A Publication for Alumni and Friends of Maryville College
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Greetings
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
from the Maryville College Campus
" ...the faculty
still seeks
to produce
virtuous
leaders... for
whom
decision-making
takes place
withi
in
an ethical
framework..."
The Autumn 1999 issue of
FOCUS announced with pride
that the John Templeton
Foundation had recently featured
Maryville College in its
publication, The Templeton Guide:
Colleges that Encourage Character
Development. That wasn't the first
time the foundation had
recognized Maryville for its
attention to building character; its
Honor Roll of Character-Building
Colleges had included the College
in 1997.
In the article entitled
"Teaching of Ethics an Integral
Part of New MC Curriculum,"
which appeared in the Spring
1998 issue of FOCUS, writer Jeff
Garv quotes from Samuel Tyndale
Wilson's centennial history of
Maryville College: "The never-
forgotten objective in Dr. Anderson's life
campaign was the development of
Christian character in the leaders whom
he trained for the Southwest ... In this
character objective the moral element was,
of course, vital."
The development ot ethical leadets
remains today, as it was in founder Isaac
Anderson's day, an emphasis at Maryville
College. Karen Eldridge, in this issue of
FOCUS, looks at the approaches our
faculty members are taking to that
development in her article, "Bottom Lines
and Final Values," and Professor John
Gallagher writes about the value of a
liberal arts education for business leaders.
There can scarcely be a question
about the images of business leaders
current Maryville students have received all
too often in the national media in recent
months. Executives in handcuffs,
executives taking the fifth amendment
when questioned at hearings about
accounting transgressions, corporate
leaders dodging questions about insider
trading - all evidence that there is indeed a
need for more ethical leadership for the
world of business.
Liberal arts education was from the
outset back in 5th century BC Greece
focused on character education. They
didn't call it that. They talked instead
about teaching "virtues," a word that fell
out of favor for some years, but seems to
be making a comeback. Leaders need to be
virtuous now no less than they did when
liberal arts education was in its infancy. At
Maryville College in 2002 the faculty still
seeks to produce virtuous leaders, men and
women for whom decision-making takes
place within an ethical framework, for
whom the rightness of a course of action
takes precedence over its efficiency. In
these pages we invite you to consider how
that goal is being pursued in these early
years of the new millennium.
cJ.A^~
Identity Statement
Maryville College is an
undergraduate, liberal arts,
residential community of
faith and learning rooted
in the Presbyterian/Reformed
tradition serving students
of all ages and backgrounds.
Mission Statement
Maryville College
prepares students
for lives of citizenship
and leadership as we
challenge each one
to search for truth,
grow in wisdom,
work for justice
and dedicate a life
of creativity and
service to the
peoples of
the world.
Maryville College FOCUS magazine 2002 (issn 313)
Published three times a year
Maryville College
502 E. Lamar Alexander Parkway
Maryville, TN 37804-5907
(865)981-8100
www.maryvillecollege.edu
subscription price - none
t " n t e n t <
Page 2
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Maryville Tiff
COLLEGE
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Page 24
PRESIDENT:
Dr. Gerald W. Gibson
EDITORIAL BOARD:
Mark E. Cate, Vice President for College Advancement and Planning
Karyn Adams, Director of Public Relations
Karen Beary Eldridge '94, Director of News ond Public Information
Libby Welsh '59, Director of Donor Records
DESIGN AND LAYOUT:
Tracy N. Wiggins, Publications Monoger
M E S
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A Publication for Alumni and Friends of Moryville College
FOCUS
Moryville College FOCUS magazine 2002 (issn 313)
Published three times a year
Moryville College
502 E. Lamor Alexander Parkway
Moryville, TN 37804-5907
(865)981-8100
www.moryvilletollege.edu
subscription price - none
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
EXECUTIVE BOARD
R
Judy M. Penry '73
Knoxville, Tennessee
President
ebeccah Kinnamon Neff '6
Raleigh, North Carolina
Vice President
Carol Callaway-Lane '92
Nashville, Tennessee
Recording Secretary
Tim Topham '80
Maryville, Tennessee
Past-President
2
CLASS OF 2003
Beverly Atchely '76
Sharon Bailey '69
Carol Callaway-Lane '92
Danny Osborne 76
James Skeen '64
CLASS OF 2004
Rick Carl 77
Chris Lilley '87
Sylvia Talmage '62
John Tanner '93
John Trotter '95
CLASS OF 2005
Carl Lindsay, Jr. '50
Sara Miller '66
Kathleen Nenninger 73
Aundra Spencer '89
Kenneth Tuck '54
contenls
Bottom Lines and Final Values Page 2
Searching for the 'good' and 'should' in the business world: Corporate corruption
hos shaken Wall Street and Main Street. See how MC faculty members,
particularly those teaching in the Business and Organization Management
major, incorporate ethical discussions in their classrooms.
ije: vvnai is me gooa manr megooa
my relation to it? What are my
best for my children? What is justice?
• nature, to death, to aeinsi. to nain
How Do You Develop Ethical Sensibilities Page 5
In Our Leaders
Maryville College Assistant Professor Dr. John Gallagher argues that the
liberal arts education is the best preparation for future business leaders.
The Connecting of Our People Page 6
A unique staff development program at Maryville College connects people to
each other and the College's mission.
Graduation Page 12
Enjoy this photographic montage of Grodutation 2002. Students, faculty and
guests celebrate the accomplishments of study and hard work.
Gombert's Got the Big Head(s) Page 16 H>
Maryville College Associate Professor of Art Dr. Corl Gombert was
commissioned to create paintings that will be on permanent display
in the new Knoxville Convention Center.
Alumni Spotlight: Mary Swain Wood Page 8
Campus News Page 9
Alumni News Page 15
Class Notes Page 18
Letter from the Alumni President Page 24
PRESIDENT:
Dr. Gerald W. Gibson
EDITORIAL BOARD:
Mark E. Cate, Vice President for College Advancement ond Planning
Karyn Adorns, Director of Public Relations
Karen Beaty Eldridge '94, Director of News and Public Information
Libby Welsh '59, Director of Donor Records
DESIGN AND LAYOUT:
Tracy N. Wiggins, Publications Manager
"The final and unavoidable conclusion is
- must be concerned with its final values
life? What is the good man? The good
my relation to it? What are my
best for my children? What is justice?
to nature, to death, to aging, to pain
enjoyable, meaningful life? What is my
brothers? What shall I be loyal to?
Bottom
Lines
and
Final
Dr. Mary Kay Sullivan writes this quote by Abraham Maslow on the board in her Thaw Hall
chissroom on the very last day of class for her Business 401 students. Sullivan, a professor in the
Social Science Division, is confident that in four years of learning and growing at Maryville
College, her students have some answers - some very good answers - to Maslow's tough questions.
"The students are in awe. We've built up to that day, " Sullivan explains.
"This major is trying to prepare them for life. "
Dr. Man' Kay Sullivan and Associate way," Gallagher says. "In the freshman courses,
Professor Dr. John Gallagher teach several we discuss values - What's right? What's wrong?
courses in the Business and Organization We teach students that every move they make,
Management major, but they don't wait until even' decision they make, is an ethical decision.
Business 201: Principles of Management to talk "Explicitly, we have a number of courses
about organizations, decision-making or ethics. that address some specific theories of ethics."
As teachers of the Freshman Seminar But it is the first-year foundation that sets
sequence, Sullivan and Gallagher challenge the stage for teaching "stakeholder theory," say
freshmen to explore values as they relate to their Gallagher and Sullivan. To one degree or another,
own lives, their environment and their communities. all faculty members in MC's Social Science
"We incorporate ethics into the [Business Division embrace this theoretical perspective,
and Organizational Management] major on which argues that organizations should be
two levels - one is in a very implicit, subliminal concerned with social ends and not just
FOCUS
that education - like all social institutions
... Age-old questions. What is the good
woman? What is the good society and
obligations to society? What is
Truth? Virtue? What is my relation
and illness? How can I live a zestful,
responsibility to my brothers? Who are my
What must I be ready to die for?"
- from "On the Shoulders of Giants" by Abraham Maslow
economic ends or the value that businesses and
organizations create for shareholders.
"Stakeholder theory is our whole approach
to teaching business at Maryville College,"
Sullivan explains. "Society gives business the
right to exist ... One of the eternal debates in
the world of commerce is whether businesses
exist to provide value to a much broader
constituency - to shareholders, yes, but also
to customers, employees, communities, the
environment.
"In our classes, we try to drive home the
argument that organizations exist to improve
the quality of life for all their stakeholders."
But Sullivan doesn't ignore financial realities.
"There's no denying the importance of
the owners," she said. "To carry out the
mission of any business or organization, you
have to be financially successful. But to be
successful or to continue to survive, you must
treat stakeholders fairly."
Sitting In The CEO Chair
If only Enron's Ken Lay, WorldCom's
Bernard Ebbers or Tyco's Dennis Kozlowski
had the same formula for success . . .
When news of Enron's bankruptcy and
Arthur Andersen's questionable auditing practices
untolded last winter and spring, Gallagher was
teaching Business 401: Strategic Management.
Just like the media, the class spent time
discussing Enron.
"Back then, the discussions were not so
much about what Enron actually did or didn't
do (the precise nature of what company officials
and accountants did is pretty sophisticated,
and even the best experts were a bit unsure in
the beginning), but more about how employees
suffered while executives prospered," Gallagher
remembers. "It was an example of stakeholder
theory in action - 'For whose benefit was
Enron being run?'"
With a discussion-based format and focus on
actual business cases, Gallagher's and Sullivan's
Business 401 classes typically present dilemmas
that might include hiring and firing, closing a
plant, merging and acquiring other companies
and of course, the reporting of finances.
Students look at issues through the eyes
of a chief executive officer, a manager, an
employee, a shareholder, a customer and a
community member.
Sullivan says the case studies offer a good
way to present the gray areas. It's difficult, she
says, for young adults with limited working
experience to comprehend the complexities of
choices that CEOs face regularly.
"These issues are still a bit abstract for
students," she says. "We try to make them
more immediate for students."
FOCUS Foil 2002
Another exercise in the Business 401 class
involves a sophisticated simulation known as
"The Marketplace." Students form their own
companies, invest money and make decisions
about sales, pricing and advertising, as well as
manufacturing and investment in research and
development. All the while, they are juggling
legal and ethical decisions, Gallagher says.
"It's a game. Roommates could be
competitors, so they're also wondering, 'How
much information should I share?'" he says.
"Mostly, though, we're continually asking
them to wrestle with the questions "Is this a
good company? ... What do we mean by
good? . . . Good for whom?"
By the time students name their hypothetical
businesses, they have already applied this litmus
test to real organizations. In marketplace simu-
lation, Gallagher and Sullivan say students
propose ideas that not only pass this test, they
show real thoughtful ness, creativity and possibilities.
Business In A Wider Context
The curriculum of the Business and
Organization Management major includes
several courses that one might expect to see -
principles of accounting, organizational behavior,
business law, marketing, investment analysis -
but it also includes a few courses that cross
disciplines and put the study of business in
different contexts.
Gallagher, whose undergraduate degree is
in English, teaches Business 346: Management
Through Literature, in which students complete
a study of managers and management style as
depicted in works like "Henry V," "Billv
Budd," "Heart of Darkness," "Antigone" and
"Death of a Salesman."
"The premise is that management (or
leadership) is a label we attach to a particular
type of human relationship, and so to the extent
that literature allows us to study and learn
about human nature and human behavior, it
can help foster good things in the context of
that specific relationship," he says.
Courses in general education, sociology,
computer science, political science and math
are required for the major.
Economies 201: Principles of Economics is
a requirement, but several Business and
Organization Management majors sign up tor
more classes in the Economics department.
They don't escape the ethical discussion there.
"The science of economics is concerned
with how society provisions itself," explains
Dr. Sherry Kasper, professor of economics and
chairperson of the social sciences division, "so
by requiring our students to take economics
courses, we're already asking them to look at
business in the wider capitalistic system."
Students are often asked to weigh the
tension between the maximize-profit maxims
of business and the fair-competition laws and
rules of economics, Kasper points out.
Special courses, added when MC's new
American Humanics chapter began, offer all
students (not just Business and Organization
Management majors) opportunities to explore
leadership styles and practices. Cole Piper '68,
staff advisor to the AH chapter, is scheduled to
teach Social Science 203: Introduction to Non-
profit Management during the January term.
(Back in 1994, college administrators
combined the business and management majors.
Instead of simply "Business," and "Management"
the major and department took on another
word: Organization.
"Organizations are our focus, be they for
profit or non-profit," Sullivan says. "The words
say a lot.")
Business-savvy, Ethically Astute
Recent graduate Zac Beasley '02 is a
stakeholder. A double-major in Business and
Organization Management and Economics,
Beasley is now employed as a financial sales
specialist for SunTrust Bank. He says his
experience at MC has made him more aware
of the ethical decisions he makes even' day.
"Policies don't always meet eye-to-eye with
your feelings about a particular situation," he
explains, but adds that he understands the need
for policies.
Case studies and role-play situations that
constantly challenged him and his classmates to
see situations and dilemmas through the eyes of
various stakeholders have helped him appreciate
business-world realities like policies, procedures
and profits. He says he can understand how
business and organization leaders can be tempted
to take the easy and most profitable way out.
"The problem with any business is that
you have people in charge, and people are
ultimately fallible," he said. "Everything depends
on a person's inner strength."
Beaslev says one of the most important
lessons he learned at MC was that it is a
decision-maker's responsibility to make sure
he or she has the "whole story" before even an
assertion is made.
"Before I make a decision about something,
I try to get as much information about the
situation as I possibly can," he says. "I do that
more now than I ever have."
Sullivan and Gallagher are pleased with
Beasley's "report from the field."
They say their hope for Business and
Organization Management alumni is that they
have good basic knowledge and skills in the
science - its operation and function - but also
that they apply ethical standards to every decision.
"I hope we impress upon our students the
importance of honesty and personal integrity,"
Sullivan says. "A lot of things change in the
business world, but these standards are vital in
making a life and making a living."
A sense of personal responsibility is vital,
too, Gallagher says.
"Every decision has consequences," he
says. "Students need to continually decide
what consequences they're willing to accept."
Students do not have to wait for post-
graduation employment for opportunities that
test their inner strength in the workforce.
Sullivan says she regularly has current MC stu-
dents come to her throughout the year because
they are concerned about what employers are
asking them to do. The students, many emploved
part-time or temporarily while enrolled at MC,
feel pressure to increase sales and follow policies
that are not in the best interests of customers.
"Our students recognize the ethical
dilemmas right away," she says. "Our culture
here at Maryville College imbues them with
that sense of concern."
Editors Note: The Business and Organization
Management major is not the only discipline to
infuse discussions of ethics into their curriculum.
Exploration of values is a key educational goal of
the Maryville Curriculum; as such, the topic is
woven throughout treneral education courses and
many more major-specific courses.
As stated in the College's catalog, students
are guided in the exploration of "informed
ethical judgment which guides one to make
choices leading to a responsible life."
A senior capstone course, Ethics 490:
Philosophical and Theological Foundations of
Ethical Thought, is a requirement for graduation.
In it, seniors explore the basis for ethics and the
various theories surrounding its framework.
Vocation, service, global citizenship and
responsibility for the common good are also
emphasized in Ethics 490.
4
FOCUS Fall 2002
The revelation (or discovery)
during the past year of seeming wide
spread corporate corruption should
provoke equally widespread outrage.
And it has. While there are some
differences in the actual misdeeds - Enron's
known financial machinations ate quite
different from WorldCom's alleged fraudulent
practices - the story line is the same. Corporate
executives and directors, motivated by greed,
abetted by auditors and analysts, deliberately
deceive us about the performance of their
companies. In doing so, they enrich themselves,
and steal part of the future from employees,
customers, individual investors and communi-
ties. They destroy our trust in (or confirm our
suspicions about) corporate management.
The corruption is painful evidence of the
extent to which our social
and economic life is
dependent on moral
virtue.
Our outrage has
prompted a number of
responses, beginning with
a desire to punish the
guilty. Our public institu-
tion and political leaders,
perhaps no strangers
themselves to schemes
and artifice, seek to pass
new laws, regulations and
requirements that will prevent scandals in the
future. As a professor of business and manage-
ment, I've been witness to, and part of, the
response from the academic community. We
have come under fire for not only failing to
teach ethics in our business curricula but, in
some cases (particularly in our graduate MBA
programs), for teaching business leaders how
to accomplish the very misdeeds that anger us.
Would that things were this simple! Most
corporate executives are as outraged as any of
us, some much more so. There are few who
take their responsibilities lightly, and fewer
still who can operate with as wanton a disre-
gard for the consequences of their decisions as
it appears did the leaders at Enron and
WorldCom. The deceptive practices take place
in gray areas where there are no clear-cut rules
or laws, where judgment must be exercised,
and where self-interested imagination can
make a slope quite slippery.
Executives who constantly seek to balance
How Do You Develop
Ethical Sensibiliti
the
competin:
peting
interests i
diverse st
holders willingly seek to
engage the question of ethics at every oppor- preferable to alternatives. There is a quality
tunity. Most business professors wonder why about our choices that can make some choices
they are expected to accomplish what parents, good, others bad, and further, that even when
family, friends, church and other developmental choices are good, some can be better than others.
influences did not. Most relish the oppottunity Secondly, this notion about the quality of
to incorporate ethical
dimensions into their
teaching, and none whom
I know teach students how
to enrich themselves at
the expense of other
stakeholders.
There is a larger
question here, and it is
larger than simply not
breaking the law. The
larger question is how to
best develop ethical
sensibility in our leaders.
And so, while I applaud any and all efforts to
introduce, discuss, debate and explore ethics in
business cutricula (including MBA curricula),
and while I recognize that manifold influences choice, consequence and standards
our choices is direcdy related to the consequences
of those choices. A choice becomes good, bad
ot better, dependent on the outcomes;
therefore, all of our choices matter. Anothet
way of saying this is to say that every choice
we make is an ethical choice.
Thirdly, once we have arrived here, we find
that in order to evaluate our choices, we need
some sort of standard against which to make
this evaluation. Across the many years of history
and across the diversity of human circumstance
and culture, we have attempted to codify such
standards - the golden rule, for example, or
utility, or justice, or categorical imperatives,
ot social contracts. And so the question of
developing ethical sensibility becomes how to
educate people to consider these questions of
(parents, family, friends, church) are responsible
for shaping ethical choices, the important
question is not why don't we teach ethics in
business school, but rather what is the proper
role of education - of schools - in the
development of ethical sensibility?
It seems to me (with apologies to colleagues
much
better
schooled in
ethics than
I) that there
are three things we might consider in order to
address this underlying question.
First, the very idea of ethics, that is, the
notion we have when we use language like
"should" and "ought," is that some of our
actions, choices and decisions are in some way
I think this is now a quite complex matter.
Teaching ethics suggests developing a realiza-
tion that all choices are ethical and cultivating
an awareness of the consequences of choices.
This is neither easy nor perfectly possible;
there will always be unforeseen consequences.
It requires considering questions like, "Whom
else might
"...perhaps the best education for future my.
t t J J actions
business leaders is the liberal arts. " affect?
Or, "Who
else might have a stake in my choices? . . .
Whose lives might I affect?, Whose environ-
ment might I plunder? Whose future might I
steal?" With questions like these, the broader
the awareness of possible consequences, the
better. And we may add continued on pagi
FOCUS Foil 2002 5
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Crossing a stream in the College Woods on two telephone poles
and in centipede-like fashion with other Maryville College staff
members, a blind-folded Marsha Wynn wondered how in the world the
exercise was relevant to her job as an advancement services coordinator
in Willard House.
And at that moment, the connection between that Mountain
Challenge exercise and the College's mission seemed about as far apart
as two ideas could be.
"They handed me the blindfold and told me our leaders were
going to get us from Point A to Point B," Wynn remembered. "I put
the blindfold on and thought to myself, 'OK, I'm going to learn
something out in the woods, with a blindfold on, that will help me
with my job in Willard House that is basically 80 percent computer
work. RIGHT!'"
"It wasn't until the blind-fold was off and the group began reflecting
that I began to understand how it - and we - all fit together."
Wynn is one of 150 staff members who has participated in
CO-OP, a program supported by the Staff Development Task Force of
the College's Staff Council and facilitated by staff members of
Mountain Challenge.
Short for "Connecting Our People," CO-OP is in its second year
of pulling staff together to discuss the College's mission and how staff
members' responsibilities, day-to-day activities and interactions with
other people impact that mission.
According to Human Resources Director Jennifer Hunt, CO-OP is
the brainchild of Bruce Guillaume 76, director of Mountain Challenge.
"The Staff Development Task Force wanted a program that would
help improve communication among employees, enhance teamwork
and polish customer service skills," Hunt explained. "Task force members
met with Bruce, and he said we could get at these objectives [through
some Mountain Challenge activities]."
But Guillaume was also interested in making sure the task force's
goals were tied to something larger, something more fundamental.
"I believe you have to touch the mission frequently to constantly
be reminded what it's all about, and I didn't think that was happening
for staff," Guillaume said. "CO-OP gave us an avenue and an
opportunity to do that."
COOP
Introduces
Staff to Each
Other and
the College's
Mission
By Karen Beaty Eldridge '94
Director of News and Public Information
6 FOCUS
Bruce Guillame 76 leads MC staff
members through Phase I of CO-OP
In his CO-OP group facilitations with
employees, Guillaume often borrows a scene
from Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland" to
illustrate the importance of having a plan and
a sense of direction in life and work.
"There's a part in that story where Alice
asks the Cheshire Cat which way she ought to
go," Guillaume said. "The cat explains to Alice
that her direction depends entirely on where
she wants to get. Alice says she doesn't care, so
the cat says it doesn't matter which way she goes.
"Using that story, I tell staff members that
the College cares a lot about where we end up.
The road we take is the mission of the College,
and we need to have the
road as a backdrop to all the
decisions we make every day'
Phased In,
Plugged In
Guillaume proposed
that the CO-OP program
be implemented in four
phases. Phase I involves
small groups of staff
members (all handpicked by the Human
Resources Office to assure a diverse group of
employees representing various departments),
participating in a ropes course in the College
Woods.
Activities in Phase I range from tennis-
ball tosses, where employees juggle tennis ball;
and other surprise objects among each other,
to "spider-web" passes, where employees have
to develop a plan for moving each group
member through a rope obstacle course with
several limitations.
After each activity, staff members are
asked to draw parallels to their daily
work routine. Facilitators ask: "As
an MC employee, are you more
concerned with how you catch the
ball or how you hand it off?" "What
happened when she dropped the
ball?" . . . "Was it difficult for you
to trust people to get you through
the web?"
"What's really neat is that you
have people from housekeeping
talking to people from the theatre
talking to people from the
Humanities office," Guillaume
said. "That's been memorable."
In Phase II, groups of supervisors
discuss lessons learned in Phase I and
what actions they regularly engage in
that help support the mission of the
College. The end result is a booklet
highlighting "best practices" that all
supervisors can utilize to build a
team that is productive, courteous,
happy and conscious of MC's mission.
Small groups of employees meet
again in Phase III, where Guillaume
breaks the mission statement into
phrases and asks staff members to
talk about values and
daily actions they might
incorporate (or carry forward)
that support the objectives.
Writing responses on a
flip-chart, he makes visual
connections.
Phase IV is actually Phase I.
"The idea of CO-OP is that
it will never end," Gui
MC staff member Nicola Turner is lifted through the "spider web" by
fellow staff members (l-r) Jimmy McKeehan '98, Jennifer Hunt, Andy
Lewter and Karson Leitch '98 in a CO-OP Phase I exercise held during
the Spring of 2001 . Bruce Guillaume watches at left.
aume
said. "My ideal is everybody,
every year, talking in small
groups about the mission of the College."
Hunt added: "We want to put people
back in the environment again, and see how
things have changed."
So Far, Success
Hunt said just as the Mountain Challenge
program is unique to the College, the CO-OP
program is unique to other staff development
and training programs, especially those offered
to college and university employees.
In pre-CO-OP days, staff learned
customer-service skills and communication
A group of "blind" MC staff members makes its way across a stream
in the College Woods with the help of each other and fellow staff
member Kore Robinson (right).
practices through a video training program.
When Fayerweather Hall was struck by
lightning and burned in 1999, the tapes and
accompanying textbooks were destroyed. The
training materials weren't replaced, Hunt said,
because employees didn't like them.
"The task force realized that we had all of
these large corporations coming to campus for
[Corporate] Mountain Challenge activities -
why weren't we using the resource in our own
backyard?" she said. "Bruce and his staff have
been so creative."
Hunt said interest in and support of the
CO-OP program has been very good among
administrators and across campus. For that,
she and Guillaume are very thankful.
"I think it has improved morale and
communication. And it adds that element of
fun to the everyday," she said, pointing to a
CO-OP evaluation written by a staff member.
It read: "I learned a lot about myself and the
people I was with. [CO-OP] helped me think
about behaviors at work, both good and
bad. We all laughed a lot; it was fun and
informative. I'd do it again in a heartbeat."
Seeing how mission, values and
everyday actions are interconnected
cannot be stressed enough, Hunt
added.
"It doesn't matter what a
person's job is here, he or she has an
impact on the mission of the
College... And CO-OP has
reminded us that we're all partners
in education," she said. "We're all
here for students."
To learn more about the
Mountain Challenge program, visit
www.mtnchallenge.com.
FOCUS Foil 2002
7
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
An Alumna Remembers Dick and Jane, Maryville College
By Elton Jones, Assistant to the President
"In 1946 I came with Dick and Jane to
Texas," telates Mary Swain Wood '29, who
was interviewed recently tor FOCUS in her
high-rise condominium overlooking the
skyline of Dallas.
Her passion for reading and teaching led
her to both an interesting career as a textbook
consultant and to many experiences that make
a fascinating story.
Wood was born in Eminence, Ky, a
small, rural community northeast of Louisville.
Her family had a house in town and a farm in
the country.
"For generations we have had college
graduates in the family," she explained. "We
all wanted to go to college, and we knew we
first had to go to a Presbyterian college."
While her grandfather, father, siblings,
and several nephews and nieces all went to
Centre College in Danville, Ky, Wood could
not follow the tradition.
"Centre was merging with a women's
college and was not accepting new women
students in 1925 when I went off," she explained.
"Maryville was the nearest Presbyterian school
in which I could enroll. I had never heard of
Maryville."
She majored in home economics, strug-
gled some in chemistry, tells about taking the
long way when walking to church with her
boyfriend, and particularly enjoyed sewing.
"To my great disappointment, I didn't
finish," she said. "It was at the beginning of
the depression, and my father lost everything -
the farm that had been his father's and our
lovely home in town. For the family's sake, I
needed to stay at home and go to work."
At first Wood worked in a bank, and
then took a correspondence course and started
teaching. Throughout three summers during
her teaching years (1929-1937), she took
elementary education courses at the University
of Kentucky.
One day the dean of her department at
UK asked her to drop by his office. He
explained she had been recommended for a
position with a book publisher in Cincinnati.
"They wanted a young teacher to travel
the state and work in the
schools with their
material," she explained.
"Of course, I told my
mother about it, and she
immediatelv started
praying that I wouldn't get
the job."
After interviews in
Lexington, Frankfort and
Cincinnati, she was hired
and issued her company
car. There was one small
problem - she had never
driven!
After a three-day
crash course in driving from some courageous
friends, the new textbook consultant was on
the road representing American Book
Company. For seven years, she traveled
Kentucky and worked with elementary
teachers, taught in classrooms, and developed
a reputation as a competent professional who
liked what she was doing and did it well.
During the 1930s, another textbook
publisher, Scott-Foresman & Company, had
Mary Swain Wood looks over illustrations created for the early
"Dick and Jane" book series.
say 'Look!'"
"Mr. Foresman and the people in Texas
wanted me to come to Dallas, so in 1946 I
came with Dick and Jane to Texas," she said,
beaming. "The most fun in the world was
working with that program. Most of the
first-grade children thought I was Dick's and
Jane's mother."
She was on the road a great deal, but in
Dallas Mary Swain lived in a "residential
begun a series of reading books featuring child hotel," into which a distinguished-looking
characters Dick and Jane. As the series grew business executive moved in 1948 after a job
in popularity, the company recruited a team
of consultants to represent its product
throughout the country.
"Scott-Foresman offered me a position,
but I didn't take it because I didn't think it was
quite fait to leave one company and go with
transfer to Dallas. She learned that his name
was Colonel Wood, but they had never spo-
ken. A formal introduction was a prerequisite.
She was later to learn - much later - that
Colonel Alfred M. Wood was a fellow
Kentuckian, a graduate of Berea Academv
another," she explained. The next year brought (prep school ptedecessor to Berea College), a
a second invitation; Miss Swain was undecided, decorated Navy and then Air Force pilot in
Her mother encouraged her to go to Chicago both World Wars and a graduate of Harvard
and then make her decision. After meeting Mr. University. He was sales manager for Proctor
Foresman and seeing 10 floors of professors, and Gamble for the southwestern United
authots and editors, the decision was easy.
"I was so impressed, I immediately
decided in 1944 to go with Scott-Foresman,"
she said.
According to Wood, "the Dick and Jane
reading program was based upon an under-
standing of how children learn, feel and grow.
The stories were familiar. The pictures would
show what was happening, and Dick would
States.
"Miss Swain, this is Col. Wood; Col.
Wood, this is Miss Swain," a match-making
waitress finally said one evening, after they
both had resided on the same floor and eaten
in the same dining room for about six years.
Sometime later he invited her to go for a
Sunday afternoon drive. They dated for tour
years and married in 1958 - she was 50 and
8
FOCUS
he was 61. They enjoyed 40 years of marriage
before he passed away.
But this is a story about Mary Swain
Wood and her special relationship with
Maryville College, which may not have been
rekindled except for a phone call to the
campus in 1976. A gentleman explained he
had an acquaintance who had attended
Maryville College for three years in the 1920s,
had never graduated, but wanted to be placed
on the alumni mailing list. Six-weeks later his
friend sent $3 to Maryville College for an
alumni directory.
She and Al Wood soon began making
steady contributions to Maryville. The Colonel
placed his estate in trust; it will be distributed
to a number of their favorite charities upon
the death of Mary Wood. As one might
expect, the charitable beneficiaries include
their church, Harvard University, Berea and
Centre colleges, several other institutions of
higher learning, and Maryville College.
The gift to Maryville is likely to be the
largest gift to endowment for scholarships in
the College's history.
Al Wood, an uncommon man by any
standards, and Mary Swain Wood, who didn't
tell anyone she couldn't drive or didn't have a
degree "because they didn't ask me" and who
became an accomplished teacher of teachers,
will have left an extraordinary legacy that will
make a profound difference in many lives for
untold generations.
CAMPUS NEWS
Hixon Selected for Supreme Court Internship
Christopher R. Hixon, a senior at
Maryville College, was selected as one of two
undergraduates in the nation to participate in
the Judicial Internship Program at the
Supreme Court of the United States this fall.
As a judicial intern, Hixon is working in
the Office of the Administrative Assistant to
the Chief Justice. His responsibilities include
conducting background research for speeches
and reviewing legislation on the federal judi-
cial system. Hixon is responsible for summa-
rizing news articles and preparing memoranda
and correspondence. He also gathers and
assembles information on pre-determined
research initiatives unrelated to the casework
of the Supreme Court. (Interns do not work
on cases pending before the Court.)
"While in the majority of government
offices an intern is only a face among countless
other interns, this program enjoys the intima-
cy of having only two judicial interns," states a
description of the Judicial Internship Program
on the program's
website Such " fQ WOrfc fa fa
an atmosphere
engenders a
working
environment of
substantial
responsibility,
learning and
collegiality."
Hixon, a
1999 graduate
College. His post-Maryville College plans
include law school and a
career in criminal
prosecution law.
Hixon said he feels
prepared for the Supreme
Court experience - but
also awed by the
opportunity.
"I've taken a course
on constitutional law, in
which we studied different
Supreme Court cases, and
I've read several books
about the Court," Hixon
said during an interview in July.
think
everything I've studied at the College thus far
has made me more knowledgeable about the
world and will help me interact with people of
this magnitude and level of intelligence.
"But to work in the Supreme Court will
be amazing," he added.
"I will feel so honored
to be there."
Hixon's addi-
tional - and
Supreme Court will be
amazing. I will feel so
honored to be there. K
of Largo High
School and the son of Sharon and Terry
Parmelee of Clearwater, Fla., is double majoring
in political science and economics at the
extracurricular -
experience includes
an administrative
clerk position at the
Knoxville law office
of Ritchie, Fels &
Dillard; a research
assistant position
with Capital
Formation
Counselors Inc. in Belleair Bluffs, Fla.; and a
legal intern position at the Office of the State
Attorney in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Chris Hixon, MC senior
nvolved in the campus life of Maryville
College, Hixon was elected
chief justice of the
Maryville College Judicial
System in May and was
elected secretary-general of
the 2002 Maryville College
Model United Nations
Conference. He acted as
head delegate to the 2002
National Model United
Nations Conference.
The internship began
Aug. 26 and concludes
Dec. 20. In that time,
Hixon said he plans to "soak everything up"
and gain as much knowledge as he can.
Dr. Sherry Kasper, chairperson for the
College's Division of Social Sciences and
Hixon's advisor, said the application process
for the Judicial Internship Program is stringent
and that the competition is keen, with
individuals from some of the most prestigious
colleges and universities in the United States
applying.
"We are excited that the selection
committee recognized the special talents that
Chris could bring to this position," Kasper
said. "Moreover, we are thrilled that he will
have this opportunity to participate in the
daily functioning of the Supreme Court - an
experience that should serve him well in his
desired career of prosecutor."
She added: "We are immensely pleased
to have an individual of Chris's character
represent Maryville College in an institution
so vital to the functioning of American
society."
FOCUS Foil 2002
CAMPUS NEWS
MC Makes U.S. News Rankings Again
For the eighth time in nine years, . l a .
Maryville College has been listed
among the top 10 of the South':
very best.
MC was ranked fourth
by U.S. News and World
Report college rankings in the
magazine's "Best Comprehensive
Colleges - Bachelor's" category for
southern colleges and universities. It was
one of only two Tennessee institutions listed in
the category's top 25.
In addition to the "Best Comprehensive
Colleges" category, MC was also listed among
southern colleges and universities as a "best
value." In this category, MC placed third
among all southern comprehensive colleges.
U.S. News and World Report, a national
magazine, annually judges colleges and univer-
sities for their academic excellence and pub-
lishes rankings in its weekly magazine and
newsstand book "America's Best Colleges."
"We are pleased to be recognized, once
again, as one of the best colleges in the
South," said Dr. Gerald W. Gibson,
Maryville College president.
"Recognition by U.S. News and
World Report is a recognition of our
commitment to the liberal arts and to
a high-quality academic experience.
"These rankings also recognize our
faculty and staff members who have dedicated
themselves to excellence for the benefit of
students."
In addition to faculty and staff, Gibson
recognized alumni, parents, friends, corporations,
foundations and other donors for helping make
Maryville College a "best value."
"I want to take this opportunity to thank
the extended Maryville College family," the
president continued. "Without theit support,
we would not be able to provide the large
amount of scholarships and financial aid to
deserving students that we do."
Center for Calling & Career Open for Students
Thanks to a S2 million grant from Lilly
Endowment, Inc., MC has established a new
Center for Calling & Career. Students, faculty
and staff wete treated to an Open House tour
of the new offices in Bartlett Hall on Aug. 27.
Part of the College's Initiative on Vocation,
the Center is designed to give students an
integrated four-year opportunity to explote
and consider theit future lives and work in
relation to a sense of calling, widet purpose
and religious faith.
The Center, which replaces the College's
former Office of Career Services, will offer
individual assessment and information on the
following: selecting a major, summer intern-
ships and shadowing experiences, conducting
job searches, writing resumes, networking,
interviewing and applying for graduate and
professional degree programs. Counseling stu-
dents in exploring their future work is highly
recommended as part of the Center's mission
to help students find their "calling" or vocation.
"Because we all believe that the question
of making a life and making a living cannot be
separated, we are not simply an employment
agency," explained Tracy Gartmann, director
of the Centet and directot of placement.
"Exploting one's calling is an ongoing process
in which the student should be personally
involved. We will help guide students through
this process of exploration, step-by-step."
Gartmann will assist graduating seniots
and others with exploting, securing, and
responding to meaningful post-college
opportunities. She will meet with alumni and
corporate, professional and non-profit contacts
to place students into valuable internship and
shadowing experiences.
Dr. Harry Howard, MC professor of
political science, was named directot of educa-
tion and discetnmentfDr. Jrinjp Greeae was
hired as the director of assessment and*™
Charlotte Morgan, an elder at Marwille's New
Providence Presbyterian Church, is working as
office manager for the Center.
For more information on the Center and
its staff members, visit www.maryvillecollege.edu/
news/releases/calling-career.html.
Lecture Series
Celebrates 15 Years,
Alumna Is One of
Three Speakers
Poetry, women's issues, tourism, story-
telling and song - they're all present in
MC's Appalachian Lecture Series, which is
celebrating its 15th anniversary this year
The 2002 series began Sept. 10 with
awatd-winning Appalachian poet Jeff Daniel
"Danny" Mation teading from his collection
of wotks. Next in the series is Melissa Walker
'85, who will speak Oct. 8.
Walket will present Visiting the Land of
Do-Without: The Impact of Early Tourism on
Sevier County Women.
The presentation will
draw from research
Walker conducted
when writing het book
"All We Knew Was to
Farm: Rural Women
in the Upcountry
South, 1919-1941."
Walker is currently
an associate professor of history at Converse
College in South Carolina.
"Come Go Home With Me" concludes the
Series Nov. 12. Sheila Kay Adams will share
stories, music and song with patticipants. Her
stories will come from her 1995 book "Come
Go Home With Me," which Life magazine
called "pure mountain magic."
Celebrating the culture and heritage of the
Appalachian Mountains, the Appalachian
Lectute Series is sponsoted by the Lamar
Memorial Library and is made possible by
private donations and ticket subscriptions.
All presentations begin at 7 p.m. in the
Lawson Auditorium in Fayerweathet Hall.
Cost of the series is $30 per person, which
includes tickets for the thtee lectures, dessert
and coffee. Tickets for each individual lectute
are $12 per person. All proceeds from the
event go towatd the support and purchases of
the library collections in Appalachian Studies.
Reservations ate requited and can be made
by calling 865/981-8192.
10
FOCUS Foil 2002
CAMPUS NEWS
2001-2002 Was A Winning Year For Scots, Lady Scots
Randy Lambert 76 is confident that the
Maryville College athletic department stood
head and shoulders above hundreds of other
NCAA Division III programs for the 2001-
2002 school year. He points to the depart-
ment's own stats to make the argument.
"I don't know if there is another Division
III program that accomplished what we did
last year," Lambert said. "We have 12 athletic
programs; combined, their competitiveness
gives MC athletics an excellent reputation well
beyond this Southern region."
For the second consecutive year, the Scots
and Lady Scots posted a winning percentage as
a department greater than .700. The entire
department went 178-68 with a .723 winning
percentage.
MC student-athletes took home six Great
South Athletic Conference championships:
men's soccer, men's cross-country, men's bas-
ketball, baseball, Softball and women's tennis.
Six teams represented MC in NCAA
post-season tournaments last year. The Lady
Scots sent their soccer, volleyball, basketball
and softball programs to national tourna-
ments. The Fighting Scots were represented by
the basketball program. And, the inaugural
season of cross-country ended with a trip to
regional competition.
Thirty-two student-athletes received All-
Conference accolades. Thirty MC athletes
received conference All-Academic honors. Six
individual athletes wete named to their respec-
tive sports All-Region squads. Doug Loomis
and Peter Rosenblad '02 each received All-
American honors for their efforts last season.
And Lambert is proud of more than just
petformances on the field, court or course.
"The Maryville College tradition of excel-
lence is equaled in the classroom and in the
community. Each athletic program is commit-
ted to a community service project throughout
the academic year," he explained.
Listen To Games On Radio, Web
Follow
the Scots and
■ Lady Scots
toward another
outstanding season in 2002-2003, from the
stands or the comfort of yout own home!
WBCR Radio AM 1470 will broadcast
all MC football games this season.
WBCR will also covet all of the Scots'
basketball games at the Boydson Baird
Gymnasium at home and on the road.
Additional coverage can be seen on the
web with live and archived broadcasts via the
Internet at www.blountweb.com/wbcr.
You can also follow all Fighting Scots and
Lady Scots action on the web at www.maryvil-
lecollege.edu/athletics. Scores, stats, news, ros-
ters and schedules will be updated regularly.
Become A Lifetime Scot!
If you are a former MC Letterman (or
Letterwoman), you qualify to become a
Lifetime Scot!
As a Lifetime Scot, you ate entitled to
a free Gold Card, which gives you entry to
all regular-season, home athletic games -
for life!
For more information or to request a
Gold Card, mail or e-mail Assistant
Athletic Director Kandy Schram '85 at
kandy.schram@maryvillecollege.edu. Be
sure to include your name, address, phone
number(s), the year(s) you lettered and the
sport(s) you letteted in.
You can also mail information to:
Scots Club, Coopet Athletic Center
502 E. Lamar Alexander Parkway
Maryville, TN 37804
Danny Fish To Head Softball Program, Other Coaches Welcomed
Danny Fish, a graduate of Tennessee
Wesleyan College and former fast-pitch
softball coach for the Tennessee
Wesleyan Lady Bulldogs, has been
named head softball coach and
assistant women's basketball coach at
Maryville College.
Fish's employment with the
College officially began Aug. 1 . He
replaces Bill Rude, who left MC this
spring to pursue a coaching position
with the University of Tennessee women's
volleyball program.
Fish's duties at the College include the
general supervision, recruitment, training and
administration of the women's softball
program. He is also assisting Head Women's
Basketball Coach Dee Bell '97.
Fish earned a bachelor's degree in physical
education from Tennessee Wesleyan
in 200 1 . As member of the TWC
baseball team, he was twice named
to the Tennessee- Virginia Athletic
All-Conference Baseball Team and
once named to the All-Region
Team.
In addition to coaching fast-
pitch softball, he has also taught
physical education courses at TWC.
Fish inherits a softball team that finished
26-7 in the 2001-2002 season and enjoyed an
appearance in the NCAA tournament - a first
in the history of the program.
■ Other new coaches hired for 2002-
2003 include: Defensive Coordinator Bill
Ameral, Tight End Coach Wendell Hardin,
Assistant Volleyball Coach Christine Hames
and Assistant Men's Basketball Coach Spencer
Beaty '99.
Ameral comes to the College from
Syracuse. He holds a mastet's degree from
Southern Connecticut State University. Hardin
graduated from the University of Michigan-
Flint and received his mastet's degtee from the
University of Tennessee-Knoxville.
Hames, a University of Western Australia
graduate, was a former professional beach
volleyball player in Australia, and also coached
high school programs in southern California.
Beaty, a former Fighting Scot standout undet
Lambert, pteviously worked in human services.
FOCUS Fall 2002
11
CAMPUS NEWS
You Are Prepared
To Take On
The Unexpected.
That was the encouragement William S.
Rukeyser gave to graduates of Maryville College's class
of 2002 during Commencement exercises held May
19 on the College campus. Approximately 2,000
people - including 170 graduates - were in attendance
to hear his address entitled "Expectations."
Drawing comparisons from the world he
graduated into in 1961, Rukeyser assured graduates
that, with their liberal arts education, they were
prepared for a life of change.
"For my graduating class, the world was
dangerous and seemed hard to change. As you
graduate, the world is still dangerous, but now the
conventional wisdom is not only that change is
permanent, as even the ancient Greeks noticed. I
think it was Heraclitus who said, "All is flux." Now
the wisdom isn't just that change is permanent but that it wi
accelerate endlessly. So scrambling to keep up will be the main
theme of life," he said.
"Whatever surprises lie ahead, this Maryville Class of 2002 is
especially well prepared to take on the unexpected, because of your
solid grounding in the liberal arts and sciences. A liberal education
such as you have been privileged to acquire is an education in
judgment and flexibility. It's an education of coping with change.
It's an education for leadership," he continued. "...As any good
liberal arts student of
literature knows, a good
narrative requires surprises
and suspense. And so does
every rewarding adventure
and every rewarding life.
You're well equipped for
adversity, and there'll be
some, but there's every
reason for you to be
comfortable in confronting
the unknown. You've got
the tools. In American
History, the optimists have
been the realists. I hope
that one way in which this day marks your future is that you always hear
distant thunder and sit under sunny skies."
Rukeyser, a print and broadcast journalist and member of
Maryville College's National Advisory Board, was awarded an honorary
doctorate from the College during the ceremony.
Above: Dr. Gerald Gibson, Dr. Harold Black, William Rukeyser
and wife Elisabeth Rukeyser enjoy a Willard House Reception.
Below: (left to right) Loryn MacKenzie, Kristin Calkin, Erica
Johnson, Axis Espinosa, Maggie Daum and Natalie Hood
12
FOCUS
CAMPUS NEWS
Maryville College Recognizes Faculty, Staff During Commencement Exercises
During its commencement exercises
May 19, Maryville College paid tribute to
faculty and staff for outstanding service
during the 2001-2002 academic year.
The Outstanding Teacher Award, which
goes to the faculty member nominated by
juniors and seniors at the school, went to Dr.
Terry Simpson, associate professor of secondary
education and chair of the College's division
of education.
In recognizing Simpson, Maryville
College Interim Vice President and
Dean of the College Dr. Robert J.
Naylor described him as a "teacher-
scholar of international dimension"
because of recent travels to Estonia and
Saudi Arabia as a Fulbright Scholar.
"Students describe the winner of
this year's Outstanding Teacher Award
as: 'exuding an aura of professionalism,'
'a master orator,' 'the epitome of what
a teacher should be,'" Naylor said.
"Indeed he is that, and a good deal more.
Terms such as 'caring,' 'challenging,' and
'passionate about his craft' fit equally well."
Dr. Crystal Wright, assistant professor
psychology, was recognized as the runner-up
for the award.
Dr. Gerald Gibson, president of the
College, presented outstanding administrator
and staff awards during commencement.
Candidates were nominated by their peers for
outstanding individual performance; a
committee made recommendations to Gibson.
Receiving the Nancy B. Hunter
Outstanding Staff Award was Richard
Henderson of Maryville, HVAC specialist in
the physical plant department. Jack Abbott,
mechanical trades manager, was recognized
with the Outstanding Administrator Award.
Cydna Savage was presented with the Sharon
A. Murphy Crane Distinguished Service
Award for her work as director of the
College's student health center.
Two Faculty Members Retire In May
BreAnn Daniel and Leah Anderson
During
Commencement
Weekend in May, emeritus faculty recognition went to
Dr. William Dent '57 and Dr. Marcia Keith, who both
retired this spring. Dent ended a 38-year career at the
College as professor of
mathematics; Keith,
professor of education,
taught students at the
College for 1 5 years.
In recognizing the
professors during the
commencement exercises,
Maryville College
Interim Vice President
and Dean of the College
Dr. Robert J. Naylor
explained that "emeritus"
status is an honor
conferred upon retiring
professors based on a
vote of the tenured faculty. Eligibility includes attaining the rank of
professor and teaching at the College for at least 10 years.
Of Dent, Naylor said he first came to the College as an under-
graduate in 1954, and returned as a professor in 1964 after earning
degrees from the University of Kentucky and the University of
Tennessee. He served as chair of the division of mathematics and
computer science for nearly 25 years.
"His students know him for his great depth of knowledge,
masterful skill in articulating mathematical concepts and immense
patience with neophytes to the abstract realm of mathematics,"
Naylor said. "His colleagues are grateful for the years of penetrating
insight and quiet expressions of wisdom, his resolute dedication to the
College and its mission, and, particularly, his model of indefatigable
integrity."
With degrees from the University of Massachusetts, Harvard and
UT, Keith came to Maryville College in 1987. Naylor praised the
professor for her work to build, nearly from scratch, a first-rate teacher
education program.
"The scores of our graduates now teaching across this region
know she has succeeded beyond all expectations," Naylor said. "She is
an educator of very great stature, an administrator of implacable
pluck and a colleague revered for the passion of her convictions.
"More than a few of you graduates refer to her as Dr. Marcia
'No-Nonsense' Keith as you assert she is a 'fountain of knowledge'
and 'the best teacher I have ever had,'" he added.
FOCUS Foil 2002
13
CAMPUS NEWS
Summer Projects Beautify Campus
For summer 2002, College administrators
hoped to complete 60 percent of the projects
slated for the two-year, $2.5 million Campus
Beautification and Improvement Plan.
Andy McCall, director of the physical
plant at Maryville College, estimates that
roughly 75 percent has been done.
"We paved more of the loop road than we
planned, we installed more lights, and we
decided to go ahead and redo the entrance to
the College from Lamar Alexander Parkway,"
McCall said.
May, June, July and August were dust)',
dirty and confusing months for MC employees
and visitors, but the "temporary inconvenience
for permanent improvement," as one college
administtator described it, was well worth the
headache.
Other than the entrance gates to the
College, changes immediately noticed when
driving onto campus include the abundance of
lights and the absence of utility lines overhead.
Approximately 70 gas-style lampposts have
been installed.
Ten major projects were slated for
completion for summer 2002, including a new
entrance and ticket booth at Honaker
(Football) Field; landscaping at Cooper Athletic
Center, Humphreys Court and Copeland Hall;
and improvements to the Court Street entrance,
the campus loop road and several parking lots.
Overhead electrical wires were buried, and the
campus's electrical system was reworked this
summer. Except for Humphreys Court, which
is slated for completion before Homecoming,
all projects have been completed.
Construction projects not related to the
plan have kept McCall busy, too. Thaw Hall
received new columns, roof repair and a handicap
ramp; the House in the Woods was renovated;
and the Margaret Ware Dining Room was
reconfigured by the College's new food service
provider. Three classrooms were renovated -
two with the help or KT Week volunteers.
The Campus Beautification and
Improvement Plan, which is being funded
through a bond issue, grew and evolved over
the summer to comply with city codes and to
take advantage of opportunities to upgrade
infrastructure.
Extensive landscaping remains on the
checklist for 2002. During the summer of 2003,
the "to do" list will include redesign and
repaving of the Willard House and Pearsons
Hall parking lots and completion of a new
residence hall (see story below.)
"Investment in the Campus Beautification
and Improvement Plan is primarily an invest-
ment in curb appeal," said Dr. Gerald Gibson,
president. "'Curb appeal' isn't a term that trips
lightlv oft academic lips ... But in today's
world of competitive student recruiting, there's
no getting around the fact that curb appeal
matters."
New Residence Hall Planned
Groundbreaking is scheduled for Oct. 16
when the College will begin construction on a
new, 150-bed, four-story residence hall this
fall. This new hall, which will be built between
Lloyd Hall and the grassy area known as
"Lloyd Beach," will be the fifth new building
constructed on campus in five years.
"The new building will have similar features
from existing buildings on campus," said Vice
President for Student Development Dr. Bill
Seymour. "It was important to our students,
faculty and staff that the building look like the
other [historic] buildings on campus - to have
a unified feel to the campus."
Based on student survey results and focus
group feedback, the new residence hall will
contain suites (10 suites per floor), four students
per suite. While bathrooms and living rooms
are planned for the suites, only 25 percent of them
will have kitchens.
"We wanted to keep our students in
contact with other
Currently, MC has eight residence halls
and can house approximately 750 students. A
new residence hall is needed to keep pace with
enrollment projections and support MCs
strategic goal of having 75percent of students
live on campus.
students,"
Seymour said.
"This [floorplan]
helps keep students
utilizing the meal
plan where they
will socialize more
in the cafeteria."
An artist's
rendering of the
new residence hall
shows a design in
keeping with the
other historical
buildings
on campus.
14
FOCUS
ALUMNI NEWS
2002 Outstanding Senior Named
Sarah M. Berkemeier '02, a senior
Human Services major from Portland, Ore.,
was named the 2002 Outstanding Senior at
Maryville College during the Academic Awards
Ceremony held on campus April 27.
Established by the Maryville College
Alumni Association in 1974, the Outstanding
Senior award recognizes those students whose
overall record of academic achievement and
participation in extracurricular activities stands
out as most exemplary.
Berkemeier, the daughter of Thomas and
Linda Jones Berkemeier '70 of Portland,
enrolled at MC in 1998 and continued a family
tradition. In addition to the maternal connec-
tion, Berkemeier's grandfather Alexander Jones
'32 and great-grandfather Robert C. Jones
(1894) were former students. A distant
relative, John Franklin Magill (1889), is
buried in the College Cemetery.
In presenting her advisee at the April 27
ceremony, Dr. Susan Ambler, associate profes-
sor of sociology, described Berkemeier as some-
one who is willing to take risks, who chooses
experiences that will show her a different per-
spective, who represents the "ultimate" liberal
arts student.
"She explored vocation as many fteshmen
do," Ambler said. "She started in biology, then
ended in the social sciences. The interdiscipli-
narity of human services appealed to her.
She studied Spanish as a minor, and
even took a painting course."
Berkemeier's list of college activities
included the College's Wellness Council,
the Dance Team, Student Foundation,
Alternative Spring Break, Habitat for
Humanity, InterVarsity Christian
Fellowship, Circle K and Young Democrats.
Only those seniors with a mini-
mum grade point average of 3.0 are
considered for nomination for the
Outstanding Senior Award. A
committee is given the responsibility of
choosing five finalists. Those finalists are
invited to respond in writing to questions
about their view of their future role as alumni
of MC, their goals for the future and their
understanding of how the College has influ-
enced them and helped shape those goals.
In her essay, Berkemeier wrote that she
plans to devote one year to community service
following graduation, possibly serving in the
AmeriCorps. Enrolling in graduate school to
study non-profit management, law or social
work is also in her plans.
Berkemeier included in her essay that the
influence of Maryville College upon her life's
goals has been significant.
"My experiences on Alternative Spring
-!
-
^^^^^^«
i
Dr.
Gibson presents the 2002 Outstanding Senior Award
to Sarah Berkemeir.
Breaks, with service-learning requirements, and
in leadership of a variety of campus organiza-
tions have helped me to realize my calling to
be in leadership for the sake of our communi-
ties," she wrote. "Maryville College has taught
me how to be determined and perseverant -
two qualities essential to my desired vocation.
"Maryville College has taught me to truly
live out my favorite words of wisdom: 'One of
the deep secrets of life is that all that is really
worth doing is what we do for others,'" she added.
Finalists for the Outstanding Senior
award included BreAnn Daniel '02 of Xenia,
Ohio; Ryan Newhouse '02 of Maryville;
Aimee Olivier '02 of Springville, Tenn.; and
Danielle Thomas 02 of Sarasota, Fla.
Kin Takahashi Week 2002 Breaks Records
A record 75 participants returned to campus
June 10-14 for Kin Takahashi Week and the first-
annual Alumni College.
"We are excited about what the future holds for
Kin Takahashi and Alumni College Week and are
grateful that so many alumni, parents and friends gave
of their time and talents," said Jason McNeal, director
of annual giving and staff coordinator for the week.
"Most Alumni College participants also worked on
'K.T Week' projects, so lots of intellectual and physi-
cal exertion was demonstrated."
K.T. Week co-founder, lead
volunteer and alumnus Dan
Greaser '60 calculated that the
75 volunteers who participated
in K.T. Week 2002 saved MC
$47,760 in labor alone.
Projects ranged from pressure-washing the tomb-
stones in the College Cemetery to painting the load-
ing dock of Pearsons Hall. Some volunteers joined
forces with the College's grounds crew to uproot some
flowerbeds and plant others as part of the Campus
Beautification and Improvement Plan.
A gallery of K.T. Week photos are posted on the
College's website. Look for the link at www.maryvil-
lecollege.edu/news/post-ktw.html.
The date for K.T. Week 2003 is set for June 9-13.
Burk McMichael, father of Bo McMichael '97, sent this photo to
Vicki McNutt, the College's post office manager. Mr. McMichael
took advantage of the sale of the old metal post office boxes
last year, mounted it on a pointed board and gave it to Bo for
his birthday. McNutt reported recently that the sale resulted in
$4,000 for the College's archives collection. Shelves, book
ends, cartons, supplies and a dehumidifier were purchased.
FOCUS Fall 2002
15
FOCUS ON FACULTY
Gombert's the Big Head(s)
New Convention Center Features
Professor's Work
Heads are hanging in the Knoxville Convention Center, and Dr.
Carl Gombert couldn't be happier.
Thankfully, they're not the heads of public officials or visitors;
they're the creations of a talented artist with boundless imagination.
Gombert, an associate
professor of art at MC, was
commissioned by the
Knoxville Convention Center
recently to paint six giant
heads for permanent display
in the new $94-million
facility. When the convention
center holds its official
opening in mid-October,
Gombert's work will be one
of 29 commissioned art
pieces on display.
"They're hard to avoid,"
the art professor said of his
collection. "You put a five-
foot head out there - it has a
slightly greater chance of
getting noticed."
Each measuring five-foot by four-foot, the images are likenesses of
six people Gombert knows - two students, one faculty member, a former
staff member, his daughter, a friend. The genders are equally represented,
as are the generations, but that's about as much reality as Gombert
illustrates with his heads.
Canvases textured with lines and small stickers give the illusion of
dimension. Faces of the likenesses are painted in a spectrum of vibrant
colors - red to purple. Expressions, although open to interpretation,
range from rage to contentment.
"There are lots of games," he said. "The images are designed to
have an impact far away, but there are lots of mystery bonus prizes for
people who come closer and notice."
Noticed
art he creates. What the committee particularly liked were his images
drawn in nothing but rubber stamps. From a distance, the lifelike images
seem to be made of pen and ink; up close, the viewer sees that the image
is actually created with one rubber stamp - pressed thousands of times.
Selected as a finalist, Gombert was asked to submit another
proposal with more detailed information. Unsure about what type of
project he should commit to in his proposal, the artist received some
guidance from two consultants from Art Sources, the art-consulting
firm hired to help with the
Dr. Carl Gombert, center, poses with two of his portraits,
"Big Red Kimiaki," left, and "Big Purple Ariel," right,
that will be on permanent display in the new Knoxville Convention Center.
convention center art collec-
tion. Visiting his studio in
Maryville, the consultants
saw "Big Blue Nicola," and
encouraged him to submit at
least two proposals - one that
included the rubber stamp
drawings, and another that
incorporated the big, colorful
heads.
In the end, said Gombert,
the selection committee
"chose the color." The com-
mission was made in May, he
signed the contract June 1
and immediately began work
on "Faces/Emotions Series,"
his first commissioned work for a public space.
"The committee reacted strongly to his work, and liked all of it,"
said Mike Cohen, director of communications and community relations
for rhe Knoxville Public Building Authority and member of the art
selection committee. "What attracted committee members to Dr.
Gombert was the uniqueness of the work he does, particularly the
rubber stamps. But they really liked the heads, the emotions in them
and the brightness of the colors."
Form, Fun and 'Big Orange Dan'
Gombert estimated that at least 200 hours of work went into each
painting. But for all the work that went into the heads, he said he won't
miss them in the studio. Drawing on an old slogan from a snack food,
he tells people they can look all they want, "we'll make more."
That isn't to say that he hasn't enjoyed the process.
From his "sitters" (models) to the convention center employees
who helped him take a 45-foot stretch of wall from blank to bold, he
It is this characteristic of Gombert's work - tiny and fun details
seen up close - that led to an invitation from rhe Knoxville Public
Building Authority and its selection committee to submit a proposal for said people have been good sports.
Knoxville Convention Center wall space. He described the portraits as "fun," adding that he has thought a
Gombert's initial proposal included slides that showed the array of lot about form and nuances with the large heads. All of the portraits are
16
FOCUS
FOCUS ON FACULTY
related to each other in some way, and similarities
can be found between the first and last heads, the
second and fifth, and the third and fourth.
Wherever possible, Gombert avoided obvious
colors and obvious compositions.
"Big Orange Dan" is Gombert's favorite work,
partly because orange (true orange, not Tennessee
Vol orange) is the artist's favorite color, and partly
because he finds the pose the most striking of the
six pieces.
"Dan may be the smartest person I know, but
he doesn't look too bright here," he said. "The tilt
of the head, the roll of the eyes, [Big Orange
Dan] kind of has a Michelangelo quality to it, too."
A Generous Artist
A professor who teaches painting, drawing, art history and a few
core curriculum courses, Gombert wanted to share the experience of
working on commissioned work with students, so this summer, rising
•Si
Working alongside Dr. Gombert as a paid
apprentice, rising senior Michelle Curley adds
the finishing touches to "Big Orange Dan."
senior Michelle Curley and rising sophomore
Sheena Alton worked with their advisor in the Fine
Arts Center studio. Curley, a paid apprentice,
documented her experience in a special feature of
the MC website called "Field Study."
Curley wrote in her online journal: "This has
got to be the best summer job ever - getting paid
to paint, to do something I love."
Mark Hall, associate professor and chairperson
of the fine arts division, said many students feel
themselves lucky to be taught by Gombert, who
joined the MC faculty in 1993.
"When I first arrived on campus [in 2001] an
art student said, 'Can you believe that he is my art
professor? It's incredible!,' and I would agree," Hall said. "What is equal
in importance to Carl Gombert's ability to creare is that both he and his
creations are growing.
"He is the best colleague I have had the pleasure of working with
in my 30 years in the arts," Hall continued. "He is thoughtful, insightful,
incredibly talented and a good person. He brings all this to his students."
Ethical Sensibilities, continued from page 5
to this the question of a standard. In an
increasingly global society, where will this
standard come from?
Arguably, the nature of education at a
typical business school with undergraduate or
graduate programs is ill-suited for this. This is
primarily because the educarion is narrowly
focused and functionally specific, which is to
say the curriculum is designed to produce
management, or finance, or accounting, or
marketing, or logistics majors. In itself, this
leaves little room for consideration of ethical
issues over and above the narrower issues of
professional codes of ethics. The opportunity
to consider broader ethical dilemmas is often
missed.
Certainly business schools should teach
ethics; so should all schools, all the time. But if
we consider these issues of choices, consequences
and standards, a liberal arts education has much
to offer. And so, perhaps the best education for
future business leaders is the liberal arts.
It seems to me that the solid grounding in
the timeless questions, the broad-based, fearless
intellectualism that is characteristic of liberal
arts, accomplishes a sensitivity to consequences.
And beyond this sensitivity, it enables an
awareness of a broader range of possible
consequences and consideration of a greater
number of consequences. It develops the ability
to evaluate those consequences, to understand
the broader implications of our choices and
how, by the way they are linked to other
choices, they might affect society and other
institutions and peoples.
The question of a standard is also better
served by a liberal arts education. It cultivates
sensitivity to other peoples and cultures, a
search for more universal notions of right and
wrong, a consideration of the bases for such
notions and an exploration of where this sense
of right and wrong comes from. Why do
humans intuit understandings of concepts like
"ought" and "should?" ... What should the
standard be? ... Is the standard merely the law,
or something more? Liberal arts education will
not allow students to shy away from those
questions, for a standard is always unfinished
business.
Indeed, the value of liberal arts education
may be precisely that it takes these questions
seriously. It deems them worthy of consideration,
not just during a student's tenure at school,
but throughout a lifetime. A liberal arts
education takes seriously the idea that every
decision is an ethical decision, every action is
an ethical action, and that life itself is an
awesome responsibility. On that foundation,
ethical sensibility can be built.
Kasper Publishes Book
Dt. Sherry Kasper, professor of economics
and chairperson of the division of social sciences,
has recently written
The Revival of
Laissez-Faire in
American
Macroeconomic
Theory: A Case
Study of the Pioneers.
Edward Elgar has
published the book,
which will go on sale later this fall.
Kasper said her research for the book
grew out of her Ph.D. dissertation.
"In 1972, the overture was that govern-
ment should be very involved in guiding the
level of macro-level activity [of economics],"
she said. "When I went back to graduate
school in 1984, economic theory was arguing
that government should not be involved."
In her book, Kasper traces the evolution
of American macroeconomic theory from the
1930s to the 1980s, providing a definitive
account of the breakdown of Keynesian
orthodoxy in macroeconomics during the
1970s.
The book is expected to go on sale in the
MC Bookstore and on Amazon.com.
FOCUS
17
CLASS NOTES
Inez Burns '29, celebrated her 95th birthday on April
14, 2002. She is a retired Blount Count)- teacher and
has served as Blount County Historian. The General
Assembly of the Tennessee House of Representatives
named her "Preserver of Tennessee Heritage" and
"First Historian of Tennessee."
Jean Campbell Rokes '33, celebrated her 90th birth-
day on July 11, 2002, in Maryville. She has a son, one
grandchild and two great-grandchildren.
Lillian Cassel Driskill '37, celebrated her 90th birth-
day on Mar. 9, 2002, with 60 relatives and friends.
She and her husband, Rev. Larry Driskill, served as
missionaries to Japan for 23 years. They now live in a
retirement community in Duarte, CA.
Ruth Crawford Lamon '40 attended Commencement
Weekend events May 18-19, including the gradua-
tion of her grandson Kenton Crawford Kyker '02.
Following graduation exercises, the two were pho-
tographed standing near Fayerweather Hall and
behind a brick that was inscribed with the names of
Ruth and her late husband, Howard Lamon '40.
William D. Morgan '37, and his wife, Joy, moved to
Medford, OR, in 1986, to live near their only grand-
child and his parents.
Susanah Lupton Austin '39, and Harold G. Austin,
'41, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary on
Aug. 1, 2002, with their three children and six grand-
children. They live in La Grange, IL.
Viola James White '44, and Jean Boyd Dowling, '44,
traveled to the Baltic Republics, Yorkshire, England
and cruised up the Inland Waterway during 2002.
They have been friends for over sixty years.
Robert F. Huber '45, celebrates a 60-year career in
journalism with publication of his second book. Old
Ghoits and Family Skeletons, a 242-page hardback
genealogical history of his ancestors. His first book,
Pilgrim Footnotes* (With Humor), was about the
Pilgrims and their descendants.
Betty Jane Meyer Petterson '45, visited her son and
his lamilv in Norway and Sweden last year. She also
visited Washington state where another son and his
family live.
Esther Cleaver Zuercher '45, still lives in Wooster, OH.
John H. Morrison '49, is retired and lives in Colorado
Springs, CO with his wife.
Helen Hair Weston '50, still lives in Phoenix, AZ.
Dorothy Downey Hollandsworth '51, and her hus-
band moved to Sunnyside Presbyterian Retirement
Home in Harrisonburg, VA.
George E. Ogle '51, recently published a collection of
short stories about certain historical events in 20th
century Korea, where he served as a missionary for
rwenty years with the United Methodist Church. MC
friends may contact him at geogle@aol.com.
George W Day '52, and his wife travelled to Delhi,
Patna, Spain, the Amazon, Peru and Machu Picchu
last year. They also visited family all over the US.
Peggy-Ann Kessler Duke '53, did botanical illustra-
tions for her husband's boob, Handbook of Medicinal
Herbs, 2nd Edition, and Handbook of Medicinal Spices.
She also continues to paint and study Chinese brush
painting.
Paul L. Merwin '53, works as a consultant for Matson
Navigation Company in San Francisco, is on the
Mainland Contributions Committee of the Alexander
& Baldwin Foundation, which makes charitable con-
tributions to selected organizations and provides
matching gifts to educational institutions.
Joe D. McMurry '54, retired after 44 years in retail.
He most recently worked at Proffitt's in Maryville.
Sarah Pledger Fechter '55, is completing her second
year as president and director of eastern area Christian
Ministries, an interdenominational food and clothing
ministry in the eastern section of Birmingham, AL.
Her husband also volunteers at the Mission House.
Walter F. Hiller '55, went on a one-week medical
missionary trip to Guatemala in May 2002, with his
brother-in-law, who is president of Faith-in-Practice.
As a photo journalist, Hiller took over 250 pictures
and is producing a CD for members of the team.
Charles L. Cureton '56, and his wife, Mary Pakosh
Cureton, '59, retired in 2001 and moved to Wooster,
OH, where their daughter and grandchildren live. He
is serving as parish associate in their church. Mary is
caring for the pre-school grandchildren.
James W Hedden '56, received the American Medical
Associations Physician's Recognition Award in Continuing
Medical Education. He has been in private practice at
Lakeside Medical Center in Chattanooga since 1961.
Marcia Williams Kling '56, officially semi-retired from
NewsChannel 9 in Chattanooga. She will continue to
co-anchor a daily 30-minute show, "NewsChannel 9
for Women." She will also anchor a twice-monthly
program for the Alzheimer's Association.
Joyce Runyon '57, is retired and lives in Townsend, TN.
L. G. Hutchens '59, taught history at Heritage High
School in Blount County until 1984. He then became
Minister to the Homebound at Broadway Baptist
Church in Maryville, retiring from that position in
May 2002.
Armen A. Saginian '59, directs four organizations, has
written and published two books, published the
Encyclopedia of Iranian Music, and has ten other books
which he hopes to have published in 2002.
Judith Perov Ball '60, spent eight months in Sitka,
Alaska, volunteering at Sheldon Jackson College and
met Alice Junkin Landolt, '68 and Rebekab
McCredie Mellinger, 79 while there. Judith notes that
"wonderful Maryville people are everywhere!"
Bill Crisp '61, was recognized for excellence in public
administration bv the East Tennessee Chapter of the
American Society for Public Administration. He is Blount
Counrv Executive and was named "Public Administrator
of the Year" for his lifetime service and achievements.
Eugene C. Fieg, Jr. '61, had a book published in 1988
on periodicals in the field of religion. He is a member
of Society of Biblical Literature, North American
Patristic Society and American Theological Library
Association. He is Cataloging Librarian at Claremonr
School of Theology in California.
Linwood Snider '61, and Jane Planitzer Snider, '60,
are now retired and "loving it." Jane had heart surgery
in August 2001. They still live in Walkersville, MD.
Emma Hofmann Weyer '61, enjoys retirement. She
spent a month this summer sailing and diving in the
Bahamas. She then spent a week diving in the Keys
with her grandson, a certified diver.
Philip R. Collmer '62, retired from the Air Force and,
for the last four years, has been a program manager
with the Division of Child Support for the State of
Washington. He implemented the Financial Institution
Data Match Program, designed to unearth, in finan-
cial institutions, the hidden assets of deadbeat parents.
He plans to retire at the end of this year.
18
FOCUS
CLASS NOTES
Grace Rosser Bonney '63, and her husband retired to
Ocean View, DE, where "taxes are lower and life is
slower." They enjoy painting and photography along
the ocean.
Ann Kuykendall Gillespie '63, retired from the Gwinnett
County Public School System in GA in June 2002.
Connie Moore Myers '63, went on a mission trip to
Malawi, Africa. She worked with World Relief staff in
the village of Katimbira, attending AIDS patients,
building a youth center, holding youth outreach
events, and holding crafts and song activities for 100
children orphaned because of HIV/ AIDS.
Mary Gleason Boone '64, now has a granddaughter,
Mary Louise Boone-Abraham, born Feb. 15, 1999.
Keen Compher '64, recently retired from the faculty
of Westminster College in New Wilmington, PA. He
was Professor of Biology at the college.
Arthur J. Herron '64, was promoted to editor-in-
ehief for all collegiate resources produced by Life Way
Christian Resources, located in Nashville, TN. He
recently spent two weeks in mainland China visiting
colleges and universities as a pan of his work.
John Steele '65, is on the faculty of Joint Masters of
Social Work Program at NC A&T State University
and University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
Ben F. Carney '66, is an associate professor at Bronx
Community College, C.U.N.Y.
David J. Ellison '66, and his wife, Janice, have two
married daughters, one grandchild, and one on the
way. After living all over the US, including Hawaii,
they are back in Pennsylvania. David is national sales
manager for 3M Company.
Joyce Pigge '67, volunteered at the US Women's
Open Golf Championship in Hutchinson, KS.
Linda Giesselmann Driver '68, is Tourism and
Convention Manager with the Valdez Convention
and Visitors Bureau in Alaska.
Jenny Jett Erwin '68, was named one of 14 Women
of Achievement by the Women's Fund Silicon Valley.
She is regional director, U. S. Department ot Labor,
Women's Bureau in San Francisco.
David A. Taylor '68, writes that his older son is
attending Wake Forest University School of Law. His
younger son is the lacrosse goalie at Salisbury University.
Carol Cocke Todd '68, widowed, lives in Salem, SC.
David N. Crawford '69, is now personnel director for
the city of Gallatin, TN.
Myrna Tener Bush 72, works for the Bristol Virginia
School system, working with autistic children.
Ed Bush, 72, is the chief innovation officer for
MEDex Regional Laboratories with corporate offices
in Kingsport, TN.
Frank Hall 73, and two friends sailed a 37' catama-
ran up the East Coast from Ft. Pierce, FL to New
Haven, CT in June 2002. The trip took eight days.
Frank enjoyed his 52nd birthday sailing around the
infamous Cape Hatteras on the North Carolina coast.
Kay Hurlbut Alston 74, has moved to Wichita, KS,
where she is principal of a K-8 school.
Kathy Royal Wassum 75, sang in the chorus of the
Otlando Opera Company for the past two seasons.
She teaches music at Lakemont Elementary School in
Winter Park, FL, singing with OOC, and caring for
her 87-year-old grandmother and two teenage children.
Susan Coram Hind 76, and her husband own and
operate Richmont Inn in Townsend, TN. She raises
and shows West Highland White Terriers. In 2002, her
first show Westie won the Best Opposite Sex in the
National Sweepstakes. She currently owns five Westies.
Penny Putnam 76, is the director of the child devel-
opment center at Peachtree Presbyterian Church in
Atlanta.
Charles R. Watterson 76, is now starting a scientific
software consulting business specializing in Lab Ware
College Says Goodbye to Former Employees
Lynn Ann Best '36, MC's librarian from
1961 until 1975, died May 30 from injuries
sustained in a two-vehicle wreck. She was 87.
Best married fellow MC graduate Edwin J.
Best in 1938. Together they promoted the
Blount County Friends of the Library associa-
tion to help raise funds for Maryville's library.
Best was an avid reader and world traveler.
She was active in the Presbyterian Women
of the Church and was an elder at New
Providence Presbyterian Church.
Best is survived by her sister, Mary Gladys
Brown Pieper '36, son Edwin J. Best, Jr. '68,
daughter-in-law Caroline Munn Best '72, and
three grandchildren: Sarah Best Campbell
'99, Katherine Best '01 and John Best.
Affectionately called "Miss Cleo" by scores
MC students, Cleotha Fluckers passed away
April 23 at the age of 81.
Fluckers worked alongside Nurse Thelma
Hall for many years in the College's
Infirmary. At the 15th class reunion for the
Class of 1973, she was the "Guest of Honor."
She is survived by one niece, one nephew,
several great-nieces and great-nephews and
friends.
Annabelle Libby '52, director of transfer
admissions at MC from 1980 until 1995,
died May 5 at her home. Born and raised in
Lisbon, Ohio, Libby received her master's
degree from Kent State University and
worked as a teacher and children's librarian in
Ohio prior to moving to Maryville in 1980.
She was also a member of the Alumni Board.
In addition to her administrative responsi-
bilities, Libby was also a member of the
Executive Board of the Maryville College
Alumni Association and served as president of
the College's Blount County Alumni Chapter.
Libby was an elder at New Providence
Presbyterian Church, where she also was an
active Chancel Choir member. She also is well
known for her involvement in the Maryville
College Community Chorus and Knoxville's
Sweet Adelines choir.
Libby is survived by a brother and sister-in-
law, Earl and Lesley Libby, and their children.
A memorial fund has been set up at the
College in Libby's name.
William "BUI" Mooney '40, director of
development at Maryville College from 1974
until 1979, passed away April 29.
Prior to his tenure in development,
Mooney received a degree from Princeton
Seminary and served three pastorates in
Pennsylvania over 23 years. He was a three-
year staff member of the Christian Education
Board and was involved in the Major Mission
Fund of the United Presbyterian Church.
Mooney is survived by his wife, Dorothea
Mooney, and children, Patricia Mooney,
Margaret Mooney Marini and William
Mooney Jr.; their spouses and one grandson.
Memorial gifts may be made to the
William H. Mooney Scholarship Fund at the
College.
FOCUS Fall 2002
19
CLASS NOTES
LIMS configurations, implementations, administra-
tion and training. Married since 1981, he lives with
his family in Churchville, PA.
Dave Cairick 77, and his family live in Mauldin, SC.
He is a tennis professional and teaches tennis at Pro
Source Tennis Management Co. in Greenville, SC.
Bekah McCredie Mellinger 79, is recording clerk for
the Stated Clerk and Presbytery of Donegal, Synod or
the Trinity in Lancaster, PA. She is also employed part
time as East Prospect Borough municipal secretary.
David Vigh 79, is an environmental team leader,
Mississippi Valley Division, Planning and Program
Management Division with the Army Corps ol Engineers.
Ruth M. Allen-Demery '80, was promoted to the
rank of Commander in the US Naval Reserves. She
has also been accepted to the North Carolina Central
University School or Law where she is a first-year stu-
dent. She and her family live in Raleigh, NC.
Melinda Shannon Freels '80, is recovering from
Cushing's Disease at home in Marietta, GA, after suc-
cessful brain surgery at Emory University Hospital. She
expects to return to her job as manager of Bellsouth
Corporate Staffing. Her husband and daughter have
been keeping her company during her recuperation.
Pete Gardzina '80, has received a second master's
degtee from Air University in Military Operations
and Science. He is a Commander in the U. S. Air Force.
Denise "Blinky" Hinds '80, has a master's degree in
Social Work from Hunter College and is presently the
assistant executive director of Good Shepherd Services,
one of the largest social services agencies in New York
City, providing services to troubled adolescents and
their families.
Allen B. Evitts '81, and his wife, Karen Lee Thomas,
are currently artists in residence for George Perimeter
College, Dunwoody Campus, working with GPC
Playcrafters. Allen direcred a production of Margaret
Edson's "Wit," featuring Karen. Ms. Edson attended
the opening night performance. Allen and Karen will
be featured this fall in "Much Ado About Nothing."
Ruth Wilgus Gehring '82, teaches part time at St.
Paul's Nursery School in Richmond, IN. This summer
she spent time preparing art pieces for an exhibit.
Elizabeth Sieber-Ford '83, is the director of
"Facilitated Enrollment" for Unity Health Systems in
Rochester, NY. The objective of the program will be
to identify children and families who do not have
health insurance and ro screen and regisrer them, if
eligible, for federal and state programs.
Melissa Walker '85, was promored to associate
professor of history at Converse College. She recently
received the O'Herron Award for Facultv Excellence.
which recognizes outstanding teaching, involvement
with students outside the classroom, and excellence in
scholarship research. (See story, page 10)
Margaret Callaway Ramsey '87, works part-time as a
college counselor at Blue Ridge School in Virginia.
She also volunteers in her children's school. Bill
Ramsey, '89, is Dean of Students and basketball coach
at Blue Ridge School and was named Virginia
Independent School Coach of the Year in 2000. His
team won the state title in 2000 and 2001 .
DeAnn Hargis Kaminski '88, is still with Lucent
Technologies, but in a new position. The family has
moved back to Atlanta where they look forward to
reconnecting with MC friends in the area.
Darrell L. Franklin '89, and his family live in Griffith,
IN, where he is pastor of Griffith Church of God.
Heidi R. Hoffecker '89, joined the law firm of Baker,
Donelson, Bearman & Caldwell in Chattanooga as an
associate. She concentrates her practice in the area of
litigation. She received her J. D. from the UT College
of Law in 1996.
Julio Pesiri '89, has been working in Venezuela's sec-
ond largest bank since graduation from MC. He is
now assistant to the CEO in International Affairs at
Banco Mercantil in Caracas. He also coaches the soc-
cer team of the Faculrv of Architecture of Central
Rosalind Garges Watlington '46, Now Rosalind Watlington, O.B.E.
Believed to be the only graduate of
Maryville College so honored, Rosalind
Garges Watlington '46 of Pembroke,
Bermuda, has been appointed to the Order of
the British Empire by Her Majesty the Queen.
Announced June 14 in The London Gazette
as part of "Her Majesty's Birthday Honours
List," the tribute cites Watlington "for servic-
es to music" in Bermuda, where she has lived
since 1950.
She is a founding member of the Bermuda
Philharmonic Society Orchestra, in which
she has played since 1959, and she has taught
violin and viola for decades in the British
colony. Her major at MC was French, but
she credits several legendary teachers of music
with helping to develop and nurture her pas-
sionate interest and involvement in music.
Young Rosalind Garges hailed from Glen
Ridge, N.J., and had taken only one year of
violin lessons before starting at MC, where
she studied violin four years with Dr.
Dorothy Horn. She also took
music theory from Dr. Horn
and music appreciation from
Dr. Katharine Davies. She
studied piano and played in the
College orchestra, which she
describes as "an important
part" of her musical growth.
After graduating, Watlington
and classmate Louise Corbett
Fulgham '46 worked for Eastman Kodak Co.
in Rochester, NY, where she furthered her
music education at the Eastman School of
Music. She also spent 17 summers at the
Vermont Music and Arts Center, studying
violin with Director Samuel Flor.
"In 1976, 1 was asked by Bermuda
Governor Sir Edwin Leather to be a trustee of
the Menuhin Foundation, which employs six
music teachers from England," Watlington
reported. "They play in the Bermuda
Philharmonic and other orchestras, and in
chamber groups, and they teach
in most all primary schools."
A highlight of her service to
music in Bermuda was helping
host Maestro Yehudi Menuhin
on the 20th anniversary of the
Foundation; he conducted a
Bermuda Festival Gala Concert.
"I was asked to play in this
very select orchestra with all
current and former Menuhin Foundation
string teachers and other professional
woodwind and brass players," she shared.
Drs. Horn and Davies would be proud.
Watlington's O.B.E. designation means
according to The London Gazette that she is an
"Ordinary Officer of the Civil Division of
the said Most Excellent Order" of the British
Empire. Her investiture in London had not
been scheduled at press time. Rumor has it
that some of her Class of '46 friends will be
in England to attend the festivities.
20
FOCUS
CLASS NOTES
University of Venezuela. He hopes to hear from MC
friends at virgpes@yahoo.com.
Wendi Jo Medlin Uselton '89, was named director of
the Winston-Salem location of Pediatric Services of
America. The company provides in-home nursing care
to critically ill children.
Kirk Andrews '91, joined in a law partnership with
Martha Meares in Maryville and will practice domes-
tic law in civil court. She was previously assistant dis-
trict attorney in Blount County.
Jay Malone '91, is beginning his 1 1th year of teach-
ing at Maryville Middle School, where he is also head
football and assistant track coach. He is the faculty
sponsor of FCA at the school.
Jesse Robinette '91, was named principal ot Alcoa
High School in Alcoa, TN. He was previously assis-
tant principal at Maryville High School.
Charles Wiggins '92, former defensive coordinator
for MC's football team, is now the head football
coach at Notre Dame High School in Chattanooga.
Alyson Neville Knight '93, will complete a master's
degree in public relations from UT in Dec. 2002. This
summer she completed an internship in the PR Office
at MC under the guidance of Karen Beaty Eldridge, '94.
Eric D. Booth '94, is the Corporate Project Manager
for Cardinal Brands, Inc., manufacturer of office sup-
plies and business and consumer products. His wife,
Angi, is working for the Italy Program Office at the
University of Kansas. They live in Lawrence, KS.
Brian E. Lewis '94, began working for the
Department of Energy in Oak Ridge, TN, after leav-
ing the military in 1999.
Howard Myrick '94, received the Master of Public
Administration degree, with an undergraduate minor
in Japanese, from the University of Memphis. Before
receiving his degree, he was inducted into Phi Kappa
Phi national honor society.
Patricia Rogers Bell '95, writes that her son, Robert
Cross is now in the Navy. Daughter, Lisa Cross is
looking forward to becoming an MC student in 2003.
Youngest child, Nathan Bell, was two on May 4, 2002.
Sarah Hull Julien '96, expects to graduate in the
spring of 2003 with a degree in Women's Studies
from Arizona State University. She hopes to attend
ASU Law School in the fall of 2003.
Christen McCammon Khym '96, was presented with
the YMCA Volunteer of the Year award for her work
at Camp Montvale in Blount County, TN. She has
been a volunteer at the camp for three years. Khym is
a broker with NAI Collins, Sharp & Koella in Knoxville.
College Bids Farewell To Sons Of Legends
Stuart Ross Honaker '49, son of legendary
Maryville College coach Lombe Honaker,
passed away April 10 at Blount Memorial
Hospital. Honaker was a former star athlete
at MC and went on to become a fighter pilot
during World War II. A long-time Blount
County sports official, Honaker was retired
from Revco Drug Co.
Honaker was a member of Broadway
United Methodist Church.
Survivors include his daughter and son-in-
law, Elizabeth and Al Ezzell of Chattanooga,
two grandchildren and two step-grandchildren.
Eugene E. "Gene" McCurry '41, son of
Carnegie Hall proctor "Mr. Mac," passed
away June 12 at Blount Memorial Hospital.
McCurry was an accomplished graduate.
After attending MC, he entered the Navy and
later established Parkway Auto Parts in
Knoxville, of which he was proprietor for 35
years. He was former president of Alcoa
Kiwanis, East Tennessee Square Dancing
Association, and the Blount County Chapter
of AARE He was also Associate State Director
of AARP for three years.
McCurry was a member, deacon and elder
of New Providence Presbyterian Church and
past president of Presbyterian Men. He was
known for his stories told to various groups.
McCurry is survived by his daughters,
Karen McCurry, Linda McCurry Rose, Trish
McCurry, Barbara McCurry Morgan and their
spouses; daughter-in-law Penny McCurry
Hickman; and six grandchildren and two
great-grandchildren.
Christopher A. Noe '96, is the state executive director
for Mothets Against Drunk Driving of Georgia. He
invites MC friends to visit him in his Atlanta office
and to email him at cnoe@maddga.com. He recently
married Leslieann Norem.
Kathryn McDonald Devine '97, received an MS degree
in Information Science from UT-Knoxville. She is ref-
erence librarian for the McClung Historical Collection.
Eric Stone '97, received his Master's degree from
Vanderbilt University and works as a geriatric nurse
practitioner for Wellmed Senior Services in Texas.
Leslie Piety Stone, '98, is a Captain in the US Air
Force and is a Women's Health Nurse Practitioner at
Wilford Hall Medical Center at Lackland AFB.
Andrew J. Ballou '98, graduated on May 31, 2002,
from the Iliff School of Theology in Denver, with a
Master ot Theological Studies degree.
Sherrie Brents Dudley '98, received the MS degree in
Elementary Education from UT-Knoxville and teaches
at Corryton Elementary School in Knox County, TN.
Darren A. Shuler '98, spent the summer as an associ-
ate with the law firm of King & Spalding in Atlanta.
He is a student at the UT College of Law.
Staci Kerr Stalcup '98, received the MD degree from
Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of
Medicine. She is now in a family practice residency at
the UT Medical Center at Knoxville.
I eland C. Blackwood, III '99, works at Blessed
Trinity Catholic High School in Atlanta.
Carleton "Put" Ketcham '99, graduated from the
University ot Alabama School of Law with honors.
Angela Hicks McGreal '99, received the Master of
Science in Safety from UT-Knoxville in May 2002.
She is Safety Specialist for Modine Manufacturing
Company, Automotive Division in Clinton, TN.
Greg Muldrew '99, graduated from the University of
Cincinnati with an MBA degree on June 7, 2002.
Trey Murphy '99, is a graduate student at UT-
Knoxville working toward an MS in Public Relations.
Rachel Roe '99, completed her first year of graduate
studies in applied math at Rensselaer Polytechnic
Institute in Troy, NY.
Joel S. Shields '99, received a Master's degree in
Classical Guitar Performance from the University of
South Carolina and is researching graduate schools to
begin work on a DMA. Currently, he is the director
of technological services for the USC Music Library
and teaches at Musician's Depot in Columbia, SC.
Scotry Stewart '99, is a member of the Tennessee
ThunderCats semi-pro football team.
Nathan Anderson '00 is in his final year of law school.
Sarah Overholt Brewer '00, received her masters'
degree in Education Administration and Supervision
from Lincoln Memorial University.
David Conner '00, was promoted to branch manager
FOCUS
21
CLASS NOTES
Corella Bonner Dies
Corella Allen Bonner, philanthropist and
co-founder and chairperson of The Corella
and Bertram F. Bonner Foundation of
Princeton, N.J., passed away July 21 from
complications arising from a stroke. She
was 93.
A memorial service of thanksgiving was
held Sept. 9 at the Princeton University
Chapel.
Although never an MC student, nor an
employee at MC, her contributions to the
College through the Bonner Scholars
Program earned her celebrity status.
Supporting more than 1,500 students in
24 colleges and universities across the coun-
try, the Bonner Scholars Program has
become a national model for service-based
scholarships throughout the nation and rep-
resents one of the largest private scholarship
programs in the country. The program wel-
comed MC into its ranks in 1991. In 2000,
the College recognized Mrs. Bonner with
an honorary degree.
She spent the last several years traveling
the country, meeting and greeting her
Bonner Scholars. She encouraged her schol-
ars to progress from the "feel-good" stage of
volunteerism to a deeper understanding and
awareness of today's social problems.
"While all of us knew this day could not
be far away, those who knew and saw her
were continually amazed at her health, her
gripping handshake, and her unending
energy and commitment," said Wayne
Meisel, president of the Bonner Foundation.
"I never met anyone who had the uncanny
ability to make everyone she met feel like
they were important, not only to her but to
the world ... if ever there was a person who
established a living legacy of her life, it was
Mrs. Bonner."
of the Hunter's Crossing branch of The Home Bank
in Blount County, TN.
Smith Jean-Phillippe 00, is ,1 member of the 2001
Tennessee ThunderCats football team.
Elizabeth Moore '00 teaches in Alcoa
Maxim Williams 00, lives in San Diego, CA, where
he is enrolled in a 4-5 year graduate Ph.D. program in
Consulting Psychology. He spent 2001 as an Americorps
VISTA worker with the Maryville Housing Authority.
Katrina Atchley '01, attends Syracuse University
College of Law in New York.
Vicki Ayers '01, attends Texas Tech in Lubbock, TX,
where she is pursuing a Master's in Theatre.
Carol Bailey 01, had one of her college essays pub-
lished by Bedford St. Martin's Publishing Company on
the companion website for the college textbook "Ways
of Reading: An Anthology for Writers," 6th edition. She
is choral director at Fulton High School in Knoxville.
Jason Banlett 01, is a claims case manager with Liberty
Mutual Insurance Company. He handles workers
compensation claims and is currently pursuing an AIC
insurance designation.
Betsey Lynn Perry 01, teaches four-year-olds in the
Child Development Center at First Ptesbyterian
Church in Asheville, NC.
Stanley A. Sisk '01, is a graduate student at the UT-
Memphis College of Dentistry.
Joseph A. Weeks '02, is pursuing a Master's in
Computer Science at George Washington University.
His current research is in distribured systems and
dynamic wireless networks.
IN MEMORIAM
Almira Alexander Beagle '30, on June 12, 2002. She
had been in the advanced stages of Alzheimer's. She
was preceded in death by her husband and a daughter.
Survivors include sons, Walter Kelly Beagle, '65;
Mark Alexander Beagle; and daughtet, Connie Beagle
Fulton, '63.
Imogene Crowley Stokes '30, on June 22, 2002, in
Tampa, FL.
Jane Duke Cotton '32, on May 24, 2002, in New
Paltz, NY, of advanced Patkinson's disease. Survivors
include a daughtet and five sons and their families.
Juanita Law Bassel '34, on July 17, 2002, at her
home in Springfield, TN. Survivors include her son
and his family, and two sistets, one of whom is
Margaret Law Burns, '37.
Mary KatFiryn Rink King '34, on Jan. 31, 2002, in
LaFayette, GA. Survivors include a sister, Julia M.
Rink, '34; and a grandson, David C. King, '93.
Maty Lou Young Preston '34, on Mar. 29, 2002,
after a brief illness. She lived in Tucker, GA. Survivors
include her son, James Y. Preston, who notified the
College of her death.
Lila Carringer Kent '36, on Apt. 15, 2002, at her
home in Delaware Township, NJ. Survivors include
her husband, Dr. George C. Kent, '37.
William C. Nelson '36, on Apr. 17, 2002, in Clearwater
FL. Survivors include his wife and daughter.
William S. Quigley '36, on Apr. 10, 2002, in St.
Petersburg, FL. MC was notified of his death by his son.
Ivan C. Blake '41, on May 25, 2002, in Knoxville.
Survivors include a daughter, a son and their families.
Rollo W. King '41, on Apr. 21, 2002, in Maryville.
Survivors include his wife and two sons.
Lilian Nelle Moore Nichols '42, on Apr. 30, 2002, in
Nashville, following an extended illness. Survivors
include her four children and their families.
Evelyn Ogle Williams '42, on Oct. 1, 2001, in
Duncanville, TX. Sutvivors include her husband and
four sons.
William Bradford Chappell '44, on June 25, 2002, in
Raleigh, NC. Survivors include his wife of 64 years, a
daughter and two sons and their families.
Jean Frances Smith '46, on July 20, 2002, from ovari-
an cancer. She is survived by her husband, Dr. E. B.
Smith, '40; five children, ten grandchildren and two
great grandchildren.
Rev. William L. Claghorn '50, on Apr. 4, 2002, in
New Jersey. Survivors include his tour children and
their families and a nephew, Kenneth R. Hitchens, '67.
Bob Berrong '56, on July 12, 2002, in Maryville.
Survivors include his wife; a daughter and het family;
and brothers. Bunny Berrong; King Berrong, '51; and
Leon Berrong, '50.
Margallen Hanna Fichter '56, on May 17, 2002, in
Albany, NY, of complications from surgery. Survivors
include her husband, a son and daughter and their
families.
Donald Thiel '56, on May 7, 2002, in Ewing, NJ.
Survivors include two daughtets.
Joel Edward Reeves '57, on June 29, 2002, at his
home in Rockford, TN. Survivors include his wife,
Nancy Barton Reeves, '57; two children and their
families, and several sisters and brothets.
Nancy Buckwalter McGruther '65, on Feb. 6, 2002,
in Caldwell, NJ. Sumvors include three children and
2?
FOCUS Foil 2002
CLASS NOTES
her husband, Dr. Robert R. McGruther, '64, who is
pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Caldwell.
Walter V. Saz 70, in February, 2000. Survivors
include his wife, Peggy Davis Saz, '68, and son, Davis.
Paul Afton Johnson, Jr. 73, on July 16, 2002, at his
home in Maryville. Survivors include his mother, sev-
eral aunts and uncles.
Lynn Earnheart Herron 75, on Apr. 11, 2002. MC
was notified of her death by her sister-in-law.
MARRIAGES
Scott Lee Porter '93, to Ashley Webb, June 21, 2002.
Christine Smith '93, to James Timothy Meehan,
May 18,2002.
Lee Fersner '94, to Capt. Bradley Harms, Feb. 17, 2002.
Laura Kay Obuch '94, to Ronald Thomas, Aug. 26, 2001 .
Justin Keith Phillips '94, to Ellen Adele Marshall,
May 11, 2002.
Jeremy D. Burgess '97, to Kelly Gee, Apr. 20, 2002.
David A. Downs '97, to Sabrina Anne Huddleston,
Aug. 30, 2001.
Steven L. Huskins '97, to Laura L. Trentham, Oct.
13,2001.
Kathryn McDonald '97, to Warren Devine, Mar. 10,
2001.
Matthew Donald Webb '97, to Natosha Danielle
Joyner,'02,June8,2002.
Kellie Boyatt '98, to Michael Kamer, Apr. 27, 2002.
Meghan Alicia Casey '98, to Howard Kenneth
Cobble, III, '98, June 8, 2002.
Paul G. Gibson '99, to Amanda E.
Smeltzer, '00, June 1,2002.
Greg Muldrew '99, to Meg Crowe,
July 13,2002.
Wanda Leann Evans '00, to Stevie
DyronWebb, '00, June 22, 2002.
Brooke Ledbetter '00, to Brian Nix,
Apr. 28,2001.
Adriel McCord '00, to Nichole
Johnson, '02, June 8, 2002.
Glen Cullop '96 and wife
Maura welcomed Lillian
Marie "Lily" into their home
on April 11. The family lives
in Chandler, AZ.
Paige Christine Morefield '00, to Bowman Lee
"Pete" Wright, May 11, 2002.
Wade Ian Obermeyer '00, to Rhonda Kaye Thames,
'02, Dec. 29, 2001.
Rusty Walker '00, to Beth Wheaton, May 18, 2002.
Angela Suzann Buckner '01, to Allan Richard King,
Mar. 30, 2002.
Erika Leigh Gheen '01, to William Bradley Harris,
Apr. 20, 2002.
Kristi J. Kell '01, to John Michael Falco, '00, May
26, 2002.
Amanda Michelle Milligan '01, to Michael Reece
Thomas, Oct. 28, 2001.
BIRTHS
Dave Carrick 77, and his wife, Amy, a daughter,
Megan Culzean, Mar. 5, 2002.
DeAnn Hargis Kaminski '88, and her husband, Mark,
a son, Bradley, Sept. 29, 2001, their second child.
Darrell L. Franklin '89, and Denise Wilson Franklin,
'89, a daughter, Alyssa Michelle, Apr. 6, 2001, their
second child.
Rae Ann Hickman McCurry '90, and her
husband, David, a son, Joseph Patrick,
Aug. 6, 2000, their third child.
Jay Malone '91, and his wife, Becky, a
son, Cameron, June 6, 1997; a daughter,
Caroline, Aug. 26, 2001.
Jennifer Conn Godsey '92, and her hus-
band, Charles, a son, William Conner,
Mar. 26, 2002, their first child.
Libby Sullivan Hurst '95, and her hus-
band, Russ, a son, Blake Russell, Mar.
8, 2001, their first child.
Beth Hucke Ralston '95, and her hus-
band, Dan, a daughter, Brianna Elise,
Jan. 31,2002, their first child.
Beth Smith Thompson '95, and her
husband, Christopher, a son, Nathan,
Mar. 14, 2002.
Glen Cullop '96, and his wife, Maura, a
daughter, Lillian "Lily" Marie, Apr. 11,
Adriel McCord '00 and Nichole Johnson '02 were married June 8
in Sweetwater, TN. Several MC friends and professors attended
the ceremony and reception. Adriel is now an account executive
at SunTrust Bank in Maryville; Nichole teaches and coaches the
cheei leading squad at Maryville Middle School.
Paula Will Eriksson '93, and her husband,
Dan, a son, Will Christopher, Dec. 28,
2001, their first child.
Doug Hof '93, and his wife, Pinki, a son,
Ethan Patel, Jan. 22, 2002, their first
child.
2002.
David Forster '96, and Kelly Sanson Forster, '96, a
daughter, Jenna Nicole, Feb. 2, 2002.
Megan McWhorter Jones '96, and her husband, Joey,
a daughter, Annabelle Grace, July 18, 2002.
David A. Downs '97, and his wife, Sabrina, a daugh-
ter, Margaret Tierra, Mar. 10, 2002.
Bethany Hodson Pope '98, and her husband, Rick, a
son, Connor Douglas, Feb. 22, 2002.
Mariana T. Boero '99, and her husband, Olivier P.
Diss, a daughter, Maria Esperanza, Apr. 10, 2002,
their second child.
Kristie Parker Stitt '99, and her husband, Dwight, a
son, Matthew Larry, Feb. 27, 2001, their first child.
Lori Wilson Watson '00, a son, Braden Drew, Jan.
14, 2002.
We wont to hear from yoo! If you hove recently married,
celebrated o birth, oi reached another milestone in your
life send us o photograph that captures the moment! You
can moil a quality color photo to us. This photo will be
kept on file, but will not be moiled back to you. You moy
also e-mail digital photos to us. These must be 300 dpi,
color images - JPEG or EPS format preferred. Whether you
mail or e-mail photos to us, please be sure to include
identification of folks in the imoge and a brief description
of the occasion. Due to limited space, the editorial staff
may not be able to include oil submissions. So get out
your comera...ond send in those pictures!
Mail photos to: Alumni Office, Maryville College,
502 E. Lamar Alexander Parkway, Maryville, TN 37804
E-mail photos to: karen.eldridge@maryvilletollege.edu
FOCUS Fall 2002
23
ALUMNI NEWS
Alumni Association
Commends New
Strategic Plan
Editor's Note: The following letter was written to
Dr. Gerald W. Gibson on July 31, 2002.
Dear Dr. Gibson,
During the spring meeting of the Alumni
Association's Executive Board, an overview
of the MC Window of Opportunity Plan
was presented with a discussion of the
implementation actions that will be
undertaken which will take Maryville College
on to greatness as one of the nation's premier
colleges. The vision and objectives captured in
the MC Window of Opportunity Plan reflect
the heritage of the College but outlines an
ambitious and focused path forward for the
next five years.
The Executive Board of the Alumni
Association commends the efforts of all who
have been involved in the 24-month planning
process. The final product reflects the
commitment and hard work of the total
Maryville College community - the
administrators, faculty and staff members;
students; friends and alumni of the College.
The next five years promise to be an exciting
time for the College.
The Executive Board of the Alumni
Association is committed to being an active
participant and partner with the College in
the execution of the MC Window of
Opportunity Plan. The MC Window of
Opportunity Plan will provide the blueprint
for the actions, business and goals of the
Executive Board. Any input of the specific
support that the Executive Board can provide
to the College in the implementation phase
would be welcome.
Sincerely,
SxxL (h.^*
|ud(iH M. Penry, President
Alumni Association Executive Board
Executive Board of Alumni Association
Welcomes New Nominees
Five alumni have recently been nominated to serve on
the Executive Board of the Maryville College Alumni
Association (MCAA). The candidates' formal election will
take place during the Alumni Banquet and annual meeting
of the MCAA scheduled for Oct. 19. Those alumni
nominated for a three-year term include:
Carl L. Lindsay, Jr. '50
Lindsay followed his MC studies with an LLB degree
from Rutgers University. He is currently a self-employed
attorney in New Hope, Pa. Lindsay was married to the late
Helen Kinnamon Lindsay and has three children: Christine
Farley, Anne Thornton and Carl Lindsay III.
Sara Mason Miller '66
Miller continued her education at Mississippi College
(earning a master's degree), and at the University of
Mississippi (earning a doctorate). Miller is a professor of
English at Northern Virginia Community College in
Woodbridge, Va. She also currently serves on the Board of
the Bethany House of Northern Virginia. Miller is married
to Dennis Miller '63. They have two children, Joey and
Emily.
Kathleen Mayurnik Nenninger 73
Nenninger followed her MC education at Northwestern
University's Kellogg School, attending its executive business
program. She is a senior account manager at Dow Chemical
Company in Matthews, N.C. Nenninger is married to Glenn
Nenninger and is active in the Symphony Guild of Charlotte.
Kenneth D. Tuck '54
Tuck continued his education at the University of
Virginia School of Medicine. He practices at the Visitar Eye
Center in Roanoke, Va., where he is a partner. Tuck is currently
a member of the Roanoke Academy of Medicine Board of
Directors and was formerly the Board president of the
Virginia Society of Ophthalmology. He is married to Sara
Huff Tuck and has three daughters: Kathryn Coats, Mary
Simon and Caroline Nold.
Aundra Ware Spencer '89
Spencer (photo not available) is an adoption specialist
at the Youth and Family Services of Charlotte, N.C. She is
currently a member of the Mecklenburg County Aquatics
Advisory Board and Mecklenburg County Adoptions
Committee and is an active scuba diver. Spencer is married
to Welton Spencer and has two young children, Jordan and
Matthew.
24
FOCUS
ALUMNI OFFICE
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DIRECTOR OF PLANNED GIVING
MARYVILLE COLLEGE
502 E. LAMAR ALEXANDER PKY.
MARYVILLE, TN 37804-5907
What's Going On In Your Life?
A new job, a new home, a wedding or birth of a child? Please take a few minutes to let us know about the latest developments in your
life by filling out this card for the Class Notes section of FOCUS.
Name Class
Address
Home Phone ( ) Office Phone { )
Job Title . Company
Marital Status . Spouse's Name .
Class Notes News:
Do You Know A Prospective Maryville Student?
Alumni and friends play an important role in our recruiting efforts by giving us the name of prospective students. Our success in
recruiting record freshmen classes is due in part to your help. Please take the time to complete this card and drop it in the mail. We
look forward to another successful recruiting year, thanks to your input.
Student Information
Mr. or Ms
Student's Address.
Student's High School . Student's Date of Graduation
Your Name .
Your Address
Send Me Information on the Society of 1819!
Declining interest rates make this the perfect time to consider a
Maryville College gift annuity contract. Our gift annuity rates Nome
increase with your age! The tax advantages are excellent and your
income is guaranteed for life. Just drop this card in the mail and tt,
we will send you information today.
J Yes! Please send me your new booklet, The Charitable Gift Annuity. CitY s,a,e Z'P
□ Please send me a Personal Affairs Record booklet. -—. r,—
•" Business Phone
J I am considering a provision in my will for Maryville College.
Home Phone
J Please send me information about the Society of 1819.
J I have provided in my estate plan for your future assistance. E-moil
A
Because of one sister's loving gift, current and future
generations of Maryville College students will benefit.
And the memory of a very special sister will live on.
In May, the College lost an outstanding friend when
Lynn Ann Brown Best '36, retired Maryville College
librarian, was suddenly killed in a traffic accident.
Although long retired at the time of her death, Lynn Ann
was still very much an involved member of the College
community. Always present whenever there was a need for
an informed and loyal supporter or an energetic and thor-
ough volunteer, Lynn Ann actively applied her organiza-
tion skills to College initiatives - initiatives that ranged
from the College archives to Kin Takahashi Week.
The story of Lynn Ann Best is far from complete
without mentioning her very special relationship with her
sister, Mary Gladys Brown Pieper '36. The sisters came to
the College from upper East Tennessee, graduated together
and eventually retired close to one another in Maryville.
When one was seen on campus, the other was usually
seen, too. As quiet, competent and discreet volunteers,
eager to serve and willing to be unsung heroes in whatever
role they were cast, the sisters quickly endeared themselves
to College administrators, faculty, staff and students.
Recently, Mary Gladys called on Maryville College
Director of Gift Planning Diane Montgomery to discuss
her desire to commemorate her sister's life. She told Diane
she wanted to memorialize permanently Lynn Ann and
her brother-in-law, MC alumnus and Board member
Edwin J. Best.
At the time of her decision, Mary Gladys had in
place with the College a substantial gift annuity that paid
her quarterly income. To permanently honor her sister and
brother-in-law, Mary Gladys chose to donate her remain-
ing interest in the annuity to establish the Lynn Ann and
Edwin Best Memorial Fund.
The Fund will provide a perpetual endowment for
the maintenance and upkeep of Thaw Hall, which
houses the College Library. The love shared by the
sisters will ensure that generations of students will enjoy
a comfortable and attractive place to enhance their
educational experience, and the memory of a special
couple will live on.
If you are interested in establishing an endowed fund
to memorialize a loved one, please contact the Director of
Planned Giving, Diane Montgomery, at 865.981.8191 or
diane.montgomery@maryvillecollege.edu.
Maryville
«Sfc
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