Winter 2011 Wofford Today

Volume 44, Number 2 Spartanburg, South Carolina Winter 2011

Wofford Today www.wofford.edu

the South carolina GOP “Commander-in-Chief Debate” at Wofford on Saturday, Nov. 12

From the Archives

Herbert Hucks and the Archives

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common saying among archivists is that we have to make sure our collection survives until the day after we retire. Truthfully, we know that our collections will need to last much longer than that. I am surrounded by college and Methodist church records that came here long before I did, and those materials, as well as records I am collecting today will be here for researchers long after I’m gone.

I took over the college and Methodist archives in 1999 from Herbert Hucks ’34 who served successively as librarian and archivist at the college from 1947 to 1998. After his “retirement” as archivist in 1978, he continued to work some 25 hours a week for 20 more years. I came to work for him in 1991 as a student

assistant, and in working here for three years, learned a great deal about the collection. After I graduated in 1994, I returned for several summers to help out, serving as a sort of apprentice. Along with graduate history seminars, I took courses that gave me a grounding in the theory and practice of archives, but the extended internship in the archives here helped me transition into the role as archivist with few bumps.

Mr. Hucks kept everything.

In archives, that’s both a blessing and a curse. Over his years as librarian and archivist, he built the archives by collecting all sorts of things – records from offices, letters from individuals, college publications, church records, and newspaper clippings. Sometimes he kept multiple copies of things,

and one of the things I had to do early on was reduce the number of extra copies of items. However, it was better to have more copies than needed than to have no copies, so I am grateful to him for keeping the things he acquired.

An archivist has to do more than keep materials; he or she has to make them available for researchers. Over the past 12 years, I’ve built on Mr. Hucks’ work by organizing and preparing indexes and guides to the various collections. Most of these “finding aids,” as archivists call them, are available on the archives website. My student assistants and I took a paper index of obituaries that were published in the state’s Methodist newspaper that he and his students created in the 1970s and 1980s and computerized it.

As a result, we’ve provided copies of thousands of obituaries to genealogists in South Carolina and throughout the country. We would never have created the online index if he hadn’t created

the original paper version.

Computers have transformed the way librarians and archivists work, though in 1999, nothing in the archives had been digitized.

We’re working today on scanning many of the records Mr. Hucks collected, partly as a way of preserving them and partly so that we can make them more widely available online. This is a time-consuming process, and we’ll never scan everything, as some people suggest. We have tried to make some of the most heavily used collections available, however. We’ve worked to digitize many photographs, and we’re also working on making audio recordings of some notable college events available as well.

I suspect the things that we’re able to do now would amaze my predecessor.

The college recognized Mr. Hucks with an honorary doctorate in 1996. The Methodist Conference recognized him by creating the Herbert Hucks

Award for Historic Preservation and Interpretation, an award that is given to local churches who work to preserve their histories and to individuals who, through their lifetimes, work to preserve and interpret the state’s Methodist history. Many Methodist churches in South Carolina now have a plaque on their walls that recognizes their efforts, but also Mr. Hucks’ lifelong efforts to maintain the records that are so vital to telling about the past.

Many colleges and universities are much younger than Wofford, and many of them have only fledgling archival programs. Wofford’s practice of saving important records is long-standing and signifies the seriousness with which the college takes its responsibility to preserve its history. Without Herbert Hucks, the status of Wofford’s and South Carolina Methodism’s historic records would be questionable at best.

by Dr. Phillip Stone ’94 college archivist

(Left top) Hucks (right) with sculptor and photographer Henri Bernhardt in the early 1950s. Bernhardt’s bust of Wofford’s third president, James H. Carlisle, sits between them.

(Left bottom) Celebrating the 86th birthday of Herbert Hucks in 1999: (left to right) Becky Jones, Joyce Arthur, Kay Barry, Hucks, Tim Brown, Shelley Sperka ’75, Phillip Stone ’94 and Ibrahim Hanif.

(Below) Hucks pictured among the stacks during the library’s re-carpeting in 1985.

2 • Wofford Today • Winter 2011

In this issue...

Winter 2011

NEWS... Wofford receives Open Doors recognition for study abroad program............... 4 IES Abroad sponsors International Moodle Summit at Wofford............... 5 DEVELOPMENT... Annual Fund office unveils new consecutive-year giving society............... 6 George and Gretchen Price endow tennis scholarship with charitable remainder trust............... 7

Trent Brock ’14 (right) met Scott Pelley, CBS news anchor and debate moderator during preparations for the Republican Presidential Debate held on Wofford's campus Nov. 12. Brock and other representatives from the student publications were allowed full media privileges during the event.

STUDENTS... Student entrepreneur discovers that Junk Matters; Boeh turning green to gold............... 8 Bonner Scholars Program turns 20............... 9 ATHLETICS... Quick hits; Meet Mitch Allen ’12, QB and Renaissance Man............. 10 Polson take reins of National Soccer Coaches Association of America............. 11 Photos from Family Weekend, Homecoming, and other alumni gatherings, pp 14-15, 20-21.

Republican Presidential Debate Coverage. ...... 12-13 For & About Alumni... including births, weddings, photos, notes and profiles of Wofford alumni........ 14-24

On the cover:

Homecoming 2011........ 14-15

Telecast live from Wofford’s Traveling with Orbiting Seminar XIII............. 16 Benjamin Johnson Arena, the Republican Presidential Debate gave opportunities for Wofford Pittman’s healthy eating program students to interact with ready to hit schools across the country............. 17 candidates as well as national journalists. Leigh Ann Miller Terriers in the News............. 18 ’14 interviewed the National Journal’s Major Garrett for the Old Gold & Black, and Cameron Three alumni named Liberty Fellows............. 19 Kimber ’13, Tyrell Jemison ’14 and Lamar Hunter ’13 pose with their CBS badges. (Above) Gold & Black gatherings; upcoming dates for alumni meetings, travel and events........ 20-21 Miller interviews CBS’s Jan Crawford.

Wofford Today

Volume 44, Number 2 • Winter 2011 Visit Wofford Today online at www.wofford.edu/WoffordToday

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offord Today (USPS 691-140) is published four times each year by the Office of Communications and Marketing, Wofford College, 429 N. Church St., Spartanburg, S.C., 29303-3663, for alumni and friends of the college.

Issued quarterly: fall, winter, spring and summer.

Periodicals postage is paid at Spartanburg Main Post Office, Spartanburg, South Carolina, with an additional mailing entry at Greenville, S.C.

Doyle Boggs ’70, senior editor boggsdw@wofford.edu, 864-597-4182 Jo Ann Mitchell Brasington ’89 and Pat Smith, associate editors Laura H. Corbin, Janella Lane and Phillip Stone ’94, contributors Brent Williamson, sports Photography by Mark Olencki ’75 Printed by Martin Printing Co. Inc., Easley, S.C. Mailing address changes to: Alumni Office, Wofford College 429 N. Church St. Spartanburg, S.C. 29303-3663 e-mail alumni@wofford.edu call 864-597-4200; fax 864-597-4219 It is the policy of Wofford College to provide equal opportunities and reasonable accommodation to all persons regardless of race, color, creed, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, or other legally protected status in accordance with applicable federal and state laws.

Wofford Bookshelf . ........... 22 Winter 2011 • Wofford Today • 3

Wofford Today Open Doors Report lists Wofford among leaders in nation for study abroad College ranks second among top 40 baccalaureate institutions

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Wofford experienced a 20 percent increase in students studying abroad during that time.

While the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, France and China remained the top host destinations, the report found notable increases in U.S. students going to study in many of the less traditional destinations. Fifteen of the top 25 destinations were outside of Western Europe and 19 were countries where English is not the primary team of seven students enrolled in Wofford’s Institute for Profeslanguage. sional Development this summer has designed a sales and market“We have seen a higher level ing strategy for the 2012 BMW Charity Pro-Am golf tournament, part of student engagement among of the Nationwide Tour that is seen by more than 5 million people students who have studied in nonon the Golf Channel. traditional destinations, according The BMW Collegiate Challenge involves three other local colto our NSSE (National Study of leges – Converse, USC Upstate and Spartanburg Community College Student Engagement) research,” – and focuses on generating community support for the tournament’s says Dr. Ana Maria Wiseman, Spartanburg play at the Carolina Country Club. The BMW Charity dean of international programs.

Pro-Am will be played there, along with Greer’s Thornblade Club, the “We are excited about the trends host club, and Greenville County’s Chanticleer. It is the fifth consecuthat indicate that our students are tive year that the Carolina Country Club has hosted the amateurs and selecting quality programs that celebrities who flock to the event. provide high-impact experiences as The marketing strategy is aimed at helping the Spartanburg leg identified by NSSE, such as direct grow through the sale of skyboxes, pavilion passes and patron tickets, enrollment options, studying in a which have remained steady but stagnant over the past three years, in foreign language, service-learning addition to generating community enthusiasm. and guided research in less comSouth Carolina charitable organizations benefit from the proceeds monly selected destinations.” of the tournament, distributed through S.C. Charities.

Wofford students participatFor the Wofford students, helping these charities is important. ing in non-traditional programs “They understand that this is bigger than a golf tournament, too,” in 2009-10, Wiseman says, opted says Scott Cochran ’88, dean of the Center for Professional Excelfor a semester in Argentina, Bolence, which operates the Institute for Professional Development each livia, Canada, Chile, Dominican summer. “The trade-off is real-world business experience that gives Republic, Ecuador, Japan, Jordan, these students an 18- to 24-month advantage over their peers when Madagascar, Mexico, Morocco, they get out of college.”

Nicaragua, Panama, and Russia.

“We needed some new ideas, and that’s where the students fit in,” “Furthermore, our students says tournament director Darin MacDonald. “The tournament stands participated in short-term proto grow from this one-of-a-kind partnership.” If it is successful, the grams in the Bahamas, Belize, plan could be a model for the NaChile, China, Dominican Retionwide Tour to use across the U.S., Benjamin Green ’13 (right), who has been blogging this semester from public, Ecuador, Ghana, Greece, Buenos Aires, Argentina, experienced work in a panaderia (bakery) while according to BMW officials.

India, Israel, Jordan, Netherlands In total, 24 Wofford students studying abroad. To read his and other blogs from Wofford students abroad, Antilles, Nicaragua, Peru, South were enrolled in the five-week visit blogs.wofford.edu/international_programs/.

Africa, Namibia, and Zambia durInstitute this summer, with three ing January 2010,” she adds. other teams working on projects Since 2008, more than 1,000 that included a hotel development Wofford students have studied and management project with abroad in 64 countries on all seven OTO Development of Spartancontinents. burg; a health care product launch Dr. David S. Wood, dean of with Saebo in Charlotte, N.C.; the college, notes that Wofford is and accounting service new prodcommitted to preparing its stuuct launch with the Neal Firm in dents to engage the world.

Columbia.

“We continue to face an enorBB&T Corp. supported the mous and important challenge Institute, including scholarship in preparing our nation’s future for students to attend, with a leaders for a globally connected, $100,000 gift this year. competitive and interdependent world,” he says. “Our faculty and

by Laura H. Corbin

From a professional development course to the golf course: The BMW Collegiate Challenge began with a Wofford plan

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4 • Wofford Today • Winter 2011

offord is second among the nation’s top 40 baccalaureate institutions for undergraduate students studying abroad for credit, according to the 2011 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange, confirming the college’s commitment to its students becoming global citizens.

Wofford, which consistently has ranked in the top 10 for more than 15 years, is the only South Carolina institution included on any of the report’s three lists – Top 40 Doctorate Institutions, Top 40 Master’s Institutions and Top 40 Baccalaureate Institutions. The rankings are based on the number of students studying abroad and the number of degrees conferred.

The Open Doors report is published annually by the Institute of International Education with funding from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The recent report is based on the academic year 2009-10.

“Study abroad by students enrolled in U.S. higher education has more than tripled over the past two decades,” the report says. “The increase shown in this year’s Open Doors report (270,604 in 2009-10 compared to 260,327 the previous year) returns to the steady rise in study abroad numbers each year since the data has been tracked, with the exception of 2008-09, when world economic conditions had caused a slight dip.”

staff, together with the outstanding leadership of Dr. Ana Maria Wiseman, have committed us to meeting that challenge, and that commitment is continuously reflected in our rankings in the Open Doors study. Our faculty members have innovative and bold approaches to enhancing the educational experience here at Wofford, and our students are rising to the task of engaging the world. We can see it by these numbers, and by their success in these programs.”

Wofford encourages and assists students wishing to study abroad through scholarships and financial aid packages.

“We continue to be successful in our study abroad participation partly because of our intensive ongoing orientation program that includes thorough advising, various workshops and other events,” says Amy Lancaster ’01, assistant dean for academic administration and international programs. “We encourage students to set intercultural, linguistic, academic, and other personal goals to maximize their study abroad experience. We also stress reflection as part of the process, so students are regularly considering what they are learning while working toward a common goal of global citizenship.”

In addition, Wofford faculty are encouraged to study abroad through the Milliken Faculty Seminars Abroad. The program began in 2009, when 13 faculty and staff went to Buenos Aires, Argentina.

In 2010, another 19 traveled to Shanghai, China; and in 2011, another group traveled to Granada, Spain, and Rabat, Morocco. In January 2012, a group will travel to Bahia, Brazil.

For more on Wofford’s Study Abroad program, go to http:// www.wofford.edu/internationalprograms/.

For more about the Open Doors 2011 report, go to: www. iie.org/Research-and-Publications/ Open-Doors.

by Laura H. Corbin

Moodle (acronym for Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment) is an Open Source Course Management System (CMS), also known as a Learning Management System (LMS) or a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). It is becoming popular among educators around the world as a tool for creating online dynamic web sites for students.

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tephen McMahon, IES (Institute for the International Education of Sudents) Abroad Dublin, now uses Moodle to help his creative writing students build character understanding and depth.

The idea came to him after a conversation with Dr. Christine Dinkins, associate professor of philosophy at Wofford, during the IES 2011 Moodle Summit in October.

For four days a group of international scholars from IES Abroad centers in Barcelona, Beijing, Berlin, Buenos Aires, Chicago and Dublin, who were fond of calling themselves “Moodle evangelists,” “Moodle Nerds,” or “Moodle faculty champions,” attended workshops on Wofford’s campus led by Wofford Moodle innovators.

“They were overwhelmed by the warm, generous hospitality and really built a sense of community while they were in Spartanburg,” says Dr. Dennis Wiseman, dean of the Center for Innovation and Learning and Reeves Family Professor of French at Wofford. “After living, working and exploring the local area with each other, the group was creat-

ing networks within themselves so centers could collaborate.”

For example, IES centers in Amsterdam, Milan and Vienna might collaborate using Moodle on an intracenter music festival.

By the same token, Barcelona, Berlin and Beijing may use Moodle to manage an international movie event.

“For a piece of technology, it has very surprising creative possibilities,” says McMahon.

Originally designed to manage classes, Moodle is now used for much more, and Wofford has emerged as a leader in Moodle innovation. The college initiated a Moodle pilot program four years ago and adopted it as a learning management system the following year. Now 110 of 128 faculty members use Moodle with their classes, and this year the Wofford Theatre department has adopted Moodle to manage its productions.

“Unless they’re brand new to the college, students now expect it,” says Dinkins.

And that’s exactly why IES Abroad is making a concerted effort to adopt Moodle as a consortium-wide management system.

“When moving across cultures, anything that causes a surprise is a problem,” says Nancy Kenyon, IES Abroad dean and associate vice president for academic systems. “Having everyone on Moodle will make the transition easier for students.”

Summit topics ranged from basics such as “simple and transparent architecture of a page” and “managing technical issues” to more intense topics like “integrating the co-curricular into Moodle administration” or “fostering interactivity.”

According to Wiseman, a typical day for a student studying abroad includes class, a homestay, maybe an internship or service experience, and plenty of time wandering through a new city. In the “fostering interactivity” workshop, international faculty discusses ways to use Moodle to make that wandering more intentional and more focused.

“To take better advantage of student free time, a professor can give an assignment with Moodle,” says Wiseman. “For example, a professor might ask students to find three Roman ruins, take photos, launch to Moodle and send me a Tweet in Spanish so I

Moodle Summit participants gather around Stephen McMahon’s iPad during a break.

Left to right are: Martín Tessi Volenweider (IES Buenos Aires), Wolfgang Bialas (IES Berlin), Ariel Yablón (IES Buenos Aires), Cèsar Alegre (IES Barcelona) and Laura Vazquez (IES Barcelona).

Dr. Dennis Wiseman works with Liqin Zhang, IES Beijing, during a workshop on page architecture. can see what they’re doing. Then we can discuss where they’ve been in class. Moodle allows us to give shape to learning outside of the classroom. It allows us to move learning into student time and space.”

The October summit at Wofford completed Phase II of a three-phase plan to extend Moodle use and expertise across the IES Abroad consortium.

During Phase I, Dr. Dennis Wiseman and Dr. Ana Maria Wiseman, dean of international programs, spent several weeks traveling around the world to IES Abroad centers in Buenos Aires, Barcelona, Rome, Paris, Freiburg and Shaghai presenting basic-to-intermediate Moodle workshops. Phase III involves the participants in the recent Moodle Summit returning to their home sites and conducting regional

workshops. IES will evaluate the need for further training after the completion of these regional events.

In appreciation for Wofford hosting the Moodle Summit, IES Abroad will send five Wofford faculty to the IES Abroad center of their choice for a week — all expenses paid — to give scholarly presentations, interact with students, and talk with center faculty and information technology people about Moodle.

Already lined up to visit IES Abroad centers as part of the program are: Dr. Kaye Savage, associate professor and director of environmental studies; Dr. Beate Brunow, assistant professor of foreign languages; and Dr. Cynthia Fowler, assistant professor of sociology. The others will be chosen in the coming weeks.

by Jo Ann Mitchell Brasington ’89

Center for Innovation and Learning (CIL)

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aunched in the summer, the new Center for Innovation and Learning (CIL) aims to design, develop and integrate resources that enrich learning and teaching at Wofford, as well as provide a locus for conversations, both within the Wofford community and with other institutions, about excellence and innovation in residential liberal arts education. The center will: • Support innovation in teaching, including allowing semester course reduction and funding for research, conference presentations and professional development that lead to course innovation. Dr. Anne Cattla, assistant professor of mathematics, has been selected as the first CIL Fellows recipient (spring 2012).

• Provide an environment for the support of teaching and learning, including faculty mentoring lunches and seminars.

• Provide grant identification, research and writing assistance. Dr. B.G. Stephens ’57, professor of chemistry emeritus, will be on campus each Monday to consult on grant writing.

The IES Abroad International Moodle Summit represented the center’s first major event.

“Wofford went so far on behalf of this initiative, seeing the CIL as the next step for us to make global learning a priority for our students,” says Dean of the Center Dr. Dennis Wiseman. “We are hugely committed to this internationalization for our college.”

Winter 2011 • Wofford Today • 5

Development Update Abney Scholars thank foundation representatives during luncheon On Nov. 10, representatives from the Abney Foundation visited with Abney Scholars during a luncheon on Wofford's campus. Left to right following the event are: Abney Foundation Executive Director David C. King, Jordan Hardy ’12, Lamont McPhearson ’14, Chanel Clyburn ’12, Lydia Arthur ’13, T.J. Dill ’12, Jeremy Franklin ’14, Brittany Coker ’12, Jesse Hanley ’12, Keri Eadie ’12, Irene Halkias ’12, Sarah Peeler ’14, Jessica Gardner ’13, Weston Caswell ’12, Adrian McLellan ’12, Rickey Jones ’12, Terra Brannon ’12, Abney Foundation Executive Director Emeritus Carl Edwards, and Mesha Arant ’12.

New consecutive-year giving society to build on Wofford Forever Challenge momentum

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he college’s Office of Annual Giving has unveiled a new giving society for donors who make consecutive yearly gifts to the college. The new “Wofford Forever: Year by Year” society will track gifts beginning with the start of the Wofford Forever Challenge issued by Mike Brown ’76 in 2009. Individuals who made gifts for the past three consecutive years — 2009, 2010, 2011 — will be the charter members of the new recognition society.

“Continuing momentum for the Wofford Forever Challenge, which ends this year, and rewarding donors who have remained faithful during trying economic times is the purpose of this new gift club,” says Director of Annual Giving Lisa De Freitas ’88.

According to De Freitas, nearly 3,000 individuals will qualify because of their uninterrupted giving history durIndividuals who make leadership gifts ing the past three years. Any gift to the college from any individual, regardless of $2,500/year or more to the college's of constituent group (alumni, parents, friends, etc.) qualifies for membership. unrestricted Annual Fund qualify for Members will be recognized with a membership in the Great Oaks Society. For special decal, listing on the website in the Honor Roll of Contributors, and an more information, contact Lisa De Freitas ’88, invitation to a special “Wofford Forever: director of annual giving, at 864-597-4191 or Year by Year” event.

“The pledges made in the first year defreitaslh@wofford.edu. of the Wofford Forever Challenge (in 2009) will be complete by Dec. 31, 2011,” says De Freitas. “Now that they have a legacy of giving, we want to retain their support. We developed the new ‘Wofford Forever: Year by Year’ society out of that need.”

For the past four years, Wofford’s annual giving retention rate for back-to-back gifts has averaged 68 percent. Adding another year of consecutive giving reduces the average to 54 percent. The college’s Development Office would like to see those numbers increase within six years to 80 percent after one year and 70 percent after two years.

The college has several systems in place to make regular giving easier. People interested in making a gift can visit www.wofford.edu/gifts to make a secure donation online.

They can return one of the envelopes enclosed in Wofford Today or another mailing or call the Development Office at 864-597-4191 to make a credit card gift. The Office of Annual Giving also can register donors for regular bank draft withdrawals, monthly credit card gifts, or mailed reminders to make consistent giving easier.

“Three consecutive gifts is all it takes to qualify for the ‘Wofford Forever: Year by Year’ society, says De Freitas.

by Jo Ann Mitchell Brasington ’89

6 • Wofford Today • Winter 2011

Celebrate a friend…

Honor a parent, spouse or sibling…

Thank a professor or coach…

www.wofford.edu/GivingWofford

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s there someone on your gift list who is hard to buy for? Someone who no longer wants “stuff ” to clutter his life and home? A person who would love a gift in her honor to a philanthropic cause?

A friend who believes education is the key to a bright future? A relative who feels every qualified student deserves the chance to experience a world-class Wofford education?

For those special people in your life and on your list, give them the Gift of Wofford. Visit www.wofford.edu/GivingWofford to make a gift and print out a gift card showing an area impacted by a gift to Wofford.

(Left) George and Gr etchen Price in Hendersonville, N .C., 1992.

of his grandh his son, George, and two wit ht) rig r (fa ce Pri e org (Above) Dr. Ge ce Edmunds ’93. children, Zan and Kim Pri during his senior year. of the Wofford tennis team (Right) Price was captain ian.

Photo from the 1934 Bohem

Prices use charitable remainder trust to endow scholarship Student-athlete on the Wofford tennis team to benefit from their generosity

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uring his 30 years of family practice in Spartanburg, Dr. George Price ’34 kept two donation boxes on the credenza in his office: one selling Claxton Fruitcake on behalf of the Civitans and the other collecting memberships for the Wofford Eleven Club (the predecessor of the Terrier Club).

“Dad didn’t make a pitch to everyone, just to those he felt had the means,” says George Price III. Dr. Price practiced medicine at a time when doctors still made house calls and knew their patients like family. When he and his wife Gretchen retired, they didn’t stop serving others. Instead they found other ways to help.

“After they retired, dad and mom wanted to do something for Wofford,” says George.

In 1986 they established an endowed scholarship for rising juniors in the college’s pre-medical program. A few years later in 1991, they set up a charitable remainder trust that now, after the death of Mrs. Price (July 10, 2011), supports a student-athlete on the college’s tennis team. The new endowed fund totals almost $470,000.

“Dad had inherited from his father a highly appreciated stock that didn’t pay dividends,” says George. “My parents were at a point in their lives where they needed additional income, so instead of selling the stock and paying capital gains, they set up a trust that would provide life income with the remainder establishing a tennis scholarship at Wofford.”

George, who works in financial services with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney in Spartanburg, helped them create the trust and set the parameters.

“A charitable remainder trust is a great vehicle for someone with highly appreciated assets who wants diversification, income and an immediate tax write-off,” says George. “Probably more importantly, it provided skilled nursing care for mom, who lived to be 95.”

The Prices took out a life insurance policy so that their heirs maintained their whole inheritance.

“The generosity of the Price family to Wofford College and our tennis program is simply wonderful,” says Head Men’s Tennis Coach Rod Ray. “Endowed scholarships make it possible for us to exist as a program and provide meaningful opportunities to student-athletes. This gift will definitely make a real difference in our program.”

Dr. Price transferred to Wofford during his junior year after spending the first two years at Washington & Lee University. He continued his pre-med studies and joined the men’s tennis team, serving as captain his senior year.

“Dad played tennis into his 80s,” says George. “He also loved family, hunting and Wofford. I remember him taking our family to Wofford games when we were children. I watched Daddy Neal in Andrews and Jerry Richardson and Charlie Bradshaw on Snyder Field… Wofford had his allegiance.”

Dr. Price (who died on May 24, 1996) graduated from Vanderbilt University Medical School. He served in Calcutta, India, during World War II and later as chief of staff at Mary Black Memorial Hospital and as attending physician at Mountainview Nursing Home in Spartanburg. He was also an elder at First Presbyterian Church of Spartanburg, a

charter member of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), and a state delegate to the AAFP for 16 years.

Mrs. Price, in addition to caring for two sons, George and James Price ’68, served as president of the Ladies Medical Auxiliary. She also held leadership

positions with a variety of local charitable organizations.

Both Dr. and Mrs. Price were avid gardeners who loved to travel and spend time with their grandchildren.

by Jo Ann Mitchell Brasington ’89

Sample Wording for Will Bequest (Bequest for specific amount) I hereby give, devise, and bequeath to Wofford College, an educational institution situated at 429 North Church Street, Spartanburg, South Carolina 29303, or its successor, the sum of $____________________ to be applied to the _______ _______________________________________________.

(Bequest of remainder) I hereby give, devise, and bequeath to Wofford College, an educational institution situated at 429 North Church Street, Spartanburg, South Carolina 29303, or its successor, all the rest, residue and remainder of my estate, both real and personal, of whatever kind and wherever located, including without limitation all property acquired by me after execution of this Will and all lapsed legacies and bequests, to be applied to _________________________________________________ _____.

(Bequest of percentage) I hereby give, devise, and bequeath to Wofford College, an educational institution situated at 429 North Church Street, Spartanburg, South Carolina 29303, or its successor, _____________________ percent of the residue of my estate to be applied to the ______________________________________________________.

Consult with your attorney to make sure your Will accomplishes your goals according to your wishes.

For more information about how to best remember Wofford in your estate plans, contact Smith Patterson ’67, director of gift planning, at 864-597-4196, pattersonds@wofford.edu.

Winter 2011 • Wofford Today • 7

From patrolling the dangerous streets of Iraq to strolling the tranquil campus at Wofford Student soldier completing college degree with the help of ROTC, Army

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students

ess than six months ago, Jeremy Boeh ’15 was patrolling the streets in Iraq as a member of the U.S. Army infantry. Today, he’s strolling the Wofford campus.

By any measure, Boeh is not a typical Wofford student. He’s 27 years old; he’s married, and he has a 2-yearold daughter. He also has spent the past six years on active duty with the Army – two years of that on two tours of duty on the front lines in Iraq.

Boeh’s attendance at Wofford, where he plans to complete his final two years toward a degree in history, is thanks to the Green to Gold program, a two-year plan that provides eligible active-duty enlisted soldiers the opportunity to complete a baccalaureate degree or obtain a two-year master’s and be commissioned as an officer upon receipt of the degree.

The U.S. Army Cadet Command says that in this year’s graduating Boeh in Iraq (top) and with his class, only 46 of the 305 total Green wife, Kristen, and daughter, to Gold participants are attending Kylie, back home. private institutions.

“When I came here, I found it was the most receptive community I’ve ever been around,” he says. “It seemed to me that the transition here would be easier than on a large campus. My biggest thing was for this to be great for my whole family.

“I had never been on a college campus where somebody – even the maintenance staff – stops to speak to you like they have here,” he continues. “This is a great place to be.”

Boeh brings a different perspective to the classroom because of his experiences as a soldier.

“He is unusual because he has come back from war. We don't have too many students like him,” says Dr. Boyce Lawton, vice president for academic administration and planning. Green to Gold is a way to help this student, “who has done so much for our country.”

“It can be tough bringing a young man out of a combat zone,” says Lt. Col. Buck Bollinger, professor of military science. “When I talked to (Boeh), he had all the right answers.

The financial aid office did a great job helping him. When they needed paperwork, they would go out and get it instead of trying to email him while he was in combat.”

The Green to Gold non-scholarship program is a two-year program, and a soldier must be able to complete his degree within 24 months. Boeh plans to go into law enforcement on the local or federal level, and will seek his master’s degree in the next five years.

The Green to Gold program has two other options – Active Duty Option (in which participants remain on active duty while completing their degrees) and scholarship option (in which participants compete for scholarships to complete their degrees). Nationally, this year’s class includes 175 Active Duty Option cadets, 119 in the scholarship program, and 11 in the non-scholarship group.

by Laura H. Corbin

8 • Wofford Today • Winter 2011

McMillin starts green business from campus J unk matters to one Wofford student.

For Joseph McMillin ’13, a school project has turned into a promising green business. The Spartanburg native and psychology major recently launched Junk Matters LLC, a recycling service catering to local schools and businesses.

His mission: to help organizations take junk destined for landfills and recycle it instead. What makes his service different? McMillin hauls away recyclables for free.

“A lot of companies don’t want to or can’t afford to pay to have their recycling picked up,” says McMillin. “There’s a huge gap in the collection area between the client and the recycling plants. I want to give these businesses an opportunity to recycle anything they want to dispose of in an environmentally friendly manner.”

The idea for a free recycling service came to McMillin after spending time with James Meadors Sr. ’81, father of McMillin’s friend James Meadors Jr. ’12, and the owner of a thriving Charleston construction company specializing in green building practices. “Here’s this successful guy, and I noticed him picking up scrap metal on the side of the road, and I asked him why he did it. He told me he could recycle it and make money,” says McMillin.

The blend of earth-friendly and enterprise appealed to McMillin, who needed to develop a project for his involvement in the Success Initiative, a program within Wofford’s Center for Professional Excellence that teaches students innovation and creative thinking. His project advisor, Scott Cochran ’88, dean of the center, encouraged him to reach out to alumni and business leaders for advice on how to get his fledgling company off the ground.

“I’m not a business major; I went into this totally blind,” McMillin says. “I learned how to do it by talking with Scott Cochran and the contacts I made at recycling companies. They told me the business was growing and that if I worked hard, I’d be successful. Fifty percent of my business comes from Wofford contacts.”

“I’m incredibly impressed with what Joseph has been able to accomplish in such a short time,” says Cochran. “His company represents exactly what we’re teaching our SI (Success Initiative) students – to find something they’re passionate about and use that passion to solve problems and create opportunities.”

Beginning in March with one client (a Spartanburg County school where his mother teaches), a pick-up truck and a trailer, McMillin now has 40 clients, two trucks and trailers, and one em-

(Top) McMillin picks up recycling from one of his 40 clients in Spartanburg. (Below) McMillin (right) with his friend and Junk Matters employee James Meadors Jr. ’13. ployee: his pal James Meadors Jr. The two work an average of 25 to 30 hours each week. The proceeds from selling their collected materials to recycling plants have grown from barely enough to cover gas to enough to pay each student a small salary – with some left over for charity. McMillin donates a portion of his profits to a local high school scholarship fund named for a close friend who was killed in an automobile accident.

“I particularly wanted to donate to a scholarship fund because education is the foundation of recycling practices and the development of green technologies,” says McMillin. “And I know Wofford alumni give back more than alumni at other schools.”

Running a growing business as a full-time student has come at a personal cost to McMillin. A walk-on inside linebacker for the Wofford Terriers football team, he played in the 2010 season and had plans to return this year. Just before summer practice began, he made the difficult decision to give up his

place on the team in order to focus on his business.

“Yeah, that was tough,” he says, “but football, the business and college were three full-time jobs.

Something had to give.”

For now, McMillin continues to balance school and work. When he’s not attending class or studying, he’s busy sending emails, attending client meetings and hauling junk.

To find additional operating capital, he’s participating in Venture, another Center for Professional Excellence program that matches students with business and community leaders who provide guidance about business development and provide funding to the winner of an annual business plan competition.

“Being a poor college kid makes it hard to buy equipment and expand only on what you’re earning,” he says, “but I’m going to stick with this. There’s nothing like the feeling I get when I see how much waste we’re keeping out of the landfills in just one day’s worth of work.”

by Lisa Mincey Ware

Wofford Bonner Scholars celebrate 20 years of service

330 Bonner alumni carrying the impact forward Terra Brannon ’12 and Rickey Jones ’12 volunteer with The Spartanburg County Foundation’s Citizens Scholars program. They serve as mentors for at-risk youth and are researching and implementing best practices to help all students in the program succeed in high school and make a successful transition to college.

Atticus Fehl ’12 wears many hats at St. Luke’s Free Medical Clinic, where he has volunteered for the past three years. Fehl has accepted ever-increasing responsibilities at St. Luke’s until some of the staff affirm that, if circumstances required, he could run the place. Now he and Jessica Gardner ’13 are streamlining volunteer recruitment and training to better meet the clinic’s needs.

From scratch Kathrine Moore ’12 developed, taught and tested an interactive financial literacy curriculum for elementary school students. She continues to work with socio-economically vulnerable students.

Corella Bonner

Bonner Scholars today

A

ccording to new Wofford Bonner Scholars Coordinator Ramón

Galiñanes, more than 100 colleges and universities across the country now have some form of Bonner program, the motto of which is “Access to Education; Opportunity to Serve.”

Wofford’s Bonner Scholars program, a part of the college’s Center for Global and Community Engagement, works toward change in five priority issue areas: Educational Opportunity

O

ver the past 20 years, Wofford Bonner Scholars — such as Brannon, Jones, Fehl, Gardner and Moore — have contributed more than 500,000 hours of collective service to Spartanburg and other communities.

“Doing good in this world without making any special fuss, sharing what one has with others and finding joy in doing so, these… are the heart and soul of the Bonner Scholars program,” says President Benjamin B. Dunlap. “I believe the world is a better place because of Wofford College.

I am certain it’s a better place because of the Bonner Scholars program.”

The first Bonner Scholars joined the Wofford community in the fall of 1991 after the Corella and Bertram F. Bonner Foundation of Princeton, N.J., chose Wofford as one of its first Bonner

Scholars colleges. Dr. Larry T. McGehee, Dr. Joab M. Lesesne Jr. and Dr. Talmage B. Skinner ’56 (respectively vice president, president and chaplain of the college at the time) championed the program and were instrumental in the Bonner Foundation’s decision to fund the scholarships. Then and now Bonners spend 10 hour each week during the academic year and 280 hours per summer (for at least two summers) in community service in exchange for a scholarship that meets 100 percent of their demonstrated financial need.

“The program is designed to maximize the positive community impact of students’ work and their development as community servants and change agents,” says Jessalyn Wynn Story, director of the Bonner Scholars program and service learning at the college.

“Bonners provide game-changing

support to the community, build their understanding of social issues, and gain valuable skills and connections that will serve them and the communities they will eventually call home.”

Around the world more than 300 Wofford Bonner alumni provide servant-leadership in their communities — they teach, heal, raise families, advocate, volunteer, fight fires, and manage companies or non-profit organizations.

For example Bonner alumna Rachel Himmelstein ’10 supervises Wofford Bonners as an eligibility specialist helping Spanishspeaking clients coordinate medical care with AccessHealth in Spartanburg.

“It is fascinating being on the receiving end of the volunteer work.... As a Bonner, I did not realize how much my service work really meant to a non-profit,” says Himmelstein. “It is only now I

see as an agency how we depend on the collaboration of volunteers to run as effectively as possible.”

In typical Bonner fashion, Himmelstein excels at her job and this spring was awarded a scholarship to attend a medical interpretation program. Her day doesn’t end at 5 p.m. either. In the evenings she volunteers as a counselor and group leader at the Spartanburg Alcohol and Drug Abuse Commission.

“The most valuable lesson I took from the Bonner program is a deep awareness to the needs in my own community and globally,” says Himmelstein, who says serving as a Bonner definitely shaped her career path. “It allowed me to take what I learned within Wofford and apply it outside to the reality of human lives.”

by Jo Ann Mitchell Brasington ’89

(Below left) Bonner Scholars prepare for their work with Christmas in Action. (Below) Members of the Bonner Scholars Class of 2012.

Energy & the Environment Health & Healthy Living Poverty Reduction & Alleviation Diversity & Pluralism

Winter 2011 • Wofford Today • 9

student-athletes

Quick Hits Graduation Success Rates

The NCAA released the latest Graduation Success Rate for all Division I institutions in October. Wofford had seven of 13 teams post scores of 100, the highest score available.

Wofford teams that scored 100 were women’s cross country/ track, men’s golf, men’s cross country/track, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, men’s tennis, and women’s tennis. Overall 12 of the 13 teams posted scores of 90 or above.

Among Southern Conference institutions, Davidson had 12 teams score 100, followed by Wofford, Furman and Appalachian State with seven each. Wofford’s football team posted a score of 95, second in the conference behind Furman at 98. Samford was third at 82.

Nationally among all Division I football schools, Wofford ranked tied for 11th. Brown, Columbia, Dartmouth, Penn, and RPI all were at 100. Furman and Union posted scores of 98, followed

by Colgate, Notre Dame and Yale at 97. Wofford, Bucknell and Lafayette had scores of 95. Other notable universities include Duke (93), Vanderbilt (86), Richmond (92) and Rice (93).

The NCAA developed the Graduation Success Rate to more accurately assess the academic success of student-athletes.

The rate holds institutions accountable for transfer students, unlike the federal graduation rate. The GSR also accounts for mid-year enrollees and is calculated for every sport. Under the calculation, institutions are not penalized for outgoing transfer students who leave in good academic standing. The outgoing transfers are included in the receiving institution’s GSR cohort.

Fall Academic Honors

This fall, three Wofford student-athletes were honored with spots on the 2011 CoSIDA Capital One Academic All-District team.

Maggie O’Brien ’12 was named for women’s soccer, Alex Hutchins ’13 for men’s soccer, and James Zotto ’14 for football.

O’Brien, a native of Macon, Ga., scored two goals and recorded one assist throughout the season, finishing fifth on the team in points with five. O’ Brien has a 3.91 grade point average with a major in chemistry.

Midfielder Hutchins, from Knoxville, Tenn., led Wofford in points and goals for the season, finishing with 13 points and six goals. He currently has an overall grade point average of 3.53 while majoring in biology.

Safety Zotto, a native of Libertyville, Ill., is third on the team in tackles and has been the leading tackler in two games. He has a 3.47 grade point average and will declare a major this spring.

Men’s Soccer All-Conference Honors

The Southern Conference Men’s Soccer All-Conference teams included a trio from the Wofford squad. Alex Hutchins ’13 received second team All-Conference honors, while Carlos Dominguez Gonzalez ’15 and Forrest Lasso ’15 were named to the All-Freshman team.

Hutchins led Wofford in points and goals for the season, finishing with 13 points and six goals. He ranked eighth in points and fifth in goals among all Southern Conference players, and also ranked third in the league in game-winning goals, scoring three throughout the season.

Dominguez Gonzalez, a forward from Aguascalientes, Mexico, finished the 2011 season with two goals and one assist. He scored the first goal of the season for the Terriers in the opening seconds of a 2-1 win over USC Upstate, and recorded the assist in a 3-1 win over Liberty.

Lasso, a defender from Raleigh, N.C., posted one goal and three assists throughout the season. He scored the opening goal in Wofford’s 3-1 win over Liberty, and also earned an assist later on the final goal of the match.

by Brent Williamson

10 • Wofford Today • Winter 2011

Mitch Allen ’11 painting in the studio art room.

Meet football’s QB and Renaissance man H

e has a 3.96 GPA as a major in physics (with minors in mathematics and computer science). He is an artist, painting in oils and acrylics. He is the starting quarterback for Wofford’s FCS playoff football team. Mitch Allen ’11 is Wofford’s Renaissance Man. “I like to be well-rounded,” says Allen. “I think that is important. It is cool to be able to demonstrate skills in various different aspects of life. It is something that I enjoy and something that I will continue to do.”

Focusing first on the success that Allen as had in the classroom... to have a cumulative grade point average of 3.96 means straight As at Wofford. Well... there were three A-minuses – all freshman year.

“I am a hard worker and that is what it comes down to with academics for me,” says Allen. “I see it as a challenge to succeed in the classroom. I would not say that I am the smartest guy even on the team, but I work harder than just about anybody.”

Even with the stellar grade point average, some classes do come easier to Allen than others.

“Science and math are my subjects,” says Allen. “I am better with numbers than I am with words.... I don’t like to jump over into politics and things like that too much. I would rather be learning about physics or chemistry or math.”

The next area of expertise for Allen is in the arts.

“I started just taking art classes all throughout school. I drew in my spare time and in high school I took AP studio art my senior year. That is what sparked the painting in oils and

acrylics,” says Allen. “I was able to mix colors really well, experiment and put paint on the paper and replicate whatever I saw. It is just something that I would like to get more instruction on in the future and continue as a hobby for the rest of my life. It is something that I love doing.”

Allen also has excelled on the football field. After spending time behind Josh Collier ’08 and Ben Widmyer ’09 his first two seasons on campus, Allen has been the starter at quarterback for three seasons.

“Josh and Ben were two very good leaders and football players,” says Allen. “I learned a lot from them, not only athletically, but what it takes to be a leader at a Division I program... I think I benefited from sitting behind them and observing some of the other guys, such as Dane Romero ’09. Being able to talk with them on a daily basis and learn the ins and outs before it was my turn to step up really benefited me.”

As Wofford Today went to press, the football team completed the regular season with an 8-3 record.

It was the ninth time in the last 10 seasons with a winning record. The Terriers also earned an at-large bid to the NCAA FCS Playoffs, where they will face the University of Northern Iowa in the second round.

It is the fourth time in the last five seasons Wofford has reached the postseason. Be sure to follow the Terriers at www.woffordterriers. com, on facebook, and on twitter @WoffordTerriers.

During the two seasons Allen was learning the ropes, Collier led the Terriers to a Southern Conference title and the NCAA playoffs, while Widmyer drove the team to a 9-3 mark and another trip to the postseason.

In 2009, it was Allen’s turn to take the helm of the offense. The squad posted a 3-8 record.

His second season as a starter was a whole different story. Allen threw for 871 yards and eight touchdowns with only three interceptions. He was second on the team in rushing with 153 carries for 681 yards and four touchdowns. The team was 9-2 in the regular season and earned a share of the SoCon championship. In the postseason, the team won at Jacksonville State before falling in the quarterfinals.

“We were able to turn it around,” says Allen. “We had the talent. It was just a matter of harnessing it and getting some of those guys back from injury and sticking together. It was so rewarding to do it with the seniors that I came in with, and guys that I spent most of my time with.

The chemistry that we had and built over those four years where we knew we were winners and we knew we had what it takes. There were games when we flat out proved it, and there were games we made it interesting and had to pull out some miraculous wins. It was a special team and a special year. It was fun to be a part of.”

Allen already has his next move planned. The Renaissance Man has accepted an offer to work in the training leadership program at General Electric Aviation in Cincinnati.

by Brent Williamson

H

ead Men’s Soccer Coach Ralph Polson remembers the first time he had a soccer ball at his feet.

“If you have the ball at your feet, you’re in control — what you do next determines what happens next…. I was 4 or 5, and we lived in St. Louis where my dad was in chiropractic school,” says Polson. “At the time playing and coaching soccer wasn’t a lifelong dream. It was just fun.”

Now the ball’s back at his feet as he prepares to accept the presidency of the largest coaching organization in the world — the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) — with more than 30,000 members from every level of coaching… and for Polson, it’s still fun.

Polson describes the annual convention with the same enthusiasm that he might use to describe an all-expense paid trip to the World Cup finals. For the past three years, he has served as the vice president of convention and awards.

“There are lectures, coaching clinics, meetings and the largest gathering of soccer vendors in the world. The exhibit hall will be packed with tens of thousands of everything soccer. There will be two full-sized, indoor soccer fields for demonstrations. We will also present awards — All-America, scholar athletes, regional and national coaching awards and lifetime achievement awards,” says Polson. “It’s the most impressive gathering of coaches, administrators, athletes and vendors in the world.”

At the January 2012 convention, to be held in Kansas City, Mo., Polson will lead his first board of directors meeting and will announce his focus for the coming year. Polson’s presidency will end after he presides over the 2013 conference in Indianapolis, Ind. The event will mark Polson’s 30th year as a member and his 30th consecutive convention.

“Every president leaves a legacy, and I’ve thought long and hard about what I wanted to contribute to the organization,” says Polson.

According to Polson, recent NSCAA presidents have expanded the membership, focused on diversity, added and restructured paid staff. As a member of the executive committee for the past four years, Polson has been a part of all of these initiatives and wants his legacy to be the next step.

“During my year as president, we will be completing a five-year strategic plan. It is very important for the NSCAA to have a new strategic plan in place prior to the completion of the present plan. I have come to realize that maybe five years, in an organization as large and diverse as ours, might be too long. Jack Huckel, vice president for marketing and communications, and I decided to spend the coming year evaluating the organization and creating a recurring three-year plan that will lay the groundwork for the future of NSCAA. That will be my legacy.”

Polson was elected to the NSCAA board of directors as

secretary in January 2008. He has served the organization as vice president for convention and awards, NCAA Division I Men’s All-America committee chair, NCAA Division I South Region All-America committee chair and treasurer of the Walt Chyzowych Memorial Fund.

In his fourth season at Wofford, Polson applies to his coaching the same precision regarding assessment and planning that he uses with the NSCAA. “Coaching requires constant evaluation,” he says. “You train, you play, you evaluate, you train and play again. You have a game plan, but you’re constantly reviewing and adjusting it.”

The same pertains to his personal life. Polson may have started the first soccer team at Greer High School in 1972, but he went to college to major in chemistry with a focus on becoming a doctor.

“I like to tell people I majored in chemistry but got my degree in soccer,” says Polson, a goalkeeper, who turned a walk-on position on the Erskine soccer team into a scholarship. At Erskine, he fell in love with soccer and got his first taste of coaching. Still, he went to graduate school to earn a master’s degree in analytical chemistry at University of North CarolinaCharlotte. While in Charlotte, Polson worked as a graduate assistant and played soccer for a well-sponsored men’s amateur club team. When a friend at Providence Day School offered him a job as JV soccer coach and varsity goalkeeper coach, Polson

took a long look at the path he was on and decided to make a change.

“With a semester of classes and a year of research left, I walked away from graduate school to become a soccer coach,” says Polson. “The rest is history.”

After successful coaching assignments at Erskine, Presbyterian and College of Charleston, Polson accepted the Wofford job.

The team won two games in the Southern Conference (a college record) in his first year.

“After that first year I knew we were moving in the right direction and eventually would be successful,” says Polson. “Still, I didn’t know that we’d do what we did in 2009, winning the conference and tournament championships and going to the NCAA tournament.”

by Jo Ann Mitchell Brasington ’89

(Left) The 2009 men’s soccer team celebrates its tournament championship. (Right) Polson at practice with his team. (Above) Polson coaching from the sidelines during a game.

Winter 2011 • Wofford Today • 11

Republican Presidential Debate:

The experience of a lifetime for Wofford students

E

mily Turk ’14 never imagined when she inquired this fall about working in Wofford’s News Services office how great her timing would be or the excellent professional opportunity it may lead to.

Turk, an English and business finance major from Demorest, Ga., was able to watch first-hand – and assist – as the college prepared for and successfully executed the Nov. 12 Republican Presidential Candidates Debate, which aired live on CBS from Benjamin Johnson Arena.

She and nearly 200 other Wofford students got to experience the historic event from near and far – from actually helping to plan for the event, to volunteering the night of the event (some even as assistants to the candidates), to sitting in the audience after getting one of the coveted tickets allocated to the college, to meeting and interviewing the big-name media personalities who coanchored and reported on the event.

Turk took advantage of her opportunity, introducing herself to the “celebrities,” including co-moderators Scott Pelley, anchor and managing editor for CBS News; and Major Garrett, congressional correspondent for National Journal; along with Jan Crawford, political correspondent for CBS, who reported on the event.

She also spied Scott Keenan, the Southeast bureau director for CBS, whom she had introduced herself to the night before as his crew prepared the stage area for the broadcast. She also had quizzed him about how he got his start in the business. She wanted to learn as much as she could, since a recent internship led her to a newfound interest in media broadcasting as a career.

Keenan “gave me a business card and sent me to talk to ‘Darrall out of Atlanta,’” Turk recalls. “Darrall ended up being the camera technician whom I had exchanged comments with while watching the news.”

She introduced herself and told him Keenan had sent her to talk to him about a possible internship. “He asked me several questions,

and we talked for about 15 minutes before I asked about the internship process and what all it entailed. He said, ‘I’m interviewing you now, and you don’t even know it!

You’re persistent and that’s a great thing – you’re not a pest, we don’t like pests. Call me next week.’

“The weekend Wofford hosted the 2012 Republican Presidential Debate was invigorating and enlightening,” Turk says.

“The weekend was honestly one of the most exciting of my life and one that I will never forget. I am blessed to have been an integral part of the production, and I am sincerely thankful for the opportunity as well as the experience.”

Cameron Kimber ’13 of Powder Springs, Ga.; Lamar Hunter ’13 of North Charleston, S.C.; and Tyrell Jemison ’14, also of North Charleston, also got a behind-the-scenes experience at the debate. They were among a half dozen Wofford students who were paid workers for CBS during the week leading up to the production – serving as runners, candidate stand-ins during rehearsals, and all-around jacks-of-all-trades.

“Overall, my duties ranged from going to Home Depot to pick up cat 5 cable (Ethernet) to picking up Scott Pelley from the Marriott on the day of the debate,” Kimber says. While meeting Pelley was a treat, “the most enjoyable aspect of the entire project was getting to know the cameramen and stage hands. There was never a dull moment or boring conversation. These people have made a living literally having fun. Not once did I see them frowning – only smiles and laughter.”

Kimber says he wanted to participate, not because he plans to go into broadcasting (he doesn’t), but because “I thought this would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I was so glad I didn’t pass up the opportunity to see the behind-the-scenes aspect of a national television production.”

While running errands might seem mundane, Jemison notes “the work went

CBS’s Jan Crawford prepares for the Friday evening news, aired from Main Building.

12 • Wofford Today • Winter 2011

(Left to right) Leigh Ann Miller, Major Garrett (National Journal), Emily Turk and Rachel Woodlee discuss debate preparation. from easy to busy as the week progressed.

Since most of us knew the town pretty well, we had to become resourceful and magically find anything our bosses asked for within Spartanburg. That being said, some days felt like an extreme edition of a scavenger hunt.”

He, Kimber and Hunter say they learned to be resourceful and to manage their time wisely – skills that will come in handing no matter their career paths.

“I worked a total of about 44 hours for about one week,” Hunter says. “This meant that I had to juggle working for CBS and studying for my classes. It was a little rough, but I made it through."

Several students got up-close-andpersonal as volunteers serving as “green room assistants” for one of the eight candidates who participated in the debate. Danner Benfield ’13 of Charleston, S.C., worked with Jon Huntsman. “I wanted to volunteer because this was an amazing opportunity for Wofford, and I really wanted to be a part of it. I was with (Huntsman) the whole time he was on campus, and he took time to talk to me, which was really impressive.”

Lara Cottrell ’13 of Carrollton, Ga., was Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann’s assistant. “I had never been so thrilled in my life,” she says. “I have always been a huge proponent of ‘you have to be the change that you want to see in the world,’ which is why I like to be involved in many things on campus so I can voice my opinion. I also don’t like standing on the sidelines when important, once-in-a-lifetime events are occurring around me.”

In addition to tending to Bachmann’s needs – including a “Hot Now” Krispy Kreme doughnut run – she was enlisted as a make-up artist doing touch-ups on the male candidates during commercial breaks in the debate “because Ms. Bachmann required so much attention” from the hired artist.

“There is no feasible way for me to process the extraordinary experience I had (during the debate),” Cottrell says. “I am truly grateful for all the incredible opportunities that Wofford College has been able to provide me with that I would not be able to have anywhere else.”

Student journalists Trent Brock ’14 of Inman, S.C., photographer for the Old Gold

& Black and Bohemian; Leigh Ann Miller ’14 of Scott, La.; and Rachel Woodlee ’13 of Greer, S.C., probably got closer than anyone to the debate personalities during the weekend.

“Being that close to the potential next president of the United States is humbling,” says Brock, who covered several events leading up to the debate, such as the CBS Early Show live remotes and the CBS Evening News live broadcast from the lawn of Main Building, and was involved in the “photo spray” inside the arena before the event began. During the debate, he was in the media filing room (the converted Zach’s) in the Campus Life Building. “It was surreal to be a part of the entire experience the week of the debate.”

Miller interviewed Pelley, Garrett and Crawford for the OG&B, and was able to sit in the arena during the debate. Woodlee also interviewed Pelley and Garrett for a video being produced by the Admission Office aimed at prospective students.

"Having the opportunity to interview such major figures in journalism was quite a learning experience for me," Miller says.

Although at first I was instinctively intimidated, Pelley, Garrett, and Crawford were all so personable that the interviews became less of job and more of an exciting challenge.

“The entire debate experience has been the most exciting event that I have been a part of at Wofford,” Miller says. “Being a faithful follower of current events and news media, I was thrilled to be an active participant in the media coverage.”

Wofford will be able to use the experience of hosting the first nationally televised network debate of the 2012 political season for years to come, pointing to the college’s appeal as a leading liberal arts institution.

The college’s students will be able to look back at the experience as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the political process first-hand, no matter where they fall on the political spectrum. Some of these students will use their experiences as enriching personal experiences, while others, like Emily Turk, may be able to leverage them into professional opportunities that will change their lives forever.

by Laura H. Corbin

(Clockwise from left) Leslie Griffin ’14 was one of the students who worked the debate.

(Left to right) Steven Blanton ’04, Rita Allison, Roger Nutt and Chad Connelly, chair of the S.C. GOP, at the debate announcement on Oct. 25 in front of Main Building.

Wofford Trustee Bill Cobb brought his grandson, Will, to the debate.

CBS’s Scott Pelley greets Van Hipp Jr. and his father during a commercial break.

Hipp responsible for bringing debate opportunity to Wofford students

I

t was a few minutes past noon on Sunday, Nov. 13, when Wofford Today caught up with Van Hipp ’82 at home in Alexandria, Va. Hipp’s flight from Spartanburg had landed just a few minutes before, and within 24 hours, he would be off again to Europe.

However, he did take a few minutes to summarize his experiences and emotions after the South Carolina Republican Presidential Debate at Wofford College the day before.

“Today, I feel like Hannibal Smith on the old A-Team television show,” he said.

“He would light a cigar and say, ‘I love it when a plan comes together.’”

Public affairs programming of national significance has been part of Van Hipp’s vision for Wofford for years, going back to at least to 1990, when he was the college’s Young Alumnus of the Year. He took a giant step toward that goal in December 2010 when he made a significant gift to the college to establish the endowed Hipp International Affairs and Security Lecture Series.

Fast forward to the summer of 2011. As chairman of American Defense International (ADI), a Washington-based consulting firm specializing in government affairs, business development and public relations, Hipp became alarmed that candidates for next year’s Republican presidential nomination seldom addressed international issues when they campaigned. “After all,” Hipp said, “the original and abiding purpose of the federal government is to provide for the common defense.”

Hipp talked with South Carolina Republican Party Chairman Chad Connelly, and together they approached CBS News about a debate.

One of Hipp’s primary contacts was Major Garrett, Congressional correspondent for the National Journal, with whom he had worked as a commentator for Fox News. Garrett joined the team to pull together an event that CBS soon christened the Commander-in-Chief ’s Debate.

“CBS is an old-school news organization,” Hipp said, “We knew that they would produce a classy, substantive debate that would be fair to all concerned. I knew also that this event would be a perfect fit for Wofford. CBS gave us the national exposure we hoped for... and pronounced the college’s name correctly.”

While Connelly and other key officials in the state Republican Party worked with Wofford on facilities, ticketing and promotional arrangements, Hipp, Connelly, Garrett and others talked to the strategists for different candidates. “A great deal of effort had to be expended to get all the confirmations in a short period of time,” Hipp said. “Some days, I felt that I called every card on my Rolodex, but in the end, everyone agreed to be in Spartanburg at the appointed day and time.”

The candidates and almost 200 members of the national press corps were greeted by traditional Southern hospitality.

“It was just a great team effort involving the South Carolina GOP, the people of Spartanburg, and Wofford College. If you don’t throw the Hail Mary pass, you can’t complete it,” Hipp said. “This time, we went all the way for a touchdown.”

by Doyle Boggs ’70

Winter 2011 • Wofford Today • 13

Keeping inTouch 1943 Monroe Hiers and his wife, Eugenia,

celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on Aug. 27, 2011. The couple lives in Bamberg, S.C.

1948 USC Union honored Warren N. Little during Founders’ Day celebrations held on Oct. 20, 2011. Little, a retired high school principal lives with his wife, Florence, in Jonesville, S.C.

&

About For Alumni Wofford Today / Wofford College / Volume 44, Number 2 / Spartanburg, South Carolina / Winter 2011

1950 Congratulations to the Rev. Robert Garfield and his wife, Betty. The couple

celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Aug. 25, 2011. They live in Spartanburg.

Members of the Class of 1991 reunited around the sculpture of Light Kinney ’91 during their 20th class reunion.

(Below) At the 50-Year Club Reunion: (left to right) Warren ’60 and Julia Greene, Robin Kelley and Butch Trent ’53.

1953 In April 2010, Ted Morton completed a year of service as state president of the South Carolina Society of the Sons of the American Revolution and is currently serving as the national trustee of the South Carolina Society. He also is chairman of the board of directors of the South Carolina United Methodist Foundation. Living in Greenwood, S.C., Morton serves as president of the Old Ninety Six Chapter of the South Carolina Genealogical Society.

1954 It was nice to hear from the Rev. Gary Barber who lives with his wife, Patricia,

in Lakeland, Fla. The couple celebrated their golden wedding anniversary on July 30, 2011. Their son, the Rev. Gary “Don” Barber Jr. is a member of the class of 1986. Granddaughters Ellison Barber is a member of the class of 2012, Lindel Barber is a member of the class of 2014, and Stewart Barber graduated in 2009.

1974 Class Chair, Jerry L. Calvert Living in Spartanburg, Marc White is a sales representative for Vector Cutco Cutlery.

1975 Class Chair, John O. Moore Dr. Willie Stevens lives in WinstonSalem, N.C., and is a home school coordinator for Winston-Salem/Forsythe County Schools. Stevens’ book, “An Analysis of Recidivism of Violent Behavior in an Elementary School,” was recently published and is available at www. trafford.com.

1976 Class Chair, John W. Gandy Mike Cunningham is vice president of Triumph Motorcycles North America.

He and his wife, Brenda, live in Las Vegas, Nev. Jackson Hughes, president of Hughes Commercial Properties, was honored on Oct. 18, 2011, with the South Carolina March of Dimes’ annual Real Estate Award for service, leadership and vision in the community. Hughes and fellow award honoree, David Glenn, helped raise more than $142,000 for the charity. He lives in Greenville, S.C.

14 • Wofford Today • Winter 2011

(Above) From the Terrier Ball: This year’s event featured a Fund-a-Need auction item where alumni and friends bid to help fund a scholarship for a studentathletes. At the ball were (left to right) Sahaj Patel ’10, Matt Abee ’10, Homecoming Queen Whitney Walker ’12, Jack Meadors ’55 and Kinli Bare ’08.

Harry Stathakis ’84 with his children, (Left to right) Chris Doar ’91, Ben Curran ’91 and Scott (Left to right) Reeves and Mark Thackson ’80 with Kathy Sam and Hannah, at the Street Party. Williams ’91 at their 20th Reunion. and Rock Amick ’83 at the Street Party.

Enjoying the Homecoming luncheon.

Retiring Jerry Richardson’s jersey #51 at half-time of the Homecoming football game.

Ernest “Whitey” Lander ’37 and his daughter Beth Purcell at the 50-Year Club reunion.

A group from the Class of 1966 Reunion.

Victoria Osborne ’11 and Brittani Minnieweather ’11 at the Dr. Bob Moss, professor of biology, teaching a Classes without Quizzes for alumni.

Association of Multicultural Students reception.

(Left to right) Matt Morrison ’09, Phillip Stone ’94 and Jamie Arakas ’12 at the Pi Kappa Phi Centennial Dinner.

Winter 2011 • Wofford Today • 15

1978 Class Chair, Richard W. Krapfel The Rev. Dr. Melvin Lowry is pastor of Belle-Terrace Presbyterian Church.

He retired as a chaplain (Lt. Col.) in the United States Army Reserve in 2007, and recently earned his doctor of ministry degree from Columbia Theological Seminary. Lowry and his wife, Faye, live in Augusta, Ga.

(Above) Ruins of Pon Pon Chapel near Jacksonboro, a Friday afternoon stop on the Orbiting Seminar XIII tour through the Low Country. (Below) Nearly 50 Wofford alumni and friends are pictured below after a stop at the Bedon-Lucas House Museum.

Visiting the front porch of the Low Country with OS XIII

W

hile South Carolina ranks 40th in size among the 50 United States, there are many hidden treasures in odd places around our state, all with good stories to explore and retell.

This year’s Alumni Orbiting Seminar XIII, “The Front Porch of the Low County,” provided ample testimony in support of that claim as about 50 Wofford travelers explored Hampton, Colleton and northern Dorchester counties on Oct. 6-7.

On Thursday, Lawton Clarke O’Cain led the travelers through a “Black Water Paradise,” along the Savannah River. The history of that area includes stories of rattlesnakes, warblers, woodpeckers, the Yemassee Indians, planters, Sherman’s soldiers and hunting lodges of the rich and 16 • Wofford Today • Winter 2011

famous, such as Gravel Hill. Today, however, much of the region is divided among three adjacent state-owned wildlife management areas, the James W. Webb Center (5,866 acres), Hamilton Ridge (13,281 acres) and Palachucola (6,757 acres).

After a visit to a Low Country artisan’s center, a barbecue dinner and an interesting talk by Circuit Judge Perry Buckner ’71 about the restored Colleton County Courthouse, the seminar spent a beautiful Friday morning exploring Walterboro.

It was a special honor to visit the Frazier-McLeod House, now the home of the Honorable John Reaves McLeod ’95, and the Chaplin House on Fishburn Street (1810), also associated with the McLeod family. For a time, it was the home of George B. Hart-

zog Jr., who attended Wofford during the 1937-38 academic year and later received an honorary doctoral degree for his leadership of the National Park Service in the 1960s and 1970s.

Memorable Friday afternoon stops included Pon Pon Chapel (1822) near Jacksonboro, St. James the Greater Catholic Church in Ritter and the Indian Field Camp Meeting grounds near St. George. There was also a visit to the fascinating KogerMurray-Carroll House at Grover, which is drawing statewide attention as a first-rate restoration work-in-progress.

by Doyle Boggs ’70 For more commentary by Doyle Boggs, visit “Doyle Blogs” under Sights and Sounds on the Wofford website, www.wofford.edu.

the law firm of Popowski Callas & Shirley P.A. She and her husband, Lewis, have three children.

Laura Thomson McCarty is vice president of the Georgia Humanities Council.

She lives with her husband, Phillip, in Decatur, Ga.

1990

Class Chair, Scott W. Cashion Living in Spartanburg, Ivan Curry is an outpatient physical therapist for Spartan1980 burg Regional Healthcare System. Curry Class Chair, Paul D. Kountz Jr. Dr. Todd Dorman lives in Baltimore, also is a physical therapist for Spartanburg Md. He is associate dean and director Regional Healthcare System’s sports medifor continuing medical education for cine at Wofford. the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

He also is professor and vice chair of 1991 anesthesiology and critical care medicine Class Chair, Leslee Houck Page Steve Jobe teaches history at Spartanburg and has joint appointments as a professor in internal medicine, surgery and the Day School. He lives in Spartanburg, with his wife Susan, and their two children. school of nursing.

Jonathan Norwood lives with his Doug Smith is one of three new members elected to The Heritage Classic family in Greenville, S.C. Norwood is Foundation board. The board oversees senior vice president of finance at Security the operations of the PGA Tour’s golf Group Inc. Todd W. Smythe, an attorney with tournament at Hilton Head, S.C., known as the RBC Heritage presented by Boeing. Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd P.A., has been Smith is a partner in the Johnson, Smith, named a “Best Lawyer” in America by Best Hibbard & Wildman law firm. He lives Lawyers, the oldest peer-review publication in the legal profession. Smythe specializes in with his family in Spartanburg. medical malpractice and works at the firm’s Charleston office.

1981 Class Chair, G. Patrick Watson Bill Scheper lives with his family in 1992 Port Royal, S.C. Scheper is controller Class Chair, Nicholle P. Chunn Sherry Laboratories appointed Tristan for the event planning firm of Jurgensen Davis to the position of quality assurance & Co. Inc. manager in July 2011. He will oversee quality assurance at Sherry’s environmental 1982 testing laboratory in Lafayette, La., as well Class Chair, J. Madison Dye Jr. Beth Stedman has been named in- as Sherry’s air testing laboratory in Garland, terim coordinator of Women’s Initiatives Texas. Davis and his wife, Jacqueline Renee and Community Engagement at Coastal Marcoux Davis, live in Lafayette, La. The Carolina University. She will coordinate couple has two children.

Billy Keels and his wife, Angie, live in activities with the University’s Women in Philanthropy and Leadership annual Chester, S.C. The couple has two children, conference. Stedman lives with her family Trey (12) and Allie (9). Keels has been a high school baseball coach for 15 years, the in Murrells Inlet, S.C. last 10 at Lewisville High School. His team 1984 played for the Upper State Championship Class Chair, Kenneth Kirkpatrick three years in a row, and his 2010 team won Cal Watson has been included in the the state championship.

2012 edition of “The Best Lawyers in Margaret Green Young was recently America.” Watson is managing partner named managing partner of the Spartanof the law firm Sowell Gray Stepp & burg office of PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Laffite. He lives with his family in Co- Young also serves on the boards of the Mary lumbia, S.C. Black Foundation and the United Way of the Piedmont. She and her family live in 1985 Spartanburg.

Class Chair, Timothy E. Madden Michael Carrouth, a partner in the 1993 law firm of Fisher & Phillips LLP, has Class Chair, Sarah C. Sawicki been selected to “The Best Lawyers in Dr. Amy Forrest is a physician at America” 2012. Carrouth is certified Greenwood Obstetrics and Gynecology. She as a specialist in labor law by the South spoke at the Abbeville Area Medical Center Carolina Supreme Court. He lives with in July 2011, as part of the hospital’s Ladies his family in Columbia, S.C. Night Out series of programs. Forrest lives Gray Culbreath, a shareholder with in Greenwood, S.C. Gallivan, White & Boyd, has been recognized as a “Lawyer of the Year”2012 1994 in his practice area by Best Lawyers. Cul- Class Chair, Alicia N. Truesdail Dr. Ben Rigby lives with his family in breath leads the firm’s newly established Wilmington, N.C. Along with two partners, Columbia office.

Rigby has opened a private practice called 1987 Potentials: Center for Assessment and Bryan Adams has been named to the Psychotherapy.

Best Lawyers in America 2012 in the area Congratulations to Melford Wilson III, of employment law representing manage- who earned a master’s degree in business ment. Adams is a partner in the Charlotte administration with an emphasis on aclaw firm Van Hoy, Reutlinger, Adams & counting from Winthrop University.

Dun PLLC. He lives with his wife, Meg, in Charlotte, N.C. The couple has two 1995 Class Chair, Brandie Y. Lorenz sons, George and Charles.

Dr. Kyle Gipson, featured in the fall 1988 issue of Wofford Today, lives with his wife, Class Chair, C. Lane Glaze Pamela, in Harrisonburg, Va. The couple Living in Columbia, S.C., Vanessa has one son, David. Gipson is an assistant Crittenden Overbay is an attorney with professor at James Madison University.

1996 Class Chair, Curt L. Nichols Jr. Dr. Stephen Jones lives with his family in Chattanooga, Tenn. Jones recently completed his Ph.D. in biology from Clemson University and will be presenting his research work at the American Public Health Association Research Conference. He also is extending his work through post-doctoral research with the Harvard University Pilgrim Health Care Institute.

Congratulations to Robert Mayhew who successfully defended his dissertation in art history at Duke University. Mayhew and his wife, Christine, live in Raleigh, N.C. The couple has one child.

1997 Class Chair, Beth M. Guerrero Chris Schwendimann and his wife, Heather Poole Schwendimann ’94, live in Boiling Springs, S.C. Chris is vice president and private banking officer for Carolina Alliance Bank. In addition to his financial services career, Chris has more than 18 years of military experience. He holds the rank of major and serves as an executive officer for a South Carolina National Guard aviation battalion. The couple has two children.

Bryson Worley is assistant principal, assistant athletic director and head men’s golf coach at Gainesville (Fla.) High School. He recently was recognized as the 2011 Region 8AAA Mens’ Golf Coach of the Year and The Gainesville Times Coach of the Year. Worley also was keynote speaker at a recent Georgia High School Project Institute. His presentation will be published by the National Dropout Prevention Center for Students with Disabilities.

1998 Class Chair, Casey B. Moore Gene Hughes and his wife, Emilie, live in Meadville, Pa. Hughes is a visiting assistant professor at Allegheny College.

Living in Spartanburg, Jason Lynch is associated with the automotive finance company American Credit Acceptance LLC.

1999 Class Chair, Zack O. Atkinson Rebecca Raulerson Parrish and her husband, Remsen Parrish ’00, have relocated with their son from Spartanburg to Charlotte, N.C. Rebecca is director of development and communications at Omni Montessori School. Remsen is purchasing manager for Extended Stay Hotels.

Brenda L. Wichmann and her husband, Kevin Dixon, live in Athens, Ga. Wichmann is collections manager for the University of Georgia Herbarium.

2000 Class Chair, Andy Hoefer Jr. Heather Sulier Griffith and her husband, Reed, live in Charlotte, N.C. The couple has two children, Mary Greer and Grace Reed.

Jason Roe lives with his family in Chattanooga, Tenn. Roe is a production superintendent for the manufacturing firm Olin Corp.

2001 Class Chair, Jenna S. Bridgers Dale Ness and his wife, Kerri, live in Columbia, S.C. Ness is owner of Ness Properties, a real estate, brokerage and development firm. The couple has a oneyear old son Dale Sorlie Ness III.

(Left to right) Dr. Geoff Steinkruger ’94 (an endodontist), Dr. Dave Pittman ’94 (associate professor of psychology at Wofford) and Dr. Bryan Splawn ’94 (associate professor of chemistry at Wofford) experienced NASCAR driving this fall at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. Each drove eight laps solo in a 650-horsepower race car reaching top speeds ranging from 132 to 140 mile per hour. “We had a great time and represented Wofford with our T-shirts (and not crashing into the wall!),” says Pittman.

Making Healthy Eating Decisions: a good idea spreads around the world T

he address on the email to Dr. Dave Pittman ’94 in the Wofford Department of Psychology told an important story in itself.

It came from an information scientist in Paris, France, requesting a copy of his recent article in the International Journal of Obesity.

“Making Healthy Eating Decisions,” a program that began two years ago with a study in two elementary schools in Spartanburg, is fast becoming known in international circles as an amazingly cost-effective way to teach elementary school children how to eat healthy and stay trim.

The concept is almost as simple as ringing a bell. When purchasing a school lunch, Pittman says, elementary age students usually must choose between several entrees and side items.

The healthy eating decisions menu calculator, created by Wofford Computer Science Professor Dave Sykes, identifies the healthiest combination of lunch menu items for each day, and prior to leaving the classroom for the cafeteria, teachers point out the healthiest lunch choice to the students.

If students choose all of the Healthy Eating Decisions food items and white milk for their lunch, they are allowed to ring a call bell in the cafeteria that provides public recognition of their healthy eating decisions and positively reinforces their behavior.

“Our study published in the International Journal of Obesity reports food and beverage choices that were measured during a nine-day intervention phase,” Pittman says. “The healthiest choices increased 49

percent with more than 60 percent of students choosing non-flavored milk, the healthiest beverage, over flavored milk.”

After 30 days, food and beverage choices were reassessed during a three-day follow-up phase. The program’s success continued over time, Pittman says. He also points out that researchers observed no variation in outcomes at different schools even though the students came from different demographics (suburban versus urban).

“Public recognition through bell ringing appears to be an effective practice to sustain increases in healthy eating decisions during elementary school lunch and warrants expansion to larger scale, longitudinal trials,” Pittman concludes.

Pittman and Sykes along with Wofford psychology majors are working now to expand the program to new schools and new students around the world. More details about how Wofford alumni can implement Healthy Eating Decisions in their local schools or communities are available on the website http://HealthyEatingDecisions.com. The program is free and the only requirement is to identify a person (cafeteria manager, school nurse, teacher, or parent volunteer) who will enter the nutritional information for monthly lunch menus into the online Healthy Eating Decisions menu calculator.

For more information, email Dr. Dave Pittman at pittmandw@ wofford.edu.

Do you know an outstanding high school student who should consider Wofford?

Take the first step by sending his or her contact information (name and address or e-mail) to admission@wofford.edu, and we'll do the rest.

For questions, please contact Terrell Ball, associate director of admission, at ballbt@wofford.edu.

Winter 2011 • Wofford Today • 17

TERRIERS

in the News

Point B appoints Kulick new Chicago senior director Point B, a management consulting firm specializing in strategic execution, has promoted Nancy Vrooman Kulick ’95 to senior director in its Chicago practice. Kulick, a multi-year veteran of Point B, has been a key figure in the firm’s rapid Chicago growth through her strategic client leadership and program management efforts. In her new role, Kulick will serve as the principal clientsupporting executive, support associate development and provide strategic input into the advancement of the practice.

Kulick steps into this new role with a 16-year history of leading organizations and transformational programs in the eCommerce, technology, and telecommunications industries. She has deep expertise in product management and development, program management, enterprise process change, and IT solution implementation. Prior to Point B, Kulick served as vice president at Remi Communications and as a senior product manager at Amazon.com.

She holds an MBA from Northwestern University.

Benfield with Charleston School of Law students — Elizabeth M. LaMance ’09, Kelly M. Turek ’09 and Meredith Ann Carter ’10 at the dinner Benfield holds each year for Wofford alumni attending the law school.

Benfield joins SCICU board John Benfield ’78, associate dean of admission and alumni development at the Charleston School of Law, has been named to the 62-member board of SCICU (South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities). Founded in 1953, SCICU is a non-profit organization that supports and promotes independent higher education through fundraising, scholarships, research, and by facilitating collaborative activities among the 20 member institutions. More than 33,000 students each year attend a private college or university in South Carolina.

Cherry to chair S.C. Bar’s Employment and Labor Law Section In November the Nexsen Pruet law firm announced that Molly Hughes Cherry ’93 has been elected chair of the South Carolina Bar Association’s Employment and Labor Law (ELL) Section.

Cherry previously has served as secretary, vice-chair and chairelect of the Employment and Labor Section and is past-chair of the newsletter committee. She was elected at the joint NC-SC CLE on Oct. 21, 2011, and her 18-month term begins on Jan. 1, 2012.

Cherry is a certified specialist in employment and labor law and serves on the advisory board for the South Carolina Supreme Court Commission. She serves as president of the Wofford National Alumni Association.

Dunlap’s TED talk continues to spread

Troyer and his screenplay turned indie film featured in the Charlotte Observer Physician Eric Troyer ’84, a family phsycian in North Carolina has turned his self-published novel into the feature film, “Witness Insecurity.”

The film was produced in Charlotte, N.C., and in September premiered at the Modern Film Fest in Kannapolis, N.C. According to the Charlotte Observer, “Unlike most small indie films shot in the Charlotte region, this has actors you know.

“Edward Furlong (Terminator 2) is Johnny, who is adopted by a gangster (Ed Asner) and groomed to be the mob’s accountant. Anthony, his sociopathic adopted brother (Rick Ravenello of ‘Weeds’), hates Johnny’s guts and looks for an excuse to oust or kill him. When a D.A. (Grace Johnston of ‘Ghostwriter’) gets Johnny on her side, his loyalties face a final test.”

According to Troyer, “My goal was to make a witnessing tool, to cross over to a secular audience and introduce people to faith. But I didn't want to beat them over the head with it.”

Troyer’s story ran in the Observer on Sunday, Sept. 25, 2011.

18 • Wofford Today • Winter 2011

Dr. Benjamin B. Dunlap receives messages like the one below weekly from alumni, friends of the college and academics from across the country who discover one of his speeches on the Internet.

Dear President Dunlap, A friend of mine from Georgia sent me your lecture on passion, and I just have to say köszönöm szépen!

How proud you have made me of a screenshot from Dunlap’s TED talk on youtube my heritage (100 percent Hungarian). Once, I presented a paper at the Northeast Association for Irish Studies conference on Patrick Kavanagh, James Joyce and Imre Maddach, illustrating, just as you eloquently presented, the passion of these writers and their concern for humanity.

What particularly struck me about your lecture was the way you combined passion with integrity, elevating the consciousness of your audience.

I will be using your inspirational lecture with my Creative Process class this semester and my Craft of Writing IV class in the spring.

God bless you in all of your endeavors, Jeanne I. Lakatos, a doctoral candidate, National Centre for Franco-Irish Studies, Institute of Technology Tallaght, Dublin, Ireland and adjunct professor: School of Arts and Sciences and coordinator: Tutoring Resource Center, Western Connecticut State University To watch Dunlap’s TED talk, visit www.ted.com/talks/ben_ dunlap_talks_about_a_passionate_life.html

Englisbe completes first hotel project In 2009 Ross Englisbe ’96 left Renault to create his own company, Hamilton Conte, an independent furniture producer selling business to business to European furniture retailers and contract clients. In 2010, the company completed its first hotel with its entire furniture and home accessories range and is developing its retail presence throughout Europe. Englisbe lives in Paris, France, and serves as general manager, Hamilton Conte SARL, and managing partner, Fabián Pellegrinet Interiors and Furniture.

Floyd confirmed to U.S. Court of Appeals The Honorable Henry Floyd ’70 was confirmed by the United States Senate unanimously Oct. 3, 2011, as a member of the Fourth District Court of Appeals. He joins Wofford alumnus Dennis Shedd ’75 on that bench. Clyde Hamilton ’56 is a senior judge on that court.

Floyd was nominated for elevation to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit on Jan. 26, 2011, by President Barack Obama. In the press release Obama says, “Throughout his career, Henry Floyd has demonstrated unwavering integrity and a firm commitment to public service. I am proud to nominate him to serve on the United States Court of Appeals.”

Prior to his elevation to the appellate level, Floyd served as the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina. He joined that court in 2003 after being nominated by President George W. Bush.

2002 Class Chair, L. Yorke Gerrald Living in Columbia, S.C., Rachel Courtright Hammond is a marketing manager for South Carolina Bank and Trust. Hammond and her husband, Raymond Hammond ’00, have one daughter, Lucy.

The Brick Presbyterian Church in New York has nominated the Rev. Rebekah Hutto as associate pastor for Christian Education and Discipleship.

Rebekah’s husband, the Rev. B.J. Hutto, an ordained Baptist minister, is currently completing his Ph.D. in theological ethics at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. The couple has a 1-year-old daughter, Hannah Ruth.

Dr. Carl F. Sloan is an ophthalmologist at Coastal Eye Group where he practices medical and surgical glaucoma.

Sloan lives in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

2003

services to government and industry, primarily in the area of arms control implementation and compliance, nonproliferation, and national security.

Moore lives in Alexandria, Va. Living in Savannah, Ga., Taite Quinn is a sales consultant for Synthes Spine. Synthes Spine develops, produces and markets instruments, implants and biomaterials for the medical profession.

Adam Sheehan and his wife, Elizabeth Fortson Sheehan ’08, live in Columbia, S.C. Adam is marketing assistant at Resolution Reinsurance Intermediaries, and Elizabeth is marketing coordinator at Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd PA. Living in Knoxville, Tenn., Terrance Ware is an insurance agent associated with Nationwide Insurance.

2008

Class Chair, Nathan Madigan Trevor McIntyre and his wife, Ivy Class Chair, Tracy A. Howard Robert Goings is principal of the Go- Farr McIntyre, live in St. Louis, Mo. ings Law Firm LLC. Goings lives with his Ivy is studying for her Ph.D. at St. Louis University, and Trevor is a rail wife, Rebecca, in Columbia, S.C. coordinator with Anheuser-Busch.

2004 Monica M. Wooten lives in Myrtle Class Chair, Fred A. Byers II Beach, S.C., and is an associate attorney John Clements graduated from at Nexsen Pruet LLC. Charlotte School of Law in the spring of 2011, and passed the North Carolina 2009 Bar exam in July 2011. John and his wife, Class Chair, T. Peyton Hray Living in Hartsville, S.C., SamanKristen Keroson Clements ’05, live in tha Jenaye Hall is a sourcing specialist Charlotte, N.C. for Sonoco Products Co. 2005 Liz Hutchens was a finalist chosen Class Chair, Ryan M. Waller for Hub-Bub’s fundraiser, “The Next Caroline Schultz, assistant vice Big Thing.” Hutchens, a solo singer/ president of retail checking and strat- guitarist, lives in Spartanburg. She is a egy at TD Bank, was named to the product advisor for Microsoft Corp.

2011 class of Greenville First’s Best & Brightest 35 and Under. An awards 2010 ceremony was held on Sept. 27, 2011, Class Chair, Kari Harris Living in Silverthorne, Colo., at the Greenville Little Theatre. Schultz Michael Dunaway is a fly fishing guide lives in Greenville, S.C. at Cutthroat Anglers.

2006 Tyler Greene and his wife, Allyson, Class Chair, Hadley E. Green live in Duluth, Ga. Green is a staff Living in Mount Holly, N.C., Jesse auditor for Ernst and Young.

Cole has launched Team Cole & AssociSarah Herbert lives in Anderson, ates, a sports consulting company. He S.C., where she is a PGA apprentice also is managing partner of the Gastonia at Boscobel Golf Club.

Grizzlies and the Forest City Owls.

Living in Parrottsville, Tenn., Carlyle Cromer is a staff attorney for Chelsea Shropshire is an assurance asthe South Carolina Court of Appeals. sociate for PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Cromer and his wife, Leah, live in West 2011 Columbia, S.C. Class Chair, Nam Hai Pham 2007 Laney Hass lives in Charleston, Class Chair, Hunter L. Miller S.C. She is a marketing coordinator Living in Columbia, S.C., Michael for the software development and Greene is an associate attorney with support firm SPARC. On Oct. 13, the law firm of Gignilliat, Savitz & 2011, SPARC was named #1 Best Bettis LLP. Place to Work in South Carolina Lianne Moore works for BAI as by the South Carolina Chamber of an analyst. BAI is a service disabled Commerce in the small-medium size veteran owned business that provides company category.

The inaugural class of the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine — Carolinas Campus, including Savannah Schultz ’11 and Amy Bruce ’10, received their traditional white lab coats on Oct. 23, 2011.

Cochran

Wilkins

Young

Three alumni become Liberty Fellows

“

Even the interview process for the Liberty Fellowship program was exhilarating, and I was very honored to be chosen for this program and to begin a new chapter in my life,” says Dr. Vicki Young ’87. “Just coming back to the Wofford campus for the first seminar was emotional and sentimental for me.”

Young is one of 23 fellows chosen from more than 300 nominees to participate in the eighth class of the Liberty Fellowship program this year. She is the department head for clinical quality improvement for the South Carolina Primary Care Association.

Joining her in the Class of 2013 are two other Wofford graduates, Scott Cochran ’88, dean for Wofford’s Center of Professional Excellence, and Walt Wilkins ’96, the solicitor for South Carolina’s 13th Judicial Circuit, Greenville and Pickens counties. Prior to assuming his current post in January 2011, Wilkins served as United States Attorney for the District of South Carolina.

“We are delighted to see three more Wofford alumni win the distinction of Liberty Fellow, including the first member of the college’s professional staff to be selected, Scott Cochran, ” President Benjamin B. Dunlap says. “The Liberty Fellows are, by definition, successful before they begin the program. They are literally on their way from success to significance. They are part of a network of enlightened leaders who represent diverse perspectives, but they have a common commitment to improving our state.”

Hayne Hipp, Wofford and The Aspen Institute founded Liberty Fellowship a decade ago.

Fostering a values-based approach, its programs expose rising leaders, ages 30 to 45, to diverse perspectives, critical thinking, and intellectual and personal development.

The fellows attend four rigorous seminars over a two-year period where they reflect on what they think makes a just society,

thereby deepening knowledge, broadening perspectives and enhancing their capacity to solve the problems leaders face. One of these seminars is the Aspen Institute Globalization Seminar, where they interact with other fellows from around the world in locations such as South Africa, Costa Rica and India. Additionally, each Liberty Fellow undertakes a personal project that will have a positive impact at the state level.

The class met for the first of their four seminars at Wofford in early November, where they studied and discussed some provocative readings.

“I was not sure what to expect, but as it turned out, I never have been in a more engaging seminar,” Cochran says.

“It made us think seriously about how each of us should have an impact on South Carolina. All of the seminar leaders, especially Dr. Dunlap, brought out things that we never would have expected.

The readings are ‘just right’ in how they fit together to help you shape your own philosophy.

‘The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas’ by Ursula K. Le Guin was a particularly interesting essay, because it so effectively challenges complacency about what makes a perfect society.

“I left the world of corporate America because I want to make an impact,” Cochran says. “The best setting for accomplishing that most likely is a college or university. Wofford is invested in the idea that we ought to make directional changes in the lives of students. As mentors, we don’t want to let students down. We intend to have a professional development program like no one else.”

At the South Carolina Primary Health Care Association, Young oversees clinical quality improvement initiatives, health disparity collaboratives and research initiatives, seeking answers to perplexing questions of health care delivery.

For her, the most dramatic reading for the seminar came from the memoirs of Jean Monnet, the French leader who played a critical role in the early years of the European community.

“Monnet and the statesmen who worked with him demonstrated how individuals can alter the culture around them even if they lack formal authority,” she says. “This is a valued skill to have when collaboration is key to your work, as it is for me in the area of health care delivery.”

“I had heard about the Liberty Fellowship program from others,” Wilkins says, “but I think you have to experience the seminars to understand how wellconceived and organized they are. You learn a great deal about yourself through the thoughts and perspectives of others. In four days, Liberty Fellows altered my personal definition of leadership.

“My favorite reading was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s letter from Birmingham Jail. For someone involved in the criminal justice system, it is profound, articulate and meaningful. It emphasizes making a personal stand about right and wrong, and how conflict ought to be resolved.

“I’m certainly looking forward to the rest of the class, to our travel together, and to our class project. It will help make me better able to help South Carolina.”

by Doyle Boggs ’70

How do you fit in?

IF you are active, IF you care about South Carolina, you CAN make a difference.

Take the time to read about the Liberty Fellowship and join the effort: • Nominate a Liberty Fellow (deadline for the next class is Feb. 1, 2012).

• Join a Forum.

• Contact us about becoming a senior advisor.

For more information, call 864-597-4266 or visit www.libertyfellowshipsc.org.

Winter 2011 • Wofford Today • 19

Wofford Weddings 1998

2007

Gregory Michael Mikota II, Ph.D. married Camila Meira, Nov. 27, 2010. The couple lives in Washington, D.C. He is a senior analyst in the financial markets and community investment division of the U.S. Government Accountability Office. She is a nurse.

Stacy Ann Barnell married Mitchell Ross Doolittle, June 23, 2011. The couple lives in Savannah, Ga. She is a business technology consultant for Accenture L.L.P. He is a linebacker coach for Savannah State College.

Austin Danielle Somers married Ryan Joseph Beaton, Oct. 1, 2011. They live in Greenville, S.C. She is a women’s basketball assistant with Furman University.

Logan Elizabeth Stout married Mark Reynolds Chandler, Oct. 15, 2011. They live in Greenville, S.C. She is pursing her master’s degree at Clemson University. He is associated with Crucible Chemical Co. Philip Winslow Vann married Louisa Lyles Houston ’09, Sept. 17, 2011. The couple lives in Columbia, S.C. He is a credit analyst with NBSC in Columbia. She attends the

2001 Craig Delano Melvin married Lindsay Czarniak, Oct. 15, 2011. They live in Westport, Conn. He is a MSNBC anchor and NBC correspondent in New York City, and she is an anchor for ESPN in Bristol, Conn.

2002 Brett Thomas Myers married Cassy Colette Floyd, Aug. 12, 2011. They live in Greenville, S.C. He is associated with Southeastern Products Inc.

University of South Carolina where she is working on her master’s degree in public health.

2009 Mary Nammack Boyle married Charles McDonald Steele, Oct. 15, 2011. They live in Olinda, Victoria Australia. He is associated with J.C. Steele and Sons Australia.

Katherine Hester Campbell married Joseph Daniel Smith, Oct. 1, 2011. The couple resides in Seneca, S.C. She is a stewardship engagement coordinator at Clemson University. He is a business analyst at Duke Energy’s Oconee Nuclear Station.

Thomas Peyton Hray married Jane E. Wood, Sept. 24, 2011. The couple lives in Inman, S.C.

2003 Frederick Joseph Daniel Felder III married Ashley Nicole Gosse, Oct. 15, 2011. The couple resides in Greenville, S.C. He is a credit administrator for The Palmetto Bank. She is the director of marketing for Holder Properties, a company based in Atlanta, Ga. George Edward Cassteuens Moseley, married Alison Kimenker, Sept. 24, 2011. The couple lives in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. They are both associated with Kaplan Corp.

Rebecca Jewell Paulson married Gary Neil Stone Jr., May 21, 2011. They live in West Springfield, Mass. She is a student at the University of Massachusetts where she is completing her Ed.D. in education policy and leadership.

Elizabeth Lee Rast married Daniel Caven Crider, Sept.

10, 2011. They live on Johns Island, S.C. She is associated with Craver & Current P.A. He is associated with Builders Wholesale Carpet and as a professional musician and private drum instructor.

2004 Deena Janan Bateh married John W. Wallace, July 30, 2011. The couple lives in Jacksonville, Fla. She has accepted a position as assistant vice president, claims counsel, with Fidelity National Title Group after serving as assistant state attorney for the Fourth Judicial Circuit of Florida for more than four years.

Steven Caldwell Blanton Jr. married Anna Ruth Richardson ’09, Oct. 15, 2011. They live in Gaffney, S.C. He is the controller for Brown Packing Co. Inc. She is the export logistics coordinator for Southern States Packaging Co. John McClain Goodwin marriedTalah Mahdavi Nikjeh, Aug. 13, 2011. The couple resides in Greenville, S.C. He is associated with Rogers Benefit Group. She is associated with Erwin Penland Advertising.

Outfitted in their Wofford gear and happy to watch Wofford’s victory over The Citadel in Charleston.

Interesting exits... Daniel ’03 and Ashley Felder (above) were married at The Cliffs at Glassy Chapel, 3000 feet above sea level. They flew to their reception at High Cotton in Greenville. Steven ’04 and Anna Richardson Blanton ’09 (below) leave their Spartanburg reception on a tractor.

(Left to right) Chris Littlejohn ’77, Coach Mike Ayers, Bill Price ’75 and John Poston ’72 at The Citadel post-game event.

2006 On Nov. 19, Margaret Diane “Meg” Beacham ’06 and Garrison Kennedy Conner ’09 were married at Broad Street United Methodist Church in Cleveland, Tenn. Meg and Garrison will make their home in Arden, N.C. Elizabeth Quinlan Frazier married Jason Perry O’Quinn Jr. ’09, Sept. 23, 2011. They live in Raleigh, N.C. She received her Master of theological studies from Duke University and is associated with Apex United Methodist Church. He anticipates completing his M.A. in religion at Duke University this spring.

Wofford Births 1994 Sara Pittman Balthazor and her husband, Richard, of Monument, Colo., announce the birth of Samuel Ellis Gray Balthazor, May 14, 2011.

1996 Paige Mulkey Cizon and her husband, Aaron, of Greenville, S.C., announce the birth of Adelaide Hunt Cizon, June 9, 2011.

Summer Harrold Gilmer and her husband, Jason, of Boone, N.C., announce the birth of Franklin Cato Gilmer, August 10, 2011.

Joe Werner and his wife, Jessie, of Pegram, Tenn., announce the birth of Gabriel Joseph Werner, Aug. 17, 2011.

2002

Michelle West Parnell and her husband, I.B. Parnell ’98, announce the birth of Elizabeth “Lizzie” Byrd Parnell, Feb. 22, 2011.

David Hoyle and his wife, Erin, of Mount Pleasant, S.C., announce the birth of Levi Samuel Hoyle, Jan. 31, 2011.

Lucas McMillan and his wife, Lisa Cameron McMillan, of Greenwood, S.C., announce the birth of Samuel Henry McMillan, Oct. 18, 2011.

David Morgan and his wife, Ginger, of Conway, S.C., announce the birth of Patrick Hill Jordan, Sept. 7, 2011.

1999

2003

1997

Jan Ruth Streater Mayheu and her husband, Tim, of Lilburn, Ga., announce the birth of Mary Clare Mayheu, Sept. 29, 2011.

2000 Heather Sulier Griffith and her husband, Reed, of Charlotte, N.C., announce the birth of Grace Reed Griffith, Sept. 2, 2010.

20 • Wofford Today • Winter 2011

Gordon Lay and his wife, Beth, of Conway, S.C., announce the birth of Grant Lay, March 3, 2011.

Dr. McIver Leppard and his wife, Sunny Minkowich Leppard, of Mount Pleasant, S.C., announce the birth of Catherine “Cate” Margaret Leppard, Sept. 1, 2011.

Kelly Day Miner and her husband, Jimmy Miner ’04, of Atlanta, Ga., announce the birth of Harrison James Miner, Aug. 9, 2011.

Janna Webb White and her husband, Torrey, of Arlington, S.C., announce the birth of Sydney Addison White, Aug. 8, 2011.

2004 John Hackney and his wife, Tara, of Charlotte, N.C., announce the birth of Reese Evelyn Hackney, Sept. 3, 2011.

2007 Lollie Powell Haselden and her husband, Rett, of Rock Hill, S.C., announce the birth of Wyatt Ellerbe Haselden, Nov. 3, 2011.

Lt. Michael Wood and his wife, Caitlin Price Wood, of Fayetteville, N.C., announce the birth of Adeline Elizabeth Wood, Dec. 23, 2010.

Kristi Owen Brown ’96 holds up her little Terrier at the Letterman’s Weekend reception for student-athlete alumnae.

2012 Trips with Wofford Wonders of the Galapagos Islands................... Feb. 24 - March 3 European Coastal Civilizations..................................April 15 - 23 Provence & the Rhone River Boat Cruise...........May 26 - June 3

Mark your calendars for these 2012 events

Ireland: Ennis, Killarney, Mallow & Dublin.................... July 2012

Feb. 9................................................................................... Senior 100 Days Party April 1...................................................................................Easter Eggstravganza

Questions? Please contact Charlie Gray, director of continuing education, at 864-597-4186 or graych@wofford.edu.

May 19-20........................Class of 1962 50th Class Reunion at Commencement Aug. 23................................................................. Spartanburg Area Oyster Roast Oct. 5-7......................................................................................... Family Weekend Oct. 26 -28......................................................................................... Homecoming

(Left) Inductees into the Wofford Terrier Club Hall of Fame: (left to right) Rob Gregory ’64 (Honorary Letterman), Katon Bethay ’06, Adrien Borders ’05, Ellen Rogers ’06 and Craig Phillips (Distinguished Service Award).

(Above and left) Scenes from Family Weekend’s Puttin’ on the Dog concert and party.

Winter 2011 • Wofford Today • 21

by Doyle Boggs ’70

Willimon speaks to Wofford community on Christians, religion and politics

“ John Lane ’77. “My Paddle to the Sea: Eleven Days on the River of the Carolinas.” University of (Above) Dr. Talmage Skinner ’56, chaplain emeritus of Wofford, signs copies of his new book, “A Simple Meal: Messages from a Ministry of PresGeorgia Press, 2011.

ence,” during the Homecoming faculty booksigning event. Other current From John Lane’s backyard on the and retired Wofford faculty and staff, such as Dr. Vivian Fisher, professor Lawson’s Fork Creek upstream from emeritus of English (below), also signed books and greeted alumni and their Glendale, the water flows down to the families at the event. sea — from the Goodall Environmental Studies Center to the Pacolet River; from the Pacolet to the Broad; from the Broad to the Congaree; from the Congaree to the Santee and then into the Atlantic.

Written in the spirit of W.J. Cash, Archibald Rutledge and Henry Savage, this stylish essay of a journey along the river reminds readers that life, time and running water always seem welded together. “My Paddle to the Sea” seems certain to occupy an important place in South Carolina nature writing.

Charlie Burnette ’76. “Broken Town.” Morris Publishing Co., 2011 A practicing attorney in Rock Hill, S.C., Charlie Burnette writes entertaining thrillers. He recently has published his second novel, “Broken Town.” As suggested Robert Fields ’75. “November by the title, the setting is a small Southern city whose population includes a Fields” (CD) www.robertsarts.net calculating police chief and a fair number of disquieting characters. “Broken Town” is a suspenseful story that includes many twists and turns before the courtroom Robert Fields wrote us a nice note in climax.

October, inviting Wofford friends to check out his first CD, “November Fields.” It’s the culmination of an interesting life that Stephen Stinson and Edward Emory. “Artists Among Us: 100 included four years service in the Army, Faces of Art in Spartanburg.” Hub City Press, November 2011. time as a musician in the Boston area, and Stephen Stinson teamed with Edward Emory, who owns and operates then work as an independent craftsman in Spartanburg’s Carolina Gallery, to produce this Eliot, Maine.

The CD features an appealing anthology celebration and tribute to the people who have of music in the folk tradition, with Nichols shaped, and are continuing to shape, a remarkably playing acoustic guitar and performing lead robust art community.

The artists, who include Mark Olencki ’75, Kris and harmony vocals in a gentle, distinctive Neely ’02, Mike Corbin, Isabel Forbes and Dorothy style. The musicians who accompany Josey, have remarkably widespread backgrounds.

Nichols do accomplished work on the piano, They have settled here from the Kentucky coal fiddle and banjo. With one exception, the songs are original compositions and several country, the Illinois prairie, rural Ireland, the of them, such as “I Wish I Had a Band,” will countryside of France, the industrial Midwest, the wild swamps of Louisiana, and all points in become instant favorites. between. Others are homegrown, blossoming as master teachers at the local schools and colleges.

22 • Wofford Today • Winter 2011

There are only three people mentioned by name in the Apostles’ Creed,” Bishop William “Will” Willimon ’68 told his audience. “They are Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, and a hack provincial administrator named Pontius Pilate. That serves to remind us that God often works politically. Christians should feel called upon to engage in politics and government — albeit very carefully.

“Public policy issues are rarely theological,” he went on to explain. “Jesus and his church transcend the petty concerns of day-to-day legislation. We can do better for ourselves if we try to discern what makes life worth living, and allow the church to provide intellectual resources to distinguish between the cross and the flag.”

Willimon spoke Nov. 2 at Wofford on the subject, “Christians, Religion and Politics.” A large and enthusiastic crowd in Leonard Auditorium greeted him.

Willimon is often referred to as contemporary America’s outstanding Protestant voice, and the story about the Apostles’ Creed provides something of an explanation.

Willimon is a prolific writer, with more than 60 books to his credit. Altogether, more than 1 million copies of them have been sold.

He will retire later this year as a pastoral leader for 150,000 United Methodists in the North Alabama Conference.

But first and foremost, Willimon sees himself as a preacher.

In 1996, in fact, an international survey conducted by Baylor University named him one of the 12 most effective preachers in the English-speaking world.

“When I first left the congregational ministry to go to Duke University, I received a great compliment from an editor at The Christian Century,” Willimon said. “She told me that I wrote good sermons — straight to the point with a message like a punch to the stomach. She said that she hoped that I would not drift into an academic style, that is, writing cautiously with lots of footnotes.

I’ve always tried to keep that in mind.”

Willimon recommends, “Why Jesus? ” (Abington Press, October 2010) for an insight into his own outlook.

His latest book is “A Will to Lead and the Grace to Follow.”

Despite the whimsical title, it isn’t based on the popular NBC sitcom, but on “letters on leadership from a peculiar prophet.” It includes some reflections on the issues that he has confronted as a bishop.

Coming soon is another important book, “Bishop: The Art of Questioning Authority by an Authority in Question.” “It will be my retrospective on those eight years as a bishop — I loved the job, but I have a few suggestions,” Willimon says with a smile.

“The church where I grew up has become a mature institution, and it faces many challenges. A great concern is that we struggle to reach out and meet the needs of young adults. However, there never has been a human culture that didn’t see a need for religion, and I’m hopeful. Living and working in Alabama, I’ve observed many examples of positive evolution.”

This summer, Willimon returns to Duke as a faculty member.

He and his wife, Patsy, will relocate from Birmingham to Durham.

Wofford alumni and friends can expect to hear and read much from him in the coming years. “Wofford gave me my first experience in writing and publishing,” Willimon says. “I always will be grateful for that.”

An extension of any Wofford library (and they make great Christmas gifts)

DEATHS 1938 Archie Adolphus Pearson, Aug. 17,

2011, Columbus, N.C. Mr. Pearson was a special agent with the FBI for three years and retired as an executive with the Ford Motor Co., with 24 years of service. He was a member of the First Baptist Church of Tryon.

1939 Capt. (Ret.) James Riley Rountree Sr., Sept. 30, 2011, Union, S.C. An Army veteran of World War II, Mr. Rountree retired from the U.S. Postal Service. He was an active member of Grace United Methodist Church where he taught the David Clyburn Sunday school class for 23 years.

1949

John Schubert McCutcheon Sr., M.D., Oct. 7, 2011, Greenville, S.C. Dr.

McCutcheon was one of the Upstate’s first board-certified anesthesiologists and was one of the founders of Greenville Anesthesia P.A. He was a member of the American Medical Association, South Carolina Medical Society, Greenville County Medical Society, and the American Society of Anesthesiologists.

1951 Walter Daniel Ballard, Oct. 9, 2011, Spartanburg, S.C. A World War II veteran of the U.S. Navy and the Marine Corps, Mr. Ballard was a retired from the U.S. Postal Service with 40 years of service. He was a member of Morningside Baptist Church.

Wofford's Sesquicentennial History Wofford Shining with Untarnished Honor, 1854-1004 Wofford College: Shining with Untarnished Honor, 1854-2004, edited by Doyle Boggs ’70, Jo Ann Mitchell Brasington ’89 and Phillip Stone ’94 is now on sale. Purchase this full-color, 240-page history of the college for $12 from Hub City.

Visit www.hubcity.org/press/catalog/history/wofford/ or stop by Ben Wofford Books.

sixth overall in the first round of the NBA draft by the Syracuse Nationals and played in the 1954 championship series against the Minneapolis Lakers. After leaving the NBA, Neal was a construction and engineering manager for BASF for 38 years. For decades, he was a regular, unmistakable spectator at Wofford basketball games. Memorials may be made to the Wofford College Terrier Club in memory of James E. Neal ’53.

of South Carolina. He was the executive director of the American Registry of Pathology and served as president of both the Association of Pathology Chairs and of the United States and Canadian Academy of Pathology.

Donald Edward “Dusty” Gray, Oct. 31, 2011, Snellville, Ga. Mr. Gray was associated with the Medical College of Georgia and Sundstrand in Bristol, Va. He also worked for many years as a senior 1956 engineer for Schlumberger and LXE Inc. Dr. William Wade Burley, Aug. 22, in Norcross, Ga. 2011, Tampa, Fla. Dr. Burley retired as William Henry Westmoreland, Sept. professor emeritus in the College of Educa- 28, 2011, Meridian, Miss. tion at the University of South Florida with a 35-year tenure. He also retired as a lieutenant 1965 colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve with 30 James Samuel Parker, Oct. 7, 2011, years of service. Dr. Burley was a member Matthews, N.C. A U.S. Air Force veteran, of Trinity Presbyterian Church.

Mr. Parker was a retired CPA. He was an Robert Dennis Jennings, Oct. 19, 2011, elder in the Presbyterian church.

Bishopville, S.C. For 50 years, Mr. Jennings was a Bishopville attorney in the firm of 1974 James Cleveland “Tee” Ferguson, Oct. Jennings and Jennings. He also served 12 years on the Bishopville town council, was a 7, 2011, Ahoskie, N.C. Mr. Ferguson was public defender for Lee County and served a former South Carolina state legislator as the town attorney for both Bishopville and and a former Circuit Court Judge. He was Lynchburg. Mr. Jennings was a member of the co-owner of MedCare Equipment and Supplies LLC. Bethlehem United Methodist Church.

1957

William “Bill” Wallace Hodge Jr., Oct. 5, 2011, Union, S.C. Mr. Hodge retired from Milliken & Co. in Spartanburg. He was a member of Grace United Methodist Church where he served as chairman of the Pastor-Parish Relations Committee, 1953 and a member of the David Clyburn, New Russell Abner McBride, Oct. 8, 2011, Spartanburg, S.C. Mr. McBride was a re- Beginnings Sunday school classes and tired purchasing agent at Spartan Mills and Men’s Club.

Mayfair Mills. He also retired from the S.C. 1959 National Guard with the rank of captain.

The Rev. Donald Franklin Funderburk, James Ellerbe “Daddy” Neal Sr., Oct. Oct. 7, 2011, Lake Junaluska, N.C. Mr. 3, 2011, Greer, S.C. Neal’s classmates called Funderburk retired in 1996 after serving him “Daddy Longlegs,” a nickname soon 36 years as a pastor of United Methodist shortened to “Daddy.” Standing 6-11 and churches in North and South Carolina. possessing exceptional athletic ability, Neal Edward William Ogburn Jr., Oct. always will be remembered as the first “good 3, 2011, North Myrtle Beach, S.C. Mr. big man” to play college basketball in South Ogburn was the president of CRA MarCarolina. A member of the Wofford Athlet- keting Inc. ics Hall of Fame, he played for the Terriers from 1949-53 and is one of three players 1961 to have his basketball jersey (Number 17) William Albert Gardner Jr. M.D., Oct. retired. At the time of his death, Neal held 2, 2011, Washington, D.C. Dr. Gardner Wofford career records for scoring average was a lifelong educator and held positions (23.3 points per game) and career rebounds at the University of South Alabama College with 1500, and many single-season records as of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School well. After his senior year, Neal was drafted of Medicine, and the Medical University

1975 Don Lath Freeman, Oct. 6, 2011, Pauline, S.C. Mr. Freeman was the owner and president of Interstate Mechanical and Millwright Inc. of Spartanburg. He was a member of Mt. Calvary Presbyterian Church of Roebuck and Pine Valley Hunt Club.

1980 Enrique “Rick” Sierra Abell, Oct. 26, 2011, Denver, Colo. Mr. Abell was a licensed insurance agent founding The Abell Agency and sold life insurance with the Knights of Columbus in Roswell, Ga. In later years, he was associated with Reed Construction Data in Denver. He was a member of Saint Andrew Catholic Church in Roswell, Ga. Memorials may be made to the Wofford College Arboretum Fund.

Friends Anne White Strawn, Nov. 5, 2011, Spartanburg, S.C. Mrs. Strawn was a retired teacher from Spartanburg School District 7 and a member of Bethel United Methodist Church. Her donation made possible the restoration of the college bell in 2001.

Making memorial gifts

F

amily members, classmates, fellow alumni and friends may wish to make a memorial by means of a gift to Wofford College. Alumni memorials are placed in the class

endowed scholarship fund. Gifts for non-alumni are placed in the Wofford Memorial Endowed Scholarship Funds. The name of the memorialized person is listed yearly in the Honor Roll of Contributors. Next-of-kin receive notification of memorial gifts.

Wofford Alumni Directory, published in 2009 Find classmates or alumni living in your area! Special price of $30, includes shipping. Limited number available.

To purchase, please call or email Debbi Thompson ’88 at 864-597-4208, thompsondn@wofford.edu.

Checks payable to Wofford indicating the name of the person memorialized should be sent to: Wofford College, Office of Development, 429 N. Church St., Spartanburg, S.C. 29303-3663. Named endowed opportunities also are available. For further information, contact Smith Patterson ’67 at pattersonds@wofford.edu or 864-597-4200.

Winter 2011 • Wofford Today • 23

Wofford Today

Postmaster: Send PS 3579 to Wofford College 429 N. Church Street Spartanburg, SC 29303-3663

...and the snowball effect that thousands of gifts make on the student experience at the college.

A few things to remember about giving: This is NOT a one size fits all — no gift is too small or too large.

Three-year commitments of at least $50 per year may qualify for the Wofford Forever Challenge which could help Wofford earn an additional $200,000 this year.

Gifts may be made by returning the enclosed envelope, online at www.wofford.edu/gifts, or by calling 864-597-4191.

Lisa De Freitas ’88 is always happy to answer your questions about Annual Giving. Email her at defreitaslh@wofford.edu.

Our gift year ends on Dec. 31. Don’t get snowed under with holiday activities and forget Wofford.

Make your gift today!

Rolled together, they support an Annual Fund that each year offsets tuition by more than $2,000 per student.