Ole Miss Alumni Review
Summer 2012
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Olympic gold medalist traces path to London
Fall 2012 Vol. 61 No. 4
J.D. Williams Library transforms into popular hub
Top alumni honored for achievement, service
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Vol. 61 No. 4
features
18 Check It Out
J.D. Williams Library transforms into popular hub on campus By Tom Speed
24 Winning by Leaps on the cover
and Bounds
Olympic gold medalist traces path to London By Annie Rhoades
30 Bare Soul
After hell, veteran finds happiness sharing the great outdoors By Tad Wilkes
34 In Good Company Association honors top alumni for achievement, service by Jim Urbanek
departments 6 From the Circle
The latest on Ole Miss students, faculty, staff and friends
16 Calendar 40 sports
M-Club Hall of Fame expands Former Rebels kick off NFL season
46 arts and culture 48 Rebel Traveler 52 alumni news On the cover: Olympic gold medalist and active Alumni Association member Brittney Reese shows she’s a beauty as well as a ‘beast.’ Photo by Mitchell Haaseth/NBC
Ole Miss Alumni Review P ublisher TimothyL.L.Walsh Walsh(83, (83) Timothy 91) ditor Editor Jim Jim Urbanek Urbanek II II (97) (97) jim@olemiss.edu jim@olemiss.edu
A A ssociate ssociate E Editor ditor and and A dvertising dvertising Director A Director Tom Speed (91) Annie Rhoades (07, 09) tom@olemiss.edu annie@olemiss.edu C ontributing Editor C ontributing Editor Benita Whitehorn Benita Whitehorn Editorial A ssistant A rt Director Brandon Irvine Amy Howell Designer C ontributors Eric Summers Andrew Abernathy (08, 10), Kevin Bain C orrespondents (98), Mitchell Diggs (82), Jay Ferchaud, KevinGuilfoyle, Bain (98), Robert Tobie Baker Patrice Jordan(96), (83), Rebecca Cleary (97), Lexi BarbaraLauck Lago (82), Nathan Latil,Combs, Gary Mitchell Diggs (82),Deborah Jay Ferchaud, Pettus, Elaine Pugh, Purnell Michael Harrelson, Robert (83), (02), Edwin Smith (80, 93),Jordan Tom Speed Nathan Latil, Jack (91, 03), Ben Tucker, Tad Mazurak, Wilkes (94, 00) Deborah Purnell (MA 02) Officers TheMatt University Edwin Smith of (80), Westerfield of M ississippi A lumni A ssociation Officers of The University Larry Bryan (74) of M ississippi A lumni A ssociation president Bill May (79), Jimmy Brown (70) president president-elect Richard Noble (68), Trentice Imbler (78) president-elect vice president Larry Bryan (74), Kimsey vice O’Neal Cooper (94) president athletics committee member Mike Glenn (77), athletics committee T. Michael Glennmember (77) athletics committee member Sam Lane (76), athletics committee member A lumni A ffairs Staff, O xford Timothy L. Walsh 91), A lumni A ffairs Staff(83, , O xford director Timothly L. executive Walsh (83), executive director JosephBaumbaugh, Baumbaugh,systems systems analyst Joseph analystIII III Allie Bush(86), (12), associate Web developer Clay Cavett director ClayDollarhide, Cavett (86),systems associateprogrammer director Martha Martha Dollarhide, II systems programmer II Sheila Dossett (75),(75), senior associate director Sheila Dossett senior associate director Julian Gilner (04, 07), assistant director Julian Gilner (06), (04), alumni assistantassistant director Port Kaigler Sarah Kathryn Hickman (03), and club M. coordinator assistant Kelly director for accountant marketing Annette (79), Port Kaigler (06), alumni assistant and Steve Mullen (92), assistant director club coordinator for marketing (79),publications accountant editor AnnieAnnette RhoadesKelly (07, 09), Tom Speed (91), publications editor Scott Thompson (97, 08), assistant director Scott Thompson (97), assistant director Jim Urbanek (97), assistant director Jim Urbanek (97), assistant director for for communications communications Rusty Woods (01), associate director Rusty Woods (01), assistant director for for information services information services James Butler (53, 62), director emeritus James Butler (53), director emeritus Warner Alford (60, 66), Warner Alford (60), executive director executiveemeritus director emeritus The The Ole Ole Miss Miss Alumni Alumni Review Review (USPS (USPS 561-870) 561-870) is published published quarterly quarterly by by The the University is University of of Mississippi Alumni Association and the Mississippi Alumni Association and the Office Office of Alumni Affairs. Alumni Association offices of Alumni Affairs. Alumni Association offices are located at Triplett Alumni Center, 651 Grove Loop, University, MS 38677. Telephone 662-915-7375. AA-10504 AA-12502
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Chancellor Dear Alumni and Friends,
Autumn is always a special time on college campuses, but this fall is particularly significant at the University of Mississippi. Besides the usual excitement of welcoming students back to campus and enjoying the return of football season, we have had plenty to celebrate and reflect on this fall. It began in late summer when we, like millions of people across the state and nation, proudly cheered Mississippi native and Ole Miss alumna Brittney Reese as she soared to a gold medal in the 2012 Summer Olympics. We also applauded former Rebel Jennifer Gillom, assistant coach for the U.S. women’s basketball team, as she helped guide her team to a gold medal, and current Ole Miss sprinter Isiah Young as he competed against the fastest man in the world in the 200 meters. As classes resumed this fall, we welcomed the state’s largest ever student body, with more than 21,500 students spread across our campuses. Better yet, our freshman class posted the highest average ACT score in school history. The class’s 23.8 score continues a five-year trend of academic improvement for our students and provides evidence that our efforts to attract the brightest students are bearing fruit. Around the same time, Livability.com ranked Oxford as the nation’s second best college town, something that surprised few in the Oxford community or Ole Miss family. Speaking of rankings, the university also received recognition in Forbes, moving up to No. 18 in the publication’s annual listing of the nation’s “Best Value Colleges.” All this was simply a warm-up for the year’s biggest event, our commemoration of 50 years of integration that actually began in the spring and stretches through our spring commencement. The admission of James Meredith to the university on Oct. 1, 1962 is a historic event that positively changed the university, our state and our country in so many ways. On the anniversary of such an important event, we have worked to focus on the many positive results of that day and renew our commitment to goals yet to be fully achieved. We have made a public pledge to our state and our country for increased accessibility to higher education for everyone regardless of background. We have made the same commitment to service that improves the lives of the disadvantaged in Mississippi, America and beyond. The progress that began with James Meredith’s admission to Ole Miss continues today. Just recently, Courtney Pearson became the first African-American to be elected homecoming queen at Ole Miss. A secondary education major from Memphis, Courtney also has worked as an orientation leader and has chaired the University Judicial Council, a challenging position. She is charming, driven, inspiring and an all-around impressive representative for our university. I hope you’ll join us in celebrating our successes and go with us as we explore the future. Sincerely,
Daniel W. Jones (MD 75) Chancellor
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Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your new president. It is exciting to see such positive momentum on many fronts at Ole Miss. The opportunities to continue that momentum are many, and I encourage you to jump on board. Be an advocate for Ole Miss among prospective students and families, attend as many athletic and other campus events as possible, actively participate in your local club, provide whatever financial support you can, and help us increase our Alumni Association membership. If we all do what we can, I am confident that we will be more than pleased with the outcome. I seem to find myself bragging on Ole Miss more frequently lately, and when I do, I’m reminded that many people are not aware of our recent successes. I think a few of these “bragging facts” are worth sharing: 1. The 2012 Forbes list of America’s 650 top colleges has Ole Miss No. 1 among Mississippi’s public universities and ahead of eight of the 13 other SEC schools, including Alabama, Auburn, LSU and Tennessee. 2. We were included again on the Forbes list of Top 20 Best Value Colleges. Florida was the only other SEC school named. 3. Our university set new records this fall for enrollment and remains Mississippi’s largest university, despite enacting tougher admission standards for outof-state students. Overall enrollment, total minority enrollment and AfricanAmerican enrollment were all at the highest levels ever. 4. T he quality of students as measured by average freshman ACT rose to an all-time high: from 23.5 to 23.8 since last fall; students’ average GPA also increased from 3.35 to 3.43. 5. Enrollment in the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College topped 1,000 for the first time and grew by 14 percent over 2011. 6. The Patterson School of Accountancy undergraduate program (of which I am a proud graduate) was ranked No. 10 nationally and No. 1 in the Southeast ahead of Florida, Georgia, Virginia and North Carolina among others. Individually, a number of our outstanding alumni are featured in this issue of the Alumni Review and are great examples of the successes and leadership of many Ole Miss graduates. I wish we could share even more. For example, in addition to the amazing story of Brittney Reese’s Olympic gold medal journey, former Rebel athlete Jennifer Gillom helped lead the U.S. women’s basketball team to another gold medal as assistant coach. Another recent gold medal-type achievement came from Bill Courtney, whose story is told in the Oscar-winning Best Documentary Feature “Undefeated.” I encourage you to share with your Alumni Association staff additional stories of the accomplishments and leadership of our graduates. In closing, thank you to Richard and Laurie Noble. Beyond his untiring work as president, Richard spent many hours and was a valuable participant on the athletic director and head football coach search committees. Laurie and Richard love Ole Miss, and Susan and I are grateful to have had the opportunity to work with them. Best regards,
Larry H. Bryan (BBA 74)
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The latest on Ole Miss students, faculty, staff and friends
Living-Learning Communities NEW RESIDENCE HALLS PROVIDE NOVEL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
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ore than 850 students living on campus get to enjoy the state’s newest residence halls. The “Ridges” — Ridge North, Ridge South and Ridge West — opened less than 15 months after construction began in June 2011. The three buildings, along Rebel Drive on the former site of Miller Hall, cost $39.3 million and provide many of the amenities requested by students, including private bathrooms, microwaves and refrigerators in each room, study rooms, community kitchens and lounges with TVs on each floor.
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The new halls help the university provide for an ever-increasing student body, with each of the three buildings housing between 250 and 340 students. Ole Miss enrollment surged by 6 percent during each of the past three years, and more than 3,000 freshmen are enrolled this fall. Another feature that sets the Ridges apart from other residence halls on campus and elsewhere in Mississippi is that they are devoted to living-learning communities, or LLCs, which connect students with common academic interests, and freshman interest groups,
or FIGs, which connect students with common extracurricular interests. “We have received an overwhelming response from our students,” says Jennifer McClure, assistant director for marketing in the Department of Student Housing. “They are very excited to have these opportunities and live among students with similar interests and goals.” Although not officially named, the new residence halls are being dubbed the “Ridges” in honor of Larry Ridgeway, who retired earlier this summer as vice chancellor for student affairs. AR
Photo by Robert Jordan
This is the view from the Ridge West patio across the courtyard to the Ridge South building.
ALUMNUS HIRED AS DIRECTOR OF MEDIA AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
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ith more than 24 years of experience in military, corporate, political and nonprofit sector public relations, Danny N. Blanton (BA 98) returns to the University of Mississippi as his alma mater’s director of media and public relations. “Ole Miss has been a part of my life for the past 30 years,” says Blanton, a Clarksdale native who joined the university’s staff Aug. 6. “I’ve been fortunate enough to have been mentored by outstanding university faculty and staff, who played a major role in my becoming who and what I am today. To come back and be part of telling the great stories here was a chance too good to pass up.” Blanton’s extensive experience
working in national and international communications gives Ole Miss valuable expertise in delivering the university’s leadership message to a broad audience, says Tom Eppes, UM’s chief communications officer. “We have much to share about this university’s extraordinar y programs, which are oftentimes ranked among the very best in the nation,” Eppes says. “Danny adds significant skills to the team that will tell that story of academic excellence.” Blanton’s objectives include providing strategic direction in crisis communications, internal communications, target-audience analysis and message management. AR
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Record-breaking Numbers PHARMACY STUDENTS HONORED DURING WHITE COAT CEREMONY Photo by Nathan Latil
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record-breaking 112 pharmacy students received their white coats during an Aug. 9 ceremony at the University of Mississippi’s Ford Center for Performing Arts. The UM School of Pharmacy ceremony, a decade-old tradition, marks completion of the students’ pre-pharmacy curriculum and their entry into the first year of the school’s professional program, known as PY1. “The white coat is the universal symbol of those who work in the healthrelated professions,” says David D. Allen, UM pharmacy dean. “Our annual white coat ceremony is a way of formally recognizing and fostering students’ commitment to professionalism.” The number of students (112) receiving white coats is up by 33 students over last fall and by 48 students over fall 2010. As a group, the entering PY1 students also have a higher average GPA (3.36) and a higher average PCAT score (408) than those entering last fall.
UM School of Pharmacy Dean David D. Allen (left) and student body president-elect Lacey Gilmore (right) help Ellison Brown of Terry don his white coat, marking his transition from pharmacy student to student pharmacist.
For a list of students (and their hometowns) who received their white coats,
visit http://www.pharmacy.olemiss.edu/ studentaffairs/whitecoat.html. AR
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The New York Internship Experience not only offers summer work opportunities for Ole Miss students but also allows time for outings. Enjoying dinner at an ethnic restaurant in the Big Apple are LaKeith Faulkner (left) of Holly Springs, Abigail Demarest of Millington, Tenn., and Casey Rains of Pinckneyville, Ill.
Big Apple Potential STUDENTS RECRUITED FOR NEW YORK SUMMER INTERNSHIPS
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ight University of Mississippi students will have a leg up in the job market following graduation, thanks to this summer’s internships in New York with such companies as CBS News, Folio Literary Management and Backstage. The New York Internship Experience is a combination of work and study that places Ole Miss undergraduates and graduate students in the Big Apple for a summer term. Students secure internships according to their areas of interest. The opportunity is open to all majors and disciplines and allows students to earn up to 9 hours of academic
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credit. The application deadline for next summer is Feb. 8. “The students’ work ethic, professional demeanor and general enthusiasm have really impressed New York employers,” says program director Laura Antonow, adjunct assistant professor of art. “This year, we had several past employers contact us in search of another Ole Miss intern for the summer. We have also had a lot of support from New Yorkarea University of Mississippi alumni who have placed interns in their offices, mentored them in their field of interest, and offered them advice on working and living in New York.”
Among the summer 2012 New York Internship Experience group of Ole Miss students and their intern locations were senior psychology major Abigail Demarest of Millington, Tenn., Waggo; senior marketing communications major Emma Holman of Falls Church, Va., dotbox; senior journalism major Molly Rhodes of Homosassa, Fla., National Center for Learning Disabilities; and senior English major Amanda Schnugg of Oxford, Backstage. The New York Internship Experience is coordinated through the Division of Outreach and Continuing Education. AR
Belize Bound SERVICE LEARNING INSPIRES GRADUATES TO TEACH IN San Pedro
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week of ser vice learning in Belize turned into a career-starting event for two recent education graduates at the University of Mississippi. Claire Kennedy (BAEd 11, MEd 12) and Alexandra Phares (BAEd 11, MEd 12) moved to Belize, where they will lead classrooms at the Island Academy in San Pedro. “We both decided we wanted to leave our comfort zones after graduation,” says Phares, a Pass Christian native. “The teachers don’t have the comforts that we have; they have to be resourceful.” As part of a service-learning course
last spring, both women spent a week in the country providing academic enrichment to children at the Lions Club building in San Pedro and the Holy Cross Anglican Primary School in San Mateo, a poverty-stricken community literally built atop a contaminated lagoon. Ole Miss students from a variety of departments have volunteered in the community since 2008. Phares and Kennedy say they are taken aback by the challenges but inspired by the resourcefulness of teachers at the Anglican school, such as how they pull lessons together without
traditional textbooks, worksheets and teaching tools. While Phares and Kennedy cannot teach in the public Belizean school system because they are not citizens, the alumnae can hold teaching positions in the private San Pedro academy. Phares will teach Standard One, which is equivalent to third grade in the United States. Kennedy will teach Standard Six, which is the equivalent to eighth grade and is the highest grade many Belizeans complete. The UM School of Education will send another group of service-learning students to Belize next spring. AR
Belizean students complete geometry activities during an academic enrichment exercise at the Lions Club building in San Pedro. Fall 2012 9
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ere’s the question: How can four nucleotides code for 20 amino acids? Wi t h t h a t , b i o l o g y i n s t r u c t o r Beckie Symula plunges ahead into her discussion on gene transcription with 87 incoming freshmen participating in a pilot Biology Boot Camp, a new effort to acquaint incoming students with the rigors of life as science undergraduates at the University of Mississippi. Lucile McCook, director of Biology Boot Camp, states that while lectures are a core component of the four-day intensive camp, “it’s really about developing
a learning community for the freshmen to thrive.” “Many students struggle with freshman biology, even students that have made all As in high school. Boot camp gives students a glimpse of what life is like for a science major and also provides tools needed to succeed in college,” says McCook, also director of the Health Professions Advising Office. These tools include test and notetaking tips that are especially helpful during long lectures, plus time management guidelines. The Ole Miss Biology Boot Camp
is modeled after a successful program offered at Louisiana State University. In the LSU program, which is in its seventh year, research shows that students who participate in an intensive biology camp score better grades in their introductory fall classes and go on to have significantly higher GPAs during their undergraduate years. “Our boot camp replicates a typical midterm week at Ole Miss,” McCook says. “The program is intensive and intended to help students set priorities for their transition into a major research institution.” AR Photo by Nathan Latil
UM biology instructor Beckie Symula discusses gene transcription during the pilot Biology Boot Camp, a four-day, pre-college experience designed to introduce incoming freshmen to the university and its freshman-level biology course for science majors. 10 Alumni Review
Matter of Fact PHYSICS RESEARCHERS CONTRIBUTE TO HIGGS BOSON DISCOVERY Photo courtesy of CERN
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cientists continue to delve deeper into understanding the structure of the universe and the particles that form it, based on a recent discovery by an international group of physicists that includes several University of Mississippi researchers. Faculty and postdoctoral researchers in the UM Department of Physics and Astronomy played major roles in the research and discovery of the Higgs boson, the subatomic particle thought to be responsible for all mass in the universe. The discovery was announced July 4 by scientists at CERN, a multinational research center headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. “One thing we have not been able to show until now is where the fundamental particles get their mass and how they get it,” says Breese Quinn, associate professor of physics. “We have finally found it after looking for about 40 years.” The Higgs boson is named after Peter Higgs, a physicist who came up with an idea for how particle masses could be generated. Particle physics attempts to describe the physical nature of the universe such as what it is made of and how it works on the most fundamental level. “A common analogy is that the Higgs field is like a room full of paparazzi,” Quinn says. “If I walk through that room, nobody pays any attention to me since I am not famous, and I cross from one side to the other very quickly with little resistance. But if Eli Manning walks through the room, all the paparazzi cluster around him, severely impeding his progress. He gathers this resistance to him and moves very slowly. “Particles, like me — or a tiny electron — that do not interact much with the field gain little mass. But particles that interact strongly with the field, like Eli Manning, have a lot of mass — for example, the top quark, the heaviest known fundamental particle, which gets its great mass from its strong interaction with the Higgs.”
This event, recorded with the CMS detector, shows characteristics expected from the decay of the Standard Model Higgs boson to a pair of Z bosons, one of which subsequently decays to a pair of electrons (green lines) and the other Z decays to a pair of muons (red lines). A muon is a subatomic particle similar to an electron but heavier.
The only way to know if the field actually exists is by producing the Higgs boson itself, which is what scientists are very confident they have done, Quinn says. The university’s contributions to this discovery involve the calibration and computer simulations of hadron calorimeters, devices used to determine the energies of any particles emerging from the proton-proton collision. UM physicists researched and developed these devices and the Silicon Tracker system, used to observe the trajectories, direction and momentum of charged particles. “Several members of the high energy physics group played key roles in the Higgs boson searches,” says Lucien Cremaldi, professor and chair of physics and astronomy. “Drs. Quinn and Jim
Kraus played important roles in the commissioning and analysis of the D0 experiment and its data, narrowing the search window for the new boson. Drs. Rob Kroeger, James Reidy, David Sanders, Don Summers and myself work on the CMS (Compact Muon Solenoid) experiment at CERN.” Quinn, Kraus and postdoctoral research associate Jenny Lyn Holzbauer are part of the team at Fermilab in Batavia, Ill., that was the first to find evidence for the Higgs. According to a recent article in The New York Times, the confirmation of the Higgs boson particle constitutes a rendezvous with destiny for a generation of physicists who have searched for the boson for nearly half a century without actually ever seeing it. AR Fall 2012 11
fromthe
Circle Doc with Clout FAMILY MEDICINE CHAIR TAPPED TO LEAD NATIONAL BOARD
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Photo by Jay Ferchaud
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o her colleagues, students and patients, Dr. Diane K. Beebe (BA 80, MD 84), professor and chair of family medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, is known as a down-toearth professional who’s as discreet and reassuring as her white lab coat. She is also known as the unlikely driver of a muscle car, and, like her car, she’s revved up and ready to go as chair of the American Board of Family Medicine. In April, her peers picked her as chair-elect of the Lexington, Ky.-based association. Even before her selection as chair-elect, Beebe commanded significant power. Not only has she served on the ABFM for three years, but she also has led or served on various statewide medical associations. But now, as the emerging head of the ABFM, the second largest of the country’s 24 medical specialty boards, she has the potential to accelerate her clout and, she hopes, get things moving in the study of family medicine at the Medical Center and beyond. She can do it, too, says Dr. James Keeton (BA 61, MD 65), UMMC vice chancellor for health affairs and dean of the School of Medicine. “This is a big deal,” Keeton says. “To become the leader of the American Board of Family Medicine is not only an honor for her, it’s also an honor for this Medical Center. There is a huge need for physicians in this state, especially primary care physicians. Now she’s in a position to help Mississippi.” The need for these physicians is well documented. As of April, 49 of Mississippi’s 82 counties had too few physicians working in primary care, an umbrella term covering the specialties of family medicine or practice, internal medicine, pediatrics and obstetrics-gynecology. The physician famine afflicts other states as well, Beebe says. “My hope is our country sees this shortage and does something about it,” she says. ABFM is committed to advocacy, research, physician certification and the growth of primary care. Beebe, 54, will work closely with leaders of other specialty boards and family medicine groups. Assuming the chair-elect’s yearlong duties in August, she will ascend to the chair proper the following year. AR
Dr. Diane Beebe (left) with M4 students John Browning and Katie O’Neal Royals
High Marks for Health Care UMMC RECOGNIZED IN U.S. NEWS’ BEST HOSPITALS REPORT
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he University of Mississippi Medical Center is recognized in the specialties of cancer, nephrology and urology in this year’s U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals rankings. UMMC also was recognized as one of the best hospitals in the metropolitan Jackson region. UMMC had 22 physicians included on the list of U.S. News Top Doctors, which means they ranked among the top 10 percent of doctors nationally. These doctors span 17 specialty areas and were selected based on a peer nomination process. Of the 22 physicians on the list, 11 rank among the top 1 percent in the nation. Janet Harris, interim CEO of University Hospitals and Health System, says she was excited by the recognition. “Our teams have worked together with a continuing focus on quality care and patient outcomes. Our overall goal is to improve the health of all Mississippians, and these teams and physicians are rightfully recognized for their outstanding efforts toward this cause,” she says. The hospital rankings, says U.S. News Health Rankings Editor Avery Comarow, are like a GPS-type aid to help steer patients to hospitals with strong skills in
the procedures and medical conditions that present the biggest challenges. “All of these hospitals are the kinds of medical centers that should be on your list when you need the best care,” Comarow says. “They are where other hospitals send the toughest cases.” The regional rankings are aimed primarily at consumers whose care may not demand the special expertise found only at nationally ranked hospitals or who may not be willing or able to travel long distances for medical care. The metro rankings give many such patients and their families more options of hospitals within their community and in their health insurance network, according to U.S. News. This year’s Best Hospitals, the 23rd annual edition, showcases more than 720 of the nation’s roughly 5,000 hospitals. Fewer than 150 are nationally ranked in at least one of 16 medical specialties. The rest of the recognized hospitals met a standard of performance nearly as demanding in one or more specialties. Hard numbers stand behind the rankings in most specialties — death rates, patient safety, procedure volume and other objective data. Responses to a national survey, in which physicians were
asked to name hospitals they consider best in their specialty for the toughest cases, also were factored in. The rankings cover 16 medical specialties and all 94 metro areas that have at least 500,000 residents and at least one hospital that performed well enough to be ranked. The complete rankings and methodology are available at http://health. usnews.com/best-hospitals and also will be featured in the U.S. News Best Hospitals guidebook. AR
ACT SCORES OF FRESHMAN CLASS CONTINUE TO RISE
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ncoming freshmen at the University of Mississippi should feel confident in their ability to succeed in the classroom, judging by their scores on the ACT college entrance exam. The average ACT scores (which include converted SAT scores) for incoming freshmen at Ole Miss for the fall 2012 semester hit 23.9, a record high for the university, school officials report. This figure is 0.4 points higher than the fall 2011 average score of 23.5 and 0.6 points higher than the 23.3 average in fall 2010. “Over time, the data show that our incoming average ACT is increasing, and a growing percentage of the freshman class has higher ACT scores,” says Noel Wilkin, UM associate provost. “This year is our biggest jump in that percentage in looking at the past five years.”
The increase in ACT scores also is a result of the quality of students enrolling in special programs such as the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, Trent Lott Leadership Institute and Croft Institute for International Studies. “The average ACT of entering freshmen is even more impressive in our special programs,” says Mary Harrington, UM director of institutional research. “For instance, the Croft Institute has an average ACT of 31.0.” The average ACT of in-state freshmen has remained high over the past three years, demonstrating the strength of the scores for college-bound freshmen. The average ACT for in-state new freshmen in 2010 was 23.5, while the average score for Mississippi freshmen in 2011 was 23.6. AR Fall 2012 13
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Circle Our Town OXFORD RANKED AS NATION’S SECOND-BEST COLLEGE TOWN
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t’s surely no surprise to most Ole Miss fans and people who live in the Oxford community that the home of the University of Mississippi has been named one of the nation’s top college towns. Livability.com ranks Oxford No. 2 on its third annual listing of top college towns, praising the town’s genteel atmosphere, cultural and social opportunities, and abundance of outdoor activities. Oxford was No. 9 on last year’s list and this year ranks right behind College Station, Texas, home of new SEC member Texas A&M. “While there is an equal number of permanent residents and college students, the town retains a sophisticated feel,” the website’s review says. “That comes from the care city leaders take in preserving historic buildings and the fact that business owners know their clients
Double Decker Arts Festival on the Oxford Square 14 Alumni Review
have an appreciation for the finer things in life.” The review also spotlights the university’s contribution to the city’s vibrant cultural scene, citing the UM Museum, Rowan Oak and Ole Miss Theatre offerings as being particularly important. It also notes that retirees have a chance to take UM classes tuition-free. “College towns are appealing to all demographics because universities bring a host of quality-of-life amenities, such as arts and cultural activities, top-notch medical facilities and nightlife, as well as economic development assets, such as research and development, continuing education and workforce training,” says John Hood, spokesman for Livability.com. Fo r m o re i n f o r m a t i o n o n t h e Livability.com rankings, go to http:// livability.com/top-10. AR
Rowan Oak
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The Most Unique Neighborhood Taylor. Lafayette County. Minutes from Oxford and Ole Miss.
About Plein Air | located in the village of taylor approximately 8 minutes from oxford, ms, Plein air broke ground in 2007 as one of the only true new urbanist neighborhoods in the state of mississippi. founded as “a neighborhood that celebrates the arts”, Plein air is an old-fashioned neighborhood with traditional southern-style houses and tin roofs, sidewalks and white picket fences. when fully developed, Plein air will have almost 200 homes, a dozen commercial buildings with restaurants, art galleries, coffee shops, studio offices, and antique stores. Plein air hosts multiple arts workshops, concerts on the lawn, farmer’s markets, mahjong tournaments, summer evening movies on the lawn, and other community events year round. our montessori school has grown each year for the past three years and is expecting to double its enrollment next year.
www.pleinairtaylor.com | ph 662-234-3151
The Houses | best described by lead architect John tee as “traditional southern vernacular”, the houses at Plein air range from 1,400-3,500 square feet and are priced between $170,000 and $599,000. all houses at Plein air have ample front porches, are built on conventional foundations, have traditional wood burning fireplaces and ten foot ceilings. Parking is in the rear of the homes to “hide the cars.” Plein air hosted the 2009 southern living idea House and over 23,000 visitors toured this fantastic home. it was the first community ever chosen in mississippi to host the coveted southern living idea House. if you don’t see the house you are looking for, we can build you exactly the one you want. Homesites range from $45,000-$70,000. Home prices start at $170,000.
Calendar OCTOBER
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UM Conference on the Civil War: Yerby Center, 7 a.m. Call 662-915-7283.
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Communiversity: Financial Planning. Hume Hall, 7-8:15 p.m. Call 662-915-1299.
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RMI Professional Society Annual Meeting and Reception: River Hills Club, Jackson, 5-7 p.m. Call 662-915-7375.
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-27 Reunion: Rugby team. Various locations and times. Call 662-915-1869.
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Communiversity: Financial Planning. Hume Hall, 7-8:15 p.m. Call 662-915-1299.
NOVEMBER
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Ole Miss Faculty/Staff Retirees Association Presentation: Jack Mayfield. Gertrude C. Ford Ballroom, The Inn at Ole Miss, 10:30 a.m. Call 662-915-2633.
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Communiversity: Beginning Italic Calligraphy Workshop. Yerby Conference Center, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Call 662-915-1299. Ole Miss Theatre: “The Crucible.” Ford Center for the Performing Arts, 2-4 p.m. and 7:30-9:30 p.m. Visit theatre.olemiss.edu.
Ole Miss Theatre: “The Crucible.” Ford Center for the Performing Arts, 2-4 p.m. Visit theatre.olemiss.edu.
A.J. Holloway Distinguished Political Science Alumni Award Reception: Oxford University Club, 6-7:30 p.m. Call 662-915-7401. Reunion: Student Alumni Council. Gertrude C. Ford Ballroom, The Inn at Ole Miss, 7-10 p.m. Call 662-915-7375.
Football: Ole Miss vs. Vanderbilt. Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, time TBA. Visit www.olemisssports.com.
U.S. Navy Commodores Jazz Ensemble Nov. 5
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Oxford Art Crawl: Ford Center for the Performing Arts, 7-9 p.m. Call 662-915-2787. Pedro Brull and Orquesta Rican Son: Ford Center for the Performing Arts, 7-9 p.m. Call 662915-2787.
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Ole Miss Theatre: “The Crucible.” Ford Center for the Performing Arts, 7:30-9:30 p.m. Visit theatre. olemiss.edu. 14th Annual Jean Jones Walk/Run for Cancer: Student Union, 9-11 a.m. Email jjwalk@olemiss.edu.
U.S. Navy Commodores Jazz Ensemble: Ford Center for the Performing Arts, 7-9 p.m. Call 662-915-2787.
Student Alumni Council Forum: Bridging the Gap, Ole Miss’ Past and Present Working Together for the Future. Gertrude C. Ford Ballroom, The Inn at Ole Miss, 3-5 p.m. Call 662-915-1876.
University of Mississippi Medical Center Tailgate: Lawn of Triplett Alumni Center, time TBA. Call 662-915-7375. School of Pharmacy Tailgate: sponsored by Accredo. Front lawn of Faser Hall, two hours prior to kickoff. Call 662-915-1878.
Football: Ole Miss vs. Mississippi State Nov. 24
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Football: Ole Miss vs. Mississippi State. Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Oxford, time TBA. Visit www.olemisssports.com.
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Panel Discussion: Writing Manhood in the South. Bryant Hall, 4:30-6:30 p.m. Email umevents@olemiss.edu.
JANUARY
DECEMBER
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School of Applied Sciences Reception: Meet the new dean. The Lookout, Gulfport, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Call 662-915-7375. Sandi Patty: Broadway Stories. Ford Center for the Performing Arts, 7-9 p.m. Call 662-915-2787.
School of Applied Sciences Tailgate: Front lawn of Triplett Alumni Center, two hours prior to kickoff. Call 662915-7375.
Sandi Patty Nov. 15
University of Mississippi Medical Center Tailgate: Lawn of Triplett Alumni Center, time TBA. Call 662-915-7375.
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Ole Miss Faculty/Staff Retirees Association Dinner: Butler Auditorium, Triplett Alumni Center, 5:30 p.m. Email bgvinson1@gmail.com.
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UM Pharmacy Reception: Held in conjunction with the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Midyear Clinical Meeting. MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas. Call 601-984-2481.
John Tesh: Big Band Christmas. Ford Center for the Performing Arts, 3-5 p.m. Call 662915-2787.
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-16 Wintersession: Call 662-915-7847, or visit www.outreach.olemiss.edu/ wintersession. Ole Miss Luncheon Series: Chancellor Dan Jones. Gulfport, time TBA. Call 662-915-1874.
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Ole Miss Luncheon Series: Chancellor Dan Jones. New Orleans, time TBA. Call 662-915-1874.
Fall 2012 17
18 Alumni Review Photos by Robert Jordan and Nathan Latil
Check It Out J.D. Williams Library transforms into popular hub on campus By Tom Speed
Fall 2012 19
Dean of Libraries Julia Rholes and her faculty and staff constantly work to improve the library.
any alumni may think of the J.D. Williams Library as staid, silent and stale. Others may think that the Internet age has rendered library stacks and their card cataloging systems obsolete. But today’s main library at the University of Mississippi is a thriving hub of activity with instruction in high-tech electronic classrooms and an emphasis on workstations and study rooms that help students work in teams. Instead of a strict “no food or drink” policy, a Starbucks is stationed on the premises. Forget the image of the shushing, scornful librarian too. Today’s librarians are an energetic group who have grown up in the digital age and are using new technologies to keep students engaged. They are providing opportunities and advantages for students to study and do research across a wide range of disciplines. The library also is creating new avenues of outreach throughout campus, including dedicated librarians who supply support to student athletes and other groups. Welcome to the 21st-century Ole Miss library, where vibrant, collaborative learning and research have made it more popular among students than at any time during the university’s history.
Academic Union
When you walk through the doorways of the J.D. Williams Library today, the most striking thing might be what you do hear as opposed to what you don’t. The hushed calm of years past has been replaced by a hustling, bustling hive of interaction. Upon 20 Alumni Review
entering the building on the east side, you will hear the commotion of a Starbucks coffee shop and the attendant chatter that comes when caffeine and college students collide. Gathering around tall tables and relaxing on cushioned sofas and chairs, students sip lattes and frappuccinos while working on research projects together. Between classes, the café serves as a rendezvous point for a quick visit or simply a place to take a load off. Students also can visit a website to view the crowd via webcam and see how many people are waiting in line. Elsewhere in the library, students lounge in large comfortable chairs reading The Daily Mississippian. Others gather in group study rooms equipped with computers and projection screens to work on class projects. In many ways, this library has become like a second student union. “I refer to it as the academic union of the campus,” says Dean of Libraries Julia Rholes. “There is a trend with libraries that they’ve become a really important learning commons on campus. The library is just a more active, thriving place than it was in the old days. It’s also a little noisier, a little messier. That’s a good thing.” Several factors have helped convert the library to a more student-centered hub as well. For one, a growing student body
needs more space in general. “Campus is so centralized now, and parking is such an issue,” says Amy Mark (PhD 09), information literacy and instruction librarian. “People come here all day.” Attracting students to come to the library and stay there is no accident — it’s by design. When Rholes first came to Ole Miss in 2003, she made providing a more hospitable atmosphere a top priority. “When I came here, I definitely wanted the library to be more welcoming,” she says. “I wanted it to be a place where more was happening than students just coming to check out a book and leave.” Another reason more students are using the library is an increase in collaborative schoolwork, and the library provides an academic-centered meeting place. Because group-oriented learning has become more and more common across campus, the library has adapted to the times by providing more collaborative learning space for teams and groups. That means more dedicated rooms, divided workspaces and different furniture.
Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Mass. “I had these really pleasant memories of my college years, where we had a big reading room with soft furniture,” she says. “If I had to do a lot of reading, I really preferred to sit in a soft chair like I would do at home.” In addition to providing furniture conducive to a variety of activities, dividing the library for different uses also has been a priority. The bottom floor, where the classrooms and collaboration stations are located, is mostly dedicated to group learning. The second floor, where the coffee shop is located, is a little less bustling but by no means quiet. The third floor is reserved for quiet study. “You have different needs for different times,” Mark says.
A flash rave was held on the first floor of the library in 2009.
Study Breaks
Starbucks at the J.D. Williams Library has become a hip hangout for students.
By paying attention to details such as how students use the facilities and where they sit, library staff has invented ways to make the library more usable. “We’ve added more and more soft furniture,” Rholes says. “People like a variety of furniture. We watch what they use. If you walk around the building, they’re still using the tables and chairs and little study tables. Many people still want those because they’re writing or typing. But there are just as many people sitting in soft chairs, reading a laptop or a book.” Rholes draws on fond memories of her college years at
Kelly Ho, a senior psychology major from Oxford, uses the library as a place to hang out between classes, meet friends and study. Sometimes, she even uses those comfy chairs to take a power nap. But she says the library is not just a place for serious study and communal connection. It’s a place for fun too. In 2009, students organized a flash mob rave on the first floor of the library. They spread the word through text messaging, Facebook, Twitter and good old-fashioned word of mouth. They gathered in the library during exam week, and at the appointed time, a DJ appeared with large speakers, costumes were produced, and a cathartic dance party ensued for about 15 minutes. Students and dance parties are nothing new, but the factors that make this particular event remarkable are that 1) it was held in a library, and 2) it was actually sanctioned by university administrators and library staff. Ho works part time at the library as a student worker, helping to shelve books, answer questions and clean up the occasional wayward coffee spill. Her supervisor is operations manager Stan Whitehorn, who is also known as the Fall 2012 21
students develop those skills. “The trend on instruction is going up,” Rholes says. “We believe that it is very important for students today to acquire information-searching skills and evaluation skills. Students need these [skills] not just for the courses they take while they’re here, but in so many areas and professions they need to be able to know how to get information and how to evaluate it as they go on in life.” Bibliographic instruction classes used to be offered in the library upon request, Mark says.
Beverages are allowed throughout the library, but students are encouraged to keep a lid on them.
“building mayor” of the library. He was the one who gave approval to the students who proposed it. “He was there, and he was just cracking up at the way the students were behaving,” says Ho. “It was a huge dance party,” she says. “We’ve had a couple, and they’ve lasted for different amounts of time, but it’s usually just like 15 minutes of music, people jumping around everywhere. You just rave for 15 minutes, then go back to studying. A lot of people don’t see the library as a place for that. But I feel like a rave is needed sometimes when you’re in finals week and you need a break.” When she’s not cramming for finals and dancing in the aisles, Ho uses the library just about every day. “During the day, I don’t want to leave campus and have to find parking,” she says. “It’s too much hassle. I use my inbetween class time to either study or to meet up with groups that I have in my classes or just hang out with friends at Starbucks. “Here, there are a variety of noise levels. You can choose to talk in one area or choose to study in another area. The noise level is so different. In the student union, it’s just so loud and crowded. So there’s not really that quiet place, where you can go sit and look over your notes or something. A lot of students don’t realize how much they use the library. It’s at the heart of campus, and it’s the one that’s open until 2 a.m. They come here and get their studying done.”
Teamwork
The library is not just a place to dance, grab a cup of coffee and hang out, just as it is not just a place to study for outside classes or conduct research. Increasingly, it is an essential location for instruction. As information becomes more readily available with the advancement of technology, being able to access and evaluate that information becomes increasingly important. To that end, the library now teaches dozens of classes to help 22 Alumni Review
Students work on a class project in one of the library’s group study rooms.
“If you had a huge project, your professor might have your class come in,” she says. “There were probably 20 classes a semester. Now we have 80 sections alone of EDHE 105 (a class that is designed to help freshmen transition to college life). “The biggest thing is [for students to know] how to come up with a search term. Also, the idea is that everybody [ends up] on a level playing field. We have students from all different backgrounds. Some come in from strong prep school backgrounds. Some of them come in on scholarship and are very bright, but their high school didn’t offer them much. The goal is to get them through their first year of college.” In some freshman seminar courses, students participate in a scavenger hunt. But like most activities in the library these days, it’s a 21st-century update of an old tradition. Today, students use their smart phones to take pictures of items and books in the stacks. “If you have them find a book in the catalog, then go find the book and take a picture of it, they’re much more engaged,” Mark says. Finding the book in the first place is a much easier task than it used to be. Online maps pinpoint the exact location of each book in the library. Engaging students from the moment they step on campus also encourages them to return more often and gets them more involved. A key component to fostering more involvement from
students has been the development of those group study rooms and areas that allow for team-building exercises and collaborating, areas that Rholes calls “collaboration stations.” “Working on teams is required for a lot of students, and we need to provide them with the space to work together,” Rholes says.
others and more reliable than others,” says Rholes. “It isn’t all on Google. There is a lot of proprietary information that is only on our scholarly databases. If they’re doing scientific research or important historical research, they really need to go beyond Google.” “Throughout my college years, I’ve been told what are good resources and what are bad resources,” adds Ho. “The databases that the library offers, I use them a lot for my research. They’re always dependable. A lot of people turn to the books too; they still check out books to do thesis research or for research papers. It’s both. I’ve checked out a lot of books, but I’m glad they have those online databases.” Even in details that might seem mundane, technology is improving the day-to-day usability of library services. The massive library website
Though cushioned chairs are plentiful at the library, some students choose traditional hard wooden seats to stay focused on their studies.
Going beyond Google
Technology also greatly impacts the development of the library as a community hub. Technological advancements are making library resources more available while drawing satellite campuses into being part of an increasingly close-knit community. “We have technology available and offer expertise in the use of that technology,” says Whitehorn. “We have a vast amount of resources at students’ disposal be it databases, periodicals — both digital and hardcopy — more than a million volumes of books and a large media collection.” More and more, students are using e-book formats for use on laptops, tablet computers and smart phones. “We are really shifting to more electronic formats,” says Rholes. “Materials [are] a pretty big part of our budget, and 84 percent is now going towards electronic materials. That’s what the users are telling us they pretty much prefer.” Having academic journals available in digital formats also means that the library is accessible to students at all hours of the day. “If you don’t have time to go to archives or get here Monday through Friday, 8 to 5, we’ve got a lot of things online that anybody anywhere can access,” Rholes says. Database services provide students with a vast repository of knowledge, and part of the library’s mission is to teach students to develop the skills to seek out reliable academic information. “Online material on the Web is important, but it’s important to realize that there is some information that is more scholarly than
A total of 125 public-use computers and 64 classroom computers are stationed at the library.
contains dozens of video tutorials designed to teach skills in short, simple clips. Librarians also are more accessible than ever, whether in person, via email or more modern methods. “We have instant messaging for ‘Ask a librarian,’” Mark says. “We have more people IM us than come to the reference desk.” Technology also ties together students from other campuses. “Through our electronic collection, we are able to serve people [far] beyond the building,” Rholes says. “People from certain disciplines rarely visit but are using our services heavily. It may be a student in the dorm, or the student taking classes in Tupelo and working full time. Because we have so much available electronically, and it’s available 24/7, they may be using the library all the time, any hour of the day or night. That’s something important that we weren’t doing even 10 years ago.” AR Fall 2012 23
Photo by Kirby Lee. Courtesy of US Presswire/USA Today Sports 24 Alumni Review
Olympic gold medalist traces path to London By Annie Rhoades
Photo by Mitchell Haaseth/NBC
Fall 2012 25
Photo by Kirby Lee. Courtesy of US Presswire/USA Today Sports
ome people say Olympic champions are born, some say they are made, and some say they happen to be in the right place at the right time. For University of Mississippi alumna Brittney Reese (BA 11), it is all of the above and so much more. Standing on the podium at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, wearing a gold medal around her neck for Team USA, Reese was overwhelmed with joy. “It’s a surreal moment,” Reese says. “It’s a blessing just to be on that stage because that’s a lot of people’s dreams. It was one of my dreams, and I finally accomplished it. It was a great moment, probably the greatest moment of my life.” Born in 1986 in Inglewood, Calif., Reese grew up on the coast in Gulfport, Miss., unknowingly building her Olympic career. An athlete from the time she was a little girl, Reese fondly recalls the encouragement of her grandfather gently nudging her into T-ball, basketball and track. “He didn’t have any grandsons to coach in baseball or football, so he made sure me and my two little sisters were always in sports,” Reese says. While playing sports at Gulfport High School, Reese had 26 Alumni Review
little interest in pursuing track and field beyond overall strength and endurance training. All of that changed on a hot day during high school basketball practice when Reese took part in a longjump contest to win a Coke. The school’s athletics director and track-and-field coach was searching for a long jumper. However, he didn’t want Reese to take part in the competition because she was involved in so many other sports. Finally, after much pleading, Reese got her chance. Soaring over 17 feet in her first attempt, she firmly established her foothold in the long jump. Reese continued to pursue a career in basketball all the way through her junior college days at Mississippi Gulfport Community College, then changed her course to Ole Miss track and field when offered a scholarship in 2006. “My mom encouraged me to take the Ole Miss track-andfield scholarship. Her main reason was that basketball is a team sport, but in track, you can make yourself,” she says. Armed with those words of advice, Reese headed to Oxford and never looked back. Reese’s career in track and field literally soared to new lengths
“We were competing, and I was doing all of these events, running back and forth, and my teammates said, ‘Man, you’re just out here beasting everything. We’re going to call you B. Reese the Beast,’ and that’s been my nickname since my Ole Miss days,” Reese says. Reese’s Olympic career quickly took off under the tutelage of Walker, and before she knew it, she was on her way to compete in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. Reese views her first foray into Olympic competition as a valuable learning experience. Devastated after placing fifth in the 2008 Olympics, Reese was determined to make a name for herself at the 2012 London games. “I realized after Beijing that I wasn’t really ready for that type of world stage just yet,” she says. “I’m not a crier, but I cried, and from that point on, I knew that I was more serious about long jumping than I really thought I was.” That realization led Reese to a newfound determination that whether she receives gold, silver or bronze, she will never be left off the podium again. While Reese is constantly competing, flying back and forth from one country to the next, she takes comfort in knowing her family, in Track & Field particular her mom, will be there to Women’s Long Jump cheer her on in the stands. “Some people get distracted when their family is there, but I’m not distracted at all. I want my family to be in the stands — it just 2007 SEC Women’s Field Athlete of the Year gives me a better vibe. Coach Walker 2007 NCAA Outdoor champion always asks me if my mom is coming Two-time World Indoor gold medalist because he knows we’re going to Two-time World Outdoor gold medalist jump good if she’s there. My mom is Two-time USA Indoor champion my biggest fan. She’s like my lucky charm,” Reese says. Five-time USA Outdoor champion Raised by a single mother, Reese 2008 Olympic Games, 5th place says she understands the importance 2012 Olympic Games, gold medal in the women’s long jump of family and what it means to be (7.12 meters) a good role model to your children, something she hopes to give to her children and grandchildren one day. “It’s just remarkable how much of a caring mother she is and how much she wants to be there and support her kids, while on the 2006-08 Ole Miss team. Coached by Joe Walker Jr., grandkids. She’s a great woman for me to look up to. Regardshe quickly earned several titles including SEC Women’s Field less of working a full-time job, she was always at every one of Athlete of the Year and NCAA Outdoor champion, both in 2007. my sporting events. One day, when I have kids or grandkids, I “Brittney is very hardworking and very conscientious,” says would love to be just like her,” says Reese. Walker. “She’s a world-class athlete, but she’s also a world-class Still considered young in her sport because of her late start person, and that just makes the relationship so much fun.” at age 19, Reese plans to compete in the 2016 Olympic Games Walker says it was easy to spot something special in Reese and bring home more gold medals for Team USA. early in her career. Reese is confident that having prior Olympic competition “Once you see the total package: their personality, their experience has given her a competitive edge. work ethic, their talent and all of those types of things, it’s obvi“Experience means a lot, not just having that kind of experious that some of them have what I and others have labeled the ence on a world stage but also jumping against other athletes ‘it factor,’ and Brittney certainly has it,” Walker says. that I’m probably going to see at the next Olympics. I’m a real “Reese the Beast” is a moniker given to her by her Ole Miss visual person, so I visualize what all of my other competitors do. track-and-field teammates and is proudly emblazoned on her I know what they’re capable of,” says Reese. track shoes. Fall 2012 27
Courtesy of UM Photography
As for more record breaking, Reese plans to leap ahead of her own recent world record. “I have two more goals — I need to break the American outdoor record and the world record.” Currently, Reese holds so many titles and records that she can’t name them all. Not only is she the first member of the Ole Miss track-and-field family to win an Olympic gold; she’s only the second to win a medal of any color in track and field. However, arguably Reese’s greatest achievement to date is being the first U.S. woman to win Olympic gold in long jump since Jackie Joyner-Kersee’s leap in 1988.
Mahesh Bhupathi
Reese earned several titles at Ole Miss, including SEC Women’s Field Athlete of the Year and NCAA Outdoor champion.
Team: India | Sport: Tennis Event: Men’s Doubles • Fifth Olympics (1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012) • 12-time Grand Slam champion • 1995 NCAA Doubles champion
Reese was fortunate to meet her longtime idol in 2011 due to a posting on Twitter expressing her admiration of JoynerKersee. Says Reese, “I’m glad I was able to meet her and have her on my side, telling me she wants me to break her records. … She’s actually helping me try to break her records and encouraging me along the way.” Upon receiving the Olympic gold medal in London this year, Reese received a text message from Joyner-Kersee that said, “Hello Miss American record holder.” Reese couldn’t have been more ecstatic. Though Reese is proud of her achievements, she is quick to state that she has been blessed and is fortunate to be able to serve as a role model to young children. “It’s important to me for kids to know that despite where you came from and what your circumstances are, you can accomplish anything and build a better life for yourself,” she says. AR
Jennifer Gillom
Team: USA | Sport: Women’s Basketball • Second Olympics (1998, 2012) • Gold medalist in 1988 as a player • Assistant coach to 2012 gold medal team
Isiah Young
Team: USA | Sport: Track and Field Event: Men’s 200-meter • First Olympics (2012) • Third at the U.S. Olympic Trials • SEC Outdoor Champion • Fourth at the NCAA Championships • School record holder in 200-meter
Women’s Basketball
Jennifer Gillom (USA) Peggie Gillom (USA) Van Chancellor (USA)
Track & Field
Allan Ince (Barbados) men’s 400 meter hurdles 1988 Gary Kinder (USA) men’s decathlon 1988 Tony Dees (USA) silver men’s 100 meter hurdles 1992 Alvin Haynes (Barbados) men’s triple jump 1992 Savanté Stringfellow (USA) men’s long jump 2000 Brittney Reese (USA) gold women’s long jump 2008, 2012 Isiah Young (USA) men’s 200 meters 2012
Men’s Tennis
Mahesh Bhupathi (India) men’s doubles 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012
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gold player 1988, assistant coach 2012 gold assistant coach 2000 gold head coach 2004
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VOTED OXFORD’S BEST HOTEL 2011 & 2012
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Whether you are planning a dream wedding, a business conference, an educational forum, or just looking for the most elegant and luxurious accommodations in the region, look to The Inn at Ole Miss Hotel and Conference Center.
Now with more than 143 elegant guest rooms, including executive suites, a stunning new ballroom, flexible meeting rooms, and a catering kitchen second to none in the region, you’ll find all the services and facilities necessary to plan a memorable event or getaway you’ll never forget. For reservations call 888-486-7666. Legendary Hospitality. Uncompromising Comfort. Alumni Drive • Oxford, MS • www.TheInnAtOleMiss.com
Photo by John Turner
Bare Soul 30 Alumni Review
Photo courtesy of the Sierra Club Photo by John Turner
Photo courtesy of the Sierra Club
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tacy Bare’s road to Ole Miss was paved with a mix of chance, fate and the intangible lure of a special place. It parallels his later journey into military service, through the throes of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and to ultimate redemption. Growing up in South Dakota, Bare (BA 00) says he always knew he wanted to be in the U.S. Navy. But in the mid-’90s, as he neared high school graduation, he learned that wasn’t to be. “I applied for all the different ROTC scholarships, but I was too tall for the Navy,” he says. “I would have had to file medical waivers to get in. The Army gave me a week to decide whether to take [its] scholarship.” How Bare, now a former U.S. Army captain and Bronze Star recipient, landed at Ole Miss is a familiar tale, not unlike the “how I got to Ole Miss” stories of many out-of-state students with no prior connection to Mississippi.
Stacy Bare’s love for the outdoors inspired him to get others outside to experience the same adventures that helped him heal from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Fall 2012 31
Photo courtesy of the Sierra Club
“I was on my way to the University of Kansas and had more or less pledged a fraternity down there,” Bare explains. “At the time, the Army sent out packets with all the schools that had Army ROTC, and most universities threw in additional scholarship packets, saying that if you get an Army ROTC scholarship, they’d give you an additional scholarship. Since I accepted my scholarship late, I got my packet late. My buddy and I were cruising down this list, and we were calling schools up and kind of having a laugh. We were [both] 17 years old.” Had it not been for Bulldog staff neglecting its work, Bare might have (gulp) ended up in “the town that fun forgot.” “This was in March, and Mississippi State was in the Final Four that year,” Bare recalls. He and his friend called State and were sent straight to an answering machine greeting, which told them, “We’re not here today. We’re all watching the Final Four.” But right below State on the list, Bare saw what they thought was “Olé Miss” — as in the Spanish “olé.” “We couldn’t believe there was a college called Olé Miss, so we just called ’em. The woman on the phone was so nice and put me through to Maj. Barbour. He ended up flying my dad and me down to take a look at the campus. When you visit Ole Miss, you can’t help but fall in love.” Bare enrolled, majoring in philosophy (“Dad hung up the phone when I told him,” he recalls), and after a little initial culture shock (during rush, someone told him at least he was from “the right Dakota — South Dakota.”), he settled right in. “Stacy was one of the brightest students I ever had,” remembers Bill Buppert, an Army captain at the time, later a major and now retired. Buppert taught military science, military history and national security studies. “He was constantly pushing the envelope and never stopped asking questions. We would talk often long after class was over. We learned plenty from each other. There is no doubt that while life has knocked him around a bit, he will prevail.”
Hitting the waves on the Colorado River 32 Alumni Review
Into the Fight
After graduating in 2000, Bare went to Arizona for officer training before being stationed in Germany. “War broke out in 2001, and I tried to get deployed, and I just couldn’t,” says Bare, still with frustration in his voice. “Eventually I was sent to Sarajevo in 2003 for six months. I felt bad about it. I was getting combat pay for going snowboarding on the weekends, and my parents came for Christmas. Bosnia was relatively stable at the time.” He later returned to Germany and, upon leaving the military in 2004, moved to Angola with the HALO Trust, the world’s largest humanitarian landmine clearance organization — which then moved him to the former Soviet state of Georgia. But while in Angola, Bare had the chance to go surfing for about three weeks. The experience would prove rejuvenating for him mentally as he connected with nature. Near the end of 2005, Bare was recalled on reserve to Baghdad, where he relocated to dilapidated, formerly condemned World War II-era barracks. In Baghdad, Bare spent six months on staff and another six months leading a special ops team on patrols and in combat. “When I look back on my journals from Baghdad, the six months I spent on staff are full of vitriol and frustration,” he says, “and I didn’t really journal that much when I was running around the streets of Baghdad. I was really happy doing that. I enjoyed my time as a team leader, running patrols. Then when I came back, it was reversed. Nightmares came from that time when I was on the street.” In August 2007, Bare began work on a master’s degree in city planning at the University of Pennsylvania, envisioning he would work around the world rebuilding disaster areas. “During that time, I began to struggle,” Bare admits. “Before
Photo by John Turner
Photo by Tom Bare
that, I’d gone surfing in South Africa and had grown up spending time in the outdoors, and that gave me some head space, but at Penn, I allowed myself to do drugs and use alcohol, dealing with post-traumatic stress. I had a breakdown.” After graduating in 2009, Bare took a job in Colorado with Veterans Green Jobs, an organization that aims to help transition vets back into civilian life with “meaningful employment opportunities that serve our communities and environment.” Bare’s story could have met a grim end then. He says the job was great, but PTSD hounded him like a black dog. He thought about suicide, and it was a real prospect. In fact, a report from the Center for a New American Security calculates that from 2005 to 2010, service members committed suicide at a rate of about one every 36 hours. The Army reported a record number of suicides in July 2011, when 33 active and reserve component service members took their own lives, the report states.
Fly fishing the Provo River in Utah
Rappelling down Blackfoot Glacier in Glacier National Park
Mountains to Climb
While Bare’s thoughts and emotions whirled, a friend invited him to go rock climbing. Soon he was rock climbing often, which provided him the same restorative, calming effect nature had on him during his stint surfing in Angola. It inspired him to seek and obtain a grant from Force Factor to fund his idea to take other recent veterans outdoors. Bare’s idea was put into action by founding Veterans Expeditions with former Army ranger Nick Watson in 2010. Before long, Bare left the group to put his experience to work as a national representative for the Military Families and Veterans Initiative on the Sierra Club Mission Outdoors team, guiding veterans into nature to help them enjoy its benefits. In July 2012, he was promoted to team director, overseeing 7,000 volunteer leaders and helping 250,000 Americans get outside each year — with only a staff of five managing the program. “We’re trying to inspire all of America to get out and appreciate just how amazing this country is,” Bare says. “When you’re outside, there are a few key things that happen. Even in the sense of the Grove — people hanging out outside in a beautiful environment. Things fade away, especially if you get out a little farther. Your social class, economic background and race, those things don’t really matter anymore. You’re all out there doing the same thing: paddling or hiking or whatever.
“We’re inundated with information. We’re always on our phones. The outdoors is what attracted our ancestors to America in the first place. All of a sudden, it becomes clear to you and clicks an idea in your mind that you can’t work out back home. When you’ve been outside and go back home, you’re a happier person.” Rock climbing in particular, Bare says, requires such focus “on the problem in front of you, that your mind is focused. You get clarity that you’re not able to in town. Things like trauma stay away, and you begin to retrain your mind. Slowly but surely, those things begin to transfer over to your in-town life.” Bare changed the notion of the initiative, says Melanie Mac Innis, assistant director for volunteer engagement for Sierra Club’s Mission Outdoors. “It went from being an initiative that found participants to send on outdoor adventures with non-Sierra Club programs to a movement to get the military/vet population connected to the outdoors, to the Sierra Club and to themselves. He took a risk, and it’s beginning to stick.” Though Bare attributes his salvation to the outdoors, he also credits the people in his life who helped him through the dark, sometimes suicidal path that got him there. “The commitment that a lot of Mississippians have to supporting our troops is really legitimate,” Bare posits. “It’s not just a magnet on a car. My friends from Ole Miss really took care of me when I was gone and when I was back home. A lot of what I’ve accomplished has been through the support of guys and gals I met at Ole Miss. But even with all that support, I still struggled, and it was a significant journey to get where I am today. I can only imagine what it’s like for people who don’t have that type of support.” AR Tad Wilkes (BA 94, JD 00) is an attorney and writer living in Oxford. Fall 2012 33
In Good C Association honors top alumni for achievement, service he Ole Miss Alumni Association awarded seven distinguished recipients with its highest annual honors as part of Homecoming 2012. Created in 1974, the Hall of Fame honors those select alumni who have made an outstanding contribution to their country, state or the University of Mississippi through good deeds, services or contributions that have perpetuated the good name of Ole Miss. Inductees into the 2012 Alumni Hall of Fame were Thomas W. Colbert Sr. (BBA 62) of Flowood; retired Maj. Gen. James Donald (BA 70) of Atlanta; Bill Fry (BPA 80) of Nashville; Greg Iles (BA 83) of Natchez; and Bill Jordan (BBA 73) of Columbus, Ga. George Lotterhos (BBA 71) of Germantown, Tenn., was presented the Alumni Service Award for service to the university and the Alumni Association over an extended period. Jillian Foster (BSPh 02, PharmD 04, MBA 08) of Oxford received the Outstanding Young Alumni Award, which recognizes alumni who have shown exemplary leadership throughout their first 15 years of alumni status in both their careers and dedication to Ole Miss.
34 Alumni Review
Company By Jim Urbanek
Hall of Fame Thomas W. Colbert Sr. of Flowood is chairman of Community Bancshares of Mississippi Inc., a multibank holding company with locations in Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee and Florida. He received a B.B.A. with a major in banking and finance from the University of Mississippi in 1962 and graduated from the Graduate School of Banking of the South at Louisiana State University in 1966. In 1968, he accepted the position of chief executive officer of Farmers and Merchants Bank in Forest, making him the first graduate under the direction of the then recently formed Chair of Banking at Ole Miss to become CEO of a bank. In 1973, Colbert formed Mississippi’s first bank holding company, Community Bancshares of Mississippi. Today, Community Bancshares has grown from $6 million in assets to more than $2.3 billion in assets and continues to be named one of Mississippi’s fastest growing companies. Colbert has served as president of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning; chairman of the Belhaven College Foundation board; chairman of the Colbert Family Foundation; chairman of the Mississippi School of Banking; and director of the University of Mississippi Foundation. He also has served as a member of the Mississippi contingent of the John C. Stennis Commissioning Committee; Southern Baptist Convention Annuity Board; and In Touch Foundation board of Atlanta, Ga. He was a recipient of the 1984 Boy Scouts of America Silver Beaver Award. In 2005, Colbert was inducted into the Mississippi Business Hall of Fame.
Fall 2012 35
Hall of Fame Retired Maj. Gen. James Donald is former chairman of the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles. Donald earned the Bronze Star for his bold leadership as a task force commander with the 101st Airborne “Screaming Eagles” during Gulf War I. His strategic successes as deputy commanding general, U.S. Army Pacific, and two tours of duty in the Pentagon are also noteworthy achievements. He was appointed commissioner of the Georgia Department of Corrections in December 2003. As commissioner, Donald was the driving force behind transformational changes in one of the state’s largest departments, overseeing the fifth largest prison system in the nation with some 200,000 felons in prison or on probation; 15,000 employees, of which 10,000 are sworn peace officers; and an annual budget of more than $1.2 billion. In 2009, Donald was sworn in by Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue to a seven-year term on the State Board of Pardons and Paroles. He was subsequently elected by his colleagues to serve two consecutive terms as chairman of that board, which comprises five members and is the sole authority for clemency in Georgia. Donald is a native of Jackson and a 1970 graduate of the University of Mississippi with a Bachelor of Arts in political science and history. He earned his master’s degree in public administration from the University of Missouri. He is the 2010 recipient of the Mississippi Trailblazer Award honoring his outstanding achievement in the military and government. He is a member of Omega Psi Phi fraternity and serves as a member of several government and civic boards.
Bill Fry is one of seven managing directors who lead American Securities, a New York-based private equity firm, and he heads the AS Resources Group, which works with CEOs to grow the 22 portfolio companies and their roughly 20,000 associates. Fry attended Ole Miss on a Navy ROTC scholarship, where he served as battalion commander and was also a member of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. Upon commissioning as a naval officer, he served as supply officer on the USS Bowen for three years and later as a logistics officer in the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program in Washington, D.C. Fry left the Navy as a lieutenant in 1988 to attend Harvard Business School. Upon graduation, he joined The Dixie Group and was named president in 1995. There, he helped lead the transformation from a raw material textile business to a large and growing carpet business by 2000. Fry left The Dixie Group in 2000 and became the CEO of Bell Sports to lead a turnaround strategy for the world’s largest marketer of helmets, which were sold under the Bell and Giro brands. In 2004, Bell merged with Riddell Sports, the largest maker of football helmets, and Fry was named CEO of Bell-Riddell. After a period of strategic growth, Bell-Riddell merged with Easton Sports in 2006, where Fry served as president. In 2007, Fry was chosen to be the first nonfamily CEO at Oreck Corp., selling vacuum cleaners and air purifiers into the direct-to-consumer, franchise and large retail channels. He was named a managing director for American Securities in 2010.
36 Alumni Review
Hall of Fame Greg Iles is a writer and musician. He was born in Germany in 1960, where his father ran the U.S. Embassy medical clinic during the height of the Cold War. He spent his youth in Natchez and graduated from the University of Mississippi in 1983, where he was a member of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. After several years playing in the band Frankly Scarlet, he wrote his first novel in 1993. A thriller about Nazi war criminal Rudolf Hess, Spandau Phoenix became the first of 13 New York Times best-sellers. Iles’ novels have been made into films, translated into more than 20 languages and published in more than 35 countries worldwide. He is currently working on Unwritten Laws, an epic three-volume trilogy involving a present-day murder with roots in real-life unsolved murders from the 1960s near Natchez and Concordia Parish, La. Iles is a member of the legendary lit-rock group The Rock Bottom Remainders, which has included authors Dave Barry, Ridley Pearson, Stephen King, Scott Turow, Amy Tan, Mitch Albom, Roy Blount Jr., Matt Groening, Kathi Kamen Goldmark and James McBride as well as Roger McGuinn, co-founder of the Byrds. Iles’ latest novel, The Devil’s Punchbowl, reached No. 1 on The New York Times Best Sellers list in 2010.
Bill Jordan of Columbus, Ga., is the creator of the Realtree and Advantage
brands of camouflage and the host of the “Monster Bucks” video series and the “Realtree Outdoors” television show. After earning all-state honors as a receiver on Columbus High School’s football team, several major colleges recruited Jordan heavily in football and basketball. Bill decided on football and chose Ole Miss, primarily because of an abundance of good hunting and fishing within a short drive of campus. At Ole Miss, Jordan played on two bowl teams and started several games despite a problematic hamstring injury that sidelined him several times during his college career. Jordan’s injuries kept him from considering a career in professional football after graduating in 1973, so he returned to Columbus and worked in his family’s boat business. He started his first company, Spartan Archery Products, in 1983 and dreamed of creating products that hunters deem necessary in the woods. His first camouflage pattern literally was traced from the bark of an old oak that still stands in his parents’ yard. After a few false starts and some trying times in the late 1980s, Realtree grew quickly throughout the 1990s, becoming a household name in the hunting industry. Jordan has never stopped innovating. Today’s camo designs are created using sophisticated computers, digital cameras and photorealistic printing, and Jordan continues to oversee the entire process of creating and launching each new camouflage pattern.
Fall 2012 37
A lumni Service Award George Lotterhos of Germantown, Tenn., is a 1971 graduate of the Univer-
sity of Mississippi School of Business. While at Ole Miss, he was a member of the football team for four years as a defensive end and a member of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. Upon graduation from Ole Miss, he married Carolyn Jones, his high school and college sweetheart. They have two children and five grandchildren. Lotterhos entered the financial world in 1971 and, after 41 years, is managing director at Raymond James/ Morgan Keegan. He is the recipient of the 2008 M-Club Alumni Chapter Service Award. Based on leadership, service and commitment to the M-Club, the award was named after him that same year. Lotterhos is a past president of the M-Club Alumni Chapter and a past president of the Rebel Club of Memphis. He served as one of the founders of the Grove Bowl in 1989 and was also instrumental in the establishment of the M-Club Athletic Hall of Fame. Lotterhos received the “Bill Wade Unsung Hero Award” from the All American Football Foundation and serves on the board of directors of the M-Club Alumni Chapter as a board member emeritus. He is a member of Grace Evangelical Church in Germantown, on the advisory board for Germantown Methodist Hospital and serves on the banking and finance advisory board for the University of Mississippi School of Business Administration.
Outs tanding Young Alumni Award Jillian Foster is director of pharmacy at Baptist Memorial Hospital-North Mississippi in Oxford. She is a student preceptor and leads a team of 38 employees in maintaining quality care for patients. She recently received one of 16 national grants to establish a pharmacy residency training program. Foster graduated from the UM School of Pharmacy with a Doctor of Pharmacy in 2004 and completed Ole Miss’ MBA program in 2008. She completed a health policy fellowship with Sen. Thad Cochran in 2004-05. She also completed a pharmacy practice residency and specialty residency with an emphasis in pharmacy management and administration at North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo. She worked as the pharmacy benefits manager at NMMC, where she managed the employee pharmacy. Foster served as chair of the American Society of Health Systems Pharmacists’ Council on Public Policy in September 2009. She was president of the Mississippi Society of Health System Pharmacists in 2007-08 and is on the Mississippi Pharmacists Association executive committee. She has been named both MSHP’s and MPhA’s Outstanding Young Pharmacist of the Year and has published several columns in the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy. She is president of the Ole Miss Pharmacy Alumni Chapter, a member of the Oxford Rotary Club and the Delta Gamma Alumnae Chapter, and a volunteer at the Oxford Medical Ministries Clinic.
38 Alumni Review
Sports Top of Their Game M-CLUB ALUMNI HALL OF FAME HONORS AWARD RECIPIENTS
M-Club Award recipients for 2012 include Keith Carter (left), Paul Dongieux, Alton Brown, Courtenay Chapman Middleton, Allen Brown, Langston Rogers and Archie White.
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n Aug. 31, 2012, the M-Club A t h l e t i c s H a l l o f Fa m e expanded to 191, as five new members joined the prestigious club. Keith Carter (BBA 01), Courtney Chapman Middleton (BA 99), Paul Dongieux (BS 73), Langston Rogers and Archie White (BS 61) became the newest members of the M-Club Hall of Fame in a ceremony held at The Inn at Ole Miss. They, along with M-Club Service Award recipients Allen Brown (65) and Alton Brown (BS 73), also were honored during halftime ceremonies at the 2012 football season opener against Central Arkansas.
Keith Carter
A four-year starter at Ole Miss in basketball, Keith Carter helped the Rebels win the SEC Western Division title in 1997 and 1998, and was named an AllAmerican after his senior season in 1999. He received All-SEC first team honors in 1999 and second team honors in 40 Alumni Review
1998. Carter also won a gold medal as a member of the U.S. national team at the 1998 Goodwill Games. Carter played professional basketball in Italy from 2001 until 2008, before joining the Ole Miss Athletics Department staff in 2009 as major gifts officer with the UMAA Foundation. Carter was promoted to associate athletics director for development/executive director of the UMAA Foundation in 2012. “For me, it’s a great honor on a lot of levels,” says Carter. “From being a player to working in athletics at Ole Miss, it’s kind of a labor of love. It’s been a lot of fun, and I’m excited. I couldn’t be happier.” Carter also has served as the color analyst for Rebel basketball games on the Ole Miss Radio Network since the 2008-09 season. A native of Perryville, Ark., Carter lives in Oxford with his wife, Jill, and two children.
Courtenay Chapman Middleton
Becoming the first Lady Rebel in tennis to win 100 singles and doubles matches in a career, Courtenay Chapman Middleton finished her illustrious career with 114 wins in singles and 102 doubles victories. A three-time All-American, Middleton helped the Lady Rebels win their first-ever SEC Tournament Championship in 1999 and earned MVP honors. She also helped the Lady Rebels earn four straight NCAA appearances, including the Elite Eight in 1998 and 1999. A three-time All-SEC honoree, Middleton also participated in the NCAA Individual Championships all four years, reaching the doubles quarterfinals in 1997 with 2009 M-Club Hall of Fame inductee Agnes Muzamel. “It’s an unbelievable honor,” Middleton says. “It’s something you work for your whole life; very few athletes get this oppor-
tunity to be inducted. For me to be asked was the ultimate end to my tennis career.” A native Mississippian, Chapman earned her bachelor’s degree from Ole Miss in broadcast journalism in 1999 and currently lives in Jackson, where she is a teaching pro at River Hills Club.
Paul Dongieux
A member of the 1969, 1970 and 1971 Ole Miss Rebels, linebacker Paul Dongieux was known for his strong and smart play. Creating timely interceptions and big defensive plays, he was a key leader on defense for head Coach John Vaught and later Billy Kinard. As a sophomore, Dongieux helped the Rebels to an 8-3 record, including a 27-22 win over Arkansas in the 1970 Sugar Bowl. His junior year (1970), the Rebels posted a 7-4 record and earned an appearance in the Gator Bowl. A co-captain during his senior season in 1971, Dongieux earned All-SEC second team honors from the Associated Press and helped the Rebels to a 10-2 record, including a 41-18 win over Georgia Tech in the Peach Bowl. “It’s truly a tremendous honor,” says Dongieux on going into the Hall of Fame. “It’s more of an honor for the 1971 team, when we went 10-2 beating Georgia Tech in the Peach Bowl.” Dongieux was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in 1972.
Langston Rogers
Langston Rogers joined the Ole Miss Athletics Department in 1981 as sports information director. He was promoted to assistant athletics director for sports information in 1984 and continued on to become senior associate athletics director for media relations in 2005. Rogers retired in 2010, but he continues to serve the department as special assistant to the athletics director for history. In 1980, at the age of 36, he became the youngest president in the history of the College Sports Information Directors of America, serving for 11 years on its board of directors. In 1990, Rogers became the 100th
inductee into the CoSIDA Hall of Fame and, in 2001, received the Arch Ward Award, presented annually to a CoSIDA member who has made outstanding contributions to the field of college sports information and is the highest award presented to a member of the national organization. In 2008, he received the Trailblazer Award from CoSIDA, presented annually to an individual who is a pioneer in the field of sports information and who has mentored and helped improve the level of ethnic and gender diversity within CoSIDA. “I’m grateful for this honor, and I’m humbled when looking at the list of previous inductees. Having worked here so long, I’ve had the privilege of knowing over 150 of the hall of famers. When I came to work at Ole Miss, I never dreamed that one day I’d join the company of so many former athletes, coaches and administrators who have contributed so much to this university that we love.” Rogers and his wife, the former Paula Lowery, live in the Black Jack community near Sardis Lake. They have two children and four grandchildren.
Archie White
Serving as a pitcher for the Ole Miss Rebels under legendary coach Tom Swayze from 1953-56, Archie White was a member of the first Rebel team to participate in the College World Series, helping the Diamond Rebs reach the pinnacle of college baseball in 1956. During his four years on the mound for the Rebels, White compiled an impressive 11-2 career record to go with his 3.18 earned run average. Appearing in 29 games, he averaged almost one strikeout per inning as he struck out 106 hitters while pitching 113 innings. “Looking at the 18 plaques I have here, I’m finally getting one from Ole Miss, and I’m definitely putting a light on it,” White says. “I was very fortunate to be around people like Tom Swayze who were so instrumental in the baseball program at Ole Miss. When they told
me I was being inducted, I was flabbergasted. The more you are around Ole Miss, the more you appreciate it.” White was drafted by the Braves in 1956, where he played minor league baseball until 1964. He went on to coach the University of West Georgia baseball team for 22 seasons from 1969 to 1990, winning 633 games. In 2010, White was inducted into the University of West Georgia’s Hall of Fame.
Allen Brown
An All-American end from 1962 to 1964, Allen Brown helped lead John Vaught’s Rebels to a 22-6-3 record, including an appearance in two Sugar Bowls and one Bluebonnet Bowl. During his time at Ole Miss, he helped lead the Rebels to a ranking of third and seventh in national polls in 1962 and 1963, respectively. After being named co-captain of the 1964 squad, he participated in the 1964 Blue-Gray Game, the 1965 Chicago All-Star game, as well as the 1965 Senior Bowl. Brown went on to play for legendary Green Bay Packers coach Vince Lombardi, winning Super Bowls I and II. A 1 9 89 M- C l u b Hal l o f Fam e inductee and 2010 Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame inductee, Brown is receiving the Service Award for his dedication and commitment to the M-Club and the University of Mississippi. “Being in the ceremony for a second time is a great honor, as well as receiving the service award,” Brown says. “It feels good to get an award for something that you love doing.”
Alton Brown
A defensive tackle on the 1971 and ’72 teams, Alton Brown helped lead the Rebels to a 10-2 record his first year, including a 41-18 win against Georgia Tech in the Peach Bowl. Brown received the Service Award for his outstanding commitment to the M-Club and the University of Mississippi. AR Fall 2012 41
Sports In the Spotlight FORMER OLE MISS REBELS SHINE AT NFL KICKOFF CELEBRATION
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pair of former Ole Miss Rebels, linebacker Jeff Herrod (88) and tight end Wesley Walls (BE 91), represented their former NFL teams at the annual NFL Kickoff Celebration held in New York City Sept. 4-5.
Herrod was named to the Ole Miss Team of the Century in 1993. Walls enjoyed a 15-year career in the NFL, including seven seasons (1996-2002) with the Carolina Panthers. He made the Pro Bowl five times between 1996 and 2001 while with the Panthers. Walls also played for the San Francisco 49ers (1989-93), New Orleans Saints (1994-95) and Green Bay Packers (2003). “I feel privileged to be invited to represent the Panthers,” Walls says. “Being from Ole Miss is also special, and it’s always great when I can represent the University of Mississippi.” Walls earned four letters (1985-88) at Ole Miss and was selected to the Athlon Sports All-Time Rebel Team. AR
Herrod
Herrod represented the Indianapolis Colts, and Walls represented the Carolina Panthers. Both athletes participated in a flag ceremony, which featured 32 NFL legends and 32 team fans prior to the New York Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys season kickoff. Herrod spent 10 seasons as a member of the Colts (1988-96, ’98). He was named to the Associated Press All-Pro Team twice (1990, 1992) and was a United Press International and Football News All-Conference choice in 1990. “I am honored to attend the opening NFL ceremonies as a representative for the Colts,” Herrod says. “I am proud to be a Colt and an Ole Miss Rebel.”
Walls
42 Alumni Review
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Sports Returning Trio PAST PLAYERS TAKE A SWING AT NEW POSITIONS
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hree former Ole Miss players, T.J. Beam (03), Stephen Head (06) and Fuller Smith (BAccy 09), will be taking on new roles with the Rebels for the upcoming baseball season. Smith will move from the position of director of baseball operations to volunteer assistant coach, allowing him to return to the field and coach the team. Head will transfer from being a student assistant to an administrative intern, while Beam will return to the program as a student assistant. “We’re excited to have all three of these guys associated with our program and back working with Ole Miss baseball,” says head Coach Mike Bianco. “Having the opportunity to bring [individuals] back to work
with the program they played for and have invested so much in is a great one. It’s especially exciting when you consider the experience these guys have.” Smith spent the last two seasons working as the program’s director of baseball operations after spending a year as the volunteer assistant coach at Texas-Arlington for the 2010 season. Head spent the last season as a student assistant with the Rebels. A three-time All-American at Ole Miss from 2003-05, he spent six years playing professional baseball — five with the Cleveland Indians and one with the Colorado Rockies. Beam, who played for the Rebels from 2002-03, was a part of the first group of recruits of the Bianco era. He was drafted in the 10th round by the New York Yankees, kicking off a nineyear professional career. AR
T.J. Beam, who played for the Rebels from 2002-03, is one of three former players taking on new roles with the baseball program.
44 Alumni Review
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Culture C a l i c o Jo e by Jo h n Gr i s h a m , 2 0 8 pages, $24.95 (Hardcover), ISBN: 9780385536073 Whatever happened to Calico Joe? In the summer of 1973, Joe Castle was the “boy wonder” of baseball, the greatest rookie anyone had ever seen. The kid from Calico Rock, Ark., dazzled Cubs fans as he hit home run after home run, politely tipping his hat to the crowd as he shattered all rookie records. Calico Joe quickly became the idol of every baseball fan in America, including Paul Tracey, the young son of hardpartying and hard-throwing Mets pitcher Warren Tracey. On the day that Warren finally faced Calico Joe, Paul was in the stands, rooting for his idol but also for his Dad. Then Warren threw a fastball that would change their lives forever … When he’s not writing, John Grisham ( JD 81) devotes time to charitable causes, including his Rebuild the Coast Fund, which raised $8.8 million for Gulf Coast relief in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. He also keeps up with his greatest passion, baseball. He lives in Virginia and Mississippi.
police detective, her first call is to Mary Alice, who turns into an amateur sleuth and discovers that Sheree has the motive, means and opportunity for killing the cop, but she believes Sheree is being framed. To save Sheree’s life, Mary Alice uses her sultry Southern charm and social status, but will it be enough to keep her from becoming the killer’s next victim? Dinah Leavitt Swan (BA 69, MA 70), a native of Pascagoula, is a retired professor of theatre and is also the author of Now Playing in Cana, the second of the Mary Alice Tate Southern Mystery Series. She lives in Colorado with her husband and dog. Puzzled by Pink by Sarah Frances Hardy, 32 pages, $16.99 (Hardcover), ISBN: 9780670013203 Izzie hates pink as much as her sister, Rose, loves it. So when Rose plans an all-pink birthday party with the guests dressed in fairy costumes, Izzie decides to give her own alternative party in the attic, where the guests will be monsters, spiders, ghosts and the pet cat. But some powerful magic triggers the appearance of yet another guest — an unexpected one. This will be a party nobody forgets! Sarah Frances Hardy (JD 95) lives with her husband and three daughters in Oxford. After retiring from the practice of law, she pursued her dream of writing and illustrating children’s books. Cana Rising by Dinah Swan, 286 pages (estimated), $3.29 (Kindle and Nook), BN ID: 2940014644471 Sometimes what you know really is as powerful as who you know. After an unpleasant divorce from her Dallas physician husband, socialite Mary Alice Tate returns home to Cana, Miss., where her family has reigned as the “first family” for generations. She immerses herself in volunteer work with the clients at the women’s center, especially Sheree Delio, a white trash ex-stripper/drug addict. When Sheree is arrested for killing a
46 Alumni Review
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Visit http://olemiss.edu/admissions/ VIPLauncher.html, click the link that applies to your students, and complete the form. We’ll add them to our VIP mailing list, and they’ll create a personalized website tailored to their interests. Visit www.olemiss.edu/admissions or call us at 662-915-7226 or 1-800-OLEMISS (in Mississippi) to learn more about the Office of Admissions and Enrollment Services.
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he Ole Miss Alumni Association is offering a number of spectacular trips for 2013. Alumni and friends obtain group rates and discounts. All prices are per person, based on double occupancy and subject to change until booking. Airfare is not included unless noted. For a brochure or more information, contact the Alumni office at 662-915-7375. You also can find the most current and complete listing of trips and prices on the Ole Miss Alumni Association’s website at www.olemissalumni.com/travel.
SENSATIONAL SOUTH AMERICA JAN. 5-15, 2013 From rainforests to sophisticated cities, explore colonial history and modern local life along South America’s eastern seaboard. Highlights include the 17thcentury Portuguese town of Parati, the tropical wonderland of Ilhabela, the lively city and markets of Montevideo, and the beaches and nightlife of fabulous Punta del Este. Don’t miss samba and tango performances — better yet, take a lesson. With two overnights in Buenos Aires, you can sample fine Argentinian beef and Malbec wines, and tour distinctive historic neighborhoods and monuments. — From $2,099 THE PRIDE OF SOUTHERN AFRICA JAN. 14-26, 2013 Discover the staggering diversity of South Africa, “a world in one country,” and its exotic wildlife in abundance — more than 850 species of birds and a predominance of the “Big Five.” Join us for this unique voyage along a splendid coastline aboard the six-star, all-suite small ship M.V. Silver Wind. The package includes a $1,000 48 Alumni Review
Victoria Falls, South Africa
per couple Passport to Luxury shipboard credit upon embarkation. Unpack just once, cruise round trip from Cape Town with port calls in Port Elizabeth, Richards Bay, Durban, East London and Maputo. Victoria Falls pre-cruise and Cape Town post-cruise options are available. — From $6,395, including airfare PRAGUE AND SALZBURG JAN. 18-27, 2013 During a tour of Prague and Salzburg, experience a visit to Prague Castle, an excursion to Karlovy Vary’s healing springs and glass blowing museum, and an excursion to Pilsen to visit the Pilsen Brewery. On the way to Salzburg, stop for lunch and a tour of the UNESCO World Heritage city of Krumau. In Salzburg, visit Mozart’s birthplace and tour “The Sound of Music” country. — From $4,185 AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND JAN. 24-FEB. 6, 2013 Join us on this spectacular 13-night journey that uncovers the vibrant cultures, stark contrasts and magnificent landscapes of New Zealand and Australia. Delight in the stunning vistas of Queenstown, Lake Wakatipu and the Remarkable Mountains. Marvel at the spectacular mountainous fjords of Milford Sound during a scenic cruise. Gain personal insights into local cultures while dining with a Queenstown family in their home. In Australia, stay in bustling, sophisticated Sydney, a city renowned for its magnificent harbor setting, white sandy beaches and brilliant architecture
Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia
as highlighted in its landmark Opera House; learn about the Aborigines’ rich heritage at the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park near Cairns. — From $3,695 AROUND THE WORLD BY PRIVATE JET FEB. 3-25, 2013 Explore the world’s most treasured and legendary places — places that define the human experience, where natural splendor merges with the majesty of human achievement. Travel by private jet with a team of world-class experts and professional staff for a level of service, security, comfort and convenience that makes this journey a truly unforgettable experience. Climb the terraced steps and touch the seamless walls of the ancient Inca citadel, Machu Picchu. Feel the protective gaze of the Easter Island moai statues. Bask in the radiant beauty of lush tropical Samoa. Immerse yourself in the underwater splendor of the Great Barrier Reef. Welcome the sun among Angkor Wat’s astoundingly beautiful temples, and watch it set amid Africa’s greatest concentration of wildlife in Tanzania. Stand enthralled before the majesty of the Taj Mahal. Come face to face with the mysterious Sphinx in the company of the ancient Pyramids. Explore the colorful souks and treasures of Berber kings in the celebrated medina of Fez. To learn more about this extraordinary expedition or to make a reservation, please call our tour operator, TCS & Starquest Expeditions at 800-454-4149 or 206-2540228. Don’t miss this opportunity to experience the trip of a lifetime. — From $66,950
MYSTIQUE OF THE ORIENT FEB. 23-MARCH 6, 2013 Discover vanished civilizations, the legacy of powerful and privileged dynasties, ancient cultures steeped in fantastic mythologies and tranquil philosophies, a blend of colorful customs and some of the world’s great art and architectural treasures hidden amid secluded jungles and idyllic seascapes. From Singapore and the Malay Peninsula to the dazzling skyline of Hong Kong, fascinating
Orient
“gateway” to the Orient, this comprehensive and exceptional 11-day voyage is the best way to experience the splendid coastline of Southeast Asia. See the Jewels of Vietnam — spectacular sampan-filled harbors, traditional terraced rice paddies, sacred pagodas and vibrant cities. Cruise aboard the six-star Silversea all-suite M.V. Silver Shadow. Unlike most other vessels, this is truly a small ship. And, unlike most other cruise offerings, a substantial number of real exclusives and inclusives is included. — From $5,999 SPLENDORS DOWN UNDER FEB. 24-MARCH 14, 2013 Discover captivating ports, scenic panoramas and unique wildlife in the land down under while cruising aboard the deluxe Oceania Cruises’ Marina, a vessel that offers exceptional service, accommodations and cuisine. Your voyage sets out from New Zealand’s multicultural city of Auckland, an ideal place to learn about Maori culture or enjoy the natural volcanic Fall 2012 49
2013 rebel
Traveler formations that make up the landscape. Next, discover Tauranga and its lovely parks or nearby Rotorua with its fabulous geysers, and enjoy Napier’s picturesque countryside. Stroll past Gothic buildings in Wellington, savor the quaint charm of Christchurch and admire Timaru’s Edwardian architecture, bluestone buildings and Maori rock art. Take in the majestic beauty of the Milford Sound fjord on the way to Australia, beginning with the exquisite landscapes in Tasmania. Then it’s on to see marvelous architecture in Melbourne before concluding your adventure in Sydney, home to one of the great iconic buildings of the 20th century, the Sydney Opera House. From Australia’s treasured east coast to the legendary beauty of New Zealand, this voyage reveals the splendors down under. — From $4,999, including airfare TANZANIA SAFARI DURING THE GREAT MIGRATION FEB. 25-MARCH 7, 2013 Travel with us on this 10-day safari of a lifetime into the majestic grasslands of Tanzania, Africa’s premier safari destination, during the annual Great Migration. Visit three of Tanzania’s finest game parks — Lake Manyara National Park and the UNESCO World Heritage sites of the Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater, with the best accommodations in Tanzania! Guided game drives reveal vast herds of elephants, wildebeests, zebras, gazelles and Cape buffalos, and prides of magnificent lions, cheetahs and leopards. An expert curator illuminates human prehistory at Olduvai Gorge, the “cradle of mankind.” A two-night Tarangire Tented Camp post-program option is offered. This exceptional travel value includes all accommodations, game drives and most meals. — From $5,895 TAHITIAN JEWELS APRIL 7-18, 2013 Savor the tropical splendor of emeraldgreen palms, white sand beaches and brilliant turquoise waters as you sail 50 Alumni Review
aboard the luxurious Oceania Cruises’ Marina to the most stunning destinations in the South Pacific, the gorgeous Polynesian islands. Experience a cruise with the finest service, accommodations and cuisine at sea, where every port of call is an island paradise. Admire multihued lagoons around Moorea, be engulfed by magnificent tropical beauty at Huahine, the “Garden Island,” and discover the region’s cultural heritage on beautiful Raiatea. Watch a sunset on romantic Bora Bora, and wander the black sand beaches of Nuku Hiva. Sail to Hiva Oa, artist Paul Gauguin’s idyllic island home, and enchant your senses with colorful sea life on Rangiroa before returning to Papeete on the lovely island of Tahiti. Set adrift, catch the breeze and discover Polynesia’s most beautiful gems on this exceptional voyage. — From $2,999, including airfare MASTERS GOLF TOURNAMENT APRIL 8-14, 2013 The Masters is not just a golf tournament, it is a state of mind. The Augusta National is not just a golf course, it is a sports cathedral. As the lucky few pass through the hallowed gates the first week of April every year, they do so with a sense
Holland
of awe, a sense of reverence. Set among towering pines, beautiful dogwoods and colorful azaleas, this place, this event, these feelings are special. This is not an ordinary sports event. It is extraordinary. There is nothing else like it in the world. And its special guests deserve more than ordinary hospitality. They deserve the extraordinary. — From $525 WATERWAYS OF HOLLAND AND BELGIUM APRIL 22-30, 2013 Join us in Holland and Belgium for nine days, cruising for seven nights aboard a state-of-the-art AMA Waterways vessel during the best time of year. Meet local residents during the exclusive Village Forum for a personal perspective of the Low Countries’ modern life and cultural heritage. Expert-led excursions include private canal cruises in Amsterdam and Bruges, the windmills of Kinderdijk, expert-led excursions to the prestigious Rijksmuseum, world-class KröllerMüller Museum, famous Keukenhof Gardens, medieval Antwerp and the impressive Delta Works. A pre-cruise option in Amsterdam is offered. This comprehensive, all-inclusive itinerary is continually praised as the ideal Holland and Belgium experience. — From $2,995
ITALIAN INSPIRATION APRIL 27-MAY 5, 2013 Embark on an inspiring voyage where history and legends come to life as you travel the Mediterranean along the shores of Italy, Greece and Croatia. Departing from Rome’s port, Civitavecchia, cruise south to Sorrento, a resort town nestled on the cliffs overlooking the Bay of Naples. Explore its charming old town, stroll the fascinating ruins of Pompeii, or visit the captivating Isle of Capri. Then wander medieval lanes in the fascinating Sicilian town of Taormina and gaze at the legendary, towering Mount Etna. Next, sail to Greece and take in the magnificent scenery of Zakynthos and explore Corfu’s lovely old Venetian quarter. Before concluding your journey in the floating city of Venice, visit medieval Dubrovnik, the beautiful red-tiled gem on the Dalmatian coast. Cruise to celebrated ports aboard the elegant Riviera, Oceania Cruises’ newest ship, which boasts some of the finest amenities at sea. — From $1,799 KENTUCKY OAKS AND DERBY MAY 2-5, 2013 The Kentucky Derby is run annually on the first Saturday in May. This one-and-aquarter-mile race at the famed Churchill Downs is known as the “most exciting two minutes in sports” or the “Run for the Roses,” named for the blanket of roses draped over the winner. The attendance at the Kentucky Derby ranks first in North America and usually surpasses the attendance of all other stakes races. Travel packages are available for the Kentucky Derby and can be paired with the Kentucky Oaks, scheduled for the day prior, to give you access to both events. Room packages include three nights of hotel accommodations at the Hampton Inn, Country Inn & Suites or Holiday Inn Express; lounge access and celebrity jockey meet and greet; food and bars provided from morning to sundown; as well as transportation to and from the track on Oaks and Derby days. — From $1,199 TRANSATLANTIC VOYAGE MAY 4-13, 2013 Featuring the six-star, all ocean-view suite M.V. Silver Whisper and embarking from New York, this cruise has port
Caernarfon Castle near Holyhead, Wales
calls in Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Ireland and the United Kingdom. Optional excursions include a scenic sightseeing excursion through Halifax, a half-day tour of St. John’s, a tour of Limerick and a half-day tour through the city of Cork. The trip includes free airfare from 43 gateway cities, free alcoholic (and nonalcoholic) beverages throughout, all gratuities and port taxes, dedicated butler service and $1,000 per couple shipboard credit. — From $3,995, including airfare BRIDGING THE CULTURES OF THE NORTH PACIFIC FRONTIER MAY 4-20, 2013 While onboard the six-star, all ocean-view suite M.V. Silver Shadow, cruise from Tokyo to Japan’s Northern Islands, Russia’s Far East, the Bering Strait and Aleutian Islands of Alaska. Optional excursions include the highlights and landmarks of Tokyo; a scenic excursion revealing Russia’s culinary, cultural and religious influences on Alaska; and a full-day fishing excursion in Homer, the “Halibut capital of the world.” The trip includes free airfare
from 43 gateway cities, free beverages throughout, all gratuities and port taxes, dedicated butler service and $1,000 per couple shipboard credit. — From $4,995 CELTIC LANDS MAY 9-18, 2013 Cruise for eight nights aboard the exclusively chartered, deluxe M.S. Le Boréal from Edinburgh, Scotland, to Wales, Ireland and France. By special arrangement, Dwight David Eisenhower II, University of Pennsylvania professor and grandson of former U.S. Gen. and President Dwight D. Eisenhower; and Celia Sandys, historian and granddaughter of Great Britain’s former Prime Minister Winston Churchill, will join participants to provide exclusive lectures and personal insights. Enjoy guided excursions in each port of call, including the D-Day landing beaches in Normandy and the UNESCO World Heritage sites of the Neolithic Ring of Brodgar and Skara Brae on the Orkney Islands and Caernarfon Castle near Holyhead, Wales. Edinburgh precruise and Paris post-cruise options are offered. — From $5,395 Fall 2012 51
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Class Notes ’50s
U.S. SEN. THAD COCHRAN (BA 59, JD 65) worked to have Mississippi awarded $5 million in federal grant funding to support a variety of transportation-related improvements around the state. He has served as U.S. senator for Mississippi since 1978. HAL MILLER JR. (LLB 59) received the 2012 Mississippi Bar Lifetime Achievement Award. The award recognizes devoted service to the public, profession and the administration of justice over the span of a professional career. He is of counsel at Butler Snow in Jackson. MARY LIBBY PAYNE (BA 54, LLB 55) was honored with an endowed lecture series bearing her name at Mississippi College School of Law. She served as the school’s fundraising dean from 1975-78.
’60s
JIM BARKSDALE (BBA 65) of Jackson received the 2012 C Spire Foundation Winter-Reed Partnership Award. The award is presented annually to Mississippians who have helped improve and promote public education in the state. JAHNAE H. BARNETT (MBEd 67, PhD 72), president of William Woods University for the past 22 years, was named a Woman of Achievement by Zonta Club of Jefferson City, Mo. She is the only president to have been named from within the institution and is William Woods University’s only female president in its 142-year history.
ROBERT JOYCE (BSCvE 63) of Knoxville, Tenn., released an ebook on Amazon Kindle titled The Assassin. He is a former military intelligence linguist with publication credits in The Wall Street Journal, Travel + Leisure and Diversion. GUY W. MITCHELL III (JD 68) was sworn in as president-elect of the Mississippi Bar. He practices in the Tupelo office of Mitchell, McNutt & Sams. WILLIAM H. PAYNE (MEd 60, EdD 69) of Madison was inducted into the William Carey University Sports Hall of Fame. He played men’s basketball, baseball and track and field from 1954-57. He also served as North Area superintendent for Memphis City Schools. 52 Alumni Review
ROBERT SALMON (BSPh 67), president and CEO of The Diabetic Shoppe, received the Hernando-based Regional Health Council’s Health Champion award in Batesville on behalf of the business, which he founded in 1995. SCOTTY WELCH (LLB 64) was named the 2012 University of Mississippi School of Law Alumnus of the Year. Welch is a shareholder in the Jackson office of Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz.
’70s
LEM ADAMS III (BAEd 70, JD 73) was sworn in as the 2012-13 president of the Mississippi Bar. He is a founder of Adams & Edens in Brandon. HALEY BARBOUR (JD 73) of Jackson joined the law firm of Butler, Snow, O’Mara, Stevens & Cannada PLLC. He will provide leadership to the firm in the areas of economic development, government relations, strategic planning and business development. CLAIBORNE BARKSDALE (BA 71, JD 74) of Oxford received the 2012 C Spire Foundation Winter-Reed Partnership Award. The award is presented annually to Mississippians who have helped improve and promote public education in the state.
LAWRENCE JOHNSON (BBA 79) of Greenville was named manager of regional customer service and governmental affairs with Entergy Mississippi Inc. WILLIAM N. LAFORGE (JD 75) served as a visiting professor of law at John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin (KUL) in Lublin, Poland, this past spring. He taught a course in business-government relations and U.S. lobbying. He is an adjunct professor in the School of Business at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. CALVIN LEGGETT (BSCvE 73) of Raleigh, N.C., was elected president of the American Society of Highway Engineers for 2011-12. MARC LUBET (JD 74) was reelected, unopposed, to a second six-year term as circuit judge in the Ninth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida. He sits on the criminal bench. MIKE MCDONALD (BBA 72, JD 74) of Oklahoma City received the 2012 Distinguished Leadership Award from the National Stripper Well Association and was elected president of the Domestic Energy Producers Alliance.
GEORGE C. CARLSON JR. (JD 72) received the 2012 Chief Justice Award, presented at the annual meeting of the Mississippi Bar. The award is considered the Mississippi Supreme Court’s highest honor. He is a presiding justice on the Mississippi Supreme Court.
LANCELOT L. MINOR III (BA 71) was selected for inclusion on the 2012 Mid-South Super Lawyers list. He primarily has practiced business and commercial law in Memphis, Tenn., for more than 34 years and has been a principal/partner with the Bourland Heflin Alvarez Minor & Matthews, PLC law firm in Memphis for the past 18 years.
GINGER CLARK (BAEd 73) had her garden featured in Birmingham Botanical Gardens’ Glorious Gardens tour. The biannual event showcases five residential homes and one public garden.
BILL MOTT (BA 76), a former president of two independent schools, is the coordinator of Trevecca Nazarene University’s new Independent School Leadership program in Nashville.
GARY GEISLER (JD 76) received certification from the National Board of Civil Pretrial Advocacy. He has been certified as a civil trial advocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy since 1987. Geisler practices trial law in Decatur, Ill.
JAMES L. ROBERTS JR. (JD 71) received the 2012 Mississippi Bar Lifetime Achievement Award. The award recognizes devoted service to the public, profession and the administration of justice over the span of a professional career. He is a judge in the Mississippi First Circuit Court District.
JAMES H. HEIDELBERG (JD 77) was selected to serve as chairman of Mississippi’s Oil & Gas Board. He is an attorney and a shareholder of Heidelberg, Steinberger, Colmer & Burrow in Pascagoula.
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News alumni
’80s
BARBARA CHILDERS MCMILLAN (MA 82, DA 87) of Falkner was named president of Blue Mountain College. She was a member of the Northeast Mississippi Community College English faculty for five years before joining the Union University faculty in 1992. She was named Union’s Faculty Member of the Year in 1999.
VICKIE ROBERTS (BBA 84) of Winona was named by Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack as a member of a federal advisory committee charged with providing guidance and recommendations on the implementation of the new U.S. Forest Service Planning Rule. She is representing the public at large.
GREG TAYLOR (BBA 71) of Holly Springs was elected chairman of the Mississippi Bankers Association. He serves as chairman of the board, president and CEO of Merchants and Farmers Bank and M&F Bancorp, Inc. in Holly Springs.
SHERMAN MUTHS III (BBA 85, JD 88) successfully completed the certification process with the National Association of Certified Valuation Analysts to earn his designation of Accredited Valuation Analyst (AVA). He has formed Muths Valuations, PLLC, in Gulfport.
NEWELL TURNER (BA 82), editor-in-chief of House Beautiful magazine in New York since April 2010, led the magazine to win the American Society of Magazine Editors award for General Excellence in the Lifestyle Magazines category in May.
U.S. SEN. ROGER WICKER (BA 73, JD 75) of Tupelo worked to have Mississippi awarded $5 million in federal grant funding to support a variety of transportationrelated improvements around the state. He has served as U.S. senator for Mississippi since 2007.
DR. JAMES RISH (BA 83, MD 89) is presidentelect of the Mississippi State Medical Association and will represent the association as president in 2013-14. He is an internal medicine physician at North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo and practices pulmonary and critical care medicine at Pulmonary Consultants, North Mississippi Medical Clinics Inc.
RICHARD C. ROBERTS III (BA 73, JD 76) was named Family Law Lawyer of the Year for 2012 in Jackson by Best Lawyers and a Super Lawyer by Mid-South Super Lawyers. The Law Offices of Richard C. Roberts III ranked as a first-tier Best Law Firm in Jackson, Miss., in the area of family law by U.S. News — Best Lawyers for 2011-12.
54 Alumni Review
’90s
PAUL HURST (JD 95) of Jackson joined the law firm of Butler, Snow, O’Mara, Stevens & Cannada PLLC. He will provide leadership to the firm in the areas of economic development, government relations, strategic planning and business development.
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Fall 2012 55
News alumni
PATRICK JOHNSON JR. (BS 96) of Tunica was appointed by the Environmental Protection Agency to be a member of its Farm, Ranch and Rural Communities Committee to represent the cotton industry’s interests. MARC JENKINS (BA 99) of Brentwood, Tenn., was appointed to the Organization of Legal Professionals Advisory Council for his expertise in electronic discovery and information risk management. He is an attorney and partner with Hubbard & Jenkins Electronic Discovery Solutions and Hubbard, Berry & Harris, PLLC. SCOTT MCKENZIE (BA 94, MA 97) of Bexley, Ohio, recently authored Power Chord: One Man’s Ear-Splitting Quest to Find His Guitar Heroes, published by It Books, an imprint of HarperCollins. AMANDA PITTS SUMMERS (BSPh 93) was selected as 2012 Pharmacist of the Year by the Mississippi Society of Health System Pharmacists. She is a clinical pharmacy specialist 1-2page.pdf
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at North Mississippi Medical Center Outpatient Infusion in Tupelo. KENNETH VERHEECK (BAccy 91, MAccy 94) of Houston was admitted as an assurance partner. As a member of PwC’s Private Company Services group, he advises private companies, primarily in the energy and manufacturing sectors. He is a certified public accountant in Louisiana and Texas.
’00s
MATT AUSTIN (JD 05), who has more than seven years of banking and management experience, joined First Freedom Bank as manager of the bank’s Mt. Juliet office. ERIC EATON (BA 03) of Brandon was hired as bank officer in the training department of Bank Plus. KEISHUNNA L. RANDALL (JD 06) of Jackson joined the Product Liability Group of Butler, Snow, O’Mara, Stevens & Cannada PLLC.
BRIAN MATTHEW SWOPE (BA 04) was appointed to the Florida Building Commission by Gov. Rick Scott. PRESTON THOMAS (BBA 05) was named one of the Memphis Crossroads Magazine’s Ten Young Memphians by the Greater Memphis Chamber. The 10 young professionals chosen represent the authentic and can-do spirit of Memphis and were nominated by the chamber’s membership and social media followers.
’10s
H A L E Y H U E R TA ( B B A 1 1 ) opened H Squared, a women’s contemporary clothing and accessories boutique in Cleveland. BLAKE KIRBY (BSCE 12) of Brandon joined the Mississippi Department of Transportation as an engineer in training.
Congratulations to 2012-13 Scholarship Recipients The Alumni Association held a reception in September to honor all recipients of the Herb Dewees Alumni Association Scholarship, Ben Williams Minority Scholarship, Wobble Davidson M-Club Scholarship, Clay Waycaster Student Alumni Council Scholarship, Alumni Association Band Scholarship and Grove Society Scholarship. A total of 144 scholarships adding up to $168,400 were awarded for the school year. For more information on alumni scholarship opportunities, visit www.olemissalumni.com.
Get your feet wet, give your apartment a quick facelift, or donate to your alumni organization…whatever moves you most. As a member or friend of the Ole Miss Alumni Association, you could save up to $343.90* on your auto insurance with Liberty Mutual. You could also enjoy valuable discounts tailored to the way you live today and save even more by insuring your home as well.
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Fall 2012 57
News alumni
WEDDINGS Kay Case Barksdale and Carson McClain Hughes (BBA 69, JD 71), July 21, 2012.
Gemma Kay, daughter of Gina Woodward Metzger (06) and Robert Earl Metzger III (BBA 06), April 10, 2012.
Laura Anderson Blackledge (BS 09) and Raymond Abraham Kidder (BSCvE 09), March 17, 2012.
Penelope Caroline, daughter of Kathryn Lynn Strickland and Landon Lee Strickland (BBA 05), June 4, 2012.
Amanda Hope Boozer (BSPhSc 08, PharmD 10) and Kurt Michael Fallon, Nov. 12, 2011.
Perchelle Joyce, daughter of Kaleshia Brown Taylor (BS 04, BAEd 08) and Sovent Zantrell Taylor (BA 03, BBA 03, MA 06), May 27, 2012.
Brenda Coco and Hal C. Landrum, Aug. 18, 2012.
Celia Day, daughter of Amanda McMillan Urbanek (BPA 98, JD 01) and Jim Urbanek II (BA 97), June 1, 2012.
Ruth Ann Cooper (BA 09, MS 11) and Lee Henry King (BAccy 09), July 21, 2012. Rachel Perry and Cecil K. Lancaster (BBA 78), July 23, 2011. Melissa Annelle Rose (JD 04) and Mack L. Heidelberg (BA 00, MBA 02), June 2, 2012. Jordan Elizabeth Smithey and Jordan Garrett Varnadore (BBA 11), Aug. 4, 2012. Frances Virginia Turnage (BBA 05) and Timothy Jones, April 14, 2012. Jennifer N. Vernon (BA 94, BA 97, MD 01) and Lori Graybill, Sept. 17, 2011. BIRTHS William Coleman, son of Mary Beth Justice Barnes (BAccy 01, MA 06) and David Coleman Barnes Jr., March 28, 2012.
Kinsley Ann, daughter of Krissy A. Vanderburg and J. Brandon Vanderburg (BA 99), June 27, 2012. Matthew Tien, son of Thuy Tran Woo and Mack Davison Woo (PharmD 98, MD 05), April 5, 2012. McLain Martin, son of Amanda Baucum Zinn (BBA 88) and Kurt Zinn, March 23, 2012. In Memoriam 1930s Leo Maas Abraham (39) of Baton Rouge, La., July 3, 2012
Henry Robert, son of Mamie Dean Brett (BAEd 05, MEd 07) and Joseph Robert Brett (BA 06), June 19, 2012.
Samuel Brawley Bigham (BA 36, MA 48) of Long Beach, Aug. 8, 2012
Drake Roper, son of Kaycee Roper Burrell (BBA 05) and Benjamin Allen Burrell (BBA 01), April 20, 2012.
Harry Hill Sandidge Jr. (38) of Henrico, Va., June 20, 2012
Carter Monroe, son of Frances King Clurman (BA 01) and Jason Matthew Clurman, May 13, 2012.
Ruth Fox McQuigg (BA 38) of East Aurora, N.Y., Aug. 7, 2012 Annie Boggan Woodward (BA 37) of Ridgeland, July 17, 2012
Brantley Porter, son of Amanda Chastain Gufford (BAccy 98, MAccy 99) and Charles Porter Gufford (BAccy 99), May 23, 2012.
1940s Frances Shaw Barnes (BA 42, MedCert 43) of Montgomery, Ala., Aug. 8, 2012
Caroline Elizabeth, daughter of Elizabeth Ross Hadley (BA 96, JD 99) and Bryan Neal Hadley, July 11, 2011.
Emile M. Baumhauer Jr. (MedCert 48) of Pascagoula, July 23, 2012 Susanne Hazard Beard (42) of Columbus, June 2, 2012
Anwen Leigh, daughter of Meredith Lynn Carnley Harris (BSGE 02, MSESc 04) and Jesse L. Harris (BSGE 00, MSESc 04), May 1, 2012.
Florence Landrum Bogart (BAEd 47) of Greenwood, May 24, 2012
Ainslie Rebecca, daughter of Jana Jones Long (BSFCS 98) and Robert Craig Long (BSPh 97, PharmD 99, MD 05), May 10, 2012.
James Conner Breedlove (BBA 49) of Batesville, Aug. 3, 2012
58 Alumni Review
Ellen Batson Breed (BAEd 44) of Jackson, Aug. 1, 2012
James Richard Cavett Jr. (MedCert 43) of Madison, June 1, 2012 Jack Berk Donaldson (BBA 48) of Memphis, Tenn., June 23, 2012 Cora C. Edwards (BAEd 45) of Ontario, Calif., March 28, 2012 Joy Mulvihill Geisler (BA 48) of Little Rock, Ark., May 29, 2012 Thomas Zachary Gipson (BSPh 48) of Columbia, June 6, 2012 Louise Nanney Godwin (BA 40) of Tupelo, July 15, 2012 Frances Rossman Huff (MA 47) of Mobile, Ala., June 5, 2012 Ann Rutherford Johnson (BA 47, MS 48) of Memphis, Tenn., June 22, 2012 Howard M. McLain Sr. (BSCvE 43) of Oxford, July 9, 2012 Charles Foster Riddell Sr. (48) of Canton, Aug. 11, 2012 Douglas H. Riddell (BA 41) of Nashville, Tenn., July 9, 2012 Robert Lafayette Stone Jr. (BBA 49) of Jackson, July 17, 2012 Mahlon Earl Webb (BSPh 48) of Oxford, May 26, 2012
Hail to the Chief
LAW ENFORCEMENT VETERAN NAMED MERIDIAN POLICE CHIEF
Judge Beauchamp Jones (JD 74) of Meridian swears in Reed as the city’s chief of police.
A
35-year veteran of law enforcement, James Reed (BPA 76) was appointed Meridian’s police chief by Mayor Cheri Barry (BA 77) in July 2012. In fall 1971, Reed entered Ole Miss as one of the first two African-Americans to play football for the Rebels. He received his degree in public administration and law enforcement in 1976 and has worked in law enforcement ever since. With a career spanning all facets of law enforcement, including supervision, investigations, protective services, counterterrorism, and theft loss and prevention, he demonstrated the skills and abilities needed to excel as police chief. Reed served as an analyst and investigator with the Mississippi Department of Justice, a probation and parole officer with the state of Mississippi and as a supervisory special agent with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. “The value of his knowledge and experience is unmistakable, as is the level of professionalism and leadership he will bring with him,” Barry says. Barry, a Meridian native, is the first woman to hold the position of mayor in the city. AR Fall 2012 59
News alumni
1950s Sara Fleming Adams (BAEd 59, PhD 89) of Philadelphia, June 10, 2012
Maurice C. Kemp (BA 50) of Winona, July 28, 2012
Bonnie Kirk Ayres (BAEd 55) of Hickory Flat, July 30, 2012
Robert Lewis Little (BA 51, MS 59) of Monticello, June 23, 2012
Sue Jordan Barbour (BA 56) of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., Dec. 16, 2011 James F. Barnes (MA 55) of Tyler, Texas, June 29, 2012 Elizabeth Weathersby Barron (BA 59) of Birmingham, Ala., Aug. 10, 2012 Gerald Burns Bishop Sr. (BA 55) of Walnut Creek, Calif., July 30, 2012 Edward Robert Braun (BBA 52) of Jacksonville, Fla., June 20, 2012 Jack E. Bray (52) of Olive Branch, July 1, 2012 June Nalty Briant (BA 54) of Mandeville, La., March 7, 2012 Maude Sugg Carroll (BA 54) of Jackson, July 27, 2012 Barry Munson Carter Sr. (50) of Hernando, Aug. 22, 2012 Kenneth Earl Crawford Sr. (BBA 51) of Mount Olive, June 14, 2012 Bettye Lynn Donald (MBEd 56, PhD 71) of Cleveland, July 7, 2012 Robert Evans Dougan Sr. (MS 52) of Warner Robins, Ga., July 22, 2012 Robert Rich Fallis (BBA 50) of Nashville, Tenn., July 31, 2012 Robert Donald Fitler (BA 57) of Sharpsburg, Ga., June 30, 2012 James William Gaither Jr. (BBA 59) of Pensacola, Fla., July 7, 2012 John Elliott Haynes (BSPh 56) of Madison, July 7, 2012 L.C. Henson (MedCert 54) of Kilmichael, July 1, 2012 John Wesley Howell Jr. (57) of Tallahassee, Fla., Aug. 7, 2012 David Olen Jourdan Jr. (BBA 50) of Iuka, July 19, 2012
Herbert A. Kroeze (MedCert 52) of Madison, June 10, 2012 Elizabeth Brown Maher (BSHPE 53) of Brandon, July 14, 2012 Chester Warren Masterson Sr. (56) of Vicksburg, June 20, 2012 Raymond M. Mathers Sr. (BBA 55) of Gulfport, July 15, 2012 Joseph David McKenzie (BSPh 51) of Oxford, July 4, 2012 Francis Henry McRee (BA 50) of Grenada, Aug. 20, 2012 Willis Roy Minton (MS 59, MCS 65) of Jonesboro, Ark., May 9, 2011 Earl Alexander Moore Jr. (51) of Duck Hill, May 28, 2012 Anne Daniel Nolen (MA 53) of Dallas, Texas, Aug. 17, 2012 Stanley Walter Peckham (BSPh 50) of Missoula, Mont., July 11, 2012 James B. Petrea Jr. (BS 56, MBEd 60) of Sarah, July 18, 2012 Tom Rhea Phillips Jr. (51) of Hattiesburg, June 26, 2012 Frances Hall Read (BS 59, MS 62, PhD 64) of Flowood, Aug. 10, 2012 William Jasper Rish Jr. (BA 53) of Columbus, Aug. 19, 2012 Curtis Clyde Stacy Jr. (BA 51, MS 52) of Humble, Texas, Aug. 13, 2012 Celeste Luckett Stewart (55) of Memphis, Tenn., July 7, 2012 George B. Taylor (BBA 57, LLB 60) of Hattiesburg, July 9, 2012 Kermit Tipton (MEd 53) of Johnson City, Tenn., March 29, 2012 Robert Ervin Wade (BSPh 52) of Destin, Fla., June 19, 2012 James W. White Jr. (BBA 55) of Canton, July 20, 2012
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60 Alumni Review MS-SW120681 OleMissAlumni.indd 1
8/15/12 10:13 AM
Richard F. Wicker Jr. (BA 52) of Virginia Beach, Va., July 29, 2012
Robert Lafayette McHaney Jr. (JD 65) of Woodway, Texas, June 17, 2012
Mark Campbell Yerger (55) of Jackson, May 19, 2012
Roger J. Miller (BA 61, MSS 61) of Saint Augustine, Fla., July 19, 2012
1960s Cecil A. Ball (MEd 62) of Bartow, Fla., May 27, 2012 Thomas Noel Bell (BAEd 68) of Water Valley, July 10, 2012 Ed Brazil (BPA 64, MA 72) of Chester, S.C., July 3, 2012 David Ivan Carlson (MD 62) of Brandon, July 9, 2012 Dottie Reagan Danley (BAEd 64) of Memphis, Tenn., Aug. 21, 2012 Sue Land Dear (MA 68) of Cordova, Tenn., July 30, 2012 George H. Edmonson Jr. (BSPh 61) of Brookhaven, May 30, 2012
Clyde Roger Mosier (BA 63) of Saratoga, Calif., Aug. 12, 2012 Patricia Cook Moynihan (MD 65) of Franklin, Tenn., July 30, 2012 William T. Neely Jr. (BBA 63) of Jackson, July 11, 2012 Ralph E. Pigott (BSPh 61) of Hattiesburg, Aug. 7, 2012 Susan Smith Ritter (65) of Vero Beach, Fla., July 18, 2012 Daudet Johnston Schreurs (BAEd 68) of Hot Springs National Park, Ark., July 16, 2012 Finley H. Sizemore (PhD 67) of North Augusta, S.C., June 29, 2012
Robert Dallas Edwards Sr. (BBA 64) of Germantown, Tenn., July 7, 2012
Lawrence Clifford Smith (BS 66, MM 68, DA 78) of Batesville, June 10, 2012
Clarence Lamar Ferguson (BM 60) of Grenada, June 24, 2012
Betty Brommer Snook (69) of Biloxi, July 24, 2012
John E. Fletcher (BAEd 66) of Stockton, Calif., March 30, 2012
James Barton Spraberry (BS 69) of Oliver Springs, Tenn., June 30, 2012
Henry Edward Fly (BBA 68) of Wiggins, May 27, 2012
Willie Olden Stokes Sr. (MEd 67) of Petal, June 1, 2012
Charlotte Shirley Gardner (BAEd 68) of Tupelo, June 18, 2012
Steven Wayne Terracin (BAEd 67, MEd 70, EdD 85) of Huntsville, Ala., July 21, 2012
Wesley Edward Godwin Jr. (BBA 64) of Atlanta, Ga., Aug. 15, 2012 Dannye Lee Hunter (BA 62, JD 65) of Brandon, July 12, 2012 Jack Brooks Lacy Jr. (BA 68, JD 84) of Brandon, June 29, 2012 Robert William Lewis Jr. (BSPh 61) of Baton Rouge, La., May 31, 2012 Neal Troy McCarter (BAEd 63) of Madison, June 25, 2012 Bobby Lee McConnell (PhD 63) of High Point, N.C., Aug. 6, 2012
James Felix Thompson Jr. (BSHPE 66) of Water Valley, May 26, 2012 Robert Leslie Thompson (MD 61) of Chapel Hill, N.C., July 20, 2012 Carl Vander Turnage (68) of Aberdeen, July 31, 2012 Jobey Turner (BBA 65) of Tampa, Fla., Nov. 3, 2011 Allene Nason Yates (MEd 62) of Jackson, Aug. 3, 2012
Fall 2012 61
News alumni
1970s Suzanne Lamar Anderson (BAEd 71) of Oxford, July 24, 2012
John Russell Hollowell (BAEd 93) of Purvis, Aug. 20, 2012
Charles Ellis Barnett (BBA 72) of Collierville, Tenn., June 8, 2012
Mark Patrick Jarrell (PhD 91) of Mount Pleasant, S.C., Jan. 4, 2012
Ronald Scott Bradshaw (JD 75) of Georgetown, Texas, Aug. 20, 2012 Jerry Brown (71) of Portal, Ga., July 13, 2012 William Rush Chambers (MEd 71, SpecEd 77) of North Little Rock, Ark., May 6, 2012 Vivianne Hughes Cloar (BAEd 71) of Ormond Beach, Fla., June 23, 2012 David Patrick Coates (BSHPE 77) of Pearl, June 28, 2012 Chadsey Moseley Crim (MLS 74) of Gulf Breeze, Fla., July 2, 2012 Carolyn Scott Dicks (BAEd 76) of Arlington, Wash., Aug. 1, 2012 Stephanie Leach Evjue (BA 72) of Summerfield, Fla., July 21, 2012
Bobby Charles Jackson (95) of Corinth, May 23, 2012
2000s Jonathan Victor Boling (00) of Colorado Springs, Colo., June 3, 2012 Casey Dan Brock (01) of Hattiesburg, July 16, 2012 Suzi Anne Franklin (BA 08) of Memphis, Tenn., June 22, 2012 Christopher Noel Phirman (04) of Cincinnati, Ohio, June 15, 2012 Kandice Nicole Woodard (06) of Oxford, July 14, 2012
Jimmie Hirlan Fields (JD 73) of Medford, Ore., Sept. 24, 2011
2010s Caroline Victoria Bartley (12) of Columbus, Ga., July 8, 2012
Dorothy Depoyster Haynie (MLS 78) of Corinth, July 30, 2012
Olivia Grace Lee (12) of Hernando, May 30, 2012
Sue Bright Hoskins (70) of Greer, S.C., June 30, 2012
Jason Harold McKinney (MEd 10) of Booneville, Aug. 22, 2012
Jesse Lee Jackson (MCS 72) of Holly Springs, June 25, 2012
David Bradley Taggart (12) of Madison, July 10, 2012
Kent Robert Johnson Sr. (BAEd 72, MEd 73) of Saltillo, Aug. 11, 2012 Dixie Poole Keyes (BSN 70, MN 75) of Clinton, July 23, 2012 Paul Richard Lambert (JD 75) of Hattiesburg, July 23, 2012 Deanna Layer Lassiter (BSN 74) of Madison, Aug. 6, 2012 Allene Eaves Mason (MBEd 75) of Tupelo, July 17, 2012 Mary Greene McAlvain (BAEd 74) of Memphis, Tenn., June 2, 2012 Mildred Webb McElroy (BAEd 74, MEd 77) of Tupelo, July 12, 2012 Robert Joseph Portis (BSHPE 73) of New Albany, July 30, 2012 Mildred McCarthy Prather (MEd 74) of Tupelo, July 31, 2012 Helen Frye Randall (BA 71) of Magnolia, Aug. 9, 2012 Mary Pursley Smith (MEd 71) of Bristol, Va., June 25, 2012 Tommie D. Tanner (BSChE 72) of Baton Rouge, La., Aug. 9, 2012 Freddie Washington Jr. (70) of Moss Point, June 25, 2012
Faculty and Friends Frank Abel Anderson of Oxford, July 23, 2012 Bobby Ray Carroll of Greenwood, June 1, 2012 Lorine Carothers Clark of Oxford, July 25, 2012 Nell Jones Cochran of Germantown, Tenn., July 12, 2012 Jack Ditto of Greenwood, June 14, 2012 Joann Ballou Farrar of Memphis, Tenn., July 22, 2012 Maudie Appleton Haley of Oxford, June 6, 2012 Mary Lillian Hart of Oxford, July 21, 2012 Gloria Byars Leggett of Waynesboro, June 19, 2012 Blanche Sanderson McInnis of Jackson, July 10, 2012 Erby Montgomery of Greenwood, Aug. 13, 2012
Elton Earl Watson Jr. (BS 76) of Louisville, Aug. 11, 2012
Margaret Hopper Mutchler of Oxford, June 5, 2012
1980s David Kelly Bass (BBA 85) of Madison, May 28, 2012
Sylvia Tutor Plunk of Oxford, June 3, 2012
P. Lamar Benjamin (BSHPE 85) of Tupelo, July 12, 2012
W.C. Trotter Jr. of Greenville, June 17, 2012
Marvin Dean Benton II (BBA 80) of Freeport, Fla., June 8, 2012 James M. Boyd II (BAccy 83) of Vicksburg, June 11, 2012 Douglas Prescott Buchanan (DMD 85) of Jackson, June 14, 2012 Cathy Ann Butts (MD 80) of Gautier, July 6, 2012 Sharon Slawson Day (JD 87) of Brandon, June 6, 2012 Sharpe Winstone Johnson (MD 83) of Jasper, Ala., July 9, 2012 Russell Wade Lewis (BS 81) of Reedsport, Ore., Aug. 17, 2012 Eleanor Gillis Parks (MA 80) of New Albany, July 16, 2012 Diane Evans Tannehill (MLS 83) of Tupelo, July 4, 2012 Kimberly Coffman Yelverton (BAEd 81) of Jackson, Tenn., July 13, 2012 1990s Ethelann Langston Brangenberg (BSW 92) of Memphis, Tenn., Aug. 2, 2012 John Tracy Hodges (DMD 99) of Tupelo, May 29, 2012 62 Alumni Review
John Pilkington Jr. of Oxford, June 4, 2012 Annie Jefcoat Rayburn of Oxford, July 6, 2012 Dorothy S. Vines of Diamondhead, June 11, 2012 Elsie Tempest Wilkerson of Ocean Springs, Aug. 21, 2012 Gladys Varner Williams of Memphis, Tenn., June 8, 2012 Sarah Jones Yeager of Memphis, Tenn., June 4, 2012 Mary Nagel Younk of Canton, Mich., June 2, 2012
Due to space limitations, class notes are only published in the Alumni Review from active, dues-paying members of the Ole Miss Alumni Association. To submit a class note, send it to records@alumni.olemiss. edu or Alumni Records Dept., Ole Miss Alumni Association, P.O. Box 1848, University, MS 38677-1848. Class notes also may be submitted through the Association’s website at www.olemissalumni. com. The Association relies on numerous sources for class notes and is unable to verify all notes with individual alumni. AR
Serving Oxford, Lafayette County and the University of Mississippi
TUESDAY, MAY 25, 2010
142ND Year, No. 169 — 50 CENTS
Run-off solution sought E-Edition booming
INSIDE
Erosion problems wash away county officials’ patience BY ALYSSA SCHNUGG Staff Writer
The Lafayette County Planning Commission has ordered the owners of Williams Equipment Co. to
produce a plan of action on how it intends to solve erosion issues once and for all at its construction site located across from the Cumberland subdivision. “I need a schedule of how this is going to progress with a time frame I can put my hands on by June 1,” County Engineer Larry Britt said at Monday’s Planning Commission meeting. Williams Equipment started con-
struction in the summer of 2008 on its new home for the commercial business on 4.3 acres of land located on Highway 6 West. Since construction began, neighbors have complained the runoff from the graded property has caused silt to run onto their lawns, destroying grass and bushes, as well as cause local flooding. A year ago, a cease and desist order was issued until erosion problems were handled.
“We have had some problems with erosion out there that we’ve been dealing with for a year and a half,” Britt said. When 3 inches of rain fell in Oxford within 30 minutes last week, the issue resurfaced when silt and water caused erosion on some of the adjoining landowners’ property. See SOLUTION on Page 2
Oxford schools set budget hearing
GRADUATION CELEBRATION
POMERANZ HONORED Ole Miss left-handed pitcher Drew Pomeranz was named as the recipient of the 2010 Cellular South Ferriss Trophy given to the top collegiate baseball player in the state of Mississippi. For more details on the honor, see Page 6.
BUSINESSMAN ARRESTED A local businessman who has been on the lam from the law was arrested last week. Get the details on Page 2.
EDUCATION NEWS Turn to Pages 6 and 7 of Education to find out what’s happening with local teachers and students.
UM GRADS
ONLINE
The Oxfo rd Eagle E-Edition helps you keep up w ith your home awa y from ho me Complete Coverage o Ofocuses le Monisother BP probe companies’ workf s Sp orts BRUCE NEWMAN
Many of the students graduating from the University of Mississippi earlier this month were from the Oxford area. Turn to Pages 5 and 10 to read the names of the locals who picked up a diploma.
Brittney Deonna Jeffries (from left), Wesley Lane Carroll and Kimberly Annette Wilson throw their caps at the Scott Center’s graduation ceremony on Monday afternoon. Also graduating were Laura Leeann Brower and Dillon Lee Hopkins.
Report: Oversite workers accepted gifts from oil companies
INDEX
Classifieds 12-13 Local 2-3 Comics 14 Obituaries 2 Editorial 4 Sports 8-9 Education 6-7 Weather 2
Number 1 Daily in Mississ ippi (Circula
BY GREG BLUESTEIN AND
MATTHEW DALY
Associated Press Writers
Guinness finds Minn. man is tallest in US ROCHESTER, Minn. (AP) — Guinness World Records has recognized a Minnesota man as the tallest man in the United States. The Guinness World Record Association measured Rochester’s Igor Vovkovinskiy (voh-kov-IN’-ski) at 7 feet, 8.33 inches tall during NBC’s “The Dr. Oz Show” on Monday. He edged out Norfolk, Va., sheriff’s deputy George Bell by a third of an inch. The 27-year- old Vovkovinskiy is originally from Ukraine but moved to Minnesota with his mother when he was 7 years old for treatment at the Mayo Clinic for a pituitary disease that spurred his rapid growth. Vovkovinskiy now attends the Minnesota School of Business and is pursuing a degree in paralegal studies. Guinness says the world’s urkey’s Sultan tallest man is Turkey’s Kosen. He measures in at 8 feet, 1 inch tall.
also owned the Deepwater Horizon oil rig. The other three areas of focus for the investigation involve the cementing and casing of the wellhead, which was Halliburton Inc.’s responsibility.
COVINGTON, La. — Oil giant BP said its internal investigation of Assessing decisions the unchecked Gulf oil spill In BP’s release, Chief is largely focused on work Executive Tony Hayward done by other companies as stopped short of assigning a new government report responsibility. President today showed workers at the Barack Obama has blasted federal agency that oversees executives from the compaoffshore drilling accepted nies for blaming each other sports tickets, lunches and during Congressional hearother gifts from oil and gas ings this month. companies. “A number of companies BP PLC said in a release are involved, including BP, that an initial investigation and it is simfound mulply too early tiple control “...it is simply — and not mechanisms too early — and not up to us — should have to say who p r e v e n t e d up to us — to say who is at fault,” the accident is at fault.” Hayward that started said. with an oil — TONY HAYWARD G e n e rig explosion Chief Executive, BP Beck, a April 20 off petroleum the coast engineer of Louisiana that killed 11 at Texas A&M at College workers. Station who worked in the Seeking the cause drilling industry for two BP, the largest oil and decades, said the list of gas producer in the Gulf, Gulf problems BP is investigating listed seven areas of focus appears exhaustive. But he as it hunts for a cause. Four said the company also needs involve the blowout pre- to look at decisions made by venter, venter a massive piece of people on the rig. machinery that sits atop the “That needs to be inveswellhead and should have tigated: Why did they do acted as a safety device what they did?” Beck said. of last resort but did not. “They need to ask themThat was manufactured selves that very very, very serious by Cameron International question: ‘Why did we make Corp. and owned by these choices?”’ Transocean LTD, which
PATRICK SEMANSKY/AP
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar (center) speaks at a press conference in Galliano, La., Monday. Standing behind Salazar are Sen. David Vitter, R-La., and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal.
Meanwhile, a new Interior Department report released today found that staffers in the Louisiana office of the Minerals Management Service violated a number of federal regulations and agency ethics rules, including accepting gifts from oil and gas companies and using government computers to view pornography. pornography The report by the department’s acting inspector general follows up on a 2007 investigation that revealed what then-Inspector General Earl Devaney called a “culture of ethical failure” and conflicts of interest at the minerals agency. agency
Staff Writer
Worst-case scenario
tion Belo w 9,000)
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BY MELANIE ADDINGTON
Members of the Oxford School Board set a public hearing for June 14 at 5 p.m. for the public to discuss the district’s 2010-2011 budget. Despite continued budget cuts from the state during the past several months, the Oxford School District has put together a budget for the coming school year that ensures no jobs will be cut. The school board has a proposed $29 million budget that, while not yet finalized, won’t cut jobs and won’t raise the tax rate. On Monday, Gov. Haley Barbour signed the FY 2011 education funding bills, House Bill 1622 and House Bill 1059, Mississippi Department of Education Superintendent Tom Burnham said. “HB 1622 is the primary funding bill that we recommend (districts) develop the FY 2011 budget around,” Burnham said. “HB 1059 is contingent upon the passage of federal legislation that would extend the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage provided for in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.”
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar called the latest report “deeply disturbing” but stressed that it only covered a period from 2000 to 2008. He said he wants the investigation expanded to include agency actions since he took office in January 2009. BP filed its site-specific exploration plan for the Deepwater Horizon in February 2009. The Obama administration has come under increasing pressure as frustrations build, oil washes up in delicate Louisiana wetlands, and efforts to cap the well prove unsuccessful.
City school officials are basing their budget on the funding equation that provides Oxford the lowest amount of state funds. The board will not request any increase to the city’s tax rate, but the district still expects to experience an increase in revenue collections due to the additional taxes it projects to increase from new homes. Revenue is expected to be up about $420,000 from 2009-2010 for a total of $29.5 million. Mississippi Adequate Education Program funding is slightly down to $12.54 million from $12.56 million the year before. Ad valorem tax collections will go up from $14.1 million to $15.4 million. With athletic admission tickets expected to be down about $10,000, the district may have to dip deeper into its reserve funds. After the hearing, the board will vote on the budget. In other business, the school board: — Approved salary scales for employees, teacher assistants and administrators. — Approved a resolution in memory of the late Patricia P Aschoff SPED teacher at Aschoff, Oxford Learning Center. Marcia Cole accepted the plaque and resolution on family behalf of the family. —melanie@oxfordeagle.com —melanie@oxfor
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TEACHER SHARES OLE MISS PRIDE AT HIGH SCHOOL IN MISSOURI
O
n May 21, the first day of finals at Bishop LeBlond High School in St. Joseph, Mo., all the teachers and staff members sported Ole Miss T-shirts that were purchased for them by the school’s only Ole Miss alumnus, Christopher Losson (MA 78, PhD 93).
The previous week, Losson shared daily tidbits about the University of Mississippi (including the words to “Hotty Toddy”) via email. On “Rebel Day,” as it was dubbed, the faculty posed for a group photo; then a Southern meal was served, featuring cornbread, fried chicken, cheese grits, red beans and rice and McAlister’s sweet tea. A quiz, based on the information previously shared about UM, tested who had really paid attention to the Ole Miss-themed emails. “My colleagues were great sports about Rebel Day, and it was an offbeat but enjoyable way to end the school year,” says Losson, a history teacher. “You really couldn’t pull this sort of thing off in the Deep South, with too many competing college loyalties, but my Midwestern colleagues happily became Rebels for a day.” Though Losson continues to recruit for Ole Miss, thus far only his daughter, Taylor Medalist Kelly Losson (BS 10), has made the nearly 600-mile trek from Bishop LeBlond to attend Ole Miss. AR
HERE’S YOUR LICENSE TO BRAG! Now you can sport the official University of Mississippi license plate! For an additional $50 a year — $32.50 of which returns to Ole Miss for educational enhancement — you can purchase this “license to brag” about your alma mater. When it’s time to renew your license plate, simply tell your local tax collector you want the Ole Miss affinity license plate. It’s an easy way to help your University. This particular tag is available to Mississippi drivers only. Some other states, however, offer an Ole Miss affinity license plate. Check with your local tax collector for availability.
64 Alumni Review
The University of Mississippi Alumni Association P.O. Box 1848 University, MS 38677-1848 (662) 915-7375 www.olemissalumni.com
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