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OLUME  ONE  HUNDRED  F 


SUMMER  2003 


A  PUBLICATION 
FOR  ALUMNI  & 
FRIENDS  OF 
^  a  ryville  COLLEGE 


oWfri  &r  2^c  0  J> 


Blount  County 
Right  Here,  Right  Now 

Growing,  changing,  and  drawing  some  attention 


Appalachian  Lecture  Series 

Celebrating  the  Culture  &  Heritage  of  the 
Southern  Appalachian  Mountains 


AWARD- 

WINNING 

WRITERS 


ROBERT  MORGAN 
Author  of  Gap  Creek 


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Maryville  College 

Tuesday,  September  9 

ROBERT  MORGAN 

Tuesday,  October"] 

SILAS  HOUSE 

Tuesday,  November^ 

MARY  BOZEMAN  HODGES 


SILAS  HOUSE 

Author  of 

A  Parchment  of  Leaves 


MARY 
BOZEMAN 
HODGES 
Author  of 
Tough  Customers 
and  Other  Stories 


Don't  miss  a  great  opportunity  to  hear  and  meet 

these  authors  whose  talents  are  appreciated  and 

recognized  by  millions  of  readers  inside  and 

outside  the  Appalachian  region! 

Three  programs,  all  beginning  at  7  p.m.,  will  be  held  in  the 

Lawson  Auditorium  of  Fayerweather  Hall  on  the 

Maryville  College  campus. 

Cost  is  #30  for  the  Series,  which  includes  three  lectures. 

If  purchased  separately,  tickets  are  #nper  lecture.  Dessert  and 

coffee  will  be  served  in  the  lobby  of  the  auditorium  following 

each  of  the  talks,  and  attendees  will  have  the  opportunity  to 

mingle  with  presenters.  Reservations  are  required,  and  tickets 

can  be  purchased  by  calling  865-.981.816j'.  Proceeds  from  the 

Series  will  go  toward  the  support  and  purchase  of  library 

collections  in  Appalachian  studies. 


$   $   q   q   $   $ 


£s       &, 


*  *  * 


*i  From  the 
College  archives  j* 

Over  the  years,  Maryville  College  has  considered  its  location  to  be  a 
tremendous  asset  in  recruiting  and  retaining  students.  Excerpts  from 
previous  M -Books  and  catalogs  chronicle  the  "pitch." 

^    From  the  Maryville  Handbook,  1913  14: 

■n,,.  Maryville  is  located  in  a  county  that  has  long  been  a  health 

Maryville  resort.  Mountain  ozone,  pure  water,  altitude  1.000  feet, 

campus  of  285  acres.  Gymnasium.  Indoor  and  outdoor  sports. 
Manual  labor. 

Tennessee  has  no  saloons.  Maryville  is  a  cruiet,  law-abiding 
town,  filled  with  church-going  people.  The  College  is  strongly 
Christian,  and  the  discipline  is  careful.  The  Y.M.CA.  andYWCA. 
I    are  very  efficient.  The  Bible  is  a  textbook  for  every  student. 

From  the  Maryville  College  Bulletin 
(forerunner  of  College  catalog) ,  May  1981: 

Maryville,  the  county  seat  of  Blount  County,  Tennessee,  is  a  pleasant  and  thriving 
community,  numbering,  togetherwith  the  twin  corporation  of  Alcoa,  more  than  ten 
thousand  inhabitants.  It  is  widely  known  as  "the  town  of  schools  and  churches." 

. . .  Maryville  is  an  ideal  health  resort  for  students  from  other  States.  The  town 
lies  on  the  hills,  one  thousand  feet  above  sea  level,  and  enjoys  the  life-giving 
breezes  from  the  Chilhowees  and  the  Smokies,  a  few  miles  away.  Young  people 
from  the  North  and  other  sections  are  greatly  benefited  in  health  by  their  resi- 
dence at  Maryville. 

From  the  Maryville  College  Bulletin,  1955-56: 

The  College  is  at  Maryville.  Tennessee,  sixteen  miles  from  Knoxville,  near  one  of 
the  two  main  Tennessee  entrances  to  the  Great  Smoky  Mountains  National  Park. 
Maryville,  its  twin  city  of  Alcoa  which  is  the  site  of  large  aluminum  plants,  and 
their  environs  have  a  population  of  about  twenty- five  thousand. 

. . .  Buses  run  between  Knoxville  and  Maryville  every  half  hour  until  eleven- thirty 
o'clock  at  night  and  from  Chattanooga  and  Atlanta  through  Maryville  at  scheduled 
times.  There  is  train  service  to  Knoxville  over  the  Southern  and  L.  &  N.  Railroads. 
The  American,  Delta,  Capital,  Piedmont,  and  Volunteer  Airlines  have  dailyplanes 
to  the  Knoxville  municipal  airport  four  miles  from  the  Maryville  campus. 

From  the  Maryville  College  Bulletin,  1970-71: 

Maryville  is  an  excitingly  beautiful  place.  It  is  located  15  miles  from  Knoxville  near 
several  mountain  ranges  and  the  Great  Smoky  Mountains  National  Park.  The  sea- 
sons come  and  stay  very  vividly,  then  move  on,  telling  us  again  of  the  necessity  and 
rhythm  of  change.  The  location  of  the  College  in  the  midst  of  such  natural  beauty 
offers  a  special  opportunity  for  study  of  the  environment. 

. . .  You  as  a  student  and  member  of  the  community  will  be  faced  with  the  pressing 
issues  of  contemporary  life.  Hopefully,  Maryville  will  offeryou  a  climate  where 
intelligent,  humanistic  discussion  and  confrontation  with  the  issues  can  occur. 


.     .     .  NEWS   FLASH.     .     . 
S.S.  MARYVILLE  VICTORY  TRACED 


Several  people  responded  to  our  question  about 
the  S.S.  Maryville  posed  in  the  Spring  2003  issue 
of  FOCUS.  Fran  Murphy  '71  pointed  us  to  one 
website,  www.usmm.org/troopships.html,  and 
parent  Robert  Simpson  phoned  in  to  share  a  simi- 
lar website,  www.usmm.org/victoryships.html. 

Charles  Nicholls,  the  College's  instructional  tech- 
nology support  specialist,  dug  deep  and  found  this  website, 
http://www.coltoncompany.com/shipbldg/ussbldrs/wwii/mer- 
chantshipbuilders/califomia.htm,  which  claims  the  ship  went  into  pri- 
vate service  in  1967  but  was  scrapped  in  1971 . 


Nichols'  research  also  found  that  of  the  534  Victory  Ships  launched, 
only  54  are  still  in  existence.  Twenty-one  sank  (three  during  the  war), 
but  of  those  remaining,  the  majority  (48)  are  listed  with  the  National 
Defense  Reserve  Fleet.  Three  are  open  as  museums. 


ON     THE      COVER: 

Several  of  you  offered  ideas  about  who  our  "unidentified"  models 
were  on  the  cover.  More  than  a  couple  of  you  thought  Helen  Anderson 
Kerr  '44  and  John  Kerr  '42  were  the  happy  couple,  but  not  so,  says 

Helen.  She,  along  with  friends 
Bobilee  Knabb  Proffitt  '44, 
Winifred  Sommers  Hein  '45, 
and  Peggy  Caldwell  Smith  '45 
did  a  little  investigative  work  to 
solve  the  mystery.  Melba 
Holder  Kabelka  '46  reported 
that  she  was  sure  her  roommate, 
Jean  Ellis  McCulley  '45x,  was  the 
woman  in  the  photo  while  the 
young  man  was  a  cadet  she  was 
dating  at  that  time.  This  was  con- 
firmed by  one  of  Mrs.  McCulley's 
sons,  who  visited  Willard  House  and 
brought  the  original  photo  with  him. 


A  Publication  for  Alumni  and  Friends  of  Maryville  College 


FOCUSCONTENTS 


MARYVILLE  COLLEGE 

FOCUS  MAGAZINE  2003 

(ISSN  313)  PUBLISHED 

THREE  TIMES  A  YEAR 

502  E.  Lamar  Alexander  Pkwy 

Maryville,  TN  37804-5907 

(865)981-8100 

www.maryvillecollege.edu 

subscription  price  -  none 

Copyright  ©  2003  Maryville  College. 

Contents  may  not  be  reproduced 

in  any  manner,  either  whole  or 

in  part,  without  prior  permission 

of  Maryville  College. 


;.$.'.?.,  nil'  tf*  t  i»V>»  3»t-  f«  L^fi  — 


** ,?  * 


6  Graduation  2003 


Approximately  240  members  make  up  the  newest  -  and  largest  -  graduating  class  or 
Maryville  College.  They've  headed  out  to  make  a  difference  in  the  world;  see  what  the 
immediate  future  holds  for  eight  of  them. 


IDENTITY 
Maryville  College 
is  an  undergraduate, 

liberal  arts,  residential 
community  of  faith  and 
learning  rooted  in  the 
Presbvteria  n/  R  eform  ed 
tradition  serving 
students  of  all  ages 
and  backgrounds. 

MISSION 
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. 


11  Blount  County: 

Right  Here,  Right  Now 

Much  like  the  small  liberal-arts  college  that  occupies 
roughly  350  acres  inside  its  jurisdiction,  Blount  Count)'  is 
growing,  changing  and  on  the  move.  And  also  like  the 
College,  it's  drawing  some  attention.  What  is  Blount 
County  in  2003?  The  answer  depends  on  whom  you  ask, 
but  most  residents  agree:  It's  not  just  alright.  It's  just  right 

HOME  SWEET  COLLEGE  HILL:  The  old 
neighborhood  across  the  street  from  Mary\ille  College 
has  long  been  home  to  several  faculty  and  staff  mem- 
bers. With  historic  zoning,  successful  restorations  and 
an  active  neighborhood  association,  College  Hill  is  still 
"home  sweet  home"  to  many. 


A  MAIN  ATTRACTION:  MC  alumna  Donna  Dixon  '89  and  husband 
Steve  Kaufman  reopened  downtown  Maryville's  Palace  Theatre  back  in 
1999  and  have  once  again  made  it  the  "little  house  with  the  big  shows." 


ABOUT  THE  COVER: 

The  Chilhowee  Mountains  serve 
as  backdrop  to  the  Blount  County 
Courthouse  and  the  Maryville 
College  campus  in  this  recent 
photo  by  Paul  S.  Miller.  Below 
the  courthouse  is  Maryville's 
Greenbelt  Park;  to  the  left, 
Lamar  Alexander  Parkway  (U.S. 
321)  stretches  toward  Walland, 
Townsend  and  the  Great  Smoky 
Mountains  National  Park. 


2  Message  from  the  President 

3  Campus  News 
10  Faculty  News 
22  Class  Notes 


MESSAGE     FROM     THE     PRESIDENT 


. . .  this  College- 
community  relationship 
is  a  two-way  street. 
Over  those  decades  the 
community  has  also 
done  much  for 
Maryville  College. 


Greetings  from  the  Maryville  College  campus'. 

Not  long  ago  The  Daily  Times  here  in  Maryville  ran  a  story 
about  Grace  Proffitt  McArthur  '35  and  her  home  in  the 
College  Hill  section  of  the  city.  The  reporter  notes  in  her  arti- 
cle that  "most  of  the  homes  in  College  Hill  have  some  con- 
nection to  Maryville  College."  When  my  wife  Rachel  and  I 
moved  to  town  a  decade  ago,  we  discovered  that  connection 
right  away. 

We  visited  there  with  such  College  legends  as  Dr.  Carolyn 
Blair,  Dr.  Dorothy  Horn  and  Coach  Boydson  Baird  '41, 
and  such  notable  alumni  as  Dr.  Nathalia  Wright  '33,  Jean 
Campbell  Rokes  '33,  and,  of  course,  Grace. 

In  earlier  times  die  College  Hill  section  was  also  home  to  Regis- 
trar Viola  Lightfoot  '34,  Dean  Jasper  Barnes,  Dean  Frances 
Massey  '34,  Professor  Horace  Orr  '12,  Professor  Elizabeth 
Jackson,  Secretary  of  Student  Help  Clemmie  Henry  and  retired 
President  Samuel  Tyndale  Wilson,  an  alumnus  from  the 
class  of  1878.  And  1 14  Wilson  Avenue,  where  Grace  McArthur 
lives,  was  home  for  manv  years  to  Dr.  and  Mrs.  J.H.  McMur- 
ray.  Dr.  McMurray  taught  political  science  and  sociology  at 
the  College,  and  Mrs.  McMurray,  a  home  economics  instruc- 
tor, founded  and  operated  the  College  Maid  Shop. 

Today,  a  number  of  current  faculty  and  staff  live  along 
College  Hill  streets.  Some  connection  indeed! 


The  Daily  Times  article  quotes  Grace  McArthur  as  saying,  "I  am  very  much  aware  of 
what  Maryville  College  has  done  for  this  community  and  this  neighborhood."  I  also 
saw  ample  evidence  to  support  that  claim  upon  moving  to  Maryville  in  1993.  The 
mayor  of  Maryville  (Stanley  "Skeeter"  Shields  '37),  the  mayor  of  Alcoa  (Don  Mull 
'59),  the  Blount  County  Executive  (Bill  Crisp  '61),  the  Blount  Memorial  Hospital 
Administrator  (Joe  Dawson  '69),  the  Daily  Times  editor  (Dean  Stone  '46),  Director 
of  the  Maryville  Schools  (Mike  Dalton  '66)  and  several  odier  prominent  leaders  were 
MC  alumni.  Maryville  College  has  clearly  produced  many  of  the  community  leaders  for 
Blount  County  over  many  decades,  and  we  take  pride  in  diat  knowledge. 

We  also  acknowledge  widi  appreciation  that  this  College-community  relationship  is  a 
two-way  street.  Over  those  decades  the  community  has  also  done  much  for  Maryville 
College.  We  believe  that  the  quality  of  life  in  Blount  County  is  a  big  plus  in  recruiting 
and  retaining  students.  We  are  profoundly  grateful  to  Blount  County  businesses  and 
citizens  for  the  generous  financial  support  of  the  mission  of  the  College.  We  recognize 
the  benefits  to  reputation  and  in  well-prepared  students  that  come  from  the  outstand- 
ing school  systems  in  the  county. 

Some  colleges  worry  about  their  town-gown  relationship,  but  at  Maryville  College  we 
give  thanks  that  in  2003  we  can  count  this  community  as  a  partner,  and  the  community 
in  turn  can  consider  the  College  as  an  appreciating  asset.  139 


^^YcJ.^^c^ 


PRESIDENT: 

Dr.  Gerald  W.  Gibson 

EDITORIAL   BOARD: 

Mark  E.  Cate 

Vice  President  for 
Advancement  and  Admissions 

Karyn  Adams 

Director  of  Communications 

Karen  Beaty  Eldridge  '94 

Director  of  News  and 
Public  Information 

DESIGN: 

Mary  Workman 

Publications  Manager 

.- 


ALUMNI  ASSOCIATION 
EXECUTIVE  BOARD 


Judy  M.  Penry  73 

Knoxville,  Tennessee 

President 

Rebeccah  Kinnamon  Neff  '62 

Raleigh,  North  Carolina 

Vice  President 

Carol  Callaway-Lane  '92 
Nashville,  Tennessee 
Recording  Secretary 

Tim  Topham  '80 

Maryville,  Tennessee 

Past-President 


CLASS  OF  2003 


Beverly  Fox  Atchley  '82 

Sharon  Pusey  Bailey  '69 

Carol  Callaway-Lane  '92 

Danny  Osborne  76 

James  Skeen  '64 


CLASS  OF  2004 


Rick  Carl  77 

Chris  Lilley  '87 

Sylvia  Smith  Talmage  '62 

John  Tanner  '93 

John  Trotter  '95 


CLASS  OF  2005 


Carl  Lindsay,  Jr.  '50 

Sara  Mason  Miller  '66 

Kathleen  Mayurnik  Nenninger  73 

Aundra  Ware  Spencer  '89 

Kenneth  Tuck  '54 


FOCUS  I  S  U  M  M  E  R     2  0  0  3 


goes  up, 
old  Lloyd 
comes  down 


T: 


'HE   BRICKED  WALLS  on 
new  Lloyd  Hall  have  been 
erected.  In  the  shadow  of 
new  construction,  crews  took  down  the  walls  of  old  Lloyd  Hall  in  July. 

Ground  was  broken  on  the  new  $7-million,  4-story  residence  hall  last  October, 
after  college  officials  determined  the  cost  of  renovating  and  retrofitting  its  43- 
year-old  predecessor  was  beyond  responsible  stewardship.  "[Old  Lloyd]  wasn't 
air-conditioned,  and  the  plumbing  was  bad,"  explained  Mark  Cate,  vice  president 
for  advancement  and  admissions.  "To  do  just  the  basics  -  add  central  air  condi- 
tioning, plumbing  and  new  fixtures,  new  electric,  new  windows  and  a  new  eleva- 
tor -  and  to  bring  everything  up  to  safety  codes  and  space-use  codes  was  going  to 
cost  at  least  $2  to  S3  million.  And  once  that  was  done,  we  would  still  have  an  old, 
unattractive  building." 

Designed  to  accommodate  96  students,  the  facility  had  been  continuously 
used  as  a  residence  hall  since  1959.  A  popular  dorm  for  decades  of  students,  its 
appeal  had  waned  in  recent  years,  according  to  Michelle  Ballew,  assistant  dean 
of  students  for  campus  life.  "Lloyd  Hall  was  very  rarely  picked  as  a  place  that  stu- 
dents wanted  to  live....  The  electrical  system  in  the  building  was  so  antiquated  dtat 
students  couldn't  plug  in  more  than  two  things  at  one  time  without  blowing  a 
fuse,  which  is  just  unrealistic  in  today's  electronic  world." 

"And  while  some  students  weren't  bothered  by  not  having  air  conditioning," 
Ballew  added,  "many  students  of  today  want  that  amenity." 

Maryville  College  President  Dr.  Gerald  W.  Gibson  said  the  building  had  served 
the  College  well  for  more  than  40  years  and  was  special  to  hundreds,  if  not  thou- 
sands, of  former  students.  "Many  of  our  alumni  remember  the  sense  of  community 
that  they  felt  when  living  there,  the  result  of  a  design  that  brought  people  together 
in  the  hall,"  he  said.  "With  them,  we  give  thanks  for  its  decades  of  service  as  we 
prepare  to  transfer  to  new  Lloyd  the  responsibilities  for  housing  new  generations  of 
Maryville  College  students." 

New  Lloyd  was  completed  in  time  for  students'  arrival  on  campus  in  August.  It 
houses  150  students  in  a  suite-style  design. 

While  the  older  residence  hall  was  named  in  honor  of  Margaret  Bell  Lloyd,  the 
newer  Lloyd  will  recognize  the  contributions  of  both  Mrs.  Lloyd  and  her  husband, 
Dr.  Ralph  W.  Lloyd,  who  was  the  College's  president  for  more  than  30  years. 

Dedication  is  scheduled  for  1 1  a.m.,  Oct.  25,  during  Homecoming  weekend. 


news 


Maryville  College 
continues  to  make 
improvements  to 
its  campus 


SEVERAL  PHYSICAL  PLANT 
projects  are  currendy 
underway  on  the 
Maryville  College  campus. 

Much  of  the  work  is  included 
in  the  second  phase  of  the  Col- 
lege's S2.5  million  Campus 
Beautification  and  Improve- 
ment Plan  that  guided  a  major 
campus  facelift  during  Summer  2002. 

"We  believe  the  campus  looks  better  than 
it  ever  has  and  we've  received  a  number  of 
positive  comments  from  students  and  folks 
in  the  community,"  said  Mark  Cate,  vice 
president  for  advancement  and  admissions. 
"The  Campus  Beautification  and  Improve- 
ment Plan  is  truly  an 
investment  that  is  - 
and  will  continue  to  - 
pay  off  for  the  College 
and  our  community." 
Projects  currendy  in 
process  include  recon- 
figuring and  repaving 
parking  lots  adjacent  to 
Pearsons  Hall,  Sutton 
Science  Center  and  the 
International  House. 
A  roadway  that  runs  between  Willard 
House  and  Thaw  Hall  is  currendy  being 
removed;  campus  master  plans  call  for  grass 
to  replace  the  asphalt.  Portions  of  the  "loop 
road"  that  encircles  the  campus  and  extends 
from  Bartlett  Hall  to  the  physical  plant  facil- 
ity are  due  to  be  resurfaced. 

Additionally,  new  parking  lots  will  open  at 
Lloyd  Hall  and  Willard  House  at  the  time  of 
the  loop  road  paving. 

Also  on  the  "to  do"  list  is  the  installation  of 
an  updated  campus  directory,  new  campus 
road  signs  and  new  building  signs.  Com- 
pleted projects  include      a 
the  exterior  painting  of 
Pearsons  Hall.  For  a 
complete  list  of  projects, 
log  onto  www.maryvil- 
lecollege.edu.  i 


ANDERSON 
HALL 


FOCUS      SUMMER     2  0 0  3 


KA  w 


Porter  and  Tummel 
win  J.D.  Davis  Award 

ARYVILLE  College 
student-athletes  Mar- 
quita  Porter  and  Josh 
Tummel  were  named  recipients 
of  the  2003  J.D.  Davis  Award. 
In  her  time  with  the  soccer 
program,  Porter  set  two 
school  records:  One  for  career 
shutouts  (33)  and  another  for 
single  season  shutouts  (10). 
During  the  2001  season,  she 
helped  take  the  team  to  the  program's  first 
NCAA  tournament. 

On  the  basketball  court,  she  scored  more 
than  1 ,000  points  for  the  Lady  Scots  and  was 
a  major  contributor  to  teams  that  consistendv 
ended  their  seasons  in  NCAA  tournaments. 
In  total,  Tummel,  a  four-year  member  of 
the  Fighting  Scots  basketball  team,  scored 
944  points  for  the  Scots  over  his  career  and 
helped  take  the  team  to  the  NCAA  tourna- 
ment four  times.  During  his  senior  season, 
he  earned  a  Great  South  Athletic  Conference 
"Plaver  of  the  Year"  honor,  a  team  MVP 
honor  and  a  first-team  All-South  selection. 

Established  in  1979,  the  J.D.  Davis 
Award  is  given  in  memory  of  a  long-time 
coach  and  physical  education  director  at 
MC.  It  seeks  to  honor  those  who  exhibit 
leadership,  athletic  ability,  Christian  values 
and  academic  achievement. 


MC  sophomore  awarded  prestigious  scholarship 


the  Jack  Kent  Cooke  Foundation,  informing  her  that  she  was  among  30  students 
selected  from  a  pool  of  1,150  applicants  to  receive  a  Jack  Kent  Cooke  Foundation 

Undergraduate  Scholarship. 

The  Foundation's  undergraduate  scholarship,  which 
'ies  in  amount  according  to  need,  provides  funding 
tuition,  room  and  board,  required  fees  and  books 
the  remainder  of  the  Scholar's  undergraduate 
gree.  Tumbas'  award,  valued  at  approximately 
3,000  over  the  next  two  years,  will  help  defray 
hunting  educational  expenses  for  the  international 
ident,  who  cannot  legally  work  in  the  United  States. 

compete  for  the  award,  which  is  given  exclusively 
to  rising  juniors,  a  student  must  have  a  cumulative 
ioint  average  of  3.0  or  higher  on  a  4.0  scale.  According  to  a 
.  ..  „y  the  Foundation  announcing  the  2003  recipients,  the  Schol- 
ars "demonstrated  outstanding  records  of  achievement,  not  only  academically,  but 
also  in  service,  leadership,  the  arts  and  community  involvement." 

Tumbas,  who  was  born  in  Yugoslavia  but  moved  to  Germany  with  her  family  in 
1988,  became  acquainted  with  Maryville  College  and  the  surrounding  community 
as  an  exchange  student  at  Heritage  High  School  during  her  junior  year. 

The  Jack  Kent  Cooke  Foundation,  named  for  and  funded  by  the  late  Washington 
Redskins  owner,  underwrites  hundreds  of  graduate  and  undergraduate  scholarships 
yearly.  The  Lansdowne,  Va. -based  foundation  aims  "to  help  young  people  of  excep- 
tional promise  reach  their  full  potential  through  education."  To  read  Jasmina's  story, 
visit  the  Maryville  College  website. 


Baker  named  Maryville  College's  Outstanding  Senior 

Spoleto  Festival  USA  in  Charleston,  S.C., 
and  the  2002  Foothills  Fall  Festival  in 
Maryville.  During  her  college  career,  she 
also  has  volunteered  with  YOKE  Youth 
Ministries  and  served  on  Calvary  Chapel's 
worship  team  in  Knoxville. 

Established  by  the  Maryville  College 
Alumni  Association  in  1974,  die  Outstand- 
ing Senior  award  recognizes  those  students 
whose  overall  record  of  academic  achieve- 
ment and  participation  in  extracurricular 
activities  stand  out  as  most  exemplary. 
Finalists  for  die  Outstanding  Senior 
award  included  Preston  Fields  of  Knoxville, 
Term.;  Rachael  Garza  of  Springfield,  Va.; 
Lois  Gray  of  Shelbyville,  Term.;  and  Ben  Wicker  of  Knoxville.  For 
more  information  on  each  finalist,  visit  www.maryvillecollege.edu 
and  type  "Outstanding  Seniors"  in  the  Search  box. 


AMANDA  K.  Baker,  a  senior 
art  major  from  Clinton,  Term., 
was  named  the  2003  Outstand- 
ing Senior  at  Maryville  College  during 
the  Academic  Awards  Ceremony  held 
on  campus  April  12. 

In  presenting  his  advisee,  Dr.  Carl 
Gombert,  associate  professor  of  art, 
described  Baker  as  an  exemplary  stu- 
dent, a  talented  artist  and  performer 
and  a  visible  member  of  the  community. 
Baker's  list  of  college  activities  includes 
the  Academic  Integrity  Board,  the  Acad- 
emic Life  Council,  the  College's  Non- 
profit Leadership  Development  Program, 
the  Community  Choir  and  Voices  of  Praise,  the  MC  Dance  Team 
the  Student  Programming  Board,  WZUP  radio  station  and  Omi- 
cron  Delta  Kappa.  Off-campus,  she  interned  with  the  prestigious 


Outstanding  Senior  finalists  (l-r)  Preston  Fields,  Lois 
Gray,  Ben  Wicker  and  Rachael  Garza  (far  right)  stand 
with  MC  President  Dr.  Gerald  Gibson  and  Amanda 
Baker  following  the  Academic  Awards  Ceremony. 


FOCUS      SUMMER     2  0  0  3 


MC  participates 
in  international 
program 


M 


Above:  Students  help  rangers  plant 
gama  grass  in  Cades  Cove;  (below) 
national  parks  in  both  the  U.S.  and 
England  provided  real-world  lessons 
in  land  management. 


aryville  College 
students  Lauren  Butz, 
Carrie  Lloyd  and  Chan- 
dler Schmutzer  spent  the  Spring 
2003  semester  participating  in 
an  international  program  that 
allowed  them  to  said)-  land 
management  and  land  usage  in 
England  and  the  United  States. 

Co-funded  by  the  U.S. 
Department  of  Education's 
Fund  for  the  Improvement  of 
Post-Secondarv  Education 
(FIPSE)  and  the  European 
Commission's  Directorate  Gen- 
eral for  Education  and  Culture, 
the  program  was  designed  to 
give  both  American  and  English 
students  an  opportunity  to  look 
at  land  management  in  four  different 
contexts:  non-indigenous  species,  eco- 
logical integrity,  approaches  to  man- 
agement (habitat  vs.  species)  and 
protection  of  natural  resources. 

Other  schools  participating  in  the 
international  program  included  Bishop 
Burton  in  the  Yorkshire  region  of 
England  and  Warren  Wilson  College  in  Asheville,  N.C.  (As  participat- 
ing schools,  each  enrolled  three  students  in  the  program.) 

The  students  spent  much  of  February  and  March  in  England, 
studving  at  Bishop  Burton.  While  there,  the  students  took  field  trips 
and  visited  the  United  Kingdom's  national  parks.  The  students  also 
visited  different  habitats  to  see  how  they're  managed. 

Returning  to  the  United  States  in  late  March,  the  students  enrolled 
in  ornithology,  ecology  and  environmental  issues  classes  on  the  MC 
campus  and  spent  time  in  the  Great  Smoky  Mountains  National  Park, 
hiking  to  unique  natural  habitats,  participating  in  a  deer  count  and 
planting  gama  grass  in  Cades  Cove  as  part  of  the  park's  campaign  to 
reintroduce  some  native  species  to  the  area.  The  students  met  with 
park  rangers  to  learn  about  fire  and  wildlife  management. 

At  the  program's  completion,  students  were  required  to  write  a  final 
project  report.  The  report  included  a  summary  of  the  history  of  land 
use  and  conservation  in  the  U.S.  and  U.K.,  an  account  of  conservation 
successes  and  failures  in  both  countries  and  ideas  for  how  each  country 
might  share  and  implement  successful  programs  or  practices  that  pro- 
mote land  conservation. 

"I  believe  the  students  were  able  to  get  a  unique  perspective  of  the 
issues  in  contemporary  conservation  biology  in  the  United  States  and 
the  United  Kingdom,"  said  Ben  Cash,  assistant  professor  of  biology. 
"The  time  and  support  that  the  program  offered  allowed  students  to 
investigate  the  topic  in  depth  and  to  have  hands-on  experience  that  is 
critical  for  true  understanding." 


College- 
organized 
trips  show 
students  the  world 


d: 


uring  January  Term,  sev- 
I  eral  Maryville  College  stu- 
dents and  faculty  members 
left  the  College  for  warmer  climes 
and  a  very  different  winter  break. 

Dr.  Chad  Berry,  associate  profes- 
sor of  history,  and  Mr.  Patrick 
Murphy  '96,  instructor  of  Spanish, 
took  a  group  of  20  students  to 
Cuba.  Trips  to  the  socialist  island 
are  not  possible  for  the  majority  of 
United  States  citizens.  According 
to  Berry,  only  students,  journalists 
and  humanitarians  who  have  applied  for  and  received  a  spe- 
cial license  bv  the  Office  of  Foreign  Assets  Control,  are 
given  permission  to  travel  there.  While  in  Cuba,  the  MC 
group  toured  Havana  and  Trinidad.  The  trip  itinerary 
included  visits  with  famous  artists  (including  world-famous 
Cuba  Revolution  photographer  Raul  Corrales  and  Lester 
Campa)  and  tours  of  museums,  cathedrals,  a  cigar  factory 
and  coffee  plantation.  They  saw  performances  by  the 
National  Ballet  and  met  with  students  at  the  University  of 
Havana  to  discuss  differences  -  everything  from  medicine  to 
education  to  politics  -  between  Cuba  and  the  United  States. 

Drs.  Kathie  Shiba  and  Terry  Bunde,  eight  students  and 
other  community  members,  including  Ed  Best  '68  crossed 
the  International  Date  Line  Jan.  7  in  their  trip  to  Vietnam. 
The  trip,  two  vears  in  the  organizing,  included  stops  in 
Hanoi,  Hue,  Ho  Chi  Minh  City  and  the  Mekong  Delta. 
During  the  two-week  stay, 


students  took  in  the  his- 
tory, culture  and  psychology  of  Vietnam.  They  heard  various 
presentations,  including  one  on  the  war  fought  by  the  U.S. 
in  the  1960s  and  1970s,  by  faculty  and  students  of  three 
universities  in  Hanoi. 

Trips  to  Cuba  and  Vietnam  are  planned  for  January  2004. 
Many  trips  are  open  to  alumni.  For  more  information,  con- 
tact Chad  Berry,  chair  of  the  College's  International  Pro- 
gramming Committee,  at  chad.berry@maryvillecollege.edu. 


FOCUS      SUMMER     2  0  0  3 


Graduation 


NEWEST  ALUMNI  HEAD  OUT  TO 
MAKE  A  DIFFERENCE  IN  THE  WORLD 


Name:  J.  Ben  Wicker  II 
Hometown:  Knoxville,  Tenn. 
Major:  Business  &  Organization  Man- 
agement 

Post-graduate  plans:  Seeking  a  M.Ed,  in 
College  Student  Affairs  at  the  University 
of  South  Florida  in  Tampa,  Fla.  and 
working  as  a  resident  director  at  USF 
"Being  involved  in  so  many  student  activ- 
ities and  in  several  facets  of  the  Student 
Development  department  showed  me 
how  much  of  a  great  fit  that  Student 

Affairs  is  for  me.  I  had  some  great  mentors  and  role  models  in 
the  MC  Student  Development  area.  These  people  encouraged 
me  through  the  process  and  helped  me  achieve  my  goal  of 
getting  into  graduate  school.  After  having  had  such  a  positive 
experience  at  Maryville,  I  feel  called  to  give  others  the  great 
experience  that  I  had." 

Name:  Preston  Carter  Fields 

Hometown:  Knoxville,  Tenn. 

Major:  International  Studies  and  Religion 

Post-graduate  plans:  Working  in  the 

Washington,  D.C.  press  office  of  Senator 

and  Democratic  Presidential  Candidate 

John  Kerry  of  Massachusetts 

"Through  working  with  the  Literacy  Corps 

and  die  Bonner  Scholars  program  at 

Maryville,  I  have  become  interested  in 

social  issues,  especially  concerning  children.  I  hope  that  through 

my  work  with  John  Kerry  I  can  not  onlv  serve  my  country  but 

also  work  to  improve  people's  lives." 

Name:  Ariatna  L.  Quintero  N. 
Hometown:  Panama  City,  Panama 
Major:  International  Business 
Post-graduate  plans:  Working  for  US 
Dentek  in  Maryville 
"During  my  whole  career  at  Maryville 
College,  starting  at  CELL  (Center  for 
Language  Learning)  and  now  ending 
with  a  diploma  in  mv  hands,  I  never  real- 
ized the  importance  and  value  of  educa- 
tion/social interactions  that  MC  has  exposed  me  to,  but 
being  at  Maryville  gave  me  precious  and  unique  opportunitv 
to  interact  with  people  from  all  over  the  world." 


FOCUS   I  S  U  M  HER     2  0  0  3 


Name:  Kenneth  Kirby 

Hometown:  Kodak,  Tenn. 

Major:  Biology  and  Physical  Education; 

minor  in  Chemistry 

Post-graduate  plans:  Enrolling  in  the  Doctor 

of  Physical  Therapy  Medical  School  Program 

at  Duke  University  in  Durham,  N.C. 

"I  have  experienced  first-hand  the  fulfillment 

of  bettering  the  mind,  body  and  spirit  while 

working  at  Appalachian  Therapy  Center ...  As 

a  former  patient  of  ATC,  I  have  experienced 

the  dedication  of  these  professionals  with  whom  I  now  work 

They  were  an  inspiration  to  me  and  allowed  me  to  receive  my 

calling  as  a  physical  therapist ...  I  have  come  to  realize  that 

helping  others  is  a  completely  selfless  act,  and  we  should 

do  so  with  the  patient's  best  interests  in  mind 


t409, 


3  t 


E-J 


«f  81 


Name:  Sara  Moore 
Hometown:  Sarasota,  Fla. 
Major:  Writing/Communications 
Post-graduate  plans:  Pursuing  a 
master's  degree  in  magazine  jour- 
nalism at  New  York  University 
"I  have  always  been  interested  in 
writing  and  editing.  Fortunately,  ,  _ 

Maryville  College  gave  me  the  \^ 

opportunity  to  do  both.  While  a 
student,  I  was  able  to  gain  hands- 
on  experience  as  both  a  staff  writer 
and  editor  for  The  Highland  Echo, 

and  I  also  obtained  an  internship  with  the  Maryville  Daily 
Times  through  the  Center  for  Calling  &  Career.  Both  of  these 
experiences  affirmed  and  strengthened  my  desire  to  pursue  a 
career  in  journalism  ..." 


200 


a 


% 


Name:  Ben  Robison 
Hometown:  Birmingham,  Mich. 
Major:  Chemistry  with  Pre-Engineering  Emphasis 
Post-graduate  plans:  ( Immediately)  Pursuing  a 
pro  basketball  career;  pursuing  degrees  in  aero- 
space engineering  at  UT 

"Almost  every  boy  has  a  dream  of  becoming  a  pro- 
fessional athlete,  and  I  was  no  exception.  Going  into  my  senior  year, 
Coach  Lambert  and  I  discussed  that  if  I  worked  hard,  I  could  have  a 
chance  at  pla\ing  basketball  overseas.  After  attending  a  showcase  camp 
for  scouts  and  coaches,  my  ambitions  were  given  hope  when  a 
Brazilian  scout  and  coach  from  the  U.S.  approached  me.  As  it  cur- 
rently stands,  I  have  not  signed  with  any  team,  however,  I  am  playing 
for  a  semi-pro  team,  the  Akron  Wingfoots.  What  excites  me  about 
continuing  to  play  is  that  I  will  get  paid  for  doing  what  I  love  to  do, 
and  I  will  be  able  to  travel  the  world.'" 


*>  F 


Name:  Christopher  Hixon 

Hometown:  Clearwater,  Fla. 

Major:  Political  Science  and  Economics 

Post-graduate  plans:  Research  assistant 

to  Larry  Kudlovv  of  CNBC's  Kudlow  &  Cramer 

"I  will  be  splitting  my  time  between  the  Mercatus  Center  at  George 

Mason  University  in  Arlington,  Va.,  and  Kudlow  &  Co.  in  New 

York.  My  primary  responsibility  will  be  working  on  Mr.  Kudlow's 

new  book,  an  analvsis  of  John  F.  Kennedv's  fiscal  policies.  I  plan 

on  eventually  enrolling  at  George  Mason  University  Law  School." 


Name:  Jodi  Poore 

Hometown:  Andersonville,  Tenn. 

Major:  International  Studies 

Post-graduate  plans:  Working  for  the  Defense 

Intelligence  Agencv  as  an  intelligence  analyst. 

"It  is  an  exciting  time  to  be  in  this  field,  and  I 

look  forward  to  seeing  what  the  job  has  to  offer.'' 


College  bids  goodbye,  good  luck 
to  its  largest  graduating  class 


1  out  long 

enough  for  photographer  Neil  Crosby  to  capture 
this  image  of  the  Class  of  2003  before  the  proces- 
sion formed,  but  Commencement  exercises  were 
held  in  the  Boydson  Baird  Gymnasium  this  year 
because  of  forecasted  storms. 

Dr.  John  Churchill,  secretary  of  the  Phi  Beta  Kappa 
Society,  gave  the  Commencement  Address  titled 
"The  Liberal  Arts  in  a  World  in  Conflict,"  and  Richard 
Kimball,  director  and  retired  president  of  the  Teagle 
Foundation,  was  awarded  an  honorary  doctor  of  let- 
ters degree  from  the  College. 

sident  Gerald  W.  Gibson  gave  the  Charge  to 

le  Class,  in  which  he  encouraged  the  graduating 
seniors  to  go  out  and  make  a  difference  in  the  world. 

"I  charge  you,  Class  of  2003,  to  preserve  in  your 
hearts  the  lessons  and  epiphanies  that  have  been 
the  instruments  of  your  transformation  from  what 
you  were  at  the  start  to  the  graduates  you  are  on 
this  commencement  day  and  to  use  them  to  make 
the  world  a  better  place  for  your  children  and 
grandchildren  and  the  Maryville  College  students 
who  will  come  after  you  in  the  line,"  the  president 
said.  "...  I  charge  you  to  take  your  Maryville  educa- 
tion and  that  special  combination  of  gifts  and 
insights  and  abilities  that  is  yours  alone,  and  take  on 
the  task  of  making  better  a  world  that  needs  all  the 
help  you  can  provide." 

Approximately  240  graduates  strong,  the  Class  of 
2003  is  expected  to  go  down  in  the  history  books 
as  one  of  the  largest  graduating  classes  since  the 
College's  founding  in  1819. 


FOCUS      SUMMER     2  00  3 


/s 


Recent  graduating  classes  establish  new  giving  society 

Calvin  Duncan  Society  members  declare:  "This  is  my  College  . . .  This  is  my  promise. " 


Calvin  Duncan  hasn't  been  a  face  in 
the  Maryville  College  classroom  for 
more  than  130  years,  but  a  number  of 
2002  and  2003  MC  graduates  want  current 
students  and  alumni  to  envision  him  there. 

While  planning  their  senior  gift,  the 
Class  of  2002  began  asking  questions 
about  how  they  might  also  ensure  that 
the  College  remains  healthy  for  years  to 
come.  The  students  found  a  role  model 
in  how  Duncan,  an  alumnus  of  the  class 
of  1871,  lived  his  life. 

"Calvin  Duncan  was  young  -  14  years 
old  when  he  enrolled  at  MaryviUe  Col- 
lege," said  Crystal  Scott  '02,  a  found- 
ing member  of  the  Calvin  Duncan 
Society.  "Other  students  thought  he  was  too 
young  to  be  in  their  classes,  so  they  told  him  to 
leave.  But  Calvin  was  determined.  He  said,  'I  came 
here  to  stay.  This  is  my  school.'" 

The  story  is  told  in  the  MaryviUe  College  history 
book  written  by  Dr.  Arda  Walker  '40  and  Dr.  Carolyn 
Blair,  "By  Faith  Endowed."  The  class  of  2002  was 
inspired  by  the  Duncan  story  -  a  story  of  a  determined 
poor  teenager  who  went  on  to  become  a  respected 
minister  and  member  of  the  College's  Board  of  Direc- 
tors. Duncan  stayed  involved  in  the  life  of  the  College 
until  his  death  in  1933. 

Out  of  diat  inspiration  came  the  idea  for  a  new  alumni 
group  that  would  recognize  people  who  supported  the 
College  on  an  annual  basis.  "He  was  a  model  graduate: 
He  participated  in  the  life  and  health  of  the  College,  he 
was  determined  to  make  Maryville  a  stronger  institution, 
and  he  was  devoted  to  his  alma  mater,"  Scott  explained. 

Along  with  the  College's  Advancement  staff,  the  Class  of  2002 
came  up  with  the  structure  for  the  Calvin  Duncan  Society  (CDS). 


CLASS  OF  2003  SETS  GIVING  RECORD 

THE  MARYVILLE  COLLEGE 
CLASS  OF  2003  raised  $1 1 ,1 55 
for  the  Senior  Class  Gift  -  a 
single-year  record  for  any  senior 
class.  Almost  180  seniors  made 
gifts  or  pledges  toward  a  new 
campus  map  and  directory  that 
will  be  placed  at  the  newly 
remodeled  entrance  to  campus. 
Class  President  Ben  Wicker  pre- 
sented the  check  to  Dr.  Gerald 
Gibson  at  the  annual  Senior 
Barbeque  held  May  16. 


Together,  they  created  a  mission  statement  and  a 
motto  that  declares:  "This  is  my  College  . . . 
This  is  my  promise." 

Central  to  the  Society  is  the  prom- 
ise of  an  annual  and  ongoing  charita- 
ble commitment  to  the  College.  To 
join  the  CDS,  one  need  only  be  an 
alumnus/a  and  agree  to  make  a 
gift  of  some  amount  each  year. 
According  to  Scott,  the  unique 
aspect  of  the  CDS  is  that  diere  is 
no  gift  amount  minimum  because 
the  idea  is  to  increase  the  Col- 
lege's alumni-giving  percentage. 

"We  wanted  a  way  to  recognize 
all  alumni  who  help  the  College, 
and  increasing  the  alumni-giving 
percentage  means  a  great  deal  to 
the  future  of  our  alma  mater  because 
it  helps  build  national  reputation,"  she 
said.  "And  when  reputations  rise,  so  do 
the  value  of  our  diplomas.  It's  a  win- 
win  for  the  College  and  all  alumni." 

A  plaque  commemorating  the  new 
Calvin  Duncan  Society  and  its  founding 
members  was  unveiled  during  a  recent 
ceremony  on  campus.  The  plaque  is  hang- 
ing in  the  Bartlett  Hall  Student  Center. 

So  how  has  the  idea  of  a  lifelong  annual 
giving  promise  program  caught  on? 

The  class  of  2002  responded  with  over 
44  percent  joining  the  CDS.  The  partici- 
pation increased  to  56  percent  for  the  Class  of  2003.  Aid, 
the  new  Society  was  fully  endorsed  last  May  by  the  National 
Alumni  Board,  with  100  percent  participation  from  members. 

Following  a  special  CDS  celebration  and  reception  in  May,  a 
plaque  went  up  in  Bartlett  Hall  commemorating  the  new  giv- 
ing society  and  the  founding  members  of  the  class  of  2002. 

Speaking  at  the  CDS  presentation,  Maryville  College  Presi- 
dent Dr.  Gerald  W  Gibson  said:  "The  importance  of  the 
Calvin  Duncan  Society  goes  beyond  alumni  pledging  to  make  a 
gift  to  the  College  each  year.  The  ultimate  aim  of  this  program 
is  to  keep  alumni  actively  connected,  engaged  and  committed 
to  this  special  place  called  Maryville  College." 

Benefits  to  being  a  CDS  member  include  special  recognition 
in  the  President's  Report  and  eligibility  for  a  Promise  Award 
presented  at  5,  10,  15,  25,  40  and  50  vears  of  consistent 
annual  giving. 

Soon,  alumni  celebrating  reunions  will  be  asked  to  join 
CDS,  but  all  alumni  are  encouraged  to  join. 

A  pledge  form  is  available  online  at  www.maryvillecollege.edu/ 
alumni/making-a-gift.asp.  For  more  information  or  to  have  a 
pledge  form  mailed  to  you,  contact  Jason  McNeal  at 
865.981.8197  or  jason.mcneal@maryvillecollege.edu. 


FOCUS      SUMMER     2003 


camp 


ic  r 


Blazer  estate  leaves  $2  million  for 
scholarships  at  Maryville  College 

AS2  million  bequest  from  the  estate  of  Conchita  Bertran  Blazer  '31 
will  endow  scholarships  at  Maryville  College  for  years  to  come. 
Blazer  passed  away  Dec.  17,  2002.  In  memory  of  her  late  husband,  she 
established  the  Earl  W.  Blazer  Endowed  Scholarship  Fund  in  1993  and  then 
made  provisions  for  50  percent  of  her  estate  to  be  added  to  the  fund  upon 
her  death.  The  remaining  50  percent  of  the  estate  was  to  be  divided  between 
the  Holston  Conference  Foundation  and  the  Founda- 
tion for  Evangelism  in  Lake  Junaluska,  N.C. 

The  College's  S2  million  gift  is  the  first  distribution 
from  the  estate,  with  a  second  distribution  expected  to 
add  an  additional  5500,000.  The  Blazer  estate  gift  is  the 
third-largest  gift  in  the  College's  recent  history.  Approx- 
imatelv  S4  million  was  received  from  the  Ralph  W.  Bee- 
son  estate  in  1990,  and  S3. 7  million  was  received  from 
the  estate  of  Finis  and  Ethel  Cooper  in  1994. 

According  to  Mark  Cate,  vice  president  for  advance- 
ment and  admissions,  the  College  is  pleased  to  honor 
Mrs.  Blazer's  wishes,  granting  scholarships  to  assist 
deserving  students  without  regard  to  sex,  ethnic  back- 
ground, age  or  creed.  "This  is  a  tremendous  gift  from 
such  a  gracious  and  wonderful  woman,"  said  Cate. 
"Her  faith  and  her  commitment  to  education  were 
extremely  important  to  her,  and  she  passionately  sup- 
ported both  in  so  many  ways." 

Loval  and  generous  supporters  of  Maryville  College 
throughout  their  lives,  Earl  and  Conchita  Blazer  were  charter  members  of  the 
Societv  of  1819,  which  recognizes  alumni  and  friends  who  have  included 
Mary\ille  College  in  their  estate  plans.  They  were  also  charter  members  of 
the  Isaac  Anderson  Society,  with  cumulative  giving  qualifying  them  for  the 
magna  cum  laude  level.  In  2001,  Mrs.  Blazer  made  a  substantial  donation 
to  the  Fayerweather  Hall  rebuilding  project  to  name  the  Business  Office  in 
memory  of  her  husband. 

Earl  Blazer  '30  served  as  a  director  of  the  College  from  1957  until  1970 
and  also  served  as  president  of  the  College's  Alumni  Association.  In  1961,  he 
was  the  recipient  of  the  College's  first  Alumni  Citation.  A  well-known  and 
prominent  leader  in  his  church  and  community,  Mr.  Blazer  was  the  founder, 
owner  and  operator  of  the  Earl  W.  Blazer  Insurance  Agency  for  40  years.  He 
served  a  term  in  the  Tennessee  state  legislature  and  served  on  the  boards  of 
three  Methodist  Church-related  colleges. 

Mrs.  Blazer  also  served  on  the  College's  Alumni  Board  and  was  active  in 
numerous  charities,  including  the  Salvation  Army  and  Knoxville  Rescue 
Ministries.  The  Blazers  were  active  members  of  First  United  Methodist 
Church  in  Maryville. 

"Earl  and  Conchita  Blazer  were  more  than  dedicated  and  loyal  alumni  of 
Maryville  College  -  they  were  fine  people,"  said  Dr.  Gerald  W.  Gibson, 
president  of  Maryville  College.  "Earl  had  passed  away  a  little  more  than  a 
year  before  I  accepted  the  presidency  here,  so  I  never  had  the  privilege  of 
meeting  him,  but  his  leadership  on  the  Board  was  remembered  by  many, 
and  Conchita  described  him  so  well  that  I  felt  that  I  knew  him. 

"The  Blazers  led  by  example,"  the  president  added.  "Their  final  gift  to  the 
College  to  endow  scholarships  means  that  hundreds  of  deserving  students  will 
benefit  from  their  generosity,  foresight  and  great  love  of  this  institution. 
"Earl  and  Conchita  are  missed,  but  they  will  never  be  forgotten." 


CONCERT 
CHOIR 


Concert  Choir  CD 
on  sale  soon 


c 


hoir  Tour  2003  was  a 
tremendous  success,  with 
many  alumni  attending 
concerts  along  the  route  to  St. 
Augustine,  Fla.  Incorporating  Latin-  and  Spanish-style 
music  into  their  repertoire,  choir  members  tided  the 
2003  trip  "Viva  La  Danza"  ("Live  the  Dance"). 

Choir  members  have  recorded  their  Choir  Tour 
program  for  a  CD,  which  features  such  selections  as 
"Alleluia"  by  Randall  Thompson,  "Chrisms  Factus 
Est"  by  Anton  Bruckner  and  "Speak  to  One  Another 
of  Psalms"  by  Jean  Berger. 

CDs  will  be  available  for  sale  in  September  and  can 
be  purchased  for  S20  in  the  MC  bookstore  and  main 
office  of  the  Fine  Arts  Center.  Proceeds  will  go  to  pur- 
chase uniforms  and  a  portable  keyboard  for  the  Choir. 

Sing  with  the  Choir  in  England  in  2004 

The  Marwille  College  Concert  Choir  and  Maryville 
College  Community  Chorus  have  been  invited  to  be 
the  Chorus-in-Residence  for  the  International  Cathe- 
dral Music  Festival  (ICMF)  in  Salisbury,  London, 
Oxford  and  Canterbury  during  July  2004. 

For  two  weeks,  the  com- 
bined festival  chorus  will 
rehearse  and  perform 
"Requim"  by  Mozart,  and 
"Mass  in  C"  and  "Choral 
Fantasia"  by  Beethoven.  Dr. 
Jeff  W.  Reynolds,  chairman  of 
the  music  department  at  the 
University  of  Alabama-Birm- 
ingham, will  conduct. 

"For  alumni,  here  is  a 
unique  opportunity  to  once 
again  be  a  member  of  the 
Maryville  College  Choir,"  said 
Stacey  Wilner,  coordinator  of  choral  music  at  Maryville 
College.  Admittance  to  the  choir  will  be  on  an  individ- 
ual basis  and  may  include  an  audition.  Non-singing  par- 
ticipants are  encouraged  to  join  the  choir,  as  well. 

For  more  information,  \isit  ICMF's  website, 
www.icmf.org  or  contact  Wilner.  A  presentation  by 
ICMF's  representatives  is  scheduled  for  7  p.m.,  Sept. 
2,  in  the  rehearsal  room  of  the  Fine  Arts  Center. 

EDITOR'S  NOTE:  To  contact  Stacey  Wilner  for  more 
information  on  the  ICMF  trip  or  to  have  a  Choir  CD 
mailed  to  you  ($25  for  CD  and  shipping  and  han- 
dling), call  her  at  865.981.8151  or  e-mail  her  at 
stacey.wilner@maryvillecollege.edu.  Checks  may  be 
mailed  to:  The  Maryville  College  Concert  Choir, 
Maryville  College,  502  E.  Lamar  Alexander  Pky, 
Maryville,  TN  37804. 


FOCUS  I  S  U  M  M E  R     2  0  0  3 


Faculty   N  ews 


NEW   FACULTY  AND   STAFF  WELCOMED 


Maryville  College  recently  added  several  new 
people  to  its  faculty  and  staff  ranks. 

Wes  Boggs  began  work  in  Willard  House  as  the  College's  director  of 
annual  giving  in  February.  He  replaces  Jason  McNeal,  who  was  promoted 
to  assistant  vice  president  for  development  and  alumni  affairs  last  fall. 

Boggs,  a  1999  summa  cum  laude  graduate  of  Emory  &  Henry  College 
in  Emory,  Va.,  worked  in  E&H's  Admissions  Office  from  2000  until  early 
2003.  He  began  as  an  admissions  counselor  before  being  promoted  to 
the  position  of  assistant  director  of  Admissions,  in  which  he  directly 
supervised  telecounselors,  assisted  in  the  reinstatement  of  an 
alumni/parent  admissions  network  and  devised  a  comprehensive  communication  strategy 
for  prospective  students.  No  stranger  to  Maryville  College,  Boggs  worked  in  the  College's 
Admissions  Office  in  2000. 


Also  joining  the  College  in  February  was  Dr.  Steven  James,  who  was 
named  the  director  of  instructional  technology. 

James  fills  a  position  vacated  by  Gina  Roberts  in  2002  and  specified  by 
the  Title  III  Instructional  Technology  Initiative  grant  that  the  College 
received  in1999.  The  grant  is  designed  to  facilitate  equipment  and  train- 
ing to  help  students  and  faculty  better  use  technology  in  the  classroom. 


James 


As  director  of  instructional  technology,  James  is  responsible  for  organ- 
izing technology  workshops  and  seminars,  as  well  as  providing  one-on- 
one  consulting  to  help  faculty  members  employ  technology-based  teaching  methods. 

James,  who  came  to  the  College  from  Oak  Ridge  (Tenn.)  Schools,  has  served  as  an  assis- 
tant professor  at  both  Slippery  Rock  University  in  Pennsylvania,  and  the  University  of  Mem- 
phis, where  he  received  his  doctorate. 

In  March,  Angela  Quick  was  welcomed  as  Maryville  College's  new 
library  director.  Quick,  who  holds  a  bachelor  of  arts  degree  from  North- 
western University  in  Evanston,  III.,  and  master's  degree  in  library  sci- 
ence from  Simmons  College  (Boston),  has  almost  15  years  experience 
in  the  field. 

Before  accepting  the  job  at  Maryville,  Quick  worked  as  the  public  serv- 
ices coordinator  at  the  Carthage  College  library  in  Kenosha,  Wis.  Prior 
employment  includes  positions  with  the  Illinois-based  C.  Berger  and  Co., 
and  the  libraries  of  the  Lesley  and  Northwestern  universities. 

In  the  position  of  library  director,  Quick  is  responsible  for  managing  all  operations  of  MC's 
Lamar  Memorial  Library,  including  overseeing  acquisitions  for  the  library  collection,  man- 
aging the  library  budget  and  assisting  and  collaborating  with  teaching  faculty. 

Quick  fills  the  position  vacated  by  Chris  Nugent,  who  assumed  directorship  of  the  library 
at  Warren  Wilson  College  in  Asheville,  N.C,  in  2002. 

Wayne  Dunn  '80  has  been  named  Maryville  College  Director  of  Athletic  Facilities,  Intramu- 
rals  and  Club  Sports.  Dunn,  who  returned  to  the  College  in  2000  to  work  in  the  Admissions 
Office  as  a  counselor,  is  now  working  with  the  athletic  director  and  coaches  in  Cooper  Ath- 
letic Center.  Dunn  will  continue  to  coach  the  wrestling  team,  which  is  a  club  sport. 


Stuart,  college 
employee,  loses 
battle  with  cancer 

Beth  A.  Stuart,  former 

employee  of  MaryviUe  College  and 
wife  of  former  treasurer  Alden  Stu- 
art, passed  away  March  1 1 ,  following 
a  long  battle  with  cancer. 

Stuart  managed  the  Maryville  Col- 
lege Bookstore  from  1991  until  her 
retirement  in  1998.  During  that 
time,  she  renovated 
the  store's  space  in 
old  Fayerweather 
Hall  and  expanded 
the  selection  of 
merchandise.  She 
planned  special  sales 
and  promotions  for 
campus  customers. 

"Beth  Stuart  was 
a  great  person  to 
work  for,"  said  Pat 
Stephens,  Maryville  College's  cur- 
rent bookstore  manager,  who  began 
working  for  Stuart  in  1991.  "She 
taught  me  all  she  knew  about  the 
bookstore  business  and  life.  She  was 
a  wonderful  Christian  example  of 
what  one  should  be.  She  always  had 
a  loving  concern  for  all  the  students 
and  her  fellow  workers.  I  will  truly 
miss  Beth  very  much,  as  will  all  of 
her  former  colleagues." 

A  native  of  Dexter,  Me.,  Stuart 
attended  Barrington  College  in 
Rhode  Island  and  graduated  from 
the  University  of  Maine  with  an  asso- 
ciates degree  in  liberal  arts.  Prior  to 
her  move  to  Maryville,  she  was 
employed  by  American  Greeting  and 
the  University  of  Maine's  bookstore. 

In  addition  to  husband  Alden, 
Beth  is  survived  by  her  mother 
Shirley  Chadbourne  of  St.  Peters- 
burg, Fla.;  three  sons,  four  daugh- 
ters-in-law, four  grandsons,  one 
sister  and  several  aunts,  uncles, 
nieces  and  nephews. 

A  memorial  fund  for  Stuart  has 
been  established  at  the  College.  To 
contribute,  contact  Kaye  Hurst  in 
the  College's  Office  of  Advance- 
ment at  865.981.8196  or 
kaye.hurst@maryvillecollege.edu. 


10 


FOCUS      SUMMER    2003 


The  word  is  out  about  Blount  County.  This  charming 
community  just  south  ofKnoxville  is  the  place  to  be. 


BLOUNT  COUNTY: 


IN  the  last  13  years,  Blount  County  has  welcomed 
more  than  20,000  new  citizens  into  its  borders,  mak- 
ing it  one  of  the  state's  fasting-growing  populations. 
With  a  head  count  of  105,823  in  2000,  the  county  is  now 

the  11th  largest  in  Tennessee. 

Obstetricians  and  nurses  at  Blount  Memorial  are  busy  people,  but  the 
thousands  of  new  residents  who  wheel  through  the  doors  of  the  Family 
Birthing  Center  every  year  don't  tell  the  entire  story  of  how  Blount 
County  is  changing.  And  neither  do  the  expanding  thoroughfares  or  new 
homes  peppering  the  foothills. 

Much  like  the  small  liberal-arts  college  that  occupies  roughly  350  acres 
inside  its  jurisdiction,  Blount  County  is  growing,  changing  and  on  the 
move.  And  like  the  College,  it's  drawing  some  attention.  What  is  Blount 
County  in  2003?  The  answer  depends  on  whom  you  ask,  but  most  resi- 
dents agree:  It's  not  just  alright.  It's  just  right. 

According  to  local  leaders,  the  reasons  people  have  for  settling  in  Blount 
County  are  as  varied  as  the  plant  life  in  the  mountains  nearby.  Fred  Forster 
boils  it  down  to  quality  of  life.  Forster  is  president  and  CEO  of  the  Blount 
Partnership,  an  organization  composed  of  the  Blount  County  Chamber  of 
Commerce,  the  Smoky  Mountain  Convention  &  Visitors  Bureau,  the 
Chamber  Foundation  and  the  Economic  Development  Board. 

"The  quality  of  life  is  excellent  here,"  he  says.  "We  have  great  schools, 
great  infrastructure,  scenic  beauty  and  an  attractive  tax  structure." 

Enumerating  benefits  ranging  from  Maryville  College  to  the  county's 
proximity  to  America's  most-visited  national  park,  Forster  says  few  commu- 
nities have  as  much  potential  as  Blount  County. 


Right  here, 
Right  now 


j 


=i 


INCOME,  x 

HOUSEHOLDS 
AND  TAXES 

.verajje  household  inconie  - 
Mount  County:  $35,571 

verage  household  income  - 
Tennessee:  532,047 

Average  home  cost  -  SI  30,000 

Local  sales  tax  is  2.25  percent 

State  sales  tax  is  7  percent 
Total  sales  tax  is  9.25  percent 

Property  tax  rate  per  $100  of 

25  percent  of  assessment: 
Alcoa,  S2.15;  Maryville,  S2.10; 


BY  KAREN  BEATY  ELDRIDGE  '94 

Director  of  News  and  Public  Information 


FOCUS  I   SUMMER     2  00  3 


11 


SETTING  THE  STANDARD 

In  the  July  27,  2000  issue  of  Metro  Pulse, 
writer  Jack  Neely  tried  to  answer  the  ques- 
tion "What  makes  Knoxville's  little  sister  so 
darn  sassy?"  in  the  alternative  newspaper's 
feature  story. 

"Knoxville  has  always  regarded  Maryville 
as  a  surly  adolescent  regards  his  goody- 
goody  little  sister.  He  studiously  ignores 
her  until  she  outperforms  him  on  a  math 
test,"  Neely  wrote.  "Maryville  has  been 
outperforming  Knoxville  on  several  scores 
recently,  especially  in  public  education.  ..." 

Three  years  after  Neely's  article,  the 
county  maintains  its  clout  in  academic  cir- 


In  2001,  the  Where  to  Retire  magazine 
included  Maryville  in  its  listing  of  10  best 
"safe  havens  for  retirement,"  citing  educa- 
tion, safety,  recreation  and  economy  as 
determining  factors. 

BEDROOM  COMMUNITY  OF 
KNOXVILLE 

Retirees  seem  to  like  Blount  County,  as  do 
couples  with  families  and  professionals  who 
work  in  nearby  Knoxville. 

According  to  statistics  from  the  2000 
census,  approximately  14,000  people  com- 
mute from  Blount  County  to  Knox  County 
every  workday.  Alcoa  Highway  was  long 


town  that  offers  so  much,"  she  says. 

Foothills  Mall  is  anchored  by  three  major 
department  stores,  among  other  retail 
shops.  With  the  passage  of  liquor-by-the- 
drink  by  the  Maryville  City  Council  in 
1996,  the  construction  of  dining  establish- 
ments took  off.  Today,  restaurant  selections 
range  from  national  chains  to  mom-and- 
pop  eateries  offering  everything  from 
Southern  dishes  like  catfish  and  barbeque  to 
more  exotic  Thai  foods.  In  the  last  six 
years,  Alcoa  has  seen  the  construction  of 
five  new  hotels  and  motels,  thanks  mosdy 
to  increased  tourism  (approximately  two 
million  people  are  believed  to  pass  through 


i. 


JtK§| 


Roughly  nine  miles  of  paved  paths  connect  Alcoa  and  Blount  County 
in  what  residents  call  "the  Greenbelt."  Bicentennial  Greenbelt  Park 
in  Maryville  (above)  is  a  popular  place  to  walk,  run,  bicycle  or  just 

enjoy  the  scenery.  Overlooking  the  park  is  the  new  %14-million 
Blount  County  Public  Library  (right),  which  opened  in  May  2002. 


cles.  Education  is  a  serious  matter  for  the 
governmental  bodies  that  support  the 
three  separate  school  systems:  Alcoa  City, 
Blount  County,  and  Maryville  City. 

No  comparison  of  school  performance  is 
complete  wiriiout  mention  of  the  Ten- 
nessee Comprehensive  Assessment  Pro- 
gram (TCAP).  For  Maryville  city  schools, 
TCAP  scores  have  been  in  the  top  eight  of 
the  state's  139  school  systems  every  year 
since  1989.  Scores  in  the  categories  of 
reading,  language,  math,  science  and  social 
studies  ranked  the  highest  in  die  state  in  at 
least  three  of  die  grades  tested. 

Annual  per-pupil  spending  in  the  three 
systems  is  high,  as  compared  widi  other 
public  schools  in  Tennessee.  Likewise, 
teacher  pay  in  the  local  public  school  sys- 
tems ranks  among  the  highest  in  the  state. 

The  accolades  may  begin  in  the  school- 
yards, but  they  certainly  don't  end  there. 

Nationwide,  eyes  began  turning  to  Blount 
County  when  Maryville  made  Your  Money 
magazine's  listing  the  top  12  desirable  places 
to  live  in  1999.  That  same  year,  the  "Top 
10"  television  show  on  the  A&E  Network 
proclaimed  Maryville  as  a  city  that  "has  it  all." 


the  preferred  route  to  Knoxville's  interstate 
arteries,  but  the  1994  completion  of  Pellis- 
sippi  Parkway  (U.S.  1-140),  which  extends 
north  from  Alcoa  to  Oak  Ridge,  puts  west 
Knoxville  less  than  20  minutes  away. 

Whether  or  not  Blount  County  is  an 
"upscale  bedroom  community,"  as  it  is 
sometimes  described,  is  a  matter  of  inter- 
pretation, says  Blount  County'  Planner  John 
Lamb.  The  planner  does  concede,  however, 
diat  property  and  homes  usually  drive  good 
prices  within  the  city  of  Maryville  and  along 
Fort  Loudon  Lake. 

"Years  ago,  it  was  fairly  unusual  for  us  to 
write  a  building  permit  for  a  $300,000 
home,"  says  Garv  Henslev,  who  has  served 
Maryville  as  city  manager  for  25  years. 
"Today,  it's  not  all  that  uncommon  to 
write  one  in  the  Sl-million  range." 

The  high-achieving  school  systems  are 
the  reason  many  families  choose  Blount 
County,  but  they're  also  drawn  in  by  nice 
neighborhoods,  parks,  greenway  trails, 
churches,  shopping  malls,  dining  spots  and 
a  lot  less  traffic,  savs  Barbara  Everett,  a  real 
estate  agent  with  Realty  III  in  Maryville. 

"People  are  really  impressed  with  a  small 


JUNT COUNT 
TOP  10  EMPLOYERS  IN  2003 

.  Denso  Manufacturing  2,240 

2.  ALCOA,  Inc.  1,900 

3.  Blount  Memorial  Hospital  1,700 

' .  Blount  County  Schools  1,358 

5.  Clayton  Homes  860 

6.  Peninsula  Behavioral  Health  650 

'.  McGhee  Tyson  Air  National  Guard  560 

8.  Blount  County  Government  518 

9.  Staffing  Solutions  500 

.0.  Maryville  City  Schools  480 


25.  Maryville  College  230 


the  area  annually)  and  air  traffic  from 
nearby  McGhee  Tyson  Airport.  Closer  to 
the  mountains  are  award-winning  resorts, 
bed  and  breakfasts  and  inns. 

WORKING  TOGETHER 

Whether  it's  consistendy  meeting  a  $  1 .6 
million  United  Way  goal,  building  and 
connecting  nine  miles  of  greenway  trails 
(known  as  "the  Greenbelt")  or  working  to 
lure  international  businesses  to  the  area, 
people  of  Blount  County  understand  the 
value  of  teamwork  better  than  most  com- 
munities, Forster  says. 


/ 


12 


FOCUSISUMMER     2003 


"One  expectation  within  Blount  County 
is  that  you  cooperate.  I  see  it  among  gov- 
ernment leaders,  community  leaders  and 
the  citizenry,'"  he  explains.  "A  prime  exam- 
ple of  that  is  the  library." 

A  new,  95,000-square-foot  Blount 
County  Public  Library  opened  in  May 
2002.  Before  local  governmental  bodies 
committed  tax  dollars  to  the  $14-million 
project,  the  Foundation  for  the  Blount 
County  Public  Library  raised  $4  million  in 
gifts  and  pledges  from  individuals. 

Overlooking  the  Greenbelt  and  die 
banks  of  Pistol  Creek,  the  new  library  is 
located  within  the  city  limits  of  Maryville, 


than  $7  million  for  redevelopment  planning 
and  projects. 

Work  will  begin  soon  on  transforming 
seven  blocks  of  College  Street  into  a  pedes- 
trian-friendly corridor  that  stretches  from 
the  Maryville  College  campus  to  the  new 
library.  The  construction  includes  a  pedes- 
trian walkway  across  Pistol  Creek  (leading 
from  downtown  Maryville  to  the  new 
library)  and  a  small  amphitheatre  to  be  built 
on  the  creek  bank,  opposite  the  library. 
Funds  are  designated  for  major  streetscap- 
ing  and  landscaping,  new  sidewalks  and 
crosswalks  and  decorative  lighting  and 
benches  along  College  Street. 


Plans  for  Maryville's  downtown  redevelop- 
ment include  (clockwise,  from  right)  the 
restoration  of  several  existing  buildings,  a 
new  $20-million  municipal  building,  a 
pedestrian  bridge  connecting  downtown 
Maryville  to  the  new  library  and  a  pedes- 
trian-friendly corridor  that  extends  from  the 
Marjyvillc  College  campus  to  the  new  library. 


new  $20-million  Maryville  Municipal  Build- 
ing is  underway. 

"We  know  there  aren't  going  to  be  big 
returns  on  our  money  spent  [downtown] 
because  it's  a  small  downtown  area  and 
we're  not  going  to  have  any  huge  retail 
outlets  there.  We're  [revitalizing  down- 
town] out  of  a  sense  of  pride  and  tradition. 
It's  worth  saving,"  says  Hensley. 

THE  COLLEGE'S  PLACE 

Maryville  College's  role  in  the  county's 
growth  and  personality  is  undeniable. 
Approximately  1,400  residents  of  the 


.*    jtZTT 


Jr- 


Jm 


but  couldn't  sit  any  closer  to  Alcoa. 

According  to  Forster,  Blount  County  is  a 
"healthy  place,"  with  "hundreds  of  ways" 
residents  can  contribute.  Back  in  2000, 
Forster  co-chaired  a  regional  visioning  and 
planning  process  entitled  "Nine  Counties. 
One  Vision."  The  project,  believed  to  be 
the  largest  of  its  kind  in  the  United  States, 
gathered  nearly  9,000  ideas  from  4,000  resi- 
dents in  Blount,  Knox,  Anderson,  Grainger, 
Jefferson,  Roane,  Sevier  and  Union  coun- 
ties. It  was  facilitated  by  Gianni  Longo  of 
American  Communities  Partnership,  which 
led  similar  efforts  in  Chattanooga,  Birming- 
ham and  New  Haven,  Conn. 

RESURRECTING  DOWNTOWN 

One  of  the  emphases  suggested  by  "Nine 
Counties.  One  Vision."  planning  is  down- 
town redevelopment  within  the  communi- 
ties. Like  countless  downtowns  in  the 
country,  many  of  Maryville's  oldest  build- 
ings stood  vacant  in  the  1970s,  1980s  and 
1990s  due  to  urban  sprawl. 

With  funds  from  a  large  federal  appropria- 
tion grant  and  two  Tennessee  Department  of 
Transportation  (TDOT)  Enhancement 
Grants,  Marseille's  downtown  has  more 


FACTS 

ryville  24,727 

Alcoa  7,410 

Friendsville  1,01 

Louisville  1,490 

Rockford  789 

Ibwnsend  457 


\ 


The  investment,  according  to  Hensley, 
should  attract  people  to  downtown  around 
the  clock.  "We  want  to  create  synergy 
between  the  College  and  downtown  on  one 
end,  and  downtown  and  the  new  library  on 
the  other  end,"  he  explains.  "We  believe  die 
corridor  will  promote  private  development  to 
give  the  college  kids  some  reasons  to  come 
downtown  again.  We  have  cafes  and  music 
there  now,  but  we'd  like  to  build  on  diat." 

Already,  the  streets  that  crisscross  down- 
town Maryville  are  beginning  to  see  more 
foot  -  and  automobile  -  traffic.  First  Ten- 
nessee Bank  was  one  of  the  first  businesses 
to  make  improvements  to  a  downtown 
structure,  and  Ruby  Tuesday  Inc.  built  a 
43,000-square  foot  facility  on  Church 
Street,  moving  the  restaurant's  worldwide 
headquarters  downtown  in  1998.  Small 
restaurants  soon  moved  in  to  accommo- 
date the  lunch  crowds. 

The  Palace  Theatre  was  restored  and 
reopened  to  the  community  in  1999,  giving 
people  a  reason  to  head  downtown  after 
dark  (see  story  page  18).  Furdier  down  the 
street  from  the  Palace,  construction  on  a 


county  are  alumni  of  the  College,  but  27 
percent  of  Maryville  residents  report  hav- 
ing at  least  a  bachelor's  degree.  That's 
about  three  percent  higher  than  the 
national  average. 

"The  town  is  fairly  affluent  and  fairly 
well-educated,"  Hensley  says.  "The  College 
is  one  of  the  reasons  Maryville  is  more 
highly  educated  riian  most  communities  in 
Tennessee ....  We're  somewhat  cosmopoli- 
tan here  in  die  middle  of  Appalachia,  and 
that's  due  to  Maryville  College  and  also  the 
[ALCOA]  aluminum  company.  Both  have 
brought  -  and  continue  to  bring  in  -  peo- 
ple from  all  over  the  country." 

Citing  the  cultural  and  educational  expe- 
riences and  die  intellectual  capital  that  the 
College  provides  residents  of  Blount 
County,  Forster  predicts  that  Maryville 
College  will  continue  to  play  a  vital  role  in 
the  area's  future.  "With  Maryville  College 
in  the  center  of  this  community,  it  serves  as 
a  constant  reminder  that  education  is 
important,"  he  said.  09 

Website  resources:  \vww.nineeountiesone\'ision.org; 
www.blountchamber.com;  www.ci.maryville.tn.us; 
www.smokymountains.org. 


FOCUS      SUMMER     2  0  0  3 


13 


FOR  THOSE   UNSURE  as  to  how  a 
Maryville  College  student  might 
spend  a  summer  break,  ask  MC  jun- 
ior Michael  Howard.  The  Cincinnati  native 
puts  in  a  40-hour  workweek  as  a  medical 
office  assistant  in  Maryville. 

But  his  is  no  normal  summer  job.  Howard 
is  one  of  several  MC  students  from  across 
die  country  and  even  the  world  spending 
his  summer  in  volunteer  sendee  to  the  peo- 
ple of  Blount  County. 

A  dedication  to  the  local  community  is 
perhaps  the  oldest  Maryville  College  tradi- 
tion, traceable  to  founder  Isaac  Anderson's 
desire  to  provide  qualified  ministers  and 
teachers  for  die  people  of  East  Tennessee. 
And  this  local  commitment  is  reflected  in 
the  current  MC  mission  statement,  which 
concludes  with  the  assertion  that  the  Col- 
lege prepares  students  for  lives  of  "service 
to  the  peoples  of  the  world." 

A  TRADITION  OF  "DOING  GOOD" 

"Maryville  is  steeped  in  traditions  of  serv- 
ice," states  Jennifer  Cummings  West  '95. 

She  would  know.  As  the  College's  direc- 
tor of  volunteer  services,  West  sees  the 
impact  of  this  "MC  tradition"  played  out 
every  day  in  the  number  of  volunteering 
students  with  whom  she  works. 

West  conservatively  estimates  that,  during 
the  academic  year,  one-fourth  of  the  student 
body  is  regularly  involved  in  volunteer  serv- 
ice. However,  she  notes  that  these  numbers 
only  reflect  the  number  of  students  who  par- 
ticipate in  organized  programs  like  Bonner 
Scholars  and  Bradford  Scholars,  where  stu- 
dents are  asked  to  volunteer  a  minimum 
number  of  hours  each  week  at  an  agency  or 
charitable  organization  in  exchange  for  schol- 
arship dollars.  The  "real"  number,  reflect- 
ing regular  and  one-time  volunteer  efforts, 
she  says,  is  perhaps  as  high  as  75  percent. 

Alumni  experiences  would  seem  to  con- 
firm both  the  validity  of  these  numbers  and 
the  significant  role  that  service  plays  in  the 
Maryville  College  experience. 

"It  is  always  wonderful  to  meet  alumni 
and  hear  their  stories  of  service  both  in  col- 
lege and  during  the  years  after  MC,"  West 
says.  "At  homecoming  last  year,  an  alum 
said  of  his  Maryville  education,  'They 
taught  us  the  difference  between  doing 
well  and  doing  good.'" 

Understanding  this  distinction,  accord- 
ing to  West,  is  one  of  the  most  valuable 
lessons  that  service  to  others  teaches. 

JUST  UP  THE  ROAD 

To  see  this  commitment  to  community 
involvement  in  action,  one  need  look  no 


MC  students 

cdo  good'  in 

Blount  County 

By  David  Rasnake,  Class  of  2005 

COMMUNICATIONS  ASSISTANT  rf^ 


MC  student  and  Bonner  Scholar 

Michael  Howard  assists  in  the  Good 

Samaritan  Clinic's  dental  office. 


Number  of  volunteer  hours 
donated  by  MC  students,  as 
reported  in  2002-2003:  36,  340 


further  than  just  up  the  road 
from  the  College  campus. 

Founded  six  years  ago  with 
the  aim  of  providing  medical 
assistance  to  uninsured  individ 
uals  in  Blount  County,  the 
Good  Samaritan  Clinic  also 
provides  an  opportunity  for 
many  dedicated  student  volun 
teers  to  gain  valuable  experience  in  medical 
fields  while  giving  back  to  the  community. 

A  typical  day  for  volunteers  usually 
involves  tasks  ranging  from  filing  charts 
and  answering  phones  to  assisting  at  Good 
Samaritan's  dental  clinic.  Through  this 
partnership,  students  witii  career  interests 
in  medicine  or  non-profit  leadership  gain 
valuable,  "real  world"  experience.  Addi- 
tionally, the  clinic  has  welcomed  and 
encouraged  the  creativity  that  these  top 
students  bring  to  their  work. 

For  example,  Chelsea  Kissinger,  a  rising 
junior,  saw  an  opportunity  to  put  her  bio- 
chemistry major  and  her  interest  in  medical 
research  to  practical  use.  The  Knoxvillian 
developed  a  system  to  keep  track  of  the 
nearly  150  patients  with  cardiovascular 
problems  that  the  clinic  has  treated. 

The  innovativeness  of  these  MC  volun- 
teers and  their  willingness  to  do  whatever  is 
asked  of  them  earns  them  praise  from  clinic 
director  and  College  alumna  Julia  Wick- 
strand  Pearce  '82. 

"I  don't  know  what  [the  Clinic]  would 
do  without  them,"  she  says.  "It  would  be  a 
different  kind  of  day." 


DIVERSE  PROGRAMS 

The  Good  Samaritan  Clinic  is  one  of  the 
many  diverse  opportunities  for  MC  stu- 
dents to  serve  the  local  community.  Stu- 
dent Vishal  Punamiya,  for  example,  is 
putting  his  skills  in  business  and  leadership 
to  work  as  a  volunteer  assistant  with  Keep 
Blount  Beautiful,  a  non-profit  environmen- 
tal organization.  Through  countless  hours 
of  community  service,  Punamiya,  a  native 
of  India,  is  making  Blount  County  a 
cleaner  place. 

In  the  words  of  Keep  Blount  Beautiful 
coordinator  Kristi  Kell  Falco  '01, 
Punamiya  has  been  "a  lifesaver,"  organizing 
meetings  and  community  events  to  promote 
awareness  about  local  environmental  issues. 
Notably,  Punamiya  recently  helped  organize 
the  Landfill  Learning  Center,  where  he  led 
classes  on  waste  manage- 
ment for  more  than  800 
local  schoolchildren. 

Other  students  have 
found  opportunities  to 
serve  their  community 
building  houses  with 
Habitat  for  Humanity, 
tutoring  in  the  Adult 
Basic  Education  program 
and  working  with  area 
Boys  and  Girls  Clubs. 

West,  who  assists  stu- 
dents in  arranging  many 
of  these  placements, 
believes  that  volunteer  service  benefits 
recipient  and  volunteer  equally.  "I  always 
encourage  students  to  look  for  placements 
that  link  to  their  field  of  study  or  potential 
vocation,"  she  says.  Encouraging  students 
to  do  volunteer  work  in  a  field  about 
which  they  are  passionate  explains  the 
incredible  diversity  of  programs  in  which 
students  work. 

"For  some  students,  this  means  [volunteer- 
ing at]  a  healthcare  agency.  For  others  it 
means  working  widi  children  and  adults  in 
educational  programs,"  notes  West,  reflect- 
ing the  diversity  of  interests  within  the  stu- 
dent body.  "Other  students  feel  called  to 
work  alongside  folks  who  struggle  with  over- 
coming mental,  physical,  and  emotional  chal- 
lenges. Still  others  work  at  non-profit  agencies 
on  environmental  and  social  justice  issues." 
She  adds  that  "reaching  out"  has  an  enor- 
mous impact  on  students'  personal  and  pro- 
fessional lives.  Many  undergraduates  have 
changed  their  majors  as  a  result  of  experi- 
ences during  volunteer  work,  answering  the 
call  of  medicine  or  law  or  education  while 
working  at  various  agencies  -  answering  the 
call  to  "do  good"  locally  and  beyond.  09 


A  sample  of  where  MC  students 
volunteer  in  Blount  County: 

Adult  Basic  Education  Center 

Blount  County  Justice  Center 

Boys  and  Girls  Clubs 

Cades  Cove  oral  history  project 

Habitat  for  Humanity 

Haven  House 

Good  Samaritan  Clinic 

Keep  Blount  Beautiful 

United  Way 

YMCA  and  YWCA 


14 


FOCUS      SUMMER    2  0  0  3 


John  and  Katy  Fleer's  home  on  Indiana  Avenue  (left) 

is  one  of  several  College  Hill  homes  restored  in  recent  years. 

(Above)  Maryville  College  Associate  Professor  of  Spanish 

Dr.  Elizabeth  Perez-Reilly  enjoys  working  in  the  English-style 

garden  that  gives  her  side  yard  color,  blooms  and  birds. 


v  rm  i  vrv  uti  i 

I  liUliLijVJJj  JLlIiii 


v. 


This  first  subdivision  of  Blount  County  is  enjoying  a  second  heyday. 


BY  KAREN  BEATY  ELDRIDGE  '94 


/ 


E 


Chad  and  Lisa  Berry's  house  on  Goddard  Street 

was  known  as  the  "Ribble  House" prior  to  their 

purchase  of  it  in  1995. 


ven  without  the  red,  white  and  blue 
flags  waving  from  wide,  breezy  porches, 
the  neighborhood  whispers  "•Americana.''' 
Tree-lined  streets.  Large,  beautiful  houses.  Kept 
lawns.  Neat  gardens.  White  picket  fences. 

Its  name  might  suggest  look-but-do-not-touch, 
but  the  College  Hill  Historic  District  isn't  just  for 
show.  It's  for  living.  Ask  any  of  the  10  MC  faculty 
and  staff  or  dozens  of  alumni  who  call  it  home. 


FOCUS      SUMMER     2  0  0  3 


15 


While  the  neighborhood's  location  is  ideal  to  mami  folks,  it's  what 


LIFE  WITHIN  WALKING  DISTANCE 

The  College  Hill  neighborhood,  just  adja- 
cent the  College,  has  long  been  the  address 
for  many  MC  employees.  Even  today, 
houses  are  known  by  the  names  of  those 
faculty  and  staff  who  inhabited  them  for 
years:  The  Orr  House,  the  McMurray 
House,  the  Honaker  House. 

"I  live  in  the  [Bill]  Ribble  House," 
explains  Chad  Berry,  Maryville  College 
associate  professor  of  history.  "I  suspect  the 
day  we  move  out,  it  will  be  called  the 
'Berry  House.'" 

Direcdy  behind  Berry,  Elizabeth  Perez- 
Reilly,  the  College's  associate  professor  of 
Spanish,  lives  in  the  Toole  House,  so  named 
for  the  first  family  to  move  in  (in  1925). 

Although  the  Tooles  weren't  direcdy 
connected  to  the  College,  several  of  the 
home's  later  inhabitants  were.  Perez-Reilly 
often  hears  from  former  students  who  lived 
in  the  home  on  North  Clark  Street  when  it 
was  a  multi-family  unit,  before  Robert 
Greeney,  a  physics  professor  at  the  College, 
purchased  it  and  converted  it  back  into  a 
single-family  residence. 

After  home  inspectors  determined  that 
the  foundation  was  structurally  sound, 
Perez-Reilly  and  her  husband  purchased 
the  craftsman-style  house  from  Greeney  in 
the  early  1990s.  She  loved  the  neighbor- 
hood right  away,  as  it  reminded  her  of  the 
neighborhood  in  which  she  grew  up  in 
Youngstown,  Ohio.  Since  her  purchase,  she 
has  re-plastered,  repainted  and  repapered, 
sanded  the  floors  and  replaced  the  heating 
and  cooling  system.  And  cleaned. 

"Old  houses  are  dirt  traps,"  she  admits. 
"There's  no  easy  way  to  keep  them  clean." 


Randy  and  Lynne  Hurst's  home  on  the  corner  of  Court  Street 
and  Goddard  Avenue  features  Victorian-styled  architecture. 


She  would  like  to  have  tilt-in  win- 
dows for  easier  washing,  and  walk-in 
closets  would  be  nice,  but  the  incon- 
veniences of  an  old  house  are  small 
compared  to  what  she  has:  a  home  she 
loves  in  a  great  community  just  yards 
from  her  office  and  classrooms  in 
Anderson  Hall. 

"I  can  walk  to  work  in  five  minutes,' 
she  says,  pointing  to  an  abandoned  rail 
way  passage  just  steps  from  her  back- 
door. "And  I  used  to  do  that  all  the 
time,  but  50  pounds  of  books  gets 
heavy,  so  now  I  drive  to  campus  more. 
Actually,  it  takes  me  longer  to  drive 
there  and  find  a  place  to  park  [than  it 
does  to  walk]." 

The  professor  can  walk  just  about 
everywhere  else:  the  bank,  grocery 
store,  fitness  club,  church,  restaurants 
and  shops  in  downtown  Maryville. 
Additionally,  the  Greenbelt  walking 
paths  are  a  couple  of  streets 
down  College  Hill. 

Students  are  frequent  visitors 
to  her  home,  she  says,  invited 
for  meals  or  special  events.  It's 
the  same  for  Berry  and  other 
faculty  and  staff  who  live  nearby- 
While  the  neighborhood's 
location  is  ideal  to  many  folks, 
it's  what  happens  inside  the  his- 
toric district  that  makes  people 
want  to  stay.  Perez-Reilly 
doubts  she'll  ever  move. 

"The  people  are  so  friendly, 
and  there's  a  good  variety  of 
neighbors,"  she  says,  pointing  in 
the  directions  of  homes  owned  by  retired 
couples,  African  Americans, 
families  with  children,  eld- 
erly people.  "It's  becoming 
quite  a  diverse  type  of  com- 
munity. It's  just  great." 
Perez-Reilly  has  been 
involved  in  the  Historic 
College  Hill  Neighborhood 
Association  (HCHNA), 
which  was  established  in 
1992  and  revitalized  in 
1999.  It  sponsors  get- 
togethers  that  welcome  and 
introduce  new  people,  edu- 
cate residents  on  subjects 
ranging  from  cooking  to 


(Clockwise,  from  right)  Tree-lined 
lanes,  pedestrian-friendly  sidewalks 
and  a  nice  blending  of  architecture 

are  characteristics  of  College  Hill. 

Flower  boxes  and  picket  fences  are 
common  sights  along  Miller  Avenue. 

MC  professors  Dr.  Horace  E.  Orr 

and  Dr.  Dorothy  Horn  each  owned 
this  house  on  Indiana  Avenue;  today, 
Tom  and  Virginia 

Weitnauer  are 

the  proud  own- 
ers. Bungalows 
like  the  one 

owned  by  Tom 

Evans  '59  are 

typical  of  houses 

built  in  the 
neighborhood  after 


antiques,  and  offers  forums  for  discussing 
issues  that  affect  the  area. 

Since  2001,  the  association  has  spon- 
sored a  spring  tour  of  historic  homes, 
opening  four  or  five  private  residences  for 
public  viewing.  It's  an  event  that  people 
both  inside  and  outside  the  neighborhood 
are  beginning  to  look  forward  to. 

PROACTIVE  PRESERVATION 

"With  these  planned  communities  like  Sea- 
side and  Celebration  [Fla.],  people  are  try- 
ing to  duplicate  what  we  have  here,"  says 
Berry.  "It's  flattering,  but  humorous  at  the 
same  time." 

Arguably,  College  Hill  has  always  been 
neighborly.  Comprised  of  approximately 


16 


FOCUS  I  SUMMER     2  003 


happens  inside  the  historic  district  that  makes  people  want  to  stay. 


M,,Mi|i|i|ni| 


175  lots  and  80  residences,  the  district  is 
bounded  on  the  north  and  south  by  Court 
Street  and  Cates  Street  and  on  the  east  and 
west  by  Goddard  Avenue  and  Wilson 
Avenue.  (The  Oak  Park  Historic  District  is 
located  west  of  College  Hill.)  The  houses 
are  relatively  close  together,  and  it's  likely 
that  the  sidewalks  have  always  encouraged 
pedestrian  traffic  among  neighbors.  The 
size  and  position  of  the  verandas  suggest 
that,  before  the  advent  of  air-conditioning, 
covered  porches  were  the  preferred  spots 
for  relaxation  and  entertainment  during 
warm  East  Tennessee  weather. 

The  neighborhood  began  taking  shape 
in  the  1880s,  when  prominent  citizens 
began  building  Queen  Anne-  and  Victo- 
rian-styled homes  along  Indiana  Avenue. 

In  the  next  50  years,  houses  in  the  bun- 
galow and  craftsman  style  sprung  up  on 
both  sides  of  Indiana. 

According  to  Berry,  this  first  subdivision 
of  the  county  and  other  older  neighbor- 


hoods around  the  College  expe- 
rienced pockets  of  urban  blight 
and  exodus  in  the  1960s  and 
1970s.  Some  majestic  homes 
were  turned  into  multi-family 
rental  properties,  and  a  few  own- 
ers were  "re-muddling,"  (exten- 
sively altering  the  exterior  and 
interiors  of  their  homes),  and 
not  remodeling  with  respect  to 
the  history  and  original  architec- 
ture of  the  structures. 

A  few  residents  came  together 
in  the  1980s  to  prepare  nomina- 
tions for  the  National  Register 
of  Historic  Places.  In  1989,  the 
community  was  officially  recognized  as 
the  Indiana  Avenue  Historic  District. 
But  by  the  time  Berry  and  his  wife 
moved  to  Maryville  and  into  the  Ribble 
House  in  1995,  a  portion  of  the  neigh- 
borhood was  in  danger  of  being  zoned 
commercial,  and  there  was  talk  of 
widening  Montvale  Road,  which  bor- 
ders College  Hill  to  the  south. 

Berry  says  that  as  a  historian,  he  was 
alarmed.  "Many  private  homes  were 
listed  on  the  [National]  Register,  but 
that  distinction  carries  no  weight,  no 
protection,"  he  explains.  "The  neighbor- 
hood needed  some  consciousness  raising 
...  I  stirred  the  pot.  I  was  appointed  to 
the  city's  Historic  Zoning  Commission." 

With  a  historic  zoning  overlay  on  top  of 
existing  zoning  regulations,  the  Historic 
Zoning  Commission  offers  some  control 


and  some  protection  of  the  historical  struc- 
tures. For  example,  exterior  additions  and 
modifications  to  homes  inside  the  district 
have  to  be  approved  by  the  commission. 
HCHNA  helps  support  the  commis- 
sion's efforts;  Berry  is  quick  to  say  that  the 
neighborhood  association  is  not  a  "snotty 
plutocracy,"  but  one  that  welcomes  new- 
comers and  reaches  out,  improving  the 
quality  of  life  for  residents.  Home  values 
are  improving,  as  well.  "With  historic  zon- 
ing, it  takes  about  20  or  30  years  to  see  the 
full  benefits,"  Berry  explains,  "[College 
Hill]  is  already  a  neat  place  to  live,  but  it's 
only  going  to  get  better." 

THE  COLLEGE  OF  COLLEGE  HILL 

Black-and-white  street  signs  that  welcome 
drivers  into  College  Hill  feature  the  his- 
toric district's  logo,  which  includes  the 
Anderson  Hall  tower. 

It's  conceivable  that  without  die  Col- 
lege, there  might  not  have  been  an  Indiana 
Avenue,  a  Boardman  Avenue  or  a  Wilson 
Avenue.  It's  also  conceivable  that  recent 
historical  preservation  in  the  shady  lanes 
across  Court  Street  might  not  have  taken 
off  without  the  College's  investment  in  its 
own  old  buildings. 

"The  College  is  looking  at  protecting  its 
historical  integrity,  looking  to  protect  its 
past,"  Berry  said,  "so  it's  a  good  thing  for 
both  the  College  and  the  neighborhood  to 
cooperate."  BB 

For  more  information,  visit  wwivMountweb. 
com/collegehill. 


Dr.  Bob  Proffitt  '51  purchased  the  bouse  at  400  Indiana  Avenue  in  1972. 

Dr.  Samuel  T.  Wilson  lived  in  it  prior  to  and  following  his  years  as  Maryville 

College's  fifth  president  and  named  it  "Casa  Blanca." 


FOCUS  ISUJIMER     2  0  0  3 


17 


(Left)  After  years  of 
vacancy,  the  Palace 
Tljcatre  reopened  as  a 
venue  for  live  music  in 
1999.  (Below)  Donna 
Dixon  '89  sits  in 
fl'ont  of  the  mural  of 
Maryville  painted  by 
classmate  Julie  Costner 
in  the  Palace  Cafe. 


Donna  Dixon  '89  hums  off  key.  She 
can't  play  a  musical  instrument,  and 
she's  uncomfortable  in  the  kitchen. 
Ask  her  to  brew  an  espresso,  and  she  might 
try  and  talk  you  into  a  plain  cup  o'  joe. 

Life  takes  strange  turns.  You  don't  have 
to  tell  this  exercise  science  major  that. 

Neither  do  you  have  to  tell  her  that  you 
can  love  a  place  without  being  born  there. 
Dixon's  family  roots  barely  burrow  the 
surface  of  East-Tennessee  topsoil,  but  as 
co-owner  and  operator  of  the  Palace  The- 
ater and  Espresso  Bar  and  the  Palace  Cafe, 
she  is  committed  to  building  Blount 
County's  future  and  preserving  its  past. 

WORTH  SAVING 

"I'm  proud  to  say  that  we  have  been  a  cat- 
alyst for  bringing  people  downtown  again," 
says  Dixon.  "When  I  was  a  student  at 
Maryville,  I  lived  off  of  Stanley  and  Clark 
streets.  I  think  the  only  reason  I  came  down- 
town then  was  the  curbside  farmer's  market." 

Today,  downtown  Maryville  looks  a  lot 
different  to  Dixon.  What  was  a  closed-up 
storefront  downtown  just  five  years  ago  is 
becoming  a  more  desirable  place  to  work, 
shop,  eat  and  live. 

Dixon  and  husband  Steve  Kaufman 


A  Main  Attraction 

Dixon  draws  them  back  into  history, 
back  into  downtown 


By  Karen  Beaty  Eldridge  '94 


bought  the  building  at  1 1 3  West  Broadway 
in  1998  with  the  dream  to  turn  it  into  a 
venue  for  live  music,  movies,  plays  and  other 
entertainment.  The  structure  dates  back  to 
1868,  when  Carl  Pflanze  established  a  furni- 
ture- and  casket-making  business.  In  its  135- 
year  existence,  the  building  has  seen  two 
fires  and  two  mone  theaters  and  has  housed 
a  funeral  parlor,  a  five  &  dime,  a  drugstore, 
a  carpet  business  and  a  dollar  store. 

The  building  sat  vacant  for  many  years 
but  was  most  recently  a  movie  theater, 
restored  in  the  mid-1970s  to  look  like  it 
did  in  1934,  when  scores  of  Blount  Coun- 
tians  bought  tickets  at  the  Palace  Theater 
to  see  Hollywood  legends  like  Clark  Gable 
and  the  Marx  Brothers  on  the  silver  screen. 
But  the  revival  was  short-lived;  code  viola- 
tions closed  it  in  the  mid  1980s. 

Purchasing  the  building  and  embarking 
on  a  major  restoration  project,  the  new 
owners  hired  historians,  consultants,  mas- 
ter craftsmen  and  contractors  to  replace  the 
212  seats,  wall  sconces,  roof,  carpet,  mar- 
quee and  film  projectors.  Adding  their  own 
blood,  sweat  and  tears,  the  newest  era  of 
the  Palace  Theater  began  in  1999,  when  its 
doors  were  reopened  to  the  public. 

LITTLE  HOUSE  WITH  THE  BIG  SHOWS 

Many  Maryville  College  students  from  the 
1970s  and  1980s  know  Steve  Kaufman  as 
the  entertainment  hired  for  Steak  Night  in 
Pearsons  Hall.  The  native  New  Yorker 
became  widely  known  in  1978,  when  he 
won  his  first  of  three  National  Flatpicking 
Championships. 

His  reputation  in  the  music  world  has 
translated  into  some  pretty  big  shows  for 
Maryville  and  the  Palace  Theater  stage  - 
featuring  Doc  Watson,  Tommy  Emmanuel, 
Norman  Blake,  Peter  Mayer,  Roy  Book 
Binder,  Scott  Miller.  Dixon  likes  to  point 
out  that  what  they  said  about  the  theater  in 
1934  is  still  true  -  the  Palace  is  "the  Little 
House  with  the  Big  Shows." 

Acoustic  concerts  are  usually  scheduled 
for  the  weekends,  while  weekdays  and 
weeknights  offer  everything  from  children's 
school  programs  to  vintage  mo\ies.  Dixon 


shares  the  history  and 
the  architecture  of  the 
Palace  with  school  groups 
and  shows  old  films  or  black- 
and-white  cartoons.  Puppet  shows  are 
offered  during  the  winter  months,  and 
InterAct  Children's  Theatre  for  the  Deaf 
regularly  performs  onstage. 

"We  want  to  provide  a  family  atmos- 
phere," Dixon  explained,  adding  that  no 
alcohol  is  sold  at  the  theater.  "Our  pricing 
is  affordable  for  families  because  we  want 
kids  to  experience  music.  We  need  to  pass 
that  tradition  down." 

OPEN  TO  OPPORTUNITY 

The  Palace  Cafe  is  located  below  the  Palace 
Theater  stage  on  the  backside  of  the  build- 
ing, facing  Harper  Avenue.  Just  like  the 
purchase  of  the  theater  itself,  Dixon  and 
Kaufman  saw  economic  and  history-lesson 
opportunities  in  leasing  the  space  for  a  deli. 

Sandwich  selections  include  the  McCam- 
mon-Ammon  Slam,  the  Cates  Street  Cor- 
don Bleu  and  the  MC  Smoke  Stack. 

The  walls  of  the  dining  room  are  lined 
with  historical  photos  and  memorabilia 
from  Blount  County.  Dixon  hired  Julie 
Costner  '89  to  paint  a  mural  along  one 
wall.  During  the  six-month  project,  Cost- 
ner blended  scenes  from  old  Maryville  with 
scenes  from  current  Maryville.  The  result  is 
a  beautiful,  thought-provoking  image 
revealing  how  the  town  appeared  years 
ago,  what  it  looks  like  today,  and  just 
maybe,  what  it  could  be. 

Easily,  the  mural  could  be  a  metaphor  for 
how  Dixon  sees  tire  potential  of  downtown. 
She  is  currently  helping  to  establish  a  down- 
town business  association  that  will  provide 
elected  officials  and  the  Blount  Partnership 
with  a  unified  voice  of  business  owners. 

"Steve  and  I  are  not  people  who  will 
vote  to  tear  something  down.  We  would 
rather  see  things  restored  and  looking  bet- 
ter," Dixon  explained.  "We're  glad  to  see 
that  happening  more  here  [in  Blount 
County].  ...  Restoring  the  Palace  began  the 
restoration  of  downtown.  Other  businesses 
have  seen  greater  potential.  We  had  faith 
that  this  would  be  something  good  -  good 
for  us,  yes,  but  good  for  our  community." 

For  more  information  visit  www.palace 
theater.com  and  www.flatpik.com.  JSB 


18 


FOCUS   I  S  U  M  M  E  R     2  0  0  3 


I  D  S  H  D  1 


'22  MEMORIAM:  Margaret 

McSpadden  Bevins,  on  March  20, 
in  North  Carolina,  following  a  stroke. 
She  was  a  retired  high  school  teacher. 
Daughter  Mary  Hofler,  who  reported 
the  news,  wrote  that  her  mother 
was  "102  years  young  and  enjoyed 
the  alumni  newsletter  and  all  cor- 
respondence from  the  College." 

'23  MEMORIAM:  Katyleen 

Alexander  Smith  on  March  20,  in 
Oneonta,  Ala.  She  was  a  long-time 
member  of  Grace  Presbyterian 
Church  in  Trussville,  Ala.  Her  death 
was  reported  to  the  College  by  dear 
friend  Sarah  Pledger  Fechter  '55. 

'29  MEMORIAMS:  Grace  Gamble, 

on  Dec.  8,  2002,  in  Maryville.  After 
earning  a  master's  degree  from 
Columbia  University,  she  taught  in 
Scotland,  Connecticut,  Ohio  and 
Tennessee.  Survivors  include  her 
sister,  Mary  Gamble  Waldo  '33, 
nieces  and  nephews,  including 
Douglas  Gamble  '68  and  Nancy 
Gamble  Bromley  '73. 

Virginia  Sting  Thomas  on  Feb.  26, 
in  Ohio.  A  professional  harpist,  she 
was  a  member  of  Worthington 
(Ohio)  Presbyterian  Church.  She  is 
survived  by  one  daughter,  one  son 
and  their  families. 

'30  MEMORIAM:  Mary  Katherine 

Cope  on  March  4,  in  Chattanooga, 
Tenn.  She  was  a  schoolteacher  for 
several  years  and  was  a  member 
of  Signal  Mountain  Presbyterian 
Church.  Survivors  include  her  two 
sons  and  their  families. 

'31  MEMORIAM:  Victor 

Defenderfer,  on  Dec.  21,  2002,  in 
Oak  Ridge.  He  was  a  former  high 
I     school  teacher  and  girls  basketball 
~     coach  in  Spring  City,  Tenn.  He 
I     retired  as  a  superintendent  at  the 
I     Y-12  plant  in  Oak  Ridge  in  1971. 

S      32  Rev.  Hubert  L.  Duncan  and 

1     wife  Ruth  are  living  in  Glendale, 
Calif.,  celebrating  67  years  of  mar- 
riage this  year. 

MEMORIAM:  Mignonne  Goyne 
Staley,  on  Dec.  6,  2002,  in  Maryville. 

I     She  was  a  longtime  and  active 


r 


MEMORIAM: 


CarSOn  Brewer,  '43,  noted  newspaper  columnist 
and  author,  died  on  January  16,  2003.  He  was  82. 

Brewer,  who  retired  from  his  work  as  a  columnist  with 
the  Knoxville  News-Sentinel  in  1985,  authored  several 
guidebooks  on  hiking  in  the  Great  Smoky  Mountains 
National  Park.  Brewer  also  wrote  extensively  about  local 
environmental  issues  and  continued  to  write  columns  until 
the  year  before  his  death. 

A  native  of  Hancock  County,  Tenn.,  Brewer  served  four 
years  in  the  Army  during  World  War  II  before  joining  the 
staff  of  the  News-Sentinel  in  1945.  During  his  40-year  stint 
with  the  paper,  Brewer's  journalism — particularly  his  cover- 
age of  environmental  issues — earned  him  several  accolades, 
and  he  received  a  special  citation  from  the  College  in  1976. 

A  memorial  service  for  Brewer  was  held  on  January  1 8 
at  the  Norris  Religious  Fellowship,  of  which  Brewer  was  a 
dedicated  member.  Carson  Brewer  is  survived  by  his  wife, 
Alberta  Brewer,  of  Knoxville,  a  son,  Carson  "Kit"  Brewer, 
and  a  grandson,  Coleman  Brewer,  both  of  Nashville. 


member  of  Broadway  United 
Methodist  Church  in  Maryville. 
Survivors  include  one  son,  one 
daughter  and  their  families. 

'33  MEMORIAM:  Robert  R. 

"Bob"  Crothers,  on  March  15,  in 
Laconia,  N.H.  A  graduate  of 
McCormick  Seminary,  he  served 
pastorates  in  New  York,  Illinois  and 
Kansas  before  working  as  associate 
general  secretary  for  the  United 
Presbyterian  Church's  Board  of 
National  Missions.  He  is  survived 
by  wife  Alice,  one  daughter,  three 
grandchildren  and  four  great- 
grandchildren. 

'34  MEMORIAMS:  Gladys  Coulter 

Bradley,  on  Dec.  12,  2002,  in 
Maryville.  She  was  a  retired  teacher 
in  Maryville  and  Blount  County.  She 
is  survived  by  her  daughter  and  son- 
in-law  Gail  Bradley  Hafner  '60  and 
Arthur  Hafner  '72  and  their  families. 
William  S.  Dunning  on  Feb.  5,  in 
Virginia.  He  was  a  retired  attorney 
living  in  Texas. 

'36  Estelle  Greene  Carhart  cel- 
ebrated her  90th  birthday  Aug.  25, 


2002,  with  her  five  children,  12 
grandchildren  and  more  than  100 
relatives  and  friends. 
MEMORIAM:  Ruth  Doty  Wheeler, 

in  May  2002.  She  was  a  retired 
school  teacher. 

'37  Beatrice  Wheeler  Peterson 

and  her  husband  have  moved  to 
Macon,  N.C.,  to  be  near  their 
daughter  and  son-in-law.  They  report 
the  health  and  happiness  of  their 
family,  including  two  grandchildren. 
MEMORIAM:  William  D.  Morgan, 
in  November  2002,  in  Medford, 
Ore.  He  spent  many  years  working 
with  Foote  Mineral  Company, 
even  establishing  the  company  in 
Brazil.  Survivors  include  wife  Joy, 
three  sons  and  one  grandson  and 
sister  Mary  Morgan  Rowan  '43. 

'38  Marian  Lodwick  Bauer  is 

engaged  in  volunteer  work  at  an 
independent  living  community  in 
Akron,  Ohio.  She  often  sees 
brother  Robert  Lodwick  '36,  who 
lives  in  Wooster.  The  late  William 
L.  Wood  has  had  a  stretch  of  U.S. 
421  in  North  Carolina  named  for 
him,  based  on  his  efforts  to  improve 


the  safety  of  the  road.  Widow 
Polly  Hudspeth  Wood  '40  alerted 
the  College  with  the  news. 
MEMORIAM:  Phyllis  Gessert  Plog, 
on  Oct.  27,  2002,  in  El  Paso,  Texas. 
She  is  survived  by  sister  Lisette 
Gessert  Pemberton  '45. 

'39  John  Magill  and  wife  Louise 
Wells  Magill  '41,  celebrated  their 
60th  wedding  anniversary  at  their 
Cape  Coral,  Fla.  home  in  the  sum- 
mer of  2002.  The  following  day, 
they  attended  the  wedding  of 
their  granddaughter. 

'40  MEMORIAMS:  Vernon  A. 

Clark,  on  Dec.  27,  2002.  He  was 
the  owner  and  president  of  Graphic 
Chemical  and  Ink  (Villa  Park,  III.)  for 
45  years.  He  also  served  as  a  dea- 
con and  an  elder  in  the  First  Presby- 
terian Church  in  Glen  Ellyn,  III.  He  is 
survived  by  his  children  and  in-laws 
Robert  '64  and  Sharon  Jones 
Clark  '63,  Dean  '68  and  Susan 
Clark,  and  Carolyn  Clark  White 
'71;  one  brother;  one  sister;  and 
several  grandchildren  and  great- 
grandchildren. Memorials  may  be 
made  to  the  Clark  Family  Endow- 


FOCUS      Sl'MMEl    2  0  0  3 


CLASS     NOTES 


ment  for  the  Arts  at  the  College. 
a  Lawrence  L.  "Larry"  Lowe,  Sr., 

on  Dec.  28,  2002,  in  Baltimore,  Md. 
He  worked  as  a  purchasing  agent 
for  ALCOA  and  was  a  member  of 
United  Methodist  Church  and  the 
Hixson  Masonic  Lodge.  Survivors 
include  one  son  and  daughter-in- 


MEMORIAM: 


James  Paul 
"Jim"  Lester,  '51, 

passed  away  on  April  21,  2003, 
after  an  extended  illness. 

Born  in  1929  Birmingham, 
Ala.,  Lester  came  to  Maryville 
College  after  completing  high 
school  in  1947. 
During  his  time  at 
the  College,  Lester 
was  a  renown  ath- 
lete and  served  as 
president  of  the 
Class  of  1951. 

After  his  gradua- 
tion from  the  College  in  1951, 
Lester  served  two  years  in  the 
Army  during  the  Korean  War 
before  returning  to  Birmingham. 
Lester  pursued  a  career  as  an 
independent  insurance  broker, 
but  he  remained  active  in  local 
and  regional  athletics,  serving  as 
president  of  the  Birmingham 
Football  Officials  Association. 

Among  his  important  contri- 
butions the  College  community, 
Lester  is  noted  for  having  con- 
ceived the  idea  for  the  College's 
athletic  Wall  of  Fame.  In  taking 
this  memorial  from  vision  to  real- 
ity, Lester  drafted  the  first  consti- 
tution for  the  Wall  of  Fame  and 
served  as  die  first  chairman  of  the 
Wall's  Selection  Committee. 

Services  for  Jim  Lester  were 
held  at  Birmingham's  Mountain 
Brook  Presbyterian  Church  on 
April  26,  2003.  Lester  is  survived 
by  his  wife,  Alice  Huddleston 
Lester,  '51,  of  Birmingham;  son 
James  Paul  Lester,  Jr.,  '75,  of 
Wichita,  Kan.;  daughter  Leigh 
Lester  Shipman,  of  Charlotte, 
N.C.;  and  five  grandchildren. 


law,  daughter  Marty  Lowe  Richesin 

'67  and  their  families. 

■  Edna  Russell  Smith  on  March  2. 
She  was  living  in  Harrisonburg,  Va. 

'41  Aline  Campbell  Moss  is  still 
busy  working  with  the  American 
Baptists  on  a  local,  state  and  national 
level.  She  also  keeps  busy  with  the 
library  scene  in  New  Jersey. 
MEMORIAMS:  Roland  W.  Tapp, 
on  Dec.  29,  2002,  in  Upland,  Pa.  He 
received  his  B.D.  degree  and  was 
an  instructor  in  Greek  and  Hebrew 
at  San  Francisco  Theological  Semi- 
nary. He  later  received  his  master's 
degree  in  psychology  and  education 
and  served  as  professor  of  philoso- 
phy and  religion  at  Centre  College 
in  Danville,  Ky.  He  published  "The 
Gospel  from  the  Mount,"  "The 
Beatitudes,"  and  "The  Apocalypse 
of  St.  John."  Survivors  include  wife 
Helen  Pratt  Tapp  '42,  two  sons, 
one  daughter,  three  granddaugh- 
ters, and  his  brother  and  sister. 

■  James  Robert  Watt,  on  Nov.  19, 
2002,  in  New  Jersey.  Following 
graduation  from  Princeton  Semi- 
nary, he  was  ordained  a  Presbyterian 
minister  and  served  pastorates  in 
New  Jersey  and  Pennsylvania,  as 
well  as  serving  as  a  U.S.  Navy  Chap- 
lain during  WWII.  Survivors  include 
wife  Elizabeth  Brimfield  Watt  '37, 
a  son,  a  daughter,  and  their  families. 

42  Dorothy  Buchanan  Henderson 

is  still  active  with  church  and  vol- 
unteer work  and  helps  take  care  of 
husband  Thomas  Henderson  '46. 
Elizabeth  Bryant  Phillips  enjoys 
life  in  Florida  and  preparing 
weekly  Bible  lessons. 

43  Cecil  O.  Eanes  and  wife 
Edith  recently  sold  their  home  in 
California  and  moved  to  the  Strat- 
ford House  Retirement  Home  in 
Danville,  Va.  Theodore  Pratt 
enjoyed  good  fellowship  and  MC 
nostalgia  with  Art  '43  and  Dottie 
Barber  Bushing  '42  at  the  North 
Carolina  mountain  hideaway  of 
Ted  '43  and  Cordelia  Dellinger 
Kidder  '44.  Mary  Knight  Schel- 
lenger  is  "perking  along"  at  age 
82,  teaching  English  to  Chinese 
residents  of  Pitman,  N.J. 
MEMORIAMS:  Elizabeth  Bryant 
Carey  on  July  4,  2002.  She  is  sur- 
vived by  husband  James  and  one 
daughter. 

Kathleen  Rainwater  Edwards, 
on  Feb.  27,  in  Knoxville,  Tenn. 


After  retiring  from  the  U.S.  Navy, 
she  taught  for  37  years  in  the  Blount 
County  School  System.  She  was  a 
member  of  Pecks  Memorial 
Methodist  Church.  Survivors  include 
a  sister  and  brother-in-law  and 
numerous  nieces  and  nephews. 
■  Frederick  Ray  Smith  on  Dec.  12, 
2002,  in  La  Plata,  Md.,  after  being 
struck  by  a  car.  He  was  a  research 
chemist  with  Avtex  Corp,  earning 
19  patents.  Survivors  include  his 
wife,  Muriel  Headrick  Smith  '50, 
one  son  and  five  daughters,  includ- 
ing Martha  Smith  Hornick  '69 
and  their  families;  and  two  sisters, 
including  Emily  Smith  Hoyer  '54. 

44  Sara  Cameron  Patterson 

lost  husband  James  to  cancer  on 
February  10.  She  lives  in  Clearwater, 
Fla. 

MEMORIAMS:  Leroy  Dillener,  on 
Feb.  26,  in  Warsaw,  N.Y.,  of  heart 
failure.  He  was  ordained  in  1947 
and  served  as  a  missionary  in  coal 
camps  in  West  Virginia  and  then  in 
India.  He  served  pastorates  in 
Pennsylvania,  Ohio  and  West  Vir- 
ginia. Survivors  include  wife  Helen 
Fisher  Dillener  '44,  a  son  and 
three  daughters,  brother  John  Dil- 
lener '48  and  two  sisters,  including 
Florence  Dillener  Massie  '48. 

Jane  Newland  Johnson  on  Jan. 
5,  2003  in  Easley,  S.C.,  of  lung  can- 
cer. She  was  a  nurse  in  a  number  of 
hospitals,  private  doctors'  offices, 
clinics,  and  individuals'  homes. 
Survivors  include  husband  Frank, 
one  son  and  his  family  and  sister. 
Margaret  Newland  Nish  '50. 

Sara  Jo  Boiling  Mazur,  on  April 
7,  in  Oak  Ridge,  Tenn.  She  served 
as  a  payroll  clerk  in  the  Manhattan 
Project  in  Oak  Ridge  before  work- 
ing as  a  bookkeeper  at  a  Memphis 
Army  base,  a  nursery  school 
teacher  in  Oak  Ridge,  and  an 
administrative  assistant  at  Paine 
Webber  in  Oak  Ridge.  She  is  sur- 
vived by  her  husband,  brothers,  a 
sister,  children  and  their  families. 

Bernard  Stern,  on  July  1,  2002. 
He  was  living  in  Phoenix,  Ariz. 

Samuel  M.  "Mack"  Wilson,  on 
Nov.  20,  2002,  in  Abington,  Pa.,  of 
heart  failure.  A  WWII  and  Korean 
War  veteran,  he  taught  general  and 
strategic  management  at  Temple's 
School  of  Business  for  more  than 
40  years.  He  also  served  as  chair- 
man of  the  management  depart- 
ment and  associate  dean  of  the 
School  of  Business  Administration. 


Among  his  numerous  achievements 
was  the  Stauffer  Award,  Temple's 
Outstanding  Professor  Award.  Sur- 
vivors include  wife  Lois  Graf  Wilson 
'45,  a  son,  two  granddaughters, 
a  brother  and  sister  Lucile  Wilson 
Cureton  '40. 

'45  Margaret  Caldwell  Smith, 
Anne  Kerr  Valentine,  and  Winnie 
Sommers  Hein,  all  enjoyed  a 
March  trip  to  Bellingraph  Gardens 
(Ala.)  and  an  annual  Spring  pil- 
grimage to  Natchez,  Miss. 

'46  MEMORIAM:  Nell  Louise 

Minear  Mitchell,  on  Oct.  8,  2002, 
in  Loveland,  Colo.  She  is  survived 
by  husband  Donald,  three  daugh- 
ters and  four  grandchildren. 

'47  MEMORIAM:  Kathryn  I. 

Dean,  on  Dec.  15,  2002,  in  White 
Pine,  Tenn.  She  was  a  retired 
school  teacher.  She  is  survived  by 
sister  Martha  Dean  Hall  '45  and 
brother  Walter  L.  Dean  '50. 

Jeanne  Heaps  Jackson,  on  Jan. 
1,  in  Maryland.  She  is  survived  by 
sister  Ruth  Burkins  Heaps  '50  and 
brother  Henry  W.  Heaps  '51 . 

Raymond  Swartzback,  on  Dec. 
14,  2002,  in  New  Marshfield,  Ohio. 
After  serving  in  WWII  and  earning 
a  Bronze  Star  and  a  Purple  Heart, 
he  served  38  years  in  ministry  at 
inner  city  churches  in  Cincinnati, 
Detroit,  Cleveland  and  New  York 
City.  He  also  served  at  Westmin- 
ster Presbyterian  Church  on  the 
College  of  Wooster  campus.  Sur- 
vivors include  wife  Martha  Jane 
Hays  Swartzback  '45,  three 
daughters  and  nine  grandchildren. 

'48  MEMORIAM:  Richard  "Dick" 

Scruggs,  on  Dec.  30,  2002,  in  Win- 
ston-Salem, N.C.,  of  Lewy  bodies. 
He  had  served  as  the  CEO  for  the 
Cittenden  Memorial  Hospital  in 
West  Memphis,  Ark.,  for  several 
years  and  was  the  president  of  the 
Arkansas  Hospital  Association  and 
the  Mid-West  Area  Health  Congress. 
Survivors  include  wife  Margaret 
Cross  Scruggs  '46,  a  brother,  three 
sons,  daughter  Ana  Scruggs  Tam- 
panna  '71  and  six  grandchildren. 

49  Mary  Mitchell  Gravely  has  a 

new  email  address:  mgravely@bell- 
south.net.  Max  Willocks  and 
Neysa  Ferguson  Willocks  '46  led 

a  group  of  14  people  in  a  medical/ 
evangelism  project  in  Western 


20 


FOCUSISUMMER     2003 


Kenya  that  was  able  to  treat  1 ,800 
people  in  their  clinics  over  10  days. 
Three  new  churches  were  started 
and  2,650  people  registered  deci- 
sions to  become  followers  of  Christ. 
Margaret  Brooks  Leisering  and 
husband  Alfred  celebrated  their 
50th  wedding  anniversary  in 
August  2002  with  their  children, 
Nancy  Leisering  Hayes  '81  and 
Jeff  Hayes  '83  and  other  family  at 
Fontana  Village.  Carolyn  Scruggs 
Crotinger  has  recently  moved  to 
Spring  House  Estates,  a  retirement 
community  in  Lower  Gwynedd,  Pa. 

'50  MEMORIAMS:  William  T. 
Brewer,  on  Aug.  20,  2002.  A  retired 
retail  storeowner,  he  was  living  in 
Loudon.Tenn.  Survivors  include  daugh- 
ter Millicent  Brewer  Brown  '78. 

Dolores  "Doe"  Green  de  Nagy, 
on  Dec.  1,  2002,  in  Hartford,  Conn. 
She  was  an  office  manager  for 
orthodontists.  Active  in  the  Repub- 
lican party,  several  charities  and 
service  organizations,  she  was  also 
active  at  Simsbury  United  Methodist 
Church.  She  is  survived  by  husband 
Donald  de  Nagy  '51,  three  children 
and  their  families,  a  sister,  and  sev- 
eral nieces  and  nephews. 
;.  Thomas  Eckert,  on  Nov.  30,  2002 
in  Chattanooga,  Tenn.  He  was  a 
veteran  of  the  U.S.  Navy  in  WWII,  a 
troop  leader  for  the  Boy  Scouts,  a 
member  of  Chattanooga  Little  The- 
atre and  a  member  of  the  Society  for 
the  Preservation  and  Encouragement 
of  Barber  Shop  Quartet  Singing  in 
America.  He  is  survived  by  a  son  and 
daughter  and  seven  grandchildren. 

'51  William  W.  Willingham  has 

just  begun  his  30th  year  of  teaching 
English  at  Fruitland  Baptist  Bible 
Institute  in  Hendersonville,  N.C. 
Xen  K.  Motsinger  traveled  to  the 
Dominican  Republic  on  a  mission 
trip  to  build  a  church. 
MEMORIAM:  Julia  Breen  Clark,  on 
Jan.  29,  in  Shepherdstown,  W.V.  After 
being  diagnosed  with  Alzheimer's 
Disease  in  1996,  she  became  an 
educator  about  Alzheimer's  Dis- 
ease, even  the  "Alzheimer's  poster 
girl"  for  Johns  Hopkins  Medical 
Center.  Survivors  include  husband 
Anderson  Clark,  daughter  Mary, 
and  many  friends. 

52  Charlie  Allen  was  recognized 
by  the  Nashville  Area  Association 
for  Young  Children  as  the  2003 
Children's  Champion  in  recognition 


for  his  work  with  Dream  Houses 
for  Children.  Richard  "Dick" 

Newman  has  written  a  new  book 
that  tells  the  narrative  story  of  Henry 
"Box"  Brown,  who  escaped  slavery 
in  the  pre-Civil  War  South  by  mailing 
himself  in  a  box  to  Philadelphia. 
The  book  was  reviewed  in  April  by 
the  New  York  Review  of  Books. 

'53  MEMORIAM:  William  B. 

Poovey,  on  July  11,  2002.  He  was 
a  retired  principal  of  Bibb  Elemen- 
tary in  Georgia.  He  is  survived  by 
wife  Marian  Rice  Poovey  '54  and 

two  children. 

54  Homer  Rickabaugh  received 
the  Louisville  Presbyterian  Theolog- 
ical Seminary  2003  Distinguished 
Alumnus  Award  in  March.  He  and 
wife  Natalie  recently  moved  to 
Statesville,  N.C,  to  be  closer  to 
family.  Kenneth  Tuck  was  honored 
with  the  first  Lifetime  Achievement 
Award  presented  by  the  Roanoke 
Valley  Academy  of  Medicine.  In 
January,  the  Virginia  General 
Assembly  passed  a  resolution  com- 
mending Tuck  on  the  achievement. 
MEMORIAM:  William  R.  Anderson, 
Jr.,  on  May  21 ,  in  Maryville.  He  was 
a  Korean  War  veteran  and  served  in 
the  U.S.  Navy  Pacific  Fleet.  A  graduate 
of  the  Louisiana  State  University 
School  of  Banking,  he  spent  40  years 
working  in  the  business,  retiring  as 
executive  senior  vice  president  of 
First  Tennessee  Bank.  He  was 
active  in  the  Maryville  First  United 
Methodist  Church,  the  American 
Legion,  the  Blount  County  Cham- 
ber of  Commerce,  the  Kiwanis 
Club  of  Maryville  and  the  United 
Way  of  Blount  County.  Anderson 


Robert  Shelton  '55 

was  honored  when  the 
chapel  of  Austin  (Texas) 
Presbyterian  Theological 
Seminary  was  named  for 
him.  He  served  as  professor 
and  dean  of  the  seminary 
and  recently  retired  as  its 
president. 


also  served  on  the  Maryville  Col- 
lege Alumni  Board  and  was  a  vol- 
unteer in  numerous  College 
Community  Campaigns.  He  is  sur- 
vived by  former  wife  Edwina 
Anderson,  two  sons,  one  daughter 
and  their  families;  one  sister,  one 
brother  and  two  sisters-in-law. 

55  Martha  Freeny  Cummings 

continues  to  live  in  her  motor  home 
in  a  campground  in  Adairsville,  Ga., 
and  welcomes  any  friends  travel- 
ing along  I-75  to  stop  by. 

56  Don  Adams  and  Grace 
Harrison  Adams  '55  are  enjoying 
retirement  in  Santa  Claus,  Ind. 
James  H.  Kennedy  is  still  working 
as  a  Presbyterian  minister  and  loving 
life  in  the  Florida  Keys  with  faithful 
friend,  'Molly,'  his  dog.  Marsha 
Williams  Kling,  husband  David  and 
sister  Constance  Hoyt  Williams  '65 
spent  most  of  September  2002 
traveling  in  the  Scottish  Highlands 
and  Ireland.  James  H.  Laster  per- 
formed in  a  four-week  run  of  "Mir- 
acle on  34th  Street"  in  December 
2002.  Wife  Madlon  Travis  Laster 

is  helping  Joy  Hayes  '52  edit  the 
Iran  Newsletter.  David  Williams 
and  Jean  Boyd  Williams  '57  are 
looking  forward  to  traveling,  as 
Jean  will  retire  from  teaching  math 
in  July  2003. 

MEMORIAM:  James  G.  Gardner, 
on  Feb.  9,  in  Portland,  Ore.  He  is  sur- 


CLASS     NOTES 


vived  by  his  wife,  son,  two  daughters 
and  other  family  members. 

58  Gerald  Platz  retired  in  Janu- 
ary 2003  after  more  than  40  years 
in  the  ministry  and  is  still  living  and 
active  in  the  Syracuse,  N.Y.  area. 
Donald  Vandenberg  recently 
published  "The  Transcendental 
Phases  of  Learning,"  in  Educa- 
tional Philosophy  and  Theory,  and 
"Phenomenology  and  Fundamen- 
tal Educational  Theory,"  in 
Phenomenology  World  Wide. 

59  Louise  Pratt  Bollman  retired 
as  reference  librarian  in  the  King 
County  Library  System  in  Washing- 
ton state.  She  and  husband  Jay 
Bollman  '58  have  moved  from  Seat- 
tle to  Tacoma,  Wash.,  putting  them 
closer  to  family.  They  make  yearly 
visits  to  Knoxville  to  visit  son  Eric 
Bollman  '88  and  his  family.  Judith 
Cummings  Kaiser  was  named  to 
the  2002  Who's  Who  Among 
America's  Teachers  and  was  a  Sus- 
sex County  (N.J.)  honoree  selected 
by  Patriots  Council  of  B.S.A.  Bill 
Pennock  has  recently  retired  from 
active  ministry  at  Covenant  Pres- 
byterian Church,  Bisbee,  Ariz. 
MEMORIAMS:  Vesta  Travis  Hill, 
on  March  20.  She  was  a  resident  of 
Southport,  N.C.  She  is  survived  by 
husband  Donald  Hill. 

■  Grace  Campbell  Lundry,  on  Feb. 
18,  in  Fredericksburg,  Va.,  of  breast 
cancer.  She  is  survived  by  husband 
Don,  three  children,  three  grand- 
children and  sister  Ruth  Campbell 
Chase  '61. 

60  Nancy  Smith  Wright  retired 
on  June  7,  2002,  after  serving  1 3  years 
as  an  academic  advisor  to  the  Col- 
lege of  Business  Administration  at 
the  University  of  Tennessee. 
MEMORIAMS:  George  Chapman, 
on  March  16,  2002. 

Susan  Fowell  Moody,  on  Dec.  9, 
2002,  in  Bedford,  Mass.,  of  acute 
monocytic  leukemia.  She  had 
recently  celebrated  the  birth  of  her 
fifth  grandchild. 

61  William  Crisp  was  recently 
appointed  to  the  board  of  direc- 
tors of  First  Central  Bank  in  Blount 
County.  Terry  Dick  Dykstra  is  mov- 
ing to  Kikuyu,  Kenya,  to  work  with 
Presbyterian  College  as  a  volun- 
teer in  mission.  She  retired  as  the 
executive  director  of  the  Baltimore 
Ronald  McDonald  House. 


FOCUS   Isi'MMER     2  0  0  3 


21 


CLASS     NOTES 


62  Jeanne  Wilson  Kruhm 

announces  that  she  and  her  husband 
are  moving  from  Fulton,  Md.,  to 
Durham,  N.C  Rebecca  Kinnamon 
Neff  has  a  new  email  address: 
rebeccahmc62@earthlink.  net.  Dr. 
Roger  Nooe  was  honored  with  the 
University  of  Tennessee's  NAA  Pub- 
lic Service  award  during  the  2003 
Provost's  Honors  Banquet  in  April. 
MEMORIAM:  Donald  C.  McFer- 
ren,  on  Nov.  20,  2002.  He  was  liv- 
ing in  San  Francisco,  Calif. 

63  Connie  Myers  Moore  trav- 
eled to  Africa  for  the  fourth  time 
this  spring,  working  with  World 
Relief  and  Elmbrook  Church  on 
short-term  HIV/AIDS  missions. 

64  Marjorie  Loeffler  Yenter  has 

moved  to  Port  Orchard,  Wash.  She 
and  her  husband  have  joined  the 
staff  of  Youth  With  a  Mission. 

65  Arlene  Pateman  Guellnitz 
was  selected  as  New  Brunswick 
(N.J.)  High  School  Teacher  of  the  Year 
in  the  spring  of  2002.  She  retired 
from  teaching  on  July  1,  2002  and 
is  now  working  part-time  as  a 
vacation  planner.  Phyllis  Weaver 
Henderson  was  remarried  in  2000 
and  is  now  living  near  Philadelphia, 
Pa.  After  15  years  as  a  group  facili- 
tation consultant,  she  is  finally  back 
to  serious  work  on  her  novel. 

66  Judith  Jenkins  Humphrey  is 

living  in  Maryville,  working  for  the 
district  attorney's  office.  Richard  J. 
Marshall  retired  in  1997,  but  enjoys 
consulting  work  with  the  New  Jersey 
Department  of  Education.  He  is 
now  the  acting  School  Business 
Administrator  for  Atlantic  and  Cape 
May  counties.  Hazel  DeWeese 
Steel  is  living  in  Tucker,  Ga.,  has  a 
new  position  as  an  ESOL  teacher 
and  is  enjoying  teaching  her  inter- 
national students.  Celia  C.  Tiffany 
has  been  a  full-time  caregiver  for 
her  parents  since  January  1991.  She 
edits  a  monthly  newsletter,  "The 
Show  Me  Geode"  for  an  earth  sci- 
ences hobby  club.  The  newsletter 
recently  won  first  place  in  the  Bul- 
letin Editors  Contest  held  by  the 
Midwest  Federation  of  Mineralogi- 
cal  and  Geological  Societies.  Oliver 
K.  Williams  has  retired  from  med- 
ical work  and  turned  a  computer 
avocation  into  a  second  profession. 
He  also  won  a  Chemical  Abstracts 
Service  Director's  Award  for  Excel- 


lence in  2000  and  received  a  pro- 
motion to  engineer  in  2002. 

6/  Marsha  Ann  Burkhart  has 

moved  back  to  Athens.Tenn.,  after 
her  husband,  Bob  Lucas,  '68,  retired. 
She  is  enjoying  work  at  a  new  com- 
munity bank.  Frank  W.  Gready  is 
the  pastor  of  former  Vice  President 
Dan  Quayle's  home  congregation  in 
Indiana.  Sam  Wyman  has  accepted  a 
new  position  as  associate  pastor  for 
Vision  of  Hope  Metropolitan  Com- 
munity Church  in  Mountville,  Pa. 

68  Jayne  Smith  Carie  and  her 

husband  have  moved  to  a  new 
home  in  remote  southwest  Ari- 
zona, enjoying  lots  of  wildlife  and 
solitude.  Dean  Clark  was  named 
to  the  Illinois  State  Board  of  Edu- 
cation in  January  of  2003.  He  will 
serve  a  six-year  term.  Clark  was 
president  of  the  Glen  Ellyn  Ele- 
mentary District  41  from  1993  until 
1997,  and  served  on  the  District's 
Board  12  years  prior.  Lizabeth 
Patterson  Smith  was  ordained  a 
deacon  at  St.  Paul's  Episcopal 
Cathedral,  Buffalo,  N.Y.,  on  Jan.  1 1 . 
One  of  the  guests  was  mentor  and 
friend  Marilyn  Kiefer  Davies  '55. 

'69  Frank  Kilgard,  Jr.  is  now  a 

commissioned  lay  preacher  in  the 
Flint  River  Presbytery  in  southwest 
Georgia  and  continues  to  operate 
his  own  musical  instrument  sale 
and  repair  business  in  Valdosta. 
Wallace  Wilson  was  recently  installed 
as  pastor/head  of  staff  at  Unity 
Presbyterian  Church  in  Cambridge, 
Ohio.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Salvation  Army  Board  of  Directors. 
MEMORIAM:  Laurel  Erskine 
Thomas,  on  Dec.  8,  2002,  from 
cancer.  Survivors  include  husband 
Joseph  Thomas  '67  and  children. 

70  Jim  Daugherty  is  professor 
of  music  education  and  music  ther- 


apy at  the  University  of  Kansas, 
where  he  also  conducts  the  Con- 
cert Choir.  He  continues  as  editor 
of  the  International  Journal  of 
Research  in  Choral  Singing. 
Robert  F.  Durant  accepted  a 
position  as  professor  of  public 
administration  and  policy  with 
American  University  in  Washing- 
ton, D.C.  He  recently  won  the 
Charles  H.  Levine  Memorial  Award 
for  Excellence  in  Public  Adminis- 
tration Research,  Teaching,  and 
Public  Service.  He  recently  com- 
pleted service  as  a  Fulbright 
Senior  Research  Scholar  at  Payap 
University  in  Thailand. 

7  I  John  T.  Campbell  is  now 

retired  from  active  ministry,  but  as 
an  avid  Civil  War  enthusiast,  volun- 
teers as  the  webmaster  for  the 
Greater  Pittsburgh  Civil  War 
Roundtable.  Lynn  Gillespie  Chater 
continues  to  work  in  Nashville  as  a 
songwriter  with  her  husband, 
Kerry.  Additionally,  she  has  been 
active  in  lobbying  Congress  for 
increased  songwriter's  protections 
under  copyright  laws.  Elizabeth 
"Betsy"  Fisher  received  the  Ten- 
nessee Library  Association  2002 
Resource  Sharing  Award,  which  is 
given  in  recognition  of  outstanding 
work  in  promoting  resource  sharing 
in  Tennessee  libraries.  She  desig- 
nated a  portion  of  the  monetary 
award  to  be  given  to  MC's  Lamar 
Memorial  Library.  Jean  S.  Hodgson 
was  recently  promoted  from  senior 
sales  representative  to  sales  exec- 
utive; she  is  working  out  of  Cincin- 
nati, Ohio.  James  L.  Showalter 
finished  his  1 5th  year  of  teaching  at 
Langston  University  in  Oklahoma. 
Carolyn  Clark  White  just  cele- 
brated her  10th  year  with  Fox  Val- 
ley Medicine  in  Batavia,  III.,  where 
she  is  the  chief  operating  officer 
and  considered  an  expert  in 
healthcare  fraud. 


Hugh  S.  Livingston,  Jr.  '69 

established  a  world  record  for  the  longest 
sustained  public  piano  performance  by 
performing  for  33  hours  with  a  15-minute 
break  every  eight  hours  at  Timbers 
Restaurant  in  Townsend,  Tenn.  He  also 
received  his  20th  ASCAP  award  for  con- 
tributions to  church  and  school  music. 
His  new  CD,  "For  the  Record,"  features 
Top  40  favorites  from  the  past  60  years. 


'72  On  May  31,  Sally  A.  Craig 
Vincent  celebrated  the  graduation 
of  son  Robert  from  West  Point  Mil- 
itary Academy  Kathleen  Peterson 
Wing  was  an  elder  commissioner 
at  the  214th  General  Assembly  of  the 
PC(USA).  Her  son  Whitman  Brown 
completed  his  freshman  year  at  MC. 
MARRIAGE:  Kathleen  Peterson 
to  Frank  Wing,  April  2002. 

73  Frank  B.  Hall  retired  from  his 
position  with  the  State  of  Connecti- 
cut on  April  1,  after  nearly  30  years 
of  public  service. 

74  As  the  house  engineer  and 
tour  manager  for  Bela  Fleck  and 
the  Flecktones,  Richard  Battaglia 
helped  coordinate  the  band's  Feb- 
ruary performance  at  the  Tennessee 
Theatre  in  Knoxville.  He  was  inter- 
viewed for  a  story  in  the  Maryville 
Daily  Times  newspaper.  Barbara 
Rumplik  Taylor  is  enjoying  her  pri- 
vate practice  as  a  marital  and  fam- 
ily therapist  in  Pigeon  Forge,  Tenn. 

75  Melanie  Kohn  Day  has 

served  as  principal  coach  for  the 
Operafestival  di  Roma  in  Italy,  and 
last  summer  she  began  teaching 
an  opera  course  affiliated  with  the 
Santa  Fe  Opera.  She  continues  to 
direct  opera  theatre  at  VCU.  Dan 
LeBar  and  Dorothy  Bang  LeBar 
'76  celebrated  the  graduation  of 
daughter,  Jennifer  LeBar  from  MC 
in  May  of  2003  on  campus  with 
family,  including  Mike  Bell  '84 
and  Amy  LeBar  Bell  '84.  Gean 
Hyden  Nelson  and  her  husband 
have  recently  relocated  to  Colorado 
Springs,  Colo.,  and  are  enjoying  the 
snow  and  wildlife  after  more  than 
20  years  in  Dallas,  Texas.  Peter  Vial 
is  now  the  associate  for  congrega- 
tional development  for  the  West 
Virginia  Presbytery  and  is  pastor  of 
the  Upperglade  Presbyterian  Church. 

76  Delberta  F.  Coppage  is  hap- 
pily teaching  junior  and  senior 
English,  Pre-AP  English,  AP  Litera- 
ture and  geography  at  Windthorst 
High  School  in  Texas. 

77  David  Adcock,  a  plastic  sur- 
geon formerly  with  North  Georgia 
Plastic  Surgery,  has  joined  the 
medical  staff  at  Hutcheson  Med- 
ical Center  in  Ft.  Oglethorpe,  Ga. 
Sheri  Bone  Mezzapelle  is  now  a 
lead  teacher  for  the  Head  Start 
Program  in  Dundee,  N.Y. 


22 


FOCUS  I  S U  M  M  E R     2003 


n 


Curtis  Leonard  '77 

was  recently  named  a  senior 
vice  president  in  the  com- 
mercial insurance  division  of 
Palmer  &  Cay.  Leonard 
joined  Palmer  &  Cay  in  1996, 
when  the  risk  management 
and  benefits  consulting  firm 
acquired  the  insurance  bro- 
kerage firm  he  co-founded, 
McMurray,  Daly  &  Leonard. 


husband  Takeo  John  Itoh  '82, 

continue  to  live  and  work  in  Japan. 
Takeo  is  principal  of  Keiai  Gakuen 
Mida  Yochien  and  Judy  is  vice 
principal  and  CFO.  Email  them  at 
judylyn@waltz.plala.or.jp. 

'82  Brenda  B.  Babb  McCroskey 

is  presently  serving  as  executive 
director  of  the  Sevierville  Chamber 
of  Commerce  in  Tennessee.  Hus- 
band Michael  McCroskey  is  now 
a  partner  with  an  insurance  agency 
in  nearby  Gatlinburg.  John  M. 
Sanders  was  recently  promoted  to 
associate  administrator  at  the  Alfred 
I.  duPont  Hospital  for  Children  in 
Wilmington,  Del.  John  was  also  rec- 
ognized as  a  Fellow  in  the  American 
College  of  Healthcare  Executives 


MARRIAGE:  Sheri  Bone  Mochamer 

to  John  Mezzapelle  on  Aug.  5,  2002. 

78  Keith  B.  Henderson  and  his 

family  recently  moved  to  Isanti,  Minn. 
Bob  Schmidt  was  elected  2003 
Federation  Division  chairman  for  the 
National  Cattlemen's  Beef  Associa- 
tion (NCBA)  and  as  such  will  also 
represent  beef  producers  on  the 
NCBA  Board  of  Directors.  Suzanne 
Schoen  Vest  took  a  new  job  as  an 
administrative  assistant  with  Hull 
Storey  Retail  Group  in  Augusta,  Ga. 
Of  late,  she  has  performed  with 
the  chorus  of  the  Augusta  Opera. 

79  After  20  years  as  vice  presi- 
dent of  sales  and  marketing  with 
Ikon  Office  Solutions  in  Ohio,  John 
R.  Thomas  has  taken  a  position  as 
Director  of  Community  Relations  for 
Edgewood  City  Schools  in  Ohio. 
MARRIAGE:  Edward  C.  Herbert 
to  Teresa  Shortt,  March  8. 

80  John  F.  Rhodes,  Jr.  recently 
earned  an  advanced  M.S.  degree 
in  physical  therapy.  He  is  currently 
enrolled  in  the  Doctor  of  Physical 
Therapy  program  at  Rocky  Moun- 
tain University  of  Health  Professions 
in  Provo,  Utah.  Steve  Serotte  and 
wife  Pamela  are  celebrating  their 
15-year  wedding  anniversary. 

81  Catherine  Carter- Stiles  is 

now  splitting  her  time  between 
work  as  a  stained-glass  artist  in 
Maryville  and  business  manager  of 
the  Cliff  View  Golf  Course  in 
Nashville,  built  and  operated  by 
her  family.  Judy  Grahl  Itoh  and 


MARyVILL. 
COLLEGE 


at  the  annual  Congress  on  Admin- 
istration in  Chicago  in  March  2003. 

'83  On  Sept.  30,  2002,  Ruby 
June  Davis  Allman  received  her 
commission  as  a  major  in  the  U.S. 
Army  Reserves  Nurse  Corps.  In 
March,  she  completed  Officer  Basic 
Training  for  new  Army  officers. 
Bryan  McFarland  is  currently  com- 
piling a  CD,  entitled  "All  Around 
Me,"  featuring  many  songs  he  wrote 
and  performed  while  a  student  at 
MC.  Bryan  is  presently  serving  as 
campus  minister  at  the  University  of 
North  Carolina-Greensboro.  Tom  F. 
Hudson  still  resides  in  Columbia,  S.C. 
He  recently  formed  eVox  Commu- 
nications, a  freelance  writing,  editing 
and  voice-over  company  serving  the 
Southeast  region.  He  continues  to 
be  active  in  the  Communications 
Workers  of  America  (AFL-CIO). 

85  Benjamin  Hornsby  finished 

his  Ph.D.  in  audiology  in  May  2002. 
He  is  now  teaching  and  conduct- 
ing research  at  Vanderbilt  Univer- 
sity in  Nashville.  Rethabile  Masilo 
and  Ordi  Ghaem-Maghami  '86, 
are  living  in  Paris  with  children 
Benjamin  and  Diane.  They  may  be 
reached  at  retjoun@lycos.com. 


BIRTH:  Laurel  Woodhull  Sever- 

son  and  husband  William,  a  son, 
William  John  Severson,  January 
24,  their  first  child. 

87  Jacqueline  Osborne  Oster- 

haus  was  commissioned  a  2nd  Lieu- 
tenant with  the  U.S.  Army  Reserves 
Medical  Department  in  September 
2000.  She  spent  three  months  in 
Germany  in  support  of  Operation 
Joint  Endeavor.  When  not  in  uni- 
form, Jacqueline  continues  to  work 
as  a  family  practice  physician  assis- 
tant in  northwestern  Illinois. 

89  Barbara  Lee  Bolt  graduated 
from  the  University  of  Houston- 
Clear  Lake  in  May  2003  with  an 
M.A.  in  literature.  She  now  lives  in 


Gary  Elrod  '78  (right) 

found  a  Maryville  connec- 
tion with  Richard  Ray,  father 

of  Adam  Ray  '97,  while 

both  were  serving  in  Kuwait 
with  the  1 175th  Transpor- 
tation Company  of  the 
Tennessee  Army  National 
Guard.  "It  is  a  long  story, 
but  I  went  from  being  a 
retired  officer  in  the  Naval 
Reserve  to  a  Staff  Sergeant 
in  the  TN  National  Guard. 
Life  takes  strange  turns," 
Elrod  recently  wrote  friend 
Randy  Lambert  '76. 

Gatlinburg,  Tenn.  In  just  his  second 
year  as  the  head  women's  basketball 
coach  at  Carson-Newman  College, 
Dean  Walsh  has  been  selected  to 
coach  a  women's  basketball  team 
from  the  U.S.  at  the  Arafura  Games 
in  Darwin,  Australia.  This  year,  his 
Carson-Newman  team  finished  sec- 
ond in  the  South  Atlantic  Conference 
and  was  ranked  10th  in  the  region. 
MARRIAGE:  Heidi  Hoffecker  to 
Jim  Petty,  Nov.  30,  2002. 

90  Marilyn  McCoy  Farmer 

accepted  a  job  as  transportation 
director  of  the  Citrus  County  (Fla.) 
School  District.  Husband  Scott 
Farmer  is  in  his  ninth  year  as  a 
deputy/school  resource  officer  with 
the  Citrus  County  Sheriff's  Office. 
BIRTHS:  Karen  Palka  Nelson  and 
husband  Lee,  a  daughter,  Ava 
Kathleen  Catherine  Cain  Robbins 


CLASS     NOTES 


and  Jamey  Robbins,  '96,  a  daugh- 
ter, Sydney  Marie,  Jan.  25. 

91  Peggy  L.  Bratt  received  her 
athletic  trainer  certification  in  2000 
and  her  EMT  certification  in  2001 . 
MARRIAGE:  Karin  Rhodes  to 
Edward  R.  Martinez,  March  22. 
BIRTHS:  Ann  Beaty  Damron  and 
Michael  Damron  '92,  a  daughter, 
Paige  Elizabeth,  March  3.  Eileen 
Freund  Keplingerand  husband 
Brian,  a  daughter,  Anna  Grace, 
April  3  Angela  Stinnett  Lunsford 
and  husband  Steven,  a  daughter, 
Madison  Rhea,  Jan.  13.  Tammy 
Guffey  Powell  and  J.  Scott  Powell 
'96,  a  son,  Jacob  Edward,  Sept.  7, 
2001   Frank  Paul  Schubert  and  wife 
Cathy,  a  daughter,  Grace  Catherine, 
Dec.  20,  2002  Vickie  Wester 
Schultze  and  husband  Michael, 
twin  daughters,  Kristen  Renee  and 
Karie  Rebecca,  Sept.  18,  2002. 

'92  MARRIAGE:  Melissa  D. 

Masingo  to  Brian  C  Ownsby,  April  12. 
BIRTHS:  Heather  Newell  Poirier 

and  husband  Jacques,  a  daughter, 
Lauren  Gabrielle,  Nov.  11,  2002, 
their  first  child.  Kipp  Martines  and 

wife  Michelle,  a  daughter,  Tabitha 
Jayne  Martines,  April  4. 

93  Alyson  Neville  Knight  grad- 
uated from  the  University  of  Ten- 
nessee-Knoxville  with  a  master's 
degree  in  public  relations. 
BIRTHS:  Laura  Connelly  and  hus- 
band Rob  Riehl,  a  daughter,  Leia 
Marie,  March  19,  2002,  their  first 
child.  Leigh  Ann  Shoun  Frye  and 
husband  Jim,  a  son,  Jackson  Gor- 
don, March  11,  their  first  child. 
Cindy  Huffstetler  Jones  and  hus- 
band Bryan,  a  son,  Gareth  Carter, 
Feb.  13  Jessica  V  Roitman  and 
husband  Maarten  H.  de  Kok,  a  son, 
Maximiliaan  Darius,  Dec.  8,  2002, 
their  first  child.  Laura  Stephens 
Shockley  and  husband  Brian,  a 
daughter,  Anna  Lauren,  Oct.  9,  2002. 

94  Julie  Walker  Danielson 

completed  her  graduate  work  at 
the  UT,  and  is  now  working  as  a 
librarian  at  Springhill  Elementary 
School  in  Knoxville.  Ayesha  Dastgir 
has  taken  a  position  as  a  research 
executive  with  Sirius,  a  marketing 
and  social  research  firm;  she  is  liv- 
ing in  Bangladesh.  April  Millsaps 
Gonzalez  recently  took  a  job  as 
assistant  director  and  business 
career  advisor  at  the  University  of 


FOCUS    I    S  L    M  HER     2  0  0  .! 


23 


CLASS     NOTES 


NC-Charlotte.  Kelleen  Breeden 
Hembree  is  enjoying  work  in  the 
solid  waste  division  of  the  City  of 
Alcoa.  She  lives  in  Townsend  with 
husband  Kelly  and  two  children. 
Nancy  Allen  Lassiter  published 
her  second  book,  "Proud  Racer:  A 
Tail  of  Two  Brothers."  Her  first  book, 
"Proud  Racer:  One  Greyhound's 
Journey,"  was  published  in  2002. 
Howard  A.  Myrick  received  his 
master's  degree  in  public  adminis- 
tration from  the  University  of 
Memphis  in  2002;  he  is  employed 
as  a  youth  program  coordinator 
with  the  U.S.  Air  Force. 
MARRIAGE:  Lee  Fersner  to 
Bradley  Harms,  Feb.  17,2002. 
BIRTHS:  Gina  Davis  Berman  and 
husband  Drew,  a  daughter,  Victoria 
Ann,  Dec.  26,  2002,  their  first  child. 
Matthew  Heil  and  Lucille  Bayless 
Heil  '96,  a  son,  Mason  Oakley, 
Dec.  12,  2002,  their  first  child. 
William  Richardson  and  wife  Angie, 
a  son,  William  Spear  Richardson  V, 
Jan.  28,  their  first  child. 

95  Lucy  Giles  Ezell  became  the 
owner  of  "Elegant  Alternatives,"  a 
consignment  boutique  in  Alcoa,  in 
November  2002. 
MARRIAGE:  Amy  Lee  to  Kip 
Baggett,  June  22,  2002. 
BIRTH:  Elias  Smith  and  Katrina 
Woods  Smith  '98,  a  daughter, 
Elisa  Nycole,  Nov.  23,  2002. 

9/  Thad  Alsup  works  for  Safety 
and  Ecology  Corporation,  an  envi- 
ronmental engineering  firm  in 
Knoxville,  and  was  recently  named 
the  2002  Corporate  Employee  of 
the  Year.  Kathryn  McDonald  Devine 
is  now  working  as  a  librarian  at 
Centralia  College,  Centralia,  Wash. 
MARRIAGE:  Jon  F.  Davis  to 
Shannon  Benner,  Sept.  28,  2002. 
BIRTHS:  Thad  Alsup  and  Monica 
Blackburn  Alsup,  a  son,  Jackson 
Lynn,  Dec.  5,  2002,  their  first  child. 
Kyle  Duke  and  wife  Allison,  a 
daughter,  Katherine  Elizabeth, 
Oct.14,  2002,  their  first  child.  Jason 
Lay  and  Katie  Brehmer  Lay  '99,  a 
daughter,  Natalie  Carter,  Oct.  31, 
2002,  their  first  child. 

98  Brandon  Derrick  was  named 
Teacher  of  the  Year  at  Temple  (Ga.) 
High  School  for  the  2001  -2002 
school  year  David  Franklin  is  a 
first-year  podiatric  medical  resident 
at  DVA-Baltimore.  Cade  Ruehling 
graduated  from  Southern  Baptist 


m     ^Wt 


Seminary  on  Dec.  13,  2002. 
Rebecca  Kiefer  Seabaugh  now 
works  as  an  in-home  family  thera- 
pist for  the  Family  Preservation 
Program  in  Lexington,  Ky.  Jaclyn 
Lang  Simpkins  became  certified 
through  the  Registry  of  Interpreters 
for  the  Deaf  with  the  certification 
of  transliteration  in  July  2002. 
MARRIAGE:  Aaron  Damrill  to 
Megan  Marie  Trump,  Dec.  28, 
2002.  Alison  Hollenderto  Steven 
Kidd,  Nov.  9,  2002.  Amy  Jones  to 
Timothy  Thomason,  Oct.  19,  2002. 
Matthew  McBride  to  Sarah 
Chambers,  Nov.  2,  2002. 

99  Kendra  Brownlow  is  leaving 
Alaska  in  order  to  return  to  Mary- 
land for  graduate  studies  in  Deaf 
education  at  McDaniel  College. 
Audrey  McFadden  took  her  second 
medical  mission  trip  to  South  Amer- 
ica in  March  2002.  She  worked  in 
Naranjal,  Ecuador,  where  her  team 
saw  over  2,000  people  in  nine  days. 
She  recently  began  her  fourth  year 
of  dental  school  at  UT-Memphis. 
Michael  Hogan  is  now  working  as 
manager  of  River  Cities  Bicycles  in 
Chattanooga  and  is  training  for  an 
Ironman  competition.  Jessica 
King  Hogan  is  getting  her  master's 
degree  in  elementary  education 
from  UTC  and  enjoys  running  in 
marathons  Melissa  Lynn  Warlick 
graduated  from  Columbia  Biblical 
Seminary  with  a  degree  in  Christian 
education  on  Dec.  13,  2002.  Gabe 
Whittenburg  recently  accepted  a 
position  as  implementation  analyst/ 
operations  supervisor  with  CitiStreet 
TBO  Division  in  Jacksonville,  Fla. 
MARRIAGE:  Leland  C.  "Lanny" 
Blackwood,  III  to  Meg  Thoma, 
Nov.  23,  2002.  Michael  Hogan  to 
Jessica  King,  May  26,  2001.  Lesley 
Roberson  to  Joshua  Livingston, 
Aug.  24,  2002. 

BIRTHS:  Sarah  Knisley  Arnett 
and  husband  William,  a  daughter, 
Audrey  Elizabeth,  Dec.  30,  2002, 
their  first  child  Gabriel  Paul  Whit- 
tenburg and  wife  Molly,  a  son, 
Braden  Gabriel,  July  29,  2002, 
their  first  child. 

00  Nathan  Anderson  graduated 
from  the  New  England  School  of 
Law  on  May  23.  Elizabeth  Moore 
Anderson  is  teaching  at  the  New 
Horizon  Montessori  School  in 
Louisville,  Tenn.  Brooke  K.  Daniel 
received  her  M.Ed,  in  counseling 
and  guidance  services  from  Clem- 


son  University  in  May  2002.  She  is 
currently  a  residence  life  coordina- 
tor for  Florida  State  University.  Teri 
Green  completed  her  master's 
degree  at  the  George  Warren 
Brown  School  of  Social  Work  at 
Washington  University,  St.  Louis,  in 
May  2002.  Amanda  L.  McCarter 
graduated  from  the  University  of 
Tennessee-Knoxville  with  a  M.S.  in 
communications  in  December  2002; 
she  began  her  full-time  position  at 
the  East  Tennessee  Historical  Soci- 
ety in  Knoxville  in  March  2003. 
Chris  Moore  is  now  a  researcher 
for  the  Greater  Minneapolis  Day 
Care  Association.  He  will  enroll  in 
the  University  of  Minnesota's 
Humphrey  Institute  of  Public 
Affairs  this  fall.  Jennifer  Moore 
has  completed  her  first  year  at  the 
University  of  Tennessee  Law  School 
and  is  in  England  studying  law  at 
the  University  of  Cambridge. 
MARRIAGE:  Nathan  Anderson 
and  Elizabeth  Moore,  on  May  31 . 
David  Conner  to  Kendra  Jones, 
May  24.  Jill  S.  Crisp  to  Jeffrey  Keith, 
Dec.  14,2002. 

J.  Ashley  Martin  to  Adam  David 
Foster,  July  14,  2002.  Chris  Moore 
to  Amy  Wick,  Oct.  19,2002. 
BIRTH:  Josie  Wilson  McCroskey 
and  husband  Benjamin,  a  daugh- 
ter, Najena  Mane,  June  16,  2002. 

01  Jessica  Ballou  is  currently 
attending  the  California  School  of 
Professional  Psychology,  where  she 
is  pursuing  her  doctorate  in  clinical 
psychology.  Leah  Ford  is  graduating 
from  George  Washington  Univer- 
sity, Washington,  D.C.,  with  a  mas- 
ter's degree  in  forensic  sciences. 
She  has  accepted  a  position  as  a 
forensic  DNA  analyst  with  a  lab  in 
Germantown,  Md.  Jessica  Buckner 
is  pursuing  an  MTS  degree  at  the 
Candler  School  of  Theology  at 
Emory  University  in  Atlanta.  Ashley 
Craig  built  a  new  home  in  the  Halls 
community  of  Knoxville.  She  is  a 
regional  account  manager  for  AIM 
Healthcare  Services. 
MARRIAGE:  Elizabeth  Jane  McK- 
night  to  Tim  Self  '03,  April  26. 


orey  Griffin  '00  and 
rica  Wright  '00  were 

arried  July  6,  2002,  in 
ecatur,  Ala.,  with  many 
C  alumni  attending.  Erica 
i  now  teaching  English 
nd  coaching  soccer  at 
lomersville  High  School  in 
larshall  County,  Tenn.; 
:orey  is  the  assistant  vice 
president  of  Community 
Bank  in  Meridianville,  Ala. 


BIRTHS:  Joy  D.  Ogle  Hester  and 

husband  Jed,  a  son,  Luke  Lemuel, 
March  9,  2001.  Chester  W. 
Richardson  and  wife  Becky,  a 
daughter,  Anna  Elizabeth,  Sept. 
22,  2002. 

02  Sarah  Berkemeier  left  for 
Colorado  in  January  to  begin  10 
months  of  volunteer  service  with 
AmeriCorps.  Cherie  DuBois  is  cur- 
rently working  toward  a  J.D.  at  the 
University  of  Tennessee  College  of 
Law.  Josh  Noah  and  Kellie  Silva- 
Noah  are  living  in  Houston,  Texas, 
where  Josh  is  teaching  sixth-grade 
life  science  and  Kellie  is  working 
as  an  office  assistant  for  a  real 
estate  appraisal  firm.  Aimee 
Olivier  is  currently  pursuing  a  mas- 
ter's degree  at  St.  John's  College 
in  New  Mexico.  She  writes  that 
she's  "lovin'  the  southwest." 
David  Ruble  is  also  currently 
enlisted  with  the  Denver  branch  of 
the  AmeriCorps  National  Civilian 
Community  Corps;  his  team  has 
provided  tax  services  in  the  Min- 
neapolis-St.  Paul  region  of  Min- 
nesota. Additionally,  Krista  Smith 
is  currently  volunteering  with 
AmeriCorps  in  Phoenix,  Ariz., 
where  she  works  with  kindergarten- 
ers at  a  Hispanic  charter  school. 
MARRIAGE:  Courtney  Alexander 
to  Rodney  Holloway,  March  23. 
Josh  Noah  to  Kellie  Silva,  Dec 
28,  2002.  £53 


24 


FOCUS  I  S  U  M  M  E R     2003 


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. 

Admissions  Office  Open  House  Dates  for  2003-2004:  September  27,  November  1  and  January  31,  2004 

Student  Information 


Mr.  or  Ms. 


Student's  Address 


Student's  High  School Student's  Date  of  Graduation 

Your  Name 


Your  Address 


WOULD  YOU  LIKE  TO  BE  AN  ALUMNI  AMBASSADOR* 

Alumni  and  friends  play  an  important  role  in  our  recruiting  efforts  by  attending  college  fairs  and  calling  prospective 
students.  If  you  would  like  to  help  represent  Maryville  College  in  your  hometown,  please  complete  this  form  and 
drop  it  in  the  mail.  We  look  forward  to  another  successful  recruiting  year,  thanks  to  your  input. 

Admissions  Office  Open  House  Dates  for  2003-2004:  September  27,  November  1  and  January  31,  2004 

Your  Information 

Mr.  or  Ms. Maiden  Name 

Address — 


City,  State,  Zip 


Phone Graduation  Year 

Email . 


ALUMNI  OFFICE 
MARYVILLE  COLLEGE 
502  E.  LAMAR  ALEXANDER  PKY. 
MARYVILLE,  TN  37804-5907 


ADMISSIONS  OFFICE 
MARYVILLE  COLLEGE 
502  E.  LAMAR  ALEXANDER  PKY. 
MARYVILLE,  TN  37804-5907 


PLACE 
FIRST 
CLASS 
STAMP 
HERE 


PLACE 
FIRST 
CLASS 
STAMP 
HERE 


PLACE 
FIRST 
CLASS 
STAMP 
HERE 


ADMISSIONS  OFFICE 
MARYVILLE  COLLEGE 
502  E.  LAMAR  ALEXANDER  PKY. 
MARYVILLE,  TN  37804-5907 


Homecoming    200 


mm 


TO 

E 


*^>   COLLEGE    YELL    ^^ 

How-ee,  How-ee,  Chil-how-ee, 
Maryville,  Maryville,  Tenn-e-ssee. 
Hoo-rah!  Hoo-rah! 
Maryville,  Maryville, 
cRak  <Rak  cRah. 


Does  this  bring  back  old  memories? 

or  decades,  the  Howee  yell  echoed  in  th< 

Chilhowee  Mountains  -  the  sound  of  students 

cheering  on  their  teams  from  the 

sidelines  of  Honaker  Field. 

Unfortunately,  the  Howee  yell  has  fallen  faint 

in  recent  football  seasons.  We  want  to  hear  it 

loud  and  clear  again!  If  you  know  the  cheer, 

)rae  back  to  lead  it!  If  you  don't  know 

the  cheer,  come  back  to  learn  it! 

Just  come  back  . . .  back  home  to  Howee. 


For  more  information  about  Homecoming  2003, 

call  the  Office  of  Alumni  Relations,  865.981.8202  or 

"■sit  www.maryvillecollege.edu. 


SHARON  K. 
YOUNGS  '79 


CHRISTEN 

MCCAMMON 

KHYM  '96 


o  the  3ea 


REDESIGNED  ENTRANCES,  REPAVED  CAMPUS  ROADWAYS 
AND  UPDATED  LANDSCAPING  -  these  are  only  a  few  examples  of  the 
recent  accomplishments  of  the  Campus  Beautification  and  Improvement  Plan. 

To  put  final  touches  on  this  historic  beautification  initiative,  die  College  is  planting 
trees  and  installing  new  and  attractive  campus  lighting  and  park-style  benches. 

Now,  you  can  become  part  of  this  historic  program!  You  are  invited  to  have 
raur  name  or  the  name  of  a  loved  one  honored  on  a  new  Campus  Beautification 
memorarion  -  an  attractive  and  highly  visible  outdoor  tribute  that  will 

forever  honor  those  individuals  who 
support  the  efforts  to  enhance  die  natural 
beaut\r  of  our  campus. 


For  more  information  on  how  you  can  be  a 
part  of  this  opportunity  to  support  the 
beauty  ofMC,  contact  Jason  McNeal  at 
865.981.8197  or  jason.mcneal@maryvU- 

lrr.nllege.edu. 


MarwilleTif 

'COLLEGE 

502  East  Lamar  Alexander  Parkway 
Marwille,  Tennessee  37804-5907 


ADDRESS  SERVICE  REQUESTED 


NON-PROFIT  ORG. 
U.S.  POSTAGE 

PAID 

PERMIT  NO.  309 
KNOXVILLE,  TN