Connection Summer 2009

Professor

Mike Digby Retires Terror Birds Discovery $1.5 Million for Community-Based Technology 14 Time Zones Away

letter

Letter from the President elcome! There have been a lot of exciting developments at Georgia College since our last edition – all of which should make you justly proud of your alma mater.

Our national reputation as one of the finest public liberal arts universities was again strengthened by the national media coverage we recently received. It included Professor Michael Murphy’s original art of President Obama, which was displayed at the inauguration in Washington, DC and featured in Time Magazine.

Meanwhile, a Discovery Channel television special highlighted the expertise of Professor Bob Chandler during an inter view about “Terror Birds” which roamed the earth thousands of years ago.

I also invite you to return to campus to experience the new academic facilities that have been recently added to the university. They include a new Museum of Fine Arts, as well as a Planetarium that allows our students to enjoy a realistic view of the night sky no matter what the weather may be outside. The university has also moved its Advancement and Alumni offices into the former Milledgeville home of Congressman Carl Vinson. We are indebted to the Georgia College & State University Foundation for acquiring the historic residence on our behalf.

There have been some important transitions within the Georgia College family as well.

Beloved faculty member Michael Digby has retired after many years of service to our university. In this issue, we have taken the opportunity to look back at his many contributions -and to hopefully stir some fond memories among the hundreds of you who were fortunate to enjoy Professor Digby’s wisdom first-hand.

With sadness, we also note the passing of former President Dr. Henry King Stanford, who led Georgia College from 1953 to 1956. Although his time here was fairly brief, he was instrumental in stabilizing the institution and guiding it in important new directions.

Of course, Connection Magazine is all about keeping you up-to-date with your fellow alumni. In this issue, Jeff Boedeker ’04, tells us about his busy life since graduation, including completion of his movie Silver Sunset which will be shown at several U.S. and international film festivals this spring and summer.

You will also enjoy catching up with friends and classmates in the Alumni News & Notes section. As always, we invite you to send along news and information about your successes and achievements, so we can celebrate them with the rest of the Georgia College family.

W

CONNECTION Spring 2009, Vol. XVIII, No. 2 Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.

Published by University Communications A Division of University Advancement

President Dorothy Leland Vice President for External Relations and University Advancement Amy Amason Alumni Director Herbert Agnew, ’04 Editor Zach Kincaid Writers Judy Bailey Zach Kincaid Al Weston Photography Tim Vacula, ’86 Design Jon Scott, ’83 Cover Tim Vacula, ’86

Best wishes,

Please send change of address and class notes to: Dorothy Leland

University Advancement Campus Box 96 Milledgeville, GA 31061 connection@gcsu.edu On The Cover: (clockwise left to right): Jeff Blick, Claire Nichols, Brandy Kennedy, Jan Mabie, Victoria Brown, Mike Digby, Larry Elowitz, Kim Ireland, Veronica Womack, Stephanie McClure, Jerry Herbel, Robin Harris, Kathleen Martin.

www.gcsu.edu

table Table of Contents

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Up Front • $1.5 Million for CommunityBased Technology • From TIME to a D.C. Gallery • Walking Against Cancer • Nursing Students Help Combat Flu • Terror Birds Discovery • A Top “Best Value” • Carl Vinson’s Home Reopens • Georgia College Student Newspaper Ranks in Top 10 • Flagg Awards: Honoring Social Justice • New Fine Arts Museum Opens • 2009 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees

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Alumni Profile 14 Time Zones Away

11 15

Alumni News & Notes The Legacy Society

8 Feature Mike Digby Retires

upfront UpFront

$1.5 Million for Community-Based Technology Georgia College and the Digital Innovation Group announced in December a $1.5 million grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. The grant establishes the Milledgeville Community Connections: Digital Bridges…Bringing People Together project. The initiative will facilitate a community owned effort to develop and implement ways technologies can improve residents’ lives at home, school and work.

“Milledgeville leaders recognize that citizens’ use of digital technologies will be the key to moving Milledgeville/Baldwin County from an economy based on state jobs to a workforce that is competitive in the knowledge economy,” says Beverly Blake, Knight Program Director for Columbus, Macon and Milledgeville. “It is indeed exciting that Knight’s smallest community has the opportunity to lead the charge in creating a community ownership model.”

President Dorothy Leland agrees. “Knowledge and information from across the globe that is readily accessible through the Internet is a key to our community’s education and economic growth,” she says. “I am pleased that Georgia College will be able to encourage our community’s connection to the world through this exciting and innovative project.”

Kelley Evans, Julie Warbington (seated), Kim Contigiano

Walking Against Cancer Five Georgia College students - Amanda Cheek, Kim Contigiani, Kelley Evans, Emily Ewalt and Julie Warbington showed their support by participating in the Breast Cancer 3-Day walk in Atlanta to benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure and the National Philanthropic Trust Breast Cancer Fund. Each of them raised $2,200 to meet a total of $11,000.

Students who went to Washington, D.C. to help install Murphy’s exhibit.

From TIME to a D.C. Gallery Assistant Professor of Art Michael Murphy earned national recognition when he appeared on CNN and his art took a featured full-page spot in Time’s “Person of the Year,” a.k.a. “The Barack Obama” issue (Dec. 29), the person who is the subject of Murphy’s work.

He received further acknowledgement when he received an invitation to be part of the Manifest Hope exhibit during the inauguration in January. A group of nine Georgia College students accompanied Murphy to Washington to help him set up his art.

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Georgia College Connection • Spring 2009

Georgia College Student Newspaper Ranks in Top 10 Georgia College’s student newspaper, The Colonnade, took three honorable mentions in best graphic design, best press photographer and best overall student newspaper at the Southeast Journalism Conference in February, competing against schools such as Vanderbilt University and the University of Mississippi. The Colonnade is the official student newspaper of Georgia College established in 1924.

www.gcsu.edu/alumni

Nursing Students Help Combat Flu Prior to flu season, Georgia College nursing students, under faculty supervision, provided the flu vaccine to the public. As part of the nursing program, seniors met objectives of leadership and mentoring by offering advice to juniors and sharing their experiences.

“In terms of nursing school, I’m the pro,” says senior Annie Geminder. “My advice is the faster the needle goes into the skin, the less it hurts.” Nursing instructor Debbie Grier collaborated with Director of Student Health Services Alice Loper and Professor of Health Education Barbara Funke to provide additional injection practice for the students.

“It’s very important for the nursing students to learn intramuscular injection techniques,” says Grier. “This is one of their best opportunities.”

Carl Vinson’s Home Reopens The recent addition of the Harris-Vinson House to the Georgia College campus strengthens the ties between the university and Milledgeville’s most prominent son, the late U.S. Congressman Carl Vinson.

The Georgia College Foundation purchased the late congressman’s house in May and gifted it to the university. Today, it houses alumni affairs and university advancement.

“We are so fortunate to adopt this historic home and preserve it as part of our heritage for future generations,” says Amy Amason, vice president for external relations and university advancement. “The university greatly respects the home’s historic significance in the community and takes great pride in protecting and preserving it.”

Milledgeville Mayor Richard Bentley says the university is the appropriate new owner of one of the town’s historic treasures. “Given the Vinson’s House close proximity to the university campus, this is an ideal use of this historic house,” he says. “The university will maintain its historic integrity and preserve the house, keeping it from falling into the hands of developers.”

The Vinson House is among several recent Foundation acquisitions including the Newell-Watts House where the Office of Admissions is now located.

2009 Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees Georgia College honored four athletes in the annual Hall of Fame induction during Homecoming. Leonard Scott ’79, Jay Torrence ’94, Greg Winters ’96 and Anna (Haggkvist) Sundstrom ’99 represented men’s basketball, men’s tennis, baseball and women’s tennis, respectively.

Scott was a four-year member of the thenColonial basketball team, competing from 1975-79. The second-leading scorer in Georgia College history with 1,908 points, Scott owns the school mark for rebounds in a career at 868. Scott is now an accountant in Lilburn, Ga. Torrence played two stellar seasons for the Bobcats from 1993 to 1994. He was an NCAA All-American in 1994, adding Georgia Tennis Association Player of the Year honors during that season. He also was named GCSU Male Senior Athlete of the Year.

Torrence is now vice president of client services at Emerald Software in Alpharetta.

Winters hit for a .396 clip during his fouryear career (1993-96), ranking second alltime at Georgia College. He was selected to the 1995 World Series All-Tournament Team and named All-American. Always patient at the plate, Winters hit more than .400 in three of his seasons, also drawing a school-best 199 career walks. Winters is now the Bibb County District Attorney.

Sundstrom was a two-time All-American for Georgia College, pulling down honors in 1997 and 1998. She also received the distinguishing marks of NCAA Region Senior Player of the Year and GCSU Female Senior Athlete of the Year in 1999. Sundstrom worked as a personal trainer in the Boston area and has now returned to her native Sweden.

Georgia College Connection • Spring 2009

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upfront UpFront

New Fine Arts Museum Opens

Bill Wall and Bob Chandler on camera in Herty Hall.

Terror Birds Discovery “Mega Predators” is scheduled to air in fall 2009 on the Discovery Channel.

Writer/director Debbie Blum and her film crew came to Georgia College to learn more about terror birds from Bob Chandler and Bill Wall, two of the experts on the subject. With a sabre-tooth tiger skeleton in the backdrop and various fossils in the foreground, professors Chandler and Wall took their positions for the camera.

“They pursued, ambushed, and killed with a lethal bite,” says Chandler about the terror birds that stood 6.5 feet tall and weighed 250-300 pounds, certainly the largest bird that ever lived. As raptors they preyed on hoofed animals similar to deer and ancestral beaver four times larger than their modern-day cousins.

Chandler’s interest spiked when he found fossils of the great raptor as close by as the Santa Fe River in north central Florida.

Using scuba diving equipment, he dredged for fossils in the sediments of the river, and many a Georgia College student and volunteer has joined him during the past 10-plus years of excavating fossils from

As part of the Homecoming and Alumni Weekend festivities, President Dorothy Leland hosted the opening of a new fine arts museum on the Georgia College campus. The museum is located in the historic Milledgeville home designed by renowned Atlanta architect Phillip Trammell Schutze in 1935. In 1939, the building was selected for a House & Garden Award in architecture.

that particular river and elsewhere in the United States.

Chandler and Wall are longtime colleagues. They’ve coauthored a series of articles on the fossils and have presented their discoveries about the Terror Birds’ anatomy and biomechanics — how the birds were hard-wired and how their internal anatomy functioned.

“We’ve applied the laws of physics to study what the Terror Birds could do and could not have done,” Wall says.

“Now we’re able to CAT scan the skulls to determine their internal structure and the mechanics of how they functioned and how they interacted with other predators and their prey,” says Chandler.

Their research is ongoing but the label of “mega predator” and the fact that such a beast once flew the skies of the Southeast United States is not in question. Look for more information soon about the date and time of “Mega Predators.”

"We are fortunate to be able to house the university’s permanent art collection in this historic home which is art in itself,” says President Leland. “We look forward to both preserving this notable home created by one of America’s greatest architects and providing the university and community with an important venue for art exhibition.”

The Georgia College Foundation acquired the historic Milledgeville home in 2008 from Lucy Underwood, a former faculty member of the university’s music department. The foundation then gifted the property to the university.

A Top “Best Value” Georgia College is one of the nation’s 50 “Best Value” public colleges and universities for 2009 as named by The Princeton Review. “Being named among the nation’s ‘best value’ public universities is especially significant during these difficult economic times,” says President Dorothy Leland. “It means students do not have to sacrifice the quality of their education at a time when many families are trying to deal with financial challenges.” The Princeton Review selected the institutions as its "best value" choices for 2009 based on its surveys of administrators and students at more than 650 public and private colleges and universities. The selection criteria covered more than 30 factors in three areas: academics, costs of attendance, and financial aid. Tallies were made using the most recently reported data from each institution for its 2007-08 academic year.

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Georgia College Connection • Spring 2009

The museum opened with three exhibitions that included art created by Georgia College alumni; drawings created by Ken Procter, Dean of the university’s College of Arts and Sciences; and the senior thesis work of the late Carol Chaklos, a Georgia College student who completed her coursework after being seriously injured in a car crash. She was awarded her degree posthumously in 2007 after succumbing to her injuries before graduation.

For more information: (478) 445-4391; museum@gcsu.edu

cover Cover Story

Professor

Mike Digby Retires

by Zach Kincaid

976. Olympics, thirteen cent stamps, Rocky’s first fight and the debut of All the President’s Men, the story of the Nixon-Watergate scandal. Speaking of the presidency, Jimmy Carter wins the White House from an embattled President Gerald Ford. And, though the economy takes a noticeable dip in the months ahead, 1976 sees the country swirling in high, bicentennial spirits.

President Ford says in a US News and World Report article, “If we are honest with ourselves, we readily admit that there is too great a gap between our aspirations and reality, that America is still far from completing the agenda we set for ourselves 200 years ago.”

1

In the life of Georgia College, President J. Whitney Bunting (of whom the College of Business is named) served a student population of about 3,700 in 1976. It was marked as a time of “progress with tradition,” as the college had only become co-educational, from its all-women history less than 10 years earlier.

Part of the progress included adding emphasis on political science in the 1970s, by becoming its own department and expanding its offerings.

“I was a political science major at GSCU in the early 80's, and I had Dr. Digby for several classes. He was a fantastic instructor and such a kind and thoughtful man. He really cared about the students and our education. GCSU is fortunate to have had him as a professor all these years!”

–Kim Hall Martin,’82, president and general manager of WEtv

Georgia College Connection • Spring 2009

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cover Cover Story

To see an in-depth interview with Mike Digby, visit www.gcsu.edu/connectionmagazine

And it’s also in 1976 that recent University of Virginia Ph.D. graduate Mike Digby moves “farther south,” as he says, and takes a teaching position at Georgia College. Only two years out of school and with an offer on the table with the prestigious UVa Institute of Government (now the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service), he decided to move because of two overarching objectives. “I wanted to get into full-time teaching and I wanted to be back in Georgia,” he says. “All the more, I knew of Georgia College having grown up close by.”

What Mike didn’t know at the time is that 2009 would culminate a 33-year career at Georgia College, seeing the campus double in size and fine-point its mission to the current designation: Georgia’s Public Liberal Arts University.

“This is what I really wanted - the privilege to teach both undergraduate and graduate students and I’ve had that opportunity right from the start of my time here all the way through,” he says.

“I’ve had the privilege to work in a department that is cohesive and congenial. And even though we’ve moved from four faculty members in 1976 to 25 today, that same spirit is still here.”

Mike is a humble person who tries to side-step a lot of praise, but, truth be told, for the past 11 years he has guided the government and sociology department (as it is now called) with a steady hand. “I will miss Mike when he retires,” says Gerald Fisher, an associate professor in the department. “He has been the answer man for me. Any question, Mike has an answer. I have spoken with quite a few graduate students, who have taken his public budgeting class. Each and everyone of those that I have spoken with talk about how much they learned from him, and how much they enjoyed his class. Apparently, he is able to make budgeting interesting!”

(L-R) 2009: Larry Elowitz, Mike Digby, Jan Mabie 1976: Mike Digby, Larry Elowitz, Jan Mabie

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Georgia College Connection • Spring 2009

As a Georgia native, he is studied in the state’s political scene. As a result, he’s often called on as a voice of reason for election results or hard issues that the government routinely faces - taxes and spending, job loss and creation, education and evaluation. He also has authored many articles on elections and budgeting, extending globally to include expertise in the European Union.

“Mike is the embodiment of a public servant,” says Stephanie M. McClure, assistant professor of sociology. “He is humble, thoughtful, loyal, and patient, and considers the good of the organization in every action.

He is a leader who empowers his people to act. As a new faculty member I have always felt comfortable approaching him about any dilemma, even if it is the result of my own ignorance or thoughtlessness. He treats every person he interacts with as if they are their best self, therefore inspiring you to try to be that best self. That is a gift I have seen in a very short list of people over the course of my life, and it is absolutely something I struggle to attain. While he will truly be missed, I consider it a blessing to have been able to start my career in academia under his leadership.”

“Working with Mike for the past 21 years has been an extraordinary experience,” says

Professor Hank Edmondson.

“He has every skill necessary to pursue the multi-faceted career he has followed--people skills, academic skills, administrative skills--and just the right temperament.”

We ar e hearin pleased to g of M annou stude ik nts ha e Digby's nce that up retirem ve exp on him b y re e Endow establishin ssed a de nt, for mer sir g e We ho d Scholars the Mike D e to honor pe yo h igby i p i n uw tributio Po n to th ill join them litical Scie tion, o is end nce. by ma r Lee S to make a owment. F king a con nellin o d r infor onatio g, Camp maus Bo GCSU Of fic n - please x9 co e lee.sn elling@ 6, Milledg of Advanc ntact emen eville, gcsu. t, G edu; 4 78 44 A, 31061, 5-812 9.

Associate Professor Jeff Blick agrees. “His laissez faire, yet involved, skilled, wise, and fair approach was very appropriate for the personality of our diverse department,” he says.

“I cannot say enough about Mike Digby's excellence in his service to our department and institution.”

It is said that one should leave footprints that are found faithful to those who follow your path. Mike Digby certainly has blazed a commendable trail, leaving a department that hosts more than 200 majors, nearly 100 graduate students, and, even more, a readiness to plough ahead into new pathways.

Edmondson says it best: “Mike is simply in a class all his own.”

Digby smiles deeply when asked about what’s next. “I have a granddaughter now,” he says. That says it all. ■

“It is not an overstatement to say that I owe a large measure of my success to Dr. Digby. He was always there to encourage and push me to achieve. He actually recommended me for a legislative internship without my knowledge.

Once I was accepted he worked to help me secure the necessary lodging. That internship led directly to the position I hold today. The last time I saw him, at a legislative reception in Atlanta, I attempted to express my appreciation for all his help. I was not at all surprised when he responded by asking if he could introduce me to one of his brightest students.

I think that response speaks volumes about his character. He never misses an opportunity to advocate on behalf of one of his students; just one of the reasons that Dr. Digby is such a great asset to GCSU.” –Keith Hatcher, Senior Director of Public Policy for the Georgia Association of REALTORS

Georgia College Connection • Spring 2009

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profile Alumni Profile

For more information about Jeff’s work visit www.joyvisionfilms.com.

14 Time Zones Away

by Jeff Boedeker, ’04

'm from Suwanee, Ga. After driving down to visit Georgia College with a friend, it was an easy choice. We were rather naive and had no idea just how much our university experience would shape us. It was purely an aesthetic choice, at first -- a beautiful campus and the compelling character of Milledgeville as opposed to the suburbia we knew.

Thinking it over, studying abroad in St. Petersburg, Russia kindled many great beginnings. Georgia College has a very supportive international department; they're really incredible and dedicated people. It's hard to believe now, but at first I was only halfway interested in studying abroad, and if it weren't for their guidance, I probably wouldn't have ever gone to Russia. But, it really flipped my life upside down. Since studying abroad in college, I've lived and worked (and backpacked through) 16 countries.

Back to studies. I was not doing well on a biology track my first year at college; however, I had two very inspiring English professors who, indirectly, helped me derail from the course I was on. I changed majors to the then new bachelor’s in creative writing and did just that - started writing and reading, a lot. It was a very suiting major, and I even became editor-in-chief of Peacock's Feet. Photography was as much a passion as writing and I believed that merging the two would lead me to filmmaking. That basic idea started my film career, and sometime during my third year at college, I drove to Macon and bought a video camera.

There were a lot of false starts in early filmmaking at Georgia College, like bad experimental films and projects way over my head (including a documentary about Central State Hospital that never panned out). No matter how painful it is to watch my early films (sorry to any alumni who sat through one), I genuinely enjoyed the process of creating a story via the language of film. I think that is important: to

I

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Georgia College Connection • Spring 2009

enjoy the process of creating just as much as the creation itself.

Skip ahead. I attended Boston University and graduated with an MFA. Exactly a year ago, we were up in the Arctic Circle filming Silver Sunset, my thesis project. This spring and summer we are set to release the movie to U.S. and international film festivals. The story is a Tarkovsky-like narrative about a rare mythical phenomenon of the sun turning silver on the border of the Arctic Circle. Some say that if you see this occurrence it means immediate death. Two train travelers get caught up in the myth as tragic events begin to happen the closer they get to the Arctic. It's a rather existential story and alludes to the dangers of romanticizing or exploiting foreign lands and cultures for story's sake.

I wrote and directed the film, and about 25 people participated in its creation. One of the crew members, Zach Cowan, is the sound designer and an old friend from Georgia College who traveled with us to the Arctic for the month-long shoot.

Now. I work for a production company who produces for the Discovery Channel, National Geographic, History Channel, PBS and Animal Planet. I am currently working on a series for the Discovery Channel to air in late spring called, Mega-Engineering.

We have traveled all over the world filming massive, and in some cases, absurd engineering projects to better our world. Among the places traveled I revisited Russia on two separate occasions, once going to the far-east province of Yakutia. We filmed

construction of a railroad on permafrost that would hypothetically be the tracks of an intercontinental tunnel connecting Russia and the United States via the Bering Strait.

Reflection. I think about Georgia College often. A liberal arts education prepared me not only for graduate school, but for work in a creative field. It provides the ability to explore many facets of studies and eventually pursue the one that has the most magnetic pull. A liberal arts education doesn't hold you down to one masterful skill while making you ignorant of the rest of the world. Those with a desire to challenge themselves can enjoy many areas of study and eventually use that to their professional advantage.

Advice to current students, young alumni and... maybe, everyone. Writing is everything. Learn to write well. Learn to listen closely to those who you respect and filter out those you don't. Life experience is essential for storytelling, so explore everything you can: go abroad, watch foreign films, visit random towns in Georgia, watch people, meet people, read, photograph, and... buy a camcorder and use it.

Don't rush.

Lastly, walk the side streets of Milledgeville (or wherever you live), take that extra block just to see if the pecan tree is ripe yet -- absorb all you see. If you're patient, you might find yourself in a blizzard, 14 time zones away, standing waist-deep in snow, with a documentary television crew, and loving every moment of it. ■

weekend Alumni Weekend

Alumni enjoy reconnecting with former classmates and friends at the Welcome Reception

Peabody School alumni and Early College students join forces during the Homecoming Parade

The Royal Class of 1959 proudly celebrated their 50th Class Reunion

Ms. & Mr. GCSU 2008 Whitney Fee and Adam Hammond waive farewell as the outgoing Homecoming royalty

The 2009 Mr. & Ms. GCSU Tyler Anderson and Keri Allgood

www.gcsu.edu/alumni

President Dorothy Leland leads the parade as grand marshal

The GCSU Pep Band rocks it out during the Homecoming Parade

Alumni, students, faculty, friends and Thunder the Bobcat take off for the GEICO Bobcat Ramble

The Irish Class of 1969 celebrated their 40th Class Reunion

Georgia College Connection • Spring 2009

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awards Alumni Awards

“Alumni Awards are important,” says Alumni Awards Committee Chair Matt Davis, ’02, ’04. “They serve as a way to recognize those special individuals who are making a difference in their profession and community that bring honor and positive recognition to Georgia College.”

The Alumni Association is proud to announce the award recipients of the 2009 Alumni Awards.

Jaynes

Stickel

Holder

Stewart

Harris

Tan

www.gcsu.edu/alumni

Alumni Association Membership Did you know that as a graduate of Georgia College you receive a lifetime membership to the GCSU Alumni Association? It’s true. No fees, dues or applications necessary.

As a member we welcome you to attend events like the annual Alumni Weekend and local alumni receptions. You are also eligible to be considered for a seat on the board of directors. Other benefits include the Connection Magazine, discounts on insurance, alumni travel program, car rental discounts, career networking and an alumni library card.

To find out more on alumni benefits and how you can get to work with your Alumni Association, contact Alumni Director Herbert Agnew at (478) 445-5771, herbert.agnew@gcsu.edu.

Ms. Betty Jaynes, ’67 Alumni Heritage Award For more than 30 years as a leading figure in the sport of women’s basketball.

Ms. Barbara Stickel, ’95 Alumni Achievement Award For advancing in her profession and having attained Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer (Medical Center of Central GA).

Milledgeville Mayor Richard Bentley, ’99

License Tag

Ms. Heather E. Holder, ‘99, ’05 Outstanding Recent Alumni Award For her stellar career advancement within the non-profit and historic preservation fields.

You can show your school spirit with your very own Georgia College car tag.

Dr. Susan C. Stewart, ’70 Alumni Service Award For reconnecting alumna to Georgia College through the Golden Slipper Pajama Party.

1. Send $25.00 to the Alumni Association (Campus Box 96, Milledgeville, GA 31061).

2. We’ll send a receipt and relinquishment form back to you.

3. Visit your county’s tax commissioner’s office with your form and they’ll issue you a tag.

Here are easy steps to purchase your own.

Dr. Robin O. Harris, ‘91, ’93 Ethel Rae Mozo-Stewart Alumni Community Service Award For her tireless work with ANGELS for Aids awareness and for community service initiatives.

Mr. Anthony Tan Honorary Alumni Award For his diligent work with the Foundation and service to the university.

The awards committee, comprised of alumni, faculty and friends, reviews and selects those to be recognized. Any alumna or alumnus of Georgia College is eligible for nomination. A form is available through the Office of Alumni Relations or online at www.gcsu.edu/alumni.

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Georgia College Connection • Spring 2009

We want you to know that because university tags are considered “specialty,” you will be required to pay the specialty tag fee at the time of renewal. If you have already renewed your car registration for the year, you can still purchase a car tag following the same steps.

For more information contact Alumni Director Herbert Agnew at (478) 445-5771, herbert.agnew@gcsu.edu.

notes Class Notes

60s

80s

Gail Parks Sealy, ’66, was recognized at Georgia Independent School Association’s annual meeting for 25 years of service to independent education. Gail received the Distinguished Service Award. She is currently employed at Piedmont Academy in Monticello, Ga.

Linda Ann White, ’80, completed her master of education degree in literacy (curriculum & instruction) from Lesley University in May 2008.

70s Glenna Roper Kipp, ’71, passed the exam to become certified as a shihan (teacher) of Temari, a Japanese art form in which the surface of a handmade ball is embroidered over with wonderful geometric or free embroidery patterns. Glenna has practiced this art form for more than 20 years.

Sue Ellen Harris Andrews, ’72, has retired from the Troup County School System after 31 years of distinguished service. She and her husband, Lyman, have three children.

Dr. Steve W. Batson, ’74, ’78, was recently promoted to senior vice president of the Institution Division at Cargill Associates, Inc. of Fort Worth, Texas. He is responsible for comprehensive campaigns for colleges and universities.

Sandi Morris, ’75, ’83, retired in June 2008, after 30 years of teaching special education. Sandi is now spending part of her time as a reporter/photographer with the Granite City News in Lithonia, Ga. Don Mullinax, ’79, is a new shareholder at Forensic/Strategic Solutions and is leading the government investigations practice for the firm. He is also leading the firm’s new Los Angeles office and will be handling matters throughout the United States involving state, local and federal governments.

James R. Lindsay, ’79, wrote a book with his wife, E. Marie Wilson-Lindsay, titled Get in Line and Win! A Comprehensive Manual on Raising Funds From All Sources of Revenue (Feb. 2009). James also became an adjunct professor at the Northern Virginia Community College teaching Sociology in 2008.

Jon M. Scott, ‘83, was recently honored for 25 years of service at GCSU. Jeff Beggs, ’85, ’91, became the head athletics equipment manager at Elon University in Jan. 2009.

Lint Hatcher, ‘87, accepted the publications specialist position at GCSU in April.

Mary Louise Ivester Eck, ’88, married Hunter Ivester, ’95, on Aug. 16, 2008, in Tybee Island, Ga. Her daughter, Laurel Star Ivester, ’06, was the maid of honor.

Donald E. Rhodes, ’88, married Theresa Preuit Rhodes on Dec. 13, 2008 in Macon, Ga. Theresa and Donald live in Warner Robins, Ga.

90s Laurie Hamilton Wicker, ’91, is the executive director for Promise of Hope, a nonprofit residential ministry for chemically dependent women, located in Dudley, Ga. Sharon Murphy Augustine, ’93, and her husband Mike Augustine welcomed the arrival of their daughter, Kathleen May Augustine on Dec. 9, 2008.

Larry Waller, ’95, took office as sheriff of Lamar County, Ga., for his third term on Jan. 1, 2009. During the last 4 years he was dean of technical studies and instructor in forensic science at Appalachian Technical College. He is also an adjunct instructor of criminal justice at Gordon College and working on a doctorate in criminal justice.

Tracy Brown, ’96, ’98, graduated with a Ph.D. from Georgia State University in Dec. 2008.

www.gcsu.edu/alumni

Rhonda Mathews Connelly, ’97, and her husband Jon Connelly welcomed their second child in April 2009.

Michelle N. Young, ’99, recently accepted a new role at GE Energy within the Renewable Energy division as the new black belt/lean leader for the Fusion ERP Wind project. As part of this new role, Michelle has relocated from Greenville, SC to Schenectady, N.Y.

00s Jennifer Cope Chastain, ’00, and Matt Chastain married on June 14, 2008 at Tybee Island, Ga. Elizabeth “Beth” Martin McCard, ’01, married Daryl McCard on Aug. 11, 2007.

The couple currently lives in Senoia, Ga. Holly Crosby Snelling, ’04, and husband Lee A. Snelling, ’01, ’03, are excepting their first child in the summer of 2009.

Both work at Georgia College. Holly works as the communications assistant for the registrar’s office and Lee works as the senior development officer in advancement.

Mallery Lee, ’07, was recently engaged to Earin C. Hale, Jr. The two are planning to be married in Dec. 2009.

Brandie Tatum, ’07, and Harold C. Mock, III, ’06, were recently engaged. Brandie and Harold are planning to be married in June 2009.

Libby Ellis Cole, ’08, and Tyler W. Cole, ’08 were married on Dec. 13, 2008 at St. Simons Island, Ga. The couple now resides in Charleston, S.C. Libby currently works for the College of Charleston as assistant director of the Higdon Student Leadership Center. Tyler is employed as an environmentalist for South Carolina’s Department of Health and Environmental Control.

Anita Johnson Lord, ’96, is now regional payment recovery unit manager at GEICO. Beginning her career with GEICO in 1993, Anita has worked through all levels of liability claims and claims management. She achieved a Greenbelt certification in 2007.

Georgia College Connection • Spring 2009

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memoriam In Memoriam

20s Gladys C. DeLoach, ’26; Oct. ’08 Christine Babb, ’29; Oct. ’08 Mary H. Cook, ’29; Nov. ’08 Annie S. English, ’29; Nov. ’08

30s Sallye G. Bennett, ’30; Oct. ’08 Pauline R. Garr, ’33; Nov. ’08 Frances A. Williams, ’33; Nov. ’08 Elizabeth S. Brogdon ’34; Nov. ’08 Mervyn S. Dasher, ’34; Sept. ’08 Jewell S. Touchstone, ’34; Sept. ’08 Daisy B. Watson, ’35; Nov. ’08 Marjorie P. Brightwell, ’36; Dec. ’08 Elizabeth B. Belger, ’37; Sept. ’08 Katharine C. Saffold, ’37; Oct. ’08 Sara M. Stone, ’37; Dec. ’08 Marguerite S. Anderson, ’38; May ’07 Margaret R. Lovelace, ’39; Nov. ’08 Frances T. Thornton, ’39; Jan. ’09

40s Mary R. Holsenbeck, ’40; Sept. ’08 Ruth Lockhart, ’40; Oct. ’08 Carolyn P. Payne, ’40; Dec. ’08 Miriam M. Smith, ’40; Sept. ’08 Hilda F. Teasley, ’40; Jan. ’09 Margaret M. Boatwright, ’41; Nov. ’08 Cornelia M. Borders, ’41; Nov. ’08 Josephine B. Floyd, ’41; Sept. ’08 Doris E. Hoffman, ’41; Jan. ’09 Ruth A. Hendrix, ’42; Sept. ’08 Mildred R. Joesbury, ’42; Feb. ’09 Lynda S. Riley, ’42; Sept. ’08 Yonah Z. Hurt, ’43; Feb. ’09 Sarah T. Owen, ’43; Jan. ’09 Wynelle P. Baggett, ’44; Nov. ’08 Margaret E. Bowden, ’45; Sept. ’08 Jane H. Parrott, ’45; Dec. ’08 Elsie W. Taylor, ’45; Dec. ’08 Betty A. Bogle, ’46; Oct. ’08 Mary D. Gibb, ’46; Sept. ’08 Jane W. Hurt, ’46; Jan. ’09 Mildred C. Baker, ’47; Jan. ’09 Margaret Uhler, ’48; Dec. ’08 Norma D. Davis, ’49; Oct. ’04 Frances L. Shea, ’49; Jan. ’09

50s Nan D. Hough, ’51; Feb. ’09 Virginia R. May, ’51; Oct. ’08

Lillian B. Paine, ’51; Jan, ’09 Iris C. Rogers, ’51; Feb. ’09 Mary H. Wier, ’51; Jan. ’09 Martha G. Wilhoit, ’51; Dec. ’08 Kathleen B. Williams, ’51; Dec. ’08 Carolyn R. Folsom, ’52; Dec. ’08 Leonel T. Gregory, ’52; Feb. ’09 Mary R. Crooms, ’53; Dec. ’08 Irene M. Hartley, ’53; Dec. ’08 Harriet Benning, ’56; Oct. ’08 Dorothy H. Snow ’56; Sept. ’08 Barbara C. Butler, ’59; Sept. ’08

60s Christine E. Harwell, ’61; Dec. ’08 Irene K. Hawkins, ’62; Nov. ’08 Virginia C. Davis, ’63; Oct. ’08 Nadauna W. Morgan, ’63; Feb. ’09 Ernestine G. Hinton, ’65; Oct. ’08 Jo Ann P. Chapman, ’66; Oct. ’08

70s Richard J. Haddon, ’70; Nov. ’08 Barbara R. Ketchie, ’71; Dec. ’08 Veronica S. Moody,’71; Feb. ’09 Robert A. Sloan, ’72; Nov. ’08 Richard J. Drexel, ’73; Feb. ’09 Roy M. Odom, ’76; Oct. ’08 Thomas D. Thrasher, ’76; Nov. ’08 Laurel L. Fry, ’78; Dec. ’08 Maureen C. Tenneson, ’78; Sept. ’08 Jerry L. Curtis, ’79; Dec. ’08

80s Joseph H. Pinaud, ’82; Nov. ’08 Gregory H. Bateman, ’84; Nov. ’08 Claudia J. Cox, ’84; Jan. ’09 John T. Howard, ’85; Sept. ’08 Myrle A. Lee, ’86; Jan. ’09 died Cynthia P. Nobles, ’87; Sept. ’08

90s Donna P. Dobson, ’93; Sept. ’08 David L. Califf, ’96; Jan. ’09

00s Jeffrey S. Blount, ’03; Sept. ’08 Angela J. Tinker, ’06; Jan. ’09 Peabody School Alumni Mary G. Arnold; Oct ’08 Constance T. Laplante; Oct. ’08

Do you have something to brag about? Submit it to the Office of Alumni Relations to be included in the next issue. While you are at it, update your address and personal information. Remember, we don’t know you’ve moved unless you tell us. Update your record online at www.gcsu.edu/alumni. You can also send it through regular mail to the Office of Alumni Relations, Campus Box 96, Milledgeville, GA 31061, or call us at (478) 445-5767.

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Georgia College Connection • Spring 2009

www.gcsu.edu/alumni

Former Georgia College President Dies

by Robert J. Wilson Professor and Interim Chair of the History, Geography, and Philosophy Department and University Historian

On New Year’s Day, 2009, Georgia College lost one of its great leaders. former president Henry King Stanford. He was 92. Stanford served as the fifth president of our university from 1953 to 1956.

Though his tenure was comparatively brief, he arguably helped save this great old college from going under.

In 1953 student enrollment stood at only 585 full-time students, the lowest number since 1910. Atkinson Hall housed the Student Union and the dining hall, but it was otherwise abandoned as a residence hall because of deterioration. The adjacent Terrell Hall was no better—the freshmen girls living there called it “Terrible Hall.” In this difficult situation where there was the real possibility that GSCW would be shuttered down, 37-year-old Stanford took over after the Board of Regents persuaded him to go to Milledgeville due to the dire situation. He answered the call with considerable reluctance.

A native Atlantan, Stanford received a bachelor of arts in history and German from Emory, and a Ph.D. in political science and public administration from New York University. He served as President of Georgia Southwestern (1948-1950) and in 1952 was Assistant Chancellor of the University System of Georgia.

Stanford realized that one of his main challenges was to restore confidence in the future of the college. Although he publicly declared that, “I’m not going to Milledgeville with the intentions of turning GSCW into a co-ed school,” he was privately concluding that admitting men would ultimately be the only hope for the college’s survival.

He was opposed in this endeavor by some powerful members of the regents who told him that there needed to be some place where there was still china and white table cloths in the dining hall.

Stanford realized that he needed to turn the institution around while keeping it a women’s college. He tried to make it known that GSCW would no longer be a place, as he put it, of “very strict, almost confining rules for student conduct.”

He then moved with his legendary energy to boost enrollment, and in his three short years supervised the construction of a longneeded science building (1954). He went on to become president at Birmingham Southern University and then at University of Miami, where he had a long tenure. In 1981, he retired to his beloved Americus, Ga., only to be recalled in 1986 at age 70 to serve as interim president at the University of Georgia. Still a man of extraordinary vigor, wit and intellect, Stanford remained extremely active.

When Stanford passed away, many of his mourners recalled one of his favorite quotes from a poem by Emily Dickinson—“ Because I could not stop for death, He kindly stopped for me. The carriage held but just ourselves and immortality.” ■

Mildred Bunting, 91, widow of former Georgia College president Dr. J. Whitney Bunting, died Sunday, March 8, 2009.

Mrs. Bunting was an active member of the Milledgeville Garden Club and a board member of the Friends of Baldwin County Cemeteries. She was a member of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution and received their Georgia Day Recognition Award in 2005. After her husband's death in 1994, Mrs. Bunting continued to be active with Georgia College as a member of the President's Society, The Business Executives Forum and as a member of the Advisory Committee to the Dean of the J. Whitney Bunting School of Business.

legacy The Legacy Society

www.gcsu.edu/alumni

The Legacy Society Membership in The Legacy Society is extended to all those who have provided for Georgia College through their estate planning, whether current or future gifts. The Legacy Society was formed to honor these special donors…and to encourage others to do the same. Bequests and other charitable planned gifts support specific programs and also contribute to building our endowment to ensuring the future strength of Georgia College. Planned gifts can provide ways for donors to make an important contribution to the future of Georgia College, while benefiting from certain tax advantages. These loyal alumni and friends have remembered us with such gifts in a wide range of amounts. All are valued… all are appreciated.

he following individuals generously left bequests to Georgia College in their wills and are Emeritus Members of the Legacy Society. Their gifts provide academic scholarships, study abroad opportunities for students and funding for programs such as science, nursing and music for generations of deserving students. If you have provided for Georgia College in your will or other estate plans, please notify us so we can acknowledge your generosity during your lifetime. We would like to include your name in our Legacy Society donors and invite you to events for Legacy Society members only.

T

Mrs. Dorothy Parks Beall Ms. Julia Black Mrs. Georgia Atkinson Bradfield Mrs. Attie Thomas Branan Mrs. Anne Wells Branscomb Ms. Mary Burns Mrs. Ida Callier Burns Dr. Leslie G. Callahan Mrs. Gladys Hobgood Camp Dr. Barbara Anne Chandler Mrs. Louise McWilliams Christian Ms. Susan Colquitt Mrs. Helen Ennis Cook Ms. Edward Darling Mrs. Celeste Sigman Dupree Mrs. Katharine McCracken Elder Ms. Ollie Elton Elton Ms. Julia Ewing Mrs. Rebecca Felton Mrs. Virginia Black Fugate Mrs. Grace Hartley Germon Mrs. Vallie Enloe Greene Mrs. Loma Bearden Guinn Mrs. Anna Ellison Hodges Mrs. Ellen Echols Jackman Mrs. Annie Jenkins Jackson Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Greene Johnson Ms. Elizabeth Kirk Mrs. Betty Boyd Love

Mrs. Artie Carter Lowe Miss Emily Myrtice Lynch Ms. Sara Mae Marchman Mrs. Carolyn Morris Maynard Mrs. Callie Patton McDonald Mrs. Elizabeth Chandler Minter Mrs. Betty Eidson Piper Dr. Humberto Ravelo Ms. Mildred Routt Ms. Emma Smith Satterfield Mrs. Tallulah Kinney Schepis Mr. William Augustus Sibley Ms. Mary Simpson Simpson Mrs. Marie Ennis Smart Mrs. Rubye Ryle Smith Mrs. Josephine Vickery Stevens Mrs. Ethel Rae Mozo Stewart Mr. Royce Stewart Ms. Emma Sumner Ms. Lavinia Tyler Dr. Vera Lucille Vincent Ms. Eva Webb Webb Mrs. Virginia Daniel Weir

A Powerful New Tool on our Website Our new charitable planned gift website is now available. We encourage you to visit www.gcsu.edu/foundation to learn how your support of our mission can change lives. There are many options to explore for charitable gift planning and you can even make an immediate online gift to support our students and our mission.

Here is a preview of the links you will find:

Build Your Gift A starting point for any donor, this is a decision tree that walks you through a process to help decide what type of giving option may be the best for you.

Essentials This section explains essential information each and every donor needs to know, such as the basic estate planning documents everyone should own.

What to Give This link helps you investigate the benefits associated with using specific assets as gifts (cash, real estate, etc.).

Ways to Give This section presents a complete overview of vehicles used to make planned gifts (charitable remainder trusts, bequests, etc.).

Compare Gifts For more information please contact, Elizabeth Hines, Director of Annual and Planned Giving at (478) 445-1944 or plannedgiving@gcsu.edu)

We encourage you to interact with our site through Compare Gifts, a gift matrix that allows you to compare up to three gift types.

E-Brochures You may request brochures discussing 17 popular estate planning and planned giving topics.

Other Resources Includes a convenient listing of commonly used planned giving and estate planning terms and a variety of Q&A selections.

Georgia College Connection • Spring 2009

15

University Advancement Campus Box 96 Milledgeville, Georgia 31061 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

www.gcsu.edu/alumni Georgia College & State University, established in 1889, is Georgia’s Public Liberal Arts University.

University System of Georgia.

The 1969 baseball team came together for a 40 year reunion in March.

They are pictured here with the 2009 team.

Also present was Floyd V. Anderson (second row, first on the left), the coach of the 1969 squad and the first athletic director at Georgia College.

www.gcsu.edu