MIAMIAN Spring 2012
Four Chicas’ Adventures in Winemaking
Vol. 30, No. 2
Our Miami
Cultivating a vision “T
he most beautiful campus that ever there was.” That is how poet Robert Frost described Miami during one of his many visits to Oxford. Admiring the Georgian red brick and green lawns while strolling among the stately oaks, what Robert Frost experienced was, in fact, the result of foresight and vision. I doubt that anyone visiting in the early 1800s would have thought Miami beautiful then. English professor Walter Havighurst paints a picture of a rather primitive place in The Miami Years: “A whitewashed fence enclosed four or five acres around the college building, a campus denuded of forest but dotted with stumps.” Visionaries, however, looked at the stumps and mud and saw great possibilities. Miami’s first students joined President Bishop and Professor McGuffey in planting seedlings of maples and beech, hickory and oak, even though they knew that they would not be around to watch them grow into beautiful, mature trees. Eight decades later, when those trees were still considered young, a new generation of Miami visionaries embraced the future. Led by President Benton and committed alumni, the aptly named Alumni Library was constructed. The library, known today as Alumni Hall, was the crowning achievement of Miami’s Centennial celebration. It is also a tribute to Miami’s students and alumni of 1909 because the university’s first library could not have been built without their support. Now here we are a little over 100 years later, and it is our turn to cultivate a vision. Since the mid-1990s, Miami’s student leaders have been making the case for a new student center. Finally, in 2009, following in the tradition of the Miami community launching the Alumni Library during our Centennial, the Armstrong Student Center took root during our Bicentennial commemoration. The center is now under construction, thanks to more than 9,400 alumni who have pledged their support to the Armstrong Student Center as the future of the Miami Experience – where lifetime friendships, memories, and ideas will grow. Every time I talk with alumni, I am struck very powerfully by Miami’s great tradition of lifelong friendships. An alumna in Dallas, for example, shared how the friendships that she and her college housemates started 37 years ago continue to this day. It is so important to them that they are donating as a group to the Armstrong Student Center so that future Miamians might have opportunities to form similar lasting bonds. We are honoring our past by investing in our future. I hope that you will not only consider adding your name to the Armstrong Student Center, but that you, too, like our alumna from Dallas and her friends, will share this opportunity with your close Miami friends and classmates. [See Page 32, the giving envelope in this Miamian, or www. MiamiAlum.org/4LoveandHonor for details.]
The impact of enduring friendships is highlighted in this issue’s cover story, “The Four Chicas’ Great Argentine Adventure.” Nearly 19 years after graduation, these four women are busy with their careers and their families, yet they still make time for their college buddies. During one particular adventure, they headed to Argentina on a vacation and The young tree we’ve planted at Lewis ended up buying a Place. Photo by Meriem Hodge ’08. vineyard. Talk about visionaries! For five years they planted and harvested and believed. Finally, they introduced their first vintage, named Slantwalk in honor of their shared history at Miami. Like the Four Chicas, Valerie and I value the importance of acting for the long term. Not long ago we had to cut down a tree in front of the president’s home, Lewis Place. The giant oak was more than 200 years old, roughly the age of the university. Removing it broke our hearts, but disease had weakened it too much. Honoring tradition, we planted a young tree in its place, one that we expect will be a giant a hundred years from now. I can assure you that I won’t be here to enjoy it. However, we have given this new tree a good start and a firm foundation, just like the Miamians involved with the Alumni Library of 1909 and the Armstrong Student Center of 2009. Creating a student center that is the foundation for success of future generations – a center surrounded by towering trees planted by past generations of Miamians – is a great gift to those who follow us, just as we have enjoyed the vision and support of those who came before us. For Love and Honor.
You are invited to write to President David Hodge at president@muohio.edu. Follow him on Twitter @PresHodge.
Contents
MIAMIAN
Spring 2012
Vol. 30, No. 2
Features 6 The Four Chicas’ Great Argentine Adventure
When four adventurous Miami alumnae explore the wine country of Mendoza, they fall in love with the country, its culture, and its wines and end up buying a small vineyard.
10 An Introduction to Fine Wines
Going far beyond students developing their palates, Jack Keegan’s Viticulture and Enology class digs deeply into the soil, the plants, and the climate of successful winemaking.
14 The Ultimate Miami Man
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Retiring as the Miami men’s head basketball coach after 16 years, Charlie Coles ’65 shares a few stories dear to his heart.
17 Beauty in Poetry
“Trees of Miami, beautiful trees …” Spring photos capture a bit of the beauty blooming throughout the Oxford campus while poems by Percy MacKaye and Rita Dove ’73 delve below beauty’s surface.
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Departments 2 In your words 4 Along Slant Walk 20 Class notes 2 9 Obituaries 33 One more thing … ED COLLIER PHOTOGRAPHY
Staff
Collegiate team skates in sync to win gold at U.S. Nationals.
Editor, Donna Boen ’83 MTSC ’96 Art Director, Michael Mattingly Senior Designer, Donna Barnet Web Developer, Suzanne Clark Copy Editor, Beth Weaver
University Advancement, 513-529-4029 Interim Vice President Brad Bundy/bundybm@muohio.edu
Alumni Relations, 513-529-5957 Assistant Vice President for Alumni Relations Ray Mock ’82 MS ’83/mockrf@muohio.edu
Office of Development, 513-529-1230 Associate Vice President Brad Bundy/bundybm@muohio.edu
On the Web www.MiamiAlum.org/ Miamian
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www.muohio.edu/alumni/ Address changes may be sent to: Alumni Records Office, Advancement Services Building, Miami University, 926 Chestnut Lane, Oxford, Ohio 45056; alumnirecords@muohio.edu; 513-529-5127, Fax: 513-529-1466 Miamian is published four times a year by the University Advancement Division of Miami University, Oxford, Ohio 45056. Copyright © 2012, Miami University. All rights are reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Contact Miamian at 102 Glos Center, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio 45056, 513-5297592; Fax: 513-529-1950. Miami University is committed to providing equal opportunity and an educational and work environment free from discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, military status, or veteran status. Miami shall adhere to all applicable state and federal equal opportunity/ affirmative action statutes and regulations. The university is dedicated to ensuring access and equal opportunity in its educational programs, related activities, and employment. Retaliation against an individual who has raised claims of illegal discrimination or cooperated with an investigation of such claims is prohibited. Students and employees should bring questions or concerns to the attention of the Office of Equity and Equal Opportunity, Hanna House, 529-7157 (V/TTY) and 529-7158 (fax). Students and employees with disabilities may contact the Office of Disability Resources, 19 Campus Avenue Building, 529-1541 (V/TTY) and 529-8595 (fax).
In your words Story behind photos Friend me Not long ago, a friend and I went Uptown to catch up on who was where doing what when he apologized and pulled out his cell phone. He had to check in with his office. No problem. We’re all so tethered to our technology these days that I didn’t think anything of it. Or I wouldn’t have except that he laid the phone flat on the table, hunched his shoulders, squinted through his glasses, and started some painfully slow, two-handed The beginning of a beautiful “biffles 4 liffles” friendship. typing. I laughed. I shouldn’t have. Not because it was rude, although it was. Still, he’s a good friend, and good friends forgive a lot. I shouldn’t have because when it comes to texting, I’m all fingers myself. Not only don’t I text, I don’t comprehend it either, so when I saw biffles 4 liffles last week, I had to look it up. According to the Urban Dictionary, it means “best friends for life … for life.” Best friends for life … for life. That’s a wonderful description for many of us who started lifelong friendships in college. Although the Internet certainly helps us keep in touch, we Miamians have been “friending” each other since long before Facebook. Your mutual affection is evident in the photos you share in Miamian – the 2009 classmates driving across country to Pentwater, Mich., to laugh together over favorite Miami moments; the four Theta Chi’s who “do lunch” every spring in Tampa; the huge gathering of the Luxembourg Class of 1981, squeezing in shoulder to shoulder for a 30th reunion picture in Toronto. So why do we make time, in the midst of our chaotic careers and hectic family lives, to travel hundreds of miles for a weekend with college friends? After Rachel attended Alumni Weekend, she explained it this way in a letter to her 1951 Mortar Board pals: “… of course, we all forgot we had white hair or no hair or whatever else goes into 63 years. We sang and laughed and retold all the funny stories of so long ago. Isn’t it wonderful to have so many happy memories and feel so young again? I am so proud to have been a part of the Miami tradition.” The deep rapport we develop during college is one of Miami’s finest traditions. Another, perhaps lesser-known tradition involves friendships and trees. It states that if you’re walking with friends on campus and your group passes a tree, you must all stay on the same side of the trunk to make sure your friendship never falters. Steve Chapin ’77 and his Phi Kappa Tau buddies must have been particularly careful around Miami’s massive oaks because they’ve gotten together in Oxford every fall, without fail, for the past 34 to celebrate Homecoming Weekend. So … what do your Miami friendships mean to you? Do you have a group, like Steve’s, that reunites regularly? Write to me at Miamian@muohio.edu or Miamian, 102 Glos Center, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio 45056, and tell me about who gets together where and why, and I’ll share your fun times in a future Miamian. Don’t forget the photos. Donna Boen ’83 MTSC ’96, Editor
I was thrilled to see the article about Scott Allison’s project to “update” Frank R. Snyder’s great photographs (“Adjusting the Lens,” Winter 2012 Miamian). I had a little to do with “discovering” Frank R. Snyder’s photographs while I was working at Snyder’s wonderful store. Mrs. Frank K. Snyder asked Frank K. and me to go through some things in the store’s attic. I believe it was 1959. She wanted to get some “junk” out for Alumni Weekend. The “junk” sold like the proverbial “hot cakes.” While taking stock, Frank K. and I stumbled upon what seemed to be hundreds of glass plate photographs that Frank R. Snyder had taken over a half-century. I know Frank R.’s widow, still active in those days, was quite thrilled with our discovery. I thought some museum would want them, perhaps the Cincinnati Art Museum. I’m delighted that the Snyders gave these fantastic treasures to Miami. Scott did a great job with his Canon 7D (my favorite camera) in replicating those great works of Frank R. Snyder. It was a sad day when I learned that Snyder’s store was going to close. I was a Marine Corps vet who loved taking lots of photographs while working on The Miami Student and working at Snyder’s. R.D.B. “Ben” Laime ’60 Albuquerque, N.M.
Hurray for arts
I so enjoy keeping up with MU through Miamian. I was particularly excited to read about the Year of the Arts at Miami – hurray! The art museum and all the cultural programming brought to campus were always points of pride for me – as was the fabulous education I received in creative writing/poetry from professors
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In your words
MIAMIAN Vol. 30, No.
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Winter 2012
such as Jim Reiss, David Schloss, and Kay Sloan. I must admit to being a wee bit bummed not to see much coverage of the literary arts in the university’s plans for this grand celebration, but surely I am biased by my major, and by the career path to which that education led me (10 years in book publishing, followed by another 10 in the nonprofit literary/ arts management world). I do hope the Year of the Arts is the best yet at MU, and I look forward to hearing about the performances and exhibitions – and perhaps even a reading or two! Beth Harrison ’92 Executive Director, Interim Academy of American Poets New York, N.Y.
Dr. Shriver’s fun side
I remember Dr. Shriver as a man with a great sense of humor. My Theta Chi fraternity brother and I took Dr. Shriver’s Ohio History class in the winter quarter of 1976. The class was held in the lecture room of Laws Hall to capacity. I think about 200 were signed up. We noticed that one of the first things Dr. Shriver did when he entered the room was to pull down the map of Ohio at the chalkboard. Well, my frat brother and I arrived early before class one night and taped a Playboy centerfold on the map of Ohio. Dr. Shriver came in and pulled down the map, to which the class responded with an uproar of laughter! Dr. Shriver had a little trouble getting it off the map because it was taped on pretty well, but he got a great chuckle out of it anyway. About 15 minutes into the lecture, there was a knock at the door. Dr. Shriver opened the door, and there stood a Domino’s delivery boy holding a pizza that I had ordered earlier that evening.
Spring 2012
Unfortunately, there was not enough to go around, so Dr. Shriver had to turn him away, but not without another great chuckle! Seriously, though, Dr. Shriver’s Ohio History class was the best course I’d ever taken in college. As we all know, Dr. Shriver was a great storyteller, and the hour and 15 minute class time always flew by with the audience always wanting more! We actually gave him a standing ovation one night at the end of one of his stories! Dr. Shriver was definitely a gifted man, one of a kind who will sorely be missed! … Well, rest in peace, Uncle Phil, and I’ll see you again some day! With love and respect, Bob Shafranek ’76 Cleveland, Ohio
Get the picture
I am a professor emeritus of zoology, retired from Miami in 1998, and am now enjoying traveling much of the year. Sue and I were in a group (OAT) traveling to Thailand and Cambodia last month. In this small group was an MU ’64 graduate, Carole, who is now retired but had done well as a professional. During our travels to Cambodia, we visited Angkor Wat in Siem Reap. I was wearing one of my Miami T-shirts just to see if I could rouse someone. Sure enough, at the end of the day, a man approached me to say he went to Miami. He was class of ’64. I said I had someone he should meet. So the three of us got together for a picture session.
Miami Years re-read
Upon the 50th anniversary of my graduation from Miami, I decided to review The Miami Years: 18091984 by Walter Havighurst. It is historically illuminating and exciting and brings back many fond memories of my days there. My Miami years, 1958-1962, are four of the best years of my life. I would recommend reading this book if you have not done so and the re-reading of it if you have been away from Miami as many years as I have. It is a most enjoyable and stimulating read. Because of the classical heritage of “Old Miami,” I also was inspired to read the English translation, not the original Greek, of The Complete Writings of Thucydides – the Peloponnesian War. Leonard Korman ’62 Clark, N.J.
The picture includes, from left, Dr. Jason Bodzin ’64, MD, from Berkley, Mich., general surgery; Dr. Allan Allenspach, zoology, retired; and Carole Ross ’64, of Albuquerque, N.M. It was a fun time together! Al and Sue Allenspach Bethany Beach, Del.
Send letters to: Donna Boen, Miamian editor 102 Glos Center Miami University Oxford, Ohio 45056-2480; Miamian@muohio.edu; or fax to 513-529-1950. Include your name, class year, home address, and phone number. Letters are edited for space and clarity. To read more letters, visit Miamian’s website at www.MiamiAlum.org/Miamian.
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Along Slant Walk Along Slant Walk
At your service When it comes to service programs, Miami is a top five school in the U.S., receiving the Presidential Award in the 2012 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll.
Chelsea Clark ’11, a participant in the Urban Teaching Cohort, now teaches in Cincinnati Public Schools.
The award, from the U.S. Department of Education and Corporation for National and Community Service, is the highest federal recognition a college or university can receive for commitment to volunteering, service-learning, and civic engagement. Some 12,920 Miami students performed an estimated 387,600 service hours in 20102011. The university offers more than 75 service-learning-designated courses/sections. Among Miami centers of service are the Wilks Leadership Institute, the Center for Community Engagement in Cincinnati’s Over-The-Rhine, the Partnership Office, and the Center for Social Entrepreneurship.
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2012 Goldman Prize-winner to work with Miami Tribe
Miami Tribe and university celebrate 40 years
Senior Brad Kasberg, funded by the $30,000 Joanna Jackson Goldman Memorial Prize, will work with the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma after he graduates to develop a sustainable land use plan that will address the tribe’s cultural, ecological, and economic needs. The Miami tribal land, in Ottawa County, Okla., is adjacent to the Tar Creek Environmental Protection Agency Superfund site. Zinc and lead mining, prevalent in the area from the 1900s through 1970, resulted in huge piles of waste mine tailings near the Miami Tribe’s crop lands and contamination throughout the watershed. A member of the Miami Nation of Indiana, Kasberg is a geography and anthropology double major and an urban planning and regional analysis minor. Much of his project will involve planting and cultivating culturally significant plants on tribal land. After the growing season, he will collect plant samples and conduct analyses of zinc, lead, and cadmium contamination. He also plans to map the contamination. Brad Kasberg The Goldman Prize, which allows a Miami senior to pursue ideas and activities that will enrich later work, is believed to be among the largest undergraduate awards in the country.
The 2012 Myaamiaki Conference at the university March 31 marked the 40th anniversary of the relationship between the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma and Miami University. This is also the 20th anniversary of the enrollment of the first Miami tribal students. Since 1992, 38 tribal members have graduated from the university. And it is the 10th anniversary of the founding of the Myaamia Project at Miami, which began as a tribal initiative to advance the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma’s language and cultural revitalization efforts.
Myaamia miincipi (Miami corn) is characterized by its long slender cob of 8-10 rows of undented kernels. It was nearly lost during the removals but was preserved in Indiana and is now grown widely among Myaamia families.
Big jump on Kiplinger’s ‘Best Values’ list Miami has jumped 25 spaces in the “100 Best Values in Public Colleges” list by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance. The February 2012 magazine ranks Miami as 52nd among in-state best values nationwide and 49th for out-of-state public university values. Selected from a pool of more than 500 public four-year colleges and universities, schools were ranked according to a combination of academic quality and affordability factors.
Applications set record Some 18,623 students, the highest number in school history, applied for enrollment for the fall 2012 semester as of Jan. 20. In December, Miami reported a 96 percent increase in the number of applications it received for early decision admission, which allows applicants
MIAMIAN
Along Slant Walk
to pre-select Miami by committing to attending should they be accepted. More than 910 students applied for early decision for the fall 2012 school year.
Farmer Business School ranks among best in U.S. Miami’s Farmer School of Business is one of the top 25 undergraduate business schools in the U.S., according to Businessweek’s seventh annual survey of the nation’s best undergraduate business programs. The Farmer School placed 23rd overall and eighth among programs
offered by public universities and colleges in the U.S. in the rankings released March 20. In addition to being in the nation’s top 5 percent of schools, Miami’s was the only Ohio program in the top 25 and one of only two Ohio institutions in the top 50.
Miami receives trademark for ‘Cradle of Coaches’ Miami has been referring to itself as the “Cradle of Coaches” since then-sports information director Bob Kurz ’58 coined the term in 1959. It’s finally official. The term belongs to Miami now that the U.S. Patent &
Trademark Office has approved the university’s application. Kurz came up with the term to recognize the many great football coaches with ties to Miami, such as Bo Schembechler ’51, Ara Parseghian ’49 MEd ’54, Weeb Ewbank ’28, Paul Brown ’30, Sid Gillman, and Woody Hayes.
Construction and new winter session in works Trustees at their February meeting received a report on progress toward a new academic calendar that would include a winter session, approximately the month of January, intended to start in the 2013-2014 school year. Trustees also approved several contracts for building or renovating residence and dining halls. The improvements and new buildings will bring more contemporary amenities to Miami’s living and dining spaces and allow for slightly larger student rooms to meet demand and competition. Contracts approved include: • A joint contract to reduce costs for a new residence hall in the MorrisEmerson-Tappan (MET) quad and a new dining hall on Western. • Contracts for a Western campus infrastructure project to support construction of new Western campus residence and dining halls. • Bishop Hall renovation project. • The Maplestreet infrastructure project, providing site improvements to support construction of the Maplestreet Station residence/ dining facility and the MET quad residence hall. • Cook Field renovation. • Equestrian center phase I project, involving raising the existing outdoor riding arena and paddocks out of the flood plain.
On a high note Composer, musician, and two-time Academy Awardwinner A.R. Rahman will be the main speaker at spring commencement 1:30 p.m.
A.R. Rahman
May 5 in Yager Stadium. Rahman’s musical compositions in Slumdog Millionaire earned him two Oscars, two Grammys, a Golden Globe, a BAFTA award, and a Broadcast Film Critics Association Award. Commencement will not be his first visit to campus. His more than decadelong association with Global Rhythms performances has enabled thousands of Miami students to connect with India through his music. “A.R. Rahman and I met by chance on a flight from London to India and that meeting has translated into a series of gains for Miami and her community, with him leaving a legacy of sharing and appreciation with other cultures,” said Srinivas Krishnan MEn ’88, founder and director of Global Rhythms World Music Ensemble at Miami.
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MIAMIAN
PHOTO BY MICHAEL EVANS/VINES OF MENDOZA
The Four Chicas’ Great Argentine Adventure
Miami pals head to Mendoza for a little fun and end up buying a vineyard. By Betsa Marsh
Blame it on United Airlines.
When six gal pals saw a seductive promotional fare from Chicago to Buenos Aires, they pounced. Wouldn’t it be a lark? “None of us knew it was 16 hours,” says Paula Tordella Hawthorne ’93, a speech communication major. “We just hopped on a plane.” Once in Buenos Aires, the two non-MU friends peeled off to beachcomb in Uruguay. The rest of the pack – the Miami alumnae destined to become The Four Chicas – headed to Mendoza on the western edge of Argentina. They went horseback riding, whitewater rafting, and wine tasting. “I had been in Mendoza the year before for a monthlong Spanish immersion class,” says Sarah O’Neil Hannibal ’93, an accountancy major. “I met an American who moved there and married an Argentine, and we went to visit him.”
PHOTO BY MICHAEL EVANS/VINES OF MENDOZA
Hannibal, Hawthorne, her sister, Kerri
Tordella Rygiel ’95, who also majored in speech communication, and Mara Harrington Gloor ’93, a political science major, teamed up to head west. They left the highway, then bounced along dirt roads for another hour. Where was this place again? Then suddenly the Andes rose up, and every jolt was worth it. Welcome to Mendoza, a burgeoning wine region with killer views, a great climate, and lots of spare acreage. “My friend introduced us to the winemakers, who were going to open a
wine bar in Mendoza to showcase local vineyards,” Hannibal recalls. “They didn’t have a tourist industry like Napa Valley.” “They were 20 or 30 years behind Napa,” Rygiel interjects on the Chicas’ conference call. “It was very underdeveloped.” The quartet visited the wine bar, drank a lot of wine, and made a lot of friends, Hawthorne says. When the vintners asked the Americans if they’d like to join their wine club and receive Argentine wines quarterly, they all said, “Sure.”
The following year, when the American
and Argentine vintners asked the women if they’d like to buy a vineyard in the Vines of Mendoza Private Vineyard Estates, once again their answer was, “Sure.” “Nobody had any children then, and we just decided to do it,” Hawthorne says of the four acres they named Vineyardita de Cuatro Chicas. Gloor was the only married chica, “and my husband was all for it. He was excited – own a winery? It was a 30-second conversation.” “We fell in love with the country,” Hawthorne says, “and now we’re farmers there (at least on the U.S. tax returns they file each year). It was very spontaneous, our decision to make great wine in French oak barrels. We wanted to enjoy drinking our wine, share it with friends and family, and break even.” “We saw a lot of promise in Mendoza,” Hannibal says simply. In the five years since they bought a plot of Mendoza soil, the chicas have added three more marriages, nine children and
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stepchildren, and one on the way: Rygiel is due in June.
And, as the culmination of their great
PHOTO BY MICHAEL EVANS /VINES OF MENDOZA
8
Argentine adventure, the four have brought forth their first vintage, their flagship Malbec blend, Slantwalk, and their super-premium reserve, Slantwalk 4 Barrel. “If you say the phrase Slant Walk to anyone from Miami, it makes them smile,” says Rygiel of the famous path through the Oxford campus. They compressed it into Slantwalk for their brand and label, which silhouettes four stick figures holding hands and ascending a crag. “The name Slantwalk represents a specific piece of our shared history,” she says. “It also characterizes our vineyard experiences so far – unexpected, unpredictable, exciting. It celebrates the road less traveled.” As spontaneous as many of their decisions seem, the chicas did due diligence, Hannibal assures, from analyzing every Argentine wine they could uncork to drilling down into the business plan. In 2007 the chicas paid the private vineyard estate $35,000 per acre for the land, trellises, irrigation system, and three years of farming. Today, the same micro-vineyards are bringing $73,000 an acre, and the deal is for only two years of farming. “The prices have almost doubled,” says Hannibal, an investment expert who uses her accountancy skills from Miami as the de facto vineyard director. Clevelander Hannibal, the only chica to leave Chicago, is also the interpreter when the chicas visit their land, as they did in 2008 for the planting of the vines. After that, much of the work was done through quarterly calls and emails.
“There’s been a lot to learn about farming and the business of wine,” Hannibal says. “What bottle would we use? Cork or plastic? “We have our own agronomist,” she adds proudly. “Francisco.” The quartet followed each step of production, from planting and pruning to harvest and fermentation. Friends who stop by Vineyardita de Cuatro Chicas on their travels email the women photos of their grapes. Gloor, part of a Miami Merger with Andy Gloor ’93, a political science major, handles design and marketing with Hawthorne. They work both the Argentine network and the chicas’ Miami contacts. Gloor’s law degree helps them navigate international contracts.
All four handle the sales end of the business,
as it’s truly a group effort to try to sell 400 cases. Rygiel coordinates fulfillment from their Chicago warehouse and Internet marketing through their website, www.slantwalkwine. com. Hawthorne pulls from her career in sales to help market Slantwalk. She worked with Mary Boehm Boyd ’87, Miami’s director of regional development in Chicago, to arrange an inaugural pouring at an MU event in the Windy City. “Mara and I got such great feedback,” Hawthorne says. Jack Keegan, a botany instructor at Oxford who teaches the popular Viticulture and Enology class, stopped by to taste the first Slantwalk. “He said we can quote him that he gives 4 Barrel two thumbs up!” Hawthorne says. “He even agreed to pour Slantwalk at a Miami faculty reception. That was true validation, that we did it. We made great wine.” But what do the four chicas themselves think of their first vintage, a shipment of 400 cases that was five years in the making?
MIAMIAN
PHOTO BY MICHAEL EVANS/VINES OF MENDOZA
Four Miami friends who fell in love with Argentina’s country, culture, and wines during a spontaneous trip to South America enthusiastically accepted an offer to buy a small vineyard. Their four acres are right in the heart of the Vines of Mendoza Private Vineyard Estates, seen here. The four chicas are: (l-r) Kerri Tordella Rygiel ’95, Sarah O’Neil Hannibal ’93, Paula Tordella Hawthorne ’93, and Mara Harrington Gloor ’93.
For Hawthorne, “Slantwalk is a really fruit-forward, drinkable wine that we’ve taken to Mexican and steak BYOB restaurants.” This year’s Slantwalk is a Malbec blend of 85 percent Malbec and 15 percent Merlot. “I’m in love with 4 Barrel,” she adds about the wine that’s 95 percent Malbec and 5 percent Syrah. “We weren’t supposed to open it for three months, but we did.” Gloor votes for spicy Slantwalk with a steak, and Hannibal goes for 4 Barrel, “a big wine. We’re not wine connoisseurs, and we don’t talk about oak and chocolate flavors. I think it’s delicious.” For Rygiel, it’s all in the imagination for the moment. “I’m going to have a bottle in the delivery room in June,” she says as she anticipates the birth of her first child. “I have a couple of things to look forward to in June.”
As the chica family grows, so grow the plans
for Vineyardita de Cuatro Chicas. Currently, the micro-vineyard is planted in two acres of Malbec and one acre each of Cabernet and Merlot grapes. The experts on the ground in Argentina consider the vines strong enough to go for a full Cabernet for 2013. “We’re hoping we can start to go down to the vineyard regularly,” Hannibal says. “They’re building a resort at the private vineyard estates at the end of this year.” As girlfriend adventures go, how would the Four Chicas rate their viticulture fling? “We lived within a mile of each other in Chicago for years, and we’ve all worked very well together,” Hawthorne says. “It’s been very fun, and that was our No. 1 goal.” Cincinnati freelancer Betsa Marsh wrote about “The Power of Art” in the Winter 2012 Miamian.
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An Introduction to Fine Wines By Betsa Marsh
the drill of wine-tasting classes. But Botany 244 – Jack Keegan’s Viticulture and Enology class – goes far
“We cover the classic grape varieties, cork, oak, and wine regions around the world,” says Keegan, certified wine educator, who is a botany instructor and head of Miami greenhouses.
beyond students developing their palates.
“We discuss that a fine wine is made in the
It digs deeply into the soil, the plants, and
vineyard – if you don’t have good grapes, you
the climate of successful winemaking.
can’t have a fine wine.”
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PHOTOS BY JEFF SABO
Sip, spit, scribble. Every enophile knows
As much fun as it is to call Botany 244 Wine U,
students quickly discover that they won’t even sip wine for the first five weeks. It’s a study in delayed gratification. So they continue to discuss Rieslings from Germany, Austria, and Australia. They consider that all-important terroir, the total natural environment of a vineyard, and how that changes from California to France and from South America to South Africa. A former student of Keegan’s who’s applying this lesson well is Evan Rose ’11, the new assistant winemaker for Meier’s Wine Cellars in Cincinnati, Ohio’s largest winery. The botany major recently completed an internship at Adelsheim Winery in Oregon. Whereas the other interns were thoroughly versed in wines from their own regions, be it New York, New Zealand, or Burgundy, Rose was comfortable discussing wines of the world, all because of Keegan’s class. “When we were talking about how to treat a particular wine that came in, I could throw out ideas because various parts of the world can take the same grapes and do lots of different things with them,” Rose said.
PHOTOS BY JEFF SABO
Keegan’s teaching assistant for two semesters,
Rose helped other students develop their senses, an important skill when, at Week Five, it’s time for a lidded cup and the aroma test. Keegan is known to smash half a green pepper into a bit of Sauvignon blanc and serve it up. “We aren’t trained to think with our noses,” Keegan explains. “Students need to ID what they smell. It might be lemon or grapefruit or black pepper. They are putting aromas into words.” Week Six is all about mouth feel. Keegan might take a perfectly respectable wine and doctor its levels of acid, sugar, or tannin. Then he finally rewards the class with an unadulterated complex red wine
for students to sip and consider, writing down their impressions. It’s also time for a field trip, out to Valley Vineyards in Morrow, Ohio. No, it’s not the Burgundy region of France, but Ohio has a proud heritage of viticulture from the earliest days of statehood.
In 1803, Nicholas Longworth, a newly minted lawyer
from New Jersey, came to Cincinnati. “He helped a horse thief get off,” Keegan says, “and the man paid him with a copper still.” Longworth took off, buying 22 acres south of what is now Cincinnati City Hall, planted European vines up in the hills in Mount Adams, and brought over a Champagne maker from France. He soon debuted his famous Sparkling Catawba wine, a nectar commanding as high a price on restaurant menus as French Champagne. “By 1850, Longworth was the No. 1 producer of wine in America,” Keegan says. Unfortunately, the German bow-and-stake method of viticulture left the vines open to black rot and fungi in Cincinnati’s sticky climate, and by 1870, the once-mighty Longworth winery was turned into an oil refinery. But the Buckeye State has rebounded over time, and today Ohio’s wine industry is worth more than $40 million a year. Many of its best vintages line the shelves of Jungle Jim’s International Market in Fairfield, Ohio, site of the second optional field trip for Botany 244. By the end of the class, it’s time to circle back to that big, complex red from Week Six. “Students try it again, and they can see how their tasting abilities have changed, where their palates have gone. If they’ve kept open minds, they might have changes in their perceptions.” Students have come a long way since Week One, when Keegan teases that they will not be playing wine pong, and there is no such thing as a wine bong. “The students,” he says, “are very adult about the class. They come in with the right attitude.”
Spring 2012 11
Jack’s Tips for Expanding Your Palate Faced with phalanxes of intimidating labels,
some neophytes simply flee wine shops in terror. Take courage, says Jack Keegan, a certified wine educator who teaches Botany 244, Viticulture and Enology, at Miami. “It can be daunting,” he acknowledges. “Find a good wine shop, like Jungle Jim’s or your local store, and they will have knowledgeable people. They’ll ask what you like and dislike, and what you’ve had in the past. They’ll have ideas to expand your interest.
“I spent a year in Luxembourg, taking pictures of vineyards, and someone told me, ‘The eye cannot see what the mind does not know.’ After you’ve taken a wine course, it gives you the knowledge to continue. It’s lifelong learning.” For more sophisticated wine lovers, “go to tastings,” Keegan urges. “Continue to expand your palate. Go to local shops and look at online sales. Some have very good prices, and they’ll tell you where it’s legal to ship.”
Keegan is always prowl-
ing the globe for new taste adventures. Here are some of his observations: • The German pinot noir from the Baden area was barely drinkable 20 years ago, and now it’s very good. It’s the second-largest pinot noir region in the world. • Chile was huge until it lost its way. But now the Torrontes is a very tasty white grape, and the BioBio and Patagonia regions are making good Sauvignon blanc and pinot noir. • The Baltic region is emerging, with wonderful wines from Slovenia, near the Friuli area of Italy. • Many people are going back to possibly the oldest origins of wine, the orange wines of Georgia (the country, not the U.S. state). This is considered the birthplace of wine. It’s made with very rich Friulano grapes, and the skins are left on through crush and fermentation, when it’s put in clay jars. They’re kept underground, and some of them take on a golden or orange tint. In this region, white wines are considered more manly than reds. 12 MIAMIAN
A Toast to Our Vintners
““
Cheers.
When it comes to making wine, the four chicas with their Slantwalk label (featured on Pages 6-9) may be among Miami’s newest vintners, but they certainly aren’t the only Miamians who have discovered a passion for fermenting grapes into superior wines to share with friends, old and new. The following alumni take pride in the various vintages they produce. The accompanying tasty morsels about their vineyards come from their websites. Their web addresses are included in case you’d like to read more about them. If you, too, are a Miamian who owns a winery, share your story with us at Miamian@muohio.edu.
Burgess Cellars
Tom Burgess ’61
“Tom Burgess was first exposed to wine culture in the 1950s, near his hometown in Ohio, at the wineries that sprung up along Lake Erie. Then a decade later, as a pilot in the Air Force, Tom became enamored with the European model of food and wine. After he resigned from the Air Force and began working as a corporate pilot, he had the opportunity to visit many different wine regions in Europe and across the globe. No matter where he went, Tom always came back to Napa as the place he wanted to pursue his newfound passion. He purchased a 100-year-old winery and vineyard on the western side of Howell Mountain.”
We have one goal: to make wines that you want to drink with friends. ~ Carol and Rich Moran PhD ’81, owners of Moran Manor.
Hughes Family Vineyards “Keith and Cherie Hughes pursued a shared vision in 2001 with the purchase of two organic vineyards in Glen Ellen, Calif. Initially, their intention was to grow exceptional fruit, a goal that evolved into making superb wines that reflect the unique terroir of their land. “Before coming to the Sonoma Valley, Keith and Cherie made their home and pursued individual careers in Dallas, Texas. Today, Cherie and Keith work together to manage Hughes Family Vineyards. ‘It is extremely important to us to be involved every step of the way – from the flowering of buds in the spring, to harvest in the fall, to enjoying our great wines with our friends and family.’ ”
Majored in aeronautics burgesscellars.com Saint Helena, Calif.
Keith ’68 MBA ’69 and Cherie Foster Hughes ’69 Keith majored in marketing, Cherie in speech communications hughesfamilyvineyards.com Sonoma, Calif.
Linden Vineyards
Jim Law ’77
“In 1981, as a young winemaker, I took a job in Virginia. The vision of unlimited possibilities and a few good wines eventually lured me to set my roots on an abandoned hardscrabble farm on the top of the Blue Ridge Mountains. “Our job is to express the forces of earth, weather, and vine in the bottle. All the grapes used to make Linden wines are grown in the mountains and valleys surrounding the winery. As winegrowers, we are primarily interested in how each vineyard site is expressed in the glass. Place is more important than grape variety.”
Majored in diplomacy and foreign affairs lindenvineyards.com Linda, Va.
Moran Manor
Rich Moran PhD ’81
“Moran Manor is a small, family-owned vineyard located in Knights Valley – a stretch of heaven between Calistoga to the east and Alexander Valley to the west. “Always fascinated by older homes, we bought the property in 1996 and set about restoring the old Holmes Mansion. As we did more research about the house and the property, we discovered that as early as 1870 there had been grapes growing on the property for the production of wine.”
PhD in educational administration moranmanor.com Calistoga, Calif.
Turtle Run Winery
Jim Pfeiffer ’89
Jim told The Louisville Courier-Journal in a 2007 article that he found his calling in The Geography of Wine class taught at Miami by the well-respected Cincinnati Enquirer wine columnist John Dome. “Founded in 2000 by Laura and Jim Pfeiffer, Turtle Run Winery has developed key innovations in winemaking including stratified red wine fermentation, the introduction of the French term ‘terroir’ into barrel making, and just recently, a very complex barrel renewal process that, so far, has yielded greater intensity in red wine aging.”
Majored in marketing turtlerunwinery.com Corydon, Ind.
Per Cazo Cellars
David Teckman ’78
“It was a series of chance encounters that led the Teckmans to establish Per Cazo Cellars. (Per Cazo is an Italian derivation of ‘by chance.’) Only a few miles in from the beautiful Central California coast, nestled into the western hills, Paso Robles offers the lifestyle of a small town with local winemaking expertise to rival any worldwide. “We bought 3.6 acres on Jack Creek right on Vineyard Drive. This area is the heart of the Paso Robles AVA and is well-known for making outstanding Rhone-style wines.”
Majored in marketing percazocellars.com/index.html Paso Robles, Calif.
Spring 2012 13
The Ultimate M By Tom Archdeacon
It was a summer night in 1961 and Charlie Coles had just come from playing basketball with a bunch of his buddies in Springfield, Ohio. He was at the refrigerator getting a cold drink when he heard his dad, Charles “Pete” Coles, behind him. “Guess who called?” Pete said. “Who?” Charlie answered. “Coach Shrider.” “Oooh, no.” The year before, Coles had come to Miami as one of the more storied basketball players in Ohio high-school history.
14 MIAMIAN PHOTO BY SCOTT KISSELL
e Miami Man
KISSELL
He’d averaged 42.1 points per game his senior season at Bryan High in Yellow Springs and then followed the path of a handful of noted black athletes from Springfield to Oxford. But he lasted just a semester with Coach Dick Shrider. “In the beginning I had a real inferiority complex,” he now admits. “I didn’t think I could do the work.” He dealt with it by perceiving other slights and within a few months had left school and moved to Compton, Calif., to live with an aunt and attend junior college. Once he returned home for the summer, his father delivered that late-night heart-to-heart. “My dad never forgave me for leaving Miami,” Coles said. “And that night he says, ‘Coach Shrider doesn’t have any scholarships left now and, you know, I don’t have any money, but here’s what I’ll do. I’ll remortgage my house to send you back to Miami.’ “Well, just then my mother comes bolting down the steps and says, ‘No … you … don’t! The boy’s hardheaded and we’re not gonna get in no financial bind over him.’ “I’ll never forget that look on my dad’s face – it still brings tears to my eyes. He turned to my mother and said, ‘Mary, I don’t have an education. If that boy wants to go back to Miami, I’ll do anything in the world for him to get there.’ “Once my mother left, he told me, ‘You know I want you to go back … and take care of your name.’ ” After his dad did refinance, Coles returned to Oxford and lived for a year with Willie Felder, the custodian at Withrow Court, as he took a redshirt season and worked on his grades. After the first semester ended, he got a call from his father who simply said, “Got your grades.” “Yeah, how am I looking?” Charlie asked. “All B’s,” his dad said quietly. “I thank you so much. I needed for you to do that. I knew you could. …” That’s when his father’s voice drifted off and Charlie heard him softly weeping.
As he retold the story, Charlie’s eyes glistened as well: “And that’s my Miami story.” Actually, that’s only part of it and the rest tells you just how gloriously he did salvage that name. Coles, who graduated in 1965, became an All Mid-American Conference guard for Miami and finished his career with 1,096 points. After coaching four high-school programs – and serving as the head coach at Central Michigan for six years – he returned to Miami in 1994 as one of Herb Sendek’s assistant coaches. His job back then was twofold, he said with a smile that brought with it pure delight. He said he tried to keep dreadlocked star Devin Davis ’00, whom he hit it off with, “from going crazy,” and he did the job so admirably that Davis, like Coles, is now in Miami’s Athletic Hall of Fame. His other task was to serve as a sounding board for the young Sendek, and that included everything from fielding almost nightly phone calls to winter walks outside Millett Hall to discuss life as much as basketball. That too paid dividends. Miami’s program flourished, Sendek eventually took the coaching job at North Carolina State, and Coles was named Miami’s coach in 1996. When he finally retired after this past season – at age 70 – Coles had become the winningest coach ever at Miami and in the MAC when it came to league victories. In his 22 years as a head coach – 16 at Miami – Coles was twice voted the MAC Coach of the Year. His RedHawks made seven postseason appearances and more importantly, he graduated almost all of his players. In the process, Coles – whose ability to spin an engaging yarn was equaled by the way he could cobble together a successful game plan – became one of the most beloved coaches in all of college basketball and a perfect ambassador of Miami University. “He’s an iconic figure in Miami history,” said RedHawks athletics
director Brad Bates. “In so many ways, he represents all that’s noble about the coaching profession.” Coles credits his success to a lot of people, from his late father to his former teammate Jerry Peirson ’66 MEd ’67, who has been a longtime confidante, Shrider, former AD Eric Hyman, who hired him, Bates, and especially legendary former coach Darrell Hedric ’55, whom he called “my go-to guy.” At the top of his list, though, is his wife Delores – Dee Dee he calls her – who, because of her husband’s coaching travels, handled many of the duties of raising their two children, Chris and Mary MS ’98, and was the steady anchor to Goodtime Charlie’s
During his playing days, Charlie Coles ’65 was an All Mid-American Conference guard for Miami, finishing his career with 1,096 points.
Spring 2012 15
PHOTO BY SCOTT KISSELL
PHOTO BY SCOTT KISSELL
often playful, always passionate embrace of life. He met Delores Jackson ’64 when he was a Miami sophomore. She was an Oxford girl, whose parents had worked on campus. She was pretty, could sing – she was a member of the Fontones, one of the area’s hottest “girl groups” of the Doo-wap era – was quite a cook, and gave Charlie the support he needed. Before Coles’ senior season, they slipped off to be wed on a weeknight at a Baptist church in Cincinnati that was pastored by Delores’ uncle. She wore the bridesmaid dress she’d worn in her sister’s wedding a year earlier. Charlie brought along teammate Johnny Swann ’65 MEd ’67 as the best man. Right after, they returned home. “We didn’t go on a honeymoon,” Charlie laughed. “We had no money and I had practice the next day.” The move didn’t initially go over well with Shrider, who, Coles said, kicked him off the team for a day until Hedric intervened. “Hey, I was in love and I kind of knew my life was gonna take on a lot of things and I had to have a pretty stable partner,” Coles said. The marriage is now in its 47th year. The union has been filled with lots of good times – there are four grandkids in what is a very close-knit family – but there have been some rough situations, as well. Coles’ health issues – two heart bypass surgeries are bookended
Forward Nick Winbush ’11 from Shaker Heights, Ohio, who played in 120 games for Miami, takes some tips from Coach Coles at a home game against Towson State in November 2010.
around a full cardiac arrest during a tournament game at Western Michigan in 1998 – have been well documented. In the process, Charlie has lived up to his childhood nickname, “Lazzie,’’ short for Lazarus, whose resurrection is one of the most famous tales of the Bible. A year after nearly dying on the court in Kalamazoo, Coles had Miami in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA tournament. Over the years, he’s been enshrined in the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame and given the prestigious Guardian of the Game award by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. “I’ve had a ball because I truly enjoyed putting on my red mock turtleneck and going to games,” he said. “As it turned out, coming here to Miami was one of the greatest things I’ve ever done. And I’ll tell you, they polished me up. I had a lot going wrong when I showed up. They had to clean me up a little.” In turn, he gave Miami basketball a special glow. Yet when he sat down to talk about leaving the job he held so long, he never once mentioned his awards, big victories over marquee teams, or championship seasons. Instead, he focused on his love of the sport: “I’m addicted to this game. I don’t know how a drug addict feels, but, Well-known for his lively postgame press conferences, Coles boy, when I’m on the received a rousing ovation at his final one in March.
sideline and the game is going back and forth and we close the gap and go up on a well-designed play – like we just did against Toledo (in the MAC Tournament) this year – that’s the one time I get worried about retirement. Where will I get that rush? “But I don’t look at it so much that I’m leaving as I’m just going somewhere. Hopefully, I’m going somewhere where there’s a new challenge for a 70-year-old guy.” He’s hoping to take it on just as he did the old challenge: “When I first came here, I had a little edge when I heard someone described as a ‘Miami man.’ I kind of resented the guy who had the great background. But now – and this is the only thing I’ll ever brag on at this university – I guess I’m as much a Miami man as any man who ever lived. I’d challenge anyone to be as proud, as respectful, and work as hard as I did at Miami. “Now, they may well be smarter – they didn’t get any genius with me. And they didn’t get any NCAA championships. But they got a guy who tried to keep a good, positive frame of mind and represent our school because I knew it was a great place. “In the end, the one thing I think they got out of me was their money’s worth.” And a long time ago – as he sent his son back to “take care” of his name – that’s all Pete Coles was hoping for too. An award-winning columnist for the Dayton Daily News, Tom Archdeacon is an old-school storyteller.
16 MIAMIAN
Springtime at Miami 2012
Beauty in Poetry “Trees of Miami, beautiful trees … Truth, remembrance, youth – Of these you brood In your ancient reveries.” ~Excerpts from Percy MacKaye’s “The Trees of Miami,” engraved on an Upham Hall plaque. “The most beautiful campus that ever there was.” That was what Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Robert Frost once said of Miami’s Oxford campus, which he visited many times. Frost made his final visit in 1959 to participate in Miami’s Sesquicentennial celebration. Before his recitation, he paid tribute to Miami President Raymond Hughes, who in 1920 proposed that universities support creative writing by hosting artists-in-residence. According to the book Miami Poets, Hughes invited dramatistpoet Percy MacKaye to be the first poet-in-residence at an American university and to do so at Miami. MacKaye accepted and from 19201924, he wrote in the Poet’s Shack, nestled among the tall oaks and beeches on Lower Campus, not far from today’s Upham Hall.
18
Turning Thirty, I Contemplate Students Bicycling Home By Rita Dove ’73 This is the weather of change and clear light. This is weather on its B side, askew, that propels the legs of young men in tight jeans wheeling through the tired, wise spring. Crickets too awake in choirs out of sight, although I imagine we see the same thing and for a long way. This, then, weather to start over. Evening rustles her skirts of sulky organza. Skin prickles, defining what is and shall not be. … How private the complaints of these green hills. ~From the book Grace Notes: Poems by Rita Dove (W.W. Norton, 1989). Reprinted with permission. Another Pulitzer Prize-winning poet intimately familiar with the Oxford campus is Rita Dove ’73, who majored in English at Miami. U.S. Poet Laureate 1993-1995, she has received numerous literary and academic honors, including the 1987 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry and the 1996 National Humanities Medal. In a White House ceremony Feb. 13, 2012, she was awarded the 2011 National Medal of the Arts from President Barack Obama. She holds the chair of Commonwealth Professor of English at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, where she lives with her husband, writer Fred Viebahn. They have a grown daughter, Aviva Dove-Viebahn. 19
Class notes Class notes
Harry T. Wilks Theatre
The 500-seat Harry T. Wilks Theatre will be a signature space within the Armstrong Student Center, slated for completion in 2014. Students will oversee programming for the theatre, which will meet the need for a medium-sized performance venue on the Oxford campus.
Harry T. Wilks ’48, retired attorney and visionary in the Hamilton community, has added to an already extensive legacy of giving to Miami with a recent $3 million gift that brings his financial support of the university to more than $9 million. In recognition of Harry’s latest commitment and generous history, the trustees at their Feb. 3 board meeting named the theatre within the new Armstrong Student Center in his honor. A member of Miami’s board of trustees, Harry has supported Miami in numerous ways. His gifts have created the Leadership Institute on the Oxford campus and the Conference Center and a lecture series on the Hamilton campus. He has also funded scholarships each year at Miami Hamilton. “Young people are the future of our country,” he said. “More than ever, we need to develop in them those qualities and opportunities which will strengthen our country and our lives.” An avid supporter and collector of the arts, he created Pyramid Hill as a public sculpture park, establishing Hamilton as “The City of Sculpture.” Harry, a member of the Greater Butler County Business Hall of Fame, is a dedicated philanthropist and world traveler. “Harry Wilks is one of the most generous alumni in Miami history,” said Miami President David Hodge. “We are honored that he has chosen to make another profound investment in the success of our students and in the exciting opportunities that will be brought to life within the Armstrong Student Center. The theatre will be a wonderful venue for student-run speaker events, student and professional performances, and other imaginative events that bring our students together.”
1949 John Macsai of Evanston, Ill., was honored at “The Ruby Slipper Event: There’s No Place Like Home,” hosted at the Evanston Golf Club by SASI-Services for Adults Staying in Their Homes. He shared his Holocaust experience and relayed his recent heart surgery, describing how skilled assistance from SASI caregivers “guided me to a full recovery.”
1950 Bob Levinson and Zelda Luxenberg, together with writer Carol Clark, are sharing their story through Full Circle: A Love Story, showing how to face loss with courage and change with grace.
1953
1956
Richard Grushon ’56 MA ’57 of Oxford and daughter Deb Grushon Johnson ’82 MEd ’86 of Cincinnati went to Pasadena Jan. 1, 2012, to see the Rose Bowl Parade.
1958 Ken Babbs has written his first novel, Who Shot the Water Buffalo? The story follows two young men right out of flight school who become Marine aviators in the Vietnam War.
At the Martino Family Reunion at Maumee State Park in July, which included Joseph’s 80th birthday: (l-r) Jerry Huber MEd ’93, Patty Martino-Pearson ’82, Frank Martino ’55, Rosemary Walouke Martino ’55, Sarah Jones ’11, Carol Martino Jones ’85 MEd ’03, Tim Jones ’83 ’85, Karen Earhart Martino ’63 MEd ’68, Joseph Martino ’53, and James Martino ’60 MEd ’65.
In September Delta Delta Delta members, pictured in front of the Art Institute of Chicago, enjoyed a three-day reunion in the Windy City: (l-r) Judy Linebaugh Libby, Marian Hummel Kurz, Peggy Marshall Payne, Julia Evans Bishop, Amy Bricker Harris, Marilyn Minty Kiernan, Marilyn Markey Radell, Marty Merriman Macklin, and Carol Armstrong Hatch. Not pictured: Judy Plessinger Birk.
1955
James Schulz, professor emeritus of economics at Brandeis U.’s Heller School for Social Policy and Management, returned to Miami last fall to speak on “Wheel of Fortune: Are You Gambling Your Retirement Away?” as the 2011
Ed McClanahan’s book, I Just Hitched in from the Coast: The Ed McClanahan Reader, is a mixture of memoir and imagination chronicling Ed’s time in the ’60s.
Submit your own class notes online and see longer versions of these entries with more photos at www.MiamiAlum.org/Miamian. 20
MIAMIAN
Class notes W. Fred Cottrell Distinguished Alumni Lecture, sponsored by the Scripps Gerontology Center.
1959 Charles Lemert has written Why Niebuhr Matters. A Protestant preacher, Reinhold Niebuhr was an influential religious thinker and moral guide in mid20th-century U.S.
1960 John Altman, entrepreneur and philanthropist, returned to campus Nov. 1 to discuss “Revisiting the Humanities: Life Without a Business Degree” in honor of Distinguished History Professor Allan Winkler’s service to the Humanities Center at Miami.
restaurant that resulted in a record jury verdict of $46.4 million. Ron also has been recognized once again in Best Lawyers in America and as a Washington Super Lawyer.
1966 Paul Schudel ’66 MEd ’68, an offensive lineman for Miami, has been inducted into the Indiana Football Hall of Fame. An offensive line coach for the U. of Michigan 1975-1984, he then became head coach at Ball State. He won several titles for each school.
1967 Next reunion: June 14-17, 2012
1963
Joe Shaw ’64 MS ’66 was inducted into Miami’s Athletic Hall of Fame Feb. 11. He is an eighttime MAC individual champion and ties for the second-most titles won by a Miami men’s swimmer.
1965
Tom Crouch MA ’68, senior curator of Smithsonian’s Aeronautics National Air and Space Museum, spoke on “Doing History in Public – the Trajectory of a Career” at Miami’s Graduate Research Forum Nov. 4. Jeffrey Keiner is one of Florida Trend’s Legal Elites, recognized as a leading legal reader in the state. He is also on the Best Lawyers in America 2012 list. Mark Levin received the 2011 East West Gateway Council of Government’s Lifetime Public Service Award for his accomplishments as city administrator of Maryland Heights, Mo., since its incorporation in 1985 and his commitment to developing future public administrators and elected officials.
1969
Douglas Cameron has written The Body in the Perch Pond, a murder mystery.
1964
1968
Miami Explorers (above, l-r) Lois Ziegler Miller and Dave Miller met, as planned, with fellow Red & White Club members Richard Vining ’71 and Cindy Vining in Copenhagen. Millers, who were arriving as Vinings were returning home, then boarded a North Atlantic cruise and had a chance meeting with classmate William Wendling and his wife, Lyn, while leaving Geiranger Fjord in Norway. The picture below was taken at Gullfoss Waterfall in Iceland.
At their annual golf outing last October: (l-r) Tom Duck, Bo Walter, Jim Boswell, Russ Savage ’71 MA ’01, Bruce Downey, Mike Leadbetter, Gil Short, and Tom McKnight ’70.
February. This is the first time Roger’s work has been shown since its 1977 premiere.
1971 James Clark is an attorney practicing litigation at Schiff Hardin in Chicago. He also teaches at the U. of Chicago and DePaul U. Cynthia Diller Fields, after 13 years as president and CEO of Victoria Secret Direct, is board chairman of Pathfinder International, a nonprofit devoted to family planning and reproductive health services for women in developing countries. P.L. Gaus has written Harmless as Doves: An Amish-Country Mystery. Doris “Annie” Henry has coauthored Leadership for Resilient Schools and Communities, The International Successful School Principals Project: New Zealand Studies, and The Human Face of Principalship: A Synthesis of Case Study Findings. She is immediate past national president of the New Zealand Educational Administration and Leadership Society. Ron Ribaric was selected National Emergency Manager of the year by the American Public Works Association. He received this honor while working for Orange County Public Works in Orlando.
1972 Ron Perey (right) received the Washington Trial Lawyer of the Year award from the Washington State Association for Justice for winning a case against Denny’s
Next reunion: June 14-17, 2012
Roger Welch’s “OJ Simpson Project” (above) was featured in “The Sports Show” at The Minneapolis Institute of Arts in
Peggy Dailey MA ’72 is semiretired and working part time at the Millennium Hotel gift shop in downtown Minneapolis.
Submit your own class notes online and see longer versions of these entries with more photos at www.MiamiAlum.org/Miamian. Spring 2012
21
Class notes
When Robert K. Smith found out there was an Oxford Peak in Idaho, he knew that one day he would have to climb it. That day was Oct. 22, 2011. Joining him on the climb was his son Eric, who took this picture at 9,305 feet. Retired, Robert lives in Idaho Falls, Idaho, with wife Venna Kaye.
Sharon Mills Draper MAT ’73 spoke at Miami in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2012. She is a New York Times best-selling author and, while at Walnut Hills H.S., National Teacher of the Year.
1973 Gary Cooper was inducted into Miami’s Athletic Hall of Fame Feb. 11 for his record-breaking baseball career. He was Miami’s first baseball All-American. In 1972 he batted .421, the record for nearly two decades.
Linda Fuller-Cross and country singer Trace Adkins backstage at Dayton’s Fraze Pavilion.
Medal of Arts honoree
Photo courtesy of the White House
Rita Dove ’73 received a 2011 National Medal of Arts, presented by President Barack Obama Feb. 13. One of eight honored at a White House ceremony, she was cited for her contributions as an American poet and author. The citation stated, Rita Dove ’73 awarded medal “Ms. Dove creates works from President Obama. that are equal parts beauty, lyricism, critique, and politics. Ms. Dove has worked to create popular interest in the literary arts, serving as the United States’ youngest Poet Laureate and advocating on behalf of the diversity and vitality of American poetry and literature.” This is the highest award in the U.S. that can be bestowed upon artists and arts patrons. Rita holds the chair of Commonwealth Professor of English at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.
Gary Sirak, president of Sirak Financial Services, has written If Your Money Talked … What Secrets Would it Tell? In his book, he shares real-life stories to illustrate common mistakes people make with their money. He lives in Canton, Ohio, with wife Linda Day Sirak.
1974 Ted Carleton has retired from the USDA Kansas City Commodity Office after 32 years. Patsy Ford Carleton ’77 is a contract specialist with USDA in Kansas City. They live in Leawood, Kan. Tim Hutzel has written Keeping Your Business in the U.S.A.: Profit Globally While Operating Locally, showing U.S. enterprises how to prosper while keeping their manufacturing base in the U.S. Mark Massé, a professor of literary journalism and director of graduate studies and the journalism writing center at Ball State U., has written Trauma Journalism: On Deadline in Harm’s Way.
1975
Linda Norris Petersen sent in this photo of a reunion in Columbus in October. Many were members of Kappa Delta: (front, l-r) Sarah McVicker Kiefer ’77, Peggy Gerhardt Nicolai ’77, Beverly Frick Stichtenoch ’77; (second row) Diana Zitello Vuicish ’77, Linda Norris Petersen, Barb Henry LeBlanc, Sarah Bowman Toman ’76, Sue Stephenson Sharp ’76 MA ’81, Lisa Staats Becker ’77, Leslie Burke Wilson ’78; (third row) Kathy Lacy Jahoda, John Jahoda ’75 MA ’77, Bill Nicolai ’77, Harvey Schwager ’76, John Wilson ’78, Fritz Kiefer ’76, Dave Vuicich ’76, Fred Becker, and Craig Stichtenoch. Also at the reunion were Pam Conine ’73, Nancy Elavsky Peltier ’73, Kathy England, and Emily Flax Little.
1976
Judy Wheaton Pruitt and Jeanne Jacobson Stephens ’80 helped host “Electrify Your Strings” production with Mark Wood, former violinist with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and Bridgid Bibbens, professional electric violinist. Both orchestra teachers in Garland (Texas) ISDs, Judy and Jeanne had more than 300 elementary and middle school string students participating in the rock orchestra event.
Joanne Yeck has written At a Place Called Buckingham. Covering 250 years of history in central Virginia through a dozen engaging essays, Joanne recounts events in Buckingham County, beginning with its formation, through the American Revolution.
1977 Next reunion: June 14-17, 2012
Mark Cupkovic is vice president for facilities and site maintenance at New York Botanical Garden.
Submit your own class notes online and see longer versions of these entries with more photos at www.MiamiAlum.org/Miamian. 22
MIAMIAN
Class notes John Holschuh Jr., a litigator in medical malpractice and personal injury law with Santen & Hughes, is a District 1 representative on the Ohio State Bar Association’s board of governors. John lives in Cincinnati with wife Wendy, a preschool teacher. Their children are Heather, 25, John III, 23, and Jacob, 19.
is also the company’s chief compliance officer in Medina, Ohio.
Paul Reinbolt ’77 MA ’78 is the chief financial officer and executive vice president for Hyperdynamics Corp. in Houston.
1979
Peter Sander has written What Would Steve Jobs Do? His 33rd book is an analysis of Jobs’ leadership and management style. Peter also has released the 2012 editions of the 100 Best Stocks series. John Weigand, chair of Miami’s architecture and interior design department, was named one of the 25 Most Admired Educators of 2012 by DesignIntelligence, a bimonthly report from Design Futures Council.
1978 Carol Lorenz Kendrick is serving a three-year term on the board of trustees for the Association for Middle Level Education (formerly National Middle School Association). She is a middle school principal in the Phoenix area and president of the Arizona Middle Level Association. Scott Mingus has written Flames Beyond Gettysburg: The Confederate Expedition to the Susquehanna River, June 1863. His is the first in-depth study of crucial days that shaped the course of the Gettysburg Campaign and altered U.S. history. Ed Moore, vice president and general counsel at RPM International,
Dorothy Pelanda (R-Marysville) was appointed to the Ohio House of Representatives for the 83rd District to represent all of Logan and Union and parts of Marion. She continues her domestic relations law practice.
William Dauer ’79 MA ’81, formerly a professor at Capital U., is now on the political science faculty at Ohio State U. teaching American politics. Andrew Drake is president of the Plum Borough School District in Plum, Pa., for 2012.
1980 Stuart Eisen is the new music director-conductor of the Pasadena Philharmonic Orchestra, a community orchestra on the southeast side of Houston. John Greiner, with Graydon Head & Ritchey, was named Cincinnati Best Lawyers Litigation-Banking & Finance Lawyer of the Year for 2012 by Best Lawyers. Only one lawyer in each specialty in each community is so honored. Matt ’80 MA ’96 and Diane Owen Shoemaker celebrated their retirement and 30 years of marriage with a two-week trip to Alaska in August. Matt retired in 2010 from Preble Shawnee Local School District where he was band director for 25 years. Diane retired from the same school district in 2011. She was an elementary school music teacher for 25 years. They met at Miami and married July 26, 1980. They live in Camden, Ohio, and have two children and two grandchildren.
1981
The Sigma Nu Fraternity held a multi-class reunion during Alumni Weekend 2011. Hosted by Jon Barrere and Chris Albrecht, more than 120 Sigma Nu brothers from the 1978-1986 classes attended the festivities.
1982 Next reunion: June 14-17, 2012
Bob Andrews is senior vice president of worldwide sales for Vendavo in Mountain View, Calif. Greg Giesen MS ’82 has written Mondays at 3: A Story for Managers Learning to Lead, which won Best Business Fable from Axiom Business Book Awards. His novel follows the transformation of a newly promoted but ill-prepared manager. (A main character is based on the late Miami professor Ken McDiffett.) Greg hosts a weekly talk radio program, called Mondays At 3, on Castle Rock Radio in Colorado.
and American Paper & Twine at the Titans’ Dec. 11 game. She accepted the award from Don MacLachlan, Titans’ executive vice president. Julie lives in Brentwood with husband Art and daughters Chelsea and Jenna.
1983 Bob Walker earned a PhD in educational leadership from Iowa State U. last May and is associate professor and chair of the business department at Mount Mercy U. in Cedar Rapids. He and wife Kristy have written a personal finance college textbook for McGraw Hill.
1984 Renee DeGraff ’84 MS ’88 was inducted into Miami’s Athletic Hall of Fame Feb. 11. She was the first Miami volleyball player to earn All-MAC honors three times. Col. Jim Rix retired from the Air Force with distinction after 26 years of combat deployments and command of three military units. His family is enjoying their newly constructed home at their new California vineyard.
1985 Charles Catania MS ’85 PhD ’11 of West Chester Township, Ohio, earned a doctorate in educational leadership in August. He presents his research, “Preparing Global Leaders,” at the Children’s International Summer Villages 2012 International Board Meeting.
1986 Julie Rohr Staehling, who teaches art at Shayne Elementary in Nashville, was named 2011 Teacher of the Year by the Titans
Linda Courie is senior commercial banker in the not-for-profit division of TD Bank in the Washington, D.C., area.
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Class notes Tonia Stubbs ’87 MA ’88 was inducted into Miami’s Athletic Hall of Fame Feb. 11 for basketball. She led the Miami women to two MAC championships.
1988 At their 25-year reunion on front porch of their college house, Petticoat Junction: (l-r) Beth Pitner, Patti Butler, Mary Weber, Anne Auger, Jill McNichols, Cara Stallone, Suzanne Kipp, Eileen Hill, Amy Joseph, Mary Farmer, and Sarah Dunning.
1987 Next reunion: June 14-17, 2012
Steve Driehaus is Peace Corps country director in Swaziland. Olin Hyde of San Diego sold his eighth startup, Auto-Semantics, to ai-one.com, where he is vice president of business development.
1989 Susan Thompson Hingle, associate professor of internal medicine at Southern Illinois U., was elected chair-elect designee by the American College of Physicians board of governors. Eric Tanquist is vice president of finance and administration at Norcraft Cos.
Geomorphologist Karl Kibler (left) and geologist Hector Hinojosa MA ’09 spent Thanksgiving in Sonora mapping geologic deposits and surfaces, collecting samples, and falling down slopes. Timothy Lawson MA ’87 PhD ’89, psychology chair at College of Mount St. Joseph, received the college’s 2011 Established Scholar Award. Tim and wife Anna live in Monfort Heights, Ohio, with their son and daughter.
1990 Doug Baker is executive vice president and chief financial officer of Discovery Networks International.
1991 Simon Fritz is assistant director of strategic sourcing for Case Western Reserve U.’s Office of Material Support.
Pavan Mehra MArch ’87 started PM Architects in 2009 in Hilliard, Ohio. The firm is entering into a Mentor-Protégé relationship with a large business.
Juan Gilbert, a Clemson U. School of Computing professor, received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring from President Obama in December.
Gretchen Spreitzer has written The Oxford Handbook of Positive Organizational Scholarship.
Walter Kimbrough MS ’91 is the new president of Dillard U. in New Orleans.
Shari Dineen Lacy is managing editor of Williamson SOCIAL Magazine in Franklin, Tenn., and is a music/entertainment/event industry publicist and owner of GoodStuff PR Co. Jennifer Patterson Lorenzetti ’91 MS ’93 is owner and founder of Hilltop Communications, celebrating its 14th anniversary. She is also academic dean and director of education for the School of Advertising Art in Kettering, Ohio. Jennifer recently celebrated her 10th wedding anniversary with husband Dan. Born: to Jean Marie Weston Parker and Lee, Lydia Anne, Aug. 30, 2011, in Columbus. Jean is a learning and performance consultant. Lee is a senior systems analyst with Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Eric Schwarz of Avon Lake, Ohio, is vice president, wealth management adviser for Fifth Third Bank, Northeastern Ohio.
1992 Next reunion: June 14-17, 2012
Greg Deegan was in The Plain Dealer for his passion toward Cleveland. He teaches history at Beachwood H.S. and co-owns Cleveland Landmarks Press. In the article, Greg mentions Chris Ronayne ’90 and musician Chris Allen, his freshman roommate.
1993
Julie Peters Akey started her own nonprofit, PECH Haiti, to help the country after its devastating 2010 earthquake. Adopted: by Sarah Dudding Callihan and Tom, Benjamin Patrick, July 13, 2011. Ben was placed with them July 17, 2011, joining big brother Will. Sarah continues to work as a director with Deloitte in Cincinnati. Eric Combs is a partner and commercial trial lawyer in the litigation department at Dinsmore & Shohl. He lives in Anderson Township with wife Jane, Aidan, 8, and Natalie, 6. Will Roleson is director of internal affairs/treasurer for College Sports Information Directors of America in Marco Island, Fla.
1994
Kirk Hopkins produced videos, Miami Chef and Orientation, which received awards of distinction from Videographer Awards.
Enrico Blasi ’94, Linda Clark ’80, Belle Heffner Mickelson ’70, and David Vocke ’77 MEd ’82 received Profound Impact awards from Miami’s School of Education, Health and Society. Rico is Miami hockey’s head coach. Linda is COO for Sheikh Khalifa Medical City in Abu Dhabi. Belle is an ordained Episcopal priest. David is a secondary education professor at Towson U.
Tracey Maloney is an actress in the rep company in Minneapolis’s Guthrie, considered the U.S.’s leading regional theater group.
Matthew Eshbaugh-Soha cowrote Breaking Through the Noise: Presidential Leadership, Public Opinion, and the News Media.
Submit your own class notes online and see longer versions of these entries with more photos at www.MiamiAlum.org/Miamian. 24
MIAMIAN
Class notes
d n e k e e W i Alumn
2012
See YourSelf Here MiaMi University • OxfOrd, Oh
June 14-17
Join fellow alumni and friends, and see yourself back in Oxford at Alumni Weekend 2012. find complete event detailS and regiSter online todaY!
www.MiamiAlum.org/ AlumniWeekend.
Submit your own class notes online and see longer versions of these entries with more photos at www.MiamiAlum.org/Miamian. Spring 2012
25
Class notes Ken and Liz Longstreet Walsh and their three children have moved to Moscow where Ken is commercial attaché at the U.S. Embassy and Liz is a teacher.
1996 Born: to Matthew Hammer and Cori, Callie and Kendall, April 14, 2011, joining twin brothers Christian and Kyle, 4, in Stow, Ohio. Born: to Emily Strunk Helm and Ryan, Stella Ryan, Jan. 15, 2011, in Phoenix. Emily is a realtor for HomeSmart. Ryan is vice president of commercial banking at Midfirst Bank. Born: to Jennifer Harelik Nossal and Steven, identical twins Emily Allyson and Natalie Robyn, March 11, 2011, in Reston, Va. Jennifer and Steven own Fairfax Collegiate, an educational services business.
Jeanne Johnson Holmes earned a PhD in business administration at U. of South Carolina. Jeremy Monat is a systems engineer with Systems Planning and Analysis. He and wife Jill, owner of Transformations Editing, live in Alexandria, Va. Born: to Courtney Werner Neckers and Andy, Elise Victoria, Aug. 10, 2011. Courtney is an adjunct professor in business at Columbus State. Andy is a radiologist with Columbus Radiology. Born: to Sonia Perperidis, a girl, June 4, 2011, in Thessaloniki, Greece. Born: to Stephanie Tepe Schaeper and Mark, Matthew Lloyd, May 10, 2011, in Mooresville, N.C., joining Jay, 2.
1998 Leo Alexander is a director of business development for the McGladrey offices in Miami, Fla.
1997 Next reunion: June 14-17, 2012
Adopted: by Mike Coco and Marci, Meredith Alexis, Feb. 24, 2011, joining siblings Maggie and Moses in Traverse City, Mich. Mike is vice president, contract management for Choice Property Resources. Marci is an internal medicine physician. Born: to Joseph Di Salle and Nancy, Grant Michael, Dec. 15, 2011, joining Vivian, 6, Ava, 4, and Anthony, 1, in Perrysburg, Ohio. Born: to Jaime Koerner Higginbotham and Robert, Sophia Day, June 28, 2011, joining Ryan, 4, in Painesville, Ohio. Jaime is a social work supervisor for Children Services in Lake County and Rob is a police officer.
1999 Born: to Nick and Courtney Woodbury Ballinger, John Tate, Nov. 9, 2011, joining Ana, 2, in Greenville, S.C.
2011, joining Elsa, 3, in Mount Prospect, Ill. Kirsten is a demand planner with PepsiCo. Kevin owns Welter Home Services..
Michael Clarkson is an assistant professor of computer science at George Washington U. Born: to Dan and Kathleen Quinn Devine ’00, Delaney Patricia, July 15, 2011, joining brothers Quinn, 4, Ronan, 2, and Seamus, 1, in Clarendon Hills, Ill. Kevin Dineen is corporate counsel with Luxottica, manufacturer of premium eyewear in Mason, Ohio. Born: to Jen Sharp Gorman and Patrick, Gavin Patrick, Oct. 19, 2011, joining Rosie, 3, and Lucy, 1, in Nashville. Born: to Natalie Baird Klockars and Jeffrey, Gunnar Alan, March 8, 2011.
Jessica Shuleva ’99 MBA ’06 sent in this photo of Miamians at Saint Martin H.S. in Cleveland: (front, l-r) Angela Wade ’11, math teacher; Faith Deppert Hurley ’05, reading specialist/language arts teacher; and Jessica, onboarding and retention specialist; (back) John Fay ’97, history teacher; Martha Downey Solarz ’80, accountant; Chris Lindsay ’04, social studies teacher; Keri Stover Grady ’00, instructional coach; and Mary Ann Vogel ’89, founding principal.
2000
Jennifer McLain McLemore is a partner and a bankruptcy attorney with Christian & Barton in Richmond, Va.
Born: to Kristen Bruce Miedler and Andy, Henry Bruce, May 16, 2011, joining Caroline, 3, in Ballwin, Mo. Kristen is a stayat-home mom. Andy is a general partner at Edward Jones.
Born: to Tim and Meredith Tuggle Skinner ’00, Dylan Richardson, Feb. 27, 2011, joining Lauren, 3, in Cincinnati. Tim is a vice president of home lending for RBS Citizens. Meredith is a stay-at-home mom.
Married: Olivia Mitchell and Scott Murphy ’00, June 25, 2011, Oxford. Olivia is director of projects and professional development at Hobsons. Scott is a manufacturing engineer at GKN Aerospace. They live in Cincinnati.
Kate Vivian Davis is an associate in the Cleveland firm of Walter & Haverfield.
Born: to Kelly Harber Snyder and Scott, Justin James, May 17, 2011.
Benjamin Parsons is an associate in the health care practice group in Benesch law firm’s Columbus office.
Born: to Tyson and Alicia Fox Vaughn ’99, Graham, June 2010, in Indianapolis. Tyson is a man-aging account executive, Travelers. Alicia owns a consulting firm.
Joe Ceccoli is director of sourcing for Masco Cabinetry in Ann Arbor, Mich., where he lives with wife Carolyn.
Born: to Jeffrey and Julie Ringness Forquer, Finn Christian, Dec. 27, 2011, joining Max, 6, and Isabelle, 3, in Sylvania, Ohio. Jeff is a radiation oncologist and Julie is a veterinarian.
Tom Welsh is a partner at Calfee law firm in Cleveland.
Kevin Malick is vice president and private banking relationship manager for Fifth Third Bank, Northeastern Ohio.
Born: to Kirsten Malm Welter and Kevin, Ainsley Grace, Sept. 21,
Brent Pietrafese is a partner at Calfee law firm in Cleveland.
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MIAMIAN
Class notes
2001 Sarah Spitzmiller Denman ’01 MS ’03 is associate director, custom insights, dunnhumbyUSA. Married: Natalie Hostacky and George Stevens ’94, Sept. 10, 2011, in Bratenahl, Ohio. Natalie is an employment law attorney. George is a commercial real estate broker. They live in Cleveland. Born: to Kirsten Schmidt Lewis and Andrew, Nicole Morgan, March 29, 2011, joining Sam, 3, in Poolesville, Md. Born: to Andy and Raechel Martz Moorhead, Reese Marie, Dec. 21, 2010, joining Luke, 3, in Atlanta. Married: Steve Snyder and Kristen Bowman, June 25, 2011, in Wabash, Ind. They live in Fort Wayne. Born: to Tom and Laura Stickels Yost, Cooper Christian, April 16, 2011, joining Ella, 2, in Homburg, Germany. Tom teaches PE and Laura teaches health at the middle school on Ramstein Air Base.
2002 Next reunion: June 14-17, 2012
Born: to Emily Harding Gephart and Kyle, Grace Cooper, Jan. 16, 2011, in Grandview Heights, Ohio. Charles Minton is regional manager of Ultimate Air Shuttle at Cincinnati’s Lunken Airport. Born: to Meghan Monahan Morgan and Scott, Jonah Monahan, July 5, 2011, joining Max, 3, in Lebanon, Ohio. Born: to Jon and Jennifer Donahue Peshke, Sarah Elizabeth,
June 2, 2011, joining Jackson, 3, in Vero Beach, Fla. Jon works in sales and Jennifer is an attorney.
Association honorees
Hugh Sheehy won the Flannery O’Connor Short Fiction Award for his collection The Invisibles. His work will be published by U. of Georgia Press in fall 2012. Married: Leah Shelley ’02 MAT ’06 and Matthew Flynn ’00, Nov. 5, 2011, in Oxford. Leah is in development at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Matt works for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Butler County. They live in Cincinnati. Born: to Rick Shepherd and Ashley, Reid Alan, Nov. 19, 2011, in St. Louis, Mo. Married: Abigale Walls and Eric Wagner, Aug. 6, 2011. They live in Chicago.
2003 Shawn Cutter is founder and president of Fielding Systems, an oil and gas software provider, offering the industry’s only 100 percent cloud-based platform. Born: to David “Wes” and Grace Evanoo Deyo ’03 ’04, Zebulon Clark, June 21, 2011. Wes is a manufacturing manager for Pelican Products. Grace is a pediatric nurse practitioner in neurosurgery at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. They live in Greensburg, Ind. Born: to Bethany Pratt Feldmann and Kevin, Evelyn Ann, Feb. 7, 2011. Bethany is a stayat-home mom. Kevin is a senior engineer for GE Aviation. They live in Cincinnati. Married: Jen Nagle and Thomas Daake, Oct. 1, 2011, in St. Louis, where they live.
2012 Alumni Association honorees: (sitting, l-r) Charlotte Newman Goldy, Effective Educator Award; Peg Hickey Faimon ’82, A.K. Morris Award; and Robin Parker, Honorary Alumni Award; (standing, l-r) Peggy Hamman Landes ’74, John E. Dolibois Award; Jeff Sabo, Dave Roberts Award; Glenn Platt, A.K. Morris Award; Mike Leonakis ’04, H. Kenneth Gambee Award; and Robert Essner ’69, Distinguished Achievement Award. Also recognized was Juan Gilbert ’91, who received the Bishop Medal. Rob Phillips earned an MBA from Ohio State U. in August 2011. He manages marketing and communications for the Columbus-based law firm Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease.
Jason Skipper MA ’04, teacher of creative writing and literature at Pacific Lutheran U., has written Hustle, about an ex-con man, his philandering son, and his hopeful musician grandson.
Robin Winchell Roberts is chief of staff for Rep. Dennis Cardoza (D-CA) in Washington, D.C.
2005
2004 Born: to John and Jennifer Coates Kohl, Henry David, June 24, 2011. John is CEO at Atlas Wholesale Food. Jennifer is a research assistant at the University Center for the Development of Language and Literacy at the U. of Michigan in Ann Arbor. They live in Birmingham, Mich. Actress Amber McConnell appeared with Don Cheadle on Showtime comedy series House of Lies, which premiered in January.
Married: Emily Bernie and Scott Winograd ’07, June 18, 2011, in Dayton. Emily is a special education teacher. Scott is a researcher in the College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State U. while he finishes a master’s in environmental studies. They live in Lyndhurst. Married: Maureen Kent and Ryan Westrick, Aug. 20, 2011, in Dublin, Ohio. Maureen is a CPA and audit manager at Ernst & Young. Ryan is a CPA and audit manager at SS&G. They live in Columbus. Married: Lisa Marinzel and Matt Samborsky ’07, July 9,
Submit your own class notes online and see longer versions of these entries with more photos at www.MiamiAlum.org/Miamian. Spring 2012
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Class notes 2011, in Columbus. Lisa is a highschool Spanish teacher. Matt is a mechanical engineer. Christina Miller joined Teach For America and enjoyed teaching sixth grade ELA at Ortiz Middle School, Houston. Born: to Erin Cross Poole and Justin, Thomas, July 2, 2011, joining Charlotte, 1, Chestertown, Md. Married: Ashley Raines and Brandon Gall ’04, Aug. 28, 2010. They live in Chicago. Married: Kate Schulze and Tommy Davidson, July 9, 2011, in Chicago, where they live. Kate is a school psychologist. Tommy is a financial analyst. Married: Amanda Sidoti and Thomas Marsco ’03, Aug. 13, 2011, in Cleveland, where they live. Amanda teaches in Olmsted Falls City Schools. Thomas is an analyst at Majestic Steel USA.
2006 Born: to Jeremy ’06 MA ’07 and Kate Shiryayeva Martin ’04 MAcc ’05, Anna Elizabeth, Aug. 19, 2011. Jeremy is an Air Force captain serving as a judge advocate at Moody Air Force Base, Ga. Kate is a CPA. Molly Mehling MEn ’06 PhD ’11 is on the faculty for the new School of Sustainability and the Environment at Chatham U. Anne Szkatulski is the deputy director of legislative affairs for Illinois’ attorney general. Beth Widen, a fourth-year PhD candidate in nutrition at the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the U. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, received the
American Society for Nutrition Gerber Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship.
2007 Next reunion: June 14-17, 2012
Adam Brule received a medical doctorate from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine and an award for being the Outstanding Student in Psychiatry. He is in residency at University Hospital in the Fort Lauderdale area. Married: Nina DiGeronimo and Kent Dale ’06, April 30, 2011. Nina is an investment analyst. Kent is a business consultant. Adam Hill, who completed a PhD in audio and acoustic engineering at the U. of Essex, accepted a tenure track faculty appointment at the U. of Derby in England. Jessica Hill, an attorney, is in the litigation department at Graydon Head’s Butler/Warren office. Emily Lorini MA ’07 won the Metropolitan Opera District Council Auditions for southern Ohio and placed third at regionals in Chicago. Babette Oestreicher is coordinator for Tinker’s Creek Watershed Partners, a nonprofit restoring the Cuyahoga River’s largest tributary.
teacher. David is a commercial real-estate broker. Married: Lauren Moser and Chris Lichterman ’07, June 25, 2011. Lauren, who earned a doctorate at Washington U. in Saint Louis, is a licensed physical therapist in Illinois. Chris is pursuing an MBA at Washington U. Married: Carly Stamey MS ’08 and Bobby Grennes, Aug. 13, 2011, in Hershey, Pa. Carly is an academic adviser and adjunct faculty member at Indiana U.Purdue U. Indianapolis. Bobby works for the sports licensed division of adidas Group. They live in Indianapolis. Anne Virtue received a “white coat” March 19, 2011, in veterinary medicine. She graduates in June 2012. Born: to Chris and Deidra Ramsey Watkins, Jasmine Layola Jo, May 31, 2011. Married: Nurit Yastrow and Aaron Friedberg in June 2011. Aaron is finishing medical school. They live in Cincinnati.
2009 Matthew Hebebrand, a Cleveland Marshall law student in his final year of study, has published a novel, The Undergrads: Powers that Bind. John Owed is a senior analyst,
communications and media, at dunnhumbyUSA, Cincinnati. Jessica Tepas is senior associate, client leadership, in dunnhumbyUSA’s Cincinnati office.
2010 Leah Bell, co-founder of UQ Marketing, won second place in the Entrepreneur.com Independence Day Contest. Jason Eckerle MS ’10 received an award for best graduate student research paper in motor control/ learning at the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity conference. Lauren Reiter received the Osteopathic Medicine Fellowship from Midwestern U., Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine, where she is a medical student. Sarah Schill, who received a Fulbright grant to Germany, is an English teaching assistant at a German middle school until July.
2011 Emily Laengle, the product of a Miami Merger, was surrounded by Miami Mergers when she graduated last May – her mom, Beckie Smith Laengle ’82; her dad, Frank Laengle ’83; Beckie’s brother and his wife; and Beckie’s sister and her husband.
2008 Married: Stefanie DiDomenico ’08 MS ’10 and Alan Burke ’09, July 23, 2011, in Oxford. Married: Debby Hennenberg and David Horowitz, June 25, 2011, in Cleveland, where they live. Debby is a high-school math
Send your news to: Donna Boen, Miamian, 102 Glos Center, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio 45056-2480; Miamian@muohio.edu; or fax it to 513-529-1950. Miamian does not run engagement or pregnancy announcements. Limited space prevents including wedding photos in the print Miamian, but they are included in the Web version. Please send in details after your event.
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MIAMIAN
Obituaries Alberta Small Strauss ’32, Waitsfield, Vt., Oct. 19, 2011. Artist.
Betty “B.G.” Schnell Ellis ’43, Kingston, Ohio, Dec. 29, 2011. Former teacher.
Ice Cream Factory, Coast to Coast Hardware.
Frederick D. Norris ’36, Dayton, Ohio, April 4, 2011. Retired, Dayton Power & Light.
Dorothy E. McCoy ’43, Bexley, Ohio, Nov. 28, 2011. Retired, teacher, Bexley Schools.
Jane Ramsen Lehman ’38, State College, Pa., Oct. 1, 2011. Former office manager, Miami’s alumni and development office.
Robert J. Ogren ’43, Wakarusa, Ind., Oct. 3, 2011. Retired, CPA, accountant, Morgan Drive-Away.
Norman E. Purdy ’47 MA ’51, Cincinnati, Ohio, Dec. 12, 2011. Former Air Force captain; retired, principal/superintendent, Hamilton County Schools.
Harold F. Puff ’38, Oxford, Ohio, Dec. 14, 2011. Miami professor emeritus of management, 1948-1982.
Marilynn Alley Cook ’44, Kettering, Ohio, Nov. 4, 2011.
Elmer W. Ruhnke ’47 MA ’47, Sarasota, Fla., Dec. 15, 2011. Retired, professor of history and psychology, Manatee Community College. Husband of Gloria Craven Ruhnke ’47.
Martha Wagner Hogg ’44 MA ’51, Dayton, Ohio, Sept. 2, 2011. Retired, teacher, Dayton Public Schools.
Richard F. Shaw ’47, Loveland, Ohio, Sept. 2, 2011. Retired, lawyer, Procter & Gamble.
Mary Lewis Nicklet ’44, Cincinnati, Ohio, Nov. 2, 2011.
Anita Stewart Stone ’47, Duxbury, Mass., Nov. 3, 2011. Former secretary, King Street Elementary. Wife of Donald ’48.
Karl A. Zipf ’38, Charlottesville, Va., Oct. 5, 2011. Retired, Army colonel; retired, acting president and dean of administration, Schenectady County Community College. William G. Hilton ’39, Convoy, Ohio, Dec. 5, 2011. Retired, owner, Hilton Jewelry. Estelle Carrel Baldwin ’40, Goleta, Calif., Oct. 13, 2011. Former teacher and Santa Barbara County probation officer. Gertrude “Trudy” Burrage Eyrich ’40, North Bend, Ohio, Sept. 14, 2011. William A. McClellan ’40, Lebanon, Ohio, June 27, 2011. Retired, doctor and clinical professor of occupational and environmental medicine, University of Pittsburgh; medical director, Gulf Oil. Edgar H. Keltner Jr. ’41, Fort Worth, Texas, Dec. 10, 2011. Retired, Army captain; former attorney/partner, Hudson, Keltner, Smith & Cunningham. James I. Thornton ’41, Seminole, Fla., Sept. 22, 2011. Retired, from ECI. Robert H. Clasen ’42, Cincinnati, Ohio, Dec. 26, 2011. Retired, insurance broker. Lurton E. “Giff” Gifford ’42, Rancho Bernardo, Calif., Sept. 8, 2011. Retired, sales manager, NCR. Husband of Dorothy Budai Gifford ’44.
Donald H. Sirk ’44, Daytona Beach, Fla., Nov. 9, 2011. Former owner, oceanfront motel. Husband of Marjorie-Jean Wild Sirk ’44. Mildred J. Tieman ’44, Spring, Texas, Sept. 26, 2011. Retired, history teacher, Taft High School. Richard A. Ault ’45, Atlantic Beach, Fla., Dec. 14, 2011. Retired, vice president, Gen Corp. Husband of Barbara Billow Ault ’45. Betty Brusch Blakley ’45, Hamilton, Ohio, Oct. 2, 2011. Retired, teacher. Carolyn Coler Brann ’45, Fort Myers, Fla., Feb. 23, 2012. Joyce Wichman Hagedorn ’45, Wyoming, Ohio, Dec. 2, 2011. Retired, teacher, Reading Central Community School. Wife of Wallace ’45. Stanley C. White ’45, Satellite Beach, Fla., Sept. 10, 2011. Retired, Air Force colonel; retired, senior scientist, bionetics, Kennedy Space Center. Constance Minzey Holton ’46, Oakland, Calif., Oct. 5, 2011.
Martha Watson Jones ’42, Hamilton, Ohio, Dec. 9, 2011.
Richard W. Mitchell ’46, Brush, Colo., Dec. 11, 2011. Retired, Marine colonel; former teacher, Denver Schools.
Leonard L. Lourie ’42, Silver Spring, Md., Dec. 25, 2011. Retired, lawyer, patent adviser, U.S. Department of the Navy, Office of Naval Research.
Phyllis Bohmer Schuler ’46, Monroe, Ohio, Nov. 2, 2011. Former teacher, Madison and Middletown schools.
Joel L. Neuman ’42, Litchfield Park, Ariz., May 24, 2011. Retired, Marine Corps major; administrative trust officer, Valley National Bank of Arizona. Carolyn Montgomery Ummel ’42, Farmersville, Ohio, Dec. 9, 2011. Retired, Spanish teacher, Farmersville and Valley View High School. Spring 2012
Gaylord R. Humberger Jr. ’47, Austin, Texas, Oct. 10, 2011. Retired, guidance counselor, Lanier and Austin high schools. David M. Jansen ’47, Scottsdale, Ariz., Dec. 11, 2011. Retired, from insurance. Marx LeCompte ’47, Murray, Ky., Nov. 12, 2011. Former owner, Shaver’s
Joan “Jody” Macht Wray ’47, Severna Park, Md., Nov. 1, 2011. Formerly with U.S. Department of Defense and with lawyers in private practices. Molly Woods Bair ’48, Fruitland Park, Fla., Sept. 11, 2011. First library media specialist, Beverly Shores Elementary. Marian Benoy Feldmiller ’48, Granville, Ohio, Dec. 16, 2011. Former interior designer, Steelcase, then Thomas Ruff. William J. “Bud” Lomax Jr. ’48, Poland, Ohio, Dec. 5, 2011. CPA, former principal partner, Axtmann and Lomax. Glen E. Marsteller ’48, Crete, Ill., Sept. 12, 2011. Retired, industrial engineer, Youngstown Sheet and Tube. Charles J. “Skip” McLaughlin Jr. ’48, Chagrin Falls, Ohio, Nov. 6, 2011. Founder, Re-Oda Chem Engineering. Jerome A. Rouse ’48, Beevile, Texas, Nov. 15, 2011. Retired, Navy; retired, science teacher, A.C. Jones High School. Norma Wagner Uray ’48, Hudson, Ohio, Jan. 14, 2012. Former high-fashion illustrator in department store ads, drawings featured in Vogue. Lee R. Ballard ’49, Cave Creek, Ariz., Nov. 4, 2011. Retired, owner, Lee R. Ballard and Associates, roofing manufacturer’s distribution company. Charlotte A. Christner ’49, Whitewater, Wis., Sept. 25, 2011. Retired, psychology professor, University of Whitewater. Theodore A. Davies Sr. ’49, Vero Beach, Fla., April 26, 2011. Ran own sales promotion company. Fred R. Hershner ’49, Lakewood, Calif., Sept. 7, 2011. Retired, teacher, counselor, and coach, Downey High School. 29
Obituaries
Eldon D. Masters ’49, Atlanta, Ga., April 28, 2011. Retired, General Motors. Richard P. McGinnis ’49, Chagrin Falls, Ohio, Oct. 10, 2011. Founder, RPM Industrial Sales. Genevieve Waters Moos ’49, Walnut Creek, Calif., July 5, 2011. Robert C. Wrede ’49, Aptos, Calif., Dec. 5, 2011. Retired, math professor, San Jose State University. Husband of Jeanne Snedden Wrede ’49. Martha “Joan” Williams Andrews ’50, Punta Gorda, Fla., Nov. 23, 2011. Richard D. Arnott ’50, Washington Court House, Ohio, Oct. 7, 2011. Retired, director of operations administration in business and Western operations, Nationwide Insurance. Audrey Bongartz Christian ’50, Evanston, Ill., Oct. 12, 2011. Artist. Nick Garofalos ’51, Carson City, Nev., Nov. 20, 2011. Retired, Air Force major. Barbara Teckemeyer Jones ’51 ’85, Oxford, Ohio, Dec. 3, 2011. Retired, from Kyger Motors. Jack W. Semler ’51, Athens, Ga., Sept. 1, 2011. Retired, personnel manager, Reliance Electric. Betty Rush Thompson ’51, Miami, Okla., Nov. 25, 2011. Former employee, Ohio Bell Telephone. Robert M. Brunner ’52, Hamilton, Ohio, Oct. 10, 2011. Retired, from Fisher Body. Husband of Patricia Ivory Brunner ’65. Douglas P. Brush ’52, Poughkeepsie, N.Y., Nov. 6, 2011. Co-founder, D/J Brush Associates; retired, adjunct professor of communications, Marist College; retired, lieutenant commander, Navy Reserve. Edwin L. Eby ’52 MA ’54, Richmond, Ind., Nov. 17, 2011. Retired, teacher and music director, Richmond High School. Earl H. “Bud” Feeney Jr. ’52, Akron, Ohio, Sept. 24, 2011. Donald E. Geho ’52, Kalamazoo, Mich., Sept. 14, 2011. Suzanne Smith Schaffer ’52, Newton, Pa., Oct. 27, 2011. Former chef/caterer. Bernard L. Gregory ’53, Sun City West, Ariz., Oct. 28, 2011. Former Air Force; retired, from APS. Eugene W. Kavanagh MEd ’53, South Charleston, Ohio, Oct. 16, 2011. Retired, teacher, superintendent, farmer.
Viola Riffe Lloyd MA ’53, Dayton, Ohio, Oct. 28, 2011. Retired, principal, Louise Troy School. Carl V. Malmquist ’53, Cleveland, Tenn., Oct. 8, 2011. Formerly in commercial art and advertising, Malmquist and Woods; retired, rural mail carrier.
June McCarthy Cosner ’61 MS ’68, Kalispell, Mont., Jan. 11, 2012. Retired, teacher and school psychologist in Hamilton, Ohio. John H. Kiess ’62, Great Falls, Va., Nov. 19, 2011. Computer program designer and troubleshooter.
George J. “Jack” Fox Jr. ’54, South Milwaukee, Wis., Nov. 12, 2011. Retired, co-founder, Performance Freight.
Linda K. Markey ’62, Bethesda, Md., Oct. 20, 2011. Retired, French teacher, Brooklyn and D.C. schools.
Mary Miller Quellhorst ’54, Greenville, Ohio, Sept. 9, 2011. Retired, secondgrade teacher, Woodland Heights.
Sara Fling ’63, Hillsboro, Ohio, Sept. 14, 2011. Retired, director of testing, Summit Public Schools (N.J.), reading specialist, Moundsville Schools (W.Va.).
Elaine Witschger Ricker ’54, Bonita Springs, Fla., Jan. 10, 2012. Wife of Edwin ’52 MEd ’54. Marta Kreider Krebs ’55, Silver Spring, Md., Sept. 14, 2011. Former writer and artist. Wife of Robert ’56. Howard O. Merriman ’55, Columbus, Ohio, Dec. 25, 2011. Former teacher and superintendent, LakeVille Schools, Otisville, Mich. David R. Queisser ’55, Indianapolis, Ind., Sept. 14, 2011. Retired, realtor and manager, F.C. Tucker Co. John G. Gold ’56, Westerville, Ohio, Oct. 22, 2011. Retired, from Republic Storage. Husband of Joanne Higgins Gold ’57. Robert H. Scott ’56 MA ’58, Oxford, Ohio, Oct. 25, 2011. Miami professor emeritus of Spanish and Portuguese, 1960-2000. Husband of Odette Hofer Scott WC ’56, Miami professor emerita of Spanish and Portuguese. O. Judson “Jud” Scheaf Jr. ’57, Worthington, Ohio, Dec. 5, 2011. Former furniture manufacturers representative. Gary D. Smith ’57, Savannah, Ga., Oct. 21, 2011. Retired, development director, Girl Scout Council of Southeast Georgia. Patricia A. Baltzell ’58, Mount Vernon, Ohio, April 28, 2011. Retired, physical education and biological sciences teacher, Cincinnati Preparatory School. Theodore L. “Ted” Austin ’59, Chapel Hill, N.C., Dec. 8, 2011. Retired, foreign service, U.S. State Department. Ronald E. Peloquin Sr. ’59, Elyria, Ohio, June 4, 2011. Retired, English teacher, Lorain City Schools. Sallie McQueary ’60, Plato, Ky., Oct. 27, 2011.
Sarah Manrod Nichol ’63 MA ’68, Oxford, Ohio, Oct. 26, 2011. Former teacher, Talawanda Schools. Harry L. Gradman ’64, Bloomington, Ind., Sept. 30, 2011. Professor emeritus of second language studies, Indiana University. Carol Pilot Bieber ’65, Columbus, Ohio, Sept. 27, 2011. Former public health and registered nurse, Riverside Methodist Hospital. Earl F. Messick MEd ’65, San Gabriel, Calif., Nov. 25, 2011. Former teacher, Harrison, Ohio; Colton and Riverside, Calif.; Messick Ministries. Douglas Shepherd ’66, Olney, Md., Sept. 23, 2011. Hospital and health system management. Curtis S. Adkisson MA ’67, Conway, Ark., Oct. 17, 2011. Retired, professor, Virginia Tech. Carla Hoke Blinn ’67, Bowling Green, Ohio, Dec. 18, 2011. Founder, Personal and Professional Excellence Inc. Jeanne Carson Gable ’67, Rochester Hills, Mich., Jan. 31, 2012. Wife of Michael ’67 MA ’71. Dorothy Fritz Morrison ’67, Hamilton, Ohio, Oct. 14, 2011. Retired, teacher and librarian. Mark E. Williams ’68, Gainesville, Ga., Dec. 1, 2011. Retired, furniture industry. Husband of Jane Pierce Williams ’68. Gerald D. Studer ’69, Holly, Mich., Oct. 12, 2011. Retired, teacher, coach, and athletic director, Walled Lake Consolidated School District. Husband of Judy Quint Studer ’68. Kathlyn “Kathy” Killpack Houser ’70, Grapevine, Texas, Dec. 28, 2011. Retired, kindergarten teacher, Colleyville Elementary. Wife of Dave ’70.
30 MIAMIAN
Obituaries
Dennis G. Walsh ’70, Hamilton, Ohio, Oct. 22, 2011. Retired, vice president/ senior trust officer, First Financial Bank. Susan Randolph Livingston ’71 MA ’02, Mason, Ohio, Nov. 10, 2011. Wife of Scott ’70. Richard L. Spuller ’71, Arlington, Ohio, Dec. 29, 2011. Public health dentist, Washington County. Susan Bayless Wilson ’72, Greenville, Ohio, Oct. 14, 2011. Educator, 30 years, serving special needs students. Violet Horn Huntington ’73, Hamilton, Ohio, Jan. 5, 2012. Retired, learning disability teacher, Fairfield South Elementary. Alan W. Plavec ’73, Glen Ellyn, Ill., Sept. 28, 2011. Project designer, Montgomery Wards. Rebecca Nicholas Reisig ’73, Reno, Nev., Nov. 6, 2011. Michael J. Hanning MM ’74, Cincinnati, Ohio, Oct. 30, 2011. Retired, choral director, Colerain High School. Ruree Walters McFall MS ’74, Eaton, Ohio, Oct. 5, 2011. Former nurse; in family business, McFall’s Furniture, for more than 30 years. Wife of Francis ’51. Douglas H. Shupe ’74, Powell, Ohio, Sept. 25, 2011. Alice Supernois Vail MS ’74, Fort Collins, Colo., Jan. 21, 2012. Retired, speech and hearing pathology, Meridian, Idaho, Schools; RN. Patricia Nowak Gardner ’76, Bexley, Ohio, Nov. 13, 2011. Retired, client general manager, American Express Business Travel. Melkote K. Shivaswamy MBA ’76, Muncie, Ind., July 28, 2011. Retired, associate professor of accounting, Ball State University. Husband of Usha Rao Shivaswamy WC ’72. Joyce Lump Coures MEd ’77, Middletown, Ohio, Dec. 21, 2011. Ohio State University county extension agent. Jan Colvin Buckholtz ’78 MEd ’82, Camden, Ohio, Dec. 20, 2011. Teacher, Preble Shawnee. Wife of Daniel ’79. Elizabeth Chappell Moore ’78, Columbus, Ohio, July 29, 2011. Retired, teacher, Reynoldsburg Schools; founder, Teacher 2 Teacher. Wife of David ’78. Sharon Bonecutter Lowman ’79, Winston Salem, N.C., Oct. 25, 2011. Spring 2012
Public school teacher and private music teacher. Wife of Floyd ’80. Jill O. Radwin ’79, Norcross, Ga., Sept. 30, 2011. Child advocacy attorney. Randall J. Young ’80, Columbia, Tenn., Dec. 3, 2011. Plant manager, Federal Mogul Corp.; owner, Tranquil Waterscape Designs. Rebecca L. Harris-Ragland ’81, Cincinnati, Ohio, Nov. 3, 2011. Thomas J. Wilkinson ’81, Elsmere, Ky., Nov. 29, 2011. Stationary engineer, Lebanon Correctional Institution. Sherman P. Shoemaker ’85, Chicago, Ill., Dec. 24, 2011. Actor and marketing director, Wisdom Bridge, Court and Lifeline theaters. Peter C. Hall MA ’87 PhD ’89, Cincinnati, Ohio, Sept. 1, 2011. Former Miami English professor, also taught at Ohio Northern, Xavier, and University of Wisconsin-Waukesha. Former husband of Elizabeth Lamb Dooley ’89. Sean P. Elerick MA ’91, St. Clairsville, Ohio, Oct. 10, 2011. Vice president/portfolio manager, Premier Bank and Trust. James W. Richardson Jr. MA ’91, Dewitt, Va., Oct. 6, 2011. Professor and award-winning poet. Donald P. Harman ’92, Kansas City, Mo., Nov. 29, 2011. Morning show meteorologist, WDAF-TV4. Doug J. Washing ’92, Sylvania, Ohio, Oct. 16, 2011. MD; former missionary. Jonathan D. Reierson ’97, San Francisco, Calif., Jan. 30, 2011. Amanda Weigandt Wells ’02, Chicago, Ill., Oct. 29, 2011. Medical representative with Genentech. Nikkole L. “Nikki” Hapner ’04, Camden, Ohio, March 16, 2012. Staff member in Miami’s University Advancement development office.
Faculty, Staff, Friends C.H. “Hal” Barcus, Fairfield Glade, Tenn., Dec. 9, 2011. Miami professor emeritus of architecture, 1949-1988. Edward J. Demske Hon. ’97, Oxford, Ohio, Jan. 21, 2012. Miami senior vice president emeritus for finance and university services and treasurer, 19822000. Key accomplishments: starting a recycling program, improving energy conservation, establishing a new budgeting system, improving employee
benefits, implementing Miami Metro bus system, and overseeing substantial growth in the endowment. Tamela Drake-Canupp, Middletown, Ohio, Jan. 16, 2012. In Miami housing, dining, recreation, and business services since 2006. Peter C. Hall (see ’87). Nikkole L. “Nikki” Hapner (see ’04). Marc W. Henneberger, Hamilton, Ohio, Dec. 2, 2011. Miami director emeritus, purchases and central services, 1967-1982. Jane Ramsen Lehman (see ’38). John S. Lyons, Oxford, Ohio, Oct. 30, 2011. Miami assistant professor of economics past 26 years. Max Morenberg, Pembroke Pines, Fla., Jan. 17, 2012. Miami professor emeritus of English, 1972-2005. Directed Miami’s linguistics program, founding codirector, Ohio Writing Program. Judith A. Pearson, Oxford, Ohio, Sept. 24, 2011. Former house chef, Sigma Alpha Epsilon; retired, Miami housing, dining, guest services. Harold F. Puff (see ’38). Robert H. Scott (see ’56). Claude W. Spencer, Oxford, Ohio, Jan. 18, 2012. Miami administrator emeritus of public safety, 1977-1993. Michael D. Thornton, Winchester, Va., Sept. 19, 2011. Miami music faculty, 1999-2008; retired, principal tubist, Cincinnati Symphony. John C. “Doc” Wabrick Hon. ’88, Oxford, Ohio, Jan. 12, 2012. Miami professor emeritus of music, 1964-1988. Director, Miami’s Glee Club, Choraliers, and Collegiate Chorale during tenure. Lyman “Tootie” Wooten, Oxford, Ohio, Sept. 20, 2011. Retired, driver, Jurgensen Trucking; Miami football staff member-volunteer with equipment crew.
In memory of If you would like to make a contribution in memory of a classmate, friend, or relative, send your gift to Miami University in care of Wendy Mason, Advancement Services Building, Miami University, 926 Chestnut Lane, Oxford, Ohio 45056 or call Wendy at 513-529-3552.
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•– Bicentennial Rotunda –•
Our Gift to the Future FOR LOVE AND HONOR •
Armstrong Student Center
From the Miami students who led the more than decade-long charge for a new student center to the more than 9,400 alumni and friends who have already contributed to help make it possible, the Armstrong Student Center is a remarkable achievement by the Miami Family.
And there’s still time for you to share in that legacy. Make your gift or pledge before June 30, 2012, and have your name or that of an honored family member, friend, or organization etched in history through a prominent, named recognition when it opens in 2014.
GIVE TO MIAMI’S FUTURE TODAY ONLINE,
THE BICENTENNIAL WALL, $200
SLANT WALK TILES, $2,000
PLAQUE RECOGNITION, $10,000
THE BICENTENNIAL ROTUNDA, $20,000
1/4” Letter Height
12” x 6” Tiles
18” x 12” Plaque
12” x 2’ x 8” Arched Stones
www.MiamiAlum.org/ 4LoveandHonor, or by using the enclosed envelope.
One more thing …
1
By Edward Clark ’49
Editor’s note: In his memoirs, Edward Clark ’49 writes about attending Miami during World War II. Here are excerpts. Mr. Fisher at Hillsdale College had believed I was college material. Two people at Miami, deans of admission and men, did, too. Maybe I was. I wanted to know, wanted to board that train and find out. I had the fare and plenty to spare, dormitory room $90 for the year, laundering of sheets and pillowcases $5, meals $175. I’d saved $530. I’d have a running start toward a second year if I turn out to be college material and the war is over. I didn’t leave by train. Mom learned Phil Kaiser’s parents were driving him to Freshman Camp. My older brother, Bob, carried the brown family suitcase and my typewriter to the car. Mom handed me a bag of sandwiches and cookies. I enveloped her, how petite, fragile she is.
m
At my desk, I lined up pencils and Parker fountain pen beside loose-leaf notebook. I’m in college. There must be something I should read. I re-read Registration Day sheet. Morning came with sun. I walked up High Street with my roommate, another Ed, past the set of brick mansions. “Fraternity Row,” he said. We turned off to Withrow Court, the gym, crowded with tables and lines of students registering for classes.
m
I crossed from woods luminous in lower campus past Ogden Hall, nearby bell tower chiming the three-quarter hour, to Irvin, turned right into classroom for Freshman Composition. Dr. Robert Almy entered, slightly bent, expressionless, fished papers from briefcase, placed them and case on desk, sat down, began talking. He was bald with rimless glasses, perhaps 40, gray suit, white shirt, dark tie, black shoes. Each week we turned in a personal essay. He carried on a continuous monologue, reading from our submissions. Everything was an idea to think about, turn into words, modify.
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2
Edward Clark on furlough with brother Dickey, 6, in hometown of Elyria, Ohio, Summer 1943. Ed (first row, far left) in Battle of the Bulge, December 1944. Ed and Miami roommate Edwin Smith in front of New Men’s Dorm, March 3, 1946.
Listening to him, a man in active quietude of mind, I got the feeling I wanted to be like him, a college English teacher, know a lifetime of ideas, of words.
m
Saturdays. First, a duty from home. I carried laundry box up High Street, mailed it to Mom; week later the black pasteboard stiffened with straps arrived at my door, clothes sparkling ironed to her touch. I saw her lugging the heavy basket from basement to clothesline in the backyard, a task I’d always done, maybe should still be doing. I missed her, gentlest of voices. We sway-clap in rhythm: “Go, Miami, Miami, go!” Small university band swings down High blasting martial music. We follow to seats. Air bright and breezy. Teams run onto field. On sidelines cheerleader coeds yell with megaphones. Whistle blows, kickoff ball in air caught, teams race toward each other, the crowd on feet. This is college. My studies central but managed, making way for other things. I’ll date coeds. We’ll sip lemon Cokes at Mac ’n’ Joe’s, walk back to her dorm holding hands. We’ll probably kiss good night already on first date.
m
Christmas break. I boarded “milk train,” rode all day north. Dad and little brother Dickey waited by the Packard. Home on Spruce, pushed open dining room door, Mom stood, eyes shining, Sunday dress, necklace. I hugged her hard. Why hadn’t I hugged her every day of my life? We four took seats for supper, Dickey had moved to Bob’s place across from me. “Bob’s training as a bombsight mechanic,” Mom said. “He’ll be on the ground, he only has to fly a bit once a month to stay
qualified. The war could be over before he’s shipped anywhere.” Her quiet voice didn’t waver but her bright eyes lowered. Dad said, “I hope you won’t have to go, Ed. The Chronicle says your birthday is way down the list.” I wanted to go if I had to, more than anything I wanted to be in college.
m
February 1943, one afternoon I’m sitting in geology lab trying to identify a pile of rocks. In through open door comes my roommate waving an envelope. It’s my Draft Notice. I pick up my book, nod to Dr. Shideler, Ed and I sail out to sidewalk, stand against wind, I open envelope. “GREETINGS” from Roosevelt. I’m to report for physical examination and possible induction into Army in Cleveland on March 4. A few days later Ed’s summons to Air Corps comes. At registrar’s office we withdraw as students. Lady behind counter says, smiling, “It could be over before you get there. God bless you.” After the war, in which he served in the Battle of the Bulge, the Bridge at Remagen, and the Berlin occupation, Edward Clark ’49 did become a college English teacher, retiring in 1985 as a professor emeritus of English at Suffolk University, Boston. Now 88 and widowed, he lives in Medford, Mass. “One more thing” is a place for you to share your own reminiscences and observations about everyday happenings. Submit essays for consideration to: Donna Boen, Miamian editor, “One more thing,” 102 Glos Center, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio 45056 or email to Miamian@muohio. edu. Please limit yourself to 700 words and include your name, class year, address, and home phone number.
Spring 2012 33
Non-Profit Organization U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
Columbus, Ohio Permit No. 4416
Performing to music by Beyonce for its long program, Miami’s collegiate synchronized skating team won its eighth consecutive national title at the 2012 U.S. National Championships in March. Miami’s 14th collegiate team to win gold at nationals, the team went undefeated this season. The RedHawks set the record for most consecutive national titles at any level of synchronized skating last season.
PHOTOS BY ED COLLIER PHOTOGRAPHY
Miami University 926 Chestnut Lane Oxford, OH 45056