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AT LAST
MARIETTA CELEBRATES RETURNING ALUMNI
ALSO
College embarks on a historic capital campaign
Crew marks 150 th anniversary
PHOTOS BY NATE KNOBEL
TRANSITIONS
BATTE R U P
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he long-awaited return of the Alumni Baseball Game was a hit. Former Etta Express players stepped up to the plate to play in the newly renovated Don and Sue Schaly Field at Pioneer Park.
MA RIETTA COLLEGE BOA RD OF TRUSTEES
M ESSAGE F RO M T H E PRESIDENT
DR . WI LLI A M N. R U U D
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omecoming weekends are very fun, exciting and busy for a college president. We get whisked around from event to event doing our best to greet as many alumni as possible over two, three and sometimes four days. For this reason, I do not always recall every detail of the celebration.
Treasurer Michele Marra
It was our first in-person Homecoming in two years, and more than 900 alumni and friends registered for at least one event. I am proud to say that I stopped by a total of 34 events from Thursday through Sunday, and at each stop, everyone was so welcoming. The consistent message I heard was they were pleased to be back on campus interacting with students, faculty and friends. You will learn more about Marietta College’s incredible Homecoming celebration later in the magazine. And after Homecoming 2021, I cannot wait for Homecoming 2022! I also encourage you to read about the 150th anniversary celebration for Marietta rowing that took place over the remarkable weekend — spearheaded by Brent Haney ’76, who was not deterred when the pandemic postponed the original plans. As with most memorable moments, there is a twist to this story. The past two years have been a time of remarkable change on our campus and in the world. That is what a worldwide pandemic will do. In the face of restrictions and other measures taken to ensure everyone’s safety, we at Marietta College remained focused on our future. That future became even clearer on Friday, October 22nd, as I was pleasantly reminded how much our alumni, faculty, staff, students and parents cherish the College. During the annual All Alumni Welcome on The Christy Mall, we announced the public phase of “This is the Time,” the College’s $100 million comprehensive campaign. Just minutes before making the announcement, two alumni in attendance agreed to match each other’s $1 million pledge to help build a modern student center in the heart of campus. That was truly outstanding! Our alumni and donors never cease to amaze me, and I know more of you will do the same as we diligently work to raise the final $30 million of a campaign that will provide scholarships for talented students in need, support academic programs, support our faculty and staff, and assist with our facilities — all while securing Marietta College’s place among the elite private colleges in the U.S. I will not be on campus as much in the coming months as I hit the road to meet with alumni and other donors. I am excited to learn more about why Marietta College is so important to these most dedicated alumni and friends — supporters of all ages, from a wide range of backgrounds, with the ability to support the College at different donation levels. I am deeply grateful to everyone who has already supported the campaign, and I look forward to the journey ahead. THIS IS THE TIME
PR E S I D E N T R U U D O N LI N E : twitter.com/President_Ruud instagram.com/PresidentRuud facebook.com/MariettaCollegePresident
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Vice Chair Mary Studders Korn ’82 Secretary Mark Miller
That is not the case for Homecoming 2021.
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Chair Matthew (Matt) Weekley ’81
Jerry Tardivo Alcoser ’02 Brian Brucken ’94 Robert M. (Bob) Brucken ’56 Jan D. Dils ’90 Janice Downey Donoghue ’75 Harry H. (Hap) Esbenshade George Fenton H’20 Andrew D. Ferguson ’95 James B. (Jim) Fryfogle ’73 Rochelle (Rocky) Schrecongost Goodwin ’96 Susan (Jay) Hauck-Bell ’85 Susan M. Cook Hayes ’98 John E. (Jack) Hopkins ’65 DiAnn Krivchenia Daniel (Dan) Leonard ’85 Michael L. Moffitt ’91 Kevin R. O’Neill ’87 Stephanie Esparza Peloquin ’06 Marc R. Ponchione ’96 Jason C. Rebrook ’96 Leslie Straub Ritter ’84 William (Bill) Ruud Michael J. (Mike) Salvino ’87 Charles W. (Chuck) Sulerzyski James (Jim) Wilson ’69 Jo Ellen Diehl Yeary ’76 Patricia (Patti) Kral Zecchi ’71 A LUMN I A SSOC IATION BOA RD OF D IREC TORS Chair Susan Hauck-Bell ’85 Vice Chair Michael R. Joliat ’06 Paul D. Adams ’69 Bret W. Allphin ’01 Brian R. Ashton ’08 Barry Brownstein PA’06 Timothy W. Byers ’06 Melissa Yusko Clawson ’05 Cody M. Clemens ’13 Chanel Cornett ’16 Renée Bailey Gallagher ’84 Paul R. Geisler ’87 Ruth Gilbert-Whitner ’72 Brent Haney ’76 Adam S. Kopp ’88 Mark K. Lane ’01, PA’04 Nancey Kaplan McCann ’76 Brittany Metcalf ’13 Tiesha Anderson Monroe ’14 Anna Bock Mullins ’04 Gene A. Neill ’16 Lori Sargent O’Connell ’85 Laura Stange Regan ’94 Douglas Spencer ’87 Christine Zernick Suter ’84
CONTENTS
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Inside this issue
PRESIDENT Dr. William N. Ruud
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PROVOST Dr. Janet Bland
WE LCO M E BAC K H O M ECO M I NG
After missing an in-person celebration in 2020, hundreds of alumni and their families were ready to return to campus for a weekend of reminiscing with old friends and making new Marietta College memories.
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MARI E T TA S C E N E JOU RN A L
Freshman podcast 1810 U.S. Census of Washington County McDonough–B&E Merger Saving Mill Creek Barbara Diggs Lyles ’51 House
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DE VE LO PM E N T S MARI E T TA M O M E N T
Defining memories of college life
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C L ASS NOT E S
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SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR FINANCE & ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES Michele Marra VICE PRESIDENT FOR ADVANCEMENT Dr. Josh Jacobs VICE PRESIDENT FOR COMMUNICATION & BRAND MANAGEMENT Tom Perry VICE PRESIDENT FOR ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT Scot Schaeffer VICE PRESIDENT FOR STUDENT LIFE & DIVERSITY Dr. Richard Danford DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS Larry Hiser EDITOR Gi Smith ART DIRECTOR Ryan Zundell PHOTOGRAPHERS Sandra Clark/We Rock Photography, Nate Knobel, Phil Mason, Jodi Miller, Janelle Patterson, Liz Roderick, Rebecca Wheeler, University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, Bruce Wunderlich WRITER Dale Keyes M A R I E T TA The Magazine of Marietta College is published by the Office of Communication & Brand Management. The magazine serves its readers by providing information about the activities of Marietta College alumni, students, faculty and staff through the publication of accurate and balanced content that informs and stimulates intellectual discussion. Text, photographs and artwork may not be reprinted without written permission of the Vice President for Communication & Brand Management at Marietta. CO N TAC T US Send address changes, letters to the editor and class notes to Marietta Magazine, 215 Fifth St., Marietta, OH 45750. Phone: 740.376.4727 Email: marketing@marietta.edu
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N E W AN D N OTABL E
Dillon Shoulders ’21 and Amber Smrek ’15 portray the assassins in Macbeth, produced by the Marietta College Department of Theatre and Shakespeare by the River and performed at East Muskingum Park.
LON G BLUE LIN ES
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Special Education/Elementary Dual Preparation (SEED) interns gave a living history presentation on the Pilgrims, Wampanoags and the first Thanksgiving to about 150 fifth graders from Marietta Elementary School.
GI SMI TH, E DI TOR
ne of the final pieces that I write for each Marietta Magazine is this column. I usually reserve the section until I have an opportunity to reflect on how the planning, interviewing, writing and photographing for the publication went — and then I cross my fingers that, at some point, a good idea for content pops into my head. Gauging the cover and the 12-page spread inside, it’s easy to surmise that the main feature focuses on Homecoming weekend. I spent a lot of time talking with alumni during numerous events. But for a week leading up to Homecoming, I assisted with the shooting of a new virtual tour that will help prospective students and their families get a glimpse of what our beautiful campus looks like and some of the types of experiences the College offers. Part of this process involved asking current students to volunteer to be in various video and photo shoots. During the setup of many of these shots, I would talk to the students about what they were working on, their majors, their plans after graduation or what drew them to Marietta. Most of the time, the students
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JANELLE PATTERSON
MARIETTA SCENE
would talk about next-day exams or difficult presentations that they were preparing for. In fact, as the photo/film crew did its thing, many of the students were engrossed in their studies. At that moment in their lives, there were serious things to be done, and Marietta College was the place they would learn, prepare for the future and hopefully squeeze in a little friend time. The day after the shoots were finished, alumni by the hundreds began arriving on campus, many of them with their family members — all of them ready to have a great time. What struck me when talking to alums over the weekend was how they spoke about their former professors and classes. Most alumni expressed gratitude for their tough faculty members and had a sense that their professors truly cared about them. One 1970 alumnus remarked, “It wasn’t the material that I learned in the classroom that helped me in my career and in life; it was the fact that Marietta taught me how to be a good decision-maker, and it let me have a lot of great memories during the process of my education. Marietta helped me grow up.” I have my doubts that I’ll stick around to cover the Class of 2025’s Golden Reunion Celebration in 2075, but I have no doubt that the sentiment will remain true with the test of time.
NATE KNOBEL
NATE KNOBEL
Making great use of the Dream Weaver Recording Complex in McKinney Hall, Hailey Lanham ’25 is fulfilling one of her goals by producing her first podcast, “Daily Hailey,” which focuses on adjusting to college life. You can listen here: https://www.marietta.edu/article/daily-hailey-podcast.
With the support of dedicated alumni, faculty, staff, students, parents and community members, the soccer/women’s lacrosse bleacher project reached its goal to upgrade seating at the Marietta Field.
S H A R E YO U R M E M O R I E S A N D P H OTO S O F T H E A L P H A X I D E LTA H O U S E On November 9, 2021, a fire damaged the historic Alpha Xi Delta sorority house — thankfully, no one was injured. Since the tragedy happened as Marietta Magazine was going to press, no information about the extent of the damage is known. To honor the Alpha Xi house in a future issue, we ask you to share your stories and photos via email (gi.smith@marietta.edu or marketing@marietta.edu).
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Preserving our history
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aul Fearing was a meticulous record keeper — and thankfully, the local attorney and the assistant to the marshal of the state of Ohio believed in backing up his work. Anyone who has visited the Special Collections Department in Marietta’s Legacy Library knows it’s a treasure trove of history. This summer, the department made available a digitized copy of the only complete county census for the state of Ohio in 1810. Ohio, which had gained statehood in 1803, participated in its first U.S. census in 1810. Those handwritten records were sent to the newly constructed Capitol in Washington, D.C., and became an unfortunate casualty during the War of 1812 when the British burned the Capitol. “Paul Fearing was the first attorney in the Northwest Territory,” says Special Collections Associate Linda Showalter. “Fortunately for us, Paul Fearing kept a copy of his work. His son, Henry, deposited it here at Marietta College probably in the later part of the 19th century.” Showalter, Amanda Nicholson Fletcher and Ann Anderson each created a transcription of Fearing’s handwritten work, and Sally Norton compared the transcriptions for consistency. To aid researchers, the document is also searchable. In addition to each page being digitized, there is a transcription for each page plus a pdf of the complete volume. “This is the only complete census in existence for Ohio in 1810, and we needed to preserve it,” says Dr. Douglas Anderson, Professor and Director of Legacy Library. “The best way to preserve it is to keep it in the vault. Now that it’s digitized, we can make it accessible worldwide.” According to the census, there were 5,991 people and 1,001 heads of household listed in the county, which was much larger at that time because Noble County and parts of Monroe County were created out of it.
The 1810 U.S. census for Washington County, Ohio, can be found at https://cdm16824.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/ p16824coll12/search.
“The census not only contains that information on the individuals. In the back of it, there is information about the number of tanneries, distilleries, fulling mills, carding machines, sawmills, potteries and hat factories, so that gives historians information about businesses and crafts and that type of thing that was going on at that time, in addition to the names of the heads of the household,” Showalter says. GI SMITH
Listen to Coach Jon VanderWal and other players as the 2010-11 men’s basketball team revisits the excitement from the program’s pivotal season.
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NATE KNOBEL
Making music
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alented facult members who excel in their respective fields make up one of Marietta’s points of pride — and when professors team up on a creative project, it really showcases the depth of their talents. This year, faculty and staff members from the Music and Art departments collaborated to develop, perform and produce the album “I Carry Your Heart: Songs for Soprano and Piano.” “Other than the involvement of the record company, this project was completed entirely at Marietta College by MC faculty and staff,” says Dr. Andrew Francis, Assistant Professor and Chair of the Music Department. Francis composed the music for the album, and Amy Yekel and Merewyn Weinkauf performed the music. Their performances were recorded and mastered by Vinnie Mele, an adjunct instructor in the Music Department, using the Dream Weaver Studio in McKinney Hall, and McCoy Associate Professor of Graphic Design Z Zerbe-Comer designed the album artwork. The album is produced through Equilibrium and is available on iTunes, Spotify, YouTube and other major streaming services. GI SMITH
N AV Y B LU E & Q U OT E
“I texted my mom the other day and told her I picked the right school. I think that makes [my parents] feel good because they know I’m comfortable here. The people and atmosphere are what sets Marietta apart.”
— Savannah Flusche ’25, Marietta’s 23rd McCoy Scholar M A R I E T TA
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T-SHIRT
SWAP 189
shirts donated Most shirts donated: Ohio State
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Furthest distance: Corban University (Salem, Oregon)
2,608 miles Shortest distance: Washington State Community College (Marietta, Ohio)
1.7 miles OAC Schools:
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(23 counting recycled Marietta shirts)
Reese Worship ’23
Worthy Dedication
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he late Dr. Barbara Diggs Lyles ’51 carried a heavier burden than most students during her undergraduate years at Marietta College. She was the first African American woman to graduate from Marietta — doing so in three years — despite being an unwelcome surprise when she first arrived at the train station in Marietta in the late 1940s. “The horrified expressions on [administrators’] faces left no doubt in my mind that I was both unexpected and undesirable,” Lyles wrote in a letter to the College in August 1981. “I never knew how I could have been admitted with a required picture and still provoke that kind of shock.” Dr. Lyles earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Marietta, a master’s degree in Psychology from Howard University, and a Ph.D. in Psychoeducational Studies from the University of Maryland. She was an Associate Professor of Human Development and Personality at Howard and was named Professor Emerita in 1996. She died on October 9, 2012. This fall, the Board of Trustees passed a resolution to honor Lyles’ pioneering spirit as the first African American woman to graduate from Marietta, as well as her excellence as a lifelong educator by renaming the Arts & Humanities House as the Barbara Diggs Lyles House. “This is an exciting time for Marietta College in the area of diversity and inclusion,” says Tony Mayle, Associate Dean of Students and Director of Diversity and Inclusion. During an open house in the College’s Multicultural Center, which is housed in the Barbara Diggs Lyles House, representatives of various student groups, such as Brother 2 Brother, LGBTQA+, United Women of Power and Charles Sumner Harrison (CSH) Fellows, spoke about the importance of diversity and equity and of helping people pursue their goals and making them feel welcomed. CSH Fellow Yasmeen Hall ’25 — the daughter of an immigrant, an African American and Muslim American young woman, and first-generation college student from Washington, D.C. — is keenly aware of the challenges that await her as she pursues two degrees in Petroleum Engineering and Geology over the course of the next four years. She is also working on creating a Muslim Student Association on campus. GI SMITH
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NATE KNOBEL
We offered students a chance to upgrade their wardrobe by swapping out a T-shirt from another college for a new 740 Marietta College one. The secondchoice shirts were donated within the local community.
Creative Makerspace
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rofessor Sara Rosenstock can’t help but to geek out as she gives a tour of the new Deem Design Center in Hermann Fine Arts Center. “If I could make stuff all day, this is where you’d find me,” says the McCoy Professor of Graphic Design. Made possible by a donation from Patrick ’66 and Alison Deem and the Don ’81 and Leslie Straub Ritter ’84 Gift Match Program, the College’s newest makerspace, located on the third floor of Hermann, is a wonderland for students and employees looking to make creative projects. The center contains a Glowforge Pro laser cutter; a Cricut Maker, a heat press (for fabric heat transfer) and a mug press (for custom mug graphics); a wire and coil binding machine; and large- and small-format printers. The College also has a makerspace in the Physics Department that is equipped with a 3D printer, tools and electronics equipment. Patrick Deem, who earned degrees in Accounting and Economics from Marietta and also a law degree from West Virginia University, was approached by the College’s Advancement Office two years ago to support a project. The Deems live in Bridgeport, West Virginia, and their adult children, Patrick Jr. and Megan, live in New York City and work in the business sector. “My wife and I have always had a love for the [arts], and also, our son was involved at the time with a 3D-printing manufacturing business,” Patrick Deem says. GI SMITH
Outstanding Research
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ily Daneshmand ’23 had no intention of stepping away from her studies for the summer. In fact, after spring semester ended, she chose to take her physics research to another level. She was among eight undergraduates nationwide selected for an intense 10-week summer research program at Oklahoma State University’s (OSU) Department of Physics. The National Science Foundation-sponsored Summer Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program allowed her to work with an OSU physicist on an experimental and theoretical high-energy physics project and then present her findings at OSU’s Undergraduate Research Expo. Her poster, “Search for Di-Higgs Boson Production With Four Bottom Quark Final State,” garnered Best Overall Presentation at the Expo. “At the Expo, I presented research in the field of high-energy physics. My focus was on pair production of the Higgs boson at the future high luminosity upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider in Geneva, Switzerland. I became interested in the field of high energy after taking the course Big Bang and Beyond with Dr. [Ann] Bragg at Marietta College, which covers the origins, evolution and future of the universe. High-energy physics focuses on the fundamental particles of the universe and their interactions, so principles of that field came up often in that class.”
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WAT E R WAY R E S TO R AT I O N
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laying soccer along the banks of Mill Creek in Cincinnati as a child, it was common knowledge for Dave Schmitt ’84 (pictured right) and his teammates that if the ball flew over the fence and into the water, it was gone for good. “You just didn’t go in Mill Creek — it was that polluted,” Schmitt says. “In 1997, American Rivers, the nation’s leading river conservation group, named it the ‘Most Endangered Urban River in North America,’ and it really deserved it at the time because it was in terrible, terrible shape. You could not have found a fish in the lower two-thirds of the creek at that point.” In 2017, Schmitt changed careers from being an environmental attorney to heading the Mill Creek Alliance, a nonprofit organization established in 1994 that is committed to restoring the 28-mile watershed, which runs from north of Cincinnati through 37 townships, cities and villages, to the Ohio River. It’s estimated that more than 450,000 people live in its watershed. Earlier this year, Mill Creek Alliance was awarded a grant through the Clean Ohio Green Space Conservation Fund, which allowed the group to acquire conservation easements and begin restoration work in Evendale, a community along Mill Creek just north of Cincinnati. After putting out bids for an outside contractor, the organization went with Cardno, an ecological consult10
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ing and restoration firm that the organization had previously hired to help restore sections of the waterway. Already familiar with the quality work that Cardno provided, Schmitt was also excited about working with Joel Thrash ’02 (pictured left), a Senior Principal in Water Resources and Restoration Ecology at the firm. “This is a cooperative effort with the nonprofit and city and local governments — we work with all these different entities to try to make this watershed a more attractive place to live, work and play,” Thrash says. Thrash, who lives near Cincinnati and leads Cardno’s Ohio operations, has an office that is close to where the restoration work was done and appreciates being able to work on projects that improve his community. “It’s really fun working with Dave and his organization because these types of groups are really setting the table for the work that will get done 5 to 10 years down the road,” Thrash says. “They are doing hands-on, cleanup projects, but they’re also assessing the damages and securing funding so [Cardno] can come in and help fix the damage that’s been done to these waterways in the past.” GI SMITH
PHIL MASON
Leadership merges with B&E
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n early November, Marietta-headquartered Peoples Bank pledged $1 million to help enhance and facilitate the merger between the Department of Business & Economics and the McDonough Center for Leadership and Business. The College received the first of five $200,000 annual gifts that are part of the College’s This is the Time comprehensive campaign. The College expects the merger to create a new department that better prepares students to succeed in both the nonprofit and the for-profit business worlds. The combined departments will maintain the name McDonough Center for Leadership and Business. “The combining of these two programs makes sense as we work to ensure the courses and majors within this combined program meet the expanding needs of today’s business world and the leadership challenges of the future,” says Marietta College President Bill Ruud. “This reorganization makes a strong statement about our commitment to enhancing our academic areas to ensure greater opportunities for our students, faculty and staff.” TOM PERRY
Classroom Technology
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f you knew the late Mathematics Professor Dr. John Michel, you know that the thought of having iPads to help teach a math course would have made him smile. “John really cared about his students and about how they were being taught,” says Professor John Tynan, former friend and colleague of Michel, and Chair of the Mathematics and Computer Science Department. “He loved technology, so I think being able to use technology in the classroom in a real-world application would have been something that he [would have] really loved.” When Michel passed away in 2018, his family established the John and Katharine Michel Fund for Mathematics. That fund has enabled the department to purchase six iPads for faculty to use while teaching. You can read more about Professor Michel and how to contribute to the fund at www.marietta.edu/article/ memoriam-michel.
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Charles Little ’87 (left) and Terry Tackett ’87
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C ATC H I N G UP WITH T H E PAS T M A R I E T TA C E L E B R AT E S H O M E CO M I N G WRITTEN BY GI SMITH PHOTOS BY NATE KNOBEL, PHIL MASON, JODI MILLER, LIZ RODERICK AND BRUCE WUNDERLICH
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harles Little ’87 and Terry Tackett ’87 bantered about the Marietta College they knew in the 1980s as they sorted through the racks of sweatshirts and T-shirts in the Bookstore trying to find new Marietta gear. Leaving Gilman Hall, the two men headed to Don Drumm Stadium to watch the Pioneers take on John Carroll in football. “We used to have to dodge cars here. Remember that, Terry? The cars would roll through here and honk at us,” says Little, who had not been on campus since he graduated and since the Fifth Street thoroughfare transitioned into The Christy Mall. “It feels really good to be back, and I’m happy to be able to see some of my old friends.” Homecoming 2021 promised to be a weekend filled with fun, and for the hundreds of alumni who returned, it did not disappoint. “We were thrilled to welcome back to campus nearly 1,000 members of The Long Blue Line,” says Dr. Erika Smith, Director of Alumni Relations and Engagement. “The weekend was full of beautiful moments of reconnection and community, with some Pioneers returning to campus for the first time in more than 25 years.” Though it had been 25 years since Little was on campus, he kept up with a few of his classmates over the years, including Tackett, a former Pioneers basketball player who had plenty of praise for his friend. “Charles played football here. His freshman year, his team had the longest losing streak in the country,” Tackett says. “They were featured in Sports Illustrated for not having won a game in so long. But by the time he was a senior, Charles was the captain, and they had a winning season. He went from the bottom and helped take them to the top.” M A R I E T TA
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t could have been yesterday that Tom Taggart ’71 and Steven Brandt ’71 were broadcasting from the basement in Andrews Hall. Sitting on the Valley Gem sternwheel during a river cruise, the two friends recalled their first venture with live TV in great detail, though it was the first time the two had seen each other in decades. “We had three cameras — news, weather and sports — and it was all live,” Brandt says. “Tommy’s working the camera, and they’re set up on these camera stands we just got. I’m on the desk with Bernie Russi, who was my co-anchor sometimes. I look over, and Tommy’s trying to move the camera, and he’s just skiing on this 400-pound camera stand.” The two men reminisced about other funny stories from the set of the College’s first cable TV channel, WCMO-TV, and Professor Russi.
“He told us, ‘Don’t bite off more than you can chew,’ but we always had our mouths full,” Brandt says. Liz Munch Mard ’71, who co-chaired the Reunion Committee for the Class of 1971, praised her fellow committee members, as well as the 1970 Reunion Committee, for helping guide her group through the planning process. Both classes celebrated their Golden Reunion this year because the Class of 1970’s special reunion had to be postponed last year due to the pandemic. “Our committee worked very hard to reach out to graduates and those who attended but didn’t graduate to come back for our Golden Reunion,” she says. “Each committee member reached out to 25 to 35 people — and some of them communicated personally — and encouraged them to come back to MC, meet their classmates, have some fun and, if they can, participate in giving back to the College.” Kathleen Reddy-Smith ’71 was one of the committee members and enjoyed catching up with classmates. “It’s wonderful to see the paths we’ve all taken from Marietta. As the years go on, I see this place as more and more precious,” says Reddy-Smith, a retired diplomat for the U.S. Foreign Service. “I was so grateful that Marietta gave me the tools to serve my country. My liberal arts degree made me more analytic.”
(Top left) Liz Munch Mard ’71 and her husband, Richard Haney, catch up with Mel Neidig Hayes Todd ’70 during the Golden Reunion Dinner. (Top right) Steven Brandt ’71 reminisces about his time at Marietta during a river cruise. (Bottom) Charlie Dawes ’71 and Kathleen Reddy-Smith ’71 share a laugh during the river cruise. 14
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There’s nothing like coming home. Todd Diedrick ’81 and some of his fellow 1981 graduates took a campus tour during the weekend. Stopping for a moment to listen as the student tour guide talked about the McCoy and Harrison residence halls, Diedrick talked about how much he learned from his Accounting Professor, Dr. Wen-Yu “Frank” Cheng, and how he looked forward to returning to Marietta during his class’s five-year reunions. “These are my lifelong friends, starting from freshman year in Douglas Putnam and my three years in Parsons to this day,” Diedrick says just before catching up with Chris Dunphy ’81 and Lorna Kingsbury Tofuri ’81. During the All-Alumni Welcome, held on The Christy Mall, Melissa Adams ’92; her brother, Brian Adams ’94; and his wife, Allison Gallenstein Adams ’96, had a mini-family reunion between Andrews Hall and Irvine Hall. “I was the first one here,” says Melissa, who majored in Education. “He followed me to college.” “And I met her here,” says Brian, pointing to Allison. “We were both RAs, and we met at freshman orientation. I was also an Education major, and my wife was the really smart Sports Med major.” In the midst of the All-Alumni Welcome, President Bill Ruud announced that the College was in the public phase of a historic $100 million comprehensive capital campaign that will fund scholarships, endow professorships, improve the student experience and add a student center in the heart of campus. Marietta’s Homecoming featured dozens of events for alumni
Hundreds of Pioneers reconnect at the All-Alumni Welcome.
to attend, including the MCAA Awards Ceremony, the Golden Reunion Dinner, Greek reunions, campus tours, academic department open houses, alumni rowing and baseball competitions, a lively concert in The Gathering Place, and, of course, the Homecoming football game and tailgate, as well as the men’s soccer tailgate and game. “The record-breaking attendance, dozens of events and the launch of our This is the Time campaign created an atmosphere of excitement and celebration, and we hope to continue building on this momentum through regional events over the coming months,” says Dr. Erika Smith, Director of Alumni Relations and Engagement.
From left to right Lorna Kingsbury Tofuri ’81, Todd Diedrick ’81 and Chris Dunphy ’81 take a guided tour of campus.
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REUNION COMMITTEE CLASS OF 1970 PAT LORENO WILLIS (CHAIR) RICH ARNOLD RICK ANNETT JACQUIE INGRAM KELLEY JOHN LANGEL BECKY COLIN LEIBMAN STEVE LEVY BILL O’GRADY LYNNE CASCARDO SLAVEN BOB STONE CHUCK TAYLOR CINDY BUCK WILSON BARB WOODHULL
REUNION COMMITTEE CLASS OF 1971 LIZ MUNCH HANEY (CO-CHAIR) PATTI KRAL ZECCHI (CO-CHAIR) DINAH DAVIS CHARLIE DAWES PAUL KEEFER SHERRY GOULD KEEFER JAY LEIENDECKER CATHY BURKEY MAIMON CREEL CUTLER MCCORMACK KATHLEEN REDDY-SMITH JAY SHOWALTER CYNDI COOK TAYLOR ELLEN GOLDEN YOUNG Homecoming’s “Meet Me at The Pit” event showcased memorabilia from the late 1960s and early 1970s — drawing interest from visitors such as Dan ’71 and Bonnie Caplin (above left); John Hendricks ’66 (page 17, top), and Nancy Fernald Freed ’70, Mel Neidig Hayes Todd ’70 and Cheryl Jakabetz Toronyi ’70 (page 17; bottom from right).
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an Caplin ’70 and his wife, Bonnie, spent Friday evening catching up with two of his former roommates, Chris Poskin ’70 and Lonnie Stock ’70, both Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity brothers, at Austyn’s Restaurant — which used to be Judd’s Bowling Alley when they were students. They attended the “Meet Me at The Pit” event Saturday morning. “We rented a house on Front Street — and it was old back then,” Caplin recalls. “We had two space heaters, so it was really cold in the winter. I can remember sitting around our living room, and we had blankets around us. We were talking, and I remember saying, ‘Guys, do you realize we can see our breath? We shouldn’t be able to see our breath right now.’ So many good memories come out of this place.” Nearby, Mel Neidig Hayes Todd ’70 stood in front of a long table that was filled with photos, Navy Blue & White newsletters, yearbooks and other Marietta memorabilia from her years as an undergraduate. As she flipped through a photo album, friends Nancy Fernald Freed ’70, who transferred to another college but was invited back for her Golden Reunion, and Cheryl Jakubetz Toronyi ’70 joined her at the table. “Look, there’s Creel [McCormack ’71],” Todd says. “This is so fun. I’m so glad they did this for us.” Upper Gilman — what used to be known as The Pit — had memorabilia and large cutouts of professors and administrators from the late 1960s and early 1970s. A slideshow of photos from that era also played on screens in The Pit. “We were supposed to have our 50th last year, but we were able to persevere, and many of us came back,” Toronyi says. “It was worth it.”
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efore the tailgate, alumni and friends gathered on The Christy Mall for the MCAA Awards Ceremony, which honored inductees from 2020 and 2021. Whitley Trusler ’17 and her fiancée, Maggie Watt ’15, took a break from Watt’s medical residency in Columbus to attend Homecoming and watch their friend, Taylor Myers ’15, receive the Outstanding Young Alumnus Award during the MCAA Awards Ceremony Saturday morning. “It’s nice to just be here this time and experience Homecoming,” Trusler says. “And it’s nice to see friends.” The awards ceremony was hosted by MCAA Chair Susan “Jay” Hauck-Bell ’85, with President Ruud presenting winners their awards after their prerecorded acceptance speeches were broadcast on a large screen. After being recognized as the 2020 Hall of Honor inductee, T. Grant Callery ’68 took the podium to add a few more thank-yous and to present a piece of his personal memorabilia to the College. “I wanted to be a dentist, so I majored in Biology,” Callery says. “The make-or-break class was Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy with Dr. [Paul] Seyler.” Part of that class required a 100-hour project, which translated into Callery producing a hand-drawn diagrammatic composite schema of the circulatory system of a Squalus acanthias, better known as a dogfish shark. “It took me a whole semester to do it,” Callery says, shortly before presenting the framed project to President Ruud. Rather than following his initial plans to become a dentist, Callery earned a law degree and worked in the financial services industry. He also served on the College’s Board of Trustees from 2003 to 2018 and co-chaired the search committee that resulted in the hiring of President Ruud.
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2021 HOMECOMING COURT KATELYN DELANEY (BATAVIA, OHIO) ASHLEY GODENSCHWAGER (NELSONVILLE, OHIO) KAITLYN LISTON (LITTLE HOCKING, OHIO) SHELBY MILLHEIM (BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA) NATALIE PAYTON (ST. MARYS, WEST VIRGINIA) KATEN PETTY (NEW MATAMORAS, OHIO) EMMA PURINGTON (COLUMBUS, OHIO) LAURYN WARD (MINERAL WELLS, WEST VIRGINIA) FELIPE CRUZ (MARIETTA, OHIO) ANDREW NOVAK (SEWICKLEY, PENNSYLVANIA) DALE RANDULIC (QUAKER CITY, OHIO) TYLER WALKER (CAMBRIDGE, OHIO) BRAEDEN WALLACE (ELKTON, VIRGINIA) Justin Suttmiller, husband of Lauren Brubaker ’03 (far right) and their daughters, Josie, 5 and Kendall, 2, walk The Christy Mall with Erin Hix ’00 during the All-Alumni Welcome. President Bill Ruud and his wife, Judy, stand with newly crowned Homecoming King Tyler Walker ’22 and Queen Natalie Payton ’22 and 2020 Homecoming King Robert Nelson ’21 and Queen Kelsey Hall ’21.
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he Homecoming Tailgate and football game is where current students, parents, alumni, and current and retired employees had the opportunity to come together and show their Marietta pride. Honorary Captains Don ’81 and Leslie Straub Ritter ’84 took part in the coin toss preceding the game against John Carroll. Katie Butcher ’25 enjoyed her first football game and Homecoming as a Pioneer sitting in the stands with friends Katie Justice ’24 and Mackenzie Grigsby ’24, while Chasten Coleman ’23, who was standing along the fencing, was happy to be able to attend more Homecoming events this year. “This is the first actual Homecoming that I’m not working,” Coleman says. “Last year was virtual, and in my freshman year, I was in the New Plays in One Day Festival for Theatre. I was an Alumni Ambassador, so it’s been nice to be able to meet the alumni in person that I was connecting with over the year.”
Also in the stands was the family of freshman wide receiver Logan Ranft ’25. His father, Brad, says the extended family tailgates before every home game. “My aunt brings her camper, and we start the tailgate at 10:00 a.m.,” Brad says. “The experience that Logan has had here so far has been outstanding. The Foster Parent Program has been very good, and with the family coming for games, I think he’s had a lot of support.” At halftime, Kelsey Hall ’21 and Robert Nelson ’21 prepared to bestow their reigning Homecoming Queen and King titles to the 2021 winners, Natalie Payton ’22 and Tyler Walker ’22. “I’m happy that I get to be here this year to see Kelsey walk out,” says her mother, Kathleen Hall. “Last year, because of COVID, only her dad [Marietta College Police Officer Chris Hall] got to escort her, and I had to watch from outside the gate. I’m so happy I got to be with her here in person.”
(Clockwise from bottom) Athletics Director Larry Hiser and John Foster talk during the Homecoming Tailgate. Parent Tom Giovengo pre-gamed with his own tailgate before watching his sons, Vic ’22 and Gage ’22, play against John Carroll. The Pioneers provided an exciting game against John Carroll. Brad Ranft, who was in the stands with many other family members, cheered on his son, Logan ’25, during the game.
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pread across campus and the city of Marietta were alumni events celebrating current and past Greek fraternities and sororities. As has become tradition, Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity met at the Harmar Tavern for the Art Fordham Pig Roast on Thursday, while the Delta Tau Delta brothers met at the Lafayette Hotel bar. Chi Omega started Friday morning off with a breakfast that also invited current sisters. The Alpha Tau Omega, Delta Tau Delta, Alpha Sigma Phi and Delta Upsilon fraternities met for evening events on Friday, and the Lambda Chis held a chartering banquet celebrating the return of the chapter’s charter. Saturday featured open houses and mixers for Sigma Kappa and Alpha Xi Delta alumnae, and that evening, the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity and the Alpha Xis had their own special reunions off campus. On campus, sisters from the Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority gathered in front of their former house, which is now the Office of Admission, for a Meeting on the Porch reunion. “This is the fourth year we’ve done this at Homecoming,” says Jay Hauck-Bell ’85. “We had an interesting niche on campus. … Our members were passionate about our mission, which was service to children, and we were passionate about giving back.” The Tri-Sigs also raised money during their mini-reunion to support the maintenance of the porch. “Our members were strong, independent-minded women, and we loved that about our chapter,” says Mary Studders Korn ’82. “We’ve maintained friendships for our entire lives, and we’ve maintained our sisterhood even though our sorority is no longer here.”
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(Clockwise from left) Chris Poskin ’70 and Lonnie Stock ’70 enjoy time with fellow Lambda Chi Alpha brothers during the annual Art Fordham Pig Roast at the Harmar Tavern. Tom Apple ’68 and Bob Ritchie keep watch over the grill. (Page 21, clockwise from left) Joseph Lukens ’66 has fun during the Alpha Tau Omega house tour. Bill Gilman ’78 and fellow Tau Kappa Epsilon brothers enjoy a special reunion. Tri-Sig sister Carolee Watkins Noonan ’82 and Chi Omega sister April Schaad ’84 gather in front of the former Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority house, which is now the Office of Admission. Jay Hauck-Bell ’85, Mary Studders Korn ’82, Jo Ellen Diehl Yeary ’76, Tricia McGuinness Foster ’81, Lori Sargent O’Connell ’84 and Renée Bailey Gallagher ’84 show their Tri-Sig pride before the MCAA Awards Ceremony.
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C L A S S G I F T S S U P P O R T I N G T H E M A R I E T TA F U N D CLASS OF 1970 RAISED $258,749.41 — 34.38% PARTICIPATION CLASS OF 1971 RAISED $136,796.71 — 28.68% PARTICIPATION
(Top left) Bob Stone ’79 joins his fellow Long Blue Liners at the All-Alumni Welcome. (Top right) Kathy Ross Hoffman ’71, Marsha Gildersleeve Brown ’70, Pat Loreno Willis ’70 and Lynn Cascardo Slaven ’70 enjoy each other’s company during the Golden Reunion Dinner. (Bottom left) Jacqueline Nicholas ’23 holds up her Homecoming T-shirt. (Bottom center) Natalie Payton ’22 plays a round of cornhole — one of many student activities leading up to Homecoming. (Bottom right) Munchies on The Mall draws students, faculty, staff and administrators to meet Homecoming candidates and get in the Navy Blue & White spirit.
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omecoming is a time to rehash memories with the people who helped make them. For the alumni from the classes of 1970 and 1971, there is more than 50 years’ worth of stories to share and memories to relive. Standing around a small bistro table during the Golden Reunion Dinner celebrating with the 1970 and 1971 alumni, Marsha Gildersleeve Brown ’70 caught up with friends Kathy Ross Hoffman ’71, Sonny Kelly Davis ’70 and Lynn Cascardo Slavin ’70 — all of whom were members of the Alpha Xi Delta sorority. “This is the first time I’ve been back since graduating,” Brown says. “I think it’s lovely what the College has done. The campus is beautiful, and I love that the newer buildings still have that same charm. Coming back to campus, you can sense that there is a real sense of community here whether you’re a visitor or an alum.” Pat Loreno Willis ’70, Chair of the 1970 Reunion Committee, and Liz Munch Mard ’71, Chair of the 1971 Reunion Committee, worked with the College’s Alumni Engagement Office to coordinate the evening’s events. “Next fall, Marietta College will be celebrating 100 years since the anniversary of the first Homecoming in 1922 — and the tentative dates are October 13-16,” says Director of Alumni Relations Erika Smith. “Given the special anniversary, we believe it will be another unforgettable celebration.” During the cocktail hour, alumni chatted in the Dyson Baudo Recreation Center before sitting down to an elegant dinner. At the entrance of the venue, a panel of yearbook photos with names of classmates who have passed away was displayed. “This was a very thoughtful way to do this,” says John McCullough ’69, as he noted his wife, Mary Jo Gabardine McCullough ’71, and friend, Kathleen Ruddy Henrichs ’71, were among the alumni who have passed on. Back at their table, the Alpha Xi sisters Brown, Hoffman, Davis and Slaven reflected on their lifelong connection. “We have stayed in contact all these years, and our small group travels all over the place for our own reunions,” Davis says. “It feels special after all these years. These are my best friends — still.”
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PION E E R ATH L ET I C S
BREAKING
Sweat
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TRAINING CELEBRITIES HAS HELPED LUIS GARCIA ’16 E L E VAT E H I S B R A N D A S A F I T N E S S T R A I N E R
P H OT
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ith sand kicking up from under his feet and the sweat covering his tattooed torso becoming more pronounced, Luis Garcia ’16 doesn’t let up a bit. Even as the intensity of the workout revs up on this warm, sunny South Florida day, there is no need for Garcia to raise his voice as he provides one-onone training for a client. Garcia’s positive personality and the impeccable reputation he has developed as a strength and conditioning coach and the owner of Garcia Effect are why his clients listen intently during workouts. Garcia, a former All-Ohio Athletic Conference basketball player for the Pioneers, typically conducts six to eight individual training sessions daily — sometimes on the beach as well as in the weight room. His client list has expanded in recent years to include NBA players like Kendrick Nunn (Los Angeles Lakers), Desmond Bane (Memphis Grizzlies), James Bouknight (Charlotte Hornets), Jonathan Kuminga (Golden State Warriors), Isaiah Todd (Washington Wizards) and Cam Johnson (Phoenix Suns), as well as rapper Gucci Mane. “This is really a dream come true,” says Garcia, who is a certified athletic trainer and a certified strength and conditioning specialist. “Getting the opportunity to train some big-time athletes and rappers has really helped. When an NBA player tells another NBA player what we are doing and how it has helped him, then I get calls from his agent.” Attracting the celebrity clients took some creative thinking on Garcia’s part and a specially placed connection. “It was 2018, and I was trying to get into the Miami Pro-Am to play hoops, and one of the guys I was training was a videographer for the league, and he got me a call with Ronnie Taylor, who is an NBA skills trainer and also has a team in the Miami Pro-Am,” Garcia says. The conversation went well, and Garcia agreed to
train his athletes for free so he could play some more basketball and meet the Division I basketball players who had a shot at the NBA. “I loved playing on the team, and we won the championship, but the connections were the biggest thing that came out of it,” Garcia says. “I got to meet a lot of agents as well, and now I have some of them recommending me to their clients. Now I have professional athletes reaching out to me personally saying they want to fly to Miami to train with me. It’s crazy.” The big-time clients are great publicity, but Garcia has trained thousands of people who are not celebrities and are simply looking to improve their health and fitness. “Every week is completely different. I love that part of my job,” he says. “If I need to take a day off, I can do it; and I’ve built a great relationship with my clients that if we have to make up a session on another day, everyone is great. For example, I may get a call to fly to Panama and run a special training with hundreds of kids.” That did happen, and it was an eye-opening experience for Garcia. “When I first got there, most of the kids were quiet and didn’t say much,” he says. “But I’m Cuban, and I can speak Spanish. I have learned there are not a lot of Hispanic trainers doing what I do. So I started speaking Spanish, and you could just see them get excited to see a guy who speaks their language, and it just changed the entire day for the better.” Garcia Effect is highly successful now, but it took some time to get off the ground. After graduating from Marietta College with a Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training, Garcia returned to his parents’ home in Miami. Struggling to find clients, his mother, Barbara Galindo, had some simple advice. “She said I needed to get out of the house and find a job and make some money,” Garcia says.
Luis Garcia ’16 has transitioned from being an elite college athlete to helping others achieve elite fitness.
Putting his degree to good use, he contacted some Miami-area hospitals and landed some work as an athletic trainer. He also used this experience to do some networking and met Fui Martinez, who is a skills trainer in Miami. “He got to see how I trained, and he thought I would fit well training his kids,” Garcia says. “In mid-2017, he brought me in as a full-time trainer, and I’ve been doing this type of work since. I am extremely appreciative of everything Coach Fui and Ronnie Taylor did to help me grow my business. I respect and appreciate both of them so much.” Garcia’s coach at Marietta, Jon VanderWal, says his former standout player was a beast in the weight room in his playing days, and his success now is not a surprise. “Luis is one of the hardest-working and most passionate players I have ever coached,” VanderWal says. “He is an inspiring person with an infectious personality, and I think he has truly found his calling. As a coach, it’s extremely rewarding to see former players follow and accomplish their dreams. I don’t think anyone is surprised to see Luis doing great things in Miami, and I couldn’t be prouder of him.” Garcia excelled on the basketball court at Marietta, as the Pioneers went 92-23 from 2013 to 16. He amassed 1,052 points, 216 rebounds and 74 steals in 105 games. He also made 161 of the 429 three-pointers he attempted in four seasons. Garcia was also part of three OAC championships and three trips to the NCAA Tournament, including a run to the Elite 8 in 2014-15. His on-court experience positively resonates with the professional and college basketball players that Garcia trains. “No doubt it makes a difference,” Garcia says. “I can talk about the game with them, but I also understand the game, and what we can do in our training sessions are things that I can assure them will help make them
better on the court. They also see a guy who played basketball who is big and muscular, so they know I do the workouts, and they respect what I’m saying.” Recently, Garcia has experienced a serious uptick in demand for virtual training. “This was actually happening before the pandemic, but it has grown even more,” he says. “I run training programs for kids all over the world, and it’s amazing. A lot of the growth has been through social media. I’m the face of the business, and I have to market myself, but it has completely changed my whole business.” And he cherishes the fact that so many of the lessons he learned in the classroom and from basketball at Marietta are key components of his success today. “It’s important to me that I’m able to help or impact the people I train in any way I can,” Garcia says. “There have been times [that I’m] working with a large group of children, and the workout is getting hard. They are tired and hot, but I remember how Coach VanderWal always spoke to the team about mental toughness — when things get tough, we have to find a way to push past our limits. I use that same approach with my clients, especially the kids.” As much as Garcia loves the exposure he gets from training celebrity clients, in the end he loves the impact he makes working with children. “I believe I’m making a difference with the younger kids. They see I am healthy. I talk to them about eating right,” he says. “It’s also about their confidence. I’ve had parents reach out to me and thank me for how I have helped their kids with their confidence. How they are speaking up in class and making friends. It’s the most rewarding part of what I do now.” TOM PERRY M A R I E T TA
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SCOREBOOK
PION E E R ATH L ET I C S
QUITE A CREW
Jeff Hugel ’77 christens the Chris & Jody Richard ’78 shell during a special ceremony at the boathouse during Homecoming weekend.
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learly sleep deprived, Brent Haney ’76 arrived at the LindamoodVan Voorhis Boathouse a solid hour before the sun appeared in the misty Marietta sky. It was Homecoming weekend, so a late Friday night was to be expected — but Haney had a long day ahead, as Marietta College rowing was celebrating 150 years of crew. Originally scheduled for the annual Dad Vail Regatta in Philadelphia last May, the gala was moved to October on campus. Haney emceed the dedication ceremony for 15 of the 20 shells that he and his wife, Christine, funded in the summer of 2020. That was followed by the traditional alumni row on the Muskingum River. In the evening, more than 100 current and former rowers — along with family members — returned to the boathouse for the anniversary party. No one went home disappointed. “It exceeded everyone’s hopes and expectations,” Haney says. “I know everybody was ready to go to the Dad Vail in the spring, but because of the pandemic, we had to adjust. Thanks to communication, social media and emails, we got the word out, and this turnout is the best that I have ever seen. People wanted to come back because it was a milestone.” It was a landmark moment that included Marietta’s 19th President, Dr. Bill Ruud. “My schedule during Homecoming is always busy. I want to get to as many events and speak with as many people as I can,” Ruud says. “However, I made it a point to carve out a little extra time to hang out with my crew
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friends. I loved hearing how excited they are about the future of Marietta College rowing. They are passionate about the College and crew, and their support was on full display all Homecoming weekend.” Haney and the other members of the 150th Crew Campaign Committee worked with the College’s Advancement Office to raise money for the men’s and women’s programs. Through consistent communication, which included a monthly newsletter that looked back at Marietta crew milestones, the committee was able to raise $885,927 from 286 donors. Now Marietta’s rowing program boasts an endowment of around $4.7 million. “I have deep gratitude for the passionate alumni who were willing to partner with our team to advance the program,” says Dr. Josh Jacobs, Vice President for Advancement. “They are a group of dedicated Pioneers who worked tirelessly to support our student-athletes.” Wearing his 1967 Henley Royal Regatta sports coat, Tom Feaster ’69, says he enjoyed hearing other alumni speak about the resurgence of rowing at Marietta. “The program really reached its peak during my era [in the 1960s],” he says. “There have been some ups and downs, but the momentum died off for a while. This 150th celebration has gotten people back who have not only heard the message but have also read the message. … When you get a whole group of people together like this and you are able to sit next to them and start asking questions — and we’re having conversations that we would have never had — it’s a good thing.”
JODI MILLER
ROWING PROGRAM CELEBRATES 150 TH ANNIVERSARY WITH ALUMNI, CURRENT ATHLETES
150TH CREW CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE Mary Studders Korn ’82 Kevin Suter ’85 Nancy Sanders Hanniford ’96 Marc Ponchione ’96 Joan Dalton ’97 Zach McGurk ’11 Kelli Barnette ’12
Many former rowers credit Jeff Hugel ’77 with providing the spark alumni needed to reengage with the men’s and women’s programs. About two years ago, Hugel committed to giving $253,000 annually in order to establish the Marietta Rowing Coaching Fund and the Marietta Rowing Operations Fund. Also, upon his passing, his estate will provide a gift of at least $3 million to support the two funds. Hugel has a different perspective. “I’ve done what I’ve done because I feel like I owed it. I think if I didn’t do it, I wouldn’t be much of a person,” Hugel says. “What made this celebration so much fun for me and for others was getting to see everyone come together to honor the long history of rowing at Marietta College. What an amazing evening.” Director of Athletics Larry Hiser says the celebration far surpassed his expectations, mostly because of the hard work of the 150th Campaign Committee. He specifically credited Haney with being a strong leader. “Brent is passionate and industrious. He has worked with the coaches, the College and me for the last 13 years creating a vision for what culminated in the celebration we executed at Homecoming,” Hiser says. “All of our major rowing initiatives have Brent’s fingerprints on them. As a result, the energy is high and positive throughout both the programs.” Much like Haney, Marietta’s men’s coach Greg Myhr was also operating on fumes during the celebration. On Friday, October 22nd, Myhr competed in the Men’s Grand Master Singles at the Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston. He caught a flight to Columbus and drove to Marietta to attend Saturday’s alumni row and the celebration in the evening. He returned to Boston on Sunday to coach his rowers. “For many students and alumni, crew isn’t something you discard the day you graduate,” says Myhr, who is in his third season at MC. “Everyone who has ever rowed at Marietta has a tremendous respect for each other because they understand the hard work and dedication it takes to be successful. Without our amazing alumni we, wouldn’t have the connection between present and past teams. This celebration made that bond even stronger.” Women’s coach Abby Lord ’13 rowed on two Dad Vail champion Varsity 8 shells and believes the celebration was an eye-opening experience for her current team. “They have heard me talk about the amazing rowing history of Marietta College,” says Lord, who is in her fourth season. “Being in the same room with rowers from the ’60s, ’70s, ’80s and so on, and also speaking with former women rowers from the ’80s and ’90s, I was able to help them understand what they are representing and the legacy they are expected to uphold.” Even though the party had to end, it was clear the energy from the evening would continue. Now, Brent Haney can get some rest. TOM PERRY
PHOTOS BY NATE KNOBEL
Dale Van Voorhis ’63 David Nystrom ’67 Tom Feaster ’69 Brent Haney ’76 Jeff Hugel ’77 John Strotbeck ’79 Andrea Haynes-Perry ’82
(Clockwise from top) Tom Feaster ’69 speaks with Frank Glaser ’71 during the 150th anniversary celebration of Marietta Crew at the Lindamood-Van Voorhis Boathouse in October. Women’s coach Abby Lord ’13 shares an update of the program. Former rowers, family and friends enjoy some food and beverages in the Dad Vail Room. Brent Haney ’76, who spearheaded the celebration, talks about the Metcalfs — Jim ’79, Barbara Lantelme ’79 and Brittany ’13. M A R I E T TA
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A DVA N C EM EN T N EWS
NATE KNOBEL
DEVELOPMENTS
The $100 million comprehensive campaign, This is the Time, is being co-chaired by Don ’81 and Leslie Straub Ritter ’84.
“I am not surprised anymore when I hear about the generosity of our alumni and donors. We still have a lot of work to do, but we are brimming with confidence because we know there are so many individuals who were positively impacted by Marietta College, and they want to make sure we continue to influence others for the next century. — President Bill Ruud
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s the pep band played Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline,” and cheerleaders fired up the crowd of alumni and friends, there was an excitement building on The Christy Mall that had been missing. Of course, it was the first time in two years that Marietta College was hosting a Homecoming celebration; but at this moment on a late Friday afternoon, the buzz on campus was different. It was a blend of joyful optimism and appreciation of everything navy blue and white. When President Bill Ruud reached the podium, he provided everyone attending the All-Alumni Welcome a reason to be enthusiastic about the future as he proudly announced that at that moment, Marietta College was kicking off a $100 million comprehensive campaign. Titled “This is the Time,” the campaign is the largest in the College’s history, and it has far-reaching plans that include advancing the College’s distinctive academic programs and constructing a modern student center. “This is the time for us to embark on an exciting and historic $100 million comprehensive campaign to drive our college forward — reaffirming our commitment to our students, making good on our promise to transform lives for the better, and taking bold steps to make the world a better place,” says President Ruud, who was flanked by banners touting the campaign priorities. “We are doing this at a moment when higher education is being challenged to reinvent itself, and this has inspired us to embrace several priorities for the campaign.” The campaign seeks $100 million in gifts and commitments from alumni, parents, friends, and current employees and students, and it will be a historic investment that will help elevate Marietta’s ambitions to make a lasting, positive impact on the region and the world. The College is already more than two-thirds of the way toward its fundraising target, with gifts and pledges totaling nearly $70 million from more than 6,800 donors during the past four years. Marietta raised $52.5 million in its last campaign, which ended in 2009. “Announcing that we will raise $100 million in this campaign sends a clear message that our students, our faculty, our staff and our alumni belong in select company in American higher education,” President Ruud says. “It is about how big our aspirations can become and how this
This is the Time campaign will run through 2024, and when fully funded, its highlights will include the following: Endowed Scholarships: A Marietta College education will be more accessible through scholarships and aid. Merit and institutional need-based aid often mean the difference in the life of a promising student who wants to attend college. The College will grow the endowment to a level that will allow it to provide an additional $1.7 million per year in new scholarships.
HASTINGS + CHIVETTA
Student Engagement: Marietta College will enhance and expand the experience of living on campus. The College has an opportunity to make meaningful connections with future generations of Pioneers in a way that will nurture their passion for learning as they mature into educated citizens during their time at Marietta College. great college can further support the dreams of our students.” Don ’81 and Leslie Straub Ritter ’85, who are serving as This is the Time campaign cochairs, were pleased to address the crowd on The Christy Mall. “We firmly believe that this is the time for great growth and transformation of our campus. This is the time to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. This is the time to embrace a remarkable and transformative future for our College,” Leslie says. “And it’s the time to make our collective mark on the trajectory of this place we all call home for current and future Pioneers for generations to come.” Kevin O’Neill ’87, ’12 attended the launch announcement and joined the Ritters in elevating the excitement a bit as both agreed to pledge an additional $1 million toward the construction of a new student center in the heart of campus. “When I was a student at Marietta College in the 1980s, the faculty and staff looked out for me. I didn’t realize it at the time, but those relationships and experiences had a big impact on my life,” says O’Neill, who serves on the College’s Board of Trustees. “These people saw something in me that I didn’t yet see in myself. And it made all the difference. I can’t think of a better time than now for every member of The Long Blue Line to show their gratitude for the College and to do our part to make sure the next generation of students have the opportunity to enjoy their own Marietta College experience.” President Ruud was momentarily left speechless when he learned about the additional $2 million. “I am not surprised anymore when I hear about the generosity of our alumni and donors,” Ruud says. “We still have a lot of work to do, but we are brimming with confidence because we know there are so many individuals who were positively impacted by Marietta College, and they want to make sure we continue to influence others for the next century. We will reach $100 million because of these amazing people — as well as through corporations and foundations.” Because overall involvement is also important to the success of the campaign, the College invites everyone to support one of the seven priorities. Alumni, friends and others can support the campaign and learn about naming opportunities by contacting Marietta’s Advancement Office at (740) 376-4711 or giving@marietta.edu or by visiting www.thetime.marietta.edu. “Real fundraising success is about participation, and we want every member of The Long Blue Line to be part of this historic campaign,” says Dr. Josh Jacobs, Vice President for Advancement. “Every gift — large, small, individual and corporate — adds up to make a huge impact.”
Student Center: The most notable addition is a new student center (renderings pictured left) in the heart of campus. It will feature a new career center, indoor and outdoor eating areas, a technology-equipped meeting and learning space for Greek Life, student organizations, student government and a team store. Distinctive Academic Programs: Maximize the reach of the Bernard P. McDonough Center for Leadership and Business, and create new academic centers for thought and exploration. Faculty Development: Gifted and diverse faculty are paramount to achieving the quality, student-centered education that defines the Marietta experience. Through endowed chairs and professorships, the College will provide dedicated faculty the highest distinction. Marietta Pride: Aging buildings like Erwin Hall and Irvine Hall will be renovated to increase accessibility, while other visible parts of campus will be updated with new wayfinding signage and other improvements to make campus even more beautiful. The Marietta Fund: Touching every aspect of campus life, The Marietta Fund and the strengthens the College’s ability to make sure the needs of today’s students are met.
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MARIETTA MOMENT
D EF I N I N G M EM ORI ES OF COL L EG E L I F E
Dr. Wilfred B. Howsmon (pictured below) taught chemistry at Marietta College until 1968, when he left to become the Dean of Instruction at Rockingham Community College in Wentworth. In 1972, he was appointed Provost of Northern Virginia Community College’s Manassas campus and served in that position until 1990. Dr. Howsmon died in 2008, just shy of his 83rd birthday.
SANDRA CLARK/WE ROCK PHOTOGRAPHY
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t was October 1966, and Alpha Tau Omega (ATO) had entered its float in the Homecoming parade. Having placed first in the previous year, expectations were high. Our float was a meticulously crafted locomotive (the Pioneer Express, or “Etta Express” for short) mounted on top of a convertible. A fraternity brother was driving but was completely cut off from seeing the road. Another brother walked alongside, communicating with the driver via a walkie-talkie — an early application of remote control. The result was magical — the Etta Express seemed to be self-propelled as it glided through campus. Homecoming parade activities at the time were overseen by the Student Council and its faculty advisor, W.B. Howsmon. The advisor was involved in selecting judges for evaluating parade entries but did not participate in the judging directly. Dr. Howsmon (Doc) happened to be my faculty advisor in Chemistry. We had a wonderful relationship. Doc was smart and personable and had served as faculty advisor for several organizations. The parade was held on Saturday, just before the football game. As I recall, the judging results were announced at halftime. Incredibly, the Etta Express did not win. In fact, it didn’t even get second place — a complete shutout. My fraternity brothers were more than incredulous; they were angry. And almost everyone linked the results to Doc. That night, a not-to-be-named brother snuck down to the Express, now parked on Putnam Street, and draped a banner over it emblazoned with “The Great Train Robbery.” The next day, the thus-draped Express was driven slowly around campus. I was mortified. Nothing was ever the same after that — neither between Doc and me nor between Doc and the ATOs. I promised myself to meet Doc and apologize for the rude behavior of my brothers and, more generally, for Doc being falsely blamed for the judging results. I never initiated that meeting. Doc continued as my advisor, but our interactions were formal, almost frosty. I graduated the next spring, and Doc accepted a teaching position in North Carolina. So I am endowing a new fund and dedicating it to Doc: the Howsmon-Keyes Experiential Education Endowment Fund. It will provide money to Marietta students for internships, especially to students who otherwise might not be able to participate. This is a cause I’m sure Doc would embrace. It’s over 50 years too late to meet and apologize, but I hope the fund will serve to acknowledge Doc’s contributions to me and to Marietta College. By the way, I now realize why we didn’t win the float competition. As elegant as our creation was, it lacked a catchy slogan like “We’ll steamroll ’em.” It was just the Pioneer Express.
Do you have a defining Marietta Moment you would like to share? Send us a description of your experience. EMAIL: marketing@marietta.edu MAIL: Editor, Marietta Magazine, Office of Communication & Brand Management, 215 Fifth St., Marietta, OH 45750
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MARIETTA COLLEGE SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
Dr. Dale Keyes ’67 (pictured left) is retired and living in Tucson, Arizona.
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CLASS NOTES
William Robert “Bill” White ’59 is retired and living in Upland, Colorado. Ken Luther ’60 is retired and living in Cincinnati, Ohio. He has spent the last 20 years volunteering as a broadcaster on WMKV-FM public radio. Jane Michael ’60 has a new website for her artwork and travel inspiration (www. janemichaelart.weebly.com), and she recently had a painting accepted in the West Virginia Watercolor Society National Juried 2021 Aqueous show. Irene Sarich O’Neill ’62 lives in Marietta, Georgia. Susan Hemmer ’63 lives in The Retreat at Seabranch in Hobe Sound, Florida. George Morris ’66 lives in Mesa, Arizona. Alpha Sigma Phi brother Roger Edwin Schultz ’66 is retired and living in Penn Yan, New York. James P. Jones Jr. ’67 is retired and living in Pennsboro, West Virginia. Earle Nestmann ’68 was honored by York University in Toronto, Canada, where he received graduate degrees in biology. He is the President of Health Science Consultants Inc. and was recognized with the Outstanding Contribution Award for making “a significant contribution to the advancement of York and its students through exceptional service, commitment and/or philanthropic contributions.” John M. Maciaga Jr. ’69 is retired and lives in Ellington, Connecticut. Kenneth Foyder ’70 is a retired school administrator and is now a courtappointed child advocate. He lives in St. Joseph, Michigan. Kathleen Reddy-Smith ’71 lives in Kingston, Massachusetts. Cynthia Adams ’78 (Alpha Xi Delta) is the owner of Cynthia Adams Piano Studio and lives in Columbus, Ohio. Michael “Moon” Mullen ’82 was a guest lecturer in Assistant Professor Lori Smith’s PIO 101 class, Rock & Roll and American Culture, this fall. James Zeller ’86, PE, works for Loudoun County Department of Transportation and Capital Infrastructure. He and his wife, Sharon Brown Zeller ’87, live in Ashburn, Virginia. Wally Kandel ’87 recently moved to Fountain Inn, South Carolina, to be closer 32
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Four special alumnae from the 1960s were able to connect while visiting Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in July 2021. Pictured (left to right) are Lin Shenkelberger Webber, Andrea Long Rudolph, Susanne Derr Bock and Janet Samuelson Kowalsky. All four were charter members of the Marietta College chapter of Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority when it was established in 1963. to family and is now working as the North American Director for the Solvay Group Engineering and Construction. Julia Louise Paugstat ’92 works for Passiflora Studio in Marietta, Ohio. Becky Gasior Booth ’99 is a Member Service Specialist for the American Montessori Society. She lives in Springboro, Ohio. Darla Crigger Hadden ’02, PA’04 has joined Associates in Dermatology in Middleburg Heights, Ohio, as a Physician Assistant. Heather Dixon ’03 is Program Manager (web development) for the Nashville (Tennessee) Software School. Maureen McPherson Hoey ’04 lives in Brigantine, New Jersey. Jordan K. Herrick ’06, a member of Bailey & Wyant PLLC’s Charleston office, has been selected for the 2021 Class of Generation Next: 40 under 40, honoring the up-and-coming leaders of West Virginia. Craig Sundstrom ’07 joined Amazon Web Services as the Senior Manager for Energy & Environment Public Policy in June 2021. Derek Cummings ’08 is the General Manager at Retail Products Solutions.
Amanda Morrison Harrison ’06 and her wife, Toni Harrison, welcomed their daughter, Julia Kathleen Harrison, on May 2, 2021. The Harrisons live in Akron, Ohio. Elicia Banks-Gabriel ’08 was promoted to Senior Vice President of Talent & Culture at One & All — a performance agency for social good — in Los Angeles, California. Adam Rockhold ’08 was promoted to Director of Market Operations at Actalent in Charlotte, North Carolina. Aaron Berger ’09 and Leah Mendenhall Berger ’11 welcomed their first child, Nolan Wyatt Berger, on March 2, 2021. Aaron is the Associate Director of Graduate Recruitment at Kent State University. Kimberly Nelson Sheasley ’10 joined Wondersign, a software company that develops and maintains the leading catalog data syndication platform for in-store kiosks and tablets, as a Product Marketing Coordinator. Jordan Thompson ’11 recently joined Park National Bank in Zanesville, Ohio, as a Vice President for Commercial Lending. Following more than a decade of working for TMC, a division of C.H. Robinson, Jacob Verdoorn ’11 joined RPA Labs as a Director of Product. Dongyu (Julia) Li ’12 was promoted to Senior Recruiting Coordinator with Salesforce in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Alexandra Claire Loucks Weissling ’12 is now the Talent & Organizational Change Consulting Manager for Accenture and lives in San Francisco, California. Cody Clemens ’13, Mark Hirschfeld ’09 and Ashley Wollam ’08 were awarded the 40 under 40 Award from Delta Tau Delta Educational Foundation as part of the foundation’s 40th Anniversary Celebration.
Alex Toth ’13 was recently named the Controller at NNI Construction in Cleveland, Ohio. Mary Roberts ’14 returned to North Platte, Nebraska, in September to assume the role of Marketing Manager for Great Plains Health. Mary lived in North Platte for almost three years while working as a television journalist with NBC Nebraska. In 2018, she returned to her alma mater as the College’s Video Producer. Tyler Baltzell ’15 has joined Amazon as a Senior Partner Manager in New York City following four years with Google. Brittany Curry ’15 took command of the U.S. Air Force’s 336th Training Squadron, Detachment 2, at Fort George G. Meade in Maryland. Her position gives her command over the Air Force students attending the Public Affairs Technical at the Defense Information School. Nathalia Black ’16 has been working as a Surgical Solutions Specialist with Henry Schein for nearly two years, but in July, she moved from Columbus, Ohio, to Sarasota, Florida. Adam Fox ’16 graduated from the University of Florida’s Levin College of Law in 2020, was admitted to the Florida Bar and is practicing law at Estes, Ingram, Foels & Gibbs in Orlando, Florida.
Kaitlyn Pearse ’14 and Rachel Roffee Pearse ’07 were married at Kelton House in Columbus, Ohio, on May 29, 2021. Alumnae in attendance included (from left) Stacey Smith ’14, Kaitlyn, Katie Humphrey Feyh, Rachel and Becca Thomas ’14. The couple lives in Denver, Colorado. Breyanne Mays ’17 is married to Zachary Janus ’17, and the couple lives in Bloomingdale, West Virginia. Breyanne is the Land OPs Manager for Purple Land Management. Shauntiel Qualls ’17 is a TESOL teacher at Winchester Trail Elementary School in Canal Winchester, Ohio, and was also named the Summer School Coordinator.
Paige DeVriendt ’14 and Cody Broughton ’14 married in Columbus, Ohio, on May 28, 2021. Alumni in attendance included Tiffany New Parenti ’14, Drew Parenti ’13, Mattie Stowell ’14, Breanna Appleby Salanova ’13, Natalie Mayan Schlimmer ’15, Abby Romesberg ’15, Dani Stein ’12, Lauren Franko ’13, Becca Thomas ’14, Sarah Campbell Spurgeon ’13, Andrew Wimmer ’13, Brenna Goethel ’13, Maggie Pike ’14, Kate Goethel Barfuss, Amanda Weissling ’16, Chloe Janson ’16, Mary Ervin ’16, Jonathan Keener ’14, Ally Welch ’15, Tyler Haskin ’13, John Korth ’13, Sean Smithberger ’13, Daniel Spurgeon ’13, Joe Mahoney ’13, Sean Pottmeyer ’13, Cameron Tope ’13, Terrance Wallace ’17, Asher Saperstein ’14, Alex Weissling Loucks ’12, Marianne Seal Smithberger ’12, Kelsey Short ’12, Nick Iddings ’14, Mike Coyle ’14, Derek Webber ’15, Kelly Sommers Robinson ’16, Joe Pavicic ’13, Jared Cardiel ’14, Calvin Sellwood ’14, Cameron Crockett ’14, Chad Rummler ’14, Alex Toth ’13 and Catherine Sundstrom ’13.
CLASS NOTES
Brittany Metcalf ’13 and her husband, Levi Dein, eloped in 2020 and recently had their wedding celebration in Houston. Alumni in attendance included (front row, from left) Jim Metcalf ’79, Nico Richey ’13, Brittany Metcalf ’13, Chelsea Doutt Singleton ’13, Rachel Jones ’12, Barbara Lantelme Metcalf ’79, Beth Bennon Jones ’07 and Kathryn Patton ’10; (back row, from left) James Metcalf ’15, Aleisha Guiler ’13, Ally Jenkins Kimmey ’13, Scott Kimmey ’13, Danielle Lang Potts ’13, Bill Patton ’66, Candice Miller ’04 and Jeremy Jones ’07.
Jaclyn Mulvain ’21 has been selected to participate in the 2022 Ohio Legislative Service Commission Legislative Fellowship Program. She is one of 23 fellows selected for the professional, paid, full-time position that starts in December and lasts 13 months. The fellows gain firsthand experience in state government.
Nikolaus Camino ’20 works as a graduate assistant in the Athletics Department at Kent State University. M A R I E T TA
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MCAA AWA R DS
ERIC DOWLER ’07 2020 OUTSTANDING YOUNG ALUMNUS AWARD “There are many things that affect what you are doing at that time and in your future. All my [Marietta] experiences shaped my life and opened my eyes to the endless possibilities that our world provides us.”
GEORGE FENTON 2020 HONORARY ALUMNUS AWARD “Marietta College has been a big part of my life, even though I did not graduate from here. My father, mother and oldest brother were graduates, and several other close relatives were graduates and students. The connection between my extended family and the College is very strong.”
LINDA SHOWALTER ’79 2020 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNA AWARD
GREG BLACK ’81 2020 LIZ TRIBETT SERVICE AWARD
“Marietta College is one of the best places on earth to receive a meaningful education. … It’s a privilege to care for the many rare books, manuscripts, photographs and paintings that tell the story of the College and the community.”
“I have a lot of love and passion for the school. Always have and always will. It’s easy to love Marietta College because of how many great things it’s done in my life.”
DR. GLORIA STEWART 2020 HONORARY ALUMNA AWARD “I am very proud of the part I played in building and continuing the support of the PA Program and extremely proud that a scholarship has been established in my name to help in a small way to support a deserving student each year.”
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KEN AND BETTY STOLLAR 2021 LIZ TRIBETT SERVICE AWARD “We’ve been involved in the [men’s basketball] Foster Family Program since almost the beginning, and we have over 20 foster sons. We’ve had some great times. When we first started coming here, there might have been 200 people in the gym for a game. … Now it’s the most exciting arena in Division III.”
C. TAYLOR MYERS ’15 2021 OUTSTANDING YOUNG ALUMNUS AWARD
“This honor does not mark an end achievement but a great milestone as I continue to give back the gift and strive to leave a positive impact on our world.”
“Just knowing that you have to stand up for something and have values and have beliefs is important, but also knowing that you have to work together to solve problems to serve a campus or a community, a country or a world [is even more important].”
PHOTOS BY JODI MILLER
PATRICK TEGGE ’14 2021 OUTSTANDING YOUNG ALUMNUS AWARD
T. GRANT CALLERY ’68 — HALL OF HONOR INDUCTEE “One of my truly great experiences has been the opportunity to give back to Marietta College for educating me. … My time on the Board [of Trustees] provided me with many unique opportunities to give back.”
DR. ROGER PITASKY 2021 HONORARY ALUMNUS AWARD “When I retired last year, I reflected back on the changes I have witnessed since 1970. Some things haven’t changed much. We had good people in 1970, and we have good people now — different people, but still good students, good faculty, good staff and good administrators.”
KATHLEEN MURPHY ’82 2021 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNA AWARD “I got a great education at Marietta College in my major, but I also learned so many other things that have served me in my life and my career.”
Other Hall of Honor inductees (not in attendance) were John Beale ’71, Roger Markfield ’63 and Dale Wartluft ’63.
MALCOLM DOLDRON ’99 2021 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNUS AWARD “I want to dedicate this award to my mother, Vivien Peterson, who passed away in 2019. She loved Marietta, and she would have been so proud to see this moment. She encouraged me to follow my dreams, [to] seek out opportunities, to give back to my community and to be thankful for every breath I take.” M A R I E T TA
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O N S HELVES NOW In 2015, James (Jim) Barufaldi ’62 (Lambda Chi Alpha) retired from his position as Professor and Director of the Center for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education at the University of Texas at Austin. In the years that followed, Jim traveled extensively to Taiwan, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Ecuador, Iceland, Norway and Ireland, to name a few. Having collected Native American Indian pottery since 1980, he formed the Facebook Group page Jim Barufaldi Sr., Native American Indian Pottery in 2017 to provide people with the opportunity to share and discuss information about Native American Indian pottery. The group currently has more than 4,000 members. When the pandemic halted travel, Jim wrote three books: Acoma Pueblo Pottery: Honoring the Tradition, Native American Pottery Symbols and Designs, and Journey of Acoma Potter Franklin Peters, all available on Amazon.
Daniel Oliver Betz III ’68 has written three books over a three-year period that are available on Amazon. Broken Bones was published in 2018, Explosion was published in 2020, and Fear Itself: A Mystery was published earlier this year. He is currently working on his fourth book. “I was an English major with a history minor. I worked in the student dining rooms bussing tables and washing dishes in between classes for three of my four years at MC. No real time for sports, clubs or anything else. I did spend considerable time studying. College was much more difficult than high school. I have lived in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, for over 40 years now. I have gained some note as a frequent contributor to the Lancaster Newspaper. I write editorials and have had 112 published in the editorial section of the news in the past 11 years I have been submitting them.”
IN MEMORIAM TRUSTEES Kathleen M. Ruddy Henrichs ’71 Dr. Kathleen Ruddy Henrichs ’71 passed away on September 13, 2021, in Evanston, Illinois. She was the youngest person ever elected to serve on the Marietta College Board of Trustees. FACULTY Dr. G. Whitmore Hancock Dr. Whit Hancock, Emeritus Professor of Physics, passed away on July 14, 2021, in Marietta after a lengthy illness. He worked at the College from 1968 to 2000. He is survived by his wife of 40-plus years, Emeritus Professor of Education Dr. Carole Wylie Hancock ’75. Violet LeClair Former coach, faculty member and Marietta College Athletics Hall of Fame member Violet LeClair, of Hickory, North Carolina, passed away on August 10, 2021. She worked at the College from 1974 to 1986. Dr. Gamaliel Perruci Dr. Gama Perruci, Emeritus Dean of McDonough Center for Leadership and Business, passed away on July 9, 2021, after a courageous battle with cancer. He worked at the College from 1999 to 2021. Dr. Stanley Radford Dr. Stanley Radford, Professor of Physics, of Stockbridge, Michigan, passed away on August 6, 2021. He worked at the College from 2001 to 2006. STAFF Mildred (Millie) McCain Millie McCain, Executive Secretary to six vice presidents in Finance and Administration, passed away on July 15, 2021. She worked at the College from 1981 to 1999. 36
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Mary Rice Mary Rice, Director of Health Services, of Marietta, Ohio, passed away on October 28, 2021. She worked at the College from 1972 to 1996. 1940s Lois G. Jackley Padden ’48 (Alpha Xi Delta) of Vienna, West Virginia (8/19/2021). 1950s S. William Larson ’51 (Lambda Chi Alpha) of Toms River, New Jersey (5/30/2021). Matilda Buchbinder Brust ’52 (Phi Beta Kappa) of New York, New York (9/22/2021). James H. Hyde ’53 of Augusta, Georgia (7/20/2021). Spurgeon C. Crosby II ’54 (Alpha Tau Omega) of Diamondhead, Mississippi (8/11/2021).
Harvey S. Ernest ’62 (Tau Kappa Epsilon) of Greensboro, North Carolina (6/23/2021). He is survived by his wife, Elaine Pastor Ernest ’64. John R. Forbes Jr. ’62 (Delta Upsilon) of Marietta, Ohio (8/3/2021). He is survived by his wife, Peggy McAdam Forbes ’63; brothers, Randall Forbes ’72, Robert Forbes ’69 and Thomas Forbes ’64; and sisters, Susan E. Forbes ’71 and Cathryn Forbes Hamman ’74. Jerry J. Wagner ’62 of Marietta, Ohio (9/14/2021). George E. Fanady ’63 of Wilmington, North Carolina (8/18/2021). Robert S. Fortin ’64 (Alpha Tau Omega) of Weston, Connecticut (7/1/2021). He is survived by his wife, Betty Popper Fortin ’64.
Nancy L. Schwartz-O’Dell ’70 of Marietta, Ohio (9/21/2021). Charles D. Hercher ’71 (Alpha Tau Omega) of Crossville, Tennessee (5/15/2021). Dean M. Balice ’72 of Chicago, Illinois (7/9/2021). Thomas M. Truck ’72 of Columbus, Ohio (8/13/2021). Charles S. Armistead Jr. ’73 of Elkview, West Virginia (8/8/2021). Michael A. Schumacher ’73 of Canton, Ohio (8/12/2021). Earl R. Loew ’76 of Fredericksburg, Virginia (5/30/2021). Thomas J. Lambiotte ’77 of Mineral Wells, West Virginia (7/12/2021). Scott A. Hollinger ’79 of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (8/13/2021).
James D. Lucas ’54 (Lambda Chi Alpha) of Camden, Ohio (9/12/2021).
Kenneth G. Himelrick ’64 of Parkersburg, West Virginia (6/12/2021). He is survived by his son, John K. Himelrick ’98, and his daughter, Sara Himelrick Hassett ’92.
Robert D. Battin ’57 of Greensboro, North Carolina (4/10/2021). He is survived by his brother, Dale E. Battin ’60.
Leslie A. Gould Lawrence ’64 (Chi Omega) of Weymouth, Massachusetts (7/17/2021).
Camille Dumonthier O’Connor ’86 (Chi Omega) of Fort Wayne, Indiana (10/19/2020).
Wilbert W. Boden ’57 of Hailey, Idaho (7/15/2021). He is survived by his wife, Alice Whitehead Boden ’58.
Anthony T. Lesh ’65 (Delta Upsilon) of Cleveland, Ohio (6/6/2021). He is survived by his daughter, Samantha Lesh Ogden ’95.
1990s
1960s Suzanne Ogle ’60 (Chi Omega) of Marietta, Ohio (6/23/2021).
James S. Hammond ’69 (Tau Epsilon Phi) of Winter Haven, Florida (6/10/2021).
Robert R. Berdais ’61 of Post Falls, Idaho (9/23/2021).
1970s
David F. Brownell ’62 (Alpha Sigma Phi) of Concord, Massachusetts (7/7/2021).
Marjorie E. Pekkala Kirkpatrick ’70 of Buena Vista, Colorado (3/9/2021). She is survived by her daughter, Cristie Kirkpatrick Woodbury ’84, and her son, Scott Kirkpatrick ’86.
1980s Jeffrey Ash ’86 of Marietta, Ohio (7/2/2021).
Lou Ann Pinkerton Hamilton ’90 of Painesville, Ohio (6/18/2021). She is survived by sisters-in-law Elizabeth A. Hamilton ’91 and Dina Pinkerton ’94. Crystal S. Feather Colon ’92 of Edgerton, Ohio (9/30/2021).
UPGRADING CLASSROOM
TECHNOLOGY 38 down — 42 to go The Marietta College Board of Trustees is sponsoring six of the pending eight upcoming upgrades. Average cost per classroom = $5,000 Projectors — Amplifiers — Speakers — Projector Screens — Computer Monitors — Cabling — Switchers — Construction/Repair Work — Podium Reconfiguration
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“I chose higher education as a career to pay it forward and to help students achieve academic success by creating an educational environment that promotes the development of the whole student. I always tell students there’s nothing you can ask for that I haven’t asked for myself. And I will never ask for anything in return except that when you make it, you pay it forward and help out somebody else.” — Dr. Joseph Webb ’07
B I O G R A PH Y: Growing up in foster and group homes, Joe Webb was homeless by
the time he arrived at his first college. During his first holiday break, he slept in the bushes because the institution wouldn’t allow him to stay in his dorm. The moment he transferred to Marietta College, he knew he had to reach out for support to achieve any level of success. When he did, a litany of voices responded, ‘Yes.’ Now, Dr. Joseph Webb, Vice President for Student Affairs at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin, is committed to using his education, his understanding of leadership and his life experiences to ensure that students at his college understand and have access to the resources that will prepare them to accomplish any goals they set for their entire lives.