Southern
’
A Publication for Alumni and Friends
Winter-Spring 2013 Volume 39, Number 1
50th
MEMORIES OF A MOVEMENT | 1963-2013
BSC
Birmingham-Southern College
BSC Snapshots Students cross campus during the snow shower that blanketed Birmingham in January.
Inside’Southern ’Southern magazine / Winter-Spring 2013 / Volume 39, Number 1
BSC
A Publication for Alumni and Friends
Feature 16
The 50th
Memories of a movement
Departments 2
Editor’s Note
4
Community News
6
Faculty News
9
Student News
16
Feature
42
Alumni Affairs
43
Philanthropy
46
Athletics
50
ClassNotes
64
’Southern Voices
On the Cover The front cover image for this edition of ’Southern comes from the 1964 Southern Accent yearbook. It is striking to see the well-dressed man walking by the Rebel Car Tags storefront and Confederate flag— daily realities of the times. Meanwhile, thoughtful students were pursuing their education on campus in classes not unlike the above, as indicated by the yearbook staff’s introductory commentary on the times: Remember, long after you’ve forgotten your spring quarter point average or S.G.A. elections or who you dated that spring, that ten blocks from you, America changed. ... the meeting of hundred year old adversaries in Kelly Ingram’s park. Remember, too, how deeply you were touched and untouched by it all. Read more about reflections on BSC’s part in the American civil rights movement in our cover story, beginning on page 16.
winter-spring 2013
Editor’s Note Looking back, moving ahead
Gen. Charles C. Krulak, President Dr. Wayne Killion Jr. ’72, Chair, Board of Trustees
As you read this issue of ’Southern magazine, we’re asking you to cast your mind back. Fifty years back, in fact, to a time when Birmingham-Southern found itself involved in Birmingham’s great movement for civil rights. It was a time of change for the entire country and right here on the Hilltop. You’ll learn about Martha “Marti” Turnipseed, a BSC student who decided it was time for her to make a difference, and of Ulysses “Skip” Bennett, who blazed a trail as Birmingham-Southern’s first AfricanAmerican student. You’ll hear from alumni about their own experiences of that critical time in history, and also from students about what that era means to them and how they envision diversity today. You can also read about BSC’s long relationship with and support for the city of Birmingham. After reading, we hope you’ll start looking not just backwards but also forward. Forward first to April, when BSC students, faculty, staff, and neighbors will trace Marti’s steps and march off the Hilltop into downtown Birmingham. Even more than that, we hope you’ll look forward to our college’s bright future and all the BSC students who will blaze the next trail—whatever it turns out to be. There are a few other things to look forward to that you’ll also read about: a new website we’re proud to introduce this spring; Birmingham-Southern’s strategic planning process, now well underway; and plans for Commencement and next fall’s Homecoming and Reunion celebrations. As always, we’re looking for both your presence and your input here on the Hilltop!
’Southern magazine is published by the Office of Alumni Affairs and the Office of Communications at Birmingham-Southern College, Birmingham, Alabama 35254. Non-profit postage paid at B’ham, AL Permit No. 2575. Postmaster: Send address changes to: Alumni Affairs, BirminghamSouthern College, 900 Arkadelphia Road, Box 549003, Birmingham, AL 35254; telephone 205/226-4912; or access at www.bsc.edu/alumni.
Forward, Ever!
Editor: Hannah Wolfson, Director of Communications
©2013 Birmingham-Southern College. Editorial Offices: 15 Stockham Building 900 Arkadelphia Road Box 549004 Birmingham, AL 35254 Phone: 205/226-4921 Fax: 205/226-4931 E-mail: hwolfson@bsc.edu
Managing Editor: Pat Cole, MPPM ’11 Communications Specialist
Hannah Wolfson Director of Communications
Art Director: Tracy Thomas ’92, Director of Visual Identity and Publications
Introducing the NEW bsc.edu We’ve been working hard and are thrilled to announce that Birmingham-Southern has a new face on the Internet! You’ll still find us at www.bsc.edu, but we think you’ll find the new site easier to navigate and chock-full of new features. The launch is planned for early-April, but check back often for new updates, including student and alumni stories. And don’t forget that we want to share your successes online! Please help us spread the word by sending them to hwolfson@bsc.edu.
2013 Stirling Lecturer to present on March
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Contributing Writers: Pat Cole MPPM ’11, Communications Specialist Sarah Erreca, Director of Sports Information Hannah Wolfson, Director of Communications Various BSC students, faculty, and alumni Photography: The Birmingham News Brittany Arias ‘13 Joseph Bailey Wynter Byrd Thomas Coiner Cari Dean Lisa Harrison MPPM ‘85 Jimmy Mitchell Wendy Prejean Vianca Williams ‘15 Archived photos Submitted Photos Yearbook Photos www.bsc.edu
B I R M I NG HAM -SO U TH ERN C OLLEGE
Watch for a special gift in the mail!
HOMECOMING/REUNION WEEKEND
2013 November 1-2, 2013
Save the date for Homecoming and Reunion Weekend 2013! Plan to return to the Hilltop to celebrate the best times of your life.
Now is the time to: Circle November 1-2 in black and gold on your calendar. Line up the babysitter, grandparents, dog walker, and housesitter. Call your classmates and invite them to join you at one or more of these events: • 50th Reunion Celebration for the Class of 1963 • Parties for classes ending in ’3s and ’8s • Young Alumni Tailgate Party • All-Alumni Tailgate & Panther Playground • Homecoming Football vs. Rhodes • Annual Alumni Awards Luncheon on November 2 at 1 p.m. Watch your mailbox for a complete schedule and registration materials. Also watch www.bsc.edu/alumni/reunion2013 for more details as they are posted.
BSC
COMMUNITY NEWS
College’s Diversity Enrichment Team to promote new perspectives Birmingham-Southern has officially launched a new campus advisory group, the Diversity Enrichment Team. The role of the team will be to develop, implement, and assess a strategic plan to increase diversity across its campus and to foster an academically and socially inclusive academic culture. The volunteer-based team consists of staff, faculty, students, and alumni. They will serve a two-year term. “A BSC education is built around rigorous inquiry that demands multiple and often competing perspectives so that all of our students, and indeed our entire campus community, truly have a fuller understanding of the world,” Gen. Charles C. Krulak, BSC’s president, said in his announcement. “We must continually seek ways to give these young men and women an educational environment that values a rich mix of individuals with varied viewpoints.” Serving on the inaugural Diversity Enrichment Team are:
• Pat Anderson-Flowers, assistant vice president of institutional advancement
• Erica Brown, director of multicultural affairs (chair)
• Kenneth Cox, track and field head coach • Angela Fisher Hall ’82, Norton Advisory Board member
• Michael Lebeau, director of career services • Armond Moyo ’14, SGA diversity representative
• Ben Newhouse, dean of students • Dr. Mark Schantz, provost (ex-officio) • Dr. Louanne Jacobs, associate professor of education
• Dr. Tim Smith, professor of art history
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Wallace-Padgett
Domcekova
Speakers named for spring ceremonies at BSC Dr. Barbara Domcekova, associate professor of Spanish at Birmingham-Southern and chair of the college’s Latin American Studies program, will address the class of 2013 during the 154th Commencement ceremony May 18 at 9 a.m. at the Lake Park on campus. Domcekova was named the BSC Outstanding Educator of the Year during the college’s 2012 graduation ceremony. The award is given to a member of the BSC faculty who according to recommendations by his or her colleagues, is characterized by excellence in all aspects of teaching, including scholarship, classroom performance, and student advising. The award includes a cash stipend and an invitation to speak at the following Commencement. Domcekova joined the BSC faculty in 1999 after receiving her master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of Florida. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia. Domcekova coordinates Birmingham-Southern’s annual Latin American Studies Symposium, which celebrates its 21st anniversary in April. She has also led numerous Exploration Term trips to South America. Rev. Debra Wallace-Padgett, the newest bishop of the United Methodist Church, will deliver the annual Baccalaureate address May 17 at 1 p.m. at Canterbury United Methodist Church in Mountain Brook. Wallace-Padgett was elected bishop at the 2012 Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference. At the time of her election, she served as lead pastor of St. Luke UMC in Lexington, Ky. Wallace-Padgett is a graduate of Berea College, Scarritt Graduate School, Lexington Theological Seminary, and Asbury Theological Seminary.
COMMUNITY NEWS
BSC2023
WHAT SHOULD BIRMINGHAMSOUTHERN BE IN 2023?
The college needs your help figuring that out! Last year, BSC embarked on a new strategic planning process. The process will gather input from all of BSC’s major constituencies: students, parents, alumni, faculty, staff, and the Birmingham community as a whole. The first step is designing a new college mission statement, a process that’s already under way. If you haven’t yet, please go to www.bsc.edu/stratplan to find out more about how to participate and tosee a schedule of public forums. Please join us on campus or online—we want your input as we re-envision the college we love for the future!
Ralston with outgoing SGA officers (from left) Catherine Picou, Brittany Arias, Abigail Dy, and Elizabeth Pettey
Deeply heard: Stirling Lecturer Aron Ralston delivers inspiration with his story Aron Ralston, adventurer and engineer shared his epic story of survival to a packed auditorium on campus last month for this year’s Alex P. Stirling Lecture. Ten years ago, Ralston was forced to cut off his arm to escape a boulder that trapped him in a slot canyon in a Utah desert for six days. His ordeal is depicted in the feature film 127 Hours, which was nominated for six Academy Awards. He also is the author of an internationally bestselling memoir, Between a Rock and a Hard Place. During his speech, Ralston described how his emotions went from panic and rage to gratitude during his intense struggle in the canyon. He told the audience that as he freed himself from the boulder, he said “good riddance” to his hand and wrist and he smiled. “That boulder helped me to focus on what’s really important in life—our family, friends, and relationships,” he remarked. “I had not only a will to live, but a will to love. It’s not enough to enrich our own lives; we must enrich the lives of those around us.” Ralston’s story also revealed the character and strengths that we all possess to overcome extreme adversity. “The boulders in our lives show what’s possible for us and what’s extraordinary in us,” he said. “Being trapped in that canyon was the greatest thing that ever happened to me.” The Stirling Lecture Series is sponsored by the Birmingham-Southern Student Government Association in memory of Alex Stirling, a BSC student who died of cancer in 1995.
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FACULTY NEWS
Hanson
Duncan
Pezzementi
Yust
Cole
Andersen
Brasher
Twelve faculty receive ACS awards Birmingham-Southern professors are involved in seven of the 32 grants announced in December by the Associated Colleges of the South; funding comes from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Teagle Foundation. “That’s an impressive list, and only one sign of just how much our professors have accomplished,” said BSC Provost Dr. Mark Schantz. The grants are:
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Dr. Pam Hanson, biology, and Dr. Laura Stultz, chemistry, will host a workshop for faculty from across the ACS to explore models for integrating teaching and research, especially across disciplines. The two professors already work on several projects designed to show students the connections between biology and chemistry, especially in cancer research.
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Dr. Scot Duncan, biology, and Dr. William Holt , urban environmental studies, will direct student research in North Birmingham, including an ecology course to study urban streams, an urban sociology course to develop a neighborhood survey, and an environmental sociology course conducting a community study in conjunction with a film study project by Dr. David Resha, media and film studies.
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Dr. Leo Pezzementi, biology; Roald Hazelhoff, Southern Environmental Center; and Dr. Wayne Shew, biology, will work together to add a garden of medicinal plants to the BSC EcoScape. Students taking ethnobotany will help classify the plants, and an online database will explain their pharmacological applications.
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Dr. Anne Yust, mathematics, will work with faculty from Sewanee, Hendrix, and Rhodes to start a summer research project for students, culminating with research presentations at an annual undergraduate mathematics symposium.
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Steve Cole, art, and Dr. Randall Law, history, will collaborate on “The Hate Project,” which will include an art installation at the Durbin Gallery illustrating the 1,018 hate groups active in the United States, a presentation by the Southern Poverty Law Center, and a panel discussion.
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Kent Andersen, English/Hess Center, will work with faculty from Davidson and Sewanee on two projects designed to allow participants in annual teaching workshops to continue their growth when they return to their home campuses, and for workshop staff to participate in national conferences and continue their professional development.
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Dr. Larry Brasher, religion, will work with faculty from Sewanee on an interdisciplinary effort to document the Cumberland Plateau’s healing and mineral springs, the religious understandings of those sites, and conservation issues facing them via surveys, historical research, ethnography, oral history, and folklore.
FACULTY NEWS
Flowers receives prestigious award honoring theatrical career Theatre professor Michael Flowers can take another curtain call: He recently received the prestigious Marian Gallaway Award from the Alabama Conference of Theatre. The award, named for a legendary theatre professor at the University of Alabama who died in 1980, is presented each year to a person who has contributed to theatre in the state throughout their careers. The ACT praised Flowers’ teaching and artistic service, calling him instrumental in growing BSC’s nationally recognized theatre program. “As a director, his productions have graced stages across the country and ACT is pleased to honor an individual who has done so much to nurture theatre and the quality of theatre education in the state of Alabama,” the organization said in a news release. Flowers, who has been at BSC since 1984, has already seen his work recognized on the state and national levels, including through the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival. It’s the first time a BSC professor has brought home the Gallaway honor since Arnold Powell won it in 1979.
Smith co-edits anthology on Sienese art Dr. Tim Smith, BSC associate professor of art history, co-edited the recently published anthology Art as Politics in Late Medieval and Renaissance Siena and also contributed a chapter entitled “Politics and Antiquity in the Baptist’s Chapel Façade.” The volume, which features the work of nine scholars from the United States, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Germany, explores the intersection of art, politics, and religion in the Tuscan city of Siena from its defeat by Florence at the Battle of Montaperti in 1260 to the end of the Sienese Republic in 1550. Smith began work on a new book, Relic and Image in Renaissance Siena, during a six-week research trip to Italy this past fall while on sabbatical. He joined the BSC faculty in 2006.
McClish co-authors new book on classical South Asian politics ,Dr. Mark McClish, assistant professor of religion, co-wrote the book The Arthasastra: Selections from the Classic Indian Work on Statecraft with author Patrick Olivelle, published ,by Hackett Publishing Co. The Arthasastra is the only treatise on statecraft from classical India and is an invaluable resource for understanding ancient South Asian political thought. The selections presented in the volume provide a comprehensive and unparalleled panoramic view of Indian society during the period between the Maurya (320-185 BCE) and Gupta (320-497 CE) Empires. The book also provides a general introduction that briefly traces the arc of ancient South Asian history, explains the classical Indian tradition of statecraft, and discusses the origins and importance of the ,Arthasastra. McClish has taught at BSC since 2010.
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FACULTY NEWS
Photo by Brittany Arias of Love Be Photography
New faculty, tenure and promotions for 2012-13 Birmingham-Southern welcomed 12 new full-time and visiting faculty members to campus this fall and congratulated professors who received promotion and tenure for the 2012-13 academic year. • Promoted to full professor: Dr. Shane Pitts (psychology) and Dr. Lynne Trench (psychology) • Promoted to associate professor with tenure: Dr. Tynes Cowan (English) and Dr. Heather Meggers-Wright (psychology) • Received tenure: Dr. Louanne Jacobs (education) New faculty, pictured in photo (front row, from left): Maria Stadnik, assistant professor of mathematics; Amina El Halawani, visiting 2012-13 Fulbright Fellow and Foreign Language Teaching Assistant in Arabic; Carolyn Garrity, assistant professor of marketing; Rick Lester, assistant professor of management; Jaime Cloud, assistant professor of psychology; and Anita Huang, assistant professor of Chinese. Back row, from left: William Walsh, lecturer of economics (one-year appointment); Mary Harrison, assistant professor of marketing; William Holt, assistant professor of urban environmental studies; Zachary Simmons, assistant professor of psychology (one-year appointment); and Guangjun Qu, assistant professor of economics. Not pictured: Richard Rector, assistant professor of psychology.
Want to learn more about what BSC’s professors are up to? Check out the second edition of the Faculty Scholarship guide, just released this fall and available on campus. The guide updates the first edition, which was published in 2004, and adds an incredible 80 pages listing accomplishments, including books and articles, scientific discoveries, creative endeavors, and award-winning performances. As BSC Archivist Guy Hubbs writes in the forward, “The members of our faculty see teaching and research as two ways of approaching the same thing: learning.”
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STUDENT NEWS
Whittington Competition student winners team with Red Mountain Chamber Orchestra
Alexander
McCormick
The Red Mountain Chamber Orchestra was on campus last month to give a unique and rare opportunity to two budding musical talents. Colin Alexander of Birmingham and Patrick McCormick of Hoover won this year’s Whittington Competition at Birmingham-Southern. As a prize, the two baritone singers—both music majors and seniors at BSC—performed with the professional orchestra at the 2013 Whittington Competition concert held Feb. 17. Alexander sang two arias by Mozart and Tchaikovsky, and McCormick sang two arias by Mendelssohn and Mozart. The orchestra accompanied them and also performed two classic works: Claude Debussy’s “Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun” and the Symphony No. 1 by Ludwig van Beethoven. The Whittington Music Competition is named for Frances and Dorsey Whittington, who led the Birmingham Conservatory of Music before it became BSC’s music department.
(L-R). Ervin, Gonzalez, Kashyap, and Bice.
New SGA executive officers announced
Mountain Brook student wins top BSC scholarship honoring local couple Russell Day, a Mountain Brook High School graduate, has been selected as this year’s new Rushton Scholar. The award, now in its sixth year as BSC’s preeminent scholarship, honors Col. William James Rushton, a Birmingham insurance executive, and his wife, Elizabeth Perry Rushton. Rushton Scholars receive full tuition and room and board each year, plus a $2,000 annual stipend to be used for summer travel, internships, study abroad programs, or special projects. Day was chosen by a selection committee from national candidates. Recipients are chosen based on their academic achievement, leadership, and activism in the community. In high school, Day was a member of the speech and debate team and marching/symphonic band and volunteered at the McWane Science Center in Birmingham. He graduated with a 4.52 GPA and is an Eagle Scout. Day is majoring in chemistry at BSC and plans to pursue a career in ophthalmology. He is the son of Drs. Sharon and Howard Day ’83.
In a vote held last month, the following students were elected to Student Government Association executive board positions for the 2013-14 academic year: President—Raul Gonzalez, a junior history major from Oneonta Executive Vice President—Nisha Kashyap, a sophomore business major from Anniston Treasurer—Hope Ervin, a sophomore math major from Hampton Cove Secretary—Ashley Bice, a sophomore pre-engineering major from Florence The SGA represents the student voice by participating in institutional governance with the administration and board of trustees; supports student learning and the development of community among students, faculty, staff, and the administration; and demonstrates the values and purpose of BSC.
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STUDENT NEWS
Exploration Term 2013 a
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gave students of experiences
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ne group of talented BSC students brought the classic rock opera, The Who’s Tommy, to life during an E-Term course taught by Professor of Theatre Michael Flowers. The show was performed Jan. 24-27 to enthusiastic audiences. Thirty-five students were involved in the project, serving as actors and production staff. Twelve of the students were theatre or musical theatre majors who worked on the show as their senior project. This classic and energetic rock opera from the 1960s tells the story of young boy named Tommy who, after witnessing a horrific event involving his mother and father, becomes catatonic, hiding from the world. After being mistreated by his family and friends, because no one knows what to do with him, he eventually discovers that he is a genius at the pinball machine. Katie Holmes ’05 (pictured on keyboard) served as the show’s musical director.
he January Exploration Term is only a few weeks long, but it can make a big difference in the lives of BirminghamSouthern students. This slower-paced term, tucked neatly between the fall and spring semesters, provides fresh approaches to learning, smaller class sizes, and travel—often with service-learning components. E-Term encourages creativity and experimentation as students focus more intensively on a single topic. More than 70 students studied abroad, mostly on faculty-led trips. Students traveled to Italy, India, the Czech Republic, Thailand, and the Caribbean, to name just a few places. They also traveled with faculty or staff to cities in the U.S., including New Orleans, San Francisco, and Park City, Utah, for the Sundance Film Festival. This year there were 18 new E-Term course offerings, plus 32 independently-designed contracts. Students must complete at least two Exploration Terms during their time at BSC, although most students choose to participate in E-Term every year. “Exploration Term frees students from the demands of multiple courses during the regular term,” said Katy Leonard, director of exploration term and contract learning. “It’s a unique part of the culture of BSC.” That culture is what earned Birmingham-Southern a spot in “Colleges Thinking Outside the Box for New Courses,” published Jan. 16 by the educational website CollegeXpress. According to the article, BSC continues to explore innovative topics to boost its curriculum inside and outside of the traditional classroom.
PHOTO BY JOSEPH BAILEY
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unior theatre major Christie Connolly serves one of several hundred meals at Glide Memorial United Methodist Church in San Francisco. Connolly was part of a servicelearning Exploration Term course that did outreach through the Glide Foundation. The course, entitled “Service-Learning in San Francisco: Poverty in Urban America,” was led by Kristin Harper, director of the BSC Bunting Center for Engaged Study and Community Action, and Dr. John Tatter, professor of English. The six students who participated learned about poverty through the Homeless Count, in which they took an observation census of the homeless population on the streets of San Francisco. They also attended addiction recovery circles as well as Glide’s Speak Out program—an open mic night where people sing, read poems, and share the experiences of their lives. “The people I met serving at Glide inspired me to practice joy and choose unconditional love every day through my interactions with fellow human beings,” Connolly said. “We are all valuable on this Earth, and who doesn’t need a good reminder of that every once in a while?”
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he new “Service-Learning in Bylakuppe, India� course, taught by Assistant Professor of Religion Dr. Mark McClish and Bunting Center Coordinator Jackie Saneholz-Walker, took BSC students across the ocean to be immersed in the culture and history of the Tibetan community in exile. This diasporic community of Tibetans was formed in India 50 years ago after many fled the Chinese occupation of their homeland. Pictured in traditional Tibetan clothing are (front row, from left): Rachel Morgan, Kelsie Overton, Katie Green, Shelby Kile, Ginny Nix, Sarah Gilkerson, and Saneholtz-Walker; (back row) Colin Hills, Kemian Carson, McClish, and Joe Stanford. The group had just attended the weekly morning Satsang ritual, during which the whole camp assembles to give offerings and pray in traditional clothes. The students got to know many of the people in Bylakuppe and learn from their stories and experiences.
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ichelangelo made it look easy, but how many people give any real thought to the process of creating paints and pigments? Associate Professor of Chemistry Dr. Scott Dorman taught students the lost art of how to chemically mix their own paint in his E-Term course “Paint, Glaze, Ink.” In the classroom, students studied the philosophy and history and chemistry of the materials used in paint (pigments, dyes, binders, etc.). In the lab, they examined the molecular interactions involved in procedures performed by artists and compared the atomic structure of metals, glasses, and clays. Here, Abdalaziz Kahil, a sophomore biology major, tries his hand at painting a fresco (painting onto wet lime plaster) with an ultramarine pigment. “Now I can look at a painting and appreciate the work it took to make it,” said Kahil. “It was really fun to take the class with several chemistry majors who knew a lot more than I did about the technical side,” added Missy McIntyre, a junior art major.
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Scan this code with your mobile device to see a video about the E-Term course “Paint, Glaze, Ink.� Or watch it here: www.bsc.edu/video/etermpaint. .
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The academic quad in 2013 (main photo) with a glimpse of the quad in 1963 (inset photo).
MEMORIES OF A MOVEMENT 1963-2013 Birmingham-Southern College is partnering with the city of Birmingham this year to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the pivotal events of 1963, including the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church, the Children’s March, and other milestones in the fight for civil rights. The big story here is what’s taken place in just half a century. by Pat Cole
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FEATURES
Moving Forward, Ever! COMMENTARY BY GEN. KRULAK
I
n this issue, we’ve asked BSC alumni, students, and friends to look back at the 50th anniversary of 1963, a transformational year for Birmingham, for Birmingham-Southern, and for the country as a whole. During that era, this city became a watershed not just for civil rights, but for a broader movement for human rights—a struggle still raging in parts of the world today. I’m sure many of us feel disconnected and helpless when we hear the stories of protests in public squares, of families being ripped apart, and of people fighting for their freedom across the globe. But if there’s one thing we’ve learned from our history, it’s that even small actions can make a difference.
Fortunately, they allowed her to return to the Hilltop about a year later to finish her degree. “She was one individual who made a statement and a difference,” Birmingham Mayor William Bell told our students on a recent visit to campus. “That’s the power that you have in you and that’s the opportunity that you have any time you think someone is being denied their rights.”
Today, we try to encourage our students to act as Marti did. Here on the Hilltop, they don’t just learn facts and figures, they learn the whys and wherefores of tough issues. They learn how to connect lessons from different fields, to analyze information, to look into their hearts, and to come up with their own conclusions about wrong and right. We know that Take Marti now more than ever, BSC Turnipseed, the students are prepared to young Birmingham- Civil rights protesters at the downtown Trailways bus terminal. take on a leadership role, no Southern student matter what issues they choose to tackle. you’ll read about in these pages. She chose to walk off the campus, head downtown, and join a sit-in. That choice wasn’t easy in 1963. Today, in 2013, we’re celebrating the progress we have made since Standing up, marching in the streets, even befriending someone of 1963 as a campus, a city, a state, and a nation. We here at BSC are another race brought risks. For some, the consequences included jail, so proud of Marti Turnipseed’s choice, we’re inviting the entire beatings, even death. Others faced the loss of their livelihood, their community to retrace her steps April 24 in a two-mile march from friends, and their dreams. campus to downtown Birmingham. Mayor Bell and I will be out in front leading BSC students, faculty, staff, alumni, neighbors, and Back then, college officials, under pressure from local authorities, friends, and we hope you will join us to celebrate how far we have forced that brave young woman to leave campus when she wouldn’t come and show the world just how far we can go. promise not to break Birmingham’s segregation laws again.
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FEATURES
HISTORY ON THE HILLTOP
I
n the early ‘60s, Birmingham-Southern was still isolated on its west Birmingham hilltop. The school had the same strong academic reputation it does today, and, for the roughly 1,000 students on the all-white campus, life progressed pretty much as normal. But, as with many southern campuses, BSC soon found itself involved in a struggle that would take more than desegregation to solve. In 1963, with news of dynamite bombings and sit-ins streaming in, the campus community had to confront the political, economic, and social revolution occurring just two miles from campus. As a Methodist-affiliated college, BSC emphasized moral commitment as well as strong academics, and a significant portion of the students were preparing for ministry or other full-time religious work. But to many students, mostly young men and women representing Southern middle- to-upper-class families, the battle beginning to “Bull” Connor rage seemed distant or abstract. “We were too absorbed in ourselves and our little world to ‘care’ about happenings in the surrounding community,” said Rev. Noel Koestline ’65, then a student reporter for The Hilltop News. Although some students wanted to end segregation, many were either afraid or unwilling to challenge the social order—which the college’s administration worked hard to enforce. In May of 1963, Dean Cecil Abernethy warned the student body to follow the college’s rules or face disciplinary action. In a speech to a special convocation printed in The Hilltop News, Abernethy told students that
“as members of the institution, they must abide by its regulations and obey the laws and injunctions of [the college] community.” The movement found a foothold at BSC nonetheless. Birmingham-Southern President Dr. Henry King Stanford, who took office in 1958 with a promise to lift “our sights to national standards of excellence,” was forced to face the fact that the college was located in a city nicknamed “Bombingham” and labeled the most segregated city in the South. A Georgia native and political scientist with a Ph.D. from New York University, Stanford was called in to meet with city leaders, including Birmingham Police Commissioner Eugene “Bull” Connor, a staunch segregationist. “Listen Doc, are you trying to desegregate Birmingham-Southern College?” Connor told Stanford in that 1960 meeting. “If so, I am going to tell the people of Alabama so they won’t send their children [there].” Connor’s main concern was that Stanford punish any BSC students agitating for social justice. That year, a number of Birmingham-Southern students circulated and signed a petition protesting Alabama Gov. John Patterson’s action in forcing Alabama College—later renamed the University of Montevallo—to expel black demonstrators. “Doc, aren’t there just a number of Yankee students out there who are creating all of this agitation?” Connor inquired. Stanford replied that most ’Southern students came from Alabama or the surrounding states and that the petitions were not caused by Northern forces.
ê BIRMINGHAM-SOUTHERN LEADERS WITH TOUGH DECISIONS TO MAKE
% Dr. Henry King Stanford BSC President 1957-1962
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Cecil Abernethy BSC Dean of Students 1958 - 1964 winter-spring 2013 / 19
FEATURES CONSEQUENTIAL DECISIONS
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everal students on campus had moral compasses that would not allow them to be apathetic. One was Marti Turnipseed, an English major, who joined a civil rights rally at a black church and a sit-in at a Woolworth’s lunch counter (see story on facing page). Another was Sam Shirah, who left BSC to join the movement full-time, joining the Student Nonviolent Corrdinating Committee. But first cam top debater and ministerial student Tom Reeves (see class notes obits) who began quietly meeting with African-American students from nearby Daniel Payne College. At the time, Reeves was serving as an assistant at Woodlawn Methodist Church; he angered segregationist Methodists when he stood up in a Methodist Laymen’s Union meeting at Highlands Methodist Church at Five Points South in Birmingham to profess that the church was called to include all persons, regardless of race. In the spring of 1960, Reeves landed on the radar of the Ku Klux Klan when he publicly supported Daniel Payne students, who had staged a sit-in at a restaurant in downtown Birmingham. He was later arrested and charged with “intimidating witnesses” when police claimed he was advising the students on how to testify at their upcoming trial. After Reeves and his father left the jail, they stopped at a barber shop on Arkadelphia Road for a haircut. While Reeves was in one chair, a second barber started talking with his customer in the other chair?” Stanford wrote in his recollections of the time.. The barber commented on how scandalous it was that a Birmingham-Southern student was trying to stir up trouble and speculated about what ought to be done to him … The customer responded quickly to the barber’s question. He said something to the effect that if Reeves weren’t strung up, he ought to be run of out of town.” At a meeting of college officials on April 8, 1960, Stanford announced his refusal to punish or expel Reeves. That night,
someone burned a cross on the front lawn of the president’s home—a fiery message of warning. The incident was recorded by city police as a fraternity prank. Four days later, the New York Times published its famous front page article, “Fear and Hatred Grip Birmingham,” written by Harrison E. Salisbury, who was scheduled to speak at a Birmingham-Southern lecture series April 19. In the article, he described both the Reeves incident and the petition that was signed by BSC students. Connor threatened to arrest Salisbury if he showed up; needless to say, Salisbury found a replacement speaker for the lecture. In January 1962, when Stanford left BSC to become the highly successful president at the University of Miami, A Birmingham News article described him as “… a leader with convictions and the manifest courage to express them.” He was replaced by Dr. Howard Phillips. In June 1963, Dr. Howard Phillips was sworn in, replacing Stanford as college president.
Dr. Howard Phillips, BSC President 1963-68
ê COURAGE UNDER FIRE
% Tom Reeves
%
Noel Koestline
20 / ’southern
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Sowing a seed of conscience
An alumna’s passionate stand remembered student Sam Shirah had ventured off campus to attend a Nobody pressured her. Nobody dared her to do it. Her rally at First Baptist Church in Ensley, where Rev. Martin decision was hers to make. Luther King Jr. spoke. They made a stir; local civil rights On April 24, 1963, in a watershed moment in her life, activist Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth introduced Birmingham-Southern sophomore Martha them and called them up to speak. Before the “Marti” Turnipseed chose to join seven evening was out, Marti pledged to join in the black students who were sitting in for sit-in the next day, becoming the first white justice at a segregated Woolworth’s food student in Birmingham to do so. counter in downtown Birmingham. “Marti had a strong devotion to racial justice Little did she know that Birmingham in Alabama and was willing to put herself on Police Commissioner “Bull” Connor had the line for it,” Koestline says. spying detectives everywhere. As soon as Born in Greenville, Ala., Marti later moved Marti returned to campus several hours with her family to Montgomery, Mobile, later, she received an urgent summons Rochester, N.Y., and then Niagara Falls, N.Y. to appear before college officials. The Koestline remembers her as a slender woman next day, the college’s acting president with a wiry build who was strong and full of asked Marti to withdraw from school energy. immediately. “Marti took plenty of art classes and visited the studio a It was a blow for the young woman, a third-generation lot, had a keen sense of humor, and was often the life of the BSC student who wrote that it was her dream to graduate party,” Koestline remembers. “She could be very intense from the same college as her father and grandfather, both and focused, and she was not afraid of others’ labels of her.” Methodist ministers. But she knew that she had done the She hadn’t always been an activist, says her brother, Rev. right thing—even if many on the Hilltop disagreed. Spencer Turnipseed, her closest living relative. Rev. Noel “Twinkie” Koestline ‘66, Marti’s friend and “My sister lived life in the way roommate, says she’ll never a kid does who embraces its forget the day when she goodness,” remarks Turnipseed, and another friend, Barbara who pastors Point Washington McBride, helped Marti pack United Methodist Church in Santa up her things. The next day, Rosa Beach, Fla., in the AlabamaKoestline and McBride found West Florida Conference. “She themselves sitting in an was as normal as any growing girl office in Munger before the you could ever meet. She was not Acting Dean of the College, fixated on doing any overt social the Dean of Women, and and political acts that would shake three other administrators. Rev. Spencer Turnipseed up the world.” The young women, who had Turnipseed says his sister’s met in a college youth group philosophy and actions were for Methodist students, had influenced by her own personal experiences with the become good friends, all connected by their commitment to Jim Crow South. She came to believe that Birminghamcivil rights. Southern should have stayed true to its most basic Christian “We were given a moral lecture that ‘the college was tenets of justice, service, love, and mercy, and that the doing the best it could and wanted to help race relations college should have been a leader in the city on moral in the city and state, but that we were trying to move too issues. fast and were making it harder and worse for them,’” “She was pretty outspoken about it too,” he says. “She recalls Koestline, a retired Methodist pastor who resides believed in promoting the dignity of each person, regardless in Southold, N.Y. “Barbara and I were placed on social of skin color, class, or background. Her views just didn’t probation and told not to cause any more trouble for the mesh with the times she was in.” college and its relationship with the community. We were “She knew she did the right thing,” Turnipseed continues. viewed with suspicion after that, and we felt other students “She also knew that the reaction to her decision to join the distancing themselves from us.” sit-ins at Woolworth could be antagonistic on the part of Just two days earlier Marti, Barbara, and former BSC
“I was supportive of my sister then and was proud as can be—still am.”
(Continued, next page)
(Continued, from previous page)
the college’s administration.” The Turnipseed family wasn’t happy about the college’s decision to urge Marti to leave (and she always regretted going without a fight), says Turnipseed, who recently met with BSC President Gen. Charles C. Krulak, who reached out to him as a representative of the family. “Our parents were angry and disappointed, ”Turnipseed says. “They expected that the alma mater of several generations of our family would have had more respect for the personhood of a 19-year-old from that same family who was on its campus 1,000 miles away from her home, even if it disagreed with what she had done.” Fortunately, after Marti spent a year at Millsaps, BSC officials allowed her back to campus for her senior year. When she returned, she remained active in the fight for civil rights but shifted her strategy, says Koestline. “She became more focused on getting the college to change from within,” her former roommate says, “She and I initiated a phone campaign to challenge BSC’s admission policies by getting highly qualified African-American students to apply.” In June of 1965—two months before the first AfricanAmerican student enrolled—Marti received her BSC degree in English. She pursued graduate studies at Perkins and
Duke theological seminaries and earned a master’s degree in theology from Windsor University in Canada. Sadly, she and her three-year-old daughter, Andrea, were killed in a head-on car collision in September 1972 in Suffolk, Va. Her husband, Dr. Charles Moore, remarried and taught political science at Birmingham-Southern from 1982-87, then moved on to teach at Millsaps for the rest of his career and died Atlanta in 2010. Marti left behind dozens of letters written to her parents and her brother during her college years. The letters were published by her family around 1980 in the book Here Am I… One of the letters on the facing page. She also left an immense footprint of fearlessness in the face of pressure. Her actions captured a formative period in the life of Birmingham-Southern, inviting reflection on her lasting impact on the college and on her personal legacy. Rev. Turnipseed said he’s happy to have the chance to tell his sister’s story as part of the 50th anniversary of 1963. He thinks it’s something more members of the BSC community should know—and they will, thanks to an Arpil 24 march planned in her honor. “I was supportive of my sister then and was proud as can be—still am,” he said.
Photo courtesy of The Birmingham News
Scan the code with your mobile device to watch a video with Spencer Turnipseed, Marti’s brother, telling her story. Or see it online here: www.bsc.edu/video/turnipseed.
A letter from Marti Here Am I ....
Dear Family, I can’t believe it is Friday once again. Cookie an d I are going to see “To It’s about time! By the Kill a Mockingbird” thi time I ever do anything s P.M. it’s out of style! I went hunting. I wanted to see to tow n on Monday. I went sit one. It was too funny. in First I paid $2.50 in tax chased them all over tow i fare (still no buses) an n. Finally I got wind the d the n I y were in Britt’s. I tore enough when I came pu out lickity split to see an ffing up they had just bee d sur e n arrested. Everything I got to see a ghost tow looked normal again. An n. All lunch counters we yhow re closed and nobody on every corner. I was was there. Police were walking down to Lovem in clu sters an’s when I looked to men seated in a car sta my left and saw the pla ring at me. I grinned! So in clo the s much for my futile attem Going backward—I thi pt to see a sit in. nk you all must see “U mbria” in Sawyerville. mansion with acres of It is a lovely, old southe land and its own lake an rn d graveyard and woods old lady (her hair is dye and gardens. It’s owned d a flaming red pink, an by an d she has sparkling blu who “don’t say nothing e eyes) and her old husba .” I saw “Martha” (goose nd ) sitting on eggs and she “Andrew” (gander). Th hissed at me. I also saw e graves date way back her and are all covered in we show you. I also got to eds. If we ever pass tha see all the old places in t way, I’ll Greensboro. I never saw one little town. so many ante bellum ho uses in Tuesday afternoon, I got to hear Dr. Plumb, an English historian from He spoke on the 18th Christ College, Cambrid Century Gentleman’s Wo ge. rld Tour. It was a fascin accent. I don’t know his ating lecture complete prominence, or lack of wit h prominence, but he sou biography of Sir Rober nded authentic. He wr t Walpole. ote a I’m to be vice president of M.S.M. Council for next year. It’s “the” big programs. I am no lon job because you have AL ger president of Sunday L School class so I’ll hav due for Art history. I wr e more time. Today I ha ote on the mosaics in San d a report ta Sophia Church in Ins learned more history thi tanbul (Byzantine Art). s way than ever before. I’ve It’s fun. I have tests all I’ll do my best and hope. next week and I’m worrie Maybe a rock will fall on d but me and knock me out Student Government ele for a week! hee hee. ctions were this week an d I feel that a real victor Omega Baptist and int y was won. An Alpha Tau ellectual was elected. I was overjoyed. I’ve nev er see n such deference to the independents. Fifty per cent of this school is ind epe ndent and they voted this time! “I got sumpin’ to say an d when I gets through I ain’t gonna say no mo,” Wasn’t it wonderf ul (“To Kill a Mocking bir d”)? I sat there and sobbed like a baby. I tho ught the whole movie wa s so sensitively done. They caught the heart of the book. Funny, Sp enc e, but it reminded me of some of our adventure rs—not exactly the sam e of course but we have some mighty good me mories. I think we hav e on e of those Fathers who was “meant to do unpleasant tasks for all of us” , don’t you? I had my hair cut—a bo y like cut which looks pre tty cute if I do say so. My ears show. I fee l summer coming on an d it’s a good feeling. I’m glad you didn’t try to have two services on Easter. They say McCoy did that and the church looked kinda em pty. I love the exhilarating feeling of 500 strong voices singin g praise to God. Love you all! Marti (Written in April 1963)
winter-spring 2013 / 23
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Breaking a color barrier
Birmingham-Southern’s first black student remembers the time It was late summer 1965 and the day was getting hot. But Ulysses “Skip” Bennett was too focused to notice the heat as he drove onto campus. It was his first day as a student at Birmingham-Southern. Bennett, a resident of Birmingham’s Collegeville neighborhood, arrived that August with high hopes of obtaining a first-class education. He enrolled at BSC in the shadow of Vivian Malone and James Hood, who had integrated the University of Alabama just two years prior in a nationally-publicized event. Bennett’s first day on the Hilltop may not have attracted much media attention, but it was a big deal in the history of the college. Leaders at Birmingham-Southern had begun facing some hard facts. On Jan. 15, 1965, the college’s trustees authorized then-President Dr. Howard Phillips to sign a federal compliance form issued under the Civil Rights Act of 1964 barring discrimination of any kind based on color, race, or national origin. Bennett was admitted later that year, becoming the first black student to matriculate at BSC. “I sought no special favors,” he says. “I just wanted to take advantage of a scholarship to get a good education at a small college. “I thought BSC would be a great academic environment and provide an experience in which I could learn and grow, and that it would prepare me to get a good job after I graduated. My family and friends were supportive of my decision.” Bennett had started out at Morehouse in Atlanta—then the crème de la crème of black colleges—but was unable to re-enroll midway through his sophomore year due to financial reasons. He wanted to come back to Birmingham and considered both Samford and BSC before deciding ’Southern suited him better. Because he couldn’t begin at BSC in the middle of the school year, he attended UAB for one semester to prevent a gap on his record. “When I stepped onto the BSC campus to continue my undergraduate career, I didn’t know what to expect,” Bennett remarks. “But prior to entering ’Southern, I had been elected to key leadership roles at Carver High School and at Morehouse and had developed an extraordinary confidence. I felt that I could deal with whatever would be presented to me. And I was determined to complete my college education in four years and graduate in the same year as my Morehouse peers.” At BSC, Bennett took advantage of all the opportunities for close interaction with faculty and friendships with
fellow students. He says he never encountered any serious negativism towards his being there, although he did have a few tough lessons in learning how to react. “I remember one unpleasant experience when another student walked up to me and blew cigarette smoke in my face,” Bennett recalls. “I was more annoyed than offended by his actions. I learned at BSC how to relate on an eye-to-eye basis to people from a background and upbringing that is different from mine.” Bennett graduated in the spring of 1967 with a degree in business administration. There was no fanfare as he walked across the platform to accept his diploma, although a black-owned city newspaper showed up to cover the story. Within a month, he got married and started working as an agent for the Internal Revenue Service in Birmingham. Two years later Bennett was drafted into the U.S. Army, but enrolling in the Stanford Graduate School of Business in the fall of 1971 garnered him an early military release. After completing his MBA at Stanford, he was employed for over a decade in various finance and planning positions, initially at General Mills in Minneapolis, then at Mobil Corp. as vice president of finance and CFO of its then-Signature Group in Chicago. Bennett worked briefly as an insurance agent and planner for Connecticut General and New England Financial before starting Bennett Financial in 1985. He is active in that business in Arlington, Texas. He and his wife, Cathy, have two married daughters and five grandchildren who live near them in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. Half a century since the time Bennett opened a new door at Birmingham-Southern, he has no regrets about his decision to enroll—mostly because he sees the world beyond the prism of his own experience. “I believe success comes at the intersection of opportunity and readiness, and I’ve always been the kind of person to make lemonade out of lemons,” Bennett says. “I’m proud to have been a tiny player in desegregating Birmingham. In the eyes of God, each of his creation is created equal.”
Bennett will be honored during halftime of the BSC Homecoming football game vs. Rhodes, slated for Nov. 2.
FEATURES A PARTNER IN HEALING n the late 60’s, BSC witnessed major changes when the first black student, Ulysses Bennett, graduated from the college (see story on facing page). Around the 1970’s, another shift took place on the Hilltop and in its surrounding community. The neighborhoods around Birmingham-Southern began experiencing white flight and the college, under BSC President Dr. Ralph Tanner, considered selling its property to Miles College and moving to Shelby County. Trustee Hugh Daniel, a prominent developer, was responsible for much of the conversation. But some faculty firmly opposed the move, “…not only because they didn’t want to see Birmingham lose this college, they thought a move would essentially be a retreat from the role that a college can serve in a community that essentially is in transition,” Tanner said at the time. College officials could have made the decision to flee, but instead they chose to stay. “The institution-transforming decision of the college in the 1970s to remain in its inner city neighborhood rather than flee to greener—and whiter—pastures compelled BSC to grapple with the sometimes harsh realities of late 20th century urban America,” says Dr. Ed S. LaMonte, Howell Heflin Professor Emeritus of Political Science. “We are a better institution for that decision; the city and world is a better place because of the many significant contributions made by students, faculty, and staff; and hundreds of students from all academic areas have been the beneficiaries of the opportunities offered in a major urban area.” Under Dr. Neal Berte’s presidency, which began in 1976, BSC developed a partnership with the city of Birmingham and Mayor Richard Arrington (who later became the first African-American to receive an honorary degree at BSC) to develop its north campus. Soon civic and community engagement began to characterize the BSC culture. In the early 1980’s, the service-learning program began taking formal shape under the leadership of Chaplain Dr. Stewart Jackson. Jackson was a trendsetter who set up meaningful partnerships and got involved in the community long-term, and the program became
I
a trademark of BSC and its United Methodist Church affiliation. Today, BSC’s Bunting Center for Engaged Study and Community Action, established in 2005, coordinates community service opportunities with local agencies and schools and organizes yearly service trips locally, nationally, and internationally. The college has ongoing partnerships with local organizations, including Northstar Ministries (see sidebar on page 34). Community service is also a part of campus sororities and fraternities, honor societies, and faith-based organizations on campus. Nearly 70 percent of students take part in ongoing service-learning projects each year with area elementary schools, regional housing efforts, disaster relief, and more. “You can read about homelessness, healthcare issues, and racism, but to experience the issues alongside people who are directly affected by them is an amazing opportunity,” says Bunting Center Director Kristin Harper ’92. “Where there is suffering and injustice in the world, our college community can no longer be oblivious. We’re developing students who understand why and how to serve.”
BIRMINGHAM: A STORY OF PROGRESS AND PROSPERITY TO THE WORLD
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ifty years ago, all eyes were on this city, a symbol of everything racist and backward. Today’s Birmingham, however prides itself as a place of reconciliation, inclusion, and diversity. It has become a roadmap to resilience, achievement, and hope. “We are not stepping away from the most horrific moments of our history,” remarks Berte, who retired in 2004. “But Birmingham is intentional in its commitment to change; the city is striving to create a community where everyone can share their talents, realize their full potential, and enjoy the quality of life available for all Americans. We have demonstrated great progress in our community, but we obviously still have additional work to do to realize the full dream of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the founders of our country.” The progress has indeed been remarkable..
ê STANDING GROUND
% Ulysses Bennett
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Dr. Ralph M. Tanner BSC President 1972-1976
winter-spring 2013 / 25
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Four Spirits and BSC by Sena Jeter Naslund ’64 playwriting course; Department Chair Richebourg My life as a writer has deep roots in Gaillard McWilliams taught the fiction class, and Birmingham—in Norwood Elementary School, Professor Leon Driskell encouraged my poetry in Phillips High School, in Norwood Methodist writing. Church, and in Birmingham-Southern. It also has How their names resonate in my roots in the heartbreak and the memory! If you did not have the triumph of the civil rights days, opportunity to study with these during which I was a student at BSC. remarkable people, I am sure you studied I remember standing on the with other professors at BSC who opened street corner in 1963, waiting for your eyes, encouraged your progress, and the No. 15 Norwood bus to take played a key role in your future. The me home from my part-time job as extraordinary dedication of the faculty switchboard operator at Yeilding’s to both their subject matter and to the department store and vowing that if students is what made BSC a beacon for I ever did become a writer, I would excellence then and now. tell the truth about conditions in my beloved city My talented and often brilliant classmates not and its need to seek justice and equality for all its only spurred me on in the classroom, but we citizens. It took me nearly 40 years to write, but my also inspired one another with a kind of high novel Four Spirits, dedicated to the four girls killed in seriousness of purpose and honesty of introspection the 1963 racist bombing of the 16th Street Baptist that transcended competitiveness. Let us all express Church, is set primarily in downtown Birmingham, our gratitude with our support for the unique in Norwood, and at BSC and Miles College. educational opportunity for which BSC proudly One of the things that amazed me during 1963 stands. was how ordinary life kept on going, even while historic change was occurring. We *Naslund is writing her ninth book, The Fountain were still going to class, to church and to of St. James Court; or Portrait of the Artist as an Old movies, falling in love and out of love, and Woman, which will be published this fall; her yet the whole social fabric was shifting other books have been national bestsellers and/or toward racial equality and justice. And selected as Notable/Best Books of the year by major we were looking at each other: who was newspapers such as the New York Times, Los Angeles taking risks for change or at least speaking Times, and Time magazine, and translated into many up; who was resisting? languages. A recipient of the Harper Lee Award, she At the time, I did have hopes of becoming a is writer-in-residence at the University of Louisville writer, for by then I had left pre-med (having failed and program director of the Spalding University chemistry three times) and becoming a happy and brief-residency MFA in Writing. devoted English major. I studied with professors who not only taught me how to read literature in an analytic way—Dean Cecil Abernethy, Dr. Bert Ownby, Dr. Howard Creed—but I also received “He spoke almost accusingly, as though she and inspiration from my professors in the writing of poetry, short stories, and the college students had caused the disruption. a full-length play, starring Pamela Actually, they’d done very little, and Stella Walburt and directed by myself. I found the subject matter for the felt ashamed. Only a few people, like Marti play Boadicea, Queen of the Iceni in Turnipseed, had dared to align themselves with a history class taught by Dr. Henry Randall; Dr. Arnold Powell taught the freedom. Tom somebody, too—very quiet,
inoffensive-looking young man.” From Four Spirits
FEATURES
In recent years, the community raised $3.8 million to restore the16th Street Baptist Church and have it registered as a historic landmark. Berte served as co-chair of the restoration campaign. Since its inception in 1992, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute has metamorphosed into a world-class facility and was recently named the top tourist attraction in the state by the Alabama Tourism Department for the second time in four years. More than 150,000 people tour the BCRI each year from all over the globe, and this year Birmingham was listed by the Today Show as one of the six hot places to visit in 2013. LaMonte and Berte have served as chairs of the BCRI board and Dr. Robert G. Corley ’70, assistant professor of history at UAB, served as treasurer of the founding BCRI board Civic, professional, and social clubs around the city have been integrated and have slashed away gender and racial boundaries. Leadership Birmingham, a nonprofit organization composed of influential business and community leaders, has nearly 50 members on its 2013 roll, including BSC First Lady Zandra Krulak, Vice President for Administration and Government Relations Lane Estes, and three BSC alumni. Berte was a founding chair for the organization in 1984 and still serves in a key leadership role. And, 50 years later, the city has a diverse reorganized city government composed of the mayor and a nine-member city council. In 2011, Mayor William Bell’s proposal for a $46 million Metro CrossPlex for track and field and water sports became a reality, increasing Birmingham’s national prominence and giving BSC’s track and field and swimming and diving teams a new home. The city also has a growing economy based on a new wave of banking, healthcare, and biotechnology, all while building on its industrial past. According to market research firm Bancography, Birmingham is the ninth largest banking center in the U.S., boasting major operations for Regions Bank, Wells Fargo, BBVA Compass, BB&T, and many others. “Metal and steel manufacturing continues to thrive, feeding on the surrounding natural resources and Birmingham’s exceptional geographic location in the Southeast,” says Brian Hilson, president and CEO of the Birmingham Business Alliance. “Soon after the struggles of the 1960s, a diversified economy began to emerge.”
There are also real pluses to the growth of downtown Birmingham, including a new minor league baseball park, Regions Field, that will hold its grand opening April 10; Railroad Park, an established eight-block green space that serves as an anchor to Regions Field, and which has received national recognition as a well-designed, well-used park resource (Camille Spratling ’98 MPPM ’07 is executive director, and the new Birmingham Entertainment District, a $20 million revitalization project that opened in February and features a concentration of new restaurants, businesses, and a five-star hotel. This past June, the city received a federal grant for $11 million that, in addition to other improvements, will bring bike trails and walking and running paths stretching from Red Mountain Park to the downtown area. More than 5,000 people now live in downtown Birmingham—the most ever in the city’s history. None of this would be possible without passionate, vision driven leaders, many of them BSC alums, who continue to move the city forward and who recognize the compatibility of major economic development and human rights.
FRAMING 50 YEARS
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irmingham will always be regarded as the cradle of the civil rights movement; the city is known wordwide for its historic role, especially the dramatic events of 1963. Amina El Halawani, a visiting Fulbright Fellow and BSC Foreign Language Teaching Assistant from Egypt, says she was nervous about coming to Birminghams. “Whenever I told anyone that I was going to Alabama, they would instantly sing the first line of the song, ‘Sweet Home Alabama.’ People told me that Southerners are nice friendly people, based on how they are portrayed in films, but some also pointed out the state’s history of racial discrimination as something to be aware of during my stay,”El Halawani says. But when she arrived, she found a friendly, helpful city. “Racial discrimination was definitely something of an issue, but not as part of the culture, it was part of the history that the city seems to celebrate destroying… It was the struggle for civil rights that
ê PARTNERS WITH THE CITY
% Dr. Edward Shannon LaMonte BSC Professor Emeritus
%
Dr. Neal R. Berte BSC President 1976-2004
winter-spring 2013 / 27
FEATURES
everyone talked to me about with gripping emotion and a sense of pride,” she says. A lot has changed since 1963. The hard battles have been fought and the legal issues have been settled. What’s going on now is what takes place in the heart and mind. There is still a concern for equality in every facet of life, especially for economic equality. When the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency responsible for the enforcement of federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination, released its statistical data on fiscal year 2010, filings had reached an all-time high—although they’ve lessened slightly since that time. And there are now 1,018 hate groups currently active in the United States, as identified by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Groups such as the KKK, White Nationalists, Christian Identity, neo-Nazis, neo-Confederates, Black Separatists, Anti-Gay, Border Vigilantes, Racist Skinheads, and others reveal the continuing existence of intolerance and hate. BSC President Gen. Charles C. Krulak has spoken openly about his vision for the college and for Birmingham, which is moving beyond civil rights to human rights; in fact city leaders recently proposed starting a human rights commission to prevent discrimination in employment, housing or accommodation.. Gen. Krulak. He has encouraged the city to embrace its human rights history. “It was in this city where a new sense of ‘right’ was born,” he states.
ê FACING TOWARD THE FUTURE BSC President General Charles C. Krulak with Birmingham Mayor William Bell
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28 / ’southern
“What happened here in 1963 continues to have a positive impact across our land, and, in some ways, across the globe. Think of the freedom—the human rights—experience that could be developed right here in Birmingham.” Recently, Gen. Krulak announced the college’s new Diversity Enrichment Team, which will promote diversity as a strength in academic excellence (article on page 4). The team is made up of students, faculty, staff, and alumni. “The college is truly part of today’s larger society in every way,” says LaMonte. “BSC has made major progress in the sensitive area of race relations. It also means that race is a real challenge. It is an often unspoken, factor in every area of the college’s life. I believe that race remains one of the most difficult questions for even highly educated, well-meaning citizens to talk about. The college can be a great resource to metropolitan Birmingham by setting a worthy example in its daily life and by providing a ‘safe haven’ where this and other topics can be explored with candor and dignity.”
EDITOR’S NOTE Special thanks to BSC Professor Emeritus of History Dr. William Nicholas, who is publishing an article on Marti Turnipseed in a forthcoming issue of The Alabama Review academic journal, and to Thomas Webster ’12 who is hoping to soon publish his article “Silent Hill: The Role of Birmingham-Southern College in the Nonviolent Direct Action Campaigns of the Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham, AL, 1963.” Other sources used for this article include the books Southern Academic Review 1998 (article by Jessica Missios ‘99), Forward, Ever by Don Brown ’58, A Compelling Idea by BSC archivist Guy Hubbs, and View from the Hilltop by Dr. Robert G. Corley ‘70 and former BSC professor Dr. Samuel N. Stayer.
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Triumph over a tight rule by Honorable Retired Judge U.W. Clemon
Clemon Early on in my life, I was attracted to BirminghamSouthern College, and aspired to become one of its graduates. I grew up in the “separate but equal” village of Westfield, Ala., owned by U.S. Steel Corp. U.S. Steel had a “dump” at Westfield. I sometimes accompanied family members as they transported discarded scrap iron from the dump for sale to a dealer in downtown Birmingham, 13 miles away. The route to the scrap iron dealer always took us past
the BSC campus, sitting so prominently on the Hilltop. I became enamored of ’Southern as I saw the beauty of its buildings and grounds, as I read the writings of one of its professors, and as I listened to the radio programs of its choir. But having already chosen law as my career, I knew that my desire to matriculate was not attainable because Alabama laws and policies closed Birmingham-Southern’s doors to black students. But near the end of my first semester as a high school senior, an amazing thing happened—for a fleeting moment. I received an invitation from ’Southern in January 1961 to tour its campus. The invitation was based on my performance in an essay contest sponsored by the National Council of Teachers of English. I eagerly accepted the opportunity and showed up at the appointed time for the promised campus tour. The somewhat perplexed admissions official greeted me courteously and gave me the tour. But afterwards, he regretfully explained that Birmingham-Southern did not accept black students, and that they were unaware of my race when they extended the invitation to me. So much for my first college preference. As God so willed, I attended and graduated from the then-unaccredited, all-black Miles College, where I became actively involved in the civil rights movement. Upon graduation from Columbia Law School, I practiced civil rights law for a dozen years. In 1980, I was appointed by President Jimmy Carter as the first black federal judge in Alabama, serving in that position for 30 years. While on the bench, my interest in ’Southern resurfaced. Much impressed by President Neal Berte, I served on the college’s Norton Board of Advisors for several years. Forty-one years after my rejection by ‘Southern, something else amazing happened, and it was not just a fleeting moment. This time, I was invited to be the 2003 Commencement speaker. More importantly, with my new honorary degree from ‘Southern that year, I became an alumnus of that great institution.
*Judge Clemon is an attorney at the Birmingham law firm of White Arnold & Dowd PC. Clemon also has served as a member of the state legislature and has taught civil rights courses at BSC for many years. The Judge U.W. Clemon Scholarship was established in 2001 by members of the legal profession in recognition of his exemplary service to the law and this community. The scholarship assists deserving minority students who plan to enter law school upon graduation.
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Alumni reflect on 50 years Don Brown ’58
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hen my home phone, or any reporter’s phone, rang at midnight, the call was trouble. An editor, himself alerted, would say what he knew quickly and send me out into reality once more. The reality of Birmingham in the dark summer of 1963 was dynamite, beatings, shootings, marches, and Klan power, as the city fought integration with all the muscle and weapons it could muster. And reporters constantly were on the front line. So I went that night, through town and out toward Birmingham-Southern, where I had graduated five years earlier. Driving the back streets, I stopped a short walk from the blocks nicknamed Dynamite Hill, a section of College Hills where black professionals and their families lived in nice houses. The home of attorney Arthur Shores had been bombed again. Terrified and angry, the neighbors thronged around the splintered wreckage, challenged police lines, and shouted retaliation. A frightening mob had been awakened. For two hours I wandered about—a white man trying to be inconspicuous—looking, listening, talking to strangers, forming another chapter in a continuing series about violence and hate that seemed to dominate the life of every reporter and photographer at The Birmingham News. I left quietly, driving carefully out of there, running red lights, not stopping until I was at the newspaper and writing.
January had set the course for 1963. New governor George Wallace shouted “Segregation forever!” at his inauguration. Spring brought Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to Birmingham to refuel his movement, which led to church rallies, street protests, the use of dogs and fire hoses, and children being arrested. Summer was unending turmoil. Boycotted downtown businesses were at the breaking point, bold churches that reached moderation were threatened, extremists branded this college integrationist, and Chamber of Commerce leaders conceded their only choice was to negotiate secretly with King. Ongoing national news coverage ultimately felled the city to its knees. Outlawed as the most segregated place in America, “Bombingham” made concessions that included removing racist signs from public water fountains and rest rooms. But Birmingham was far from being at peace with itself. That became horribly evident on Sept. 15, 1963. The eleven o’clock service was about to start at 16th Street Baptist Church, downtown’s anchor black church. Children were robing to sing when a massive dynamite blast tore open a basement outside wall and killed four young girls—Denise McNair, 11; Addie Mae Collins, 10; Carol Robertson, 14; and Cynthia Wesley, 14. Two more teen-agers would die before midnight in other city-wide violence: Johnny Robinson and Virgil Ware.
BSC partners with city to mark anniversary of civil rights movement Inspired by the courage of Marti Turnipseed and countless others who sacrificed for the movement, Birmingham-Southern and the city of Birmingham will co-host a march in Marti’s honor. The march will be held Wednesday, April 24, and will mirror the steps the young woman took as she walked off the Hilltop to join a sit-in downtown. BSC students, faculty, staff, alumni, friends, and neighbors are invited to join in the 2.1mile walk from campus to Kelly Ingram Park. The event will kick off at 9:30 a.m. at Birmingham-Southern. Area gospel choirs will line the route and join the marchers as they progress, and the BSC Concert Choir will perform at the closing ceremony. BSC President Gen. Charles C. Krulak, Birmingham Mayor William Bell, and Rev. Spencer Turnipseed, Marti’s brother, will also speak. 30 / ’southern
Reporters worked the story late into the night, and feared the worst again when newly integrated local schools opened on Monday. More mobs were gathering. King was saying Wallace had the four girls’ blood on his hands. Federal troops were arriving. Shame and rage shrouded everything. I finally headed home, wondering how long it would take us to overcome evil with good. Decades, I would come to learn. Years of learning to trust and respect each other, learning that we all form the backbone of Birmingham, learning that if we all pulled hard enough we could lift our city off its knees and place it tall at the threshold of greatness. Not easy, and we’re still working at it. *Brown is the author of Forward, Ever, a history of Birmingham-Southern published in 2005. The former executive editor of The Tuscaloosa News and Florence Times-Daily, he is a career journalist.
Brown at his book-signing
The goal, said Krulak, is to unite the community in order to build a brighter future for Birmingham and the world. “This is not about what happened yesterday. It’s about what’s happening today and what will happen the day after tomorrow,” he said. “We know how important Birmingham was in moving this nation to do the right thing. Now it’s time to show that we’re continuing to move forward, and that BSC is ready to go to the next level in terms of its commitment to the community.” In addition to the march, BSC has planned
a full slate of events to commemorate the 50th anniversary of 1963; those remaining are listed below. All events are free and open to the public. Check back for updates at www.bsc.edu/forwardbirmingham. • April 7, 4 p.m., Jazz on the Hilltop, free community concert, Lake Park • April 24, 9:30 a.m., Forward, Ever Birmingham! march and celebration • Sept. 6, Opening of the three-week Hate Project Art Exhibition, a sculptural illustration by Art Professor Steve Cole depicting the 1,018 hate groups currently active in the U.S.Sept. 17, 11 a.m., “Four Spirits: Presentation and Reading” by best-selling author Sena Jeter Naslund ’64, Norton Theatre • Nov. 2, ceremony honoring Ulysses “Skip” Bennett ’67 during halftime of BSC’s Homecoming football game, Panther Stadium winter-spring 2013 / 31
ê Alumni reflections
Jim Neel ’71
I
’ve often wondered why Alpha Robertson singled me out, chose me to be her child. But she did, and because she did, my life has followed a different path. On the surface it would have seemed we had little in common. She was much older than I, a little older even than my own mother. Her world was that of books, mine a world of art, she a librarian, I a sculptor. Our conversations were always about family. My family. My life. When did my exhibition open at the museum in Montgomery? Did I have pictures of my brother’s new daughter? She brightened with each of my accomplishments, with the little things that made me happy. Just being around her lifted me, for there was such gentle goodness and sincere compassion about her that she appeared to shine. She and I spoke in this way, for some time, more than a year, before a colleague of mine casually mentioned the tragedy of Alpha’s life with the presumption that I already knew, that I must have known, should have known, that Carole Robertson was her daughter. My initial shock of the revelation quickly turned to disbelief and embarrassment. How could I not have known? Did Alpha assume I did know and was simply too self-centered and callous not to speak of her loss? What must she think of me? When Carole died in the rubble of the 16th Street Baptist Church that September day in 1963, she and I were the same age, but I had been across town in the safety of my all-white Methodist church. Did Alpha not resent that I stood there alive, a member of the race that had murdered her daughter
Segregationists during a 1964 rally at the corner of Eighth Avenue West and Jasper Road.
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simply for the fact that her skin was of a different hue? When she looked in my face, was it not painted in the color of our collective white guilt? Did she not see Robert Chambliss every time she saw me? But those were the questions of my immature heart. Alpha’s heart was much larger. It was selfless. It had the capacity for forgiveness. I wish I could say that she passed that grace Neel on to me, but I don’t think I possess her kind of charity. I am pretty sure that, situations reversed, vengeance and bitterness would have consumed my being. But the one thing I do know for a certainty is that, at this 50th anniversary year, it is her example, not mine, that we must follow. It is Alpha who can lead us forward. *Alpha Robertson died in 2002. In 2001, she testified in the trial of Thomas Blanton Jr. and Bobby Frank Cherry, the last of the four KKK members responsible for the bombing that killed her teenage daughter, thus surviving a 38-year wait for justice. *Neel is an associate professor of art at BSC whose sculpture, drawings, and photography have appeared in national exhibitions.
ê Alumni reflections
Rev. Sarah “Sally” McKleskey Allocca ’87
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rowing up in the late ’60s and early ’70s, I believed that every child had new textbooks and school supplies to help them learn. I believed that children everywhere were safe playing outside. I believed that people regarded one another as God regards each one of us as precious, and worthy of respect. Almost five years later, I know that what I believed to be true was actually wrong in many cases. I have, for the Allocca last 21 years, been a pastor in what many people erroneously consider a dangerous neighborhood and others politely call a “changed neighborhood.” I see how the injustice of 50 years ago has been visited upon the children and children’s children. Youngsters come through our doors actually hungry in this land of plenty, and teenagers stalk the streets with vicarious anger. Many adults seem caught in systems beyond their control that still reek of the sins of the past. In a church that chooses radical hospitality as its particular mission, I see how much work there is left to be done to see one another through God’s eyes. The struggles of diversity are still real and poignant in our day. But, I also see how far we’ve come.
As we gather at the Welcome Tabl--rich and poor, black and white, broken and wounded, eager and open—I have hope for what is and what is to come. We gather together, many and different as we are, as the family of God. On a practical level, we also gather around physical tables, as often as we can, to eat together. It is harder to distrust or demean someone when you are sharing good food with them. I think that may be why we hear so many stories of Jesus at the table. In looking back over my life, I think I learned many skills needed for my particular journey at Birmingham-Southern. I learned to have a healthy skepticism of what I had always believed to be true. Professors Franke, Lester, Gossett and Wells pushed me often. “That’s good, but not good enough, Sally. Think! You’ve describe the problem well, now what are you going to do about it?” I learned passion and tenacity and the endless ways that we as humans can learn and change. Important tools for this journey of hospitality I am on, and I am grateful. *Allocca is the pastor of East Lake First United Methodist Church and founder and executive director of P.E.E.R., Inc.
P.E.E.R., Inc.’s East Lake Community Kitchen expands access to fresh, nutritious foods. winter-spring 2013 / 33
Community engagement and outreach prevalent at BSC One of Birmingham-Southern’s main goals has been to forge and strengthen community partnerships that improve lives beyond the college’s gates. Through a range of community engagement and outreach activities, students, faculty, and staff have plenty of opportunities to involve themselves in Birmingham’s rich history and its deep social ties to the Hilltop. Students, especially, get to branch out into the city, see its neighborhoods, and address issues of concern. “Community and public service have always been at the forefront of what we do here, and we can never tell these stories often enough,” said BSC President Gen. Charles C. Krulak. Here are just a few current programs and projects: • Close to 150 student-athletes participated in the citywide MLK Service Day on Jan. 21 in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and in conjunction with the 2013 National Day of Service. The group distributed shoes to needy children in the community and assisted with school clean-up projects. • This spring, Dr. William Holt’s Urban sociology students are developing and conducting a usage study for Railroad Park in downtown Birmingham. Camille Spratling ’98 (MPPM ’07), executive director of the Railroad Park Foundation, will work with the students on a planning forum to assess park needs; students will also conduct a park-users survey in April. The foundation will use the data to assist in their future grant requests. • The education department is partnering with NorthStar Youth Ministries to train and equip academic instructors for the summer program Camp NorthStar. For more than a decade, BSC has hosted this academic enrichment day camp that helps dozens of youngsters from west Birmingham boost their learning over the summer. Camp NorthStar is directed by Paul Neville MPPM ’07. • BSC’s Urban Environmental Studies program recently received a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Education grant to analyze soil samples from around Birmingham. Associate Professor of Chemistry Dr. Scott Dorman, Assistant Professor of Biology Dr. Scot Duncan, UES Administrative Coordinator Francesca Gross, and UES Program Coordinator Dr. William Holt are leading this interdisciplinary look at pollution in Birmingham’s old industrial neighborhoods. Components include on-site data collection by an environmental earth science class, chemistry lab courses to analyze soil samples, and a UES class policy evaluation as well as a UES senior capstone class examining community issues. 34 / ’southern
ê Alumni reflections
Velma Williams, ‘95 MPPM
T
he 50th anniversary of the civil rights movement in Birmingham is not simply a commemorative event or a historical era or a documentary tale. The 1963 movement changed the trajectory of society in America for both good and bad. Although I was a toddler in ’63, I have vague memories of the evening news with Walter Cronkite, and I can still hear my mother’s screams at the horrors of the water hoses, dogs, and the brutality of the events that unfolded nightly. As an adult, I compare those tragic moments to other historical human liberations: the Hebrews from Egypt, the South Africans and apartheid, and the Greeks and Troy (this may be mythological and more about war than suppressing a race of people). However, people that obtain power never share, surrender, or bequeath it to other people; it must be taken. History has proven that a set of circumstances will present itself and the oppressed will stand up regardless of the potential risks to themselves or to loved ones. This inner strength is fashioned from pain, pressure, and the agony of being oppressed. It seems ironic, but the same characteristics that allow people to bear oppression become the same characteristics that make them say “enough.”
• Dr. Sarah Frohardt-Lane, Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow in the history department, is teaching a course this spring entitled “The AfricanAmerican Civil Rights Movement.” The course is a research-history seminar on the black freedom struggle, focusing on local, national, and international events. Students will extend their learning through visits to the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and other local historic sites. • The Southern Environmental Center plans to build its 14th and 15th ecoscapes in the Eastlake and Druid Hills neighborhoods near downtown Birmingham later this year. The EcoScape program utilizes local artwork to illustrate organic gardening practices, provides low-cost nature centers or outdoor learning sites, and offers an oasis of natural beauty in communities. The most recent park was completed in September 2012 in the Riley-Travelick neighborhood near Midfield.
I am privileged to have seen and remember some of the “enough” era. I am a direct benefactor of that era. While matriculating at BSC, in a Human Prospectives course, we engaged in a conversation about the changes in America in the ‘60s. My position, then and now, was that laws changed, but America didn’t. My instructor reminded me that my sitting in a seat at BSC was proof that America had changed. My response was that the mere fact that he felt the need to say that meant that the change was superficial. Laws don’t change people’s hearts. If so, there would have been no need for the 1963 civil rights movement because America declared at conception that “all men” were created equal. I am grateful for being alive during this period of history, knowing that my grandchildren will live in an America that is so vastly different than the one I know. Diversity: it’s just another label that means identify the difference. The question is: different from what? As time moves, so does the norm. Eventually, there will be no norm and hence, no diversity. We will just be. *Williams is vice president of leadership and development at the Greater Birmingham YMCA.
Williams
• The Bunting Center for Engaged Learning and Community Action’s service-learning partnerships include: • Blueprints, a college access partnership between Alabama Possible, Jackson-Olin High School, and Birmingham-Southern, in which BSC students mentor high school students through classroom workshops and field trips to several area colleges. Session topics include financial aid, career assessments, and resume building. • Bush Hills Academy (formerly Woodrow Wilson Elementary School), a K-8 school with whom the college has partnered for many years. Currently, BSC students participate in tutoring and mentoring as well as organizing Student of the Month parties to honor those who excel in character trains like honesty and caring. • Urban Kids, an after-school program for children ages 8-13. BSC student volunteers assist with homework, reading, art activities, and special projects such as field trips to BSC athletic events or art shows, or workshops on nutrition, self-esteem, or bullying.
BSC students work in the Druid Hills community to build ecoscapes.
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Meet some of the faces of BSC
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e have come a long way since 1963. In this academic year, about 17 percent of BirminghamSouthern undergraduates indicated a racial category other than white. Cultural diversity isn’t just important when it comes to attracting students—it enhances the entire collegiate experience. Along with studying in the classroom, students learn from each other and from the unique experiences and cultural backgrounds of their peers. We asked just a few representatives of this millennial generation about their overall perception of diversity, concerns about it, and what this special civil rights 50th anniversary year means to
them. Here’s what they said:
Shay Gibson Junior biology major Hometown: Clanton, Ala. “Diversity is many different things to me. I understand diversity to be more than race or gender. I feel that diversity is about beliefs and personality, too. Every person has specific gifts that God gave them. I feel that these gifts provide diversity. Each and every person is special and different from everyone else. This is true diversity to me. I feel that every person helps to keep our campus, city, and country diverse.”
Saurav Bhandary Freshman biology and economics double major Hometown: Nepal “The 50th anniversary means a lot to me. It wasn’t that long ago that the civil rights movement took place. I’ve studied a lot about the movement, and I am so happy to be here in Birmingham to celebrate the 50th anniversary together with everyone. All the sacrifices Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. made will always be remembered. He fought for the right cause, and even though he is not here physically, he will forever live in our hearts.”
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ê Alumni reflections
Bernard Mays ’05
I
was born in 1982 and have lived in the Birmingham area all of my life. For those growing up in Birmingham, nearly every corner of the city serves as a reminder of the civil rights movement. My perspective on the civil rights movement is not only shaped by walking through the footsteps of history, but also on the intimate stores of sacrifice and success told by my parents and grandparents, who lived through and participated in the movement. Reflecting on their actions and the actions of an entire generation inspires a sense of both gratefulness and responsibility. I’m grateful because I know that I am the beneficiary of victories earned by previous generations. The movement was about equal access to opportunity and equal treatment. The movement continues, but initial victories succeeded in providing people with greater opportunity. My generation’s ability to enjoy so many of the ordinary and extraordinary things in life exists because brave people across this country decided the promise of equality was worth great sacrifice. Any success I have is based on the fact that I stand on the shoulders of folks who were willing to make that sacrifice. The legacy of the civil rights movement compels all of us to acknowledge the fact that inequality and injustice
still exists in our community and our world. The civil rights movement of today is not limited to the pursuit of racial equality; it is the pursuit of equality for people of various racial, ethnic, national origin and gender backgrounds. Cultural norms and other barriers still limit equal opportunity in our workplace, educational institutions, and global political and economic Mays structures. To honor the struggles and achievements of previous generations, my generation should be poised to assume the responsibility of confronting inequality wherever it exists. I look at the past 50 years saddened by some events, but inspired by mankind’s ability to overcome the worst in our nature. *Mays is an assistant controller for Books-a-Million in Birmingham.
Vianca Williams Sophomore international studies major Hometown: Brookwood, Alabama “Our culture is more accepting today no matter what racial or religious differences we have. But sometimes our voluntary and involuntary associations are still largely separated by race. For some, this creates a fear of environments outside of their comfort zone. Communities like BSC that celebrate and embrace diversity help foster healthy relations among people of diverse backgrounds. The impact of a school like BSC won’t stop here. Instead it will spread throughout the country and the world, creating more positivity towards diversity all over.”
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ê Alumni reflections
Sarah McCune ’12
I
was 13 years old when I noticed the teachers give me a harsh look as I went to ask Mrs. Irvin a question. I asked her, “Mrs. Irvin, why do they look at us that way?” Her response is one I have never forgotten, “Because I’m a big black woman and you are a little white girl and the two of us just don’t go together!” Mrs. Irvin and I remain in close contact today and she is one of my biggest supporters. Up until that moment, I was not consciously aware of the differences in our skin colors. I was raised on St. Simons Island, Georgia, in a color blind home, but her answer made me begin to think critically about skin color and race relations. Not too long afterward, she told me that I found myself being bullied by a group of African-Americas girls because I was winning in a game of basketball; they did not think a girl like me should be a basketball player. It only made me play harder. My parents moved me to Birmingham for better schools and my freshman year of high school I began to dig deeper into the history of race. My new high school was less diverse than in Georgia, but I met students from Indian immigrant families. I found my voice in poetry and began to keep written record of my engagement with the world. Two weeks before my sophomore year of high school, I moved to Bozeman, Mont. I missed seeing and engaging with individuals of different cultural
backgrounds. The state was not diverse, and I found myself craving experiential cultural enrichment..After high school, I wanted a liberal arts college that would encourage me to think critically and be a positive agent for change the world. BSC gave me that and so much more. In my four years at BSC, I explored many facets of civil and human rights both in and out of the classroom. Courses like Protest Literature, Introduction to Human Rights, International Fiction, Poetry Workshops, and Performance Studies taught me about African and African-American literature, the similarities between South African apartheid and the Birmingham civil rights movement, how to tell stories through poetry, and how race is ritualized and embodied in everyday life. I tutored a young girl named Kaliyah at Woodow Wilson Elementary, published a book of poetry by children from NorthStar and Urban Kids, and even coached soccer. Seeing the economic, educational, and social injustices of their lives made me all the more determined to use my educational privilege to help others. I saw the potential for systemic changes when I witnessed the first all-female African-American debate team qualify for nationals because of programs like SpeakFirst. Community members and leaders in Birmingham are embodying positive change. Today, I am studying at the Pacific School of Religion and as we discuss the role of race and religion, Birmingham repeatedly comes up as an example of what not to do. But
Aurelien Forget Freshman economics major Hometown: L’isle-sur-la-Sorgue, France “Diversity to me refers to all the ways in which people are different. We must try to understand each other, be open-minded enough to learn about others with different backgrounds, become more tolerant toward each other, and think more openly about the world and its issues.”
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my time at BSC proved otherwise. I know Birmingham’s past, but I also know how far our city has come. Whenever I am asked where I am from, I proudly say Birmingham. I am proud that my alma mater is taking an active leadership role in remembering the city’s role in civil and human rights, but it does not surprise me. BirminghamSouthern fosters and provides profound opportunities for engagement with social justice and equality. Even though I am not able to participate in the 50th anniversary activities, I will proudly wear my 50-year t-shirt and continue my pursuit to be a voice for “Forward, Ever Birmingham!” *McCune is in her first year at the Pacific School of Religion at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, Calif., pursuing her masters in divinity and masters in art and religion.
McCune
Brian Brandt Sophomore pre-engineering major Hometown: Atlanta “One of the issues I feel hurts college kids is that, for the most part, colleges are predominantly white. Of all of the college students enrolled, both full and part time, in the United States, 64.4% are white. Minority students in college make up small percentages: about 13 percent black, 11 percent Hispanic, and 7 percent Asian. I think that this leads to a lack of experience for most college kids—they don’t get a fuller sense of the world around them.”
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DeAngelo Nesby Junior business major Hometown: Mobile “As Birmingham and BSC celebrate the 50th anniversary of the civil rights movement, I have an even greater opportunity to experience and understand what civil rights activists had to endure during that time. We come together as a city in a time of celebration for what has been accomplished, but we understand that the battle for equality is not over. The struggle of those who came before us will continue on through our generation and generations to come until every man and woman is truly considered equal. “
Coty Lovelady Senior religion major Hometown: Montevallo, Ala. “The 50th anniversary of the 1963 civil rights movement allows me to reflect on the stories, history, and personal experiences with race in the South. It also allows me to reflect on where we will be in 50 years. We recently celebrated President Obama’s second inauguration while remembering that one year ago Trayvon Martin lost his life because of the color of his skin. For me, the 50th anniversary is a reminder to keep on, keepin’ on—that the journey we began is far from over.”
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Abigail Dy Senior biology major Hometown: Clanton, Ala. “Oftentimes, diversity is thought of only as the physical features that set people apart. However, the concept of diversity has a much greater meaning than characteristics that can only be seen on the surface. It goes beyond people’s races and into the cultures they encompass, the thoughts they possess, and the emotions they feel. Diversity then allows those differences to be shared with others, allowing them both the chance to learn from these exposures and the opportunity to grow from them.”
Mariela Vega Freshman biology major Hometown: Immokalee, Fla. “Diversity to me means that people from different nationalities can come together and enjoy the same rights. No matter what background the person comes from, they can be respected. And they are able to embrace their cultural traditions and not be judged or ridiculed by people from a different culture. America was built on diversity; people from different countries and backgrounds all came for the same purpose—to live the American dream. Without diversity, we would be a nation without progress.”
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ALUMNI AFFAIRS
Alumni snapshots Birmingham-Southern’s National Alumni Association seeks to provide alums with rewarding connections to the college no matter where they live. Here are just two recent events. For more information about getting involved as well as a schedule of upcoming events and chapter meetings, visit www.alumni.bsc.edu.
Above, left: More than 70 Birmingham-Southern alumni, parents, and friends attended a reception with BSC President Gen. Charles C. Krulak in Atlanta on Feb. 21, hosted by the Atlanta chapter of the college’s Alumni Association. Above, right and below: The Black Alumni Affinity Group hosted its third Brown Bag Luncheon on campus Feb. 6, featuring Tenth Judicial Circuit Judge Helen Shores Lee. She spoke about growing up with her father, prominent civil rights attorney Arthur Shores, and her eyewitness account of the Jim Crow South.
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MOVE BSC FORWARD, EVER!
UTILIZE AN IRA CHARITABLE ROLLOVER A WIN/WIN DEAL Congress recently passed legislation, commonly known as the fiscal cliff law, permitting individuals 70 ½ years of age and older to transfer up to $100,000 from an IRA to BSC free from federal income tax.
Better yet, an IRA rollover gift qualifies for the
required minimum distribution (RMD), resulting in lower taxable income. Thanks to this extension, our alumni, parents and friends have a smart and easy way to make a very important gift to BSC by May 31, 2013.
BSC
Birmingham-Southern College
PHILANTHROPY
Alumni Give First challenge a huge success You’ve probably heard that one of Birmingham-Southern’s biggest goals this year is to significantly increase the college’s alumni giving percentage. Last year, BSC’s overall alumni giving percentage totaled 34 percent, which was a huge increase over the last few years’ total of 28 percent. This year, we want to outdo that and aim to hit 50% by the time the fiscal year ends May 31. Increasing the figure shows the world that Birmingham-Southern alumni support their alma mater, and it makes the college eligible for large corporate and foundation grants. To get the ball rolling, BSC National Alumni Association President Terry Smiley ’94 hosted a rally at Alagasco’s downtown Birmingham headquarters Nov. 12 to encourage some of BSC’s most active local alumni to step up. More than 65 graduates gathered to hear a rousing message from Gen. Charles C. Krulak about the importance of alumni support; he also challenged them to give to the college and encouraged their peers to do so as well. To amp up the efforts, a group of generous alumni also offered to donate $100,000 if 2,500 alumni gave to the college before Dec. 31. The energy from this gathering generated a level of activity among ’Southern alums that had never been seen before. Almost 200 volunteers representing 51 classes contacted the Office of Institutional Advancement and offered to share the challenge with their peers. The result was a record-breaking drive that brought in a total of 2,509 alumni gifts during the challenge period. That brought the alumni giving percentage to 28 percent—the highest-ever level at the midpoint of the fiscal year. And, of course, the college landed the $100,000 challenge gift, bringing the Annual Fund total to $1,037,654 towards its $2 million goal for the fiscal year. There’s still more time, as total annual alumni giving percentage isn’t tallied until May 31. Those who want to volunteer to share the word should contact Susan Ellard ’88 at sellard@bsc.edu or 205-226-4977.
A gift of opportunity Ruby Syx Ansley ’38 passed away in January 2012 and left BirminghamSouthern and the greater Birmingham community a tremendous gift. After attending BSC for a year, Ansley finished her undergraduate degree at the University of Alabama, then went on to establish the UA School of Interior Design. In 1963, she founded Ruby Ansley Interiors Inc. in Mountain Brook Village. Although she only spent a year on campus, her love for BSC lasted a lifetime, and she always remained connected to the college, donating her design services to the President’s House and sorority townhouses on campus. In honor of that dedication, Birmingham-Southern awarded her an Honorary Doctor of Ansley Laws degree in 2003. Following her death, Ansley’s estate gave a $9.3 million bequest to the Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham—the largest gift the Community Foundation has ever received. In an act of steadfast support for Birmingham-Southern, Ansley designated $3 million of the $9.3 million to a fund specifically for BSC. The gift will reside with the Community Foundation, and BSC will receive an annual distribution primarily supporting the Ruby S. and John P. Ansley Scholarship Fund, with the remainder to be used for faculty development. Birmingham-Southern expects to receive approximately $25,000 this year. That yearly sum will grow as the fund continues to mature—and Ansley’s gift will support BSC for many, many years to come. Birmingham-Southern is very thankful for the life and work of Ruby Ansley and for her limitless kindness.
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PHILANTHROPY
2013 Battle of the Greeks
This year’s Greek Week is fast upon us, and for 2013, the competition will include points for the sororities and fraternities whose alumni donate the most to the Annual Fund between June 1, 2012, and April 18, 2013, plus points for those with the highest alumni giving percentage. In 2012, the Greek battle increased the college’s overall giving percentage by five points, raised more than $154,000, and gave Pi Phi and Sigma Nu the points they needed to land the coveted Greek Week title. If you’re a fraternity or sorority member, you can go to www.bsc.edu/egiving and designate your gift to the Annul Fund and to your Greek organization. A gift of any size counts, whether it’s $100, $1,000, or $100,000. As a bonus, extra points will be given for ’Southern Society leadership gifts of $1,000 or more. All donations must be in by noon on Thursday, April 18, to count toward Greek Week points. You can follow along at www.bsc.edu/spotlights/greeks or on Facebook at www. facebook.com/battleofthegreeks. And remember—Annual Fund donations are crucial to the college’s financial health and go toward scholarships, faculty and staff salaries, research opportunities, library collections, and technology upgrades.
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Fall sports highlights
The 2012 SAA championship women’s soccer team, led by Head Coach Benji Walton and Assistant Coach Emily Pitek Clifford, poses with the trophy.
Football wins share of first-ever SAA championship The football team posted a 7-3 record this season with a 3-1 mark in the Southern Athletic Association, earning a share of the 2012 conference championship and placing 14 Panthers on the AllSAA team. Seniors Shawn Morris, Alex Miller, Drew Reece, Andrew Shannon, Nick Gordon, and Cory Corcoran, junior Joseph Moultrie, and sophomore Austin Hansard all earned first-team honors. Seniors Jimmy Stainback, Aaron Sherrill, Zack Lambert, and sophomore Ty Keenum made the second team. Sophomore Sam Vermilyea received Honorable Mention.
Volleyball team plays in conference semifinals The volleyball team finished its season with a record of 19-11 overall and 9-5 in the SAA, ending the season in the semifinals of the conference tournament. Seniors Lauren Reibe and Shelby Moore (who was also voted to the SAA All46 / ’southern
Tournament team) were voted to the All-SAA first team, while senior Presley Dickson and junior Alex Bothe were named to the second team, and sophomore Katie O’Bar was given Honorable Mention.
Men’s soccer honored during postseason Men’s soccer received several postseason honors while going 3-0-4 in the conference and 6-5-6 overall. Freshman midfielder Johannes Loeffler was named SAA Newcomer of the Year, and eight BSC men’s soccer players were named to the AllConference teams. Juniors Tobias Winter and Cory Gonzalez were named to the All-SAA first team, while senior Nathan Haywood and junior Brooks Busby earned second team honors. Loeffler, senior Sveinbo Grimsson, sophomore Ryan Deveikis, and freshman midfielder Haraldur Birgisson received All-SAA Honorable Mention. In addition, junior Jeremy Evans, senior Armann Gunnlaugsson, senior Emil Saevarsson, Haywood, Busby, and Winter were named Men’s College Division Scholar Honorable-
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Senior members of the 2012 SAA championship football team, led by Head Coach Eddie Garfinkle
Mention All-South Region by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). Haywood also earned CoSIDA Academic All-Region and Capital One Second-Team Academic All-America honors. As a whole, the team received the NSCAA Team Academic Award for the sixth straight year with a team grade-point average of 3.38.
Women’s soccer posts championship year The 26 members of the team, including nine freshmen, accomplished feats unprecedented in BSC women’s soccer history. The team garnered a 12-6-1 record and was SAA regular season tri-champions with a 6-1 record, tying with Centre College and Rhodes College. Seven players earned SAA AllConference honors: juniors Amanda Babbin and Bailey Kimbell were selected for the first team, while freshman Jessie Sperry garnered second team honors. Additionally, senior Melissa Sweeney, juniors Richelle Byrd and M’Kayl Lewis, and freshman Avery Newcomb were given Honorable Mention. Kimbell has been named Women’s College Division
Scholar Honorable Mention All-South Region by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). The team received the NSCAA Team Academic Award for the fifth straight year and 10th overall with a team grade-point average of 3.36.
Men’s and women’s cross country improve in meets Senior Robert Willett placed second overall to earn First-Team All-Conference honors at the inaugural SAA Cross Country Championship at Choctaw Trails in Clinton, Miss. The BSC men finished fourth, while the women were sixth. Willett, who later finished 17th at the NCAA South Regional to garner All-Region laurels, ran the 8K course with a time of 25:09.5—just three seconds behind conference champion John Kieffe of Centre. For the women, freshman Kelsey Holdbrooks was the top BSC finisher at 16th with a 5K time of 23:59.68. Keep up with the latest in Panther sports at www.bscsports.net.
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ATHLETICS
Wall of honor recipients—Six new members were inducted into the 32nd class of the
Birmingham-Southern Sports Hall of Fame at a banquet held Oct. 20 during Family/Homecoming/Reunion Weekend. The Bob Strain Distinguished Service Award winner also was recognized. Pictured (l to r) are Jennifer Wilkinson ’93, a longtime contributor and official statistician for the college’s basketball teams, who was honored with the 2012 service award; Jeffrey Krogsgard ‘06 (golf); Randy Youngblood (women’s air rifle coach); Thomas and Aundrea Reed, who accepted the honor on behalf of their late son, Thomas “T.R.” Reed II ’03 (basketball); and Connor Robertson ’05 (baseball). Not pictured: Mike Nickoli ’01 (baseball) and Jennifer Walker ’00 (soccer). A total of 178 individuals have been inducted into the BSC Sports Hall of Fame for outstanding contributions to the college’s athletics program.
Men’s basketball caps a winning year, women end season notably The Birmingham-Southern men’s basketball team posted another winning season this winter, going 20-8 overall with a 10-4 mark in the Southern Athletic Association. The Panthers were also 10-1 at home at Bill Battle Coliseum. BSC advanced to
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ATHLETICS
BSC lands new coaches for men’s tennis, women’s golf Birmingham-Southern has named Kel Lange its new head men’s tennis coach. Lange comes to the Hilltop with an extensive coaching background in the SEC and Big 12. A native of Lexington, Ky., he spent four seasons at the University of Kentucky as the assistant women’s tennis coach. He left the Bluegrass state to become the head women’s coach at Mississippi State University, where he spent the next four years returning the Bulldogs to respectability. Lange and his wife Tracy then moved to College Station, Texas, where he was the assistant men’s tennis coach at Texas A&M University. In their first season, the Aggies were recognized as having the top recruiting class in the country and returned to a Top 20 national ranking. “Kel impressed all of us with his energy and enthusiasm for teaching tennis,” BSC Lange Athletics Director Joe Dean Jr. said. “His longtime involvement with youth tennis and his passion for college coaching will serve our tennis student-athletes very well for years to come.” Lange’s experience also includes working with professional players, including French Open doubles champions Luke and Murphy Jensen. Betty Palmer, a longtime University of Alabama coach who took seven teams to NCAA Regional berths, will take over BSC’s women’s golf program on June 1. Palmer has been an athletic administrator and coach over the last 22 years at the college and high school levels, including 17 seasons as head women’s golf coach for UA. She was named SEC Coach of the Year in 1993 and coached five All-Americans and 17 All-SEC athletes, along with 34 Academic All-Americans and 87 Academic All-SEC award winners. “We are very excited to have Betty lead our women’s golf team here at BirminghamSouthern,” Dean said. “She brings us a wealth of golf knowledge and experience and will be a wonderful role model for our student-athletes.” Palmer has been active in several organizations through the years, including serving on the NCAA Golf Committee from 1995-98 and acting as the committee chair from 1995-97. In 1998, Palmer guided the U.S. golf team in the U.S.-Japan Fuji Xerox Championship matches, and she was active in the Southeastern Women’s Championship from 1993-2002. Palmer
the finals of the SAA Championship, hosted by Centre College in Danville, Ky., falling to the Colonels by two points in the championship game for a final score of 46-44. Senior Blaise White was named conference Defensive Player of the Year for the second straight year, while senior Zac Richards and freshman Larry Thomas were both named First-Team All-Conference and SAA All-Tournament. White and senior Kevin Kegarise also earned All-SAA Honorable Mention accolades. Richards was also named CoSIDA Academic All-Region
and Capital One Third-Team Academic All-America. He led the SAA and ranked eighth in the nation in field goal percentage (63.4%). The Panther women’s team finished the year with a 12-14 record and a 7-7 record in SAA play. Senior Melanie Short was named First-Team All-Conference as well as CoSIDA Academic All-Region. She ranked fifth in the conference in both field goal percentage (48.3%) and blocks (17).
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CLASSNOTES
ClassNotes ‘55 The Poor Among Us: Poverty in America is the fourth book and the second on the subject of poverty written by Dr. Charles Emory Burton of Dallas, Texas. The book was recently published by John Wallace Press.
Courtesy of Wendy Prejean
AlumNews ’03 Drew Belk has been working in country music for about five years in Nashville, Tenn. Since 2008, Belk has performed music full-time with artists like sheDaisy, Grand Ole Opry member Pam Tillis, and a number of others. In May 2009, he was asked to play a showcase with a previously unreleased artist named Easton Corbin, for whom he is currently band leader and utility player (primarily on pedal steel guitar and keyboards). Easton has since had four chart hits, including two number ones: “A Little More Country Than That” and “Roll with It.” Belk has performed with Easton and his band a number of times on the stages of The Grand Ole Opry and the Ryman Auditorium. Among their headlining dates, they have been fortunate to have supported performers like Brad Paisley, Rascal Flatts, and Blake Shelton, with whom they will begin a new tour in June 2013. After graduating from BSC, Belk worked with Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church in contemporary church music. Two years later, he auditioned at Belmont University in Nashville and began a master’s degree in classical guitar that would open doors for him in Music City, where he began networking his way into its music community. “I soon saw the need for what is commonly called a ‘utility player,’ a person who plays multiple instruments,” Belk said. “I realized I had to broaden my focus wider than just acoustic and classical guitar to other instruments, including pedal and lap steel guitar, banjo, dobro, and keyboards. “ During degree work at Belmont, he worked on each instument and took all the dates he was offered with local acts to get the stage experience he knew he would need. “Travel and performance are fulfilling to me,” he remarked. “My hope for the future lies in live performance and perhaps later working in music education. Recording my own fingerstyle compositions—mostly lullabies—and helping others record their own music is an area of work that excites me.” “I’ve always been grateful to BSC and the music department for helping me lay the foundation for living out my passion,” Belk said.
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The Alabama Humanities Foundation recently announced its new Whetstone-Seaman Faculty Development Award competition. The biannual essay competition, funded by AHF board member Bob Whetstone of Birmingham and his sister, Janet Whetstone Seaman, a former AHF board member, is open to all non-tenured humanities scholars who hold full-time positions at accredited Alabama colleges and universities. The purpose of the award, according to Whetstone, is to engage emerging scholars in the state and involve more of them in the work AHF does.
‘58 Carl Martin Hames’ teaching legacy was honored posthumously in a recently published book—a collaboration by one of his former students at the Altamont School in Birmingham and two others. Larger Than Life features stories, anecdotes, and recollections of Hames by more than 70 of his old students, Altamont faculty members, and others who knew him well, including authors Charles Gaines and Fannie Flagg. A new recording by Dr. S T Kimbrough Jr. entitled Christmas Lullabies was released in December 2012 by Arabesque Records. His newest book, Radical Grace: Justice for the Poor and Marginalized—Charles Wesley’s Views for the Twentyfirst Century, was published by Cascade Books/Wipf and Stock
in 2012. Kimbrough is a research fellow of the Center for Studies in the Wesleyan Tradition of Duke Divinity School in Durham, N.C., and founder of the Charles Wesley Society.
‘64 Suella McCrimmon retired as a member of the mathematics faculty at East Georgia State College in 2007. She resides in Swainsboro, Ga., where, she says, “there are more pine trees than people.” This past spring, McCrimmon completed a diploma in forest technology at Southeastern Technical College in Swainsboro. She plans to volunteer in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park this spring. “I like to learn, and retirement is fun,” she wrote.
’66 Dr. Sidney R. Hill Jr. of Starkville, Miss., recently completed his fourth six-week tour as a visiting professor at Ramkhamhaeng University in Bangkok, Thailand. Hill retired from the department of communication at Mississippi State University in July 2008.
‘68 Laura Brasfield Gearhart recently retired after 28 years of teaching in Episcopal schools in Alabama and Texas and has retired to Tennessee to be near her grandchildren. “Life is good, thanks be to God!” she said.
‘70 Willard Whitson has been promoted to president and CEO of the National Children’s Museum in Washington, D.C. Whitson has worked for
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such distinguished institutions as the American Museum of Natural History and the Academy of Natural Sciences. He has provided consultant design services for the Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale University and the New York City Parks and Recreation Department, among others. He also has designed and managed exhibit projects that interpret the fossils that depict life’s ancient history, the art of John James Audubon, and more.
‘72 Dr. Marilyn Brown, professor of art history at the University of Colorado at Boulder, wrote an invited essay for an exhibition that opened in September at the Grand Palais in Paris. “Vagabonds, Ragpickers, Mountebanks, and Other Marginals,” in appeares? Bohemias: Leonardo da Vinci to Picasso, ed. Sylvain Amic (Paris: Réunion des Musées Nationaux, 2012).
‘75 Dr. Richard McKee and Renee Hyche McKee ’76 of Cary, N.C., are proud to announce that their son, Michael, is a drummer with the band Delta Rae, which recently released its first CD Carry the Fire. Delta Rae released the album at LA’s legendary Troubadour nightclub. “They are signed with Warner Brothers Records and are playing to sell-out crowds all over the country,” said Renee.
’76 Terry Cooper was one of four people inducted into the latest class of the Etowah County Sports Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony was held in July at the Convention Hall in Gadsden. In high school, Cooper helped lead the Gadsden Rebels to the state basketball championship. As a senior on the BSC men’s basketball
team, he led the squad in scoring and was chosen the Panthers’ MVP. His excellence during his two-year career at BSC earned him a spot in the Birmingham-Southern Sports Hall of Fame. Cooper is employed with the Mountain Brook school system.
‘80 Denise Clegg Bennett was featured in the August 2012 issue of the art and culture magazine Belle. Bennett is a professional storyteller and chaplain at the Hermitage retirement community in Richmond, Va. Read the article here: http://issuu.com/styleweekly/ docs/belle_aug_2012.
Graduating senior—This term has taken on a whole new meaning for Connie “Constance” Boze Butler ’59 of Downers Grove, Ill. Rather than sliding into retirement, Butler decided to test the waters of higher education. This past October, at age 75, she earned her Ph.D. in interdisciplinary studies from the Union Institute & University in Cincinnati, Ohio. The title of her dissertation was “What is the Experience of Integrating the Feldenkrais Method into the Life and Practice of a Select Number of Physical Therapists?” It was a qualitative study that included interviewing dual-trained Feldenkrais practitioners/physical therapists throughout the United States. Butler was trained as a physical therapist and later as a Feldenkrais practitioner. Her graduation was a special occasion that was viewed by her husband of 48 years, Tom; son, Tom Jr., and his wife, Kristin, who reside in London; and son, Matthew, and his wife, Amy, and their two sons, Liam (age 5) and Alex (age 2), who reside in Riverside, Ill. “Studying for my Ph.D. was my longtime desire that was finally filled during my 75th year of life,” Butler commented.
‘81 Daniel K. Filer and Paul Johnson are the managing partners of Next Step Executive Search in Mountain Brook. Filer has headed marketing strategies for 18 years for various companies, including headhunting firms. In an Aug. 5, 2012, Birmingham News article, they shared their thoughts on the labor markets in Birmingham.
‘82 Amy Wingard Templeton was named CEO of the McWane Science Center in Birmingham in November. She formerly worked for the Birmingham Museum of Art, where she was deputy director and COO.
‘83 Deborah Ingram Miller has been named managing principal at Tuscaloosa-based Ken Chapman & Associates Inc., a human resources and leadership development firm. She is responsible for daily operations. Miller worked for more than 30 years for U.S. Pipe in Birmingham.
‘84 Terry Chapman, owner of Business Electronics Corp., is now executive vice president of the Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce.
‘85 Jay Simmons will succeed John Byrd as president of Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa. Simmons, 50, has been president of Iowa Wesleyan College in Mount Pleasant for the past four years. The transition will officially occur in May at the end of the current academic year. Simmons, a native
of Muscle Shoals, was chosen after a nationwide search.
’86 This past December, Joanie StiffLove became the City of Mobile’s special events coordinator. She is responsible for the city’s New Year’s Eve celebration, the Moon Pie Drop; Market in the Square/ Park, which provides a venue to sell locally cultivated and crafted merchandise; and the annual International Bayfest held each August, just to name a few.
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CLASSNOTES 1 at the ZTA national convention in Louisville, Ky. The National Council of ZTA formulates the policies by which the fraternity functions and coordinates the activities of the entire fraternity. The vice president collegiate II supervises regional officers and college chapters in seven states.
A family of white coats—Proud papa Robert
T. Cale Jr. ‘70, MD, of Whitefish, Mont., is pictured with his daughter, Heather, who graduated from Emory University and recently matriculated at the University of Washington Medical School in Seattle. All new medical students have a “white coat ceremony.” Robert’s family has quite a history of white coats as well as Birmingham-Southern graduates, including his mother, Ruth Cale ’48; his late father, Robert T. Cale Sr. ’42, MD; his brother, Thomas V. Cale ’73; and his cousin, John Cosper ‘69. Robert’s late maternal grandfather, Reid Varnon, attended BSC back in the days when it was still called the “Birmingham Boy’s School.” “If Heather makes it through medical school, she will be the fourth consecutive generation to bear the name ‘Dr. Cale,’” said Robert.
’87 Rev. Sarah “Sally” McCleskey Allocca, founder and executive director of P.E.E.R. Inc., was recently recognized as a Strengthening Food Security Champion of Change. She was selected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and traveled to Washington, D.C., to visit the White House and accept the prestigious award. Allocca has been instrumental in increasing access to fresh, healthy food and other resources in the East Lake area of Birmingham.
‘88 Suzanne Schmith Van Wyk has been appointed an administrative law judge for the Florida Division of Administrative Hearings. She was formerly a shareholder with
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the law firm of Bryant Miller Olive in the Tallahassee (Fla.) office. Van Wyk also has been certified as a specialist in city, county, and local government law by the Florida Bar.
‘93 Lynn Compton Chapman of Birmingham has been elected to her first term on the National Council of Courtesy of ZTA Zeta Tau Alpha Women’s fraternity for the 2012-14 biennium. Chapman was a member of the Alpha Nu chapter of ZTA at BSC. She was installed as vice president collegiate II July
Dr. Clint Peinhardt started out his eighth year of teaching at the University of Texas at Dallas with a 2012 UT Regents Outstanding Teaching Award recognizing his performance in the classroom and dedication to innovation and advancing excellence. Peinhardt was one of two university faculty members honored this fall. He teaches in the School of Economic, Political, and Policy Sciences at UTD. Susan Shelton Vigon of Manhattan Beach, Calif., is vice president of business and legal affairs for Fox Networks Group in Los Angeles. Vigon was previously corporate counsel for Hearst Television Inc. in New York City. She and her husband, Carlos, have a son, Carlos Paxton “Pax,” who is almost three.
‘94 Scott D. Perry, owner of Contri Bros. Gift Basket, is the new board chair of the Vestavia Hills Chamber of Commerce.
’95 Christopher P. Couch has joined Haskell Slaughter Young & Rediker LLC as a member of its Transactional Practice Group. Couch received his J.D. magna cum laude from the University of Alabama School of Law, where he served on the Alabama Law Review. He was named in 2012 as one of Birmingham’s top attorneys in the area of corporate finance by Birmingham
magazine, and was honored as a “Rising Star” in the areas of banking and business/corporate in the 2011 edition of Alabama Super Lawyers. Dr. Adrian DiVittorio was chosen as one of the winners of Mobile Bay’s “2012 Class of Forty Under 40.” The honorees have distinguished themselves through their leadership, professional excellence, and community service. In her debut collection, Skinny (Kore Press, 2012), poet Carolyn Hembree creates a world at once immediate and recognizable yet imbued with nostalgia. The title character of Skinny leaves the South and a beloved, dying matriarch for New York City—a “far-off island dream.” Hembree’s poems have appeared in Colorado Review, jubilat, Verse Daily, and The Southern Poetry Anthology, among other journals and anthologies. She is an assistant professor of English at the University of New Orleans. Dr. Benjamin Roberts completed his residency in ophthalmology at UAB and Callahan Eye Foundation Hospital in 2003 and a fellowship in vitreo-retinal surgery in 2005. In 2011, he returned to Kenya with his wife and three boys, where he is serving at Tenwek Mission Hospital. He had spent four previous years working there. The sponsoring organization is World Gospel Mission, which began the hospital in 1959. “I am the only ophthalmologist here, and work with a local staff of about 15 people,” he noted. Read more about his work in Africa at www.benandjennyroberts.com.
CLASSNOTES ’96 Mary Margaret “Meg” Williams Fiedler of Montgomery has been working as a staff attorney for James Allen Main, associate justice on the Alabama Supreme Court, since January 2012. Ted Whisenhunt of Young Harris, Ga., will serve as a juror in ArtsRevive’s 11th annual juried art exhibition, which was March 9 - April 28 in Selma. Whisenhunt is chair of the art department and associate professor of art at Young Harris College. He earned an MFA from Florida State University and also studied traditional oil painting at the University of Lorenzo de Medici in Florence, Italy.
‘97 Franklin Danley was recently promoted to market president of Regions Bank in Jacksonville, Fla. His last position with the company was as a business and community banking executive in Alabama for the past five and a half years. The members of Miller & Martin PLLC in Atlanta have elected Ashley Halfman to membership in the firm. Halfman is a corporate attorney specializing in mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures, high growth and emerging companies, and corporate finance. Halfman also provides pro bono legal services for several organizations. She received her J.D. from the University of Georgia School of Law. Edith Major is the owner of an event planning company in Birmingham called Major Occasions. She said
her love for event entertainment planning started with a banquet honoring the Negro League’s legendary baseball players nearly 13 years ago.
‘98 Stites & Harbison PLLC recently announced that Brian C. Neal has been elected to membership in the law firm. Neal is a member of the Nashville firm’s Business Litigation and Torts & Insurance Practice Service Groups. He concentrates his practice on trial work in connection with complex commercial disputes, badfaith insurance defense, product liability and general litigation. Neal was named a “Rising Star” by MidSouth Super Lawyers for 2012. He received his law degree from the University of Michigan Law School in 2002. Dr. Hillary Hettinger Steiner was awarded the national Excellence in Teaching Award at the adjunct faculty level from the American Psychological Association. She and her family moved to Marietta, Ga., in July when she joined the faculty of the Department of FirstYear Programs at Kennesaw State University.
AlumNews ’05 Shema Mbyirukira, an attorney at the law firm of Maynard, Cooper & Gale P.C., has been elected vice president of the Magic City Bar Association. The MCBA was formed in 1984 to advance the needs of African-American attorneys within the Birmingham-metro area. He will aid the president in the performance of her duties, supervise and report to the executive board on the activities of the association’s committees, and supervise the association’s community outreach programs. At the law firm, Mbyirukira works as an associate in the Insurance and Financial Services Litigation and the International Trade Regulation practice groups. He focuses his practice on insurance litigation, including cases involving bad faith, coverage disputes, multi-plaintiff and individual contestable claims, and stranger-owned life insurance matters. Mbyirukira received his BSC degree in accounting, cum laude, and played on the Panther basketball team all four years. He was a two-time recipient of the Big Southern Conference Men’s Basketball Scholar Athlete of the Year Award, and received the Johnny Johnson Most Inspirational Senior Student Athlete Award his senior year. Before attending law school, Mbyirukira worked for the accounting firm of Ernst & Young LLP in Atlanta as an information systems auditor in the firm’s Technology & Securities Risk Services Group. He received his law degree from the University of North Carolina School of Law in 2010, where his honors included Dean’s List Honoree, Honor Court, and James E. and Carolyn B. Davis Society. “It is not an exaggeration to say that BSC students are known the world over for their commitment to community service,” he said. “Not surprisingly, that strong desire to serve carries over into our professional lives. This year marks a particularly special year for BSC students and alumni to serve our community as we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the civil rights movement.” Mbyirukira will wed Amelia Black, a graduate student at Marymount University in Arlington, Va., on May 26.
‘00 Laurel Jackson Calloway and her family have started a new business venture in Opelika called Jane Sweet Jane. The boutique features hand-painted pillows, placemats, lamps, curtain panels, and other home décor. The business recently was recognized by publications such as East Alabama Living and Society South. Calloway and her family members plan to start a cookie line in the near future.
Senator-elect Tim Kaine recently announced several new staffers who will lead his Washington, D.C.-based communications team, including Kate McCarroll as director of scheduling. McCarroll is a veteran of Virginia politics and most recently served as the campaign manager for Jeff Bourne’s successful campaign for the Richmond school board. Prior to returning to political work, she served as the director of scheduling for President John DeGioia at Georgetown University.
‘01 Will Aycock recently completed the Chartered Financial Analyst program, earning the right to use the CFA designation. He and his wife, Lindsay, live in Birmingham, where he works for Doucet Asset Management as a fixed income specialist and trader.
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Four feet and 3,100 miles—This spring, Forrest
Boughner ’09 and his girlfriend, Sara Hooker, intend to take a more than 3,000-mile walk. Going south to north, the two plan to hike the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail, stretching from Mexico to Canada. They will trek rugged territory through New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, and a small part of Idaho and Montana. They will pass through Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, and Glacier National Park in Montana. They plan to start in April at Crazy Cook Monument in the Big Hatchet Game Refuge on the Mexico/ New Mexico border and end their journey in late September in Waterton Park in Glacier National Park, a few miles across the border in Canada. During their walk, they will make a town stop every now and then for food and supplies, laundry chores, and to update their trip blog at http://cdthike.blogspot.com. “We both feel the need for a big trip, and this trail will provide adventure, a chance to escape for a while, and the experience of a lifetime,” said Boughner.
William M. Moore Jr. was chosen as one of the winners of Mobile Bay’s “2012 Class of Forty Under 40”. The honorees featured have distinguished themselves through their leadership, professional excellence, and community service.
’02 James Drysdale started a new job as assistant director of admissions communications at Maryville College in Maryville, Tenn. Jennifer Luck also recently started at Maryville as technical director for the theatre department.
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‘03
Will Crenshaw of Atlanta will become its first brewer. Crenshaw formerly worked as a brewer for Sweetwater Brewing Co. Before that, he completed the University of California-Davis’s Master Brewers Program and passed a nine-hour examination. Crenshaw is the first brewer in Alabama to have graduated from the program.
the Birmingham area. Harper has established her own studio with a focus on piano. She also leads a jazz combo named Lady and the Tramps as pianist and vocalist. “We perform for corporate events, wedding receptions, and other special occasions,” she explained. Landon Rogan ’07 is the drummer.
Robin Parks Ennis, a doctoral candidate at Georgia State University, has joined the Representative Assembly of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). Ennis began her three-year term as student representative on Jan. 1, 2013. Her contributions
George Augustus Nelson IV recently began his residency in internal medicine at UAB Hospital and hopes to complete his training in 2014.
to CEC include serving as a proposal reviewer for the 2012 CEC Convention & Expo and as a guest editor for Beyond Behavior, the magazine of the Council for Children with Behavior Disorders. She earned a master’s degree in special education from the Peabody College of Vanderbilt University. Katie Holmes has been named program director of the Children’s Dance Foundation in Birmingham, leading more than 25 teaching artists and 600 students in CDF’s Studio and Community Partnership Programs. She is an adjunct faculty member at BSC.
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In September, Kate Drummond began a dual master’s degree program at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business and School of Natural Resources and Environment.
Rebecca Beers, an attorney with Haskell Slaughter Young & Rediker LLC, has been elected to the executive board of the Young Lawyers Section of the Birmingham Bar Association for 2013. With more than 3,000 members, the BBA is the largest local bar association in Alabama.
If you’ve seen the Wendy’s commercials featuring a cute redhead, that’s Morgan Smith Goodwin. She is the face of the restaurant’s national ad campaign and its major spokesperson. She resides in New York City with her husband.
Sarah Roberts is attending the University of Notre Dame for a Ph.D. in lunar petrology.
‘05 When Trim Tab Brewing Company opens this summer in Birmingham,
Tamara McLeod Harper is now teaching private music lessons in
Erin Wakeman won the 2012 Concorso Internazionale di Canto Lirico Francesco Albanese (Francesco Albanese International Singing Competition) in Naples, Italy. Upon completing her graduate studies at the New England Conservatory of Music in 2008, she moved to Italy where she has lived ever since. In the Concorso Internazionale di Canto Lirico, she won the “Neapolitan Songs” category and was a finalist in the “Opera” category.
’07 Lucy Hamilton Daniel graduated from Samford University’s McWhorter School of Pharmacy in May 2012 with a doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) degree. She was accepted into one of two positions as a postgraduate year-one pharmacy practice residency specializing in pediatrics at Children’s of Alabama in Birmingham. J. Wilson Nash has joined the law firm of Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP in Birmingham as a first-year associate. Nash will serve as a member of the Litigation and Construction and Procurement practice groups. Jennifer Turnham Nelson has started her medical residency in dermatology at UAB Hospital and hopes to complete her training in 2015.
Military News Here is just a sampling of Birmingham-Southern alumni who are either serving or have served our country for liberty and freedom. We thank each of you for your sacrifices!
Air Force
National Guard
Lt. Col. Larry D. Mosley ‘58 USAF (Ret.), of Pensacola, Fla., served 25 years as an Air Force chaplain. He served in Thailand/Vietnam, Germany, Greenland, and England and in seven stateside assignments, retiring in 1992. Mosley retired from the North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church in 2001, and most recently he retired from the Chaplancy of Azalea Trace retirement community in Pensacola. He served as president of the board of the Council on Aging of West Florida and as president of the Board of Milk and Honey Children’s Outreach ministry. Mosley also represented the Board of Global Ministries of the UMC in six countries overseas. He served on a Christian Peacemaker Team in Hebron, Israel, and recently served on a Habitat for Humanity team from Pensacola, joining Everest Build II to build 40 homes for the homeless in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Reynold N. Hoover MPPM ’92 of McLean, Va., was promoted to the rank of major general in the Alabama Army National Guard at a September 2012 ceremony. He was commissioned into the Army in May 1983 through the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and joined the Alabama National Guard in 1988. Hoover was enrolled in the college’s MPPM program during the first Gulf War and interrupted his studies to deploy there. He wrote a thesis on “Leadership of an Explosives Ordinance Hoover Disposal Unit” when he returned.
Army
U.S. Navy ENS Bradley G. Robinson ‘10 returned home in July from a seven-month deployment to the Eastern Mediterranean and Black Seas. He is stationed aboard USS VELLA GULF CG72 out of Norfolk, Va. VELLA GULF is tasked with the ballisticmissile defense mission of Israel and our Eastern European allies. Working towards qualification as a surface warfare officer, Robinson qualified as officer of the deck in late May. He was promoted in February after being selected to serve as ordinance officer after serving onboard as the repair officer. He is the son of Mike Robinson, director of physical fitness and recreation at BSC. Robinson
U.S. Army Major Brian Chapuran ‘97 returned in May from a year-long deployment to Iraq. He is now assigned to the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., at the Office of the Judge Advocate General in the Contract and Fiscal Law Division. U.S. Army SPC Ruth A. Hanks ‘10 of Greenville, S.C., completed Military Police One Station Unit Training last spring and reported for assignment to the 59th Military Police Company in Fort Carson, Colo. On June 1, she was awarded an Army Achievement Medal (AAM) for her selection as 759th Military Police Battalion Soldier of the Quarter, 3rd Quarter FY12. Hanks was awarded a second AAM for her selection as 89th Military Police Brigade Soldier of the Quarter, and a third AAM as 4th Infantry Division (ID) Soldier of the Quarter, 4th Quarter FY12. In January, she was promoted to corporal. She was deployed to Afghanistan last month. Hanks
Navy
Ruth Wilvert ’42 and her husband, Will, of Tallapoosa, Ga., are the focus of the final two chapters of Gallant Men and Women— Memories of American Wars, a 299-page recently published book written by Danny McCarty of Alabama that pays tribute to 63 military veterans. Both Ruth, who served on the home front in the WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service), and her husband are military retirees and retired teachers.
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Starting a rural health career—Wyman (Wil) Gilmore
III ‘11 (second from left), who earned his master’s degree in rural community health while completing his first year in the University of Alabama Rural Medical Scholars Program, received recognition at a convocation in Tuscaloosa last spring to honor his RMSP class. Pictured with him are his parents, Cindy and Wyman Gilmore Jr., and Dr. John Brandon (far right), medical director of the UA Rural Medical Scholars Program. Approximately 10 students per year are accepted into the five-year program. Gilmore entered medical school at UAB in the fall to complete the Rural Medical Scholars Program and to earn his MD. He hopes to return to his hometown of Grove Hill, Ala., as a primary care physician.
’08 West, Lane & Schlager Realty Advisors LLC associate Andrew Genova was featured recently in a national realty publication as having negotiated new leases on behalf of five clients in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Region. The clients are Middlebury College, Excel Services Corp., Bocarsly Emden Cowan Esmail & Arndt LLP, Precision Meetings & Events, and Chorus America. Juliet Pruitt graduated from UAB this past December with a master of art education degree. She is now working as an art teacher for Lincoln Elementary School in Lincoln.
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Morgan Stephens of Jackson, Miss., formerly of Tuscaloosa, has joined the staff as a law clerk for Judge James D. Maxwell II. He earned a law degree from the University of Mississippi School of Law. Shannon Keough Stevens has joined the law firm of Fitzpatrick, Cella, Harper & Scinto in New York City as a patent litigation associate. Dr. Caitlin Elizabeth Wainscott graduated from the University of South Alabama College of Medicine in May 2012 with an MD and is completing her residency training in pediatrics at the University of Florida in Jacksonville.
’09
’12
W. James Pandelis is living in Omihachiman-Shi, Japan, teaching, composing music, and doing creative artwork for ELF English School. He’s written music and drawn art that’s been used in educational Youtube videos that are seen all over the world. English teachers in China and South America use them and have commented on them. Pandelis is currently helping compose music for ELF’s second CD of kid’s songs. The ELF teaching and learning materials company is based in Omihachiman-Shi.
Monecia Miller of Birmingham joined the staff of Indian Springs School as development associate in August. She assists with special events, alumni relations, and fundraising as part of the development team. “I would like to thank BSC for preparing me for this opportunity,” she wrote.
Rev. Miriam Smith is the new associate pastor at Alabaster First United Methodist Church. Smith graduated from Duke Divinity School in Durham, N.C, where she obtained postgraduate degrees in divinity and social work. Over the past several years, she has served with many ministries, including a rural food pantry and the United Methodist Children’s Home. This past summer, Whitney Williams moved to Washington, D.C. to attend Georgetown University. She is a student in the master’s program as well as a teaching fellow in the Community Scholars program.
‘10 Rockette Abigail Gatlin of Cleveland, Tenn., performed at this year’s Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Gatlin began auditioning for the Rockettes at age 19. Her last audition was last May in New York City. In June, she received the call to join the cast as a Radio City Rockette in New York.
‘11 Jacob Coley is now working at Dixon Hughes Goodman, a nationally recognized accounting firm, in Raleigh, N.C.
Amy Sessions is a Fulbright fellow for the 2012-13 academic year at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Lausanne, Switzerland. She conducts cancer research in the Laboratory of Lymphatics and Cancer Bioengineering there. Following the Fulbright, Sessions will attend medical school at UAB and plans to enter the field of international medicine and biomedical research.
Friends Rogers High School in Florence recently welcomed new Pirates baseball head coach Scott Mitchell. Mitchell was a four- year letterman at Mississippi State University. He played on two SEC championship teams, one College World Series team, and was named to the All-SEC tournament team in 1990. Mitchell was an assistant baseball coach at BSC.
Weddings Erin Regan Pennington ’99 to Richard Lynn Jones, June 22, 2012. James Ross Beshear ’02 to Katherine Brevard Mears, Sept. 29, 2012. Allison Christen Hargett ’04 to Timothy England, April 28, 2012. Sara Helen Boohaker ’05 to Matthew Glenn Willette, June 30, 2012.
CLASSNOTES Leslie Wang-Yang Cheng ’05 to Warren Tang, Oct. 27, 2012. Katherine Elizabeth Lewey ’05 to Larry Michael Carr, Sept. 1, 2012. John Bence Carter Jr. ’07 to Megan Michelle Waldrop, June 23, 2012. Dr. Richard William “Trey” Gurich Jr. ’08 to Dianna Marie Thomas, June 9, 2012. Carson Land ’09 to Brian Crawford Davis ’09, July 28, 2012. William Bealle Moore ‘09 to Tiffany Escalante Dy ‘11, July 7, 2012. Anna Kristen Nichols ‘09 to Lt. Kyle Gadoury, Jan. 26, 2013. Christie Wenke ’09 to Claiborne Janey, Aug. 18, 2012. Jacob M. Coley ’11 to Judy Montalvo ’12, June 2, 2012. Emily Peyton Wallace ’11 to Chad Michael Colon, June 23, 2012.
Mike (big sister, Renee). A son, Connor Joseph, March 22, 2012, to Darren Griffin ’01 and wife, Amy. A son, James Duncan V, April 2, 2012, to James Drysdale ’02 and wife, Peyton Caruthers Drysdale ’02 (big sister, Charlotte Quinn). A son, Robert “Holman,” Jan. 26, 2012, to Meredith Randall Underwood ’02 and husband, Andrew (big brother, Jack). A son, Lukas Anthony, Sept. 24, 2012, to Michelle Morrisey Bencomo ‘03 and husband, Anthony. A daughter, Nora Katharina, June 6, 2012, to Dr. Hunter Matthew Holzhauer ’03 and wife, Mikael Cobb Holzhauer ’05 (big brother, Carr). A daughter, Mairi Theresa, July 23, 2012, to Terri Roberts Munro ’03 and husband, Paul Munro ’04 (big brother and sister,
Births
Callum and Eileigh). A daughter, Savannah Grace, March 15, 2012, to Elizabeth Mitchell Jones ’04 and husband, Paul. A son, Robert Gabriel, Sept. 30, 2012, to Michael Edward Dean ’05 and wife, Andrea Boohaker Dean ’05. A daughter, Emmaline Jean, Dec. 29, 2012, to Stacey Henry Rushing ’05 and Dalton Rushing ‘05. A son, William Patrick, Jan. 11, 2012, to Rebecca Morris Wise ’05, and husband, Chase Wise ’06 (big brother, Raughley). A daughter, Lydia Marie, June 21, 2012, to Stefanie Hall Lopez ’06 and husband, Josh. A son, Robert Styles Jr., Oct. 1, 2012, to Katherine Lester Mooty ’07 and husband, Robert Styles Mooty ’08. A son, Riley Corin, July 6, 2012, to Dr. Caitlin Gordon Wainscott ’08 and husband, Cheney. A daughter, Amelia Joy, March 15, 2012, to Maggie Parker Weems ’08 and husband, Andrew.
A daughter, Damiana Charbay, Oct. 13, 2012, to LeNell Smothers Camacho Santa Ana ’91 and husband, Demian. A son, Matthew James, Feb. 8, 2013, to Melissa Cottney Dooley ’98 and husband, Adam (big brothers, Jack and William). A daughter, Caitlin Elizabeth, June 27, 2012, to Jennifer Parker Graul ’98 and husband, Charles “Chuck” III. Jennifer is the daughter of Mike Parker ’68 and Trudy Parker ’69 and the sister of Sarah Parker Scaffidi ’95 (Jake Scaffidi ’96). A daughter, Elizabeth Louise, Aug. 16, 2012, to Mary Stowe Mareno Rigrish ’98 and husband, John II (big sister, Mary Fran). A son, Grant William, Dec. 15, 2011, to Allison Graden Hawley ’00, and husband, Jimmy (big brother, Logan). A daughter, Madelyn, March 11, 2012, to Lacy Johnston McShane ’00 and husband,
In Memoriam Margaret Horner Dillon ’31 of Birmingham on Aug. 9, 2012. She started work with the Southern Bell Telephone Co. and had a long career with the Alabama Power Co. After retiring from Alabama Power, she worked and later retired from Meadows-Smith Enterprises. She was an active member of civic, social, and professional organizations and held presidencies of the Salvation Army Auxiliary and the Birmingham Junior Women’s Chamber of Commerce. Martha Key Caldwell Keller ’34 of Birmingham on Jan. 23, 2013. Keller worked for many years at Iron Art Inc., where she welcomed and made many friends. Widely traveled, she often recalled specifics of tours in Europe, Asia, and North America. Emlyn Colmant Bode ’37 of Richmond, Va., on July 26, 2012. Bode was initially employed as a librarian in the Birmingham Public Library. She later moved with her husband to Louisville, Ky., where she continued her library work with the Louisville Public Library. She and the family then moved to Richmond, Va., where they resided for 59 years. Bode and her husband were avid campers and traveled extensively throughout the U.S., Canada, South America, and Europe. She served on numerous civic, charitable, and hospital boards, and, at the age of 80, began a career in writing that culminated in the publication of a collection of short stories, If You Knew Emmy. Eloise Echols Gray ‘39 of Opelika on June 20, 2012. Gray joined the faculty at Valley High in 1939, the school’s first year, teaching algebra and girl’s physical education. Through the years, she was
director of Langdale kindergarten, and later taught at Langdale (La Fayette Lanier) School and at Southern Union College. She received her master’s degree in education from Auburn University. Gray was a member of the Langdale United Methodist Church for 72 years. She was active in the community working with the Girl Scouts, Red Cross, PTA, Literacy Volunteers, Writer’s Guild, and more. She authored two books about her family: Nine at the Table and We Had It All. Armand Costanzo ’40 of Birmingham on Aug. 12, 2012. He began his career with the IRS as a mail and supply clerk and retired as chief of the Audit Division in 1974. Following retirement, he was one of the founders and coaches of the Vestavia Hills Youth Soccer programs. He also coached youth basketball teams and worked with the Boy Scouts of America in Jefferson County. In 1976, he served as president of the BSC National Alumni Association. Costanzo was a member of St. Joseph’s Parish. Irvil Jones Thomas ’40 of Millbrae, Calif., on Nov. 24, 2011. After her marriage to Gerald Andrew Thomas ’32 in 1940, Irvil moved to Niagara Falls, N.Y., where her husband had a job as a research chemist with Niagara Alkali. After the war, they moved to Gainesville, Fla., where Gerald taught at the University of Florida and earned his Ph.D. in chemistry. Wherever they lived, Irvil was always active in the United Methodist Church. She worked tirelessly with United Methodist Women, serving as vice president and president in the ‘60’s and chairing several committees. She was well known for her inspirational programs. She is survived by her husband and three children.
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In Memoriam ’35 Eleanor Kidd, Birmingham philanthropist, model, and the last woman to wear the Hope Diamond, passed away Sept. 25. She was 97. Kidd majored in English at Birmingham-Southern and earned a graduate degree from Columbia University before becoming a fashion model in New York. She was a legend in her day, both in Birmingham and elsewhere in the country. She was seen in advertisements for Lucky Strike cigarettes and other products, and jeweler Harry Winston asked her to wear the 45.5-carat Hope Diamond before he gave it to the Smithsonian Institution, where it is exhibited today. Kidd later returned to Birmingham to work in the family business, Sunnyland Refining Company, which became one of the 10 largest margarine manufacturers in the nation. She also became known for her entertaining and her philanthropy. The rotunda of St. Vincent’s Hospital in Birmingham is named for her, and she was active with UAB Hospital, the Alabama Ballet, and other organizations. She was especially fond of the color pink, which she wore frequently; she even had custom-cut pink rugs made to fit rooms for special use from time to time on occasions of elegant gatherings and celebrations. Kidd spent a good deal of time in Arizona, where she once owned a residence, and she made many trips to France and places abroad, sometimes flying on the Concorde. She loved beautiful things and collected many exquisite items. Kidd was a strong supporter of BSC and often hosted galas for the college. Survivors include her nephew, William Joseph Rowan ’02 of Huntsville.
Lucie “Marie” Ford Anderson ’42 of Atlanta on Nov. 17, 2012. She studied under Raymond Anderson (no relation) in the music department at BSC, becoming his assistant after graduating. Her training at BSC stayed with her, as Anderson served as choral conductor, music director, and accompanist for a number of church and community groups throughout her life. For 25 years she was the director of music for Christ the King Lutheran Church in Florissant, Mo. Anderson taught English in the St. Louis County public schools for 20 years. After retiring and relocating to Atlanta, she continued to be active in music as a supply organist for various churches around the Atlanta area,
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as well as a loyal member of the Atlanta Chapter of the American Guild of Organists. Katherine Moriarty Whitten ‘43 of West Jefferson, N.C., on July 2, 2011. Before retirement, Whitten worked as associate director of student activities at the University of Miami. She was among the first four women inducted into Iron Arrow, the highest honor society at UM, which had been male-only for over 50 years. The Whitten University Center at UM is named in memory of her husband, Chink. Whitten was a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority. She and her family were generous supporters of BSC.
Paul Andrew Buchanan Jr. ’46 of Homewood on Nov. 27, 2012. Serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, Buchanan flew more than 30 missions over enemy territory and earned three bronze stars. He attended BSC and later joined his father in operating P.A. Buchanan Construction Co. Buchanan served on the Homewood city council for eight years and he served as council president for four years. He was a lifelong member of Dawson Memorial Baptist Church.
Louis Edmond “Eddie” Dunlavy ’50 of Bessemer on March 6, 2012. Dunlavy served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He owned and operated Dunlavy Furniture Co. in Bessemer until his retirement in 1989. He was a member of Pleasant Hill United Methodist Church. Survivors include his wife, Karel Bradley Dunlavy ’49. Dr. Herman Higgins ’50 of Rome, Ga., formerly of Blount Springs, on Feb. 28, 2012. Higgins had a long career at Berry College, teaching history and photography for 31 years until his retirement as associate professor of history emeritus in 1991. After his retirement, he remained active in the community and connected to Berry College in a variety of ways. Higgins earned a master’s in history at Peabody College, which is now part of Vanderbilt University. He is survived by his wife, Betty Williams Higgins ’52. Jean Seymour Cleveland ’51 of Houston, Texas, on Sept. 14, 2012. Cleveland served as secretary to the dean of BSC. Following her marriage in 1954, Jean and her husband resided in Schenectady, N.Y. In 1962, the family relocated to Houston. Cleveland’s service to the Methodist Church was exemplary; she served as secretary to two Methodist bishops and also in a support capacity to the Texas United Methodist College Association for 10 years. As a member of First United Methodist Church in Houston, Cleveland also was among a group of pilgrim members who united to establish and build the First United Methodist Church-Westchase. Michael Joseph Keyes Sr. ’51 of Birmingham on July 16, 2012. He was a member of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church for 56 years and a veteran of the U.S. Navy. Robert “Bob” S. Richard ’51 of Birmingham on June 15, 2012.
CLASSNOTES James Emmett Popwell Jr. ’52 of Birmingham on Oct. 14, 2012. Popwell served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He was past president of the Young Men’s Business Club of Birmingham and a member of Kiwanis Club of Birmingham. His business career was with Alabama Gas Corporation, where he retired in 2005 as director of new business development. Popwell was a member of Canterbury United Methodist Church. He enjoyed tennis and golf. William “Bill” Henry Howard ’54 of Austell, Ga., on July 8, 2012. Howard received a master’s degree in chemistry from Northwestern University in 1956. Among his career occupations, he worked as a research chemist at Chemstrand in Decatur and finally as senior environmental chemist until his retirement with the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, where he developed the SRS Environmental Compliance Training Program. Howard was an amateur photographer who won first place in the Amateur Division for the State of North Carolina. He instilled a love of nature in his children and grandchildren and loved astronomy, the ocean, SCUBA diving, sailing, tennis, and more. His father, Chaplain Col. Willis T. Howard, graduated from Birmingham College—a precursor to BSC—in 1909. William “Bill” W. Baxter ’54 of Pensacola, Fla., on Sept. 29, 2012. Baxter spent a distinguished career in the U.S. Air Force, including time as pilot of Air Force Two. Upon retirement, he became an administrator at Baptist Hospital, where he was instrumental in beginning the Life Flight Program. After 10 years with Baptist, he was the legal administrator with Beggs and Lane law firm for an additional 10 years. Baxter was active in the community, serving as president of the Arts Council and Opera Board,
In Memoriam ’45 Dr. Lamar S. Osment of Mountain Brook, who held a distinguished career in medicine, died Aug. 2. Osment was born in Pascagoula, Miss., and in 1926 moved to Birmingham, which he called home. He was a graduate of the UAB School of Medicine. He served in World War II as a gunnery officer of DE 221, U.S.S. Solar. While unloading ammunition at Earle, N.J., in 1946, an explosion took the lives of seven men and left Lt. Osment with extensive seconddegree burns that required prolonged hospitalization. Upon graduation from medical school in 1951, Osment completed a residency in dermatology at University Hospital of Birmingham and entered private practice adjacent to St. Vincent’s Hospital. He was on the professional staff of several local hospitals including University Hospital, the VA Hospital, Children’s Hospital, and St. Vincent’s Hospital. Osment served on the faculty of The UAB School of Medicine from 1951 until his death. He was the author of several scientific articles and book chapters and was a member of several professional societies, including the American Academy of Dermatology and the Alabama Dermatological Society (president: 1958 and 1978). He held membership in numerous community organizations, including Mountain Brook Presbyterian Church, the Birmingham-Jefferson Historical Society, and the Birmingham Audubon Society. A music enthusiast, Osment specifically loved classical works, traditional country music, and traditional bluegrass. He could play several musical instruments, including the mandolin, ukulele, guitar, and French horn. Most recently, Osment had an essay published in Arlington: Birmingham’s Historic House, a collection of essays edited by Carolyn Satterfield. He took particular pleasure in traveling extensively with his wife. He is survived by his wife, adopted daughter, and brother, James Parker Osment ‘56 of Orlando, Fla.
among many other affiliations. Among his survivors are his wife, Patricia Pace Baxter ’57, and a son, Col. Richard Baxter ‘83 of Cantonment, Fla.
scarves as a ministry to others suffering with illness. She and her husband were founding members of St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church in Snellville.
Beverly Smith Reece ’54 of Snellville, Ga., on Aug. 31, 2012. She served as a church organist for 40 years in Alabama and Georgia. She also worked with the GID Department at Crawford W. Long Hospital and the dental school at Emory University. Reece was a devoted member of the Tom M. Wages Funeral Home staff in Snellville and created prayer
Connie Jean Conway Caldwell ’56 of Roswell, Ga., on June 28, 2012. Caldwell graduated from BSC with honors and went on to earn a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She later returned to Birmingham, her hometown, and accepted a position in the public relations department at South Central Bell.
She subsequently became the first female employee to attain management level in a Bell System company. Caldwell was active in the Methodist church her entire life and served in many capacities. Producing church newsletters led to her second career as owner of a typesetting and graphic design company serving the Atlanta area called Creative Type & Design.
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In Memoriam ’80 Georgia “Freida” Gibson Boling, longtime college staff member, passed away Aug. 3 at a Birmingham hospital. She was 76. Boling worked at Birmingham-Southern in various administrative positions for faculty and staff; she also attended classes to obtain her bachelor’s degree in business administration. She worked at the college for a total of 22 years before she retired in 1997 as director of gift records. “Freida Boling was an exemplary member of the BSC staff and family,” said Dr. Neal Berte, president emeritus. “Her loyalty, willingness to assume new roles and responsibilities, and her penchant for detail truly set her apart.” She was married almost 56 years to Rev. Ragan W. Boling ’52 and served as a United Methodist minister’s wife. She also served as president of the Roanoke United Methodist Women for a short time and then as secretary for the North Alabama Conference of United Methodist Women. During her career, she worked for the ChemStrand Corp., Army Ballistic Missile Agency (a division of NASA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Top Dollar Stores, Social Security Administration, and the Alexander City Chamber of Commerce before coming to BSC. Boling and her daughter, Cynthia Boling Romano ‘79 of Panama City, Fla., began taking classes at Birmingham-Southern in the fall of 1976. She had three children: Romano, Timothy A. Boling of Wattsville, Ala., and Gregory B. Boling ’85 of Nashville, Tenn.; six grandchildren; and six great grandchildren. “My dad started school at Birmingham-Southern and finished at Athens College,” said Romano, “and my mom started at Athens College and finished at BSC.” At the request of the family, memorial contributions can be made in Boling’s name to the Birmingham Southern National Alumni Association through the Office of Institutional Advancement, 900 Arkadelphia Road, Box 549003, Birmingham, AL 35254.
Rev. W. Edward Harris ’57 of Indianapolis, Ind., on Aug. 10, 2012. Harris earned a Master of Divinity in 1968 from Tufts University’s Crane Theological School. He served in numerous churches, including the All Souls Unitarian Church in Indianapolis, where he was bestowed with the title of minister emeritus. He helped found the Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Hendricks County in Danville, Ind. Harris was a passionate civil rights and political activist. He was a founder and president of the Alabama Civil Liberties Union and also served on the board of the American Civil Liberties Union. He pioneered
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voter registration campaigns in Birmingham following the 1964 Civil Rights Act. A dedicated and engaging writer and poet, Harris published seven books and four short articles for the Walt Whitman Encyclopedia (1998). He is survived by his wife, Sandra Gutridge Harris ’57 and two sons. Dr. Daniel Howard Lowery Jr. ’58 of Fairhope on Aug. 3, 2012. A native of Birmingham, Lowery attended the UAB School of Dentistry and practiced dentistry for more than 40 years in Birmingham and Daphne. He was a U.S. Army veteran who enjoyed motorcycling, camping, and Auburn football.
Dr. Thomas C. Reeves ‘60 of Baltimore, Md., on Feb. 19, 2012. Reeves was a retired professor at Boston’s Roxbury Community College and a social activist in many arenas. He went on to get a Master of Divinity degree from Harvard in 1963 and an MA from American University in 1964. He did further postgraduate study (1964-66) at the Otto Suhr Institute of Political Science and Humboldt University, both in Berlin. Reeves was a civil rights activist in the South in the ’50s and ’60s, an anti-Vietnam War campaigner who helped bring an end to the draft, an advocate for those with HIV/AIDS, and he addressed other social justice issues.
Judith Wilson Everett ’62, of Alpharetta, Ga., on Feb. 3, 2011. Everett worked at Siemen’s Energy and Automation for more than 10 years. When she retired, she stayed home with her firstborn grandson and was a devoted caregiver. She had formerly belonged to Vestavia Hills United Methodist Church, where she participated in many outreach and community programs. Dr. Roger A. Everett ’62 of Alpharetta, Ga., on Jan. 30, 2012. He was a dentist, orthodontist, and pharmacist. Everett received his bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from Auburn University and his DDM at the University of Alabama in 1963. After orthodontic training, Everett ran a successful orthodontic practice in Atlanta for 26 years. He was involved in many professional affiliations throughout his life, including the American Association of Orthodontics. He also was a distinguished military man, serving his country in the U.S. Army as first lieutenant in the Artillery Division with two years active duty in Korea as well as three years in the Army Reserve. Mary Burkett Strain ’63 of Gainesville, Ga., formerly of Birmingham, on Jan. 16, 2013. Strain taught elementary school for many years in Atlanta and Augusta, Ga., before retiring to Birmingham and Young Harris, Ga. She loved sharing her love of music, reading, and gardening with her six grandchildren. Strain was a supporter of the college in many ways. She is survived by her husband and three children, including Susan Strain Mockert ‘93 of Madison, Wis. Dr. James Robert “Jim Bob” Williamson ’67 of Lilburn, Ga., on Jan. 9, 2013. He earned his DMD from the University of Alabama School of Dentistry. His love of dentistry led him to being a nationally known lecturer on the changing face of dentistry and
CLASSNOTES attending the prestigious L.D. Pankey Dental Foundation. He was named to several prominent dental fellowships and participated and donated his time to serve on key state and national dental association committees and boards. He also was active in his community with Smoke Rise Baptist Church. Peter Franklin Diffly Jr. ’75 of Jersey City, N.J., on Aug. 2, 2012. A native of Selma, Ala., Diffly had recently retired from Holly, Wood and Vine Ltd. of NYC, a landscape architecture company he co-founded in 1991. He received many awards and accolades as the company grew to become one of the premiere garden design agencies in the tri-state area. Diffly was a voracious reader and an avid outdoorsman. He also was vociferous about many social justice issues, especially healthcare reform. He loved traveling and spending time at his country home in Yulan, N.Y. Lisa Eidson Greer ’82 of Birmingham, on Jan. 11, 2013. She was the wife of Terry Greer, former pastor at Gardendale Mt. Vernon United Methodist Church, and a former Chestnut Grove Elementary teacher. Carl Ervin Flowers ’83 of LaGrange, Ga., on Nov. 10, 2012. After BSC, Flowers attended Columbus State University, where he completed his teaching certification and Troy State University where he received his master’s degree in education leadership. He also worked with the Troup County Parks and Recreation Center and served as athletic director for Conyers-Rockdale Boys and Girls Club. Flowers was most recently employed as a teacher and coach for the Upson Lee School System. He was a lifelong member of the Louise United Methodist Church.
In Memoriam Friend Jimmie Hess of Birmingham died on Jan. 21. She and her husband, Emil, were philanthropists and generous and longtime supporters of BSC. From the time she arrived in Birmingham with Emil after World War II, Jimmie enhanced life in the city, especially in the arts. She was drawn to music by her father, a violinist, bandleader, and booking agent, and grew up singing and playing piano. In Birmingham, she performed several times at Town and Gown Theatre (now Virginia Samford Theatre). Jimmie was Emil’s silent partner as they built the family business, Parisian, into a major retail force in Birmingham, then Alabama, and then throughout the Southeast. She served two terms as president of the Birmingham Council of Jewish Women, held every major position in the Women’s Committee of the Symphony from 1950 until she became president in 1968, spoke about Judaism to many women’s church clubs, and taught 8th grade to the Sunday school at Temple Emanu-El. She also was president of the Women’s Committee of the United Jewish Fund (predecessor to the Birmingham Jewish Federation) and was quite involved in the Community Chest (United Way). She was especially engaged when she and Emil, along with Hermie and Ed Friend, started the Tocqueville Society of the United Way of Central Alabama. She and Emil were early and lifelong supporters of the Alabama School of Fine Arts, and she founded the Music Opportunity Program to improve young people’s access to classical music education as a way to honor her parents and the joys that music brought to her life. The couple made significant contributions to the fine and performing arts at BSC, establishing the Jimmie and Emil Hess Scholarship for Fine and Performing Arts and the Hess/Myer Theatre Fund. In recent years, she made gifts supporting faculty and course development in the Harrison Honors Program. Survivors include her children, Ronne and Donald Hess, who helped fund the Hess Center for Leadership and Service at Birmingham-Southern. Donald is a BSC trustee.
Dr. Jim S. Craig ’89 of Homewood on Aug. 29, 2012. Craig was for many years an attending physician in the emergency department at Baptist Montclair Hospital and then entered private practice at the Seale-Harris Clinic. He received his medical degree, with honors, from UAB. He was an avid sailor. Included among survivors are his stepdaughter, Stephanie Romei ’05; a brother, Ben Craig ’91 of Philadelphia, Pa.; and his mother, Geri Ellzey Craig ’62 of Montgomery.
Merle Whitehead Underwood ’90 of Birmingham on Aug. 6, 2012. Underwood was a loving wife, mother, and grandmother. She was a member of Highlands United Methodist Church. At the request of the family, memorial contributions can be made in her name to BSC through the Office of Institutional Advancement, 900 Arkadelphia Road, Box 549003, Birmingham, AL 35254.
Belinda Boman ’92 of Birmingham on Sept. 20, 2012. Boman was employed with Birmingham City Schools as a science instructor for 17 years and had also worked as an adjunct professor at Jefferson State Community College. She earned a master’s in education from Jacksonville State University and an Ed.S. degree from UAB.
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CLASSNOTES
Friends In Memoriam Friend Janice Turnipseed Ikenberry, educator and philanthropist, passed away on Oct. 25. Ikenberry resided in Montgomery, but was born in Union Springs. She was 95. She and her husband, the late Dr. Ernest Ikenberry, were dedicated and deeply generous supporters of the college, with distinguished historical ties to the school. Neither of them were alumni, although both of her parents graduated from the Birmingham-Southern. A collection of historic Turnipseed family furniture is informally displayed in the Stockham parlor on campus. Four large pieces—corner cabinet, secretary, library table, and davenport—dating from the early 19th century were given to the college by Ikenberry and her husband in September 1991, in memory of Janice’s father, William Owen Turnipseed ‘06 (Southern University at Greensboro). Janice’s grandfather, David Columbus Turnipseed, was a longtime trustee of Southern University and had four sons who were SU graduates. The third son was Janice’s father. Upon his death, she received the family furniture her father had inherited from his grandfather, William Turnipseed. Her mother also earned a master’s degree from SU before doing further graduate work at the University of Grenoble in France, and her maternal great-grandfather, John Walton, was a founder of SU. The Turnipseed-Ikenberry Scholarship at BSC was established by Janice and her husband in tribute to her ancestors. The award provides full tuition, room and board, and fees for juniors or seniors demonstrating high academic achievement and majoring in physics, mathematics, or history. It is renewable for one year. Ikenberry graduated from Randolph/Macon Women’s College in Lynchburg, Va., in 1938 in political science and international law. She also attended classes at the University of Geneva in Switzerland. Early in 1939 she began graduate study at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, but transferred later that year to the University of Alabama, where she was offered a teaching fellowship and earned her master’s degree. During the war years she taught French at leading colleges and universities in Nashville and Greensboro, N.C., and returned to Alabama in 1945 to teach at Alabama Polytechnic Institute (now Auburn University). Ikenberry was a cousin to the late Marti Turnipseed Moore ’65.
Christopher B. Hardin ’00 of Clarksville, Tenn., on July 19, 2012. A native of Alabaster, Hardin was an associate professor of voice and movement at Austin Peay State University. His master’s degree in theatre was completed at Oklahoma State University, followed by an MFA in Acting Pedagogy from the University
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of Alabama. He starred in the New York production of Dammit, Shakespeare! by Seth Panitch, and later took over the role of William Shakespeare. His theatrical interests and specialties included stage dialects and absurdist and existentialist theatre. James Daniel Smith III ’03 of Hoover on Sept. 20, 2012.
Russell Neal Gann ’11 of Fayette on Jan. 12, 2013. Gann earned an associate degree from Bevill State College before transferring to BSC to study business and play football. He was enrolled in the RN program at Bevill. He was a member of the Rehobeth Baptist Church.
Grace Lyman Norris Nealeans of Sylacauga on July 17, 2012. Nealeans was a retired piano teacher who received her training at the Birmingham Conservatory of Music, which later became the music department at BSC. She became a member of the conservatory faculty at age 17 and taught there for many years, taught in Atlanta during World War II, and taught in Sylacauga from 194583. Nealeans achieved emeritus status with the Alabama Music Teachers Association in 1980. She was an active member of First Presbyterian Church. Winyss Acton Shepard of Birmingham on Oct. 14, 2012. Shepard taught history at BSC from 1963-67. A native of Pennslyvania, she earned her bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Pennsylvania. Shepard moved to Birmingham in 1960 when her husband accepted a position at UAB’s Department of Surgery. She is survived by her husband, Dr. Richard B. Shepard ’49, and three children. Dr. Douglas Waits of Birmingham on Jan. 23, 2013. Waits taught biology at BSC from 1967-2002. He was a celebrated teacher who won both the Omicron Delta Kappa Excellence in Teaching Award and the United Methodist Church Excellence in Teaching Award. Waits also served on every committee of the college, including all of its elected faculty committees. He was division chair and worked during the summer of 1987 as acting dean. Waits also was an ardent champion of the college’s first environmental studies program and active in the ACS Costa Rica program. He earned his doctorate from North Carolina State University in 1967.
All in
Need a little boost in school spirit? Check out the latest spring offerings at the BSC Bookstore. The words on the Panther Life shirt— available in short- and long-sleeved versions—came from student suggestions. Come visit on the Hilltop or shop online at http://bookstore.bsc.edu.
BSC
Birmingham-Southern College
Class Notes submissions You can send news of weddings, births, deaths, job changes, career highlights, honors, and awards directly to BirminghamSouthern through the college’s online alumni community at www.bsc.edu/alumni. Or, you may submit them via email to Pat Cole at pcole@bsc.edu.
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‘SOUTHERN VOICES
Why was Marti so alone? by Howell Raines ’64 Perhaps because of Methodism’s progressive tradition, BirminghamSouthern was always suspected of liberalism on the race issue. But
Howell Raines and Bruce Hurlberg in 1963, who served as copy editor and business manager, respectively, of Southern Accent. as Birmingham’s watershed year of 1963 approached, it was a very timid liberalism, indeed. Dr. Henry King Stanford, the popular president who had stood up to “Bull” Connor and urged BSC trustees to integrate, departed for the University of Miami in 1962. Birmingham police records show that Connor was successful in convincing the interim administrators to suppress activities among students influenced by Dr. Stanford’s racial views. Police detective Marcus Jones spied on students. It was partly through his confidential written reports to Connor that the late Marti Turnipseed’s participation in civil rights rallies was made known to BSC officials and she was promptly exiled from the campus by administrators led by Dr. J. Ralph Jolly, the longtime dean of men. So the policy of 64 / ’southern
intimidation worked to the extent that her courage and independence did not infect the rest of us enrolled at the college at that time. Her story is told elsewhere in this issue, and the college’s overdue recognition of her religiously-motivated idealism is all to the good. Surely some lasting campus memorial to her is in order, including a prominent display of her posthumously published memoir, Here Am I ... BSC could also emulate the examples of the universities of Alabama and Georgia in honoring their civil rights heroes on their web sites. Why was Marti so alone? Why did I and approximately 1,000 other students fail to join the righteous social revolution that swept Birmingham and America in May of 1963? Speaking for myself, the reason was cowardice. I was among scores, indeed, hundreds of students who thought George Wallace was a buffoon and the violent attacks on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his demonstrators were both unchristian and unconstitutional. More than any decision of my college years, I regret my obedient decision to keep my mouth shut and to stay on campus, as ordered. But I know that I cannot blame my failure on the college administrators—chiefly Dr. Jolly and our erudite dean, Dr. Cecil Abernethy—who threatened us with expulsion. As Dean Abernethy said at convocation, the college was acting in loco parentis to preserve our safety. Most students realized instantly that the college was copping out on its classroom ideals, but it was entirely our own fault that we did not defy our deans in the cause of justice. Why was I so fearful? Why was my story of passivity in the face of an obviously evil polity repeated millions of times by millions of white citizens across the Deep South in those days? Principally, we were frozen by physical fear of being beaten or bombed by the white thugs who represented us in the eyes of America. Sociologically,
we feared ostracism, and not just by our college. Whites who supported integration were expelled by their families, or in the case of ministers like Marti’s father, sent north. Our fears were reality-based, particularly in light of the tumultuous events that played out after the demonstrations in May. It took armed National Guards to frustrate Wallace’s “Stand in the Schoolhouse Door” on June 11, 1963. Then came the unthinkable—the murder of four Sunday school students at 16th Street Baptist Church on September 15, 1963. That was the turning point for educated white Southerners, of course. Gradually, the “good South” began to find its voice. But how very late we were and how easily we could have been a glorious part of history! In preparing this reminiscence, I calculated the distance from our Hilltop to the site of the demonstrations—barely more than a mile. We could have been eyewitnesses even if lacking the boldness of character to join the marchers. We had been brushed at close quarters by history’s coat-tails and lacked even the intellectual curiosity to ride them toward the action. In late May of 1963, I wrote the opening essay to the Southern Accent recording life on our campus in 196364. The essay contains a few lines that show, I hope, a groping toward an honest recognition of the momentous nature of the crusade declined to join. “Remember, long after you’ve forgotten your spring quarter grade point average or S.G.A. elections or who you dated that spring, that 10 blocks from you, America changed.” All of us have benefited from that change, but few on the Hilltop helped in its birth. *Howell Raines is the author of My Soul Is Rested, an oral history of the civil rights movement, and is former executive editor of The New York Times.
BSC Snapshots Junior Nisha Kashyar takes a study beak on the steps of the Berte Humanities Center on an early spring day.
Parting Shot The brand-new BSC swimming and diving team wrapped up its successful inaugural season with 12 gold medals and 15 silvers at the conference meet. “I’m looking forward to seeing what this team does next year,” says Head Coach Toby Wilcox.
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