program, and I’m very pleased that we’re getting this face lift on our house,” said Director of Athletics Myra Sims. “I think this will be a tremendous asset to us in promoting our programs, in publicizing the accomplishments of our student-athletes and coaches, and also in our recruiting efforts.” l

Attendance Ranks 6th in Nation

The Wasps have a long history of having a large fan base, and this dedication is reflected in a report by the NCAA that ranks Emory & Henry sixth in the nation for home football attendance during the 2010 football season with an average of 5,391 fans at each home game.

Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) rival HampdenSydney finished second on the list. Overall, the ODAC leads Division III attendance, averaging 3,341 fans per game and returning to the days when it dominated in total fan attendance.

The ODAC was the attendance champion in 14 of 16 years from 1989 to 2004. The Minnesota Intercollegiate Conference had won the last five years before finishing second in 2010 with 2,914 fans per game. l

Emory & Henry Inducts Four Into Sports Hall Of Fame

Emory & Henry College has inducted four new members into its Sports Hall of Fame.

Brandon Matheny (re-’00) was a four-year letterwinner as a member of the Emory & Henry baseball team (1997-00). He was selected by the Cleveland Indians in the 17th round of the 2000 Major League Baseball Draft. Currently, Matheny is a sales and merchandising director for Omega Sports.

Nathan Graybeal (re-’82) served Emory & Henry as sports information director for 19 years. He won many awards for his work on E&H sports publications and web design, including four national top honors, three Butkus awards and three ISA Internet awards.

Thomas Nelson (’97) was a four-year letterwinner on the gridiron for Emory & Henry, playing from 1993-96, and worked at the College from 1998 to 2006. Nelson is now a teacher and assistant football coach at Murphy High School in Murphy, N.C.

Dr. Margaret Hutson coached the E&H volleyball team for 16 years, from 1977 to 1992. As a professor in the physical education department, which she served as chair for 11 years, Dr. Hutson founded Emory & Henry’s Athletic Training Education Program, at which time there were only four such programs (10 currently) in Virginia. She is now retired and lives in Emory. l

39 / Fall 2011 / E&H Alumni Magazine

Left to rignt: Brandon Matheny, Thomas Nelson, Margaret Hutson, Nathan Graybeal

There

Extreme Mustang Makeover sounds like a reality television show, but it is an event that

are apparently a lot of misunderstandings about Mustangs.

And Emily Thomas (’08) is part of a movement to educate the

rest of us about the versatility of this beautiful animal. brings attention to the plight and possibilities of one of the most enduring symbols of the American West: the Mustang.

Mustangs are free-roaming horses in the North American West, and since most of us

probably know about them from spaghetti westerns of our youth, it is hard not to put them into a rather narrow category. However, Emily and others who are passionate about these horses want people to understand just how wonderfully versatile they are. “They can do it all— Western style, dressage. They can do the same work as a quarter horse. They’re really surefooted and athletic. Sometimes they look unusual; they have these huge honkin’ feet, awkward little bodies, and big heads—but that’s how God put them together so they could survive!”

Because the Mustang Heritage Foundation (MHF) is eager for folks to know more about

this horse, they’ve devised a creative plan that promotes awareness while also encouraging adoption. The Bureau of Land Management has the difficult task of keeping the numbers of these “wild” horses under control. Because they reproduce at a fairly prolific rate and they don’t have a lot of natural predators, the numbers can get untenable. In an effort to avoid unfortunate ways of dealing with the overcrowding, the MHF promotes adoption. However, part of the challenge is to get people see these animals as good horses to have around—not as wild, unmanageable creatures.

So the MHF annually sponsors an event called Extreme Mustang Makeover. Horse

trainers have to apply for a spot in the competition, and only those qualified are accepted. This fall Emily competed for the fourth time.

The idea is to take a Mustang from its free-roaming life out West and give it a new life

as an adopted horse on an qualified and welcoming farm or ranch. But a lot has to happen to transform, or makeover, a formerly wild horse. And competitors only have 90 days to make the change.

Trainers are paired with their horses by lottery then they begin the 90-day journey

together. Emily believes in a training regimen that is “resistance free.” She says, “It’s not like old Western movies. We believe the training should be mutually beneficial for the horse and the rider.” And she speaks eloquently about the mutual respect needed for this transformation to happen. “It’s like that quote from Martin Luther King, Jr.: ‘Faith is taking the first step without seeing the rest of the staircase.’ You have to trust your horse for this to work, but it’s

ALUMNI / feature

really a much bigger deal for them to trust us. Chances are they’ve never been around people,

Mutual Respect

and, if they have, those few experiences haven’t been pleasant. It’s a much bigger leap of faith for them.”

cracking the mystery of the Mustangs

After 90 days, horse and trainer travel to the competition site to strut their stuff.

Emily and her current Mustang, Gus (short for Captain Augustus McCray), will travel to Murfreesboro, one of only six competition sites in the U.S. Judging is based on the appearance of the horse (some of them begin the process malnourished after having to find food on their own), ground work (work on a lead rope), and on how the horse performs “under saddle.”

At the end of the competition horse and rider can do a little free-styling to show just how far they’ve come together. / continued on page 40 /

Mutual Respect

Emily admits to being a bit of a thrill-

seeker—riding horses, scuba-diving and the like. With a horse-riding dad and a Harleyriding mom, she comes by it naturally. And

our Mustang friends, continued from pg 39

yet, it is her passion and not her adrenaline that makes the last impression. She really believes in these horses. She puts in the work necessary to find good homes for Mustangs, and she uses her Emory & Henry mass communications major and her public relations skills to help re-educate people who

Emily and her family sponsor a mustang show

have misgivings about these fine animals.

on their ranch in Silk Hope, N.C., each fall where the

Thomases and other Mustang enthusiasts show the

trainers adopt out the horse with which

public and other horse lovers just how great these

they have worked. Emily, however, still has

Mustangs can be. You can see their work at www.Bar-

two of the three horses with which she has

TRanch.com, and you can read Emily’s training blog at

worked—and only time will tell if she can let

www.VBarTFilly.blogspot.com.

go of Gus. n

At the end of the competition, most

Driven to Study:

Suzanne Rogers Miller (’85): Our family’s full sized Chevy station wagon too cram-packed!

Karen Broyles Swiney (’84): Little green Honda hatchback. Everything in one trip but crammed full!

Sarah Gillman Whitney (’91): My baby blue ‘66 Dodge Dart.

Harry Hight (’59): My parents’ ’49 Chevy with suitcase and radio. Record player too, as I recall.

Carolyn Nelson (’74): Dad’s 1964 Dodge Dart. I later was given that beauty (not) when I student-taught at Meadowview Elementary.

Bob Fyke (’68): An early ‘60s Oldsmobile with maybe 1 suitcase, a pillow & a manual Olivetti-Underwood typewriter.

Traci Hurt Brandon (’92): Ford Ltd. Country Squire Station wagon. What wonderful memories.

Laura Coffman Cox (’98): An ‘81 Datsun Maxima station wagon. I miss that car— held a lot of stuff and a lot of friends.

Where in the World?

Cathy Crowe Schubert (’95): My 1980 Oldsmobile Omega...amazing what I could cram into that piece of junk!

Lisa Coulthard Weikel (’85): Chevy impala, custard yellow.

Elizabeth Puyear Tayloe (’81): A Dodge Polaris station wagon. We had a flat tire just as we got off the interstate and had to unload everything there and then again back at MaWa. Ben Hall (’86): ’68 Ford Mustang—going early for football practice, got lost and was late to get on the field. Great first impression for the coaches.

Nancy Murphy Tally (’80): 1973 Buick Skylark and a U-Haul trailer because the car trunk only would hold 2 suitcases.

Heather Esser Sheets (’04): Took two SUVS! Don’t know what I was thinking because MaWa couldn’t hold it all!!! lol

Cindy Burke Cardamone (’86): 1978 Pinto station wagon.

Maria Whitlock Grimm (’92): Because I wrecked our family car 2 days before coming to E&H I had to move in a rented van; ahhh the memories.

Stephanie Armbrister Strutner (’02): My grandfather always laughed when he told the story about how he jumped a train with one bag but it took three vehicles to move me up to Emory. [Stephanie’s grandfather was George Armbrister (’38).]

Leslie Peterson (’89): My arms [she lived in Emory].

Glenda Wigginton Scott (’62): My mom and dad’s ’56 DeSoto!!!

Linda Coutant (’89): Dad’s 1982 VW Vanagon. It moved me out, too, 4 years later!

Jim Cox (’85): My 1973 Ford Gran Torino, crammed until it was ready to pop! n

Mary K. Pope (’86) and Robb Briggs (’85) consider how best to move out of Emory & Henry in the same Ford Fairmont that had moved Robb in only four short years earlier.

These days when a new student arrives he or she is greeted by current students involved in campus leadership and Greek life who completely unload the car and carry items up to the student’s room.

Loveless Café had more than biscuits this summer. It also had a host of E&H friends who had gathered for a girls’ weekend. Maggie Cross Brostic, Amanda Dye Melniczek, Julie Taylor, Jennifer Daniel, Amy Flippin and Allison Osborne.

E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 42

Cindy Legard Cunningham (’76): My parents’ Chrysler 300—the trunk was large enough to hold a few PEOPLE and more than enough to fill a room in Weaver.

43 / Fall 2011 / E&H Alumni Magazine

ALUMNI / roundup

College buddies and fellow Bonner alums Amanda Dye Melniczek (’00) and Benita Johnson Cunningham (’01) recently had an E&H reunion Hawaiian style! Benita and husband, Greg, live in Kamuela, Hawaii, so Amanda and husband Eric made a trip to visit. Among their many activities was a zip line trip through the rain forest (pictured here), and true to their roots they sported their E&H t-shirts on the adventure! Amanda is a teacher at Guilford Community College and Benita is a social worker on the Big Island. n

a survey of first-day transportation

On moving-in day at Emory & Henry, just as all the new first-year students were arriving on campus, alumni director, Monica Hoel (’85) asked friends on her Facebook page what sort of vehicle they used on their first day on campus. She recalled her mom’s ’76 Chevy Nova and the weathered blue pick up truck driven by the father of her roommate Beth Howe Ratliffe (’85). More than 50 people shared their stories, and all the answers were wonderful reflections of varied generations.

18th Annual

MTAV’s annual “road trip” took the gang to Boone and Blowing Rock, N.C., where they toured Moses Cone Manor on the Blue Ridge Parkway, shopped downtown Boone, and ate dinner at the Daniel Boone Inn. But the highlight was a tour of the Appalachian State University athletics facilities where a chance meeting with ASU head football coach, Jerry Moore, was a great photo opportunity for all the E&H guys who had played football against ASU while playing for the Wasps “back in the day:” Bob Shupe, Paul Hubble, Gary Hall, Earl Hawkins, Coach Moore, Brad Fellows, David Via (who played against ASU in the Burleigh Bowl).

Looking for a good place to sit while you read your Legacy & Vision pictorial history?

Check out these chairs made for Emory & Henry by Boone Industries in North Carolina.

Choose from captains chair, rocker, presidential swival chair and deacon’s bench.

The costs vary and are scheduled to change on Jan. 1, so now is a great time to purchase a chair as a gift or just for you. Contact the Alumni Office, 276-9446126, rwidener@ehc.edu.

More Than A Vacation Hits Important Milestone

Participants in this year’s summer alumni college, More Than A Vacation, got to be the very first people to officially participate in the celebration of the college’s 175th anniversary.

The theme for this year’s annual event was “Milestones,” and the week’s events were built around myriad entities celebrating anniversaries, including, of course, Emory & Henry. The week began with a “Magical History Tour” that took alumni to various locations on campus where they got to hear parts of Emory & Henry’s history.

President Reichard met them at the first stop, Tobias Smyth House, and told the story of the College’s beginnings. She also talked about the College Community Club (founded in 1896) who paid to have Smyth’s cabin moved to campus because of its historical significance.

The tour continued with information about the school’s role in the American Civil War, World War II, and stories of outstanding alumni. At each stop refreshments were served to reflect the topic, including hard tack during the Civil War section.

At the tour’s conclusion, participants enjoyed a meal together that included menu items to put the college’s age into perspective: for instance, did you realize that E&H is older than Coca-Cola, Vidalia onions and Doc Holliday?

Among the additional events during the week were a Disney Trivia challenge (in honor of Disney World’s 40th anniversary), a lecture by Dr. Jack Roper (noting the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the Civil War), a presentation by Dr. David St. Clair (recognizing the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible), and a tour of Heartwood, artisan gateway in Abingdon, Va. n

Alumni in the Roanoke and New River Valleys who gathered at the Vinton War Memorial in April heard more about the College’s Prelude to Performance Campaign. Merritt and Ann Sparger and Steve and Donna Vaughn were hosts for the event, and President Reichard presented information about opportunities to support the college. n

Ann Grim Sparger and Buzzy Powell

Suzanne Rogers Miller and Scott Miller

New student orientation isn’t like it used to be. Students can scheduled a day during the summer to meet advisors, choose classes, learn about financial aid, and, of course, make new friends. The E&H Alumni Association sponsored a campus scavenger hunt that imparted a lot of great E&H trivia. Everyone received an E&H lapel pin as a prize for completing the challenge. n

Virginia Conference

Methodists who gathered for Virginia Annual Conference in Roanoke took time to participate in an E&H alumni luncheon at Greene Memorial United Methodist Church. Members of the Nancy Coffee Circle provided a delicious buffet. Above, Don Reichard, Tom Joyce and President Reichard paused for a quick photo. Alumni at Holston Conference gathered earlier that week at Lake Junaluska for a breakfast at the Center for Evangelism. n Participants took a hayride tour of the American Chestnut Farm in Meadowview: Susan Boggess, Ann Shupe, Diane Cline, Lynda Hawkins, Norma Brown.

Plunged into Service

Robe-n-Ready

Alumni volunteers joined with student volunteers to serve a host of service sites during the opening week of school in August. Patsi Fitts Reed (above) worked in Saltville helping with a food distribution event. n

They’re ready to robe you! Alumni volunteers gather every spring to help seniors with zippers, stubborn hoods, missing tassels, and uncooperative mortar boards. Catie Neal, Monica Gonzalez, Kell Mason and Andy Zimmerman, pictured above, were among those on call in May 2011. n

Rhythm & Touchdowns

Loch Haven Fun

Sept. 16-17 was a big weekend for the region surrounding Emory & Henry. That Friday, alumni gathered in downtown Bristol for a Rhythm & Roots party near State Street.

Alumni musicians sang and alumni fans ate it up…along with snacks.

On Saturday, alumni gathered again to enjoy a Southwest Virginia football match-up—E&H vs UVAWise. The tailgate tent was filled with chicken wings and Wasper fans. n

When E&H football season is over, good Waspers head for the lake….Loch Haven Lake, that is! Every year, alumni gather in Salem for a pot luck picnic and some enjoyable time together in a beautiful spot. The event is always held on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, and the picnic is inside just in case the weather doesn’t cooperate. It’s a great day to catch up with friends, catch up on College news, and maybe get your feet wet! In the fall of 2010 nearly 40 with families enjoyed fun and particularly memorable homemade macaroni and cheese. Contact the alumni office for more information: alumni@ehc.edu. n

Annabelle’s Curse, a band that includes Emory & Henry senior Zack Edwards and Emory & Henry alumnus Tim Kilbourne, was a featured act during Rhythm & Roots.

READ MORE ONLINE / WWW.EHC.EDU E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 44

45 / Fall 2011 / E&H Alumni Magazine

ALUMNI / roundup

ALUMNI / roundup

Well Oriented

Campaign in the Valley

E

CLASS NOTES —1929—

Eugene “Pappy” Thompson (deceased) was inducted in to the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2011. He spent 50 years with the Bristol Herald Courier and retired in 1979 as executive sports editor.

—1938—

—1951—

CLASS NOTES

Joseph Hart was the eighth president of Ferrum College, serving from 1971 to 1986. The college dedicated the newest addition to its campus, the Hart International Plaza, to him. Funded by donations, the plaza includes colorful banners, a sculptural steel globe, an information kiosk, inscribed brickwork, park benches and plantings. It overlooks Adams Lake in the center of campus and serves as a multi-use outdoor venue. After retiring from Ferrum, he served as president of the Virginia College Fund. Currently he is a real estate professional serving the Canaan Valley, W. Va. area. He and his wife, Carolyn, live in Ferrum, Va. They have six children.

—1956—

David Rodgers (deceased) was featured in the Aug. 2, 2011 issue of the knoxnews.com. The town of Farragut named the town hall rotunda after him.

Dave had spent more than 20 years as town attorney and provided legal counsel for Farragut’s founding members.

Bill Jones retired from full-time teaching in May 2011 after 36 years in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Old Dominion University. He has a contract with a publisher to write a book entitled Technology: Its Nature and Significance. He resides in Virginia Beach, Va.

James McNeer has been with the Richard Bland College of The College of William & Mary for more than 40 years.

The Board of Visitors of The College of William & Mary has formally named the new Integrated Science and Technology Center the James B. McNeer Hall. He has been president since 1996 and has been a key figure in the school’s growth. He plans to retire at the end of the 20112012 academic year. He and his wife, Nancy Wilkinson McNeer (’62), reside in Petersburg, Va.

—1962—

Stan Brown took the Gold Medal in the Northern Virginia Senior Olympics as a male competitor 70 years or older in the 1600 meter run. He resides in Fairfax, Va.

—1963—

Peyton Grogan recently retired as president of the Vitamin Connection, Inc. located in Reno, Nev. He is now residing in Atlanta, Ga.

—1965—

Ed Deyton retired from the United Methodist ministry after 37 years. His second CD entitled “In Season” has been released, which is church/folk music for written by Ed over the past 10 years. It is available online at CD Baby. He and his wife Patricia reside in Centerville, Mass.

Vernon (Skivens) Hicks has retired after teaching chemistry for 38 years at Northern Kentucky University. He received

the NKU Outstanding Professor Award in 1993, the Kentucky Science Teachers Association Outstanding Science Teacher Award for Post-Secondary Teachers in 2000, the 2007 Cincinnati Chemist of the Year Award (given by the Cincinnati Section of the American Chemical Society), and the 2009 Acorn Award for Faculty Excellence at a Kentucky four-year college.

He served as the president of the Kentucky Science Teacher Association in 2009. He and his wife, Ann, reside in Alexandria, Ky.

—1966—

Vince Brown was inducted into the Lower Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame in May 2011. During his coaching career at Christopher Newport University, his teams won 12 national championships, and he produced athletes who won 444 All-American honors. Other inductees included Pittsburgh Steelers coach, Mike Tomlin.

—1968—

Doug Kanney has been elected to a two year term as president of the E&H Board of Visitors. He is currently serving part-time as the minister of pie, cake, ice cream and fried chicken (visiting minister) for St. Paul United Methodist Church in Christiansburg. He and his wife Penny Faris Kanney reside in Christiansburg, Va.

Lynn Shipley, chairman and CEO of TriSummit Bank, was inducted into the Junior Achievement of Tri-Cities TN/ VA’s 2011 Business Hall of Fame. He was honored as a champion of free enterprise and for his accomplishments in the region.

He resides in Kingsport, Tenn.

—1969—

Frank Blatt, a family law attorney who has mentored a generation of Virginia lawyers, has been named the 2011 recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Virginia State Bar’s Family Law Section. The award recognizes persons who have demonstrated excellence and integrity and have made a substantial contribution to the practice of family law in Virginia. He has practiced for more than 30 years. In addition to earning a

E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 46

—1970—

Merry Johnson Jennings retired from the Washington County School System in 2011. She resides in Abingdon, Va.

Carol Kendrick Minetree retired from the Washington County School System in 2011. She resides in Abingdon, Va.

—1971—

Ken Bondurant (deceased) was the founding president of the Arts Society of Radford University. To officially commemorate his lasting contributions to the university’s community, a dedication ceremony was held for family, friends and colleagues, during which a plaque and portrait of Ken were unveiled. His widow is Carolee Jackson Bondurant (‘74).

Jim Butcher was featured in the March 13, 2011 edition of the Bristol Herald Courier. He is the principal at Tennessee High School and retired in June after 32 years as an educator and five years as principal. On May 19, Tennessee High School held a surprise pep rally as part of Jim B. Spirit Day. At a reception sponsored by the Tennessee High School faculty, Jim was presented with “A Resolution to recognize JIM BUTCHER on the occasion of his Retirement” – House Resolution No. 66 of the Tennessee House of Representatives.

This resolution was sponsored by Tennessee Representative Jon Lundberg.

Jim and his wife, Lynn Osborne Butcher (’73), reside in Bristol, Tenn.

Drew Gibbons, an Advanced Placement (AP) English teacher at Franklin County High School, has been named Virginia Teacher of the Year for English by the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI). The awards are presented annually to outstanding AP math, science and English teachers for remarkable

47 / Fall 2011 / E&H Alumni Magazine

contributions to their students as well as the teaching professions. She has taught for 39 years in Franklin County schools and has received dozens of awards and recognitions during her career, including presidential citations. She resides in Roanoke, Va.

Peggy McKee Kennedy retired from the Washington County School System in 2011. She resides in Abingdon, Va.

Margaret Jackson Martin was recently honored for 40 years as a dental hygienist. She transferred from Emory & Henry to the Medical College of Virginia in 1969 to complete a bachelor of science degree in dental hygiene.

She first went to work for her father, Dr. Robert Jackson, and was the first dental hygienist in Carroll County. More recently she has served in the office of Drs. Kilbourne, Nester and Goad. She has been a member of the American Dental

Phillips Receives Prestigious Teaching Honor

I

n the spring of 2000, Liz Phillips (’03 and ’06) found herself on the E&H campus searching for the office of Dr. Bob Raines.

Several years earlier, it was the late Dr. Raines who looked her in the eye and told her she was crazy to do anything else with her life but to teach. She was born to do it, he said.

As she walked into his third floor office, he simply looked at her and said, “It took you long enough.”

That journey to a job that Phillips has called a dream has culminated in her selection as the winner of this year’s 2011 McGlothlin Award for Teaching Excellence in the secondary education category.

There were no prepared remarks when she was called to the podium to accept her award from Tom McGlothlin (’68), president of the McGlothlin Foundation.

Phillips is a literacy specialist who teaches English Language Arts at Wallace Middle School.

In 2010-2011, two prizes of $25,000 were made available from the McGlothlin Foundation to award a Kindergarten through fifth-grade public school teacher and a middle/high school public school teacher who excel in their fields.

The prize comes with the requirement that $10,000 is to be used within a year for international travel to broaden the thinking and experience of the winning teachers, further enhancing their excellence as professional educators.

Phillips travelled in and around the United Kingdom in late June.

She visited major art and literary landmarks including the Glastonbury Ruins, Rudyard Kipling’s Garden, and Cambridge to name just a few. n

E

J. Craft “Lefty” Akard was featured in the July 19, 2010, issue of the Kingsport Times News. In four years on the Holston Institute varsity baseball team, he never lost a game as pitcher. He played baseball and basketball for Emory & Henry. He played professional baseball and was regarded as one of the all-time great athletes to have played for the Kingsport Cherokees. He played and managed the team to a pennant-winning 65-58 record in 1944. He resides in Bristol, Tenn.

—1961—

reputation as a skillful litigator, he was one of the first lawyers in his region to train in collaborative law, through which disputes are settled between parties outside the courtroom. While he was on the Family Law Section’s Board of Governors, he developed an interest group that grew into the VSB’s Special Committee on Technology and the Practice of Law, for which he served as chair. He helps develop family law in Virginia through the Virginia Family Law Coalition, which advises the General Assembly. Frank resides in Harrisonburg, Va.

Gary Hall retired from Mohawk Industries after 17 years and after 37 years of selling carpet for distributors and manufacturers. He is working part-time in a floor covering retail store. He and his wife, Betty Mansell Hall (’70), reside in Knoxville, Tenn.

Hygienists’ Association her entire career.

She is a charter member of the Southwest Virginia Dental Hygienists’ Associations, for which she has served multiple terms as president, secretary, trustee, Member Services Council chair and Executive Board member.

She resides in Hillsville, Va.

Betty McKinney Rosenbaum retired from the Washington County School System in 2011. She resides in Abingdon, Va.

Ann Helm Smoot retired after 31 years of work in the public sector.

She began as a teacher, worked in training for the Virginia Department of Transportation and concluded by serving as the Virginia Department of Education’s human resource director for 10 years. She worked as a private consultant for eight years. She resides in Culpeper, Va.

E

People often joke that busy college days will “eat your brain”….and they might be right. Or it might just be that college gives us too much time to consider eating other brains, because some E&H grads are gaining considerable notoriety right now eating brains. So to speak.

Will Coleman (’07) and Chandler (Lindsey) Davis (’09) have written a play called “Zombie Boyfriend! The Musical,” which debuted with success at Studio Roanoke. Two of the actors are also E&H alums: Meghan Kelleher Griffith (’07) and Caitlin Morgan Coleman (’09). The Roanoke Times referred to the play as “… the brainchild – or perhaps the brain-eating child – of Will and Chandler.” And the Times later enthusiastically Tweeted about the caliber of the play, saying it is “full of brains, laughs and liveliness.” Clearly the Roanoke Times is enjoying their zombie puns as much as the play.

A former E&H drama professor, Don LaPlant, is now on the Studio Roanoke staff and apparently had confidence in the writing duo of Coleman and Davis. The play began as a skit about a zombie roommate and led to this much larger production.

The writing team has just successfully completed a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds to record a cast album and take the play on tour to festivals.

A review in the Roanoke Times speaks highly of the show, saying that while the characters are based in a B-movie stereotype, they become very three-dimensional and draw the audience in to the story. It seems they’ve done a good job of fleshing out the characters.

Guess we all like a good zombie pun. n

Jerry Campbell was featured in the June 25, 2011, issue of the Roanoke Times.

He retired after 21 years as principal of Andrew Lewis Middle School and after 40 years in education in the Roanoke Valley. He also was named Virginia’s Middle School Principal of the Year. Jerry attended the National Principal of the Year Conference in Washington, D.C., in September, and in October he attended an event at the Virginia Museum for the Fine Arts in Richmond where Herff Jones presented him with a Principal of the Year ring. He resides in Roanoke, Va.

Beverley Bain Fifer retired from the Washington County School System in 2011. She resides in Bristol, Va.

Lance Morehead recently had an article published in the BMW Motorcycle Owners News. It chronicled the trip that he and his son, Mason, took on motorcycles throughout both islands of New Zealand. He and his wife, Mary Allen Morehead, reside in Alcoa, Tenn.

Mary Allen Morehead and her identical twin sister, Edie Allen Culberson, attended the annual Twins Day convention for the seventh time in Twinsburg, Ohio last year. They were accompanied by twins Mary and Elizabeth Trollinger, daughters of Richard (’71) and Patsi Barnes Trollinger (’72). Edie and her husband, David Culberson (’70), reside in Johnson City, Tenn.

Richard and Patsi reside in Danville, Ky.

Beth Watson Pless retired from the Washington County School System in 2011. She resides in Emory, Va.

Charlene Colley Roche retired from the Washington County School System in 2011. She resides in Abingdon, Va.

—1974—

Larry Harley, who is in his 18th year as executive director of the Southwest Virginia Legal Aid Society, has been named the 2011 recipient of the Virginia Legal Aid Award bestowed by the

Virginia State Bar’s Committee on Access to Legal Services. He was the Charter Day speaker at Emory & Henry in March. He resides in Abingdon, Va.

—1975—

Rebecca Phillips Abbott is the founding director and curator of the Carnegie Arts Center in Turlock, Calif.

Ned Johnson, an artist, had new work on display at the Appalachian Spirit Gallery in Marion, Va. for the Second Friday Art Walk.

—1976—

Tom Bondurant has left a 30-year stint as a Virginia prosecuting attorney to join the private practice of Gentry Locke Rakes & Moore. He resides in Bent Mountain, Va.

Trilla DeFriece-Puckett retired from the Washington County School System in 2011. She resides in Emory, Va.

Gerald Morton has released a book entitled Never Alone In The Back: A Paramedic’s Reflections on Faith, Prayer and the Journey with God. It is available at www.neveraloneintheback.com. He resides in Bristol, Va.

Doris Owens Sheffield retired from the Washington County School System in 2011. She resides in Glade Spring, Va.

—1977—

Charles Maynard has received the Phillip D. Reed Memorial Award for Outstanding Writing on the Southern Environment. The award is given by the Southern Environmental Law Center. Charlie won in the book category for The Blue Ridge Ancient and Majestic: A Celebration of the World’s Oldest Mountains. As an award winner, Charlie was invited to read from his book at the SELC’s event during the Virginia Festival of the Book in Charlottesville in March. A United Methodist minister, Charlie also has been named district superintendent for the Maryville District of the Holston Conference. He resides in Jonesborough, Tenn.

—1978—

Robert Anderson received a second place award for his sports writing portfolio from the Virginia Press Association. The award was presented in April 2011 in Norfolk. He is the high school sports editor for the Roanoke Times. He resides in Roanoke, Va.

E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 48

Susan Edwards was named president and chief executive officer of ProHealth Care Inc., based in Pewaukee, Wis. Prior to accepting the position, she was the president of the Arizona region for Banner Health system, one of the largest non-profit health systems in the nation.

Rob and Cathy Singleton Nacrelli have moved into a new home. Cathy is in her second year as principal of Holly Hall Elementary School. Rob is at ATK Elkton serving as the inspection group manager.

They reside in Elkton, Md. Kyle Rhodes was the feature speaker at the B.G. Raines Education Forum at Emory & Henry in March 2011. He is the superintendent of Bland County Public Schools with over 32 years of experience in public education. He resides in Marion, Va.

—1979—

Charles Thompson directed a film about why people migrate across borders entitled Brother Towns. The film was shot over the course of three years and chronicles the story of how and why people migrate across borders, how people make and remake their communities when they travel thousands of miles from home, and how people maintain families despite their travel. He resides in Durham, N.C.

—1980—

Morgan Griffith, Congressman for the Ninth District in Virginia, has been selected to serve on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which deals with such topics as health care and energy policy. He resides in Salem, Va.

—1981—

Leslie Street Grace is the director of development and communications for the Washington County Library Foundation.

She resides in Bristol, Va.

Susan Taylor Leathers was named Woman of the Year by the Brentwood

49 / Fall 2011 / E&H Alumni Magazine

Woman’s Club. She resides in Brentwood, Tenn.

Brenda Newbold Neal teaches Rhetoric and Composition at the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga.

Her husband, Dr. Charles Neal, a former pastor of the E&H campus church and a past member of the Board of Trustees, recently served as interim president of Hiwassee College in Madisonville, Tenn.

Kim Shipe received her MBA from Eastern Mennonite University on May 1, 2011. She resides in Harrisonburg, Va. Jeff Wright is the senior pastor of State Street United Methodist Church in Bristol, Va.

—1982—

Bruce Hatch is a registered representative and investment advisor representative who offers securities and investment advisory services through AXA Advisors, LLC (NY, NY 212-314-4600), member FINRA/SIPC, and is an agent who offers annuity and insurance products through AXA Network, LLC and its insurance agency subsidiaries. He resides in Emory, Va.

—1983—

Brenda Copeland Byrd, a physical education teacher at Yuma Elementary in Scott County, Va., was named Project Fit America All-Star Teacher for 2009.

In September 2010, she and Yuma Elementary hosted a regional PFA teacher training conference using her students and the PFA trainers to update the teachers of regional PFA schools. For more information on PFA log on to www. projectfitamerica.org. Sons Ked and Logan are students at Emory & Henry.

Bachman directs atlanta television station to emmy gold

An Emory & Henry mass communications graduate was recently honored with an Emmy Award for his outstanding efforts in live sports coverage. Tyrone Bachman (’98) and WXIA 11Alive received an Emmy award for Best Live Sports Show.

Bachman served as the technical director for the show “Falcons Game Day Live,” which airs on the NBC affiliate in Atlanta, Ga. He gives credit for much of his success to his former professor and mentor, Dr. Teresa Keller, chair of the E&H Mass Communications Department, whom he calls “the backbone of my dedication to my career.”

“I remember a time in Dr. Keller’s class when we had to do our resume and then pass it around the classroom, and I only had football on my resume.”

After a long conversation with Keller, he became inspired to pursue additional activities that reflected his wide variety of interests, including the Multi-Cultural Society, E&H Gospel Choir, the campus newspaper and the campus radio station.

Bachman joins a growing list of Emory & Henry alumni who have been honored with Emmy awards.

That list includes: Jay Webb (’99), meteorologist, WDBJ-TV in Roanoke, Va., Joel Hilton (’98), photojournalist, WAVYTV in Portsmouth, Va.; Eric Scott (’85), photojournalist, WJZ-TV in Baltimore, Md.; Bonnie Wood (’90, promotions producer, WJLATV in Washington, D.C. n

E

ZOMBIES

—1972—

MORTON PROVING ‘ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE’

Mary Munsey is a music instructor at Virginia Highlands Community College.

She resides in Abingdon, Va.

—1986—

K

“All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players: They have their exits and their entrances;

E

And one man in his time plays many parts…”

As You Like It

Mark Hanks will be returning to his former post as head coach of the boys’ basketball team at Pulaski County High School. He has recently served PCHS in the role of athletic director.

Gary Horton is an earth science teacher at Red Springs High School in North Carolina. He is kicking off a new aquaculture class. He resides in Elk Creek, Va. (See related story on page __.)

—1984—

Becky Kurtz and Paul Kvinta have adopted a three year old daughter, Marcela, from Guatemala. She came to the United States May 14, 2011. They live in Washington, D.C., where Becky works for the U.S. Administration on Aging as the director of the Office of Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs.

Carol Wilson was the district superintendent in the Maryville District of the Holston Conference and is now the bishop’s administrative assistant and director of communications. She resides in Maryville, Tenn.

—1985—

Monica Hoel was featured in the July 7, 2011, issue of the Bristol Herald Courier. The Appalachian Spirit Gallery in Marion, Va., held an art opening and reception for Monica, who was the featured photographer. Monica is the alumni director at Emory & Henry and has photographed the college campus and other area scenes.

Dewey Lusk is the new head football coach at the University of Virginia’s College at Wise. He resides in Big Stone Gap, Va.

—1987—

Dale McGlothlin is the managing director of public relations, public affairs and marketing for SeaChangeGlobal. He resides in Wilmington, N.C.

Raleigh Salyer is the director of business and accounting services for Goodman & Company, LLP. He resides in Chester, Va.

—1990—

Sandra Ramsey Dunford teaches at Grayson County High School. She and her husband, Robert, reside in Max Meadows with children Michael, 19, and Andrea, 14.

Greg McMillan was the recipient of the Hope Award for an Emory & Henry staff member. The award honors his extensive service to the community, which includes leadership of a variety of organizations involved in both community enrichment and grassroots activism, both locally and regionally.

Mike Miller has opened his own law practice, The Law Office of Michael N. Miller, PC, in Atlanta Ga.

—1991—

Micky Catron is a store manager for Wachovia Bank. He resides in Cornelius, N.C.

—1992—

John Allman serves as a private investigator. His first foray into investigation was as the lead investigator for a high-profile criminal defense attorney in Tampa.

After a year, he joined a prestigious class action law firm in Tampa, and he is now one of three investigators E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 50

—1993—

Dawn Alexander is an in-house counsel at Wellmont Health System in Kingsport, Tenn., and does work for all of the Wellmont hospitals and physician practices.

Wendy Strain Harvey is the student systems coordinator for ICE Schools. She resides in Cross Lanes, W. Va.

Gary Lilly was featured in the Jan. 14, 2011, issue of the Bristol Herald Courier. In December he and two other Bristol district administrators visited China with a delegation of American educators and other officials. The trip was sponsored by the Confucius Institute, a Chinese organization overseen by that country’s Ministry of Education, as part of an ongoing program to send Chinese educators to U.S. classrooms to teach Chinese to students here. Gary is director of schools for Bristol, Tenn. He resides in Bristol, Tenn.

Chrissie Anderson Peters was accepted into the Appalachian Writers Workshop at Hindman Settlement School this summer and will be working on nonfiction projects. Two of her poems are scheduled for publication: “Freedom” in Pine Mountain Sand & Gravel (out of Kentucky) and “Dog Days and Dragonflies” in The HOWL (Virginia Highlands Community College). She resides in Bristol, Tenn.

—1994—

Chuck Anderson returned from his third tour of duty in Iraq in April 2010. He deployed with the 844th Engineer Battalion out of Knoxville, Tenn. Upon return he was promoted to major in the U.S. Army Reserves. He is an ROTC instructor at East Tennessee State University. The family has

51 / Fall 2011 / E&H Alumni Magazine

recently moved to Fort Leavenworth, Kan.

Kelly Espy is the senior associate director of admission at Christchurch School and will be helping to co-create a women’s residential program at the boarding school. She resides in Christchurch, Va.

Ernie Maddy is the senior credit manager for People, Inc. He resides in Abingdon, Va

Nicole Burgess Matthews received the Instructional Technology Award from the Southside Virginia Regional Technology Consortium. SVRTC is affiliated with Longwood University and is comprised of 25 public school divisions. The award recognizes an individual educator who advances learning through integration of technology into the curriculum. She resides in Martinsville, Va.

Alan Rouse is the principal at Speedwell Elementary School. His wife Becky Cain Rouse (’98) teaches 7th grade at Rural Retreat Middle School. They have two sons Cade, 12, and Carter, 7, and they reside in Rural Retreat, Va.

Shawn Swisher is the owner of Swisher Land Surveying in Staunton, Va. His wife, Melissa Sumner (’96), recently performed Hansel und Gretel with Luray Opera and sang the role of Lia in Debussy’s L’enfant prodigue. This summer she travelled to Germany to sing the title role in Suor Angelica in Freiberg.

—1995—

Whitney Bowe is the owner of Baker’s Crust Café in the Short Pump Town Center in Richmond, Va.

Bill Fendley is a partner at McGuireWoods, LLP. He was named one of the “Best Lawyers in America,”

by Woodward/White, Inc. 2011; one of Virginia’s “Legal Elite” by Virginia Business Magazine, 2010; and a Virginia Super Lawyers “Rising Star” by Law & Politics Magazine, 2010. He and his wife, Rachel, and sons Will and Ben reside in Richmond, Va.

Tammy Taylor and Josh Moore were married Aug. 19, 2011. She is employed with Comfort systems USA of Bristol, Va. He is employed with United Central Industrial Supply Company of Bristol, Tenn. They reside in Bristol, Va.

Horton Begins Aquaculture Class

G

ary Horton (’83) is acting fishy, but since he is kicking off a new aquaculture class, he has every reason for his behavior.

Gary is an earth science teacher at Red Springs High School in Red Springs, N.C. Shortly before the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year, his principal suggested that he expand one of his earth science projects into a full course. He now has a classroom full of enthusiastic students who are helping him launch this exciting new aquaculture program.

Their motto is “It takes a village to raise a child…it takes a school to raise a fish.” Gary and his students are now overseeing an indoor mini fish farm that holds 400 gallons of water and 100 pounds of fish.

They’ve recently secured a donation of tilapia, hybrid bass and fresh water prongs. They are in the process of designing an outdoor pond that will hold 1,000 gallons of water for raising Hybrid Bass.

Their goal for the program is to acquaint students with not only the science of taking care of and breeding fish, but also the business opportunities provided by the growing industry of aquafarming.

Gary believes the program could be important for the student body in Robeson County, N.C. —more than half are on food stamps, and the county has the highest unemployment rate in the state. Gary hopes some of these students will see the course as a means of putting their education to work after high school.

Gary jokes that people keep dropping by his classroom and remarking that it smells like fish. He retorts, “What did you expect it to smell like? Cats and dogs?” Hopefully, this will all smell like success for these bright students for whom Gary has worked so hard. n

E

ate Morton spends a great many hours acting in front of the footlights. She also spends much of her time transforming unusual spaces into performance venues.

She is thereby transforming unlikely characters into actors.

Imagine convincing elementary school children to tackle Shakespeare. But that’s what Kate has been doing for three years as she routinely presents a 12-week course called “Shakespeare Without Tears” to children in grades 3 through 5. Kate admits, “Their favorite parts are always the theatre games and my ‘air broadswords’ class, but they do learn how to tackle Shakespeare’s text.”

Each student performs in a scene and has one monologue, and has plenty of resource books to look up the meaning of all those challenging words.

Kate also works through the Salvation Army in Lawrenceville, Ga., to teach acting classes to youngsters who wouldn’t normally have the opportunity for such exposure. Her students range in age from kindergartners to adults. Kate says the kids in this program are very responsive because it’s unlike anything they do in school. While some kids want to be actors when they grow up, many are just in it for the fun.

Then there’s camp. Kate has developed a special curriculum for musical theatre. The week-long experience includes “lessons each day about how rehearsals and the business of theatre works, snack and lunch breaks, and fun arts and crafts activities (It is camp, after all).”

Kate is using drama instruction to teach young people about more than cues and scripts.

“The skills and confidence they learn which give them the courage to perform in front of an audience will serve them in whatever field of study they choose.”

While Kate Morton is playing many parts, the running theme of all her productions is about giving a young person opportunities to grow.

I just know that what is important to me, and what seems to mean the most to them, is that I am an adult in their lives who will always do what I say, and I will always support them in whatever reasonable ways that I can.” n

Denise Begley Asbury is the director of annual giving at King College in Bristol, Tenn. She resides in Abingdon, Va.

Carolyn Foster Doss is the new head girls’ basketball coach at Holston High School. She resides in Damascus, Va. Elizabeth Fletcher has accepted the position of associate professor of education at King College. She is also an adjunct professor at Virginia Intermont.

She resides in Wise, Va.

Mike Young steered his Wofford basketball team into the NCAA tournament for the second straight year. He resides in Spartanburg, S.C.

who “develop cases, interview witnesses and do all kinds of cool stuff that I never imagined possible.” Prior to becoming an investigator, John worked as a journalist for The Tampa Tribune. He continues to write a DVD blog for the newspaper. He resides in Tampa, Fla.

Rob Graham is the assistant superintendent in the Radford City School System. He received the Citizen of the Year Award, which was presented by police chief, Donnie Goodman. Rob resides in Radford, Va.

Michelle Bostic Jenkins is serving as the district director for Congressman Morgan Griffith’s office in Abingdon, Va.

Lisa McDowell is a contract specialist with the Army Acquisition CommandRedstone and Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Ala.

Thompson Book HighlightS Appalachian Moonshining

A

ppalachian moonshining in the 1930s was an industry that was born out of necessity and which grew into an international enterprise fueled ironically by efforts to stop it, according to a new book by Charles Thompson (’79).

During the Great Depression, making liquor was the only way many Appalachian farmers could pay their bills, according to Thompson, who has written the book Spirits of Just Men.

In Appalachia in the 1930s, more farmers were working their own land than in any region of the country, but their holdings were shrinking dramatically.

Moonshine helped these farmers make a last stand on their own property, Thompson said.

In his book Thompson argues that moonshining became an international enterprise. However, in Appalachia, moonshine whiskey had special appeal.

“The idea of whiskey being made by mountain people with pure spring water and corn they raised began to have cache` as early as the late 1800s,” Thompson said..

Thompson, a professor of documentary studies at Duke University, began his research for the book in 2004 with a grant from the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities. He conducted more than 30 in-depth interviews with people who grew up in the region.

The title of the book is replete with double meaning. The word “spirits” refers to the memories of ancestors who inhabit the story as well as the alcoholic spirits from which they made their living. The word “just” refers to the notion that moonshiners were doing the best they could with what they had.

“They were just regular people making do in the throes of an adverse economy. ” n

E

—1996—

Jamie McMinn, Westminster College associate professor of psychology, coauthored a chapter on “Group Reflexivity and Performance” in the recently published Advances in Group Processes, Vol. 27. He worked with Dr. Richard Moreland of the University of Pittsburgh on the chapter that revealed methodological problems and weak results when analyzing performance benefits of group reflexivity. They plan on continuing the research in spring 2012. Jamie resides in Pittsburgh, Penn.

—1997—

Jay Lancaster received his M. Ed. in administration and supervision from Liberty University in 2006. He is currently the principal of Galileo High School in Danville, Va. He and his wife Traci Miller and their children Savannah, 11, Jackson, 9, and Anistyn, 4, reside in Keeling, Va. Robert Sturgill was named the recipient of the 2011 Rotary Outstanding Teacher Award for Virginia by the Rotary Club of Bristol, Va./Tenn. He resides in Bristol, Tenn.

—1998—

Tyrone Bachman was honored with an Emmy award for his outstanding efforts in live sports coverage. (See story on page __.) He resides in Atlanta, Ga.

Scarlett Cortner Blevins was honored by her fellow employees as the December recipient of the Blue & Gold Staff Award at Emory & Henry.

She is a financial aid counselor.

Scarlett, Kevin, Bailey, 3, and Tanner, 1, reside in Marion, Va. Thomas Nelson was named the 2010-2011 Murphy High School Teacher of the Year. He resides in Murphy, N.C.

Eric Smith was the honorary captain for the University of Virginia-College at Wise vs. E&H football game on Sept. 17.

He is an assistant professor of political science for UVA-College at Wise.

—1999—

Jason Clayman received his master of arts degree in education from the University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Ky. in Jan. 2011. He resides in Abingdon, Va.

Harold Craw has been promoted to assistant general manager of the New York Yankees affiliate baseball team, the RiverDogs, in Charleston, S.C. Formerly the club’s director of sales and operations, he was recognized by the South Atlantic League as the 2008 Sales Executive of the Year in addition to receiving the SAL Community Relations Director of the Year for 2009. He received a master’s degree from East Tennessee State in 2001 and has held the positions of director of sales, director of ticket sales, sales coordinator and sales manager during his tenure with the RiverDogs.

He previously served as director of stadium operations for the Johnson City, Tenn. Cardinals and was the facility director for the 2002 NAIA National Indoor Track. He began his working career as a physical education and wellness teacher in the Hamilton County, Tenn., Department of Education.

Crystal Puckett and Jason Salyers were married July 23, 2011. They reside in Bristol, Va.

Mike Williams is the new head football coach at Graham High School.

—2000—

Jason Austin is an investigator with the Abingdon Police Department. He, his wife and two children reside in Abingdon, Va. Kim Cline and Tim Rutkowski were married May 20, 2011. They reside in Rochester, N.Y. Natalie Gillespie and David Arnold (’98) were married June 1, 2011. They reside in Blacksburg, Va. Eric McClure was featured in the May 2, 2011, issue of the Bristol Herald Courier. He races in the NASCAR Nationwide Series but has teamed up with Clifford Turner as car owners. They formed a grassroots racing team this year and race at the Lonesome Pine Raceway in Coeburn, Va. Their driver is Cody McMahan. Eric resides in Abingdon, Va.

E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 52

Danielle Overton is a FNP with Gastroenterology Associates in Bristol, Tenn.

Dale Yontz was featured in the July 28, 2011 issue of the Bristol Herald Courier. He is a graphic designer and created a depiction of Rural Retreat’s water towers in honor of a concert by singer Joe Diffie. The town celebrated its 100th anniversary. He resides in Rural Retreat, Va.

—2001—

Jennifer Daniel and Adam Graybeal were married Oct. 9, 2011. They reside in Bristol, Tenn.

John Fields graduated in May 2011 with honors from the University of Virginia with a master’s degree in systems engineering. He resides in Richmond, Va.

Brianne Fariss Kilbourne is an assistant professor of health sciences at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va.

Kathy Looney Lowdermilk is the new Keep Bristol Beautiful coordinator at the Bristol Chamber of Commerce in Bristol, Tenn./Va. She resides in Bristol, Tenn.

Robby Thomas-Garcia and Juan Garcia-Thomas were married on September 24, 2011. Robby is the Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs, and Juan is the Communications Manager for the Women’s Campaign Fund. They reside in Washington D.C.

Tonia Totten is the branch manager at the new Glade Spring Public Library.

She resides in Glade Spring, Va.

—2002—

Jennifer Belcher and Mike Munsey were married Oct. 15, 2011. She is an associate general counsel for Carilion in Roanoke, Va.

Amanda Coates Cox obtained her licensure for special language therapy in Tennessee after obtaining her master’s degree last year from ETSU. She and her husband, Aaron Cox, reside in Knoxville, Tenn.

—2003—

Andrea Bowman graduated in May 2011 from West Virginia University with a master’s degree in public administration.

She has a new job with WVU Extension Service as the Fayette County 4-H Youth development extension agent. She resides in Fairdale, W.Va.

Will Gibbons is an assistant professor of musicology in the School of Music at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Tex. His first book entitled Building the Operatic Museum: Eighteenth-Century Opera in fin-de-siècle Paris is forthcoming

53 / Fall 2011 / E&H Alumni Magazine

from the University of Rochester Press. He is co-editing a volume of essays on Music in Video Games.

Liz Phillips, a teacher at Wallace Middle School, was one of two instructors to win the 2011 McGlothlin Awards for Teaching Excellence. She won in the secondary school category and won a $25,000 prize. She resides in Abingdon, Va. (See related story on page 45.)

Amanda Hall Rouse received the Pharmacy Alumni Association Senior Award from Campbell University’s College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences. The award is presented to a student who had demonstrated exceptional support of the college and the alumni association.

The student must possess a desire and plan for their participation as an active member of the alumni association well into the future and must also have the motivation to make a difference in the lives of upcoming students. She is a 2011 doctor of pharmacy graduate. She resides in Bristol, Tenn.

Matt Strutner received a promotion from the Tennessee Smokies (AA affiliate of the Chicago Cubs) to director of corporate ticket development in November 2010. His wife, Stephanie Armbrister Strutner (’02), is the executive director of Allies for Substance Abuse Prevention of Anderson County. They reside in Knoxville, Tenn.

—2004—

Jarrod Farmer is an associate agent for Nationwide Insurance in Abingdon, Va.

Preston Gordon is the new varsity boys basketball coach at Goochland High School. He will teach math. He resides in Mineral, Va.

Jonathan Ledger is pursuing a D.M.A. in choral conducting at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa with a halftime assistantship that comes with a full tuition waiver and a stipend. He resides in Northport, Ala.

Nick McCook is the regional director/ Northeast Marketing and Sales for Edfinancial Services. His wife Jill Coffindaffer McCook is the law clerk for the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, U.S. District Court Judge for the Eastern District of Tennessee. They reside in Knoxville, Tenn.

Travis Proffitt is the assistant director of University and Community Partnerships at the Center for Experiential Learning at Loyola University Chicago. He will be doing community partnership development.

—2005—

Sunni Blevins Brown has been honored, for the second time, by the State

Farm Bureau Federation with an award for her television reporting on farm issues. The selection committee made special mention of her thorough coverage on Christmas tree farms, affects of the summer drought, and a legislative bill aimed at banning cattle antibiotics. She recently left her position as an anchor and reporter for the NBC affiliate WWBT-12 in Richmond, Va., to work as a communications consultant for the Virginia Department of Transportation.

Jamie Turner Henthorn is pursuing a Ph.D. in English at Old Dominion University. She and her husband Gavin Henthorn reside in Virginia Beach, Va.

Christian Miller teaches technology education at Pulaski County High School.

He is married to Laura Weaver (’05), who is the Peaceline educator at Women’s Resource Center in Radford, Va. She received a master of arts degree in community & organizational leadership from Emory & Henry in May 2011. They reside in Blacksburg, Va.

Megan Wickersham and John Merrill were married Aug. 20, 2011.

The couple will reside in London, England.

—2006—

Melissa Golliher was featured in the Jan. 9, 2011, issue of the Bristol Herald Courier. She coowns Camella’s Remember When Tea Parlor in Abingdon, Va. She resides in Marion, Va.

Morgan Richards graduated from West Virginia University with an M.A. in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). She won the Outstanding GTA award for the Department of Foreign Languages. She resides in Lexington, Ken.

Warren Schlesinger is a law enforcement agent at Lake Mead National Recreation Area in Neveda.

—2007—

Lisa Evans Bourne is a coordinator for the day treatment program at Family Preservation Services in Abingdon, Va.

Meghan Kelleher and Nate Griffith (’08) were married Aug. 5, 2011. She works at Roanoke Children’s Theatre. They reside in Roanoke, Va.

Jason Leonard teaches Chinese at Hilton Head Preparatory School. He resides in Bluffton, S.C.

Adam Minor is a children’s counselor with the National Counseling Group in Roanoke. He is pursuing a master’s degree in screenwriting and film studies at Hollins University. He resides in Roanoke, Va.

Kate Morton recently played Maria in Twelfth Night with the Atlanta Shakespeare Company. Currently, she is playing Simone in Play Your Position at the W Hotel in Atlanta, and will soon play Heather in Fragments for the Kaiser Permanente’s Educational Theatre Program. She is a producer for a sketch comedy group called Give Us Brains! and is directing, teaching and providing choreography. (See related story on page 48.) katigmorton@hotmail.com.

Ryan Roorda is the new director of annual giving at Emory & Henry. He resides in Bristol, Va.

Ray Smith was promoted to mobile marketing coordinator with the Washington Nationals Baseball Club. He resides in Fredericksburg, Va.

—2009—

Luke Hawk is a graduate student and teaching assistant in the Zoology and Wildlife department at Southern Illinois University. He resides in Carbondale, Ill.

Caitlin Morgan and Will Coleman (’07) were married May 28, 2011. They reside in Roanoke, Va.

Krysten Rhodes is an investigator for child protective services. She resides in Abilene, Tex.

Sarah Trotter and Robbie Tullock were married July 17, 2010. They reside in Chattanooga, Tenn.

—2010—

Joshua Brown works for Jordan Lake School of Arts and Carolina Friends School as a lead instructor and assistant varsity basketball coach. He resides in Durham, N.C.

Katelyn Carswell is a health and fitness coordinator at the YWCA in Bristol, Tenn. She resides in Bristol, Va.

Eileen Casterline is a teaching assistant at Stony Brook University in the Department of Theatre Arts and is pursuing her M.F.A. in dramaturgy. She resides in Lake Ridge, Va.

Katelyn Clark teaches English as a second language and pre-calculus at Shanghai High School International Division in China.

Dylan DeHart is a social studies teacher and assistant football and wrestling coach at King William School. He resides in Richmond, Va.

Justin Greer is a chemistry teacher at Marion Senior High School. He is attending the Bill Gatton School of Pharmacy at East Tennessee State University. He resides in Sugar Grove, Va.

Kelley Greeson is a senior secretary for Danville Emergency Services in Danville, Va. She was married to James Satterfield on Sept. 10, 2011. He is a firefighter for the City of Danville.

Beth Hudak is pursuing a degree in physical chemistry at the University of Kentucky.

Becky Jones is a mental health counselor at Marion Youth Center in Marion and manages storage units in Abingdon. She resides in Abingdon, Va.

Justin Keene is youth pastor at Jones Chapel Church of God in Meridian, Miss.

Justin Lamb is pursuing a degree in materials science and engineering at Georgia Tech.

Katie Lamb and D.J. Simmons were married Jan. 8, 2011. They reside in Abingdon, Va.

Anthony Lowry is an intern at Arritt Funeral Home in Covington, Va.

Joanna McGrath is a producer for WSLS Channel 10 in Roanoke, Va.

Caleb Moore and Summer Justus were married Dec. 8, 2010. He is a Specialist E-4 Infantry with the U.S. Army at Fort Polk, La.

Jack Morgan is pursuing a degree in geography and planning at Appalachian State University. He resides in Boone, N.C.

Michael Pennington is pursuing a master’s in accounting and information systems at Virginia Tech. He will be an auditor for KPMG in Roanoke, Va., starting in Oct. 2011.

Danielle Peterson is a unit training coordinator and manager for Chick-Fil-A. She has applied to graduate school and resides in Bristol, Va.

Tessa Pulaski is pursuing a master of education degree at Emory & Henry College. She was married to Daniel Guinn (’10) on July 16, 2011. They reside in Johnson City, Tenn.

Michael Rogers is a math teacher at Franklin County High School in Rocky Mount, Va.

Amy Sawyer is a seventh grade language arts teacher at Northwood Middle School. She resides in Chilhowie, Va.

Josh Sheets is pursuing a master of education degree at Emory & Henry College. He resides in Marion, Va.

Elizabeth Stone is an elementary physical education teacher for the Knox County Schools in Tennessee.

Travis Sullins is a business analyst for CGI Federal in Lebanon, Va. He resides in Abingdon, Va.

Zach Triplett is a server and trainer for Red Robin in Short Pump, Va. He resides in Glen Allen, Va.

— 2011—

Samantha Alley is attending medical school at University of TennesseeMemphis.

Tim Best and Christina Lahn were married May 8, 2011. They reside in Emory, Va.

Addie Clark is pursuing a Ph.D. in analytical chemistry at Baylor University.

She resides in Waco, Texas.

Katie McLaren is a marketing intern form Stellar One Bank in Salem, Va.

Daniel Mills and Amanda Holley were married Aug. 13, 2011. He is a mental health counselor at Marion Youth Center.

They reside in Chilhowie, Va. n

E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 54

—Births—

1991

Rhonda Smith Turpin & David Turpin, daughter Laura Katherine, Sept. 26, 2011.

1998

1994

Andy Morgan, son Henry (Hank) Walker, March 5, 2011.

1996

Mendy Walker Simmers & Eddie Simmers, son Grant Elijah, Sept. 24, 2010.

Jen Sparger Wheeling, son Roark Winsome, Nov. 22, 2010.

Sharon Herman Bolling, sons Samuel David, March 9, 2010, and Judah Andrew, April 25, 2011.

Shawn Duggan, Jenna Grace, March 21, 2011.

Kathy Litton & Michael Lane (’95), daughter Olivia Beatrice, July 17, 2011.

1997

Hans Hobson, son Isaac, April 25, 2011.

Suzanne Harrison Sherman & Phillip Sherman (’96), daughter Emory Suzanne, Feb. 17, 2011.

1999

2000

Meredith Fellows Parker & Brian Parker, son Bradley James, Dec. 7, 2010.

2001

Annie Ogle Lonker & Ricky Lonker, son Beau Clinton Mayo, Dec. 19, 2010.

Annie Zorn & Ryan Walker (’00), Quentin Rives Zorn, March 7, 2011.

Holly Halstead Fitzwater & Marc Fitzwater (’06), daughter Madison Elizabeth, Dec. 6, 2010.

2002

Ashley Hammer Glaze & Josh Glaze, daughter Ava Elizabeth, Nov. 18, 2010.

2003

Christi Boaz Taylor & Sean Taylor (’98), daughter Lillian Claire, Feb. 24, 2011.

2004

Lanisha Howze Ennis, son Noah Matthew, Jan. 2, 2011.

January Haile & Aaron Rodocker (’03), daughter Charlotte Sophia, April 20, 2011.

2005

Ann Timberlake Burnette & Kevin Burnette, daughter Margaret Monroe, May 11, 2011.

2006

Julianna Vaughn Kirby, son David Lemar, Sept. 17, 2010.

Whittney Pierce Rector, son Caden Lynn, Dec. 21, 2010.

Kasi Tharpe Snow, daughter Madison Brooke, Feb. 10, 2011.

Allison Hagemeister McDaniel, daughter Chloe Zavota, April 26, 2011.

Sarah Michel Beale & Jordan Beale (re-’11), son Eli Joseph, May 13, 2011.

2010

Samantha Baker McDavid, daughter Emma Grace, Jan. 18, 2011.

Y Y Y Y Y

IN MEMORIAM Marjorie Orr Trent (‘36), Glade Spring, Va., died Sept. 1, 2011. She was a lifelong educator with a teaching career spanning more than 50 years. Among survivors are children Jane Trent Surles, Kay Ellen Trent and Sandra Trent Horton; and nephew Randy Carver (re-’69).

Jesse T. Littleton (re-’38), Theodore, Ala, died May 22, 2011. He was a world renowned radiologist, compassionate physician, teacher, author, investigator, consultant, and developer of new x-ray devices. In 1977 he accepted the position of tenured professor of radiology at the University of South Alabama, College of Medicine. Upon his retirement in 1997, he was appointed emeritus professor of radiology at the University of South Alabama. Of the many accomplishments to his credit, foremost was his reputation for being the leading American pioneer in the field of pluridirectional tomography, a type of x-ray body section imaging. The exams produced sharply focused detail of one section or layer of a body part being examined while excluding all structures above and below the designated section.

Among survivors are his wife, Mary Lou Goble Durizch Littleton; children Christine Littleton Ilgen, Joanne Littleton Baker, James Littleton, Robert Littleton and Denise Littleton; and stepson John Durizch.

55 / Fall 2011 / E&H Alumni Magazine

Clarence B. Hortenstine (’40), Killen, Ala., died Jan. 11, 2011. He was a veteran of the Naval Air Force and flew commercially for six years. He retired in 1982 as head of the Radiology Department at ECU Hospital. Among survivors are his wife, Faye Stoness Hortenstine; son Jay Hortenstine; and daughters Anne Rosin, Jill Iglehart and Martha Silver.

Elizabeth Yoak Hounshell (’41), Greenville, N.C., died June 16, 2011. She was a former organist at Guilford College Methodist Church. She was preceded in death by her husband, Charles Hounshell (’42). Among survivors are a son, Doug Hounshell, daughter Beth Tripp and sister-in-law Anna Hounshell Guy (’39).

Memorial donations may be made to Emory & Henry College.

Lucille Cunningham Brewer (’42), Altus, Okla., died Aug. 2, 2011. She was preceded in death by her husband R. Blake Brewer (re-’42). Among survivors is a brother Dr. Dorris A. Cunningham (’43).

Gretchen Maiden Kendrick (’42), Meadowview, Va., died July 17, 2011.

She was active in school and community affairs. Her husband V. D. Kendrick (’38) preceded her in death. Among survivors are her children, Anne Kendrick Coulthard (’64) and husband Don Coulthard; Carol Kendrick Minetree (’70) and husband Russell Minetree (re-’67); Craig Kendrick

(’75); and Brenda Kendrick; sister Helen Maiden Dodson (’35); granddaughter Rachel Minetree (’98); and nieces Marjorie Maiden Dye (re-’69) and Beth Maiden Mahaffey (’65).

Jane Frye McColloch (’44), Dallas, Texas, died March 12, 2011. She taught advanced English and Latin. Among survivors are sons Michael McColloch and Mark McColloch; sister Phyllis Frye Copeland (’41); and niece Debra Copeland Sizemore (’73).

Ruth Conner Weaver (re-’44), Christiansburg, Va., died Aug. 16, 2011.

She taught first grade for many years in the Montgomery County School System.

During this time, she saw the need for preschool education and stared the private Jack and Jill Kindergarten. Among survivors are her husband Scott Weaver and daughter the Honorable Cindy Weaver.

Margaret Kelly Roberson (’48), Radford, Va., died Jan. 6, 2011. She was a teacher and librarian with the Radford Public Schools for more than 30 years. She was preceded in death by her husband, Robbie Roberson (’50). Among survivors are her daughter, Kathy Roberson Bonazzi, and sons Stephen Carlyle Roberson and Frank Kelly Roberson.

Samuel L. Duff (’49), Houston, Texas, died April 26, 2011. He was a decorated veteran for his service as a medic in the

In Memoriam

CLASS NOTES

—2008—

Justin Hoover is an assistant state attorney for Palm Beach County, Fla.

Caitlyn Murriner is a music teacher at High Point Elementary School in Bristol, Va. She resides in Abingdon, Va.

Kari Shoopman received a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law in May 2011. She resides in Knoxville, Tenn.

Adam Taylor has been accepted as a Peace Corps volunteer and will be contributing to a project in Zambia known as LIFE (Linking Income Food & Environment). He will serve as a forestry extension agent working with rural farmers to incorporate agroforestry into farming practices with a focus on soil and water conservation. He also will be working with local schools to set up environmental awareness groups that will try to raise critical environmental issues within the community, while working on ways to correct them. He will be working with small business entrepreneurs to help create a market for their products within their community.

Emily Wicht has recently completed two terms in AmeriCorps, serving in the National Civilian Community Corps in the Midwest and at Indian River County

Habitat for Humanity in Vero Beach, Fla. Indian River Habitat has hired her for a full time position as the family services selection coordinator. She resides in Vero Beach, Fla.

IN MEMORIAM

owner of Delta Truck Sales, for which he sold for more than 30 years, specializing in heavy duty trucks. He was employed by Freightliner of Knoxville, Tenn., before his retirement. Afterward, he became fleet manager of Empire Ford of Abingdon.

Among survivors are his wife, Lucy Melton Denton; daughter Sheila Denton; and son Mark Denton.

Jack E. Musgrove (’51), Bristol, Va., died June 29, 2011. He was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and spent 20 years as a professor at Virginia Highlands Community College. Among survivors are son Walter Musgrove and daughters Melinda Looney, Nancy Jones and Sylvia Musgrove.

Juel M. Turner (’51), Roanoke, Va., died Oct. 8, 2011. He served in the U.S. Army. He served as principal of Patrick Springs Elementary School and Hardin Reynolds Memorial High School prior to serving as principal of Orange County High School. He was the principal of Northside High School in Roanoke County and then became the director of instruction in Spotsylvania County. He was the director of personnel for Roanoke County Public Schools and retired from education in 1986. Among survivors are his wife Mary Frances Love Turner; and sons Dr. Richard Turner and Jeff Turner.

Alice Staples Dow (’52), Emory, Va., died Aug. 8, 2011. At the time of her retirement in 1981, she was chairperson of the Department of Economics and Business at Emory & Henry College. She was preceded in death by her husband Dr. Loren Dow, retired E&H faculty member.

James H. (Jay) Gaddis Jr. (’52), Newport, Tenn., died June 11, 2011. He was an educator for 48 years. He was superintendent of Morristown City and Newport Grammar School for 27 of those years. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army.

Among survivors are his wife, Eva Gaddis, and daughters Linda Bible and Karen Inman.

Hazel Buchanan Marek (re-’52), Meadowview, Va., and Texas, died Sept.

18, 2011. She retired after 50 years in the nursing profession. Among survivors are her daughters Linda Pryor, Amanda Shipman and Ann King; sister Jean Buchanan Dennis (re-’50); and brother Bob Buchanan (’58).

Eleanor Demo Miller (’52), Tazewell, Va., and The Villages, Fla., died Sept. 14, 2011. She was a lifelong educator. She was preceded in death by her husband Bob Miller (’52). Among survivors is her son David Miller.

Charlotte Palmer Randall (’52), Walla Walla, Wash., died April 2, 2011. Among survivors are a son, Aaron Randall, and a daughter, Mary Charlotte Randall.

James H. Amburgey (’53), Maryville, Tenn., died June 27, 2011. After teaching at the high school level, he began his tenure at Hiwassee College in 1955,

where he served as academic dean and president until his retirement in 1984.

Among survivors are his wife, Madaline Bowman Amburgey; daughter Brenda Lou Amburgey; and sons Michael Amburgey and Eric Amburgey.

Albert G. Revilla (’53), Lovingston, Va., died March 5, 2011. He served in the U.S. Air Force during World War II. He was a contract administrator until his retirement in 1993. Among survivors are his wife, Charlotte Stevens Revilla, and children Albert Jr., Ramon, Suzanne Fogg and Linda Christopher.

Harold S. Dingus (’56), Bristol, Va., died Dec. 6, 2010. He was a chemist for S.E. Massengill and Unisys. He helped coach Haynesfield Elementary School football and was an official for high school football for the VHSL and TSSAA. Among survivors are his wife, Esther Dingus; son Phil Dingus (re-’78), daughter Suzie Dingus Whitt (’79) and stepsons Garry Blevins and Bob Jones.

Memorial contributions may be sent to Emory & Henry College for I-HEY. John L. Sites (re’-56), Bedford, Va., died Jan. 24, 2011. He was a Navy veteran serving during the Korean War and was active in the Boy Scouts for more than 36 years. He volunteered for the Bedford Sheriff’s Department and was an active officer on the Bedford Police Department.

John was recognized as a voice on WBLT radio. Among survivors are his wife, Marylin Sites; sons Fred Sites, Brian Sites and Ralph Sites; and daughters Priscilla Hendricks and Sarah Angle.

John W. White Jr. (re-’56), Lincoln, Neb., died April 18, 2011. He served with distinction as Nebraska Wesleyan University’s president for 20 years.

Nebraska Wesleyan first earned national recognition as a leading liberal arts college under him, and he conducted the two most successful fundraising campaigns in its history. He strengthened the faculty, established a unique international sabbatical program, and brought a global perspective to the curriculum. A new residence hall was named in honor of President White and his wife in 2004.

Among survivors are his wife, Marty; son Marcus White; and daughter Michelle Hile.

Raymond “Fuzzy” Chapman Jr. (’57), Lake Wales, Fla., died Sept.24, 2011. He was the dean of students at Ft. Pierce Central High School, where he spent many years coaching football, baseball and golf. Among survivors are children Allen Scott Chapman, Toby Dean Chapman and Raymond “Buster” Chapman III. Kenneth M. Fleenor (’58), Pulaski, Va., died Oct. 4, 2011. In 1963 he opened a dental practice in Pulaski where he practiced for 25 years. He began a new career as an account executive with Wheat First Securities and later became the director and dentist in residence at the Dental Hygiene Clinic at Wytheville E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 56

Community College. He achieved the rank of Eagle Scout as a young boy and continued his involvement in scouting for the remainder of his life and was awarded the prized Silver Beaver award. Among survivors are his wife Shirley Anderson Fleenor; sons K. Mike Fleenor Jr. and Dr. Jonathan Todd Fleenor; sisters-in-law Carolyn Thompson Fleenor (’51) and Jeanette Faulkner Fleenor (’53); and nephews Richard Fleenor (’85) and Eric Fleenor (’87).

Robert E. Mason (re-’58), Dandridge, Tenn., died Nov. 21, 2010. He was a veteran of the U.S. Navy and a teacher and basketball coach in the Knox Co. School System.

Nils Haag (’59), Donalsonville, Ga., died Dec. 5, 2010. He worked at Kennedy Space Center as a mathematician. Among survivors are his wife, Margaret Cox Haag (’58), and children Anna Babbitt, Allan Haag and Tom Haag.

James D. “Jim” Hubbard (’59), Ridgeway, Va., died Sept. 20, 2011.

He retired from Prillaman and Pace as controller and had previously worked for Fieldcrest Mills in Eden, N.C., and Tultex Corp. in Martinsville, Va. He played the trumpet locally in a number of dance bands. He was preceded in death by his wife Jeannie Broome Hubbard (re-’62).

Among survivors are a daughter Kristen Hubbard Lenz and son James B. Hubbard.

Ernestine Warren Stovall (’59), Lake Wales, Fla., died Aug. 4, 2010. She was a retired school teacher. Among survivors are sons Doc Stovall, Bobby Stovall and Eddie Stovall.

Jackson D. Berry (re-’60), Chilhowie, Va., died Jan. 7, 2011. He retired from Harwood Manufacturing after 38 years.

He was active with the Chilhowie Little League program. Among survivors are his wife, Alice “Kitty” Berry, son Jackson Berry Jr. and daughter Becky Bunch.

Jack E. Lindsey (’60), Roanoke, Va., died March 31, 2011. He was a teacher and coach at Cave Spring High School for 33 years. Among survivors are his wife, Stella Dutton Lindsey (’60); sons Greg, Chris and Jeff Lindsey; and sister Nancy Lindsey Eckhart (re-’63).

Joe R. Byington (re-’62), Bristol, Tenn., died Feb. 10, 2011. He was the plant manager at Necessary Oil Company. Among survivors are his wife, Sandra Byington, and brother E. L. Byington (re’-51).

Elizabeth (Betty) Potts Hosmanek (re’62), Staunton, Va., died March 16, 2011.

Among survivors are children Beth Earhart, Laura Booth Gaylor (’87) and David Weaver, and son-in-law David Gaylor (’87).

Frank M. Wagner Jr. (’62), Laguna Woods, Calif., died Aug. 26, 2011. He enjoyed a long and distinguished career as a legal professional in public service.

He served in the U.S. Air Force as a Judge Advocate from 1965 through 1968.

57 / Fall 2011 / E&H Alumni Magazine

Afterwards he served as an attorney for the Board of Veterans’ Appeals and then worked for the National Labor Relations Board in Los Angeles until his retirement.

Ann Wilcox Blatchley (’63), Little Silver, N.J., died April 17, 2011. She was a teacher at Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School where she retired in 2008 after a 25 year career in education. She was an accomplished figure skater and founder of the Glen Falls, N.Y. Figure Skating Club.

Among survivors are her husband, Charles Blatchley; and daughters Rebecca Lewis, Susan Davison and Karen Blatchley.

Billy G. Munsey (’63), Pearisburg, Va., died July 24, 2011. He was a retired school teacher with the Giles County School System. Among survivors are sons Dana Munsey, Colin Munsey and Kelly Munsey.

Taylor Alderman (’64), Roanoke, Va., died Sept. 24, 2011. He was an instructor at Christopher Newport University and a professor of English and Journalism at Youngstown State University and chairman of the English department. He was coeditor of the Hemingway Notes and author of The Right Ball; A Primer for Management Negotiators in Higher Education. He served as vice president for personnel services at Youngstown State University. He had campus-wide responsibility for all personnel administration, as well as for negotiating and administering the University’s collective bargaining agreements with YSU’s four unions. He retired Emeritus from the university. Among survivors are his wife Pamela McKinney Alderman (’64); niece Nancy Greene Alderman (’81); nephew John Owen Alderman (’80); sister-in-law Marion Allen Alderman (’56); and sister and brother-in-law Deborah McKinney Baker (’70) and G. Craig Baker (’68).

Nancy Brown Newman (’64), Satellite Beach, Fla., died Dec. 14, 2010. She was a retired teacher. She was a member of the Indian River Players and the American Embassy School Productions. Among survivors are her husband, Samuel Newman (’63); children Susan Bonita, Christopher Newman and Jill Scribbins; and a sister, Sara Brown Crews (’68).

Wayne E. Tiller (’64), North Myrtle Beach, S.C., died Nov. 29, 2010. He served in the U.S. Army Reserves and had owned an insurance agency in Roanoke, Va. Among survivors are his wife, Mildy Cox Tiller (re-’66); son Shawn Tiller (’91); daughter-in-law Deanna Satchwell Tiller (’90); and daughter Karen Tiller.

Judy Tumlin Glasser (’65), Las Vegas, Nev., died Aug. 30, 2010.

Roger D. Neal (re-’65), Abingdon, Va., died Feb. 6, 2011. He was a respected physician for more than 35 years. Among survivors are his mother Etta Spriggs Neal; wife Linda Gardner Neal (’65); daughter Cynthia Ann Neal; sons Michael Christopher Neal and Jeffrey Gardner Neal; and sister Sandra Neal Walters (’65).

Memorial donations may be made to Emory & Henry College.

Raymond “Spoonie” Witherspoon III (’65), Abingdon, Va., died Dec. 8, 2010. He retired from Virginia Highlands Community College as an instructor after 25 years.

He was preceded in death by his mother Virginia Kreger Witherspoon (’34). Among survivors are his wife, Martha Miller Witherspoon, and daughters Amanda Witherspoon and Sarah Witherspoon.

Stella DeBusk Stephon (’66), Abingdon, Va., died April 10, 2011. She was a retired teacher of Washington County Public Schools. She was preceded in death by her father, Berton DeBusk Sr. (re-’36); her husband, Frank Stephon III (re-’39); and brother B.F. DeBusk Jr. (re-’51). Among survivors are a sister, Charlotte DeBusk Yarbrough (re-’50); brother Don DeBusk (’60); son Frank Stephon IV (re-’69); daughter Donna DeBusk Kuczko (’73); and son-in-law John Kuczko (’76).

Rebecca Johnson Sandt (’67), Big Stone Gap, Va., died Jan. 31, 2011. She was teacher in the Wise County School system for 33 years. Among survivors are her husband, Howard, and son Michael.

Frances Phillips Johnston (’68), Roanoke, Va., died June 4, 2011. She was a retired teacher in Roanoke County with more than 33 years of service. Among survivors are her husband, James Johnston (’68); son Scott Johnston; and daughter Sara Jones.

David Stevenson (’68), Cave Spring, Ga., died Feb. 24, 2011. Among survivors are his wife Karen Petry Stevenson.

Donald J. Wallis (’68), Bellville, Ohio, died Dec. 5, 2010. He taught at Mohican Youth Center and started the GED program. He was a woodworker and carpenter. Among survivors are his wife Linda Emery Wallis; sons Donald Wallis Jr. and James Daniel Wallis; daughter Melissa Roston; stepchildren Derek and Marie Shoup and Robin Wilson.

Charlie Keith (’69), Kingsport, Tenn., died July 23, 2011. He had a dear love and affection for all those who worked for him at Mini-Fibers. Among survivors are his wife Kerry Keith; and sons Allen Keith and Drew Keith.

Robert T. Poovey (re-’72), Hickory, N.C., died Sept. 14, 2011. He taught anatomy and physiology at CCC&TI, was a sales representative for an international company, and was a travel agent and travel agency co-owner. His latest position was with the Exceptional Children’s Department at South Caldwell High School.

Roger L. Evans (’73), Bristol, Tenn., died Jan. 9, 2011. He was a U.S. Air Force veteran and retired from the Bristol Tennessee schools system after 30 years.

Among survivors are his wife Joyce Keeling Evans; and sons Michael Keene, R. Scott Evans and Michael “Mickey” S. Evans.

In Memoriam

47th Infantry Division of the U.S. Army in the European Theater in World War II. He retired from American Cyanamid as a sales executive in the chemical industry. Among survivors are his wife, Betty Jane (Todd) Duff; and children Samuel Lewis Duff Jr., Sue Carroll Duff, Charles Todd Duff and Joseph William Duff.

Robert F. White (’49), Sarasota, Fla., died April 23, 2011. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps in World War II. Among survivors are his wife, Jane Preston White; and daughters Susan White Dahne and Nancy White Martinez.

Jason H. Williamson (re-’49), Cave Creek, Ariz., died June 14, 2011. He volunteered for the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II. He was a nationally prominent watercolorist and was the owner of a commercial art agency, art director at the Memphis College of Art, and owner of The Golden Fleece Art Gallery in Memphis and later in Carefree, Ariz. He was selected as a signature member of the prestigious American Watercolor Society and National Watercolor Society and was a founding member of the Southern Watercolor Society and the “22 by 30” Painters of Arizona. He discovered the color concept of “Black Azure” and was the featured artist in The World’s Fair in 1984.

Among survivors are a son Robert Jason Williamson and daughter Jan Williamson Brucker.

Roy W. Lynch (’50), New Bern, N.C., died Aug. 3, 2011. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II and was one of 20 survivors in his company of the Battle of the Remagen Bridge in Belgium.

He worked as a state probation officer in Virginia and a federal parole officer in the District of Columbia. He was preceded in death by his wife Nancy Haislip Lynch (’48).

Among survivors are daughters Karen Lynch and Amy Lynch; son Roy Junior.

Ottie C. Padgett (re-’50), Hillsville, Va., died May 11, 2011. Among survivors are daughter Libby Whitaker, son Mitchell Padgett and stepson David Hartsoe.

Olin F. Armentrout (re-’51), Max Meadows, Va., died Dec. 29, 2010. He was a World War II veteran having served in the U.S. Army Air Force. He was a retired rural mail carrier with 32 years of federal service and maintained a beef cattle farm. He served as a member of the Steering Committee securing approval for a two-year college in Wytheville and was involved in the establishment of Wythe County Community Hospital. He served on the E&H Board of Governors for eight years. Among survivors are his wife, Rowena Todd Armentrout; a son, Mark Armentrout; a daughter, Susan Armentrout King (’77), and a grandson, Joshua Armentrout (’03).

Alvin R. Denton (re-’51), Bristol, Va., died April 24, 2011. He was a former co-

IN MEMORIAM

Fitzgerald C. (Jerry) Hughes (’75), Roanoke, Va., died Aug. 24, 2011. Before his illness, he was responsible for the implementation of a hospital-wide computer system for the Department of Veteran Affairs Hospital in Salem, Va. and served as the systems administrator for 14 years. Among survivors are his wife Mary Rowland Hughes and stepson Erik Linkous.

Janie Gates Patterson (’77), Wytheville, Va., died Feb. 7, 2011. She was a teacher for more than 30 years. Among survivors are her husband Charles Patterson (’60); daughters Karen Patterson Hudson (’80) and Susan Jones; and son Charles Derek Patterson.

David K. Felts (’78), Gate City, Va., died Jan. 15, 2011. He was an employee of Wellmont Health Systems. He was preceded in death by his father, Joe Neal Felts (re-’55). Among survivors are his wife, Rachel Catron-Felts and daughter Ariel Felts.

Jeffrey E. Hart (’79), Roanoke, Va., died April 11, 2011. Among survivors are his wife, Susanna Van Dyke Hart (’76); children Adam Jeffrey Hart and Mary Anne Hart; and brother Gary Hart (’80).

Michael D. Mabry (’79), Fairlawn, Va., died Oct. 22, 2011. In his younger years, he was a talented artist, and he maintained a lifelong interest in the arts.

Among survivors are his wife Amy Charon Mabry; daughter Courtney Michelle Mabry; and sons Miles Addison Mabry, Brent Walker Mabry and Reece Avril Mabry.

Susan Sheffey Shomette (’83), Chester, Va., died Oct. 9, 2011. Among survivors are her husband Gilbert W. Shomette; son Andrew Van Horn; and daughter Summer Shomette.

James F. (Frank) Ellison Jr. (’85), Verona, Va., died July 27, 2011. He joined the U.S. Army after college and was transferred to the 760th Engineering Battalion in

Marion. He served approximately 16 years in the service. He then worked for the forestry service in Harrisonburg seven years and then went to Packaging Corp. in Harrisonburg.

Brad Bowman (’91), Woodlawn, Va., died Sept. 1, 2011. He was a former teacher and coach for Carroll County Public Schools. Donations may be made to the Fred Selfe & Bob Johnson Stadium Project at E&H College.

Ami Smoake (’93), Salem, Va., died June 17, 2010.

Esther Van Brunt Fields (’99), Glade Spring, Va., died Nov. 14, 2010. She was a veteran of the U.S. Army and was a substitute teacher in the Washington County School System. Among survivors are her husband Joseph Fields and son Leslie Locke.

Katelyn L. Jacobs (’10), Mocksville, N.C., died Jan. 13, 2011. Among survivors are her parents, Paul and Linda Jacobs.

Martha Washington College Callie Fly Hamon, Houston, Tex., died Dec. 4, 2010. She taught English, math, science, Spanish and history, and was the first female driving instructor in Texas.

Among survivors are her children, Callie Frances Schaefer Barnett and Henry Philip Schaefer.

Navy V-12 S. Tinsley Campbell, Louisville, Ky., died Feb. 4, 2011. He sang in different choirs and was a member of the U.S. Navy Bluejacket choir during the last six months of his service during World War II. He joined the family firm, Lumbermen’s Wholesale Service, a distributor of lumber and specialty building materials, where he served as president until his retirement in 1992. He played drums with a Dixieland band known as the Fogbound Five for 30 years. Among survivors are his wife, Sally;

children Elizabeth Rightmyer, Stuart, Jean Herp and Van; and stepson Ward Deters.

Robert L. Olsen, Lake Placid, N.Y., died Oct. 10, 2010. He served in the Navy during World War II. He enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and became a military pilot of the NA T-6. He served as president and CEO of several banks including the Bank of Lake Placid.

Part-Time Students Phyllis Witt Metcalf, Madison, Wis., died Aug. 6, 2010. She worked many years in the Madison Public School as a counselor until her retirement in 1990.

Among survivors are her husband, Leroy Metcalf; children Teri Summers-Minette, Jim, Jon and Rob Summers; and sister Jackie Witt Mainous (’54).

Employees George Crutchfield, Midlothian, Va., died March 15, 2011. He came to E&H in fall 1963 as a professor and director of information services. He was the longtime director of Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Mass Communications. Among survivors are his wife, Frances; son Larry; daughter Lisa; and stepson Henry Broaddus.

Mary Gentry, Meadowview, Va., died April 13, 2011. She was a retired administrative assistant in facilities management with 31 years of service.

Among survivors is a daughter, Dana Gentry Boyd (’85).

Juanita Ratliff, Chilhowie, Va., died Dec. 27, 2010. She was a library assistant in the Kelly Library for 15 years. Among survivors are her husband, Jerry Ratliff, and sons Jeffery Wayne Ratliff and Glenn Russell Ratliff.

Ethel B. Robinson, Kingsport, Tenn., died March 9, 2011. She retired from E&H in 1987 as a housemother and infirmary worker. n

Thank you.

The Annual Fund is the foundation, the very bedrock, for the fundraising program of almost every college and university in America. It is especially true for an independent college such as Emory & Henry. And it’s not just the money that makes the Annual Fund vitally important to Emory & Henry.

I give a lot of credit to my theatre professors at Emory & Henry. They challenged me to be my best and then challenged me to go beyond that.

Jamal Crowell (’10), actor, Barter Theatre

The Annual Fund provides an avenue for every

person who believes in Emory & Henry College, for everyone who respects the College’s 175 years of

Alumni play a key role in allowing students to

dedication to academic quality and student growth

experience all that Emory &

and development to have a part in sustaining that

Henry has to offer. I am very

quality for current and future generations of students.

Enclosed in this magazine is a reply pledge

envelope. Please send that in now or give online at

thankful for that support.

Kyle Boden (’14), quarterback for varsity football

www.ehc.edu/giving. We’re counting on you to make a difference.

CONTACT Ryan Roorda Director of the Annual Fund Office of Institutional Advancement Emory & Henry College PO Box 950 Emory, VA 24327 Phone (276) 944-6938 Fax (276) 944-6872 Email: rroorda@ehc.edu www.ehc.edu

Consider the Annual Fund as a grand old tree, deeply rooted in historic soil... Contributions to the Annual Fund provide the watering and nurturing of the roots to this stately tree.

Donna Proffit Vaughn (’68), E&H Board of Trustees I’m thankful that I have had the opportunity to be involved here, and I’m thankful for those who join me in giving to the Annual Fund.

Anita Coulthard, E&H Coordinator for the Arts

www.ehc.edu/giving

E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 58

59 / Fall 2011 / E&H Alumni Magazine

The Alumni Magazine Emory & Henry College P.O. Box 950 Emory, VA 24327-0950

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THE CORNERSTONE AND BIBLE

E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 60