The Murray State News April 3, 2015
TheNews.org
Rose receives faculty honor
Vol. 89, No. 26
Alumna awarded for local teaching
60 years of history Desegregation of Murray State reaches its 60th anniversary after Mary Ford Holland’s enrollment in 1955.
Zachary Orr || Staff writer
Mary Bradley
zorr@murraystate.edu
Editor-in-Chief
mbradley9@murraystate.edu
President Bob Davies and political science department faculty paid a visit to Room 509 in Faculty Hall Tuesday morning to present Winfield Rose, professor in the College of Humanities and Fine Arts, the 2015 Distinguished Professor award. The award, despite its relatively small size, Rose carries with it honor and recognition of a faculty member’s teaching excellence, classroom performance, concern for students, professional activity and service to the University and community. The award, established in 1964, is given out every year by surprising the recipient with a classroom visit. The award is shaped, and Davies said was appropriately nicknamed, “the Golden Apple.” David Moss, president of the University’s Alumni Association, presented the award to Rose, who said receiving the award was the first time in his life that he has ever been speechless. Rose said he has fun as a professor and has enjoyed the past 36 years he has taught at Murray State. “This is my life,” Rose said of his career. “I have fun every day. I look forward to every class and it flies by and then I look at my watch and say, ‘Oh my goodness it’s 12:15, I have to quit.’” Davies, who was thanked by Rose for his leadership at Murray State, said Rose did much more important work than Davies did: teaching students. In addition to the award, Rose will be given a $1,000 cash reward, he will lead the faculty processional at the spring commencement exercises and will have his name added to the Distinguished Professor plaque in Faculty Hall. A student also will be selected to receive a $1,000 scholarship in Rose’s honor. Rose will be recognized for the Distinguished Professor award at the Faculty Banquet April 16, along with others who have received awards for this year.
Photo Courtesy of the Paducah Sun
Mary Ford Holland taught until 1971 and died in 1999 at the age of 92. Mari-Alice Jasper
Assistant News Editor mjasper1@murraystate.edu
In the spring of 1955 hundreds of people chanting and yelling racial slurs stormed the gates of other universities across the South in protest of the Supreme Court’s order to the lower federal courts to require desegregation as quickly as possible. The order came as a result of Brown v. Board of Education, in which the Supreme Court determined that having separate schools for people of different races was inherently
unconstitutional. In response to the Supreme Court ruling, Murray State acted immediately, admitting the first black student, Mary Ford Holland, for the summer semester of 1955. This year marks the 60th anniversary celebrating Holland’s enrollment. Holland, who died in 1999 at the age of 92, enrolled at the University when she was a 48-year-old teacher who strongly wanted a college degree. Although local police and the president of the University
escorted her on her first day of class, her presence on campus caused little to no stir among students enrolled at Murray State at the time. The Murray State News tried to contact Elnora Ford, Holland’s niece, but she was unable to reply. In an interview with the Paducah Sun in 2005, she said her aunt told her she was only the victim of a racial slur once while she was on campus, and she didn’t feel like she had been a victim of discrimination. Holland’s mother had instilled
see HOLLAND, 2A
Jenny Rohl/The News
Teachers play a unique role in the lives of their students and their communities. Some are loved, some are hated, and some make an impact so great that the rest of the community can’t help but to recognize it. Such is the case for Holly Bloodworth, a Murray Elementary School teacher to whom the Murray State Alumni Association awarded the 2015 Distinguished Alumni award. Bloodworth is no stranger to awards. In 2014, the Kentucky Department of Education awarded her the Kentucky Teacher of the Year award, recognizing Bloodworth for the years of dedication she gave to her students at Murray Elementary School, giving her the opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C. to meet the nation’s leaders, including President Barack Obama. This dedication, alongside her commitment to her community through volunteering at Playhouse at the Park and her alma mater, Murray State, is why the Alumni Association chose Bloodworth for the award, said Mark Welch, director of Community Relations for the Alumni Association. “She certainly fits the bill,” Welch said. “We’re very excited to recognize her accomplishments.” A South Fulton, Tenn., native, Bloodworth graduated from Murray State in 1985 with a bachelor’s of science in elementary education. She then went on to receive her master’s of science before becoming a teacher. Bloodworth returned to Murray State last semester to teach Introduction to Education. “I love the idea of mentoring new teachers,” Bloodworth said. “I think it’s really important for them to hear the voice of someone that’s currently in the classroom.” Considering herself an education enthusiast, Bloodworth said she sees education as a lifetime process that happens in and out of the classroom, which is why she dedicates so much of her time to bettering the education process throughout the community. “I don’t think of education as something that happens
A sign outside of Pogue Library in the Quad honors Mary Ford Holland, who was the first black student to enroll at Murray State in 1955 following desegregation.
see HOLLY, 2A
Paducah campus likely to change ownership Zachary Orr || Staff writer zorr@murraystate.edu
With the enrollment of Murray State’s Paducah campus increasing consistently, Murray State will likely receive ownership of the $10 million Paducah facility paid for by the City of Paducah and McCracken County. In 2011 when the city of Paducah, Ky., McCracken County and the Paducah Economic Development Council met to determine whether or not to invest into a four-year college opportunity for their area, they developed a legal document, called a memoran-
WHAT’S
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dum of understanding, to outline the terms they wanted to be met by Murray State. Because of financial restrictions in the University, Murray State was unable to borrow sufficient funds to build the facility. Murray State bought the land and the City of Paducah and McCracken County borrowed money to build the $10 million facility. They agreed that Murray State would pay only the interest on the borrowed money every year, which was expected not to exceed more than $290,000. According to the memoran-
COUNSELING CENTER
dum, a four-year consecutive enrollment of 2,000 students would mean giving ownership of the facility to Murray State when the debt was paid off. The enrollment requirement would also be met if the Paducah campus had an enrollment of 2,000 in the 20th year. Brian Van Horn, dean of the Paducah campus, said the campus, which opened the door of the Crisp Center in 2014, would likely reach an enrollment of 2,000 students this calendar year.
see PADUCAH, 2A
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The Murray State Crisp Center located in Paducah, Ky., was opened in January 2014.
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