focus Magazine Fall 2012 | Maryville College

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FA L L 2 012
VOL. 109 | NO. 1

YO U R G I F T M ATTE R S

3 NEW MAJORS
ANNOUNCED
5 COLLEGE AWARDED
NSF GRANTS
8 PHYSICAL PLANT STAFF
RAISES THE BAR

A P U B L I C AT I O N F O R A L U M N I &
FRIENDS OF MARYVILLE COLLEGE

A Publication for Alumni & Friends of Maryville College

PRESIDENT
Dr. Tom Bogart

MOUNTAIN
CHALLENGE

turns 25

MOUNTAIN CHALLENGE is celebrating
its 25th anniversary this academic year, but
community members shouldn’t expect to see
silver on any of the posters, logos or event
invitations that will herald the milestone.
Instead, the palette for such things will be
earthy greens, browns and oranges, inspired by
the outdoors that founder and director Bruce
Guillaume ’76 wants everyone to get out –
and get fit – in.
“This anniversary is a good time for us to
look forward, and the two biggest challenges
we see in our communities are getting people
Students climb the 55-foot Alpine Tower.
to be more active and getting more people outside. A lot of the programming that will be tied
to this anniversary celebration will be planned with those goals in mind,” Guillaume said.
The 25th anniversary celebration officially got underway Sept. 23 with “Outdoor
Adventure: Celebrating our Human Power”
held on the grounds of Maryville College’s
Crawford House, which has been home to
Mountain Challenge throughout its
operation. According to its current mission
statement, Mountain Challenge strives to
“provide high-quality, safe outdoor
experiences designed to change the world for
the better, one person at a time.”
In 1987, Guillaume was the lone staff member and served roughly 30 participants,
the vast majority being corporate clients. The next year,
he doubled that figure with Maryville College students,
and by the early 1990s, it was integrated into the
curriculum with opportunities for academic credit.
Guillaume said that with Mountain Challenge,
Maryville College was among the first colleges and universities in the United States to support a curriculum that
takes all of its students outside. “Mountain Challenge is
one of the 20 oldest outdoor programs in the country,
and possibly the oldest program in the South,” he added.
Customizing experiences based on the needs of
individual businesses and corporations, Guillaume and
his staff use a ropes course, a 55-foot Alpine Tower and
other outdoor activities to teach employees best practices
in teamwork, communication and problem-solving.
Today, full-time staff members include Guillaume,
Operations Manager Mary Steger ’94 and Program
Manager Tyson Murphy ’03. About 50 part-time
employees round out the staff, with 10 to 20 being MC
students. One of those is Guillaume’s daughter, Emily,
Mountain Challenge founder Bruce
who is a freshman at the College.
Guillaume ‘76 guides Michael Damron
In total, Mountain Challenge saw 7,300 people go
‘92 and Jay Malone ‘91 through a ropes
through
its program last year.
course in the early 1990s.

EDITORIAL BOARD
Karen Beaty Eldridge ‘94
Director of Communications
Chloe White Kennedy
News & New Media Writer
ART DIRECTION & DESIGN
Mary Workman
A L U M N I A S S O C I AT I O N
EXECUTIVE BOARD
Kristine Tallent ’96
President
Clara Gowans Hardin ’57
Vice President
Harold Turner ’03
Recording Secretary
Ann Little Rigell ’69
President-Elect
G. Donald Hickman ’70
Past President

CLASS OF 2013
Jason Brooks ’97
Lynn Ramsey Cole ’68
Ed Hawkey ’70
Marcia Kilby Rethwilm ’89
Jennifer Window Forehand ’99
Ann Little Rigell ’69
Dan Rineer ’65
Sue Van Aken ’83
Eric Weatherbee ’06

CLASS OF 2014
Mary Virginia Ferguson Bond ’54
Pat Dobbin Chambers ’65
Carey Cox Coghill ’72
Martha Cook ’65
Carrie Osikowicz Eaton ’67
Diane Hall Edwards ’68
Janet Helwig Fortney ’82
Evan Giordano ’08
Rick Myser ’71

CLASS OF 2015
Wes Blalock ’04
Amber Burley ’04
Sarah Winbigler DeYoung ’74
Susan Spence Hill ’83
Nichole Johnson McCord ’02
Jill Gibson Millsaps ’03
Mary “Sissy” Gravely Reinhardt ’82

MARYVILLE COLLEGE FOCUS MAGAZINE 2012
PUBLISHED ONCE A YEAR
502 E. Lamar Alexander Pkwy, Maryville, TN 37804-5907
865.981.8000 | maryvillecollege.edu
subscription price - none
Copyright © 2012 Maryville College.
Contents may not be reproduced in any manner, either whole or
in part, without prior permission of Maryville College.

ABOUT THE COVER:
Understanding that this issue
would feature donors and
the many ways they support
Maryville College, illustrator
Don Wood used a wrapped
present and giving hands to
symbolize the treasures that
people entrust to the College
and the care with which the
College stewards the gifts.

f o cus
CONTENTS
3

campus

NEWS

sports

NEWS

faculty

NEWS

10

12

23

2 MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

class

6-7 AFRICA THROUGH A LENS
Aspiring photographer Emily Julian ’13 got a dream
assignment in 2011, when she landed an internship at
the Thanda Private Game Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal,
South Africa.

10 SCOTS SECOND IN
USA PRESIDENT’S CUP
COMPETITIONS
At the end of fall sports,
Maryville College ranks second
in two of three USA South
Conference cup races!

14 YOUR GIFT MATTERS
Throughout its history, Maryville
College has relied on the generosity
of donors to educate students,
build and renovate buildings, equip
laboratories and finance innovative
initiatives. It still does. Whether
through smaller gifts to the Maryville
Fund or million-dollar bequests to
the endowment, every gift matters
because every dollar is invested to
support the College’s mission.

30 HELPING KIDS GET HEALTHY
As the Coordinated School Health program coordinator
for Oak Ridge (Tenn.) Schools, Blair King ’05 has been
recognized on a national stage for award-winning
initiatives that boost activity levels and decrease obesity
rates in children.

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FA L L 2 012

1

NOTES

MESSAGE from THE PRESIDENT

EVERY GIFT

Matters

AT COMMENCEMENT IN MAY, Delores Ziegler asked and answered the question “What’s in a
Gift?” reminding us that all of us are both recipients and givers of many gifts. Also at Commencement,
I charged the graduates in the words of Paul to the church at Rome (Romans 12:2) to “be not
conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what
is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of
God.” Later in that same chapter (v. 6), Paul notes
that we have “gifts differing according to the grace
that is given to us” but what is important is that all
of us contribute our gifts to the service of others.



The connecting
thread, though, is that
every contribution
matters…

.”

This issue of FOCUS highlights just a few of the
ways that people have given to Maryville College.
The connecting thread, though, is that every
contribution matters and that every person is giving to serve others. The gifts differ both in their
inspiration and in their implementation, reflecting the diversity of experience both at the College and in
life. The bad news is that we couldn’t tell all the wonderful stories, but of course this is really good news
because Maryville College has been the recipient of so many inspiring gifts.
Donor gifts help make Maryville College affordable to deserving students. The College is as efficient
as possible and attempts to keep tuition and fees as low as possible. Each of the past two years, Maryville
College tuition has increased at less than the rate of inflation, much less than the rate of increase at most
other institutions. Nevertheless, the approach to education featuring individual interaction between a
student and a professor is expensive. Scholarship support matters.
Maryville College’s physical plant and campus benefit from donor gifts. Fundraising is in progress to
support the complete interior renovation of Anderson Hall – its first since being constructed in 1870.
Previous generous donations have made possible campus beautification, ensuring that the College’s
commitment to being a good steward of the environment is exemplified in the campus.
The new strategic plan, “Renewing Our Strength: Maryville College’s Bicentennial and Beyond,” was
approved by the Board of Directors in October (the details of the plan will be announced soon) and calls
for changes in several areas. Maryville College has a long history of innovative programming, including
January term, Senior Study requirement, experiential education, study abroad and a core curriculum that
includes professional ethics. Donor gifts help to underwrite the initiation and in some cases the ongoing
implementation of important initiatives to keep the experience here distinctive and valuable.
The annual Kin Takahashi Week brings alumni, faculty, staff, students and community members
together to work on behalf of Maryville College. In doing so they not only provide a gift but also
recognize the heroic contributions of Kin Takahashi, justly renowned for his selfless spirit. Fortunately,
he is an example but not an exception, as that spirit of service continues to this day.
All of us can recall ways that gifts from others changed our lives. For me, a still memorable occasion
was a math professor giving me some extra time to complete a computer programming project because
I was the piano player for a theater production that was opening the same time as the due date. By
understanding that I was a person who took academics seriously but also wanted to develop other skills,
he encouraged me and also set an example for how I should behave as a professor. I suspect that he
doesn’t even remember the conversation, but I haven’t forgotten it though it occurred almost 30 years
ago. Each of us has a chance, every day, to give the gift of encouragement to others.
The Reformed tradition from which Maryville College sprung and which still informs and animates
its work uses the notion of “vocation” to recognize that every profession can be done as an offering of a
gift that differs according to the grace given us. We justly celebrate our ministers, social workers and
teachers who have given lives of service to others. We also are called to celebrate our accountants,
attorneys, engineers and countless others who have served their clients and communities in ways that
exemplify the College mission to dedicate lives of creativity and service to the peoples of the world.
Every gift matters. So please continue to share your gifts generously, not forgetting the gift of sharing
your stories with others as an example and inspiration.

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campus
MC JOINS Pathways
FOR TRANSFERS

NEWS

Program

IN MARCH, Maryville College announced that it had joined the Tennessee Transfer Pathways Program.
Developed initially in support of the Complete College Tennessee Act of 2010, the Tennessee
Transfer Pathways Program allows every student entering a community college in Tennessee to select
one of 50 majors with accompanying transfer pathways, complete required courses, earn an associate’s
degree and transition seamlessly as a junior at a Tennessee public university.
The pathways program expanded this year, as institutions in the Tennessee Independent Colleges and
Universities Association (TICUA) worked to determine which associate’s degrees and coursework
would transfer to their respective schools.

Maryville College is now accepting the Tennessee Transfer Pathways developed by the public
universities in 10 subject areas, leading to 11 different majors at Maryville College, according to Dr.
Sam Overstreet, professor of English and Ralph S. Collins Professor in the Humanities, who guided the
pathways process at the College.
“We also have a larger collection of 25 Maryville College transfer pathways to advise students about
what coursework to take at the community college in order to maximize progress toward a four-year
Maryville College bachelor’s degree,” he added. “The goal is for the student to complete the bachelor’s
degree with two years at the community college and two years at Maryville College.”
The 10 “fully accepted pathways” in which all courses transfer with equivalency include art (studio),
business administration, economics, English, mathematics, music, political science, psychology,
sociology and Spanish.
For more information and a complete listing, visit maryvillecollege.edu/admissions/apply/transfer/
pathways. Or contact the Admissions Office at 800.597.2687 or [email protected].
For more information on the Tennessee Transfer Pathways Program, visit tntransferpathway.org.

NEW MAJORS

announced

IN ITS GOAL TO CONTINUE offering a transformational educational experience for 21st-century
students, Maryville College has added eight majors and two minors to its academic program.
Business and organization management, one of the College’s most popular majors, has been
replaced with four majors that offer a more focused area of study: management, marketing,
finance/accounting and human resource management. In 2012-2013, students also will be able
to earn a minor in business.
Responding to a growing interest in visual art and visual communication, the College has added a
major and a minor in design.
The behavioral sciences division has added a major in neuroscience to its offerings. A new major
in exercise science is coordinated by the College’s physical education, health and recreation faculty
but requires several courses in the natural sciences, as well.
Biopharmaceutical sciences, a new major in the natural sciences division, is a dual-degree
program with the University of Tennessee Health Sciences College of Pharmacy.
With the addition of new majors, the College also announced the elimination of programs.
Majors in chemical physics and art history have been eliminated, as well as minors in French and
physics. Student interest in those programs was low and had been low for a few years, according to
Dr. Barbara Wells, vice president and dean of the College.

WELLS named
VP AND DEAN
DR. BARBARA WELLS was named vice
president and dean of Maryville College
on Feb. 2.
Wells, a professor of sociology who has
taught at Maryville College since 1998,
served as interim dean June 1, 2011, until
the Feb. 2 announcement.
“Dr. Wells emerged as the top candidate
from a strong national search,” said
Maryville College President Dr. Tom
Bogart. “Her demonstrated ability and
devotion to Maryville College make her
ideally suited to serve in this leadership
position.”
Wells chaired the Social Sciences
Division from 2006 until 2011. She was
promoted to full professor in 2010. In her
tenure, she has served on numerous
committees and boards, including the
Faith and Learning Committee, the
Faculty Personnel Standards Committee
and the Diversity Task Force.
She is currently co-chairing the
College’s strategic plan, “Renewing Our
Strength: Maryville College’s Bicentennial
and Beyond,” which aims to position the
College for unprecedented success at its
bicentennial in 2019.
The new dean earned her master’s and
doctoral degrees from Michigan State
University. Her undergraduate studies
were completed at Calvin College.

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3

EIGHT

join BOARD OF DIRECTORS

MARYVILLE COLLEGE Board of Directors
recently welcomed eight new members. Joining
the governing body of the College in 2011 were:
(pictured above, l to r) T. Bryson Struse ’61,
W. Judson Shaw, Sharon Youngs ’79 and Debra
Willson.
In 2012, the Board welcomed Hulet Chaney,
C. Michael Davis, Jenny Jett Erwin ’68 and
Mark Ingram.
Chaney is C.E.O. Emeritus of Tennessee
Farmers Insurance Companies. A native of Sevier
County, he graduated from East Tennessee State
University. He serves on the board of the Sevier
County High School Foundation and advisory
board for the Great Smoky Mountain Council of
Boy Scouts of America. Chaney and wife Joyce
live in Knoxville, Tenn., and have one son.
Davis, a graduate of the University of Tennessee,
is a retired president of Harrison Construction
Company. He is also a regional director of First

A photo of Donald Rucker ’12 student
teaching at Alcoa Elementary School was
featured on the cover of the August issue of
Presbyterians Today. The theme of the issue
was teaching and learning as a part of the
church’s mission. A story inside about
Presbyterian colleges led with a photo of MC
students on an Alternative Spring Break and
included quotes from the Rev. Dr. Anne
McKee, Maryville College’s campus minister.
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FA L L 2 012

Tennessee Bank. He lives in Maryville with wife
Ibby Shelley Davis ’68. They have two sons,
including Todd Davis ’99, and four grandchildren.
Erwin, who lives in Pacifica, Calif., went on to
earn a master’s degree from Northern Arizona
University. She is a retired regional administrator
for the U.S. Department of Labor, Women’s
Bureau. A champion for working women, she has
been recognized for her efforts by the
Department of Labor and Secretary of Labor.
Ingram is a retired president of Global
Partnerships, Inc. He and wife Hope live in
Maryville and have three children. The University
of Georgia alumnus is active in Maryville’s First
Baptist Church and with Harmony Adoptions.
Shaw, a native of New Orleans, La., is the
general presbyter of Presbytery of East Tennessee.
His degrees are from the University of Kentucky
and Columbia Theological Seminary. He lives in
Knoxville and has three daughters.

Struse, a Pennsylvania native who earned his
medical degree from Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, is a physician in Tucson, Ariz.,
concentrating his practice in nuclear medicine and
ultrasound. The father of eight is active in his
church and the Crisis Pregnancy Center of Tucson.
Willson is a freelance riding clinician from
Athens, Tenn., and serves on the United States
Pony Club Board of Governors. A graduate of the
University of Tennessee, she has served on the
McMinn County School Board and been active in
state and national school board associations. She
and husband Paul have one son.
Youngs is the pastor of First Presbyterian Church
in Oak Ridge, Tenn. Previously, she was the communications coordinator for the Presbyterian Church
(USA). In addition to MC, she holds degrees from
Columbia Theological Seminary and the University
of Louisville. Active in various church initiatives,
she also volunteers for Habitat for Humanity.

The 2011-2012
academic year was
one of “greening”
on the campus. A
solar array was
erected adjacent to
Crawford House to
help generate
power. Inside, the
house continued to
be improved for
LEED® certification.
Two “Solar Doks,”
solar-powered picnic
tables that provide
power for cell
phones, laptop
computers and other
mobile devices, were
installed outside of
Pearsons Hall with
funding from the
Margaret A. Cargill
Foundation.

campus

COLLEGE awarded
NSF GRANTS
WITH ONE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
(NSF)-funded project completed during the summer of
2012, Maryville College recently was awarded two other
NSF research grants that will benefit students.
In September, Dr. Maria Siopsis, associate professor of
mathematics, and Dr. Angelia Gibson,
associate professor of chemistry,
received confirmation that their
proposal for the Scots Science
Scholars (S3) program had been
approved for a $400,000 grant
from the NSF’s Science,
Technology, Engineering and
Mathematics Talent Expansion
Program (STEP).
With the announcement, Maryville
College becomes the first private college in Tennessee to
receive funding through STEP.
S3 is a four-year program with a goal of increasing
retention and graduation rates of underrepresented
students and first-generation students in Science,
Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) majors
at Maryville College. It will be launched in the fall of 2013
and will center on three components designed to retain
and graduate students in STEM fields: a summer bridge
program to prepare students for college-level STEM work,
a specialized first-year curriculum designed to build
community and provide academic support for the students,
and a research/leadership experience that is integrated with
the Maryville College core curriculum.
In all, the professors hope to impact more than 100
students directly.
Also in September, Dr. Tricia Bruce, assistant professor
of sociology, and her students began working together on a
project that will examine diversity within social institutions.
Bruce, who has been researching the topic since 2010,
recently was awarded a $26,000 grant from NSF’s
Sociology Program, which supports basic research on all
forms of human social organization – societies, institutions,
groups and demography – and processes of individual and
institutional change.
The $26,000 will facilitate collaboration with several
students in the 2012-2013 academic year. Bruce also was
awarded an additional $25,000 from the Louisville
Institute.
According to the proposal’s abstract, Bruce’s research will
“examine the question of the accommodation of subcultures
in religious institutions via an in-depth, national look at nonterritorial parishes in the U.S. Catholic Church.”
Several students majoring in sociology and religion will
work closely with Bruce throughout the one-year project,
including students enrolled in the College’s SOC301: Social
Sciences Research Methods class.

Paintings of wildflowers for
the federal courthouse project
were created by
(clockwise from top):
B. Brewer ’10, G. Frye ’07,
J. Thorp ’10, A. Ray ’09,
K. Poeppelman ’06,
K. Brestel ’12, K. Hilzinger ’09
and Y. Wenta-Wells ’06.

MC ALUMNAE provide art FOR
FEDERAL COURTHOUSE
NINE LARGE-SCALE PAINTINGS by nine Maryville College alumnae were dedicated
April 13, 2012, at the Howard H. Baker Jr. Federal Courthouse in Knoxville.
The oil on canvas paintings “celebrate indigenous wildflowers of the Smokies,” according to MC Professor of Art Dr. Carl Gombert. Each five-foot-tall painting depicts a different wildflower that is native to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Students involved in the project included Katie Brestel ’12, Yvonne Wenta-Wells ’06,
Krista Hilzinger ’09, Alicia Ray ’09, Kate Poeppelman ’06, Ginger Frye ’07, Brett
Jacobsen Brewer ’10, Stephani Richardson ’10 and Jenna Thorp ’10.
This is the third piece of public art created by Maryville College students for a federal building. Two murals were dedicated in federal courthouses in 2005 and 2007, created through
the Student Volunteer Program of General Services Administration (GSA), which serves as a
centralized procurement and property management agency for the federal government.
At the initiation of C. Johnathan Sitzlar ’01, supervisory property manager with GSA,
Maryville College and GSA signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 2003. The student
volunteer program is ongoing. The idea for the wildflower project originated about eight
years ago with Wenta-Wells. Over the years, students in Gombert’s painting classes have created the paintings.

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5

NEWS

ASPIRING PHOTOGRAPHER GETS

dream assignment

BY CHLOE KENNEDY | NEWS AND NEW MEDIA WRITER

FOR MANY ASPIRING
photographers, having the chance to
photograph wildlife in Africa is the
ultimate assignment.
In 2011, Maryville College senior
Emily Julian ’13 got that opportunity.
The art major and Bonner Scholar
landed a photography and conservation
internship at the Thanda Private Game
Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa,
where she took photos of animals that
make their home
on this resort
located in northern Zululand. The
summer experience
was coordinated
through African
Impact, the largest onthe-ground facilitator of
responsible volunteer projects
throughout Africa.
During the month-long internship, which Julian describes as “the
experience of a lifetime,” Julian
accompanied conservationists and
researchers who were studying animal
populations and species on the reserve.
The art major photographed – and in
some cases got up close and personal
with – elephants, rhinos, cheetahs,
water buffalo, lions, zebras, impalas and
crocodiles.
“The researchers need to see how the
populations work together, and for
that, they need pictures to document
what they see,” explained Julian, who is
from Powell, Tenn. “For example, you
can tell specific lions by the patterns on
their whiskers.”
In addition to photographing wildlife,
she worked with children from a local
school to teach them about conservation
efforts. “I’ve always been drawn to kids,
so that was one of my favorite times,” she
said. She worked with 25 to 30 children
who ranged from ages 4 to 8. Many of
the children, who live next to a reserve,
had never seen a lion, Julian said.
“Plus, many of the children’s fathers
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Emily Julian (standing) helps the director
and teacher of a school in Mhkuzi, South
Africa, attach her “hyena ears” that were
made in class as a wildlife education
activity for students.
are poachers, so the children did not
know that poaching is bad,” Julian said.
“We would explain that we know you
need food, but if you kill all of those
animals, there will be none left. They’re
slowly understanding what conservation
means as a community.”
At the encouragement of MC
photography instructor Paula Campbell,
Julian submitted 10 of her Africa
photographs to Photographer’s Forum
magazine’s 2012 “Best of College and
High School Photography” contest.
Julian was named a finalist in the 32nd
annual photography competition for her
photo of wildfire smoke billowing from
a mountain reflected into a lake in
South Africa. The photo is included in
the hardcover volume of Best of College
and High School Photography 2012,
which was published in June.
Julian, who has long had an interest in
photography, said her experience in
Africa confirmed that she wants to pursue her dream job: becoming a travel
documentary photographer.
“It didn’t just open my eyes – it slapped
me in the face,” Julian said about the experience. “It sparked in me that I have to do
this for a career. I have to travel and have a
camera in my hand. The unexpected is
what I love – it makes me excited.” She also
knows that she’ll return to Africa one day.
“I feel a connection with Africa,” she
said. “I was told that once you leave
Africa, it takes a part of you with it. It’s
true. I feel the need to go back and keep
going back.”

campus

Below: From the safety of a Land Rover,
Julian photographs the only two cheetahs
on the Thanda Private Game Reserve;
Right: Julian’s photo selected as a finalist
in magazine’s photo contest.

Below: Four students from a school in
Mhkuzi, South Africa, pose for a photo.
Bottom: Julian was able to photograph a
young lioness, which belonged to one of
the two prides on the reserve.

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7

NEWS

MARYVILLE COLLEGE’S
PHYSICAL PLANT STAFF
DONNA HOLMES’ DAY at Maryville College
begins at 4 a.m. in the classrooms, studios and
galleries of the Clayton Center for the Arts.
After four hours of cleaning in the three-story
building (which includes a 250-seat recital hall),
she moves on to clean Gibson Hall, the four-story
residence hall that is home to 150 students.
A housekeeper who’s
been on the College’s Physical Plant staff since March
23, 1988, Holmes is considered a veteran of the
department and has
cleaned, dusted, polished,
swept and vacuumed every
building on campus, but she
prefers to work in facilities
that promise interaction
with students and in strucHousekeeper Donna Holmes tures that have been
cleans the glass on the front recently constructed or renovated. “I like to take a new
doors of Gibson Hall.
building and keep it looking
that way,” she said, smiling.

MEETING EXPECTATIONS
Holmes’ attitude is not uncommon among the
College’s 36-person Physical Plant staff, according
to Physical Plant Director Andy McCall, who also
joined the MC staff in 1988. In the last decade,
employees have been raising the bar for cleanliness,
attractiveness and maintenance of campus facilities.
“Six years ago, we felt that the Physical Plant
needed more documentation of what we were
trying to accomplish, so we put together a survey
based on APPA [Association of Physical Plant
Administrators] standards and sent it out to faculty,
staff and Cabinet members,” McCall explained
APPA groups standards into levels 1 through
5. For example, a level 1 standard (termed
“Orderly”) for cleaning requires that floors and
base mouldings “shine and/or are bright and
clean;” a level 4 (termed “Moderate”) describes
floors that are swept clean but dull. “In our survey, we described the levels and asked people to
tell us where they thought we were, and we also
asked people to indicate which level they would
like to see us perform at.” Questions were asked
of each of the distinct areas within Physical Plant:
custodial services, grounds and maintenance.
“The report back was a very detailed piece of
information that had a lot of good feedback,”
McCall said, “and the answers weren’t as bad as
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raising the bar

we thought they were going to be.”
But based on what survey participants said the
College’s standards should be in different areas,
staff members committed to improvements.
Using the APPA standards, McCall and
supervisors put together an operating services
handbook and developed schedules for routine
duties like mopping, mowing and painting.
APPA standards weren’t the only forces
pushing the staff. The College’s investments in
renovations, new construction and landscaping
had the same effect, McCall said.
In the last six years, the College has constructed
Gibson Hall for student housing, renovated the
Alumni Gymnasium for use as a large multipurpose
facility, renovated the Thaw Hall basement for
classroom and office space and assumed ownership
and upkeep of the Nathalia Wright House and
Chilhowee Club, which are both located off
campus. A $3 million Campus Beautification and
Improvement Plan carried out in 2002 and 2003
expanded areas for landscaping, which greatly
impacted the work of the grounds crew.
“Once things are made nice, you want to keep
it that way,” McCall said. “Expectations go up.”
And of course, the opening of the $47-million
Clayton Center for the Arts in early 2010 added
more to the department’s responsibilities.
“The Clayton Center is a whole new ballgame
for us,” McCall said. “That building came with a
different set of dynamics and higher expectations.
Its usage is not like anything we’ve ever had on
campus, and that [William Baxter Lee III Grand]
foyer – we’ve never had anything like that. “We’re
learning daily how to manage the facility.”
But the physical plant director said he feels
good about the progress. As an example, McCall
points to the time it now takes his staff to erect
the orchestra shell on the Nita Eckles West Stage.
When the Center first opened, the job took four
hours. These days, it’s up in less than two hours.

OVERSEEING LAWNS, FIELDS
AND FORESTS
The Maryville College campus occupies roughly
320 acres, and it’s the job of Grounds Superintendent Robert Early and six full-time employees
to make sure that lawns are mowed, trees are
pruned, flower beds are weeded and College
Woods trails are maintained.
Recently, Early oversaw the preparation of two
sites in the College Woods for planting apple and
pear orchards. A collaboration of McCall, Maryville

College biology professor Dr. Drew Crain and
Mountain Challenge Director Bruce Guillaume
‘76, the orchard project was proposed as another
way that the College could meet educational,
wellness and stewardship goals. Students are
involved in the maintenance of the orchards and
eventually will participate in their harvests.
Keeping the College’s six athletic fields in tiptop condition is also a responsibility of the
grounds crew. “Actually, we probably spend more
money and time on game fields than we do the
rest of the campus grounds,” McCall said,
explaining the various related jobs – regularly
mowing the fields, aerating them, fertilizing them,
overseeding them and striping them for games.
Working with the College’s athletics staff and
turf specialists at the University of Tennessee, the
MC grounds crew developed a master plan for the
ball fields. “We raised the bar with the purchase of
a top dresser,” McCall said. “All of our fields are
Bermuda grass, and the top dresser spreads a layer
of sand that promotes healthy growth.”

KEEPING UP WITH INDUSTRY
STANDARDS
Constantly evaluating where the Physical Plant
operations are and where they need to be, McCall

campus

Corporate
Sales &
Events Office

RENTING
OUT CAMPUS
FACILITIES
WITH THE MANY improvements in
grounds and facilities, Maryville College
has become a very desirable spot to hold
camps and conferences, banquets,
meetings and special events, including
weddings and receptions.

(Above) Steam Plant Operator Steve McCulloch checks the amount of ash
buildup inside the furnace at the College’s steam plant. (Left) Maryville
College Physical Plant Director Andy McCall, left, discusses business with
Grounds Superintendent Robert Early.

and his supervisors stay informed about industry
standards and “best practices.” For example, the
housekeeping crews have adopted “green cleaning”
practices and are now using environmentally
friendly products and cleaning techniques. Not only
are staff members reporting better health as a result;
supervisors are reporting savings to their budgets.
The department is buying better equipment to
do the jobs and working toward regular
maintenance of equipment and facilities. McCall
said he has one staff member trained in a software
program that keeps up with intervals for tasks like
changing air filters in HVAC units and servicing
the department’s fleet of automobiles.
In terms of maintenance, McCall said much of
the department’s work is still reactionary. His
long-term goal is to implement a preventative
maintenance program that would put projects,
repairs and replacements on a cycle. “It’s still hard
to quantify the savings, but everyone agrees that
preventative maintenance pays for itself.”

MOVING TOWARD A
24-HOUR OPERATION
In addition to outlining standards for which the
Physical Plant staff could strive, the 2006 survey
made McCall and supervisors look closely at their

personnel. “We realized that to accomplish what
the campus wanted us to be, we were short of
labor,” he explained.
In the last six years, the Physical Plant department has added employees, and it’s close to
becoming a 24-hour operation. While the majority
of employees work 7:30 a.m. until 4 p.m., steam
plant operators Jim Finley, Steve McCulloch and
Charlie Goodson work in shifts around the clock.
The addition of the Clayton Center and its
heavy use in the evening is pushing administrators
to discuss seriously a second shift for housekeeping. An afternoon and night crew could spend
more time on floor care of the whole campus,
McCall pointed out.
Dana Smith, Maryville College’s vice president
and treasurer, is the Cabinet officer to whom the
Physical Plant reports. He said he agrees that the
department needs to move to a 24-hour operation to meet the campus’ and community’s needs
and expectations.
But he said he’s extremely pleased with the
work that’s being conducted from early morning
until late evening. “I am humbled and impressed
by the level of commitment by our Physical Plant
employees,” he said. “They have really raised the
bar of performance on this campus.”

In October of 2010, the College’s
Conference and Events Services Office
underwent a name change and
streamlined all scheduling for college
facilities. Now called “Corporate Sales &
Events,” the office handles all the
bookings for grounds and buildings on
campus, including spaces inside the
Clayton Center for the Arts.
“Our marketing message for Corporate
Sales and Events is that ‘We’ve got it all,’
and we do,” said Belinda Kenny, director
of corporate sales and events. “From a
world-class performing arts center and
exhibition spaces to high-tech classrooms
to great outdoor recreational spaces,
Maryville College has the facilities to suit a
variety of needs.” Clients in the 20112012 fiscal year included the United States
District Court (for the first-ever
Naturalization Ceremony held in Blount
County), Kaufman Acoustic Kamp, Blount
Memorial Hospital, Marriott Business
Services and the American Cancer Society.
A new website and marketing materials
outline the specifics of rentable spaces and
includes photos and virtual tours. For
more information, visit maryvillecollege.
edu/events or call Kenny at
865.981.8014.

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9

NEWS

sport
2011-2012 Wrap

NEWS

up

THE COLLEGE’S FINAL YEAR in the Great
South Athletic Conference included numerous
successes. Teams won 67 percent
of all games with Great South
opponents, earned four
championship titles (in men’s
soccer, volleyball and men’s and
women’s basketball), and saw
four student-athletes – Brian
Beckham ’12, Kristin Findley
’12, Ashley Howarth ’14 and
Milton Stanley ’13 – earn
conference “Player of the Year”
STANLEY
recognitions.
Three teams (volleyball and
men’s and women’s basketball)
earned invitations to their
NCAA Division III tournaments.
Wesley Idlette ’12, the
College’s All-American wide
receiver, set new records in three
receiving categories.
Athletics Director and
volleyball coach Kandis Schram
IDLETTE
’85 and men’s basketball coach
Randy Lambert ’76 each
celebrated 600 career wins.

SCHRAM

The Mike Rader era of Fighting Scots football
began with his hiring in January. Rader, a native
of Johnson City, Tenn., coached previously at
Huntingdon College.
In May, Findley and Donald Rucker ’12 were
named winners of the J.D.
Davis Award; trainers
Amanda Spannbauer ’12
and Carly Fogg ’12 (pictured left) were presented
the Carl H. Black Award,
and announcer Greg Judkins was named the Ken
Kribbs Award winner.
10

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SCOTS second in
USA PRESIDENT’S CUP
COMPETITIONS
AFTER MARYVILLE COLLEGE’S first season in the USA
South, the Scots are very pleased with their standings in the
conference’s President’s Cup competition.
“At the end of fall sports, we are in second place in two of the three cup races,” said Athletics
Director Kandis Schram ’85, explaining that the conference awards programs for men’s sports,
women’s sports and overall performance. “Being in the hunt for a USA South President’s Cup is
very exciting.”
The President’s Cup is awarded by a points system where the first place team in each sport is
awarded the number of points that corresponds to the number of schools that sponsor teams in
that sport. The second place team receives one point less than
the first place team and so on.
The Scots are second in the women’s category and in
overall competition. Of the Maryville
College programs, the Fighting Scots
Football Team performed the best in the
conference this fall, sharing first place with
Christopher Newport University and
Methodist University.
In regular season play, the women’s volleyball team finished 10-1 in the conference
and advanced to the championship game
but fell to Christopher Newport, 3-1. The
women’s soccer team finished 9-1-1 in the
conference, falling to Christopher Newport
in the semi-finals of the tournament. The
men’s and women’s cross country teams
finished third and fourth, respectively, in
the conference championships. The men’s
soccer team posted a 3-12-3 season.
“The President’s Cup represents a
culmination of a department’s hard work as
a whole. In light of this, our goal is to put
our best effort forward in every contest,”
Schram said. “If the by-product of this
hard work results in the President’s Cup,
then that honor would be priceless.”
Maryville College accepted the invitation
to join the USA South Athletic Conference as a full
member during June 2011. The football team joined
the conference in 2005 as an affiliate member.
One of the oldest NCAA Division III conferences
in the country, the USA South is presently made up of
12 full-member institutions, including Maryville:
Averett University (Va.), Christopher Newport
University (Va.), Ferrum College (Va.), Greensboro
College (N.C.), LaGrange College (Ga.), Mary
Baldwin College (Va.), Meredith College (N.C.),
Methodist University (N.C.), North Carolina
Wesleyan College, Piedmont College (Ga.) and
William Peace University (N.C.). Agnes Scott College
(Ga.) is an affiliate member in women’s lacrosse only.

sport

LAMBERT’S COACHING CAREER
IN 2011 AND 2012, writing/communication
major Chris Cannon ’12 focused his Senior
Study on the 32-year coaching career of
Randy Lambert ’76.
In “The History of Maryville College
Basketball: The Randy Lambert Era,”
Cannon blends game recaps, player and team
statistics, photos and personal stories that
illustrate Lambert’s coaching style and
personality.
Cannon talked a lot with Lambert and
conducted archival searches for published
stories in The Highland Echo, the MaryvilleAlcoa Daily Times, the Knoxville News Sentinel
and other publications. Several of Cannon’s 280
sources were former players. The student

NEWS

is subject of Senior Study

Chris Cannon ’12 chose to write about
legendary basketball coach Randy Lambert ’76
for his Senior Study.

conducted more than 30 interviews, mostly
by phone. Cannon said he wanted to portray
Lambert, “not just for his wins or losses, but
as a person, too.”
“Upon interviewing Lambert and his
players, I’ve found that it’s not all about
basketball. Instead, it’s more about life,”
Cannon wrote in the abstract for his Senior
Study. “The number of lives that Randy
Lambert has touched in his career would
parallel with his winning percentage. A player
of Lambert’s becomes his son.”
Cannon is considering adding to the study
so that he can publish it as a book. Until he
does, portions of the study can be read at
blountpressrow.com.

THE SCOTS HAVE
a new WEBSITE!

COLLEGE, GRIDIRON CLUB

POWERED BY PRESTOSPORTS, Athletics’
new website features a sticky ticker with results of
events on the bottom, a ticker with upcoming
events on top, increased video content, virtual
media guides, live stats, live video, integration
with d3sports.com, announcements, and an email
newsletter for fans, according to Eric Etchison
’88, assistant athletics director and sports
information director.
“In two months of operation, we doubled our
daily traffic to our athletic site and are now
averaging more
than 2,700
unique visitors
daily,” he said.
“The variety of
information
available also
allows fans to be
more engaged,
and they stay on
the site for a
longer period
of time. The integration with
national Presto clients and D3Sports.com has
increased our regional and national visibility.”
The new setup also has streamlined weekly
USA South awards and All-Conference
nominations.
Live streaming video of five home football
games by Loch and Key Productions totaled
4,486 viewers.

MARYVILLE COLLEGE ADMINISTRATORS and officers of the
Fighting Scots Gridiron Club have formalized a partnership designed to
increase support for the College’s football program.
Formed last fall during a coaching transition at the College, the
Gridiron Club has in place officers and bylaws and was active
during the 2012 football season, organizing tailgate parties,
away-game transportation for fans and
fundraising efforts.
“Our vision is to provide, through fundraising
and activities, our student-athletes and coaches
with the best opportunities to achieve the
objectives for their program by allowing
them to focus 100 percent of their energies
and efforts to on-field activities,” explained
Darrel Lauderdale ‘87, club president.
Gridiron Club membership is open to all
fans — alumni, parents and friends — and
requires a $100 donation, which will be acknowledged as a tax-deductible gift to the
College. Under the partnership
agreement, the club’s treasurer will
be responsible for collecting fees and
donations and depositing the funds
at the College’s Advancement
Office. Working with the Gridiron Club officers, the head football coach will develop a prioritized
list of needs. Because Gridiron donations will not be used to offset regular operating costs of the
program, they will not be used to fund recurring expenditures like salaries and travel.
In addition to Lauderdale, officers include C. Luke Pressley ’03, vice president; Brian Gossett
’00, treasurer; and Steve Gordon ’72, secretary.
A website for the club is forthcoming. Currently, interested persons should follow the club
through its facebook page. (Search “Fighting Scots Gridiron Club.”)
For a membership form, contact Gossett at [email protected].

formalize partnership

Gridiron club

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11

faculty
SOUTHEAST
WORLD
HISTORY
ASSOCIATION

Annual
Meeting

ON OCT. 14-15, 2011, Maryville
College hosted the 23rd Annual Meeting
of the Southeast World History
Association (SEWHA), a regional affiliate
of the World History Association. Dr.
Doug Sofer, MC associate professor of
history, serves as treasurer of SEWHA.
About 40 professional historians,
graduate students and secondary
educators attended the conference,
which was centered around two major
themes: “Decline & Fall” and “Teaching
World History in the Age of Wikipedia.”

Merry Wiesner-Hanks, distinguished
professor of history at the University
of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (pictured
here), presented a lunch hour
teaching workshop and delivered the
keynote address, titled “Sowers of
Discord, Agents of Decline: Demons
in World History.”

12

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NEWS

The May 2012
Commencement
ceremonies were the last
for retiring faculty
members (l-r)
Dr. Terry Bunde,
Dr. John Nichols,
Dr. Peggy Cowan and
Dr. Larry Smithee.

FTIR SPECTROMETER PURCHASED

in Bunde’s honor

AFTER ANNOUNCING his retirement in
2011, Dr. Terry Bunde asked former students to
donate $28,000 for a new Fourier transform
infrared (FTIR) spectrometer in his honor. The
money was raised in six months.
Ever the generous and thoughtful professor,
Bunde wanted to use his retirement as an
opportunity to talk about the needs and the
future of the Maryville College Chemistry
Department.
Over the last six years, the College has
upgraded several instruments needed to teach
undergraduate organic chemistry, including an
Anasazi broadband Fourier transform EFT-60
NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance)
spectrometer, a Shimadzu 2400 UV-Vis
spectrophotometer, a Griffin 300 GC-MS (gas
chromatograph-mass spectrometer) and a
Shimadzu LC-20/SPD-20 HPLC (high
performance liquid chromatograph).
“The one remaining analytical method, and

perhaps the most routine analytical method used
by undergraduate organic chemistry students, is
Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy,” Bunde
explained in his appeal letter to donors.
Bunde, who was elected professor emeritus of
chemistry in May and presented the College’s
Medallion Oct.18, said he believes that an FTIR
spectrometer in the chemistry lab will help
Maryville College attract qualified organic
chemists to apply for the position he has vacated.
The FTIR spectrometer was dedicated Oct.
20, during a retirement reception for Bunde
held as part of Homecoming festivities.
(Left) Wayne Kramer
’74, chairman of the
Maryville College
Board of Directors,
presents the
Medallion to Dr. Terry
Bunde on Oct. 18.
(Below) Dr. Bunde
cuts the ribbon on
the new FTIR during
a dedication
ceremony Oct. 20.

faculty

COLLEGE observes Civil War
WITH SPECIAL EVENTS
LAST YEAR, a committee of faculty, staff and students was formed to plan programming that observes the
150th anniversary of the Civil War. The four-year “Maryville College Civil War Sesquicentennial Series” aims
to explore how the Civil War affected multiple populations in East Tennessee, address traditional narratives
and myths of the war, and examine the war’s lasting legacy in the region.
In 2011-2012, the College hosted or participated in approximately 10 Civil War-themed events, including
a Civil War-themed concert by the College-Community Concert Band and a lecture by Abraham Lincoln
scholar Dr. Ronald C. White, Jr. Scholars from Baylor University, Davidson College, Texas Christian University and the University of Tennessee will visit the campus Oct. 18-19, when the College explores “The Long
Shadow of the Civil War: Moral Meanings for our Time” as the theme for the 2013 Maryville Symposium. To
learn more about future programs and events, visit the MC website or “like” the series on facebook.

THE MARYVILLE
COLLEGE
community recently
celebrated the
publication of two
faculty members’
research.
In March,
Oxford University
Press began its sale
of Teaching
Religion and
Violence, edited
by Dr. Brian Pennington, professor of religion.
The book is a collection of essays written by 13
different scholars (including Pennington) aimed at
instructors who teach religion and want to guide
classroom discussions that help students think
critically about religious violence, particularly in a
multicultural setting.
The book is part of Oxford University Press’
“Teaching Religious Studies” series published in

BRUNGER

FACULTY
MEMBERS

announces

RETIREMENT

publish
BOOKS

collaboration with the American Academy of
Religion.
In May, Dr. Aaron Astor’s Civil War study,
Rebels on the Border, was published by the LSU
Press as a part of its “Conflicting Worlds: New
Dimensions of the American Civil War” series.
Astor, an associate professor of history,
extensively researched the war and
Reconstruction in the border states of
Kentucky and Missouri. A description
“Rebels on the
from the publisher reads: “
Border is not simply a story of bitter
political struggles, partisan guerrilla
warfare, and racial violence. Like no
other scholarly account of Kentucky and
Missouri during the Civil War, it places
these two crucial heartland states within
the broad context of local, southern and
national politics.”
Astor also has published several
columns in the New York Times’ online
“Disunion” series that highlights
stories and assessments of the war in a
chronologic timeline.

DR. SCOTT BRUNGER, professor of
economics, has announced that he will retire
at the end of the 2012-2013 academic year.
Brunger, who holds degrees
from Yale University and the
New School for Social
Research, has taught economics and African studies at the
College since 1982. His areas
of expertise have included economic development in Africa
and in the U.S. automobile
industry. For several years, he
has led the College’s Model United Nations
Security Council course during January Term.
A former Presbyterian mission volunteer
and active member of the PC(USA), he also
has been an expert on mission work and
church finance.
“Dr. Brunger’s support for the mission of
Maryville College as a church-related liberal
arts institution has been unwavering,” said
Dr. Barbara Wells, vice president and dean of
the College. “Two important emphases at
the College are church-relatedness and
international education. Throughout his 30
years on the faculty, Dr. Brunger has made an
especially significant contribution to the
College by promoting goals in these areas.”
Brunger plans to have a “Last Lecture” for
members of the campus community and
alumni in the Spring.

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13

NEWS

Your Gift
Matters
T

HROUGHOUT ITS
193-year history,
Maryville College has
relied on the generosity
of donors to educate students,
build and renovate buildings, equip
laboratories and classrooms and
finance innovative initiatives.
It still does.
Whether through smaller gifts to
the Maryville Fund or milliondollar bequests to the endowment,
every gift matters because every
dollar is invested to support the
College’s mission of preparing students for lives of citizenship and leadership.
The ways in which donors can give to Maryville College is as varied as its
constituency. Unrestricted gifts – to the Maryville Fund and to the College’s
general endowment fund – give the College the greatest flexibility to address
needs, but gifts that are restricted to specific programs and populations are also
critical and often creatively marry the College’s needs to the donor’s personal
interests and concerns.
Gifts of cash are most common, of course, but many donors choose to
transfer stocks and bonds, donate real estate and sign over life insurance
policies. Many charitable contributions offer tax benefits for donors. Gifts to
the College from estates have, historically, been the most transformative.
The following pages share stories of gifts and givers and provide information
about how others can donate their treasures to Maryville College so that they
make a difference in the lives of students and in the College’s future.
To make a gift to the College this fiscal year (which ends May 31, 2013),
please fill out the reply card located in the back and use the envelope provided
in the center of this magazine.
Many, many thanks for supporting Maryville College. Your gift matters.
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C A P I TA L G I F T S

Kramer siblings’
gift to Anderson
honors family
ANDERSON HALL’S OLD FLOORBOARDS,
creaky staircases and musty smells conjure up fond
memories for Lloyd Kramer ’71, Wayne
Kramer ’74 and Alice Kramer Hood, but the siblings are excited that a newly renovated Anderson
– with flexible spaces, an elevator, temperature
control and technology for the 21st century – is
close to becoming a reality at Maryville College.
“A renovated Anderson Hall will enable students to learn in a modern facility yet at the same
time feel the ‘spirit’ of the institution,” explained
Wayne, who chairs the College’s Board of Directors that is leading a $6.8 million campaign to renovate the interior of the 142-year-old structure.
The children of the late Frank Kramer ’47 and
Ruth Lloyd Kramer ’47, Lloyd, Wayne and Alice
have pledged $50,000 toward the project. With
the gift, a faculty office on the second floor will
carry the names of their late parents and their late
grandparents, Margaret Bell Lloyd and Ralph W.
Lloyd ’15. Ralph was president of Maryville College from 1930 until 1961 and conducted business
from a first-floor office inside the historic building.
“We wanted to support the renovation so that
Anderson Hall can remain a meeting place and a
center for learning, conversations and discovery in
the 21st century,” Lloyd said. “Old buildings need
to evolve if they are to be useful spaces for future
generations. We wanted to name a meeting space
or office where ideas will flow, conversations will
move in unexpected directions and people will find
new friendships, mentors and encouragement.”
And the siblings could think of no one else
they would rather honor with their gift than their
parents and grandparents, Alice said.
“It was only natural that the three of us would
be a part of this important fundraising campaign,”
she added, explaining the many ways in which the
history of the Lloyd family is connected to the
history of the College – and to Anderson Hall.
“Both of our parents loved Maryville College, but
it truly ran through our mother’s veins.
“Even though I did not attend Maryville
College (I’m a Southern Methodist University
alumna), I feel very connected to the school.”

Ralph and Margaret Lloyd raised their family
on campus – first in Willard House, then Morningside. All four of their children graduated from
Maryville College, and four of their grandchildren
became alumni, as well.
Lloyd and Wayne remember visiting the
Anderson Hall office of their grandfather. “As a
small child, I always thought the building was big,
old and important,” Lloyd said. “… The wood
floors stand out in my mind, maybe because at
that age, I didn’t stand very far above the floor
and maybe also because the smell and appearance
and even the sound of walking on the floors
evoked an ‘old building.’”
As young men, the brothers entered Anderson
for classes and meetings with faculty. Lloyd
majored in history, and Wayne majored in
religion. As members of the All College Council,
both met with seventh president, Dr. Joe
Copeland, in Anderson to talk about student
issues and, as Lloyd put it, “changing times.”
“For me, Anderson Hall was the center of my
academic experience at Maryville College. In so
many ways, my experiences in those classrooms
molded much of what I think today and how I
see the world, ” Wayne stated. “Anderson Hall
was at the foundation of my college learning and
remains symbolically the ‘heart’ of who I am
intellectually and academically.”
The two remember – and hold dear – discussions that began in class and continued in faculty
members’ offices. They remember religion and
philosophy classes led by Esther Swenson, David
Cartlidge and Don Stine. Catharine Wilkerson
’19 sparked an interest in French language and
culture for Lloyd, while Katie Martin guided
Wayne through Spanish. In careers that required a
strong foundation in the English language (Lloyd
is a history professor and published author; Wayne
is an attorney), the brothers are grateful for the
lectures of Anderson Hall legends Elizabeth Jackson, Arthur Bushing ’43 and Carolyn Blair.
With the College’s bicentennial only seven

NAMED
SPACES STILL
AVAILABLE

years away, the siblings see a
renovated Anderson Hall as
symbolic. “The renovated
Anderson Hall will confirm that
Maryville College is moving
confidently toward the future,”
Lloyd said. “It is transforming
one of its best-known buildings
in ways that will contribute to
new knowledge and concerns of
the 21st century. It will show
the College’s commitment
to ‘environment-friendly’
public spaces, advanced
technologies and new
forms of learning.
“At the same time,
however, it will show that
the changes at Maryville
College are still rooted in a
place, an educational
mission and a set of
enduring values that go
back to the institution’s
earliest history,” he
continued. “Anderson Hall
will thus be the renovated
symbol of both continuity
and change as the College
approaches the 200th
anniversary of its
founding.”
Wayne encourages all
who care about Maryville
College to consider a gift
to the campaign.
“This is an opportunity
for friends and alumni to participate not only in
the history of the College but also to make a
statement about its future,” he said. “As I said to
my fellow class members, it is truly a chance to
‘lift the chorus, wake the echoes and make the
welkin ring!’”

WITH ABOUT FIVE MONTHS remaining in
the campaign, the Anderson Hall Alumni
Challenge has raised more than $600,000 in
gifts and pledges toward its $1 million goal.
According to Holly Jackson-Sullivan,
Maryville College’s vice president for
advancement, many alumni are giving in honor
or memory of faculty members, staff members
and other alumni.
“The Anderson Hall renovation campaign is a
wonderful way to recognize loved ones – be they
family members who financed a Maryville College

(Above) As grandchildren of Ralph W. Lloyd
’15 and Ruth Bell Lloyd, the Kramer children
visited campus frequently, particularly
Morningside, where the Lloyds made their
home from 1951 until 1961. More recently, (l-r)
Wayne, Alice and Lloyd posed on the steps of
Willard House, which was the childhood home
of their mother, Ruth Lloyd Kramer ’47.
education or professors who made a profound
difference in the lives of students,” she said.
Named spaces are still available for gifts that
range from $10,000 (windows) to $500,000
(outdoor classroom/amphitheatre).
Parents of current and former students also
are joining in the campaign.
For more information, contact
Jackson-Sullivan at 865.273.8884 or
[email protected]. Or visit
maryvillecollege.edu/giving/capital-projects/
anderson-hall.

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15

M A RY V I L L E F U N D

Reaser has given
faithfully since 1963
IF THE MEMBERS of Maryville College’s
Calvin Duncan Society ever decide they needed
an official spokesperson, Clarence L. “Rusty”
Reaser ’52 could be their man.
Established in 2002, the Calvin Duncan
Society asks alumni to promise to make a gift of
some amount each and every year. Rusty just
recently signed the promise to
became an official member of
the society, but his annual
giving record is already
impressive: He has made a
donation to his alma mater
every year since 1963.
“My first gift to Maryville
College was in 1951 after President Ralph Waldo Lloyd gave an
impassioned plea in an all-student assembly for participation
in the funding process for the new [Wilson] chapel,” he remembered in an email to the College
this fall. “My gift was $10. That doesn’t seem like
much, but remember that was more than 60 years
ago, and it represented 40 hours of shelving books
in the college library at 25 cents per hour.”

Following graduation, Rusty gave consecutively
with the exception of 1959 and 1962.
Rusty came to Maryville College from Linden,
Pa., primarily because it offered a quality education
at a comparatively low cost. From childhood, he
intended to enter the Christian ministry
(Presbyterian, specifically) and knew that Maryville
was well regarded by Princeton Seminary.
He went on to earn two master’s degrees from
Princeton and a doctoral degree from Union
Seminary. Rusty’s career has included 30 years in
the United States Army Chaplaincy and 20 years
as a pastor, interim pastor and parish associate in
various congregations.
At age 81, he fondly remembers his days as an
MC student – playing “Christ the Lord is Risen
Today” on the trumpet standing atop Anderson
Hall on Easter Sunday and singing in the
Maryville College Vesper Choir under
the direction
of Harry
Harter.
“I will continue to give
each remaining
year of my life,”
he wrote.
“Beyond that,
Maryville is
remembered for
$25,000 or so in
the Reaser Charitable Remainder Trust. Why?
Because I believe as strongly as ever in the
quality (objectively) and the significance (subjectively) of a Maryville education.

M A RY V I L L E F U N D
THE MARYVILLE
FUND supports MC’s
most pressing needs,
including student scholarships, library resources and faculty professional development. The fund is unrestricted so gifts may be applied
where they will benefit students and faculty in the most
significant and immediate way. To make a gift to the
Maryville Fund, just fill out the reply card located in the
back of this magazine and mail it — along with your
check — in the envelope that has been provided inside.

Maryville Fund

Gifts to the fund in FY12 = $1.46 million
Number of donors to the fund in FY12 = 2,039
Goal for the fund in FY13 = $925,000
Money raised as of Nov. 27
(in gifts and pledges) = $426,000

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“Also, I realize that, like me, most students
need all the help they can get to pay for their
education,” he said. “You might say this is one
way of ‘giving back.’”

Clarence L. “Rusty” Reaser ’52
made his first donation to the
College in 1951, while he
was still a student. Fond
memories of his days on
campus include singing in
the Vesper Choir.

THE PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE
THE PRESIDENT’S
CIRCLE is a giving society
recognizing donors who
give $1,000 or more to the
College each year. This
society is the backbone of
the Maryville Fund, and is
made up of individuals,
churches, business and organizations. If you want to
stand with others in making a leadership gift of
$1,000 or more, contact Eric Bellah at
865.981.8225 or [email protected].
Total members of President’s Circle in FY12 = 368
Goal for membership in President’s Circle
in FY13 = 450

ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIPS

Jenningses celebrate
‘average’ with
annual scholarship
RONALD C. “DOCK” JENNINGS ‘55
believes “average” should be celebrated more.
And to make sure that it is at Maryville
College, he and wife Marilyn Baumgartner
Jennings ’57 established the Ronald and Marilyn
Jennings Average Student Scholarship in 2011.
It is awarded to the rising senior with the
median grade point average. The Jennings
contribute $1,500 for the award, annually.
“I’m not anti-leadership or anti-achievement,”
Dock said, explaining the intent of his scholarship.
“One needs to strive constantly to improve, and
we should never aim at average. That being said, a
whole lot of us end up being average.”
And, according to one of the three guiding principles of the scholarship, “a primary undergirding
of our nation’s greatness has been provided by the
millions of so-called ‘average’ Americans who raise
families, do their jobs conscientiously, support their
communities, and help their neighbors – often
unappreciated for their contributions.”
The couple believes they were average students
while at Maryville. Marilyn majored in elementary
education and was active in the Bainonians. Dock,
an economics major, was a member of Alpha
Sigma, the Highland Echo and Chilhowean staffs
and manager of the basketball team.
Dock received three “A’s” while an MC student, and they all were earned during his senior
year. One “A” was for work in the College’s Vesper Choir, and another one was for the groom’s
course in home economics. The third “A” was for
his performance in comprehensive exams, which
landed Dock in the office of Dr. Verton Queener,
chair of the Social Sciences Division.
“[Dr. Queener] indicated that I had not
exhibited that level of work during my four years
of school and wondered how I achieved the only
‘A’ in the Social Science Department,” Dock
remembered. “The answer was that I listened in
class, took notes, kept notes and read through
them before the exam. I enjoyed taking comps.”
While their names might not have been
regulars on the Dean’s List, Dock and Marilyn
believe that they participated in the college
community in ways that enhanced their leadership

skills and solidified their values. Combined with
to Who’s Who Among Students in American
an excellent education, the experiences helped
Universities and Colleges, she plans to earn an
them be successful and enjoy life.
M.B.A. and go into industrial and organizational
Dock went on to a 40-year career as an agent
psychology. Eventually, she would like to earn a
with State Farm Insurance in Boise, Idaho, chaired
doctorate and run her own practice.
the state’s Department of Insurance Continuing
“There are a lot of things I could do,” she said
Education Advisory Committee and was
of her future and educational plans. “‘Average’ is
recognized as a “Standard Setter” by the Society
on the way to the top.”
of Chartered Property and Casualty
Underwriters. Marilyn stayed home
to rear their three children
(daughter Mari Jennings Todd ’84
is an MC graduate) and help with
church and community initiatives.
Today, they split their time between
Boise and Palmetto, Fla.
Their idea for the “Average
Student Scholarship” was born in
2010 after hearing the acceptance
speech of Carl McDonald ’63,
who was presented the Maryville
College Alumni Citation.
McDonald, who had built a
successful law practice in Blount
County and become a respected
leader in his community, told the
Stephanie Barger ’12 met scholarship donors Ronald C.
banquet crowd that faculty members
“Dock” Jennings ’55 and Marilyn Baumgartner Jennings ’57
of his day would be surprised by his
at the Scholarship Luncheon held in April.
success, given his average academic
performance at the College.
“A lot of Maryville College graduates who
have gone on to do a lot of good in the world
were not the ‘academic elite,’” Dock pointed out.
ESTABLISHING AN
“Doggone it, they can’t all be the very best, but
INDIVIDUALLY FUNDED
we must be proud of what they accomplish.”
ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP
Dock enlisted the help of classmate Joe
is a unique way to invest in the College through
Gilliland ’55 in writing the scholarship
the life of a student. By making an investment of
statement. It includes three guiding principles:
at least $1,500, individual donors can name the
The first acknowledges that high-achieving
scholarship, receive information about their
students are “properly and rightfully celebrated.”
student recipient and meet them personally
The second principle states that “many students
during a Spring luncheon.
who do not reach the top formal academic ranks
both profit from a college education and
contribute to the college community.” The third
principle, mentioned above, recognizes the
important – yet often unappreciated –
contributions of millions of “average” Americans.
Entering her senior year with a 3.0 GPA,
Stephanie Barger ’12 was the first recipient of
the scholarship in 2011-2012. After reading
through the scholarship statement, she said the
couple’s intentions for the financial award “make
a lot of sense.”
“I’m proud to be the first recipient,” said the
psychology major from Harriman, Tenn. Barger
lacks neither brains nor ambition. A leader in the
College’s Residence Hall Association and elected

M AT C H I N G G I F T P RO G R A M
FOR MANY YEARS, Dock has doubled the
impact of his giving by utilizing State Farm’s
matching gift program. If your employer has a
matching gift program, contact the human
resources or personnel department for the
appropriate form(s). Mail completed forms to:
Maryville College Advancement Office, 502 E.
Lamar Alexander Parkway, Maryville, TN
37804. For assistance on either annual
scholarships or the matching gift program,
contact Eric Bellah at 865.981.8225 or eric.
[email protected].

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ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIPS

Copeland Endowed
Leadership Scholarship
helps students from
third-world countries

The Dr. Joe Copeland Endowed
Leadership Scholarship, established by
Wayne Freeman, has helped make a
Maryville education affordable for
Sudanese refugee Mathiang Gutnyin ’13.
(Inset) Dr. Joseph Copeland was president
of MC from 1961 to 1977.

IN MORE THAN 90 YEARS on this earth,
Dr. Wayne Freeman has held different positions
within the field of agronomy, published extensively on his research and volunteered for various
nonprofits, but a common thread can be found
among his work:  a desire to help people become
self-sustaining.
Wayne, a native of Smith County, Kansas, who
now resides in Maryville’s Asbury Place, earned his
undergraduate degree in agronomy from Kansas
State University and then a doctorate in plant

breeding from the University of Illinois. Following
years of research in corn breeding, he took a job
with the Rockefeller Foundation in 1961 as a seed
specialist overseeing initiatives in India.
“The foundation wanted to start a company in
the private sector. Prior to this, there was some
seed production – mail-order vegetable seeds, but
no field crop seeds,” Wayne explained.
Eventually, Wayne was instrumental in

introducing high-yield rice and wheat varieties to
farmers. Internationally, the advances became
known as the “Green Revolution.”
“This was food,” Wayne said. “It was the
salvation of India. Had improvements not been
made, millions would have starved to death.”
After decades in India and Nepal, where he led
research on rice, wheat, corn and cropping
systems, Wayne and wife Eleanor retired. With
ties to East Tennessee through her, Wayne made
Gatlinburg the family’s U.S. base in the 1970s.
Joining Gatlinburg Presbyterian Church in 1985,
he met fellow member and Maryville College
President Emeritus Dr. Joseph
Copeland and wife Glenda, who had
retired to the mountain community
in the late 1970s.
Wayne said he was impressed by
Copeland’s leadership and vision.
With a desire to honor his friend
and continue his work to help
developing countries become selfsustaining, he established the Dr.
Joe Copeland Endowed Leadership
Scholarship at Maryville College. It provides
funding for a student of financial need from a thirdworld country. “What do we need in the world
now?” Wayne asked during a recent interview.
“Educated leaders! The real problems are in thirdworld countries, and we need leaders there.”
Mathiang Gutnyin ’13 has been a recipient of
the Copeland scholarship for four years. A Sudanese refugee, Gutnyin hopes to someday return to
the new Republic of South Sudan to help his
countrymen and others.
That’s the idea of the scholarship, Freeman
said. “I hope scholarship recipients like Mathiang
will go back and provide leadership in those
countries. Citizens of these countries have vision.
They need the training, and Maryville College can
provide a good foundation.”

E N D OW E D S C H O L A R S H I P S
AN ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP requires a gift to the College of at least
$25,000 (payable over three years), and student recipients typically are awarded
4 to 5 percent of the value of the scholarship annually. Alumni, parents and friends
can make donations to already-established endowments. Numerous ones exist
and support a myriad of students and experiences.
For example, if you would like to bring more international students to MC,
designate your gift for the Copeland Endowed Leadership Scholarship.
For more information, contact Holly Jackson-Sullivan, vice president for
advancement and community relations, at 865.273.8884 or holly.sullivan@
maryvillecollege.edu.

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GIVING BY THE NUMBERS
In Fiscal Year 2012:
Gifts/pledges to all campaigns = $7,150,605
Donors to all funds = 3,120
Faculty/Staff donations = $88,000
Current parent donations = $80,000
Giving percentage of Class of 2012 = 89
Members of Calvin Duncan Society = 1,246
Value of Endowment = $55,388,342

ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIPS

Richard Henderson
believes in Santa,
angels and paying
it forward
DR. RICHARD HENDERSON ‘57 believes in
Santa Claus and angels. The 77-year-old, who just
celebrated 44 years of successful practice at Burlington (N.C.) Dermatology Center, Inc., always
smiles whenever he sees St. Nick and celestial messengers in Christmas décor. It is during these occasions that “Dick Henderson” (as most of his MC
classmates remember him) is reminded that both
Santa Claus and angels have figured prominently
in his professional, spiritual and personal life.
“I’ve been blessed,” he said in a 2011 phone
interview. “If the Lord had let me write the script,
it would not have turned out as well as it has.”
Dick’s “script” began with a difficult childhood. His parents were divorced, and his mother
worked and lived in Mount Holly, N.J., during
the week. Dick and his sister, Joan, lived with
their grandparents on a farm in nearby Medford.
Geneva Henderson, Dick’s mother, financially
supported her children but perhaps more importantly, she supported – and encouraged – their
efforts in school. “She told us that the only way we
could leave [farm] life was through education,” he
said. “I believed her.” Dick was a top student and a
leader at Mount Holly High School, captaining the
football team and presiding over the Student
Council for two years. “I was fairly successful,” he
said of his adolescence. “Being in school was the
most enjoyable time I spent growing up.”

GIFTS FROM SANTA, ANGELS
In 1950, Dick, while a high school sophomore,
submitted a 250-word essay on “Why I Want to
Grow Up in America” to Philadelphia Inquirer’s
“This Week Magazine,” which was promoting a
contest sponsored by Santa Claus. The winner
was promised a substantial scholarship award.
Months later, Santa Claus (with a return
address of Hollywood, Calif.) sent Dick a letter,
notifying the teen that his submission had been
selected out of more than 10,000 entries.
Enclosed was a check for $2,500.
In his letter, Santa Claus explained that Dick’s
winning submission – along with the other
10,000 – would be distributed to children living

in other countries – “children who don’t have the
opportunities you do,” Santa’s letter read. “But
someday they may. And we hope your letter will
help in a small way to bring this day closer.”
Wisely, the Hendersons held on to the contest
money, and when the time came for Dick to select
a college, Miss Anna Brown, one of his teachers,
told him about Maryville College. Brown, whom
Dick believes was one of several angels placed in
his life, had heard about Maryville from Burlington County’s Superintendent of Schools, who had
a child enrolled. She was convinced the small, liberal arts college in Tennessee was just the school
for her high-achieving student.
Dick wrote the College for more information.
Reading about the watermelon pow-wows for
freshmen and daily chapel, he knew that socially,
Maryville College was a “whole different ballgame” than his life in New Jersey, but the price was
right. With his $2,500 contest winnings and
money earned during the summers, he would be
able to afford tuition and fees over four years.
“Looking back, Maryville was a great experience
for me,” he said. “Just what I needed.”
He got involved in campus life and was introduced to the Christian faith. He majored in biology and augmented his studies in
the pathology lab at Blount
Memorial Hospital. “Maryville
College had an overall atmosphere
that was supportive. I was an insecure person but received encouragement from fellow students and
the teaching staff,” he said.
He went on to medical school
at Indiana University and earned
his medical degree there in 1961.
He also met his future wife, Marjorie George, a Butler University
graduate, while in Indiana.

establish the Geneva Henderson Endowed
Memorial Scholarship in honor of his mother who
passed away in 2000.
It is awarded annually to a student “who needs
significant financial support in order to study at the
College.” Good academic standing and U.S. citizenship are also criteria. “She had it pretty tough,”
Dick said of his mother. “Her whole life, she sacrificed to see that we kids got an education and
other opportunities. She’d be delighted to know
that a scholarship was set up in her name because
she really did believe in the power of education.”
Citing a quote from Abraham Lincoln, Dick said
his mother might have been the most important
angel in his life. “Lincoln said ‘All that I am, or hope
to be, I owe to my angel mother,’ and that’s true for
me. That – and the Lord writing the script.”
Dr. Richard Henderson ’57
and his wife, Marjorie,
established the Geneva
Henderson Endowed
Memorial Scholarship to
recognize the impact Dick’s
mother (pictured at right)
had in his life.

PAYING IT FORWARD
Dick Henderson has never forgotten the 1951 letter and check
from Santa Claus. He said he
believes God’s hand was in his
winning the contest, and he has
taken very seriously the sponsor’s
words of hope that “others will
have opportunities” as a result of
the opportunity given him.
In addition to supporting their
church, various community organizations and universities, Dick
and Marjorie Henderson generously support Maryville College.
In 2006, they donated funds to

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19

PLANNED GIVING

Postlers include
MC in estate plans
FAITHFUL DONORS to the Maryville Fund,
Bill Postler ’72 and Jan Welton Postler ’72
believe in supporting the students, faculty, staff
and programs of today’s Maryville College.
But as members of the Society of 1819, they
also believe in contributing to their alma mater’s
ministry and mission even after they’re gone.
In 2010, Postlers joined the Society of 1819,
which recognizes those who have included the
College in their estate and financial plans.
“We had included the College in our estate
plans previously but when we redid our will, we
decided to include the College in a more substantial way,” Bill said during an interview over
Homecoming weekend. “[In a previous will], we
had included various churches I had served but

realized that churches can change significantly
over the passing years. We felt like the College
was a more sustainable recipient.
“And obviously, the College had made such a
significant impact in our lives, the decision [to
join the Society of 1819] was easy.”
The Postlers, who now call Durango, Colo.,
home, met at the College. Bill transferred to MC
from the University of Cincinnati, where he spent
two years as a chemical engineering major. In
Cincinnati, he began asking questions that were
better explored in religion and philosophy classes
than in math and engineering courses. He had
grown up in a Presbyterian church and Maryville
wasn’t too far from home, so he enrolled at MC,
where he pursued two majors: math and philosophy/religion. He played basketball for legendary
coach Boydson Baird ’41.
Jan’s mother, Elizabeth Welton, was an assistant
to Dr. Joseph Copeland, then the president of
MC. Visiting the campus as a high school student,
Jan said she fell in love with the

ESTATE GIFTS SUPPORT Maryville
College in the future through charitable
bequests, trusts and gift annuities.
Moreover, you can join MC’s prestigious Society of 1819 when you
include Maryville College in your estate plans.
Established in 1997, the Society of 1819 recalls the
year Maryville College was founded and serves to recognize those who have made a commitment to the College
of any amount through bequests and other planned gifts.
For more information on planned giving opportunities,
fill out and return to the College the Society
of 1819 reply card located in the back of this
magazine or contact Holly Jackson-Sullivan
Total members of
at 865.273.8884 or holly.sullivan@
Society of 1819 = 247
maryvillecollege.edu. A brochure and
Estate gifts in FY12 =
enrollment form is located at
$2.54 million
maryvillecollege.edu/giving/estate-gifts.

SOCIETY OF 1819

Because Maryville College made such an impact in their lives
(including their meeting each other) Bill Postler ’72 and
Jan Welton Postler ’72 joined the Society of 1819. (Inset) The
happy couple as students during the 1971-1972 academic year.
(Photo courtesy of The Chilhowean)

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| FA L L 2012

small-college atmosphere. She majored in English
and was a student of Carolyn Blair, Elizabeth
Jackson and Arda Walker ’40.
“I always felt challenged by my professors,” she
said. “They stretched us, but they were always
there for us, too.”
Bill was challenged in the classroom by Bill
Dent ’57, David Cartlidge, Esther Swenson, Don
Stine and David Stewart. When he continued his
education at Vanderbilt Divinity School, he found
himself well prepared, academically.
Seeing that Maryville College still offers a
rigorous education motivates them to support
their alma mater financially, but the Postlers also
are encouraged by the College’s commitment to
impart to students a sense of values and ethics
that was present when they were enrolled. “The
College has a faith connection. It underlies the
philosophy of the College, and that’s significant
for us,” Bill said.
Jan added: “I still feel challenged to search for
the deeper meaning of things.”
Their vocations have been spent in the
non-profit sector – Bill as a Presbyterian
minister, and Jan as a museum curator
(she currently works with the La Plata
County Historical Society), so they
understand the importance of being
good stewards of limited resources.
They believe the College is – and
will continue to be – a good steward
of their resources, and they encourage
other alumni to join the Society of
1819. “It feels good to see that we’re
investing in something that’s moving
forward,” Jan said.

PLANNED GIVING

Farley estate providing
funds for Anderson
renovation, scholarships
1943 WAS NOT REALLY an easy
time in American history. The United
States was immersed in a war on
multiple fronts, and the economic
times were difficult at best.
Perseverance was the watchword of
the American way of life.
Maryville College was like most
other academic institutions, struggling
to continue its academic programs and
provide a solid foundation for its
students. Barbara Lorentz Farley ’43
was matriculating at Maryville and
finishing her senior year.
When you think about it, these were
difficult times, and it was unusual for a
woman to graduate from college and
even more unusual for a woman to
choose to become a doctor! Barbara
did exactly that – and much more.
“She was dirt poor when she
arrived at Maryville College but was able to bootstrap her way to a life of service in medicine by
employing faith, perseverance and education, and,
she did so during a time when even graduating
from college was unusual for young women,”
according to Scot Stern, a family spokesperson.
“If we tell her story, and that story stimulates
even one Maryville College student to strive for
additional accomplishments, then someone will
have been positively affected. If we can affect only
one person per year, that will still mean that we
have done our long-term job.”
Barbara was a native of Carteret, N.J. She
attended New York University for two years, and
then transferred south to finish her undergraduate
degree. At Maryville, she majored in chemistry and
minored in biology – a career in medicine
constantly in the forefront of her hopes and dreams.
While at Maryville, she sang in the Concert
Choir and was a member of the Bainonian Society.
She went on to earn her medical degree from
Hahnemann Medical College (now Drexel
University College of Medicine) in Philadelphia,
Pa. She became a pediatrician at Warren Hospital

of Phillipsburg, N.J., and served as a physician for
the Phillipsburg School District. In the last six
years of her career, she was vice president of
medical affairs for Warren Hospital.
“Barbara used her medical foundation and
proven diagnostic skills to serve young people and
did so without the slightest desire for
remuneration or accumulation of wealth,” Stern
said. “She did it for the love of the profession and
the perception of need.”
Upon her death on Jan. 20, 2011, at the age of
89, Barbara fulfilled her last dream by naming
Maryville College a major beneficiary in her will.
Holly Jackson-Sullivan, vice president for
advancement and community relations, prepared
a proposal for the family, suggesting a naming
opportunity in Anderson Hall and a scholarship
fund named for both Barbara and her late
husband, Robert, who served as a vice president
at Purolator for many years.
The Anderson Hall bell tower is being named
for Barbara with $500,000 from her estate; the
money will be applied to the building’s $6.8
million interior renovation. An additional
$150,000 is endowing two scholarships.

With a $500,000 gift from her estate to
the Anderson Hall renovation campaign,
the iconic bell tower will be named for
Barbara Lorentz Farley ‘43. Dr. Farley
served as a pediatrician and vice
president of medical affairs at Warren
Hospital in Phillipsburg, N.J.
Photo courtesy of St. Luke’s Warren Hospital

“After talking with the family and her
attorney, it became apparent to me that the
family really wanted people at Maryville College
to know Barbara’s story,” the vice president said.
“As I learned more about this remarkable woman,
I wholeheartedly agreed that, by having her name
in Anderson Hall and on an endowed scholarship,
her legacy could be more than a monetary gift.”
Stern said the family understands how sixfigure gifts can be transformational for small
colleges like Maryville.
“I hope that by letting others know about
Barbara’s support of her alma mater through her
estate, others might be inspired to make
donations, both large and small, as that will help
to keep alive the spirit of passion, which is what
drove Barbara,” he said.
After Anderson Hall is renovated, a plaque will
be mounted in the building’s entranceway to let
people know more about Barbara Lorentz Farley.
And the tower, which overlooks the campus
and has been a source of inspiration and pride for
generations of students, will carry the name of a
woman who was inspired to serve while a
Maryville College student and whose story should
be shared to inspire future undergraduates.

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21

Mildred Cooper
Robinson ’53 and
Bill Robinson ’52
understand the value of
education – and annuities.
(Below) A musical family,
the Robinsons performed
together throughout the
region in earlier years.
Today, they remain close
— (seated) Bill Jr. and
Bill Sr.; (standing,) Millie,
Susan, Bob, Ann,
Tom “TR” and Mary.

PLANNED GIVING

Robinsons give
through annuities
BY BONNY MILLARD
FOR THE OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS

MARYVILLE COLLEGE ALUM Millie Cooper
Robinson ’53 believes in giving back – a philosophy that her husband, Bill Robinson ’52, shares.
Together and individually they have given a
record number of gift annuities to their alma
mater – 11 in total.
Millie recalls that she arrived on campus from
her home in New York, the first and only of her
siblings to graduate from college, with $50 in her
pocket. She acknowledges that Maryville College
help set the direction of her life, giving her a solid
education that led to a master’s degree in
religious education from Union Theological
Seminary in New York and a career in teaching.
The College also provided the introduction to
her future husband that resulted in six children,
12 grandchildren and three great grandchildren.
Next year, they will celebrate their 60th
anniversary. “It’s always good to give back to the
school you’ve gone to,” she said. “I loved [the
College]. They gave me so much, that’s why I
thought we should give back. The teachers were
great.”
Bill, whose 60th reunion was held this fall, said
he has many fond memories of his time at the College. He sang in the choir and performed as a bass
soloist. Music became his career, earning a master’s
degree in sacred music from Union and serving as
a minister of music in Clarksville and Kingsport,
Tenn., before retirement.

Diana Canacaris ’02, the
College’s director of stewardship,
said a gift annuity is a “win-win”
opportunity for alumni who want
to support the College. A person
can donate a certain amount of
money to the College in the form of a gift annuity,
and the College invests the money. Donors collect
the interest off of the investment while they are
alive, and after their deaths, the College is free to
use the money as needed, she said.
The interest rate is determined by the
government and is based on the life expectancy of
the donor. Canacaris said the interest rate for a
gift annuity is much higher than other
investments such as a certificate of deposit, and
the donor gets a tax break because the money is

C H A R I TA B L E G I F T A N N U I T I E S ( C G A S )
CGAS CAN BE STARTED for as little as $10,000. Interest rates paid are based on the
donor’s age (the older the donor, the higher the rate) and if the annuity is based on one
life or two. The return on CGA’s is guaranteed and usually offers a significantly higher
return than most traditional bank CDs or savings accounts or even most stock returns.
For a free illustration of how this might be a good option for you, contact Holly JacksonSullivan at 865.273.8884 or [email protected].

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donated to a nonprofit.
This is a great opportunity for older alums who
want to get a better return on their investments
and who want to make a donation, she said. “And
you know that when you pass on, the College will
benefit in perpetuity,” Canacaris added.
The majority of the Robinsons’ gift annuities
are unrestricted while a couple of them are
earmarked for the College’s endowment, she said.
“They’ve probably done more than anybody in
terms of the number of gift annuities,” Canacaris
said. “Eleven is an impressive number.”
The Robinsons know the value of education
and passed that attitude on to their children. All
six have attained undergraduate degrees (sons Bill
Robinson ’78 and Thomas J. “TR” Robinson
’87 are MC alumni, as is grandson R. Bradley
Robinson ’09). Three children have master’s
degrees, and one son is working on his doctorate.
“Education is important,” Millie said. “It’s the
foundation of your livelihood and what you’re
going to do and what you’re going to achieve.
And institutions need your help today.”

EDITOR’S NOTE:

C L A S S notes
1935
Irma Souder Baker is still involved
in dance instruction in Glenville,
N.Y. In 2007, she was honored
by Rochester Institute of
Technology for her dedication
to students and with a citation
from New York State, sponsored
by Sen. Hugh Farley. Her
students have been Tony Award
winners, Rockettes, Broadway
dancers and dance studio
directors.

Col. Ethel Nelson ’50, and
Betty Crawford Cornett ’50.

1951
George Ogle and wife Dorothy
have published a 606-page
autobiographical account of
their mission work abroad. Our
Lives in Korea and Korea in Our
Lives “is not only the Ogles’
personal

1941
Katherine Ogilvie Musgrave
received recognition from the
University of Maine on March 6,
2011, when more than 100
former students attended a
luncheon celebrating her 42
years of teaching diet and
nutrition. On March 19, 2011,
she was inducted into the Maine
Women’s Hall of Fame, and on
Sept. 28, 2011, she received the
Medallion Award from the
American Diatetic Association.
Musgrave continues to teach an
online introductory nutrition
course and mentors students
and practitioners throughout
their careers, 25 years after her
official retirement.

1942
Elizabeth Bryant Phillips turned
92 in June and still teaches
Sunday School. In 1988, she
received a master’s degree in
religious education with 35
hours in theology.

memoirs of
living in South Korea from 1954
until 1974 and later visiting both
the North and South, it is an
effort to tell the story of the
Korean people as the authors
experienced it directly, and as it
has come to them by closely
following the evolving history
through almost 60 years,” reads
the overview. George was a
United Methodist missionary
deported from the country in
1974 because he prayed in
public for eight men who were
tortured, forced to make false
confessions and sentenced to
death by South Korea’s military
dictatorship.

1950

1952

Ruth Heaps Burkins is still
networking with MC graduates:
Lois Deobler Parvin ’50,
Virginia Schwarz Mock ’50,

Ann Leeder Pickett informed the
College that her husband,
Doug, passed away suddenly
Dec. 1, 2011, from heart failure.

The College received information printed below between August 1,
2011 and March 30, 2012. Class notes received after March 30, 2012
should appear in the next issue of Alumni News & Notes.

W. Kennedy Upham and Joy
Hickman Upham had a delightful holiday in Hawaii last year,
revisiting four islands that they
visited for their 25th anniversary. They regularly travel to
Florida and Texas to visit family.
Active in the First Presbyterian
Church of Conway, Ark., Ken
has been a parish associate,
assisting the Presbytery, and
was stated supply pastor for a
small African-American church
for five years while members
sought an installed pastor. Joy
is an active member of the
Presbyterian Women’s Council
and also serves on the church
mission committee. They both
are in the choir and strong supporters of Haiti Education
Foundation, a mission program
that provides schooling for children where there are no other
schools. The program has faced
challenges since the 2011 earthquake that destroyed so many
schools as well as homes,
churches and businesses that
employed people.

Naomi Burgos Lynn ’54 (right)
was presented The Order of Lincoln for Education
during the Lincoln Academy of Illinois’ 48th
Convocation on April 21. The Order of Lincoln is the
highest honor bestowed by the state of Illinois. Dr.
Lynn was named president of Sangamon State
University in 1991. She was the first Hispanic woman to
be named president of an American public university.
She presided over the university as it transitioned into
the University of Illinois Springfield, retiring in 2001.
Her career also included teaching political science at
Kansas State University and serving as dean of Georgia
State University’s College of Public and Urban Affairs.

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23

class

NOTES

READERSHIP SURVEY
MANY THANKS TO the alumni who participated in the Readership Survey conducted last
winter by Mary Beth West Consulting and Bryant
Research (owned by Rebecca Bryant ’76).
The findings were presented to the College’s
Advancement and Communications staff in April.
Based on feedback and recommendations by the
consultants, changes are in the works for many
electronic and printed materials.
The majority of respondents characterized the
communications from the College as “somewhat
interesting,” with one-third describing it as “very
interesting.” News about other graduates is the
content most alumni are interested in, followed
by news of physical changes on campus and what
students are doing and updates from the president
and on the financial status of the College.
The majority of alumni responding to the
survey said they prefer to receive information from

FOLLOW US!

suggests changes

the College via the U.S. Postal Service. Sports fans
prefer to receive news from Athletics electronically.
Alumni indicating that they prefer to receive
information from the website are younger and live
within a two-hour drive to campus.
Alumni also indicated that they would like to
receive FOCUS, Alumni News & Notes and the
Scot-e-Newsletter quarterly.
“Currently, we annually produce FOCUS and
Alumni News & Notes, and the e-newsletter is
produced monthly,” explained Karen Beaty
Eldridge ’94, director of communications.
“While staffing and budgets won’t allow us to
produce the printed publications four times a
year, we will strive to produce an additional
Alumni News & Notes. To devote more time to
those publications, we are moving Scot-e-News to
quarterly distribution, starting in January 2013.”
Eldridge said she and her staff would feature

more alumni in College publications, pointing to
the addition of the “Catchin’ Up” feature in the
e-newsletter.
Also being discussed is reintroduction of the
printed and mailed President’s Report and Donor
Recognition piece.
“Our communication efforts should strengthen
relationships between alumni and the College,
and we believe making these changes will help
that,” Eldridge said. “Good news from the
College is posted and distributed almost daily, and
we want graduates to celebrate with us.”
Eldridge said she and other staff members were
surprised that more alumni didn’t report using
the College’s website and social media feeds to
stay current with College news.
“But then we wondered how well-known our
social media presence was,” she added. “We really
want people to follow us.” (See story below.)

DON’T SUBSCRIBE TO THE SCOT-E-NEWSLETTER?

DON’T “LIKE” US ON SOCIAL MEDIA? DON’T CHECK THE WEBSITE OFTEN?
HERE’S SOME OF WHAT YOU’RE MISSING:
“Stories of Anderson Hall with Martha Hess” –
Alumna and former registrar Martha Hess ’67 shares
the history of the College’s historic landmark and
interviews faculty in this monthly series posted on
YouTube and promoted through Scot-e-News – that
will wrap up in January. You can see these videos at
youtube.com/maryvillecollege.
“Flashback Friday” – Every Friday,
News and New Media Writer Chloe Kennedy uploads photos from our archives
collection to the College’s Facebook page.
From an early 20th-century photo of
women students outside Baldwin Hall to a
1965 pep rally, the images generate a lot
of discussion and memories.
“Catchin’ Up” – A new feature of Scot-e-News, this Q&A-style profile of
an alumnus or alumna began in June,
finding out what actor Bill Thomas ’81
was up to.
Instagram photos – These help us share
real-time moments: A beautiful day on
campus, a newly crowned Homecoming
Queen and King, Freshman
Move-In. Follow us on Instagram
at @maryvillecollege.

24

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FA L L 2 012

Live streaming of athletic
contests – If you can’t make it to
the game, you can often catch the
action online – for free! – by visiting
the MC Athletics website.
Job opportunities –
The Alumni Office
maintains a LinkedIn
presence for grads.
Maryville College in the news – We share our own
news releases on the website and through social
media, but it’s on Facebook and Twitter where we
share the latest TV coverage, original stories by news outlets, and mentions
of the College on other social media sites.
Twitter – We now have a new Twitter handle! Follow us at @MaryvilleC for
news and updates.
The College’s website address is maryvillecollege.edu.
To explore all of the College’s social media feeds, visit maryvillecollege.edu/
news/social-feeds and “like” the ones you want to keep up with. To subscribe
to Scot-e-News, visit maryvillecollege.edu/alumni and
scroll down to
“Subscribe to
Publications.”

class

1953
Mary Spencer Bullock has moved
to a retirement community in
Ohio to be near family.

1956
Tom Bugenhagen and wife
Katherine Leeth Bugenhagen
’57 notified the College that
their son, Jeffrey, died Feb. 22,
2012, at their home. He had
been battling colon/liver cancer
for more than two years.

Anna Bucher Jones ’56
recently wrote a book,
Ocho, Ocho: My
Childhood in War-Torn
Asia. Told in a series of
letters to her eight
grandchildren, the book
recounts her tumultuous
childhood growing up in
China and the Philippines
during World War II.
James H. Laster Jr. played the
part of Christopher Belling in
Shenandoah Summer Music
Theatre’s 2011 production of
“Curtains.” The most fun he
ever had in any role he has done
to date! He played the part of
Prof. Winkleberry in a senior
thesis film (Academy of Arts, San
Francisco) entitled “Steampunk
Stacie,” which was shot in
Harpers Ferry, W.Va., for several
days last July. Last fall, he played
the part of Dr. Kelekian in the
play “Wit” at the Bay Theatre,
Annapolis, Md.

1957
Louise Ogden Wyman writes
“the accomplishments are now
in the hands of grandchildren:
marriage, charity run with a
rickshaw in India, new degrees,
various explorations into life. My

main accomplishment, if you can
call it that, is a great-grandson.”

1962
Nona Roll Malcom Mason has
married and moved to Durham,
N.C. Her new husband, Woody
Mason, was the college
roommate of her late husband,
Rooney, and was in their
wedding years ago. Woody and
his wife moved Durham, N.C.,
so she could have nursing care.
She passed away in 2010.

1965
Kenneth MacHarg has published
Singing the Lord’s Songs in a
Foreign Land: Biblical
Reflections for Expatriates. The
140-page book was written to
provide encouragement and
support to those who live
overseas. It is available in print
and electronic versions through
most online sellers. MacHarg
has served as the pastor or
interim pastor of seven English
language international churches
in five countries. He also served
as a missionary with HCJB
Global and Latin America
Mission. He and wife Polly
Ballantine MacHarg ’65, live in
Carrollton, Ga., when they are
not serving overseas.

1966
Martha Miller reports that she’s
experienced a lot of changes in
her life: marriage to John
Wehrmeyer in June 2010;
retirement from teaching at UT
in August 2010; move to a new
home in Maryville in October
2010. “We are busy traveling –
visiting art galleries, zoos,
musical venues and eating at
wonderful restaurants. Life is
very good!!”

1967
James Gifford continues to serve
as CEO & senior editor of the

MARCIA WILLIAMS KLING ’56
was celebrated March 26 by WTVC
News Channel 9 (Chattanooga) for
50 years of television broadcasting.
“Miss Marcia,” as much of her
audience knows her, started with the preschooler’s
morning show “Romper Room” but has hosted a variety of educational
and entertaining shows over the last half century. On April 27, Maryville
College President Dr. Tom Bogart presented Kling with a Presidential
Citation during an outreach event at the Chattanoogan hosted by Jim
McCall ’57 (in photo above, left) and Colleen Crawford McCall ’59.

Jesse Stuart Foundation, a
regional publishing house
headquartered in Ashland, Ky.
His book, Jesse Stuart: An
Extraordinary Life, was
nominated for several book
awards in 2010 and has received
excellent professional reviews.

1968
Betty Milam Waldrop retired from
teaching in Lake County Schools
after 38 years. She traveled to
Scotland and Ireland last
summer with family and friends.

1969
Hugh Livingston has founded
“The Silver Project,” a unique
ministry that aims “to present
musical concerts of exceptional
quality to East Tennessee
seniors, wherever they may be
found in rest homes, nursing

Hugh McCampbell ’66 will
perform his annual benefit
veterinary piano concert at
7 p.m. on Sat., Feb. 2,
2013, in the Broad Street
Elementary School Auditorium in Sweetwater. The
evening will consist of classical and popular songs,
banjo, vocal selections and
tales from childhood on a
dairy farm, stories from veterinary practice, experiences at Maryville College
and events in everyday life.

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25

NOTES

class

NOTES

MARRIAGES
& UNIONS

Nona Roll Malcolm ’62
to Carle Woodruff Mason,
Sept. 3, 2011
Martha Miller ’66
to John Wehrmeyer,
June 12, 2010
R. Richard Carl ’77
to Joanna Carlson Yohe ’78,
Dec. 31, 2011
Heather Griffis ’95
to William White,
May 22, 2010
Laura Gibson ’97
to Casey Owens, Nov. 6, 2010
Sam Apodaca ’99
to Brooke Turner,
June 18, 2011
Catherine Webb ’03
to Paykon Homayoun Sarmadi,
June 18, 2011
Kyla Surdyka ’05
to Anthony King,
Oct. 10, 2011
Angelica Clark ‘06
to Darrell Brown,
June 7, 2008
Jewell Minnich ‘06
to Christopher Morrison,
Nov. 27, 2010
Trevor Freeman ’07
to Elizabeth Graham ’07,
Sept. 24, 2011
Christopher “C.J.” Leith ’07
to Emily Swicegood ’09,
Nov. 5, 2011
Kelsea Morse ’07
to Mike Manly,
June 26, 2010
Tiffany “Akane” Yuan ’07
to Michael Estes,
April 3, 2011
26

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FA L L 2 012

homes, Alzheimer’s units,
retirement centers/communities,
assisted-living centers or
transitional care centers.”
Livingston plays Top 40 hits of
the 1940s to 1970s. Visit
thesilverproject.com for details.

1970
John Thomas Campbell and his
wife are fully retired now and
living in a new patio home in
Cobblestone Village in Valencia,
Pa., just north of Pittsburgh. He
still teaches adult Sunday
School classes and preaches
occasionally. “We are enjoying
our old and new friends
immensely, and I am proud to
be an alumnus of ‘good old
Maryville College!’ Orange and
Garnet, float forever!” he wrote.
Robert F. Durant is the recipient of
the 2012 Dwight Waldo Award
from the American Society for
Public Administration. The
Waldo Award is the highest
achievement in the field and
recognizes individuals who have
made outstanding lifetime
contributions to scholarship in
public administration. Robert is a
professor of public
administration and policy at
American University in
Washington, D.C.
Tom Taylor was recognized by the
Maryville City School
Foundation in February. Taylor,
who is mayor of Maryville, was
presented the foundation’s
distinguished service award for
his service and dedication to
education in the city.

1971
Richard Boyle retired in May 2009
and is still loving every moment,
although he can’t find enough
hours in a day to get everything
done. He moved back to New
Jersey to be close to family and
new grandchildren. “Guess the
new un-retired job title will soon
be ‘Grandpop,’” he wrote.

Matt Davis ’13 (left) knows a thing or
two about Maryville College. And
coaching. The son of J. Dillon Davis ’79
(right), Matt is majoring in physical
education/health for K-12 teacher
licensure and hopes to follow in a path
similar to his late grandfather, the
beloved coach John A. “J.D.” Davis ’30.
Visit maryvillecollege.edu and search on
“Matt Davis” to read their story.

Doug Cox is chairman of Foothills
Community Development, a
Maryville-based non-profit that
provides high quality affordable
homeownership opportunities
for low- and moderate-income
families and individuals through
the development, construction
and financing of new energyefficient homes. He invites
people to visit www.foothillscdc.
org to learn more.

1972
Mary Elizabeth McLeod Williams
is enjoying semi-retirement
living on Lake Freeman in
Monticello, Ind., with husband
Terry, and keeps busy as an
adjunct faculty at Ivy Tech
Community College. She enjoys
frequent visits with college
roommate Karen Platt White
‘74, who lives in Shelbyville, Ind.

serves on Monmouth Presbytery
Personnel Committee and
Westminster Foundation
Advisory Board of Bloomfield
College.

1974
Kathleen Colyer Franzwa has
continued operating the Patrice
Press, the business she and her
late husband Gregory started.
She also edits and produces The
Lincoln Highway Forum, the
official journal of the national
Lincoln Highway Association.

1976
Thomas A. Fox retired Dec. 31,
2010 from the Knoxville Police
Department as a sergeant after
32 years of service. He is now
enjoying retirement and chasing
after his two grandchildren.

1973

1977

Douglas Chase just completed 20
years as pastor of Brick
Presbyterian Church in Brick,
N.J., where they completed
construction of a $1.8 million
addition to the church. He also

William M. Bone and Tim Kelly
‘77 discovered a previously
unknown pass over the
Continental Divide while hiking
in Glacier National Park in
August 2010.

class

1978

1981

Wayne Dunn and wife Mary Lou
have been married 35 years. He
is employed at Summit High
School in Spring Hill, Tenn.,
teaching marketing and H.P.E.R
and coaching wrestling and
football. He has refereed the
T.S.S.A.A. State Wrestling
championship for the past three
years, along with the nationals
of N.H.S.C.A.

Catherine Carter has released her
first music CD called “Rebirth
From Fire.” The 10 songs
written by Cat reflect the trials
and triumphs of life and are a
mix of folk/Americana, Celtic,
and country genres. You can get
more information at www.
catcartermusic.com or visit Cat
Carter Music on facebook.

1979
Colleen Masterson Bystrak and
husband Jim will be married for
25 years this year. She continues
working in physical therapy.
Daughter Chelsea is majoring in
English literature/education
with a minor in communications
and recently studied abroad in
Ireland. Son Matthew joined the
Marines. “We are so proud of
our two children and the
direction in life they have
chosen,” she wrote.
Edward C. Herbert has served
as the President for the
Tennessee Society of
Healthcare Marketing and
Public Relations (TSHMPR), a
subsidiary of the Tennessee
Hospital Association, since
2009. In 2011, he also became
the Chairman for the United
Way of Washington County
(Tenn.) Board of Directors.

Barbara Lynn George has moved
to Germany to start a new job
with the U.S. Air Force.

1982
J. Bradley Allison left private
practice to oversee domestic
relations cases as magistrate of
the Columbiana County (Ohio)
Common Pleas Court General
Division.
Steve Arnold left the classroom
after 28 years and is now the
county homebound teacher in
the Johnson County (Tenn.)
school system. He is starting his
24th season as the high school
golf coach.

1983
Bryan McFarland released his
fourth independent CD, “...until
all are fed” in December 2010
with the title track used in
worship at the June 2011 World
Council of Churches

International Ecumenical
Peacemaking Convocation in
Jamaica. He led the music for
the Presbytery of East
Tennessee’s Loaves & Fishes
event (held on MC’s campus) in
March. More information at
bryanfieldmcfarland.net.

1984
Ed Waldroop was recognized by
the Maryville City School
Foundation in February.
Waldroop’s company, Personal
Computer Systems, was
presented the foundation’s
community partnership award
for its assistance with
technology education.

1986
Neal McBrayer assisted State
Senator (and MC Board member)
Doug Overbey in drafting and
presenting legislation that makes
substantive changes in
Tennessee’s Uniform Commercial
Code. McBrayer is a member of
the litigation and commercial
departments at Miller and Martin
PLLC in Nashville.

Stephanie Zilles ’07
to Mike Smith,
Feb. 21, 2012
Josh Conner ’08
to Diana Pace ’11,
June 25, 2011
Angel Abney ’09
to Michael Stager,
Sept. 10, 2011
Jairus Hines ’09
to Alonda Cutshaw ’10,
Oct. 15, 2011

BIRTHS &
ADOPTIONS

1987
Sherrie Farmer O’Brien recently
was named Small Animal
Veterinarian of the Year in
Tennessee.

1980
Betty Vars Julian and husband
Kevin ’81 celebrated their 30th
wedding anniversary in July of
2011. Son Daniel is currently
employed at J P Morgan/Chase
as an analyst. He is attending
Rutgers Law School. Daughter
Kristyn is attending Elon
University as a freshman.
Daughter Erin is in 8th grade
and is a competitive swimmer
and vocalist with the New
Jersey Youth Chorus.

MARRIAGES
& UNIONS

Rethabile Masilo ’85 has had a collection of poetry
published. Things that Are Silent is available now
through major online bookstores.
According to the publisher, Masilo’s
poems “bear witness to seemingly
unnoticed events. Whether it’s a tribute
to Sharpeville or an indictment of
apartheid from a lover’s tongue, Masilo’s
lyrical voice attests the fervent need to
preserve memory from the quotidian
crush of collective amnesia.” Rethabile
is an English teacher living in Paris, France.

Karen Palka Nelson ’90 and
husband Lee, a daughter,
Hope Mariel,
Sept. 16, 2011
Jason Brooks ’97 and wife
Chrissy Newton Brooks ’99,
a son, William Hall,
Nov. 28, 2011
Christopher B. “Bo”
McMichael ’97 and
wife Christie,
a son, Grayson Burke,
Dec. 20, 2011
Karen Taylor Chambers ’98
and husband Tim, a son,
Styne Taylor, Feb. 3, 2011
Mark Fugate ’98 and wife
Lauren Stephens Fugate ’04,
a son, Jackson Lynn,
March 29, 2012

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27

NOTES

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NOTES

1990
BIRTHS &
ADOPTIONS

Ashley Dicus ’99 and
wife Amber, a son, Jack Hunter,
Aug. 18, 2011

SHANNON
WHITWORTH
JENKINS ’02 AND
HUSBAND BILL,
A DAUGHTER,
LYDIA ELIZABETH,
MAY 7, 2010.
(BIG SISTER ANNA KATE
WAS BORN
OCT. 10, 2006.)

K.C. Cross continues to expand
his senior care company with his
seventh nursing home opened
last fall. He is president and
CEO of The Quality
Management Group.

1991
Barbara Borderieux Brunner
recently developed and
facilitated a four-weekend art
program for Girl Scouts of Gulf
Coast Florida. The program
focused around exposure to art
careers and where art is seen in
everyday life. She also
developed a second “Art
Career” series called “Artopia:
create your own art world” for
high school-age girls. Curriculum
for the event will be written and
shared throughout councils.

1994
Matthew Coates ’01 and
wife Kelly Cannon Coates ’02,
a son, Cannon Matthew,
March 8, 2011
Kenton Kyker ’02 and wife
Suzanne, a son,
Benjamin Crawford,
Aug. 3, 2011
Sarah Stutzman Ray ’02 and
husband Justin, a son,
James “Creed” Ray,
May 18, 2011
Dustin Bowen ’03 and wife
Jennifer Headrick Bowen ’06,
a daughter, Sophia Claire,
Aug. 2, 2010

Nancy Allen Dunne has moved
back to the United States after
living two years in the United
Kingdom with British husband
Simon. In January 2012, she
began work at Clemson
University as the communication
services coordinator within the
student disability services office.

1997
Kyle Duke was recently promoted
to Chief Information Security
Officer for HealthSpring in
Nashville, Tenn. He was People’s
Choice Award winner at the

JENNIFER MARTIN NEW ’04
AND HUSBAND DAVID,
A DAUGHTER,
EVANGELINE SHAKILA ZALE
APRIL 1, 2011
(EVANGELINE, FROM RWANDA, WAS
ADOPTED BY THE COUPLE SEPT. 21, 2011.)

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2010 Southeast Information
Security Executive of the Year
Awards and selected a finalist
for the Nashville Emerging
Leader Awards last July.

1998
Martha Clabo was featured in a
story in the Mountain Press,
where she shared she had found
her life-long calling as a thirdgrade teacher at Pi Beta Phi
Elementary School in Gatlinburg,
Tenn. Martha earned her
bachelor’s degree in child
development and learning as a
non-traditional student and
mother of two.

1999
M. Landon Coleman was
recognized by the Maryville City
School Foundation in February
when his family and its business,
Anderson Lumber Company,
were presented the foundation’s
family partnership award for
their longtime support of the
Maryville City School’s athletic
programs.
Caroline Leggett Morgan
opened Pirate Pediatrics in
Greenville, N.C. Her
professional interests include
breastfeeding education,
promoting literacy and healthy
weight education. An active
member of Jarvis Memorial
United Methodist Church, she
participates in medical missions.
She and husband Nathan have
one daughter.
Lori Stinnett West has been
promoted to associate professor
at Lee University. She is actively
involved in research, spending
most summers working with Lee
students on various research
projects which have been
presented nationally. West
earned her doctorate from the
University of Tennessee and her
bachelor of arts in biology from
Maryville College.

2000
John Falco is working as a watershed representative for TVA.
Morris Lilienthal recently became
a shareholder in the Huntsville
(Ala.) law firm of Martinson &
Beason, PC. He focuses his
practice on personal injury
cases, including car accidents
claims, wrongful death claims
and premises liability claims. He
and wife Shannon have one son.

2001
Katrina Atchley was recognized
on Sept. 14, 2011, as the
Tennessee Court Appointed
Special Advocates (CASA)
Advocate of the Year at the 2011
TN CASA Annual Meeting in
Nashville. This is a statewide
recognition for her efforts on a
public service project.
Amanda Ingram was recognized
by the Maryville City School
Foundation in February. Ingram,
who went on to study opera at
UTK and Yale University, was
presented the foundation’s outstanding young alumni award.
David Dawson was recognized as
one of Knoxville Business
Journal’s “40 under 40.” The
program selects 40 individuals
younger than 40 who are leaving
on imprint on the Knoxville area
through their professional and
philanthropic efforts. David is
currently the manager of quality
assurance and integration at
Pilot Flying J.
Corey L. Ekrut and wife Leah
Hutto Ekrut ‘01 completed a
three-month stay in Osaka,
Japan, participating a cultural/
language exchange program.
They learned Japanese Sign
Language and taught American
Sign Language to deaf and
hearing students at the Deaf
Japan school.
Kristi Kell Falco is working as a
critical care nurse at Blount
Memorial Hospital.

class

Gimbiya Kettering is the recipient
of the Writer’s Center 2011-12
Undiscovered Voices
Scholarship, which will enable
her to attend writing workshops
for one year. Her short stories
have been published in literary
magazines such as The Kenyon
Review, The Crab Orchard
Review and The Florida Review.

2003
Josh Ennen was coauthor of a
paper published in December’s
BioScience, a monthly publication of the American Institute of
Biological Sciences. The paper
argues for more research on the
impact of utility-scale solar
energy development on wildlife
in the Desert Southwest. The
research captured the attention
of environmentalists and politicians nationwide.
J. Nathan Higdon enrolled in the
iMBA program at Penn State in
January 2012. iMBA is offered
through Penn State’s World
Campus, which is almost entirely
online. He continues to oversee
operations at L’Espace
Motorcoach, Inc., a luxury
transportation provider
specializing in corporate and
leisure airport transfers in the
Greater Knoxville Area. Nathan
also ran for Maryville City
Council in November 2012.
Derrick Stowell was named the
new gardens educator at the
University of Tennessee
Gardens.

2005
Kyla Surdyka King is employed as
a teacher and head volleyball
coach at Hendersonville (Tenn.)
High School.

2006
Nick Bradford presented at the
National Council of Teachers of
Mathematics in Albuerque,
N.M., in Nov. 2011.

Tiffanye Terrell has been hired as
an admissions completer for
2tor, a company that partners
with preeminent institutions of
higher education to deliver
rigorous, selective degree
programs online to students
globally. Previously, she worked
as an ethnographical researcher
for Howard University’s Center
of Urban Progress. She earned
a master’s degree from Howard
in 2011.

2007
Keith Edmonds has been promoted
to banking officer at BB&T.
Tiffany Yuan Estes graduated in
May 2012 with her master’s
degree in organizational
development and knowledge
management (ODKM) from
George Mason University.
Stephanie Zilles Smith and
husband Mike are living and
working as graphic designers in
Springdale, Ark. Mike has a
5-year-old son, Greyson.

2008
Joshua Phillips was recognized as
one of Knoxville Business
Journal’s “40 under 40.” The
program selects 40 individuals
younger than 40 who are leaving
on imprint on the Knoxville area
through their professional and
philanthropic efforts. He is the
president of Pxyl, a digital
marketing firm with offices in
Knoxville and Tempe, Ariz.
Rachel Rushworth-Hollander
received her master’s of English
education degree in May 2010
from UT-Knoxville.

2009
Andi Morrow Morgan and
husband Drew Morgan ’06
have co-founded Family Band
Comedy, a sketch comedy
troupe. In November, Andi
directed the Plateau Players
(Huntsville, Tenn.) in a

production of Neil Simon’s
“God’s Favorite.” They both are
active in theatre and filmmaking
projects in Knoxville.
Donna Schmidt Stokes was
recently named director of
community relations for Efficient
Energy of Tennessee (EETN) in
Powell, Tenn. She is a recent
graduate of the University of
Delaware, having received her
master’s degree in urban affairs
and public policy. She has
worked as a research associate at
the Center of Environmental and
Energy Policy in Newark, Del.
Laurel K. Strozier currently works
as an English professor at the
National University of
Agriculture in Honduras.
Raekenya Walker is a volunteer
with the U.S. Peace Corps,
serving as a Rural Education
Development (RED) Volunteer in
Zambia, Africa.

2010
Jacqueline Grafton has been
working at the non-profit
ministry Wears Valley Ranch and
thanks MC and the Bonner
Scholars program for preparing
her for the work. “It is such a
blessing to serve the children
who are from rough and
unfortunate home
circumstances,” she wrote.
Jared Laverdiere will soon start
his second season as the head
coach for Scott High School
boys’ basketball in Huntsville,
Tenn.

2011
Christina Eastridge completed her
summer internship at Eastman
Chemical Company in the public
affairs department. Last July, she
was offered and accepted a job
as the full-time Corporate
Communications Assistant.

BIRTHS &
ADOPTIONS

Cynthia Lyle Richter ’03
and husband Glenn, a son,
Elijah Ray, Oct. 13, 2010
Amanda Winn Painter ’04
and husband Kevin, a son,
George Houston,
Dec. 1, 2011

LYDIA SKIDMORE
FOWLER ’07 &
HUSBAND
KEVIN FOWLER ’08,
A DAUGHTER,
SOPHIA GRACE
MAY 18, 2011

Adam Carringer ’06 and
wife Carola, a daughter,
Sofia Izabel,
Dec. 10, 2011.
Amy Watkins-Willis ’08 and
husband Jonathan,
a daughter,
Olivia Lynn,
Aug. 23, 2011
Paige Homlar Novack ’08
and husband Bryan,
a daughter,
Blakelyn Anne,
Nov. 10, 2011
Jessica Abedi Floyd ’06 and
husband Donald Floyd ’07,
a daughter,
Anna Elisabeth,
Feb. 25, 2010

Eryk Watson is playing for Santa
Cruz, a Brazilian basketball
team.

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29

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NOTES

BLAIR KING ’05

is helping kids get healthy

BY CHLOE KENNEDY | NEWS AND NEW MEDIA WRITER
WHEN BLAIR KING ’05 arrived on the
Maryville College campus as a freshman in the fall
of 2001, he was a 320-pound defensive tackle
who had aspirations of becoming a football coach.
“I was fast and big,” King said. “But I wasn’t
320 pounds of muscle.”
His weight – and career goals – soon changed,
however, after he took a health class taught by Dr.
Danny Pierce, MC associate professor of physical
education, health and recreation.
“Within a year of taking Dr. Pierce’s class, I
was 110 pounds lighter, and I had decided that I
wanted to go into the school system to teach kids
what I learned,” King said.
As a physical education major, King decided
that he wanted to focus not just on teaching
activities to children – he wanted to teach them
how to have an active, healthy lifestyle. Eleven
years later, King is doing that – but he has had a
much greater impact than he ever imagined.

PROMOTING HEALTH AND WELLNESS
King, who is now the Coordinated School Health
(CSH) program coordinator for Oak Ridge
Schools, is tasked with working with the school
system to promote health and wellness as outlined
in the Tennessee Department of Education’s
Coordinated School Health program. He develops
policies, partnerships and initiatives that advance
student health and improve academic outcomes.
In his role, he regularly comes up with
innovative strategies to keep children active and
healthy. For example, instead of focusing solely on
team sports or activities in the gym, he emphasizes
life-long fitness activities. Most recently, he has
worked with teachers to put stationary bikes and
elliptical trainers in the classroom so students can
hop on and burn off energy when needed.
In addition to promoting exercise and fitness,
King also emphasizes nutrition. He regularly
teams up with the local University of Tennessee
Extension office to host taste tests for students so
they can try new foods. Three school gardens, funded through donations and
grants, provide hands-on opportunities for
nutrition and science lessons.

PARTNERSHIPS

Top photo: Blair King talks to Oak Ridge
Preschool students about the watermelons in
the school’s garden. Bottom: (L-R) Blair King
and Dr. Danny Pierce pose for a photo after
King spoke to Pierce’s PHR102 class on Feb. 29.
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While speaking to Pierce’s PHR 102: Historical, Philosophical and Sociological
Foundations of Physical Education, Recreation and Sports class last semester, King
told Maryville College students about his
career and offered advice to those who
want to pursue similar paths. “If you
make a contact, keep it, because you never
know,” King told the students. “Don’t
forget about partnerships.” And King
knows a thing or two about partnerships.
When data showed that only 6 percent of
students at Oak Ridge High School ate
breakfast, King worked with Food Service Director
Gary Gluch and the Southeast United Dairy Industry Association to acquire a mobile breakfast cart that
would serve a nutritious breakfast every morning.
Three years ago, after body mass index
screenings revealed that Oak Ridge’s Willow
Brook Elementary School had a 39 percent
childhood obesity rate, King met with the
principal to figure out how to get students more
active and educate them about proper nutrition
without detracting from academic learning time.
King put the principal in touch with Devin
Driscoll of Next Level Training in Knoxville, who

developed a program called “Mornings in
Motion.” The before-school fitness program
allows students to do a half-hour of nonstop
physical exercise three times per week – during a
time when students would usually be sitting idle
during bus hall. The voluntary program started
with approximately 150 students but has grown
to more than 300 students, and the school has
seen a 10 percent decrease in the childhood
obesity since the program’s inception, he said.
“They’re all active, and they’re having fun
doing it,” said King, who lives in Powell, Tenn.,
with his wife, Ashley and children, Payton and
Parker. “Teachers tell me that they can tell the
difference between the kids who participate and
the kids who don’t. They tell me the kids who
participate are more alert and ready to learn.”

AWARD-WINNING INITIATIVES
In 2011, Willow Brook Elementary School won
the Healthy Living Innovation Award in the K-12
school category from the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services for the “Mornings in
Motion” program.
King, Driscoll and representatives from Willow
Brook Elementary School went to Washington,
D.C. to receive the award, which was presented
by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary
Kathleen Sebelius during the annual Society for
Public Health Education Convention.
The program has expanded to other schools in
the system, and one middle school even uses Wii
Active Practice Boards and the Wii Fit Plus program
(paid for by the school’s parent-teacher organization
and a gift from Methodist Medical Center), which
allows an entire gym class to play the popular Wii fitness and sports-oriented games at the same time.
“They were the first school in Tennessee to get
this system,” he said, noting that the students
enjoy it so much that there are virtually no
discipline problems during gym class.
In June, all seven Oak Ridge schools received a
U.S. Department of Agriculture Healthier US
School Challenge Award for their participation in
a voluntary national certification initiative that
recognizes schools that have created healthier
school environments through promotion of
nutrition and physical activity. “I’ve had quite a
journey, and it’s opened a lot of doors,” King
said. “I love what I do.”
Editor’s Note: In August, King was named an
interim assistant vice principal at Robertsville
Middle School in Oak Ridge, Tenn.

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C L A S S notes

MEMORIAMS
1931

and Aruba. She published many articles on
teaching. She was active in church and
community in South Florida, driving for Meals
on Wheels and volunteering in the schools.

BERTHA LAWSON HENDERSON
Feb. 17, 2012, in Sevierville, Tenn. She was an
elementary school teacher in Sevier County and
taught piano following retirement. A member
of Murphy’s Chapel United Methodist Church,
she served as pianist, teacher and treasurer.
Survivors include one sister-in-law, one niece,
two nephews, cousins and friends.

1938

RAYMOND NELSON
Dec. 27, 2011, in DuBois, Pa. He taught economics and English at Virginia Polytechnic
Institute and at Pennsylvania State University,
DuBois campus. From 1950 until his retirement
in 1975, he operated the Raymond Nelson Tree
Nursery in DuBois. Survivors include wife Margaret and numerous nieces and nephews.

1937

BEATRICE WHEELER PETERSON
Aug. 25, 2011, in Macon, N.C. She taught
school in New Jersey and Ohio. She was a
deacon at First Presbyterian Church in
Nelsonville, Ohio, and a member of the
Hyperion Club and the Ohio Retired Teachers
Association. Survivors include daughter Dianne
Rogers, one brother and their families.

1939

ZILLAH MCKENZIE KINDRED

DOROTHEA STADELMANN TRUMP
Feb. 10, 2012, in Naples, Fla. She earned a
master’s degree from Columbia University in
New York and also took courses at universities
abroad. For 37 years, she taught children in
North Carolina, New Jersey, Illinois, Florida

Sept. 13, 2011, in Stuart, Fla. She was an
elementary school teacher and had taught at
J.D. Parker Elementary for 28 years. She was a
member of 1st United Methodist Church in
Stuart, Delta Kappa Gamma and the PEO
Sisterhood. Survivors include daughter Sandra
Barrett, one grandson, two great-grandchildren
and two nieces.

Editor’s Note: With only a few exceptions, the
College received information printed below
between Aug. 1, 2011 and March 30, 2012.
Obituaries and death notifications received
after March 30, 2012, should appear in the
next issue of Alumni News & Notes.

1940

FREDERICK O. BRUBAKER
June 5, 2011, in Reading, Pa. He graduated
from the Dickinson School of Law in Carlisle,
Pa., in 1948 and practiced law for 62 years,
including two terms as district attorney of Berks
County. He was a 50-year-plus member of the
Reading Lodge 549 and the Rajah Shrine, and
served as chairman of the boards of Goodwill
Industries and the Literacy Council of ReadingBerks. Survivors include wife Flora, two
daughters and their families.

HAROLD W. COPELAND
Dec. 24, 2011, in Maryville, Tenn. He was a
World War II veteran and retired from First
Federal Savings & Loan of Maryville. An avid
bird-watcher, photographer and tennis player,
he especially enjoyed hiking with family in The
Great Smoky Mountains. Survivors include two
sons, one daughter and seven grandchildren,
including Jill Copeland ’08.

CHARLES H. KINDRED
June 20, 2011, in Stuart, Fla. A veteran of the
U.S. Navy, he earned a master’s degree in

Ken Boring, April 8, 2012, in Sea Island, Ga. A businessman, humanitarian and philanthropist who
supported numerous non-profits, Boring was a native of Maryville and the son of J. Marcus Boring and
Annis Lambert Boring, whose brothers founded Lambert Brothers quarrying firm.
After earning a degree in civil engineering from UT in 1950, Boring, along with his father and
brother Jim, opened Dalton Rock Products. From 1955 until 1985, they built the business from one
plant to five plants in Georgia and Tennessee. Ken and Jim eventually created a real estate investment
partnership, JKB&B Limited, LLC.
Believing that the College was instrumental in the family’s success (operating the Bank of Maryville
in 1955, the College loaned them $15,000 to buy a quarry), Ken Boring generously supported
the construction of the Clayton Center for the Arts and, along with his brother Jim, supported the
renovation and expansion of Bartlett Hall.
Survivors include wife Dottie, daughters Leah and Laura and son-in-law Jay Hill, brother Harold,
sister-in-law Syble Boring and brother-in-law Gilbert Boyd.

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George C. Kent Jr. ’37, Jan. 4, 2012, in Pittsburgh, Pa. He attended Vanderbilt University
for his master’s and doctoral study and served as a research associate at Cornell University. A longtime
professor of comparative anatomy at Louisiana State University, he wrote Comparative Anatomy of the
Vertebrates in 1954. After nine editions, the book has become a standard text in the field.
For his dedication to teaching and contributions to his field of study, he was presented the
Maryville College Alumni Citation in 1962. LSU’s College of Science inducted him into its Hall of
Distinction in 2005. Survivors include daughter Carolyn Rovee-Collier, brother J. Donald Kent ’42,
and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

education from the University of Tennessee. An
active conservationist throughout Florida, he
taught high school in Martin County and was
the former owner of Ideal Sports Shop in Stuart
and Tennessee. Survivors include daughter
Sandra Barrett, one grandson, two greatgrandchildren and two nieces.

HOPE DEBUTY MARINE
July 28, 2011, in Maryville, Tenn. She taught
in several states before receiving an M.S. and
Ed.S. in counseling and school psychology
from UT. She served as guidance counselor at
Everett High in Maryville and later school
psychologist for Blount County Schools. She
was a member of New Providence Presbyterian
Church. Survivors include husband Kenneth;
son Kenneth Marine Jr. ’69 and daughter-inlaw Sandy; and three nieces.

1941

JACOB T. BRADSHER, JR.
Feb. 22, 2012, in Knoxville, Tenn. He earned
his medical degree from Duke University School
of Medicine in 1944. He practiced thoracic
surgery in Knoxville from 1953 to 1992 and was
chief of the department of surgery at St. Mary’s
Medical Center. He was a leader in medical
associations and societies. Survivors include sons
Jay and Brooks, daughter Sherrill, three
grandchildren, three sisters and one brother.

GEORGE B. CLARK
Jan. 2, 2011, in Nashville, Tenn. He taught at
the University of Tennessee, Ohio State
University and Carson-Newman College. His
business career was primarily in Nashville,
Tenn., where he developed a business fixture
manufacturing company and later built and
managed hotels. For 10 years, he was employed
by the Baptist Sunday School Board. At First

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Baptist Church Nashville, he and his wife led in
the ministry with young adults.

ELIZABETH “BETSY” GAULTNEY
ETHEREDGE
Oct. 30, 2011, in Fort Walton Beach, Fla.
While living in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., she
helped establish the Florosa Baptist Mission,
later Florosa Baptist Church, where she served
faithfully for over 43 years with a particular
commitment to missions. Survivors include four
children and their spouses, 12 grandchildren,
17 great-grandchildren and one brother.

1942

MARTHA WILCOX DONNELLY
Jan. 7, 2012, in Concord, N.C. She taught at
Harrisburg School in N.C., and later operated a
private first grade and kindergarten out of her
home. She also organized a school for handicapped students at First Presbyterian Church
and taught classes for Rowan-Cabarrus Community College. In 1986 she was selected Concord Lions Club Christian Lay Woman of the
Year. Survivors include husband Thomas, two
sons, one daughter, and one brother.

ROBERTA PERSONS SCOTT
Aug.13, 2011 in Seneca, S.C.

FLOSSIE TONEY WORKMAN
March 29, 2011 in Beckley, W.Va. She was a
school teacher for the Raleigh County Board of
Education, was a U.S. Post Master and owned
and operated the Workman Brothers General
Store. Survivors include three daughters, four
grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

1943

LOIS O. KING
Aug. 25, 2011, in Butler, Pa. A graduate of New

York’s Biblical Seminary, she supervised mission
schools in Angola, West Africa, for 10 years.
After returning home, she spent 30 years as a
fourth-grade teacher at Summit Elementary.
Survivors include one brother, one sister and 14
nieces and nephews.

ROBERT K. LOCKWOOD
March 20, 2012, in Farmington Hills, Mich. A
poor boy from Lancaster, Pa., he considered the
campus job of shoveling coal for the boilers “a
miracle” in his journey toward an education. He
enlisted in the service after graduation and went
to law school on the GI Bill. Following a career
in the military, he passed the Michigan Bar and
served as legal counsel for a Detroit bank.
Survivors include wife Margaret, three children,
four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

ESTHER WINN ROWLEY
July 2, 2011, in Ormond Beach, Fla. She
taught school in Virginia before joining
husband Edward in his service to Presbyterian
Church congregations. She was a member of
United Presbyterian Church of South Daytona,
where she served as an elder and on many
committees. Survivors include four children,
eight grandchildren and six greatgrandchildren.

JOHN D. WILLIAMS
March 30, 2012, in Murfreesboro, Tenn. A
veteran of the U.S. Army, he earned master’s
and doctoral degrees from UT and taught
elementary and special education at Middle
Tennessee State University from 1964 until
1991. He was a member of First United
Methodist Church and the Murfreesboro
Rotary Club. Survivors include son John. The
family requested that memorial contributions
be sent to the College.

class

Robert Gaston Cooper, Feb. 29, 2012, in Green Valley, Ariz. The son of alumni
Finis ’18 and Ethel Burchfield Cooper ’19, he, along with sister Margaret Anne “Maggie”
Cooper, supported various initiatives and campaigns at his parents’ alma mater, including the
1994 renovation of the College’s physical education building and establishment of an endowment for its maintenance. He generously gave toward the endowment of the Bonner Scholars
Program and the renovation of Anderson Hall.
Cooper graduated from Vanderbilt University in 1953 and attended Officer Candidate
School in Newport, R.I., commissioned as an ensign in the United States Navy. After a career
of various shipboard and shore-side assignments, he retired with the rank of commander in
June of 1973 and enjoyed camping, cruises and spending time with wife Diane.
Survivors include sons Greg and Dudley and daughter-in-law Helen; five grandchildren;
and two great-grandchildren.

1944

SAMUEL E. CRAWFORD, JR.
March 20, 2012, in Maryville, Tenn. He was a
graduate of the University of Tennessee’s
Dental School and served in the Army Dental
Corps before setting up an office in Maryville,
where he saw patients for more than 45 years.
He was a member of the Church of Christ and
several professional organizations. Survivors
include one daughter, one son, five
grandchildren and sister Betty Crawford
Cornett ’50 and her husband Jim.

1945

LUCILLE CATHEY BOST
July 2, 2011, in Winston-Salem, N.C. She was
an award-winning reporter for newspapers in
Hickory, Greensboro and Winston-Salem, N.C.
Survivors include husband Sid, daughter
Cathey and brother Frank.

MARGARET CALDWELL SMITH
Aug. 2, 2011, in Roswell, Ga. She was a
member of Rock Spring Presbyterian Church in
Atlanta and, years later, attended Roswell
Presbyterian Church. Survivors include son
Charles, two grandchildren and sister Mary
Clarke Hartsfield ’41.

1946

MARGARET WITT GARY
Dec. 11, 2010, in Knoxville, Tenn. Survivors
include husband William, three step-sons, four
grandchildren and two great-grandsons.

HELEN WILSON JAMES
March 27, 2012, in Verona, Pa. She earned a
master’s degree from the University of
Pennsylvania, taught in high schools in
Pennsylvania and New Jersey and co-owned
Morris Hill Travel in Easton, Pa. Survivors include
two daughters, four grandchildren, two greatgrandsons and brother and sister-in-law Fred
Wilson ’47 and Elizabeth Saint Wilson ’48.

KATE REAVES KING
July 12, 2011, in Maryville, Tenn. She was a
veteran of the Korean War, taught school at
Lanier, Calderwood and Townsend in Blount
County. She finished her career at Fairfax (Va.)
County Public Schools. Survivors include son
John and daughter Patricia King Bell ’95,
seven grandchildren, three great-grandchildren,
two brothers and one sister.

1947

RUTH KING WOOD COFFEY
Nov. 18, 2011, in Davidson, N.C. She earned a
master’s degree in Christian education from
Union Theological Seminary in Richmond,
Va., and became the first director of Christian
education at North Wilkesboro Presbyterian.
Married to a minister, she helped serve
congregations in the Carolinas. In 2005, she
received the Omicron Delta Kappa Award from
Davidson College for dedicated service to
community and church. Survivors include
husband Don; four children, including Carol
Blanton Coffey-Howard ’83; nine
grandchildren; one sister; and one brother.

GILBERT “GIB” WEISS
Feb. 11, 2012, in Flagstaff, Ariz. He earned a
master’s degree from Syracuse University and
owned and operated Jeff Dairy in the 1950’s.
He worked as an accountant in New York City
before going to work at First National Bank of
Jeffersonville, where he eventually served as
CEO. He was a lifelong member of the First
Presbyterian Church of Jeffersonville. Survivors
include two sons and their families.

1948

CHRISTINE GILREATH HELM
July 9, 2009, in San Rafael, Calif. She was a
secretary for the Department of Health and
Human Services in San Francisco. Survivors
include husband Milton, two children, four
grandchildren and brother Sidney Gilreath ’58.

MILDRED ORR POTTER
Sept. 9, 2011, in San Rafael, Calif. She earned a
master’s degree from McCormick Theological
Seminary and served as an educator in churches
in Ohio and Pennsylvania. She was later
employed by the PC(USA)’s Board of Christian
Education as a consultant to churches in
Alaska, Idaho and California. Survivors include
three children and their families and sister Ruth
Orr Allen ’55.

FRANK B. STILL, JR.
Feb. 28, 2012, in Naples, Fla. He graduated
from UT Law School and joined the FBI in
1950, working as a special agent. When he
retired in 1978, he was deputy assistant director
of the identification division. He was a past

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Carle M. Davis, Jan. 6, 2012, in Maryville, Tenn. A graduate of Penn State, he spent his career as a civil
engineer with Harrison Construction Company/APAC Harrison, a highly respected engineering firm. His
leadership in the community included service on the College’s Board of Directors, serving a total of 18 years,
including four (1979-1983) as chairman.
He and wife Connie, who taught in the College’s physical education department from 1963 until 1972, supported numerous initiatives and campaigns at MC throughout six decades. In 1975, they established the Carle and
Connie Davis Endowed Scholarship and in 1991, they established a generous fund for the library. Carle, along
with his family, set up an endowment to support student development, especially diversity initiatives on campus.
Maryville College presented the couple its Medallion in 1992.
Survivors include son and daughter-in-law Mike and Ibby Shelley Davis ’68; son and daugher-in-law Lee and
Veronica Davis; six grandchildren, including Todd Davis ’00 and six great-grandchildren.

elder of Arlington (Va.) Presbyterian Church.
Survivors include two children, two sisters and
two grandsons.

1949

GEORGIA CORDLE COOK
Aug. 9, 2011, in Harrisonburg, Va. After college,
she moved to Elkton, Va., to work at Merck &
Co. as a lab biologist. She was later co-owner and
operator of Cook’s Grocery, Cook’s Drive-In
and Cook’s Laundromat. She was an active
member of the Evangelical United Methodist
Church in Elkton. Survivors include three
daughters, three granddaughters and one sister.

1950

ROBERT CONNELL, JR.
Feb. 4, 2012, in Arlington, Tex. A Korean War
vet, he retired from Lockheed Martin. He was
a deacon and choir member at First
Presbyterian Church of Arlington and was also
a 33rd-degree Mason. Survivors include wife
Joyce and one son.

ANN PARRIS CRAWFORD
Aug. 22, 2011, in Maryville. She was a member
of Maryville Church of Christ, Smoky
Mountains Garden Club, Chilhowee Club,
Daughters of the American Revolution
Survivors include one daughter, one son, five
grandchildren, one sister and sister-in-law Betty
Crawford Cornett ’50.

MARY WATT FLAHERTY
Aug. 28, 2011, in Holland, Mich. She and her
husband were long term missionaries with the

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Reformed Church in America, serving at the
Ferris School in Yokohama, Japan. Survivors
include three children, six grandchildren, four
great-grandchildren and brothers Jim Watt ’51
and Bruce Watt and sister-in-law Eileen
Marion Watt ’55.

CHARLES KRUEGER
Feb. 16, 2012 in Galesburg, Ill. He graduated
from Louisville Theological Seminary with a
master’s of divinity degree in 1953 and served
Presbyterian congregations in Oklahoma,
Tennessee, Missouri, Kansas and Illinois for the
next four decades. Survivors include wife
Marchie, two sons, three grandchildren and
three great-grandchildren.

PRESTON MULFORD
Jan. 6, 2012, in Centreville, Va. He earned a
law degree from Rutgers University and was an
attorney for an insurance company before
becoming a stock broker. He started the
Mulford Group and was president of it until
2011. He and wife Beverly also founded the
Mulford School, a private preschool and
kindergarten. Survivors include wife Beverley
Musick Mulford ’50, four sons, 16
grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

WALTER MCMURRARY “MAC” PATE
March 14, 2012, in Knoxville, Tenn. He was a
successful dairy farmer in Blount County for 63
years. His numerous career honors include the
Dairy Farmers of America’s “Member of
Distinction” and Swisher Sweets/Sunbelt
Expo’s “Farmer of the Year” for Tennessee.
Survivors include wife Barbara Wells Pate ’47,

Scott Blair, considered a second son; sister
Irma Pate Durr ’39, brother George and
several nieces and nephews, including Aaron
Pate ’99.

1951

L. JEAN HUNT BRANCH
March 4, 2011, in Kingwood, Tex. She was the
librarian for the city of Houston for 25 years
and was an active member of the First
Presbyterian Church of Kingwood, where she
built and started a church library. Survivors
include son and daughter-in-law Steve and
Becky Branch, two grandsons, one greatgranddaughter and one brother.

BEATRICE SWANSON DWYER
March 30, 2012, in Two Harbors, Minn. She
worked for many years at the U of M Hospital
as night supervisor of nurses, alongside many
pioneers in the medical and surgical field. From
the late 1960s until the early 1980s, she served
as director of nurses at St. Mary’s Hospital in
Duluth. Survivors include her “adopted” family
of Walter and Grace Bailey. The family
requested that memorial contributions be sent
to the College.

ALBERTA “PINKY” AHLER ROSS
August 7, 2011, in Harriman, Tenn. After
teaching for many years at Central Elementary
School in Harriman, she earned a master’s
degree in administration and education
supervision in 1975. For 12 years she served as
principal of Central. Survivors include husband
William, two daughters, three granddaughters,
one brother and one sister.

class

Tutt Bradford, March 23, 2012,

College bestowed upon him an honorary

in Maryville, Tenn. He bought the

doctor of laws degree in 1987. In 2003, he

Maryville-Alcoa Daily Times in 1955 and

was awarded the Medallion, the College’s

was involved in its operation until 1989.

highest award.
“There are people in your life who

Active in various causes in the community,
he joined the College’s Board of

should live forever. Tutt Bradford was, for

Directors in 1974 and served 17 years.

me, one of those,” Gibson said. “He chaired

He held leadership positions on various

the search committee that brought me to

committees of the Board, including

Maryville College, and he was a constant

the Vision 1994 Campaign Steering

partner in its progress during my watch.
“From the funding of the first campus

Committee and the MC2000 Campaign
Council. He chaired the presidential search committee that

plan, to the Bradford Scholars Program, to countless projects

brought Dr. Gerald W. Gibson to the College in 1993.

aimed at making the College better, Tutt was there,” the

He and wife Elizabeth (“Lib”) supported numerous

president emeritus continued. “He was there, too, for the

programs and campaigns at MC. They established the Bradford

larger community, and his prints can be found on a vast array of

Scholars Program, which awards tuition money to select

initiatives that strengthened this community across the decades.”

students who are committed to adult literacy and education.

Survivors include two daughters and one step-daughter:

Their gifts made possible library automation, computer writing

Nancy Cain, who currently serves on the MC Board

labs and the renovation and expansion of Bartlett Hall. Tutt

of Directors, Debbie Moon and Frances Morris; five

financially supported the construction of the Clayton Center

grandchildren, including Catherine Cain Robbins-Schumann

for the Arts and called on other community leaders to back it.

’90 and Julia Cain Phillippi ’96; 13 great-grandchildren; one

Recognizing Tutt’s effective service on the Board, the

1952

W. AUSTIN VAN PELT
Oct. 23, 2011, in Maryville, Tenn.
Earning master’s and doctoral
degrees from Louisville Presbyterian
Seminary and the University of
Denver, he was a pastor, professor,
businessman, father and avid cyclist.
His ministry took him from Blount
County, Tenn., to Sitka, Alaska (Sheldon
Jackson College) while working for the Board
of National Missions. He also served churches
in Pennsylvania, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado
and Arkansas. He was a sociology professor and
helped found Arapahoe Community College in
Littleton, Colo., which he also served as dean.
Survivors include wife Elenor Kramer Van
Pelt ’51, four children, including Anne Van
Pelt Regenbrecht ’79 and son-in-law Alan
Regenbrecht ’78; one granddaughter; nieces
and nephews; and sister-in-law Lynn McMillan
Van Pelt ’56. The family requested that
memorial contributions be sent to the College.

sister and one brother.

1953

ISABELLA LEITCH MILLER
October 7, 2011, in Nashua, N.H. She earned
a master’s degree at Columbia University in
New York. She was a ruling elder at the
Presbyterian Church in New Scotland, New
York and enjoyed traveling with her ministerhusband, especially to Great Britian and Israel.
Survivors include husband Bruce Miller ’53,
two children and their families and several
cousins.

BOBBIE GILLENWATER SCARLETT
March 24, 2012, in New Market, Tenn. She
taught at Friendsville High School before
marrying and moving to Jefferson County,
where she became a faithful partner in Scarlett’s
Dairy farm operations, agricultural activities
and cattle shows. She volunteered at Jefferson
Memorial Hospital and Loy Memorial United
Methodist Church. Survivors include two sons
and two daughters-in-law, two grandchildren
and sister Betty Gillenwater Horton ’53.

1954

CAROL DEMLER BELLANTONI
Dec. 24, 2011, in Greece, N.Y. She taught
school in Middletown, N.Y., and was a member
of Delta Kappa Gamma, the NYS Retired
Teachers Association and Trinity Presbyterian
Church. Survivors include husband Anthony,
one son and one daughter-in-law, five
grandchildren and one brother.

HELEN DRINNEN RENAKER
Aug. 16, 2011, in North Augusta, S.C. She was
a former school teacher and a former employee
of J.B. Whites. She was an active member of
Grace United Methodist Church. Survivors
include three children and their spouses; eight
grandchildren; one brother and one sister.

1956

JAMES H. KENNEDY
Jan. 31, 2012, in Asheville, N.C. A graduate of
Louisville Presbyterian Seminary and Union
Seminary, he was an ordained Presbyterian minis-

focus |

FA L L 2 012

35

NOTES

class

NOTES

Robert Lamont ’41, March 26, 2012, in Vero
Beach, Fla. He earned a bachelor of theology degree
from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1944 and
master of theology degree from Mount Airy Lutheran
Seminary in 1947 before serving congregations in
Pennsylvania, including the historic First Presbyterian
Church in Pittsburgh. In 1954, the College awarded
him an honorary doctor of divinity degree and two
years later, Lamont joined the Reverend Dr. Billy Graham and others in
founding the magazine, Christianity Today. He continued to serve as a
trustee of the magazine’s corporation for 41 years. In 1973, he became
the president and CEO of the oldest life insurance company in America,
Presbyterian Ministers Fund. Survivors include wife Edna, one son, two
daughters, two grandchildren and two sisters.

ter and served churches in Cedar Hill, Mo.; New
York City; and Marquette, Fenton, and Flint,
Mich. His most recent pastorate was Marathon
Key, Fla. Survivors include one sister, 15 nieces
and nephews, and cousin Karen Kennedy ’61.

1958

ROBERT EDRIS
June 6, 2011, in Daytona Beach, Fla. A
member of the Daytona Beach and National
International Brotherhood of Electrical
Workers, he worked at many large construction
sites, including the Kennedy Space Center.
Survivors include wife Fay Goldie Edris ’60;
two daughters, including Sarah Edris Michel
’00; five grandchildren; three greatgrandchildren; and one brother.

1959

JUDITH CUMMINGS KAISER
Sept. 7, 2011, in Newton, N.J. She started her
career teaching high school home economics and
then spent 25 years teaching third grade. After
retirement, she became a published author and
storyteller with emphasis on the Leni Lenape
tribe in Oklahoma. Survivors include husband
George Kaiser ’58, one son and one daughterin-law, two grandchildren and four siblings.

1961

J. ROGER SMITHEY
Feb. 10, 2011, in Maryville, Tenn. He was a
member of New Hope Baptist Church. Survivors include wife Ella, two children and their
spouses, nine grandchildren and two siblings.
36

focus |

FA L L 2 012

James D. Pickens,
Feb. 3, 2012, in Burlington,
N.C. A graduate of Ohio
State University and the
University of Tennessee,
Pickens came to MC in 1976 as an assistant professor
of psychology. He remained on the faculty until 1985.
He spent the remainder of his career at Elon University, helping develop the psychology department and a
major in non-violence studies. Before retiring in 2007,
he received Elon’s Periclean Award for Civic Engagement and Social Responsibility. Survivors include wife
Nancy, two children and two grandchildren; mother
Hazel Pickens Wilson and two brothers.

1968

ANDREW RUHLIN
Sept. 10, 2011, in Webster Groves, Mo. He
earned a master’s degree in TV/film from
Syracuse University and worked in television
and video production (earning 13 Emmys)
and multimedia projects. A member of
Emmanuel Episcopal Church, he founded an
adult mission program. Survivors include wife
Ann Marie, two children, two sisters and one
brother.

1971

C. ANN PERRY PRATCHER
Nov. 27, 2011, in Columbus, Ga. She earned a
master’s degree from UT and an MBA from
Columbus State University. She was employed
as a financial readiness manager at Army
Community Services at Ft. Benning and was a
member of Edgewood Presbyterian Church.
Survivors include mother, Ms. J. Williams
Green, one sister and several uncles, aunts,
nieces and nephews.

WILLIAM E. ROBINSON
Jan. 26, 2012, in Richmond, Va. He installed
and repaired pipe organs for Wicks Organ
Company in Highland, Ill. Survivors include
sister and brother-in-law Meta Robinson
Braymer ‘68 and John Braymer ’68 and their
daughter, Meredith.

1981

JOHN REED HILL
Nov. 2, 2011, in Lebanon, Tenn. He started

Cumberland Company Real Estate with his
grandfather and was currently owner of Buyer
Solutions. He was a respected realtor and held
many leadership positions in real estate and the
community, including Boy Scouts of America
and the First Presbyterian Church. Survivors
include wife Michelle, two children, parents
John and Bettie Hill and two brothers.

1982

CHARLES JENKINS
Aug. 1, 2011, in Lenoir City, Tenn. He studied
comparative government at George Washington
University and worked as chief speech writer
and publications editor for the Republican
National Committee in Washington, D.C., and
in President George H.W. Bush’s administration
as a public affairs officer for the Secretary of
Heath & Human Services. He served two terms
on the Loudon County Commission while
working as public affairs specialist for Bechtel in
Oak Ridge. He also served as the county’s
property assessor. Survivors include wife Kim,
two daughters and one sister.

1983

JULIA L. QUINTON
Sept. 21, 2011, in Knoxville, Tenn. Supported
by the Missionary Church International, she
was a recording artist who published her own
CD, “One True God,” and was often called
upon to share her gift of music for worship at
churches and conferences. She lived and served
among Native Americans in Oklahoma.
Survivors include two sisters, three brothers
and their families.

More than 30 enjoy

SCOTLAND & TOUR WITH CHOIR
INSPIRED DAILY by the performances of the Maryville College Concert Choir, more
than 30 alumni, parents, siblings and friends toured Scotland as a part of the “parallel
tour” to the Choir’s “Pipes, Glens & Thistles” Spring Tour in May.
Organized with the help of Casterbridge Tours, the 10-day trip included stops in Oban,
Perth, Stirling and Edinburgh and tours of castles, gardens and cathedrals. Day trips
included the islands of Mull and Iona and St. Andrews. Memorable moments (in addition
to the performances) included sampling haggis, black pudding and real Scottish shortbread.
For much of the trip, Choir members and those on the parallel tour jointly visited the
sites. In cities where they stayed in the same hotel, the two groups enjoyed delicious
evening meals together.
Fundraising has already begun for the next international Choir Tour, which should
take place within the next five years.

“Today we rose early to
depart for Edinburgh,
Scotland, to perform our
final concert at the historic
St. Giles Cathedral. After an
informative guided tour of
the church, we gathered under
the beautiful architecture
and amongst the lustrous and
epic stained glass windows to
sing our final selections. It
was bittersweet for both the
seniors and those departing
from Concert Choir after
this year as the closing Lutkin
Benediction’s “May the Lord
bless you and keep you” echoed
through the great cathedral,
bringing our journeys with
the group, as well as Scotland,
to an end.”
— Maryville College
Concert Choir Member
Mary Moates ’14,
in a blog post

502 East Lamar Alexander Parkway
Maryville, Tennessee 37804
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

Stauych
in toh MC
wit ia
v il
ema

ur
Send yo
:
dress to
du
email ad ryvillecollege.e
a
m
i@
n
m
alu

MARK YOUR CALENDARS

FOR THESE IMPORTANT DATES IN 2013!
FEBRUARY MEETINGS – FEB. 25-26

KIN TAKAHASHI WEEK – JUNE 10-14

Dr. Randal Jelks, associate professor of American studies with a

Enjoy fellowship with alumni,

joint appointment in African and African-American studies at

parents, friends, students and

the University of Kansas, will be the 2013 leader.

MC employees while working on

SMOKY MOUNTAIN HIGHLAND GAMES – MAY 17-19

campus improvement projects!

Fun for the entire family! Athletic competitions, pipe and

HOMECOMING – SEPT. 27-28

drum bands, balladeers, highland dancing and Scottish food

Although nearly a month earlier

are just some of what the Games are about. The Kennedy

than usual, Homecoming

Clan is the honored clan for 2013.

2013 will still include reunion

COMMENCEMENT WEEKEND – MAY 17-19

gatherings, athletic competitions

More than 200 students
will become proud
MC alumni during the
6 p.m., May 19
ceremony on the lawn
between Anderson Hall
and Sutton Science
Center.

and the parade, but we’ve
added something new:
Country music singersongwriter and alumnus
Chris Hennessee ’97 will
headline a Homecoming
concert on Sept. 27 in the
Ronald and Lynda Nutt
Theatre of the Clayton Center.

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