Fall 2007 - Office of Alumni Affairs
Transcription
Fall 2007 - Office of Alumni Affairs
Fall 2007 – Vol. 132, No. 12 President Dr. William R. Harvey Board of Trustees C. Shanelle Booker I. Emerson Bryan, III Charles I. Bunting H. Rodgin Cohen, Esq. Wesley A. Coleman Edward E. Elson W. Frank Fountain Gordon L. Gentry, Jr. Vanessa D. Gilmore William R. Harvey Wendell P. Holmes, Jr. Leslie D. Jones Andrew M. Lewis Clarence E. Lockett Daniel H. Mudd Leslie D. J. Patterson Brett Pulley Curtis E. Ransom Jerrold W. Roy Andrea M. Weiss Vice President of Development Laron J. Clark, Jr. National Hampton Alumni Association, Inc. Anthony Cheatham, ’80 President Patricia Larkins Hicks, Ph.D, ’71 First Vice President Joan M. Wickham, ’78 Vice President Eastern Regions Robert Williams, ’68 Vice President Western Regions Kitti Smith, ’71 Recording Secretary Yolanda Coleman, ’98 Corresponding Secretary Richard Bowden, ’74 Treasurer Rev. Haywood Robinson, ’78 Chaplain Co-Editors Yuri Rodgers Milligan, ’97 Director of University Relations Mildred Swann, ’67 Director of Alumni Affairs Contributing Editor Dr. Paula Barnes University Editor Art Direction and Design Taylored Printing Contributors Reuben V. Burrell, ’47, University Photographer Jonathan Cole, Graphic Designer Sharon Gates, ’05, Director of Development Erica Taylor Harrod, ’04, Public Relations Specialist Martha P. Jarvis, Records Secretary Shona Lewis, ’08, Senior Public Relations Major Alison L. Phillips, Senior Public Relations Specialist Stephen D. Wesley, ’06, Assistant Director of Alumni Affairs HAMPTON ALUMNI MAGAZINE is published for Hampton University by the Office of University Relations Submit story ideas and article information to: Office of Alumni Affairs Hampton University Hampton, VA 23668 Phone: (757) 727-5425 • Fax: (757) 727-5994 alumni@hamptonu.edu • www.hamptonu.edu 2 HU Alumni Magazine | Fall 2007 CONTENTS HAMPTON THE ALUMNI MAGAZINE OF HAMPTON UNIVERSITY Fall 2007 ABOUT THE COVER Hampton University participates in the launches on the (AIM) satellite. Features 4 Campus News Jesse Jackson speaks to HU graduates Students win FBI competition HBCU engineering scholarships announced HU divests from Sudan Workshop increases HBCU online learning Professor named Virginia Outstanding Scientist 8 AIM launch 8 22 12 Ogden Circle 14 School of Business case success 18 Ministers’ Conference Obama addresses the conference 24 Alumni Features Marcia Milton ’80 Kacie Starr Triplett ’02 Debra Flores ’83 E. Theophia Lee ’42 32 Athletic Roundup Tennis Coach post 1000th Victory Tiny Laster’s Success at HU 32 36 Alumni News 2007 Alumni Reunion New Assistant VP 41 Alumni Book Review 42 Class Notes 46 In Memoriam 36 We want to hear from you. Please send your comments, story ideas or class notes that you would like to share with alumni and friends of Hampton University. Mail: Alumni Magazine, Office of Alumni Affairs, Hampton University, Hampton, VA 23668 Email: alumni@hamptonu.edu HU Alumni Magazine | Fall 2007 3 said that in every state there are more black men in jail than in college and that many urban cities have “second-class schools and first-class prisons.” Jackson charged the graduates to go out and make a difference for themselves and for the strong and gallant women who have gone before them. first Africans who arrived there. “Do something noble, teach somebody, “I wish Queen Elizabeth could have help somebody, don't look back unless you been here today to see this class,” Jackson are going to help someone up,” he said. said. “Four hundred years later, you are By the end of Jackson's address the overcomers. You come out today as engigraduates were standing, shouting and neers and teachers and on your way to law cheering. school and MBAs and medical school.” “I thought the speech was very positive Jackson urged the graduates to embrace and very inspirational. I felt a personal their past, look towards the future and make charge to do what he said was necessary,” a difference. said Donald Williams, who received a bach“You are called upon to preserve and elor's degree in music engineering. serve this present age, to make life options Parents and grandparents of the gradubetter for the next generation,” said Jackson, ates were also enthusiastic with Jackson's president of the RainbowPUSH Coalition. words. “You must leave more than you found.” “I was very pleased with Jesse Jackson's He went on to say that while the graduspeech. I was very impressed with it because ates are free, they are still not equal. He when he ended it, he left with a charge,” Jesse Jackson brings HU graduates to their feet he sky was gray, but the smiles from 1,031 graduates brightened the 137th Hampton University Commencement exercises held on May 13. The unseasonably cool weather also did not damper the warm smiles and cheers from parents, grandparents and other family members of the graduates in Armstrong Stadium. The Commencement keynote speaker, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, told the graduates to go out in the world and make those family members proud. “Your diploma is your mother's red rose,” said the civil rights leader at the ceremony held on Mother's Day. He told the graduates they are part of a legacy that began in Jamestown with the T The Rev. Jesse Jackson and HU President Dr. William R. Harvey smile during the HU Commencement exercises. 4 HU Alumni Magazine | Fall 2007 said Jessie Wilson, HU Class of 1950 and grandparent of Justin Merrick, who received his bachelor's degree in music. “I just think that's what our young people need to hear, that they realize that, 'Gee, we must do something.'” HU President Dr. William R. Harvey challenged the graduates to have a well-rounded life. “As you depart Hampton University, I challenge you, each in your own way, to build upon your Hampton University education productive careers in which you make the most of your natural gifts; to build a richly satisfying personal life with room for laughter, but strength to confront sadness; to engage the community in order to make it a better place for yourselves and your neighbors; and to make a commitment to grow and to continue learning for the rest of your life,” Harvey said. Senior class president Maya Guntz responded to Harvey's challenge with a spirited speech that recounted the Class of 2007’s, Quintessence VI's, journey at Hampton University and their plans to confront the world ahead. During the ceremony the two graduating seniors with the highest grade point averages were recognized. The valedictorian, Gretta Ashley Moody, is from Pikesville, Md., and she received her degree in advertising; and the salutatorian, Austin Newsome is from Durham, N.C., and she received her degree in biology. Awards were also presented to two alumni who have “let their lives do the singing.” The Outstanding-Alumnus-at-Large award was presented to retired Lt. Col. Claude Vann, III, who served the U.S. Army for 21 years and is currently a senior organizational development facilitator for the Northrop Grumman Corporation. The Outstanding Twenty-Year Alumnus award was presented to Jennifer Borum Bechet, an attorney and legal journalist in Franklinton, La. The rain did start to fall softly at the end of the Awarding of Diplomas ceremonies just like tears of joy. And at the end of the day, after the hoods were dawned, the tassels turned, the names called and diplomas presented, the Hampton University Class of 2007 officially became alumni. -Yuri Rodgers Milligan ’97 Rev. Dr. Timothy T. Boddie Chaplain Elected President of NACUC H ampton University’s chaplain, the Rev. Dr. Timothy Tee Boddie, has been elected president of the National Association of College and University Chaplains (NACUC) at the organization’s 59th Annual Conference. The conference was held at the Embassy Suites Conference Center in Hampton, Va. Boddie is the first elected president and the first African American to lead the NACUC in its 59-year history. Boddie, who has been a member of the NACUC since 2001, served this year as the conference coordinator and was nominated to run for presidency at the business meeting. The NACUC is a multi-faith professional community concerned with the religious life of the entire college or university. The organization was founded in 1948 at Yale University by Professor Clarence P. Shedd and has since met annually at various places throughout the country. HU Alumni Magazine | Fall 2007 5 Education students win national FBI case competition ampton University’s Department of Education earned first place in the first FBI National Curriculum Development Challenge Competition held in December in Washington, D.C. Collegiate teams from across the nation were invited to participate in the competition by analyzing a case study and designing six to eight lesson plans addressing the importance of a FBI career in one of three focus areas: intelligence, languages, or information technology. The top three finalist teams were invited to present their case studies before a five-person panel of FBI personnel at the J. Edgar Hoover building in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 8. H HU’s team consisted of Dr. Gertrude Henry, chair of the Department of Education; Angela Pierce, a senior mathematics major; Guerschmide Saint-Ange, a senior English education major; and Juanita Devlin, also a senior English education major. HU’s winning lesson plan, titled “Where in the World is Our Agent?,” incorporated the focus area of intelligence as middle school students are to assume the role of an intelligence analyst in order to identify an undercover agent who is in danger somewhere in the world. The lesson teaches geography and the differences in culture, language, and currency between various countries. Navy and engineering group announce HBCU scholarships at HU n an effort to continue to diversify the engineering field, an announcement of scholarships for engineering students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities and Minority Institutions (HBCU/MIs) was made at Hampton University in March. Vice Admiral Paul E. Sullivan, Commander of Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), and Myron Hardiman, executive director of Advancing Minorities in Engineering (AMIE), announced more than $80,000 in scholarship funds for engineering students attending HBCU/MIs. "NAVSEA's interest in our schools is recognition of the contributions of African-American engineers - military and civilian - to the nation's safety and security over many years," said Dr. Eric Sheppard, dean for Hampton University's School of Engineering and Technology. I 6 HU Alumni Magazine | Fall 2007 HU Fully Divests From Sudan, Companies Conducting Business in Sudan ampton University President Dr. William R. Harvey announced that the university has systematically removed all investments from Sudan and companies that conduct business in Sudan. The University took a stand to divest from companies whose business activities provide revenue for the Sudanese government, which continues to engage in genocidal actions and human rights violations in Darfur. "With the atrocities that the Sudanese government is heaping on its people, Hampton H University’s board of trustees and I felt that we needed to get all of the investments out of companies that do business in Sudan," Harvey said. The university began the divestment process in July 2006 and had completely divested from Sudan in March 2007. “Hopefully more people and companies will become knowledgeable about the killings and violence in Sudan and therefore cause more entities to divest,” Harvey said. Professor Named Virginia's Outstanding Scientist 2007 ampton University professor and co-director of the Center for Atmospheric Sciences, Dr. M. Patrick McCormick, was named one of Dr. Patrick McCormick Virginia’s Outstanding Scientists for 2007 by Governor Timothy M. Kaine and the Science Museum of Virginia (SMV). McCormick has conducted research and taught at Hampton University for the past 11 years. H For the past 44 years, McCormick has performed research on the development and application of sensors for measurement in the Earth’s atmosphere, focusing primarily on lidar and satellite limb extinction techniques for the global characterization of aerosols, clouds, ozone and other atmospheric species. He is principal investigator for NASA’s SAM II, SAGE I, II and III satellite experiments. These experiments produced global data that McCormick uses to study aerosols, gaseous species, and chemical and dynamical processes in the middle atmosphere. Workshop Increases HBCU Online Learning ampton University’s Religious Studies Program hosted the HU-BLUE Workshop on March 4-6 as part of its effort to advance online anytime-anywhere (asynchronous) learning networks among HBCUs. The workshop was the third in a national series and was funded through a $45,000 grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. HU-BLUE (Building Learning Networks Utilizing Effective Technology) aimed to assist participating HBCUs in developing action plans that identify the steps towards advancing asynchronous learning at each university’s academic setting. H Asynchronous learning networks are the fastest approach to online distance learning by transforming education from site-based, time-bound experiences into flexible environments that allow a high degree of interaction and collaboration. The HU-BLUE workshop centered on the Sloan Foundation’s five quality pillars: access, student satisfaction, faculty satisfaction, learning effectiveness and cost effectiveness. It also explored the mutual benefits of collaborating efforts among HBCUs to advance in online education. HU Alumni Magazine | Fall 2007 7 Curtain Call Feature • AIM • Performances Launch “3...2...1... go for drop, Pegasus is away.” With that, Hampton University became the first Historically Black College and University to have total mission responsibility for a NASA satellite mission. Data from the Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesophere (AIM) satellite will help us better understand global change. 8 HU Alumni Magazine | Fall 2007 “This is a new era for Hampton University; Hampton has stepped into the space arena,” said Dr. James M. Russell, III, professor and co-director of Hampton University’s Center for Atmospheric Sciences (CAS) and AIM’s principal investigator. AIM was launched into orbit via a Pegasus XL launch vehicle from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., on April 25. It will determine why polar mesospheric clouds (PMCs) form and why they vary. “Personally I believe global change is occurring, and I think we need to do something about global change,” said Russell. PMCs are also called “noctilucent,” or night shining, clouds. They form in the polar regions and are being seen more frequently, getting brighter, and moving to lower latitudes. By measuring the clouds and their environment, scientists will be able to see the connection between them and the meteorology of the polar mesosphere, 50 miles above the earth’s surface, and its relationship to global change. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Third Assessment Report: Climate Change 2001, “There is new and stronger evidence that most of the warming observed over the past 50 years is attributable to human activities,” and “human influences are expected to continue to change atmospheric composition throughout the 21st century.” “The occurrence of these clouds at the edge of space and what causes them to vary is not understood,” said Russell. “I expect what we’ll see is a positive rela- Feature • AIM Launch Dr. Carl Peterson, NASA; Dr. Len McMaster, CAS; Willis Jenkins, NASA; President Dr. William R. Harvey; Dr. Pat McCormick, co-director of CAS; and Dr. Mabel Matthews, NASA, pause during the launch celebrations. budget. Its total cost $140 million. HU is responsible for the entire mission, and assisting Russell is an international science team and HU faculty, staff and students, as well as the flight operations center at the University of Colorado Laboratory of Atmospheric and Space Physics’ (LASP) center. LASP communicates with the satellite, and the data flows through two centers before AIM is orbiting 373 miles above the ending at HU. earth. Three instruments on board col“Hampton University is leading the lecting data are Cloud Imaging and way in innovative research, and our facParticle Size (CIPS), Solar Occultation ulty’s outstanding leadership and excelFor Ice Experiment (SOFIE) and the lence is being recognized not just within Cosmic Dust Experiment (CDE). CIPS the scientific community, but all over works as a camera to give multiple views, SOFIE uses solar occultation to measure cloud particles, temperature and atmospheric gases, and CDE records the amount of space dust in the atmosphere. Russell named the satellite after his daughter Amy and named SOFIE after his granddaughter. AIM beat out 44 other NASA proposals. Russell said that AIM had its share of risk because of cost, and some changes had to be made to stay within tionship with global change.” Later this year, Russell will present data from AIM to the IPCC committee that shares its data with policy makers who can better regulate what is released into the atmosphere that causes global change. How AIM works the world,” said HU President Dr. William R. Harvey. This is NASA’s first mission dedicated to the exploration of these clouds. “As the Explorer’s program executive within NASA, I am proud and happy that Hampton University is the first HBCU to have a principal investigator with complete mission responsibility for a NASA’s small explorers mission that will collect data on great science that will be beneficial for the community at large,” said Willis Jenkins, Explorers program executive in the Heliophysics Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. Effects at HU Hampton University is also the first Historically Black College and University to offer a Ph.D. in Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences. “We came here with a goal to establish a world-class center,” said Russell of himself and CAS co-director Dr. M. Patrick McCormick. They joined the faculty in 1997. The center now offers a Ph.D. in Atmospheric and Planetary Science (APS). Prior to this, students earned their doctorate in physics with an atmospheric sciences concentration. AIM has brought excitement throughout the HU community. “It reminded me of when I watched man walk on the moon. I have always been proud of Hampton University since I was a child growing up in Hampton. This event showed me that the world now knows how great Hampton is!” exclaimed Evans. HU Alumni Magazine | Fall 2007 9 Feature • AIM Launch “For me it was so exciting I could not sit still,” said Elizabeth Evans, reference library for the Harvey Library. Evans and other HU faculty, staff, students and visitors viewed the launch via NASA TV in the CAS project data center in Phenix Hall. “It reminded me of when I watched man walk on the moon. I have always been proud of Hampton University since I was a child growing up in Hampton. This event showed me that the world now knows how great Hampton is!” exclaimed Evans. Russell calls the data center AIM’s nerve center. During the launch, Russell was at the command center in California and afterwards reflected on the launch’s perfection. “We got the most accurate insertion of any Pegasus launch ever,” said Russell. Wanda Harding ’91 knows the importance of a space mission. She is the mission manager for the Launch Services Program - Flight Projects Office 10 HU Alumni Magazine | Fall 2007 Amy E. and and Sophia E. Marlowe, age 9, and Dr. James Russell, III at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. She worked on the early phases of AIM. “I think the exciting thing was that it is broadening the whole offering of research that’s available at the university,” said Harding. “What made AIM so unique and different was to take a lead on a research venture that can serve as a benchmark for a similar institute to pur- sue as well.” AIM will orbit for two years, but Russell hopes to get it renewed to orbit for 11 years, the time of a full solar cycle, to get the most complete data. “I think it’s tremendous for students to have the opportunity to be on the cutting edge of data,” said Dr. Christine Darden ’62. Darden retired from NASA Feature • AIM Launch with almost 40 years of service. Her most recent role was as the Director of the Office of Strategic Communications and Education. “Results that can impact the role our nation has is an extremely big part on Hampton University,” continued Darden. “It’s important to understand our world and what we are doing to our world.” Students and Science HU students can be a part of history by applying to work in the data center on data analysis code development, network infrastructure, and other areas. “By coming here to an HBCU, we were hoping to increase minorities in our field. Our experience is showing we are making a difference. We have some great minority students that will, and already, represent us well,” said Russell. One of the students with first-hand experience is Ladislav Rezac ’04 who is working on his masters in APS and hoping to work with AIM’s data. “There are so many opportunities open right now in this program to work on great science,” said Rezac. “This department has great potential at multiple levels to join the ‘larger schools’ in significant contributions to the state of the art research in this field.” Also enjoying his experience is APS graduate student Chris Spells. “This is pretty fascinating and ground breaking for an HBCU to have two instruments orbiting the earth at the same time.” The other satellite is CALIPSO, Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation, whose data will tell more about global climate, hurricanes and temperature changes. McCormick heads this mission. “The thing that I see in students today is an excitement on working on a space program,” said Dr. Len McMaster, AIM program deputy. “The mission is going great and the satellite is working perfectly,” concluded Russell. – Nina Stickles Dr. James Russell discuss the AIM project with students Chris Spells and Sydney Pauls. For more information on AIM, and to view more photos of PMCs, visit http://aim.hamptonu.edu HU Alumni Magazine | Fall 2007 11 Feature • Rite of Passage Original rendering of Ogden Hall Ogden Circle might be one of the most mysterious patches of grass on any college campus. This circular grassy area is located in the center of the Hampton University campus directly in front of the Robert C. Ogden Auditorium, also known as Ogden Hall. The Circle is known for its ceremonial relationship to Ogden Hall and for being the not-so-secret fear of many Hampton University students. Students fear that if they touch the grass in Ogden Circle, then they will not graduate on time or maybe not at all. In the beginning, the Circle was not in the plans for Ogden Hall and Ogden Circle as many HU alumni recognize and remember Ogden Hall. It is named after philanthropist Robert Curtis Ogden who served as president of the Hampton Institute Board of Trustees from 1894 – 1913. According to an original sketch by The Whitney Company of New York, several small courtyards were planned to front the building. However, when the auditorium was completed in 1918, the Circle we know today became part of the view from the Ogden Hall steps. Ogden Hall was built with an approximate cost of $200,000 funded by private donors and the Friends of Robert C. Ogden. The building was renovated in fall 2005 and still remains widely known for being one of the premier acoustical settings on the East Coast. In times past, Hampton graduates would process at commencement into Ogden Hall with men and women in two single file lines according to department. When graduates approached the Circle, each line would “split the Circle” as they entered Ogden Hall, according to Patricia Hollingsworth ’59. Commencement was held in Ogden Hall until 1971. It is unknown exactly when the traditions that take place on and around Ogden Circle began, but the circle is now said to be forbidden to undergraduates. “We walked around it very carefully,” said Hollingsworth. Legend has it that if a student walks, runs, jumps, skips, steps, or cycles across the Ogden Circle grass before their commencement weekend, the student will not graduate, or at least not on time. Commencement was initially moved to the Hampton Coliseum and is currently held in HU’s Armstrong Stadium, but the “I knew a guy who ran across Ogden Circle and disappeared after freshman year,” —Victor Ledbetter ’97. Robert C. Ogden 12 HU Alumni Magazine | Fall 2007 Feature • Rite of Passage tradition of the last few decades has remained constant. Graduates gather around the circle on the Friday or Saturday night before commencement, which is held annually on Mother’s Day. Once gathered, the anticipation builds, and the graduating class runs across the Circle in celebration. Tears are shed, pictures are taken, and even a few blades of grass may be plucked for memorabilia as graduates complete this rite of passage. Groups of friends often cross the grass together and members of fraternities and sororities cross in a line, often led by alumni members. Many alumni return to their “Home by the Sea” to cheer on the new class of graduates and to sing the Alma Mater. Most students, whether superstitious or not, do not test the myth of Ogden Circle as undergraduates. However, it is whispered that more than a few students, or former students, have tried and failed. “I walked across Ogden Circle my freshman year, and I did not graduate on time,” said Antwan Perry ’03. “I knew a guy who ran across Ogden Circle and disappeared after freshman year,” said Victor Ledbetter ’97. There seemed to be another tradition among students in the 1990s, a daring few rode their bicycles across the Circle. It is said that none of them graduated on time, and one was allegedly kicked out of school. So, how did the legend begin you may ask. The exact beginning is unknown, but it began sometime in the mid-1950s when the concrete border surrounding the circle was built. “While I was in school, the Circle was there, and in the center of the circle there was a path that led from Stone to the cafeteria in Virginia Cleveland, and there was no border around it at that time,” said Alphonso Knight ’47, who served as director of alumni affairs from 1972 – 1985. “The concrete border was placed there sometime during the 50s,” said Knight. “No one was supposed to walk across the border. It wasn’t an enforced thing, we were just told not to walk across and we didn’t.” It has also been rumored that the Circle is a Native American burial ground, and that is why you should not walk across it. However, in a story about Ogden Circle that appeared in the Virginian-Pilot in 2005, Mary Lou Hultgren, former director of the Hampton University Museum and Archives, said that the Circle is not a burial ground. Knight also recalls that when he served as president of the National Hampton Alumni Association, they “entertained putting a Booker T. Washington statue in the center, but then we thought that if any statue was put there, it should be the founder, Gen. Samuel Chapman Armstrong.” The idea of erecting a statue in Ogden Circle never became a reality, but a Booker T. Washington statue was later erected on campus near Buckman Hall. Ogden Hall and Ogden Circle are among the unique landmarks on HU’s campus that are recognizable and memorable to alumni young and young-atheart. It is only fitting that such landmarks would play a special part in our college experience, whether ceremonial or recreational. The traditions and rites of passage surrounding them are part of what makes us uniquely Hamptonian. As with many traditions, the practice of crossing Ogden Circle will soon change slightly. The Circle is currently undergoing a renovation. There will soon be flags around the circle, which will represent the countries HU students are from, said Doretha Spells, vice president for business affairs and treasurer. The U.S. flag will be in the middle. The concrete border will be replaced and brick pavers will surround the circle. The steam line that formerly ran under the circle has been rerouted as well to keep the grass from being damaged. This will “keep the circle looking beautiful and up to our standards all the time,” said Spells. The new Ogden Circle project is expected to be completed this fall. And Spells wanted to reassure current students and alumni that the flags and renovations will not affect the crossing tradition. According to Spells, the circle will remain the same size and that there will be enough space between the flags for people to walk through. Therefore, recent graduates, alumni, and daring undergraduate students will continue to decipher the Ogden Circle mystery. –Erica Taylor Harrod ’04 Members of the Class of 2007 completed their rite of passage on Ogden Circle this May. HU Alumni Magazine | Fall 2007 13 Feature • Business School In “The Pursuit of Happyness,” Chris Gardner found success in the business world through hard work and determination. The Hampton University School of Business is using that same drive to make a mark in national and international business case competitions. case competition is created when a company has a dilemma and challenges students to solve it instead of turning to a costly consulting firm. Hampton University has competed in six prestigious case competitions from June 2006 through June 2007 and, each time, has won first or second place. Hampton University has beaten some of the top business schools in the nation. According to BusinessWeek Magazine, the top five business schools with full-time MBA programs A Dr. Credle and Dr. Beale agree that chess is a way to help students Think and Move. 14 HU Alumni Magazine | Fall 2007 are the University of Chicago, University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, Harvard University and the University of Michigan. The list is compiled every two years and was last done in 2006. A Hampton University case competition team has beat all of these schools, except the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. Hampton has a proprietary style Case competitions require a lot of teamwork. “Everyone has to know everything; how you get there I can’t tell you,” said Dr. Sid Howard Credle ’71, dean of the School of Business and competition advisor. While now a well-known powerhouse, HU teams have been competing in case competitions since 2003, but have not always been sucessful. The first case a HU team competed in was the National Black MBA competition in 2003. The organization has held this competition since 1992 and according to their website, has awarded more than $300,000 in scholarships to minority business students and assisted more than 1,000 MBA students with career advancement. “We just didn’t know how to win, we had to see it and think about it, and then devise a solution,” said Credle. Feature • Business School Dr. Ruby Beale joined the HU faculty in 2002 as the chair of the business administration department and was brought on to help raise the five-year MBA program to new heights. Together, Credle and Beale have structured a preparation model that wins competitions. “The students did an outstanding, fantastic job during the 2003 competition, but there were pieces missing and the process didn’t pull it through,” said Beale. She realized too late that the students had not started preparing early enough and that other elements were missing. Now, the teams are trained in the proprietary style. There are many stages during the competition and more than one team from each school competes, so in some cases, students are beating out their own classmates to move to the finals. When an HU team attended the National Black MBA case competition in 2006, they took home second place. Pearly A. McQueen, IV ’04, currently a project manager at Dell Computers, was one of the students who competed in that first National Black MBA case competition. He earned his MBA from Hampton in 2004 and felt the case competition training helped him prepare for what he would face after college. “It helps you to look at things in a variety of ways, think of multiple alternatives,” said McQueen. exist, Chrysler's production would be disrupted affecting the city and overall industry. The HU School of Business started to compete in case competitions as a way for students to practice better writing and communication skills. Chess analysis and Kendo martial arts also a part of the five-year MBA program curriculum, help develop key skills that are valuable in case competitions and the corporate world. These activities help students think strategically, be more courageous, The components of a case competigain confidence, and take risks. tion are simple to understand, but not “What I liked about the five-year easy to execute. Students back up their MBA program is that it mixes theory solutions with factual research and staand practice, what you learn in the tistics after the company presents them books and what you can’t learn in the with the dilemma. The three parts of books,” said McQueen. the competition are the essay, presentaThis past year, Prudential Financial, tion, and question-and-answer. Inc. sponsored a case competition just For the 2006 National Black MBA for Hampton University students. Three Association competition sponsored by students on the first-place team won an Daimler-Chrysler, the team of three stu- all expense-paid trip to China. It was dents was challenged to come up with a the first time Hampton participated in plan to save an automotive industry an exclusive competition sponsored by a minority supplier who was on the brink financial services company. of bankruptcy. If the supplier ceased to Case competition history Jerrica Cash, Maurice Kuykendoll and Cecil Stokes actively listen at the PriceWaterhouse Coopers competition. HU Alumni Magazine | Fall 2007 15 Feature • Business School Hard Works Pays Off Both Credle and Beale describe the training and competitions themselves as “grueling, rigorous and exhausting.” It’s a team effort for the faculty too as they quiz students at all times of the day and night. Training can take three to four weeks and the competition is usually over in 24 hours. In addition to preparation, the other keys to winning are image, poise, and a sense of humor. You have to have the right mix of students with the right mix of talent to make a winning team. “Everyone on the team must know every piece of the game,” said Credle. “If there’s a weak element on their team, poise, behavior, and team spirit. “They have to have poise under presit knocks on their confidence.” sure,” said Beale. “Book knowledge is “Individual competitors do not win team case competitions,” said Beale. She not enough.” coaches the team in developing their Hampton is the one to beat “We have demonstrated by performance that we are one of the best schools in the nation,” said Credle of other schools, taking notice of Hampton’s increasing wins. Other areas can draw in on the success as well. Increased enrollment, increase scholarship opportunities, more companies recruiting for internships and full-time employment, and new building funds are all positives due to the extraordinary accomplishment and increased attention. Wesley Coleman ’71, executive vice president for the Walt Disney Company and a member of the HU Board of Trustees, compared the case wins to when the men’s basketball team beat Iowa State in the NCAA tournament in 2001. According to Coleman, that win helped propelled the image of the University. “We are competing with prestigious schools, and doing very well speaks highly of the caliber and preparation of the students,” said Coleman. “It’s a winwin for everybody.” What others are saying Coleman remembers critiquing a team of HU students when they were preparing for a case competition. “It’s good to see how they analyze a real work business situation,” said Coleman. “In the business world we call this action learning.” Jamila Easton ’98, senior marketing management specialist at Prudential, was at the Prudential competition finals. 16 HU Alumni Magazine | Fall 2007 Feature • Business School “Extraordinary skills will trump expe- “When you have someone who’s been successful, then it makes you also rience,” said Credle. Beale tries to keep one student on the believe that you can be successful.” He is currently interning at Morgan case who has competed before to supStanley New York’s office in the investport the other team members. Leon Chisolm ’07 is currently working on his ment management division. Not only with the help of students MBA and has found success in the 2006 The average age of the Hampton like Leon, but with the help of faculty National Black MBA, the National University five-member team that comand alumni and potential employers, Urban League, and the ELC case competed in the Executive Leadership Hampton will continue to emerge as the petitions. He is now sharing his secrets Council (ELC) earlier this year was 22 case competition hero as long as they with other teams as a coach. years old, making them the youngest “The biggest part for other students is “Think and Move,” as the slogan of the team to reach the final round. School dictates. having the confidence in themselves to According to its website, the ELC is – Nina Stickles know that they can compete and win on the nation's premier leadership organizathe national level,” said Chisolm. tion of the most senior AfricanAmerican corporate executives in Fortune 500 companies. Their mission is to develop the pipeline of AfricanAmerican senior corporate leaders. Nadja Frazier ’07 noticed Hampton students have been some of the youngest competing. “It was a little bit overwhelming at first,” reminiscenced Frazier about competing against other teams in the 2006 National Black MBA case competition. “As soon as we sat down and started talking with them and competing against them, we realized we were just as ready.” Frazier graduated from the five-year MBA program and is now working at Proctor and Gamble as the associate manager of consumer and market Hampton University MBA students Nadja Frazier, Leon Chisolm and Petra Klimpova pictured with Dr. Sid Credle, knowledge. dean of the School of Business (far left) and Dr. Ruby Beale, chair of the Department of Business Administration “I was shocked they [HU Students] were still in college. Their presentations were excellent, they were very well prepared and very poised,” said Easton. Student Success (far right), won second place at the case competition sponsored by the National Black M.B.A association. HU BUSINESS SCHOOL CASE COMPETITIONS Name Place Number Of Teams Competing Date Location National Urban League 1st 12 June 2006 Orlando National Black MBA 2nd 40 September 2006 Atlanta PriceWaterhouse Coopers Extreme Accounting 2nd 60 January 2007 New York Prudential Financial, Inc 1st 12 April 2007 Newark Executive Leadership Council 2nd 29 April 2007 Houston National Urban League 1st 21 June 2007 Orlando HU Alumni Magazine | Fall 2007 17 Feature • Ministering to Ministers Thousands of clergy descend upon HU each year for a timehonored tradition of spiritual self-renewal and inspiration. ach June, after the graduating students have donned their E caps and gowns and the current students have returned home for summer vacation, the Hampton University campus comes to life once more for the Hampton University Ministers’ Conference and Choir Directors’ and Organists’ Guild. The campus is flooded with lavishly dressed clergymen and women and a spirit of joyfulness and fellowship seems to seep into every nook, and cranny of this historic campus. The Hampton University Ministers’ Conference and Choir Directors’ and Organists’ Guild is the oldest and largest gathering of interdenominational African-American clergy in the world, annually attracting 6,000 to 8,000 thousand individuals. What began as a small, rural gathering of black community leaders for a week of reflection and theology has become a landmark advancement of interdenominational teamwork, reshaping the African-American Christian ministry. With numerous HU alumni dedicated to the church, many of whom regularly attend the conference itself, it is important share the history of this historical partnership between the University, the church and the Conference President Dr. William H. Curtis 18 HU Alumni Magazine | Fall 2007 community. Feature • Ministering to Ministers The Ministers’ Conference began 93 years ago when the Negro Organizational Society, the Conference for Education in the South, the Southern Education Board, and the Cooperative Education Board sought to address the growing concerns of the AfricanAmerican church and its relationship to the community. With Hampton Institute carrying strong influence with each of these community organizations, it became the birthplace of the original Ministers’ Conference, then known as The Conference of Negro Ministers of Tidewater, Va. Held June 29-July 3, 1914, 40 ministers representing four denominations gathered in the Memorial Church. The welcoming of clergy from all Christian denominations is what originally set Hampton’s conference apart from the rest and has led to the success seen today. “Hampton has never been tied to a denomination, and that was at the insistence of our founder, Gen. Samuel Chapman Armstrong,” explained the Rev. Dr. Timothy T. Boddie, university chaplain and executive secretary of the Ministers’ Conference. “The conference has always been interdenominational because the Institute has always been interdenominational. One of the focuses was to improve the relations of African Americans in the church regardless of religious affiliation.” “When you come to the Hampton Ministers’ Conference, it doesn’t matter what denomination you are. If you love Christ, then you’ll feel at home,” explained Bishop Durant K. Harvin, Class of 1983, who has been attending since he was in high school. The success of the first year led to further growth of the conference. The Rev. Dr. A. A. Graham was elected president, the Rev. G. W. Jimmerson was elected vice president, and the Rev. Laurence Fenninger, the Hampton Institute assistant chaplain, became executive secretary. Since Fenninger, the position of executive secretary has always been filled by the university chaplain, thus strengthening the bond between the University and the conference. For most of the conference’s history, the position of University chaplain, and thus the conference executive secretary, has been occupied by a white male. Only in 1976 did Dr. Michael A. Battle become the first African American to serve in the position. In its second year, the conference adopted the title of The Ministers’ Conference of Hampton Institute (later the HU Ministers’ Conference) and spread beyond the Hampton Roads area to include Richmond and Roanoke, Va. According to a report by Fenninger, the annual conference was to be “held at the same time as the Summer School for Teachers with the hope that closer cooperation might be brought about between ministers and teachers.” In its early years the conference did face some opposition from various groups that questioned its significance and the need for another gathering of ministers. There were already several Baptist meet- ings and conferences being held in Virginia. However, the conference continued to grow and flourish. Following World War I, a great migration of blacks from the South to the North was underway, and the Ministers’ Conference reacted by broadening its focus from the rural church to the needs of the urban church. In 1934, the Annual Choir Directors’ and Organists’ Guild joined the annual conference following the successful visit by the Westminster Choir School the previous year. The Rev. Samuel A. Devan, university chaplain from 1930-1940, wrote in his report, “This aroused so much interest that there have been requests that we provide in future conferences for the attendance of the Church Music Directors.” Even today, the conference carries a strong bond with the Westminster Choir School, now the Westminster Choir College of Rider University. “Clearly as the conference began to grow, one of the natural dealings with the church and worship is the musical component,” said Boddie. Assistant Professor Royzell Dillard, Class of 1983, serves as director of the University Choirs and co-director of the Choir Guild. He began getting involved University Chaplain and Executive Secretary of the Ministers’ Conference, the Rev. Dr. Timothy T. Boddie, and Director of University Choirs and Choir Guild Workshop Co-Director, Royzell Dillard HU Alumni Magazine | Fall 2007 19 Feature • Ministering to Ministers with the conference in 1985, where he worked with Ronald Carter, former director of the Choir Guild. “Historically I think that when the ministers themselves were training, they saw their churches’ musicians needed to be trained as well. The spoken word goes handin-hand with the musical word, at least in the black church,” explained Dillard. “That’s what makes the bond significant. The music is there not only to train the musicians, but to support the worship of what is being learned during the conference.” Bishop T. D. Jakes; Marion Wright Edelman, the founder of Children’s Defense Fund; and former HUD secretary Henry Cisneros. This year, U.S. Senator and Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama appeared as a special guest to the conference to speak of faith and politics. By 1976, attendance had outgrown the Memorial Church. With nearly 900 persons from across the nation in attendance, the conference meetings were moved to Ogden Hall. Participation continued to expand, however, and soon even Ogden Hall became too small. “ Convocation Center, where the conference is now held. “I was with the group when we decided to put up the Convocation Center, and my name is up there in the lobby on the gold bricks,” said the Rev. Evelyn Harvey Spurlock, Class of 1938, proudly. Spurlock has been regularly attending the conference since 1940. “What I am today, I owe it to the information I’ve gotten from Hampton University.” In 2002, the conference broke the “glass ceiling” by naming the Rev. Dr. Suzan Johnson Cook as its first female conference Historically I think that when the ministers themselves were training, they saw their churches’ musicians needed to be trained as well. The spoken word goes hand in hand with the musical word, at least in the black church. –Royzell Dillard The HU Ministers’ Conference and Choir Directors’ and Organists’ Guild has also welcomed famous individuals to the Hampton campus. Past attendees have included the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1962; the Rev. Wyatt Tee Walker of Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York; the Rev. Jesse Jackson; the Rev. Al Sharpton; ” “One thing I remember most vividly my first year was that everything was in Ogden Hall and we were crammed inside, but it was great,” explained Harvin. Attendees of the HU Ministers’ Conference and Choir Directors’ and Organists’ Guild raised more than $2 million towards the construction of the president. In a male-dominated world, Cook has opened doors for women in ministry. “While the limo was a perk, my favorite thing was to have my colleagues say, ‘you are a leader and you are a great one.’ That was a moment!’” she stated. According to Cook, when she began The HU Ministers’ Conference has grown since it began in 1914. 20 HU Alumni Magazine | Fall 2007 Feature • Ministering to Ministers attending 26 years ago, she and the few other women in attendance would gather in their hotel rooms to discuss what it was like to be a woman in ministry. She now hosts the conference’s hugely successful Women in Ministry Luncheon. This year, the luncheon welcomed more than 1,200 women, filling the Student Center Ballroom to standing room only. “For women to have a session to celebrate our femaleness and be embraced, it’s like a giant pajama party!” explained Cook. “So, it’s kind of like saying, ‘Wow, I’ve got a thousand people in this room celebrating and affirming what I’m doing.’ What Hampton has is fascinating and so needed.” This year also welcomed a new conference president, the Rev. Dr. William H. Curtis of Mt. Ararat Baptist Church in Pittsburgh, Pa. Curtis is the youngest president in conference history; he first attended the conference in the 1980s as a teenager. Curtis aims to reincorporate the crucial partnership between the academic world and the church. “He has a perspective of the conference that I think harkens back to the glory years of the conference in which there was a clear intellectual and academic component that was insisted upon and was always a part of the conference that I think, in some degree, has been lost sight of,” added Boddie. Additionally, the conference has strongly supported the Michael A. Battle Endowed Scholarship Fund. Established in 1997, the fund supports HU students from congregations of churches affiliated with the Ministers’ Conference with three scholarships awarded each academic year. The scholarship was established in honor of Battle’s 20 years of service as university chaplain and executive secretary of the conference. The sale of conference t-shirts, towels, and Bible carriers has aided the Office of Development in nearly reaching the $400,000 endowment goal. A vast number of HU graduates attend the conference, and in 2006 the HU Alumni Breakfast was launched. What began originally as a luncheon, the breakfast offers an opportunity for attending alumni to gather, share experiences and network. “I would encourage all alums to come and to share and to offer your support to the School because we have to leave a legacy behind,” shared the Rev. Gloria Newsome Dowtin ’06, assistant to the pastor in the ministry of evangelism and outreach at First Baptist Church in Norfolk, Va., who has attended the alumni gathering since its inception in 2006. Dowtin is a graduate of HU’s online religious studies program, whose founding began as an offshoot of the conference. This year marked the 93rd HU Ministers’ Conference and 73rd Choir Directors’ and Organists’ Guild, yet it continues to evolve and expand to compete with new conferences. Technological advancements have led to a registration database, Internet presence, a transition from cassette tapes to CDs and DVDs, and advanced lights and sound on the stage. “In order to keep up, we have to be cognizant of the changes and the paradigm shifts and make certain that we continue to offer the best of ministry. We also maintain that we offer the best of the speakers and musicians,” explained Boddie. “I feel the conference speaks to the issues of preachers. It prepares us to be inclusive to our ministry and helps to shape who we are in the 21st Century,” said Dowtin. “I attend many other conferences whenever the opportunity, but I keep coming back to this one because it is for ministers and it’s a time for renewal, reflection and a chance to be inspired in your ministry.” – Alison L. Phillips Over the years, the conference has welcomed numerous special guests. (L to R) Dr. Timothy T. Boddie, Dr. Walter S. Thomas, HU President Dr. William R. Harvey, Bishop T. D. Jakes, Dr. Suzan Johnson Cook and Dr. William H. Curtis. HU Alumni Magazine | Fall 2007 21 Feature • Obama’s Address Prior to entering the Hampton University Convocation Center stage on June 5, U.S. Sen. Barack Obama’s aura had already filled the entire building. Questions buzzed throughout the room, “Is he here yet?”; “What will he speak about?” Nearly every seat was filled, with many individuals donning blue Obama ’08 stickers and pins. The Democratic presidential candidate visited the HU campus as a special guest for the 93rd Annual HU Ministers’ Conference and 73rd Annual Choir Directors and Organists’ Guild. “He believes in bringing people together - men and women, young and old, black and white, have and have-nots, Democrats and Republicans. His message is one of hope. Hope for all of us; hope for tomorrow,” said HU President Dr. William R. Harvey upon introduc- Barack Obama 22 HU Alumni Magazine | Fall 2007 ing Obama to the stage. “Believe you me, he is not like grapes. People like him don’t come in bunches.” Obama greeted the packed house, shaking hands with everyone on stage prior to approaching the podium. He even pointed out his own pastor, the Rev. Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright, Jr. of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, Ill., in the crowd. He immediately began telling the story of his recent visit to a commemoration of the 15th anniversary of the Los Angeles riots. According to Obama, Los Angeles, like many cities across the nation, had become filled with community disconnect and despair, building “quiet riots.” “That despair quietly simmers and makes it impossible to build good communities,” he said. He explained that even today these “quiet riots” continue to fester. It simply takes an act such as Hurricane Katrina or a jury verdict for that despair to reveal itself. Feature • Obama’s Address “But in the middle of that desperate time, there was a miracle that took place,” he stated. This miracle was the birth of a baby born with a bullet lodged in her arm. The doctors successfully removed the bullet; however, the child would grow up to always have a scar reminding her “how quickly she came into the world in this very unusual circumstance.” Tying these two storylines together he continued by explaining, “And it makes me think about our cities and communities all around this country. How, not only do we still have scars from that riot and the ‘quiet riots’ that happen every day, but how, in too many places, we haven’t even taken the bullet out.” These bullets, which Obama listed, include the rising number of children without health insurance, the overwhelming number of black men in prison rather than in college, crumbling school facilities, mounting areas of poverty, and the growing national debt due to the War in Iraq. “What’s stopping us from taking these bullets out and rebuilding our families, our communities, our nation and our faith in one another?” he asked the crowd. Obama also described his own discovery of Jesus Christ. He encouraged the finding of common ground, for people of different faiths and beliefs to unite. “We can come together as one people and transform this nation. Our God is big enough for miracles,” he concluded. Even with his speech running longer than anticipated, the crowd stood up and cheered for more as Obama exited the stage. “Just the point of him being here and supporting the Ministers’ Conference and explaining what was going on politically was good,” said the Rev. Simon Hicks, III of Agape Hands Cathedral in Newport News, Va. “I think he’s a likable young man, and I think he has great charisma, and I think he’s going to be a good candidate. I think he has potential,” said Lucious Powell of Christway Missionary Baptist Church in Little Rock, Ark. “The conference leadership was honored by the presence of this legitimate candidate for the U.S. presidency although the conference itself does not endorse political candidates. He generated a good deal of excitement and hope for the future,” said the Rev. Dr. Timothy T. Boddie, university chaplain and executive secretary of the Ministers’ Conference, following the event. –Alison L. Phillips HU Alumni Magazine | Fall 2007 23 Alumni Profile • Marcia Fields Milton The Road to Success Marcia Fields Milton ’80 is paving the way for women in the transportation service industry 24 HU Alumni Magazine | Fall 2007 Alumni Profile • Marcia Fields Milton In a business that is driven mainly by men, Marcia Fields Milton, Class of 1980, has broken barriers to make a name for herself in the transportation services industry. As president and CEO of First Priority Trailways, Milton operates a fleet of motor coaches, offering dependable and personalized transportation service to a variety of groups and organizations. It all began in 1999 when Milton was working at the Greater Southeast Community Hospital in Washington, D.C. There she worked in the school-to-work program with underprivileged kids coordinating field trips and other opportunities to learn about businesses, colleges and cultural activities. “We also got into some incentive things such as if they did well in the summer program, we would reward them with vacations. We worked to expose them to theatre and restaurants, and in the process I got involved in transportation,” she recalled. Washington, D.C. metro area means there is always something going on which requires her company’s services. The company provides shuttle services for the Washington Nationals baseball team and regularly transports Georgetown University’s athletics teams. First Priority Trailways has worked for presidential inaugurals, Presidents Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan’s funerals, and the Tiger Woods Classic. The company frequently arranges tours and trips for churches, fraternities, sororities, corporations and schools. First Priority Trailways offers coaches with customized interiors that include card tables, microwave ovens, multi-screen video and DVD systems, CD players, coffee makers, beverage dispensers, and XM Satellite Radio. Having earned a degree in business administration in 1980, Milton credits Hampton University for laying the foundation for her strong business and marketing skills today. She also participated in HU’s Student Leadership Program, where students were required to attend area cultural events, meet with corporate representatives, and learn etiquette skills. Many of these lessons she originally applied towards the children she worked with at the Greater Southeast Community Hospital. of directors of the United Motorcoach Association. According to Milton, many of the boards of directors within the transportation service industry are comprised mainly of white males. And, unlike her situation, the majority of transportation service firms are operated by former drivers who started their own businesses. “I wanted to be on this board to give another perspective,” she said. For Milton, everything is business. She never leaves the house without a business card on her, constantly seizing the opportunity for new clients. In an article that appeared in The Gazette in November 2006, J. Matthew Neitzey, executive director of the Prince George’s County Conference and Visitors Bureau, described Milton as a “hard-charging entrepreneur.” “She gets out there and hustles. She doesn’t wait for the business to come through the door. She’s aggressive, and that’s why she’s successful,” he explained. When she does take her own vacations, she prefers to take a cruise or venture back to her “Home by the Sea.” She attended her first Hampton Ladies Luncheon last year and returned again this year. “If it weren’t for my Hampton, things would be tough. I learned to be firm in what you know is right and just the overall business skills and principles of marketing. Hampton teaches you to build your confidence level. I never once thought I couldn’t make it.” That experience led her to plan outings for her friends and family. When the hospital began having financial difficulties, Milton researched the idea of owning a transportation business. She realized that owning her own fleet of transportation vehicles was the only way to turn a major profit. So she attended an exhibit show, wrote a business plan, and later found herself owning her first motor coach. What began as a small, out-of-home business has since grown into a major industry contender with 20 vehicles and a staff of more than 50. According to Milton, being located in the “If it weren’t for my Hampton, things would be tough. I learned to be firm in what you know is right and just the overall business skills and principles of marketing. Hampton teaches you to build your confidence level. I never once thought I couldn’t make it,” she explained. “When I was at Hampton, my instructors made you feel like you were going to the next level.” Milton has certainly taken herself to the next level. In 2006, Prince George’s County Chamber of Commerce named her the top entrepreneur of the year. She is also the first African-American woman to sit on the board She stays well connected with other members of the Class of 1980, constantly communicating via email or reuniting for Homecoming. She credits her fellow Hamptonians for much of her business success. “All the time, Hamptonians have been very supportive of our business,” Milton said with a smile. She furthered that her drivers continually recount meeting Hamptonians on their motor coaches. “I simply say, ‘That’s our Hampton family. We all know each other!’” - Alison L. Phillips HU Alumni Magazine | Fall 2007 25 Alumni Profile • Kacie Starr Triplett Young Alum is a ‘Starr’ in acie Starr Triplett ’02 has beaten the odds. She is determined to make her hometown of St. Louis, Mo., a better community by becoming involved in local politics. “I always wanted to run for office,” said Triplett. And on March 6, 2007 she was elected alderman, defeating competitors twice her age. She became the youngest member on the Board of Aldermen in St. Louis. The Board of Aldermen is a 28-member body that performs the legislative work of the city. Triplett has dedicated her career to her city. She comes in contact with many community leaders, small businesses owners, and elected officials and is making a significant impact for those in her community. There are dream positions out there for everybody, and Triplett has found hers, said Triplett, who graduated from Hampton University in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in political science. Some people decide what they want to be while in college, but Triplett knew long before then. “She always knew she wanted to be a public servant. It’s a dream come true for her,” said Jill Triplett, Kacie Triplett’s K 26 HU Alumni Magazine | Fall 2007 mother. “It runs in her family by having a grandfather as a political feature.” Triplett’s major influences are her family. Her veteran-legislator grandfather, the late John Bass, helped her primarily throughout her college and professional life. He was a distinguished educator who had become an enthusiast, breaking barriers for the St. Louis community. He was also an alderman and made history when he become the first African American to be elected comptroller in St. Louis. “My grandfather was very influential mentally and financially for me to go to Hampton University. He was very encouraging and supportive with the black college experience,” said Triplett. She grew up with supportive parents and a younger brother. It was a family effort with her father encouraging her to run for office while her mother was her mental coach. Jill Triplett gave her some good advice to keep her sprits up. “I stand on the shoulders of giants,” said Kacie Triplett. After Triplett graduated from Hampton University, a fellow alumnus, Maria Varner ’83, gave her her first job as a community outreach coordinator on Capitol Hill under Minority Leader Richard Gephardt. “She [Maria Varner] played a pivotal role in mentoring me in office politics and office décor,” Alumni Profile • Kacie Starr Triplett St. Louis said Triplett. “I was very blessed to have such a job after graduation.” Another alumnus, Camisha Abels ’96, worked with her in Gephardt’s office. Triplett earned a master’s degree in international relations from Webster University while working full time. She also worked as the district affairs coordinator for Congressman Russ Carnahan in the U.S. House of Representatives. In the height of the campaign for alderman with all the pressure of being the youngest and having opponents twice her age, her loving and symbiotic grandfather passed away a week before the election. In spite of her grief she won. “I was crying, emotional, excited and overwhelmed. It was a blessing to work so hard and receive success.” Triplett quit a very prominent job to run for alderman. She lived off the money she had saved to campaign. On the first day as alderman she did not know what to expect. Now she is going full speed ahead. “I wear many different hats,” said Triplett describing her daily roles. She makes many phone calls to developers to bring new projects to the Ward. There is one billion dollars in development in the 6th Ward, which she represents. “The biggest thing as a legislator is to make things happen and to improve the city of St. Louis,” said Triplett. Her latest project is a creating home- ownership initiative by building new homes for low and moderate income or first-time buyers. She wants quality homes in her neighborhood and to make a difference in her constituents’ lives. “I want it to work out making everyone satisfied with great feedback and happy people.” In 2005, The Affordable Housing Commission by Mayor Francis Slay named Triplett as the youngest commissioner in the history of the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. Triplett’s position is responsible for supervising a $5.5 million budget for affordable housing in St. Louis. She is also a former colleague with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and a Faculty Affiliate for the Sue Shear Institute and has worked for political comprehensiveness on different levels. Triplett is involved in a plethora of other organizations such as serving as the recording secretary for the Young Democrats of Greater St. Louis, a delegate to the America’s Council of Young Political Leaders, vice chair of the 6th Ward Democratic Organization, and a member of the Women’s Political Caucus. “I have morphed into an extremely focused and driven person. I’m very spiritual because politics is so brutal, I wear my spiritual armor.” She is very passionate for African Americans to get involved in the political process by any means necessary, by voting and getting connected in the community. “I'm extremely happy and blessed to get out of college and directly do what’s in my field by running for election and being successful,” said Triplett, content with what she has accomplished so far. Triplett still has some ideas and goals that she would like to pursue in the legislative field. She wants to start a not-forprofit outreach arm of the legislator office. This will allow her to be able to apply for grants along with the people providing them with job fairs, housing seminars, etc. to empower the community. With all of her accomplishments and future aspirations, it is obvious we have a “Starr” in our midst. –Shona Lewis ’08 “We now live the dream of our grandparents. We are the offspring, it’s our world, if there’s not opportunities, make them,” HU Alumni Magazine | Fall 2007 27 Alumni Profile • Debra Flores Debra Flores, Class of 1983, indulges in the idea of daring to be different. Nearly 25 years after graduating from Hampton, she has risen through the ranks of Sentara Healthcare to recently become the administrator of the Sentara CarePlex Hospital in Hampton, Va. What makes Flores so unique is that she is the first nurse in Sentara Healthcare’s history to hold this position. As administrator, Flores oversees the day-to-day operations of all hospital departments and manages the overall operation and efficiency of the entire facility. In addition, as an African-American woman she is trumping numerous national statistics that state that minorities are still poorly represented in the world of healthcare. In the 2004 report “Missing Persons: Minorities in the Health Professions,” the Sullivan Commission on Diversity in the Healthcare Workforce found “while African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and American Indians represent more than 25 percent of the U.S. population, less than nine percent of nurses, six percent of physicians, and five percent of dentists are from these populations.” Those trends may be changing in Hampton Roads where according to Inside Business, Flores is the third African American in three years to manage an area acute care hospital. However, Flores does not want her actions to be defined by the fact that she is 28 HU Alumni Magazine | Fall 2007 African American nor that she is a woman. “I happen to be a woman and I happen to be African American, but it’s not on the forefront of my mind… It’s because of who I am as a person with what my parents - the values they instilled in me - that has led me to be a role model,” she shared. “I’d like to be considered a role model for humankind, not just a certain [demographic.]” A natural leader, Flores takes a personal approach to her position. While much of her time is spent in various meetings, she takes pride in hosting town hall-style meetings and interacting with her employees at large. “I like to roam around the hospital, so on a good day, I have the opportunity to make rounds throughout the hospital and talk to staff and just be present throughout the facility,” she said. As administrator of the Sentara CarePlex Hospital, located in the heart of the developing Coliseum Central area, Flores is centered on five main goals: fiscal responsibility, clinical quality, service excellence, members of the team, and infrastructure. She is working to improve employee and physician satisfaction and is moving the hospital towards the use of electronic med- ical records. She is also spearheading the approval of a new Bed Tower Project, where a bed tower containing 30 additional medical-surgical beds will be added to the hospital facility. Beginning as a staff nurse in 1985, Flores has held a number of Sentara positions over time. This experience has also provided her with a unique viewpoint on the pulse of the facility. “It gives you varied perspectives on any issues that come up because I know what it was like or how that would affect me as a staff person, as a director, as a vice president of nursing. I’ve actually worked in almost every role at almost every level,” she stated. Much of her career success stems from the lessons learned during her days as a student at Hampton Institute, now known as Hampton University. When Flores first arrived, she already knew she wanted to enter the field of nursing. In her youth she assisted at the Veterans Medical Hospital in New York City and later at Mount Sinai Hospital, and credits that this early exposure “made it so comfortable for me to be able to be in a hospital.” Alumni Profile • Debra Flores Therefore, she chose to major in nursing at HU. “It was tough because a lot of my time was spent in the nursing building and in the labs and in the dorm studying because it was heavy chemistry, anatomy, physiology, and microbiology; so that was my first priority,” she explained. Beyond the textbooks, HU’s nursing program offered other lessons that carried into Flores’ career. She recalled a great deal of discipline was required of nursing majors, from meticulously kept uniforms to time management to critical thinking. According to Flores, nursing majors had to understand the total picture, gaining an understanding of all of the dynamics related to a patient and patient care. As vice president-nurse executive at Sentara and even now as administrator, she continually strives to drive that message home. She’s developed the “Back to Basics” campaign where she is promoting a return to these fundamentals of understanding patient care to ultimately increase overall nursing performance. “You have to understand the big picture and why X, Y and Z are happening versus just going ahead and doing task-oriented things,” said Flores. “So I really learned that skill to be able to take information and then assimilate it and draw conclusions versus making assumptions. The thinking has to be multi-dimensional, and I think I learned a lot of that from the nursing program.” HU also played a significant role in Flores’ personal life - she met her husband, Victor, at a pre-alumni meeting in New York. They are both from Brooklyn, however they did not know each other previously. “So when we got to Hampton, I remember I was in the Student Union getting some ice cream and he walked up and he said, ‘Don’t I know you from somewhere?’ And typical Debra, I said, ‘I don’t think so,’” she laughed. From that point on they were friends through sophomore year and began dating as juniors. Outside of studying or participating in Sigma Theta Tau or Alpha Kappa Mu, she spent most of her free time strolling around campus with Victor. And, daring to be different even in college, they were engaged by senior year. The two graduated in May 1983 and were married that December. Her husband served a full career in the U.S. Navy and she later earned her master’s degree in business management from Troy University. They have two children, Maria Christine and Niles Alexander. While the demands of her position exist, Flores also sees the importance of balancing her family, her faith and her career. And while she admits that it really is quite a load, she’s realizing more and more to scale down and prioritize. “My job is very important to me, but I’m finding to get the best and the most out of me, I have to take care of some of those other quadrants. They have to have just as much priority or more so than the work piece,” she explained. She also credits her ability to balance life through the assistance of God, her FranklinCovey planner, her electronic calendar and her mother, who relocated to the area to offer assistance. “Don’t be afraid to be different. As a matter of fact, differentiate yourself.” “I’m just really loving life. It’s cool to be in your 40s and be experiencing life,” she stated jubilantly. In her spare time she enjoys knitting, crocheting, singing, running and public speaking. She frequently teaches leadership training classes at Sentara and her church, Second Calvary Baptist Church in Norfolk, Va. “She is a woman of deep faith and has a great commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ and has just been at the forefront of leadership in our church for a number of years,” said the Rev. Jeffery Guns, senior pastor. “It’s not just conversation for her; it’s her very essence.” He continued, “She’s a mother with great passion; she’s a wife and a Christian. She’s all of that first, and then she is an employee of Sentara.” In addition, Flores is also serving on the steering committee for the Class of 1983’s upcoming 25th Reunion Weekend. She and the other committee members are working to ensure this year’s activities will knock your socks off, with a class picture on the steps of Ogden Hall, the alumni banquet, a 1970s/80s-themed dance and more! The Class of 1983 had the largest turnout five years ago at their 20th Reunion. Therefore, she and the committee are aiming for even higher participation and have already begun planning activities during Homecoming that can serve as a precurser to excite classmates for Reunion Weekend. “It’s a pleasure to work with someone as passionate and driven as Ms. Flores. Her enthusiasm for Hampton and its accomplishments will translate well as a member of the ‘83 fundraising committee,” said Sharon Gates ‘05, director of development at HU. As for Flores, she encourages other current and future Hamptonians to consider a degree in nursing as a path to a variety of careers from administration to clinical, from homecare to the insurance industry. “Don’t be afraid to be different. As a matter of fact, differentiate yourself,” she concluded. –Alison L. Phillips HU Alumni Magazine | Fall 2007 29 Alumni Profile • Theophia Lee Flying High Emeritus Class member earns Congressional Gold Medal ampton University and Tuskegee University have a special bond in many ways. Booker T. Washington graduated in the Hampton Institute Class of 1875 and founded Tuskegee University. Hampton-trained pilots went to Tuskegee to help form the Tuskegee Airmen fighter pilot squadrons during World War II. The Tuskegee Airmen were the first black military pilots. They fought in World War II for the United States despite the fact that many of them felt as though their country treated them as secondclass citizens. On March 29, 2007, President George W. Bush recognized the efforts of these brave soldiers, awarding members of the original Tuskegee Airmen the Congressional Gold Medal at the White House. “All of the original Tuskegee Airmen were awarded, even ground workers,” said E. Theophia Lee ’42. “Even though you might not be a man.” Lee was awarded the medal because of her work at Tuskegee as a secretary to the plant engineer. Lee’s late husband, Phillip Lee ’40, was also an original member of the squadron. “Many people think I got the award because of my husband, [but] I got it because I worked in the airfield,” said Lee. “It took 9 or 10 of us on the ground to keep the pilots in the air.” H 30 HU Alumni Magazine | Fall 2007 Phillip Lee and Roscoe Draper, who also attended Hampton, were the two men from the Institute to go to Tuskegee for advanced flight training and serve in the original 99th Fighter Squadron of the Tuskegee Airmen. Theophia Lee thinks very highly of her husband. The two met as Hampton students. Through involvement with the Fidi Amici social club. Phillip Lee was a trade school student at Hampton and trained as a pilot. He then became one of the first students to go to Tuskegee for advanced flight training and eventually became a flight instructor for other Tuskegee Airmen. He even proposed to Theophia in a plane. “At first I said, ‘no,’” she recalled. “Then he did an acrobatic maneuver…and then figure eights… [until] I would have agreed to anything. We had a Tuskegee Airmen wedding,” she said. Theophia Lee is now active in the Tuskegee Airmen East Coast Chapter in Washington, D.C. She attends the national convention every year and meets with other chapters from around the country. “I don’t believe in women doing everything men do, but I was the first woman to join the chapter,” said Theophia Lee. She says her husband encouraged her to join the chapter several years ago because the men were “too rowdy in the meetings” and if she joined they would have to “clean things up a bit.” “There was nobody else like my husband,” she said. The Lees had four children who all reside in Houston: Phillip Ferguson Lee II, ’68; Andre Wendell; Fredric Osborne; and Dr. Elwyn Cornelius Lee. Dr. Lee is the husband of U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee of the 18th Congressional District of Texas, centered in Houston. Jackson-Lee was present for the Congressional Gold Medal awarding ceremony and was moved by the effort to honor her mother-in-law and father-in-law along with the other original Tuskegee Airmen. “I had an honor today that will be forever embedded in my heart; and that was to watch the Tuskegee Airmen, of which my father-in-law, Phillip Ferguson Lee, was an active and proud member, be honored with the Congressional Gold Medal,” said Jackson-Lee, according to a congressional tracking website at www.govtrack.us. “I thank with all of my heart…all of the participants who commemorated and celebrated brave men who sacrificed their life in World War II but yet were treated worse than the Nazi soldiers who were captured and held here in the United States. In spite of color and racism, they rose to the highest occasion.” Theophia Lee continues to travel, exercise, and be active in her community. “I don’t stay at home. I don’t go to bed early,” she said. “I am 87 years young.” With her positive attitude and her sense of humor and adventure, Lee continues to exhibit the pioneering spirit of the Tuskegee Airmen. -Erica Taylor Harrod ’04 Qvpu" Ohtw{vu Hs|tup" Vuspul ,W·VWKHQHZJDWKHULQJ SODFHIRU+DPSWRQLDQV (AMPTON5NIVERSITYHASLAUNCHED(AMPTON !LUMNI/NLINE4HISNEWONLINEGATHERING COMMUNITYISWHEREYOUCANlNDFRIENDS SHAREANDVIEWCLASSANDCHAPTERNOTESAND VISITTHEEVENTSCALENDAR (AMPTON!LUMNI/NLINEW ILL FEATURE /NLINE$IRECTORY !PASSWORDPROTECTEDDIREC TORYTHATYOUCANUPDATE YOURSELFANDUSETOSEARCH FORYOURCLASSMATESAND FRIENDS #LASS.OTES )NTHECLASSNOTESYOUCAN POSTINSTANTUPDATESAND PICTURES ABOUTYOURFAMILYCAREER ANDINTERESTS #HAPTER.OTES )NTHECHAPTERNOTESSEC TIONYOUCANPOSTINSTANT UPDATES ANDPICTURESABOUTYOURL OCALALUMNICHAPTER %VENTS#ALENDAR !LISTINGOFALUMNIEVENT SANDUNIVERSITYEVENTS "ROADCAST%MAIL "ROADCASTEMAILFROM(A MPTON5NIVERSITYTHATIN FORMS YOUINSTANTLYABOUTNEWS ANDEVENTS 0OLLSAND3URVEYS 4HESESPECIALFEATURESO FFERALUMNIOPPORTUNITIE STO EXPRESSTHEIRVIEWSABOUTA VARIETYOFTOPICS *OININGISEASY'OTOOAA HAMPTONUEDUANDCLICK ON/NLINE#OMMUNITY &ORMOREINFORMATIONPLEASECALL THE/FlCEOF!LUMNI!FFAIRSAT Athletics • Year End Round Up HU Tennis Coach Posts 1,000 Career Victory th Screen becomes third coach in history of Division I tennis to post more than 1,000 wins ampton University head men’s and women’s tennis coach Dr. Robert Martin Screen ’53 collected his 1000th victory on March 31, 2007 after the Hampton University men’s and women’s tennis teams defeated Winston-Salem State University 7-0 at the NeilsonScreen Tennis Stadium at Hampton University. Screen currently stands at 1,011 wins overall and has become only the third coach in Division I tennis history to accomplish this feat. “My record is the best kept secret on campus,” said Screen. Screen is in his 37th season as head coach of the HU tennis program. He is the winningest coach among all-time active NCAA Division I coaches for men’s and women’s tennis. Not only does Screen hold this impressive position among collegiate coaches, but he is also the most successful African-American tennis coach in the history of the game. “I’ve won more than 40 championships,” said Screen. “I am the only African-American in the history of the game to win 1,000 matches.” Before moving up to the Division I level of competition during the 1995-96 season, the Pirates dominated the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) by winning 22 consecutive conference titles and two NCAA Division II National Championships in 1976 and 1988, becoming the only Historically Black College/University (HBCU) to win a national tennis title. H 32 HU Alumni Magazine | Fall 2007 “ I am the only African American in the history of the game to win 1,000 matches. ” In 1996, Hampton University added women’s tennis to their slate, providing an additional opportunity for Screen to display his merit as a championship coach, guiding the Lady Pirates to the MEAC crown that very same year. He went on to add two more titles in 1998 and 2002. In his 37 years of service to the University as a head coach, Screen has accumulated 34 conference championships (men and women). “I came to Hampton shortly after World War II,” said Screen. He went on to describe how he played tennis as a student under the coach at that time, Herman M. Neilson. Screen appreciated how Neilson treated him like a son, especially in a difficult time after Screen lost his father in the war. After completing graduate school, Screen returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach under Neilson who recommended Screen to serve as his successor. The current Hampton University tennis stadium is named the NeilsonScreen Tennis Stadium after the two legendary coaches and friends. “I have a love affair with my alma mater,” said Screen. A 1953 graduate of Hampton Institute. He received his master’s degree from New York University and his doctorate from Michigan State University. Along with his duties as the head tennis coach, Screen is the chair of HU’s Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders. In 1994, he co-authored a textbook with one of his former students, Dr. Norma Anderson of Howard University. The book is titled “Multi-Cultural Perspectives in Communicative Disorders” and is used by many major universities and colleges throughout the country. Screen is especially proud of his players for achieving the recent wins and a 100 percent graduation rate over the last four years. -Erica Taylor Harrod ’04 Athletics • Year End Round Up Durant is highest ampton linebacker Justin Durant was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the 16th pick of the second round and the 48th overall in the 2007 National Football League (NFL) Draft, becoming the highest selection in Pirate history. He was selected by the same team that drafted former Pirate cornerback Cordell Taylor in the second round of the 1998 draft. Durant’s selection marks the sixth Hampton player drafted since 2000 and the 11th since head coach Joe Taylor took over the program in 1992. The first player selected from the Division I Football Championship Subdivision (formerly IAA), Durant is the only player in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference history to be named Defensive Player of the Year three times. A native of Florence, S.C., where he attended Wilson High School, he was also recognized as an All-American by the Associated Press, The Sports Network, The Walter Camp Football Foundation and the Sheridan Broadcasting Network. H HU draft pick After finishing his career ranking second alltime at Hampton with 339 tackles, including 176 solo stops, Durant was one of three Pirates invited to participate in the 2007 East-West Shrine Game and one of a FCS record five Hampton players invited to the NFL Combine. Now he’ll set his sights on joining former Pirates Jamal Brooks (Rams), Darian Barnes (Jets) and Jerome Mathis (Texans) on an active NFL roster. Despite not hearing their name called on Sunday during the second day of the 2007 NFL Draft, six members of the Hampton University senior class will get their opportunity to play at the next level after they were signed to free agent contracts. The six players are cornerback Travarous Bain (Arizona), tailback Alonzo Coleman (Dallas), wide receiver Dereck Faulkner (Philadelphia), safety Marlon Fair (Kansas City), wide receiver Onrea Jones (Houston) and wide receiver/punt returner Marquay McDaniel (Denver). Jones joins former Hampton wide receiver Jerome Mathis in Houston where they’ll both look to find playing time opposite the Texans No. 1 receiver Andre Johnson. Yvette Lewis wins triple jump at NCAA Outdoor Championships “I hadn’t won since the 2006 indoor championships, so I just tried to put everything together on my final attempt and things worked out.” With her final jump of the afternoon, Hampton University’s Yvette Lewis went from fourth place to a national champion in the triple jump at the 2007 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Sacramento. Lewis, who a day earlier earned all-American honors in the 100meter hurdles, jumped 45-00.50 to overtake Stanford’s Erica McLain (44-10.25) for first place. “Heading into my final jump all I could think about was not finishing fourth like I did last year,” said Lewis. “I hadn’t won since the 2006 indoor championships, so I just tried to put everything together on my final attempt and things worked out.” In what has become a great rivalry with McLain, Lewis was able to rebound from her second place finish at the indoor championships when the Stanford junior won the event and ended Lewis’ hopes of defending her 2006 national indoor triple jump title. With her victory Lewis becomes Hampton’s first two-time national champion in track & field and the university’s only six-time allAmerican (4 - triple jump, 1 – 100-meter hurdles, 1-long jump). HU Alumni Magazine | Fall 2007 33 Athletics • Year End Round Up Laster posthumously honored as the Coach of the Year and recently he led Hampton to the 2007 regular season title with a doubleheader sweep of Delaware State. Laster also served as the women's volleyball coach where he just concluded his 13th year. In just his first season with the Lady Pirates in 1994, Laster led Hampton to a stimulating 27-5 overall mark in the regular season, and an impressive 22-2 record in conference play (CIAA). In 2005, the Lady Pirates posted their first winning season on the Division I level with a mark of 20-15. Laster was not only known for softball and volleyball. In 1971, he began his twoyear period as the assistant women's basketball coach at Tuskegee University in Alabama. The transition to working with the Golden Tigerettes was nothing new to Laster, who was a proud alumnus of Tuskegee. After spending two years at Tuskegee, he decided to try new endeavHampton University softball ors by taking over the reigns as head coach Tiny L. Laster, Jr., was women’s basketball coach at Talladega College, also in Alabama. While serving as posthumously honored as the head coach, Laster led the Tornadoes to Coach of the Year by the Virginia back-to-back 20-win seasons. After posting this monumental feat for Sports Information Directors Talladega, Laster eventually ventured back to his old stomping grounds of Tuskegee (VaSID). University, where he took over the position Laster, who passed away on May 3, led as head women’s basketball coach in 1976. the Lady Pirates to a 14-0 conference record On the '82 campaign, the Tigerettes finto clinch the Mid-Eastern Athletic ished in second place in the first-ever Conference (MEAC) regular season champi- NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball onship for the first time in school history. Tournament. During his 12 years at Hampton finished the season 36-13 overall Tuskegee, Laster compiled a phenomenal giving Laster a career record of 537-303-1. 245-128 overall record, led the team to “Coach Laster was a great coach and three consecutive Alabama Association of role model for student athletes at Hampton Intercollegiate Athletics for Women University,” said HU President Dr. William (AAIAW) championships, and was named as R. Harvey. the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic The head softball coach at Hampton Conference (SIAC) Coach of the Year in since 1989, Laster built a Lady Pirate pro1979, 1982, and 1985. gram that quickly became one the top teams In 1988, Laster was ready to move once in the Division II Central Intercollegiate again, having accomplished all that he Athletic Association (CIAA), winning back- could. Laster took over the posito-back conference titles in 1994 and 1995. tion as the head women's basWhen Hampton made the move to Division ketball coach for the Lady I, the success continued as the Lady Pirates Pirates. During his tenure snapped Florida A&M’s three-year champi- with Hampton, Laster onship winning streak to capture the 1996 became the second winMEAC crown. Last season Laster earned his ningest coach in the histo500th career victory with a win over North ry of the school's women's Carolina A&T in the MEAC Tournament basketball program. 34 HU Alumni Magazine | Fall 2007 In his seven years at the helm of the Lady Pirates, Laster posted a 139-67 mark, led the team to four 20-win seasons, and three NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Tournaments (1989, 1991, 1994). His best season came during the 1990-91 stretch, where the Lady Pirates finished the regular season with a 26-6 record. By the conclusion of Laster's career as the women’s basketball head coach, he had amassed over 400 victories to his credit. A native of Alabama, Laster received his bachelor's degree in chemistry from Tuskegee University in 1967. In 1980, Laster decided to go back to school in order to earn his second degree, this time a master's degree in chemistry, also from Tuskegee. He also earned a master's degree in sports management from the United States Sports Academy in 1986. Laster was also a proud member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. -Jamar Ross Sept. 1 BLUE VS. WHITE, Hampton, VA 1:00 pm (EST) Sept. 8 Howard, Washington, DC 1:00 pm (EST) Sept. 15 NC A&T, Greensboro, NC 6:00 pm (EST) Sept. 20 vs. MORGAN STATE, Hampton, VA 7:30 pm (EST) Sept. 29 vs. DELAWARE STATE, Hampton, VA 1:00 pm (EST) Oct. 6 vs. Princeton, Princeton, NJ 1:00 pm (EST) Oct. 13 vs. Norfolk State, Norfolk, VA 2:00 pm (EST) Oct. 20 vs. SC STATE, Hampton, VA 2:00 pm (EST) Oct. 27 vs. Winston-Salem State, Winston-Salem, NC 1:00 pm (EST) Nov. 3 vs. Bethune-Cookman, Daytona Beach, FL 4:00 pm (EST) Nov. 10 vs. FAMU, Hampton, VA 1:00 pm (EST) Nov. 17 vs. SOUTHERN ILL., Hampton, VA 1:00 pm (EST) Home games in bold NCAA Playoff Schedule Nov. 24 NCAA Playoffs (16) TBA Dec. 1 Quarterfinals (8) TBA Dec. 8 Semifinals (4) TBA Dec. 14 Championship Chattanooga, TN www.hamptonpirates.com or call 757-728-6828 HU Alumni Magazine | Fall 2007 35 As Hampton University’s newest alumni prepared to walk across the stage, seasoned alumni gathered for an activity-packed reunion weekend. On May 11- 14 alumni returned to their “Home by the Sea” to fellowship with friends and learn about the progress of their alma mater. This year, classes graduating in a year ending in the numbers two and seven were the guests of honor as they celebrated milestone years. The Class of 2002 celebrated their very first reunion of five years while the Class of 1957 was inducted into the Emeritus Class. Classes become members of the Emeritus Class when they have reached their fifty-year anniversary. “It came quicker than expected,” said Loren Johnson ’02. As usual, the Emeritus Class showed their full support during Reunion Weekend. They participated in social activities such as a breakfast, the annual alumni picnic and a reception and many members attended the commencement ceremony to hear the Rev. Jesse Jackson address the new graduates. 36 HU Alumni Magazine | Fall 2007 Other classes had activities planned, such as a night at Jillian’s, a local arcade game, restaurant, and social hang-out, and an evening cruise on the Spirit of Norfolk. Each reunion class also took a class picture and sent representatives to the popular reunion Alumni Banquet in Holland Hall. During the banquet, Hampton University President Dr. William R. Harvey gave his annual State of the University address to update alumni on the progress the university has made in the past year. Harvey also mentioned to the banquet attendees that he is in his 29th year as president of the university and that he will continue to serve in this position until he is “no longer making a difference.” Harvey also discussed the disparities in cancer treatment among blacks, especially among black men. He explained that the Hampton University Proton Therapy Institute, scheduled to open in 2010, will help to alleviate some of that disparity. Alumni representatives from various classes shared with the banquet attendees their personal memories of the cafeteria. Memories ranged from the food selections to sitting in the same seat all year to Greek and social life in the “Cafe.” And, as the university approached the June 30 deadline for the new dining facility campaign, alumni were asked to remember their times in the VirginiaCleveland cafeteria and help tomorrow’s students to create memories in the new facility. “We are asking you to stretch,” said Mildred Swann ’67, director of alumni affairs. The goal of the dining hall campaign was to raise enough to receive up to a $5 million matching gift from an anonymous donor. Each reunion class traditionally presents a financial gift to the University, which is raised by members of the class and fosters a friendly competition among each group. This year, the Emeritus Class held on to their winning title, donating over $500,000. Each class gift is a special tribute to the University and will make a difference in the lives of present and future Hamptonians. As expected, Reunion Weekend 2007 was a success. All classes are invited to attend the festivities next year. Be prepared to have fun, to learn, and to continue to support HU. The Office of Alumni Affairs challenges next year’s reunion classes with years ending in a three or an eight to make their experience just as special. –Erica Taylor Harrod ’04 HU Alumni Magazine | Fall 2007 37 38 HU Alumni Magazine | Fall 2007 At the Top of Her Class his year’s Reunion Banquet room fell silent and then erupted in jubilation as the Emeritus Class President, Dr. Gladys Hope Franklin White, Class of 1939, for whom White Hall is named, presented a check for $533,358 to Hampton University. Under the diligent leadership of White, who raised money through June 30, the Emeritus Class presented an additional gift of $11,874.02 for a total gift of $545,232.02 to the University. White has been the faithful leader of the Emeritus Class for more than 20 years. She attributes her leadership to “her loyalty, pride and love for Hampton.” When asked how she is able to encourage the Emeritus Class to give so generously, she noted that a great portion of gratitude is owed to the Emeritus Class itself for giving so graciously. T White also shared that each year she sets in motion a plan to inspire giving - she collects her data, communicates with her Class, provides a myriad of giving options, and has a grand celebration at the Annual Emeritus Class Banquet. She follows up each gift with a poetic thank you letter that expresses how much the gift means to her, and, more importantly, to the students of Hampton University. White is not modest about asking her classmates – or anyone else for that matter – to support Hampton University. Alumni and friends alike know she is always on a mission for Hampton and generously respond to her requests. She believes that giving is inspired by leadership. “If we don’t have leaders to insight and inspire giving, then we missed what Gen. Armstrong said to do, which is for alumni to give back for the next generation of Hamptonians,” said White. “If not you, then who better than you?” –Sharon Gates ’05 New assistant VP for development to focus on alums arriet Davis joined the Hampton family in April. Davis, the new assistant vice president for development, brings over 25 years of higher education experience to the position. Davis has held several leadership positions at North Carolina A&T University. As the director of development and director of alumni affairs, Davis helped to raise over $3 million in school contributions. Creating and implementing the first Aggie Awards Scholarship Gala and coordinating The Ray Charles Dinner Concert were feats also accomplished under her leadership. At Hampton University, Davis’ position consists of aiding the vice president of development in identifying financial needs and opportunities for the University and cultivating relationships with the university alumni. Davis has been an instrumental part of the fundraising for the new HU waterfront cafeteria. “We are very excited that Mrs. Harriet Davis has joined Hampton University as we continue our expansion of the resource base,” said Laron Clark, vice president for H development. “Coming to us with a record of demonstrated success, her background and experience in fund raising will prove invaluable in garnering resources and forging partnerships with the philanthropic community through the capital campaign and beyond. She also brings a wealth of experience in alumni relations that will be instrumental in assuring that our alumni program actively engages ever-increasing numbers of Hamptonians.” Davis received a bachelor’s degree in speech communications and a master’s degree in adult education from North Carolina A & T and is a graduate of the management development program at Harvard University. Davis is currently pursuing her doctoral degree in leadership studies at North Carolina A & T. Davis is a member of numerous professional associations and is also very active in her community. She is a member of the Leadership Greensboro Alumni; the North Carolina A &T Alumni Association, Inc. and the Alumni Band; Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and the Links. Davis is the mother of two daughters, Jennifer Davis, who is currently pursuing a Ph.D. at the University of Cincinnati, and Dr. Jillian Davis, an assistant professor in the Hampton University School of Pharmacy. HU Alumni Magazine | Fall 2007 39 Your gift to Hampton will not only benefit the campus, it can provide income and security for you and your family. A planned gift can be structured as an income-producing annuity or trust, as a means of reducing income- and estate-tax exposure, or both. The Office of Development is prepared to work closely with you and your financial advisors to structure a gift that accomplishes your personal goals and expresses your particular vision for you “Home by the Sea.” Dr. Ellamae Simmons, Class of 1940 Planned Giving Benefactor Please contact the Office of Development at 757-727-5764 for more information about the following planned giving opportunities: 40 Gift Annuity Appreciated Securities Personal Property HU Alumni Magazine | Fall 2007 Real Estate Wills, Living Trusts, Retirement Plans Life Insurance Mary Fuller Casey ’46 is the author of “SB Fuller Pioneer in Black Economic Development.” The story of S. B. Fuller, who was born into poverty and rose to success and human development prominence, is indeed a real American rags-to-riches tale. This book captures both the life and accomplishments of S. B. Fuller and the effect his teaching and philosophy had on those “Fullerites” who chose to follow and emulate him. Brian Pauling ’92 promotes personal growth in “The Recruit: Life Lessons.” This book is written for leaders, aspiring leaders, mentors, mentees, teachers, students and those that are accountable for the development of future leaders. DuEwa M. Frazier ’96 is the editor of “Check the Rhyme: An Anthology of Female Poets and Emcees.” This book is a crossgenerational volume of poetry, featuring the work of 50 thought-provoking and inspirational women writers, lyricists, and spoken-word artists from diverse cultures and backgrounds. Sharon KD Hoskins ’79 penned “To Handcuff Lighting.” Between the years of 1940-1970, more than 5 million African Americans left the South and migrated north. This book tells the story of Edward and Algie Clover of Dublin, Ga., along with their three daughters and Algie’s mother, who made that journey and found their promised land in Dayton, Ohio. Michael K. Fauntroy ’88 is the author of “Republicans and the Black Vote.” The Republican Party once enjoyed nearly unanimous support among AfricanAmerican voters; today, it can hardly maintain a foothold in the black community. Fauntroy explores how and why the shift occurred, as well as recent efforts to reverse it. The book navigates the policy choices and political strategies that have driven a wedge between the GOP and its formerly stalwart constituents. Melinda Elaine Hoye ’97 is the author of “From FAT to P.H.A.T.: Your 30-Day Journey to Weight Loss Once and For All!” Hoye provides astonishing principles to help you lose weight once and for all! The book covers a variety of topics such as “Why am I fat,” “Does diet and exercise really work,” “Can I eat more than lettuce,” “Meal Plans: How to grocery shop.” HU Alumni Magazine | Fall 2007 41 1940s 1965 The Hon. Theodore T. Jones was sworn 1949 in as an associate justice on the New Dr. Charles E. Wilson, Sr. was one of York Court of Appeals. New York Gov. six men featured in the new book “The Eliot Spitzer nominated Jones to the Real Pepsi Challenge: The Inspirational seat. Story of Breaking the Color Barrier in Horace Smith received the American Business.” The story depicts Chancellor’s Citation from how these pioneers rose above the prejuSyracuse University. The dice of the times. citation recognizes indiDoris Hickson Crocker received the viduals for “Engaging the coveted Dumond Peck Hill Lifetime World, Faculty Excellence Achievement award granted by Partners and Scholarly Distinction, of the Americas, Inc., in Washington, and Outstanding Contributions to D.C., for her outstanding service in the Academic Access and Support.” international arena. She was also desig1966 nated a “Women of Distinction” by the Dr. Patrick Lewis, chair of the Hampton Council of Girls Scouts in Monmouth University political science and history County, N.J., for her ongoing commudepartment, received the National Honor nity service. of Grand Cross of the Most Precious Order of the Princely Heritage (GCH) at the 25th Independence Celebrations of Antigua and Barbuda. 1953 Cephus S. “Dusty” Rhodes retired from 1967 A. Elizabeth Barber Walker, the first the Texas Veterans Land Board in African American to enter and graduate December 2006. He was appointed by from St. Mary’s College of Maryland, Texas Governor Rick Perry in 2004. was honored by having her bronze plaque mounted in the college’s library foyer. 1960 1969 Gloria Lawlah was Lynn C. Sparrock appointed Secretary of the Chavers, Ph.D. was Maryland Department of recently appointed as repAging by Maryland resentative to the Governor Martin International Heritage O’Malley with senate Committee of Alpha approval and consent in Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She is also March 2007. the President of the Franklin County, Mavis Polson Lewis received the Ohio Chapter of the AARP. Leadership Award from the Columbia, Md., chapter of the NHAA, Inc. The award was given for her outstanding and 1971 continuing leadership and dedicated Henry V. Singleton was named the execservice as chapter president. utive director of Ernst & Young LLP’s 1963 Tax Controversy and Risk Management Joseph E. Heyward received an honorary doc- Services (TCRMS) group. toral degree from Francis 1974 Rhonda B. Parker is the new director of Marion University. Durham Parks and Recreation in Durham, N.C. She was the interim 1950s 1960s 1970s 42 HU Alumni Magazine | Fall 2007 director of the department since October 2006. 1975 Dr. H. Richard Dozier has been named vice president and dean of student development at Corning Community College by its regional board of trustees. He is responsible for the oversight of admissions, athletics, advising, counseling, student activities, the FacultyStudent Association, career development, public safety and other student support services. 1976 Deborah Hill Gary retired after 28 years of military service. She served 14 years of active duty as a major and information officer in the U.S. Air Force and 14 years as a senior IT engineering manager with the Department of Defense. Joseph McKinley Lewis is pursing a master’s degree in sports management from the Unites States Sports Academy in Philadelphia, Pa. 1977 Jonetta Allen has been named the new state government relations manager for the Wachovia Corporation. Lt. Col. Claude Vann, III was awarded the Outstanding Alumnus-atLarge Award during the 2007 commencement exercises at Hampton University. 1979 The Hon. Drew Marsh has been appointed to a district level judgeship in Durham, N.C. Donovan Rose, director of the Hampton University Job Education Training Corps and associate head football coach at Hampton University, was presented the L.D. Britt M.D. Community Service Award by Eastern Virginia Medical School for his continuous service to the community. Class Notes 1980s 1989 Kevin Smith was elected first vice president 1980 of the Kentucky Baptist Convention. Dr. Russell A. Davis has been This is the highest ranking office that an appointed interim presiAfrican American has ever held in the dent of Glouster College in organization. Swell, N.J. He is the first African American to serve as the college’s president and will oversee a student population of 1990 6,100 while managing 78 academic pro- Rodell Cruise was unanimously grams and leading faculty and staff of appointed as the Cloyd District repremore than 300. Davis has also been sentative on the Pulaski County School appointed to the board of directors of the Board in New River Valley, Va. Burn Foundation. Myra Michele George was promoted to 1984 senior territory account manager and Erik Jon Wilbekin announces his private has been awarded the prestigious law practice in Covington, Ky. President’s Club Award from Dey Pharmaceuticals for her outstanding 1985 sales in 2006. The award is a result of Lisa Dunn Alford has been named two years of selling in the top 10 perOnondaga County’s Commissioner of cent of her company. Aging and Youth in Syracuse, N.Y. 1990 1986 Stephen Moton has been named a techni- Gregory S. Green was promoted to lieutenant cal recruiter for Don Richard Associates. Don Richard Associates provides tempo- colonel in the Unites States Army. He is currary and direct-hire personnel for both the public and private sectors in Virginia. rently serving in Iraq and has received numerous 1987 awards, including the Bronze Star. Jennifer Graham Sandy Gordon has been promoted to Clinkscales completed a vice president in-flight service opera30-minute educational documentary titled, “Your tions and training for Delta Air Lines. Connection to the Natural H. Eric Hilton was featured World.” The video takes in the Daily Report legal viewers on an educational journey publication. He is the genthrough the tropical world of the Central eral counsel for H.J. Florida Zoo. Russell & Company and Concessions International, 1988 LLC. Lori A. Williams-Chisholm was selected as the recipi1991 ent of the 2007 Antoinette M. Rogers Superintendent’s Arts recently received the docTeacher of the Year Award torate degree in education in Washington, D.C. The from Virginia award was given on behalf of the D.C. Commonwealth Commission of the Arts and Humanities, University in Richmond, D.C. Public Schools and the D.C. Arts Va. Her dissertation is entitled, “Factors and Humanities Education Influencing Successful Attainment of Collaborative. Doctoral Degrees in Education by Brent Ingraham was appointed vice pres- African-American Women.” ident of resort sales at Old Bahama Bay 1993 Resort and Yacht Harbour in West End, Chanell Briggs received an MBA from Grand Bahama Island. the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University, Durham, N.C. 1990s Blayre Josey received an MBA from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University, Durham, N.C. Fanon Rucker was appointed to the Hamilton County Municipal Court in Cincinnati, Ohio. 1994 Michael D. Armstrong was appointed to lead BET’s international division as senior vice president and general manager, overseeing the restructuring of BET International. Christopher M. Norwood was appointed by the Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives to serve on the Council on the Social Status of Black Men & Boys. The council will study sociological conditions of black men and boys in Florida. 1994 Ruchee Lori Smith was named vice provost for development at Rutgers University, Newark, N.J. 1995 Steve Cover has been named interim fire chief for the City of Virginia Beach, Va. Kimberly GarvinRichardson was named principal of Alfred S. Forrest Elementary School in Hampton, Va., by the board of the Hampton City Schools. Nicole Wilson was recently hired as a manager of markets, marketing operations with Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America in Deerfield, Ill. 1998 Dr. Keisha Yuette Perry earned her doctor of medicine degree from the Barry School of Pediatric Medicine and Surgery in Miami Shores, Fla. She has begun her residency at McGuire Veterans/Administration Hospital in Richmond, Va. Tiffany A. Goode has completed the requirements to be named an ASQCertified Manager of Quality/ Organizational Excellence. The CMQ/OE is a professional who leads and champions process-improvement initiatives—everywhere from small businessHU Alumni Magazine | Fall 2007 43 Class Notes es to multinational corporations—that can have regional or global focus in a variety of service and industrial settings. Lynden P. Garland, Jr. passed his Architectural Registration exam and will be licensed in South Carolina. 1999 Karin Y. Coger was named an associate attorney with the Wong Fleming Firm. Coger’s practice focuses on employment and labor law, commercial law, civil rights law and entertainment law. Prior to joining Wong Fleming, Coger practiced criminal law within the Office of the Public Defender in Trenton, N.J. 2000s 2000 Jay Brown was appointed the director of finance for Charles City County, Va. Raymond Marbury assumed the office of the president of the National Capital Area Paralegal Association in Washington, D.C. 44 HU Alumni Magazine | Fall 2007 Michael Robinson was appointed an engineer for KNSD-NBC#7 in San Diego, Calif. Aminah Collick Rogers has joined the Wilcox and Savage law firm in Norfolk, Va., as an associate attorney. Rogers will focus on litigation. 2002 Calvin L. Butts, Jr. was named the director of client service at Health Care First, a medical education company in Jamesburg, N.J. Brandon Fobbs was an actor in the movie “Pride,” which is based on a true story of an all black swimming team in the 1970s in Philadelphia, Pa. 2003 Lt. Leorey Saligan is a nurse in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. He serves in inpatient and outpatient clinic admissions at the National Eye Institute at the National Institutes of Health. 2004 Kevin G. Bowman has been named the Youth Services Coordinator for the City of Suffolk, Va. 2006 Candace M. Jackson is a law student at SUNY Buffalo where she is the Black Law Student Association (BLSA) chapter president and a graduate assistant for the Center for Academics and Development Tutorial Lab. She has also been elected the Northeast Regional Director of Programming for the BLSA. Jevon E. Brooks has joined the architectural and engineering firm of Becker Morgan Group Inc.’s Salisbury, Md., office as an architectural designer. Maurielle Lue has been promoted to weekend anchor/reporter for NBC 6 in Bluefield, W.Va. Charlitta Fletcher, a global business services consultant with IBM in Charlotte, N.C., has volunteered to help facilitate an innovative grant between IBM and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools to manage and host a series of three symposiums based upon IBM’s Global Innovation Outlook. ublished by the Hampton University Museum, the International Review of African American Art is a journal of exceptional quality to collect. With articles by outstanding writers, numerous color reproductions of art work, enameled paper and durable covers, it is a unique publication for your coffee table. And it’s not just for arts professionals. The journal is intended for anyone interested in a stimulating intellectual and sensory experience of African American culture. Recent issues have featured articles on African American master artists and the market value of their work; relations between mathematics, physics and visual art in the African Diaspora; and the “visual explosion” of art, design and architecture projects in Harlem, New York. For subscription and other information, visit: www.hamptonu.edu/museum/ publication.htm. HU Alumni Magazine | Winter 2007 45 Christopher Amos ’40 of Portsmouth, Va., March 7, 2007 Laverne Jones Hanes ’55 of WinstonSalem, N.C., December 3, 2006 Moses G. Payne, Jr. ’55 of Hampton, Va., April 7, 2007 Arthur J. Armstead, Sr. ’53 of Hampton, Va., November 3, 2006 Andrew Harland, Jr. ’50 of Clarksville, Tenn., January 7, 2006 Margaret E. Pendergrass ’34 of Springfield, Ill., September 17, 2006 Eunice N. Arrington, Jr. ’72 of Hampton, Va., November 13, 2006 Nettie Martin Harrell ’60 of Baltimore, Md., September 20, 2006 Richard J. Perry, Sr. ’48 of Southfield, Mich., January 19, 2007 Deborah Bethea-Berkley ’82 of Washington, D.C., May 15, 2007 Edward L. Harris, Sr. ’49 of Houston, Texas, February 14, 2007 Naomi Morton Pharr ’42 of Norfolk, Va., March 2, 2007 Betty Shearin Boulware ’71 of Baltimore, Md., February 2, 2007 Hugh B. Holland ’33 of Washington, D.C., December 15, 2006 Llewellyn C. Radford ’90 of Washington, D.C., February 2. 2006 Ollie M. Bowman, Jr. ’51 of Hampton, Va., January 28, 2007 William J. Holloway ’40 of Chevy Chase, Md., November 12, 2006 Clyde H. Reed, Sr. ’49 of Tacoma, Wash., March 23, 2006 Montrose Taylor Brown ’43 of Hampton, Va., February 14, 2007 Matthew F. Hopkins ’03 of Brooklyn, N.Y., June 10, 2007 Charlene Faulkner Ridgeway ’87 of Bowie, Md., December 10, 2006 Elmore M. Browne ’47 of Charleston, S.C., October 5, 2006 Janet Lightning Hunter ’71 of Detroit, Mich., January 28, 2007 Florence Powell Ross ’43 of Fostoria, Ohio, December 11, 2006 Leroy E. Browne, Sr. ’40 of St. Helena Island, S.C., January 21, 2007 Katherine Jones-Speights ’87 of San Antonio, Texas, May 17, 2007 Mildred Gregory Ross ’41 of Pacoima, Calif., November 29, 2006 Johnnie Bell Bunch ’79 of Newport News, Va., January 28, 2007 Joyce D. Ladson ’64 of Mt. Pleasant, S.C., February 26, 2007 Roy L. Sewer ’63 of St. John, V.I., June 7, 2006 Carol J. Butcher ’86 of Thorndale, Pa., January 17, 2007 Ralph T. Lebeau ’67 of Milton, Mass., December 13, 2006 Hyler Tull Shareef ’72 of Williamsville, N.Y., February 14, 2007 Delano Clark ’98 of Chesapeake, Va., May 11, 2007 George H. Lewis ’51 of Unionville, Va., March 3, 2007 Rachel Norcom Smith ’44 of Portsmouth, Va., November 27, 2006 Kermit A. Cottman ’36 of Princess Anne, Md., April 3, 2007 Robert D. McGregor, Jr. ’43 of Arlington, Va., November 4, 2006 Lottie Barksdale Spencer ’71 of Hampton, Va., November 3, 2006 Lee M. Davis, Sr. ’51 of Hampton, Va., October 26, 2006 Thomas H. McIntosh, Jr. ’29 of White Plains, N.Y., November 28, 2006 Wilhelmenia Morrison Upchurch ’42 of Durham, N.C., September 4, 2006 Myrna Charles Davis ’59 of Parkville, Md., May 14, 2007 Ethel Wynn McKoy ’54 of Hampton, Va., January 25, 2007 Geraldine Warrick-Crisman ’52 of Scottsdale, Ariz., February 12, 2007 Raymond A. Downs ’60 of Baton Rouge, La., November 29, 2006 Gregory M. Miller ’82 of Bowie, Md., June 8, 2007 Louise Stokes Washington ’45 of Gloucester, Va., May 11, 2007 Aulcie Evans ’51 of Raleigh, N.C., April 16, Charlie W. Moore, Sr. ’50 of Philadelphia, 2007 Pa., January 14, 2007 Angie Moore Watson ’39 of Somerville, N.J., June 9, 2007 Henry H. Fleming ’36 of Charleston, S.C., February 22, 2007 William B. Muse, Jr. ’40 of Martinsville, Va., February 26, 2007 Yvonne Cooper Watson ’71 of Meriden, Conn., February 3, 2007 Gladys Bolling Fletcher ’43 of Hampton, Va., April 20, 2007 O’Celia Ragland Nevels, ’42 of Plainfield, N.J., May 24, 2007 Joyce Hundley Wilkinson ’55 of Hampton, Va., January 17, 2006 George B. Goddard ’57 of Macon, Ga., November 27, 2006 James H. Nixon ’50 of Jamaica, N. Y., November 28, 2006 Myra Murrell Williams ’52 of Richmond, Va., April 1, 2007 Larry D. Graves ’76 of Emporia, Va., December 28, 2006 Iris Jeffries North ’41 of Charlotte, N.C., November 25, 2006 Bessie Thomasine Savage Womack ’46 of Chesapeake, Va., December 29, 2006 Charles E. Gray ’50 of Hampton, Va., February 28, 2007 M. Ralph Page ’48 of Richmond, Va., May 20, 2007 Thurmond B. Woodard ’70 of Austin, Texas, April 4, 2007 Naomi Thomas Gray ’45 of San Francisco, Calif., December 29, 2006 Calvin W. Parker ’62 of Baltimore, Md., September 2, 2006 Catherine Williams Woodhouse ’55 of Virginia Beach, Va., December 23, 2006 46 HU Alumni Magazine | Fall 2007 MEMORIAL CHURCH ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIP Given by Lawrence Patterson Hampton University plans to increase the endowment base for scholarships in order to provide more financial aid to high achieving students. In this regard, the University is offering seats of pews in Memorial Church for $1,000 each as a means of generating a $1,000,000 endowment for scholarships. Your name or the name of the person whom you wish to honor or memorialize can be inscribed on a plaque (as shown below) and affixed to the seat of a pew in Memorial Church. You are invited to join with others in this effort to generate $1,000,000 in endowment funds for scholarships. If you wish to reserve a seat in your name or the name of a loved one, please complete and sign the form. A one-time gift of $1,000, or a pledge of this amount payable over five years In Memory of will reserve Lawrence Patterson a seat. In Honor of Lawrence Patterson To assist Hampton with its endowment scholarship program, it is my intent to reserve _________seat(s) for the sum of $ _________________. (Check one): ❏ I have enclosed my check for $_______________. ❏ I pledge $ __________________ payable over five years. I will forward my first payment by _____________________. Name:__________________________________________________________ Address: ________________________________________________________ Signature: ______________________________ Date: __________________ I’d like my plaque to read: In Memory of __________________________ In Honor of ___________________________ Given by ______________________________ PLEASE SEND CHECKS AND MONEY ORDERS TO: VICE PRESIDENT FOR DEVELOPMENT HAMPTON UNIVERSITY HAMPTON, VIRGINIA 23668 OFFICE OF ALUMNI AFFAIRS HAMPTON UNIVERSITY HAMPTON, VIRGINIA 23668 If address is incorrect, please indicate change. Do not cover or destroy this label. Mail changes of address to OFFICE OF ALUMNI AFFAIRS. 48 HU Alumni Magazine | Fall 2007 Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Hampton, Virginia Permit No. 73