a PDF of the Spring/Summer 2014 Issue

Transcription

Today
A biannual magazine for alumni and
friends of University of the Ozarks
Volume 33 * Number 1
Spring/Summer 2014
University Administration
Richard L. Dunsworth, J.D.
President
Travis Feezell, Ph.D.
Provost
Jeff Scaccia, MBA
Chief Financial Officer
Joe Havis, MS
Vice President of Enrollment
Production Staff
Larry Isch, MS
Director of University and Public Relations
Editor
Vinnie Tran, BA
Publications Coordinator, Photographer
Design and Layout
Photo and editorial contributions by: Bristle
Shook, Josh Peppas and Carmen Castorena
For more information, please contact the:
Office of University Advancement
University of the Ozarks
415 N. College Avenue
Clarksville, AR 72830-2880
(479) 979-1230; Fax (479) 979-1239
Website: www.ozarks.edu
University Directory
(479) Area Code
Academic Affairs
Admission
Advancement
Alumni Relations
Athletics
Business Office
Financial Aid
President’s Office
Public Relations
Registrar
Student Life
979-1431
979-1227
979-1230
979-1234
979-1483
979-1208
979-1221
979-1242
979-1433
979-1212
979-1321
ON THE COVER:
The University of the Ozarks does not discriminate on the basis of religion, gender, color, national or ethnic origin, age, or physical handicap
in the administration of its educational policies,
programs or activities.
Richard L. Dunsworth, J.D., was officially
installed as the 25th president of University of
the Ozarks during an Inauguration ceremony
held April 11, 2014, in Munger-Wilson Chapel.
See Story, Page 4
CONTENTS
9
Athletic Program
Adds New Sports
14
GENEROUS GIFT
TO BENEFIT CHAPEL
16
The Legacy of Parks
22
A Melted heart
30
A LOOK back
Wrestling, Cheer/STUNT
provides new opportunities
for student-athletes.
Donation from Mrs. Frances
Wilson of Tulsa, Okla., will
aid in renovation efforts.
In 50 years of teaching at
Ozarks, Professor Gilbert Parks
has positively impacted
thousands of young students.
Alumna now understands
University constraints
of almost 50 years ago.
1940 graduate Billie Burnett
King recalls campus life nearly
75 years ago.
Today, SPRING/SUMMER 2014
1
Graduation 2014
Degrees awarded
to 120 graduates
University of the Ozarks awarded
degrees to 120 graduating seniors
d u r i n g t h e U n i v e r s i t y ’s 1 8 0 t h
Commencement ceremony, held May
17, 2014, on the campus mall.
The Class of 2014 included 28
graduates who received their diplomas
during the Fall Commencement in
December
Retiring U of O Provost Dr. Daniel
Taddie served as the keynote speaker
during the address. Taddie, served as
the chief academic officer at Ozarks
from 2002-2014, a tenure exceeding
that of all others in the position since
at least the 1940s.
Tom Riddle, a mathematics
major from Magazine, Ark., was also
recognized during the ceremony as
the recipient of the 2014 Hurie Award,
which is given to the outstanding
member of the graduating class and
is considered the highest honor an
Ozarks senior can receive. Riddle
graduated with Magna Cum Laude
honors and was president of the
Student Foundation Board for two
years.
Senior Whitney Lewis of Clarksville
was elected by her classmates to
provide the student’s welcome and
Board of Trustees President Doug
Black presented commendations from
the trustees.
Among those graduates who were
recognized for earning Summa Cum
Laude (3.85 grade point average or
higher) honors were: Fatima Aguero,
Adriana Beltran, Laura Duran, Jordyn
Ferrell, Madeline Hutson, Whitney
Lewis, Mario Lopez, Maria Montero,
Justin Ontiveros, Jessica Temple, and
Megan Whorton.
2 Today, SPRING/SUMMER 2014
Nitza Vara, a biology major from San Antonio, Texas, had a large and supportive
group of family and friends in attendance to celebrate her graduation.
Education major Amelia Huddleston
(above photo) of Springdale, Ark.,
shows her excitement after receiving
her diploma. Chris McIntyre (above,
left photo), a marketing major from
Dallas, and Abigail Kern, (left photo)
an art major from Wichita, Kan.,
enjoyed the special day with family
members.
University of the Ozarks Class of 2014
Ala’A Abu Rmaileh, Little Rock, AR
Jefferson Adams, Houston, TX
Vanessa Aguero, Nicaragua
Michael Alfaro, Costa Rica
Alejandro Andino, Honduras
Abraham Arias, Mexico
Joshua Atkinson, Clarksville, AR
Andrea Avalos, Costa Rica
Dylan Ballard, Ponder, TX
John Bannon, Dallas, TX
Whitney Bateman, Clarksville, AR
Maegan Bell, Dallas, TX
Adriana Beltran, El Salvador
Marcus Bobb, Ponder, TX
Molly Bowman, Springdale, AR
Katrina Bradley, Bentonville, AR
Nicholas Brill, Siloam Springs, AR
James Butler, Harrisburg, AR
Karina Calderón, Guatemala
María Calderón, Guatemala
Chloe Chrimes, Lewisville, TX
Andrew Clark, Elkins, AR
Cameron Coker, Russellville, AR
Alejandro Cordoba, Costa Rica
Kenneth Crook, Junction City, AR
Clayton Crouch, Wichita Falls, TX
William Davenport, Deer, AR
Kindra Davis, Fort Smith, AR
Cole DeVoss, Paris, TX
Eugene Downs, Nicaragua
Laura Duran, Honduras
Callie Edwards, Bentonville, AR
Tyler Erickson, Cabot, AR
Jordyn Ferrell, West Fork, AR
Luis Fiallos, Miami, FL
Stephanie Figueroa, Honduras
Kylee Firkins, Clarksville, AR
Matthew Friant, Conway, AR
Kelly Gorny, Clarksville, AR
Colleen Guillory, Lafayette, LA
Seanan Heaney, United Kingdom
Christopher Hilgendorf, Fort Smith, AR
Amelia Huddleston, Springdale, AR
Madeline Hutson, Rogers, AR
Tyler Hydrick, Jonesboro, AR
Kayla James, Lamar, AR
Peyton Johnigan, Fort Worth, TX
Calvin Jones, Conway, AR
Macie Kelley, Kaufman, TX
Abigail Kern, Wichita, KS
Katie Kloepfer, Lafe, AR
Eston Klutts, Mena, AR
De’Andre Knight, Star City, AR
Karl Kreitlein, Clarksville, AR
Whitney Lewis, Clarksville, AR
Olivia Logan, Banner Elk, NC
Mario Lopez, El Salvador
Rafael Luna, Brazil
Eddwing Madrigal, Nicaragua
Hunter Maggio, Dallas, TX
Steven Martin, Star City, AR
Nadesha Martinez, Nicaragua
Allison Mathis, Hemet, California
Casey Mays, Fort Worth, TX
Tabitha McClane, Flippin, AR
Christopher McIntyre, Dallas, TX
Evan Meagher, Lafayette, LA
Maria Montero, Costa Rica
Tess Montgomery, Anna, TX
Sequoia Moore, Pine Bluff, AR
Antonio Morales, Fayetteville, AR
Malorie Moreland, Rogers, AR
Sarah Nehus, Paris, AR
Ariel Nichols, Clarksville, AR
Adrian Nuñez, Flower Mound, TX
Tyra Omeir, Nicaragua Justin Ontiveros, Grand Prairie, TX
Christian Pedroza, México
Estrella Perez, Panama
Julie Petz, Shannon Hills, AR
Ryan Pitchford, De Queen, AR
David Pluebell, Plano, TX
Mitchell Powers, North Little Rock, AR
Jessica Prater, El Dorado, AR
Frederick Prince, Jonesboro, AR
Colton Qualls, Clarksville, AR
Tori Rhein, Corpus Christi, TX
Tara Richards, Henderson, NV
Thomas Riddle, Magazine, AR
Kourtney Risher, El Dorado, AR
Heather Roberts, Crossett, AR
Lakyn Robinson, Oark, AR
Laryn Robinson, Oark, AR
Caleb Rohde, Havana, AR
Richard Rumpf, Paron, AR
Rikki Runyan, McGehee, AR
Eloy Salgado, Mansfield, AR
Robert Sarber, Allen, TX
Monica Seiler, Rogers, AR
Kurt Shemanske, Bixby, OK
Tiffany Sirratt, Clarksville, AR
Corey Snyder, Clarksville, TN
Danessa Stewart, Ozone, AR
James Storer, Shreveport, LA
Jessica Temple, Benton, AR
Boulton Thomas, Gamaliel, AR
Karlye Tolley, Houston, TX
Emily Toombs, Lamar, AR
Alexandria Turner, Jonesboro, AR
Trent Ueunten, San Jose, CA
Nitza Vara, San Antonio, TX
Meiko Warren, Scranton, AR
Adam Waynick, Fort Smith, AR
Megan Whorton, Manassas, VA
Tamara Wilkett, Garland, TX
Kara Willbanks, Fort Smith, AR
Ashley Wilson, El Dorado, AR
Jeffrey Works, Fordyce, AR
Ethan Young, New Orleans, LA
Riley Young, Mountain View, MO
3
The Inauguration of
President Richard L. Dunsworth
Richard L. Dunsworth, J.D., was formally installed as the 25th president
of University of the Ozarks during a special Inauguration Ceremony on Friday,
April 11, 2014.
The ceremony, which was the culmination of a week-long celebration
involving numerous campus events, was attended by more than 500 students,
faculty, staff, alumni and friends in historic Raymond Munger Memorial Chapel.
The theme for the Inauguration was, “A Celebration of Students, Past, Present
and Future.”
Dunsworth, 45, was selected by the U of O Board of Trustees to lead the
University on Oct. 6, 2012, and began his presidential term in June 2013. He
came to Ozarks from Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois, where he spent
most of the past 22 years, serving most recently as interim president and
vice president for enrollment. As vice president for enrollment at Millikin from
2004-2013, Dunsworth oversaw numerous departments, including academic
development, admission, athletics, financial aid, institutional research,
marketing, media relations, registrar, and student development.
A native of Colorado, Dunsworth earned a bachelor of arts in political
science from Colorado State University in Fort Collins, becoming the first
person in his family to obtain a college degree. He went on to earn a master’s
Continued on Page 6
5
degree in education in 1994 from Eastern Illinois
University in Charleston and a juris doctorate from the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2002.
“It is especially humbling, as more often than not
when I look in the mirror I see a fairly simple country
boy from the plains of Colorado,” Dunsworth said. “I
see someone who but for some key relationships in
my life, would probably not have a college degree, let
alone three. And I surely would not be leading such
a special place as this.”
During his Inauguration remarks, Dunsworth
referenced the 180-year-old University’s tradition as
a trend-setter in higher education, citing the fact that
the college was the first in the state to admit women,
the first predominately white college in the state to
graduate African-Americans and among the first in the
nation to establish a center for students with learning
disabilities.
“Isaiah 1:17 says, ‘Learn to do right. Seek justice,
encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the
fatherless, plead the case of the widow,’ ” Dunsworth
said. “What is the next area of justice we might
tackle? I believe it is in the area of economic equality.
I believe that our size, our location and our current
position could allow us to pivot and do something. I
accept the challenge to go where others have not. I
appreciate that boldly going where no institution has
President Dunsworth’s parents, Leroy and Wanda Dunsworth,
traveled from Colorado to join the new University president, his
wife, Holly, and their children, Matthew, Emma and Nicolas, for
the special ceremony.
Christian singer Matthew West, a long-time family friend of the
Dunsworths, performed a special concert in the Seay Theatre for
the Ozarks campus community as part of Inauguration Week.
West won the 2013 American Music Award for Best Contemporary
Inspirational Artist.
gone before requires us to break from the pack and
to lead. It requires that we create a new path, a new
business model, new ways of connecting with each
other and possibly new ways to do old business.”
Dunsworth stated that making the cost of
attaining a college degree affordable to more students
would be a priority of his administration.
“What if in honoring our past, we rediscover and
truly live our mission?” he said. “What if we could find
ways of delivering a premier undergraduate education
by optimizing our cost and resource structure? What
if we could find a way to promise a family that they
would not be asked to leverage their future, or the
future of their child, by burdening a graduate with
more debt than he or she can possibly pay back?”
Doug Black, chairman of the University’s Board
of Trustees, said the search committee and board’s
selection of Dunsworth was unanimous.
“In conducting our search for the next president,
it was the sincere and earnest desire of the board
and the search committee that we be led by God’s
Inauguration Traditions
providence to discover and recognize clearly the man
or woman that He called to lead Ozarks,” Black said.
“After much prayer and serious discussion it became
clear to all of us that Rich Dunsworth was that person
and our decision to ask him to come was unanimous.
When I spoke with Rich after he had accepted, I
asked him what was the single most important thing
for him to consider in making his decision to join us.
He told me that he and Holly had been praying that
God would lead them to the place they were to serve
Him and they knew in their hearts that Ozarks was
that place.”
Black said he has been impressed with
Dunsworth’s leadership since he took office last June.
“Rich does not look upon his job here as a
position of great authority or celebrity, but instead as
his calling,” Black said. “In the short time he has been
with us, he has proven that he possesses the unique
professional skills and experience we need to lead
and guide us through the days ahead in addressing
the challenges with which we are faced. In Rich, God
has brought to us a humble man, possessed of great
character, integrity and a deep and abiding faith that
is the basis of his leadership. We are indeed fortunate
to have this gentleman who is sincerely and genuinely
dedicated to serving our students and our University
family.”
Several former Ozarks presidents and first ladies joined Richard
and Holly Dunsworth at the Inauguration, including Dr. Rick
and Sherée Niece (left), Juanita Ehren and Dr. Gene and Lynda
Stephenson (right).
The Presidential Medallion was designed as a
symbol of the authority vested in the President
by the Board of Trustees
of University of the Ozarks.
The medallion bears the
official presidential seal of the
University and depicts the logo
that symbolizes the University’s
Christian foundation. The
medallion was designed and
produced by alumnus James Edward “Ed” Martin
’68 of Oklahoma City.
The Chapel Bible used during the inauguration
was formally presented to University of the Ozarks
by the Class of 1962 in memory of their classmate,
Tommy Lee King, who fell ill and passed away
during the 1961-62 school year. The 1962 Aerie
Yearbook was dedicated in memory of Mr. King
with a Memoriam that included: “In the science of
biology, growth is an evidence of life. An increase
in the appreciation of a person in the opinion of
his associated is an evidence of spiritual growth.
This is the kind of light that never grows dim and
is never extinguished. The true Christian is a
shedder of light. Christ put it this way when he
said: ‘Ye are the light of the world.’ ”
The two hymns performed during President
Dunsworth’s inauguration service, “Joyful, Joyful,
We Adore Thee” by Ludwig van Beethoven and
“A Mighty Fortress is Our God” by Martin Luther,
were chosen not only because they remind us
that our true joy and hope resides in God, but
because of the history these two particular hymns
have at Presidential Inaugurations at Ozarks.
These hymns were sung as congregational
hymns or used as an instrumental anthem at the
inaugurations of President Ehren (1983), President
Stephenson (1991), and President Niece (1997).
7
AROUND CAMPUS
Chamber Honors University
University of the Ozarks was named the
Corporate Business of the Year at the 2014
Clarksville-Johnson County Chamber of
Commerce’s 93rd annual Awards Banquet,
held March 14 in the
University’s Rogers
Conference Center.
D r. B i l l C l a r y,
associate professor
of Spanish and
coordinator of the
Walton Arts & Ideas
Series, was also
named U of O Educator of the Year during
the awards banquet. Clayton Caldwell, chamber vice president,
praised the volunteer efforts of Ozarks’ faculty
and staff in announcing the corporate award.
“The faculty and staff at University of the
Ozarks are very involved in our community,
whether it is through service organizations
such as the Chamber of Commerce, Lion’s
Club, Rotary Club, Kiwanis Club, the local
churches, or other groups and organizations,”
Caldwell said.
Feezell Named New Provost
The University has named Dr. Travis
Feezell as its new provost. Feezell was
most recently an associate professor of
business and chair of the Department of
Sport and Motorsports Management at
Belmont Abbey College in Belmont, N.C.
He began his new duties at Ozarks on
June 16.
Following a nationwide search,
Feezell was selected from a pool of
more than 70 candidates. He succeeds
Dr. Daniel Taddie, who retired after 12
years as the university’s chief academic
administrator.
Feezell holds an Ed.D. in education and has more than 20 years
of experience in higher education as an academic administrator,
faculty member, athletic director and baseball coach. He also
served as special assistant to the president for strategic planning
at Belmont Abbey and previously served as interim chair for the
Department of Business and interim director of athletics at the
college.
Feezell and his wife, Carol, have four children.
CAMPUS ENHANCEMENT
New pedestrian zone improves safety
A new pedestrian improvement area on
College Avenue has enhanced the safety and
aesthetics along the University’s east side of
campus.
The pedestrian area, which was completed
in November, is made up of six traffic calming
areas, or “islands,” that stretch approximately a
quarter of a mile along College Ave., also known
as Highway 103. The heavily traveled Highway
103 is one of the main north-to-south arteries
in Johnson County. Highlighting the pedestrian
area are 16 light poles adorned with University
banners welcoming guests to campus.
The $300,000 project was funded through
a joint effort from the University, the City of
Clarksville and a federal grant through the
Arkansas Highway Transportation Enhancement
Program.
AROUND CAMPUS
Programs Added in Athletics
The University’s athletics program has added two new
sports and also expanded its shooting sports program in
an effort to provide more opportunities for students.
Ozarks will begin competing in men’s wrestling and
competitive cheer/STUNT in the 2014-15 academic year.
The University will also add men’s and women’s archery as
part of an expanded shooting sports program that includes
clay target shooting for both men and women.
During a June news conference, the athletics program
introduced (pictured, right) Jason Zastrow as the new head
coach of the wrestling program and Tori Cox to lead the
cheer/STUNT program. In addition, the University has
made significant renovations to Mabee Gymnasium to
accommodate the new sports, including converting the
indoor pool to a practice facility. Ozarks will have the first
cheer/STUNT program in the state.
“The addition of these sports will allow students the
opportunity to compete at the NCAA Division III level
while earning a degree and developing their personal
and professional calling,” said U of O President Richard
Dunsworth. “Student-athletes at Ozarks experience
academic success and professional preparation,
increasing further educational opportunities as well
as greater job placement. It is a perfect time to create
additional opportunities for young people to experience
that success.”
Fast Facts About Ozarks’ Newest Sports Programs
Archery
* The United States Collegiate
Archery (USCA) Association,
based in Davis, Calif., is the
governing body for the sport
and official competition is restricted to USCA-sanctioned
events. The U.S. Intercollegiate Archery Championships
are held in Long Beach, Calif.
* According to the USCA,
there are approximately 60
universities in the country
with active archery teams that
compete in national events.
Cheer/STUNT
* Head coach Tori Cox was
a former cheerleader at the
University of Northern Iowa.
* STUNT competition is
comprised of four quarters:
1) Partner Stunts, 2) Team
Tumbling/Jumps, 3) Pyramids/
Basket Tosses, and 4) Team
Performance. Within each
quarter, teams perform skill
sequences of varying levels
of difficulty. Two or four teams
compete at a time in head-tohead competition.
Shooting Sports
* In 2010, Ozarks became
the first college in Arkansas
to compete in the Association
of College Union’s Intercollegiate Clay Target Championships, which is considered
the premiere shooting event
in the country for colleges.
* Arkansas leads the nation
in youth shooting participation with more than 7,000
youth involved, according to
the Arkansas Game and Fish
Foundation.
Wrestling
* Ozarks is the sixth college
in Arkansas to offer wrestling
and the first NCAA Division
III program in the state.
* Head coach Jason Zastrow
is a native of Minnesota and
was a four-year letterman at
NCAA Division III Wartburg
College in Iowa. He served
as an assistant coach at
Wartburg from 2010-2013
and helped the Knights win
three national championships
and post a 56-1 record.
9
AROUND CAMPUS
FACULTY NEWS
Assistant Professor of Art Dawn Holder took home
top honors at the 66th annual River Valley Invitational,
announced June 5 at the Fort
Smith Regional Art Museum. The
River Valley Invitational was open
to professional artists nationwide
and there were 52 works submitted
by 43 artists in the competition.
Holder’s winning artwork was a largescaled installation called “Suburban
Lawn Iteration III.” The piece is
an installation made of porcelain
featuring about 75,000 blades of
grass. Holder, who earned her master
of fine arts degree from the Rhode Island School of
Design, has taught at Ozarks since 2011.
Dr. Robert Hilton, professor of management and
business, was presented with the prestigious John L.
Green Award for Excellence in Business Education
at the annual International Assembly of Collegiate
Business Education’s (IACBE) Conference in San
Diego in April. The award honors individuals who
make significant contributions that advance the
cause of academic quality in business education in a
manner consistent with the IACBE’s “characteristics
of excellence in business education.” This is the most
prestigious annual award given by the association.
Hilton served as chair of the IACBE board of directors
in 2004 and 2010 and led the University’s efforts to
earn initial IACBE accreditation in 2004.
Associate Professor of Spanish Dr. Bill Clary
presented a paper at the Latin American Studies
Association (LASA) Congress in May in Chicago.
Clary’s paper focused on Salvadoran writer Roger
Lindo’s 2006 novel “El perro en la niebla.” Clary also
chaired a panel discussion at the annual conference
for the ninth time. In addition to the LASA conference,
Clary has taught at U of O since 2006.
Professor of Political Science Dr. Stewart Dippel
recently completed his third book, “The Fast Day
Sermons before the Long Parliament
(1640-1660): Their Role in Shaping
Intellectual and Political Life in 17th
Century England.” The academic
volume is published by The Edwin
Mellen Press. Considered a leading
academic in 17th Century religious
history, Dippel said his latest
publication is intended for professional
and graduate-level scholars of early
modern religious history. Dippel, who
earned his Ph.D. from The Ohio State University, has
taught at Ozarks since 1992. He has authored two
other books.
Making History
The 2013-14 men’s tennis team made history in 201314, advancing to postseason play for the first time.
The Eagles, under head coach Shaun Wiseman,
qualified for the six-team American Southwest Conference
Tournament in Tyler, Texas, after finishing third in the
league standings. The Eagles defeated Mary HardinBaylor 5-1 in the first round of the tournament before
falling to top-seeded UT-Dallas. The Eagles finished the
season with a 12-5 overall record.
“Qualifying for the playoffs is a sign of our progression
the last few years,” said head coach Shaun Wiseman. “It
is big for our program. We have been building for this. Our
guys have gained experience against strong opponents
and that has helped us win some close matches.”
Faculty, Staff Awards
The University’s Board of Trustees presented its annual faculty and
staff awards during the 2014 Trustees’ Awards Banquet in April.
Among the recipients for 2014 were (pictured, from left) Aramark
Catering Manager Amanda McCartney, Assistant Professor of
English Dr. Amy Oatis, Director of Information Technology Rick
Otto, Associate Professor of Life Science Education Dr. Kim Van
Scoy, and Jones Learning Center Testing Coordinator Tricia Meek.
Oatis and Van Scoy each received the Richard and Katherene
Bagwell Outstanding Faculty Award. Meek was honored with
the Arnold G. Sims Outstanding Support Staff Award and Otto
earned the Alvin C. Broyles Outstanding Professional Staff Award.
McCartney was presented the 2014 President’s Above and Beyond
Outstanding Service Award.
AROUND CAMPUS
THE LESSONS OF DR. SEUSS
Education Major Uses Author’s Books to Reach Her Students
“I like nonsense; it wakes up
the brain cells. Fantasy is a
necessary ingredient in living; it’s
a way of looking at life through
the wrong end of a telescope.
Which is what I do, and that
enables you to laugh at life’s
realities.” — Dr. Seuss
Monica Seiler grew up with
Dr. Seuss books, gaining a deep
appreciation and love for the colorful
imagery and life’s lessons that the
famous children’s author imparted in
his books. As a budding elementary
school teacher, she’s now making it a
point to ensure today’s young children
know about Dr. Seuss.
S e i l e r, a n e a r l y c h i l d h o o d
education major from Rogers, Ark.,
who graduated in May, completed her
student-teaching this past semester at
Elgin B. Milton Elementary School in
Ozark, Ark. As part of her work with
the third-graders in her class, Seiler
developed a two-week project that
incorporated Dr. Seuss readings with
lessons in literacy, math, science,
social studies, art and health.
“Each lesson of that day had a
specific theme to it that correlated to
the Dr. Seuss book that I was reading
that day,” said Seiler. “For example,
in the book ‘The Lorax,’ the message
is all about recycling and taking care
of the world we live in. Therefore, I
connected it to science material on
reducing, reusing, and recycling.
In ‘Oh, the Places You’ll Go!’ the
message is all about finding positivity,
even when times get hard, and to
never give up and to persevere.”
The students especially liked one
of Seiler’s favorite Dr. Seuss books,
“Horton Hears a Who.”
“The message in this book touches
my heart every time and I think it is
because I have a soft spot in my
heart for young children,” Seiler said.
“The theme, ‘A person’s a person, no
matter how small,’ is a great theme.”
Seiler even went as far as dressing
up to match the theme of the book,
including donning a red and white
striped hat and bowtie for “The Cat in
the Hat” theme.
“For the book, ‘Wacky Wednesday,’
I mismatched my clothes and shoes
and the students loved that,” Seiler
said. “When they saw me each
morning, they tried to guess which
book we would be reading that
day. It just made them much more
enthusiastic about the lessons.”
Even on the sad day that the Dr.
Seuss project ended, Seiler was able
to incorporate an important message
into the theme.
“One of Dr. Seuss’ famous quotes
is ‘Don’t cry because it’s over; smile
because it happened,’ and we talked
about what that meant,” Seiler said.
“The students understood what that
meant and how it applied to the
ending of that unit.”
Seiler said she was surprised how
many of the third-graders had never
heard of Dr. Seuss and that the ones
who were familiar with him had only
heard of one or two of his books.
Born in 1904, Theodor Seuss Geisel
published 46 children’s books before
he passed away in 1991.
“In my opinion I think Dr. Seuss
is a genius,” Seiler said. “His poetic
play with words and the lessons
that he weaves into his books are
amazing. Dr. Seuss created such
deep messages within his text that
can reach and touch people of all
ages. I was surprised that so many
children had not read his books or
knew who he was. It was a great
feeling to see the children connect
with his books and learn something
from them.”
Today, SPRING/SUMMER 2014 11
AROUND CAMPUS
A Shining Example
Incoming SGA president will be first in his family to earn college degree
Daniel Garcia’s goal of being the
first person in his immediate family to
earn a college degree isn’t just about
him.
“I have two younger sisters and
I want to show them that you can
achieve your goals with hard work
and dedication,” said Garcia, a junior
mathematics major from Clarksville.
“I hope I can be an example for them
and that they will keep up their grades
and go to college as well.”
Garcia’s family moved to the
United States from Mexico when he
was just 3. Not only did his parents not
attend college, even in his extended
family very few of his relatives have
pursued higher education.
“There’s just not a lot of tradition
of our family going to college, so I
want to begin a new tradition where
college is expected,” he said. “I’ve
always made pretty good grades and
I always knew I was going to go to
college.”
Garcia has shined both inside
and outside the classroom since
arriving at Ozarks. He’s made the
academic honor roll numerous
times and last summer he spent
six weeks studying biostatistics at
the prestigious Columbia Summer
Institute for Training in Biostatistics
(CSIBS) at Columbia University in
New York City. Outside the classroom,
Garcia was recently elected by the
student body to serve as the Student
Government Association president for
the 2014-2015 academic year.
“It’s a great honor to represent the
students at Ozarks,” Garcia said. “It’s
an important responsibility and I want
to do my best for the entire student
body.”
Serving in SGA since his freshman
year, Garcia said he’s learned that
he has a knack for listening to his
classmates.
“I enjoy listening and hearing
the thoughts and concerns of other
students,” said Garcia, who served
as SGA vice president in 2013-14. “I think I’m a good listener because
people seem to be comfortable talking
to me. I also like being involved in the
process of government and helping
different organizations and groups on
campus.”
Garcia said his goal is to help
make SGA more efficient.
“I’d like to see the whole SGA
process be a little easier for students
and organizations,” he said. “I’m
looking into maybe some training
conferences and events this summer
for SGA members. I’d also like to look
at the student governments at other
schools and see if there are things we
can learn and pick up from them.”
With a love of mathematics,
Garcia is earning minors in computer
science and physics with the goal of
becoming an engineer. He credits
Ozarks for helping him grow both
inside and outside the classroom.
“I’ve had some tremendous
opportunities to learn and increase
my knowledge and my confidence,”
Garcia said. “When I went to Columbia,
I realized that I was just as prepared
and knowledgeable as students from
larger, more well-known universities
from throughout the country. That’s a
great feeling.”
AROUND CAMPUS
PBL team takes top honor at state meet
Members of the University of the Ozarks’ Phi Beta
Lambda (PBL) team took home nine first-place, five
second-place and seven third-place finishes to capture the
overall Sweepstakes title in the 2014 Arkansas FBLA-PBL
State Leadership Conference, held in Little Rock in April.
Competing against teams from 15 other state colleges
and universities, the U of O team earned top individual
category honors from Mary Wolfe and Megan Stewart
(Chapter Theme: Scrapbook); Ryan Holt (Contemporary
Sports Issues); Kurt Shemanske (Future Business
Executive); Gabriela Pena (Public Speaking); Mandy
Paz (Impromptu Speaking); Andrea Chamorro, Andrea
Villafranca and Brianny Pupo (Marketing Analysis
and Decision Making); Yeraldine Thomas (Marketing
Concepts), Whitney Lewis (Organizational Behavior and
Leadership); and Bryant Ford, Catalina Chen, Fernando
Valenzuela, Liliam Lopez and Sierra Bates (Parliamentary
Procedure).
The five U of O students who finished second in their
respective categories were, Catalina Chen, Gerarado
Navarrette, Phillip Jenkins, Ryan Smith, Ryan Pitchford
and Mike Alfaro.
“We are so proud of everyone that attended and
participated in this year’s PBL State Leadership Conference,”
Weaver to lead student life
Steven Weaver has been named
the new dean of students at Ozarks.
Weaver most recently
served as director of
residential life and
housing at Carroll
University in Wisconsin.
Weaver will oversee
all areas of student life,
including residential life,
campus organizations,
student development programming,
and student conduct. He earned his
undergraduate degree from Millikin
University in Decatur, Ill., and a
master’s degree in counseling and
student personnel from Minnesota
State University. He has worked in
higher education student affairs for 18
years, including the past six years at
Carroll, where he led residential life,
housing and student conduct. said Ozarks Business Professor and PBL Faculty Advisor
Cynthia Lanphear. “There were 32 Ozarks students
that attended and a total of 46 students that actually
competed. Winning the Sweepstakes trophy signifies
that our chapter is the top chapter in Arkansas, which is
a testament to how dedicated our students are to their
academic disciplines and to their local PBL chapter. In
addition to winning the academic competitions, there were
awards of recognition and certificates of excellence given
to the Community Service project, the chapter Scrapbook,
and the Annual Business Report. Ozarks students work
hard and they were duly recognized and rewarded.”
A BIG Fish Tale
Paul Jarvis, a sophomore from
Milton, Ga., and his father, Ron, were
featured in numerous newspaper and
TV reports in June after they caught
an 880-pound sturgeon on the Fraser
River in British Columbia, Canada.
The 11-8 foot fish is one of the largest
white sturgeon ever caught in B.C.
Sturgeon are a protected species and
it was released after the two posed
for pictures with it. “In the first few
minutes I had it on the line, I couldn’t
believe the weight and power of the
fish. I am a big guy and I could barely
hold on to the rod let alone begin to
reel the fish,” Paul said. “When I saw
that head come out of the water, it
was massive.”
13
Munger-Wilson Memorial Chapel
A Gift From the Heart
R
aymond Munger Memorial Chapel at University
of the Ozarks will benefit from a variety of
renovations and improvements over the next
year-and-half thanks to a $2 million gift to the
University by Frances E. Wilson of Tulsa, Okla. The
University’s Board of Trustees formally accepted the gift
at its Spring Board Meeting on Saturday, April 26.
Wilson made the gift to the University in memory of
her late husband, Thomas D. Wilson. In accepting the gift,
the board unanimously voted to express its appreciation
to Wilson by re-naming the building Munger-Wilson
Memorial Chapel.
The gift actually contains two components, the first
being the funding for immediate renovations. Another
portion of the donation has been set aside to create the
Thomas D. and Frances E. Wilson Chapel Endowment
Fund. The annual distributions from this fund will be used
to maintain and update the Chapel over time.
“Our chapel is the physical representation of our
Christian foundation,” said Ozarks President Richard L.
Dunsworth. “We are deeply touched that Mrs. Wilson
would share of her resources to ensure that our Chapel
will always be a beautiful and appropriate representation of
our commitment to education in the Presbyterian tradition.”
“It is my hope that I
have appropriately
memorialized my
husband, Tommy,
that I have helped
strengthen the spiritual
lives of students, and
that I have honored
God in a fitting way.”
Mrs. Frances E. Wilson
In making her gift to the University, Wilson said,
“When I became aware of the important needs in the
chapel it just struck me that this was the perfect way for me
to achieve many things that are important to me. It is my
hope that I have appropriately memorialized my husband,
Tommy, that I have helped strengthen the spiritual lives of
students, and that I have honored God in a fitting way.”
The University’s board resolution accepting the gift
specifically stated: “The University honors the memory
of Raymond Munger and honors the Munger Family that
provided the resources that enabled the Chapel to be
built in 1932, and honors the generosity and memory of
Thomas D. and Frances E. Wilson who have made the gift
herein described to ensure the integrity and high quality
of this landmark place of Christian worship and learning
from this date forward.”
According to Steve Edmisten, special assistant to
the president at Ozarks, the Chapel was originally built in
1932 and dedicated in 1933. “It was built with the help of
Ozarks students, and is, of course, the spiritual heart of
our campus,” Edmisten said.
He added, “The sanctuary seats 600 to 700
congregants in beautiful hardwood pews, beneath
a vaulted ceiling rising high above, upheld by flying
buttresses with detailed wood carvings. There are stainedglass windows throughout, with the most magnificent being
above the chancel area, behind the pulpit and lectern. The
setting sun shining through those windows is particularly
inspiring, and when our university organist is playing our
world-class Reuter pipe-organ, the effect is exactly what
was intended—deeply, movingly, spiritual.”
Edmisten said that funds from the gift will be used
for many improvements, the most noticeable being in
the lower level of the Chapel where student meeting
and fellowship areas will undergo a “fairly dramatic”
facelift. He said that, “less noticeable, but very important
improvements will be made to the building’s infrastructure,
including electrical, mechanical, plumbing and audio/
visual elements. The sanctuary and exterior of the Chapel
will undergo a great deal of restoration and replacement
of structural elements to preserve the historic look and
spiritual feel of what is an iconic landmark in this area.”
15
The Legacy of
PARKS
Over the past
half century,
Gilbert Parks
has etched an
indelible legacy
as an educator
and mentor.
17
Sam Meredith, a 1966 graduate of Ozarks, has
spent the past 45 years fully immersed in higher
education, obtaining two master’s degrees, a Ph.D.,
teaching undergraduate students for more than four
decades, and serving as a division chair as well as
a dean of faculty.
He’s worked with and studied under some of the
nation’s top professors, but he still ranks the best a
young social sciences and history professor, fresh out
of graduate school, that Meredith was introduced to
at Ozarks in the fall of 1964.
“I was a junior at Ozarks when Gilbert Parks
arrived,” Meredith said. “I was treading water
academically. The first classes I had with him
introduced me to a whole new world of concepts.
History was no longer boring. It was not simply
description and memorizing names and dates. It
was about concepts, linkages, and processes that
explained what, how and why. I learned so much
just sitting in class and watching him think. I tried to
model myself after him.”
“To this day, Gilbert Parks is the best professor I
ever had.”
Parks retired from Ozarks in May, ending a
remarkable 50-year teaching career at the college.
Over the past half a century, Parks has been a guiding
presence in the academic
halls of Ozarks, helping
to educate and mentor
hundreds of young college
students, many of whom
developed a love of law,
politics and public service
under his tutelage.
Meredith recently retired
from full-time teaching after
a 35-year stint as a political
science professor and
administrator at Blackburn
Today, SPRING/SUMMER
18 Today,
SPRING/SUMMER2014
2014
College in Illinois. He said he is still grateful for the
lessons that Parks taught him five decades ago.
“I would not have grown the way I did working with a
lesser intellect,” Meredith said. “I will always be grateful
that he forced “The Rise of the West” by William H.
McNeill on me my senior year. I have spent most of my
career trying to fully understand it.”
That Parks even ended up at Ozarks was a strange
twist of fate. A son of an educator of the deaf, he had
moved around the country extensively as a youngster
before graduating from Little Rock Central High School.
He left Arkansas for college and never planned to return.
That changed when Parks, who had recently earned his
graduate degree from The Fletcher School of Law and
Diplomacy in Massachusetts, visited with then Ozarks
Dean Dr. Jim Roberts in the summer of 1964.
“We talked for about 45 minutes about education and
the opportunity to affect some social change,” Parks said.
“He really made an impression on me.”
After accepting the job at Ozarks, Parks was initially
disheartened by the poor shape of the academic facilities
he saw on campus as well as the fact that the college
did not have North Central accreditation. But he was
energized by the students and faculty he would soon
encounter.
“I was very impressed with the credentials of the
faculty at Ozarks and the
dedication and commitment
they had for students,” he
said. “People like Dr. Erwin
Bohm, President Don Davis,
and Rev. Bill Lytle were
tremendous educators, and
I consider them my mentors.
The quality of the students
also surprised me. These
were students, many of them
from very poor backgrounds,
who wanted to learn and
better themselves.”
It took Parks just one class to know that he had found
his true calling.
“I really wasn’t convinced I wanted to be a teacher,
but after that first class, I knew it was for me,” he said.
“The funny thing was that I started out with 30 kids in
that class and it finished with eight. I think at one point
after that Dean Roberts said I should back off a bit. But
I just knew in that first year that I loved teaching and I
loved the role and mission of this school.”
Kendra Akin Jones, an attorney in Little Rock and a
2001 Ozarks graduate, was typical of many students
who found a calling for the law after taking a class
under Parks.
“Professor Parks changed my path,” Akin said. “I took
my first class with him and enjoyed it so much I ended up
taking another one the next semester. He pushed us to
challenge and examine our beliefs and what supported
those beliefs and where those beliefs were formed. It
was a different way of thinking and approaching an
issue. It all turned me into getting a political science
degree and going to law school. His influence on me
was instrumental in becoming a lawyer.”
Richard Averwater, a 1985 graduate who worked for
both the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security
before opening up a private law practice in Memphis,
said Parks “set an example of scholarly thought and
academic excellence which I have tried to follow since
then.”
“I also currently teach at the University of Phoenix
and during our annual faculty meeting recently, they
asked us who the teacher was who had the most
influence upon us. Mr. Parks immediately came to mind
as my most important influence,” Averwater said. “He
was witty, intelligent, and had a great sense of humor.
I could never hope to match up to his superior intellect,
but his example inspired in me the desire to have a good
work ethic, academic honesty, and personal integrity
in everything I do. These goals have served me well in
my legal career, even 25 years later. Mr. Parks set a
wonderful example of how students could be inspired
to learn, by a teacher who truly led by example.”
Matt David, a 2001 Ozarks graduate who has gone
on to a successful career as a political consultant,
campaign manager and communications director,
said Parks’ teaching style was conducive to learning.
“No matter how much we wanted it, Professor
Parks would never tell us the answer to a question,”
said David, who is currently a partner in a marketing
firm in Los Angeles. “Whether it was school related or
personal, he taught us to find the answer. That was
frustrating early on but has served me well throughout
life. Many of us who had the opportunity to grow up
with the guidance of Professor Parks owe him a great
deal of gratitude for his selfless service to us and our
University.”
Parks’ classes were a mix of professor-student
dialog that inspired his students to think beyond
the obvious and understand how political science
prepares them to be responsible and effective citizens
of their society and the world.
“I owe a lot to Professor Parks,” said Shawn
(Sibley) Look, a 1986 Ozarks graduate who works
as a legal counsel for Bank of America in Bonham,
Texas. “He taught me critical thinking skills that made
me successful in law school and beyond. He has a
true talent for stating things in a way that requires you
to delve further to figure out what he might be talking
about and in doing so, developing skills that other
students missed out on. As we were trouping out of
his class on to our next, he might shout, ‘Tomorrow we
will discuss the Indian.’ It left you wondering what did
he mean by that? Did he mean a Native-American?
Did he mean a person from India, perhaps Ghandi?
Was one of the motorcycles in ‘Zen and the Art of
Continued on Page 20
SPRING/SUMMER 2014
2014 19
19
Today,
Motorcycle Maintenance’
an Indian? I knew I had
to do a lot of research to
cover all the bases.”
Look,
whose
d a u g h t e r, A n d r e a
( M u ff u l e t t o ) C o o p e r
and son-in-law, Tristan
Cooper, are both 2012
graduates of Ozarks, said
she remembers herself
growing intellectually in
Parks’ classes.
“When I was in my
freshman year, there
were a lot of things that Parks discussed that I had a
hard time following and I nodded a lot pretending to
understand,” she said. “When I was in my sophomore
year, I was beginning to get a clue. By my senior year,
I could practically finish his sentences. He was the
best teacher that I have ever had, and anyone who
took more than just the required classes from him will
all say the same. I am deeply grateful for all that he
did for me during my time at Ozarks.”
Clarksville attorney Rick Weaver, a 1971 Ozarks
graduate, credited Parks’ influence for a successful
career in law.
“My major in history, as it turned out, was very
instrumental in my successes in law school because
of the amount of writing we had to do in the various
history courses,” Weaver said. “Being able to write
down and convey your thoughts logically was a skill
honed in college and then carried on to law school.
By way of example, in law school we had one exam
for each subject at the end of the semester. The exam
might only consist or four or five essay questions,
which together, covered the entire content of what
was taught in that particular course. The ability to write
became extremely important.”
Joni (Marvel) Teddleton, a 2001 Ozarks graduate,
remembers taking a Parks class as a freshman.
“On my very first day of college, I walked into
American National Government, not knowing what to
expect,” Teddleton said. “About halfway through the roll
call I finally heard my name: ‘Marvel, didn’t I have your
aunt in class about 20 years ago? She was the one
that I made cry in every class. Please tell me that you
20 Today,
SPRING/SUMMER2014
2014
are not a crier too.’ This
one statement created an
instant bond with Dr. Parks
that continued throughout
my entire undergraduate
career. He pushed me to
do and try things I thought
I would never be capable
of accomplishing. For this,
I am eternally grateful and
would not be the person
I am today without his
influence. I want to thank
him for being the best
mentor, advisor and friend
that God could have ever placed in my life.”
Parks has impacted countless numbers of students
outside the classroom as well, encouraging and
sponsoring study abroad and internship opportunities,
funding scholarships, purchasing professional clothing
for students who were preparing for job interviews,
and serving as a tireless counsel to students needing
direction.
“Professor Parks’ constant pursuit of sending students
abroad and to Washington, D.C. is really a hallmark of
his career,” said Aaron Coats, a 2002 graduate who is a
freshly minted MBA working as a manager for Accenture
in Washington, D.C. “He made opportunities available
for many who would not have otherwise had the means
or the vision to take on such foreign challenges. For me,
personally, I still remember the day in late November
before the final semester of my senior year, when
during a long talk in his office, he informed me that I
was going to France for the Spring semester. It was an
avenue I never would have considered, but also one that
had a signification impact on my career and personal
development.”
Current senior Stephen Houserman said he considers
Parks more a mentor and friend than his professor.
“While his classes are engaging and thoughtprovoking, the most cherished time I had with him consists
of the hour-long discussions we would have after class,”
Houserman said. “He has helped me discover who I am
and what I am capable of. As a freshmen, he pressured
me to take on an internship in Washington D.C. that is
typically reserved for upper-level classmen. With his
encouragement and guidance, I confidently flourished
in an environment I had never
experienced before.”
Parks loves to talk about
his former students almost as
much as he loves to discuss
politics. He’ll tell you about
the corporate lawyer from
Kansas City who is also an
accomplished artist; the shy,
timid “wet nose” freshman
who grew up to be a high
school principal in Chicago;
the former basketball player
from Mulberry who went on
to run an orphanage in Cape
Cod, Mass.; and the 7-footer who started out with a 2.2
grade point average before going on to finish third in
his class at Notre Dame Law School and becoming a
successful corporate attorney in Miami.
“I am inspired when a student takes a risk, endures the
pressures and demands that go with accomplishing that
vision and comes away from the endeavor having grown
intellectually to the point that the next step takes them
to a new vision,” Parks said. “To see creation recreate
is breathtaking. The reach beyond the expected once
again convinces me humans can learn to be creative in
a positive way.”
Tabitha (Reed) Leeds, a 2007 graduate who works as
a human resource manager at a domestic violence shelter
in Minneapolis and who serves as an advocate for abused
children, said Parks inspired her professional calling.
“To this day, I tell people that Professor Parks inspired
me to walk the path that led me to where I am now and
where I will end up,” Leeds said. “I was going to be an
accountant or do corporate law. I now use my accounting
degree and my master’s degree in conflict resolution to
work in domestic violence and other advocacy areas to
help children involved in conflict. The day I changed my
mind on my career path was in an International Relations
class. Parks showed us a video on child soldiers and then
asked us why we thought it was relevant. I started thinking
about things differently and ended up more political
science than business. My career goal is to continue
to work in reintegration. This includes helping victims,
perpetrators, soldiers, and communities learn to live with
one another again after conflict has happened.”
Parks is quick to deflect any praise that his former
students might send
his way.
“The students are
the learners, not the
professors, and we
as educators need
to always remember
that,” he said. “I don’t
like it when students
say that because of me
they were successful. I
think if it were in them
to achieve success,
they would have gotten
there with or without
me. I look at it as encouraging them and helping them
to take control of their own learning.”
Parks was awarded an honorary doctorate by
the University in 1990. His fellow faculty members
selected him as the University’s Bagwell Outstanding
Faculty Member award in both 1988 and 1992. He
often keeps in touch with his former students, much
like a proud uncle to an extended family of highly
successful nephews and nieces.
“Whenever we would exchange e-mails over the
years I would always smile at his level of knowledge
about a wide range of topics,” said Coats. “His e-mails
would remind me of classes I took with him where he
could go off in a hundred directions about world events,
often leaving the rest of us behind. But his emails
would also provide encouraging success stories of his
students. Even though I did not know all of them, to
Professor Parks we were all part of the same family
and so he spoke as such.”
Coats summed up the feelings of hundreds of
Ozarks graduates when he discussed the impact that
Parks has had on his life.
“He had a significant impact on my career and I
am not sure I would be in the same place had he not
made a personal investment in my future,” he said “I
think that is something that resonates. For most of his
former students, he was not only a great professor,
but a teacher and individual who truly cared about
his students. He has invested so much in ensuring
his students’ success—not only in the classroom but
in life.”
Today,
Dorothy (Dodson)
Marcy ’62
More than four decades
later, what once seemed
like harsh constraints
are now viewed as acts
of compassion by one
former student
T
he feelings of negativity
and puzzlement that
Dorothy (Dodson) Marcy
harbored against her alma
mater lasted more than
four decades, until an event in 2007
helped change her feelings and her
heart.
As a 17-year-old freshman from
Fort Smith, Ark., in 1958, Marcy was
one of the first black female students to
enroll at what was then The College of
the Ozarks. Two of her older brothers,
Jon and Ted Dodson, were among five
young African-Americans who had
integrated the college a year earlier
in 1957 as Ozarks became the first
predominately white undergraduate
college in Arkansas to enroll blacks.
During a time of racial unrest
and violence throughout the South,
then Ozarks President Winslow
Drummond and his administration
decided to take a low-key approach
to integration, which meant that the
black students were not afforded
some of the same opportunities that
their white classmates had.
“I was angry because there were
so many things we weren’t allowed to
do,” Marcy said in a recent interview
from her Fayetteville, Ark., home. “We
were not allowed to live in the dorm.
My brother was a quarterback in high
school and they wouldn’t let him play
football. I was a majorette in high
school and I wasn’t allowed to be a
majorette for the band. We were so
restricted in what we could do, and the
only answer we ever got was, ‘we’ve
never done that before.’ I just never
understood it.”
The feelings of negativity stayed
with Marcy for almost 50 years, even
as she built a career as a successful
educator and licensed professional
counselor in Northwest Arkansas.
“For years, the alumni office
would send me information about
Homecoming or requests for
donations and I had no interest in
staying in touch with the college,” she
said. “With how I perceived we were
treated, I had no positive feelings
toward the school.”
All that changed in 2007 when
the University held a ceremony
recognizing the 50-year anniversary
of the pioneers who help integrate
Ozarks. Though Marcy was not able
to attend the ceremony, her brother,
Jon, told her about the ceremony and
gave her a program from the event.
“When I saw that program and
talked to Jon, I began to see things
in a different light,” Marcy said. “Dr.
Drummond had decided to do the
right thing in a time and atmosphere of
cruelty and hostility that was going on
in the South. He knew that they had to
go about desegregation in a different
way. They didn’t want to attract
attention or expose us to possible
violence by putting us in a position of
high-visibility, like the quarterback of
That protection felt harsh at the time
“ because
we didn’t understand it. But
once I learned about the reasons behind
those decisions, that melted my heart.
the football team or a majorette.”
“That protection felt harsh at the
time because we didn’t understand it.
But once I learned about the reasons
behind those decisions, that melted
my heart.”
Marcy, one of six children, grew
up poor in Fort Smith as the daughter
of a railroad porter and housewife.
But the children had the support of
parents and teachers that imparted
the importance of education. All six of
the Dodson children would go on to
earn college degrees and most would
even obtain master’s and doctorate
degrees.
“We had old textbooks and rundown equipment, but we had excellent
teachers in the segregated schools
that really prepared us and my mom
really wanted and expected all of us to
go to college,” Marcy said. “We knew
education was a way to escape that
kind of poverty.”
Marcy said she remembered
being extremely poor during her time
at Ozarks. She made many of her own
clothes and a pair of shoes often had
to last for several years.
“Halfway through the school year I
noticed a white girl who had the same
pair of shoes I had and I remember
telling my brother, “Look, her shoes
look almost brand new and mine
are worn out,’” Marcy said. “And I
remember him telling me that it was
because she had more than one pair.
I didn’t know that people owned more
than one pair of shoes.”
During her years at Ozarks, Marcy
said she experienced both racism
and compassion from classmates,
teachers, administrators and
townspeople. One of her vivid positive
memories was being called into the
office of a female administrator.
“I think her name was Dr. Harris
and I thought I was in trouble,” Marcy
said. “She opened the door to a room
adjacent to her office and it was a
room full of clothes. She said take
your time and take anything you want.
I was humiliated at first, but I was also
grateful. I took shoes and clothes.
She never mentioned it again. There
was no discussion and it was never
referred to again. To me, that was true
compassion.”
“She and other teachers and Dr.
Drummond changed my life. There
was some racism and hateful things
being said and done at the time, but
there were also rays of light in a dark
time. As I look back now, I don’t feel
the hostility that I once did. I look at
”
all the positive things that were done
and I see that they were functioning
within a ray of light that I couldn’t see
at the time.”
Marcy transferred from Ozarks
in 1962 after the school lost its
accreditation. She went on to graduate
from Northwestern Oklahoma State
University, becoming the first black
graduate at that college in Alva, Okla.
After teaching junior high and high
school English for 24 years in Kansas,
she moved back to Arkansas, earned
a master’s degree in counseling in
1991, and began a successful career
as professional counselor.
“I initially got into counseling
because I have a son who was
autistic and that was a way to better
understand his behavior and human
behavior in general,” she said. “I have
found that I love being a counselor. I
really feel like this is what I was put
on earth to do.
As a mental health professional
in a general practice, she works with
children, couples and individuals out
of her home office. Though she rarely
advertises, her docket remains full
as she has gained a reputation in
Northwest Arkansas as a top-notch
counselor. And, at the age of 73, she
has tried to retire at least twice but
found that her talents are very much
still in demand.
“I love being my own boss and I
feel like I do it well and that I make a
real difference,” she said. “It’s a way
I can leave this earth better than how
I found it.”
23
in child care with Baptist Health
Medical Services. She recently
welcomed a new great granddaughter to the family.
David Pridgin ’71 of Scranton,
Ark., was named to the Arkansas
Association of Public Transportation
Hall of Honor during a June 26
ceremony in Hot Springs, Ark.
Pridgin is the retired director of
maintenance and transportation at
Clarksville High School, where he
spent 17 years.
Herman Houston ’72 of Clarksville
was elected county judge of
Johnson County during the May 20
election. Houston has served on
the Johnson County Quorum Court
for 30 years. He will begin his new
duties as county judge on Jan. 1.
Ben F. Lewis ’75 of Fort Smith,
Ark., earned a doctorate in theology
from North Carolina College of
Theology on June 6, 2014. After a
37-year career in private and public
education, Lewis was accepted into
the doctoral program at NCCT in
2013 and completed the two-year
program in one year.
Louis Whorton ’76 of Fort Smith,
Ark., reached a coaching milestone
this past season when he won his
600th college game as a women’s
basketball coach. Whorton has
compiled a record of 606-259 in
28 seasons as the women’s coach
at the University of Arkansas-Fort
Smith, formerly Westark College.
Bev (Walker) Ramsey ’88 is
the new owner of Pink Ribbon
Boutique in Russellville, Ark., and
Fort Smith, Ark. The boutique is a
“post mastectomy shop that meets
the needs of women undergoing
breast cancer treatment.” Ramsey
is a two-time breast cancer survivor.
Her business can be found at www.
pinkribboninc.com.
Back-to-Back
State Champions
Billie (Page) Johnston ’72 is
retired and living in North Little
Rock, Ark., with her husband, Ray.
She retired after a 25-year career
Marissa Merritt ’10 and Brandon Pierson ’09 were married on June 7, 2014,
in Munger-Wilson Chapel on the Ozarks
campus. The Piersons are living in Oklahoma City.
Leonel Cantu ’99 of Clarksville was
named the 2014 Business Leader of the
Year by the University of the Ozarks
Division of Business, Communication and
Government in April. Cantu is the branch
manager for Regions Bank in Clarksville.
He earned a master’s degree in information technology in 2002 from Arkansas
Tech University.
Issac Middlebrooks ’06 accomplished a rare coaching feat this past
spring when he led the Cedar Ridge
High School boy’s basketball team
to its second consecutive Arkansas Class AA State Championship.
Middlebrooks has compiled a coaching record of 121-14 in four years
at the school. He is 161-58 in seven
seasons as a high school coach.
Jason Blevins ’91 of Miami, Okla.,
has been named to the board of
directors of First National Bank
Miami. Blevins operates three Ace
Hardware Stores, including one in
Miami. He also serves on the Miami
Area Economic Development board.
Charlie Melton ’91 was named
the new girl’s basketball coach at
Dover (Ark.) High School in June.
Melton had previously coached girl’s
basketball and softball at Scranton
(Ark.) High School where he won
state championships in both sports.
Before coaching at Scranton, Melton
coached at Western Grove, Ark.
Lance Pillstrom ’91 is living in
Tulsa, Okla., where he coaches
cheerleading, pom and tennis at
Memorial High School. He also
teaches pre-AP English and is the
junior class sponsor.
Ryan Smith ’15 and Jessica Yates ’15 were
married on May 31, 2014, in MungerWilson Chapel. Smith is a management
and marketing major from Springdale,
Ark., and Yates is an environmental studies
major from Magnolia, Ark.
Dr. Brent Thomas ’91 was recently
named the dean of the College
of Liberal Arts and Sciences at
Emporia (Kan.) State University.
Thomas had served as the chair of
Department of Biological Sciences
at ESU since 2008 and has taught
at the university since 2006.
Brandy (Rhodes) Cox ’99 was
named the new associate vice
chancellor for alumni and executive
director of the Arkansas Alumni
Association at the University
of Arkansas in April. She was
previously the senior director of
Among the alumni who attended President
Dunsworth’s Inauguration in April were
Brandon Carlson ’10 and C.J. Smith ’06.
Carlson is living in College Station, Texas,
where he works as a residential hall community director at Texas A&M University.
Smith is living in San Antonio, Texas,
where he works for the FBI.
Brick Ceremony
One of the newest traditions on campus is the Brick Ceremony, sponsored by the
Alumni Association. The annual Spring ceremony allows graduating seniors to
place bricks with their names etched in them in the Alumni Plaza in front of Munger-Wilson Chapel. Among the 60 members of the Class of 2014 who placed bricks
were (from left) Monica Seiler, Tamara Wilkett, Kendra Davis and Mollie Palmer.
For more information on how you can purchase a brick for the Alumni Walkway,
please contact the Alumni Office at 479-979-1234.
25
university programs for the OSU
Foundation at Oklahoma State
University.
Karen (Hernandez) Presnell ’99
is a brand manager at ConAgra
Foods in Omaha, Neb. She earned
her MBA from St. Louis University in
2003.
Jeff Jackson ’01 of Tulsa,
Okla., was recently featured
in TulsaBusiness.com. for his
success in the finance profession.
Jackson was recognized for being
named one of LPL Financial’s top
40 producers of LPL Insurance
Associates, an affiliate of LPL
Financial LLC.
Dr. Charles Oates of Pottsville, Ark.,
was featured in the June 2014 edition of
ABOUT...the River Valley magazine for the
recent recognition of his family farm as an
Arkansas Century Farm by the Arkansas
Century Farm Program. The Oates family
farm was established in 1895. He founded
C and D Drugstore in Russellville and
worked as a pharmacist there for several
decades before retiring. He and his wife,
Jean, have been married for more than
60 years. (Photo courtesy of Liz Chrisman
and ABOUT...the River Valley.)
Eric Steinmiller ’02 was named
principal of E.H. Sutherland
Elementary School in Chicago, Ill.,
in July. He previously had teaching
positions in Texas, Louisiana and
Illinois. Steinmiller is working on
his Ed.D. in urban education and
leadership at UI-Chicago.
Eutisha “Tish” (Pennington)
Hawkins ’04 graduated from
William and Mary Law School in
May.
Carlos Gonzalez ’03 was recently
promoted to regional marketing
franchise manager at Johnson &
Johnson in Panama. Gonzalez has
worked for the company since 2011.
Dr. Kendall Wagner ’06 was
recently hired at Mercy Clinic
Internal Medicine and Pediatrics
in Fort Smith as a new internal
medicine/pediatrics physician.
Wagner completed his residencies
at the University of Arkansas for
Medical Sciences and Arkansas
Children’s Hospital.
Michelle Simpson ’03 is a legal
counsel and director of government
contract compliance for Windstream
Communications in Little Rock. She
earned a master’s in public history
from UA-Little Rock in 2005 and her
juris doctorate from UALR in 2011.
Dr. Jordan Bass ’07 is an assistant
professor and executive director
of the laboratory for the Study of
Sport Management at University of
Kansas. He completed his Ph.D.
in sport management from Florida
State University in 2013.
Brigitte Bridoux ’11 married Zeeshan
Pervaiz on March 28, 2014, in Drogheda,
Ireland. The couple resides in Dublin,
Ireland, where Brigitte works for a youth
arts program.
Among those alumni who were recognized during the 2014 Alumni Weekend
Awards Banquet were (from left) Evan
Hoffmeyer ’07, Dr. Rickey Casey ’77, and
Dr. Danny Aquilar ’90. Hoffmeyer won the
Young Alumni Service Award, Casey was
presented with the Faculty Enrichment
Award and Aquilar was given the Alumni
Achievement Award. Also honored during
the annual ceremony were Ivan Quant ’98
with the Alumni Merit Award and
Catherine “Bitsy” Rogers Bumpers ’47
with the Legacy Award.
Shannon Wells ’07 graduated with
a medical degree from Louisiana
State University Health Medical
Center in May and began a pediatric
residency at the medical center in
July.
Dr. Joel Chan ’09 is a postdoctoral
research fellow at Carnegie Melton
University in Pittsburgh, Penn.
He earned a Ph.D. in cognitive
psychology from the University of
Pittsburgh in 2014.
Wilson Jones ’09 was named
assistant men’s soccer coach at
University of the Ozarks in June.
Jones, who played for the Eagles
from 2005-08, served as an
assistant coach at NCAA Division
II Midwestern State University
in Wichita Falls, Texas, in 2013.
Prior to MSU, Jones served as
the assistant men’s and women’s
coach and recruiting coordinator
at Ouachita Baptist University.
From 2010-2011, Jones was the
assistant men’s coach and recruiting
coordinator at Howard Payne
University. He is currently pursuing
a master’s degree in exercise
physiology from MSU. He and his
wife, Rachel, were married in 2012.
Katie Shay ’05 and Mark Schneider ’04
were married on June 21, 2014, in Branson, Mo. The Schneiders honeymooned in
Cabo, Mexico.
King ’64 hits 50-year teaching milestone
Burnett King ’64 has been a
high school teacher and coach for
50 years, and he has no plans on
slowing down anytime soon.
King will begin his 51st year of
teaching in August when he reports
to Clarksville High School, where he
teaches history and social studies.
He has taught at Clarksville for the
past 38 years.
“At my age, I’m just taking it one
year at a time,” said King. “I still enjoy
teaching and I feel like I’m still good
at it, so there’s no reason to stop
now.”
Before coming to Clarksville,
King coached and taught at several
small school districts in Arkansas,
including Lavaca, Oark, Magazine
and Fourche Valley.
“It’s been a very gratifying career
because you feel like you’re helping
make a difference in the lives of
young people,” King said. “I’ve gone
to reunions the last few years and
I’ve had people tell me that I helped
them get through school and go on
to college and things like that. That’s
very satisfying.”
He has been teaching so long that
he’s taught generations of families.
“I used to think it was pretty neat
when I had children of parents I had
taught in my classroom, but now I’ve
got grandchildren of former students,”
he said. “I’m very proud of that.”
King met his wife, Sharon (Varner)
’64, at a winter formal on campus.
“She was from Ohio and had never
been to Arkansas and came to Ozarks
on a Presbyterian scholarship,” King
said. “We met at the winter formal and
the rest is history.”
The Kings will be celebrating their
50-year wedding anniversary this
summer.
“We got married on August 18,
1964, in Ohio and I reported to my
first day of teaching school at Lavaca
three days later, on August 21st,” King
said. “Our honeymoon was driving
from Ohio to Lavaca.”
Burnett and Sharon King, both 1964
graduates of Ozarks, will celebrate their
50th wedding anniversary on Aug. 18.
For the past 34 years, King has
also served as a Baptist pastor of
a small church in Johnson County,
Union Grove Baptist Church.
“I’ve been blessed to have been
able to be a teacher and a pastor for
the last 34 years,” King said. “I’ve had
the opportunity to help people and
that’s the best feeling in the world.”
27
Janine Armstrong ’10 is working
as an instructor at Pulaski Technical
College in Little Rock. Armstrong
earned a master’s degree in speech
communication and rhetoric from
the UA-Little Rock in 2013.
Jaime Flores ’10 and his wife,
Cyndi, are living in McKinney, Texas,
where he is a business development
manager for In-Com Data Systems.
Zi Jian Khor ’10 is living in Irvine,
Calif., and working as a statistician
for Kelley Blue Book. He earned a
master’s degree in statistics from
UC-Irvine in 2013.
Lakaen (Maddox) Schluterman ’11
and her husband, Cody, welcomed
their first child, Emery Ann, to
the family on June 26, 2014. The
family lives in Subiaco, Ark., where
Lakaen teaches 4th grade at Paris
Elementary School.
David James ’13 was named
Mount Judea (Ark.) Elementary
School Teacher of the Year for
2013-14. James teaches physical
education and health.
Cole DeVoss ’14 is attending the
doctoral program in physical therapy
at Trine University in Fort Wayne,
Ind. He was one of 30 selected out
of 300 applicants for the program.
Luis Fiallos ’14 was recently hired
by the Florida State Attorney’s
Office in Miami as a child support
enforcement case analyst.
Mitchell Powers ’14 was hired in
June as head baseball coach and
assistant junior high football coach
at Clarksville High School.
Shayla Morrow ’12 married Rodolfo
Montelongo in Bella Vista, Ark., on June
21, 2014. Morrow, who recently earned a
master’s degree in Spanish from the
University of Missouri, is a high school
Spanish teacher in Hot Springs, Ark.
50-Year Club Honored
Matt Arant ’12 is working as a
tennis instructor in Lexington, Ken.,
while also pursuing a master’s
degree from the University of
Kentucky Martin School of Public
Policy and Administration. He
earned a law degree from Mercer
University in 2014.
Tadera Garland ’12 married
Shaun Wiseman on June 21, 2014.
Garland is a teacher for the Lamar
(Ark.) School District.
Kayla Casey ’12 married Halstead
Dixon on May 24, 2014.The couple
lives in Clarksville, Ark.
Melody Cochran ’13 is living
in Tulsa, Okla., where she is a
program assistant for the National
Resource Center for Youth Services.
The Class of 1964 was formally inducted into the University’s 50-Year Club during
Alumni Weekend 2014. Among the members of the class who took part in the ceremony were, (front row, from left), Mary “Kay” (Trotter) Benbow, Catherine “Pat”
(Voeller) Laster, Lois (Hanes) Sheets, Mary Jane (Hayes) Russell, Wanda (Warren)
Tolbert, Helen (Bryant) Gammill, (back row, from left), Ron Laster, Clyde Garrett,
Joe Bagwell, Everett Kendrick, George Tolbert, Carl Hunter, and Philly Plunkett.
Upcoming Alumni Events
Wayne Benbow ’65 and Kay (Trotter)
Benbow ’64 of Baton Rouge, La., visited
campus in April during Alumni Weekend.
The Benbows, who celebrated their 50th
wedding anniversary this year, have two
children and four grandchildren.
Aug. 12
Aug. 26
Aug. 28
Sept. 9
Sept. 16
Sept. 18
Sept. 26
Sept. 30
Tulsa, Okla. (Spaghetti Warehouse), 6 p.m.
Ozark, Ark. (Rivertowne BBQ), 6 p.m.
Springdale, Ark. (Jose’s restaurant), 6 p.m.
Fort Smith, Ark. (Rolando’s restaurant), 6 p.m.
Branson, Mo. (Montana Mike’s restaurant), 6 p.m.
St. Louis, Mo. (St. Louis Alumni restaurant), 6 p.m.
U of O Alumni Golf Tournament (Clarksville CC), TBD
Little Rock, Ark. (Bravo Italian Restaurant), 6 p.m.
For more information about any of these events, or to inquire about
scheduling an event in your area, please contact Alumni Director
Ashley Senter at 479-979-1234 or asenter@ozarks.edu.
Marlow ’84 pens novel on early Arkansas
University of the Ozarks Professor
Dr. Greta Marlow ’84 took advantage
of the latest publishing techniques
to self-publish her first novel, “His
Promise True,” a work of historical
fiction that takes a look back at the
pioneer days of Arkansas.
Marlow, an associate professor
of communication, has taught at her
undergraduate alma mater since
1990. After establishing her own
publishing company, she released
“His Promise True” in November
2013 after developing the story for
several years.
“I’ve been working on the book
for nearly 10 years, with about seven
of those years spent editing and
trying to find an agent or publisher,”
Marlow said. “Several times I thought
I should just make this a ‘drawer
novel’ and move on to something
else, but I just couldn’t do it.”
Marlow said she decided to
publish the book after receiving
encouragement from Nancy Dane,
another Ozarks alumna and the
author of the “Tattered Glory” series
of Civil War novels.
“Nancy read the book and then
invited me over to her house and spent
more than an hour convincing me I
should go forward with publishing,”
Marlow said.
Marlow set up her own publishing
company, EMZ-Piney Publishing,
and set about self-publishing “His
Promise True.” While the process was
not always simple, Marlow said she
enjoyed every minute of it.
“I loved doing the research for the
historical background of the story,
about everything from the territorial
papers for Arkansas Territory to
what kind of underwear people
wore in 1820,” she explained. “I
loved the writing and getting to know
the characters. I loved editing and
seeing just how lean and efficient I
could make a paragraph or sentence
without losing meaning or emotional
impact. Although the publishing
aspect had some real frustrations
for someone like me who is not a
good ‘details’ person, I loved doing
the layout and getting a glimpse of
what the final product would look like.
I loved designing a cover. I loved
holding the proof copy in my hands.”
She has already started writing
a second book, which will follow the
lives of the same characters. She
is also considering ideas for a third
book.
“I have ideas for probably eight
other stories in my mind. If you see
me on campus and I don’t seem to
notice you, don’t take it personally;
I’m probably in the nineteenth
century!” she joked.
Marlow’s book is available for
sale on Amazon.
29
Ozarks circa 1940:
A LOOK BACK
By Billie Burnett King ’40
I can still see them clearly in my mind’s eye: the
buildings that stood on the campus of the
College of the Ozarks in 1940, the year I
graduated from college. I was reminded
of them as some of them appeared
on the cover of the recent Today
magazine that celebrated
the 175th anniversary of
the college.
Cumberland Hall burned in 1934, but the
rest were still there. Only two of these buildings
still stand today: Munger Memorial Chapel and
Marie MacLean Hall. All the others have been
swept away by the events of history and the
investments of benefactors in the construction
of more permanent structures.
As a student I had many occasions to be
in all the buildings except one. It seems to me
30 Today,
SPRING/SUMMER2014
2014
to be important to recall what I remember about them,
lest they be forgotten forever.
The focal point of the campus was the Science Hall,
built in 1923. The science building was an impressive
red brick building with steep steps leading to a portico
with four white Grecian columns and two pilasters
supporting the roof. It had three stories – four with the
basement which was only partly underground. After
Cumberland Hall burned, major adjustments were
made to accommodate all of the services the college
offered. In thinking back over how the existing facilities
were used, it is obvious that a major juggling act was
required.
The front doors of the Science Hall opened to a
sizeable lobby with stairs to the back of the entrance
and stairs to the second floor. Administrative offices
occupied most of the south side of the southwest corner
room, which was used as a classroom for philosophy
and religious education. Dr. Hurie’s office suite was
at the back of this section. Through the back and side
window of his office he could see a large portion of the
campus.
A large area to the left of the entrance housed the
college library. It occupied a large portion of that part
of the first floor. The Science Hall had extremely high
ceilings – probably sixteen feet high-, and the library
stacks went high, consequently. Clara Earle, daughter
of Fountain R. Earle, president of Cane Hill College
and of Arkansas Cumberland College was the librarian.
She was quite elderly and many students were a little
intimidated by her. She lived in a white frame house just
north of the chapel. It was the one building on campus
I never entered. According to Ella Mallory Langford’s
About the Author
Billie Burnett King of
Clarksville is a 1940
graduate of Ozarks and
an emeritus professor of
English at the University.
Mrs. King, who turned 94
on Jan. 8, taught English at
Ozarks from 1969 to 1984
and also served as chair
of the Division of Humanities and Fine Arts. She
and Burly King ’40 were married for 65 years
before he passed away in 2007. Mrs. King has
written all of her life and is currently working
on a book of essays of literary criticisms. She has
two sons, Burnett (see page 27) and Robert, seven
grandchildren, and 12 great grandchildren.
“History of Johnson County,” she was teacher of
modern languages in the first faculty of the College
of the Ozarks. In preparation for this task she studied
French at the Sorbonne in Paris and Spanish in Madrid.
Classrooms for English, history, and sociology
occupied most of the second floor. However, a
large section of the south side was a well – planned
Department of Home Economics aimed at teaching
skills for home making and for training teachers of
Today,
home economics. Entrance to the facility was through
a tastefully furnished living room, an adjoining dining
room, kitchen, rooms with cutting tables, sewing
machines, and a lecture room. Lena Gilbert, who had
also been manager of the cafeteria and food and food
services, was the instructor.
The third floor contained classrooms as well as
laboratories for biology, chemistry, and physics. It was
here that Thomas Latham (“Prof”) Smith carried out his
genetic research concerning drosophila (fruit flies). He
was known internationally for his work.
Access to the roof of the front portico was available
through the third floor windows. Robert Fulton, who
became a nationally known sports announcer for the
University of South Carolina Gamecocks described the
activities for Sadie Hawkins Day in the spring of 1941
from this roof.
The basement was the site of the basketball court.
It was used for other athletic activities, as well. Since
it was only partly underground, it received natural
sunlight through windows on the north, west, and
south sides. The college clinic and some showers and
dressing rooms were also located in the basement. The
basement could be accessed from the small portico on
the back of the Science Hall. The door opened on to
a landing with one set of steps which ascended to the
lobby and another which descended to the basement.
Two –level concrete steps led to an opening on the
south side of the gymnasium. There was no space for
bleachers. Spectators watched events from platforms
around the court.
Possibly the most creative use of space in the
Science Hall was the area beneath the front portico. It
had been enclosed with a door on both sides. It served
as the bookstore, the post office and a snack bar. After
the morning chapel service students could buy glazed
donuts brought up from the bakery in town and a small
bottle of milk. A tasty treat for a dime.
Buildings facing the Science Hall were Grove Hall,
two white frame buildings and the Dining Hall.
Grove Hall had been built in 1914 to serve as a
girl’s dormitory. It had been condemned for use as
a dormitory and after Cumberland Hall burned was
used as the vocal music facility. The large lobby had
become Blanche Kelley’s studio and classroom. A grand
piano and rows of folding chairs served as the place
where she gave both private and class voice lessons
and where men’s and women’s glee clubs practiced.
She was a strong-minded woman with an impressive
SPRING/SUMMER2014
2014
32 Today,
32
training for her work. She was a member of the first
faculty of the College of the Ozarks and was probably,
because of the events of world history, near the end of
her teaching career. Through the years of her work, she
had trained many gifted soloist. The chapel choir she
directed went on spring tours to perform at churches in
in the presbytery and synod–an important part of the
college’s public relations. In some of the rooms on the
second floor were practice pianos where vocalists and
their accompanist practiced, and, possibly, also, piano
students.
In the basement at the rear of Grove Hall was the
college bakery where student-workers baked bread
for the cafeteria. The tempting smell of baking bread
pervaded that area of the campus at night.
The white frame house next to Grove Hall was Miss
Virgie (Virginia) Poyner’s piano studio. The front room of
the house contained a grand piano and several folding
chairs. Here Miss Virgie gave piano lessons. She also
gave pipe organ lessons at the chapel. Her playing was
very beautiful. Musically inclined, she played at the daily
chapel services. One of her students, John Stilley, was
an exceptional organist. At his senior recital, he played
a Cesar Franck’s composition I can still hear.
Both Blanche Kelly and Virgie Poynor had studied at
music conservatories and under master teachers. They
were both near the end of their teaching careers in
1940, but they were still at their best as musicians and
teachers.
Directly across from the Science Hall was the Dining
Hall. It was arranged to take full advantage of the space
within its two levels. The upper level contained the
dining rooms, serving line, kitchen, and an apartment
for the cafeteria manager. At meal times students
entered the door to the right and exited the door to the
left. Tables were arranged to seat groups of various
sizes – small to large.
At the back of the dining area was the serving line,
staffed by students, but supervised by the cafeteria
manager. Behind the serving line was a row of
refrigerators with glass doors reaching upward above
head high. A pass through and a door connected the
dining area to the kitchen –again staffed by well-trained
student workers.
Outside doors to the dining room were kept locked
until the meal was ready to be served. Menus for the
three meals a day varied, with traditional items for
breakfast; soup entrées, vegetables, salad, dessert at
lunch; more selections of entrées at dinner, and always
homemade ice cream made from milk from the college
farm, which was just across Spadra Creek down from
Marie MacLean Hall.
The basement of the Dining Hall contained a cooler
for fresh fruits and vegetables, a storage room for
canned foods, and a butcher shop where cuts of meat
were sliced from farm animals butchered at the college
farm. Student workers carried out all the tasks centered
around the Dining Hall basement.
The food was good and the servings were generous.
A concrete walk intercepted by a fish pond led from
the Dining Hall to the Science Hall. One of the traditions
strictly adhered to was the dunking in the pond of any
new bridegroom after the morning chapel service. Dr.
Harmon, a faculty member who had married shortly
after coming to the college, outmaneuvered the system.
He came dressed for the occasion and jumped in.
Memorable and corny.
Some distance north of the Dining Hall was a
deep rectangular hole said to have been dug by some
optimistic alumni to serve as the basement of a new
president’s home to replace the white frame structure
on the south slope of the campus where the Hurie
family lived. Just beyond this area was a clay tennis
court and next to that the street that connected Johnson
Street to College Avenue.
Across this street stood—and still stands—Raymond
Munger Memorial Chapel, dedicated in 1933. It was
built through a gift of $75,000 from Miss Jessie Munger
to honor her father. The chapel was designed by
the prominent architect, Albert O. Clark of Rogers,
Arkansas. It was built by Clarksville contractor Gomer
Kraus with a great deal of help in digging the basement
and hauling materials by student-workers. The exterior
of the chapel is limestone trimmed with Nucarth Stone.
It has been the spiritual center of the college from its
beginning.
Attendance at the chapel service at 10 o’clock was
mandatory. Students were assigned specific places in
alphabetic order by classes. Students from the dean’s
office checked attendance from the balcony.
Chapel services began with an organ prelude
played by Miss Virgie Poynor. Following the prelude, the
chapel choir dressed in black choir robes and standing
on the steps leading to the basement sang “the Lord is
in His Holy Temple. Let all the earth keep silence before
Him.” Then as the opening hymn was sung the choir
processed to the choir stalls in the chancel.
Programs were diverse and usually interesting. One
of the most memorable was Dr. Bohm’s explanation
of a possible reason for Adolph Hitler’s complete
conquest of Czechoslovakia. As he marched in dressed
in his doctoral robes, seemingly led by his strong
Today,
Today,SPRING/SUMMER
SPRING/SUMMER2014
201433
33
aquiline nose, he was a dramatic figure. Of course, as
Hitler continued his conquest of Europe, Dr. Bohm’s
reasoning didn’t quite suffice.
When the daily chapel service ended, the choir
recessed following the last hymn, as the postlude was
played. Students, beginning with the first rows, fell in
behind the choir and exited the chapel.
For most of the alumni of that era, the beauty of
the chapel, the music, and the programs were all a
meaningful part of college life.
Next to the chapel stood a white frame house where
Clara Earle, the librarian lived. She seemed to be a very
private person, possibly because of what we perceived
to be her great age.
Just beyond Miss Earl’s house was the women’s
hockey field. Although we were to study the Book of
Rules for Field Hockey, our class never mastered the
terminology and strategy of the game. We ran up and
down the field trying to get control of the puck, but we
never won a game.
At the end of the street was the house where Zelgar
Pitts, building superintendent and night watchman, lived
with his family. I knew his youngest daughter, Imogene,
a college student. I remember nothing about the house,
except that I attended a bridge party there.
Two buildings belonging to the college were on
Johnson Street. One was a sizable white frame house
for faculty occupation. In 1940, Isabell Ward, a retired
English teacher, lived there. She retained contact with
students through her sponsorship of the Muse Clerk
for upper-class women and the Chesterfieldian Clerk
for upper-class men. The purpose of the clerks was to
provide students social activities within a formal setting.
At a short distance up the street was a two-story
house containing four apartments, housing for members
of the faculty and staff.
Across the street was an attractive two-story house
owned by Dr. T.L. (‘Prof”) Smith and his wife, Lois
Agrant Smith. They were very hospitable. Students
were always welcome there. Through the years a
number of alumni, no one knew how many, stayed there
when they visited Clarksville.
The chapel basement had been put to important
use. A Little Theatre had been created in the south side.
Roberta Northrup was director of a very active program
that involved a large number of students in all aspects
of play production. Contemporary, as well as, classic
plays were performed. A memorable production of Our
34
SPRING/SUMMER2014
2014
34 Today,
Town was performed in 1939. Susie Maude Poyner
Pittman, who later had a very successful career in the
Speech and Drama Department, played the feminine
lead role.
The Clarksville Junior-Senior High School building
burned in 1939. During its re-building, classes were
held in several Clarksville churches and in other
facilities. A classroom was set up in the north side of
the Munger Chapel basement. Classes were taught by
college seniors to satisfy the requirement of student
teaching for teacher certification. The class was
supervised by Frank McAnear, the college registrar and
instructor of education.
The second structure of the 1940 college campus
still standing is Marie MacLean Hall, built in 1927
through a gift of Marie MacLean of New Jersey. It was
built to house male students, but in 1939, after Grove
Hall was condemned for use as a dormitory, the north
living section came to be used for female students. The
windows of both wings facing each other were boarded
up partially for privacy.
MacLean was probably the premier dormitory in
the state at that time. The arrangement of suites with
a central room for study and for social activities and
a small bedroom with a bed, chest of drawers, and
closets on either side was an ideal design for space
to be shared with a roommate. A number of rooms for
single occupancy were also available.
A large, well-furnished lobby faced the entrance
to the building. An apartment for the hostess of the
women’s dormitory, Mrs. Harriet Johnston, and for the
men’s dormitory, Mrs. M.A. Pinkerton, were on the first
floor near each side of the entrance.
Two cooperative houses for female students,
Crawford Hall and Smith Hall, supervised by Mrs. Elsie
Maxwell and Mrs. Naomi Bryan, respectively, were set
up so that young women could bring some food items
from home and do the cooking and housekeeping and
thus defray a part of their expenses. Crawford Hall was
a few doors from MacLean Hall. Smith Hall stood on the
corner of where the president’s house now stands.
The basement of MacLean Hall was put to good
use. An apartment was set up for John Bohannon,
a Native-American from Oklahoma, and his wife
and children. Through special arrangements with
the Presbytery of Western Arkansas and Eastern
Oklahoma, he took courses that led to his ordination to
serve as pastor to his people.
The space in the northwest corner of MacLean Hall
basement served as the print shop. C.M. Threadgill, a
master printer who had his own business in Clarksville,
supervised student-workers in the publication of The
Mountain Eagle student newspaper and any other items
needed for special occasions. While they worked, they
listened to a radio program of organ music and poetry,
“Moon River.” The soothing sounds drifted up to my
second-floor bedroom.
The campus was completed by two outdoor athletic
facilities: the football field, now Hurie Field, and the
outdoor swimming pool. The football field and track,
with its bleachers, was considered to be one of the best
in the state at the time.
The swimming pool, which was on Johnson Street,
was built by students and was as good as any such
facility at the time. It was open only at specific times,
and was always staffed by student lifeguards. When
Mabee Gym was built with its initial open pool, the
swimming pool was filled in to create the parking lot
next to Voorhees Hall.
Construction of Voorhees Hall began in the spring
of 1940. A government grant provided funding for
the project. An NYA (National Youth Administration)
program made it possible for young men to take two
college courses and to provide the labor needed to
build Voorhees. A contractor from Stuttgart, Arkansas,
supervised the work. It was said at the time that it would
be used as an education center for student teaching. It
has been used in innumerable ways since it was built
74 years ago. That it was well-built is obvious. Major changes took place in the buildings found on
the campus following World War II.
As military bases were dismantled, many buildings
were acquired that made possible the expansion of the
college curriculum, especially in business education,
music education and physical education. The Little
Theatre was used for an outstanding program of speech
and drama, until the building of the Walton Fine Arts
Building in the 1980s. Memorable performances of Mice
and Men and Hedda Gabbler, and so on, were given
there. The college acquired several houses used for
faculty housing. A number of these moved away when
they were no longer needed and still stand in various
places as homes.
Gradually, through the years, permanent structures
funded by generous benefactors have replaced the
little frame buildings. However, it should give us pause
to remember that dedicated teachers transformed the
young people who transcended the strictures of the
Great Depression to answer the call of the college to,
“Come on. We’ll help you find a way.” Many of these
young people postponed their plans to become doctors,
lawyers, ministers, and missionaries to serve in all
branches of the military, to suffer as prisoners of war,
even to give their lives to help save the world in World
War II and thus become a part of what has been called
the “Greatest Generation.”
Raymond Munger Memorial Chapel and Marie
MacLean Hall still stand as vital reminders of that time.
Today,
SPRING/SUMMER 2014
2014 35
35
Conet (Smith) Colwill ’32
Conet (Smith) Colwill ’32 of Shawtown, Penn., died Feb. 9, 2014, at
the age of 102. She was a retired social worker.
The Rev. James Earl Westbrook ’39
James Earl Westbrook ’39 of Russellville, Ark., died June 7, 2014,
at the age of 98. He was a veteran of World War II and served as a
Presbyterian pastor in several churches in Oklahoma and Arkansas.
Dr. Elbert A. McCracken ’42
Dr. Elbert A. McCracken ’42 of Springdale, Ark., died April 24,
2014, at the age of 94. He served as a physician in eastern Arkansas
and Clarksville, delivering more than 4,000 babies in his career.
Dr. Roger Browning Bost ’43
Dr. Charles Bishop Jean Shouse Berry
Dr. Roger Bost
Dr. Roger Browning Bost ’43 of Little Rock, Ark., died on Nov. 19,
Barbara Ann “Bobbi” (Dobbs) Hosley ’61
2014, at the age of 92. He was a veteran of World War II, a retired
Barbara
Ann “Bobbi” (Dobbs) Hosley ’61 of Titusville, Fla., died
physician and advocate in the state for children’s care and public and
April
29,
2014, at the age of 75.
mental health issues. He was a member of the Board of Trustees.
Melba Ruth (Cole) Fisher ’46
Melba Ruth (Cole) Fisher ’46 passed away on April 15, 2014, in
Little Rock, Ark. She was a retired teacher and accomplished artist.
Grace (Cowan) Mayo ’50
Grace (Cowan) Mayo ’50 of Sallisaw, Okla., died Aug. 23, 2013, at
the age of 85. She was a retired school teacher.
Etta Lee Jordan ’50
Etta Lee Jordan ’50 of Piggott, Ark., died May 28, 2014, at the age
of 84.
Howard F. Brown ’64
Howard F. Brown ’64 of East Greenwich, R.I., died on March 6,
2014, at the age of 96. He was a retired U.S. Army colonel and a
veteran of World War II.
Emma Louise Banks ’67
Emma Louise Banks ’67 of Fayetteville, Ark., died April 9, 2014, at
the age of 67. She served 43 years as a school teacher and counselor
in Arkansas and Missouri.
Jessie Noreen (Lowe) Payne ’67
Terry Younts, Jr., ’50 of Fayetteville, Ark., died May 31, 2014, at the
age of 85. He was an Army veteran.
Jessie Noreen (Lowe) Payne ’67 of Oark, Ark., died May 16, 2014,
at the age of 87. She was a piano teacher, retired school teacher and
business owner.
Carol (Taylor) Mohlman ’51 of Pacific Palisades, Calif., died Nov.
13, 2013, at the age of 83. She was a retired music teacher.
John Carroll Bradley ’71 of Fort Smith, Ark., died April 27, 2014,
at the age of 65.
Dr. Charles “Chuck” Bishop ’52 of Dover, Ark., died Feb. 13,
2014, at the age of 88. He was a veteran of World War II, a retired
pharmacist and long-time member of the Alumni Board.
Colin Joe Funderburg ’73 of Van Buren, Ark., died Jan. 31, 2014, at
the age of 63. He was a retired teacher and coach.
Terry Younts, Jr. ’50
Carol (Taylor) Mohlman ’51
Dr. Charles “Chuck” Bishop ’52
Truman Lee Owens ’58
Truman Lee Owens ’58 of Russellville, Ark., died Nov. 29, 2013, at
the age of 78. He was a retired teacher and church music director.
John Carroll Bradley ’71
Colin Joe Funderburg ’73
Harold Ray Travis ’76
Harold Ray Travis ’76 of Williston, Fla., died Jan. 12, 2014, at the
age of 68. He was an insurance agent.
Douglas Shelby McKenzie ’85
Douglas Shelby McKenzie ’85 of Baton Rouge, La., died March 1,
Herman B. Bowery Jr., ’59 of Bentonville, Ark., died March 6, 2014, 2014, at the age of 51. He was a business owner.
Sandra “Sandy” Roberts ’93
at the age of 81. He was an Army veteran and retired engineer.
Sandra
“Sandy”
Roberts ’93 of Deer, Ark., died Nov. 15, 2013, at
Billy Morgan Hall ’61
the
age
of
41.
She
was a nurse.
Billy Morgan Hall ’61 of Portland, Texas, died Jan. 26, 2014, at the
Herman B. Bowery, Jr. ’59
age of 80. He was a veteran of the Korean War and a salesman.
Ben Pearson ’61
Ben Pearson ’61 of Rudy, Ark., died April 20, 2014, at the age of 74.
He was a retired teacher in Van Buren, Ark.
Jean Shouse Berry
Jean Shouse Berry of Dallas, Texas, died March 4, 2014, at the age
of 92. She was a former chair of the Board of Trustees at Ozarks
and received an honorary doctorate from the University in 1990.
Sept. 14, 2013 through
May 15, 2014
Charles Angell
Barbara Angell
Marilyn Jones ’80
Mary Ellen Waychoff ’78
John Eugene Armstrong ’59
John T. Armstrong Trust
Donald Keith Atkins
Diane Cater Gaspar
Homer and Emma Atkinson
Naomi Atkinson Newman
Richard and Katherene Bagwell
Bagwell Foundation
James “Chigger” Ball
Steve and Dorinda Edmisten
Deborah Batson ’86
Lee Batson
Jane and Brent Cater
Raymond Bean and Lorena Bean ’41
Arvid Bean ’78 and Sharon Jones
Bean ’78
State Farm Companies Foundation
Loyce Ann Bean Taylor ’72 and
Harve Taylor, III
Jean Clark Shouse Berry
Rick and Sherée Niece
Huie Bird
Doris Bird
Charles Bishop ’52
William Borland
Sheila Doss ’80
Roger Bost ’43
Judy Borck
Judy Alexander Boreham
Catherine Rogers Bumpers ’47
Dawn J. M. Dvoracek
Paula Glasgow
Bill Holder ’52 and Jane Wilson Holder ’55
Flora Eustice Horne ’54 and Charles Horne, III
Larry and Cindy Isch
Marian Ward Lewis ’74 and Keith Lewis
Michael Shannon McBee ’89 and
Lori McBee
Robert Page, Jr. ’52 and Flois Page ’54
Sue Patterson Pine ’57 and Bob Pine
Reba Pridgin ’81 and David Pridgin ’71
Lonnie Qualls ’55 and Levada Mathis Qualls ’55
Gaye Strong Taylor ’53
Loyce Ann Bean Taylor ’72 and
Harve Taylor, III
Ron and Kerry Dillaha Taylor
Bruce H. Williams ’43 and
Tracy Williams
Darrell Williams ’76 and Debbie Tipton Williams ’81
Edna Ralston Bowman ’28
Leonard and Annemarie Ralston
Lee Hill Boyer ’39
Elaine G. Boyer
Marian Riddell Cargile ’64
John W. Cargile ’61
Betty Emery Carter ’52
Georgia White Johnston ’53 and O.G. Johnston
Elmo H. Cater
Willie M. Cater
John Barnes Coleman
Sean and Jennifer Coleman
Susan Smith Epperson ’62 and Jon Epperson
Margaret Condren
Billie Crites
Robert K. Bennett
Wanda Dailey
Floy Dietz
James Dorman ’57
Anna Blackard Dorman ’58
Maxine Manuel Eggensperger ’41
Dr. and Mrs. Albert D. MacDade
Michael Shannon McBee ’89 and
Lori McBee
Fritz Ehren ’53
Mary Inez Henson
William Shrigley, Jr. ’69
Elizabeth Eisenmayer ’00
John Frost ’89 and Julia Frost
Becky Steele Jorgensen ’74
Edith McChesney
Anna Eisenmayer McWillliams ’05 and Toby McWilliams
Frank M. and Gladys H. Engle
Frances Engle Wilson
Michael Farrell
Matt Farrell ’98 and Christine Farrell ’96
Marge Figliulo
Deloitte Foundation
Anna Figliulo Dunker ’87 and Curt Dunker
Maura Figliulo Howerton ’80 and Bradley Howerton
Sammy Manning ’71 and Virginia Figliulo Manning ’74
Loretta Figliulo Salazar ’78 and Felix Salazar
Emily Fontaine
Paula Glasgow
Helen Rader Fulton ’40
Baker & Hostetler LLP
Judy Alexander Boreham
Barbara Clegg
Denis Durkin
Dawn J. M. Dvoracek
Pat Farmer
Richard and Barbara Fulton
Bill Holder ’52 and Jane Wilson
Holder ’55
Don Pennington ’68
Sue Patterson Pine ’57 and Bob Pine
Mike and Kathleen Poole
Jim and Jean Vawter
37
Bruce and Charlotte Wilson
Jonathan and Donna Manley Wolfe
Karla Wood
Courtney Furman
Howell Keeter
Charles White ’71 and InCha White
Katherine Rader Garrett ’39
Pat Farmer
Holder ’55
Don Pennington ’68
Bruce and Charlotte Wilson
Jonathan and Donna Manley Wolfe
Karla Wood
F. D. Goza
Angela Wheeler Spencer ’98 and Shawn Spencer
Ann Davidson Goza ’69
Angela Wheeler Spencer ’98 and
Shawn Spencer
Sarah Carlin Graves ’85
Shari Caywood
Emily Fry Griffith ’50
James Griffith ’51
Melvin Gullion ’65
Cleta Gullion
Quintos Hamilton ’51
Beth Shipman
Betsy Snyder Harris
Dawn J. M. Dvoracek
Verneil Hixson
Lucille Harmon Hobbs ’45
Jeanne McDaniel
Molly Holder
Ruth Ann Hudson
James Murray ’75 and Debra Murray
Donald H. Johnson ’72
Joseph Baker ’69 and Marge Baker
Dickie Jones ’72
Pamela Shrigley Jones ’71
Faye Williams Raible ’72 and
Gary Raible
Lawrence and Ethelda Kauffeld
Sylvia Kauffeld Kinnear ’66
Fred A. and Ophelia Jacobs Kauffeld
Wanda Kauffeld Shively ’54
De’Ann Veteto
Jennie Lucinda Kennedy
Keith Kennedy Trust
Billy Kimbrell
Mary Kimbrough
Gary Bradley ’84 and Linda Frala Bradley ’84
Burley King ’40
Billie Burnett King ’40
Virginia Leigh King
W. E. King, Sr.
Kathryn King Bost ’43
Minoru Kiyota ’49
Noriko Kiyota, Yukiko Motoyoshi,
Sonoe Motoyoshi and Akiko Ikeda
Shelli Stewart Lamberson
John Frost ’89 and Julia Frost
Tina and Bryan McCain
Debbie Stallings Mooney ’82 and Charles Mooney
Dody and Jeremy Pelts
Harold Lewis
Paula Glasgow
Robert C. Lowry
Dawn J. M. Dvoracek
William Lytle
Jennifer Jean Malin
The Thomas Family
Jerry Manning
Sammy Manning ’71 and Virginia Figliulo Manning ’74
Ruth Bost May ’51
Kathryn King Bost ’43
Margaret Bost Douglass ’41
Elsie Newell Johnson Maynes ’39
Paula Glasgow
Mackie McElree
Charlene McMillan Watson ’44
Douglas McKenzie ’85
Miriam Chandler
Lanty and Margaret Smith
James McNeese
Ruth Eddins McNeilly ’42
Betsy Hagan
Lucille Hagan ’51
Herbert Arthur Million
Amy Anderson ’97
Laurie and Steve Fisher
Ada Parks Mills ’33
Mary Tom Mills O’Bar ’54 and
Clyde O’Bar
Denver Misenhimer
Anne and Ben Queen
Carol Taylor Mohlman ’51
Helen Marie Smith Moncrief ’35
Linda Moncrief
Arthur F. Nichols ’35
James and Catherine Nichols
Lou Seale Nichols ’35
James and Catherine Nichols
Jon Nyberg ’68
Ruth L. Nyberg
Tommy E. Owens ’70
Robert Gibson ’76 and Glenda Gibson
Glenda Dennis Owens ’71 and Steve Owens
Truman Owens ’58
Bobby and Anne Fincher
Roy Horne ’57
Edward Myron Parker
Tommy and Judy Parker
J. T. Patterson ’38 and Lucile Sanders
Patterson
Darrell Williams ’76 and Debbie Tipton Williams ’81
Herbert Peek ’50
Kay Allen
Hank and Margaret Cutsinger
Greg and Jennifer Dunn
The Fitch Family
Tom and Alyce Guthrie
Holder ’55
Ralph Jones
Regal Entertainment Group
Regal Foundation
Mary Spruill
Debra Ann Perry
Ron and Karenree Jones
Susie Maude Pittman ’39
Ardith Morris ’73
Imogene Ragon
William Ragon, Jr. ’53 and Marnette Ragon
Michael A. Rail ’80
Georgia White Johnston ’53 and O.G. Johnston
F. Willard Ralston ’29
Lily Hulse Ralston ’29
Harriet and Joe Reece
George Reece, III ’83
James Ring
Sheila Doss ’80
Dale M. Sadler
Arlene Schluterman
Patricia Serio
James Murray ’75 and Debra Murray
William Shipman ’50
Beth Shipman
William Sissel ’28 and Ruth Sissel ’29
Ball Corporation
George and Mary Sissel
Curtis Lee Spence
Dody and Jeremy Pelts
Lance Spence ’91 and Virginia Spence
Luann Spence
Cecil L. Suitt
Euna Lowe Suitt
Larry Taddie
Connie and Michael Booty
Bill and Kody Eakin
Harve Taylor, III and Loyce Ann Bean Taylor ’72
John Talley ’43
Sarah C. Talley
Nancy Tamuty ’59
Donald L. Tamuty
Jake Tull ’10
Kristine and John Baker
Susan Garner
Timothy W. Grooms
Mary Ellen Richards
Sue Tull
Harley Wagoner
Delores Blackard Wagoner ’56 and Mitchell Wagoner
Jerry Wagoner ’58
B.J. Webb ’63
Dennis D. Wheeler, Sr.
Angela Wheeler Spencer ’98 and
Shawn Spencer
Guy and Freda Kauffeld Willett ’52
Lillian Weishaupt Williams ’1912
Cara Rowbotham Flinn ’85
Virginia Laster Williams ’43
Bruce H. Williams ’43 and Tracy Williams
Cy and Imogene Wilson ’35
Holder ’55
Thomas Wilson
Frances Engle Wilson
Almeta Blackard Yerby ’53
Georgia White Johnston ’53 and
O.G. Johnston
Sept. 14, 2013 through
May 15, 2014
Mark Anis ’00
Mohammed and Elizabeth Anis
ExxonMobil Foundation
Matthew Arant ’12
Samuel and Teresa Arant
Nalisa Brown
Carolyn Walker
Catherine Rogers Bumpers ’47
Dawn J. M. Dvoracek
James “Trey” Butler, III
Jim Tom and Connie Butler
Karina Calderon Galindo ’14
Deborah Sisson
Rickey Casey ’79
Carolyn Walker
Tom and Ramona Cogan’s 40th Anniversary
Dawn J. M. Dvoracek
John Dailey
Carolyn Walker
Eugene Downs ’14
David Pridgin ’71 and Reba Pridgin ’81
Richard and Holly Dunsworth
Dawn J. M. Dvoracek
Matt Farrell ’98 and Christine Farrell ’96
The Inauguration of Richard Dunsworth
Schuyler Isley
John and Rita Mickler
Linda Slagell
Howard Smith and Elaine Goleski
Thomas and Nancy Smith
Laura Duran Bustillo ’14
Deborah Sisson
Dawn J.M. Dvoracek
William and Elizabeth Branch
Steve Edmisten
Connie and Michael Booty
Anthony Euculano
Katie Thompson
Glenda Ezell ’90
Carolyn Walker
Patrick A. Farmer
Bonnie Guy Flint ’39
Paula Glasgow
Matthew Foley
Carolyn Walker
Monica Frizzell ’02
Carolyn Walker
Maxwell and Neva Joyce Greene
Robert K. Bennett
Brett Hays ’06
Harold and Pam Hays
Elissa Heil
Carolyn Walker
Shelli Henehan
Carolyn Walker
Joe Hoing
Dawn J. M. Dvoracek
Carolyn Walker
Karla Wood
De’Ann Veteto
Marilyn Laughbaum
Dawn J. M. Dvoracek
Mary Lucille Vardaman Martin
Arvid Bean ’78 and Sharon Jones Bean ’78
State Farm Companies Foundation
Harve Taylor, III and Loyce Ann Bean Taylor ’72
Fiona Murphy
Cara Rowbotham Flinn ’85
Sherrie Arey
Frederick and Janet Drummond
Joe Euculano and Linda Phillips
Ed Harris, II ’75 and Wilma Kimbrell Harris ’06
Mary Inez Henson
Gilbert Parks
Elizabeth Rowland Anderson ’72 and
King Anderson
Carolyn Walker
Ryan Pitchford ’14
David Pridgin ’71 and Reba Pridgin ’81
Kathy Sexton ’73
Carolyn Walker
Ryan Skelly ’07 and Callie Williams
Skelly ’07
James and Virginia Skelly
Wirt and Torpy Skinner
Thomas and Linda Skinner
Tom Smith
B & H Environmental Services
David Strain
Eric Steinmiller ’02 and Jaclyn Steinmiller
Daniel Taddie
David and Teri Daily
Carolyn Walker
Eleanor Thomas
Dawn J. M. Dvoracek
Alexandria Turner
Deborah Sisson
U of O Football Teams: 1951, 52, 53, and 54
Bill Alexander ’55 and Linda Alexander
Bruce Williams ’43 and Tracy Williams
Dawn J. M. Dvoracek
Sally Wood
Carolyn Walker
39
“
We were privileged to see students
graduate who may have been
told college was beyond their
grasp for reasons of economics,
ability or life circumstance.
”
A FINAL WORD
FROM THE PRESIDENT
It is hard to believe that a year ago we were packing our house in the city we had called home
for more than 20 years and preparing for our move to Clarksville. What an amazing year. Holly,
Nicolas, Matthew, Emma and I continue to feel blessed by the welcome to University of the
Ozarks, Clarksville and the River Valley. You will find in the preceding pages to be part reflection,
part celebration, part preview of the future – as is the summer on a college campus.
*
We are still in awe of commencement, where we were privileged to watch families
celebrate the culmination of sometimes generations of sacrifice and commitment.
We were privileged to see students graduate who may have been told college was
beyond their grasp for reasons of economics, ability or life circumstance.
*
We are a bit sad, as we are not only saying goodbye to students in whom we have
invested our hearts, our love and our intellect, we are also saying farewell to
colleagues. Colleagues are retiring after decades of services. Colleagues have been tapped for opportunities to serve other students at other institutions, and we have
colleagues who are being called to activities outside of education.
* We are also optimistic as it is a time of renewal. This renewal comes with new students,
new colleagues and new opportunities to deliver on the mission of the University of the Ozarks.
As we prepare for the next year, know that we are committed to serving this amazing institution
with all the gifts, strengths and abilities we have. I continue to be thankful for the many stakeholders who have built the University to date, and revel in the opportunity to build, welcome and meet
the stakeholders of today, as we prepare for our collective future.
Fondly,
Rich
You May Already Be a Planned Giver…
Congratulations!
Be a Part of Something Special!
Have you ever made a contribution to support a special, charitable cause? Have you given of your own resources
to help your church, the victims of a natural disaster, or an annual giving program like the Annual Scholarship
Fund at Ozarks? If your answer is “yes,” not only have you made a positive difference in the lives of others, you
are a planned giver. Congratulations!
If you have ever made a charitable contribution, you had to think about what you were doing, you had to plan your
next move…even if that planning took no longer than to write and mail a check or to reach into your pocket and
drop coins into a bucket at Christmas-time. You planned to make that difference, and you did.
At Ozarks, we give special thanks for the ways you have helped our students achieve their educational dreams.
Please continue to make this special difference. If you would like to complete an electronic gift in support of our
students right now, just go to www.ozarks.edu/give. The U.S. Postal Service is also very good at delivering your
gifts by mail if that better fits your plans.
If you would like to make some longer-range plans for Ozarks, such as through a gift annuity, or through your will
or trust, we are honored to work with you and your financial advisors to make sure your gifts have the maximum
positive impact for our students and achieve your philanthropic goals. If we can be of service, you and your
advisors can contact the University’s Office of Advancement at 479-979-1230, or email lamcbee@ozarks.edu.
For more information on how you can make a positive differenence
in the lives of students, please contact Lori McBee
479-979-1354
lamcbee@ozarks.edu
41
415 N. College Avenue
Clarksville, Arkansas 72830
DON’T BE LEFT OUT!

a PDF of the Spring/Summer 2014 Issue

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