Rocky Now - August 2008

ROCKY NOW Vol. 3 Issue 7

Fresh news every day at www.rocky.edu

August 2008

Rocky Now: Keeping our friends and supporters informed about what’s new and exciting at Rocky Mountain College

Fortin Family Foundation honored as RMC Philanthropist of the Year A respected and revered family will be honored wonderful facilities for our students, and for the largwith the Rocky Mountain College Philanthropist of er community. If you’ve ever seen people streaming the Year Award, August 28, 2008, at 5:30 p.m., in the into Fortin to use the pool or other facilities, or come Great Room of Prescott Hall, on the RMC campus. to a state high school basketball tournament, or any Nick Cladis, of Capstone Wealth Management, of RMC’s events, you have an idea of how big an will accept the 2008 award on behalf of the Fortin impact Fortin Education Center has for many, many Family Foundation. people.”

Honored in previous years were Judith C. and For more than three decades, Mary Alice Fortin Sam E. McDonald, Jr., in 2006, and the late Charles gave millions of dollars to education and health-care Morledge and his wife, Patricia, in 2007. facilities in Montana and Florida.

“This award represents a small token of the immense appreciation we feel for how much these (More Philanthropist, turn page) good people have done for Rocky Mountain Mary Alice Fortin, right, was the matriarch of a College,” said RMC President Michael Mace. “The family that was revered and respected for wide Fortin family’s contributions to RMC have provided spread philanthropy.

It’s all about our students With RMC’s Annual Black Tie Blue Jeans event gearing up to celebrate its 21st year, we felt it was a good time to remind people that the annual gala is a scholarship benefit, and to show some of the students who benefit from the money raised. These are students who are grateful for the help, and show it by helping out at the event. Here’s a big THANK YOU from last year’s BTBJ helpers.

ABOVE: RMC Photo, Dave M. Shumway LEFT: RMC art by Margia Pretlow

The Black Tie Blue Jeans logo this year, left, celebrates 21 years with a play on “Blackjack.”

Mark Friday, Nov. 7, to save the date for a full deck of fun while supporting a winning RMC hand. There won’t be gambling, but there will be the traditional gourmet dinner, a return engagement of The Midlife Chryslers, and silent and live auction treasures.

Black Tie Blue Jeans Scholarship Benefit ■ Friday, Nov. 7 ■ Billings Hotel & Convention Center ■ Visit www.blacktiebluejeans.com for complete information or call 406-657-1173.

A memorable day: Seebart family honored It was a memorable day, August 5, 2008, when Don Seebart, Carol Seebart Dunkle and George Seebart, the children of Arthur Seebart, visited Rocky Mountain College. Arthur Seebart, was RMC professor of social sciences and head of religious studies at Billings Polytechnic Institute from 1930 to 1944. BPI was the predecessor to RMC. The three children gathered with friends on the first floor of Eaton Hall to dedicate a bronze plaque commemorating their parents’ long service to Rocky and its students (photo, right). President Michael Mace, former RMC President Larry Small, Don Seebart and Francis Wayne

Photo: Dave M. Shumway, RMC

Gustafson, whose family shared residence on campus for a part of the Seebart family’s campus resi-

dence, shared brief comments.

Among others in attendance were Mr. and Mrs. Otis Hopper

(BPI ‘32), Frank and Helen Mathew (BPI ‘41), Patti Morledge, Pam Gustafson, Shari VanDelinder, Patsy Rettig and Obert Undem.

After Eaton Hall activities, the group convened in Fraley Lounge in The Bair Family Student Center for refreshments and a tour of Lillis Chapel on the Garden Level of the Student Center.

“It was a beautiful day on a beautiful campus for a much enjoyed reunion of long time friends,” said Obert Undem, RMC director of planned giving. “The Seebart family continues to favor RMC with their gifts and we were glad they could favor us with a visit.”

Philanthropist/ from front page

Faith moved her to the mountains

Several buildings in Billings were named in honor of either her, her late husband Philip N. Fortin, or both of them.

Among the buildings is the Reception Fortin Education Aug. 28 Center at Rocky 5:30 p.m.

Mountain College.

Great Room The Fortin Family Prescott Hall Foundation also gave $600,000 this summer to RMC for improvements to the Fortin Education Center, including new bleachers for the 2,200-seat gym, new seating in the Fortin Auditorium, and other upgrades to facilities.

Mrs. Fortin treasured a photograph she had of RMC students holding a “Thank you Mrs. Fortin” sign. RMC awarded her an honorary doctorate in 1987.

She married shipping magnate Lester Napier Stockard during the Depression.

They had two daughters, Susan Stockard Channing and Lesly Stockard Smith, the latter the mayor of Palm Beach, Fla., in 2000. Lester Stockard died in 1950.

Mrs. Fortin met Philip Fortin, a widower and Montana-born oilman, in Palm Beach and they were married in 1968.

Philip Fortin was 86 when he died in 1982.

Mrs. Fortin died March 17, 2007, in Palm Beach, Fla., after an extended illness. She was 97. Her daughters and granddaughter, Danielle Hickox Moore, survived her.

Faith can move mounfind a way to create a space tains, but in Rev. Kristi for students with other reliFoster’s case, faith moved gious beliefs so they feel her to the mountains. comfortable and welcome at Rev. Foster, selected as RMC. the new chaplain at Rocky “I look forward to learning Mountain College, said her in this position as well. I'm decision to come to interested in aviation, so Montana was the “work of Rocky presents a unique the spirit.” opportunity for me to explore “I’m an outdoor enthusithat interest. I love college ast, but I can’t say I kept my sports, so I look forward to eye out for something in attending games and becomMontana. It was more ing a Battlin’ Bear.” looking for a college chapIn addition to many sumlain position and when I mers as a camp counselor, saw Rocky Mountain she served as assistant direcCollege, I thought it soundtor, and summer adventure Photo: Dave M. Shumway, RMC ed interesting,” she said. director at Frost Valley in the “The outdoor opportunities are a bonus.”

Catskills in New York.

A native of Ohio, Rev. Foster graduated from An avid traveler, Foster did mission work in Earlham College in Indiana, with a major in out- Ecuador, the Solomon Islands and Scotland. She door education. Her major was the perfect fit for joined the Pilgrimage for Unity to World Council the first chapter of her professional life -- work of Churches to Geneva, Switzerland and Taize, with youth groups at Frost Valley YMCA in the France. She was involved in the March of Catskills of New York. Her special interest was Remembrance and Hope as part of the Holocaust the environment and she taught in over 50 cours- Educational Program in 2001. es, ranging from science-based ecology to She received her Master of Divinity at Eden adventure-based recreation.

Theological Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri.

“A lot of what I did was with junior and high Rev. Foster’s most recent position was associschool age youths,” she said, “but I also had ate pastor in Vermilion, Ohio. While there, she experience supervising college-age adults.” was active in the youth and educational proRev. Foster said a major part of her work at grams of the Western Reserve Association of the RMC would be helping students “focus on spiri- UCC. She served in the leadership of two clergy tual growth, and with their spiritual journey.” associations during her pastorate in Vermilion, as She also wants to develop an all-inclusive treasurer of the Vermilion Ministerial advisory board, which she hopes will tap stu- Association, and dean of the Firelands Clergy dents from many faiths. It is important to her to Cluster.