In Memoriam

1944 Sarah Glover Osgood

1945 Margaret Tillman Booth

Virginia Harris Howard

Virginia Martin Lawrence

1946 Mary Louise Davis Gavigan

Joy B. Trulock

1947 Georgann Dessau Blum

Carrie Miller Maertens

Betty Rosser Wills

1948 Betty Sealy Stephens

1949 Elizabeth Mackay Asbury

Betty Jo Watson Bowdre

Frances Jordan Moore

Jean Evans Weaver

1950 Carleen Gaulden Gardner

1951 Claude Burns Buzzell

Donna Lloyd Gardner

Betty Beusse McCool

Sara Lawhorn Kendall Wilson

1952 Claire Michaels Murray

1953 Edwina Hall Beall

Gloria Cobb Johnson

Lucia Hutchinson Peel Powe

Margaret Rodgers Whitaker

1954 Marilyn Bennett Edwards

Maryhelen Hendrix Gibson

Helen McLeroy Jenner

1955

Betty Upchurch Hasty

Patricia Beckler McWhorter

1956 Frances Cassel Berry

Sally Humphreys Searcy

Marilyn Daffin Underberg

1957 Elizabeth Brinson Bush

Nancy Edenfield Sawyer

1958 Luleen Sandefur Anderson

Eleanor Adams Scott Lane

Astrid 'Triddy' Reindel Peacock

Alma Browder Strauss

1959

Jean Sims Boudreau

Julia Elliott Greer

Carmen Moore Jackson

Suzanne Mann Lomas

Mary Louise Banks Peavy

1960 Florence Cooke Sackett

1961 Katherine Lee Tankersley

1963 Margaret Craig Bryant

1964 Emma Jo Jones Ploeger

Merri Massey Pate-Scott

1965 Wanda Whatley Kirby

1966 Connie Bazemore Hyde

Sallie Bradford Krickel

Jane Robertson Westerfield

1968 Kathryn Hafner Agnew

Linda Bowden Bennett

1969 Linda Kay Finley

1970 Susan C. Bradshaw

1971 Ellen Traylor Terrell

Jackie Bufford Wallace

1973 Anna Syrios Fuller

1977 Diane Hamilton Jackson

Rose Mary Fanguy McKelvey

1981 Brenda Lavender Porter

1987 Constance Williams

1989 Cynthia Buchanan Lynch

1992

Sylvia L. Ross

1998 Kiera Sheedy Camron

2002 Tawanda Freeman Mills-Mosley

2007 Natasha Brown Drain

2023 Mayi B. Kelley

Dr. Robert K. Ackerman

(October 26, 1933 – October 3, 2022)

Wesleyan College mourns the passing on October 3rd of Robert K. Ackerman, Wesleyan’s 22nd president (1984-1997). Dr. Ackerman’s tenure was marked by his calm, strong, steady leadership, which brought stability to the campus, strengthened the College’s relationship with the United Methodist Church, and created a focused academic program. Under his direction, alumnae of the College through the “Tradition and Vision” campaign raised significant funds to establish several new academic chairs. The College also renewed the annual baccalaureate service preceding commencement, including the traditional march by graduating seniors and faculty from the College’s original site on College Street to Mulberry Street United Methodist Church. Dr. Ackerman encouraged an emphasis on technology with a program that provided every Wesleyan student her own computer. He strengthened the academic program with the establishment of the first-year seminar, still a hallmark of the Wesleyan experience. In recognition of his role in expanding Wesleyan’s ties with the United Methodist Church, the Board of Trustees named the chaplaincy chair in his honor upon his retirement. Later the name of legendary chaplain Bill Hurdle was added, creating the Robert K. Ackerman/William Hurdle Chaplaincy Chair. Following his retirement, Dr. Ackerman and his wife May continued to be enthusiastic supporters of the College, including as Friends of Pierce Chapel. Dr. Ackerman often returned to the Wesleyan campus, participating in the inaugurations of the next three Wesleyan presidents. We extend our deepest sympathy to May, who is an honorary alumna of Wesleyan, and to their family.

Eleanor Adams Scott Lane, Class of 1958

(August 29, 1936 – July 31, 2022)

Council of World Affairs, Georgia Women of Achievement, Career Women’s Network, Macon Food Bank and many other worthy groups. She was committed to her church, Vineville United Methodist, serving in a variety of capacities. As a Wesleyan alumna, Eleanor held a number of positions with her alma mater including class liaison, reunion co-chair, and chair of the Wesleyan Sesquicentennial Observance committee. She served two stints as a Trustee, chairing both the Buildings and Grounds and Academic Affairs committees. In 2006, Wesleyan’s Center for Community Engagement and Service was named for the Lane family, whose members have served and supported Wesleyan for more than a century. Eleanor herself embodied the ideals of the Center and was an active participant for years with the children of Aunt Maggie’s Kitchen Table, the signature program of the Center. Later, Eleanor happily supported the use of the family name when the

Center’s purpose was re-envisioned as the Lane Center for Social and Racial Equity. Honored by the Wesleyan College Alumnae Association with the Distinguished Service Award (1980) and the Valeria McCullough Murphey Award (2008), Eleanor also received the first Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award given by Wesleyan College for outstanding community service at a special dinner on Benefactors’ Day in 2016. On that occasion, President Ruth Knox expressed the feelings of Eleanor’s Wesleyan family when she said: “In recognition of your lifetime of leadership and service to the community and your continuous expressions of exemplary character and spiritual values, we are delighted to honor you this evening as the Wesleyan Benefactor of 2016 and to present to you Wesleyan’s first Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award. We thank you for being a model Wesleyan Woman and for sharing yourself so generously with us all. We love and admire you and are so very grateful that you are ours!”