Spring/Summer 2009 Issue - University of the Ozarks

Transcription

Spring/Summer 2009 Issue - University of the Ozarks
Today, SPRING/SUMMER 2009
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University Administration
Rick Niece, Ph.D.
President
Steve Edmisten, MA
Executive Vice President
Daniel Taddie, Ph.D.
Senior Vice President, Academic Affairs
Kim Myrick, MA
Vice President for Enrollment Management
Jeff Scaccia, MBA
Chief Financial Officer
Darrell Williams, BS
Business Manager
Sherrie Arey, MS
Dean of Residential and Campus Life
Volume 28
Number 1
2 Class of 2009 Honored
More than 500 family and friends
celebrated Commencement.
6 Mountain Eagle Returns
Student-run campus newspaper
is resurrected by students
during 2009 Fall Semester.
Photo and editorial contributions
by Tony Baldwin, Josh Peppas,
Emalee Pearson and Kimberly Pennick.
For more information, contact the:
Office of University Advancement
University of the Ozarks
415 N. College Avenue
Clarksville, AR 72830-2880
(479) 979-1230; Fax (479) 979-1239
Web site: www.ozarks.edu
University Directory
7 Clothes Closet Provides
Professional Attire
New project from Career Services
helps students in job search.
9 New Coaches Announced
Athletic department hires new
coaches for men’s soccer and
men’s basketball.
Production Staff
Larry Isch, MS
Director of University and Public Relations
Editor
Vinnie Tran, BA
Publications Coordinator
Design and Layout
Spring/Summer 2009
ON THE COVER:
The Science Building (left) and
Cumberland Hall (center) were
the primary buildings on campus
in the 1920s and early 1930s.
The Science Building, which
anchored the east side of campus
for almost 80 years (1923-2001)
and Cumberland Hall, which
was destroyed by fire on Dec. 1,
1934, both played a major role
in the 175-year history of the
University.
See Story, Page 16
12 Monarchs in Mexico
Study Abroad trip to Mexico
gives students an opportunity
to see breath-taking migration.
14 SUCCESS in Tough Times
Ozarks’ generous donors
continue to shine, even in
difficult financial times.
33 In Memoriam
The University honors those
alumni and friends who have
passed away in recent months.
(479) Area Code
Academic Affairs
Admission
Advancement
Alumni Relations
Athletics
Business Office
Financial Aid
President’s Office
Public Relations
Registrar
Student Life
979-1431
979-1227
979-1230
979-1234
979-1483
979-1208
979-1221
979-1242
979-1420
979-1212
979-1321
The University of the Ozarks does not discriminate on the basis of religion, gender, color, national or ethnic origin, age, or physical handicap
in the administration of its educational policies,
programs or activities.
Kyle Hudson ’08 (left) and Curt
Dixon ’08 are both playing
professional minor league baseball
this summer in the independent
Continental Baseball League.
Hudson is a right-handed relief
pitcher for the Bay Area Toros in
Houston, Texas. Dixon is a righthanded starting pitcher for the Big
Bend Cowboys in Alpine, Texas.
See Other Alumni News on Pages 26-32
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Graduation 2009
Ozarks hails Class of 2009
Because of the threat of rain, the
University of the Ozarks’ 175th Commencement was moved from the campus mall to Mabee Gymnasium, but that
didn’t dampen
the spirits of the
members of the
Class of 2009
and their families and friends.
Ozarks recognized
112
graduates,
including 30 who
received
their
Millsap
diplomas during
the Fall Commencement in December.
More than 500 family and friends attended the ceremony, which saw the
university award 72 bachelor of science
degrees, 33 bachelor of arts degrees and
7 bachelor of general studies degrees.
Curtis Millsap, a 2000 Ozarks graduate and the owner and operator of Millsap Farm near Springfield, Mo., gave
the keynote address. Millsap has been
involved in Community Supported Agricultural projects and has been recognized
Members of the Class of 2009 ham it up during the senior picture on the steps of Munger
Memorial Chapel.
for his efforts to preserve clean water,
conserve energy and educate school
children about sustainable agriculture.
Millsap spoke to the graduates about
the importance of community.
“The biggest thing I got from my
Ozarks experience was the sense of community,” he said. “I was constantly sur-
Graduates (from left) Sebastian Teeling, Dan De Hart, Wilson Jones, Brian Sarber,
Brandon Pierson and Dustin Perry pose for some final photos following Commencement.
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rounded by people to care about and by
people who cared about me. You graduates were fortunate enough to have that
same experience here. I encourage you
when you leave this university to seek
out and be a part of a community. There
is a plan for your life, a calling. Community can provide support and encouragement to that calling.”
Brandon Pierson, a political science
major from Allen, Texas, was selected
by his classmates to provide the greetings from the senior class.
“These years here have been nothing
short of an amazing ride,” Pierson said.
Other speakers during Commencement included Board of Trustee ViceChairman Harve Taylor and Assistant
Professor of Sociology and Environmental Studies Dr. Jesse Weiss.
Among those students who graduated with Summa Cum Laude honors
(3.85 GPA or higher) were, Claudia
Aguero, Allan Arroyo, Jorge Avila, Daniela Bermudez, Joel Chan, Daniela Chavarria, Patricia Daboub, Nayr De Leon,
Huy Do, Brittany Hein, Bristle McIntare,
Eduardo Salinas, Brian Sarber and Amy
Scaccia.
University of the Ozarks Class of 2009
Claudia Agüero, Nicaragua
Jessica Allums, Plain Dealing, LA
Zachary Almaguer, Dallas, TX
Yoselin Alvarez, Nicaragua
José Argüello, Nicaragua
Allan Arroyo, Costa Rica
Andria Askins, Marsing, Idaho
Jorge Ávila, Guatemala
Bryan Bacci, Dallas, TX
Samuel Ballard, Dallas, TX
Daniela Bermúdez, Mexico
Lauren Black, Arlington, TX
Amanda Bohon, Ponca City, OK
Kyle Bost, Poplar Bluff, MO
Emma Bottorff, Farmington, AR
Devin Braswell, Hollister, MO
Jennifer Brown, Ozark, AR
Rachel Butts, Maumelle, AR
Tanya Caldwell, Knoxville, AR
Jessica Carbajal, Rogers, AR
Joel Chan, Malaysia
Daniela Chavarría, Costa Rica
Carmen Chinchilla, Honduras
Jeremy Clark, Houston, TX
Margaret Clark, Springdale, AR
Candace Cole, Forrest City, AR
Joey Curtis, Berryville, AR
Patricia Daboub, El Salvador
Tony Daniels, Fayetteville, AR
María Dávila, Panama
Nayr De León, Panama
Lucus DeBuhr, Clarksville, AR
Dan De Hart, Rocklin, CA
Brandy Deming, Clarksville, AR
Gregory Dillon, Little Rock, AR
Huy Do, Vietnam
Jeffrey Earnshaw, Dallas, TX
Keith Edwards, Grapevine, TX
Johnmark Eneks, Mountainburg, AR
Rushawn Engleton, Belize
Kathy Erickson, Waldron, AR
Thomas Evans, Southlake, TX
Sadie Ferguson, Hico, Texas
Olivia Fisher, Mountain Home, AR
Melanie Fitts, Farmington, AR
Courtney Ford, Little Rock, AR
Dana Frizzell, Clarksville, AR
Erin Fuller, Redfield, AR
Miriam Gary, Little Rock, AR
Josué Gutierrez, Guatemala
Grace Harnish, West Fork, AR
Brittany Hein, Grand Prairie, TX
Ivanny Hernandez, Belize
Paul Jarvis, Fort Smith, AR
James Johnston, Oklahoma City, OK
Wilson Jones, Sulphur Springs, TX
Habeeb Kareem, Houston, TX
Jessica Kasper, Elkins, AR
Todd Koch, San Antonio, TX
Stephen Landrum, Mountain Home, AR
Spencer Layne, Greers Ferry, AR
Jenny Levin, Clarksville, AR
Lendall Martin, Jr., Wickes, AR
Jeremey McCain, Clarksville, AR
Janna McClain, Bryant, AR
Bristle McIntare, Jasper, AR
Trudy McNanna, Hot Springs, AR
Luis A. Medrano, Guatemala
Lauren Middleton, Dallas, TX
John Miller, Rockwall, TX
Barbara Mitchell, Yellville, AR
Joanna Moore, Houston, TX
Michael Moore, Houston, TX
Robert Mummey, Flower Mound, TX
Sarah Murphy, Magnolia, AR
Nur Nadia Musidin, Malaysia
Kasie Osmond, Pierce City, Missouri
Carrie Parsons, Dallas, TX
Kayla Pennebaker, Booneville, AR
Dustin Perry, Plano, TX
Travis Perusich, Clarksville, AR
Jessica Pianalto, Springdale, AR
Brandon Pierson, Allen, TX
Rachelle Prince, Cane Hill, Arkansas
Samantha Puent, Bangor, WI
Lea Rana, Duncanville, Texas
Gildamaria Rangel, Guatemala
Isabel Rendon, Houston, TX
Amy Rogers, Glen Rose, AR
Eduardo Salinas, Honduras
Brian Sarber, Allen, TX
Amy Scaccia, Clarksville, AR
Ashley Senter, Clarksville, AR
Cody Shannon, Topeka, KS
Heather Shoffit, Cleburne, TX
Leah Short, Port Neches, TX
Opal Slaughter, Springdale, AR
Travis Smith, Kaufman, TX
Ruth Southwell, McKinney, TX
Quentin Starnes, Vandervoort, AR
Danielle Stover, Waldron, AR
Natalie Suarez, El Salvador
Courtney Taylor, Tulsa, OK
Victor Teeling, Sweden
Charles Tefertiller, Tulsa, Oklahoma
Herbert Thomas IV, Memphis, TN
Kayla Vanderbilt, Dover, AR
Victoria Vanderwoude, Dallas, TX
Gladys Vásquez, Honduras
Martha Vásquez, El Salvador
Kelli Welsh, Plano, TX
Kayla Yother, Hot Springs, AR
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Graduation Photo Album
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For more graduation photos, please go www.ozarks.edu
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The Mountain Eagle makes its return
An old friend made a welcomed return to the campus during the Spring
2009 Semester.
The student newspaper The Mountain Eagle was revived recently by a
handful of students as well as advisor
Holli Weiss. It was the first time in more
than 10 years that the newspaper was
published on a regular basis.
The staff published a total of five tabloid-size editions throughout the semester, covering everything from the national presidential election, to campus-wide
efforts during Earth Week, to movie and
book reviews, to sports.
The Mountain Eagle student newspaper dates back to the early 1900s and
was a staple on the campus for much of
the last century. In the late 1990s, the
cost of production and lack of interest
spelled doom for the publication.
Kristina Mariswamy, a radio/television/video major from Malaysia, was
one of the students instrumental in getting the newspaper resurrected.
“We just thought it would be cool to
have a student-run publication on campus,” said Mariswamy, who served as
editor-in-chief. “Print journalism has always been my passion, and when I heard
there were some students interested in
starting a newspaper, I was ecstatic. We
started planning last fall to start publishing by Fall 2009, but thanks to a lot of
hard work and commitment by the staff,
we managed to start a semester early.”
The first few publications were
eight-page black-and-white editions, but
the staff ended the semester with a bang,
producing a 12-page color edition.
“I am so proud of what we did this
semester, and we have even bigger plans
for next year,” Mariswamy said.
Rebekah Reed, a communications
major from Emory, Texas, said the staff
felt a sense of accomplishment.
“It was a complicated, time-consuming and thought-provoking process,”
Reed said. “But in the end it was well
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The Moutain Eagle newspaper staff included (front row, from left) Robyn Crow, Editor
Kristina Mariswamy, Myra Hoch, Janine Armstrong, Jessica Reed, Leyla Tucker, (back
row, from left) Andrew Swindler, Taylor Jacks and Todd Koch. Not pictured are Rebekah
Reed and Mindy Choo.
worth it. We were able to make it fun and
informational for the U of O campus,
and something that will be a part of our
Ozarks legacy long after we’re gone.”
Campus family mourns loss of two
The University lost two treasured
members of its campus family in recent
months: student, John “Jake” Tull, and
employee, Hazel Hatchett.
Tull, 21, a junior environmental
studies major from Little Rock, died on
May 19, 2009, from cardiac arrest while
on a trip in Africa. He was on a study
abroad trip in Africa through The School
of Field Studies at Boston University.
He was studying animal migration patterns and had recently climbed Mount
Kilimanjaro, Africa’s tallest peak.
“Jake was a motivated and engaged
learner who added depth to classroom
discussions,” said Julia Frost, director
of the Jones Learning Center. “He had
already begun to make his impact on the
world, especially the environment, and
we know that his contributions were
only just beginning.”
Because of press deadlines, memorials to Tull will be recognized in the
Jake Tull
Hazell Hatchett
next issue of the Today magazine.
Hatchett died on Dec. 27, 2008, at
the age of 64 from cancer. She worked
in the University’s food services area
since the early 1980s. Known by her
friends and co-workers as “Miss Jolly
Hazel,” her outgoing, positive personality made her a favorite.
“She could cheer you up by saying a simple thing like ‘good morning’
or just stopping by to talk,” said ARAMARK Food Services Director Johnny
Robinson.
Clothes Closet providing professional attire
Thanks to an ambitious project coordinated by the Career Services Office,
many U of O students and recent graduates will be much better dressed when
they go on that all-important job search.
The Clothes Closet Project was
started this past spring by Career Services Coordinator Kimberly Spicer and
several of her work-study students. The
project provides donated business attire
to students who are near graduation and
who are going on job interviews.
Spicer said she noticed a need for
such a project while helping prepare students for job searches and interviews.
“I have talked to several students
who tell me that they can’t afford to
purchase appropriate interview attire,”
Spicer said. “Many of the students are
first-generation college graduates in
their family, and their parents have never
worked in a professional position, so
they really don’t know how to purchase
professional clothing. And, if they did,
they couldn’t afford it.”
Spicer said her office typically helps
between 5-10 students purchase business
attire each spring.
“I’ve noticed a greater need the past
couple of years, and there is only so
much we can do,” she said. “I believe the
need is even greater than what I know
about because I think there are students
who don’t want to ask for help. With this
Students (from left) Daniela Bermudez Gardea, Torie Parsons and Mayra Hoch sort and
organize donated clothing as part of the Clothes Closet Project.
project up and running, I think students
will be more likely to privately express
a need and receive clothing from anonymous donors.”
Torie Parsons, a senior marketing
major from Dallas, helped Spicer pull the
project together. She researched similar
projects at other universities and helped
Spicer wade through the numerous tax
deductible forms that had to be filed.
“I have a love for fashion and for
marketing and business, so this project really interested me,” said Parsons.
“And, as a student, I saw that the need
Donating to the Clothes Closet Project
Some Ozarks students are financially challenged when it comes to purchasing
job interview attire. If you or your spouse have new or gently-worn interviewappropriate attire that you would like to donate, please contact Career Services
Coordinator Kimberly Spicer at 479-979-1320.
Items Needed Include:
* Men’s suits and sports jackets
* Women’s pant and skirt suits
* Men’s and women’s separates, such as slacks, shirts and blouses
* Ties, jewelry, scarves and accessories
* New dress socks and nylons
* New or like-new dress shoes
* Briefcases, portfolios and professional pens
was there. There are a lot of people out
there with like-new professional clothing in their closets that they never wear
and a lot of students out there with no
professional clothing at all. That’s why
this project can be successful.”
As of May, more than 200 pieces of
professional clothing had been donated,
mostly by university faculty and staff.
Spicer plans to begin reaching out to the
local community, alumni and even possibly corporate sponsors for donations in
the near future.
“Two hundred pieces of clothing may
sound like a lot, but it is a little misleading because that includes separates, like
jackets and pants, as well as bags, ties
and shoes,” she said. “It’s a good start,
but we really want to build up a good inventory.”
Spicer said there is still a tremendous
need for men’s clothing, especially dress
shirts, pants and suits in all sizes. There
is also a need for women’s and men’s
dark colored shoes, men’s black socks
and women’s hosiery. She emphasized
that the donated clothing must be clean,
“like-new” professional attire. Monetary
donations are also accepted.
Today, SPRING/SUMMER 2009
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PBL chapter shines at conference
The U of O chapter of Phi Beta
Lambda competed in the PBL State
Leadership Conference in Hot Springs,
Ark., in April where it won a total of 76
awards, the most ever for the chapter.
A total of 68 students and five faculty
advisors attended the event. The chapter
won a total of 17 events and finished second in 17 other events. The chapter also
won the Overall Sweepstakes Award.
PBL members were challenged to
take tests, give presentations and even
be interviewed during the conference.
Ozarks PBL chapter president Huy
Do, a senior accounting and business
administration major from Ho Chi Minh
City, Vietnam, won two first place awards
at the conference. Do was awarded first
place after taking a test in the subject of
“Accounting for Professionals.” He also
teamed up with Mayra Hoch to take first
place in the Business Presentation category with a seven-minute presentation
on Internet safety.
“We had to do a lot of research for
our topic,” said Do. “We had to come
up with a seven-minute presentation to
present in front of judges, where they
judged us based on our information and
overall presentation skills.”
Cynthia Lanphear, an instructor of
business and management, serves as the
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Members of the
U of O chapter of
Phi Beta Lambda
show off their
awards (top photo).
Ozarks PBL chapter president Huy
Do (right) holds up
the Overall Sweepstakes Award for the
chapter.
lead advisor for the U of O chapter.
“[Ms. Lanphear] has been very helpful,” said Do. “She always attends our
meetings and gives us advice on how to
complete our projects.”
The U of O PBL chapter has worked
on various projects this year, including community service, hosting social
events, and inviting speakers to campus.
Last year, PBL invited Arkansas
Governor Mike Beebe to campus to
speak. The chapter also attends several
conferences throughout the year.
Hurie Award
University President Dr. Rick Niece
presented the 2009 Hurie Award to Joel
Chan, a psychology major from Penang,
Malaysia. The Hurie Award is given
annually to the outstanding member of
the senior class as voted by the faculty.
Named for former Ozarks president Dr.
Wiley Lin Hurie, the award is the highest honor an Ozarks student can receive.
Chan has made the honor roll each
semester and was selected to the Alpha
Chi Honor Society. He was also active in
the music department, participating with
the University Ringers, the Ozarks Chorale and the Chamber Singers. He was
involved in Alpha & Omega, the Baptist
Campus Ministries and with Clarksville
First Baptist Church. Chan, who graduated with Summa Cum Laude honors,
plans to enroll in graduate school at the
University of Pittsburgh in the fall and
pursue a Ph.D. in cognitive psychology.
Men’s basketball, soccer hire new coaches
The Eagles’ athletic program has recently added two new
coaches with more than 50 years combined coaching experience between them.
Doug Boxell, who won five high school state championships in Texas, was named the new men’s basketball coach in
April, replacing Matt O’Connor who resigned in March after eight seasons. John Cossaboon was named the new men’s
soccer coach, repelacing Dave De Hart, who resigned in the
spring after 10 seasons at Ozarks.
“I am excited Doug and John are joining our athletics staff,” said Clark. “They both have a rich history of accomplishments as coaches. I am excited we were able to hire
coaches of their caliber. The fact that they have experienced
success over a long period of time is important to the program.
Without a doubt, they will be able to carry on the tradition of
our men’s basketball and soccer programs.”
Boxell has spent the last 13 years as the head boy’s basketball coach at Ponder (Texas) High School where he won
three state championships, including back-to-back titles in
2008 and 2009. Boxell has also served
as the school’s athletic director the past
five years.
Boxell’s extensive Texas coaching
experience spans nearly 25 years, including two other stops that resulted in
state championships. Prior to Ponder
High School, Boxell spent two seasons
at Sudan High School, and led the Hornets to a state title in 1995. His first head
coaching stint was at Santo High School,
Boxell
where he spent five years and won the
state title in 1990. He owns an impressive 670-175 (.792) career record.
“I am really looking forward to this opportunity,” said
Boxell. “It is a great challenge for me, and one that I have
planned for and hoped to do. The competition will be at a higher level, but it will be fun and challenging.”
Boxell received his bachelor’s degree in Physical Education from University of North Texas in 1980. He has a master’s
degree in Physical Education from Sam Houston State University. Boxell and his wife, Jeananne, are the parents of four
sons. Boxell becomes the 16th head coach in program history.
O’Connor posted a record of 91-111 in eight seasons.
Cossaboon, a native of Rochester, N.Y., brings a wealth
of coaching experience to Ozarks, including head women’s
coaching stints at NCAA Division I Southern Methodist University and University of San Diego. Cossaboon has spent the
last two years as the assistant women’s coach at Gonzaga.
Cossaboon joined Gonzaga from Southern Methodist Uni-
versity where he spent four seasons and earned Conference
USA Coach of the Year twice. SMU won conference titles in
each of those seasons, including 2006 when SMU went 17-51 overall and 8-1-0 in Conference USA
for its seventh straight regular-season
title.
“A number of things attracted me
to Ozarks,” said Cossaboon. “Ozarks
provided me with an opportunity to get
back into the men’s game, something I
have been looking at doing. I enjoyed
the size of the campus and the closeness of the university. (De Hart) did a
Cossaboon
good job of establishing a strong soccer
culture, and I want to carry that on.”
Prior to SMU, Cossaboon spent six years as the head
women’s coach at University of San Diego, guiding the Toreros to four consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances
(1999-2002) while compiling an overall record of 73-43-6.
Additionally, Cossaboon served as the women’s head coach at
UC Santa Barbara from 1995-1997.
The De Hart Decade
When Men’s Soccer Coach Dave
De Hart resigned in January to move
back closer to his family in California,
he completed one of the most successful
coaching stints in school history. In 10
seasons, De Hart posted an astounding
.678 winning percentage, making him
among the winningest active coaches in
the country. His teams advanced to the
American Southwest Conference postseason tournament a league-record nine
consecutive years.
Year
Overall ASC Record ASC Finish
2008 14-3-4
8-3-2*
(4th)
2007
17-5-0
11-2-0*
(1st)
2006
14-6-1
10-3-0*
(2nd)
2005
13-4-5 8-2-3*
(3rd)
2004
11-9-0 8-5-0*
(6th)
2003
13-8-1 9-4-1*&
(2nd)
2002
13-6-1 8-4-0*
(2nd)
2001
18-3-1 8-1-1*
(1st)
2000
15-7-0 6-4-0*
(1st)
1999
7-9-2 3-4-1
----Totals
135-60-15
79-32-8
* Advanced to the ASC Postseason Tournament
& Advanced to the NCAA Postseason Tournament
Today, SPRING/SUMMER 2009
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“We all have superheroes...”
Superheroes can be found in everyday life and, sometimes, in the least suspected
places. That is one of the major themes in a new book written by U of O President
Dr. Rick Niece. The Side-Yard Superhero was released in
February and is currently in its second printing.
The book is set in small-town De Graff, Ohio, where his
father taught music and Niece grew up in the simpler days of
the 1950s and early 1960s.
A young Rickie Niece narrates his various remembrances
of daily life in De Graff, much of it taking place along his
72-customer newspaper route. It was along the newspaper
route that he meets Bernie Jones, who was 10 years older
and confined to a wheelchair because of severe cerebral palsy.
His friendship with Jones would have a strong influence on
Niece’s life.
“It took me stepping back from him for several years to realize what an influence he’d had on my life,” Niece said in a recent interview. “He never complained
about anything, so, consequently, I disregard all complainers. We all have superheroes in our lives.”
In 2003, Niece’s mother called to tell him that she had tracked down Jones, then
living in a nursing home. They had not seen one another in over 40 years. After their
visit, Niece started writing the book.
The 175-page book, from Synergy Books, is the first in a trilogy. Niece has written the second one, Echoes Can Make No Mistakes, which also recalls his childhood
memories and community. For more on The Side-Yard Superhero, please visit www.
rickniece.com.
New Sculpture Dedicated
76
Number of awards
won by the university’s
Phi Beta Lambda
chapter at the PBL State Leadership
Conference in Hot Springs, Ark.,
in April, an all-time high for the
organization. A total of 68 students
and five faculty advisors attended
the event. Ozarks’ students won 17
first-place categories as well as the
Overall Sweepstakes Award.
672
Number of chicken
wings eaten by
guests at the annual
Super Bowl Party for students,
faculty and staff hosted by President
and First Lady Rick and Sherée
Niece at the President’s Home
in February. In addition, 190
hamburgers, 240 cookies and 208
sodas were consumed.
1,026.81
Amount of money raised by
the campus community for the
American Heart Association during
Homecoming Week in February.
Among the fund-raising events was
the Faculty/Staff King and Queen
competition, won by Student Life
Office Manager Glenda Gibson and
Dean of Students Joe Hoing.
U of O held a dedication ceremony for a sculpture titled “Five Children in A Tree” in
memory of Nancy Jane Johnson by her family and friends on Dec. 8. Among the family members who attended the event were (from left) Wayne Robertson, Shalane Choate,
Chris Choate, Roylene Slaughter, Max Slaughter, Tracy Todd, Michael Johnson, Lisa
Johnson (kneeling), Penny Wolters and Roy Johnson. Nancy Johnson, who passed
away in 2007, was married for 55 years to Roy Johnson, a long-time member of the
University’s Board of Trustees. The sculpture, which was designed by artist Ken Ross,
stands near Walker Hall, which houses the university’s Teacher Education Division.
12 Today, SPRING/SUMMER 2009
.678
Winning percentage of Men’s Soccer Coach Dave De
Hart in 10 seasons at Ozarks from
1999-2008. De Hart, who resigned in
January, compiled a record of 135-6015, putting him among the nation’s
winningest active coaches in NCAA
Division III.
Briefs
Brett Wood, a junior political science
major from Houston, Texas, was elected
Student Government Association President
for the 2009-10 academic year during elections held in April. Other SGA positions
decided were Sean Atkins as vice president,
Ashley Henry as treasurer and Zyanya
Sanchez as secretary.
Dr. Bill Doria was promoted to associate professor of chemistry and granted
tenure, and Dr. Bill Eakin, who teaches
philosophy and German, was promoted to
rank of professor during the April Board of
Trustees meeting.
University Chaplain Rev. Nancy Benson-Nicol will be one of the plenary Bible
study leaders at the Presbyterian Women’s
Churchwide Gathering this summer. She
has also been tapped to write the Presbyterian Women’s 2012-2013 Bible study on
the epistles. Last year she wrote the worship
resource for Celebrate the Gifts of Women
Sunday.
U of O Associate Professor of History
Dr. Steven Oatis was invited to participate
in a seminar on American slave narratives at
Yale University this summer. The seminar
Senior art majors (from left) Natalie
Suarez of El Salvador; Jessica Carbajal of
Rogers, Ark.; and Courtney Ford of Jacksonville, Ark., show off their art projects
for their Senior Art Exhibits, held in May.
is sponsored by the Council of Independent
Colleges and the Glider Lehman Institute
of American History and will be led by
Professor David W. Blight, professor of
American history at Yale. Oatis was one of
30 professors from around the country who
was selected from a pool of more than 120
applicants. Oatis has taught at U of O since
1999.
Dr. Robert Hilton is the new chairman
of the International Assembly for Collegiate
Business Education Board of Directors. Hilton is U of O’s Division of Business, Communications, and Government chairman.
The International Assembly for Collegiate
Business Education is a business accrediting body for college and university business
programs worldwide. Hilton served last
year as the vice chair and chair-elect.
Dr. Rickey Casey, professor of management and business and executive director of the international studies program,
recently surveyed a major bank in Managua,
Nicaragua. The survey will allow Dr. Casey
to extend his research of the Hackman and
Oldham Model of Job Motivation and Redesign. Also, while in Nicaragua, Dr. Casey
gave a seminar to the BAC Bank about the
current economic crisis in the United States
and the state of the banking industry.
Tammy Harrington, associate professor of art, participated in the “Shine a Light
on Literacy” fund-raising project held at the
Governor’s Mansion in Little Rock on Feb.
19. Dozens of Arkansas artists volunteered
their time and talent to embellish individual
lamps in a variety of artistic styles. Harrington’s lamp design was based on the folk
art of Chinese paper cutting.
Dr. Daniel Taddie, senior vice president for academic affairs and dean of the
faculty, and his wife, Ann Killebrew Taddie,
attended the Council of Independent Colleges Chief Academic Officers Institute in
Seattle in November. For the spouses’ program, Mrs. Taddie led a discussion on new
books worth reading, based upon a list of
submissions by other spouses of chief academic officers. Dr. Taddie led two roundtable discussions for new chief academic
U of O recognized four faculty and staff
members during the 2009 Trustees’ Awards
Banquet, held on April 24, in the Seay
Student Center. Among those who received
honors were (from left) Rodnie Bohannon, campus activities board advisor, who
received The Alvin C. Broyles Outstanding
Professional Staff Award; Jeanna Knight,
housekeeping, who received The Arnold
G. Sims Outstanding Support Staff Award;
and Dr. Kim Van Scoy, associate professor
of science education, and Dr. Dave Daily,
associate professor of religion, who both
won The Richard and Katherene Bagwell
Outstanding Faculty Award.
officers and a breakfast roundtable discussion on the subject of “Developing Adjunct
Faculty” at the general meeting. Following
the meeting, Dr. Taddie was invited to serve
on the Chief Academic Officers Task Force
for the period 2009-2011.
Martha Vasquez, a senior marketing
and economics major from El Salvador, was
named the winner of the University’s Earth
Day Essay Contest in May. Vasquez’s essay,
“The Quest towards a Greener Ozarks,”
was picked as the winner out of 18 entries
in the fourth-year contest. Vasquez and four
other students received cash prizes for their
essays from sponsor Dr. Wayne Workman,
a board of trustee member. Second place
went to Maria Avila Davila and third place
to Lori Langman.
Two U of O students recently received
funding from NASA, via the Arkansas
Space Grant Consortium, to work on
undergraduate research projects. Mariah
Jones, a sophomore chemistry major from
Coal Hill, Ark., will be using the grant
to study the “Synthesis and Analysis of
Animal Fat Biodiesel.” Ashley Teague, a
freshman strategic communication major
from Lavaca, Ark., will be researching the
“Perceived Leadership Qualities Based on
Power of Language, Gender, and Response
Times.”
Today, SPRING/SUMMER 2009
13
Photos Courtesy of Dr. Frank Knight
and Julia Frost
Several students and faculty members recently visited
central Mexico as part of a study abroad program to
witness the breath-taking Monarch butterfly migration
By Emalee Pearson
Student Contributor
After completing the Monarchs in
Mexico study abroad course in the fall of
2008, Assistant Professor of Spanish Dr.
William Clary and Professor of Biology
Dr. Frank Knight took a small group of
Ozarks students to Mexico for 11 days.
They studied the culture and history of
Mexico and took an intensive look at the
migration of Monarch butterflies.
“Every time I see a Monarch butterfly, I will always be reminded of my trip
to Mexico,” sophomore Shayla Morrow
said.
Before the trip, “my classmates and
I studied the nine-month migration of
one generation of butterflies to this specific location in Mexico. It’s one thing
to imagine thousands of butterflies while
you are sitting at your desk, but to be
able to see them flying all around you
and hanging in large masses on the trees
is a memory I will never forget,” she
said.
Seeing the Monarchs was like nothing she could have imagined, the secondary education major said. “When we
discussed the migration of the Monarch
butterflies in class, I did not really be-
Each year millions of Monarch butterflies congregate in a tiny volcanic region in the
mountains of central Mexico.
14 Today, SPRING/SUMMER 2009
lieve it was possible for so many butterflies to be in the same location at the
same time.”
“Like a swarm of bees,” Morrow
said, “the butterflies were hanging off of
the tree branches in such large numbers
causing the limbs to bend. At the same
time, they are flying all around you and
landing on your shoulder as if you were
not a stranger to their environment. It
was amazing to witness such a beautiful
part of nature.”
Because each average adult Monarch lives to be only four to five weeks
old, there is a unique fascination in one
of the greatest wonders of the Monarch
species. Each autumn, the annual creation of a unique “Methuselah generation” occurs and unlike their parents,
grandparents, even great-grandparents,
this generation lives up to eight months
and makes the long journey south for
winter, according to the World Wildlife
Fund (WWF).
The migration of North American
Monarch butterflies to central Mexico
occurs every autumn as the insects are
guided by the sun’s orbit from the cold
temperatures of North America to the
milder, warmer temperatures of central
Mexico.
The orange, yellow and black insects are found over much of the United
States during the summer months. In
winter, nearly all North American members of the species congregate in a tiny
volcanic region of the central Mexican
state of Michoacan.
Estimated to be around 100 million
in numbers, the butterflies travel at a pace
of around 50 miles each day, although
there are some that travel up to 80 miles
in a day. According to the WWF, at the
end of October and the beginning of November, after traveling two months, the
butterflies settle into hibernation colonies in oyamel forests in the mountains
of central Mexico.
Scientists believe that the Monarchs
have been repeating the cycle for thousands of years.
The sight of millions of Monarchs
brought mixed feelings to Ozarks sophomore Samantha Reed.
“At first, I was very skeptical about
there being so many butterflies there at
the sanctuaries,” she said, “but after being in the midst of it all, it really made
me think about all the wonders in life
that go unnoticed.”
Dr. Clary remembers being overwhelmed by the spectacle the first time
he went to see the Monarchs with a
group of students in 2005.
“The scene had a surreal quality to
it, and everyone feels the exhilaration of
being surrounded by literally thousands
of fluttering butterflies, whose gentle
wing-flapping produces a calming whir
in the forest at 10,000 feet. The experience was so moving that I wanted to
share it with many more students,” he
described.
The University’s Monarchs in Mexico course is an interdisciplinary course
that combines four separate disciplines:
the Spanish language, Mexican history
and culture, entomology and ecology of
Mexico.
Dr. Knight, a zoologist and professor
of biology at Ozarks, covered the monarch education, while Spanish Professor
Dr. Clary taught the Mexican culture and
history aspects of the course.
The Mexican culture and landscape
were captivating to Reed.
“The mountains and hills were almost endless, and the beaches were so
pretty,” Reed said. “Everywhere you go
in Mexico, you can just see how the culture takes form in everything. Everyone
had a good time there, and I am definitely going back soon.”
The course also highlighted the
Spanish language and was used as a valuable resource for the students who participated to practice their Spanish while
immersed within Mexican culture.
“I loved traveling to the different
parts of Mexico,” Morrow said, “but I
truly valued the opportunity of practicing my Spanish speaking skills.”
“A part of learning a language involves overcoming the fear of making
mistakes when speaking,” Morrow said.
“In Mexico, I was forced to use the language, and I discovered I am capable
of much more than what I give myself
credit for in conversational settings. I
am thankful for the confidence I gained
from the trip as well as the opportunity
to be a part of a vibrant culture along the
way,” she added.
Although she was very overwhelmed when she first arrived in Mexico City, one of the largest cities she had
ever seen, Reed agreed when she said,
she personally wanted to go to Mexico
because “Spanish is my second major
,and I wanted to take the opportunity to
improve my Spanish speaking skills and
learn more about the Mexican culture.”
Prior to taking the Monarchs in
Mexico trip, many of the students were
unaware of the Monarch migration patterns and were very surprised at how
much they learned and what they experienced.
“I knew they migrated,” Morrow
said, “but I had no idea they gathered in
the same area every year. The generation of butterflies that migrates to Mexico lives for approximately nine months
compared to four weeks for other generations.”
When Morrow saw a Monarch butterfly on campus later that spring, she
was able to identify it as a probable offspring of the first generation of the butterflies she saw in Mexico.
The trip to Mexico not only includ-
One of the stops on the trip was the Morelia Cathedral in Morelia. The cathedralwas completed in 1744.
ed visiting the monarch sanctuaries, but
also historic and tourist sites throughout
the country.
When she first saw the sights, Morrow described the thoughts going through
her head similar to, “Wow, I can’t believe
I’m here right now!” she said. “Every
moment was so special to me because I
never imagined myself going on such an
adventure in my life.”
When asked what it was like seeing the sites in Mexico, Morrow said,
“the parts we traveled through were
such beautiful, historical and vibrant settings.”
She also enjoyed speaking with the
people, visiting stunning architectural
cities, and stopping by the “pastelería”
to pick up sweets for the trip.
Learning about the Monarch butterfly and traveling to central Mexico was
definitely an unforgettable experience,
Morrow said. Describing her experience
in one word, she concluded with “Inolvidable,” Spanish for “unforgettable.”
Today, SPRING/SUMMER 2009
15
S-U-C-C-E-S-S leads to R-E-S-P-E-C-T
S-U-C-C-E-S-S! What does it spell?
Say it with me…”SUCCESS”! Say it
again…”SUCCESS”!
What a great word. What a wonderful word to proclaim, especially in these
trying economic times when success has
been unusually hard to achieve for much
of higher education.
Thanks in large part to the University’s amazingly generous donors, Ozarks
has experienced tremendous success
over the last decade. These successes
have included pace-setting endowment
growth, capital improvements, faculty
and staff additions, enrollment growth
and many, many more gains, all to support the continuing improvement of our
educational service to students.
The momentum for success that
our donors have created continues to be
very strong. For one thing, Ozarks has
not yet been forced to make any of the
drastic cutbacks that many schools have
as a result of the severe recession. Indeed, on many fronts Ozarks’ supporters
have carried the University to the brink
of even greater gains for her students:
• $37 million have been committed to
Ozarks in 3 ½ years by our donors in
pursuit of the $40 million Promise
of Excellence Campaign goal and
its strategic elements to improve the
quality of our educational services.
• Ozarks’ caring donors once again
gave more than $700,000 to support
students through the Annual Scholarship Fund in fiscal 2009.
• Donors supporting Ozarks’ students
have carried the University to within
just $163,000 of meeting a $1 million challenge from the J.E. and L.E
Mabee Foundation of Tulsa, Okla.
When the Mabee Challenge is met,
Ozarks will be able to break ground
on over $5 million in capital improvements to the campus, including an additional apartment-style
residence hall, and a 14,000 square
foot addition to the Student Center
16 Today, SPRING/SUMMER 2009
that will include a complete student
fitness center and a student and community conference center.
Though Ozarks is not quite there on
the Promise of Excellence Campaign
and the Mabee Challenge goals, SUCCESS is so close you can almost touch
it. If one thing has been proven time and
again over the last decade at Ozarks, it is
the fact that Ozarks donors will not only
help the University touch success, they
will see to it that the University grasps
its opportunities with both hands.
For all the tremendous successes
you have made possible for our students,
you have earned not only the campus
community’s undying gratitude, but
something else that is fun to say as well,
our deepest R-E-S-P-E-C-T!
Koerdt still serving University
For 25 years Maxine Koerdt worked in the University’s cafeteria serving
food to students. That experience left an indelible impression on her, even in retirement.
Koerdt, who retired in 2005, recently named
the University as the beneficiary of her life insurance policy, making her a member of the college’s
Legacy Society. She said she did so because the
University and the students made it enjoyable to
come to work for a quarter of a century.
“I really enjoyed coming to work every day
and that was because of the students,” she said.
“There were so many wonderful, lovable young
people from all nationalities. I don’t miss the
work, but I miss the students. I still stay in contact with several of them.”
Koerdt said that when she was battling breast cancer in 2001, returning to
work and to the students was a huge motivation.
“Getting back on my feet and getting back to the college was a major incentive,” she said. “It gave me something to work toward and look forward to. I really think that’s why I recovered so quickly.”
Koerdt began working in the cafeteria in 1980 after moving from Denver.
During the next 25 years she worked a variety of food service jobs, including assistant manager, evening cook, salad bar, pizza bar and cashier.
“Basically I just worked wherever they needed me,” she said.
Koerdt has strong ties to the college that go beyond just being a former employee. One of Koerdt’s two sons, Sam Gould, is an Ozarks graduate. Her daughter-in-law is also an Ozarks alumnae, and she has six grandchildren whom she
hopes will someday go to college there.
“Ozarks has been a big part of my life, and it will be in the future,” she said.
“That’s why I felt it was important to support the college. I’ve seen how it helps
young people.”
Giving to Ozarks in Tough Times Can Pay Off
Americans today are anxious about
their money. Stock values have fallen
and 401(k) plans are so low that it’s hard
to open the quarterly statements. The
wrong time to think about charitable
giving—or is it?
Would you be interested if there were
a strategy to combine your depressed assets with a charitable gift that 1) provides
money to Ozarks for a certain number of
years; 2) gives what’s left to your family;
and 3) shelters any growth in the assets
from additional taxes?
This technique, called a charitable
lead trust, helps families remove wealth
from their estates and give it to heirs in
future years. Although what’s left in the
trust is a taxable gift, this strategy allows
you to pass assets to your heirs with noto-low gift taxes.
The lead trust is ideal if you’re charitably inclined and can forgo access to
part of your wealth now, but you don’t
want to deprive your heirs of that wealth
later on. With this strategy, you give assets to a trust, and the trust makes payments to Ozarks for a number of years,
which you choose. The longer the length
of time, the better the gift tax savings.
After the period of years, the assets
inside the trust generally pass to your
family. If you place depressed assets inside the trust at the beginning, they can
grow in value over time and avoid gift
tax on their appreciation. In other words,
you pay gift tax on the lower value today, and, ideally, the kids get the assets
at a much higher value years later without incurring additional gift taxes.
During this economic recession, the
current low rates mean a higher tax savings for funding a charitable lead trust.
The best gift tax breaks combined with
assets that may be depressed in value
temporarily create the perfect opportunity to consider a lead trust.
For example, Jerry has $500,000
in securities that created dividends he
doesn’t need, and his total estate is worth
Support Ozarks Without
Affecting Your Budget
$5 million. His goal is to have his kids
and grandkids inherit his wealth, but he
also enjoys supporting Ozarks.
In fact, Jerry would like to make a
$500,000 pledge to Ozarks over the next
15 years. Jerry established a charitable
lead trust naming Ozarks as the charity,
funding it with $500,000 in securities
and choosing an annual payout of 7.5%
for the next 15 years. If Jerry had instead
left his children $500,000 of securities
outright, all $500,000 would have been
subject to estate taxes, and the children
would have inherited only $275,000.
By implementing a charitable lead
trust:
* The children receive what’s left in
the trust (The value at the end of the 15
years).
* All the growth the securities earn over
the next 15 years escapes gift tax, too.
Therefore, if the assets grow to $2.5
million in 15 years, the children would
receive the full $2.5 million without paying a penny in additional taxes.
* When Jerry dies, the value of the trust
is not subject to estate taxes.
* Jerry is able to control when his children receive the assets—in this case 15
years.
* Ozarks will receive income for 15
years to help support her mission.
Please contact us at 479-979-1230
for more information on charitable lead
trusts or other economically sensible
ways to incorporate philanthropy into
your estate plans. As always, contact
your estate planning attorney and tax
professionals for legal and tax advice
before employing a charitable strategy.
Given the uncertain economic
conditions, you may be hesitant to
part with cash or assets. Here are
three simple options for making
charitable contributions that will
have zero current impact on your
cash reserves.
1. Name Ozarks as the beneficiary
of your retirement plan assets.
You don’t part with a single penny
today, and you protect your estate
from taxes later. If you were to instead leave these assets to your family, up to 65 percent of their value
could be eroded by taxes.
2. You have two worry-free options
to leverage life insurance policies. First, you can name Ozarks as
the recipient of the policy’s death
benefit. Or you could sign over
ownership of the policy to us right
now. This latter option allows you
to receive an income tax deduction
equal to the policy’s fair market
value or the total premium paid,
whichever is lower.
3. Include a gift to Ozarks in your
will or living trust. This allows you
to feel good about your contribution
now and transfer money later, after
your lifetime. Contact us at 479979-1230 for our official bequest
language. It’s not necessary to let us
know about your gift, but we would
love the opportunity to thank you.
With these three gift options,
you can experience peace of mind
about your financial stability and
charitable contributions. Now that’s
a relief!
Today, SPRING/SUMMER 2009
17
University of the Ozarks has overcome financial
hardships, fires and even wars in its long and storied history
J
osué Gutierrez grew up in relative poverty in the Central America countries of Nicaragua
and Guatemala. No one in his family of seven older sisters and his parents had earned as
much as a high school diploma. Today, Gutierrez is a recent 2009 Cum Laude graduate of
Ozarks who is preparing to begin his first semester in medical school at the University of
Arkansas for Medical Sciences in August. “The professors at Ozarks motivated me and gave me the
knowledge and skills to help make something I’ve been dreaming about since I was eight years old
come true,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to be a family physician and help my family, and thanks to
this University it’s going to happen.”
Gutierrez’s story is just one of the latest in a long line of remarkable personal success stories in
the history of University of the Ozarks, which will celebrate its 175th anniversary during the upcoming 2009-2010 academic year. It’s a long and storied history of providing a high-quality, Christianbased education, and making a positive difference in the lives of thousands of young people.
18 Today, SPRING/SUMMER 2009
University of the Ozarks
Historical Timeline
O
ne of the great leaders in the early years of the college was Fountain Richard “F.R.” Earle, who was
also a key figure in Arkansas history in the areas
of religion, military, politics and education. Raised by devout Cumberland Presbyterians in Kentucky and educated
at Cumberland University in Tennessee, Earle was appointed president
of Cane Hill College in 1859 at the
age of 28. Two years later, the Civil
War forced the suspension of classes
and President Earle, as well as most
of the teachers and students, enlisted
in the Army of the Confederate State
of America. Earle served four years
in the Confederate Army where he
would attain the rank of major and
command two regiments. He saw action in several battles,
including Oak Hill, Pea Ridge, Helena and Jenkins Ferry.
After the Civil War ended, Earle returned to Cane Hill in
1865 to rebuild the college, which had been destroyed by
Union forces during the war. Over most of the next 25
years, Earle would lead the college until it closed its doors
in Cane Hill in 1891. During those years he also remained
active in the Presbyterian Church as well as the Arkansas
State Legislature. He returned to serve as president of
Arkansas Cumberland College in Clarksville from 19001902, helping the college weather some difficult financial
hardships. He remained on the college’s Board of Trustees
until his death in 1908.
1834
Cumberland Presbyterians agree to open Cane
Hill School in the thriving
Northwest Arkansas
pioneer community of
Cane Hill.
1851
Arkansas Legislature
approves act to create
Cane Hill College.
1875
Women are admitted
to Cane Hill College for
the first time, giving the
college the distinction
of being the state’s first
coeducational institution.
1891
Cane Hill College closes
and Arkansas Cumberland College is opened in
Clarksville.
1921
Since the college was no
longer controlled by the
Cumberland Church, the
name is changed to
College of the Ozarks.
1946
The state’s first pharmacy
school opens at Ozarks.
It would graduate about
200 pharmacists before
moving to University of
Arkansas in 1951.
1957
Five African-American
students enroll at Ozarks.
Two years later, Kenneth
Webb would become the
first black to graduate from
a predominately white college in the state.
1971
The University establishes
the Ben D. Caudle Learning Center, the first of its
kind in the country.
1987
The Board of Trustees
approves a name change
from College of the
Ozarks to University of the
Ozarks. Also, the University begins the Walton
International Scholarship
Program.
The stories are indeed heart-warming and uplifting, and
are more often than not about the people who have served as
the care-takers of this institution rather than the bricks and
mortar that have made up its physical grounds.
There’s the story of Stan and Judy Whitson of Fairhope,
Ala., who enrolled at Ozarks in the late 1960s as newlyweds.
Struggling to afford tuition, they decided Judy would drop
out of college and work full-time at a local factory to put Stan
through college. When she tried to withdraw, longtime business manager of the college, J.T. Patterson, insisted that she
stay enrolled, and he helped her find work on campus and
secure student loans. They both graduated and eventually became high school principals in Missouri, working a combined
Continued on Page 18
Today, SPRING/SUMMER 2009
19
58 years in public schools before retiring. “We attribute our
successful careers and life to J.T. Patterson caring for a perfect
stranger 40 years ago,” Judy said. “We never forgot his influence in our lives and we have never forgotten our hero.”
There’s the story of Julia Davis Olsen of Los Alamos,
O
ne of the most successful, if not surprising,
athletic seasons in school history was that of
the 1983-84 men’s basketball team. Despite not
having had a winning season in 34 previous years or a
conference championship in 35 years, the Mountaineers shocked the state by posting a remarkable 27-6 record
and finishing atop the Arkansas
Intercollegiate Conference. Under
a 33-year-old, second-year coach,
Bruce Terry, Ozarks went 15-3
in the league, winning the AIC
crown by a whopping four games
over the second-place team.
Behind a stingy 1-3-1 defense and
the play of the All-AIC trio of
Tony Joyner (pictured), Fred Frye
and Terrance Rhodes, Ozarks
climbed to No. 17 in the national polls. The season ended
with a heartbreaking loss in the NAIA District 17 Tournament semifinals to Arkansas College, eliminating the
Mountaineers’ hopes of playing in the NAIA National
Tournament. The 27 victories remains a school record for
wins in a season. Interestingly, Joyner’s son, Josh, would
later star for Ozarks from 2002-2006.
N.M. Growing up in rural Pulaski County, Arkansas, Olsen
had no plans of going to college. All that changed when then
Ozarks President Dr. Wiley Lin Hurie was driving by her home
one afternoon and stopped to talk. When Hurie found out that
Olsen was not attending college and had no plans of doing
so, he made a convincing case to Olsen’s mother about why
her daughter should attend the University. Olsen was soon on
her way to becoming the first one in her family to earn a college degree. She would go on to earn two graduate degrees in
chemistry and have a long and successful career as a chemist
in the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. “Were
it not for Dr. Hurie and Ozarks, there’s no telling how my life
would have turned out,” she said. “Meeting Dr. Hurie and getting my education was a pivotal moment in my life.”
And, there’s the story of Art Ray who arrived on campus
in the mid-1920s with 15 cents in his pocket. Over the next five
years he earned money in every conceivable way, including
as janitor at the nearby Presbyterian Church, mowing yards,
picking cotton, mining coal and cutting weeds. After graduating from Ozarks, he went on to seminary school and would
become a long-time Presbyterian pastor in Missouri.
cess stories that have sprung up from the roots of what started
as a two-room, hewn-log classroom in Cane Hill, Ark.
Cane Hill School is Established
Those are just a few of the thousands of inspirational suc
It was on Tuesday, Oct. 28, 1834, that a group of Cumber-
land Presbyterians met at the Cane Hill Presbyterian meeting
house for the purpose of establishing a school. At the time,
Cane Hill was a thriving pioneer community located 20 miles
southwest of Fayetteville in Washington County. The Rev.
Samuel King was called to preside over the meeting, and a
board of trustees and officers were elected. The Rev. B.H. Pierson was selected as the school’s president. Cane Hill School
opened for classes in April of 1835.
For the next 15 years, the school met the educational
needs of the area. Then, on Dec. 26, 1850, Cane Hill School
received a charter from the state legislature granting the school
the privilege of awarding high school diplomas. The charter
also provided a new name --- Cane Hill Collegiate Institute. It
20 Today, SPRING/SUMMER 2009
kept this name for two years.
In was in the early 1850s that the school’s educational
and religious leaders began plans for a full, four-year college.
During this time there were only two colleges in the state, Arkansas College in Fayetteville, which was destroyed by fire
T
hroughout the late 1940s and 1950s one of the
most recognizable faces on campus was that of a
mixed breed Collie named Dammit who wandered
onto campus in the mid-1940s and remained for many
years as the unofficial mascot of the college. Rumor had
it that he got his name when he would chew on text books
left unattended around campus, leaving flustered students to yell, “Dammit, that dog!” Mindful of Ozarks’
Christian heritage, students would
call him Amen on Sundays. Dammit
was a fixture at many events around
campus for almost two decades and
often led the marching band onto the
field at football games.
in 1862 and never reopened, and St. John’s College at Little
Rock, which ceased operations in 1879.
The school in Cane Hill would prove much hardier than
its contemporaries. It received its charter from the Arkansas
Legislature on Dec. 15, 1852, becoming Cane Hill College.
By 1858, the college had expanded its physical plant to four
buildings, including a dormitory and a two-story, brick teaching facility. In the spring of 1859, the Rev. Fontaine Richard
“F.R.” Earle was called to the presidency and the college began to establish itself as a bastion of educational strength on
the rugged frontier.
However, the Civil War abruptly halted the progress of
the college, forcing the school to close in May of 1861. Presi-
frame building was added to the campus. The college con-
dent Earle and most of the school’s all-male student body took
tinued its progressive ways in 1871 when it began admitting
up arms and joined the Confederate Army. In 1864, virtually
women. The local female seminary was admitted as the female
all of the Cane Hill Community, including most of the college,
division of Cane Hill College. A music department was also
was burned when Union troops occupied the area. One of the
added at that time. The female division soon disappeared, and
few buildings to survive was the dormitory which was used as
the college became coeducational, the first of its kind in Ar-
a hospital for Union troops. It was the only college building to
kansas. Five women earned degrees in 1877.
survive the conflict.
Classes resumed soon after the war, and in 1868 a large
The college suffered a major setback on the night of Oct.
10, 1885, when fire destroyed most of the small campus. Although the townspeople suspected arson, no one was ever apprehended. After the fire, classes were held in the Methodist
Church facilities. By 1886, a new and final brick building was
constructed to house classrooms, but the college would not
benefit long from this construction.
Though the college continued to operate, it was begin-
ning to be overshadowed by the new state college in the larger,
nearby city of Fayetteville. Arkansas Industrial University,
now known as the University of Arkansas, had gained its charter in 1871. Fayetteville and the new university were outstripping Cane Hill as a population, commercial and educational
On Dec. 1, 1934, townspeople and the college community watched
on as fire engulfed Cumberland Hall, destroying the college’s primary academic and administrative building. Students who were
on campus during the Thanksgiving holidays helped save many of
the furnishings in the building, including a prized piano.
center. Burdened by the competitive and financial strain, Cane
Hill College closed its doors in 1891.
Continued on Page 20
Today, SPRING/SUMMER 2009
21
Although the college at Cane Hill had been fading physi-
cally in the last half of the 19th century, the spirit of the college
had caught the imagination of the Cumberland Presbyterian
Church. The Cumberland Presbyterians longed for a “state”
college reflective of their beliefs and values, and, in 1887, appointed a committee to examine a possible starting point in
their efforts.
Arkansas Cumberland College Opens
Arkansas Cumberland College was incorporated and
opened its doors in September of 1891 in Clarksville. In opening ceremonies held in Cumberland Hall on Sept. 8, the Rev.
J.H. Wofford, president of the college’s board of trustees, glowingly recounted the college’s heritage back to its establishment
in 1834 and reemphasized the institution’s educational and
spiritual purposes and aims.
In 1891, Arkansas Cumberland College consisted of one
building, stately Cumberland Hall, which had been the site for
the first school for the deaf in Arkansas. The college quickly
Science Hall was completed in 1923 at the cost of $75,000. Later
known as Hurie Hall, the facility served as the college’s flagship
facility for almost 80 years, housing everything from a gymnasium, to administrative offices, to classrooms and labs, to a library,
to the learning center.
added a library and two dormitories.
Though there were seven presidents of the college from
1902 to 1920, the college continued to thrive. By 1917 a new
girls’ dormitory, Grove Hall, had been constructed and student
organizations were flourishing on the small campus. Athletic
contests were held in baseball, football and basketball against
I
n the spring of 1891 when the Arkansas Synod of the
Cumberland Presbyterian Church was looking for a
location within the state for the college that would continue the lineage of the recently closed Cane Hill College
in Northwest Arkansas, the Synod’s Board of Trustees narrowed their choices down to Clarksville and Hope, located
in the southern part
of the state. The city
of Clarksville had
previously made
unsuccessful attempts to secure the
colleges that would
become Hendrix
in Conway and Ouachita College in Arkadelphia. The
Synod’s Board vote, held on April 17, 1891, in Little Rock,
was 19-11 in favor of Clarksville. The deciding factor was
rumored to be that Clarksville was more centrally located
within the state. When news reached Clarksville by telegraph following the vote, citizens were elated. According
to accounts in the Clarksville Herald Democrat, “booming
sounds of anvils, mingled with the voices of a large number of rejoicing people.” The formal opening ceremony of
Arkansas Cumberland College was held on Sept. 8, 1891.
22 Today, SPRING/SUMMER 2009
various colleges and high schools throughout the state.
The college changed its name to The College of the Ozarks
in 1921. The impetus for this change was the fact that a few
years earlier the majority of Cumberland Presbyterians elected to merge with the main body of the Presbyterian Church
(U.S.A.). Since the college was no longer controlled by the
Cumberland Church, college and church leaders felt a name
change was in order.
Many names were considered, including Earle College in
honor of former president F.R. Earle. The board of trustees
and the Synod decided on The College of the Ozarks, a name
suggested by Mrs. Mary C. Thaw of Pittsburgh, who promised
a substantial amount of money to the college if the name were
accepted. College leaders also felt the new name represented
well the locality of the school and that it appealed to people at
large because of the notoriety of the Ozark Mountains.
Blessed with able and committed administrative and fac-
ulty leadership, the college began to evolve into a modern in-
H
onorary Lifetime Chair of the Board of Trustees
and longtime supporter Helen R. Walton first became associated with
the University in 1956 when
she brought her son, Rob, to a
Presbyterian Church camp held
on campus. That began a longtime affiliation with the college
for Mrs. Walton and her husband, Sam, founders of WalMart. Mrs. Walton became an
enthusiastic champion for the
University for many decades
up until her death in 2007. The Walton family has blessed
the University with more than $100 million to support the
college’s Christian mission of educational service.
Two of the most prominent figures in the college’s history were
Dr. Wiley L. Hurie (left), who served as president from 1923-1949,
and Dr. T.L. “Prof” Smith, who served the college in various
areas from 1919-1973.
stitution of higher education in the 1920s and 1930s. In 192425, the college was admitted to the North Central Association
of Colleges and Secondary Schools. In 1933, enrollment had
hit the 350 mark, a significant improvement from the 56 students who were enrolled at Cane Hill immediately following
the Civil War.
Fire played a prominent role in the early history of the
college. Cumberland Hall burned to the ground on the morning of Dec. 1, 1934, leaving the college without its chapel, auditorium, music department, administrative offices and many
classrooms. A few years earlier, in 1929, the Science Hall, just
five years old at the time, was severely damaged by a fire. Both
fires put a hardship on the campus that took several years to
overcome.
One of the most significant periods in the history of the
college was the 26-year (1923-1949) tenure of President
Dr. Wiley L. Hurie. Persuaded to leave his job as pastor of
Central Presbyterian Church in Russellville, Dr. Hurie came
to the struggling, little-known college in 1923. At the time,
the school’s endowment was $25,000, the student body was
around 200, and the campus consisted mainly of two brick
buildings on a 10-acre plot.
By the time Dr. Hurie resigned in 1949, The College of the
Ozarks had an endowment of more than $500,000, its enrollment had increased to 500 students, and several new buildings
--- including the Science Hall, Raymond Munger Memorial
Chapel, and MacLean Hall --- had been added.
Dr. Hurie also guided the college through the difficult
times of The Great Depression and World War II, as well as
brought the state’s first pharmacy school to the campus in the
late 1940s. Under his tireless and energetic leadership, Ozarks
grew from a rocky hill with a scattering of trees and buildings,
to a beautifully landscaped, thriving campus.
During World War II, the college played its part in serv-
ing the country, first in training pilots under the National Civil
Aeronautics Program for the Army and Navy and later as a
School spirit was rampant in the 1950s as Ozarks’ sports teams,
including football, competed against other state schools in the
former Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference.
training school in electrical engineering and early radar train-
Continued on Page 22
Today, SPRING/SUMMER 2009
23
ing for the U.S. Navy. The college was moved to the nearby
First Presbyterian Church in Clarksville from 1944-45.
One of the college’s most influential figures in the 20th
century was Dr. Tomas Latham Smith, more affectionately
known as “Prof Smith.” For 54 years, from 1919 until his death
in 1973, Prof Smith served in various positions at the college,
including instructor, professor, dean of men, academic dean,
secret benefactor of numerous economically disadvantaged
students, and advisor to no less than nine of the college’s presidents. His love and commitment to the college were evidenced
in the many unofficial duties he performed, such as mounting
his horse and riding deep into the Ozarks to recruit students for
the college.
In the 1920s and 1930s, Dr. T.L. “Prof” Smith would often ride
deep into the Ozark Mountains to recruit students to the college.
Like it did in the area of coeducational efforts, the col-
lege continued to be a leader in higher education innovation
state.
through the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.
lege in the state to have African-Americans play intercolle-
In 1957, under the leadership of President Winslow Drum-
In 1963, Ozarks became the first predominately white col-
mond and with much of the state’s attention focused on the
giate sports.
Little Rock Central crisis, five African-Americans enrolled at
the college, becoming the first to attend a white college in the
learning center in the country for college students with learn-
And, in 1971 Ozarks established the first comprehensive
ing disabilities. Now known as the Jones Learning Center,
more than 800 students with learning disabilities have taken
advantage of the services offered by the center since its inception.
Name Changed to University of the Ozarks
he University’s official logo is the triple-arch design
that was created 40 years ago by former Ozarks art
professor Lyle Ward. The three-arch logo was inspired by the Gothic arch design of the doors and windows
of the University’s historic Raymond
Munger Memorial Chapel. Taking into
account the University’s long relationship with the Presbyterian Church, the
logo represents the Trinity: the father,
the Son and the Holy Ghost. Secondly,
according to the artist, the arches represent a chapel window, within Munger
®
Chapel, within the Ozark Mountains.
The logo was designed in the late 1960s by Ward, who
taught art at Ozarks from 1956 to 1987. The logo began
to be used by the University on a wide-spread scale in the
early 1970s and can now be found on everything from
University brochures, to letterhead, to athletic uniforms,
to campus memorabilia. The logo is trademarked by the
United States Patent and Trademark Office.
T
24 Today, SPRING/SUMMER 2009
In 1987, the college went through another name change,
Walker Hall, completed in 2002, was one of the major capital
projects that has helped transform the campus within the past 20
years. Walker Hall, built in the image of Hurie Hall, houses the
university’s teacher education and communications programs.
P
erhaps the most frightening event in the history of
the college occurred around 8:15 on the evening of
Feb. 15, 1954, when a tornado struck campus. Approximately 45 students were gathered in Eldridge Gymnasium for an intramural
basketball game when the
tornado hit, demolishing
the building. Sixteen students were injured in the
gym, three seriously, and
another student was injured when he stepped on
an electrical wire that had
blown down. Sandra Pitts
was a student in the gym and was briefly knocked unconcious. “When I woke up, everything was falling around
me, and some of it on me,” she said. “I remember thinking I was dying, and I had no hope I would ever get out
of there alive.” Then Football Coach Frank Koon, who
lived next to the gym, was quoted in the local newspaper
crediting the students for their calmness and quick-action
in helping fellow students. “We should be proud of our
young people,” he said. “They all kept a level head and
did what they should have done in such an emergency.”
Though other buildings on campus received minor damage, the gymnasium was a complete loss. A new building,
the current Mabee Gymnasium, was completed in 1957 to
replace Eldridge Gymnasium.
This past May, Gilbert Parks completed his 45th year as a professor of political science at Ozarks.
to University of the Ozarks. One reason for the change was because the college was considering adding a master’s program
in education and needed university status to make that move.
Another reason for the change was that in Latin America, “college” meant secondary school, which caused perception problems for the college’s thriving presence in Central America.
One of the most significant events of the 1980s was the
university’s procurement of the Walton International Scholarship Program, which was started in 1987 by Wal-Mart founder
Sam and Helen Walton to promote free enterprise in Central
America. More than 300 Walton scholars have graduated from
Ozarks and returned to their countries in the 22 years of the
program’s existence.
The 1990s and early 2000s proved to be a time of signifi-
cant facility and infrastructure progress on campus. In 1996,
five buildings --- including the new Boreham Business Build-
history. The Pride and Promise Campaign, along with the
ing and Robson Library --- were dedicated, and numerous
current $40 million Promise of Excellence Campaign, helped
landscaping upgrades, including a new fountain in the center
put the university on a more solid foundation by strengthening
of campus, were added. Several student housing facilities as
academic programs, student services and facilities.
well as a new state-of-the-art teacher education and communi-
cations building, Walker Hall, would soon follow.
president, enrollment has increased 20 percent, the number of
Under the leadership of President Rick Niece (1997-pres-
full-time faculty members has increased more than 50 percent,
ent), the university experienced numerous successes in enroll-
the endowment has tripled, fund-raising efforts have surpassed
ment, facility improvements, academic programs, public per-
$130 million, and the university has consistently been ranked
ception and fund-raising in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
among the region’s best by national publications.
In the 12 years since Niece became the university’s 24th
The $60 million Pride and Promise Campaign, launched
on Oct. 27, 1998 with a $39.5 million lead gift from the Walton
Family Charitable Support Foundation, is far away the most
(Editor’s Note: Editorial and research information for this
article was contributed by Dr. Robert Basham ’61, Robbie G.
Blakemore, Steve Edmisten and Lacy McColloch.
ambitious and successful fund-raising effort in the college’s
Today, SPRING/SUMMER 2009
25
26 Today, SPRING/SUMMER 2009
Today, SPRING/SUMMER 2009
27
1950s
George Loss ’54, a retired teacher
and coach in Little Rock, was recently
featured in an article in the Arkansas
Democrat-Gazette. The article chronicled Loss’ astounding 112-13-3 record
in 13 seasons in the 1950s and 1960s
as head football coach at Fort Smith
St. Anne’s Academy. Loss had numerous coaching stints throughout the state
before retiring in 1994.
1970s
Pam Cockrum ’72, a fifth-grade
teacher in the Clarksville School District, was named Clarksville-Johnson
County Chamber of Commerce Educator of the Year in May. She has been a
teacher for 37 years.
The Alumni Association handed out its
annual awards during the 2009 Alumni
Weekend Awards Banquet. Those honored
included (front row, from left) E. Kathryn
Wright ’58, Legacy Award; Joanne (Willett) Taylor ’60, Legacy Award; Freddia
Sullivent ’91, Merit Award; (back row,
from left) Dr. Jane Cater, Faculty Enrichment Award; Dr. Don Stecks, accepting
the Achievement Award for Dr. Fletcher
Lowry ’52; and David Rawhouser ’69,
Legacy Award. Not pictured is Trillian ’99
who won the Young Alumni Service Award.
28 Today, SPRING/SUMMER 2009
Ardith Morris ’74 recently was
given a “Champion of Liberty” award
by the Arkansas ACLU for her efforts in
promoting and protecting free speech.
Morris is a professor of theater at Arkansas Tech University and has taught
and directed student productions at the
university for 26 years.
1980s
Jamaluddin Shahrizan ’85 is living in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, where he
is an assistant manager for a university
library.
Dayna (Trembley) Hilton ’86, a
firefighter and fire safety educator with
the Johnson County (Ark.) Rural Fire
Department #1, was named the 2009
Fire and Life Safety Educator of the
Year by the National Fire Protection Association in Chicago in June.
Seck Kooi Lai ’88 is living in
Kulai, Malaysia with his wife, Ng Kim
Lan, and their three sons. He works as a
food division manager.
Laura Hyden ’89 was recognized
by the Clarksville School Board recently for having achieved national board
certification from the National Board
for Professional Teaching Standards.
She has worked for the district for 20
years, including the last eight as the
Clarksville Primary School counselor.
Marcella Serrano ’06 and Jason Mohr ’07
were married on July 26, 2008, in El Salvador. Several Ozarks alumni took part in
or attended the cermony, including Jorge
Dieguez ’06, Cynthia Tapia ’07, Nestor
Reynosa ’06, Miguel Vasquez ’06, Massiel
Garcia ’06, Sergio Quiroz ’06, Evelyn Hernandez ’06, and Ronaldo Amaya ’05.
1990s
featured in the Fort Smith Times-Record
in January. Jessica is the museum coordinator for the planned national U.S.
Marshal Museum in Fort Smith, Ark.
Jessica earned a master’s degree in public history with an emphasis on museum
administration from the University of
Arkansas-Little Rock after graduating
from Ozarks. She is responsible for the
museum’s educational programming,
serves as coordinator for the exhibit designer and as the project’s capital campaign coordinator. “I love it so much,”
she told the paper. “I like the stories. It
is the stories of the people involved in
those events that make history interesting and come to life.” Jessica and her
husband, Justin, have one daughter,
Julia.
Gerson Munoz ’90 recently married Seline Guidotti. The couple lives
in Glendale, Calif., where Munoz is a
senior financial analyst for the Housing
Authority of the City of Los Angeles.
Munoz, who earned his MBA from Cal.
State-Los Angeles, is responsible for
issuing more than $80 million worth of
municipal bonds for the Housing Authority. He has worked for the Housing
Authority for 18 years.
Britt Bauer ’98 recently earned a
master’s degree in educational leadership from Arkansas Tech University.
Jessica (Flusche) Hayes ’98 was
Several alumni were recognized during
Alumni Weekend 2009 for reaching graduation milestones, including (from left)
Katherine Garrett ’39, Larry Kruse ’59,
Dean Yeager ’59, Don Watson ’59, David
Hosley ’59 and Paul Tweedle ’49.
Lidia (Sierra) Baird ’99 and husband, Colin, welcomed their third child,
Isaac Owen, to the family on Sept. 5,
2008. He joins brothers Caleb and Nathan. The family lives in Clinton, Miss.
Chad Cox ’99 and Brandy (Rhodes) Cox ’99 welcomed their second
child, Nicholas Ian, to the family on
April 15, 2009, joining older brother
Zachary.
Ladonna (Jenkins) Mohler ’99
and husband Robert welcomed a son,
Robert Eugene, to the family on March
10, 2009. The family lives in Katy,
Texas.
2000s
Lee Beshoner ’00 and his wife,
Janice, welcomed their first child,
Amelia Grace, to the family on Nov. 23,
2008. Lee is a water resources engineer
for FTN Associates. He works with
hydrologic and hydraulic modeling and
flood issues as well as oversees projects
and technical staff. The Beshoners live
in Elkins, Ark.
Andi Davis ’00 is an attorney in
Hot Springs, Ark., and recently opened
the Andi Davis Law Firm. She recently
worked as lead counsel on a high-profile educational law case involving discrimination in Arkansas public schools.
Jacqueline (Janson) Presley ’00
and husband Spencer had their first
child, Katherine Marie, on May 6, 2009.
The family lives in Fayetteville, Ark.
Kris Breton ’01 and Matt David
’01 were both quoted in The New York
Times during a one-week period in mid
February, 2009. Breton, who was a
robotics teacher in East Harlem, N.Y.
made the news earlier this year when
one of his former students, Amadou Ly,
made national headlines with his struggle to fight deportation. Breton now
works for East Harlem overseeing the
city’s free after-school programs. David,
who is the communications director for
Continued on Page 28
Melton ’91 strikes gold -- TWICE
Charlie Melton accomplished something this past spring that some coaches
don’t achieve in a lifetime. And, he did it twice!
Melton, a 1991 Ozarks graduate, pulled off a rare double feat when he led
Scranton High School to Arkansas Class A state championships in both girls
basketball and girls softball. The two titles came within three months of each
other and helped put Melton
and tiny Scranton, located
across the Arkansas River
about 10 miles from Clarksville, on the state’s sports
map.
“It’s just an unbelievable feeling to win one state
championship, much less
two,” said Melton, who just
completed his second year
at Scranton. “I know how
difficult it is to have the
opportunity to win a state
championship, and a lot of
great coaches go their entire
careers without winning one.
To win two in a span of three
months is quite astounding.
I don’t think it has sunk in
yet.
Melton, a native of Fort Smith, coached at Yellville, Ark., for nine years
and at Western Grove, Ark., for seven years before moving to Scranton in 2007.
In his 17 years of coaching previously to this year, he had never had a team advance past the semifinals of the state tournament.
“It takes a combination of having a talented team and having some luck,”
he said. “I wasn’t sure if I’d ever have a chance to win a state title because everything has to fall into place.”
His 2007-2008 Scranton girls’ basketball team advanced to the regional
semifinals, and the softball team advanced to the state semifinals that year.
“I knew we had a chance to be pretty good in both sports, so we scheduled some tough competition this year to get us ready for the regional and state
tournaments,” Melton said. “We had nine girls who played both sports, so that
helped too. They are a talented group of girls, and they know how to win the big
games. They seem to play their best with the pressure of big games.”
Ironically, Scranton defeated the defending state champions in the championship game in both sports, Kingston in basketball and Nemo Vista in softball.
The victory over conference-rival Nemo Vista in the softball title game was
especially sweet since Scranton had lost to them in the season’s three previous
matchups.
“To finally beat them in the state championship game was very rewarding,”
Melton said. “The girls believed they could beat them, and they went out and
proved it.”
Today, SPRING/SUMMER 2009
29
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, was quoted in The Times talking
about California’s budget deficit.
Kendra (Akin) Jones ’01 and
husband, Ben, became parents of a new
baby girl, Lauren Akin, on April 10,
2009.
Tony Kelly ’01 and Shannon Marshall were married on May 16, 2009.
The couple lives in Chicago where Tony
works for United Airlines at Chicago’s
O’Hare International Airport.
Brian Owens ’01 is living in
Austin, Texas, with his wife, Desiree.
He is an advisor/political analyst for
Texas Gov. Rick Perry. He advises the
governor regarding state workforce and
housing issues. He has worked for Gov.
Perry since 2005.
Ryan Evans ’01 wrote in February
that he recently put to use something
he learned in Dr. Bruce Elmore’s health
class more than eight years ago. While
eating at a restaurant, Evans successfully performed the Heimlich maneuver
on a woman who was choking. He said
when he got to the woman, she was
Richard Averwater ’85 received the St.
Michael School Distinguished Graduate Award in Memphis, Tenn., recently
from high school principal Christina
Ostrowski. Averwater is an attorney with
the Tennessee Department of Human
Services in Nashville. He left the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, after 13
years in 2007.
30 Today, SPRING/SUMMER 2009
Several alumni and their spouses took
part in an alumni event in Austin, Texas,
in February. Among those at the event
were, (front row, from left) Sheree Niece,
Grainne Gilliam, Jennifer Guernica ’05,
Chrystal Gonzalez, Honey Verser ’07,
Joanna Moore ’08, (back row, from left)
President Dr. Rick Niece, Russell Davis
’08, Miles Gilliam ’85, Jason Small ’04,
Marcos Gonzalez ’02, Adam Ivy ’07, Brock
Howard ’98 and Michael Moore ’08.
already turning purple from a lack of
oxygen. “The first thing that popped
into my head was your class,” Evans
wrote to Dr. Elmore. “Together we
saved a woman’s life.”
Rebecca (Wheeler) Eldridge ’01
and husband, Gary, welcomed a daughter, AnnMarie Alana, to the family on
Feb. 23, 2009
Will Merriott ’01 and Jennifer
(Shaw) Merriot ’04 welcomed a new
baby boy, Liam, to the family on Oct.
3, 2008. The family lives in Sherwood,
Ark., where Jennifer is a medical tech-
Maria Auxillardora Guerrero ’05 married Roberto Valle on March 13, 2009, in
Managua, Nicaragua.
Kari Pridgin ’05 dances with her father,
David ’71, following Kari’s wedding to
Cory Tedford on April 26, 2009, on Mount
Magazine. The Tedfords live in Altus, Ark.,
and Kari teaches seventh grade math for
Ozark (Ark.) Public Schools. Kari recently
earned a master’s degree in instructional
technology from Arkansas Tech University.
nologist for the University of Arkansas
for Medical Sciences’ clinical laboratory, and Will works as a graphic artist
for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.
Dr. Shawn Adams ’02 and Jennifer (Goodwin) Adams ’03 had their
first child, Austin Kannon, on Dec. 19,
2008. The family lives in Fayetteville,
Ark., where Shawn works as a Doctor
of Physical Therapy with the Orthopedic Institute. He is working in an outpatient setting with the medical staffs of
the University of Arkansas Lady razorbacks as well as the football programs
at Bentonville and Shiloh Christian high
schools. Jennifer is working in the VA
Medical Center where she is a financial
management specialist.
Charles Hurley ’02 and Cara
(Holmes) Hurley ’02 were recently
appointed to be missionaries in northern
Argentina by the International Mission
Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. They will study Spanish for one
Continued on Page 30
Former teammates turning heads with their music
Reprint Courtesy of the Fort Worth
Star-Telegram
Don’t be too surprised if Dallas
hip-hop twosome DMG$ (shorthand
for “Damaged Goods”) ends up doing
something that American musicians such
as Jimi Hendrix and Chrissie Hynde did
before they were famous: pack its bags
and move to Europe.
Not only did rappers Chris Clark ’08
(aka Coool) and Theodore Beard ’08 (aka
Trak Bully) work with the German-born
British producer Xrabit on their cheeky,
spirited debut, Hello World, but the English — or at least the English press —
are buzzing about DMG$’s electro-retro
party sound.
The Londonist said that the Xrabit/
DMG$ pairing resulted in smashing
“Berlin electro beats with Miami bass
to make something that could only have
come out of East London.” Meanwhile,
Time Out raved, “Some exciting new hiphop voices have just entered the scene.”
Across the channel in France, security reportedly interrupted a show because the crowd was storming the stage.
It was the open-mindedness of the
Europeans that really appealed to Clark
and Beard.
“People go from 50 Cent to Beck,
and that’s not a problem,” says Clark
by phone. “Over here, if you pull up at
Williams Chicken bumping [punk-rock
band] Bad Brains, people will say, ‘Cut
that off.’ If you’re not bumping what’s
playing on the radio, people will look at
you strangely.”
Of course, it’s not like DMG$ hasn’t
found an audience in this country. Spin
recently put the twosome’s work on its
list of “Songs You Must Hear Now!,”
describing the duo’s sound as “a really
great hipster rap party.” The Dallas Observer praised DMG$’s “live-show assault,” and there have been all sorts of
comparisons — to Chicago’s critically
lauded Cool Kids, which sport a similar
style, not to mention OutKast.
But Clark, 24, and Beard, 22, might
The Dallas hip-hop twosome of Chris Clark ’08 and Theodore Beard ’08, shown
with their producer, is making a wave in the music industry.
still be toiling away in North Texas obscurity if not for Xrabit, who sent them a
message out of the blue. He found songs
they had posted on MySpace and wanted
to remix them.
“The sound quality was so bad — we
did it on $10 mics — I was surprised he
wanted to remix it,” remembers Beard.
“He sent us the remix, and we were just
blown away.”
Not only did Xrabit offer his remix services but, through his deal with
England’s Big Dada Records (which
has released a variety of avant-hip-hop/
dance acts such as Diplo, Spank Rock,
Busdriver, and Roots Manuva), he got
DMG$ signed to the label as well.
It’s a turn of events neither could
have predicted a couple of years ago
when they were students at U of O.
Beard, from Tyler, Texas, was studying
pre-med and art while Clark, who went
to W.H. Adamson High School in Oak
Cliff, had broadcasting in mind as a career. They met while playing basketball.
“We were on a basketball trip, and
I was talking about [the indie-rock/
rap band] Gym Class Heroes,” recalls
Beard, “and [Clark] was like, ‘What do
you know about Gym Class Heroes?’ So
we started talking about random music
that we like.”
The two headed to Dallas to try their
luck in music. Their alt-hip-hop stance
got them noticed, though not always in
a good way. “I remember our very first
show, this dude said, ‘That was [good],
but you should go to Denton,” recalls
Clark. “I heard people saying stuff, like
they didn’t like it. But that’s to be expected.”
With their spare, electronic beats
that summon the spirit of old-school
New York hip-hop and humorous,
tongue-in-cheek lyrics that name-check
Ferris Bueller, Thundercats and Brigitte
Nielsen, it would seem these guys have
a fascination with the ’80s even though
they were barely alive then.
Clark thinks it’s a mistake to paint
DMG$ with a broad ’80s brush but concedes that he loves “the cartoons and
stuff like that” from the era.
The next releases, a mix tape and
an official follow-up album, may upend
such descriptions. “It’s completely different,” says Beard.
It all gets back to trying to break out
of the straitjacket they feel limits the local hip-hop scene. “It’s too one-dimensional,” says Clark. “It’s OK if you play
one type of song all the time — I understand radio has to make money — but I
don’t see a lot of room out there for variety. There should be a lot more variety in
the scene.”
Today, SPRING/SUMMER 2009 31
year in Costa Rica, followed by a oneyear mentorship in Peru before arriving
in Argentina sometime 2011.
Brian Hull ’02 and Liz (Tomlinson) Hull ’03 welcomed a baby boy,
Evan Glenn, to the family on April 13,
2009. Evan and big brother, Kaden, live
in Clarksville with their parents.
Blake Kent ’02 is living in Searcy,
Ark., where he is vice president for a
small oil company.
Shaw Brewer ’02 was recently
accepted into the doctoral program in
public policy at George Mason University. Since graduating from Ozarks,
Shaw has earned master’s degrees from
Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington D.C. in theological studies, and
from George Washington University in
legislative affairs.
David Echegoyen ’03 was listed
in February in the Northwest Arkansas
Business Journal as one of their “15
young pros on the fast track.” The publication profiled 15 young professionals
who “have proven to their employers
and peers they are on the fast track
to success.” Echegoyen is an account
supervisor with the global shopping
and marketing retail leader Saatchi &
Saatchi X in Springdale, Ark. He leads
Chad Harris ’00 recently completed his
third season as head baseball coach at
Clarke College in Dubuque, Iowa. The
Crusaders, an NAIA program, went 18-30
this past season.
electronic accounts for Saatchi, dealing mainly with Sony and Samsung,
helping them connect with shoppers at
the point of sale. He previously headed
up the Wal-Mart Stores electronics
account, which led to a new look and
layout in the retailer’s electronics departments.
Briscoe ’81 receives national award
Melinda Briscoe ’81, of Muldrow,
Okla., a business education teacher
at Fort Smith (Ark.) Northside High
School, was one of 11 educators in the
country who were presented in March
with the annual Leavey Award for Excellence in Private Enterprise Education from the Freedoms Foundation in
Valley Forge, Penn. She was honored
for inspiring the next generation of
business leaders through innovative
education programs. Briscoe started a
program at Northside to help students
develop business plans for real businesses within the school and the community.
32 Today, SPRING/SUMMER 2009
Andrew Cogan ’10 and Brandy Deming ’09 were married on Dec. 13, 2008,
in Munger Chapel. The couple lives in
Clarksville.
Jeff Hill ’03 is a mathematics
teacher and football and softball coach
at Mayflower (Ark.) High School.
Ulysses Ruley ’03 and Charity
(Tyree) ’02 Ruley welcomed a new
baby girl, Emerson Lynn, to the family on March 5, 2009. The couple lives
in Prairie Grove, Ark., where she is a
teacher. Ulysses coaches in nearby Lincoln, Ark.
Rachael (Marble) Schluterman
’04 and husband, Adam, of Fort Smith,
Ark., welcomed a son, Carter Adam, to
the family on Jan. 21, 2009. Carter joins
a big sister, Katie.
Brent Johnson ’05 and wife Amber of Clarksville welcomed a daughter,
Baylee Cale, to the family on Nov. 21,
2008. Baylee has one sister, Laynee.
C. Alejandra Polanco ’05 is
living in La Ceiba, Honduras, where
she works as a human development
coordinator for Dole. She is in charge
of the training and development of all
employees in the division. She and her
husband, Miguel, have one son, Miguel
Alejandro.
Christina DuCharme ’06 married
Jonathan Metcalf on June 20, 2009, in
Waldron, Ark. Christina is a neonatal intensive care nurse at St. Edward Mercy
Medical Center in Fort Smith, Ark.
Lars Nybery ’06 was featured in
the San Angelo, Texas, newspaper in
April when he ran for mayor of the city.
Lars, who was a student-teacher for
government classes in the local high
school and working on his master’s
degree during the spring, was defeated
by the incumbent during the election.
Cayenne Carter ’07 and Sean
Gammon ’07 were married on June 6,
2009, in Harrison, Ark. Cayenne works
for Cricket Communications, and Sean
works for Wal-Mart.
Jalena Nelson ’07 married Laith
Howard on June 19, 2009, in Eureka
Springs, Ark. She works in pre-kin-
dergarten in the Rogers (Ark.) Public
Schools.
Lindsey Nietert ’07 and Jimmy
Pannell ’07 were married on March 14,
2009, in Munger Chapel. The couple
lives in Burleson, Texas, where she is a
second and third-grade teacher, and he
is an insurance agent for MODCO.
Continued on Page 32
Sports Hall adds Porchia, Gonzalez
Former basketball standout Anthony Porchia ’93 and soccer star Marcos
Gonzalez ’02 became the latest inductees into the Ozarks Sports Hall of Fame
during a ceremony in February.
Gonzalez (1998-2002) was a dominant player during his four-year run on
the soccer team. He holds nine different American Southwest Conference
records, including most career points
(149) and most career assists (45). He
owns the NCAA III record for highest
assists per game (1.18), and he is second in the NCAA III record books for
most assists in a match (8).
The Georgetown, Texas, native
led the 2001 team to an East Division
championship while earning NSCAA
All-Region First Team and ASC Player of the Year honors. A four-time allconference striker, he scored 52 career
goals, second-most in program history,
and is the career leader in points, assists
and shots (367).
“I never imagined I would hold any
records,” said Gonzalez, who was voted
the ASC Offensive Player of the Year
in 2001. “I was just happy to be able
to play soccer and go to college. Other
players were better and more talented
than me, but I just trained harder.”
His former coach, Dave De Hart,
said Gonzalez is no doubt one of the
elite players in ASC history.
“Marcos is in the conversation as
one of the best players in ASC history
without a doubt,” said De Hart. “Of all
the players I have seen in this conference
the past 10 years, he is the most individually creative. He had tremendous individual technical ability. He displayed
more imagination with the ball and could
create things that other players couldn’t.
He was a pure goal scorer and that is not
taught. That is God-given.”
Gonzalez, who works for Chase
Bank in Texas, is the first soccer player
inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame at
Ozarks. He and his wife, Chrystal, are
the parents of two sons, Marcos III and
Cavan.
A high-scoring 6-foot-5 forward,
Porchia still holds the school record for
career three-pointers (241) and is the
program’s No. 2 career scorer (1,671
points).
Porchia (1989-93) earned a spot on
the Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference
All-Freshman Team following the 198990 season. The Stephens, Ark., native
was named to the NAIA District 17 team
his senior year and was an All-AIC performer in 1991-92 and 1992-93. Porchia
led the Eagles to the District 17 Tournament championship and the NAIA National Tournament the 1992-93 season.
Former Ozarks Coach Johnny Johnson said Porchia was a “very talented
player who improved his game every
year he competed. Anthony had a passion
to win, but he was also unselfish,” Johnson said. “He could have easily averaged
over 20 points a game if he played for
any other school in the league, but An-
Marcos Gonzalez (left) and Anthony Porchia were inducted into the U of O Sports
Hall of Fame in February.
thony wanted to win a championship.”
One of the highlights of Porchia’s
career at Ozarks came in his senior
year during the 1992-93 season when
the Eagles won the District 17 Tournament by defeating arch-rival Arkansas
Tech 90-64 and advancing to the NAIA
National Tournament on their way to a
stellar 23-9 record.
After leaving Ozarks, Porchia began what is now a 17-year career as a
store manager for Wal-Mart.
He currently manages the only
Wal-Mart in downtown Dallas. Porchia
and his wife, Angela, have two sons,
Caleb and Joshua.
Today, SPRING/SUMMER 2009
33
Molly Smith ’07 married Jonathan
Querdibitty on May 30, 2009, in Little
Rock. Molly is a teacher in Little Rock.
Karen (Garcia) Broughton ’08
and Ron Broughton ’08 are living
in Wickes, Ark., where she works as
a teacher with the English as Second
Language students.
Ivanny Hernandez ’08 is living in
Punta Gorda Town, Belize, where she is
an administrative assistant for Ya’axche
Conservation Trust.
Patricia Daboub ’09 has been
hired into the management program for
Wal-Mart Stores in El Salvador.
Dustin Perry ’09 will attend the
University of Tulsa Law School beginning in the fall.
Rachelle Prince ’09 will enroll in
the University of Arkansas’ philosophy
graduate program in the fall. She will
serve as a teaching assistant in the university’s philosophy department.
Upcoming Events
For Alumni & Friends
*August 8: Central Arkansas Alumni and
Friends Night at Dickey-Stephens Ballpark
in North Little Rock.
*August 22 : Alumni Soccer Games on
campus.
* September 13: Dallas Metro Alumni
and Friends at Rangers Ballpark. Hosted by
Rebecca and David D’Aquin.
* September 24: Northwest Arkansas
Alumni and Friends Dinner.
* October 11: Alumni Baseball and Softball
Games on campus.
* October 15: Fort Smith Alumni and
Friends Dinner.
* October 17: Alumni Tennis Tournament
on campus.
* October 24: Alumni Basketball Games
on campus.
* December 3: Green Country Christmas
Party in Tulsa.
More information for these events and others is available on the university’s Website,
www.ozarks.edu. For additional information, please contact Alumni Director Brandy
Cox at 479-979-1234 or bcox@ozarks.edu.
34 Today, SPRING/SUMMER 2009
Wallace ’96 pens Esteem Makeover
By day Mishunda L. Wallace ’96
works for Penton Media as an ad traffiicer, a new media term for someone
who places ads for businesses and companies on various Web sites. But her
true love is her ministry work, which
she pursues through books, poetry,
speeches and even dance.
Wallace, who lives in Kansas City,
Mo., recently published her first book,
Esteem Makeover: God’s Edition, a devotional based on the book of Psalms.
She said she decided to write the book
after dealing with many young women
who lacked self esteem.
“I would come across young women all the time who had low self-esteem,
and I would share with them scriptures
to read that dealt with that,” Wallace
said. “It made me realize that this was
a big issue among Christian women,
including myself. That sparked me to
write a book that would help Christian
women improve their self-esteem.”
A Kansas City book reviewer
said Esteem Makeover: God’s Edition
“takes the reader on a day-by-day journey into their own negative thoughts
using skin-care as a metaphor for everything from washing away the filth of
doubt to drinking in the truth of what
the Bible says concerning each one of
us. Through personal testimony and
enlightenment from scriptures, Wallace pulls no punches in looking at the
most painful parts of her own life in her
endeavor to motivate others to do the
same. Reading Wallace’s book is like
talking to a wise girlfriend.”
Wallace said writing the book has
been a long-time dream of hers.
“Ministry and writing are my passion and to be able to fuse the two has
been my privilege, a joy I can barely
contain,” she said. “For everyone who
finds inner-healing from the burden of
abuse or low self-esteem because of the
journey this book takes them on, I am
so glad to
have played
a
part.
Women are
reading it in
local beauty
shops, passing it on to
relatives and
spreading the word. Truly, the response
has been very encouraging.”
Wallace, who has started a dance
ministry at her church, also spends a lot
of her time speaking to youth groups
and women’s groups on topics ranging
from her faith to abuse she suffered as
a child. Using the stage name Miss Mai
on the spoken word circuit, she recently
opened a show for Bill Cosby and recited one of her poems which dealt with
child abuse.
“I got a lot of positive feedback on
that poem, and Mr. Cosby was floored,”
Wallace said. “I heard from so many
people saying how that poem touched
their lives. I just think that a lot of
people can relate to my poems and my
book through their own experiences.”
Wallace said winning the Miss U
of O pageant, working as a residence
hall advisor, and attending weekly chapel services during her years at Ozarks
all helped influence her career.
“My platform for Miss U of O was
abused children and that helped shape
my message,” she said. “Working in
the residence hall really helped with my
communication skills because you deal
with so many people and issues. And, I
think the chapel services helped give me
a strong Christian foundation. My time
at Ozarks was instrumental not only in
fueling a relationship with God, but in
securing a knowledge of self. I learned
many things at U of O that helped to
shape the person I have become.”
Esteem Makeover can be purchased
at Amazon.com or Lulu.com.
Laura Ruth Garrett ’34
Laura Ruth Garrett died May 16, 2009, at the age of 96 in
Albuquerque, N.M. She previously taught in schools in
Arkansas and Oklahoma and retired in the late 1970s from
a 20-year career with the White Sands Missile Range in Las
Cruces, N.M.
Lehman Harrison Sullivan ’35
Lehman Harrison Sullivan of Oklahoma City died Nov. 4,
2008, at the age of 95. He was a veteran of World War II and
a retired chemist with Kerr-McGee.
Wendell Riddell ’36
Wendell Riddell of Clarksville died Dec. 22, 2008, at the age
of 92. He was a retired auditor for the State of Arkansas and a
lifelong member of the Clarksville Presbyterian Church.
Catherine (King) Ellis ’42
Catherine (King) Ellis of Joelton, Tenn., passed away on
Oct. 24, 2008. She was retired from the Tennessee Dept. of
Education. Her husband, Gwyne D. Ellis ’42, passed away on
Feb. 9, 2005.
Wanda B. Smith ’42
Wanda B. Smith of Lindenhurst, Ill., died Jan. 24, 2009, at
the age of 87. She was retired from NuWay Speaker Products
and Parkview Metals.
Thomas G. Park ’49
Thomas G. Park of Perryville, Ark., died May 8, 2009, at the
age of 86. He was a veteran of World War II and was retired
from the USDA Farmers Home Administration.
Dr. Robert E. Springer ’50
Dr. Robert E. Springer died May 1, 2009, in Greenbrier, Ark.
He was a retired pharmacist.
Delores “Patsy” Blackburn ’51
Delores “Patsy” Blackburn of Clarksville died on Dec. 4,
2008, at the age of 78. She was a long-time member of the
Clarksville Presbyterian Church.
Gene Phillips ’52
Gene Phillips of Springdale, Ark., died Dec. 24, 2008, at the
age of 78. He was a veteran of the Korean War and worked
for Jones Truck Lines for 29 years.
James “Buggs” Dorman ’57
James “Buggs” Dorman died Dec. 5, 2008, at the age of 73 in
Gruver, Texas. He was a retired science teacher. He and his
wife, Anna (Blackard) Dorman ’58, were married 51 years.
Bill Horne ’59
Bill Horne of Charleston, Ark., died Feb. 5, 2009, at the
age of 71. He was a retired public school administrator and
teacher of more than 40 years.
Ralph E. Downward ’45
Joe Marler ’60
Ralph E. Downward of Seattle died on Dec. 11, 2008. He was
a veteran of World War II and retired from General Electric.
Joe Marler of Simi Valley, Calif., died Feb. 1, 2009, at the age
of 75. He was retired from Rockwell International and was a
longtime member of the Simi Valley Presbyterian Church.
Hazel (Brown) Molinaro ’45
Hazel (Brown) Molinaro of Knoxville, Ark., died Feb. 5,
2009, at the age of 85. She was a lifetime member of the
Johnson Regional Medical Center Auxiliary, volunteering
more than 25,000 hours.
Dr. Clarence Russell Williams ’48
Dr. Clarence Russell Williams of Ozark, Ark., died March
17, 2009, at the age of 87. A veteran of World War II, he was
an educator, artist and musician. He was head of the music
department and the choir at U of O for many years in the
early 1960s.
Betty (LaVerne) Mooney ’48
Betty (LaVerne) Mooney died on May 17, 2009, in Fort
Smith, Ark., at the age of 82. She was a retired employee
of Wal-Mart and a member of Midland Heights United
Methodist Church in Fort Smith.
Mary Lou (Lee) Kinder ’69
Mary Lou (Lee) Kinder of Denver, Col., died Dec. 25, 2008,
at the age of 61. She taught for 32 years in Arkansas.
Kathleen “Kathy” Dougan ’76
Kathleen “Kathy” Dougan of Bella Vista, Ark., died Dec. 20,
2008, at the age of 55. She was a teacher at Ruth Hill Barker
Middle School in Bentonville, Ark., and was active in the
Bella Vista Community Church.
John William Fowler Jr. ’91
John William Fowler Jr., of Hartman, Ark., died Oct. 2, 2008,
at the age of 57.
John W. Nichols
John W. Nichols, a former trustee at the University, passed
away on Aug. 3, 2008, in Oklahoma City at the age of 93. He
was co-founder and chairman emeritus of Devon Energy.
Today, SPRING/SUMMER 2009 35
Oct. 1, 2008 through
May 15, 2009
Charles Angell
Barbara Angell
Cathy Angell and Ronna Biggs
Dorothy Angell
Cathy Blackburn’71 and
Greg Blackburn
Berte Dahl’80
Robert and Helen Dodson
Vita Dodson
Michael and Charlene Frederick
Courtney and JoAnn Furman
Margaret Hamerson
Forrest Hoeffer’65 and Helen Groskopf Hoeffer’81
Dennis and Cynthia Keeling
William and Renate Lytle
Van and Myrna McAnulty
Vernon McDaniel’55
Rick and Sherée Niece
Noel Rowbotham’61 and Charlotte Woodard Rowbotham’63
William Scarborough’39
George Sherlock’75 and Sue Smith
Jo Ward
Mary Ellen Waychoff’78
Velma Archer
Steve and Dorinda Edmisten
Rick and Sherée Niece
Karen Newton Bean’74
Don L. Bean
Harl Bean
Keith and Sara Stucky
Roderick Weaver’71 and
Judy Lawton Weaver
Levon Betnar
Joanne Willett Taylor’60
Patsy Blackburn’51
Len Bradley
Brandy Rhodes Cox’99 and
Chad Cox’98
Jim and Winnie Dickerson
Steve and Dorinda Edmisten
Doug and Lucia Freeth
Marie Baskin Lewis’41
36 Today, SPRING/SUMMER 2009
Betty R. Morris’58
Rick and Sherée Niece
Ann Patterson’75 and Max Snowden
Edna Elkins Patterson’67 and John Patterson
Tom D. Patterson’57
Harve Taylor, III and Loyce Ann Bean Taylor’72
Ron and Kerry Dillaha Taylor
John E. Bock ’49
W. C. and Barbara Jetton
Chester E. Borck
Connie and Michael Booty
Steve and Dorinda Edmisten
Rick and Sherée Niece
Gene Bradley’56
Carl Miller’64 and Madge Miller
Carroll Bumpers
Paula Glasgow
Kenneth Irvin Caery
Jane and Brent Cater
Betty Emery Carter’52
Georgia Johnston’53 and
O.G. Johnston
Elmo H. Cater
Jane and Brent Cater
Willie M. Cater
Jane and Brent Cater
Eva Davis
Sonja McCuen’88
Carolyn Dobbins’42
Wallace Dobbins’40
Helen Turner Donaldson
Claude Donaldson’60
Jesse Donaldson
Len Bradley
Rick and Sherée Niece
Joanne Willett Taylor’60
James Dorman’57
Martha Holden Bagley’57
Jo Dunn Choate’57 and Thomas Choate
Liz Baskin Sheffer’58 and Eric Sheffer
Kathleen Dougan ’76
Michael Zoller’77 and Janice Forkner Zoller’78
Ralph Eddins’47
Ruth Eddins McNeilly’42
Elizabeth Eisenmayer’00
John Frost’89 and Julia Frost
Forrest Hoeffer’65 and Helen Groskopf Hoeffer’81
Tom W. Garrett, Jr.
Roger and Kathy Willard
Sarah Carlin Graves’85
James T., Karen, Leslie, and Amy Graves
Mary and Stanley Henson
Forrest Hoeffer’65 and Helen Groskopf Hoeffer’81
Weston Luke Guiltner, son of Clayton
Guiltner’95
Trillian’99
Hazel Hatchett
Jane and Brent Cater
Steve and Dorinda Edmisten
Rick and Sherée Niece
Darrell Williams’76 and Debbie Tipton Williams’81
Lt. Cdr. Peter Davidson Herlin
Charles and Elizabeth Herlin
O. D. Hightower’49
W. C. and Barbara Jetton
John Hilton
Arvid Bean’78 and Sharon Jones Bean’78
Connie and Michael Booty
Len Bradley
Clarksville Rotary Club
Steve and Dorinda Edmisten
Pat Farmer
Bill Holder’52 and Jane Wilson
Holder’55
Rick and Sherée Niece
Jack T. Patterson’65 and Lisa Carlton
Reba Pridgin’81 and David Pridgin’71
Dawn J.M. and Gary Scarborough’82
Steven and Amy Oatis
Kimberly Spicer’98
Harve Taylor, III and Loyce Ann Bean Taylor’72
Joanne Willett Taylor’60
Ron and Kerry Dillaha Taylor
Darrell Williams’76 and Debbie Tipton Williams’81
Robert Wofford’79 and Debra
Bartlett Wofford’77
Bill Horne’59
Reba Pridgin’81 and David Pridgin’71
Francis C. and Bessie Simmons
Ingram
Mira Ann Ingram Leister’63 and Marvin C. Leister, Jr.
Frank Ingram’48 and Marie
Ingram’33
Hoyt Kerr
Beatrice Hickey Johnson
Estate of John Johnson
Nancy Johnson
Roy Johnson and Peggy Terrill
Johnson’59
Dickie Jones’72
Pamela Shrigley Jones’71
William Shrigley, Jr.’69
Frank H. Jones
Jack Jones’79 and Karen Haskell Jones
Fred A. and Ophelia Jacobs Kauffeld
Sylvia Kauffeld Kinnear’66
Wanda Kauffeld Shively’54
Freda Kauffeld Willett’52 and Guy Willett
Jennie Lucinda Kennedy
Keith Kennedy Trust
Blackie Key
Rick and Sherée Niece
Mary Lou Kinder ’69
Edna Elkins Patterson’67 and John Patterson
Reba Pridgin’81 and David Pridgin’71
W. E. King
Roger Bost’43 and Kathryn King Bost’43
W. Ernest King, Jr.’41
Janet and Frederick Drummond
James Kolb’25
Jane Kolb Callaway
Shelli Stewart Lamberson
John Frost’89 and Julia Frost
Forrest Hoeffer’65 and Helen Groskopf Hoeffer’81
Tina and Bryan McCain
Debbie Stallings Mooney’82 and Charles Mooney
Dody and Jeremy Pelts
Jeff Levin
Steve and Dorinda Edmisten
Rick and Sherée Niece
Jack T. Patterson’65 and Lisa Carlton
Don Pennington’68
Reba Pridgin’81 and David Pridgin’71
Steven and Amy Oatis
Ron and Kerry Dillaha Taylor
Karla, R.J., and Clint Wood
Joe Marler’60
James M. Kolb, Jr.
Ron and Kerry Dillaha Taylor
Ruth Bost May’51
Roger Bost’43 and Kathryn King Bost’43
Rebecca L. McCollum’98
Sally Wood
Mackie McElree
Charlene McMillan Watson’44 and William Watson
Mary Virginia McInnis
Steve and Dorinda Edmisten
Rick and Sherée Niece
James “Jim” Chloe Mitchell
Connie and Michael Booty
Rick and Sherée Niece
Helen Marie Smith Moncrief’35
Linda Moncrief
Dortha Niece
Rick and Sherée Niece
Melvin Niece
Susie Niece
Fern Oestereich
Dorothy Angell
Myra Osborne
Michael Shannon McBee’89 and Lori McBee
Rick and Sherée Niece
Reba Pridgin’81 and David
Pridgin’71
Dawn J.M. and Gary
Scarborough’82
Lee and Mary Margaret White
Tommy E. Owens’70
Robert Gibson’76 and Glenda Gibson
William Park’50
Ann Park’49
Edward Myron Parker
Tommy and Judy Parker
Carol Patterson
Trillian’99
J. T. Patterson’38 and Lucile
Sanders Patterson
Ann Patterson’75 and Max Snowden
Susie Maude Pittman’39
Mary Ragon Johnson’37
Michael A. Rail’80
Georgia Johnston’53 and O.G. Johnston
John Edwards Reed
Jane and Brent Cater
Steve and Dorinda Edmisten
Rick and Sherée Niece
Harvie Baker Rexroat
Reba Pridgin’81 and David Pridgin’71
Katherine McNabb Riddell’40
John W. Cargile’61
Edna Elkins Patterson’67 and John Patterson
Wendell Riddell’36
Len Bradley
Edna Elkins Patterson’67 and John Patterson
Dawn J.M. and Gary
Scarborough’82
Bill and Ethel Rogers
Rogers Foundation, Inc.
William F. and Emily Rogers
Rogers Foundation, Inc.
Linda Rutherford
Joseph Baker’69 and Marge Baker
John R. Selby’38
Marie Jennings Selby’52
Reba Nell Shatswell
Donna Moore Copeland’89 and Jody Copeland
Reba Pridgin’81 and David Pridgin’71
William Shipman’50
Beth Shipman
Constance Smith
Frank Smith’56
Curtis Lee Spence
Dody and Jeremy Pelts
Lance Spence’91 and Virginia Spence
Luann Spence
Robert Dennis Spurlock’65
Carl Miller’64 and Madge Miller
Jo Stallings
Rick and Sherée Niece
Jerry Paul Stumbaugh’72
Don Pennington’68
Ron and Kerry Dillaha Taylor
Cecil L. Suitt
Jane and Brent Cater
Euna Lowe Suitt
Jane and Brent Cater
John Talley ’43
Sarah C. Talley
George Taylor’52
Fritz Ehren’53 and Juanita
Blackard Ehren’71
Sandra Pitts Gray’57
Rick and Sherée Niece
Ann Park’49
Sue Patterson Pine’57 and Bob Pine
Eileen Taylor Pitts’29
Dawn J.M. and Gary
Scarborough’82
Joanne Willett Taylor’60
Ron and Kerry Dillaha Taylor
Kathryn Rose Taylor
Ron and Kerry Dillaha Taylor
Carol Freeman Turner
Joyce Holland and Carolyn Walker
Mary Opal Turner
Claude Donaldson’60
Continued on Page 36
Today, SPRING/SUMMER 2009
37
Michael Walburn’66
Helen Groskopf Hoeffer’81 and Forrest Hoeffer’65
Lyle Ward
Ann Patterson’75 and Max Snowden
John Andrew Wiedekehr, II
Robert Maury Hightower’64
Ancil Williams
Ann Patterson’75 and Max Snowden
Clarence Williams’48
Fritz Ehren’53 and Juanita
Blackard Ehren’71
Diana Altes McCormick’65
Rick and Sherée Niece
Joanne Willett Taylor’60
Almeta Blackard Yerby’53
Georgia Johnston’53 and O.G. Johnston
Olivia Fisher’09
Reba Pridgin’81 and David Pridgin’71
Melanie Fitts’09
Sheila Fitts
Dana Frizzell’08
Lou and Dan Chapman
Helen Rader Fulton’40
Richard, Barbara, and Andrew Fulton
Miriam Gary’09
Mr. and Mrs. James Gary
Mrs. John Gibson
Robert K. Bennett
Marcos Gonzalez’02
Daniel Sigala’02
Jane Wilson Holder’55
Bettye LaBorn
William Lee Holder and Jane Wilson
Holder
William and Melinda Holder
Richard Johnson
Cara Rowbotham Flinn’85
Oct. 1, 2008 through
Willie and Carolyn Kimbrell
May 15, 2009
Wilma Harris’03 and Ed Harris’75
Greg Kindrick’01
Zachary Justin Almaguer’08
Joe Kindrick
Charlotte Almaguer
Fletcher Lowry’52
Sherrie Arey
Ruben Johnson, Sr.’52 and
Steve and Dorinda Edmisten
Charlotte Newsom Johnson’69
Jeff and Amy Scaccia
Mary Lucille Vardaman Martin
Daniel and Ann Taddie
Loyce Ann Taylor’72, Arvid
Darrell Williams’76 and Debbie Bean’78, and Rena Howe
Tipton Williams’81
John Paul Wells’78 and Michele Wells
John Eugene Armstrong’59
Ruth Eddins McNeilly’42
John T. Armstrong Trust
Sharon Lessenberry
Lauren Black’08
Holly Mitchell
Wendell and Linda Black
Robert K. Bennett
Connie Booty
Nadia Nur Musidin’09
Sherrie Arey
Bill and Kody Eakin
Tanya Caldwell’08
Kim Myrick
Glenda Caldwell
Sherrie Arey
Brandy Deming’10
Steve and Dorinda Edmisten
Wilma Harris’03 and Ed Harris’75
Jeff and Amy Scaccia
Peggy Cook
Daniel and Ann Taddie
Dawn J.M. and Gary Scarborough’82
Darrell Williams’76 and Debbie Raquel Daboub’09
Tipton Williams’81
Mike and Fran Smith
“The Side-Yard Superhero” by Rick Niece
Huy Nguyen Do’09
Terry and Janie Carson
Wilma Harris’03 and Edward
Rick and Sherée Niece
Harris’75
Sherrie Arey
Steve Edmisten
Daniel and Ann Taddie
Sherrie Arey
Rick Niece
Cara Rowbotham Flinn’85
Steve and Dorinda Edmisten
Jeff and Amy Scaccia
Jeff and Amy Scaccia
Daniel and Ann Taddie
Darrell Williams’76 and Debbie Darrell Williams’76 and Debbie Tipton Williams’81
Tipton Williams’81
Sherée Niece’02
Fritz Ehren’53 and Juanita Blackard
Helen Rader Fulton’40
Ehren’71
Katherine Rader Garrett’39
Edna Elkins Patterson’67 and
Jack Thomas Patterson’65
John Patterson
Jim and Winnie Dickerson
38 Today, SPRING/SUMMER 2009
Fritz Ehren’53 and Juanita
Blackard Ehren’71
Pat Farmer
Pamela Shrigley Jones’71
Mira Ann Ingram Leister’63 and Marvin C. Leister, Jr.
Dawn J.M. and Gary Scarborough’82
Ron and Kerry Dillaha Taylor
Henry and Jo Ann Walton
Verna Pennington ’31 100th Birthday
Ron and Kerry Dillaha Taylor
Eileen Taylor Pitts’29 102nd Birthday
Ron and Kerry Dillaha Taylor
Anthony Porchia’93
Johnny and Robin Johnson
Gildamaria Rangel Carrera’09
Mike and Fran Smith
Ruby Steuart Reynolds’48
Edna Elkins Patterson’67 and John Patterson
Veronica Rodriguez Flores’09
Mike and Fran Smith
James W. Russell
Joseph Baker’69 and Marge Baker
Amy Scaccia’09
Jeff Scaccia
Dallas Bean Scarborough’43
Dawn J.M. and Gary Scarborough’82
Student Life
Deborah Sisson
Daniel Taddie
Sherrie Arey
Steve and Dorinda Edmisten
Pat Farmer
Jeff and Amy Scaccia
Darrell Williams’76 and Debbie Tipton Williams’81
Courtney Taylor’09
Edward and Kari Taylor
Robert Teeter’63 and Gretchen
Teeter’73
Rick and Sherée Niece
Darrell Williams’76
Sherrie Arey
Steve and Dorinda Edmisten
Jeff and Amy Scaccia
Daniel and Ann Taddie
If you would like to make an
Honoraria or Memorial in
recognition of a loved one to the
University of the Ozarks’
Annual Scholarship Fund,
please call the Advancement
Office at 479-979-1230.
Today, SPRING/SUMMER 2009
39
40 Today, SPRING/SUMMER 2009

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