CELEBRATING 175 YEARS
Emory& Henry
SPRING 2011 ALUMNI MAGAZINE
The Twelve-Year
Building Boom New Habitat in Glade / Annual Fund Reaching High Poetry in the Classroom / EXCELLENCE RUNS IN FAMILY E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 1
from the president Dear Emory & Henry Alumni and Friends,
“Emory & Henry holds us by the hearts as it pulls us forward with it. We are fortunate to be embraced by the power of this place as we walk into the future.”
The 175th anniversary of Emory & Henry’s founding is coming to a close, but members of this college community have provided many reasons to keep the celebration going for many years to come. Among those reasons are the many new building projects undertaken in recent years at the College. New academic facilities, residence halls and athletic structures meet current student needs while setting the stage for growth. Financial support of these initiatives and record support last year of the E&H Annual Fund underscore the enduring commitment that alumni and friends have for this institution. Increasingly, supporters of this institution recognize that few schools have as powerful an impact as Emory & Henry on students and communities. Meanwhile, E&H alumni, students and members of the faculty and staff continue to bring recognition to the College that has strengthened the College’s historic reputation for excellence and propels that image of quality into the future. Examples of alumni excellence are provided on page 13 of this publication. During Founders Day (formerly known as Charter Day) five alumni were honored for their achievements in life and in service to their alma mater. They include Lt. Col. L.H. “Bucky” Burruss (’65), Ken Sorenson (’79), Tara Taylor (’03), and J.D. and Patsy Reed (’68 and ’70). Dr. Jim Duchamp was recently named the 2011 Carnegie Foundation Virginia Professor of the Year, the seventh E&H professor to win what is considered the highest teaching honor in the state. In addition, over the last few months, a series of state honors have been bestowed upon students and members of the E&H Student Life staff for their efforts in response to the tragic tornado one year ago in nearby Glade Spring. The future of Emory & Henry looks brighter with each year, with each new recognition for teaching excellence, with each student achievement, and with each new alumnus added to its long list of impressive graduates. We have spent the last academic year celebrating the first 175 years of this College’s history not only because it represents a magnificent story of endurance, but because that long, storied past has contributed to the success of the present and the momentum for the future. Our past holds us up as we move forward, a notion that was highlighted during Founders Day, when the Concert Choir performed a new college anthem, “In Praise of Mind.” Composed by Dr. Scott Gendel and set to a poem by Henry T. Hodgkin, the anthem points to a spiritual bond that recalls our attachments to this place. “I open now my heart to Thee My eyes would all thy beauty see Take Thou this little life and be Forever near.‘
Dr. Reichard stands in the doorway of the newly renovated Byars Hall after the dedication ceremony in 2008.
With Kindest Regards,
Rosalind Reichard, Ph.D. President
E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 2
“His work both inside and outside of the classroom has had a major impact on the life of the College. He is driven to high levels of excellence by his love of students and a sincere belief in the difference they can make through their understanding of science.” — President Rosalind Reichard
E&H Continues to Dominate Among Recipients of Prestigious Award Dr. Jim Duchamp becomes the seventh E&H professor to be honored by the Carnegie Foundation as a state or national professor of the year. Emory & Henry has been represented by the recipients of this award more than any other college or university in Virginia. Duchamp has performed extensive research in the use of endohedral fullerenes, which are being developed for use as contrast agents in magnetic resonance images (MRIs) in the detection of tumors. He is the co-inventor of a patented method that developed precursors for the synthesis of water soluble endohedral fullerenes, which dramatically improves their usefulness in MRIs. Duchamp, whose research has been published in such prestigious journals as Nature and the Journal of the American Chemical Society, has been teaching at Emory & Henry since 1994. Duchamp, who received his Ph.D. in chemistry from Yale University in 1992, said he is drawn to teaching the type of students who attend liberal arts colleges, especially those who attend Emory & Henry. “I’ve enjoyed immensely working with undergraduates on research projects as I help them grow as scientists.”
E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 3
Emory & Henry College Executive Council President Rosalind Reichard
THE / ALUMNI PRESIDENT Dear Alumni,
Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty (Interim) Linda Harris Dobkins
Destination Events!
Vice President for Business and Finance Dirk E. Wilmoth
There are always plenty of ways to be involved with the E&H Alumni Association, but please allow me to point out a new way to be in touch: Destination Events.
Vice President for Enrollment Management David S. Hawsey Vice President for Institutional Advancement (interim) A. P. “Bun” Perkinson Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students Pamela L. Gourley Director of Public Relations Dirk S. Moore Director of Athletics Myra Sims Executive Assistant to the President Mark R. Graham ’85 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.) Beth Deskins, ’85, New River Valley Catie Neal, ’10, Shenandoah Valley Allison Mays Wilburn ’95, Washington County Moe Weaver, ’61, Smyth County Margaret Turman Kidd ’98, Richmond Bill Naehle ’82, Northern Virginia Pat Shrader ’93, North Carolina Mike Sullivan ’68, Tidewater/Peninsula Ann Rector Shupe, ’69, Piedmont Jon Crutchfield ’91, Roanoke Valley Ruth Wilson Blankenship, ’95 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. George Whitley, ’77, 1970s Rep. Dean Newman ’62, 1960s Rep. Sally Sprinkle Bentley ’54, Gold Club Kelly Espy ’94, Alumni Volunteer Aux. Cyndi Jennings ’91, At-Large Mary-Margaret Justis ’69, At-Large Doug Dalton, ’94, E-Rep.
/ REPORTS
While we routinely organize regional events for alumni living in a particular geographic area, we’re trying to organize some events that would have appeal to alumni living anywhere. This spring, for instance, a group of E&H alumni gathered for a day at the Biltmore in Asheville, N.C. There were plenty of participants from North Carolina, but alumni also drove from Abingdon, Galax, and South Carolina to be part of the fun. Watch for information on these events by checking the online calendar (www.ehc.edu/alumni-friends) or register to receive the E&H Alumni E-News to get regular updates, If you’d like to receive the updates, contact the alumni director at alumni@ehc.edu. Stay in touch! H. Greg Hagee, ‘86 Front Cover: Architect’s rendering of the proposed Hickory Hall residence facility; LEED plaque attached to Wiley Hall, the College’s first LEED-certified building. Back Cover: Statues of Patrick Henry and John Emory on the day of their unveiling on the Emory & Henry campus.
The Emory & Henry Alumni Magazine Director of Public Relations, Editor Contributors: Dirk Moore Dave Grace, Photographer Brent Treash ’01, Photographer, Writer Director of Alumni, Alumni Editor Joe Matthews, Writer Monica S. Hoel ’85 Rhonda Widener, Writer, Clerical Support Director of Publications, Guest Photo Contributors: Art Director/Writer David Crigger, Bristol Herald Courier Jamie Smyth Robin Grossman Carolyn Wilson 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
CONTENTS
EMORY & HENRY ALUMNI MAGAZINE SPRING 2012
cover STORY: BUILDING BOOM p4
DEPARTMENTS ON THE CAMPUS p8-13 feature p8 Waspers in the Rafters
p8
p20
IN THE CLASSROOM p14-19 feature p14 Poetry in Action ADVANCEMENT p20-23 feature p20 Future Alumni Giving Back
p14
SPORTS p24-27 feature p24 Excellence Runs in Family ALUMNI ROUNDUP p28-43 feature p28 A Place of Hope CLASS NOTES & ALUMNI FEATURES p34-41 IN MEMORIAM p42-44
p24
p28
COVER
BUILDING BOOM When
the Van Dyke Center
enthusiasm among members of the campus community.
was built on the Emory
Currently, construction is underway on the $5.5 million
& Henry campus in 1960,
James H. Brooks Field House, a 18,237-square-foot facility at
the new building was greeted with much enthusiasm, in
the east end of the Fred Selfe Stadium that will house locker
part because it was the latest in what seemed to be a flurry
rooms and training areas as well as space for offices,
of building activity that was changing the landscape of the
classrooms and meetings. In April, the College broke ground
campus, recalls Henry Dawson (’62), who was an E&H
on an $7.5 million residence hall, Hickory Hall, which will
student during that time.
provide space for 117 beds and follows the completion two
years ago of another residence facility, Elm Hall.
Just two years prior to the completion of Van Dyke, the
College constructed Memorial Chapel and the residence
hall now known as Wiley-Jackson Hall (Martha
dollar construction projects at Emory & Henry that began
Washington Hall), two structures that loom large in the
in 2000 with an $12 million, 46,000 square-foot addition to
memories of E&H alumni.
and renovation of the Gibson Science Center to create
McGlothlin-Street Hall. All told, Emory & Henry has
The new construction “was a reflection of the growth the
These efforts are the latest in a series of multi-million
College was experiencing and optimism about where the
invested approximately $50 million in major construction
College was headed,” said Dawson, who sees a return to those
and renovation projects over the last 12 years.
exciting days of building development on the E&H campus.
Other projects within that timeframe include a $6.3
Between 1958 and 1970, Emory & Henry experienced
million addition to an academic building, a $5 million
one of its most active periods of new construction. In
renovation to the main administration building; a major
addition to Van Dyke, the Chapel and Wiley-Jackson, the
addition to the King Athletic Center; the construction of two
College constructed, in 1968, Kelly Library and followed that
22-bed residence halls in the Emory village; and
up two years later with the construction of the King
approximately $1.1 million in campus beautification projects.
Athletic Center.
Completed in 2008, a three-story addition to Byars Hall
It was a period of construction activity that would not
provided much-needed space for the music, theatre and art
be matched until today, when Emory & Henry is once again
departments. The project also included the renovation of
in the throes of a construction boom that not only is
the historic literary society halls on the third floor of the
transforming the campus grounds but revitalizing existing
1880s portion of the building.
buildings for a new century of learning while generating
From left: Memorial Chapel, Wiley-Jackson, Kelly Library, King Center, McGlothlin-Street Hall
E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 6
Wiley Hall
Byars Hall
In 2009, construction crews completed a
during her five years
$5 million renovation of Wiley Hall, the main administration
at the College, has presided over the largest share, some
building. The project included reconfiguration of office
$35.6 million, of major construction. “Through this
space, the addition of an elevator, new flooring, new
construction, we have sought to preserve a 175-year-old
bathrooms, and the restoration of the building cupola and
campus while making its facilities relevant to educational
entrance way.
demands in the future.”
In 2006-07, Emory & Henry constructed two new
residence halls in the Emory village, a few blocks from the
anticipated construction of Hickory Hall continue a trend at
main campus. Cambridge and Prillaman houses, which
the College toward high-quality living conditions that are
provide modern and attractive apartment-style living space,
compatible with the College’s reputation for excellence and
were the first installments to what was expected to be a
rigorous academic standards.
neighborhood of six such facilities.
Students currently living in Elm Hall boast of the
Other projects have been aimed at improving the
facility’s comfort and attractiveness as well as its ability to
beauty of the historic campus. Thanks to the generosity of
enhance a sense of community, which is the hallmark of
Tom McGlothlin (’68) the campus has been blessed with
E&H campus life. They express support for the
long stretches of brick sidewalks and the construction last
construction of similar facilities that will allow more
year of the Alumni Plaza, which features the names, images
students the opportunity to enjoy the dramatic advances
and biographies of four noteworthy E&H alumni. With the
being made in E&H student housing.
support of another E&H alumnus, Gene Bane (’63), Emory
Olivia Bailey, an E&H student living in Elm Hall,
& Henry commissioned the creation of statues of Patrick
enjoys having her own bathroom as well as the comfortable
Henry and John Emory, which were installed in March.
common areas provided by the building. “Students value
attractive, accessible residence halls,” she said. “When
“Through these construction projects, we are not only
The construction of Elm Hall, a 116-bed facility, and the
meeting current needs, but we are laying the groundwork
students walk into Elm and see the beauty of the dorm, it
for significant future growth,” said President Reichard, who,
feels like home.”
continued
E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 7
Elm Hall
Another Elm Hall resident, Daron Vaught, praises the
of Visual and Performing Arts.
residential facility for its “study friendly” environment. “If I
need to be isolated, my room provides that isolation. If I am
Byars renovation has had on teaching and learning in the
in need of some interaction or help in my studies, the lobbies
Division of Visual and Performing Arts,” Withers said. “Choral,
and conference room offer a great way to achieve that,”
vocal and brass students can now rehearse in rooms that are
Vaught said. “I think more dorms like Elm would enhance
acoustically suited to give them immediate aural feedback. The
the academic progress of students. There are several
painting and printmaking students have studios that are
students in the lobbies every evening, and I believe it
equipped with all of the appropriate safety equipment and are
creates a more laid-back atmosphere for studying.”
filled with natural light from skylights. And theatre students
have a classroom that is designed to provide a space for lighting
As was the case with Elm Hall and other recent E&H
“It is hard to quantify the transformative effect that the
construction projects, Hickory Hall will be constructed with
and staging rehearsals.”
the intention of obtaining LEED (Leadership in Energy and
New facilities are expected to significantly enhance the
Environmental Design) certification. In addition, Hickory Hall
athletic experience for E&H students. Already the $1.5 million in
will seek to become the nation’s first major residence hall to
improvements to the Fred Selfe Stadium—which include new
be constructed with certified passive house energy design.
artificial turf, a game-day operations center, a new digital
scoreboard, and perimeter fencing—have increased crowd sizes
Emory & Henry has become the leader in Southwest
Virginia in LEED certification for major construction
at E&H football games and soccer matches.
projects. Since their renovations, Byars Hall and Wiley Hall
have obtained LEED certification, while the James H.
summer, memorializes James H. Brooks, a longtime supporter of
The new field house, which is expected to be completed this
Brooks Field House is being constructed with the intent of obtaining similar designation. While new residence halls have enhanced living conditions on campus, new academic structures have added significantly to the classroom experience. McGlothlin-Street Hall provides up-to-date laboratory and classroom space for the sciences, which continue to boast some of the most popular majors on campus.
The expansion of Byars Hall, which added some 18,000
square feet to the historic building, has significantly enhanced the opportunities for enrollment growth as well as professional achievement for students of the arts, according to Dr. Lisa Withers, the head of the E&H Division
Major Projects Since 2000 $12 million McGlothlin-Street Hall $7.5 million Hickory Hall $7.4 million James H. Brooks Field House and Fred Selfe Stadium $6.3 million Byars Hall addition & renovation $5.6 million Elm Hall $5 million Wiley Hall renovation $2.6 million Addition to King Athletic Center $1.1 million Major Campus Beautification $2.6 million Cambridge and Prillaman houses E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 8
Fred Selfe Stadium
Alumni Plaza
E&H athletics. The new field house will free up space in existing
have been those that have highlighted the College’s
E&H athletic facilities for other sports. “This facility will be a
reputation and history. The Alumni Plaza, which was
catalyst that will help all of our teams gain traction,” said Myra
completed last year, and the recently dedicated statues of
Sims, E&H athletic director.
John Emory and Patrick Henry have significantly
contributed to the College’s timeless quality, Dawson said.
The new construction has transformed the campus,
according to Dawson. “It’s created momentum and has been part
of a progression that is meeting some really big needs for the
a matter for alumni of pride, so that people who visit the
College.”
campus can understand both why we are named what we
Moving forward, Dawson would like to see the College
are and the excellence that we have produced.”
finally complete construction on the much-anticipated Woodrow
During the 175th anniversary year of its founding, Emory
W. McGlothlin Center for the Arts, which would be named for
& Henry is enjoying a construction boom that positively
the late member of the E&H Class of 1937 and a much beloved
affects every aspect of the E&H experience, according to
member of the Board of Visitors.
President Reichard. “Increasingly, Emory & Henry students
not only enjoy a high-quality education, but also excellent
“That is the real empty spot for our academic and co-
“These were important investments to make as they are
curricular program right now,” Dawson said. “We have an
living conditions, all on a campus known for its beauty and
extraordinarily good Division of Visual and Performing Arts which
history,” Reichard said. w
does not have an adequate facility to showcase its talents.” While new buildings enhance the E&H learning experience, the construction projects that often appeals most to E&H alumni
Brooks Field House
Proposed McGlothlin Center for the Arts, north and south elevations
feature
on campus
S
Waspers in the Rafters
tudents at Emory & Henry are trading ballpoint pens for ball-peen hammers, and giving up time on-line for time with a chalk-line. They are so committed to the new E&H Habitat for Humanity House you’ll even see them put down their phones long enough to install soffit.
Those of you who own your own home will probably remember the excitement
that surrounded the act of closing the deal. You may also remember the sense of financial responsibility that went hand-in-hand with that joy. Habitat for Humanity is an organization built on the premise that owning your own home should be a real option, and not an unbearable burden. Habitat home owners are not given their homes; they are allowed to purchase at a low interest rate and, unlike typical home-buyers, they are asked to put in “sweat equity.” They will serve on a team of builders for their own homes and for other homes in the community.
The Washington County Habitat for Humanity organization is busy, and E&H has become
a proud and vital partner in the work they are doing to produce affordable homes. In 2010 E&H sponsored a “blitz build” in Abingdon that produced a fine home for a young family within the span of about 30 days.
This spring, E&H is sponsoring a home in Glade Spring, only they aren’t trying to build it in 30
days. “We hope to have most of the work done before commencement,” says Coordinator of Campus Service Programs Shai Cullop. “The family we’re building for is hoping to enjoy time on the porch this summer and we’d like to see that happen.” Most of the workers are decidedly E&H students, faculty, staff and alumni, but some have come from farther away as part of a challenge offered by members of the E&H Habitat for Humanity Chapter. Nikki Lynn, an E&H senior and member of the campus chapter, worked through a program called Collegiate Challenge to encourage students from other colleges and universities to work on the new Habitat project. According to Nikki, “The Collegiate Challenge program gives students an opportunity to use their spring breaks to go somewhere new and meet new people while working on Habitat homes. This was Washington County Habitat for Humanity’s first year participating in the program, and we partnered with three schools during their spring break: Villanova University, Providence College and John Hopkins University. Each group spent a week working on renovations to the Glade Spring Habitat ReStore, the local Habitat office, and of course they worked on the new Glade Spring home.” Nikki worked with the local Habitat office to find these visiting students housing and food and continued
If you would like to support these E&H students in their efforts to create an affordable home for a local family, please send your donation, payable to Washington County Habitat for Humanity, to PO Box 245 Glade Spring, Va 24340.
E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 10
caption E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 11
ON THE CAMPUS / feature
continued
entertainment for their time here. It was hard work but she apparently learned a lot and enjoyed the chance to meet likeminded students with an interest in service. “I have learned a great deal about what it takes to organize volunteers, arrange events, a lot about time management and communication. One of the things that I found most rewarding was just getting to interact with so many students who had such a passion for service that they would give up their spring break to work on a Habitat house. The friends and connections that I made over those three weeks are priceless in many ways. I also got to share many of the things that I have learned from my time here
_________ and Hannah Rhodes work hard on a Saturday morning.
at Emory, my class work in my Public Policy and Community Service major, and my service work.“ Nikki and other members of the student chapter of Habitat stay busy throughout the year to keep students thinking about how they might assist with the good work of Habitat for Humanity. Not every house built in Washington County is “sponsored” by E&H, but because of the strength of the E&H Habitat chapter students are likely to be working on any number of homes around the county throughout the year.
This 2012 house is a particularly big challenge because E&H students also need to help raise money to pay for
the venture. Jordan Remy, president of the E&H Habitat chapter, says they welcome any and all donations to the project. “Any size gifts are certainly welcome; a donation of $5 could go towards a box of nails, while a larger donation could go towards all sorts of things that are necessary for home construction. Habitat is very well established here in Washington County and at Emory & Henry, so people should give donations knowing that they will go to an organization that needs it and knows the best way to utilize it.” Jordan says finances are always the biggest challenge, more so than finding volunteers, because the money regulates how many homes get built and how quickly they can go up. Jordan adds, “We have a goal, as a chapter, to raise $5,000.” 2
Habitat Re-Store
Bob and Rachel Denham at the Re-Store in Glade Spring.
A “Habitat Re-Store” is difficult to define. It is almost like a year-round, indoor yard sale. In any given store you’ll find building supplies, home appliances, furniture, dishes, curtains, paintings, toys, sports equipment; currently, there’s an electric organ in the Glade Spring store! Folks donate items throughout the year that can be resold and all the profits are used for local Habitat for Humanity building projects. Many communities seem to have a Re-Store these days, but the Glade Spring store is unique to this region, with the next closest store being in Tennessee or North Carolina. The Re-Store in Glade Spring does a fairly booming business, bringing in around $40,000 annually. Rachel Denham (’75) works in the store routinely and takes on the difficult challenge of organizing other volunteers to serve as clerks during the store’s open hours. “I got started working with the Re-Store because we helped at the habitat build site in Abingdon and met the person who was the area manager at that time. She asked Bob and me to work a couple of Thursdays at the Re-Store, then a Saturday, and then one day she asked me to
schedule volunteers “for a couple of months”–and that was almost a year ago!” Visiting the store is a bit like a treasure hunt for some: you have to visit often to see what’s new, and frequently there are antique dishes or wonderfully kitschy household items. It is also a great “first stop” for folks setting up a new apartment; depending on the current inventory, a person can likely outfit the kitchen for pennies on the dollar before heading to a retail store. And, of course, there’s the added joy of knowing you’re helping someone in the community with every purchase. Rachel points out that picking up a few things at the Re-Store can have a bigger impact than you might imagine. “A few dollars each from a day’s worth of shoppers can really add up. It’s pretty amazing how much money this little store contributes to the local Habitat chapter. It’s a great feeling to know that our neighbors are moving into great new homes in part because of the good work of our Re-Store.” Visit the Glade Spring Re-Store on Main Street, right across from the Glade Spring Post Office. It’s open Thursdays 1-5 pm and Saturdays 9 am-3 pm. d
E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 12
Founders Day “Emory & Henry is a battle line in the preservation of ideas … and the work here has always been to provide a refuge for humanity.” — The Rev. Charles Maynard
Emory & Henry is both a sanctuary for those
in the exercise of their faith and a battle line in the preservation of ideas, according to The Rev. Charles W. Maynard (Class of 1977), who spoke during Emory & Henry’s Founders Day celebration in March.
The College provides a place for spiritual refuge
in the midst of the human struggle. “The campus itself is something that has drawn many to God,” Maynard said, emphasizing that all the work at the college, not For many years, the College celebrated Charter Day to commemorate the anniversary of the granting of its charter of incorporation from the Commonwealth of Virginia. The name was changed this year to Founders Day to coincide with the 175th anniversary of the College’s founding. Emory & Henry will annually observe Founders Day to celebrate the founding of the College and those whose efforts were instrumental in establishing Southwest Virginia’s first institution of higher education.
simply the work done in religion courses or in the college chapel, is “sacred.” Maynard, a member of the board of directors for the National Parks Conservation Association, compared Emory & Henry to the Appalachian Trail, which was founded as a place of refuge and reflection as well as a “battle line” against the challenges of life. “Emory & Henry is a battle line in the preservation of ideas … and the work here has always been to provide a refuge for humanity.” Maynard’s speech preceded the presentation of a Founders Day Citation to the Holston Conference of the United Methodist Church, which in 1836 formally approved the founding of Emory & Henry and voted to name it for Bishop Emory and for Patrick Henry. The Holston Conference continues to support church affiliated colleges through funding outreach and student scholarships.
E&H Alumni Association awards went to Lt. Col L.H. "Bucky" Burruss (Class
of 1965), the Carl and Ruth Looney Humanitarian Award; Kenneth M. Sorenson (Class of 1979), the Distinguished Achievement Award; J. D. and Patsy Fitts Reed (Class of 1968 and 1970), the Fred Selfe Distinctive Service to Emory & Henry Award; Tarah L. Taylor (Class of 2003), the A.L. Mitchell Young Alumnus of the
Bucky Burruss
Ken Sorenson
J.D. and Patsy Fitts Reed
Tarah Taylor
Denise Stanley
ON THE CAMPUS / news
Year Award; and Dr. A. Denise Stanley, the James A. Davis Faculty Award. d
E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 13
ON THE campus/news
d
Hope Awards Honors Those Who Served in the Aftermath of the 2011 Tornados The Appalachian Center for Community Service honored three individuals and one community organization during the annual 2012 Hope Awards. Coming as it did within nine days of the first anniversary of the 2011 tornadoes that swept across Washington County, the 2012 Hope Awards Ceremony honored the groups and individuals that helped in the hours and days immediately following
those storms, and those who have been instrumental in the long-term recovery effort. The recipients were: E&H Faculty Member: Ed Damer, professor of philosophy; E&H Staff: Facilities Management; E&H Student: Nikki Lynn, Class of 2012; and Community Organization: Washington County LongTerm Recovery Group. d
Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration Derrick Ashong speaks to the role of music on social change
Top: Derrick Ashong speaks to the crowd. Inset: Dr. Jerry Jones, E&H professor of computer information management, shares his musical talents during the celebration.
Emory & Henry highlighted the impact of music on the Civil Rights Movement and other significant events in black history at the college’s annual Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration in January. The keynote speaker for the celebration was musician, social entrepreneur, and radio/ television host Derrick Ashong, who emphasized this year’s theme of “One Song. Many Voices: The Power of Music in Times of Social Unrest.” Ashong has quickly become the voice of a new generation, and in his address he shared with the crowd how music and other forms of communication have the power to affect social change. He has lectured on five continents about the use of media as a tool for human development and hosted the weekly “The Derrick Ashong Experience” radio program on the Oprah Radio network. Ashong is also a musician, and in 2007 he was awarded the top prize in Billboard magazine’s World Song Writing Competition. His critically-acclaimed band, Soulfege, blends hip-hop, reggae, funk, world beat and West African Highlife music into a form that VanityFair.com has called “a spirit of promise and hope and harmony.” The celebration kicked off with a concert, “One Song, Many Voices,” which featured a variety of music from the African-American tradition including spiritual, gospel, jazz, blues and bluegrass. Break-out discussion sessions were held throughout the afternoon. d E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 14
Reynolds Lecturer Asks: What’s a Meta For?
Former UCLA Professor Addresses Education Forum
Dr. Robert Denham, the founder of Iron Mountain Press, addressed the importance of metaphor to the human thought process as guest speaker for the annual E&H Reynolds Lecture. An emeritus professor of English at Roanoke College, Denham invited his audience to move beyond the commonplace notion that metaphor is one of the basic building blocks of literature and beyond the popular view that metaphor is an exotic figure of speech used by poets. Metaphor, Denham argued, is used whenever language is in play, shapes thinking and is at the very heart of conceptual systems. Denham founded The Iron Mountain Press in the late 1970s, which published fine letter-press editions of poetry chapbooks and full-length collections. Denham also was professor of English at Emory & Henry from 1966 to 1989. d
The E&H Neff Education Center presented the 24th Annual B.G. Raines Education Forum in April at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center in Abingdon, Va. Dr. James Popham, professor emeritus, UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, presented the keynote speech, Formative Assessment: Enough Talking, Let’s Get Walking! For more than 30 years Popham taught courses at UCLA in instructional methods for prospective teachers as well as courses in evaluation and measurement for graduate students. He won several distinguished teaching awards and in 2000, he was recognized as one of UCLA’s top 20 professors of the 20th century. He has authored 30 books and most recently was appointed to the National Assessment Governing Board. d
Annual Leidig Lectureship Features Author Martin Espada
Martin Espada
Reichard Awarded Tribute to Women Prize
The E&H Residence Life Office was honored recently with the 2012 Humanitarian Recognition Award from the Southeastern Association of Humanitarian Organizations, honoring the staff for its response to the tornado that struck Glade Spring in April 2011. Additional awards for student life personnel include: Pam Gourley, vice president of student affairs, 2012 Service Excellence Award from the Southeastern Association
of Housing Officers; Jimmy Whited, director of housing, Outstanding Student Affairs Professional of the Year by the Virginia Association of Student Personnel Administrators (VASPA); Todd Clark, assistant dean of students, 2011 Service Excellence Award from the Virginia Association of College and University Housing Officers; and senior Chris Poff, 2011 Virginia Association of College and University Housing Officers. d
Left to right: Jon Bruno, Kellie Landreth, Katelyn Templeton, Chris Poff, Brittany Davis, Elizabeth Wassum, Josh Griffith
FOR MORE DETAILS ON E&H LIFE ON CAMPUS OR IN THE CLASSROOM — AND MUCH MORE — GO TO WWW.EHC.EDU
ON THE CAMPUS / news
Emory & Henry President Rosalind Reichard was awarded the 2012 YWCA Tribute to Women Award in recognition of her accomplishments as president of the College, including her success in bringing national attention to the College through a focus on community service and teaching excellence. She also was honored for her success in bringing environmental leadership to the more than $36 million of new construction on the campus and through the economic impact that construction and other initiatives have had on the region. Part of Reichard’s emphasis on service has been a commitment to the environment. All new construction has achieved some level of the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy Efficiency and Design) certification. d
Martín Espada was the featured author at the 2012 Leidig Lectureship in Poetry held this spring. He is the author, editor, or translator of 17 books, including the poetry collections Imagine the Angels of Bread (1996), which won the Before Columbus Foundation’s American Book Award; Alabanza: New and Selected Poems, 1982-2002 (2003); The Republic of Poetry (2006), a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize; and The Trouble Ball (2011). His books of essays include Zapata’s Disciple (1998) and The Lover of a Subversive Is Also a Subversive (2010), a volume in the University of Michigan’s Poets on Poetry series. He has edited the anthology Poetry Like Bread: Poets of the Political Imagination (1994) and has translated The Blood That Keeps Singing, selected poems of Puerto Rican poet Clemente Soto Vélez. The recipient of two NEA Creative Writing Fellowships, he has also received a Guggenheim Fellowship. Born in Brooklyn and a former tenant lawyer, he now teaches in the Department of English at the University of MassachusettsAmherst. d
E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 15
feature
in classroom
Poetry in Action ...
In Dr. Felicia Mitchell’s Studies in Poetry course, students learn more than just how to analyze poetry from an academic perspective. Students learn the nature of enjoying and understanding poetry by sharing poetry with others.
This semester, 31 students enrolled in the course
participated in service-learning projects that allowed them to read poetry to members of the community. Service sites included area nursing homes, day care centers and public schools. Several students read to residents of Valley Health Care Center in Chilhowie, Gregory’s Assisted Living in Meadowview, and Grace Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center in Abingdon.
The exercise, which is known as the Poetry in Action
Project, served as a catalyst for extending conversations with the community members.
“I think it’s wonderful when students can sit down with
people at a nursing home and learn from them as they listen
First-year student Chris Sills reads Dr. Seuss to first graders at Meadowview Elementary School.
to their stories and sometimes their poems. Often, people
Mitchell said her students do more than visit their service
will surprise us with poems they have written in the past or
sites and read poetry. They have to write and share reflection
poems they write for the students,” said Mitchell, who serves
logs that reinforce the connections between literary concepts
chair of the English Department and a poet herself.
taught in the class and literary concepts applied to real-life
experiences with poetry. They also write a creative nonfiction
E&H junior Brittany Lloyd visited Kids are Special
Christian Day Care in Meadowview to read poetry to children
essay that shares their insights from the service project. During
ages 5 to 8.
class time, the students learn to read poems more critically.
Complementary poetry-writing activities nurture connections
“On my first visit, I asked the kids if they like poetry, and a
few of them told me that they did not. On the day of my last visit, I
between poetry and personal interests.
asked the same question and all of the kids responded with ‘yes!’
I think this was a good experience for me to learn and utilize the
converse,” explained Mitchell. “In the class, we find a way to
concepts of poetry and to help others enjoy poetry, too,” said
make a circle in a big room and offer insights into the poems that
Lloyd, who is planning to teach after graduation.
they read for homework. In addition to analyzing poetry, we
“In class, sometimes I lecture, and sometimes students
E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 16
Give a Chance poem by Masha Campbell Class of 2013
also write some. Sometimes students write poems in response to their service projects, and sometimes I will give a prompt in class to help reinforce some idea from a poem.”
The professor said an interesting development this
semester was the “meta-conversation,” a poem that was composed collaboratively on a computer and projected on the board. Some students sat in a circle and talked, while other students wrote poetry. Mitchell is just one of many professors at the college who integrate service learning into course work.
A poem (right) written by class member Masha Campbell
gives a glimpse into the transformation that can occur when students are open to the possibilities. 2
We come in, to do what we have been told to do. Mechanical. Once we walk in, everything might change. Every child stares at us like we’re a new invention. We speak our introductory statements and try to live the scenes. I never thought I would like children again. How they spew words I can’t always understand. But somehow I make sense of it. I have to laugh at myself for being so unsure. Then we start to read; we see the kids listen. That was unexpected. I would ask “what did the tree do?” And they would answer. I always listened. By the time they grew tired, I started to act out the part. They loved it. By the time we see them for the last time, they remember my name. There was tenderness in what I saw. I guess it wasn’t so mechanical after all.
Understanding E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 17
IN THE CLASSROOM/notes GATE way to Theatre Area middle schools in collaboration with the Emory & Henry Theatre Department presented the Eighth Annual Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) Theatre Festival on this spring at the E.B Stanley Middle School in Abingdon. Student directors Will Beaty, Spencer Black, Russ Kerr and Nicole Shumate helped stage the four short productions, coordinated by Carol Sutton, Washington County Schools talented and gifted coordinator, and Biliana StoytchevaHorissian, the head of the E&H Theatre Department. More than 800 students have participated during the eight years the program has been offered. u
Area middle-schoolers are coached by E&H theatre students.
PPCS Majors Present Sustainability Report In December, senior Public Policy & Community Service students traveled to Washington D.C., where they presented a report on sustainability in Appalachia to the Appalachian Regional Commission. The presentation, “The Creative Economy: Next Steps,” questions how the creative economy could be made more inclusive of the people in this region. Students identified three avenues where connections could be made: creative education, creative collaborations, and creative healthcare solutions. u
Robertson, Wilmoth Elected to Student Government Mark Robertson, a junior from Roanoke, Va., was elected to serve as next year’s president of the E&H Student Government Association. Junior Yancey Wilmoth was elected vice president. With an agenda focused on promotion of the arts, improving outdoor gathering spaces on campus, and community outreach, Robertson said he will focus on goals that are attainable during his term of leadership. Robertson has served Yancey Wilmoth and Mark Robertson as the public relations chair for SGA. A member of the baseball team, he currently serves as editor of The Whitetopper, president of the Gamma Theta Upsilon Honor Society, treasurer of the Blue Key Honor Society, director of EHC-TV, and president of the Dom-I-Necher social fraternity. Wilmoth is captain of the soccer team and is a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Council. A resident advisor, she serves as an academic peer mentor and vice president of the local Venture Scout Crew. She has been an assistant soccer coach for the Patrick Henry High School. Daron Vaught of Rural Retreat, Va., was selected to deliver the senior oration during Emory & Henry’s commencement exercises on May 5.
Brittany Gearing, Nikki Lynn, Hannah Rhodes, Camille Briggs, Shannon Hoffman, and Kelsey Burke visit National Public Radio while in D.C.
Service Site Provides Practical Training
E&H student Ben Johnson (left) helps high school students follow directions and stay on task at the William Neff Center. Johnson was assigned to the automotive servicing technology classes as his service site, while fulfilling requirements of the Bonner Scholars program. “Many of the students are low in reading skills. I help them read the materials provided by the teacher in order to perform work in a shop atmosphere, as well as help them read test questions in the classroom,” said Johnson. u E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 18
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT By Rayce Lamb, History Education Major, Bonner Scholar, Class of 2013
Small country, large adventure New Zealand is a place of unimaginable beauty. From rocky coasts to white sandy beaches, snowcapped mountains to velvet green valleys, New Zealand is a world of its own. During fall semester, I had the opportunity to study in New Zealand for five months through Emory & Henry’s Study Abroad Program. Although those five months were academic, the lessons I learned outside the classroom will go with me for the remainder of my life. New Zealand is a small country located off the southeastern coast of Australia, comprised of two land masses, North Island and South Island. Although a part of the British Empire, it is an independent country with its own government, laws, and military. You may ask why someone would choose New Zealand for a study abroad experience. The answer is simple. This small island country is home to many cultures. For example, adventure seekers all around the world see New Zealand as a paradise. From skiing, tramping, backpacking, sailing, swimming, rock climbing, kayaking, bungee jumping, skydiving, and whitewater rafting;
if you can imagine it, New Zealand offers it. This adventure culture drives the New Zealand economy. New Zealand was the first country to offer commercial bungee jumping and still remains one of the few places where you can Blackwater Raft (whitewater rafting in an underground cave where there is little or no light; thus, the name “Blackwater”). Although I am an adventurous person, most of the activities New Zealand offers are not for the faint of heart; therefore, I stuck to things like hiking, kayaking, and swimming. In addition to being the adventure capital of the world, New Zealand also offers many other cultures. There is a rugby culture, a “kiwi” culture, a Maori culture, a pacific nation culture, just to name a few. However, what New Zealanders are known for around the world is friendliness to visitors. This hospitality led me in the direction of forming my own nonprofit organization. New Zealanders are willing to lend anyone and everyone a helping hand. Within the first few weeks of living in Wellington, the capital of New Zealand, I began noticing some small differences from cities in the
United States. I noticed no homeless people. There were few shelters, few food pantries, and few soup kitchens. I began to ask around and the response was that New Zealanders were proud to never let people get that low before offering help. This inspired me to do initial research on a nonprofit organization that could one day be established in the Appalachian region. New Zealand gave me a new understanding of Appalachian culture and a new way to help the region that has made me the individual I am today. Appalachia is full of hardworking individuals, all of whom are willing to lend a helping hand. So, why isn’t there a place where people can go before hitting rock bottom? Why isn’t there a place where mothers can go before their children are hungry? It is a vision that I have for the Appalachian region. A vision of hope. A vision of redemption. A vision of salvation. A vision of emancipation. Seen through the eyes of an Appalachian, it’s a philosophy of a unique place, which gives a vision of tomorrow. And the vision did not happen inside the classroom. 2
P
E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 19
8
Theatre Professors Win Kennedy Center Festival Awards
Three faculty members of the E&H Theatre Department have won Meritorious Achievement Awards from the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF) for their work on the November 2011 musical “A…My Name Will Always Be Alice.” Professor Daniel Wheeler won for excellence in design, Professor Christianne Roll won for excellence in musical direction, and Dr. Kelly Bremner won for excellence in stage direction. The awards are given by reviewers at fellow colleges and are reserved for only the finest of college theatre productions. In the past year, two websites have ranked the Theatre Department among the best theatre education opportunities in Virginia. “This past year we have won recognition from a number of publications on the quality of work we are doing as a department as a whole,” Bremner commented. When “Alice” was initially adjudicated, students Mary Sheridan and Rebecca Litton were also nominated to KCACTF for the competitive Irene Ryan acting awards, and Beth Loveland was recognized
IN THE CLASSROOM / notes
New Members of E&H Executive Team Named Joseph P. Taylor, the executive director of The Miller Center Foundation at the University of Virginia, has been named vice president of institutional advancement at the College. Taylor has served as the chief operational and chief development officer since 2006 at the Miller Center Foundation, the supporting arm of UVA’s Miller Center, a preeminent policy institution specializing in the American Presidency. While there, he planned, implemented and successfully completed the largest campaign in the Miller Center history, raising $46 million against a goal of $39.5 million.
More Than a Family History At Emory & Henry, in the work of student volunteers, in the classes that are taught, in the commitments made, service to a place is a defining part of what it means to be a citizen. In his new book, The Poco Field: An American Story of Place, Tal Stanley (’83), the director of the Appalachian Center for Community Service at Emory & Henry and chair of the Department of Public Policy and Community Service, gives voice to these understandings through the stories of the people and places of Southwest Virginia and southern West Virginia. The story of his grandparents’ efforts to claim the American Dream in the Pocahontas coalfields of southern West Virginia from the 1920s through the late 1940s, The Poco Field utilizes the extensive archive of letters, articles, clippings, legal documents, recipes, stories, photographs,
and other material Stanley’s grandmother and her mother and grandmother collected. Told as a story, the book focuses on two places that were deeply interwoven in his grandparents’ lives— Keystone in McDowell County, West Virginia, and Newbern in Pulaski County, Virginia. More than a family history, in telling the story of these two places, Stanley also brings attention to the work of contemporary civic leaders and activists. Written in an accessible style, The Poco Field argues that place is an effective means of moving us to a citizenship based on our commitments to the places we share, suggesting alliances, partnerships, and collaborations to address the difficult issues that divide us and cripple our civic work. u
Tal Stanley
He holds a bachelor of arts degree from Manhattan College in New York City and has earned graduate degree credits at the College of St. Rose and The University of Albany, both in Albany, New York. In addition, he earned certification as a fundraising executive by CFRE International in Washington, D.C. Dr. David P. Haney, a former provost and vice president for academic affairs at Black Hills State University, has been named vice president of academic affairs. While at Black Hills State in South Dakota, Haney participated in strategic planning and initiated discussions about general education reform. He helped begin the development of an enrollment management plan and worked to enhance faculty and student research. Haney, who holds a master of arts degree in English and a Ph.D. in English
from State University of New York at Buffalo, also has served Appalachian State as an associate vice chancellor for academic affairs and as a professor and chair of the English Department. “Emory & Henry is excited to welcome both of these talented individuals,” said E&H President Rosalind Reichard. “They bring impeccable qualifications and strong records of success to their positions. u
Joseph P. Taylor (left) and Dr. David P. Haney
E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 20
PROFESSOR SPOTLIGHT
Kasoma Plans International Conference on Science, Media Dr. Twange Kasoma, professor of mass communications, is heading up plans for an international conference on science and the media, to be held July 9-12 in Lusaka, Zambia. “The popularity of this conference has grown out of the general lack of science-related academic forums on the African continent,” Kasoma said. “We hope this conference will spark an ongoing discussion about science and the media across Africa.” The conference will focus on science journalism and the media as it
presents information on a range of other topics, including African politics and environmental issues. The conference will bring together diverse scholars, researchers and experts in the areas of environmental studies, science, journalism, the media and politics to address challenges facing the continent and its people. The Kasoma Media Foundation in Zambia will convene the conference in conjunction with the Global Communication Association and the Media Institute of Southern Africa. u
Twange Kasoma
Fisher Helps Share Lessons from Appalachia
Steve Fisher
A new book co-edited by Emory & Henry professor emeritus Stephen L. Fisher illuminates a social transformation taking place throughout Appalachia. Transforming Places—Lessons from Appalachia was co-edited with Barbara Ellen Smith and contains 17 original essays from scholars and activists with a vast range of backgrounds. Transforming Places illuminates relevant lessons about building coalitions and movements with sufficient strength to challenge corporatedriven globalization through stories about economic injustice, environmental
Damer Provides Guide to Critical Thinking
Archivist Appointed to Board Robert Vejnar, special collections librarian at Emory & Henry, has been appointed to the State Historical Records Advisory Board, which is the central advisory body for historical records planning in Virginia. Vejnar, who began working at Emory & Henry in 1999, created the College’s Oral History Project in an effort to help document the institution’s long history. Vejnar also serves as the manager of archives and special collections for the Holston Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. u
IN THE CLASSROOM / notes
Emory & Henry philosophy professor Dr. T. Edward Damer has just published a newly-edited guide to help students refine their critical thinking and intellectual discussion skills with the seventh edition of Attacking Faulty Reasoning: A Practical Guide to Fallacy-Free Arguments. The first edition of Attacking Faulty Reasoning was published in 1980 by a small academic press called Wadsworth Publishing Company. Thirty-two years later, the seventh edition was published by Cengage Learning, one of the largest publishers in the world. This text addresses more than 60 common fallacies with the help of more than 200 memorable, timely examples. Students learn to construct, deliver, and logically evaluate arguments with more than 350 proven exercises and practice opportunities. The one constant throughout all seven editions is a focus on the definition and careful illustration of each of the 60 most frequently committed mistakes in reasoning along with effective ways to turn bad arguments into good ones or at least to demonstrate clearly the character of mistakes in logic. u
degradation, and the anti-democratic power of elites. “I cannot recall a book that has excited me more than Transforming Places,” said Richard Couto, editor of Political and Civic Leadership: A Reference Handbook. “This work is a major step forward in the study of social change, our understanding of 'free spaces,' and local resistance--how people get power and how they can use it to get more.” Barbara Ellen Smith is professor of women's and gender studies at Virginia Tech. u
E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 21
feature
advancement
Future alumni already eager to give back In the faces of E&H alumni, Cortney Halsey says she often sees her future. What she sees she really likes.
“I have been very fortunate to meet many alumni who have inspired me to be the best representation of
an Emory & Henry student that I can be. I see a small piece of myself in each person I meet. It is almost like looking through a mirror at the person I strive to one day be.” Such high praise for E&H graduates is common among current students, according to Ryan Roorda (’07), director of the annual fund at the College. “It’s a very genuine admiration that stems not just from the success of our graduates, but also from their ongoing love and support of this institution.”
It is especially crucial for young alumni to contribute— at any level— because this group of individuals is the future of this College. — Ryan Roorda
Recently, the E&H Office of Institutional of Advancement has been working with students on a variety of promotions for the E&H Annual Fund, which helps pay for the College’s operating expenses, including many expenditures that directly affect students—merit scholarships, research, study abroad, facility updates and student life programs.
The effort has been part of a major effort underway at the College to increase the amount of money
given to the Annual Fund. Last year, the College raised a record $642,000 in annual fund support toward a dramatically increased goal of $650,000. This year, the College has again raised its goal, this time to $750,000. Without hesitation, students who have been asked to participate in the promotions of the Annual Fund have offered up highly positive statements in support of their college as well as alumni participation in the fund.
Take these words from Ross Ellis: “I want to be the type of alumnus who is at every football game. I want
the students who follow me at Emory & Henry to understand how much the College meant to me and what it has to offer. I plan on going to veterinarian school, and I plan to donate to the College whenever possible.” Or these words from Sierra Waters: “Emory & Henry College has given me my home away from home and is a place that I will always be able to come back to. This college has given me so much in the way of gifts and experiences, and it has inspired me to give back to this wonderful institution. By donating to the Annual Fund, I can do just that. More than anything, tradition sets Emory & Henry apart from other schools. Emory is all about a tradition of excellence in the classroom, on the athletic field and throughout campus. Much of that rich tradition comes from its history of strong alumni support.”
Halsey believes that the alumni she admires enhance the reputation of the college in two ways: through
their own accomplishments and through their contributions to the Annual Fund. “Without the Annual Fund, I am positive that Emory & Henry would not be the prestigious institution that it is today. It has provided countless opportunities to students. I have personally benefitted academically from scholarships and from resources in the classroom.”
Halsey, who plays centerfield for the E&H softball team, is a member of the Fellowship of Christian
Athletes and the Lyceum Committee. She also serves as co-chair of the Student Advancement Council and as assistant student chair of orientation programs. Increasingly, current students are expressing a desire to contribute to the annual fund after they graduate, and that is good news for the long-term advancement of the institution, Roorda said. “It is especially crucial for young alumni to contribute—at any level—because this group of individuals is the future of this College. These individuals are future members of the Alumni Board, the Board of Visitors or the Board of Trustees. Their involvement is vital to the success of the institution.” 2
E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 22
More than anything, tradition sets Emory & Henry apart from other schools. Emory is all about a tradition of excellence in the classroom, on the athletic field and throughout campus. Much of that rich tradition comes from its history of strong alumni support.� — Sierra Waters (above right, with Ross Ellis) E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 23
ADVANCEMENT/briefs
Two campanions to watch over students and instill pride now grace the E&H campus
Statues of John Emory (top) and Patrick Henry (inset). Below, Bishop Swanson and others look on during the unveiling ceremony held following the Founders Day celebration in March. Above right, artist Jon Hair addresses the crowd, and Gene Bane speaks of his passion for American Revolution patriot Patrick Henry.
As an Emory & Henry College student in the early 1960s, Gene Bane sensed that, in spite of the immense beauty of the campus, the grounds of his college lacked symbols that would embody the students’ pride in their institution. For many years, Bane, a 1963 E&H graduate, has been a long-time admirer of Patrick Henry, one of the College’s namesakes and patriot of the American Revolution. Bane’s passionate interest in Virginia’s first post-Colonial governor led him to provide financial support for the creation of a statue representing Henry. Understanding the importance of having both of the College’s namesakes represented in this fashion, Emory & Henry commissioned a companion statue of Methodist Bishop John Emory. The two statues, which are the work of sculptor Jon Hair of Cornelius, N.C., were unveiled following the March Founders Day ceremony where they now stand, in front of Kelly Library. “I felt (as a student) there was something missing on campus,” Bane said, “a little lack of pride in the institution and its founders.” Speaking of Patrick Henry, Bane reflected on a man who through his famous words, “Give me liberty or give me death,” believed in the importance of action in the exercise of civic virtue. “I want you to think that he’s looking at us today saying, ‘You have given me honor and praise, and I will never die.’” Hair, one of the most highly commissioned monument sculptors in the country, said he relished the opportunity to portray Emory and Henry, two men who represent action. He recalled that in seeking the opportunity to create the sculptures he jokingly implored the selection committee to “give me this commission or give me death.” E&H student Kelli Landreth of Bluefield said the presence of the statues not only increases student pride in the institution, but it helps them want to increase their excellence throughout life. “We now have two companions to watch over our journey,” she said. “And I am proud that our College is truly honoring its history.” v
E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 24
E&H Welcomes Macado’s Macado’s, a popular regional restaurant, will be locating a franchise in the Addison’s building next to the Mercantile on Hillman Highway in Emory. The new restaurant is expected to begin operation by late summer of this year. Macado’s chose Emory & Henry because of its location and because of the growing need for a restaurant in the college town, according to Richard Macher, president of Macado’s. “We look forward to serving the students and employees of the College as well as the broader community.” Macher listed several other advantages for the new E&H location, including a large outdoor area behind Addison’s, which would provide opportunities for special events, as well as the large, supportive crowds of E&H alumni and sports fans who visit the campus frequently. He also cited strong support from the E&H administration as part of his decision to locate in Emory “Emory & Henry looks forward to continued growth in its student population and to being a part of the economic growth of eastern Washington County. This decision is an opportunity for both Emory & Henry and Macado’s to seize upon the opportunities provided by that growth and to propel it forward,” said President Rosalind Reichard. The first Macado's restaurant was opened in 1978 by Macher in downtown Roanoke. Popular with the college crowd and still independently owned, Macado's now operates restaurants in Central and Southwest Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, and locations in Bristol, Tenn., and Marion, Va. v
College’s Direct Economic Impact on Region Tops $48 million
A grant from the U.S. and the Virginia Departments of Education totaling $220,000 has been awarded to Emory & Henry in collaboration with area school divisions to promote science education. The Contemporary Teaching of Science and the Nature of Science Grades K-5 will offer professional development through a combination of science classes at Emory & Henry College and collaboration activities to 40 K-5 classroom teachers in Region 7. Dr. Doug Arnold, the E&H professor of education who directs this project said, “Emory & Henry is excited to be a part of a program that helps at an early stage to establish young people on a course toward academic success.” v
Emory & Henry College generated last year approximately $50 million in total economic impact in the region, according to a study commissioned by the College in conjunction with its 175th anniversary and with its planned development of a physical therapy program in Marion. The figure includes $16.1 million in household earnings and the creation of the equivalent of 446 fulltime jobs. It also includes the distribution of $14.3 million in scholarships and grants to students. These and other figures, when entered into a multiplier model developed by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis result in a total economic output of $48.3 million. The figure does not include the amount of money spent by E&H students locally. v
A Letter
from Board of Visitors President Doug Kanney ’68:
This is an exciting time for the E&H Board of Visitors. Guided by the Board’s purpose statement, we are an advisory group to the President of the College working to promote the well being of the institution by supporting the College’s mission and serving as institutional ambassadors in our respective communities. By our actions and financial support, we strive to make a difference in the lives of present and future students. Through the Institutional Advancement Office, the Board is engaged in raising funds for the College. Working closely with the Admissions Office, members of the Board are active in student recruitment by contacting prospective students to answer questions and to encourage their enrollment. The March 2012 meeting of the Board of Visitors included a “State of the College” address from President Reichard and a presentation from College staff members concerning the College’s efforts to utilize social media in student recruitment,
ADVANCEMENT / briefs
E&H Receives $220,000 Grant to Enhance Science Education
alumni relations, and fund raising. At the March meeting, five new members were elected to the Board: David Blevins, Class of 1985 Floyd, Virginia Agent, State Farm Insurance
Patsy Fitts Reed, Class of 1970 Marion, Virginia Retired, Office Management
Richard Gail Abingdon, Virginia Retired Executive, Appalachian Power
Steve Walker, Class of 1972 Roanoke, Virginia Retired, United States Postal Service
John Honeycutt, Class of 2002 Abingdon, Virginia Attorney, PennStuart The Board of Visitors looks forward to continuing its support of the College in many ways, including the implementation of a proposed speaker series in 2013. v
E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 25
feature
sports
Is a Family Affair The 2011 football season was a breakout year for Emory & Henry junior linebacker
Excellence
Devan Sproles. The Norton, Va. native and J. J. Kelly High School graduate was a
playmaker for the Wasps’ defense, being named First-Team All-ODAC and the 2011 Lou Wacker ODAC Defensive Player of the Year, an award named for E&H’s legendary former head coach.
“To say that I am proud of Devan Sproles is an understatement,” said Head
Football Coach Don Montgomery. “He is an inspiration to everyone around him and I believe that Emory & Henry is very fortunate to have him. He is the type of young man that is a perfect fit for Emory & Henry and our football team.” Sproles led the team and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference with 107 tackles and added six interceptions en route to being named to the all-league first team. Sproles was also a two-time ODAC Player of the Week, including the final week of the season when he picked off three passes against Guilford College. In addition to his conference accolades, Sproles was picked as the State Defensive Player of the Year by the Roanoke Times and the College Division Linebacker of the Year by the Touchdown Club of Richmond. Sproles was also a Lanier Award
Finalist, an award given to the best player from Division II, Division III or NAIA in the Commonwealth. He was ultimately selected to the All-South Region First Team and was an Honorable Mention All-America choice by D3football.com.
“He defines what a linebacker is supposed to be,” continued Montgomery. “He is
a leader, tough, smart, quick and a great tackler. He has the ability to diagnose plays quickly, is a team player and never makes excuses. He is everything I look for in a linebacker.”
All these accomplishments have not only brought pride to the Emory & Henry
football family, but to his biological family as well. Sproles’ cousin, B. I. Salyers (’91) was the head coach at J. J. Kelly for seven seasons, including during Sproles’ high school career, and served on the Emory & Henry staff this past season, working with the defensive line. Salyers is a football legend in his own right for the Wasps. He was a two-time All-American including a first-team nod in 1990 as a senior. Salyers also was named the ODAC Player of the Year that season, a feat not accomplished before or since by an offensive lineman. In 2005, Salyers earned the highest honor any E&H player can receive, enshrinement in the Emory & Henry Sports Hall of Fame.
“Devan is not just the cousin of a great Emory & Henry football player, he’s a great
player in his own right,” concluded Montgomery. “He will surely leave a legacy in the history of our football program and the College, but Emory & Henry is going to leave just as big of a mark on him, and will change his life greatly for the better.” Needless to say, Devan Sproles’ junior season with the Wasps was one for the books, but his run is not yet finished. Every E&H fan should be excited to see him compete as a senior this fall at Fred Selfe Stadium. 1
E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 26
Devan Sproles and B. I. Salyers
E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 27
SPORTS/briefs Football places 12 players on All-ODAC teams The Emory & Henry football team posted a 5-5 record on the year with a 2-4 mark in Old Dominion Athletic Conference play to finish fifth in the league. The Wasps relied on strong play on both sides of the ball throughout the season, with four of their five losses coming by a combined 12 points. For its efforts, Emory & Henry placed 12 players on the AllODAC Teams led by junior linebacker Devan Sproles (Norton, Va.), who was named the Lou Wacker ODAC Defensive Player of the Year. Also named to the first team were senior punter T. J. Frazier (Roanoke, Va.), senior defensive end Daniel Preston (Kingsport, Tenn.) and senior offensive tackle Ben Johnson (Connelly Springs, N.C.). On the second team for Emory & Henry, were senior linebacker Ed Smith (Church Hill, Tenn.), senior cornerback Michael Young (Lawrenceville, Ga.), senior wide receiver Adrian Jordan (Covington, Va.) and junior placekicker Matt Turchin (Salisbury, N.C.). Senior wide receiver Preston Jennings (Banner Elk, N.C.), senior center Michael Farris (Boone, N.C.), senior defensive tackle Keith Taylor (Princeton, W.Va.) and sophomore Jason Hill (Hickory, N.C.) all took All-ODAC Third-Team honors. m
Men’s basketball shocks with seventh-place finish The Emory & Henry men’s basketball team shocked the league with a seventh-place finish in the 2011-12 year after being picked to finish in 11th place. The Wasps won 13 contests on the season, more than tripling the team’s win total from last year and winning the most games since the 2006-07 year. The seventh-place finish in the ODAC regular season earned the Wasps the number eight seed and a first-round home game in the 2012 ODAC Tournament where Emory & Henry battled to the end with a strong Washington and Lee University team. Junior guard Malcolm Green (Marshville, N.C.) was selected to the All-ODAC Third Team after leading Emory & Henry in scoring with 14.2 points per game. m
Malcolm Green also earned ODAC Player of the Week honors for the Wasps. Green scored a career-high 31 points in one contest and hit the game-winning shot in overtime in the other to push E&H to a 2-0 mark during the week of Feb. 6-12.
Junior William Pearl led the Wasps’ stable of running backs with seven touchdowns on the year and had a season-high 108 yards on the ground against Washington and Lee (Oct. 8).
Women’s basketball brings passion back to court Under first-year Head Coach Rose Katz, the E&H women’s basketball team brought fire and passion back to the court in 2011-12. With nine first-year students on the roster, the team saw many contests with four first-year players in the starting lineup. After returning All-ODAC Honorable Mention sophomore guard Jalan McPherson (Jonesville, Va.) was sidelined in December with an injury, first-year guards Kristie Langley (Staley, N.C.) and Michelle Williams (Stokesdale, N.C.) and first-year center Carlyta Hamm (Wytheville, Va.) stepped in. The trio averaged over 30 points per game, led by Langley with 12.3 per contest. m
Michelle Williams made an immediate impact for the Wasps on the hardwood this season. She reached double figures in scoring 11 times including a career-high 20 points against Hollins (Jan. 24).
E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 28
Women’s soccer gains sixmatch improvement
Men’s soccer improves record and level of play
The E&H women’s soccer program began the season with a 4-0 record and finished 9-8-1, a six-match improvement over a year ago. The Wasps earned the number eight seed in the ODAC Tournament but saw their run cut short by Lynchburg College, which finished first in the regular season and went on to win the tournament as well. Interim Head Coach Rachel Preston (’10) guided the Emory & Henry women for the final half of the season after the departure of Head Coach Anna Baker for a new career in the United States Marine Corps. m
Under first-year head coach Nathan Kish, the Emory & Henry men’s soccer team not only improved its win-loss record, but competed at a much higher level than in 2010. E&H was in the position to win many matches, losing seven by a single goal including two in overtime periods. The Wasps finished the year with a 4-13 record, a three-match improvement on the previous season. m
Volleyball finishes tied for sixth The E&H volleyball team went 14-13 on the year under first-year Head Coach Dan Clotfelter, finishing tied for sixth in the ODAC with a 5-5 conference record. The Wasps reached the ODAC Tournament as the seven seed, falling to Randolph-Macon College in the quarterfinals. Two Emory & Henry players were selected to the AllODAC Teams with junior outside hitter Jamie Cockerham (Galax, Va.) being named to the second team and sophomore middle Nicole Tesh (Boone, N.C.) earning thirdteam honors. m
Cross country sees first full-time coach in its future
Senior P. J. Henson became E&H's all-time leading goal scorer on Sept. 7 against Averett. Henson finished his career as a Wasp with 27 goals, leading the team in scoring all four years.
The E&H cross country teams came into the season with excitement and a new commitment to success. The men’s team finished ninth at the 2011 ODAC Championships, its first time scoring as a team since 2009. On the women’s side, the Wasps were plagued with injuries during the middle of the season, but there is much promise for both teams in 2012 as the first full-time cross country coach in school history will be hired this spring. m
New swimming coach to focus on facilities and recruitment
Jamie Cockerham led E&H offensively with 3.12 kills per game en route to All-ODAC Second-Team honors. She also finished third on the team in blocks (35) and service aces (29).
READ MORE ONLINE / GoWasps.com
SPORTS / briefs
The Emory & Henry women’s swimming team was in a state of change during the 2011-12 campaign. With the current roster under the direction of Interim Head Coach Rebecca Sturdy, the team made significant gains over previous years. In early September, Dave Griffore, a former Division I coach, was selected to be the program’s first-ever fulltime head coach. Griffore’s focus during the season was to bring the E&H Aquatics Center up to par with others in the league and to also begin the recruitment of a championship-caliber team. Griffore has taken over the full duties of the program and expects an exciting 2012-13 season for the Wasps. m
feature
alumni
Crossing that Bridge: Youth Minister Helps Make A Difference
Bridging the gap between the church and the world can take a man to places he would never dream of visiting. This was the harsh reality for Chris Luper (’05) and his high school youth group from the First United Methodist Church of Galax during their inner city mission trip to Atlanta, Ga. this past July.
Partnering with the group 7 Bridges to Recovery, Luper and close to 20 youth group
members spent four days assisting the homeless on the streets of Atlanta.
The nerve-wracking experience found the group spending two days feeding and praying
with the residents who live under the numerous bridges across the city. The final two days were spent in a drug-infested community known as “The Bluffs,” a 25-square-block area where an estimated 90 percent of the residents are addicted to heroin.
“You would see spent syringes lying on the sidewalk, and where the highway meets the
curb you would find bullet casings that had washed up from drive-bys,” Luper said. Over the four days, the youth prayed with everyone from drug dealers to prostitutes.
After the trip, the youth approached Luper with a question about how they could make
a difference in their own community. Initially, the idea of a soup kitchen was proposed, but feasibility of such a large project nearly caused the group to lose hope. Then someone suggested a youth center.
“The kids felt like many of their friends would never come to church because it’s a
church, but they would come around if they had a place where they could just hang out,” Luper recalls.
A building in downtown Galax was identified. With no money or help requested from the
parent church and a large dose of faith, The Bridge Youth Center opened this past September. Taking its name in part from the group they spent four days with in Atlanta, The Bridge hopes to offer that same sense of hope they found in “The Bluffs” to neighbors back home.
The center offers computers for use in homework, snacks, games, and a safe place away
from trouble. The five minute devotion during the night serves as an opportunity to share the word of God in a casual setting.
“We want this to be a place of hope,” Luper said.
The Bridge has become the home for all youth ministry work for the church. In fact, the
City of Galax is teaming up with the Center to offer more opportunities for youth in the area. Chris Luper is the director of youth ministries at First United Methodist Church of Galax. He serves as the District Youth Coordinator for the Wytheville District of the Holston Conference. 1
E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 30
“We want this to be a place of hope.” — Chris Luper
E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 31
ALUMNI/roundup
Chattanooga Friends
Chattanooga alumni gathered in September 2011 to make new friends and share a little E&H love. They had a barbeque picnic at Coolidge Park in conjunction with the city’s annual Wine Over Water event. Nearly 40 were in attendance, including Joi Holloway who just missed being in the picture!
They’ve still got the moves... A basketball reunion in January 2012 began with an alumni hoops match, with the likes of Terrance Grigg (’11), Andrew Hart (’09), and Cortez Watson (’05) taking the court. Paul Russo (’03) put aside his coaching hat in order to play ball with the alums, and his last comment before taking hitting the court was, “Have you got ice?” This basketball alumni day was punctuated by great stories, hugs, and a lot of excitement about seeing old E&H standouts. Justin Call (’04), the 2004 recipient of the Jostens Trophy (a national award for outstanding achievement in the classroom and on the court) was on the sidelines with a shoulder problem, but he looked right at home back on Bob Johnson Court in the King Center.
Jay Rosser (’03) was the man behind the reunion and he’s already looking toward next year’s event—hoping to see an even greater array of class years represented. Harold Lambert (’58), Ray “Karo” Moore (’58), and T-Bone Lewis (’59) were there for the event and grinning from ear to ear as T-Bone pointed out they were “Three fifths of the starting line up!” Ken Luton (’68) was there representing the 1960s as well as former basketball parents; his son Hank (’07) played for the Wasps, too. And Mike Clark (’76) represented what he would surely call “a cast of characters” from the 1970s. Make plans to be with us next year for what promises to be a great rematch. v
“Three-fifths of the starting line-up” of the 1959 E&H basketball team.
Andrew Hart and Terrance Grigg take a break during the alumni hoops match that kicked off the reunion.
E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 32
Who in the World?
Mark your calendars
If you watched the Oscars this year you know that Hugo was a big winner. Behind the movie is a popular book, entitled The Invention of Hugo Cabret, by Brian Selznick. Brian’s niece is in Barbara Woodward Stamberg’s (’98) elementary school class in Frederick, Virginia, and Uncle Brian visited the school last spring to talk about the book. Barbara says it was all very exciting: “He came to my school, Orchard View Elementary School, last spring. The entire school read his book and all students, grades 3-5, received a Author Brian Selznick, and Barbara Stamberg. copy of the book. He autographed all the books and spoke at an assembly talking about how the book came about, and then shared the news that it was being made into a movie.” v
Homecoming 2012 October 20
• Kids Fun Run has been added to the Wasper 5-K! • Business and Accounting majors are invited back for a reception! • Take a sentimental journey to Crowe’s Nest and Waterhouse!
Where in the World?
Next fall’s intercollegiate athletic season promises to be very exciting with the opening of the Brooks Field House and a major new parking area behind the home stands of the Selfe Athletic Stadium. In order to handle the increased use of our facilities and to better support our student-athletes, there will be a nominal parking fee for the tailgate areas for home football games ($10 per car in the alcohol-permitted lots, $5 per car in the non-alcohol lots), and all proceeds will go directly to the athletic program. Additionally, there will be reserved tailgating spaces in the new parking lot behind the home stands. These spaces will be in a prime but limited location. The “traditional” tailgate field will not feature assigned spots. Reserved spaces will be assigned in advance of the first home game on a first-come, first-served basis. Reserving a spot in advance will allow you to arrive at any time on game-day and be assured of a consistent place to socialize before and after the game. There will be a fee for obtaining a reserved parking space. More details coming soon! We are pleased to have such great support on game days, and we hope you will enjoy the opportunity to show your support for our student-athletes. v
ALUMNI / roundup
Wes Pilgrim (’94) recently checked in with the alumni office and shared this picture of him wearing his E&H Wasps hat while on vacation in Heidelburg, Germany.
New Information for Fall Tailgating
E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 33
alumni
reunions Football Reunion
Football players from the 1957 and 1958 football teams returned to campus during Homecoming 2011 to renew friendships ... and embelish the stories! Front row: Charlie Phillips (‘60), Don Progar (‘59), Manuel “Greek” Stoupis (‘59). Back row: Jim Cheek (‘62), Blake Yost (‘62), Marlin “Moe” Weaver (‘61), Skip Leadbetter (‘62), Bob Lenoir (‘61), Harry Yost (‘62), Bill Jonas (‘63), Dave Anderson (‘62).
Skid Row Reunion
Buddies who lived together on Martha Washington Hall’s famed “Skid Row” (the first floor of MaWa) got together in Blowing Rock for a reunion in September 2011. From left to right: Beth Oxford Shamburger (’78), Marianne Sadler Ebert (’78), Gail Goins Evans (’80), Cathy Ellis Mullins (’79), Kathy McKee Simpson (’78), Karen Simmons McClelland (photoshopped in!), Peggy Crafts Lester (’78), Judi Wier Lenviel (’78), Terry Brown Seamon, Angie Lovelady Carico (’78).
Fathers and Sons
Robert “Spider” Thompson (’84) (far left) and Jeff Herron (’82) (far right) are two proud papas. Their sons (Jared and Major) play football together at Lenoir Rhyne College; Jared is the starting tightend and Major is the starting quarterback. Their team is on track to the win the South Atlantic Conference Title. Spider is a football coach at West High School in Statesville, N.C. and Jeff is head football coach at Camden County High School in Kingsland, Ga.
Mac and Bob’s Gathering In January 2012 Wasp fans of all ages showed up in Salem for a pre-game gathering prior to the E&H vs. Roanoke basketball game. Not only did
ALUMNI / roundup
the fans have a great time, but the Wasps beat the Maroons 69-60!
Top: Doug Kanney (’68), Harry Leist (’69), Bob Boggess (’67), Steve Walker (’72), and James Johnston (’68) getting ready to cheer for the team! Bottom left: Tiffany Hawley (’10) and Lindsey Thurman (’11) showing their E&H pride. Bottom right: Tom Rudisill (’67) gives Tina Bernard Urquhart (’88) and her son some pre-game advice while Ann Grim Sparger (’68) looks on.
E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 34
Hats off
to another great tailgating season! Clockwise from bottom right: A tip of the hat to Dean Newman (’62), the man behind the grill. Chuck Alexander (’89) and Mandy Hite Volk (’89) showed up at the Catholic tailgate looking fit for a marathon. Boots Smith (’70) and son Ray (’07) keep Emory & Henry all in the family. A gang of friends from the 1980s gathered for the Bridgewater game and Suehonor Hamby Connor (’85) knelt for a pose with Sanders Henderson (’85): also Beverly Sheddan Hatch (’84), Laura Craven Duncan (’84), Mollie Rorrer Gore (’84), Cindy Powers (’86), Kathy Meredith Funkhouser (’87), Susan Stallard Moody (’85), Brenda Copeland Byrd (’83), Karen Griffey Todd (’84), and Suzy Copeland Burke (’86). Friends at the Randolph-Macon game brought a grill and a docking station so they could listen to the game broadcast on WEHC radio: James Renner (’03), Mark Arrington (’02), Preston Davis, Rob McKee (’07), Reny Villaroman (’03), Allyssa McKenney (’05), Aaron Richardson (’03), Will Reisinger (’05), Beau Blevins (’05). The crew at the Guilford tailgate gets the prize for most spirited outfits: Christine Meyer (’08), Karen Archibald (’10), Robin Urso Hayter (’08), and Will Farmer (’08).
tailgating alumni
ALUMNI / roundup
Have you ever been to the Loch Haven Picnic? It is such a
great day! In November 2011 Mark and Rhonda Gilliam Early (inset) were among the crowd. And so was Sarah Copenhaver (right), who helped implement a clever plan for the trivia game bell signal! Join us next fall: we always meet in Salem on the Saturday before Thanksgiving!
E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 35
E
CLASS NOTES —1953—
Henry Poore has opened a free clinic in Flagstaff, Ariz. for neighbors who can’t afford, but desperately need, good health care. Dr. Poore isn’t the only E&H alumnus in the family: grandson, Mitch Herman is a member of the class of 2004. News reporter Cyndy Cole has written an inspiring story about our alumnus for the Arizona Daily Sun.
Salamanca and the Madrid Institute for Advanced Studies. He resides in Berkeley, Calif.
—1962—
Joe Stanley was recently inducted into the Wythe County Sports Hall of Fame.He served as an administrator, teacher, coach and counselor in Wythe and Smyth county schools. He retired in 1997 and is currently employed as an adjunct instructor in the Child Development Program at Wytheville Community College. Combining his work in public education and his years at WCC he is in his 50th year as an educator. He and his wife, Sue Worley Stanley (’64), reside in Wytheville, Va. Their daughter, Tracey Stanley Crigger (’91), and her husband, Daniel, live in Max Meadows, Va.
—1964—
—1955—
John Robinson and Peggy celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Nov. 25, 2011. Their children are Trish Robinson Capparelli, Jay Robinson and Joe Robinson. The couple resides in Glade Spring, Va.
—1956—
Marc West has published a book of his sketches and writings entitled Come, Walk with Me. It is available by contacting Marc and Bookie West at marcandbookie@ gmail.com or 704-301-7521. They reside in Charlotte, N.C.
—1958—
Bob Buchanan gave the keynote lecture at the Symposium on “Glutathione and Related Thiols in Living Cells,” held September 4-9, 2011, in Saint Feliu de Guixols, Spain. The meeting was limited to 160 participants and was held under the auspices of the European Science Foundation and the European Molecular Biology Organization. While in Spain, Bob also gave lectures at the University of
Thomas Engleman serves as an executive editor of TeenVoicesOf Democracy.com. He resides in Souderton, Penn.
—1966—
The son of Mike (dec.) and Nancy Saunders Kidd, Dr. Thomas S. Kidd, will be the 2012 Commencement speaker for Emory & Henry College. Thomas teaches history at Baylor University and is senior fellow at Baylor’s Institute for Studies of Religion. His most recent book is Patrick Henry: First Among Patriots. Nancy resides in Woodway, Texas.
—1969—
Wayne Hamilton has been elected to a three-year term on the Board of Directors of the History Theatre in St. Paul, Minn. History Theatre commissions, develops and produces new theatrical works that explore Minnesota’s past and the diverse American experience. He was also re-elected to the presidency of the Minnesota Association of Songwriters, a post he has held since 2007. Wayne is the longest-serving president in the 35-year history of that organization. Jerry Newberry is the executive director of the National Education Association’s Health Information Network. He has raised more than $30 million to develop materials and training that address a wide spectrum of school-related health issues. He co-authored NEA Health Information Network’s “Can We Talk?/ Conversamos?”, a parent education program that promotes in-depth
conversations between parents and their children about health decision making. He also created NEA’s Safe Schools Now video series. He is the recipient of The National Education Association’s Human and Civil Rights Award; The Virginia Education Association’s Mary Futrell Human and Civil Rights Award, as well as numerous other awards. He resides in Washington, D.C. John Yao is a marketing consultant in exported and imported products in and out of Australia for his company named Slayter Pty Ltd. He has been promoting wines for a winery for nearly 10 years in China. He has been approached to market Australian honey. From China he has been marketing LED lights, solar and wind turbine systems and plastic water piping products. He resides in Australia.
—1973—
Emmett Snead was featured on the cover of Virginia Farm Bureau News in June 2011. The feature story was about the use of high tunnels as a means of extending the growing season. He was also featured on the front page of the Fredericksburg’s Free Lance-Star newspaper in a story about farming practices that can reduce pollution in the Chesapeake Bay. He is a well-known conservation farmer who lives and farms in Caroline County, Va. His wife, Ellen, is manager of Snead’s Farm, and twin daughters Savannah and Emmalyn are top students and athletes at James Monroe High School in Fredericksburg.
—1974—
Carolyn Urquhart Nelson wrote a children’s book entitled “Pick Me!” Said the Tree. Teresa Reed was the illustrator. The story is based around a tree named Timmy who has been perfect in spirit, but is not-so-perfect in the twigs and branches department. He has sheltered animals and birds, but his limbs are full of holes and bald spots. The book may be ordered by visiting Facebook and searching for “Pick Me!” Said the Tree official Facebook page. Carolyn resides in Roanoke, Va.
—1975—
Robert Hatch accepted a new position as chief credit officer for Fifth Third’s Business Banking Group throughout the organization’s 12-state foot print. He is currently based in Chicago but will eventually relocate to the Cincinnati headquarters.
E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 36
—1976—
Jan Holt Allen served as director of the 2012 Women Leaders Conference “Not Business as Usual,” which was held March 30, 2012, at the Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee, Wis. This year’s keynote speaker was Gloria Steinem, writer, lecturer, editor and feminist activist. Gerald Anderson was featured in Dec. 4, 2011 issue of the Bristol Herald Courier. He is a musician who has made mandolins, guitars and fiddles. He was involved in getting old-time, country and bluegrass musicians to create a record of holiday tunes. “Christmas Along the Crooked Road” includes his performance of “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” plus his guitar workouts on “Silent Night” and “Joy to the World.” He has traveled to Scotland to play shows promoting The Crooked Road; played for the Queen of England at a show in Richmond, Va.; and played on stage with former Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine. He won the prestigious “Guitar Contest” in 2003 at the Galax Old Fiddlers Convention. He resides in Troutdale, Va. Bruce Kitchens is an associate professor in the Mathematical Sciences Department at Indiana University-Perdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). He resides in Indianapolis, Ind.
—1977—
Tom Phillips and Bonnie Elaine Pike were married Oct. 8, 2011. They reside in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
—1981—
Rose Neese Houk is retiring from coaching after dedicating 31 years to volleyball and track at Galax High School. She was recently named Mountain Empire District Coach of the Year after her team enjoyed an undefeated district season. In 2011, her team, which posted a 25-3 record, made school history by earning an appearance in the Virginia State A (Division 1) Final Four in Richmond. She will continue to serve on the VHSCA executive and legislative committees and as VHSCA Volleyball All-Star Game director. All of her varsity assistant coaches this year were E&H graduates, pictured below left to right: Jillian Lewis (’08), Houk, Emily Tolley Boyles (’07) and Daniel Collins (’05).
ARMSTRONG’S PASSION FOR LUKE’S WINGS BRINGS FAMILIES TOGETHER
T
hose of you who know Tammi Armstrong (’88) probably associate her with football. She was a trainer in her college days for the E&H Wasps, and she is an avid sports fan. Perhaps that’s understated. She is a voracious, vicious, energetic, obsessed sports fan who watches games religiously, tweets about her joys and frustrations with players and outcomes, and has had a huge conflict of the heart while her son plays football for Ferrum—especially on the day they play E&H. So it is not a big surprise that she is now working for an organization inspired by someone within the Redskins organization, but it’s a little ironic that the founder was actually a Redskins cheerleader—not a football player. Luke’s Wings was co-founded by Fletcher Gill and Redskins cheerleader Sarah Wingfield. The organization raises money for travel expenses for family members of wounded soldiers. The idea was born after the Redskins cheerleaders spent a day visiting with injured military personnel at Walter Reed Hospital. Sarah was particularly touched by her interaction with a young man, Luke, who was struggling to come to terms with the reality of his injuries. But she was particularly taken with how his mother knew just what to do to draw out her withdrawn and sullen son. It occurred to Sarah just how important family can be during this devastating recovery period. Realizing that all families do not have the resources to travel to the military hospitals where their children are convalescing, she and her friend co-founded Luke’s Wings—to honor the young man who inspired the project. Tammi seems overwhelmed by what this “little idea” has grown into. “Think about it. Luke’s Wings provided over 400 flights to families of our wounded military last year, and we expect to double that this year, all because two people sat down to lunch and decided they could make a difference. Amazing.” Tammi now works to raise funds for this philanthropic organization. Luke’s Wings provides plane tickets and travel planning support for wounded soldiers and their families. Tammi says it is a humbling experience to work in the service of these
brave young people, and she’s excited to have this opportunity to do her part to support these folks who have given so much for the United States. Tammi says the importance of family really struck her during her own recent visit to Walter Reed. “Here was a proud 21-year-old soldier, two months out from losing both of his legs. Luke’s Wings had flown in his wife and infant daughter, and all three of them are living in his hospital room. There is his bed, her cot, a port-a-crib, a stroller and an exer-saucer in one tiny room. And they are happy—I mean REALLY Tammi Armstrong happy—because they are together. This guy was in the thick of it, and we were able to help him keep his family together. Truly God’s work!” Tammi’s father served in the Navy, so in some ways, this may be a way for Tammi to connect with something so vital to a man so important to her. “My Dad passed away from a service-related disability. I have to believe he would be proud. People forget that when a person serves, in some ways, the whole family serves. “ Fundraisers for the organization vary from fashion shows to pub nights. “The events are fantastic! We recently held a fashion show at Washington Nationals Park, where Washington D.C.’s baseball team plays, and during Memorial Day weekend we’ll be doing a project with “Rolling Thunder,” the motorcycle guys who ride to bring attention to Veterans issues. And we have a big gala on Veteran’s Day at Reagan National Airport.” The young man named Luke couldn’t have imagined what he would inspire, but the impact of this organization that bears his name is pretty impressive. “What really inspires me is how people respond when they hear about our mission. When you reach out to people, and they see your passion for the cause, they, in turn, want to help us help these families. Well, that’s just wonderful.” 2 E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 37
—1982—
Stewart Whitmore Plein is the special collections librarian for West Virginia University’s College of Law. She also serves as the rare book librarian and archivist for WVU.
—1983—
Tal Stanley has just completed his first book entitled The Poco Field, which is available from the University of Illinois Press. It is the story of two people’s struggles to claim the American Dream in the Pocahontas Coalfields of southern West Virginia in the 1920s through the late 1940s. To learn more about this book and Tal’s other work visit www.talmagestanley. com. (see story page 18)
—1984—
Toni Atkins has authored an eponymous health care bill. The California State Legislature has passed the Atkins Disease Prevention Bill, and it was signed into law by California Gov. Jerry Brown. This bill allows minors age 12-17 to consent to receive preventive medical care for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). This includes Hepatitis B vaccines; Human Pappillomavirus (HPV) vaccines, which combat the most prevalent STD, which is also the cause of almost all cervical cancer in women; and HIV post-exposure medication, which prevents infections that can later lead to AIDS. Previously the law only allowed minors to receive diagnosis and treatment and failed to address preventive treatment. Phil Henley was appointed as the new head football coach for Lebanon High School. He is a former head coach at Lebanon, guiding them to the Hogoheegee District title and the Region C Division 2 finals in 2004. He resides in Lebanon, Va. Carol Wilson serves the Holston Conference as the executive assistant to the Bishop. She resides in Maryville, Tenn.
CLASS NOTES
—1985—
Jim Cox released a novel in March 2012 entitled Providence of Mercy. It is available through Mitchell-Morris Publishing under the name J. Butler Cox. He resides in Lynchburg, Va. Karen Clark Ford has written a book entitled Showers of Blessings: Reign Gear for the Soul. It is available at www. kcfordtoday.eventbrite.com or visit her website at www.kcfordtoday.com. She resides in Mitchellville, Md. Brent Richardson, chair of the Counseling Department at Xavier University, received the College of Social Sciences, Health, and Education Faculty Teaching Award and was promoted to full professor.
—1988—
Shellie Greenman is an assistant basketball coach at Tennessee Tech in Cookeville, Tenn. She formerly coached at Virginia Tech.
—1990—
Doug Reavis and Mike Reavis (’95) are working together on a family project to honor their brother, Chris, who passed away in 2011. Follow their progress and show your support at www.SilentStrength.net. Doug resides in Fancy Gap, Va. and Mike resides in Forest, Va.
—1991—
Cyndi Jennings, lending manager with Wells Fargo, was recently promoted to vice president. She manages an underwriting team at the Operations Center in Roanoke, Va.
—1992—
Jennifer Ramseyer was selected as the 2011-2012 Middle School Teacher of the Year for Washington County Schools. She teaches language arts and civics for the seventh grade Stingray team at E. B. Stanley Middle School. She resides in Abingdon, Va.
—1993—
Denise Smith was featured in the Nov. 24, 2011 Bristol Herald Courier for her work as interpreter at Wolf Creek Indian Village in Bastian, Va. The site was discovered in 1970 when construction work for I-77 was being done, and archaeologists and historians have restored the village as a mean of educating the community about these Native Americans who lived in Bland County. The site has recently gone through an important renovation. www.indianvillage. org. She resides in Rocky Gap, Va.
—1994—
Chuck Anderson earned his MBA from East Tennessee State University in September 2011. He was selected to participate in the U.S. Army’s Command and General Staff Colleges Intermediate Leadership Education Course. The elevenmonth course is for majors in the military. His wife, Karen Sigmon Anderson, received her Ph.D. in education with a concentration in literacy studies from the University of Tennessee in May 2011. They reside with their children in Fort Leavenworth, Kan. Doug Dalton’s bar was featured on the T.V. show “The Bachelor” this past season. www.youtube.com/ watch?v=3spxHp5C104. He resides in San Francisco, Calif.
Terri Smith Kiesenhofer is the development assistant for Engineering World Health (EWH). This organization seeks to improve the quality of health care in vulnerable communities of the developing world. Read more at www.ewh. org. She is returning to the professional world after being a full-time mom to Karli, 5, and Josef, 8, and has been a busy community volunteer working hard for the American Red Cross, the Susan G. Komen Foundation, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and PORCH-Durham. Her Susan G. Komen team has raised more than $100,000 since 2007. She and husband Josef live in Durham, N.C.
—1995—
Katye Fox has served as pastor of local churches for the Holston Conference of the United Methodist church since 2000, but in the fall of 2011 she took a leave of absence from the pastorate and began working as a Hospice Chaplain in the Greater Tri-Cities area. She serves a territory of five Virginia counties—Smyth, Russell, Washington, Scott and Grayson. Mark Lambert works as the coordinator of communications and college relations at Jefferson College of Health Sciences in Roanoke, Va. In November 2011, he was named chairelect for the Adult Care Center of Roanoke Valley Board of Directors for the 20112013 term. He joined the Carilion Clinic Multidisciplinary Bariatric Surgery Team to provide feedback and support for patients undergoing treatments at Carilion’s Roanoke-based Bariatric Surgery Center. He resides in Roanoke, Va. Tammy McMillan Parks has completed her MFA at Goddard College. She is currently an art teacher at Pulaski County High School. She resides in Dublin, Va.
—1996—
Jamie McMinn, associate professor of psychology at Westminster College in
E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 38
Pennsylvania, has co-authored a case study published by the National Center for Case Study Teaching in the Sciences. Titled “A Social-Cognitive Exploration of Reactions to Leiby Kletzky’s Abduction and Homicide,” the study details the case of an eight-year-old boy who was killed and dismembered on his way home from day camp last summer. The case challenges students to explore how people have responded to the event and to understand how those responses fit into the explanatory lenses of social psychology and social cognition. Jamie has been at Westminster since 2003 after earning a master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh.
—1997—
Robert Eckard is product manager for North America, Lenovo in Raleigh, N.C. He and his wife, Lauren, have two daughters, Ava, 6, and Emily, 3, and reside in Apex, N.C. Joseph Hicks has released the first in a series of books known as “The Underground Series.” The Virginia Underground was released on Sept. 17, 2011, and is about “wicked creatures that relish power and disregard life, consume our world without consequence, without notice” and “from within.” Set in the Appalachian Mountains, the book invokes images of tiny creatures set on destroying the world and a brave young boy who is ready to help save the day. The book is available through Amazon, BarnesandNoble.com and BooksaMillion. com, and also on Kindle. The Tennessee Underground will be released this summer. Joseph resides in Palmyra, Va. Allyson Cox Pennington is assistant principal for instruction at Maysville Elementary School in Maysville, Ga. Her husband, Michael Pennington, was promoted to sergeant in the Uniform Patrol Division of the University of Georgia Police Department. They reside in Athens, Ga., with their son Sam, 9, and daughter Abby, 6.
—1998—
—2000—
Artie Hall was elected to the Wythe County Board of Supervisors. He and his wife, Tonya Blevins Hall (’07), reside in Wytheville with their daughters Katrielle and Kitrah. Jonathan “Less” Lessman made the International news when he was in Afghanistan. A photograph of him appeared online and in several International papers. He was awarded the Bronze Star for actions in Afghanistan against an insurgent force. Now at Ft. Benning he is the S3 (Operations Officer) for 2/19 Infantry Battalion. During his spare time, he is a member of a semi-pro catfish team called the Catfish Junkies. He, his wife, Felicia Ford Lessman (re-’98), and son Jonathan reside in Fort Benning, Ga. Derek Orr received his master’s degree in counseling in human development from Radford in May 2011. He received the Student Professional Excellency Award and was the only student to receive the award in his class. He resides in Marion, Va.
—2001—
Morgan King is a freelance graphic designer and serves as art director for Drexel University’s MAD Dragon record label. He resides in Philadelphia, Penn.
—2002—
Alan Briggs recently graduated from North Carolina State University with a master’s degree in integrated manufacturing systems engineering. He currently performs delivery route planning and analysis for UPS in Durham, N.C. Melissa Ford Epstein graduated from Johns Hopkins Carey Business School in December 2010, where she received her master’s of science degree in marketing. She resides in Washington, D.C. M. G. Funk is the vehicle repair supervisor for Enterprise Holdings. He resides in Richmond, Va. Kelly Smith Houseright is the head coach for the girls basketball team at Gate City High School. She led her team to the finals of the VHSL Group A, Division 2 tournament at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Siegel Center. Gate City was awarded the Marshall Johnson Sportsmanship Award, given to the team that shows the best sportsmanship during the week of the state tournament in
Richmond. She was named the Bristol Herald Courier’s 2012 Coach of the Year. Nikki Baugher Jones completed her Ph.D. in counseling psychology at Ball State University in July 2011. She is a professor of psychology at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction, Colo. Her husband, Jake, also received the same degree. Israel O’Quinn won, in November 2011, the election to the Virginia House of Delegates representing the Fifth District. He resides in Bristol, Va. Marnie Wilson and Ja Martin (’00) were married Oct. 29, 2011. Ja was named the executive vice president of sales and major accounts for Folio 21. Marnie has a job in account services at Elevation Advertising. They reside in Richmond, Va.
—2004—
Meghann Cotter is the director of a rapidly growing nonprofit that works to end homelessness in the community. It is an organization formed by community churches in 2005. Today the organization runs a day center, a cold weather shelter, a respite shelter for homeless people leaving the hospital, a housing program and an employment program. She resides in Fredericksburg, Va. Melissa Keller Foster is a board certified women’s health nurse practitioner. She works at VCUHS as a clinical coordinator RN on the inpatient oncology unit. She and her husband, James, reside in Charles City, Va. Christine Greene McCallum-Randalls spends weekends as a docent at the North Carolina Museum of Art. She is an operations specialist for SciMed Solutions, a web application firm based in Durham, N.C., which focuses on higher education, science and medicine. She and her husband, Rocky Randalls, reside in Raleigh, N.C. Betsy Troyer is an editor of Vintage Publications and produces a monthly magazine for seniors and their families. Vintage Newsmagazine is part of a larger nonprofit called LIFE Senior Services that helps seniors in a variety of ways. She volunteers with the SPCA, is a member of the Young Professionals organization in Tulsa called TYPros, and is a part of the Oklahoma Center for Community Justice’s New Leadership Roundtable.
—2005—
Andy Flynn attended Vincennes University and completed a degree in mortuary science and funeral service education. He worked as a funeral director in Olney, Ill. for four years while pursuing a master’s degree in education. He is now working as a middle school choral director in Robinson, Ill. Derek Kestner is a project manager and information systems analyst for
CLASS NOTES
Allison Fitzgerald Barham is the elementary curriculum director at Chattanooga Christian School in Chattanooga, Tenn. Jamie Harless has been selected as the head coach at Lord Botetourt High School in Daleville, Va. He served as the defensive coordinator at Cave Spring the past three years. Lord Botetourt competes in the Blue Ridge District, which now features
three former E&H football players. That list includes Burt Torrence (’96) at Northside and Jason White (’99) at Rockbridge County. Rachel Minetree was named partner at Conroy, Simberg, Ganon, Krevans, Abel, Lurvey, Morrow & Schefer, P.A. in Miami, Fla.
E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 39
SHEETS MAKES LIBRARY PART OF THE CONVERSATION IN SALTVILLE
A
ctivity at the Saltville Library has increased by leaps and bounds in the past couple of years. Circulation is up by 38 percent and the number of library visitors is up by 25 percent over the course of less than two years. And when you ask staff members what has made such a dramatic difference, they nod their heads in the direction of the librarian and say, “People talk about the library now. Kris has made sure that the library is part of the conversation around here.” Kris Sheets (’02) took over as the Saltville Library head librarian in July of 2010 and her outgoing personality and love of “all things library” are infectious. Kris feels like “the library should be a gathering place for the community.” And it was evident during a recent visit that folks in the community are taking her up on that offer. On a Saturday morning visitors of all ages were coming and going. They were bringing back books, using the computers, looking for new releases, and simply “hanging out” with friends. On this particular day, Kris met with a group of E&H students who are studying and discussing what makes a community a good place to live. Kris, of course, feels like a strong library is a big part of what makes a small town like Saltville a good place to live. She says the requests she gets run the gamut. “We’ve helped people with genealogy, research for academic papers, book loans, but we’ve also had some requests you wouldn’t expect. The other day an older man came in here and asked me to program his phone for him because someone told him that Kris at the library could help him with that!” Kris worked for many years at Emory & Henry in the business office and registrar’s office, so she especially enjoys it when she is asked to help with the FAFSA financial aid form or when her help is needed for class registration. Her enthusiasm for the tiny library also resulted in a pretty spectacular gift recently. A gentleman who lived in Saltville many years ago was back visiting family in the area, and his brother wanted him to see the library. This former Saltvillian was known to support small libraries, and Kris was hopeful for even a few extra dollars. The man was so impressed with the work at the Saltville Library that he donated $10,000, specifically earmarked for programming. Kris says the generous gift has been a real game-changer regarding what the library can offer to the community. But the sad reality is that the tiny building that houses the library isn’t large enough to handle the crowds that often come for the programs. “The whole point of programming is to get people into the library,” she explains, “but this little building can’t handle the sometimes 150 kids who show up for a special event.” So she’s had to hold events at nearby Palmer Mill Playhouse or at the new pavilion across the street. But her dream would be to have a building large enough that would handle a crowd when the need arose. She quickly adds, however, that while she would welcome a nice space for meetings and programs, she would still like to keep the library section small. “We do need the space for programming and meetings but we see that as something that would coexist alongside a smaller library room. I love the intimacy of this tiny library. Everyone here interacts with each other, we know exactly where every book is, and we wouldn’t really want to trade this cozy library for a big cavernous space. But if we could step next door into a great room for meetings and kids events that would be ideal.” Kris knows her patrons, and she knows her profession. She says her favorite part of the job is noticing what people like to read and then recommending another book she feels they’ll enjoy. She says that’s part of the joy of a small library. She is determined that people see the Saltville Library as a place where people want to be and she seems to be having great success with that plan. Kris grins as she happily points out, “You’ll notice it’s not quiet in here!” 2
Kris Sheets keeps Saltville Library hopping.
E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 40
Technology For All, LLC. He resides in Henrico, Va. Jodie Ketron-Overton will graduate with her Ed.S in counseling and guidance from Lincoln Memorial University in July 2012. She and her husband JD Overton reside in Knoxville, Tenn. Peter Oakman works for ABC Companies in the Sales and Operations Department. His wife, Katie, is a business development director for the American Heart Association. They reside in Tustin, Calif. Clarissa Tatum received her Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Tennessee in December 2011. After teaching one semester of general chemistry at Pellissippi State Technical Community College in Knoxville, Tenn., she started a new job as a research chemist in the Acetate Tow Research Laboratory at Eastman Chemical Company. She resides in Johnson City, Tenn. Terica West is an assistant coordinator and graphic designer for Graphic Media Solutions LLC. She resides in Gadsden Ala.
—2006—
Hillary Crowder is the public relations specialist for the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants (VSCPA), the leading professional association dedicated to enhancing the success of all certified public accountants and their profession by communicating information and vision, promoting professionalism, and advocating members’ interests. She is in charge of media relations and a public financial literacy initiative, Financial Fitness. She resides in Richmond, Va. Marc Fitzwater received the Army Commendation Medal, which is awarded to Army personnel for “showing courage under fire, sometimes saving lives while risking their own.” He earned the commendation while serving with the Second Battalion of the Seventh Special Forces Group (Airborne) on its sixteenth rotation to Afghanistan in 2010. He resides in Crestview, Fla. Meredith Keyse and Jason Walton (’02) were married July 23, 2011. They reside in Alexandria, Va. Morgan Richards works at the Lexington Public Library as a computer class trainer. She resides in Lexington, Ky.
—2007—
—2008—
Amanda Chaplin will graduate in May 2012 from law school at Ohio Northern University. Ryan Davenport is the senior pastor of a two-point charge in the Morristown District, including Central-Bean Station UMC and Rutledge UMC. He resides in Bean Station, Tenn. Robyn Keown will graduate from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine in May 2012. She will begin her residency in obstetrics and gynecology. Arlie Reed has started a costume business and shop named Wenchly Threads, which boast the tag line, “From Ancient Greece to New York Chic.” The shop features made-to-order pieces, mainly costumes intended to be worn more than just once. The website is on etsy and the link is www.etsy.com. Arlie resides in Sevierville, Tenn. Lesli Thomas and Maggie Thomas were married in New York City Oct. 6, 2011. They reside in Barren Springs, Va.
Robin Urso and Karl Hayter (’09) were married Dec. 11, 2010. He will graduate from pharmacy school in May 2012. They reside in Richmond, Va.
—2009—
Whitney Bowles is an account executive with Super Seed Magazine, which promotes concerts, music festivals and products for music lovers. She resides in Fincastle, Va. David Brown is an enterprise account executive at PGi, which is a global leader in virtual meetings. He advises senior-level
executives at Global 5000 companies on purchase decisions by identifying specific strategic business solutions that result in the sale and implementation of traditional and VolP collaboration tools. Shalonda Carter was accepted into graduate school at South University in Columbia, S.C. She will be pursuing a master of arts degree in clinical mental health counseling. Laura Cook is pursuing a master’s degree in physician assistance at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Va. Laura Hudson and Lance Browning were married Jan. 14, 2012. She works for Grafix Solutions Inc. in Sayreville, N.J. They specialize in large format digital printing, mainly fleet and large vehicle graphics. She is working on getting an LLC for her freelance design company, babyblues design. The website is www. babybluesdesign.com and was designed in conjunction with Evin O’Sullivan (’09) of Innovative Creative LLC, which is Evin’s web design company. Steven Jones is a service manager at Trek Bicycle Store of Cincinnati, Ohio, and also races mountain bikes at the elite amateur level. Tiffany Necessary is an elementary physical education teacher in Bristol, Va. Abby Roush is a chemistry research technician investigating polymer coated controlled porosity glass and automated oligonucleotide synthesis used in the making of synthetic DNA and the manufacture of drug therapies.
—2010—
Jamal Crowelle is touring the country and working for the Bright Star Touring Theatre based in North Carolina. He is performing two shows, including “American Dreams,” which is about American immigration and how all people can achieve their dreams in America. The other is “Struggle for Freedom,” which is about Martin Luther King Jr., who was played by Jamal. He resides in Arlington, Va. Cody Jackson is a career paramedic for Lebanon Lifesaving Crew in Lebanon, Va. He is also an adjunct instructor for the Southwest Virginia Paramedic Program through Virginia Community College. He is pursuing his master’s degree in health sciences in emergency medical services. He resides in Austinville, Va.
CLASS NOTES
Dustin Crouse is an attorney with Jenkins & Jenkins law firm and serves as a soccer coach for the Christian Academy of Knoxville. Justin Foster works for the Comprehensive Soldier, Fitness Performance and Resilience Enhancement Program (CSF-PREP), developing performance excellence and enhanced resilience across the Fort Bliss Community and First Armored Division. In the summer
of 2011, he began developing his own consulting business, The Excelling Edge, and he completed his second master’s degree in mental health counseling from Argosy University in Phoenix. He and his wife, Laura, reside in El Paso, Texas. Amanda Gray is the director of marketing and public relations for the Smith River Sports Complex in Martinsville, Va. She also coaches soccer for the Martinsville High School girls team. Anthony Leonard and Emily Bowen were married Oct. 1, 2011. They reside in Charleston, S.C.
E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 41
Zach Triplett was a flight attendant with Delta Airlines and based in New York City before moving to Florida to start training to become a commercial pilot.
—2011—
CLASS NOTES
Allen Childress is a business and information technology teacher for Roanoke City Public Schools. He resides in Shawsville, Va. Allen Cornett monitors water for the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). He resides in Damascus, Va. Lauren Foster and Garrison Lee Kopp were married June 11, 2011. She is a sixth grade special education teacher at Chilhowie Middle School and is pursuing a master’s degree in education professional studies at E&H. They reside in Emory, Va. Kaylee Gallant is pursuing a master’s degree in public policy, with an emphasis on regional economic development, at George Mason University. She resides in Falls Church, Va. Sarah Kate Gravely is taking online classes at the Institute of Children’s Literature. She resides in Bassett, Va. Jeremiah Grogg is pursuing a master’s degree in psychology clinical counseling from Augusta State University. He is a graduate assistant for the Center for Teaching and Learning (Faculty Development). He resides in Augusta, Ga.
Y Y Y Y Y
Kevin Heideman is pursuing a master’s degree in accounting and information systems, with a concentration in auditing, from Virginia Tech. In the fall of 2012, he will work as an audit associate for Grant Thornton L.L.P., in Alexandria Va., which was recently ranked the number one accounting firm in the nation. Shelley Hindmon is the assistant director of annual giving at Salem Academy & College and house counselor at Salem Academy. She resides in WinstonSalem, N.C. Samantha Jones is pursuing a Ph.D. in chemistry at the University of Kentucky and researching new and innovative designs for solar cells. She resides in Lexington, Ky. Caroline Lawless is a production artist for the Wal-Mart account with Pace Communications in Greensboro, N.C. Ashley Nelson is pursuing a master’s degree in statistics at Virginia Tech. She has a graduate teaching assistantship. Chad Owens is a civics teacher at Marion Middle School. He is pursuing his M.Ed. in professional studies at E&H. He resides in Marion, Va. Cory Payne is the dock manager and hydro hoist engineer for Boathouse at Benders Ferry in Mt. Juliet, Tenn. Sarah Petty is a substitute teacher for Express Employers. She resides in White Bluff, Tenn.
LeeAnn Reese is a K-8 music teacher at Nolachuckey Elementary and Camp Creek Elementary Schools. She resides in Greeneville, Tenn. Terri Roberts is an assistant sales manager for Bath & Body Works in Elkin, N.C. and has a Mary Kay business. She resides in Boonville, N.C. Ellen Smith is a transportation sales representative for CH Robinson Worldwide, Inc. in Roanoke, Va. Her mother, Patricia Rosenbaum Smith, graduated from Emory & Henry in 2005 and resides in Laurel Hill, Fla. Ellen resides in Callaway, Va. Kelli Smith is a community outreach and victim advocate for the Crisis Center, Inc. in Bristol, Va. She resides in Damascus, Va. Thomas Smith is pursuing his master’s degree in trumpet performance at UNC Greensboro. He is a graduate assistant. Sarah Sturgill is a special education teacher at Chilhowie Elementary School. She resides in Chilhowie, Va. Lindsey Thurman is a social studies teacher at Franklin County High School. She resides in Rocky Mount, Va. Sarah Young is a receptionist for Universal Companies. She resides in Abingdon, Va. .
—Births— 1990
Tom Hyatt, son Jeffery Grant, June 14, 2011.
1995
Holly Dannelly Finch & Dan Finch (’96), daughter Lillian Elizabeth, Oct. 31, 2011. Cheryl Dunbar Warren, son Nathaniel Ronald, Oct. 1, 2011.
1997
Brian Wolfe, son Sloan David, Feb. 27, 2012.
1999
Harold Craw, daughter Jasmine Chloe, Nov. 10, 2011. Wes & Keri Donnelly Robbins, son Hudson Philip, Jan. 9, 2012.
2000
Brooks Frost Edwards & Kevin Edwards (’99), son Clayton Frost, Dec. 20, 2011. Candy Ritchie Moore, daughter Caylen Rachelle, Dec. 1, 2011.
2001
Wil Cantrell, daughter Susanna Elizabeth, Nov. 29, 2011.
2002
Jason & Edha Meadows Brown, son Andrew Wayne, Jan. 31, 2012. Kelley Hall Evans, son Christopher “Eddie” Edward Jr., June 6, 2011. Laura Linkous Helvey & Chris Helvey (’99), son Cash Everett, Feb. 20, 2012.
2003
Jodi Arnold Cowardin, son Lewis Turner II, Dec. 31, 2011.
2004
Meghann Cotter, son Patrick James Conner, Feb. 15, 2012. Sara Peters Schill & Johnathan Schill (re-’05), daughter Amelia Mae, March 8, 2012.
2005
Jodie Gore Ihfe, daughter Lydia Sharon, Feb. 27, 2012.
2007
Tonya Blevins Hall & Artie Hall (’00), daughter Kitrah Lynette, Jan. 14, 2012.
E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 42
W
hen E&H education professor Ron Diss needed an antique clock repaired, he started at a local jewelry store. No one there knew how to fix this old time-piece, but the jewelry store folks knew where to refer him. “There’s a man in Konnarock, if he can’t fix your clock no one can. I don’t know his name but if you ask at the country store in Konnarock, they’ll tell you how to find him.” Konnarock, located in the foothills of Whitetop Mountain, only has one store so it was easy enough to find the right place. Turns out, Delmer and his wife Thelma also run the little community store—which they make run like clockwork, of course. The Harringtons know no strangers, and even first-time visitors are treated like neighbors and friends. Dr. Diss says he “went inside and said to the lady behind the counter, ‘I’m looking for a man who...’ She cut me off and added, ‘who fixes clocks!’” Diss confirmed that she was correct and then the woman pointed out the window toward a small building up the road and said, “That building up there—that’s where he works on clocks. His name is Delmer Harrington.” Diss walked up to his garage-sized workshop, gazed at all the clock parts strewn about, and waited on Delmer to return. During the course of their visit, Diss learned that Delmer was a 1962 graduate of Emory & Henry with a major in economics. Delmer is part of a small and elite group of individuals who really understand the inner-workings of a clock. He says, “I’ve worked on every kind of clock you can imagine. I’ve worked on clocks from the 1700s and a perpetual motion clock. I’ve worked on clocks with wooden gears, and clocks that run on atmospheric pressure changes. I’ve fixed about every kind of clock ever made.” When he gets a clock that seems like too much of a challenge, he’ll set it aside and come back to it later. He says occasionally he’s actually gone to sleep and dreamed the solution to a troublesome clock. He’s never advertised his hobby, and yet at the time of this interview his hobby shop was at capacity with 19 clocks that needed fixing, including one from New York City. He says word of mouth has always provided all the clocks he needed to stay plenty busy. He refers to a steno pad and flips through all the pages. Each page, front and back, has every line filled with the name of the clock and the clock’s owner. “I have a stack of these notebooks; I’ve fixed literally thousands of clocks.” Delmer got started in his hobby when he ran across an old abandoned clock in his grandfather’s grainery. He remembered the clock from his childhood as they had used it to keep time while working with his grandfather. He asked if he could have it and his grandfather said, “Sure…it doesn’t work.” Apparently Delmer took that as a personal challenge because he sat down with it one rainy day, took it apart and fixed it. He’s been working on clocks ever since, and dearly loves the challenge each clock presents. He calls this passion a “hobby of love.” But with so few clock repairmen left in the world, it sounds like he has a full-time hobby. He says the clocks are good therapy for him, and he seems to need the clocks as much as the broken clocks need him. Delmer was originally from Sugar Grove, Va., but he married a girl from Konnarock. He sounds proud when he announces that they’ve been married for 55 years. And so far it sounds like the only possible threat to their marriage is “one more clock.” “I’ve got over 50 clocks in our house, and she told me one day if I brought in one more clock, she’d have to go!” For the record, Thelma “I’ve worked on every kind of clock denies ever having said this; but she agrees it makes a good story. 2 you can imagine. I’ve worked on clocks from the 1700s and a perpetual motion clock. I’ve worked on clocks with wooden gears, and clocks that run on atmospheric pressure changes.”
CLASS NOTES
HARRINGTON CALLS CLOCK REPAIR A HOBBY OF LOVE
Delmar Harrington in his shop in Konnorock. Inset: one of the treasurers Delmar has brought back to life.
E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 43
IN MEMORIAM Lillian Long Litton (re-’34), Bristol, Va., died Nov. 25, 2011. She was very active in the Bristol community. She was preceded in death by her husband, Edmond Pete Litton (’34). Among survivors are sons Peter and David, and daughter Joday Litton Blevins. Martha Haley Orem (’34), Englewood, Co., died April 6, 2012. During World War II she worked at the U.S. Patent Office in Washington, D.C., during which time she was given a scholarship to George Washington Law School. She was a consummate Southern lady, Daughter of the American Revolution, and an avid scholar. Among survivors is a daughter Carol. Evalyn Barker Brower (’36), Elizabethton, Tenn., died Dec. 14, 2011. She began working at Bemberg where she was the first female hired to work in the chemical laboratory. When they closed, she began a teaching career with the Elizabethton City School System. She traveled around the world in 1965. Among survivors is a stepson, Dr. Bob Brower. Daniel B. Hollyfield Jr. (’37), Wise, Va., died Nov. 14, 2011. He experienced many adventures, including hoboing to the Chicago World’s Fair in 1938. He taught at Christopher Gist High School, where he sponsored the debate team and as a result of one of the debates, was instrumental in getting school buses for the Robertson District. He became a sanitarian with the Virginia Department of Health in 1942. He worked in Giles, Montgomery and Wise counties and retired as administrative assistant to the regional health director in 1978. Among survivors are his wife, Cynthia Tompkins Hollyfield; children Margaret H. Craft, Daniel B. Hollyfield III, and Jean H. Weaver; and step-children Rad Tompkins and Johnny Tompkins. Janet Montgomery (’39), Meadowview, Va., died Nov. 23, 2011. She was a retired elementary school teacher. She was a violinist in the Highlands Chamber Orchestra at Emory & Henry. Among survivors is a sister Genave Montgomery (’38). Clyde H. Yates (’40), Salem, Va., died Dec. 29, 2011. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army Air Corps and served in World War II. He was a retired Roanoke County School principal. Among survivors are his wife, Ruth Norris Yates; daughter Brenda Ferguson; and son Larry Yates. Richard G. Hutcheson Jr. (’42), Vienna Va., died Jan. 15, 2012. He was retired from the U.S. Navy. Among survivors are his wife, Ann Rivers Hutcheson,and children Richard Gordon Hutcheson III, William Banner Hutcheson, Elizabeth
Parkey Hutcheson and Susan Bancroft Thompson. Linton R. Lovett (’43), Covington, Ga., died July 30, 2011. He served in World War II in the U.S. Navy. He worked for the State Department in the Office of the U. S. High Commission in Germany. As resident officer he was in charge of the civilian transformation and democratization of Germany in the State of Hessen. He was next assigned to the U. S. Embassy in Tehran, Iran serving as an attaché. He turned to the U.S. and practiced law, first as an assistant county attorney and then for many years as a partner in the law firm of Howard Brawner and Lovett. He retired in 1991. Among survivors are his wife, Martha Lokey Lovett, and step-daughters Gale Marie Pate and Lokey Pate Mooney. Frank W. Stallard (’44), Chamblee, Ga. and Wilmington, N.C., died Nov. 21, 2011. He retired as a mathematics professor at Georgia Tech. Among survivors are his wife, Mary; sons Kent Stallard (re’81), Michael and Frank Jr. (Will); and brother Don Stallard (’49). Thomas W. Kitchens Jr. (’45), Madison, Ind., died Dec. 11, 2011. He was a retired special agent in charge of the Louisville office. Among survivors are his wife, Fleurette Kitchens; daughter Jane Williams; sons Bruce Kitchens (’76) and Joel Kitchens; and grandson Kenton Williams (current E&H student). James E. Bondurant Sr. (’48), Fort Mill, S.C., died Nov. 19, 2011. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army Air Corps. He began his career as a chemist with American Cyanamid Company and retired in 1989. Among survivors are a daughter, Jane Ellison Bondurant; a son, Jim Bondurant (’80); a sister, Rebecca Bondurant Lynch (’41); brothers Hix Bondurant (’43) and his wife, Lil Kessler Bondurant (’46), and T. Jack Bondurant (’48); nephews David Bondurant (’92) and Tom Bondurant (’76); nieces Betsy Bondurant Moreland (’77) and Nancy Bondurant-Couch (’81); a great-nephew, Ben Bondurant (’02); great-nieces Kathryn Bondurant Smith (‘07) and Molly Moreland Knowles (’07). Donations may be made to the Bondurant Family Memorial Scholarship fund at Emory & Henry. Virgil Lambert (re-’49), Mechanicsville, Va., died Dec. 20, 2011. He retired from EI DuPont. Among survivors are his children Linda Przybylko, Courtland Lambert and Michelle Phillips. Jacob “Jake” H. Lowe (’49), Abingdon, Va., died Feb. 6, 2012. He entered the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Navy, where he served during World War II. He was a teacher and coach. He was named
principal of the Washington County Vocational School and was area supervisor of Trade and Industrial Education for the southwest region of Virginia. Among survivors are his wife, Wanda Burgess Lowe; sons Tim Lowe and Steve Lowe; and daughter Cathe Nixon. Kemper McCloud (re-’49), Wytheville, Va., died Nov. 17, 2011. He served his country as a medical corpsman in battle on Normandy’s Beaches, in Northern France, in the Ardennes Forest and then into the Rhineland. He retired from the practice of dentistry in 1990. Among survivors are sons David McCloud (’66), Robert McCloud (’74) and Mark McCloud. Jack L. Taylor (’49), Gastonia, N.C., died March 28, 2012. He served in the U.S. Marine Corp, seeing active duty in the South Pacific. He taught school for a total of 36 years with most of his service at Geneva High School in Geneva, Ohio. He was a coach, teacher, and a Boy Scout leader. He was the faculty advisor for the American Field Service at Geneva High School for 18 years and was the faculty advisor for the school’s yearbook. Among survivors are his wife Rose Marie; daughters Cassandra Lee Evans and Deborah Lynne Zemanek; and a granddaughter and her husband Meredith Keyse (’06) and Jason Walton (’02). Glenn N. Barker (re-’50), Kingsport, Tenn., died Jan. 16, 2012. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army. His business career was spent managing the family store and rental property. Charles P. (Moe) Curcio (’50), Bristol, Va., died Jan. 21, 2012. He was a veteran of World War II. He served as head football coach at Virginia High School. He was athletic director there for many years and directed national coaching clinics that annually brought the country’s premier college coaches to Bristol. Moe has been recognized for his distinguished contributions in athletics by the Southwest Virginia Regional Coaches Association and the Virginia State High School Athletic Directors Association. He was a charter inductee in the Southwest Virginia Touchdown Club Football Hall of Fame. He taught political science at Virginia High School, East Tennessee State University and Virginia Highlands Community College. Among survivors are sons Joseph Charles Curcio and Peter Curcio. Jean Buchanan Dennis (re-’50), Grundy, Va., died April 15, 2012. She was the owner and operator of the Record Shop in Grundy for 35 years and was a branch manager for the Department of Motor Vehicles. She was preceded in death by her husband Percy Vicars Dennis
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W. Thomas Wallace (’53), Charlottesville, Va., died Dec. 20, 2011. He joined the U.S. Marshals Service. In 1970, he was with the Army’s Foreign Science and Technology Center, now National Ground Intelligence Center. Among survivors is a son, Michael. George H. Williams (’54), Blountville, Tenn., died Jan. 15, 2012. He served in the U.S. Air Force and retired after 32 years of service from the Department of Human Services of Tennessee. Among survivors are his wife, Marcella Williams; sons Marcus Williams and David Williams; and daughters Alisa Yates and Tamara Williams Calvin Hays (re-’55), Rich Valley, Va., died March 18, 2012. He was a veteran of the Korean War. He was a gifted graphic artist and had an extraordinary talent to produce unique handcrafted fine furniture. Among survivors are his wife Lynda Sisco Hays and daughters Cheryl Chase Hays and Michael DuVall. James L. Rasnick (re-’55), Eatonton, Ga., died Dec. 19, 2011. He coached football and girls and boys basketball at Venore, Tennessee High School. He was a carpenter. Among survivors are his wife Jettie C. Bowen Rasnick; and sons and daughters James Carroll Rasnick, Richard Russell Rasnick, Diana Lynn Parsons, Deborah Lee Jones, Pamela Rasnick, Karen Michelle Guthrie and Kimberly Renee Findley. Arthur “Art” Countiss Jr. (’57), Bristol, Tenn., died March 21, 2012. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He was a news director and worked at WCYB TV. He also worked for Tri-Cities Radio Group for 20 years and retired in 1998. Among survivors are his wife Patsy Countiss, sons Arthur A. Countiss III, Robert Countiss (’82), Timothy Countiss, Jonathan Countiss and Joseph P. Countiss, and step-children Rus Jackson and Nicholle Jackson Whiting. B. Clyde Dalton (’58), Virginia Beach, Va., died Jan. 20, 2012. He was a Korean War veteran having served in the U.S. Army at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland. He retired as vice president of the Dealer Division of Life Savings Bank and BB&T in 1998. He served as Potentate of the Khedive Temple in 1989 and president of the Mid Atlantic Shrine Association in 2002-2003. Among survivors are his wife, Mary Alice Dalton, and son Philip Dalton. Evelyn Hanson Helton (’58), Kingsport, Tenn., died Feb. 17, 2012. She was a member of the E&H Board of Visitors. She was a volunteer and civic leader and was selected for Community Leaders of Virginia in 1976-77. Her working years were spent over a 25-year period in the medical field. Among survivors are sons David J. Helton and Philip S. Helton; and nephew Andrew M. Hanson (’96). Memorials may be made to
the Emory & Henry College Guest House. Bobby R. Johnson (’58), Richmond, Va., died April 16, 2012. He served in the Air Force during the Korean Conflict. He retired in 1992 as a quality control engineer at The Babcock & Wilcox Company’s Naval Nuclear Division. Among survivors are his wife Marilyn Barker Johnson and daughter Marita Winks. Larry W. Bradley (re-’59), Glade Spring, Va., died Nov. 13, 2011. He was a Marine and served on the Board of Directors of the Gwinnett County, Georgia, Chamber of Commerce, where he played a leading role in the development of the county. Among survivors are his wife, Carol Totten Bradley; daughter Leisa Bradley Gruenewald; son John Totten Bradley; brother Don Bradley (’63); and sisters Baja Bradley Conrad (’76) and Alice Bradley Porterfield (re-’67) and her husband, Sonny Porterfield (’62); and nephew Stuart Porterfield (’90). Joan Phillips Dingus Grindstaff (’59), Frostproof, Fla., died Oct. 28, 2011. She was a teacher and later became principal of Bluefield High School. After retirement, she served as a substitute teacher for the Tazewell County, Virginia, School System. Among survivors are sister Shirley Phillips Minter (’56); brother Charles B. Phillips (’60); and children Deborah Suzanne Dingus Whitt (’79) and Phillip Dingus (re-’78). George E. Barker (’60), Abingdon, Va., died Jan. 31, 2012. At age 18 he signed a professional baseball contract with the Brooklyn Dodgers and worked his way up in the team’s organization. In 1954 he threw a no-hitter against a Japanese All-Star team while touring Japan with the Pueblo Dodgers. In 1958 he was invited to report to spring training with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He served in the Army during the Korean conflict. He served as regional sales manager for the Magnavox Company for 18 years before establishing the Coal Marketing Corporation. He worked in coal sales and served as the company’s president for more than 20 years before retiring in 2002. He was a member of the E&H Sports Hall of Fame and a longtime member of the selection committee. He also served the college as president of the E&H Board of Visitors and was national annual fund chairman. He spent many hours as a volunteer for the E&H baseball team. Among survivors are his wife, Virginia “Ginny” Rowland Barker (’59); children Chip Barker (’83), Cindy Barker Blevins (’84) and Chris Barker (’91). Memorial contributions may be made to the Barker Scholarship at Emory & Henry. Richard C. “Shrimp” Buchanan (’60), Glade Spring, Va., died March 5, 2012. He served in the U.S. Army. He was a member of the E&H Sports Hall of Fame and the Smyth County Sports Hall of Fame. He was a retired teacher, coach and principal of
In Memoriam
(re-’42). Among survivors are sons Fletcher Buchanan Dennis and Michael Lee Dennis; and brother Bob Buchanan (’58). Ernest W. Stone (re-’50), Elk Creek, Va., died Feb. 25, 2012. He served in the U.S. Army in World War II. He was first and foremost a farmer. He also was an instructor of vocational agriculture in Grayson County and later entered the business world by way of insurance and mortgage banking. Among survivors are his wife, Nancy Moxley Stone, and daughters Rosamond Stone Lehtinen and Theresa Stone Lazo. Robert A. “Loch” Lowman (’51), Radford, Va., died Feb. 29, 2012. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps, served as a chemist for Hercules in Radford, and became an attorney after finishing his law degree at William and Mary College. At E&H he organized an 18-piece jazz band and played football. In 1953 he opened Loch Lowman Golf Club in Radford which he built and operated, and he was a founding member of and trumpeter for the Old Pros Band of New River. One of his college pranks may have lead to the establishment of the E&H duck pond, and he was an avid and enthusiastic airplane pilot. He is survived by wife Shirley, and children Tony, Stephanie, and Sally Lowman. Christine Davis Swann (’51), Staunton, Va., died June 16, 2011. She was a pre-school teacher at Main Street United Methodist Church. Among survivors are two sons, Thomas H. Swann and Robert C. Swann. Joanna Eileen Gibson Waters (’51) was born in Owensboro, Ky., and grew up in Ewing, Virginia. After finishing her master’s degree at the University of Tennessee, Mrs. Waters moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma. She was a teacher in the Tulsa Public School System until her retirement. She was a lifelong United Methodist and was active at Boston Avenue United Methodist Church in Tulsa. She loved traveling and spent a considerable amount of time in retirement visiting Europe, Africa and Asia. She was also devoted to physical fitness, exercising daily. It was not unusual for her to walk five miles five times each week. Robert H. Williams (’51), Rocky Mount, Va., died April 4, 2012. He spent much of his career in the furniture manufacturing business. Among survivors are his wife Virginia Greer Williams; daughter Cecile Garrett; and son Madison Williams. Lawery A. “Pete” McGhee (’52), Narrows, Va., died Nov. 11, 2011. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict. He retired from State Farm Insurance as agency manager in 1988. Among survivors are his wife, Nancy Jett McGhee; son Allen McGhee (’80); and daughter Kimberly Shrader.
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IN MEMORIAM
Washington County, Va. schools. Among survivors are his wife, Lois Buchanan; sons Rick Buchanan (’77) and Jeff Buchanan; and granddaughter Mindy Buchanan King (’01). Stanley McCready (’60), Chattanooga, Tenn., died April 17, 2012. Before entering the ministry, he taught history at Saltville High School for two years. He was a minister in the Holston Conference for the United Methodist Church. He served two years as development consultant, Conference Council on Ministries and two years as associate for communications. Among survivors are his wife Judith T. McCready and daughters Jean McCready Pitts (’97) and Carla Hughes. Claude E. Turner Jr. (re-’60), Galax, Va., died Feb. 3, 2012. He served in the Army during the Berlin Conflict. He began his career with W.H. Kress and spent most of his career in the furniture industry. He was a past sales manager at both Coleman Furniture and Pulaski Furniture, and retired as president of sales at Webb Furniture Industries of Galax in 2004. Among survivors are his wife, Irene Noell Turner, daughter Noelle Turner Cockrell, and son Edward Randolph Turner. James Donald “Don” Thomas (’62), Collinsville, Va., died Jan. 7, 2012. Prior to retirement, he was director of Patrick and Henry County Social Services. Among survivors are his wife Judith B. Thomas; mother Helen Davis Thomas; daughter Elizabeth Suzanne Woolwine; and son Blake Fleming Thomas. Judith Garner Willoughby (re-’62), Riner, Va., died Nov. 21, 2011. In 1968 she established the Central UMC pre-school program, which grew from a single class to several classes involving different age groups. She joined the Social Work Department at Pulaski Community Hospital, where she eventually served as chair of the department and received the First Humanitarian Award. She also was instrumental in starting the first volunteer hospice organization in Pulaski County. She passed the examinations for licensed clinical social worker and for licensing from the Commonwealth of Virginia. In 1991 she established her own practice, Valley Counseling Services. Among survivors are her husband, Ron Willoughby (’59), son Rick and daughter Kathy. Memorial gifts may be made to the Judy Willoughby Scholarship at Emory & Henry. William R. Micou (’64), Warren, N.J., died March 3, 2012. He retired in 1995 from Belcore in Piscataway as executive director after 40 years. Among survivors are his wife, Nancy Reinman Micou, sons Paul Micou and John Klinger, daughter Deborah Quillinan, and sister and
brother-in-law Martha Micou Patterson (’68) and Richard Patterson (’66). Edwin Sheffield (’64), Glade Spring, Va., died March 29, 2012. He retired after 40 years of being a high school science, chemistry and physics teacher at Rich Valley High School, Patrick Henry High School and Abingdon High School. Among survivors are his wife Doris Ann Owens Sheffield (’76); children Edwin C. Sheffield Jr. and Elizabeth Ann Belcher (’05); and a brother and his wife David Sheffield (’70) and Beth McDonald Sheffield (’83). David L. Duncan (re-’65), Charlottesville, Va., died Dec. 18, 2011. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1963. A veteran of the Cold War, he served as a sonar technician aboard ballistic missile submarines. He served his community for more than 26 years as a deputy sheriff for the City of Charlottesville, where he rose to the rank of major and served as chief deputy for more than 10 years prior to his retirement in 2004. Among survivors are his sons David Lee Duncan Jr., Roy Baker Duncan II and Patrick Sean McEnteggart. James A. “Jim” McClung (’68), Richmond, Va., died Jan. 7, 2012. He was a pastor and served as the director for the Virginia United Methodist Agency for the Retarded (VUMAR). In 1985 he started Camp Rainbow Connection for mentally handicapped youth and adults. He was called to a conference level position as the director of Church and Community Relations for Virginia United Methodist Homes Inc. Among survivors are his wife, Elizabeth Beckner McClung, son James Walter McClung; and daughter Tondra Elizabeth Atkins. D. Gerald Blevins (’72), Roanoke, Va., died March 24, 2012. He was an assistant scout master with the Boy Scouts. Rodney O. Ware (’72), Charlotte, N.C., died Sept. 5, 2011. He was a retired financial planner. He had obtained his real estate license and pilot’s license. He also was licensed as a boat captain. William Bryan Settle (’74), Richmond, Va., died Nov. 12, 2011. He was an avid photographer. Among survivors are a son, Earl Bryan Settle, daughters Emily May Settle and Molly Catherine Settle, and their mother, Geraldine Settle. Thomas W. S. Davis Jr. (’75), Warrenton, Va., died Aug. 17, 2011.He served four years in the U.S. Navy and taught school for 27 years, starting in Damascus and ending his career at Marshall Middle School. Among survivors are his wife Gretchen Hill Davis (’72) and daughters Lucy Davis Lindenberg and Carol Davis Weberling. Ronnie W. Blevins (’76), Chilhowie, Va., died Feb. 26, 2012. He was employed
with the Dewberry & Davis Architectural Firm and had been a surveyor for the Virginia Department of Transportation for more than 15 years. Among survivors is a son, Jacob Blevins. William R. Light (’80), Lynchburg, Va., died Oct. 28, 2011. Following a successful private practice in law, he was elected by the Virginia General Assembly to the Lynchburg Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court for the 24th Judicial District of Virginia in 2003. Among survivors are his wife, Lisa Burcher Light, son William Randall Light II, and daughter Madeline Gibson Light. Jared A. Bahhur (’06), Lexington, Va., died Dec. 19, 2011. He enjoyed everything outdoors. Among survivors is a very special friend, Katy Datz. Crystal D. Mullins (’08), Johnson City, Tenn., died Nov. 20, 2011. She was a teacher for the Dickenson County School System. Navy V-12 Charles L. Blair died Feb. 12, 2012. He was a Navy veteran and spent more than 25 years in the family business before retiring. Among survivors are his wife, Patsy Shannon Blair, daughter Carroll Blair Keiger, and son Charles Lathrop Blair Jr. Raymond J. Borntraeger, The Villages, Fla., died Jan. 31, 2012. He served in the Korean Conflict. Afterwards he flew a highly modified B-17 bomber with a radar dish, the predecessor to today’s AWACS. When he retired from the Navy in 1970, he joined the U.S. Civil Service Commission, Bureau of Personnel Management, where he developed numerous training programs for use nationwide. Former Employee Sandy B. Gentry, Glade Spring, Va., died March 18, 2012. He retired from E&H where he served for more than 48 years. E&H presented him with the prestigious Earnest E. and Elizabeth C. Maiden Merit Award for Distinctive Achievements and Contributions in 1999. Among survivors are daughters Sandra McCready and her husband Steve McCready (’79), Amy Osborne, and Kalonn Gentry Roberts (’95); and granddaughter Amber McCready Joines (’05). Betty Jo Leese (nee Rowland), The Villages, Fla. Died Nov. 2, 2010. She was a professor and head of the Women’s Athletic Department in the early 1960s. Survivors include her husband of 47 years, Bill (E&H ’64), son David; daughter Karen; four grandchildren; a sister, Jacquelin; and two nephews and a niece. g
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Thank you.
Cindy Barker Blevins Class of 1984 Floyd, Virginia The Annual Fund plays an important role through donations that keep E&H financially sound and academically strong. Let’s pay Emory & Henry back for all that we received and were blessed with while we were students. The Annual Fund is an investment in the future of our past!
Preston Ash First-year student Dallas, Texas Member of the Student Government Association and Student Advancement Council and a student instructor for microeconomics I know that I am fulfilling my dreams because of the Annual Fund. Thank you to those who support the Annual Fund for the opportunity to come here. With your help, I can continue to Increase in Excellence.
Sydney England Sophomore, history, sociology double major Maryville, Tennessee Member of the E&H Honors Program, Emory Activities Board, Student Advancement Council, Honors Steering Committee, Phi Beta Sigma Honors Society, Sigma Upsilon Nu
Without the Annual Fund, the College can hardly expect to honor its motto “Increase in Excellence.” Without the Annual Fund, there is very little hope for growth; rather, our beloved home would reach a static place.
Carolee Bondurant Class of 1974 Radford, Virginia Member, E&H Board of Trustees No healthy tree has only one root; the tiniest hairs on the smallest roots are what make the big roots worth the matter. Give in gratitude. Every student here can learn the value of what’s priceless.
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.
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 dedication to academic quality, student growth and development to have a part in sustaining that quality for current and future generations of students.
Please go online at www.ehc.edu/giving or use your smartphone to scan the QL code below to give. We’re
counting on you to make a difference.
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E&H Alumni Magazine / Fall 2011 / 47
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