contents
ISSUE ONE | 2015
12 SPECIAL F EAT U RES
12 5 DEPA RT M ENTS 2
President’s Pen Board of Trustees
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Snapshots We heard from you... College News
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Serving to Learn Over the past three years, Roanoke College has more than tripled student participation in service learning, incorporating more coursework that merges reality and theoretical content.
The House Down the Hill An historic Roanoke College dwelling is poised for rebirth as a “working museum.”
Pedal Pusher Tim Miller ’93 steers bike racing’s world championship in Richmond.
Roanoke Rising • Scholarship honors Dr. Larry A. Lynch • New Giving Societies
• A month-long observance promoting Israeli-Palestinian peace • Roanoke’s first Truman Scholarship award • From the mountaintop
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Sports News • Justin Tuma ’11 returns to Roanoke lacrosse as assistant coach. • Charlie Moir joins ACC Basketball Legends.
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Alumni News • An alumna’s essay on modern love creates frenzy — happily so. • The many losses: Remembering alumni and faculty
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Maroon Musings “We The People”
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From the Archives
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Archives “greatest hits”
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RoaNotes Roanoke College, by the numbers
For an up-close look at service learning, visit http://tinyurl.com/pvufy62 to see a video of an alternative break trip to Nicaragua, filmed by Amanda Wolfe ’18. CONTACT US: Questions, comments and corrections may be sent to: Magazine Editor, Roanoke College Public Relations Office, 221 College Lane, Salem, VA 24153, or email rcmagazine@roanoke.edu
ON THE COVER: Rebecca Ellis ’15 serves as Roanoke College’s liaison with Samaritan Inn, a day shelter for the homeless in downtown Roanoke, Va. Her work exemplifies service learning at the College. INSIDE FRONT COVER: Schuyler Knapp ’09’s quadcopter captured fun at the Pi Kappa Alpha house on the Roanoke College Elizabeth Campus during the 2015 Alumni Weekend, held April 10-12. ROANOKE.EDU 1
president’spen Roanoke College Magazine
Typically in the spring issue of Roanoke magazine, I reflect on the school year, the incredible accomplishments of students, faculty, staff and alumni, and the welcome change of seasons. Certainly, I could reflect on the same today in this space. But it doesn’t seem like the most imperative of messages now.
“Roanoke is blessed with many wonderful attributes. … Those attributes are worth celebrating — and preserving — today and tomorrow.”
Today’s environment is a challenging one for higher education. Just one month after Sweet Briar College announced it was closing, news broke that Louisiana State University was drafting a financial exigency plan — otherwise known as academic bankruptcy — in response to a state budget crisis. On the heels of that news came an announcement from Corinthian Colleges Inc., once one of the nation’s largest for-profit college chains, that it would shutter more than two dozen of its remaining schools. Large public, small private, proprietary — higher education is under pressure. But Roanoke is not in crisis — nor do we want to be. The times I have tried to quell fear that similar fate may befall Roanoke, I remind people that the College, throughout its history, has adapted to changing conditions. In 1847, the College moved from Augusta County to Salem, seeking a better location to help Roanoke thrive. In 1930, the College admitted women on a status equal to men. Both of those were brilliant moves to adapt to changing environments. It is reassuring to know that even in these economically challenging times, Roanoke remains a healthy institution. There is much to cherish on our campus, but reminders of the need for vigilance and action to sustain those qualities are prevalent in these times. Roanoke College is blessed with many wonderful attributes: alumni and friends who care; a Board of Trustees that guides; and a mission that transforms students’ lives. Those attributes are worth celebrating — and preserving — today and tomorrow.
Editor Leslie Taylor Contributing Editors Jenny Kincaid Boone ’01 Teresa Gereaux ’87 Alumni News Linda Lindsay Archives Linda Miller Contributing Writers Jenny Kincaid Boone’01 Karen Doss Bowman Hannah Cline ’15 Brian Hoffman ’74 Nan Johnson Beth JoJack John Long ’89 Photography Sam Dean Pete Emerson ’80 Patricia Giovannini Zach Gibson Anna McLaughlin ’18 Griffin Pivarunas ’16 Alejandro Ramos ’15 Carissa Szuch Natalee Waters Design & Production Mikula|Harris Printing Bison Printing
Roanoke College does not discriminate against students, employees or applicants on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, national or ethnic origin, disability or veteran status. Roanoke College Magazine is published twice a year by the Office of Public Relations for alumni, students, parents, staff and friends of Roanoke College. Editorial rights are reserved. Please address correspondence to: Editor, Roanoke College Magazine Roanoke College 221 College Lane Salem, VA 24153-3794 rcmagazine@roanoke.edu
Michael Creed Maxey
2014 – 2015 / board of trustees Mr. Morris M. Cregger, Jr. ’64, chairman Ms. Kathryn Snell Harkness ’73, vice chair The Reverend James F. Mauney, D.D., secretary Mr. Mark P. Noftsinger, treasurer Mr. Michael C. Maxey, president of the College Mr. Kenneth J. Belton, Sr. ’81 Dr. Paris D. Butler ’00 Ms. Pamela L. Cabalka ’76 Dr. M. Paul Capp ’52 Ms. Joanne Leonhardt Cassullo ’78
Mr. W. Morgan Churchman ’65 Mr. Malon W. Courts ’92 Mr. David L. Guy ’75 Mr. Michael P. Haley ’73 Ms. Judith B. Hall ’69 Mr. Richard S. Hathaway ’73 Ms. Peggy Fintel Horn ’78 Mr. Donald J. Kerr ’60 Mr. John E. Lang ’73 Mr. Patrick R. Leardo Mr. Shaun M. McConnon ’66
Mr. Olin R. Melchionna, Jr., Esq. Ms. Nancy B. Mulheren ’72 Mr. Diedrich D. Oglesbee, Jr. ’95 Mr. Roger A. Petersen ’81 The Reverend J. Christopher Price ’75 Mr. J. Tyler Pugh ’70 Ms. Margaret Lynn Jacobs Reichenbach The Reverend Dr. Theodore F. Schneider ’56 Mr. Andrew K. Teeter ’71 Mr. Frank V. Wisneski Jr. and Ms. Lynn Dale (Ex-officio, Co-Chairs of the Parent Leadership Council)
221 College Lane | Salem, VA 24153-3794 | www.roanoke.edu
College Switchboard..................................................(540) 375-2500 Admissions Local........................................................(540) 375-2270 Admissions Toll-free .................................................(800) 388-2276 Alumni/Parent Relations ..........................................(540) 375-2238 Alumni E-mail..................................................alumni@roanoke.edu Church Relations.........................................................(540) 375-2547 Colket Center................................................................(540) 378-5125 Intercollegiate Athletics.............................................(540) 375-2338 Olin Box Office .............................................................(540) 375-2333 ©2015 Roanoke College. All rights reserved. Roanoke College, Classic for Tomorrow and associated logos are trademarks of Roanoke College.
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snapshots International Festival 2015 (top left, continuing clockwise). • Adrian Gillem ’15, snaps a selfie with Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, Fowler Series speaker on Feb. 4. • Good, green stuff at “Raw Food, Raw Fun,” presented by raw food chef Adam Graham on Feb 19. • “Pie anyone?” President Michael Maxey appears to ask at the annual March 14 Pi Day Pi-ing, celebrating the mathematical constant ‘π.’ • How Roanoke alumnus Joel Gill’s signed a copy of his book “Strange Fruit: Uncelebrated Narratives from Black History,” following his talk on Feb. 10. • Spring semester snow surfing. (Say that 3 times fast!)
that one around. (My wife and daughterin-law are huge fans of “Scandal.”) Paul Dellinger ’60, author of “Mr. Lazarus and Other Stories”
NathanTyler22
Thank you @RoanokeCollege for demonstrating awareness of #lgbtrights issues on campus. Now let’s see some changes. #LGBT #collegelife
ON THE WEB Emma Kessler @emmakessler
we heard fromyou L ETTER S , T WEE TS A N D POSTS
LETTERS Just wanted to say “Thanks” for the plug in the Roanoke magazine. I appreciated it. That wraparound cover of the Cregger Center was impressive! And I enjoyed the article on Judy Smith. I’ll be spreading
Attention flip-flop wearin’ students, today is NOT your day. Temps of 4° today with a wind chill making it feel below zero. Choose boots!
Have I mentioned how much I love Roanoke? #roco #roanokecollege #spring
Roanoke College
Megan Jenkins @MeganJenkins02
emmakessler: Got all my classes for fall semester senior year!! #senior #seniorstatus #college #collegelife #collegekid #roco #roanoke #roanokecollege Joanna Peders @MoJoJoJizzle
THANK YOU to all the @RoanokeCollege staff who are working on this snow day! We students get a day off but only because you make it possible
So happy to say I’ll be spending the next 4 years at Roanoke College ♥ #Maroons2019 #happytears
CORRECTION Nancy B. Mulheren is a member of the Roanoke College Board of Trustees’ Buildings and Grounds Committee, which is chaired by David L. Guy. A reference to Nancy Mulheren’s affiliation with the committee was incorrect in an Issue 2, 2014 article about the Cregger Center.
SPRING BREAK PHOTO CONTEST Congrats to the students who won our Spring Break photo contest! Theodore Ellis ’15 (sipping from a fresh coconut in Panama) was the grand prize winner. Runner-up prizes went to Kathleen Kelly ’17 (in snowy Ashburn, Va.) and Abigail Gray ’17 (surfing at T Street Beach in California). The People’s Choice Award went to Kalee Robinson ’15. Kalee canceled her spring break trip to begin chemotherapy for non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a diagnosis she received a week prior. For more information about Kalee’s battle with lymphoma or to donate to Team Kalee, visit http://www.gofundme.com/o9ts9o.
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We want to hear from you! Roanoke magazine welcomes letters and emails about what you read in this publication. Please mail letters to: Magazine Editor, Department of Public Relations, Roanoke College, 221 College Lane, Salem, VA 24153, or send an email to: rcmagazine@roanoke.edu. Letters should be no longer than 250 words and may be edited for style, clarity or content. Questions, comments and corrections may be mailed or emailed to the same mailing address and email address. Connect with us: roanoke.edu/magazine
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@RoanokeCollege
facebook.com/roanoke
collegenews Israeli-Palestinian band Heartbeat performs at the March 20 opening ceremony of Israel-Palestine Peace Month.
“
Cultivating peace
I thank our
students who created this
enormously important
initiative... — Michael C. Maxey
”
AS THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT DOMINATED news coverage and debate raged over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address before the U.S. Congress, Roanoke College was poised to launch its first Israel-Palestine Peace Month. Held March 20-April 20, the intent of the observance was to raise awareness of the conflict and the need for peace between Palestine and Israel through events that included a campus visit by Maeh Rashid Areikat, Palestinian ambassador to the United States, and a concert by popular Israeli-Palestinian band Heartbeat. The group’s songs share the experiences of growing up amidst the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and reinforces the need for peaceful social change. Daoud Nassar, a Lutheran Palestinian from the West Bank, visited campus to talk about The Tent of Nations, an organization run by him and his family that aims to bring together people from all over the world and promote dialogue and understanding. Peace Month is the brainchild of three Roanoke College students who joined faculty and staff to create the month-long observance. Mathilda Nassar ’15, who is Palestinian, and Shaina Lidd ’15, who is Jewish, met in a class. Through class discussion, they learned they had more in common than expected and that both are especially passionate about the idea
of peace between Israel and Palestine. Because Nassar and Lidd are seniors, they also enlisted freshman Leah Weinstein ’18 to work with them, ensuring that the event continues after the seniors graduate. During spring break, Nassar traveled to Palestine to conduct interviews and research as part of her senior honors project, which focuses on ongoing negotiations between Palestine and Israel. Nassar had the opportunity to interview both the first and sitting chief negotiators of Palestine, as well as the former Israeli ambassador to the United States. Lidd and Weinstein spent six days in Israel during spring break involved in a variety of volunteer projects, such as building a playground safe from bombs, supporting an urban farm used primarily by Ethiopian Jewish citizens, and working with a Jewish/Arab bilingual school. The three students met for a day in Jerusalem and had a healthy dialogue about their respective trips. “Part of the promise of peace is that individual persons, individual events, individual institutions can make a difference by adding to confluence of peace,” said President Michael Maxey during his introduction of Ambassador Areikat. “I thank our students who created this enormously important initiative and I thank Ambassador Areikat for his presence here.”
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collegenews TRUMAN AWARD
Roanoke College student receives prestigious Truman award
Zahava Urecki gained a passion for politics and government after watching “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” and “The Colbert Report.”
THE HARRY S. TRUMAN SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION in April named Zahava Urecki ’16 a 2015 Truman Scholar, making her the first Roanoke College student to ever receive the prestigious award. “This is the Holy Grail of the major scholarships,” said Jennifer Rosti, director of major scholarships and fellowships at Roanoke College. “The Truman Foundation awards these to students they view as having the potential to be change agents in the world. And Zahava exemplifies that mission.” Created by Congress in 1975 to honor President Harry S. Truman, the
Truman Scholarship goes to college juniors aiming for careers in public service. This year, 688 candidates were nominated by 297 colleges and universities to apply for the honor. Only 58 students were ultimately selected, three of them from schools in Virginia. Each Truman Scholar receives $30,000 for graduate school. But the bigger prize for Urecki, Rosti maintained, will be the chance to network with past and present Truman Scholars, a group that includes broadcaster and former political advisor George Stephanopoulos, National Security Advisor Susan E. Rice and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. A political science major from Charleston, W.Va., Urecki was 11 years old when she first set her sights on a career in Washington, D.C. That’s when she started watching the “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” and “The Colbert Report.” “Every day the shows got me more excited about looking into what was going on in the world,” Urecki remembered. Urecki’s career plans took on a more specific focus after she spent the summer before her sophomore year interning for U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) and former U.S. Rep. Nick J. Rahall II (D-W.Va.). Urecki again interned for Sen. Manchin last summer and through Roanoke College’s Lutheran College Washington Semester Program last fall. She decided she would like to write legislative policy. “I saw a lot of the behind-the-scenes people,” she said of her experience working in government. “They were at the heart of everything. I really wanted to be a part of that.” Urecki said she never expected to be among the finalists. For her, the honor was about representing Roanoke College. Urecki is quick to credit the College for her success. She isn’t at all sure she’d be a Truman Scholar if not for the close, one-on-one relationships she formed with faculty, who encouraged her to apply in the first place. “Really, they’re your cheerleaders,” she said. “They believe in you and say that even when you don’t believe you can make it.” — Beth JoJack
FULBRIGHT AWARD
Brandon Mayer headed to India on Fulbright Study/Research grant
Brandon Mayer will study at Delhi University.
BRANDON MAYER ‘15, a Roanoke College business major, has been awarded the Fulbright-Nehru Study/Research grant. The Fulbright-Nehru awards enable outstanding students, academics and professionals in the United States and India to study, research and engage in work experiences that
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hold greater potential benefit for both countries. Mayer will head to Delhi University in August, where he will spend nine months analyzing how foreign direct investment impacts local businesses and entrepreneurs. “The first thing I did was email my Fulbright adviser, Dr. [Jennifer] Rosti, with the question ‘So, is this the end of the waiting game?’” Mayer said. “After I had some time to process that I had just received a Fulbright, I realized that my life path was about to take a whole new direction, and I was excited by all of the possibilities,” he added. Mayer, 30, entered Roanoke College in 2006 but said he soon felt a desire “to experience the world.” Mayer also felt a strong calling to help in the war against terrorism. He left the College and enlisted in the U.S. Army. After boot camp, Mayer spent 11 months at
the Defense Language Institute in California, training to become a linguist in the Pashto language, one of two official languages of Afghanistan. He also received cryptologic training at Goodfellow Air Force Base in Texas, then was stationed at Fort Gordon in Augusta, Ga., where he served as a Pashto language analyst. During that time, Mayer served a threemonth tour of duty in Afghanistan. Following his military service, Mayer worked as a civilian language analyst with the Department of Defense for several months, then later returned home to Roanoke,. Mayer re-enrolled at Roanoke College in the fall of 2013. A business major, he has earned top grades and honed his leadership skills through programs such as the Roanoke College Innovation Challenge, an annual summer program during which teams of select students develop
collegenews TOP PROF
Hanstedt named 2014 Virginia Professor of the Year DR. PAUL HANSTEDT, professor of English at Roanoke College, is the 2014 Virginia Professor of the Year, an honor bestowed upon him last November by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. Hanstedt was selected from nearly 400 top professors in the United States. The award recognizes the most outstanding instructors across the country — those who excel in teaching and positively influence the lives and careers of students. It is the only national program to recognize excellence in undergraduate teaching and mentoring. “This is the first time a Roanoke faculty member has been selected for this award,” said Dr. Richard Smith, vice president and dean of the college. “This award is very selective. Only one faculty member among all colleges and universities in Virginia — both two-year and four-year institutions; public and private — is recognized each year.” Hanstedt was recognized at a National Press Club ceremony in Washington, D.C. and at a congressional reception. Hanstedt, who has taught at Roanoke College since 1996, has received numerous awards throughout his academic career. In 2013, he received the Outstanding Faculty Award from
a comprehensive business plan for a new product innovation. “I can’t think of a more deserving student to receive the Fulbright award,” said Dr. Kevin Baker, a business professor and RCIC faculty sponsor. “I am proud that he will represent Roanoke College in the Fulbright program.” While in India, Mayer said he hopes to informally continue with his education, taking a few classes and becoming fluent in Hindi. He also plans to explore the country, enjoy lots of good food, and attend Diwali, the five-day Indian festival of lights. When he returns to the United States, Mayer hopes to pursue a Master of Science in Analytics at North Carolina State University, where he’s already applied for admission. Reflecting on his success since returning to Roanoke College, Mayer said, “I personally feel like I owe all of my achievements to my family, professors and friends.” — Sharon Nanz ’09
Dr. Paul Hanstedt, third from the right in back row, with other Professor of the Year state winners at the National Press Club ceremony.
“He truly cares about his students and about the craft of teaching. He’s a passionate advocate for the liberal arts and general education.” — Michael C. Maxey
OTHER 2015 FULBRIGHT AWARDS Courtney Vaughan ’15, a literary studies major from Pennsylvania, is headed to Laos to teach English for a year through the Fulbright U.S. Student Program. Brieanah Gouveia ’17, an art history major from Hawaii, received an award for the Fulbright Summer Institutes in the United Kingdom. An Honors Program student, she will spend July at the Nottingham Trent University. Daniel Osborne ’17, a history major from North Carolina, received an award for the Fulbright Summer Institutes in the United Kingdom. An Honors Program student, he will spend July and part of August at the University of Dundee and the University of Strathclyde.
DANIEL PECK | PECK STUDIOS, INC.
the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. In 2009, Hanstedt spent a year in Hong Kong as a Fulbright Scholar, helping more than a dozen universities in Asia transform from a three-year British model to a four-year American model. At Roanoke, he received the 2006 Innovation Award for collaboration in general education reform, the Dean’s Council Exemplary Teaching Award in 2000 and the SGA Faculty Leadership Award in 1999. Hanstedt was one of the campus leaders in Roanoke’s revision of its general education program, serving as director of general education for five years. He now consults with colleges and universities in the United States and abroad about curricular matters. “We are not surprised to learn that once again, Dr. Paul Hanstedt has been recognized for his teaching,” Roanoke College President Michael Maxey said. “We’ve known for years how engaged Dr. Hanstedt is with his students. He truly cares about his students and about the craft of teaching. He’s a passionate advocate for the liberal arts and general education.” On Nov. 21, 2014, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe tweeted: “Congrats to Dr. Paul Hanstedt, professor of English at Roanoke College for being named 2014 Professor of the Year.” Hanstedt holds a B.A. from Luther College, a master’s degree from Iowa State University and a Ph.D. from The Ohio State University. He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. To watch a TV news clip of Paul Hanstedt, visit http://tinyurl.com/pphc62n.
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collegenews SCIENCE GIANT
College mourns loss of Dr. Vernon Mountcastle ’38
FILE PHOTO, ROANOKE COLLEGE
“Dr. Mountcastle was an exemplar in taking what Roanoke offered and using it to change the world through science. He was a giant in his field.”
Vernon Mountcastle, at right, and Dr. David Gring, then president of Roanoke College, at a 2001 ceremony where Mountcastle received the Roanoke College Medal.
DR. VERNON MOUNTCASTLE ’38, who devoted his career to neuroscience and was universally considered the father of that discipline, died Jan. 11, 2015 at his home in Baltimore, Md. He was 96. Mountcastle was best known for his discoveries on how nerve cells in the cerebral cortex are arranged in vertical columns, and that this arrangement directly relates to their collective function in processing sensory information. Published in a classic 1957 paper, this discovery is acclaimed as being foundational in the field of neuroscience. Dr. Darwin Jorgensen, Thornhill Professor of Biology at Roanoke, described Mountcastle as “one of the most remarkable, important and respected scientists of the 20th century. As researcher, mentor, author and visionary, his influence on the field of neuroscience has been profound. His discoveries served as the foundation for the work of others aimed at understanding how the human brain works.” Mountcastle entered Roanoke College in 1935, earning a baccalaureate degree in chemistry in three years and graduating from Johns Hop-
— Michael C. Maxey
kins Medical School in 1942. During World War II, he served as physicianin-charge of an orthopedic ward at a field hospital in the Atlas Mountains and later served aboard several landing ship tanks. In 1948, Mountcastle joined the Johns Hopkins faculty. He served as director of the Department of Physiology and as head of the Philip Bard Laboratories of Neurophysiology at Hopkins from 1963 to 1980. He chaired the Department of Neuroscience at Johns Hopkins for many years and was central to the establishment of Hopkins’ Zanvyl Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, where he continued to work until his retirement at age 87. Mountcastle was among the most decorated scientists of our time. The only major award he did not receive was the Nobel Prize. Mountcastle established a scholarship with his wife, Nancy Pierpont Mountcastle, in memory of their son, George Earle Pierpont Mountcastle. The scholarship is for students who have graduated from a public high school in Roanoke, Salem and Roanoke County and who meet the requirements for admission to Roanoke College’s Honors Program. The Mountcastles’ intent, according to the scholarship description, “is to support the most talented young people who attend Roanoke College.” “Dr. Mountcastle was an exemplar in taking what Roanoke offered and using it to change the world through science,” said Michael C. Maxey, president of Roanoke College. “He was a giant in his field.”
COLLEGE LEADERSHIP
Two appointed to Board of Trustees LYNN J. REICHENBACH, of West Newton, Mass., and Andrew K. Teeter ’71, of Charleston, W.Va., have been appointed to the Roanoke College Board of Trustees. Reichenbach, a 1981 graduate of Smith College, is active in a number of community and corporate interests. She chairs the Jacobs Family Council, serves as president of Deeridge Trust Company, and is a member of the Honorary Board of the Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress, and the President’s Council of the Boston Medical Center. She and her husband, John Reichenbach, are former co-chairs of the Roanoke College Parent Leadership Council and are active par8 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE ONE 2015
ticipants in Roanoke Rising: The Campaign for Roanoke College, serving as New England co-chairs on the national Campaign Steering Committee. They are the parents of four children, including Emily, a 2013 graduate of Roanoke College.
Teeter is senior vice president of USI Insurance Services in Charleston. A member of Sigma Chi Fraternity, he holds membership in the Contractors Association of West Virginia, the Independent Insurance Agents of West Virginia, National Association of Surety Bond Producers and the Associated Builders and Contractors, West Virginia Chapter. Teeter has served on the Roanoke College President’s Advisory Board and on the board of the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences of West Virginia, among other organizations and interests. He is married to Margaret Howard Teeter.
collegenews
FA C U LT Y B O O K S ACCOLADES
“The Triumph of the Gun Rights Argument” Dr. Harry L. Wilson, director of the Roanoke College Institute for Policy & Opinion Research
Couple receive Roanoke College Medal
Summary: Gun control evokes passions equaled by few other subjects. As this book shows, the debate over firearms begins with cultural values and extends into questions of constitutional rights, public health and safety, and politics. Examining its subject through the prism of the Sandy Hook shootings, the book looks at the influence of elected officials, the courts, interest groups, and average citizens in shaping gun-control laws. It shares poll results detailing what the public really thinks about guns and why, and it explains the various components of gun policy and policymaking to show how they come together to form the current reality. Author talk: “I thought it was time to revisit a topic that generates too many platitudes and knee-jerk reactions — and policy proposals — but too few thoughtful analyses,” Wilson says. “The reality is that gun control polices will save some lives, but they will also cost some lives. It is difficult to determine where that balance should be struck and impossible to say whose life is more valuable.”
“The Mathematics of Games: An Introduction to Probability” (Textbooks in Mathematics)
Doris Schneider and the Rev. Theodore Schneider with President Michael Maxey at the Medalist ceremony held during the Society of 1842 luncheon in April.
Dr. David G. Taylor, Chair, Department of Math/Computer Science/Physics Summary: This book takes an inquiry-based approach to teaching the standard material for an introductory probability course. It also discusses different games and ideas that relate to the law of large numbers, as well as some more mathematical topics not typically found in similar books. Written in an accessible, student-friendly style, the book uses questions about various games (not just casino games) to motivate the mathematics. The author explains the examples in detail and offers ample exercises for students to practice their skills. By exploring games of chance, this book gives students a greater understanding of probability. It helps them develop the intuition necessary to make better, more informed decisions in strategic situations involving risk. It also prepares them to study the world of statistics. Author talk: “The book walks through mathematical topics in a particular order by introducing various games, asking questions, and then introducing and developing the mathematical framework needed to answer those questions,” Taylor says.
“The Ought” Dr. Ned Wisnefske (aka ‘Prof. Wiz’), Schumann Professor of Lutheran Theology Illustrated by Renae Dower ’14 Summary: The Ought is written for young adults who wonder where morals come from and whether we just make them up. We all experience the “ought” though we don’t always like it and even flee from it. What is it and where does it come from? The Ought is an ethical quest to answer those questions. Intriguingly illustrated, it brings these ethical questions to life. Author talk: “This book is relevant today because young people are skeptical about morality. High schools, colleges and universities have trouble with cheating, bullying and moral disruptive behavior. This little book seeks to get to the heart of morality in a short, thoughtful and intriguingly illustrated work,” Wisnefske says.
MORE THAN 59 YEARS AFTER THEY MET as undergraduates on the Roanoke College campus, the Rev. Dr. Theodore “Ted” Schneider ’56 and Doris Lee Smith Schneider ’56 received the College’s highest alumni honor during Alumni Weekend in April. The Schneiders are recipients of this year’s Roanoke College Medal, which recognizes Roanoke alumni who have demonstrated leadership, intellectual integrity and a dedication to serving their communities. The Schneiders married the summer after graduating from Roanoke and moved to Pennsylvania, where Ted Schneider attended Lutheran Theological Seminary. He was pastor of several Pennsylvania churches, while Doris Schneider had jobs in publishing and education. The couple later moved to Silver Spring, Md., where Ted Schneider was pastor of Saint Luke Lutheran Church. Doris Schneider worked for 18 years at the University of Maryland, College Park in development and administration roles. In 1995, Ted Schneider became bishop of the Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Synod, ELCA, where he was known for his leadership and work to increase stewardship within the Synod and reach out to the immigrant population. He has received awards for his leadership and Christian stewardship. Since retiring in 2007, the Schneiders have devoted much of their time and resources to Roanoke. They are members of the Society of 1842, and they are Roanoke College Associates. They also serve on the national Roanoke Rising Campaign Steering Committee. Ted Schneider, who holds a doctor of divinity degree from Susquehanna University and an honorary doctor of divinity degree from Roanoke, is a member of the Roanoke College Board of Trustees.
Since retiring in 2007, the Schneiders have devoted much of their time and resources to Roanoke.
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collegenews
On top of the world JUST BEFORE CHRISTMAS last year, Sean Burch ’92 returned to the United States after a month-long Mongolian adventure during which he set a new official world record for the most first ascents of mountain peaks in Mongolian history. Burch reached the summits of 23 previously unclimbed highaltitude peaks, breaking the former record of four ascents by a Mongolian climber. He climbed more than 80,000 feet in temperatures at 35 degrees below zero. To cap that colossal feat, Burch named one of the 23 mountain peaks after his alma mater. “My fingertips are black and hard. I have frostbite on my toes and could not feel my hands for the last 10 days,” Burch said in a news release detailing his trip. “I am just happy to have endured the expedition.”
collegenews
AS A SOCIOLOGY MAJOR, REBECCA ELLIS ’15 is accustomed to studying poverty in the classroom. But a full understanding of and appreciation for those theories have come from her work with Samaritan Inn in downtown Roanoke, Va., a day shelter that provides breakfast, lunch and noontime worship services daily to the homeless. Since her freshman year, Ellis has devoted at least two hours, twice a week, to helping with projects such as painting and collecting items for the shelter to sell in its thrift store. Through her work, she has come to know not only the owners of Samaritan Inn, but also the people who come for food every day. “Just getting off campus and into the community has helped my career path, and it helped me to be part of a bigger community,” says Ellis, from Virginia Beach, Va. “I think it’s important for students to do something off campus and see the conditions around their school and do something to help.” As a student employee in the Roanoke College Center for Civic Engagement, Ellis serves as the College’s liaison with Samaritan Inn, partnering with faculty whose courses include a service-learning requirement and helping students schedule their volunteer hours. She is gaining valuable leadership experience while encouraging her peers to become active in the local community.
— By Karen Doss Bowman —
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i
Rebecca Ellis ’15, serves as the College’s liaison with Samaritan Inn, a day shelter in downtown Roanoke, Va. Several days a week, she and other student volunteers serve meals and perform other duties, such as painting and kitchen cleaning.
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Clockwise from top left: Youngsters gather around Katie Larrivee ’15 at a Habitat for Humanity center in Ghana. Rebecca Ellis ’15 washes pans after serving meals at the Samaritan Inn in Roanoke. Economics Professor Alice Kassens and her economics majors participated in a service learning project in which they helped teach an AP Economics class at Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke. Pictured with Kassens, in front row at far right, are her economics students, and Patrick Henry students and teacher. Jesse Griffin and Princess Diaz ’18 converse during the spring break trip to Nicaragua.
“One of the things we hope students get out of sERVICE learning is to gain some direction and find passion in their life related to what they want to do with their careers down the road.” — Jesse Griffin
“Serving in the community really gets students out of their comfort zone,” Ellis says. “We’re all fortunate to have an education and to be attending a wonderful college, so it’s important for us to step back and give back to the community that’s welcomed us.” Service learning is growing in popularity at Roanoke. Ellis is one of more than 400 students engaged in some form of service learning at Roanoke — up from 100 students about three years ago. While service learning overlaps with community service and volunteerism, the “learning” part is key. Service-learning courses merge reality and theoretical content as students draw insights connecting the material studied in class to their observations in the field. 14 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE ONE 2015
Research has shown that students who participate in service-learning activities are more engaged academically, says Jesse Griffin, director of the College’s Center for Civic Engagement. These opportunities can sharpen their leadership skills, foster personal growth and strengthen their connections with the community in and around campus. “One of the things we hope students get out of service learning is to gain some direction and find passion in their life related to what they want to do with their careers down the road,” Griffin says. “Even though it’s an investment of time for the faculty, they do see gains in what their students are learning and in what they’re able to do in the classroom in terms of conversation and engagement.”
More Than Soup Kitchens When most people think of volunteer service, they often immediately think of soup kitchens or building homes for Habitat for Humanity — service projects that are often faith-based or that emerge out of social sciences. But service learning has broadened since former Roanoke College Chaplain Paul Henrickson established the Center for Community Service in the
1990s. Today, service learning at Roanoke includes disciplines such as art history, English, biology and business administration. Dr. DorothyBelle Poli, associate professor of biology, transformed her “Plant Diversity” course into a living laboratory by having her 15 students create a garden for the Salem Montessori School. They installed a French drain system (a trench filled with gravel or rock that redirects surface water and groundwater away from an area) and added a rain barrel. They also created themed flower beds: a pizza garden with herbs and spices, a bed of colorful flowers arranged to look like a rainbow and a “bean teepee,” where bean plants would grow up along poles to create a play space. “Plants aren’t cute and fuzzy, so students sometimes have a hard time connecting with them [in traditional labs],” Poli says. “But with this project, I think they really started to connect to the plants and to understand the material better. They also learned a lot about communication and teamwork.” As part of receiving reaccreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) in 2012, the College strengthened its focus on experiential learning — a process through which students “learn by doing” and then reflect on, in writing, what they’ve learned from the experience. Service learning is one of the five areas of experiential learning emphasized at Roanoke, which also includes undergraduate research, internships, study away (abroad or within the United States) and artistic endeavors. Students participating in any type of experiential learning are required to examine their experiences through ongoing written reflections. At the end of each semester, they participate in a public showcasing event on campus to share the personal impact of their experiences. The Center for Civic Engagement was established and is overseen by the Office of the Dean of the College to enhance
“Service learning is a fine way for students to explore who they are, what their gifts are and how they want to use those gifts to contribute to the betterment of society.” — Dr. richard smith
the focus on learning through these experiences and assist faculty in incorporating service learning into their courses. Each semester, 10 or more service-learning courses are offered. The College has established partnerships with 17 community agencies, primarily focused on needs such as hunger, housing and education. Experiential learning ties in with the College’s mission of developing the whole person and preparing them for a lifetime of learning, service and leadership. “Service learning is one of the key experiential learning opportunities that we offer to our students,” says Dr. Richard Smith, vice president and dean of the College. “Service learning is a fine way for students to explore who they are, what their gifts are and how they want to use those gifts to contribute to the betterment of society.” Dr. Richard Grant, director of experiential learning, adds that these experiences can lead to personal growth and help students develop direction for their career aspirations and other life goals. “For some students, service learning really clicks, and they find their passion,” says Grant, who recently was appointed associate dean for academic affairs and student engagement,
Dr. Richard Grant, director of experiential learning at Roanoke, says service learning experiences can help students develop career aspirations and other life goals.
Anna McLaughlin ’18, a student who traveled to Nicaragua for alternative spring break in March captured a child’s pensive gaze with her camera.
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“The service component was something I’d never experienced before, but from that moment, I knew I wanted to be more involved. The minute I got back to Roanoke, I knew I wanted to have more experiences like this.” — claire brooks ’17
effective July 1. “They see they can make a difference in the world.” Service learning at Roanoke isn’t always local. There are numerous courses that involve international travel and service opportunities, such as Griffin’s course, “Self, Culture and Civic Responsibility,” which includes a spring break trip to Ochomogo, Nicaragua, to help with an ongoing water sanitation project. Dr. Chad Morris, assistant professor of sociology, teaches the May Term course, “Globalization and Health in Palau,” giving students the opportunity to travel to the small Pacific island nation to study the impact of globalization on nutrition and food security. Morris has been working on the project for five years and has had more than 70 students involved in some component of the project, including gathering data via door-to-door interviews and focus groups. He returns with another group this May. Ultimately, the research being conducted is to assist the Palauan government in solving public health crises, which include high rates of obesity, diabetes and heart disease. “We really are being of service to the people in Palau to gather the data they don’t necessarily have the infrastructure to gather themselves,” says Morris. “At the same time, Palau is of tremendous service to our students in helping them to see what global health looks like, helping them learn about people in cultures outside their own experience and providing them excellent experience for their resumes from a research perspective.”
Alternative Break College students often dream of beach getaways or mountaintop ski excursions during their breaks. But some Roanoke students willingly give up their pre-orientation, fall, winter and spring breaks to embark on “Alternative Break” trips, traveling outside of the Roanoke Valley to perform community service. These trips, designed and planned by students who have received special training in planning civic engagement experiences, also include the learning and self-reflection components. Claire Brooks, ’17 was so inspired by her experience with Griffin’s Nicaragua class last year, she decided to help plan an alternative break this spring. “The service component was something I’d never experienced before, but from that moment, I knew I wanted to be more involved,” says Brooks, a biochemistry major. “The minute I got back to Roanoke, I knew I wanted to have more experiences like this.” In March, Brooks and MacKay Pierce, ’17, led a group of six 16 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE ONE 2015
Students who traveled to Palau to conduct research on globalization and health take a break during community mapping to talk to Leonard Basileus, a Palauan local who worked closely with the group. At far left is sociology Professor Chad Morris.
Katie Elmore, teaching associate in education. Students in one of her courses tutor and mentor students in local schools, getting an up-close view of poverty in the local community and a better grasp of education policy.
students on a service trip to Eagen, Tenn., where they studied the issue of mountaintop removal — a form of surface mining — and its impact on rural communities in Appalachia. The students visited mountaintop removal sites, talked to coal miners and did hands-on work such as building a greenhouse and a solar-powered water heater. For Pierce, the project helped bring to life the issues he studies in his majors — environmental studies and sociology. “This place we visited is, in a sense, on the front line of a lot of environmental efforts,” Pierce says. “Getting to know many of the people who live in the valley gave faces to the consequences of the coal industry on these communities. We heard many heartbreaking stories but met many more strong and driven people. On a personal level, the most challenging thing is to leave a job undone. Of course, we never went under the illusion that we could solve the issues surrounding the coal industry and rural Appalachia in seven days, but having to come back with that reality is tough. They are still removing mountaintops.”
Concepts in Action Service-learning projects can open students’ eyes to real-world problems. Through these experiences, they often develop empathy and a desire to make a difference.
Dr. Shannon Anderson, an assistant professor of sociology, instills an awareness of poverty, inequality and economic injustice though her May term course, “Exploring Ghana Through Service.” She and her students travel throughout the African nation doing various projects, including tree planting and mentoring schoolchildren. They also spend time with women who receive microloans to help them market handcrafted products and support their families. “In our field of sociology, getting out there and meeting people allows students to see concepts in action,” says Anderson. “I could stand in the classroom and talk about poverty or gender until the cows come home, but until students really see the difference that these factors make in people’s lives, it doesn’t have the same impact.” Students in Katie Elmore’s course, “Principles of Education,” have the opportunity to get into local schools as tutors or mentors, working one-to-one with students. This experience helps her students decide if they want to become teachers, but they also get an up-close view of poverty in the local community and a better grasp of education policy. Elmore, a teaching associate in Roanoke’s education department, recalls one student whose classroom presentation was particularly moving. The student shared that the child he mentored had a father in jail, an often-absent mother, very little food and slept on the floor. He expressed a newfound realization that his own life was one of privilege, just by the sheer luck of circumstances. “When I hear students say that kind of stuff I think, ‘My job here is done,’” Elmore says. “The students get it, and it makes me realize that my own life’s work is contributing to something bigger. Most of my students come away from this experience changed, and that’s what I hope for.”
The Future of Service Learning at Roanoke Griffin and Grant hope service learning continues to grow at Roanoke, especially in disciplines that typically don’t have obvious service-learning connections. Through an internal grants program, nearly $1,000 per course is provided for costs associated with service-learning projects, including transportation and a small stipend to compensate faculty for the additional work involved. Griffin also would like to see more monetary support for alternative breaks to encourage more students to go on the trips and to reduce their out-of-pocket costs. “The truth is, it would be great if we had some capacity to grow the alternative spring break program so that we could have eight of these trips going a year and have them be lowcost,” Griffin says. For Rebecca Ellis, the work at Samaritan Inn has been a defining part of her overall Roanoke College experience. As she prepares to graduate, she’s handpicking her own replacement for the College’s liaison with the day kitchen, looking for someone who will be as devoted to the place as she has been. Asked what Samaritan Inn has meant to her over the years,
she replies firmly, “Everything.” “My whole college career can be summed up by this place,” says Ellis, who is applying for jobs in the social work setting. “The owners and the people who come here mean the world to me. The thought of finding someone to replace me breaks my heart. These people are like family to me, and they’ve given me just as much as they say I’ve given them.” RC
Roanoke fares well in national student service survey n November 2014, 332 Roanoke College students participated in the National Assessment of Service and Community Engagement, a tool developed by the Siena College Research Institute to measure and express community engagement among U.S. colleges and universities. Students were asked if they participated in community service at the College, how many hours per month they engaged in community service and in what areas; how they learned about service opportunities at Roanoke; their motivation to serve; and obstacles to service. They also were asked about their involvement in specific areas of service and engagement. The results included the following:
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• Roanoke’s institutional score places it well above the national average. • Sixty-five percent of Roanoke College students participate in some type of service while in college, a significantly higher percentage than NASCE’s national sample of 31,982 students (48 percent). • Roanoke demonstrates impressive service addressing youth needs; moderate service addressing health, homelessness, hunger, religious service and the environment; and low service in areas addressing civic engagement/involvement, elder care and economic opportunity. • Eighty-one percent of students agree that the college promotes service. • Seventy-three percent of students agree that the College does a good job informing the student body of service opportunities. • Of the total amount of service performed by Roanoke students, nearly half is performed as part of a club, organization, or sports team, while one-quarter is done through a course or academic program. Roanoke College “is in quite an enviable position,” said Dr. Donald Levy, director of the Siena Research Institute and Copenhaver Scholar in Residence at Roanoke College from March 9-13, 2015. Levy presented the NASCE findings during his residency at Roanoke, in addition to presenting an overview of political and pre-election polling. “There is a culture of service here, a strong foundation on which to build,” Levy said.
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The historic Clay Street House.
The House Down the Hill An historic Roanoke College-owned dwelling is poised for restoration and rebirth. BY JOHN D. LONG ’89
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t’s an oft-heard question from passersby and visitors to Roanoke College: “Just what is that ramshackle white building at the corner of Clay Street and Thompson Memorial Avenue?” Folks who ask are often surprised to learn that the College owns the old house; they are even more surprised to learn that the modest, one-and-a-half story frame dwelling is one of the oldest — and one of the most historically significant — standing structures in Salem. And soon it will receive a new lease on life, as renovations begin and as students born of the digital age explore what life was like in the days of spinning wheels and lantern light. The Clay Street House, as it’s now known, was built in the mid-19th century. While an exact date of construction and much of the early history has eluded researchers, the house may have been there to greet students and faculty when Roanoke (then the Virginia Collegiate Institute) moved to Salem in 1847. It certainly stood by 1855, when itinerant German artist Edward Beyer featured it in his well-known landscape of Salem. Local tradition has long associated the little house with an adjacent tannery, hence the name Tanyard House that was once applied to it. The house has also in the past been referred to as the Burke Cabin, after the last private owner, Katherine Albert Burke, who lived some 80 years just up the hill in Monterey. However, Burke never occupied the little white house; nor was it ever of log construction, as “cabin” would suggest. Hence, the current moniker preferred by the College: Clay Street House. Descriptive — and accurate. In the 20th century, during the life of Mrs. Burke’s parents, the house and lot became part of the larger, adjacent Monterey property. After Burke’s death in 2002, Roanoke College acquired the entire tract. At the time, Monterey was understandably the main focus of the College’s interest; the unassuming house down the hill, even then in poor repair, inspired less enthusiasm. Some suggested immediate demolition, despite Mrs. Burke’s one-time promise to “come back and haunt” anyone who deigned to tear down the little house she loved. Fortunately, more preservation-minded supporters saw the promise of Clay Street House, precisely because it is so small and unpretentious. “A house like this was usually torn down a hundred years ago,” notes Dr. Mark Miller, professor of history at
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History Professor Whitney Leeson, left, and student Emily Crew ’12, collect and clean artifacts they recover during a dig outside the Clay Street House in 2009. INSET: Artifacts recovered from the grounds of the Clay Street House. At far left is a piece of a shoe; item in the middle is labeled “Shriner Medal.” At far right is a fossil of what is believed to be a fossilized cow joint.
Roanoke and the David F. Bittle College Historian. “That it survived says. “Working to preserve and interpret these structures will this long makes it an important asset.” provide valuable hands-on experience for students.” Miller is quick to point out that while few modern families would Miller says the history department “inherited” the artifacts, find such a house — originally only two rooms — a satisfactory furnishings, and costumes from Explore Park, a now defunct dwelling, in the mid-19th Century this was “a perfectly acceptable historic site in Roanoke County. Public history students have only home. Most people lived like this, not in brick mansions.” recently begun sorting through the expansive collection, with an The History Department, along with preservation groups such eye on identifying material that may be utilized for interpretive as the Salem Historical Society and the programming staged in the campus’ 19thRoanoke Valley Preservation Foundation, century buildings. proposed to the school that the house had Meanwhile, Clay Street House has been the value, including for educational purposes. focus of quite a bit of student attention. Indeed, history Professor Whitney Leeson’s M’Elise Salomon ’17, a history major with a archaeology classes soon began using the site public history concentration, has explored the for archaeological excavations. Other classes pasts of all the structures on the Monterey — Dr. Mark Miller have toured the house to see in three dimenproperty. Building on the prior research of sions what life was like only a few short genKathleen Ouyang ’13, Salomon has traced the erations ago. Still others in Gary Dent’s “Architecture and Histori- history of Clay Street House and examined the inventories of the cal Preservation” course have analyzed the architectural features. owners’ estates. People associated with the house are as disparate Still, the College was able to perform only basic work to stabi- as Christian Wertz, a well-to-do farmer who likely rented the house lize the structure. Recently, undesirable asbestos siding has been to a tenant in the 1880s, to John Herbert, the African-American removed, revealing the original board-and-batten walls underneath. “yardman” for the Monterey grounds in the 1920s. But more significant repair and renovation has, of necessity, been “We have to care” about houses like this, says Salomon. “This lower on the priority list. Until now. is part of our history. Each person, not just the rich and famous, Recently, funding has been procured to begin the process of is part of the spectrum. We may not know much about these restoring the Clay Street House to its former (humble) glory. Two residents, but the purpose of history is to explore these subjects outside grants in the amount of $100,000 have been awarded to and share the knowledge with others.” Roanoke to renovate the house. The project is expected to begin “This is a structure we really have to cherish, since we don’t have in late summer. many of this sort of house left,” she adds. The planned renovations at Clay Street House dovetail nicely with The long-term use of Clay Street House by the College is still proposed projects to preserve Monterey itself, as well as the build- under discussion. But whatever new life the venerable old building behind the mansion, a 19th century kitchen and slave residence ing finds, it will continue to stand, a testament to bygone days in dubbed “The Quarters.” The remarkably intact complex of ante- Salem and to a College that recognizes the value of architectural bellum structures promises great opportunity to explore the past. preservation. RC “This is an amazing opportunity to use these buildings as a John D. Long ’89 is director of the Salem Museum, senior lecturer in history at Roanoke laboratory for students in our new Public History program,” Miller College and a former editorial page columnist for The Roanoke Times.
“That [this house] survived this long makes it an important asset.”
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ALUMNI PROFILE
PEDAL PUSHER
Tim Miller ’93 steers bike racing’s world championship in Richmond By Beth JoJack
This September, all of that passion will converge in Richmond, Va., the host for bike racing’s 2015 world championship. This marks the first time the United States has hosted the event since 1986. The success or failure of America’s foray into the Worlds largely rests on the shoulders of Tim Miller ’93. Miller serves as chief operating officer for Richmond 2015, the local organizing body for the championships. While most folks in Virginia are probably more familiar with quarterback Tom Brady than biking champ Michael Kwiatkoswki, a near constant stream of news coverage has Virginians, particularly in Richmond, gearing up for the races. “Everybody’s starting to talk about it,” Miller says. “Everybody’s starting to realize, ‘Wow, this is the biggest thing that’s ever been here.’” Big indeed. Over 450,000 spectators are expected over the nine-day race, with about a quarter of those likely to be international visitors (many from Europe). Between 150 and 300 million television viewers will watch as about 1,000 of the world’s top cyclists from about 75 countries — many of them racers who compete in the Tour de France — ride to the finish. The projected economic impact of the world championships is $158 million. With so much prestige, exposure and money at stake, a lot of people want a say in the planning. Almost 40 individuals sit on the organization’s board of directors. “With something this big, there are so many people involved,” says Miller. “If we were just putting on a bike race, it would be easy. It’s all the stuff around it: the politics, the committees, the opinions. It’s challenging.” The principles Miller learned as a sociology major at Roanoke College, he
A Washington Post article recently described America’s passion for the Super Bowl as “small fries” compared to the worldwide fervor ignited by the Union Cycliste Internationale Road World Championships.
Tim Miller is interviewed by cycling journalist and commentator Phil Liggett during Richmond 2015’s presentation in Spain at the 2014 UCI Road World Championships.
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says, come in handy at his current job. “At the end of the day, so much of it has to do with dealing with people and understanding where people are coming from,” he says. During his junior year at Roanoke College, Miller, an avid cyclist, heard organizers needed volunteers for the Tour DuPont, a cycling stage race created to become this country’s Tour de France. Miller signed up to be a traveling course marshal for the race, which meant traveling with the cyclists from Delaware to North Carolina over 12 days. “I was hooked,” Miller says of the experience. “That was my first introduction to the business side of the sport of cycling. I knew this is what I wanted to do.” The summer after graduation, Miller entered his first race as a cyclist. “It was a pretty rude awakening,” he says. “I don’t think people have any idea how hard bike racing is.” “I kind of stuck with it and got acclimated to the sport.” Miller continued racing with an eye toward going pro. He also accepted an internship with Medalist Sports, a Richmond-based sports marketing firm that organized the Tour DuPont. Miller gained valuable experience there. “I
learned the business from some of the best people,” he says. By 1996, Miller had decided he wasn’t going to be the next Greg LeMond. “I knew it was time to settle down and get a real job,” he says. Miller studied computer science at ECPI University and later accepted a position in IT at CapTech Ventures. At a meeting one day, company executives explained they were searching for a platform to get the business’ name into the community. “Of course, I raised my hand to say I could create a bike race,” Miller explains. Miller organized the first CapTech Classic in 2003. “It was a big hit,” he says. The race grew until 2006 when Miller quit to focus on creating a U.S. Open for cycling. “I let CapTech Classic die,” Miller says. “We were going to build this bigger, better event. Things didn’t work out.” By 2007, Miller had returned to IT. “It was sad,” he says. “It was hard.” Miller didn’t stay away from biking for long, though. Around 2009, he heard the UCI’s world governing body wanted to see the championship return to the United States. “I started to talk to some people,” Miller says. “We’re like ‘You know, we
“AT SOME POINT AFTER IT’S ALL SAID AND DONE, I WILL LOOK BACK ON THIS AND THINK, ‘WOW. THAT WAS QUITE A RIDE.’”
ought to make a run at this.’” In December of 2010, Richmond mayor Dwight Jones announced the city would vie to host the event. That January, Miller began working full-time for Richmond 2015. As a perk of his job, Miller got to ride Richmond’s courses with Shelley Olds ’03, a member of the U.S. cycling team in the 2012 Olympics, when she came to town to scout them. “I can tell you that Worlds is one of her goals this year,” Miller explains. “Unless something unforeseen happens, she will be on the team.” The day the pair cycled together, the temperature hovered around 30 degrees, but the two did trade some stories about their respective Roanoke College days. “She’s a very down-to-earth person,” Miller says. “Very easy to talk to.” As the father of an 11-year-old and a 13-year-old, Miller admits he had some jitters about leaving the security of his IT job. Now that the finish line is in sight, though, Miller feels proud he didn’t play it safe. “At some point after it’s all said and done,” Miller says, “I will look back on this and think, ‘Wow. That was quite a ride.’” RC
campaignnews
Giving with Purpose CAMPAIGN LEADERSHIP
Alumna focuses giving on Lutheran support ducation is so important to Joyce Kipps ’50 that she has devoted her life and many of her resources to its purpose. Kipps, who studied education and psychology at Roanoke College, taught special education and math as part of a career that spanned 40 years. She worked as a teacher in Madison County, Va., the county in which she was raised. Kipps, who also earned a master’s degree in special education at the University of Virginia, now is retired and lives on her family’s farm in Madison County. Thirteen years ago, she decided that she wanted to help students afford the same Roanoke education that gave her success and fulfillment in life. In 2002, Kipps established the Joyce Kipps ’50 Endowed Student Scholarship. It provides financial assistance to students who are members of Mt. Nebo Lutheran Church in Rochelle, Va., students who are from Madison County, or students who are members of a Lutheran church that is a part of the Virginia Synod, a council comprised of 153 Lutheran congregations. Five years later, in 2007, Kipps created the Joyce R. Kipps
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“I like to help people, help the school…and give other people the opportunity to have some of the experiences that I had.” — Joyce Kipps ’50 International Student – Endowed Student Scholarship. Those who are eligible for it include international Lutheran students who plan to return to their home country and apply their Roanoke education to better their community and country. Students from Madison County who are members of a Lutheran church of the Virginia Synod also can receive this scholarship. “I like to help people, help the school…and give other people the opportunity to have some of the experiences that I had,” Kipps said. Kipps, a member of the College’s Associate program and of the Society of 1842, has contributed to Roanoke in other
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Joyce Kipps, right, with The Rev. James F. Mauney, bishop of the Virginia Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and member of the Roanoke College Board of Trustees, at the Society of 1842 Luncheon and Medalist Awards ceremony in 2010. Kipps received the Roanoke College Medal at that event.
ways. She gave the lead gift for the naming of the Luther Plaza, which will serve as the entrance to the new Cregger Center. Lutherans from around the state have followed her lead in raising almost $400,000 to name the plaza. In 2010, Kipps received the Roanoke College Medal, which recognizes outstanding alumni who represent the ideals of responsible leadership, intellectual integrity and good citizenship through their professional accomplishments, and through service to their community and alma mater. Kipps and her fellow Class of 1950 Roanoke classmates established the Dawson-Bartlett Memorial Scholarship, which is named for two Roanoke professors, Dr. Charles Dawson and Dr. William Bartlett. She also served as a volunteer advisor for Church Relations at Roanoke, and she has provided financial support to the College’s Church Relations Outreach program. In addition to Roanoke, Kipps has given her time and resources to the Lutheran Church. She was president of the Virginia Synodical Women’s Organization for four years, and she is an active member of Mt. Nebo Lutheran Church. — Jenny Kincaid Boone ’01
campaignnews
ABOVE AND BEYOND GRATITUDE
Paying homage lvin Stump ’52, a former Roanoke College track and cross country athlete, wanted to honor the competitive sport he loved during his years at Roanoke. He also wanted to pay homage to a man who has continued the legacy of track and cross country Coach C. Homer Bast. This year, Stump made a gift of $175,000 toward construction of the men’s track and field locker room in the new Cregger Center, scheduled to open in 2016. The locker room will bear Stump’s name and that of Finn Pincus, Roanoke’s head track and cross country coach for the past 21 years. Stump ran cross country and track for the legendary Bast, who died in 2013. Stump describes Pincus as being in the “mold” of Bast. “I have been very impressed with Finn and the job he does with the athletes and students,” Stump says. His gift to the
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VMDO ARCHITECTS
A rendering of the men's track and field locker room.
Cregger Center represents his “love for the College and what it did for me.” “I hope the athletes that go through there really enjoy the college as much as I did,” Stump says. “I think it’s one of the greatest four years I’ve ever spent in my life. I loved the school, the small classes and attention that you got from your professors.” Stump, of Lynchburg, is a member of the Roanoke College Maroon Club, the College’s athletic fundraising arm, and a member of the College’s Associates program. He has
supported other Roanoke track projects, including a building that stores track equipment and the resurfacing of the track. — Jenny Kincaid Boone ’01
CAMPAIGN PROGRESS
GOAL:
$200,000,000
For more information on giving opportunities for the Cregger Center, visit RoanokeRising.com.
Lynch Scholarship r. Larry Lynch, a business administration and economics professor at Roanoke since 1978, retires at the close of the 2014-15 academic year. At a retirement gathering in April, Mark Gobble ’87, announced the establishment of The Dr. Larry A. Lynch Endowed Scholarship Fund. The scholarship “is for business majors who are academically advanced and financially challenged,” Gobble said before presenting Lynch with a giant check Lynch and his wife, Dr. Jan Lynch, react to news of the representing money contributed to scholarship. Jan Lynch, a professor of psychology at the scholarship by donors who include Roanoke since 1980, also retires this year. Lynch’s former students. “It’s a shame there won’t be other students to sit in your lectures and hear you,” Gobble said. “But I know because of others in the business department who you’ve either hired, mentored — many even taught — that your legacy will never die. Hopefully [this scholarship] will make sure that a lot more students will experience your legacy.”
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$156,000,000*
* As of April 17, 2015. Includes $30.13 million for the Cregger Center.
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campaignnews
New giving societies provide greater recognition By Nan Johnson ne of President Michael Maxey’s favorite Roanoke College stories is about David Bittle, the College’s founder and first president. At one point during a particularly hard and scarce time, Maxey says, Bittle drove cattle to campus to feed students and faculty. “It’s a wonderful story and example of the kinds of sacrifices that people have made of their time, their energy and their resources to help this College move forward,” Maxey says. That culture of giving, he says, has put the College in an enviable position, one poised to advance in ways that those who came before never could have imagined. Today, that culture of giving remains steadfast as the College seeks to rise to even greater heights as one of the country’s top liberal arts colleges. That effort has been supported by generations of loyal contributors and now through a fundraising campaign that was publicly launched in 2013. Roanoke Rising: The Campaign for Roanoke College is a transformational moment in the College’s history to fulfill the priorities established in the College’s strategic plan. Recently, as part of this transformation, two new giving societies were created to recognize the generosity of today’s contributors: the Cornerstone Society and the Presidents Society. The Cornerstone Society recognizes loyal support, regardless of gift size, to the Roanoke Fund. The Presidents Society recognizes cumulative giving of $100,000 or more. “Our development efforts have grown exponentially over the last few years,” says Connie Carmack, vice president for resource development. “The establishment of two new giving societies, and a redesign of our existing societies, gives us an opportunity to show our gratitude to more donors for their thoughtfulness and generosity.” Every donor is helping to shape the future of not only the institution, but of each student that comes through the College, says Carmack. “Every single gift to the College makes a difference and we want to make sure that every donor receives our appreciation and thanks.”
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26 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE ONE 2015
“The establishment of two new giving societies…gives us an opportunity to show our gratitude to more donors for their thoughtfulness and generosity.” — Connie Carmack, Vice President for Resource Development
campaignnews
GIVING SOCIETIES AT A GLANCE ANNUAL GIVING
LIFETIME GIVING
ASSOCIATES SOCIETY
PRESIDENTS SOCIETY
For individual, corporate or foundation gifts of cash, securities, insurance premiums, gifts-in-kind, matching gifts or other assets.
For individuals and foundations whose cumulative outright and irrevocable gifts to the College total $100,000 or more. Those who reach this threshold by June 30, 2015 will be inducted as charter members.
• Associate .................... Recognizing annual gifts of $1,000 to $2,499 • Collegiate Associate ..... Recognizing annual gifts of $2,500 to $4,999 • Heritage Associate....... Recognizing annual gifts of $5,000 to $9,999 • Founders Associate ...... Recognizing annual gifts of $10,000 to $24,999 • Column Associate ........ Recognizing annual gifts of $25,000 or more • Young Associate*......... Recognizing annual gifts of $100 to $1,000 * For graduates of the last decade. Gift threshold rises in $100 increments by number of years since graduation.
SMITH LEVEL (Named for Charles J. Smith, fifth president of the College)
Recognizing cumulative giving of $100,000 to $249,999 MOREHEAD LEVEL (Named for John Alfred Morehead, fourth president of the College)
Recognizing cumulative giving of $250,000 to $499,999 DREHER LEVEL (Named for Julius Daniel Dreher, third president of the College)
CORNERSTONE SOCIETY
Recognizing cumulative giving of $500,000 to $999,999
For gifts of cash, securities, insurance premiums or matching gifts to the Roanoke Fund over at least three consecutive fiscal years and annually thereafter. An individual may become a charter member of the Cornerstone Society by making one or more gifts to the Roanoke Fund each of the following fiscal years:
(Named for Thomas Dosh, second president of the College)
• July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015 • July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016 • July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2017
DOSH LEVEL Recognizing cumulative giving of $1,000,000 to $4,999,999 BITTLE LEVEL (Named for David Bittle, first president of the College)
Recognizing cumulative giving of $5,000,000 or more
MAROON CLUB
SOCIETY OF 1842
For annual support of athletic programs. Gifts to the Maroon Fund may count toward membership in the Associates and Cornerstone societies.
For individuals who have included the College in their estate plans through a bequest, retirement plan, life insurance policy, charitable remainder trust, retained life estate, charitable lead trust, charitable gift annuity or bargain sale.
• Member ............................ Recognizing annual gifts of $100 to $249 • Bronze Member ................. Recognizing annual gifts of $250 to $499 • Silver Member ................... Recognizing annual gifts of $500 to $999 • Captain’s Circle................... Recognizing annual gifts of $1,000 or more
In 1842, David Bittle foretold the future of this giving society when he spoke of the “momentous duty” of one generation to provide an education for the next.
For more information about giving societies at Roanoke College, please contact the Office of Resource Development at (866) 724-4831 or RoanokeRising@roanoke.edu, or visit www.RoanokeRising.com.
ROANOKE.EDU 27
sportsnews Justin Tuma, left with Coach Bill Pilat at a game against Virginia Wesleyan on April 4.
“ ” You can learn
something
every day from
Coach Pilat.
It’s amazing
how quickly he
can grasp a situation.
— Justin Tuma
28
MEN’S LACROSSE
Tuma returns to Roanoke in coaching post MICHIGAN NATIVE JUSTIN TUMA ’11 was a three-time, AllAmerican player for the Maroons men’s lacrosse team. He was the ODAC Player of the Year as a senior and helped lead the Maroons to the Division III lacrosse “Final Four” that spring. He was also the ODAC/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete of the Year and a USILA Scholar All-American in 2011. In 2013, Tuma returned to his Maroons roots. Currently, he is in his second season as an assistant men’s lacrosse coach. Tuma followed graduation from Roanoke with an eightmonth stint in England, where he earned a master’s degree in business management at Durham University. While in England, Tuma showed the British the kind of lacrosse they play on this side of the Atlantic. He and Maroons teammate Alex Burkhead ’11, who joined Tuma at Durham, played for the university lacrosse team in the British Universities and College Sport (BUCS) Premier Division. There, the former Maroons made America proud. “Our team was pretty nasty,” Tuma says. “We had about 12 or 13 American players and the Durham team hasn’t lost a game in over four years.”
Justin Tuma during his playing days at Roanoke. Here, at a 2011 game against Stevenson University.
BRIAN HOFFMAN
sportsnews
Justin Tuma, at center, is in his second season as an assistant men’s lacrosse coach.
“
Tuma’s great. He’s a great role model for our players. He was a good student when he was here and he worked hard for everything he has. He’s been a huge plus for our program. — Bill Pilat There were no age rules for eligibility so Tuma was able to jump right on the pitch, which is what the English call the playing field. In fact, Durham actually played on artificial turf. “They call it a ‘rubbercrumb’,” says Tuma. “It was pretty nice. They take their sports seriously. I don’t think lacrosse will ever be on a level with soccer or rugby in England, but it’s gaining steam much like it is here.” Tuma found Durham University to be somewhat different from Roanoke College. A university of over 20,000 students, he says he didn’t have the same interaction with faculty that he had at Roanoke College. Still, “Roanoke prepared me for my student experience in England,” he says. Tuma enjoyed his time in Europe and toured over a half-dozen countries with Burkhead. “We saw a lot of things many people never get to experience,” Tuma says. “That time in Europe was probably the best eight months of my life.” Upon returning to the states, Tuma took a position as assistant lacrosse coach at Randolph-Macon College under Coach J.B. Sheridan. There, Tuma got a different perspective coaching for a team that was a rival of his alma mater. “I learned a different way to run an offense and a different way to run a practice,” he says.
“It was nice to see the other side. It taught me a ton about the game.” When a position opened at Roanoke, Tuma was excited to come home to Salem and join Bill Pilat ’85, his old coach, beginning with the 2014 season. “You can learn something every day from Coach Pilat,” says Tuma. “It’s amazing how quickly he can grasp a situation.”
”
Tuma says he would like to become a head coach on the collegiate level himself someday. Right now, the Maroons are just glad to have him, says Coach Pilat. “Tuma’s great,” Pilat says. “He’s a great role model for our players. He was a good student when he was here and he worked hard for everything he has. He’s been a huge plus for our program.” — Brian Hoffman ’74
Pilat earns 300th career win ROANOKE COLLEGE MEN’S LACROSSE COACH, Bill Pilat ’85, won his 300th career game with a 14-4 victory over Bridgewater College on April 19. Pilat is the 15th men’s lacrosse coach in all of NCAA Division I, II and III who has reached the extremely rare 300 win milestone. Pilat and SUNY Cortland Head Coach Steve Beville both entered the season with 290 career victories, with both reaching the 300 win plateau in the same weekend. Pilat, in his 26th season as head coach of Roanoke College has an all-time record of 300-128, which includes 17 10-win seasons, 10 ODAC Championships, and 11 NCAA Tournament appearances. The April 19 win has set a new program record as well, by achieving the program’s seventh consecutive 10-win season.
Coach Bill Pilat is in his 26th season as head men’s lacrosse coach.
ROANOKE.EDU 29
sportsnews
COACHING HONOR
SARA D. DAVIS, THEACC.COM
Moir joins ACC Basketball Legends
Charlie Moir is recognized as a 2015 ACC Legend at halftime during the semifinals of the 2015 ACC Tournament in March.
CHARLIE MOIR, head men’s basketball coach at Roanoke from 1967-73 and at Virginia Tech from 1976-87, was one of 14 former record-setting coaches and standout players who headlined the 2015 class of ACC Basketball Legends. The 2015 ACC Legends class includes two National Players of the Year, a Final Four MVP, seven players who earned conference player of the year honors and a pair of ACC Tournament MVPs. The group combined to make eight NCAA Final Four appearances and capture 10 ACC Tournament titles. The two coaches in this year’s class — Moir and Bobby Cremins, former head coach at Georgia Tech — own a combined 971 wins in 51 collegiate seasons. The legends were honored during the 2015 ACC Tournament, held March 10-14 in Greensboro, N.C., and were introduced during halftime of the first semifinal game on March 13. Moir coached the Roanoke men’s basketball team to the 1972 NCAA Division National Championship. He had the distinction of sharing the 1972 Coach of the Year honors with UCLA’s legendary
John Wooden. Moir, who is the father of current head coach Page Moir, still ranks as one of the winningest coaches in the nation with 392 collegiate wins and 616 overall coaching wins to his credit. His record at Roanoke was 133-44 with five MasonDixon Championships and two NCAA South Atlantic Regional Championships. Moir remains one of the winningest basketball coaches in Virginia Tech’s history, with 213 victories during his tenure. Moir guided the Hokies to eight postseason appearances — four in the NCAA Tournament and four in the National Invitation Tournament — also the most ever by a Hokies men’s coach. His teams won at least one postseason game in six of their eight appearances. Moir’s 197879 team won the Metro Conference Tournament in its very first season of league play. He was inducted into the Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame in 2006. Moir was inducted into the Roanoke College Hall of Fame in 1973. In 2014, Roanoke College held a court-naming ceremony for the basketball floor in the new Cregger Center. The court will be named the Charlie Moir Court.
TRACK AND FIELD
Kelly recognized as outstanding student-athlete BREAKING RECORDS AND WINNING awards is nothing new for track and field thrower Mary Kelly ’16. She holds the current Roanoke College record for the women’s javelin throw at 129.26 feet, breaking her two previous records. At the ODAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships in April, Kelly repeated as ODAC Champion in the Javelin Throw, hurling for a distance of 38.32 meters (125’9”). Her winning throw was five feet farther than the second-place competitor, and one meter shy of the ODAC meet record. Kelly also has received academic honors as a member of the College’s Athletic Honor Roll for spring 2014 and the ODAC Academic All-Conference Team for the 2013-2014 academic year. Last fall, Kelly conquered new territory when she won the first-ever Outstanding Woman Student Athlete (Individual Sport) award at the Virginia Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance convention in Virginia Beach. She won the state award based on her outstanding leadership, character and academic
30 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE ONE 2015
excellence. Kelly, a health and physical education major, was already attending the convention to present research related to nontraditional games. Roanoke professors Michael and Julie Maina nominated Kelly for the award. “We nominated her because she’s awesome in track…she maintains a good GPA, she’s in
“But if you know Mary, she’s a very humble person.”
Mary Kelly competing in the hammer throw at a 2014 meet.
— Dr. Michael Maina charge of a lot of responsibility at [Branchburg Recreation Camp, a New Jersey summer camp where she’s a site leader], and she’s very accomplished for her age,” said Dr. Michael Maina. “But if you know Mary, she’s a very humble person.” Kelly and her classmates were presenting research on nontraditional games and activities that they created as part of an assignment for
the Health and Human Performance major. Kelly’s group designed a game, which they tested with students at G.W. Carver Elementary School in Salem before finalizing their work through a Pathways Service Learning Project. Maina, Kelly and several other students submitted their nontraditional games research to the Journal for Physical and Sport Educators, in hopes that it will be published. — Hannah Cline ‘15
sportsnews
SCOREBOARD HONOREES
Two inducted into RC Athletic Hall of Fame
BASEBALL 17-15 (11-9 ODAC) First winning season in history
SOFTBALL 22-14 (15-5 ODAC)
MEN’S LACROSSE
RC Athletic Director Scott Allison ’79 presents Kim Rowe with her Hall of Fame citation.
RC Athletic Director School Allison ’79 presents Katrina Williams with her Hall of Fame citation.
MAROONS SOFTBALL STANDOUT Kim Rowe ’05 and women’s basketball star Katrina Williams ’04 were inducted into the Roanoke College Hall of Fame at a ceremony held during the 2015 Alumni Weekend. Rowe enjoyed a stellar career for the Maroons softball program under Head Coach Alan Bayse. During her fouryear career as a first baseman, Rowe led her teams to three ODAC Championships and three NCAA Tournament appearances. She was named All-ODAC three years, including four ODAC Player of the Week honors. A two-time VaSID College Division All-State and NFCA All-South Atlantic Region selection (2002, 2004), Rowe ranked among the top five in 10 offensive categories, including the career doubles record. Her most successful season came in 2004, as Rowe compiled ODAC Player of the Year, ODAC Tournament MVP, Virginia State Player of the Year and Roanoke College Female Athlete of the Year accolades. As a freshman, she was named the 2002 ODAC Player of the Year and named First-Team All-Region. Williams compiled an incredible three-year career on the hardwood for the Maroons under Susan Dunagan. A two-time D3Hoops All-South Region and VaSID College
Division All-State selection (2002-03), she was named ODAC Player of the Year and WBCA All-American in 2003. During her senior year, she was named a two-time ODAC Player of the Week en route to leading Roanoke to the ODAC Championship game. The three-time All-ODAC guard finished her career as the 12th all-time leading scorer (1,120 points), fourth in career three-pointers (150), steals (227) and free-throw percentage (79.9 percent) while fifth in assists (337). In 2013, Williams was named to the All-Decade Team (2000’s) for Roanoke College women’s basketball. Former women’s basketball coach Susan Dunagan was honored with a special presentation at the Hall of Fame ceremony for her 33 years of service. In 2014, Dunagan retired as the winningest women’s basketball coach at Roanoke College, and in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) and the state of Virginia. Virginia Del. Greg Habeeb presented Dunagan with a House resolution commending Dunagan for “her leadership and commitment to serving student athletes of Roanoke College.”
12-6 (7-2 ODAC) Entering NCAA Tournament as At-Large Bid
WOMEN’S LACROSSE 7-5 (7-3 ODAC)
MEN’S BASKETBALL 10-16 (5-11 ODAC)
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL 8-18 (4-12 ODAC)
MEN’S TENNIS 9-9 (5-5 ODAC)
WOMEN’S TENNIS 17-6 (10-1 ODAC) Third straight ODAC Title Match appearance
MEN’S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD 7th at ODAC Championships
WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD
RC | sportsfacts
3rd at ODAC Championships
MEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD 6th at ODAC Championships
WOMEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD 2015 ODAC Champions 11th in program history
GOLF Sixth at ODAC Championships Note: As of May 3, 2015
• With her five strikeouts on April 18, Kelly Higbie ’15 set the new all-time career strikeouts record with 367 strikeouts over her career. The senior from Midlothian, Va. surpassed the record previously held by Lyndsi Craig ’07, who had 363 strikeouts in just three seasons. Higbie has put together 66 strikeouts this season, and had a season high 141 during her freshman season in which she pitched 261.1 innings. Higbie ranks in the top five in numerous categories in the ODAC this season, including: Wins (10–4th), shutouts (5–2nd), complete games (12–3rd), ERA (1.87 –6th) and strikeouts (66–5th). • For the 11th time in school history, the Roanoke College outdoor women’s track and field team can call themselves ODAC Champions. The Maroons took home the conference title at the ODAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships held April 17-18 in Bridgewater, Va. The Maroons walked away with big wins. The
4x100m relay team of Esther Prempeh ’16, Melanie Meadows ’18, Alease Kinney ’17 and Alexis Janney ’17 won the event with a time of 47.51 seconds. Meadows went on to win the 100meter hurdles with a time of 15.39 seconds, edging out Shenandoah University’s Jaclyn Mohlmann, who finished in 15.40. Kinney set an ODAC Championships record in the 400 meter with a time of 56.03 seconds. Janney took the ODAC 200-meter dash in a time of 25.09. She was followed closely by Kinney, who crossed the line in 25.14. Janney came in second to Kinney in the 400-meter in 56.38 seconds. Kinney, Jessica Mejia ’17, Erin McGovern ’16 and Janney set a new ODAC Championships record in the 4x400-meter relay with a time of 3:54.34. Their time, which also set a facility record, broke the 2014 Roanoke 4x400 ODAC Championships time by three seconds. On the men’s side, Harrison Toney ’16 won the top honor of being named ODAC Men’s Runner of the Meet.
For the latest scores, go to
maroons.roanoke.edu
ROANOKE.EDU 31
alumninews
Roanoke College magazine welcomes news of your recent accomplishments and/or transitions. You can write to us at: Office of Alumni Relations, Roanoke College, 221 College Lane, Salem, VA 24153-3794; call us toll-free at 1-866-RCAlums; fax us at 540-375-2398; email us at alumni@roanoke.edu or update your record online at www.roanoke.edu/maroonsonline. Due to space constraints and time between issues, submissions to Alumni News might appear in an upcoming issue of the magazine.
Marshall L. Harris, Jr. ’32 was inducted into the Virginia Aviation Hall of Fame on November 15, 2014. According to a biography published in the Virginia Aeronautical Historical Society newsletter, Harris managed Woodrum Field in Roanoke, Va., from January 1945 to June 1974. During that time, he supervised one of the most active wartime airports in the United States, one that grew significantly after World War II, commercially and privately. He managed the transition at Woodrum Field from propeller-aircraft to the jet-age and supervised the rebuilding and expansion of the runways to accommodate larger and heavier aircraft. He supervised construction of the first modern terminal building at Woodrum Field, dedicated in 1953. Harris was devoted to the field of aviation and was a true leader in the infancy of the industry in Southwest Virginia. His induction into the Hall of Fame “was quite an honor for the family, 36 years after his death,” said his son, Marshall M. Harris ’71.
Editorial contributions are welcome but subject to editing. Photographs may be used as space permits, submitted in print or digital format. Digital photos must be 1 MB in size or larger. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee return of contributed materials. We look forward to hearing from you!
Ideas.” Richard is a professor of English at Hollins University. Lt. Col. Richard L. Goodlake ’58 has retired from the Marine Corps. He was elected to a four-year term as a trustee of the Fallbrook Union High School District, Fallbrook, Calif. Richard holds master’s degrees from Pepperdine University and National University. He and his wife, Elizabeth, have two sons, Richard and Ted.
1970s
class notes 1940s
Russell Ann Williams Perry ’71 recently retired as a school psychologist and traveled to Katmandu to visit in-laws. She resides on a farm on
Virginia’s Rappahannock River with her husband and farm critters. Mark Kuhl ’73 has retired to Roanoke after a long pharmaceutical career that included stops in Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia and New Jersey. Bruce Ingram ’74 and his wife, Elaine, residents of Botetourt County, were honored as environmental leaders for their contributions to the Roanoke Valley’s greenway system. They were part of a trio recognized by the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy, a nonprofit that conserves rural land. The Ingrams were given the Land Saver Award for protecting 142 acres through conservation easements with the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy and the Vir-
Mildred Schaaf Carper ’43, of Flemington, N.J., celebrated her 92nd birthday and enjoys being active.
1950s Dr. T.P. Davis ’53 and Charlotte Vinten Davis ’53 celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary. T.P. was a family physician for more than 50 years in the Roanoke area, and Charlotte was a social worker in Virginia and Florida. They have been blessed with two children, four grandchildren and two “very active” great-grandchildren. George C. Herring ’57, one of the nation’s foremost experts in the Vietnam War, appeared in the CNN series, “The Sixties.” He also was inducted into the University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame. George, who received an honorary Doctor of Laws from Roanoke College in 2011, is a respected historian who taught for 36 years at the University of Kentucky. He resides in Lexington, Ky. Dr. Richard H.W. Dillard ’58 published his eighth book of poems, “Not
32
Delta Gamma sisters from the classes of 1971-1975 have been meeting annually since 2009 for reunions. The June 2014 DG Reunion found them in Cape Cod, Mass. Locked up in a shark cage at the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History in Brewster are, from left to right, Patti Haas Womelsdorf ’73, Carol Krivak Stewart ’73, Alison Marr ’75, Yvonne Hammond Breshinsky ’71, Diane Bowden Brock ’71, Cheryl Cobey ’72, Patty Crawford Buza ’71, Lou Ann Toombs Ruppel ’72, Wendy Wells Moore ’71, Debbie Downard ’73, Winkie Watters Brittingham ’71, Bobby Crump ’71, Sallie Potts Noonkester ’72.
alumninews ALUMNI PROFILE
“You just never know...” Sarah U. Stowers ’76 shared with us the following story:
I
was at Roanoke College, and after I had declared my major, biology, I became an undergraduate assistant for [longtime biology department faculty member] Dr. Philip Lee. He was the plant person back then. I very happily did all sorts of things in this capacity — lab prep, greenhouse maintenance, displays for the foyer — and also I worked in the dried specimen collection. Fast-forward to 2013. While looking for apartments in Lyon, France, I went every day to the Parc de la Tete D’Or, a 115-hectare park that houses a zoo, a botanical garden, greenhouses and an old building that, in particular, houses the offices of the botanical garden and the Horticultural Society of Lyon. Once I was finally moved, one of the first things I did was knock on the door of that old building. It was answered by a secretary. I told her who I was, that I was from the United States, and I was willing to volunteer. She told me I would have to talk to the director (he was out in the garden, wearing a red sweater), or I could wait for him to return. I decided not to wait but did go walking around. Lo and behold I came upon a man in a red sweater. I went right up to him and said, “You must be Directeur Pautz.” He was quite surprised! We then had a 15-minute conversation about a lot of things, but the upshot was that I did have experience in herbarium work (dried plant specimen preparation and mounting). Since March 2013, I have been working at the herbarium. I love it! It has gotten me back to my plant roots (sorry, no pun intended) that
ginia Outdoors Foundation. The award is given to conservation easement donors who set an example through their own conservation projects. Bruce is an English teacher in Botetourt County and Elaine is a retired Salem City Schools teacher. Bruce also is a freelance writer and has authored five books and more than 2,000 magazine articles, which helped finance the conservancy project. Michael O. Kennedy ’74 lives in Salem and recently retired.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SARAH STOWERS
Sarah Stowers working with plant specimens at the Botanical Garden of Lyon, France.
began at Roanoke College. So far I have worked in a mid-19th century collection, and even made a discovery! I finished that and have moved on to a project of preparing specimens that are to be a part of the National Collection of France that is being digitized. The National Museum of Natural History digitized their collection (8 million specimens, the largest collection in the western
1980s David Mater ’83 has retired from the U.S. Navy after a career of 28 years. He currently works with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Roanoke. Brian McElwee ’84 and his wife, Quinn, are co-founders of easyBackgrounds, a background screening service based in Newfields, N.H. The company, which works with many staffing agencies, was named to Inc. Magazine’s “Inc. 5000” list of the
world) and then identified 20 likely candidates throughout France that might have collections needing to be part of the national project. Thus, the work for the Botanical Garden of the city of Lyon. I love it! I have thought of Roanoke and Dr. Lee quite often as I sit and remount plants that date from 1803 and onward! A great Roanoke story! You just never know...
fastest growing companies in the country. In order to qualify for the list, a company had to be privately held and for-profit, with revenue in 2010 of at least $100,000 and revenue in 2013 of at least $2 million. The McElwees were excited the company realized a threeyear revenue growth rate of more than 90 percent. Brian was a former chairman of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners Best Practices Committee and currently serves as co-chair of the Membership,
Recruitment and Retention Committee. Gary Mann ’86 is associate vice president for student aid services with the Georgia Student Finance Commission. Alan Liebrecht ’87 is dean of admissions and enrollment services with Marymount California University. He and his wife, Joanne, live in San Pedro, Calif. Kenny Wingfield ’88 retired after working more than 20 years as a U.S. probation officer. He lives in Roanoke.
ROANOKE.EDU 33
ALUMNI PROFILE
To become an overnight sensation, do this
CLAIRE DOLLAN
Alumna’s essay in “Modern Love” goes viral
Mandy Len Catron says she is grateful for all the recent opportunities.
M
andy Len Catron ’03 declined to reveal how many literary agents contacted her following the January publication of her essay, “To Fall in Love With Anyone, Do This,” in the New York Times’ popular “Modern Love” series. “I could count in my e-mail inbox, but I won’t, because it would be embarrassing,” she says. “It was an embarrassment of riches.” Catron, who lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, also admits she’s had several contacts by Hollywood types interested in seeing a movie adapted from her essay. “The answer is maybe that will happen, maybe not,” Catron says of a film. “It would be nice, because it would help me buy some time to write.” Catron’s “Modern Love” piece focuses on a psychological study, one more than 20 years old, designed to “create closeness” between two strangers. The participants ask each other 36, increasingly personal questions and then stare into each other’s eyes for four minutes. Catron, 33, writes about trying this out with an acquaintance at a bar and how, perhaps most tantalizing, she sub34 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE ONE 2015
is romance. She has a blog titled “The Love Story Project” and has worked for about five years on a book she describes as a “collage of research, memoir and family mythology” about love stories and love. “My central argument I want to make in this book and what I think about on my blog is that love stories don’t make us better at being in love,” Catron says. “Maybe they make us worse at being in love. Part of that is because love stories like any story are a simplifying strategy, and we leave out a lot of complexity.” Catron’s goal when submitting her work to “Modern Love” was to get a book deal, and she’s on her way. After spending a couple of weeks agonizing, Catron ultimately signed with the same literary agent who represents author Barbara Kingsolver (who happens to share Catron’s hometown of Abingdon, Va.). “If you had told me this was going to happen three months ago, I wouldn’t have believed you,” Catron says. Catron, who received a master of fine
“My central argument I want to make in this book and what I think about on my blog is that love stories don’t make us better at being in love.” sequently began dating this man. In addition to showing up on Facebook feeds all over the world, Catron’s essay rapidly inspired the following: an episode of “The Big Bang Theory;” a public-art installation; meet-ups for singles who pair off and ask one another the 36 questions; multiple apps; and a card game. A YouTube video spoof features a pensive cat owner posing the questions to his puzzled housecat. Catron, who teaches full time at the University of British Columbia, finds the frenzy surrounding her essay a little overwhelming. “It’s been fun, and I’m super grateful for all the opportunities, but also I just want to write,” explains Catron. “It’s just so time consuming.” The “Modern Love” essay wasn’t Catron’s first attempt to put words to the puzzle that
arts degree in creative writing from American University, first seriously entertained the idea of becoming a writer at Roanoke College. Michael Heller, Roanoke College professor of English, remembers Catron’s “smiling attitude” in the classroom. “She always showed great enthusiasm and interest in learning and wanting to be a writer. “I just found everyone was really supportive,” Catron says of the English department. “I had lots of opportunities to write. They encouraged me to apply to writing residencies and enter contests and things I might not have done on my own.” — BETH JOJACK
alumninews
Feagan-Merideth wedding
Hickman-Bledsoe wedding
1990s
formats. Joel is married to Katie Sonnen-Lee ’03. Melissa Carr ’05 received the Outstanding Chemistry Teacher Award from the Blue Ridge Chapter of the American Chemical Society on April 16, 2014. Carr, who teaches at William Byrd High School in Roanoke County, Va., received the county’s Golden Apple Teacher Award in 2013. Clint A. Nichols ’05 joined Christian & Barton, L.L.P., a broad-based civil practice law firm in Richmond, Va. He is an associate in the labor and employment and litigation departments. Prior to joining the firm, he served as a judicial clerk for the Hon. Henry E. Hudson in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. Kayce A. Smith ’05 was selected Teacher of the Year in Brunswick County, N.C. Mary Kimball Temple ’09, a graduate student of interior design at Marymount University in Arlington, Va., was one of seven students in the
Wendy Knoll Richter ’98 co-pastors All Shepherds Lutheran Church, in Lewis Center, Ohio, with her husband Craig. The Richters have three children.
2000s Shelli Stevens Sayers ’00 began her fifth season as the associate head track and field coach at the University of Northern Iowa. In 2014, the women’s program placed the highest in the Missouri Valley since 2008. Shelli’s husband, Andy Sayers ’00, works with the local running community, leading group runs, maintaining and creating trails with the Cedar Valley Soft Trail Association, and training for marathons and ultra-marathons. Greg Winston ’01 received a Master of Science degree from the University of Cincinnati. Joel Lee ’03 is campus director of National American University in Georgetown, Texas. He has released his debut novel, “Dead Men Running,” with White Bird Publications. It is available on Amazon, both in Kindle and print
Washington, D.C., area who received a scholarship from The Network of the Hospitality Industry. Her award was $2,000. Mary was an intern with OTJ Architects. Zack Conner ’13 is part owner of Conner Insurance in Indianapolis, Ind. Olivia League ’13 is a student at the University of South Carolina School of Law. Rebecca Lemos ’13 completed her master’s degree in Library and Information Science at the University of Rhode Island in December 2014. Brandon Craig ’14 is a chemistry teacher in Arizona. Rose M. Kohinke ’14 has been accepted to Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy. Victoria Smith ’14 is employed with J.P. Morgan in Washington, D.C.
marriages Sara Feagan ’00 and Thomas Merideth were married on Oct. 25, 2014, in Gatlinburg, Tenn. Sara’s daughter, Caitlin, was one of the bridesmaids, and her son, Colin, es-
corted her down the aisle. Gina Ebbett Kelly ’01 was among the attendees. Matt Ferguson ’00 was married Nov. 10, 2012, to Jennifer Levering at Brentwood United Methodist Church in Brentwood, Tenn. Matt is owner of Stirling Group, Inc., a residential construction and investment company. He also is director of Common Ground Music and Arts Festival. The Fergusons live in Charlotte, N.C. Elizabeth Lowden ’00 and Erik Trotter celebrated their wedding day on Oct. 4, 2014. They live in Griswold, Conn. Thomas S. Greenwood III ’06 was married in June 2014 to Emery Maine. Thomas and Emery reside in Wyndmoor, Pa. Lauren “LT” Thomas ’07 married Ryan Patterson on Oct. 17, 2013, in a private beach ceremony in Mexico. The groom’s brother, Gray Patterson ’11, was in attendance. The couple live in Charlotte, N.C. Alissa B. Hickman ’11 was married to Christopher D. Bledsoe on Nov. 22, 2014, at Trinity Episcopal Church in Fredericksburg, Va. Included in the bridal party were fellow classmates, Katie Kernan and Katie Kudrick. The Bledsoes live in Fredericksburg.
families Emily Schmidt Scott ’97 and her husband, Shannon, have a 1-year-old daughter, Ellie. Lindy Duvall Wakefield ’00 and her husband, Heath, were blessed with twins, Aciel Robert and Kylee Eileen, on Aug. 25, 2014. The family also includes 2-year old daughter, Calissa. Lindy is a local coordinator with CCI Greenheart and works with foreign exchange stu-
Proud family legacy
Future Maroons
From left to right,McMillan “Mac” Johnson IV ’70, retired vice president of student affairs and advisor to the president; McMillan “Houston” Johnson V ’04, assistant professor of history at Virginia Military Institute (married to Kachina Domenick Johnson ‘03) and McMillan Houston Johnson VI, born Sept. 5, 2014.
Jaime Jackson Giles ’03, left, and Tracie Flora Evans ’03, right, toured the campus in 2014 with future Maroons Lincoln Walker Evans and Cooper Jackson Giles. Lincoln is the son of Tracie and her husband, Brad, who live in Charleston, S.C. Cooper is the son of Jaime and her husband Jay, who live in Ranson, W.Va.
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alumninews
Aciel Robert and Kylee Eileen Wakefield
dents in Amarillo, Texas. McKenzie Cox ’01 and Ed Snavely are excited to announce the arrival of a son, Gabriel Dubais, who was born July 17, 2014. Kristen Kibler Moldenhauer ’03 and her husband, Max, of Mount Pleasant, S.C., are parents of a son, Owen. Proud grandmother is Michele Moldenhauer ’70. Stefanie Stevens Seslar ’03 and her husband, Lee, are first-time parents with the arrival of Henry William on June 25, 2014. The family resides in Milford, Conn. Stefanie is director of Alumni Relations at Albertus Magnus College. Kyle and Meredith Withers Allen ’08 ’08 are proud parents of Finnley Withers, who was born Aug. 4, 2014. Jeff and Maria Migliarese Levinson ’09 ’09 are thrilled to announce the birth of a future Maroon. Vinny James was born July 25, 2014. Rob and Lucy Crook Harbert ’11 ’11 are parents of a son, Luke Charles, who was born May 7, 2014. Proud uncle is Guy Harbert IV ’09. Rob, Lucy and Luke reside in Ithaca, N.Y., where Rob is working on a Ph.D. in plant biology from Cornell University.
in memoriam William B. Hatcher ’39 passed away Sept. 13, 2014, in Radford, Va., at age 100. He began his career as an educator at Moneta High School, and retired from the Radford School System in 1980. His career at Radford took him from teacher, assistant principal, administrative assistant, director of diversified occupations, assistant superintendent and acting superintendent. After retiring, he continued to volunteer in the administrative offices. Hatcher was dedicated to his community and was a former president of the Radford Rotary Club. He was the recipient of the Rotarian Paul Harris Fellowship Award and the Radford Chamber of Commerce Educator of the Year Award. He also was a scoutmaster.
Henry William Seslar
Doris Turner Haynes ’42 died July 27, 2014. She was a retired Roanoke County school teacher. Among her survivors is a daughter, Marti Haynes Ottaway ’68. William F. Crigler Sr. ’43, of Radford, Va., passed away Aug. 5, 2014. A lifelong Lutheran, he attended Hebron Lutheran Church in Madison County, Va., and later Christ Lutheran Church in Radford where he served on various committees. He and his wife owned and operated Crigler’s Shoe Store in Radford. Crigler was a member of the local Rotary Club for 40 years, and was a former president of the club. William W. Langford Sr. ’43, a U.S. Army veteran of World War II, died Dec. 21, 2014, in Pensacola, Fla. After his military service, he and his brother operated a flight school at Pensacola Airport. He was employed by Fluor Daniel as an instrument engineer for 16
Vinny James Levinson
years in Puerto Rico, then continued with Instrument Control Service as project manager. William S. Patterson ’43 died Nov. 26, 2014, in Birmingham, Ala. During World War II, he served as a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy in the Pacific Theater aboard the Independence Class aircraft carrier, U.S.S. Beleau Wood. He was aboard that ship to witness the Japanese surrender ceremony in Tokyo. After the war, he worked as a civil engineer for U.S. Steel Co., and later Ingalls Iron Works. He retired from Trinity Industries in Birmingham. Patterson was a member of Shades Valley Evangelical Lutheran Church. He was predeceased by two siblings, Jean Cary Patterson Givens ’47 and Bernard L. Patterson ’41. Dr. Robert W. Irvin Jr. ’44 joined his Savior on Jan. 9, 2015. He was a 30year veteran of the U.S. Army Medical Corps and served in Korea, Germany,
Luke Charles Harbert
Vietnam and Panama. His work included all areas of medicine, as well as hospital administration. Dr. Irvin was the recipient of several medals, including the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Army Commendation Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Korean Service Medal, UN Service Medal and Vietnam Service Medal. After his retirement from the Army, he established the OB-GYN residency program at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital and administered it for 20 years. He was active in Trinity Ecumenical Parish, Military Officers Association of America and the Lion’s Club. Dr. Bill E. Cline ’47, a dentist in Abingdon, Va., passed away Jan. 5, 2015. He was a member of the Abingdon Civitan Club for 65 years and a lifetime member of Abingdon United Methodist Church, where he served on many committees. For many years, Dr.
Roanoke Valley loses giant in medical community Dr. Warren L. Moorman Jr. ’40, former president of Lewis-Gale Clinic and chief of staff of Lewis-Gale Hospital, died in Salem, Va. on Oct. 8, 2014. Moorman was a graduate of Salem public schools, Roanoke College and the Medical College of Virginia. According to his obituary, he served an internship at Sibley Hospital in Washington, D.C., and a year of pathology residency and a general surgery residency at Doctor’s Hospital in D.C. From 1945-47, Moorman served as a captain in the Medical Corps of the U.S. Army in Japan. Board certified by the American Board of General Surgery and the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Moorman began his years of medical service in the Roanoke Valley as a staff surgeon at the Veterans Affairs Hospital in Salem. After training in plastic surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., he joined the staff of Lewis-Gale Hospital and Clinic in 1957. Moorman established the Department of Plastic Surgery at Lewis-Gale, then located in downtown Roanoke. Moorman was instrumental in the move of Lewis-Gale to Salem and the growth of the clinic. Ultimately, he became president of the Lewis-Gale Clinic and chief of staff of the hospital (now Lewis-Gale Medical Center). Moorman was deeply involved in the Roanoke Valley’s community life. A member of the boards of Virginia Western Community College and the former McVitty Retirement Community (now Richfield), he was one of the original Save Old Salem committee members, which evolved into the Salem Historical Society and Museum. In 2005, the Roanoke Valley Preservation Foundation honored him with a Lifetime Achievement award as a medical historian and preservationist. Moorman’s numerous awards include Roanoke College’s Charles Brown Award, which recognizes outstanding citizens of Salem who have contributed to the quality of life in their community. Moorman, who was preceded in death by wife Elizabeth “Betty” Churchill Peters ’44, is survived by their five children and six grandchildren.
36 ROANOKE COLLEGE MAGAZINE | ISSUE ONE 2015
IN MEMORIAM
“Colonel Joe” was a hero and a gentleman ol. Joseph G. Johnson ’41 (USAF, Ret.), of Botetourt County, died Jan. 2, 2015. News of his passing was shared with the College community with kindness and compassion, including words from Tom Turner ’83, former Roanoke College campus safety director, who wrote in an email that Johnson “really loved RC and told me that was where he learned to fly just prior to WWII. He was a true hero, unbelievable gentleman, and one of the RC alums who became aviators in WWII. He flew B-26 bombers out of England and flew missions on D-Day.” Johnson became a pilot in the late 1930s, and flew Martin B-26 Marauder aircraft for the 9th United States Army Air Corps (558th Bomb Squadron) in Europe during World War II, participating in the D-Day Invasion. He completed 65 missions and joined the 387th Bomber Group as a training officer in France, where he was injured in 1944 in a bomb blast. After six months’ recovery, he returned to the United States and married Dreama Waid, of Fincastle. In 1948, Johnson joined the newly established U.S. Air Force and served until
Cline was active with Faith in Action ministries. He and his wife loved to travel and toured the United States in their RV. William W. Cobbs II ’48, World War II veteran of Marion, Va., died Oct. 23, 2014. A man of diversified talents, he wrote a newspaper column in the Smyth County News and Messenger for several years, published numerous books, served as president of a Chicago publishing company, made French language films for children and co-founded a high school in St. Petersburg, Fla. He was predeceased by his brother, Dr. Carrington Stone Cobbs ’52. His survivors include a nephew and niece, Dr. Carrington Stone Cobbs Jr. ’72 and Mary Cobbs Henick ’74. Judge J. English Ford ’48, who presided over the juvenile and domestic relations court in the Martinsville, Va., area from 1968 to 1983, died Dec. 24, 2014. After graduating from Roanoke, Ford earned a J.D. from Wash-
DOUG HARRIS, FINCASTLE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
C
Col. Joseph Johnson “really loved RC.”
1972 when he retired to Fincastle. He started a second career as a realtor/appraiser at Wingate Realty, served on the Bank of Fincastle Board of Directors, organized Red Cross blood drives, and volunteered for the Veterans Affairs Medical Center and League
ington and Lee University School of Law. He served in the United States Marine Corps during World War II and was a member of the Sons of the American Revolution. Ford oversaw the 21st Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court in Martinsville from its inception in 1968 to until his retirement in 1983. Under his leadership, the court instituted several programs as alternatives to jail. Those programs included the Anchor Home, a program for first-time offenders, and a Summer Work Force for troubled youth. Surviving family members include brother James H. Ford ’56 (Sandra ’56) and granddaughter Jamie L. Burkhead ’08 (Matthew ’07). William R. Newitt ’48 passed away in Berryville, Va., on Sept. 3, 2014. Dr. Hubert A. Marshall ’49 died Jan. 15, 2015, in Charlottesville, Va. During World War II, he was a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army Air Corps and served with the 8th Air Force in England and France. He received his
of Older Americans. He was a member of Fincastle United Methodist Church and Catawba Masonic Lodge #342 A.F&A.M. In 2010, Johnson was honored as the Boy Scouts of America Blue Ridge Mountains Council Botetourt County Citizen of the Year. In 2012, he received the French Legion of Honor for his WWII service, particularly his service during the D-Day Invasion. Johnson’s obituary captured the character of the man known as “Colonel Joe.” It closed with the following: Joe enjoyed fishing, camping, growing bushels of vegetables, reading, plowing snow, music from the Big Band Era, telling/writing his memoirs, teasing others unmercifully, and match-making. He moved to The Glebe Retirement Community in 2008. Known as “The Mayor,” he enjoyed wonderful friendships with residents and staff… Joe’s family knows that he might say about this final earthly chapter: “Well, the old clock keeps on tickin’ — time to fly off to The Great Beyond!”
medical degree from the University of Virginia School of Medicine. He interned at Ohio State University Medical Center and completed his residency in ophthalmology at the University of Virginia. Dr. Marshall practiced ophthalmology for 50 years. Earl K. McCall Sr. ’49 passed away Jan. 5, 2015, in Abingdon, Va. He served in the Army Air Corps on the 20th Air Force, 8th bomber group in Guam during the battles for Iwo Jima, Okinawa and the Battle of Japan. He was a summa cum laude graduate from Roanoke with a major in chemistry and minor in German. McCall was employed with American Viscose until its closing, then graduated magna cum laude from Lord Fairfax Community College at age 62. He continued working with IBM as a chemist. His last two jobs were running the chemistry lab at a rock quarry in Stephens City, Va., and serving as a caregiver. He was an avid horseman, reader, swimmer, camper and auto me-
chanic. McCall also enjoyed gardening, playing bridge and Bible study. He is survived by his 91-year- old brother, Herbert McCall Jr. ’50. William J. Watson Jr. ’49 died in Roanoke, Va., on Dec. 2, 2014. He was a World War II veteran serving with the 372nd Bomb Squad of the 307th Bombardment Group. Watson was a retiree of Norfolk & Western Railway and longtime member of North Roanoke Baptist Church. Among his survivors is a son, Gary W. Watson ’90. Dr. Willis “Ned” Anderson ’50 departed this life Jan. 7, 2015, in Roanoke, Va. After attending the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, he served in Europe during World War II. He obtained his Doctor of Medicine degree from the Medical College of Virginia and received an advanced degree from Tulane University. Before entering the private sector as director of clinical research for several pharmaceutical companies, Dr. Anderson spent many years in gov-
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alumninews ernment service. He was a Navy flight surgeon with the FAA and FDA, and the regional medical programs coordinator with George Washington University. After his retirement, he pursued his passions of world travel and community theater. Among his predecessors were his father, Robert “Homer” Anderson, class of 1910, and brother, Robert H. Anderson Jr. ’42. The Rev. George W. Bowman III ’50 died Aug. 5, 2014, in Winston-Salem, N.C. He earned a Bachelor of Divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary and Master of Theology degree from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Before joining Wake Forest University Medical Center as chaplain and pastoral counselor, he served several churches in Virginia. Bowman was founder and first president of Hospice of Winston-Salem/Forsyth County. A dedicated community volunteer, he also was a board member of several professional associations. At Knollwood Baptist Church, he was a deacon and also was a founding member of the church’s coffeehouse youth ministry. In addition, he was a published author. His sister, Virginia Bowman Barr ’50, and her husband, Cameron Barr Jr. ’55, survive him. Francis J. Murphy ’50 died Oct. 27, 2014, in Roanoke, Va. A World War II veteran, he served in the Army Air Corps as tail gunner on the B-29. Murphy was employed with Norfolk & Western Railway for 44 years. During this time, he organized special steam train excursions, supervised development of the Bicentennial Train, and the movement of Ringling Brothers trains and parading of the circus animals to the Roanoke Civic Center. He was an active member of St. Andrews Catholic Church and involved in numerous or-
ganizations. Murphy was an original member of the League of Roanoke Artists and received many awards for his paintings. Capt. Frank L. Smith ’51 died Nov. 26, 2014 at age 90. Among his survivors is his daughter, Linda E. Smith ’76. The Rev. Dr. James Stephenson ’52, who served 59 years in the Lutheran clergy ministry, died Jan. 31, 2015 in Hickory, N.C. Stephenson was a graduate of Jefferson High School in Roanoke, Va., Roanoke College and the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in Columbia, S.C. He received an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Lenoir-Rhyne College in 1984. He was active in starting the Hickory Soup Kitchen and Family Care Center, and served on their boards. He also served as a member of the Lenoir-Rhyne College Board of Trustees, the Board of Lutheran Services for the Aging in North Carolina and the LSA Foundation. He was a member of the N.C. Synod’s Stewardship and Evangelism committees. In the Hickory community, Stephenson served as a member/president of the Hickory Rotary Club, chaplain for Catawba County Sheriff’s Department, member of the boards of Ten Broeck Hospital, Hickory Community Theatre and the Adult Life Program. Dr. Ronald W. Dillon ’53, retired ophthalmologist of Roanoke, passed away Nov. 21, 2014. He practiced for many years at Salem Eye Center. He received his medical degree from the Medical College of Virginia and served his internship at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, Ga. and his residency at McGuire Veterans Hospital in Richmond, Va. Dillon was a diplomat in the American Board of Ophthalmology. Charles C. Hancock ’56, of Salem, died Dec. 31, 2014. He was a veteran of
the U.S. Air Force during the Korean Conflict and served his country in Korea and Japan for four years. In civilian life, he was employed with General Electric for more than three decades. Hancock was a longtime member of Salem Baptist Church, where he served as deacon, choir member and Sunday School teacher to preschool children for over 20 years. Among his survivors are his two daughters, Carol Hancock Whalen ’91 and Helen L. Hancock ’01. Edward Barger ’57 completed his life journey Jan. 19, 2015. He started his career with Associated Transport, where he worked for several years until its closing. Already a member of the Virginia National Guard, he became a full-time technician, where he remained until mandatory retirement age. After retirement, he joined the Masonic and Shriner organizations, where he found a place for his compassion as he transported children to various Shriner hospitals. Katherine Naeff Fox ’57, of Hanover, N.H., died Oct. 24, 2014. She worked as a research lab tech for Geigy Pharmaceutical Co. (later Ciba) and then General Foods. After her marriage, she volunteered with Guiding Eyes for the Blind and Planned Parenthood of Westchester County, N.Y. In later years when she and her husband lived in New Hampshire, she volunteered with the Howe Library, in the Mammography Department at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and also taught English as a second language. Fox enjoyed duplicate bridge, reading, swimming and walking. Ronald D. Clatterbuck ’58 passed away Oct. 22, 2014, in Roanoke, Va. Thomas L. Boehling ’59, a U.S. Navy veteran, died July 24, 2014, in Roanoke, Va. Before serving as health
planning associate with the Southwest Virginia Health Systems Agency, he was a consultant with the State Department of Human Resources in Frankfort, Ky. He later was a quality assurance specialist at Radford Army Ammunition Plant in Radford, Va. Boehling was a member of several fraternal organizations and was a ham radio operator. Carol J. Foutz ’59 passed away Aug. 28, 2014, in Roanoke. A graduate of Roanoke Memorial Hospital School of Medical Technology, she was employed with Dr. James Gale’s private medical laboratory and Lewis-Gale Hospital. Foutz was a longtime member of Calvary Baptist Church, where she was a soloist in the Sanctuary Choir and also played the trumpet. Ginny Lamie Slagle ’59 died Aug. 28, 2014, in Chilhowie, Va., at age 93. She was a graduate of Lewis-Gale School of Nursing and a retiree of Roanoke Memorial Hospital. She was a member of Cave Spring United Methodist Church. Waldemar E. Heinzelmann ’60 passed away in Shawsville, Va., on Nov. 4, 2014. He held a master’s degree from Virginia Tech and was employed as an operations research analyst with the Department of the Army for over 30 years before retiring. He served an additional five years as an independent contractor. Heinzelmann was a member of St. Philip Lutheran Church and a life member of the U.S. Table Tennis Association. Mary Hylton Howell ’60, of Mathews and Smith Mountain Lake, Va., died July 25, 2014. She was 90 years old. A non-traditional student at Roanoke, she graduated summa cum laude in three years, at age 36. She taught English and Spanish at Stewartsville High School and senior English
“Bast Boys” author dies at age 73 Larry W. Arrington ’63, athlete, educator and author, died in Plant City, Fla. on Dec. 29, 2014. At Roanoke, Arrington excelled in track and field, coached by legendary coach and teacher Homer Bast. Arrington went on to earn a Master of Education degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and would later receive a doctorate in education from Nova University. Arrington began his career in the mid-1960s at Roanoke College, where he held the positions of assistant director of admissions, dean of men, assistant professor of physical education, head coach of cross country and track, and assistant director of admissions. During his career, Arrington taught mathematics and computer science for Roanoke City Schools and was an assistant high school principal, and supervisor of mathematics and science for Montgomery County (Va.) Public Schools. Arrington was also the supervisor of technology and the director of a Governor’s School in Pulaski (Va.) County Schools. In 2001, Larry retired from the position of assistant superintendent of Bristol, Va. public schools and moved to Plant City, Fla. During retirement, Arrington continued to pursue his passions for photography and writing. He wrote and published three books about track and field at Roanoke College, including, “The Bast Boys,” “The Dawn of a Sport” and “A Decade of Surprises.” More recently, he had begun working on a book about photographing the Blue Ridge Parkway.
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alumninews IN MEMORIAM
Ayres remembered as a government leader
Douglas Ayres gives an acknowledging wave after receiving an honorary Doctor of Laws at the 2010 Roanoke College commencement ceremony. At left is former Board of Trustees Chair Robert Wortmann ’60. President Michael Maxey and Dr. Richard Smith, vice president and dean of the College, are at the right.
D
ouglas W. Ayres ’53, of Sedona, Ariz., died Jan. 24 in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Ayres was a former town clerk for Salem, Va., and served as city manager in Melbourne, Fla.; Salem, Ore.; and Inglewood, Calif. Ayres also worked with the Public Administration Service, an international governmental consulting organization. In this position, he was the only person to assist in drawing up the constitutions for
and special education at Staunton River High School. Howell enjoyed various activities including cooking, entertaining, music and travel. Glenwood L. Gish ’61 died Sept. 12, 2014. The U.S. Army veteran was a resident of Smith Mountain Lake, Va. Gish was head of the Trust Department of Farmers National Bank of Maryland in Annapolis. He had many hobbies and interests, including golf, book collecting, birding and bluegrass music. He is survived by his wife, Louise Lucado Gish ’54. Vincent F. Nicolosi ’61 died July 11,
both Alaska and Hawaii upon their transitions into statehood. He advised on and wrote major portions of nine city charters, including Oak Ridge, Tenn.; Richland, Wash.; and several cities in Venezuela. A native of White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., Ayres was a private in the U.S. Army and later served in the Air Force, where he rose to the rank of major. He attended Roanoke College for two years and completed the
2014, in Manhasset, N.Y. He was a distinguished member of the New York State Assembly from 1973-1980 and was a commissioner of the New York State Commission of Investigation from 1998-2009. Richard E. Marshall ’62 passed away Christmas Day, 2014, in Christiansburg, Va. Alexander J. Moskov ’62 died Dec. 29, 2014, in Manasquan, N.J. During his college career at Roanoke, he was an athlete and member of Phi Kappa Phi. Moskov owned and operated a screen printing business for 30 years. He was
Bachelor of Arts in political science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. He received a Master of Public Administration from Syracuse University. Ayres was a professor of public administration at California State University, Long Beach and at the University of Southern California. Ayres also authored several books, including “Right in the City: A Dog’s Tale, Volumes I and II,” “The Local Government Joke Box,” and “Undaunted Curiosity: Boating America’s Coasts and Waterways, Volumes I and II.” Over the course of his career, Ayres was recognized by his peers for his outstanding contributions. In 1975, he received the Marshall E. Dimock Award from The American Society of Public Administrators for one of his published articles. In 1963, he was named Most Outstanding Finance Man in America by the Municipal Finance Officers Association, and in 1965, was named Most Outstanding Young Man in Oregon. A past member of the Roanoke College President’s Advisory Board, Ayres was a member of the Society of 1842 and was a Lifetime Distinguished Associate. In 2008, Ayres established The Dr. M. Paul Capp Scholarship in honor of his classmate, Kappa Alpha fraternity brother, and friend. In 2010, Roanoke College awarded Ayres an honorary Doctor of Laws degree. Surviving family members include wife Pamela Swift Ayres.
an ESL teacher in Bradenton, Fla. and a substitute teacher in Manasquan High School. Described as a man with a happy disposition, he spent his leisure time boating, fishing, playing guitar and spending time with his grandchildren. Susan Bricks Saitz ’62, of Boynton Beach, Fla., died April 26, 2014. Charles S. Temkin ’63 passed away Sept. 21, 2014, in Danville, Calif. He began a sales career with Hallmark Cards, Inc., and eventually became vice president of sales, Midwest Division. He left the company and embarked in his own
business to become a private label sales broker for various stores. Temkin retired in 2006 and enjoyed traveling. He is survived by his wife, Dianne Boesewetter Temkin ’65. John H. Holyfield ’69 died Dec. 10, 2014, in Vinton. Arlen G. “Jerry” Christley ’70 passed away Jan. 17, 2015, in Roanoke County. He was a longtime faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served two years in the Northern California Mission. After over three decades of service at Norfolk Southern Railway, Christley retired as a
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alumninews supervisor of the mechanical department. David L. Graham ’71, a resident of Culpeper, Va., died Dec. 5, 2014. After graduating from Roanoke, he served in the Army Reserve and worked for the Culpeper County Highway Department. He began his career as an appraiser with Fairfax County and later co-founded Graham Appraisal Services with his wife. Graham was a charter member of Reformation Lutheran Church in Culpeper and served in many capacities. His interests were American military history, genealogy, stamp collecting and antiquing. Jean Wood Eavey ’72, of Smith Mountain Lake, Va., died Dec. 17, 2014.
She was a renowned ballroom dancer and was an extra in the film, “Dirty Dancing.” Eavey was a medical technologist at Roanoke Memorial Hospital for many years. Friends remember her quick wit, friendly personality and philanthropy. Anne Blane Grubbs ’73, of Bowling Green, Ky., passed away Aug. 8, 2014. She held a master’s degree in education from Western Kentucky University and was retired from Bowling Green/ Warren County Community Education after serving 17 years as the enrichment and volunteer coordinator. She previously taught for 20 years in elementary schools in Kentucky and Virginia. Grubbs was recognized in many areas.
She was named Bowling Green Human Rights Commission Woman of the Year in 2003, and was recipient of the Jefferson Award for Public Service in 2010 and Athena Leadership Award in 2010. A member of the State Street United Methodist Church, Grubbs was a former trustee of the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce as well as the Kiwanis. She also was a member of the Bowling Green Women’s Club, the Houchens Center Board and was an ALIVE Center founding member. Paul D. McIntyre ’73, of Chapel Hill, N.C., passed away Dec. 17, 2014. He was a graduate of Roanoke and Virginia Tech, and pursued a career in information technology with the University of
North Carolina. Among his interests were his dogs, gardening, cooking, woodworking and spending time with his friends. He is survived by his wife, Karen Eaton McIntyre ’74. James H. Fifield ’74 died Sept. 5, 2014, in New Haven, Conn. At Roanoke, he was captain of the men’s varsity soccer team. As a professional, he worked in finance and with the Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C. He also reported local sports and coached Little League. Fifield enjoyed music and camping. Friends miss his humor, wit and attention to detail. David A. Griffin ’75 died Feb. 3, 2015, in Raleigh, N.C. He worked as an environmental planner and managed
IN MEMORIAM
RC FACULTY & STAFF
Professor remembered for his love of literature
Longtime professor Bob Walter taught a variety of English courses at Roanoke.
obert “Bob” Walter left an indelible mark at Roanoke College. The former English professor was the 26year editor of the Roanoke Review, a literary journal produced at the College that publishes poetry and short fiction stories from writers across the country. Walter, 75, died on June 9, 2014 at his home in Boones Mill, Va. A memorial service was held June 14 in the College’s Antrim Chapel. Walter came to Roanoke in 1967 as an English instructor and in 1980, was promoted to associate professor. Walter taught
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a variety of English courses at the College, including American literature, the English language and Western and Native American literature. Walter was one of the first Roanoke professors to require his students to write papers using computers. He also was known for finding unique ways to illustrate literature. Dr. Anita Turpin, a professor of English at Roanoke, recalled a spring day when Walter showed his students and several colleagues how to cast a fly fishing rod on the College’s lawn. He was connecting the technique of fly fishing, one of his favorite pastimes, to study of the book, “A River Runs through It,” by Norman Maclean. “None of us could match his effortless grace with the fly rod,” Turpin said. “That same grace characterized all aspects of Bob’s life. He was a good man and a good teacher. He will be missed by three decades of students who were devoted to him.” Walter, who held a bachelor’s degree in English from American University and a master’s degree in English from Indiana University, was a poet and fiction writer himself. Some of his work was published in national journals and other publications. He retired from Roanoke in 1999. Walter is survived by his wife, Carolyn Walter ’97, two children, two stepchildren and nine grandchildren.
A man of character Editor’s note: Dr. Robert Hudson, professor emeritus of physics at Roanoke College, died Feb. 16, 2015. Two days after his passing, Dr. Roland Minton, CappWhitehead Professor of Mathematics, remembered Hudson in a blogpost. Below is a portion of what Minton titled “A Man of Character.”
ob Hudson, a physics instructor from 1962 to 1996 at Roanoke College, passed away this week. The word “character” describes Bob as well as one word can ever capture a person. I’m using the word in both the “lovable eccentric” sense as well as the “moral integrity” sense. I think Bob would appreciate the word play. Bob reveled in trivia and details, spinning tales about Fahrenheit’s invention of his temperature scale, contradictions in tax codes
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Dr. Bob Hudson giving rides in his restored Model T in the mid-1990s.
alumninews the Environmental and Planning Department in Morrisville, N.C., for URS Corp. He had just been appointed to serve as the Transportation Planning Leader for Simulations, Surface and Traffic under the National Transportation Business Line of AECOM. Griffin, a member of Sigma Chi Fraternity, founded Dock and Deck Stuff, an organization through which he used construction scraps to build dock and deck furniture to sell, with all proceeds going to charity. Surviving family include his wife Mary Clark Griffin ’79. James K. Lucas ’75 died Nov. 16, 2014, in Roanoke. A magna cum laude graduate of Roanoke, he was a U.S. Coast Guardsman, a partner in JBJ, Inc.,
and a real estate agent. He enjoyed coaching Little League for the Marion Recreation Department and contributing letters and commentary to The Roanoke Times. Steven B. Borders ’76 passed away April 4, 2014, in Hilton Head Island, S.C. He worked in the hotel business for many years, but his true interest was cars. Tony C. Keith ’78 died Dec. 11, 2014, in Vinton. He was retired from Norfolk Southern and was a longtime member of Barnhardt Baptist Church. His pastimes were gardening, hunting and fishing. Leroy Bryant Sr. ’80 passed away Aug. 23, 2014, in Richmond, Va.
and typographical bloopers of all sorts. He once wrote a review of a physics book that was longer than the book. He even gave his review a title, punning on a President Bush campaign slogan with “One Thousand Points of Slight.” He once found a mistake in the IRS algorithms for computing taxes. Think about that. He went through the City of Salem tax code and discovered that the city had been overtaxing a duplex he owned. The city agreed, said they would refund money based on the five years of data they had on the computer, and would refund other years if he happened to have records. Five minutes after Bob left Salem City Hall, he was backing up a truck filled with 30 years of tax receipts! Bob could be taxing. But he had a heart of gold and was a man of the utmost integrity. He set up shop at the Salem Public Library and elsewhere to give help to the elderly and others who needed assistance with taxes. He was truly delighted to help guide others through the maze of details. He had restored a 1924 Model T truck and gave rides at the Roanoke Museum of Transportation. By the way, Bob drafted the Virginia law that regulates the sale of antique car rides. Bob was a devoted family man, a man with an insatiable curiosity about life and a man always on the lookout for a chance to laugh at the absurdities of life. A man of character, and a true character who will be missed. — DR. ROLAND B. MINTON
Jeffrey L. Richardson ’85 died Nov. 7, 2014, in Roanoke. Richard E. Pingry Jr. ’98 died March 6, 2014, in Rexburg, Idaho. He worked for several different companies including Northrop Grumman, TAU Technologies, PolicyTech and Navex Global. He also was an adjunct professor at Brigham Young University, Idaho, and was pursuing a master’s degree from Brigham Young University, Provo, at the time of his death. An entrepreneur by nature, he designed a game app for the Android market. He loved the theater and was involved in many school productions as well as community theater. He was a faithful member of his church and served as scoutmaster.
Tonya Conner Lagan ’08 passed away Sept. 19, 2014, in Roanoke, Va. Courtney D. King ’09 died in Charlotte, N.C., on Sept. 23, 2014. At Roanoke, she was a member of Alpha Sigma Alpha. She held a master’s degree from Liberty University and worked as an assistant property manager with Sterling Steele Creek Apartments. Kristen A. Fry ’13, of Claudville, Va., was killed in an auto accident Aug. 13, 2014. She was a member of the Body of Christ Church of Pilot Mountain and was employed by the Results Telephone Call Center and also by Primland. Friends remember her special smile. RC
College remembers library director tan F. Umberger, director of Roanoke College’s Fintel Library since 1985, passed away on Nov. 22, 2014. Umberger was remembered by friends, library co-workers and colleagues at a Roanoke College memorial service on Jan. 13, 2015. Umberger, who joined the library staff in 1982, was named director of the library in 1985. He was involved in expansions and renovations of the library, most recently overseeing the main floor’s renovation into a modern and dynamic space for students and faculty to learn, meet and work together. “He was remarkably quiet and quietly remarkable at once,” President Michael Maxey said. “He always had a passion underneath his calm countenance and behind his measured voice. He served us well as librarian. He helped us gently and persistently through the transition into a digital age of information, a shift as dramatic as the invention of moveable type and the printing press for libraries.” Umberger was named the “Outstanding Staff Member” by the Office of Multicultural Affairs in 2004. Umberger received a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from the University of Kentucky in 1977, a Master of Arts in religion from the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary in 1979 and a master’s degree in library science from the University
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Stan F. Umberger
of South Carolina in 1980. He worked as head of collection development at Wayne State College in Wayne, Neb. Umberger came to Roanoke College as the reference librarian and also served as the library’s assistant director before being named its director. He was a faithful member of Christ Lutheran Church in Roanoke. Among his survivors are his wife of 37 years, Sheila S. Umberger, and daughter and son-in-law, Malina and Andrew Busch.
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maroonmusings We the People
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Right now, we’re seeing these battles of the ideological core of both parties trying to demand that they stay true to that ideological core. It’s depressing. For people who watch Washington, for people who work in Washington, you just keep thinking ‘Something’s got to change.’ As dismaying as it is to contemplate all of this, I still remain optimistic…I think at some point we’re going to come out of this cycle. I do really think that things are going to get better.
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— Kirsten Powers, columnist for USA Today and Fox News commentator: “The Meaning of the 2014 Elections,” Nov. 19, 2014
There has always been tension between Congress and the President, but today, “the tension in the relationship is on steroids.
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— Former U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison: “The President and Congress: Can They Work Together?” Feb. 4, 2015
A stack of Dr. Gordon Woods’ book, “The Idea of America: Reflections on the Birth of the United States.”
The Henry H. Fowler Public Lecture Series adopted “We the People” as its 2014-15 theme to commemorate the 225th anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution. That theme transcended presentations by Fowler series’ featured speakers, and carried over into presentations sponsored by the Benne Center for Religion & Society, the Center for Teaching the Rule of Law and the Turk Pre-Law Program. What follows are several “sound bites.”
James Madison, the father of the Constitution, summed up what’s wrong with America and what needs to be remedied, in an unpublished essay [written in 1787] that he called ‘The Vices of the Political System of the United States.’ He talked about the multiplicity, the changeability and the injustice of state laws. He said more laws were passed by these state legislatures since independence than in the entire colonial period put together. You had new people coming in with a new sense of being in control and they’d pass laws on behalf of their various interests. You had a new assembly every year creating this chaos of multiple laws. It got to the point where judges did not know what the law was because each legislature wanted its own laws. This is what Madison was lamenting, this democracy running wild.
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— Dr. Gordon Wood, Alva O. Way University Professor Emeritus at Brown University, Constitution Day Speaker 2014: “Advice to the Egyptians from the Founding Fathers,” Sept. 16, 2014
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These questions of race and related structural problems are some of the most important in our country. I teach criminal law in St. Louis and I can assure you that most of the reports you read out of Ferguson [Missouri] and the surrounding municipalities are not exaggerated. I’ve been to a courtroom of misdemeanor offenses that was housed in a strip mall. I watched 100 defendants, almost all of them without lawyers, sit in rows of metal chairs for hours waiting for a two-minute exchange with a judge where they would either agree to pay a fine or come back for another day of waiting. Almost every one of the defendants was black. This is not the system of justice that I learned in law school.
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— John Inazu, associate professor of law and political science at Washington College in St. Louis, Mo.: “The Meaning of the 2014 Elections,” Nov. 19, 2014
Madelyn Albright, after she left office as secretary of state, wrote in her book that most diplomats and policy-makers of her generation were taught to ignore the role of religion in shaping international affairs… Unfortunately in recent decades, this problem, as identified by Albright, has been and continues to be endemic in our foreign policy establishment. Since the 1960s, American diplomacy has been afflicted by what I call the religion avoidance syndrome. At some level, most of us can sympathize with that sentiment. Maybe your mother told you not to talk about religion at the dinner table. The problem is that however useful this advice might be to modern American families, it does not work for American diplomacy in the religion-saturated world of the 21st century.
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— Dr. Thomas Farr, visiting associate professor of religion and international affairs at Georgetown University: “The Missing Key to More Effective U.S. Diplomacy: Religious Liberty,” Feb. 9, 2015 RC
collegearchives BY L IN DA A NG LE M I L L E R , CO L L EG E A R CH I V I ST
On this date in RC history...
Before the admission of women to Roanoke College, the yearbook included photos of local women in a featured titled “Beauty.” From the 1929 “Rawenoch” yearbook: Helen Ward, left, and Annie Rhodes, right.
Since 2009, the Archives has treated campus daily E-Mail readers to a feature we call, “On This Date in RC History.” Occurring in October — Archives Month — it replicates highlights from our past found in the Brackety-Ack, and Board of Trustees, faculty or staff minutes. Here, for your edification and enjoyment, are a few of those gems. — Linda Angle Miller
OCT. 30, 1928 From a Brackety-Ack editorial discussing the benefits of co-education we read these profound words: “The prerogatives of the men at Roanoke College would not be violated in any way. Smoking in the buildings would continue as usual and our other traditions would not be molested. The girls might “bum” our chewing gum and cigarettes — but — think of the colorful crowds at the football games, the dates, the dances! Imagine yourself striding down College Avenue between two specimens of pulchritudinous femininity or sitting in Chapel listening to a debate between the Demosthenean and the “Sappho” Literary Societies, or perhaps enjoying a co-ed tennis match. It’s a great life if you don’t weaken!” OCT. 8, 1936 From the BracketyAck, under the headline ‘Barbarian Peroxide Club Is Formed with Nubby Schreiner Head:” “Gentlemen have been said to prefer blondes but do ladies? The answer to this baffling query is the aim of the newly-formed Barbarian Peroxide Club. The eight charter members of the organization have all taken their initial treatment of the bleaching lotion and golden locks are appearing on each with the lone exception of Bill Mongiello, raven-haired star of the gridiron. There seems to be no hope for him. President Nubby Schreiner has decreed that the second application of peroxide be administered this week, so you lovers of flaxen locks be on the lookout.” Note: Lewis “Nubby” Schreiner ’37 was an RC Hall of Fame athlete. OCT. 3, 1941 From the BracketyAck, under the headline “Infants Enroll For The 1941 Session:” “Professor J. F Prufer announced today that in checking the matriculation cards he discovered an important fact relating to the age of the students of the freshman class. There are twelve students who have listed the year of
their birth as ‘1941.’ According to this report this is by far the youngest freshman class in the history of the institution.” OCT. 12, 1965 From the staff report of Elisabeth Smith, Dean of Women: “Women’s Student Government would like to extend the time for wearing shorts and slacks on campus from 5:00 p.m. to dorm closing time. This summer we allowed the girls to wear Bermudas on campus from noon until dorm closing time. Under the new regulation, they could not wear the shorts in any buildings except the dormitories, the gym and Bittle Hall [Library]. This seems to me a reasonable request. The main objection seemed to be the appearance of the girls, particularly when visitors were on campus. However, we have very few visitors after 5:00 p.m., and since they can now wear them from noon until 5:00, I see no logical reason why they could not wear them after 5:00. They’re still not supposed to wear them in Downtown Salem.” OCT. 25, 1965 Report from Don Sutton, Dean of Students: “The . . . ball was held Friday night at Dixie Caverns. As far as I know, all went well. I am sure it was a noisy, wet party, but there were no automobile accidents.” OCT. 24, 1969 A piece of advice from the Brackety-Ack: “A Republican close to the Brackety-Ack has asked us to announce that only cardboard posters without sticks will be permitted at next week’s [Salem] Civic Center speech by President Nixon. We pass it along as useful information, hoping that those demonstrators who have planned to riot with poster sticks will find rolled posters equally suitable for their purposes. Rolled posters hurt no one and make a lot of noise in a disturbance…” RC
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roanotes Think you know a lot about Roanoke College? Chances are you do. But here is a fact that even those most thoroughly versed in all things Maroon probably never knew.
7.59 tons
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Amount of electronic waste recycled at Roanoke College’s e-waste recycling event, held Oct. 13, 2014. Of note: In April, Roanoke College was deemed one of The Princeton Review’s 353 most environmentally responsible U.S. colleges. Roanoke is featured in the 2015 edition of “The Princeton Review Guide to 353 Green Colleges.”
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