Dr. McChesney presides at last commencement

Transcription

Contents
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8
10
Contents
Welcome Dr. Philip Williams!
The University of Montevallo began a new chapter
in its 109-year history with the selection of Philip
C. Williams as its 14th president. Dr. Williams, vice
president for academic affairs and dean of the College
at Methodist College in Fayetteville, N.C., was elected
by the Board of Trustees April 11. Williams will succeed Dr. Robert M. McChesney who will retire in
August after 14 years of service to Montevallo. Dr.
McChesney’s length of service is second only to that
of Thomas Waverly Palmer’s, who was president from
1907-1926.
5
Poole reflects about UMNAA plans
Melanie Poole ’86, who became president of the UM
National Alumni Association at Homecoming in
February, says she feels fortunate to serve as leader of the
21,000-member alumni organization as the University
celebrates the achievements of retiring president Robert
M. McChesney and prepares to welcome Philip C.
Williams, who will take office as Montevallo’s 14th
president Aug. 1. Poole says she plans to be on campus
at least every two weeks, if not each week. In May, she
inducted graduates into the UMNAA.
8
McChesney awards last diploma
At spring commencement ceremonies May 6, Dr. Robert
M. McChesney presents the last diploma he will confer
as president to Marco Marrell Wright of Lanett, who
was Student Government Association treasurer in 20042005. McChesney, who will retire in August, was speaker for the University’s spring commencement. Wright was
one of 323 students who received diplomas on the lawn
of Flowerhill, the president’s home. McChesney challenged graduates to make the most of their educational
and leadership opportunities. “Go where there is no path
and make a new trail,” he said. “Act nobly!”
10
Departments
4
10
13
14
15
2
President’s Message
On Campus
Sports
Alumni Club Notes
Class Notes
Montevallo Today ◆ Summer 2006
22
24
26
27
Foundation Catalog
Montevallo Profile
Annual Fund Update
Guest Essay
Editor
Cynthia K. Shackelford
shackelc@montevallo.edu
205-665-6230 • 205-665-6224 (FAX)
Associate Editor
On the cover: Philip C. Williams, who was named the University of Montevallo’s 14th president in
April, stands at the University’s wrought-iron gates, a welcoming symbol to legions of alumni and
friends. Dr. Williams will take office Aug. 1, succeeding Robert M. McChesney, who has carried the
Montevallo standard for nearly 14 years.
Diane Kennedy-Jackson
kennedyd@montevallo.edu
205-665-6227 • 205-665-6224 (FAX)
Class Notes Editor
Marsha Littleton
littletonm@montevallo.edu
205-665-6230 • 205-665-6224 (FAX)
Student Writer
Photo Illustration by Matt Orton
Jane Walker
Photographers
Matt Orton
Rachel Hendrix ’08
Contributing Editors
Racheal B. Banks ’99
Mary Lou Elder Williams ’69
UMNAA President
Melanie Poole ’86
President-Elect
Karen Kelly ’80
Parliamentarian
David R. Palmer ’66
Alumni Council
Representative
Paul Doran ’68
Council Of Chapter
Presidents’ Representative
Jane Gillis Segrest ’63
Admissions Representative
Lynn Gurganus ’83
Faculty Representative
Carolyn Miller Kirby
SGA President
Brandt Leonard Montgomery ’07
UMNAA Vice Presidents
René Eiland ’90
Jane Glover ’72
Barbara Sloan ’72
DeAnna Smith ’99
Kit Waters ’78
Virginia Young ’84
Members At Large
Frank C. “Butch” Ellis Jr. ’62 (left), who served as chair of the University’s Board of Trustees for 19 years, listens as UM
President Robert M. McChesney reads the wording of the doctor of laws diploma presented to Ellis at commencement May 6.
The honorary doctor of laws degree only has been awarded to two individuals in the school’s 109-year history. With them is
Anna Blair ’62, secretary of the Board of Trustees, who assisted with the presentation of the diploma and doctoral hood.
MONTEVALLO TODAY Vol. XCVI, No. 3 Summer 2006
Montevallo Today (ISSN 1052-3634) is published four times a year, in December, March, June and September, by the University
of Montevallo, Alumni Relations/Public Relations, Reynolds Hall, Highland St., Montevallo, AL 35115. Periodicals postage
paid at Montevallo, AL, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER, send address changes to Montevallo Today,
Station 6215, P.O. Box 6000, Montevallo, AL 35115. Text, photographs and graphic images included in this publication may not
be reproduced in any form for any purpose without written permission from the editor. The University of Montevallo does not
discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age or disability in employment or in the provision of services.
Barbara Bonfield ’58
Virginia Bunn ’64
Matt Fridy ’98
Betty Gottler ’72
Ann N. Griffin ’76
Bruce Higdon ’66
Bobby Joe Jackson ’89
Wadia Josof ’79
Evan Major ’66
Jeannine McElroy ’53
Mike Meadows ’79
Jim Methvin ’73
Norma Nabors ’50
Willie Phillips ’00
Margaret Utley ’52
Karen Willette ’87
Ex-Officio
Robert M. McChesney
Mary Lou Elder Williams ’69
Racheal B. Banks ’99
By Robert M. McChesney
President McChesney bids ‘Au Revoir’
O, blest retirement! Friend to life’s decline – how blest is he who
crowns, in shades like these, a youth of labor with an age of ease!
— Goldsmith
Sometimes it’s important to work for that pot of gold. But other
times it’s essential to take time off and to make sure that your most
important decision in the day simply consists of choosing which
color to slide down on the rainbow.
— Douglas Pagels
The selection of Dr. Philip C. Williams as the 14th president of
Montevallo heralds a new era. Dr. Williams brings a rich and diverse
background which will serve the University well. I urge alums to
reach out and embrace Phil and his wife, Sandra, as you did Laraine
and me some 14 years ago.
As is his custom,
President Robert
M. McChesney
stops to chat with
students having lunch
in The Caf. At left, he
gestures as he delivers
the keynote address
at commencement
May 6. Spring commencement marked Dr.
McChesney’s last as
Montevallo’s president.
He plans to retire in
August.
Montevallo’s future is in good hands. Dr. Williams joins a supportive Board of Trustees, an outstanding faculty and staff, a bright
and talented student body and thousands of dedicated alumni who
love and support their alma mater. He will enjoy an abundance of
loyal supporters as he directs the University’s development for success in the coming years.
Laraine and I leave with mixed emotions. No president and first
lady have been more blessed than the McChesneys have been at
Montevallo. From the day we drove through the wrought-iron gates
and stepped onto the brick streets and walkways, we knew we were
at a special place, replete with wonderful and supportive people, at
home at Flowerhill in a physical setting whose beauty defies description. We have received so much more than we have given!
I close my career on the same note as the theme of my inauguration in October 1992: “Pride, Thanksgiving and Hope.” I am so
very proud of the accomplishments of our faculty, staff and students
during my tenure here. I am so very thankful for the opportunity to
know them, to work with them and to share in their many achievements. Of even more importance, I am so very hopeful about the
University’s future – a future deeply rooted in our 110-year history, one directed by the excellent work of the Second Century
Commission in 1996, and one prepared to address the new and
unique challenges of the 21st Century. No college in America has a
better foundation for a hopeful future. Montevallo has it all; and it
will thrive under Dr. Williams’ leadership.
As the years advance, life’s priorities change. Eventually that
most precious of all priorities – family – migrates to the top of the
list. That is where we are! We retire from Montevallo having dedicated the best years of our lives to this place, assured that our decision is the correct one for us and for the University.
And so, after 56 “President’s Messages,” the time has come to
pass the mantle, to express our deep and abiding, heartfelt appreciation for you and for this place, and to wish Montevallo and its
people the brightest and most prosperous of futures. Laraine and I
will be watching from afar and cheering future accomplishments. We
leave, but a piece of our hearts will always be here.
Au revoir!
“I close my career on the same note as the theme of my inauguration in October 1992:
‘Pride, Thanksgiving and Hope.’ I am so very proud of the accomplishments of our faculty,
staff and students during my tenure here.”
4
Dr. Philip C. Williams
joins Montevallo family
If the walls, streets and gates in and around
Montevallo could talk, they would shout
“Welcome!”
When Philip C. Williams and his family arrive in
Montevallo this summer, the welcome mat will be out
from Main Street to the door of Flowerhill — and far
beyond.
Since Dr. Williams’ selection this spring as
the University’s 14th president, Montevallo
has been abuzz with anticipation as “town
and gown” prepare to witness the beginning
of a new chapter in the University’s 109year history.
On April 11, UM’s Board of
Trustees unanimously elected Dr.
Williams to assume the presidency of
the University upon the retirement of
Dr. Robert M. McChesney Aug. 1.
Dr. Williams is vice president for academic affairs and dean of the College
at Methodist College in Fayetteville,
N.C. He is a professor of business administration in the Reeves School of Business there.
“We have been receiving mountains of mail
from students, faculty, staff, alumni and community leaders welcoming us to Montevallo,” said
Dr. Williams. “It’s heartwarming and exciting to
say the least. We’re very much looking forward
to the move.”
George Walker, chairman of the Board of
Trustees, expressed the Board’s great satisfaction with and confidence in Dr. Williams: “The
University of Montevallo has been the fortunate beneficiary of the great leadership of my
good friend, Bob McChesney, for the past 14
years, and we believe that we have selected
the right person to carry forward and build
upon the great work that Bob has done for us since
the early 1990s,” said Walker.
“Dr. Williams received the unqualified support
and endorsement of every campus constituency, and
we are confident that he will provide strong leadership as the University continues with its mission to
provide students from throughout the state an affordable, geographically accessible, ‘small college,’ public
higher education experience of high quality, with a
strong emphasis on undergraduate liberal studies and
with professional programs supported by a broad
base of arts and sciences,” said Walker, who chaired
the presidential search advisory committee.
“I can feel the enthusiasm that people have for
this University, and it’s contagious,” said Williams at
a meeting with campus constituents in April. In a telephone interview with a writer for a local newspaper,
Dr. Williams said, “The University of Montevallo is
a very special place. It is unique in higher education,
and I am excited to be a part of the family.”
McChesney said he is confident “the University’s
future is in good hands. Dr. Williams will bring a
new vision and an abundance of personal energy and
enthusiasm as our next leader. He has my complete
support and confidence.” Dr. McChesney encouraged the Montevallo community “to embrace (Dr.
Williams) and draw him into the Montevallo family.
Teach him the culture of this special place and ensure
the success of his presidency.”
Board member Jeanetta Keller, who nominated
Williams, said she had escorted him on his campus
visit and had spent time with him on two different
occasions. “I have been very impressed by his broad
and varied background. The feedback from constituents has been very positive,” she said.
(continued on page 6)
“The University of Montevallo is a very special
place. It is unique in higher education, and I am
excited to be a part of the family.”
— Dr. Philip C. Williams
5
Dr. Williams to become Montevallo’s 14th president . . .
(continued from page 5)
Frank C. “Butch” Ellis Jr., who served as chair of the trustees for
19 years before stepping down in February, applauded the work of
the search committee. “I have been involved in two searches, and I
know what an undertaking it was,” he said. More than 125 applied
for the president’s position. “This search committee did a great job,
and I was proud to have been a part of it,” he said.
Ellis said he “was impressed with Dr. Williams as he interfaced
with several different groups.” Following Dr. Williams’ campus visit,
Ellis said “three people came up to me and said, ‘This is the strongest
person you have. This is the one who ought to be our president.’”
Ellis said Williams “will be great for us as we go into the next
decade. He loves this place and was very impressed with it.”
Sen. E. B. McClain echoed fellow trustees’ praise for Dr. Williams.
“I believe he has the ability to lead us where we need to go,” he said.
Michael E. Stephens, the Board’s vice chair, said Williams “is looking
to the future of the University. He is poised for it. He will serve as a
catalyst.”
Tina Strozier, outgoing Student Government Association president
and a member of the presidential search advisory committee, said
Dr. Williams “was captivating in his off-campus interview, exhibited
that ‘Montevallo feel’ during his on-campus visit and really seemed
to appreciate all Montevallo has to offer, with positive hopes for the
University’s future.”
Strozier said Williams “exemplified for the students what a liberal-arts education was meant to do — to make one a success, no
matter what area or field is pursued. With so many higher-education
choices out there, students really want to know what their education
can do for them and where it could take them. Dr. Williams is the
man who can show that and show it well.”
Philip C. Williams
Current position: Vice president for academic affairs and dean of
the College at Methodist College in Fayetteville, N.C., since 2003;
professor of business administration,
Reeves School of Business at Methodist
College.
Previous Academic Experience:
Assistant vice president for academic
affairs and assistant professor of business, Gardner-Webb University in Boiling
Springs, N.C., 1999-2002; Association of
Schools of Public Health Fellow, Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, Public
Health Practice Program Office, Division
of Public Health Systems, National Public Health Performance
Standards Program, 1998-1999.
6
“I enjoy interacting with students,” said Williams.
“For example, I teach a weekly LSAT-preparation class
on a volunteer basis. I do not satisfy myself with simply
pointing a student toward someone who can help. I try
to get to know each student in order to understand his
or her deeper aspirations as a human being. Nothing is
more satisfying to me than helping students realize their
dreams.”
Dr. Williams has been at Methodist College in
Fayetteville, N.C., for the past three years. He has served
as chair of the Methodist College Strategic Planning
Committee charged with developing a five-year plan
for the institution. The plan was adopted last year by
Methodist College’s Board of Trustees. Before moving
to Methodist, Dr. Williams spent three years at GardnerWebb University in Boiling Springs, N.C., where he was
assistant vice president for academic affairs and assistant
professor of business administration. Before returning
to academia in 1994, Dr. Williams was a practicing lawyer, working as a corporate attorney in New York and
California and then as a sole practitioner in the state of
Washington.
Dr. Williams earned his B.A. degree with honors in
history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill. There, he was a Morehead Scholar and a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He earned his J.D. degree at
Columbia University, and he later earned both his MPH
and Ph.D. degrees in public health at the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill. At Columbia, Williams
received the Parker Program Certificate of Achievement
with honors in foreign and international law.
Williams has had his research published in several
professional journals and has presented papers at many
Education: Doctorate, 1998, University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill, School of Public Health; master’s degree, 1995, UNC,
School of Public Health; juris doctor, Columbia University School of
Law, New York, N.Y., 1977; bachelor of arts degree (with honors) in
history, 1974, UNC.
Other Career Highlights: Sole practitioner, "Philip C. Williams,
Attorney at Law,” Ocean Shores, Wash., 1991-1994; corporate legal
counsel, Sea World Inc. and its parent, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich
Inc., 1979-1986; freelance writer of three mainstream novels, six
children’s books (with his wife, Sandra G. Garrett), a legal practice
handbook and a weekly newspaper column translating legal issues for
a nonlegal audience, 1986-1991, and continuing to present.
Family: wife, Sandra Garrett Williams, and son, Grant, 16. The
Williams have a chihuahua, Zorro.
Meet the Williams family: Philip C. Williams;
his wife, Sandra Garrett
Williams; son, Grant,
16; and Zorro, their chihuahua. They will live
in Montevallo’s historic
Flowerhill, home of the
University’s presidents
since 1927.
regional and national conferences. Most recently, his work was published in the Journal of College Teaching and Learning, winning the
Best Paper Award for his article, “The Efficacy of Business Ethics
Courses when Coupled with a Personal Belief System.”
While serving as VPAA at Methodist College, he was director of
international faculty for the Philips/Aventis Hospital/Public Health
Leadership Program in cooperation with the Chinese International
Health Exchange and Cooperation Center. Forty Chinese hospital
executives and regional public health officials learned various aspects
of strategic management and health-care finance for one week in
Beijing, China. In late spring, Dr. Williams accompanied the group of
about 35 to Boston for two weeks of study there.
From 1996-1998, Dr. Williams was one of three American
instructors who taught in the Quintiles Scholars Program in such
areas as health-services management and leadership. Sponsored by the
Quintiles Corp., the courses were taught in Chapel Hill, N.C., and
in Beijing, China. Students included physicians, hospital executives
and biomedical research supervisors from the Peking Union Medical
College and the Chinese Academy of Medical Science.
In 2004, Williams received a certificate of commendation “for
courageous and steadfast academic integrity” awarded by the North
Carolina State Conference of the American Association of University
Professors. He also received the Students with Disabilities Faculty
Appreciation Award, presented by the Noel Program for the Disabled
at Gardner-Webb University to faculty nominated by students with
disabilities.
A native of North Carolina, he is a prolific writer both in his
academic fields and as a freelance author. Dr. Williams and his wife,
Sandra, have one son, Grant, 16, and they have otherwise collaborated in writing several books.
Dr. Williams will be inaugurated at Founders’ Day Oct. 12.
7
Melanie
Poole
Q&A:
National Alumni Association president feels fo
Editor’s Note: Melanie Poole, a 1986 summa cum laude graduate who earned a bachelor of fine arts degree in communication
design, began a two-year term as president of the National Alumni
Association in February. Below, Poole “talks shop” about her leadership of the 21,000-member organization. A resident of Jasper, she is
owner of The Design Poole, a creative services company for print,
audio/video and the Internet.
Why were
you willing
to accept the
responsibility of Alumni
Association
president?
What are some of your goals as president?
Because I know
that it’s not a
responsibility
I alone carry. I
have good
mentors and
exceptional support from my
fellow members
of the Alumni
Association
board of directors, as well
as help from
the wonderful
staff in Alumni
Relations. I’ve
had the privilege
of being on the
Melanie Poole ’86, president of the National Alumni
board during
Association, and Dave Palmer ’66, past president of the
the presidencies
UMNAA, look over a memory book at an April 27 recepof several outtion in honor of retiring Montevallo President Robert M.
McChesney and his wife, Laraine.
standing alumni
leaders who have
paved the way and set a great example of how the president should
conduct himself or herself, and the business of the Association. I took
good notes! I felt that the time was right for me to step into this leadership role if the board of directors so chose.
I am fortunate to be president of the Alumni Association board of
directors at a time when we celebrate the significant achievements of
Dr. (Robert) McChesney and wish him well on
his retirement and welcome Dr. (Philip) Williams
to Montevallo as our new university president.
One of my goals is to help make Dr. Williams’
first year here so full of Montevallo lore and history that he will feel as passionately about the
University and its alumni community as if he
were a graduate himself.
I want to be a good steward of alumni contributions and let our donors see what their money is buying for the future
of the University.
I want to challenge the board of directors and the members of the
new junior board to come up with ways to “connect” more alumni to
each other and their alma mater. I want to grow as an individual and
explore ways in which I can serve Montevallo in the future.
If you had a theme for your tenure as president of
the Alumni Association, what would that be?
Follow the path of those who went before you, light the way for
those who follow, and build a bridge to those who walk along different paths.
What are your thoughts about involving younger
alumni in the work of the Association?
It is absolutely vital to involve alumni of all class years in the work of
the association. The sooner after graduation we can enlist their talents
and expertise, the longer we will benefit from their efforts. And the
longer they will have to enjoy the many pleasures of being active in
the association. We really do have a lot of fun!
How often do you plan to visit Montevallo during
your term in office?
I’m on campus at least every two weeks, if not each week. You just
can’t keep me away!
8
What do you see as the role or mission of the newly
formed Junior Board of Directors?
The stated mission of the Junior Board of Directors is to “foster
interaction between the University of Montevallo and those who have
graduated from the University in the past 15 years.” I would like
recent graduates to know that being active in the Alumni Association
is about more than making a contribution every year so that you can
get Friday or Saturday College Night tickets. I believe these young
alumni have unique abilities to offer Montevallo, and if we can tap
into their energy and ideas, this Association can reach new levels of
participation, and the University as a whole will benefit from their
involvement. The Junior Board of Directors will act as ambassadors
to and recruiters of recent graduates.
ortunate to lead during exciting times at Montevallo
What other leadership positions have you held in
the Alumni Association?
How would you describe the University to a visitor who had never seen the campus?
I joined the board of directors in about 1996 as a member at large.
I served two terms in that position and two terms as vice president
of special events. I served as president-elect immediately preceding
my election as president. I was also a member of the centennial
committee when the Alumni Association celebrated its 100th anniversary and served as a liaison to the College of Fine Arts.
Like a treasure on your doorstep. So accessible, yet undiscovered
and unknown by most. Montevallo’s campus has a wealth of natural beauty and history, and the community embraces the University
and its students like family. The faculty and staff are second to
none. And a Montevallo liberal arts education means graduates
will come away with more than just a diploma, they will learn
“life skills.”
Do you have any immediate plans for changes
within the Association?
We have recently formed a committee to review and update the
Association bylaws. One of the changes we will recommend is to
provide a seat on the board of directors for the president of the
junior board. I also want to bring back and formalize a practice
that each member of the board of directors act as a liaison to a
college or department on campus, bringing the board information
about the successes and the needs of each area, and passing along
ways in which the Alumni Association can help.
What do you see as the greatest challenge during
your time in office?
Today I think it’s keeping gas in my car for the 180-mile round trip
to Montevallo!
Do you plan to attend many alumni club meetings?
As I said at the Homecoming luncheon this year, my goal is to
try to attend everything to which I am invited. To date, I have
attended the Huntsville/Northwest Alabama retirement tea for Dr.
and Mrs. McChesney, the Shelby County Bingo Bash, and plan
to attend the Chilton County and Mobile/Baldwin County club
meetings in May, as well as Jefferson County events in August and
October.
How would you describe your connection with
Montevallo since you graduated?
I have become much more appreciative of the work that is put in
by the countless individuals who make Montevallo a place that
all alumni can be proud to call their alma mater. I have also seen
the many ways alumni support the University and its mission. As
students, we often take for granted the programs and facilities we
enjoy and are rarely aware of the fact that without the strong support of alumni, they might not be there.
What are some of your fondest memories of your
time at Montevallo?
How much space do you have? I could fill a book. Walking to
the Junior Food Mart with my roommate, Kim Lawrence, after
chapter meeting on Sunday night and buying a big bag of potato
chips and a tub of onion dip, then going back to our room and
eating it all while watching M.A.S.H.; laying out at the lake with
some of my sorority sisters and our dates before the Chi-O Spring
Formal, having a picnic and getting sunburned; eating in The Caf
— especially when we had “Something Different for Dinner” or
make-your-own-sundae night; ballroom and square dance classes
with Ms. Crew (even if the girls had to learn BOTH parts); and
almost everything about College Night... playing in the orchestra;
going to the Sawmeal restaurant in Brent after production practice
and eating breakfast at midnight — watching Mickey Ferguson
and Jerry Bullock dance on the tables and flirt with the waitresses;
and looking over SGA President Vic Pierce’s shoulder as he read
“Over and Over Again” (which was the Gold side’s secret phrase)
to announce the winners in 1985 — I was a gold leader, and it
was a GV!
Any other comments?
I guess the best gifts Montevallo gave me were self-assurance and
self-reliance. Because of its size, every student had an opportunity
to be a part of campus leadership. And also because of its size (and
the fact that in the early ’80s when I was a student you had to go
all the way to Alabaster before you even found a Wal-Mart or a
McDonald’s), you had to learn to rely on yourself and be just a
little bit independent. I will always treasure my time at Montevallo
because it prepared me for the rest of my life. That makes me want
to give back to my alma mater so that the next generation of students and the one after that are given the same opportunities that
I had and can look back with the same wonderful memories that I
now have.
9
On Campus
On Campus
Dr. McChesney presides at
last commencement; Ellis
receives honorary degree
The Honorable Frank C. “Butch” Ellis Jr. ’62 of Columbiana,
who served as chairman of the University of Montevallo Board of
Trustees for 19 years, became the University’s second recipient of the
honorary doctor of laws degree. The first was presented to former
Board of Trustees’ chairman, the late Wales W. Wallace Jr., with
whom Ellis practiced law for many years.
Ellis was presented the degree at Montevallo’s spring graduation
ceremonies May 6 on the lawn of Flowerhill, the president’s home.
President Robert M. McChesney and Anna Blair ’62, secretary of the
Board of Trustees, presented the degree to Ellis. The occasion marked
McChesney’s last commencement ceremony as president. He will
retire Aug. 1 after 14 years of service to the university. McChesney
served as commencement speaker.
McChesney commended Ellis for his “wise and skillful leadership,” as he called the former board chairman “a trusted admiral at
the University’s helm.
Dr. Robert M. McChesney (right), Montevallo’s president, presents the honorary doctor
of laws degree to Frank C. Ellis Jr. ’62 at spring commencement. Ellis served as chair
of the UM Board of Trustees for 19 years. He became the second person in the school’s
history to receive the doctor of laws degree. McChesney, who will retire Aug. 1, was the
keynote speaker at commencement, his last as Montevallo’s president.
“Excluding my wife, if I had to say who has been my most important partner, clearly it would be Butch Ellis,” McChesney said.
Committee. He was one of five Senate recipients of the meritorious public service award presented by the Montgomery Advertiser
newspaper in 1991 and 1993, and he was one of five “Outstanding
Senators” selected by the Senate membership in 1990.
Ellis stepped down as chairman of the Board in February; he continues to serve as a Montevallo trustee. His current term runs through
Jan. 19, 2008.
Ellis has served as county attorney for Shelby County for 30 years
and also serves as city attorney for the cities of Pelham, Helena,
Calera, Westover, Wilsonville and Wilton.
“I have been a member of the Board for 23 years, and I didn’t
mean to stay that long,” said Ellis. “It truly changed my life.” He said
receiving the doctor of laws degree from his alma mater “is an honor
I will cherish the rest of my life. This is a wonderful place, and I have
a deep feeling for it in my heart.”
He is past president of the Shelby County Bar Association and
is a member of the Alabama Bar Association and the American Bar
Association.
A Montevallo trustee since 1983, Ellis said he has been attending
Board meetings regularly for more than three decades, having served
as the Board’s legal counsel since the early 1970s.
The senior partner with the law firm of Wallace, Ellis, Fowler and
Head in Columbiana, Ellis received a bachelor of arts degree from
Montevallo and a juris doctorate degree summa cum laude from the
University of Alabama School of Law.
The 1994 recipient of the UM Distinguished Alumnus Award,
Ellis was a member of the Alabama Senate from 1983 until 1994. He
served as chair of the Senate Judiciary-Criminal Justice Committee
and was Senate floor leader. He also chaired the Fish and Game
Subcommittee of the Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry
10
Ellis established the Gary Aldridge Memorial Scholarship at
Montevallo in 1999. The scholarship is awarded to students recommended by the Boys’ and Girls’ Clubs of Decatur. The late Mr.
Aldridge was a former member of the Alabama Senate.
Ellis is married to the former Diane Bentley, a 1963 Montevallo
graduate. They have three children, Kelly Ellis Davis, who graduated
from UM in 1993, Christy Ellis Brasher and Corley Ellis, and five
grandchildren. Ellis’ mother, Christine Ellis, is a 1943 Montevallo
graduate.
During his commencement address, McChesney told students and
some 2,500 members of the audience that he was privileged to share
their day with them, albeit with bittersweet feelings, as his 14 years at
Montevallo draw to a close. McChesney spoke of the challenges the
graduates will face in their lifetime, but spoke of how they are well
prepared to face and conquer them. “Your life’s journey is young,”
McChesney said. “You have yet much more to learn than you presently know. Your education has only begun. Nonetheless, you graduate today well prepared to begin your life’s work.”
McChesney closed by calling on graduates to “act nobly” and
forge a new trail.
“You are limited not by your abilities, but by your vision,” he
said. “A great deal is riding on your efforts.”
He conferred degrees upon 323 students. The last diploma
McChesney presented as president was awarded to Marco Marrell
Wright of Lanett, who was Student Government Association treasurer in
2004-2005.
Montevallo President Robert M. McChesney (center) enjoys a pre-commencement gathering with (from left) Melanie Poole ’86, president of the National Alumni Association;
Frank C. Ellis Jr. ’62, who was presented the honorary doctor of laws degree; Anna
Blair ’62, secretary of the University’s Board of Trustees; and Brandt Leonard
Montgomery, incoming president of the Student Government Association.
Harley J. Knight Jr., Physical Plant; Larry A. Kurtz, Mathematics;
Robert M. McChesney, president; Michael L. Miller, Student Support
Services; Donald L. Minor, Physical Plant; Billy R. Roberts, Physical
Plant; and Phyllis Spruiell, Family and Consumer Sciences.
New thresholds set for endowments
New thresholds to endow Montevallo scholarships and programsupport funds will take effect July 1, 2006, advises the University of
Montevallo Foundation.
Recognizing the limited impact of endowment earnings at the minimum endowment level, new minimum endowment amounts will be
put in place. In the category of program support, where the previous
endowment minimum was $10,000, the new entry level is $15,000.
In the establishment of scholarships, the previous endowment minimum was $10,000; the new threshold is $25,000.
Retiring members of the Montevallo faculty and staff were recognized for their service
and contributions to the University at the annual retirees’ tea April 20. Among those
honored were from left: James E. Czeskleba, Priscilla C. Allen, Cynthia A. Gravlee,
Phyllis Spruiell, Rachel B. Fowler, Beth H. Counce and Robert M. McChesney. To mark
the occasion, retirees were presented clocks mounted on personalized engraved plaques.
Montevallo honors its own at retirees’ tea
Members of the University of Montevallo community who recently retired or will retire by summer’s end were honored at the annual
retirees’ tea April 20.
Honorees for the 2005-2006 school year included: Priscilla C.
Allen, Fine Arts; Beth H. Counce, Curriculum and Instruction;
Linda Guest, Student Health Services; James E. Czeskleba, Physical
Plant; Rachel B. Fowler, Curriculum and Instruction; Robert L. Fox,
Communication Science and Disorders; Cynthia A. Gravlee, English;
Those who have been considering endowing a scholarship or creating an endowment for program support may do so under the current endowment minimum until June 30, 2006.
Desired endowments in less than the recommended amounts
would be placed in an existing endowed general fund for a given
purpose. A fund minimum may take up to five years to become established, said David R. Aiken, vice president for university advancement. If the account falls short of the minimum, the accumulated corpus and earnings will be deposited into a previously specified endowment fund. “Earnings may accrue but may not be distributed until
the corpus reaches the minimum balance,” said Aiken. “Endowments
insure long-term supplementary funding. Their value to the University
far exceeds the dollar value invested.”
For additional information, contact the Foundation Office at
205-665-6220.
Save the Date! The inauguration of Dr. Philip C. Williams as Montevallo’s 14th president will be held at Founders’ Day Thursday, Oct. 12. A committee, made up of faculty,
staff, students and alumni, is planning an inaugural week celebration that will begin
Sunday, Oct. 8. Watch the next edition of “Montevallo Today” for more details.
11
Rite of summer enters
39th year on campus
Golf, tennis, the Hope Bryant Smith Memorial Run, an awards luncheon — and much more. That will be the order of the day when
UM hosts its 39th annual Olympics Day Saturday, Aug. 5.
The day will start early with registration
for the 5-K run and one-mile run/walk.
Olympics Day runners will sign in
from 7-7:45 a.m. at the Student
Activity Center. The race
will begin at 8 a.m.
The registration fee is
$15 per person and
includes a T-shirt.
Formerly called the
Falcon 5-K Run, the
event was named in
memory of Hope Bryant
Smith two years ago.
UM’s National Alumni
Association’s board of directors voted to name the run in
memory of the 1971 Montevallo graduate who died in 2003 after a long battle with
breast cancer. She was a long-time ambassador and spokesperson for
the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and formerly chaired
the Komen Birmingham “Race for the Cure.” She was an avid runner,
cyclist and triathlete who encouraged others to be active.
In the 5-K run, prizes will be awarded in a number of categories for
male and female runners.
12
Golfers will register from 7:30-8:30 a.m. at the Montevallo Golf
Club, the site of the event. Tee time is 9 a.m. for the tournament,
which features a two-person scramble format. A driving range and
putting area are available for those wishing work in some practice
before tee time. The fee is $60 per person, which includes a shirt and
admission to the annual awards luncheon, which will begin at about
1:30 p.m. In addition to prizes for tournament winners, the “Most in
Class” and the “Fraternity Challenge” awards will be presented at the
get-together.
Registration for the Olympics Day tennis competition will be held
from 7:30-8:30 a.m. at the University’s tennis courts near the John
W. Stewart Student Retreat Center. The fee is $15 per person and
includes a T-shirt. Competition is planned on the singles’ and doubles’
levels.
Preregistration is requested by Friday, July 21, to guarantee Olympics
Day shirt size. Alumni and friends who wish to participate in
Olympics Day 2006 may complete the registration form below and
return it with appropriate fees to the Alumni Office, University of
Montevallo, Station 6215, Montevallo, AL 35115. On-line registration forms are available on the Internet at www.montevallo.edu/alumni/specialevt.shtm.
Proceeds from Olympics Day will benefit the UM Foundation and the
Hope Bryant Smith Service Scholarship. The scholarship “will honor
students who emulate Hope’s giving spirit,” said Carolyn Miller
Kirby, professor of kinesiology and coordinator of the run. “Please
honor Hope’s memory by participating in her alma mater’s Olympics
Day 2006. You will be offered a fun time on a beautiful 5-K course,”
she said.
For additional information about Olympics Day, interested persons may contact event coordinator Racheal Banks, assistant
director of alumni relations, at 205-665-6215 or by email at
banksrb@montevallo.edu.
Sports
Sports
Falcons treat fans
to ‘magical season’
The media called it a “magical season,” and few at Montevallo
would argue with that pronouncement. Basketball was the buzz
on campus this spring as UM’s men’s team left its mark in the
University’s sports history book.
During the course of the season, the Falcons established a record
for single-season victories with 29, were champions of the NCAA
Division II South Region and competed in their first-ever Elite Eight.
The team’s “magical season” came to an end in the “Birthplace of
Basketball” in Springfield, Mass., as the No. 7 Falcons ended up on
the short end of a 79-65 decision to No. 10 Seattle Pacific University
at the Elite Eight in late March. UM concluded the 2005-06 season
with a record of 29-5 overall.
Head men’s coach, Danny Young, was named the Gulf South
Conference’s East Division Coach of the Year, and senior guard James
Hall was selected as the GSC East Division Player of the Year. Hall
and junior forward Marcus Kennedy were recognized as Division II
Bulletin All-Americans. Hall was named a Third-Team All-American,
and Kennedy was named an Honorable-Mention All-American. The
two were recognized by the publication as Super 16 Pre-Season AllAmericans earlier this season. In addition, Hall and junior guard Greg
Brown were named to the first team of the NABC All-South Region
team, and Hall was chosen for the third team of the Basketball
Times’ NCAA Division II All-America Team.
Falcon players and coaches form a semi-circle around the Elite Eight logo in the
MassMutual Center in Springfield, Mass., prior to the start of Elite Eight play.
Hall and Brown were also chosen by regional sports information directors for the Daktronics All-South Region teams. Brown
was named to the first team for the All-South Region, and Hall was
named to the second team All-South Region.
Brown led the Falcons in scoring at 18.1 points per game while
Hall was second with 16.8 points. The two were also named to the
All-GSC Tournament Team.
This summer, Hall and former Falcon Jarmaine Vanness are competing with teams in the World Basketball Association.
UM baseball team eyes
national championship
At press time, the Montevallo Falcons had just become champions
of the NCAA South Central Region and were preparing to advance to
the NCAA Division II National Championship Series, an eight-team,
double-elimination tournament to be played in Montgomery May 27June 3.
No. 22 University of Montevallo rallied from deficits of 4-0 and
7-4 and pulled out a 9-8 victory over the University of the Incarnate
Word in the championship game of the South Central Regional
Tournament played at Abilene Christian University.
UM scored a total of 55 runs and 63 base hits and hit .412 as a
team in their four games played in Abilene.
After the tournament, Daniel Furuto was named the South Central
Regional Most Outstanding Player. Daniel Tankersley, Dave Nanney,
The Falcons celebrate after winning the NCAA South Central Regional Tournament.
Travis Fultz, Brantly Clay and Rusty Mask were all named to the AllTournament Team.
En route to the regional championship, UM defeated the
University of West Alabama 6-0; Southern Arkansas University 22-2;
and SAU, in a rematch, 18-4.
Going into national competition, the Falcons had a 41-16 record.
13
Alumni Club Notes
Alumni Club Notes
Robert M. McChesney
(far right) and his wife,
Laraine, were honored
by Huntsville-Madison
County alumni at an
open house April 2. With
the McChesneys are
Davis Schmitz ’92 and
his mother, Sue Schmitz
(second from left), a
state representative from
Madison.
Atlanta Area
Alumni and friends from the Atlanta, Ga., area had an opportunity
to catch up on the literary endeavors of two alums, Loretta Cobb
and Cassandra King Conroy, at a Feb. 3 gathering at the Capital City
Club – Brookhaven. Cobb and Conroy read from their books, The
Ocean Was Salt and The Same Sweet Girls, respectively. Cobb’s book,
published in 2004, is a collection of her short stories. Conroy’s novel,
which is about college friends who continue to gather for bi-annual
reunions through the years, was published in early 2005. A book-signing session followed the readings. The meeting was coordinated by
Sandra Bond Bowers.
Sandra King Conroy
(far left) and Loretta
Cobb (far right) read
from their recently
published books
at an alumni club
meeting in Atlanta in
February. With them
are (from left) Carol
Wishum Harris,
Kerri Hancock
Payne, Becky Brown
Lester and Sandra
Bond Bowers.
Madison County
Madison County alumni hosted a reception honoring Dr. and Mrs.
Robert M. McChesney April 2 at Quietdale, the historic home of
alumna Billie Lutrell Jones and her husband, Ira. Sabine Wlordarski,
club president, and officers Virginia Cook, Kristy Dunn, Jeannette
Brewster and Scottie Breen made a gift to the Martha Byrd Gates
Norton Scholarship in honor of Dr. McChesney. More than 50 alumni
and friends were there to wish the McChesneys well. They included
Marty Norton; Mary Yerby; Davis and Shawna Schmitz; Sara Baker;
Solveig Harren, Montevallo regional representative; Justin Finch,
current scholarship recipient; and Frank Franz, president of the
University of Alabama-Huntsville.
Chilton County
Mobile/Baldwin County
The Winery on Main Street in
Clanton was the gathering place
for Chilton County Alumni Club
members May 4. The group
toured the business and heard
lively tunes by the UM Jazz
Combo. Organizers of the event
(shown at right) were Shannon
Williams ’97 (left), Tracy Payne
’94 and Trudy DeLoach ’56.
Alumni from the Mobile-Baldwin County area had an opportunity
to socialize while enjoying a variety of hors d’oeuvres at a “Meet and
Greet” gathering May 2 at the Red Star Tavern in Spanish Fort. Mark
and René Eiland planned the event. Mary Lou Williams ’69, director
of development and alumni relations, gave an update about campus
activities.
Jefferson County
A “chalk talk” provided by UM’s men’s basketball coach, Danny
Young, brought together members of the Jefferson County Alumni
Club and others interested in learning more about
the Falcon program. At that point in the season, the
UM team was ranked No. 1 in NCAA Division II
polls. The Jan. 14 event was held in the Hall of Fame
Room in the Student Activity Center on campus.
Afterward, those attending had an opportunity to
cheer on the top-ranked Falcons as they defeated the
Braves of the University of West Georgia. The victory over UWG gave the Falcons a 15-1 worksheet.
Young went on to become the Gulf South Conference’s East Division
Coach of the Year, guiding his team to an Elite-Eight appearance in
Springfield, Mass., in March.
14
Panhandle/Panama City
Racheal Banks, assistant director
of alumni relations, was on hand
at the March 18 meeting of the
Florida Panhandle Alumni Club
to provide an update about campus happenings. The meeting was
held at Big City Fish in Panama
City. Event planners were Bill
Garrett and Jane Segrest.
Shelby County
The annual Bingo Barbecue Bash, hosted by the Shelby County Alumni Club
April 27 at the Stewart Student Retreat,
drew a large crowd of enthusiasts
including Heather Whitten Biciste ’98
and her husband, Russ, shown at left.
Class Notes
Class Notes
Compiled by Marsha Littleton
’28
Mona Estelle Whatley celebrated her 100th birthday recently at Harmony House in Dothan.
After a 46-year career with the
Auburn University Extension
Service and in public service, she
remains as independent as possible, sewing, playing bingo and
socializing.
’37
Mildred Moore McCrimmon
Crain recently enjoyed her 90th
birthday party with numerous
family members and friends
at Canaan Baptist Church in
Bessemer. She taught in the
Bessemer schools for 26 years.
Emily Vest Pendleton ’56 of Montevallo
was named Citizen of the Year at the
28th annual Citizens’ Night Banquet
held on campus in March. She taught
science at Montevallo Middle School for
many years and continues to be active
in the life of the community. Presenting
the award to Emily is David R. Aiken,
vice president for university advancement at Montevallo and chairman of
the Montevallo Chamber of Commerce’s
board of directors.
’38
Beth Wallace Yates, director of the Sylacauga Parks and
Recreation Board for some 35
years, recently received the firstever Sylacauga Beautification
Council’s Nanellen Lane Citizen
of the Year Award recognizing
her contributions to the city and
its citizens. Beth has been an
active member of her community
for more than 55 years and has
received numerous other awards
over the course of her career.
’42
Dorothy Allen Wilson of
Orinda, Calif., celebrated her
85th birthday in October.
Among the guests were sisters
Gene Allen Hall ’43 and
Corinne Averitt as well as other
family members including
Martha Ward Allen ’51.
’44
Elizabeth Norman Puchta
and her husband, Elmer, of
Pittsburgh celebrated their 60th
Annie Faircloth Hartbarger ’56 (left) of
Granby, Mass., and Mary Lou Williams
’69, director of development and alumni relations at Montevallo, are shown at
the MassMutual Center in Springfield,
Mass., where the UM Falcons were
competing in the NCAA Elite Eight
men’s basketball championship. (See
related information on page 13.)
wedding anniversary in January.
Friends and family members
from several states joined them
for this occasion.
’46
Carol Gardien Trimble of
Decatur writes that she and her
husband, Fred, still enjoy participating in community activities including helping prepare
adult learners to take the GED
test. Carol is the librarian at her
church and also serves on the
board of directors of the city
Five members of the Class of 1952 enjoyed
a few days visiting with each other on the
Alabama Gulf Coast where they spent one
morning at the bird-banding station at
Ft. Morgan. The five (from left), Bobbye
Kirkland Lightfoot, Margaret Utley, Wanda
Wolbrink Beasley, Delyn Flournoy Rouze
and Ruth Spencer, adopted three birds, a
Scarlet Tanager, an Indigo Bunting and a
Prothonotary Warbler. The adoption certificates read: “Alabama College Class of ’52.”
library, teaches Sunday school
and is in a line-dancing class.
’56
Emily Vest Pendleton
M.A. ’62 was recently named
Montevallo’s Citizen of the Year
at the city’s 28th annual Citizens’
Night Banquet held in UM’s
Anna Irvin Dining Hall. David
Aiken, vice president for university advancement at Montevallo
and chairman of the board of
the Montevallo Chamber of
Commerce, recognized Emily
for her years of teaching and
serving her community in many
ways, including spearheading the founding of the Parnell
Memorial Library Foundation
well as pursuing a career as a
journalist and public relations
executive.
’63
Anthony Bellia has written a
book titled Financial Aid for the
Utterly Confused, published by
McGraw-Hill, which deals with
the necessary procedures for
students seeking college funding.
A financial aid professional for
30 years, Tony is dean emeritus
of enrollment management at
Canisius College in Buffalo,
N.Y., after having served as
director of student financial aid.
’61
Mike Mahan M.A. was awarded a fellowship in the American
College of Dentists at that
association’s annual meeting in
Philadelphia recently. In March,
his Mahan Creek Dental Office,
housed in a 1790s log cabin, was
lost in a fire. The practice has
re-opened in temporary quarters
until a new facility can be built.
’62
Mary Lois Timbes was signing
copies of her book, Meet Me at
the Butterfly Tree, in Fairhope
recently. She grew up in Baldwin
County and returned there after
studying acting in New York as
Montevallo Civitan Club member
Freddie Ford ’72 presents Linda Cicero
’64 with the annual Civitan Club Award
at the Montevallo Citizens’ Night
Banquet in March. The award recognizes
outstanding service to and support of
the local Civitan Club.
’64
Linda Cicero M.Ed. ’72
recently received the Civitan
Club Award at the Montevallo
Citizens’ Night Banquet. Linda
15
taught physical education at
Montevallo Elementary School
for many years before she
retired.
Tracy Metclaf has retired to
Mobile after a 30-year career
with BellSouth Corp. He writes
that he is enjoying his 1964
Comet Caliente convertible and
his two Scottish terriers.
’66
Carrie Lee Kennedy Johnson
of Athens has spent the past
year traveling all across the U.S.
with her husband, Norman B.
Johnson, whom she married Jan.
21, 2005. She retired in 1994
after 30 years of service to the
Limestone County schools.
Evan Major M.Ed. ’70, who
has served Shelby County
schools for 40 years and has
been superintendent since 1998,
has announced his plans to retire
in December. He was honored
recently by having a new scholars’ award named in his honor.
Students with the highest grade
point average in each high school
in Shelby County will receive
the Evan K. Major Jr. Award
for Outstanding Academic
Achievement.
’67
Elaine Kilgore Elledge has
been named director of curriculum and assessment at Pensacola
Junior College in Pensacola, Fla.
She has been on the PJC staff
since 1990.
Ronald M. Moon M.Ed. ’78
was named interim dean of
workforce education at Wallace
State Community College in
Hanceville recently. He had
previously served as dean of
career and technical programs
at Lawson State Community
College in Birmingham. He and
his wife, Patricia Stewart
Moon ’69, have two adult sons.
’68
Dr. Connie Chandler of
Ozark recently was honored as
16
a “Health Care Hero” by the
Alabama Hospital Association.
She is a member of the staff at
Dale Medical Center and has
served as chief of the medical
staff and director of the emergency, home health and hospice
departments as well as medical
director of the local nursing
home. In the wake of Hurricane
Katrina, she led a 12-member
medical relief team to Bayou La
Batre.
ReLife, both
successful
rehabilitation centers,
Stephens
serves on
the board of
trustees at
Lakeshore, on the U.S. Olympic
Committee’s CEO Leadership
Council and is a member
of USOC Chairman Peter
Ueberroth’s Chairman’s Circle.
’69
’74
Kathryn Doster has relocated
to Southaven, Miss. She quips
that, “You know you’re getting
old when your class notes are on
the first page.”
Jane Smith Thornton of
Dothan has written a book, In
Harm’s Way, describing what
veterans and their families face
when they apply for service-connected benefits. Jane’s late husband retired from the National
Guard after 20 years of service,
and she documents her pursuit of
his death benefits.
’70
Herman T. Watts M.Ed.
’72 has been named executive
vice president of marketing for
Alfa Corporation and the Alfa
Insurance Group. He joined
the company as a district sales
manager in 1978 and has earned
Alfa’s Top District Manager honors for 15 consecutive years.
’72
Sharon Hoagland Rasco and
her husband, Glenn H. Rasco
’72, reside in Jasper, Ga., where
Sharon is a media specialist at
Pickens High School and Glenn
is vice president for economic
development at Appalachian
Technical College. The Rascos
have three grown sons.
’73
Donna D. Rollan of Hoover,
president of Hoover Glass
Service, is celebrating her 15th
year in business.
Michael E. Stephens,
for whom UM’s College of
Business is named, has been
named Alabama Sports Hall of
Fame’s Distinguished Alabama
Sportsman for 2006. Stephens
is vice chair of Montevallo’s
board of trustees. The founder
of Lakeshore Foundation and
Kneeland Wright of
Birmingham recently appeared
in the musical production Sand
Mountain Saturday Night, a play
about a group of musicians, the
Dill Pickers, who gather for an
evening of music-making and
tale-telling.
’75
Eddie Barnes M.Ed. ’78, men’s
basketball coach at Tallahassee
(Fla.) Community College, was
named Junior College Coach
of the Year by the National
Association of Basketball
Coaches after
his team
completed a
31-4 season
and took the
Runners-Up
trophy in
the National
Junior College
Athletic
Association championship. Eddie
also earned honors as Panhandle
Conference Coach of the Year,
FCCAA/NJCAA Region VIII
Coach of the Year and NJCAA
District VIII Coach of the Year.
In 15 years at the junior college
level, his win/loss record is 300157.
Tom Walker, founder and executive director of the American
Village Citizenship Trust in
Montevallo, was named Person
of the Year by the Shelby County
Reporter recently. The American
Village, a 113acre laboratory of civic
education,
draws about
a quarter of a
million people,
many of whom
are school
children, to Shelby County annually. Tom said, “Today’s young
people will someday end up on
Main Street America. They will
arrive either as contributing, participating members of society, as
apathetic bystanders, or worse. It
is our job to make sure they are
prepared for their roles as good
citizens.”
’76
Sharon Anderson, mayor
of Montevallo, recently was
recognized as the Civic Leader
of the Year at the Chamber
of Commerce Citizens’ Night
Banquet. She was a City Council
member for 18 years, from 1986
until she was elected mayor in
2004. She was volunteer director of the Montevallo Methodist
Pre-School for 22 years
Montevallo Mayor Sharon Anderson
’76 accepts a plaque recognizing her as
Montevallo’s Civic Leader of the Year
at the annual Citizens’ Night Banquet.
Presenting the award is Montevallo
Chamber of Commerce President Ben W.
McCrory.
Linda Stevens Nix of Jackson,
Miss., has retired from BellSouth
and is working as a performing
arts assistant at Millsaps College.
Hubert van Tuyll of Martinez,
Ga., has been appointed chair
of the department of history,
anthropology and philosophy
at Augusta State University in
Augusta, Ga.
’79
Ruth Sarro is a regional 4-H
agent serving five counties in
east Alabama with an office in
Anniston. She has worked with
4-H since graduating from UM
and encourages young people to
become involved in 4-H.
’80
Joseph O. Dean Jr. M.Ed.
has retired as dean of Samford
University’s McWhorter School
of Pharmacy. During his tenure,
he implemented the doctor of
pharmacy degree for all pharmacy students and started international pharmacy programs
in Japan, Korea and China. An
endowed scholarship has been
established in
his honor by
the advisory
board of the
McWhorter
School of
Pharmacy.
He plans
to consult
with other universities interested
in starting pharmacy schools
and work for the Accreditation
Council for Pharmacy Education.
Gail Waters Wilcox and
her husband, Jack, relocated
to Norman, Okla., when Jack
became rector at St. Michael’s
Episcopal Church. Gail is a drug
court counselor for the NAIC
Center for Oklahoma Alcohol
and Drug Services Inc. The
Wilcoxes welcomed their first
grandchild, Jonas Alexander
Wilcox, in August.
’81
After 17 years of marketing
industrial construction and
engineering in Birmingham,
Judy Butler Allen opened a
small interiors and gift store,
PerryAllen’s, in Alabaster. She
and husband Bill have two sons,
Jay and John.
Melody Acker Kortbein
M.A. ’87 was recently named
Niceville, Florida’s High School
Teacher of the Year for 2006.
She has taught mathematics in
Niceville for 20 years and is also
involved in the music program at
her church.
Charles Mitchell is coordinator of program certification
for the Alabama Department
of Mental Health and Mental
Retardation. He and his wife,
Melanie, live in Sylacauga with
their daughter, Nicole, 17.
’83
Sherri Watson Stroud and
daughter Hillary have returned
to Huntsville after a one-year
rotation to NASA headquarters
in Washington, D.C.
Karen Lockhart Watkins
M.Ed. ’87, a kindergarten teacher in Leroy, recently was named
Washington County Elementary
Teacher of the Year for 200506. A teacher for 20 years, she
is married to James Watkins
’83, pastor of Leroy First Baptist
Church. The Watkins have two
sons, Matthew and John, who
share their dad’s love of baseball.
’86
Roslyn Hardy Holcomb of
Huntsville will have her first
novel, Rock Star, published in
September. She and husband
Whitney have one son, Luke,
who was born in 2004.
’87
Danny Gamble has been
named managing editor of
First Draft, the journal of the
Alabama Writer’s Forum.
Glenda Cantrell Williams
M.A. ’91 of Vestavia Hills,
an associate professor at the
University of Alabama, recently
was elected to the national board
of the Broadcast Education
Association, the academic affiliate of the National Association
of Broadcasters. Glenda and
her husband, State Rep. Jack
Williams, have two sons, Regan,
14, and Jordan, 11.
Rodney Whatley was recently
promoted to director of theatre
at Pensacola Junior College
where he
directs three
Mainstage
shows each
year as well
as a summer
musical for
PJC’s Summer
High School
Onstage Workshop (SHOW).
He is also active on a number of
committees and community theatre projects.
’84
’88
Margaret Purcell has accepted
the position of senior proposal
development associate in the college of arts and sciences at the
University of Alabama.
Stephen Dean, his wife, Karen,
and daughter Lauren planted
the Community Life Church
in Roanoke where Stephen
serves as pastor. He also has
taken an adjunct faculty position with Southern Union State
Community College in Opelika
in the social science department.
Ralph Stevens, vice president of sales and marketing for
Excelliant Services Inc., will lead
a mission team to the city of
Donetsk, Ukraine, in September.
The team will be involved with
mobile medical clinics and evangelism in the Donbass Oblast
region. Ralph and his wife,
Susan, have two sons, Joshua, 7,
and Jonathan, soon to be 2.
Patrick Evans ’88, an associate professor at Yale University, and Mary Lou
Williams ’69, Montevallo’s director
of development and alumni relations,
are shown at the Yale Divinity School.
Williams visited Evans during her stay
in Springfield, Mass., where the Falcons
were competing in the NCAA men’s basketball Elite Eight competition.
Cathy Graham and her husband, Greg Graham ’86,
reside in Pelham with their two
children, Shelby and Joshua.
Greg is an attorney practicing in
Childersburg.
Raynette Ellison ’89 M.A. ’90 is congratulated after receiving Montevallo Middle
School’s Teacher of the Year award at the
annual Citizens’ Night Banquet in March.
Russann Toole Wood, who
teaches students who are learning the English language at
Simmons Middle School in
Hoover, was in the running for
the 2006 Alabama Teacher of the
Year award. She was the finalist
in the secondary school division
for District 4. Russann’s daughter, Elizabeth Wood, graduated
from Montevallo in 2005.
’89
Stoney Beavers M.Ed. ’90, an
English and Spanish teacher at
Cleveland High School in Blount
County, was selected as alternate
2006 Alabama Teacher of the
Year and was named the state’s
top secondary teacher.
Raynette Ellison M.A. ’90
was recognized as Teacher of
the Year at Montevallo Middle
School during the Chamber of
Commerce/Montevallo Rotary
17
Club’s Citizens’ Night Banquet
recently.
Cynthia Slaughter of
Arlington, Va., is a computer
security analyst with the U.S.
Department of State. In her free
time, she plays guitar and sings
in a band that released a CD last
year.
Laurie Soileau has joined the
refugee and immigration services
department at Catholic Charities
of Tennessee Inc.
as a resource
specialist. She will
focus primarily
on the development of resources
through building
partnerships with area social service agencies, businesses, churches and other organizations.
David White is an attorney in
Scottdale, Ga.
’90
Doug Butler, president of
Usonia Media Group in Santa
Monica, Calif., has completely
recovered from an injury he
received in an auto accident three
years ago and is doing well. He
writes that Sony records has
offered to take his music for distribution.
Madison, 8, and Morgan Gabriela, 18
months, are the daughters of Kelley
DeVane Hart ’91 and her husband, J.T.
Kelley is an adjunct instructor in the
family and consumer sciences department at Montevallo.
’91
husband, J.T., recently adopted
a daughter from Guatemala.
Morgan Gabriela, 18 months,
was welcomed home by big sister
Madison, 8.
Alison Laughlin has accepted
the position of associate recognition coordinator at Capital City
Bank in Tallahassee, Fla.
Shelley Sedlak has joined
the Decatur Charity League,
an organization that supports
Parents and Children Together
and presents the annual PACT
Ball to raise money for the child
welfare group.
Kelli G. Smith recently earned
the doctor of audiology degree
from Arizona School of Health
Sciences and has accepted a position with Nashville Ear, Nose
and Throat in Nashville, Tenn.
’92
Shell-Lee Burdett Dawkins
and her family recently relocated
to Pinson where Shell-Lee teaches math at Rudd Middle School.
The Rudds have two daughters,
Kanden, 10, and Rylee, 8, and
one son, Shay, who will attend
Montevallo in the fall semester.
Leada DeVaney Gore was
elected president of the Alabama
Press Association Journalism
Foundation recently. Leada is
the publisher and editor of the
Hartselle Enquirer.
Ted Williams and his wife,
Lisa Waddell Williams ’93,
adopted their third child from
Russia in July. Diana Marie
Williams, 11, joins Abby, 7, and
Zack, 6, who were adopted from
Russia in 2001. Ted has recently
been promoted to southeast
regional manager for SherwinWilliams Automotive Finishes.
The family will be relocating
soon to Atlanta from Knoxville,
Tenn.
’93
Kelley DeVane Hart is an
adjunct instructor in the department of family and consumer sciences at Montevallo. She and her
18
Lisa Godwin is a family nurse
practitioner at a clinic for uninsured patients in the Washington,
D.C., area. She was recently
accepted for a volunteer position
with Doctors Without Borders
and will be going overseas with
that organization in the fall. Last
year she spent three months in
Guatemala studying Spanish.
Delicia Harvey M.Ed. ’95 is
a partner in Harmony LLC, a
business offering family therapy
and psychiatric services in
Birmingham.
’94
Jim Hubbert M.Ed. was
inducted into the Alabama High
School Sports Hall of Fame
recently. A football coach for 20
years, he spent 10 of those years
at Maplesville High School in
Chilton County. His team won
the state football championship
in 1996 and was runner-up the
preceding year.
Celia Ingram M.Ed. has been
named Helena Intermediate
School Teacher of the Year for
2005-2006. She has taught in
Helena schools for 11 years and,
in 2004, established the “Hands
in Service Club,” an organization
for students who want to help
individuals or causes in the community. Celia and her husband
of 35 years, Doug, have two
children and like to ride their
Harley-Davidson motorcycle in
their spare time.
Paige Wilbanks Lay of
Tallahassee, Fla., continues
to work with her cancer wellness foundation and as a
counselor with Disc Village, a
non-profit organization helping at-risk youth. Her daughter,
Hannah, is cast in a movie titled
Switchblade, shot in Daytona
Beach. The Lays are planning to
adopt a child soon.
Tracy Payne M.Ed. ’98, director of UM’s McNair Scholars
Program, has received the doctor of education degree from
the University of Alabama.
She also was named the Most
Outstanding Graduate Student
for Academic Citizenship in the
educational leadership, policy
and technology department.
Tracy recently presented her doctoral research at a regional TRIO
conference in Washington, D.C.
’96
Christi Burt-Orr M.S. ’98 and
her husband, Allan Orr ’98,
live in Cave Spring, Ga., with
son Jackson, 3, and daughter
Carden, 18 months. Christi is a
self-employed speech-language
pathologist, and Allan is a
regional sales representative for
the Braxton Bragg Corp.
Carl Dean, an active member of
the Birmingham theatre community, is the artistic director of the
newly-formed Magic City Actors
Theatre. The not-for-profit
troupe plans a four-show season
this year and plans to grow to
five shows next year.
Billy Herron has been promoted to program director at
88.1 WAY FM in Huntsville and
will also be doing a live afternoon show. He is relocating from
Tallahassee, Fla.
Kim Jones is a broadband editor for The Weather Channel
in Atlanta. She has worked in
television for 10 years in Mobile,
Birmingham and in Washington,
D.C., where she was at C-SPAN
for more than two years.
Ashley Strickland and
her husband, David, live in
Selma with their dogs, Indy, a
Newfoundland, and Gus, a Saint
Bernard. Ashley is a teacher in
the local middle school gifted
program.
’97
Connie Morris M.A. ’99 is
the department chair for distance education at Jefferson
Birmingham. She is pursuing
a doctorate in instructional
technology at the University of
Alabama.
’98
Heather Parker McClain
has been promoted to clinical
supervisor of the Community
Psychiatric Rehabilitation
program through the Family
Counseling Center Inc. of
Kennett, Mo. She received a
master’s degree in community
counseling and a provisional
license as a professional counselor last year. She and her
husband, Jimmy, have three
children.
Katherine Turnbow B.A. ’99
recently earned an M.A. in elementary education with an ESOL
endorsement from the University
of South Florida.
Amanda Watson of Quinton, a
second-grade teacher at Hillview
Elementary School, was recently
named to Who’s Who Among
America’s Teachers. She is also
pursuing a master’s degree in
school counseling at Montevallo.
’01
Kelley Black M.Ed., a microbiology instructor at Jefferson
Birmingham, was recently
nominated Outstanding Faculty
Member of the Year by her students and colleagues.
Chiquitta Hill Williams,
a reading coach at Lipscomb
Elementary School, has
been selected to serve on
the Commission of Quality
Teaching.
Dottie Moore recently received
a master’s degree in gifted education from the University of
Alabama. She is teaching social
studies to gifted students in the
Jefferson County school system.
’99
Emily Phillips has been named
sales and marketing administrator for Force Protection Inc. in
Charleston, S.C. The company
designs and manufactures land
mine- and ballistic-protected
vehicles used to support armed
forces and security personnel in
Iraq and Afghanistan.
Natalie Wehby Easterling
and her husband, Adam
Easterling ’01, live in Moody
with their daughters, Ryleigh,
2, and Avereigh, 1. Natalie is
a clinical educator at Berkeley
HeartLab Inc. in Alabaster, and
Adam is store manager for Shoe
Dept. in Pell City.
Carla McKinney-Thompson
M.Ed. ’01, M.Ed. ’02, Ed.S.
’04 of Selma is a middle school
counselor for the Dallas County
board of education.
’00
Lisa Smith Frengel and her
husband, John, have relocated
to North Carolina where John
is attending NASCAR Technical
Institute preparing for a career
as a NASCAR mechanic. Lisa is
a tax preparer at Jackson Hewitt
in Mooresville.
Kristin Thompson Scroggin
recently received a master’s
degree in communication studies
from the University of Alabama
and is teaching communication
courses at Calhoun Community
College in Huntsville. Kristin and
her husband, George, are expecting their second child in the fall.
Sandy Fochtmann Johnson
of Montevallo completed her
juris doctorate degree at the
Birmingham School of Law
in December and sat for the
Alabama bar exam recently.
Janey Smith recently received
a second
bachelor’s
degree in mass
communication
from Middle
Tennessee State
University.
Amos Snead has accepted the
position of deputy press secretary
to U.S. House Majority Whip
Roy Blunt, R-Mo. He had previously served as communications
director to Rep. Louie Gohmert,
R-Texas.
’03
Beth Atchley has relocated to
Huntsville where she is a staff-
ing coordinator with Wachovia
Bank. She also helps lead worship at her church and plays bass
for the praise band.
Ashlie Howell is a teacher
at Maplesville High School in
Chilton County.
Stephanie Comer Newton
recently took a position as a
publicist at Thomas Nelson
Publishers in Nashville, Tenn.,
the largest publisher of Christian
material in the world.
’04
Wendy Pierce has accepted
the position of director at South
Shelby Baptist Learning Center
in Calera. The center, which
accepts children from six weeks
to five years of age and includes
an after-school program, is a
ministry of South Shelby Baptist
Church.
’05
Drew Carlisle is employed in
the operations department at
Sterne, Agee and Leach Inc., a
full investment brokerage firm in
Birmingham.
Weddings
’70
Carol Still and Jim Barineau
were married Feb. 14. The
Barineaus reside in Tallahassee,
Fla., where Carol is a principal
in the Leon County school district.
’83
Melanie Capps married Joe
Morton Dec. 17. The Mortons
reside in Huntsville where
Melanie has worked as a hearing
therapist for more than 21 years.
’96
Laura Adams and Dave
Bannister were married Dec.
10. The couple resides in
Huntsville where Laura works
with Waldrup Photography. Her
daughter, Anna, is five.
Karen Patrick ’00, M.Ed. ’04 and John
Pomeroy ’00 were married Sept. 17
in Daphne. A large contingency of
Montevallo graduates participated in the
Patrick-Pomeroy ceremony. The couple
resides in Alabaster.
’00
Karen Patrick M.Ed. ’04
and John Pomeroy ’00 were
married in Daphne Sept. 17.
Those with Montevallo connections participating in the
ceremony were: Rebecca
Crowley DeVaney ’00;
Katherine Grant ’01; April
Douglas Miller ’99; Anne
Nonnenmann Penhale ’99,
M.S. ’00; Jennifer Jones ’00,
M.Ed. ’04; Emily Gilbert ’00,
M.S. ’02; Mary McGittigan
Soetes ’03; Kelli Cork
Roberson ’01; Evan Myrick
’01; Brad Boden ’01; Jason
Cremer ’00; Kyle LoPorto ’01;
Tim Pemberton ’02; Chris
Dean ’02, M.Ed. ’04; Wade
Dockery ’01; Titia Carter
’02; Andy Roberson ’01;
Fannie Quesada; and Jason
Leggo. After a honeymoon trip
to Jamaica, the Pomeroys reside
in Alabaster. John is a golf professional at Riverchase Country
Club, and Karen is a therapist at
Chilton Shelby Mental Health in
Pelham.
’02
Blake Hudson and Eliza Page
Rhoads were married March
12 in Venice, Fla. The Hudsons
reside in Durham, N.C., where
Blake is pursuing a dual degree
19
in law and environmental studies at Duke University. Eliza is
employed with the American
Red Cross.
Blake Hudson ’02 and Eliza Page
Rhoads were Married March 12. The
ceremony took place in Venice, Fla. The
couple lives in Durham, N.C.
Leah Shae King M.S. ’04 and
Joshua Clint Ganus were married July 16, 2005, at Hunter
Street Baptist Church in Hoover.
Montevallo alumnae attending
the bride were Brandy Howard
’02 of Pelham and Holly
O’Connell ’03, M.S. ’05 of
Helena. After a honeymoon trip
to Nassau, Bahamas, the couple
resides in Muscle Shoals.
’03
Susan Harris and Benjamin
Jones were married Dec.17 at
Forrest Hill United Methodist
Church in Mobile. After a honeymoon trip to Disney World,
the couple resides in Mobile
where both Susan and Ben are
employed with the county school
system.
Dora Elizabeth Thompson
and Jason Michael Newell were
married Dec. 10 in the chapel
at The American Village in
Montevallo. After a honeymoon
trip to New York City, the
couple resides in Montevallo.
The bride is a special education
teacher in Shelby County and is
pursuing a master’s degree in special ed. The groom is employed
as a clinical research coordinator
with the Tuscaloosa Research
and Education Advancement
Corp.
20
’04
Leslie Hensel and Wes Mayes
were married March 18 at the
Hilton Garden Inn in Pensacola
Beach, Fla. The wedding party
included Montevallo alumnae Mandy Borden ’04 and
Joanna Blackwell Pyron
’04. After a honeymoon trip to
St. Lucia, the couple resides in
Hoover. Leslie teaches at Valley
Elementary School in Pelham,
and Wes is an optometry student
at UAB.
Tracy Lauren Mitchell and
William Henry Bruser IV were
married Aug. 27 at Riverchase
United Methodist Church. After
a honeymoon trip to Cancun,
Mexico, the Brusers reside in
Helena.
Adam Rhodes and Robin
Farris were married March 11
at the Mentone Wedding Chapel
in Mentone. The couple resides
in Clanton. Adam is employed
with the Alabama Department
of Environmental Management,
and Robin works at Central
State Bank in Calera.
’05
Molly Hightower married
David Hindman June 25, 2005,
at the First Presbyterian Church
in Troy. After a honeymoon
trip to the Bahamas, the couple
resides in Calera.
Births
cipal at Stanhope Elmore High
School. Proud grandparents
are Richard Harrison ’69,
a retired educator, and Laura
Huff Harrison ’68, a second-grade teacher at Clanton
Elementary School.
Laura Gibson and her husband
announce the birth of William
Carter Gibson-Hanes April
18, 2005. Laura is an analyst
for TKC Communications in
Fairfax, Va.
Angie Pearson Kennedy
and her husband, William
Kennedy ’93, of Montgomery
announce the birth of a daughter, Winola Manon Kennedy,
born Aug. 25. Winola was
welcomed home by two brothers, William, 10, and Wenton,
6. Angie is a teacher at Halcyon
Elementary School, and William
works with Baptist Medical
Center South.
’93
Dannielle Duck Sedlock
and her husband, Patrick, of
Stoneville, N.C., welcomed the
birth of a daughter, Harper
Elizabeth, Jan. 29, 2005. Harper
was welcomed home by her
three step-siblings, Jordan, 20,
Dustin, 17, and Jessica, 10.
Dannielle has taught exceptional
children at McMichael High
School in Mayodan, N.C., for
eight years.
Sam Wesley Dunn is the son of Jennifer
Boackle Dunn ’94 and her husband,
Mark. He was born Nov. 15.
’95
Natasha Pendleton Sisk and
husband David welcomed the
birth of twins Kyra Grady and
Colin Hunt Sept. 29. The Sisk
family resides in Birmingham
where Natasha is a vice president
at Wachovia Bank N.A.
’97
Chris M. Kelly and wife
Kathryn welcomed the birth of
Claire Grayson Kelly Nov. 6. She
joins big brother Collin in the
Kellys’ home in Rome, Ga.
Jennifer Key and husband
Wayne Key ’93 of Montevallo
announce the birth of Baylen
Tristan Key July 8. Baylen was
welcomed home by big brother
Riley, 5. Jennifer is enjoying
being a stay-at-home mom and
writing a novel. Wayne is a
graphic artist.
Ashley Childs Dunklin and
husband Michael welcomed the
birth of their first child, Sydney
Elise, Jan. 18. The Dunklin
family resides in Mobile where
Ashley is academic advising/support services coordinator at
Spring Hill College.
’98
’91
Jennifer Boackle Dunn and
her husband, Mark, of Pelham
welcomed a son, Sam Wesley
Dunn, Nov. 15. Jennifer’s father,
Joe Boackle, is a 1973 alumnus. Sam’s name was incorrectly
reported in the spring magazine.
We regret the error.
’92
’90
Sharon Harrison Earl M.Ed.
’94 and her husband, Chad,
welcomed the birth of their first
child, Karley Harrisann, Dec. 16.
The Earls reside in Millbrook
where Sharon is assistant prin-
’94
Sydney Elise Dunklin was born Jan. 18.
She is the daughter of Ashley Childs
Dunklin ’90 and her husband, Michael.
The Dunklins live in Mobile. Sydney
Elise is the Dunklins first child.
Cheritta Hill Hayes M.Ed.
’01 and her husband, Chris,
of Pelham welcomed the birth
of their first child, Jayden M.
Hayes, March 17. Cheritta is
assistant principal at Fultondale
Elementary School.
’99
’02
’35
Elizabeth Martin Blanchette
and husband Brian of Mobile
announce the birth of William
Blanchette Nov. 16. William was
welcomed home by big brother
Joseph.
Emily Bauer McCaffety and
her husband, Brandon, of Calera
announce the birth of a daughter,
Jenna Caitlin, Oct. 26. Emily is
enjoying being a stay-at-home
mom.
Hazel Orvin Trammell, 92,
a resident of Mobile, died Feb.
13. She was a retired elementary
school teacher.
Melissa Carroll Evans and
husband Trey of Vancleave,
Miss., welcomed their first
daughter, Maison Ann, Dec. 6.
Melissa is a contract administrator for Northrop Grumman Ship
Systems in Pascagoula.
Deaths
Margaret Huff
Loughborough, 91, of
Tuscaloosa died January 30.
’24
Minnie Rentz Smith, 102,
of Brewton died March 2. She
was a retired home economics
teacher.
’26
The alumni office has been
notified that Anne Kirtley
Albritton of Andalusia, a
retired music teacher, died in
2003.
Floy Dozier Landrum of
Wetumpka died April 8.
Conner Wade McDonald was born
March 2 to UM alumni Ginger Hand
McDonald and her husband, Patrick.
The McDonalds live in Alabaster.
’00
Ginger Hand McDonald and
husband Patrick McDonald
’01, ’02, M.Ed. ’03 of Alabaster
announce the birth of their first
child, Conner Wade, March
2. Patrick teaches eighth grade
science at Riverchase Middle
School, and Ginger is an HR
benefit specialist with Blue Cross
and Blue Shield of Alabama.
Proud relatives include grandparents Ben Hand ’72, Lynda
Clements Hand ’67 and future
alum Leah Hand ’07.
’29
Willie Clifton Martin
Parsons, 99, of Marion died
April 8.
’30
Nell Reese Older of Cuba,
N.Y., died Dec. 20.
’31
Janie Mae Brown Wallace,
96, of Brundidge died March 6.
She was a teacher and librarian
until her retirement at the age
of 86.
Anna Pauline King Lucy, 90,
of Birmingham died April 21.
’37
Clarice A. Burrell, 92, of Gulf
Breeze, Fla., died Dec. 19. She
was a retired teacher.
Helen Mann Todd, 90, of
Alexander City died Feb. 24.
She had served as a secretary at
Redstone Arsenal.
’41
Gladys Fuller Pittman, 86,
of New Brockton died Jan. 8.
Survivors include her daughter,
Donna Pittman Clark ’66,
M.A. ’69.
Willie Hillary Richardson
Thompson, 87, of Eutaw died
Feb. 6. She was a long-time
employee of Alabama ByProducts Corp. Survivors include
her sister, Mary Eleanor
Richardson Howell ’36, of
Birmingham.
’43
Martha Claire Gates Wall of
Forest Home died March 21.
’44
’01
Madge Murphy Woolley,
83, of Graceville, Fla., died
Jan. 18. She was a teacher and
a home demonstration agent.
Survivors include her sister,
Violet Murphy Reed ’48, of
Livingston.
Mary Martha McLemore
Walker and her husband,
Garret, of Birmingham announce
the birth of their first child, Anne
Hampton Walker, Dec. 20.
Aviva Shar of Atlanta welcomed the birth of a son, Pierson
Lee Burleigh, Feb. 23. Aviva
writes that she and Peter are
enjoying being first-time parents
of this happy, healthy baby boy.
’36
’48
Anne Hampton Walker was born
Dec. 20. She is the daughter of Mary
Martha McLemore Walker ’01 and her
husband, Garret.
Betty Jo Baker Caldwell,
80, died May 4. She had served
as a medical secretary working
with medical records for Baptist
Montclair Hospital and for her
husband’s pediatric practice. She
was predeceased by her sister,
Barbara Baker Roberts, who
graduated from Montevallo in
1954.
Virginia Kynerd Mangold of
Decatur, Ga., died Jan. 13. She
was a retired medical technologist.
’51
The alumni office has been notified that Elena Urbaitis of
Wantagh, N.Y., died in February.
She was an artist.
’53
Dorothy Alyene Reese, 74, of
Gatlinburg, Tenn., died March
27. She was a pediatrician
and founder of the Mountain
Hope Good Shepherd Clinic in
Sevierville, Tenn., a facility serving indigent patients.
’55
Elizabeth “Bettie” White
Yost, 74, of Winston-Salem,
N.C., died Jan. 28. She was an
artist and art educator. She was
preceded in death by her sister,
Mary Virginia Heacock ’35.
’58
The alumni office has been notified that Grace Parsons Hall
of Bessemer has died. She was a
retired teacher.
’67
John Asa Phillips M.A., 68,
of Gulf Shores died Feb. 8. He
was a retired teacher and professor emeritus at Palm Beach
Community College.
Michael David Young Sr., 60,
of Foley died March 2. He was
the owner/operator of Young’s
Dixie Furniture for 30 years until
he and his wife, Evelyn, moved
to Texas.
’72
Blake Fred Boyer Jr., 55, of
the Birmingham area died April
21
Your name: Terri Johnson
Year graduated from UM a
Your home: Irondale
Your hometown: Dogwood
Please tell us about your f
mother, younger broth
to), and three nephe
respectively)
What is your profession? I a
artistic administration for th
book artists and determine
and the musicians. I’m also
reach — including our conc
What is the most significant
Baumann (world-renowned
Mannes School of Music (N
Altohorn, and when it came
said “It was so good I didn’
and degree received: 1988, bachelor of music education
d (Montevallo)
family: Two dogs (Puppy and Charlie), mom, dad, grandher and sister (and the appropriate in-laws attached thereews: Christopher, Michael and Caleb (ages 8, 7, and 3,
am very fortunate to work as director of operations and
he Alabama Symphony. I work with the conductors to
programming, and I am the liaison between management
very passionate about the orchestra’s community outcert at UM in March of 2007.
t honor you’ve received? Performing for Hermann
d horn soloist) in a master-class when I attended the
New York). I had prepared the Hindemith Sonata for
e time to play — he didn’t interrupt me! At the end he
’t want to stop you — it was like I was in a recital.”
A close second is nailing the third horn part of the “Queen Mab Scherzo” from
Berlioz’ Romeo and Juliet in concerts with the San Antonio Symphony.
What is your secret for success? My dad taught me the only way to get anywhere in
life is through hard work.
Do you have a favorite motto? I include this in all of my e-mail signatures: “My
goal in life is to be as good a person as my dog already thinks I am.” (I have a long
way to go.)
What’s new? I recently joined this century and purchased an iPod. I still haven’t figured out how to use it.
Please tell us about your educational foundation. I never realized how strong an
education I received at Montevallo until after I left and went to graduate school. My
favorite instance of flexing my UM muscle was telling one of my roommates, who
was in her third semester of 16th century counterpoint and was only on third species, that my final project at the end of ONE semester with Dr. Lumby was to compose (and manuscript on to octavo paper) a motet set to Latin sacred text and have
it performed by the Chamber Choir. I think she felt relieved to still be studying third
species. (I’ll also never be able to listen to Brahms’ First Symphony without remembering how Dr. Davis used to sing the horn call in the last movement every time I
walked in to the music library.)
Annual fund divisions report strong showings
Centered around the theme “Get in the Game,” The Campaign
for Montevallo has had scores of alumni and friends answer that call
this year. The campaign for 2005-2006 was in its final month at press
time with a total showing on April 30 of $828,292. Of that amount,
some $292,000 had been given by
Montevallo alumni. That figure represents a 17 percent increase from
the same time last year, said Sean
Doyle ’87, chair of The Campaign for
Montevallo this year.
In late April, alumni participation
was at 13 percent, he said. On June 30, 2005, participation was at
12.5 percent. With a spring mailing and special appeals by class representatives, however, alumni participation was expected to increase.
To reach 14 percent, 140 more donors were needed at press time.
Because of a gift of a scholarship endowment, given by a retiring
faculty member, faculty and staff gifts showed a dramatic increase
from last year. At the end of April, gifts by faculty and staff members
was approaching $60,000.
Total annual fund gifts were up 10.5 percent, or $54,000 more,
from last April.
This year’s campaign will continue through June 30. David Palmer
’66, who completed a two-year term in February as president of the
National Alumni Association, will become campaign chair July 1.
The theme of the 2006-2007 annual-fund campaign will be “You Can
Make It Happen.”
For additional information, alumni and friends may contact Mary
Lou Williams, director of development and alumni relations, at 205665-6215 or by email at williaml@montevallo.edu.
Class Notes . . .
15. She was a retired teacher.
Condolences
14. He was employed at Susan
Schein Chevrolet in Pelham.
Survivors include his wife, Mary
Anne Adkison Boyer ’72.
Merri Carol Stuckey, 51, of
Brent, a homemaker, died Feb. 1.
Survivors include her husband,
James M. Stuckey ’77.
’42
’73
Mazie Howard Wilson M.A.
of Anniston died Feb. 15. She
was retired from the Alabama
Cooperative Extension System.
Henry Carlton Posey M.Ed.,
a resident of Daleville, died Dec.
26, 2004.
’80
’74
The alumni office has been
notified that John C. Smith
M.A. ’75 of Irving, Texas, died
recently.
’75
Julia Beth Thacker, 47, of
Birmingham died April 14. She
was the owner of Julia’s Touch, a
gardening and landscaping business.
’94
Joe Warren, 63, of Springville
died Feb. 4. He was a long-time
employee of Steward Machine
Co. and was retired from Hardie
Tynes Manufacturing Co.
Bradley M. Swanner, 35, of
Decatur died March 28. He was
an operator at Daiken America
Inc.
’96
’76
Marshall Glenn “Pete” Batt,
72, of Huntsville died Dec. 3. He
was retired from the Huntsville
Police Department and
Huntsville Emergency Medical
Services Inc.
William Randolph Achey
M.Ed., 53, of St. Joseph, La.,
died April 3. He was a teacher.
Grace Donald Falls, 49, of
Wetumpka died April 13. She
was a science teacher.
’77
’03
Betty Gammill Bryan M.A.,
76, of Birmingham died April
Eric Dawson Harless, 26, of
Alabaster died April 29.
26
To Martha McRae VanLiere
of Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.,
on the death of her husband,
William, Nov. 15. He was
retired from marketing agricultural chemicals and owned and
managed a micro brewery in
Torrance.
’56
To Birda Smith LeCroy of
Clanton on the death of her husband, Alton, Jan. 20.
’66
To Hugh Conrad Blackerby
and his wife, Barbara Martin
Blackerby ’65, on the death
of Conrad’s brother, Gary, of
Tuscaloosa April 28.
’85
To Freda A. Shivers M.A. of
Montevallo on the death of her
mother, Ora E. Shivers, April 3.
Freda is director of housing and
residence life at UM.
’92
To Sharon Bulman and her
sons on the death of her husband
of 10 years, Shawn M. “Bull”
Bulman. The family resides in
Huntsville.
’95
To Joan Sung of Jemison on
the death of her mother, Jean
Hamilton, March 29.
’98
To Courtney Adams-Byrd of
Birmingham on the death of her
husband, Chad Byrd, April 27.
To Shelby Harkins on the
death of her husband, Howard
W. Harkins, March 10. Shelby
was manager of the university
bookstore from 1978 until her
retirement in 2001.
To the family of Jerry Redd on
his death Feb. 6. Jerry worked
in the landscaping and grounds
maintenance department at UM
from 1985 until his death.
To the family of Jared Lane
Rhea of Bessemer, a senior at
Montevallo, who died March 8
as the result of injuries sustained
in an automobile accident. Jared
was a marketing major in the
Michael E. Stephens College of
Business. A campus-wide memorial service was held for him in
Comer Hall March 13.
Guest Essay
Guest Essay
By Brandt Leonard Montgomery
Incoming SGA president speaks
of ‘new vision’ for Montevallo
In the words of Dr. Robert M. McChesney, retiring president of
the University of Montevallo, in his “Foreword” for the book Years
Rich and Fruitful, written by the late Mary Frances Tipton:
“Little did the individuals responsible for the Alabama Girls’
Industrial School realize that their efforts would result in such a
venerable institution. Indeed, they probably wondered whether their
fledgling school would survive from year to year and fulfill the vision
they shared for its future. Alabama Girls’ Industrial School did, in
fact, survive and flourish to become the University of Montevallo,
an institution revered by thousands across the United States…. We
have the opportunity and obligation to look back at the commitment,
dedication, ingenuity and plain hard work that our forebears invested
in the concept of a liberal arts education coupled with practical skills.
That concept is as deeply entrenched in the University today as it was
in 1896.”
I use the words of Dr. McChesney to illustrate two points. First,
to remind all who hold this institution dear to their hearts of the
school’s rich history, because I believe the values embedded in the
University of Montevallo at its inception remain with us as essential
and, indeed, imperative institutional characteristics. They are part
of what defines Montevallo today and what will serve to guide us
in determining its future. Secondly, I use these words to refer to our
history because the more I learn about our beloved Montevallo, the
more I am struck by how rightly the story of this institution illustrates
the need for quality education in this present day and age.
For almost 110 years now, Montevallo has been a school driven
by the desire to be more than it has been and to push toward
the limit of what a great school could be. Since my enrollment at
Montevallo in the fall of 2003, I have found that Montevallo has a
very distinct character, a character that marks its doings with a certain Montevallo difference. One thing that delights and enlightens me
every day that I am here is the way that our beloved institution greatly encourages the crossing of academic boundaries. Our faculty is full
of gifted scholars who are in dialogue with people who are in a wide
variety of other fields, combining and recombining their expertise in
compelling new compounds and conjunctions.
Our students, both undergraduate and graduate, have chosen their
respective callings. By enrolling at Montevallo, our students gladly
run the risk of going through self-discovery and self-maturity. Being
at Montevallo allows students to partake in the excitement of direct
academic inquiry and to engage in a college life that is exciting and
encourages self-growth. As we step up to the precipice of new leadership and a new era at Montevallo, working to further strengthen this
already strong institution, the most important part of our work that
lies before us is to continue in the assurance that this great institution stays wide open to every student, young and old, with talent
and commitment who wants to learn here. It is our duty to make the
whole of Montevallo, every academic college, academic department,
administrative office, etc., a place of equal and open opportunity,
mutual engagement, and an academic
community in which each of us can
learn from each other.
Earlier on, I referred to Montevallo
as being on the precipice of new leadership and a new era. All of the predecessors of Dr. Philip C. Williams, the man
selected to take the helm of leadership
from Dr. McChesney Aug. 1, did not
complete all of the work that has come
before Montevallo, and neither will
he. From my personal meetings and
dialogue with him, I can assure you
that under Dr. Williams’ leadership,
Montevallo’s first priority will be the
considered pursuit and practice of academic excellence. This will continue to
serve as Montevallo’s primary guiding
principle. Part of Dr. Williams’ new
role as our institutional leader will be
to ensure that we further establish the
proper environment that will allow academic excellence to flourish.
Brandt Leonard Montgomery,
a rising senior at Montevallo,
is the incoming Student
Government Association president. He served two terms as
UM’s SGA vice president before
being elected to the SGA’s top
office this spring. Montgomery
is majoring in instrumental
music performance with a
specialization in trumpet. He
also serves as president of the
Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. Montgomery was the first
Montevallo student to serve a
term on the 2005-2006 Lambda
Chi Alpha Student Advisory
Committee. He was one of 12
selected for this national office.
He is the son of Dudley Gail
Montgomery ’79 of Talladega.
I have full faith that Dr. Williams
will continue to make sure that
Montevallo pursues and practices academic excellence in ways that ensure
our institutional commitment to integrity. With Dr. Williams’ leadership,
Montevallo will strive further for honor
and the encouragement of diversity.
Montevallo will be held to the highest standards of collegiality and
will protect and preserve equality throughout the Montevallo community while striving to improve our institutional accessibility.
As we approach our 110th year of operation and draw near to
the dawn of a new era, we enter into a new arena. We enter this
new arena in the belief that there is no more worthwhile cause for
our time than to strive daily to fulfill and to renew the promise that
our University so richly offers. In these new and exciting times, we
will strive together in this new arena with great daring and devotion,
pursuing great achievement. And in so doing, I am confident that
the University of Montevallo will, without question, find its destined
place among the nation’s leading universities.
As the union of the University of Montevallo with Dr. Williams
draws near, I have full faith that whatever goals he hopes to accomplish during his time here with us will be accomplished with our
sincere partnership with him. Our forebears have given us this great
institution. With a new vision now coming before us, let us see what
we all can do with that new vision together.
27
Please turn to page 12 to register!
For additional details, visit the alumni web page at www.montevallo.edu/alumni
or contact Racheal Banks, Alumni Office, at 205-665-6215, banksrb@montevallo.edu.

Dr. McChesney presides at last commencement

Transcription

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