A Natural Gift - Louisburg College

Celebrating 225 Years of Building Strong Foundations for Great Futures
COLUMNS
THE MAGAZINE FOR LOUISBURG COLLEGE ALUMNI & FRIENDS
A Natural Gift
One man’s lifelong love for the
College and the environment
SPRING 2012
In this issue... Faculty Profiles | Class Notes | Honor Roll of Donors
1787
First charter
granted by the
State Legislature
for Franklin
Male Academy.
1805
Franklin Male
Academy opened on
January 1. Matthew
Dickinson, Yale College graduate, is the
first principal.
1813
1857
1865
1891
1907
1913
1926
Franklin Female
Academy Charter
granted by the
N.C. State Legislature in September. It would be
replaced with a
charter in 1855
and renamed
Louisburg Female
College.
Main Building
constructed.
The College
and the Male
Academy closed
briefly when the
Union Army
occupied the
grounds and the
buildings.
Washington
Duke, Esq.
of Durham
purchases the
College for
$5,450.
Benjamin N. Duke
gives Louisburg
College to the
North Carolina
Conference of the
United Methodist
Church.
Davis Memorial
Building erected on
the north side of the
Main Building.
Franklin County
Building erected on
the south side of Main
Building; construction
financed by the citizens
of Franklin County.
1989
1931
1965
Louisburg
College
becomes
co-educational.
The Cecil W. Robbins
Library constructed
(named in his honor
as president, 1955-74).
1983
The E. Hoover
Taft Jr. Classroom
Building constructed.
1986
The Clifton L. Benson
Chapel constructed.
Auditorium and theatre
complex constructed on
site of the former Mills
High School. Officially
named the Seby B. Jones
Performing Arts Center
(JPAC) in 2009 in honor
of Mr. Jones and his family’s generous support of
the College.
1999
2005 2009 2012
Nationally-recognized
Learning Partners
program created.
Football returns
to Louisburg
after a 70-year
absence.
President’s home
purchased on
Main Street.
Record number
of students anticipated for 2012-2013
academic year; applications up 35%
from previous year.
Columns
spring 2 0 1 2
ADMINISTRATION
Dr. Mark La Branche
President
Mr. Raymond B. Hodges
Assistant Secretary and Chair of Finance and
Endowment Committee
Dr. James Eck
Dean of the Faculty and Executive Vice President
for Academic Life
Dr. Edgar J. Boone
Chair of Learning Enterprise Committee
Belinda Faulkner
Vice President for Finance
Mr. William R. Cross ‘71
Chair of Advancement Committee
Jason Modlin
Vice President for Student Life
Mr. David (Tad) DeBerry ‘85
Chair of Audit Committee
Stephanie Buchanan Tolbert ‘97
Vice President for Enrollment
OFFICE OF INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT
Kurt Carlson
Vice President for Institutional Advancement
Carmen Johnston
Manager of Donor Services
Our students may change, but our mission remains the same.
Amy Scoggin McManus
Director of Marketing and Communications
and Columns Editor
Jamie Eller Patrick ‘84
Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations
Robert Poole
Director of the Seby B. Jones Performing Arts Center
Emily Zank
Columns Assistant Editor
ALUMNI OFFICERS
Robert Beck ‘53
President of the Golden Anniversary Council
John C. R. Lentz ‘87
President of the Alumni Association
The Hon. Lucy Taylor Allen
Secretary
Mr. Thomas L. Blalock
Ms. Anne Dickson Bowen
Mr. William H. Dove
Mr. Clyde P. Harris Jr.
Mr. H. John Hatcher Jr.
Mr. Seymour Holt ‘49
Mr. Billy R. Merritt ‘53
Ms. Beth M. Norris
Mr. Russell Odom ‘68
Mr. Ely J. Perry III ‘84
Mr. Fred Roberson ‘62
Ms. Sue C. Robertson
Mr. William “Bill” Shelton ‘69
Ms. Kim D. Spivey
Mr. John F. Strotmeyer ‘68
Mr. C. Boyd Sturges
Mr. Roger G. Taylor ‘68
Dr. James P. West
EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Dietra Holloman
President, SGA (2011-2012)
Dr. John Cameron
Chairman of the Board
John C. R. Lentz ‘87
President, Alumni Association
Mr. Michael W. Boddie ‘77
Vice Chairman and Chair of Governance Committee
The Rev. Jon Strother
Superintendent, Raleigh District - UMC
OUR MISSION
Related by faith to The United Methodist Church, Louisburg College is committed to offering a supportive community which nurtures
young men and women intellectually, culturally, socially, physically and spiritually. As a two-year residential institution, we provide
a bridge for students to make a successful transition from high school seniors to college and university students.
501 N. Main Street
LOUISBURG COLLEGE
Louisburg, NC 27549 | 1.800.488.5071 | 919.496.2521 | www.louisburg.edu
SPRING 2012 3
4
Celebrating our History and
Claiming a Great Future
country; ward off dangers that may threaten it. …You
will be called upon to practice and perfect those arts
which alleviate the misfortunes of mankind, or which
adorn and dignify their nature. You are to be conductors by which the sacred flame of liberty and of science is to be transmitted to succeeding generations.”
Since that time, Louisburg College has become coeducational, and the opportunities of knowledge are
afforded to people of all races and nations, but the
purpose of a broad liberal arts education persists.
The goals of sustaining democracy—alleviating the
misfortunes of humanity and adorning and dignifying its nature—are even more relevant today.
Although we did not formally become a college of the
Methodist Church until the 20th Century, Methodists
were always at the forefront of the educational enterprise. People like the Rev. John King, one of our first
trustees, helped build our strong foundation so that
today his great-grandson could enroll at the College.
Dear Friends,
This year we celebrate our 225th anniversary as the
oldest two-year college in the nation!
In the early days of our country, before George
Washington became our first president, the Louisburg Male Academy was chartered in 1787 with the
understanding that education was an essential enterprise in the preservation and sustainment of a newborn democracy.
In the 1805 commencement speech presented on
behalf of the trustees, Mr. John Haywood outlines a
mission that would echo over the years:
“Young gentleman, your present pursuits are intended
to fit you for the honourable discharge of those duties, which in a little time you will be called upon to
perform … Then will it be expected from those rising to manhood, and whose destinies have afforded
them the opportunities of knowledge, that they will
understand and defend the constitution of their
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As a college of the United Methodist Church, we see
our mission as preparing the minds and hearts of our
students so that they may discern what it is that God
has uniquely called them to do, and be, for the world.
Throughout our history, Louisburg has been revered
as a place of academic transformation. We celebrate
the many stories of lives transformed through the
capable and dedicated nurture and care of their instructors, coaches, and College staff. This College
that is so deeply rooted in the past continues to prepare its students for “Great Futures.”
In its 225th year, Louisburg College is in the midst
of a wonderful renaissance. The College that transforms is itself being transformed. Your support of the
College will help us to continue to build momentum,
and claim our own “Great Future.” In this magazine,
we celebrate the transformative generosity of Allen
de Hart and Roger Taylor ‘68. These are just two examples of a growing chorus of support for the College. I hope you will consider making a special gift
in our 225th year.
For the College,
Mark
The Louisburg College board of trustees is pleased to announce that the Allen de Hart family has donated the
91-acre De Hart Botanical Gardens and its estate to the
College. The nature preserve, located five miles south
of Louisburg on U.S. Route 401, is one of two botanical
gardens owned by the De Harts (the other is a 165-acre
wilderness area near De Hart’s birthplace and the Blue
Ridge Parkway in Virginia).
“The gift of the De Hart Gardens will mark one of the
greatest historic developments in the 225-year history of
the College,” says Louisburg College President Dr. Mark
La Branche. “It represents an extraordinary legacy created by God, and fashioned through the mind, heart, and
hands of Allen de Hart. This gift will more than double
the land mass of our campus, and significantly expand
our learning environment.”
During the remainder of De Hart’s lifetime, he and his
family will continue living in the property’s ranch-style
home and serve as caretakers of the Gardens’ forests,
trails, lakes, and historic sites, and will monitor events
such as concerts, weddings, and special educational
tours.
On the following pages, you will learn more about De
Hart, the Gardens, and his lifetime of service to the College. We hope to see you at the Gardens one day soon!
A Natural Gift
by Amy Scoggin McManus
De Hart explaining Yellowroot to Garden
visitors Pam Beck and her son Taylor in 1992.
FOLLOWING IN HIS
FOOTSTEPS
If you’ve ever hiked any of the hundreds of trails in North Carolina,
South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, or Florida, you’ve probably
walked in Allen de Hart’s footsteps.
After all, this 85-year-old hiker has
measured more than 57,000 trail
miles—more than twice the circumference of the world—using
a wheel and topographic maps to
calculate the distance. He has hiked
another 10,525 miles on trails measured by others, including the Appalachian, Florida National Scenic,
Grand Canyon, and shorter trails in
over 38 states of the U.S.A., along
with several in Europe. For the past
four decades, he has tackled the immense challenge of mapping some
4,142 trails for his guidebooks and
is known throughout the country
as an expert trail designer and construction guide.
A CHANCE ENCOUNTER
De Hart and his wife Flora moved
from Virginia to Louisburg in 1957
after accepting professorships at
the College. They lived in campus housing while their permanent home was constructed based
upon their own design. In 1962,
they were thrilled to move into the
11-room ranch house with its surrounding two acres of untouched
woodlands in a serene and mostly
uninhabited strip of land along U.S.
Route 401 in Louisburg.
WHAT STARTED AS A YOUNG BOY’S FASCINATION
with the natural environment and hiking trails steadily grew into a passion that
has spanned nearly 80 years and spurred the creation of two botanical gardens,
collegiate courses in outdoor recreation, and nationally-known trail guidebooks.
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“It was a spring afternoon in 1962
when Flora and I explored additional acreage of forest east of our new
home,” says De Hart. “We found
huge boulders covered with Wild
Pink, a species found in only about
10 counties of North Carolina.”
Wild Pink thrives on the ingredients of granite rocks, often grows in
rocky seams, and blooms during the
last three weeks in April and the first
week of May.
In the early days, the couple called
the Gardens “Greencroft” in honor
of their first home near Charlottesville. By 1978, the Gardens were renamed the Franklin County Nature
Preserve, and, in 1984, the State of
North Carolina created a charter
that would officially change the
name to the De Hart Botanical Gardens Inc. Eager to share the beauty
of their expansive gardens with the
community, the couple decided to
purchase more land—91 acres in
all—and eventually constructed
lakes, trails, and picnic areas. They
held concerts for the public and
welcomed botanists to research and
explore the grounds, which boast
some 300 plant species. The Gardens are also home to a waterfall,
Paleozoic rock formations, indigenous groves of 200-year-old Beech
Nut and Oak trees, patches of native orchids garnished with ferns,
a bird sanctuary, the foundation
ruins of a historic plantation home,
and a haven for wildlife.
One of the two waterfalls
visitors encounter while
walking the trails.
A LIFETIME OF SERVICE
De Hart says his main commitment
and dedication has been in service
to Louisburg College. From the
time he and Flora arrived on campus in 1957, they were instant campus organizers. De Hart served as a
full-time faculty and staff member
for 36 years and another 16 years as
a part-time employee.
During the decade of growth and
expansion under the leadership of
then-President Dr. Cecil W. Robbins, De Hart established programs
for cultural arts, testing and guidance, public relations, and publications. He formed a concert series which now bears his name, a
lecture and foreign film series, a
folk festival, and a visual art series.
His establishment of a College and
Community Arts Council developed into the Franklin County Arts
Festival in 1978, and the International Whistlers’ Convention and
Wild Pink
(Silene Caroliniana)
Fall foliage reflected in one of
the two lakes on the property.
Music Festival developed in 1974 from the College’s Folk
Festival, which De Hart founded four years earlier. “We
are all better off by his efforts in bringing quality entertainment in arts programming,” said then-President Dr.
J. Allen Norris Jr. in 1990.
reational activities for me since my childhood,” says De
Hart. “I often followed my older brother, Moir, fishing
and camping, and later led my two younger brothers on
explorations of the large forests on our farm in Patrick
County, Va.”
Retired since 2008, he continues to write and give
During the summer of 1960, De Hart received a grant
talks, and is active in the Friends of the
from the National Science Foundation to study
Mountains-to-Sea Trail (MST)—a propsychology at Florida State University. That
“It was a spr ing
gram he conceived and helped create
experience, combined later with adafterno o n i n 1962 when
in the 1970s. Officially founded in
vanced studies at Duke University, led
F lora and I e xpl o re d addi1996, the MST has over 500 miles
him to establish the Office of Testing
t ional acre age o f fo rest e ast o f
of footpaths, roads, and state bike
and Guidance at the College, out of
our new ho me . We fo und huge
routes already developed, and
which grew a developmental reading
boulder
s
covered
with
Wi
l
d
P
ink
,
more
planned in the coming decourse and a learning skills program.
a
s
p
eci
e
s
fo
und
in
o
nl
y
abo
ut
cade. When completed, the 1,000By 1970, he and Flora had written a
10 co unties o f No r th
mile trail will connect Clingman’s
textbook entitled Systems Approach to
Caro lina.”
Dome of the Smoky Mountains to
Learning. In the same year he published
Jockey’s
Ridge State Park at the Atlantic
Cultural Arts Programming in the Two Year
Ocean.
Colleges in North Carolina, a textbook developed
from a graduate course at UNC-Chapel Hill. It was from
“Allen de Hart is a person who cares deeply about his
the Florida State studies that he created the textbook Incommunity and volunteerism,” says Jeff Brewer ‘97, De
troduction to Experimental Psychology, a companion to
Hart’s former student and Friends of the MST board
the four-hour course he taught in Louisburg’s Departmember. “From the MST, Whistlers’ Convention, LOUment of Science.
U Arts, to his hiking books, and his Gardens, this man
has done it all for his community and nation. He is the
Involved in other services to Louisburg College during
college professor who stands out as the one who taught
the 1960s, he and several faculty who were members of
me the most about myself and my life.”
the American Association of University Professors organized a chapter for the College. This led to the creation of
In December 2011, De Hart was granted professor emerthe College’s pension plan, faculty rank, and health initus status by the College.
surance benefits. It was also in the early ‘60s that De Hart
joined seven other college representatives from North
Carolina to form the nucleus of the National Association
A PLACE FOR ALL TO EXPLORE
of Campus Activities (NACA), a collegiate marketplace
for campus entertainment in the USA and Canada.
Located within a 10-minute drive from Louisburg and
a 20-minute jaunt from Raleigh, the Gardens are free
During the 1970s and ‘80s, De Hart formed the Appaand open to the public seven days a week. The De Harts
lachian Trail and Whitewater Club within the College’s
ask that you sign the guestbook at the entrance just inDepartment of Recreation. Participants included facside the gazebo, refrain from smoking and littering on
ulty, staff, and students who had an interest in hiking,
the grounds, and never dig up or purposely disturb the
backpacking, camping, whitewater rafting, and cave explants. Leashed pets are allowed and children under 12
ploring. “Hiking and camping have been important recyears of age must be accompanied by an adult.
A sunny day on the Wedding Rock.
Friends of Allen de Hart have established an endowment fund in his honor at Louisburg College. The
fund will support enhancements to the Gardens. For more information and to contribute, please contact
Kurt Carlson, vice president for institutional advancement, at 919.497-3325 or [email protected].
Seasonal serenity on the Gardens’ lakes.
READ MORE
In addition to many newspaper and magazine articles, De Hart’s published outdoor recreational books include: Hiking and Backpacking (1979, 1983, 1994, 2000); North Carolina Hiking Trails (1982, 1988, 1996, 2005); South Carolina
Hiking Trails (1984, 1989, 1994, 2001); The Trails of Virginia: Hiking the Old Dominion (1994, 1995, 2003); Hiking
and Backpacking Basics (1985, 1992); Monongahela National Forest Hiking Guide (1988, 1993, 1999, 2006); Hiking
the Mountain State; The Trails of West Virginia (1986, 1997); Adventuring in Florida, Georgia Sea Islands and Okefenokee Swamp (1991, 1995); Trails of the Triad (1997); and Trails of the Triangle (1997, 2007).
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SPRING 2012 9
10
“Two hundred twenty-five years after its
founding, the College has a sense of optimism
spurred on by a ‘can-do’ attitude.”
— Dr. Jim Eck
MISSION-DRIVEN
by Dr. James C. Eck, Dean of the Faculty and Executive Vice President for Academic Life
Colleges often struggle to demonstrate the extent to
which they are “mission-driven.” I’ve worked for fifteen years as a college faculty member and administrator; during that time, I have supported three
missions: (1) We Nurture Persons: For God, For
Learning, Forever; (2) We Educate Students for Responsible Leadership and Global Citizenship; and (3)
We Build Strong Foundations for Great Futures. In
my estimation, Louisburg is one of the most convincing “mission-driven” colleges in America.
We build strong foundations for students who have
the most to gain from higher education. There are
literally thousands of examples of lives transformed
by Louisburg College. College rankings are primarily based upon the characteristics of an entering class
(i.e., inputs) and the size of an endowment. If we
were to rank colleges based upon the changes that
occur between matriculation and graduation (i.e.,
outputs), Louisburg College would rank near the top.
As academic dean, I am most proud of these changes
that occur for our students during college—it’s our
hallmark of excellence.
Serving as the academic dean of Louisburg College
is a high calling and it is my honor and privilege to
lead such a distinguished faculty. Looking forward,
I believe in Louisburg College. I have confidence in
COLUMNS
our faculty and students and I know that our best
days still lie ahead of us. Two hundred and twentyfive years after its founding, the College has a sense
of optimism spurred on by a “can-do” attitude. I am
also not satisfied—there is a hunger for continuous
improvement. We will continue to implement best
practices in higher education and experiment with
innovative approaches to teaching and learning.
Historically, great colleges have had passionate advocates. Williams College had Mark Hopkins, Dartmouth College had Daniel Webster, and the University of Chicago had Robert Maynard Hutchins.
Collectively, the Louisburg College faculty members
serve as this college’s passionate advocates, and they
are sincerely motivated by an intrinsic desire to engage our students in dialogue—similar to Plato and
Aristotle, when the roles of teacher (expert) and
student (novice) constantly reverse. U.S. President
James A. Garfield once stated that “the ideal college
is Mark Hopkins on one end of the log as teacher/
expert and a student on the other.”
Louisburg College seeks to encourage and facilitate
that ongoing and iterative conversation between faculty and students, thereby bringing greater definition
and fulfillment to the meaning of a pragmatic liberal
arts education.
Profiles in
TEACHING
Profiles in
TEACHING
Profiles in
TEACHING
JOSH PARROTT
Instructor of Religion
In the next few pages, six
faculty members share
their own stories of how
and why they choose
to live the mission of
Louisburg College every
day. They are but a sampling of the outstanding
faculty we are blessed to
have on our campus.
JANE MIDDLETON
Instructor and Learning Specialist
LAURA KINZINGER
Associate Professor of English
SUE BRIDGEMAN
Instructor of Mathematics
CRYSTAL BRANTLEY
Assistant Professor of English
JEFF OLBRYS
Assistant Professor of Mathematics
SPRING 2012 11
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JEFF OLBRYS
I have been a faculty member at Louisburg College
since August 2001. I am an assistant professor of mathematics.
I never know what to say when people ask me where I’m
from. I grew up in New London, Connecticut, a small
town on Long Island Sound. I left to attend Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, just north of Chicago. After my third try at my junior year, I moved into
Chicago and stayed for about 10 more years. I spent six
years in the Navy, most of which I spent at the Naval Air
Test Center, outside of Washington, D.C. After my hitch
was up, I lived in southern California for three years
until I moved to Decatur, Georgia, just outside of Atlanta. I lived there for 10 years until I moved to Raleigh.
I always know what to say when someone asks why I
am at Louisburg College: because I drive to work every
morning with a smile on my face. I get to spend my
working hours exploring some of the most profoundly
beautiful ideas that civilization has produced. As I tell
my students, I didn’t become a mathematician because
it was easy for me. It wasn’t. I got through grad school
by spending many hours in the library, doing the work
it took to make the material mine—and I think it makes
me a better teacher. When one of my students doesn’t
understand the textbook explanation, I can usually explain the concept three or four other ways, until we find
the one that works for that particular student. Then I
get to see the light bulb go on. That’s when I know I am
in exactly the right place, working alongside an incredible group of colleagues, doing the work that I am supposed to be doing. No wonder I’m smiling!
LAURA KINZINGER
Jeff Olbrys arriving at the answer with Bradley Holmes ‘10.
My employment history is likewise varied. When I
started my undergraduate studies at Northwestern
University, I knew I wanted to be a lighting designer in
the theater. That lasted a couple of years until I realized
that it was not my life’s work. Then I went to work in a
hospital operating room, taking care of all the machines
and ordering all of the supplies. Every chance I got, I
looked over the surgeons’ shoulders and learned lots of
anatomy up close. I had a terrific time, but, in order to
advance professionally, I needed some letters after my
name, and I started nursing school. That turned out
to be a bad fit, so I decided to make a big change and
enlisted in the Navy. I spent six years working on airplane electronics; it was like having a $90 million video
game. My experience in the Navy earned me a job with
the company that built my airplane. That was fun for a
while, but I eventually realized my heart wasn’t in my
work, and I started looking for other options. I earned a
bachelor of science degree from Excelsior College and a
master of science from Georgia State University. Then,
with suitable letters after my name, I found Louisburg
College.
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When our alumni read my words, I will have taught
English and Humanities courses for 34 years, the last
21 at Louisburg; however, who I am as a teacher is the
woman who has traveled in wide gyres, tight quoits,
sometimes a Mobius strip. Early yesterday morning, I
walked our labyrinth’s convolutions in a halting tempo,
aware of the outer ring and my retraced steps. In last
night’s cold, I smiled at the Pleiades and their pursuer
Orion, the moon’s apple-sliver, and Jupiter. I also found
my zenith, my highest fixed point, yet I knew that zenith, a Persian word, means “the path or road rising
above your head.” I am my fixed points, my wanderings,
wonderings, and windings.
I had a magical Wisconsin childhood, but my family
moved to the then-hinterlands of eastern North Carolina (Tarboro) in 1960 when I was 9 years old. Living in the segregated South with my gentle German
chemist-mathematician father, my artist grandfather,
my younger sister, and my ardently-outspoken socialjustice-advocate mother was “interesting”—in terms of
the Chinese curse “May you live in interesting times.”
Books, writing, music, piano, art, science, and Nature
became my lodestones and lodestars.
I turned to Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York,
on a full scholarship bequeathed by Sallie Staton, a
Tarboro woman who attended Vassar in 1897—but
not before having to sue the estate. In a legal limbo,
Staton’s will restricted the scholarship to “white girls”
from Tarboro, which Vassar had rejected in 1962 and
which the Staton heirs contested. Being the first Sallie Staton recipient and opening the opportunity to all
young women (and men) in eastern and western North
Carolina seem an important curve in many paths, including mine. Vassar’s worlds and whorls of books and
languages and literature
Because of my eclectic (some say eccentric)
and art and people were
background, I teach
wondrously dizzying, as
composition, literature,
was the anguishing and
public speaking, creative
“interesting” time of the
writing, developmental
Vietnam War. I majored
writing, and developin art history—which
mental reading. I have
I adored and which
served on every major
seemed to connect evfaculty committee, and I
erything in the uniwas honored to be selectverse—cum laude, Phi
ed as humanities division
Beta Kappa. I earned a
chair for two years. I am
Master of Fine Arts in
most proud that I resurcreative writing (porected the developmenetry focus) from UNCtal writing course in the
Laura Kinzinger assisting Ontera Alford ‘13 of Rowland, N.C., in the writing center.
Greensboro, with other
mid-1990s and taught
graduate work at West
the first developmental
Virginia University, the
reading course a few years later; as with most colleges,
University of Vermont, and North Carolina State Uniwe now have a robust developmental program to help
versity.
our students become successful on the college level.
I always defined myself as a writer and a reader and
I am sure that I will soon take our Labyrinth’s mannever thought about teaching until, after a number of
dalic path again and will watch my breath be wreathed
odd survival jobs, I began teaching for Shepherd Colagainst the night sky as I find my zenith and reflect on
lege (now Shepherd University) in West Virginia. It
my past and future paths, whether they be widdershins
was an unusual teaching situation: located 150 miles
or a surprising wending. Above all, I hope that what I
from the main campus, I taught classes in five counties,
do at Louisburg College will invite my students to do
driving a weekly circuit of 800-1200 miles over mounthe same.
tain ranges, as an itinerant professor. I’ve also taught
for James Madison University, Blue Ridge Community
College, and Lord Fairfax Community College in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, and I have taught literature
for the National Endowment for the Arts and have led
a number of creative writing workshops.
I was about 4 years old when I first heard the word “college.” I was with my grandparents, taking what seemed
I applied for an English opening at Louisburg so that
like a very long road trip (actually only 27 miles) to pick
I could be closer to my mother; I remember thinking,
up my aunt for the weekend. As we went around the big
“Louisburg, Louisburg …where exactly is Louisburg?”
circular drive, I
and then gasping when I looked at a map and realized
looked in wonder
that it, too, was on the meandering Tar River, a seemat a tall building
ingly full circle. The College itself has been entwined in
with stark white
dire straits this past score (and has since its founding),
columns and rows
yet we have wound our way back to our central misand rows of steps.
sion for excellence in teaching. I so value my colleagues
I so badly wanted
and the difficult work they do every day—and for their
to get out of the
generosity as a community of teachers, scholars, and
car and run up
friends.
and down those
steps. I learned
I have always patterned my teaching on that of my best
later that this
teachers: using the Socratic method and asking quesplace was called
tions, posing possibilities, and asking for reactions;
Louisburg Colnudging students to expand their ideas further, belege. That meming more interested in students’ questions than mine;
ory came back
showing them the sheer joy of words; making conto me so vividly
nections to the world. Most of all, I want my students
when I was hired by Louisburg College in the fall of
to reflect (which becomes increasingly difficult in this
2010 as an adjunct English instructor.
always-on electronic world).
CRYSTAL BRANTLEY
SPRING 2012 13
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From a very early age, I knew that I wanted to be a
teacher. Growing up in rural Warren County, North
Carolina, in the 1960s and ‘70s, I was not exposed to
many mind-expanding experiences, but I was lucky
to cross paths with a number of intelligent, dedicated
teachers who inspired me to read everything I could
and to never lose sight of my goal—being a teacher. After graduating from UNC-Greensboro, I spent the first
dozen years of my career teaching history and English
in local high schools. In the summer of 1986, I was selected as a fellow for the Capital Area Writing Project at
NC State University and was inspired to attend graduate
school there. Even though I was teaching full time and
had very young
children, I succeeded in obtaining my master’s
degree. No doubt,
I would not have
been able to do so
without the help
of my family, colleagues, and professors—my “community.”
finding a job in a field that was flooded with teachers. I
stayed the course and I have never regretted it.
I completed all of my higher education in New York
State, starting at a community college. I eventually
earned my master’s degree in secondary education
mathematics from Adelphi University in Garden City.
I have been teaching since 1974, either full-time or
part-time. I have experience in middle school, high
school, and college. When I was not teaching in a classroom, I was tutoring high school students and mentoring future teachers. Finally, in 2004, I joined the staff
of Louisburg College as a part-time
math instructor. I
recently became a
full-time instructor during the fall
semester of 2011.
Since I started my
career, I have adhered to the philosophy that an
educator guides
his/her students
The last half of my
to reach their full
teaching career has
potential by givbeen at the college
ing them the tools
level. For 15 years, I
they need to suctaught English and
ceed. These tools
humanities courses
include a good
at Vance-Granville
Sue Bridgeman assisting freshman Tigana Eccleston ‘13 of Ft, Lauderdale, Fla., in the math lab.
foundation in the
Community Colsubject matter, selflege and was very
confidence, and good study skills. It is my belief that
active in a number of professional organizations. Each
an educator must elicit from students all that they are
day, I tried to engage students in the educational procapable of becoming.
cess and to insist that they recognize, develop, and use
their abilities, just as my instructors had insisted of me.
I believe that as a teacher it is most important to get
Later, as an adjunct at Louisburg College, I recognized
students involved in the learning process. I encourage
its dedication to these same goals and readily accepted
questions and strive to keep my students engaged by
a full-time position.
presenting math as a continuous story that flows beautifully. I support numbers and equations with reasons
Climbing the steps in front of Main does not entice me
and explanations. I always try to apply real-life situas it did when I was 4, but I certainly look forward to
ations to math concepts. Lastly, I try to entertain my
working with all those students who choose to climb
students by making each class a performance, hoping
them.
to keep their attention and even getting them to look
forward to attending class.
SUE BRIDGEMAN
I knew I wanted to be a teacher when I was in fifth grade
and I knew I wanted to teach math by the time I was in
eighth grade. In high school, I was advised to search for
another profession because I would have a hard time
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After all these years of teaching, I am still excited about
entering the classroom every morning. I have especially enjoyed my years teaching at Louisburg because
of the positive environment of the College. It has been
very rewarding to work with the students, faculty, and
administration, as well as to attend chapel services.
JOSH PARROTT
I began my time at Louisburg College as a part-time
instructor of religion in the fall of 2007. Now, as a fulltime faculty member, I have the privilege of teaching
many
different
courses. While I
have continued
to teach and enjoy the traditional
core curriculum
classes, which include Old Testament, New Testament, and World
Religions, I am
thrilled to also
offer classes from
our
catalogue
that haven’t been
taught in over
20 years! Those
classes are Religion in America
Today and The Bible, Yesterday and
Today. I think it is exciting that we, as a small college,
can offer students so many options for religious studies.
Being the first in my family to pursue higher education, I entered the College of William and Mary where
I earned a Bachelor of Arts in psychology in 1971 and
a Master of Education in special education in 1973.
When I retired from public education, my husband assured me of his support in going on to pursue my lifelong dreams of earning a doctorate and teaching at the
college level. I received my doctorate in 2009 from the
University of Georgia in reading education.
Throughout my professional life, I have enjoyed some
outstanding opportunities that have fueled my passion
for further study and service, particularly involving
students with learning differences. One of these opportunities involved studying at the Center for Applied
Special Technology and participation in their National
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Consortium. My
other areas of special focus include studies of highly
successful dyslexics, optimal practices in teaching and
learning, and key elements in interpersonal relationships found to facilitate learning. I find the collaboration and teamwork at Louisburg College stimulating,
and the tasks involved in approximating UDL with our
students sufficiently challenging.
In my classes, I strive to foster academic excellence and
critical thinking. I want my students to become active
learners who take responsibility for their education.
Through class discussions and lectures, I try to help students understand the relevance of God’s word in their
everyday lives. It’s my desire that they love God not just
with their hearts, but also with their minds.
My wife and I believe in these students and the rich history of Louisburg College. We are grateful for our time
here thus far and look forward to continuing to invest
ourselves in our vibrant college community.
JANE MIDDLETON
I am a newcomer to Louisburg College, and I assist students through the Learning Partners program. My professional life spans 40 years in education as a teacher,
administrator, supervisor, director, consultant, tutor,
and college faculty member. Since joining the faculty at
Louisburg College, I have been privileged to witness the
subtle changes in thinking and behaving that transform
our young adults into competent, capable, and accomplished professionals, prepared for lives of learning and
service. This is definitely the capstone experience of my
career.
By joining the faculty of Louisburg College, I am living
my dream. I have become a part of a learning community engaged in dialogue and collaboration with other
dedicated, diligent professionals for whom our mission
is fulfilled with joy and purpose as we see our students
flourish. I am blessed.
SPRING 2012 15
My
Louisburg
Story
By Charles M. Rucker ‘72
Just three-tenths of a point and
a determined professor were
all that stood between Charles
Rucker ‘72 and a bloody war.
IT WAS EARLY SPRING 1972
at Louisburg College and I was
among a couple of hundred students
who assumed they would soon
graduate. Back then it was a different
place – a more spartan one. There
was no Taft, no Hillman, no Norris
Theater, no Jordan Student Center,
and no Benson Chapel. Where the
JPAC now stands, was the Auditorium-Classroom Building, an ancient, drafty structure of wood and
brick where classes, performances,
orientations, and graduations were
held. And it was a different Louisburg. There was one restaurant in
town that was open after 9 o’clock—
Dick’s Drive-In; and I can vividly remember the night it burned and the
period of mourning that followed.
There was the Murphy House, but
it closed early, was expensive, and
the chances were excellent that you
would run into a professor.
I also remember a soft Friday afternoon. The world was in a yawn
from a long winter’s sleep and the
trees were just beginning to bear
their first feathery buds. I was leaning into the cavernous trunk of my
16
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’63 Ford Galaxy, carefully packing
my guitar, fishing rod, eight-track
tapes, and all the other equipment of
youth. Oh, yes. This was going to be
a good weekend, full of possibilities.
the trunk in a haze. I felt sick and
weightless as if I were on a runaway
elevator, and listened to the rest of
what she was saying without hearing
a single word.
Then I heard a woman’s voice. She
was calling my name. I stood up.
It was Ms. Zelda Coor, the registrar. She smiled briefly, then began.
“Yesterday I was looking over students’ grades, and I saw the D that
you earned in Art History . . .” She
waited. I thought, “So what? I’m
gonna graduate; and so why are you
wasting my time?” She resumed,
“Charles, are you proud of that D?”
I lied, “No ma’am.” But the truth
was that I was fine with it, and if she
had just let me get the heck down
the road, I’d have been even better. Then she sprung the trap with,
“Well good, because I’ve made arrangements with Mrs. Kornegay for
you to retake the entire course over
the next five Saturdays - starting tomorrow.” Immediately I went numb.
What guts! The shock was rude and
surreal and my duffle bag looked
sad and the rod and guitar seemed
ridiculous and irrelevant. I shut
The low grade in Mrs. Kornegay’s
class was largely due to my priorities, or lack thereof. I had cut probably half a dozen of her classes to fish
in the dark cypress water of Franklin
County lakes. After all it’s only art.
What could it hurt? I had aced English under Mr. Wright, and had even
done well in Dr. Goldston’s religion
class. And the assumed A in PE from
Coach Lanier would neutralize any
unforeseen problems in Spanish.
Now, in spite of my brilliantly-conceived survival plan, my next five
weekends had just been hijacked by
this well-meaning Samaritan.
The following day started out rough.
After watching the last of the rogues,
revelers, and ne’er-do-wells roar
away from campus, I had to fake
everything from thanking Mrs. Kornegay for my second chance to having any fascination for art – much
less its history. But, by the second
Saturday I was beginning to find the
class interesting. We had covered
the cave drawings of Lascaux and
Altamira. These early artists drew
animals which were easily recognizable as the ancestors of those living
today. Bison, deer, and birds were
being chased by enigmatic creatures
who walked on their hind legs and
carried tools. Some of this art was
very good.
Things began to make sense as I saw
some relevance. Each Friday night I
studied in my room on the second
floor of Franklin. The whole dorm
was deserted on the weekends. Its
ancient, creaking wooden floors
were marked by thousands of cigarette burns and the place fairly flitted
with ghosts from Louisburg’s 185year history. By the light of a 40-watt
bulb in my old goose-neck lamp I
pored over the art of the Egyptian
dynasties and the architecture of
ancient Greece and wondered how
many other students had spent perfectly good Friday nights studying in
this very room for perhaps the very
same reason. Before my eyes passed
some of man’s greatest and most noble endeavors; and it occurred to me
that in the last ten thousand years art
had made a complete circle – only
now the cave drawings were being
made by Picasso, Rothko, and Jackson Pollock.
By the fourth Saturday, I felt that our
common sacrifices had made Mrs.
Kornegay and me great friends, and
I fully expected to slide into an easy
A. Obviously she had other things to
do on those sweet April Saturdays as
well and probably felt quite generous
with the B she gave me instead. And
she was right. My GPA rose from 2.5
to 2.8.
Like most other students, I regarded
Louisburg as the perfect springboard
to a more imposing university with
all its impersonal chaos. Risking the
wrath of three previous generations
of Tarheels, I chose NC State instead.
Graduating from Louisburg was one
thing, but being accepted at State
was something entirely different. If
my transfer to State hadn’t made the
cut, I would have certainly received
notice that my draft status had fallen
from the golden 4-F to 1-A with all
its horrible premonitions—starting
with the customary “meet and greet”
down at Fort Bragg. Even though the
terrible battles of the late ‘60s were
over, the Vietnam War would still
limp on for another three years; during that time, many more thousands
of good soldiers would be killed,
maimed, or just return home to
murmur in their sleep every night as
the War sat softly at the foot of their
beds. The Army was constantly looking for replacements and any young
man with a suitable draft number
and who wasn’t in college would do
just fine. The ‘Nam was always there.
I, thankfully, was accepted to NC
State. There I declared English as my
major. During my junior year I had
been assigned an advisor whom I
gradually came to genuinely like. He
was a bass fisherman also and confessed that he would have wanted to
become a large animal veterinarian
if only there had been a vet school
in North Carolina. We both liked
Hemingway and hated Henry James
and agreed that H. L. Mencken was
pompous, yet highly effective. And
that Shakespeare blew everyone else
away. I retained him during my senior year and by then we had developed practically a back-slapping
friendship.
One gray afternoon while sitting in
his office with my feet up on his desk,
it occurred to me to ask him if he had
a complete record of my grades all
the way back to Louisburg. He said
that he did. I knew that I couldn’t
view the contents of the folder, but I
asked him to retrieve my file anyway.
He went to a metal cabinet, prowled
around for a minute and returned
to his desk with a manila folder. He
plopped it down and was still smiling at something funny that I’d said.
I asked if I might look through my
own folder. He said no, but that he’d
answer any questions that I might
have. We both got quiet. There was
one matter that I needed an answer
for. I asked him about my grades and
he assured me that I should graduate
on time. I then asked him to look at
my Louisburg transcript. He found it
and was inspecting it closely. After a
minute I asked him how close I had
come to having my transfer rejected.
His smile had long since vanished; it
was all business now. He said nothing, but held up his left hand in a
pinch with only about one-fourth of
an inch between his thumb and index finger. I asked, “Would a 2.5 have
gotten me in?” He answered factually, “No, not a chance.” “How about
with a hefty financial contribution?”
“Not a chance…” We stared at each
other in buzzing silence. That .3 had
made all the difference. Without it,
where would I have found myself on
that day? I felt like I had just stepped
over a landmine, which quite literally could have been the case. My
mind shorted out like it did when
Ms. Coor shot the entire month of
April back in ’72. The news made me
vaguely sick. Strangely, the combination of Louisburg and NC State may
have saved my life. And take away
Ms. Coor, and the whole thing falls
apart.
Several years ago I read in the College Bulletin that Ms. Coor had
died. I thought about her and of that
spring day in ’72 when a slight 5-foot
tall woman went up against a smug
6-foot bodybuilder and they both
won. Or, rather, I won. There was
nothing in it for her. And I thought
about Louisburg. What other college
would have an administrator who
would actually seek out a student for
his ultimate well-being? Harvard?
Princeton? Stanford? I think not. It
was all so long ago. God bless Louisburg and also Ms. Zelda G. Coor.
Ms. Zelda G. Coor
SPRING 2012 17
Transformation
SOME SIX DOZEN
2011
Jamie Eller Patrick ‘84, Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations
R
eflecting on my first
year as director of annual giving and alumni
relations at Louisburg
College, I am intrigued anew by
this serendipitous force that has
been shaping futures for 225 years.
As a Louisburg College alumna,
I’m fortunate to be among those
who’ve experienced firsthand how
Louisburg College can transform
lives. And, if you’re a particularly
stubborn case, it just might have a
go at yours more than once!
Attending Louisburg College
was decidedly not a part of my
plan for worldly adventure. As
a faculty child, I practically grew
up on campus, and then promptly
enrolled at UNC-Chapel Hill as a
piano major. I’d scarcely unpacked
when debilitating mononucleosis
forced me home … and to Louisburg College. In denial, I com-
Are you somewhere or someone
today because of the time you
spent on campus? Where are the
special people you met along the
way? What could it mean to reconnect? Send us your Louisburg
story to share with the world:
[email protected]
or 919.497.3245
18
COLUMNS
menced counting the days until
I’d be back at UNC. An especially
observant Louisburg professor
finally pulled me aside and said,
“Nothing very good is going to
happen here for you until you first
accept your reality.” For emphasis,
over fall break he booted me out of
our house and into Merritt dorm.
Alas, UNC never did reclaim its
freshman. Resistance being no
match for providence, exactly
two years passed. Somewhere
between the old plank theatre and
the drama of all things freshman,
I chose to stay. That simple decision altered the course of my life.
Now a junior at UNC, I was far
off the music track, so I opted to
pursue broadcast journalism. My
new path led to a career in media,
which, ironically, prepared me
for service to the College today. A
considerably humbler and more
seasoned student, this time I came
along willingly.
Stories like mine are hardly
unique. Like Louisburg College
alumni, they’re everywhere! As the
College marks its 225th anniversary, I invite you to celebrate the
difference Louisburg College made
in your life. Are you somewhere or
someone today because of the time
you spent on campus? Where are
the special people you met along
the way? What could it mean to
reconnect?
The day’s events included
a meeting of the GAC
Board in the morning,
followed by the Class of
1961 Induction Ceremony. After Council President Bob Beck “pinned”
the newest members,
Paul Wilson ‘61 regaled
the group with a “stroll
down memory lane,”
recalling some of his
fondest memories of
his time at the College.
You can share a bit of your own
Louisburg College story with our
students, alumni and friends just
by providing your updated contact
information to me at [email protected] or 919-497-3245. Then,
consider attending or even hosting
an event or reunion, offering an
internship or shadowing opportunity to a student, providing a
professional reference or contact
to an alumnus, becoming a class
agent, advocating for admissions,
or simply making a gift.
Goethe said, “We must always
change, renew and rejuvenate ourselves; otherwise we harden.” Most
of us have long since forgotten the
details of our classes at Louisburg.
But our very lives call to mind profound lessons from beloved teachers and friends. When alumni say,
“Louisburg College gave me my
start,” or even “Louisburg College
saved me,” I’m reminded of my
own entry level ‘required course’ in
receptivity.
Louisburg College offers a transformative education that reaches
far beyond the classroom —the
kind that opens wide one’s entire
being to embrace lifelong change,
renewal, and rejuvenation.
classmates from 50 or
more years ago gathered on campus Saturday, April 16, 2011, for
the Golden Anniversary
Council’s (GAC) Annual
Reunion.
Ann Rawls of Rocky Mount, N.C., with Bill
Bowers ‘39 of Charleston,W.Va.
Ed Woodhouse ‘56, Peggy Wilder ‘60, and
Velma Brown ‘60 discussing their auction bids.
GAC members and guests twist and
shout with College staff during the dance.
Later that afternoon, the
Multi-Purpose
Room
was converted into a
1950s dance hall, complete with period memorabilia and live music by
Professor Craig Eller’s
band, The Troubadours.
As the band played and
the attendees bopped
and swayed, the Council’s
silent auction came to a
close. The auction raised
approximately
$4,500,
the proceeds of which
helped fund the building costs for the College’s
new labyrinth (see page
22 for the full story).
Not t o b e out d on e ,
Mother Nature weighed
in at the end of the day
with tornado warnings.
After gathering around
the big screen TV in
the student center to
watch the local weather
reports, it was soon apparent that the safest
spot for everyone was in
the concrete-walled restrooms. Of course, our
LC alums found a way to
have fun with the situation by laughing, comforting one another, and
sharing stories until the
storm passed. Sadly, not
everyone in the Raleigh
area was spared from the
storm’s wrath that day,
but we are happy to report that our GAC members are fine and have
quite a story to tell!
During this year’s reunion on April 28, 2012,
The Troubadours will return with their unique
sounds of the ‘50s and
early ‘60s, and the Council will host another silent auction, this time to
benefit the restoration
of the Arthur Person
House. Check out our
online newsletter, The
Mid.Week.Message, during the first week of May
for a full report and photos from the day!
(From L-R): Ann Rawls, Sarah Jernigan,
Bill Bowers ‘39, and Horace Jernigan ‘47.
Members of the GAC and their guests, including Mary Foster ‘59, Velma Brown ‘60, Don Fish
‘60, Alicia Eller ‘65, and Charlotte Tippett
(wife of the late Harvey Tippett ‘53), dancing
the day away!
SPRING 2012 19
Celebration of the Windows for Education Project
The College hosted a special dedication of Windows for Education on Saturday, December 3, 2011, in Benson Chapel. The
dedication included lunch and a campus tour.
RETURNING TO THEIR
Alma Mater
hant
(L-R): Biggs, Reg
Summer Interns unt
H
Pendergraft, and
DU R I NG T H E
SUMMER OF 2011,
four Louisburg College alumni returned to their alma mater to work as
interns.
Brittany Hunt ‘10 and T.J. Reghanti ‘11
interned in the admissions office, Nicole Biggs ‘09 interned with the Learning Partners program, and Samantha
Pendergraft ‘10 interned in the office
of marketing and communications.
There are several reasons why these
alums chose to return to Louisburg
for their internships, including a good
working environment and making a
difference.
“It’s a helpful, happy environment, and
I grew as a person in every way from
being given the chance to work here
for the summer,” says Hunt. “Working
here allowed me to interact with new
students and with people who continue to make a difference at the College.”
They all feel that it is important to help
others and give back to the College. “I
enjoyed helping summer school students maximize their independence
academically and hope that I have
inspired some of that spark and mo-
20
i,
tivation that my professors instilled in
me while I was a student here,” says
Biggs, who completed her Bachelor
of Science in rehabilitation services at
East Carolina University in December
2011.
An internship is a graduation requirement at Peace College, where Pendergraft is now a senior majoring in
communication and business administration. “I chose to work at Louisburg because I wanted to make a difference and give back to the College,”
says Pendergraft, a second-generation
alumna (her grandmother, Anne
Weathersbee, attended the College in
the 1940s and is an active member
of the Golden Anniversary Council).
These alums all believe that Louisburg
College provided a strong foundation
for their future academic and professional endeavors.
“Attending Louisburg allowed me
to solidify my love for writing,” says
Hunt, now a senior majoring in English at NC State University who plans
to attend graduate school for creating writing and then enter either the
teaching or publishing field. “There is
no doubt in my mind that writing is
what I want to do,” she explains.
By Samantha Pendergraft ‘10
Summer 2011 Intern in the Office of
Marketing and Communications
During their two years at Louisburg,
all of these alums say that the College
prepared them for a four-year university.
“This internship was a great experience and it prepared me for the
business world,” says Reghanti, who
transferred to Appalachian State University where he is earning a degree
in business management. “Not only
did it prepare me for working in an
office environment, but I also got to
meet new people and enhance my
communication skills,” he continues.
The project, sponsored in
large part by the United
Methodist Men of Cary
and First United Methodist Church of Cary,
focused on three historic campus buildings:
Old Main (1857), DaLarry Apel, former president of the Cary UMM;
vis (1913), and FrankAlan Shepherd, current president of Cary UMM;
and Bill Shuler, incoming president of the Raleigh
lin (1927). Old Main, a
District UMM, enjoying refreshments following
four-story brick building
the dedication.
with a Greek Revival façade, houses various administrative and student services offices. Davis, the west wing of Old Main, was erected in 1913 and
contains a trustee conference room and offices. It was named
for Mathew Davis, president of the College from 1896-1906.
The Franklin County Building, or east wing of Old Main, was
constructed with funds donated by the residents of Franklin
County. This building supports educational and residential
functions. During the past three summers, the 300+ windows
and frames in the three buildings were replaced or restored.
“It was a pleasure having the Methodist Men of Cary and others who
supported the project on campus
for the dedication of Windows for
Education,” says Jamie Patrick, Louisburg College director of annual
giving and alumni relations. “They
contributed significantly to the completion of this beautiful and meaningful restoration.”
Over $35,000 was contributed to this
project, in addition to College funds.
The First United Methodist Church
of Cary and the First United Methodist Men of Cary were major supporters through various fundraising efforts. Other churches, ministry officials, alumni, and
friends of Louisburg College contributed as well, and the project included support from the Historic Preservation Foundation of North Carolina.
Edith C. Lumpkin Community Gallery Dedication
On the evening of Friday, April 15, 2011, the College dedicated the Edith C. Lumpkin Community Gallery in the Seby B. Jones Performing Arts Center. Thanks to a generous gift given in Mrs. Lumpkin’s name by her sons, Parker and Willie Lee, the College was able to
replace the roof on the 22-year-old facility.
With some 100 friends and family members by their side, the brothers expressed their own — as well as their mother’s — deep appreciation and love for the College, and encouraged others to support the College. Guests were treated to a spread of tasty Asian-inspired
dishes elegantly prepared and served by Chartwells Dining Services, and later attended a performance by the Golden Dragon Acrobats
in the Frances Boyette Dickson Auditorium.
“I needed an environment where I
would be held accountable and where
the faculty and staff would view me
as more than just a number—a place
where the professors knew who I
was and genuinely cared about how
I was doing academically, socially,
and emotionally,” says Biggs, who
was recently hired to serve as the office manager in the College’s Office of
Student Life.
They all agree that they could not
have asked for a better internship and
work environment. “Coming back
to Louisburg College is like coming
home,” says Hunt.
Members of the family of Mrs. Edith C. Lumpkin on either side of her portrait that now hangs in the Gallery’s entrance.
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SPRING 2012 21
THE LOUISBURG COLLEGE LABYRINTH
Meditation for All Souls
by Samantha Pendergraft ‘10
Over the summer of 2011, Will Hinton, long-time professor of visual arts
at Louisburg College, built a labyrinth
in front of the Robbins Library on the
campus of our small, private liberal arts
college, which is rooted in the United
Methodist Church.
Hinton describes the labyrinth as “a tool
that increases what we can accomplish.”
It is also a tool, he says, “of transformation and a crucible for change in our
lives—where a person’s psyche meets his
or her soul.”
According to Hinton, any person of any
religion can meditate while following
the path on the labyrinth. “Your path
winds throughout the pattern and be-
comes a mirror of the way in which we
live our lives,” says Hinton. “In the Old
Testament, it speaks about God’s people
going on a journey. The New Testament
describes Jesus Christ modeling a path
of unconditional love and forgiveness.
Now, and even then, a labyrinth represents our life’s journey.”
Hinton recently came across a Jewish
term, gilgul, which implies a reincarnation or a reclarification of souls. He
finds this term very interesting, as it hits
close to home for him, having grown
up in the small town of Gatesville, N.C.
(population 250), where the church and
the community were highly valued.
“When I see the labor and thought
which shaped the labyrinth, it feels to
me that it was not me doing the work,
but something much bigger, much older, much truer working though me,” he
says, adding that he thinks his parents
would be very proud.
Hinton feels that the labyrinth will serve
as a core component of the liberal arts
experience of Louisburg College. “The
three parts of spending time in the labyrinth consist of purgation, illumination,
and union,” Hinton explains. “They are
also known as release, receive, and return.”
“This tool for walking meditation is
open to Louisburg College students,
staff, faculty, community members, and
To view a short, two-part documentary about the Louisburg
College Labyrinth, search for
“Building the Louisburg College
Labyrinth” on www.youtube.
com. To read more about the
process of building the labyrinth,
please visit lclabyrinth.blogspot.
com.
Abdul Caesar ‘13 walks the labyrinth on a crisp fall day.
22
all folks on their journey—24
hours a day, seven days a week,
365 days a year,” explains Hinton.
People of all ages are welcome
to visit the labyrinth, including
children. After walking the labyrinth, they can create an image
of it to take with them by using
paper and crayon to create a rubbing of the bronze plaque at the
entrance. “They [the children]
seem excited and think it is cool
to take a piece of the labyrinth experience home with them,” says
Hinton.
His dream of building the labyrinth came true due to the vision
and initial support from Louisburg College’s Golden Anniversary Club.
COLUMNS
Samantha graduated from Louisburg College in 2010 with an
associate degree. She is currently
pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in
communication from William
Peace University. She served as
an intern in the office of marketing and communications at Louisburg College during the summer of 2011.
Hinton takes great care in the placement of each brick along the laybrinth’s path.
SPRING 2012 23
24
Under the Oaks
Nothing could dampen the spirits
of our faithful alums—not even a
cold, rainy Homecoming day! On
Saturday, October 29, 2011, several
dozen alumni gathered to celebrate,
catch up, and reminisce about their
alma mater.
scaping around the campus); and
Douglas Bryant ‘47 received the
Distinguished Alumnus Award for
serving as an outstanding ambassador to the College who personifies
high achievement, leadership, and
character.
The day kicked off with a meeting
of the alumni board, followed by
an awards breakfast. Awards were
presented to the following alumni:
Bob Beck ‘53 received the Cecil W.
Robbins Award for his outstanding
service and dedication to the College; Brian McCants ‘91 received
the Outstanding Young Alumnus
Award for significant accomplishments in his profession and community (Brian could not be there,
but the award was accepted on
his behalf by Bill Shelton, former
alumni board president); Kyle Perkins ‘07 received the Young Alumnus Service Award for outstanding
service to the College (recipient
chosen by President La Branche;
Kyle’s landscaping company is responsible for the beautiful land-
Later in the morning, faculty, staff,
and members of the Louisburg
community gathered in the Robbins Library for the dedication of
the Louisburg College Labyrinth.
President La Branche, the Rev. Larry Williams, GAC President Bob
Beck, Chaplain Shane Benjamin,
and Will Hinton, who created the
labyrinth, spoke about its meaning
and spiritual purpose.
As the downpour continued, a
group gathered in historic Person
Place to enjoy an indoor tailgate
BBQ lunch before heading out to
the football field to see the Hurricanes take on Nassau Community
College. The rain let up some, and,
as the sun peeked out from behind
a heavy cover of clouds, the Caniacs
HOMECOMING 2011
cheered on their team. The drumline was on hand to pep up the
crowd, as were the cheer and dance
teams. During halftime, President
La Branche presented the Homecoming King and Queen, Rashad
Chavis and Kourtney Anderson.
The ’Canes fought hard into overtime, but came up short, 25-19.
Next on the schedule was Storytelling: Tales of Yesteryear and Today
in Benson Chapel. Current and
retired faculty, staff, and alumni
joined Louisburg locals, including
retired Chaplain Sid Stafford and
long-time professor Craig Eller, as
they shared stories about the College. Playing on a semi-dry softball
field that afternoon, members of
the current-day Lady ‘Canes team
took on former Lady ‘Canes for
the always exciting Alumni Softball
Game.
A dessert, hors d’ouevres, and wine
reception was held in Person Place
in the early evening hours to honor
retired faculty and staff members.
Award Winners (L-R): Bob Beck ‘53, Kyle Perkins
‘07, and Doug Bryant ‘47.
Former Chaplain Sid Stafford (left) listens intently as Paul Wilson ‘61 regales the group with tales
of yesteryear during the storytelling session in Benson Chapel.
Indoor tailgating at Person Place (L-R): Jim and Wendi Eck, Jim Pfifferling (Chartwell’s Dining Services),
and Paul Wilson ‘61 partake of the festive feast!
The Royal Court: Rashad Chavis ‘12 and
Kourtney Anderson ‘12.
Join us for HOMECOMING 2012
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 28TH
Yesterday: A Tribute to the Beatles performing in the JPAC
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29TH
Tailgate Party | Football Game | 225th Anniversary Gala Evening Event
COLUMNS
Members of the 2011-2012 softball team pose with former Lady ‘Canes after the annual Alumni Softball Game.
SPRING 2012 25
College Honors Late Alumnus for
His Lifetime of Volunteer Service
GAC Member Receives Citizen
Service Award
In 2012, the College named its Louisburg College archives in
honor of MELVIN DOUGLAS “DOUG” EDWARDS ‘53, who
passed away on November 22, 2011. Doug dedicated countless
hours to organizing and restoring the College’s vast collection of
books, photos, and memorabilia.
Doug was born on October 27, 1933, in Franklin County. He is
survived by his wife of 53 years, Shirley Capps Edwards (pictured
with Doug at the College’s 2010 Homecoming game); his daughter
Gretchen Lee Sutton and her husband Tim; and his grandson
Kaiden Douglas Sutton. He also leaves behind three sisters, Mrs.
Bobbie Wrenn of Louisburg, N.C.; Mrs. Kay Hickox of Virginia
Beach, Va.; and Mrs. Sandra Fleming of Louisburg, N.C. Edwards
was also blessed with a large number of nieces and nephews. He
was preceded in death by his son, Douglas Keith Edwards.
After graduating from Bunn High School, Doug attended Louisburg College and then went on to finish his degree at NC State
University. He was a veteran of the U. S. Army, with time served
as a map editor in the Army Map Service at the Presidio of San
Francisco,
Calif.,
and Schwetzingen,
Germany. He served
six years in the U.S.
Army Reserve as a
sergeant after his
active duty service.
He was a retired
hydrologist
with
the United States
Geological Survey
of the U.S. Interior
Department, where
he specialized in information technology. He was a registered professional
hydrologist and an
emeritus member of
the American Institute of Hydrology.
Subsequently,
he
served as a system
analyst with Metaphor Computer Systems of Mountain View, Calif., a system analyst with the Burroughs Wellcome Company of Raleigh, N.C.,
and was a retiree of Glaxo in Raleigh, N.C. After retirement, he
continued to serve as a private consultant for system design and
software development for several companies. From 2002 until
2008, Doug and his wife owned and operated Family Memories,
a photograph restoration business. They were also specialists in
working with digital art and operated a successful printing service.
Doug was honored with the U.S. Interior Department’s Meritorious Service award in 1987. He was active in Louisburg College Alumni activities and was honored with their Distinguished
Alumni Award in 2009.
26
COLUMNS
LOUISBURG COLLEGE
Business Organization Finds Success at State and National Levels
ANNE WEATHERSBEE ‘49 was awarded the Citizen Service Award by the Raleigh Citizens Advisory Council on
October 19, 2011. This award was presented to Weathersbee in recognition of her 30 years of contributions and her
commitment to enhancing the quality of life for all Raleigh
residents.“I was asked by the city to represent my area of
Litchford Road in an attempt to give citizens ideas of city
growth and how it should be regulated and controlled,”
says Weathersbee. For three decades, she has served the
North Raleigh City Advisory as its secretary, vice chairman, and chairman; during one of those years, she held all
three positions. “I loved the contact with the citizens and
leaders I met during this time,” she says. “I also like to be
informed about what is going on around me. What better
way is there to be informed than by getting involved in the
groups that control the action?”
Weathersbee was born in the house that she lives in to this
day. She graduated from Millbrook School in 1947, Louisburg College in 1949, and East Carolina University in
1951. She is a lifelong member of Millbrook United Methodist Church, where she serves as the church historian and
wrote a book of the church’s history. She is a member of
United Methodist Women and has served as their president. Weathersbee presently chairs the Lucy Jones Circle,
which is named in honor and memory of her mother. In
July 2012, she will turn 84 years old. “I have been blessed
in so many ways in my life,” says Weathersbee. “I have tried
to give back or pass on the knowledge that I have gained. I
have strived to help others solve their own problems.”
Eight members of Louisburg College’s Phi
Beta Lambda (PBL) chapter competed at
the organization’s National Leadership
Competition on June 23-26, 2011, in
Orlando, Fla. This four-day competition is considered the pinnacle of the
PBL experience, especially for those
running for national office. In order
to qualify, a student must place first
or second in the state competition.
mat and appropriateness of business messages; format and
style differences with international communications; and
listening, oral, and nonverbal concepts.
PBL is a business fraternity that participates in state and national competitions against other PBL chapters throughout North Carolina and
the rest of the country. PBL has forged
partnerships with industry leaders to underwrite competitive events and scholarships for students achieving national
ranking. Every year, the best and brightest of PBL chapters
nationwide convene to compete in leadership events, share
their successes, and learn new ideas about shaping their future careers through workshops and exhibits.
On Friday, November 11, 2011, Advisor Nancy Hammersley
accompanied a group of 10 PBL members to the Fall Leadership Development Conference in Greensboro, N.C., where
they participated in three sessions: career development, entrepreneurship, and financial responsibility.
The Louisburg chapter’s crowning glory at this national competition was Gabriela (Gaby) Calamaco’s ‘11 (pictured) second place victory in the business communication category.
The business communication event consists of two parts: an
objective test and a writing sample. Objective test competencies include mechanics of appropriate business English; for-
“We are all very proud of Gabby,” says PBL Advisor Patrice
Nealon. “Her dedication and determination are inspiring.
She stood on the national stage accepting her award with
great poise and decorum. As a 2011 Louisburg College alumna, she gives new meaning to our motto of ‘building strong
foundations for great futures.’ You honor us, Gabby!”
“I love going to these conferences,” says Louisburg sophomore and PBL member Lorenzo Crowder. “They help with
everything from managing your finances to writing a resume—all skills I will use in the future.” Crowder, who plans
to attend NC State next fall, is in his second year of membership with PBL. Last year he won first place at the PBL State
Competition in the category of emerging business issues,
and attended the national conference in Orlando.
To learn more about the Louisburg College PBL chapter,
please visit their website at http://lcpbl.webs.com/.
College Recognizes Its Best and Brightest
On Tuesday, April 19, 2011, Louisburg
College held its annual Awards Day ceremony. Over 30 awards were given out
to deserving students, faculty, and staff.
Stephanie Tolbert, vice president for enrollment, and Fonda Porter, director of
counseling services, received the Bessie
Arrington Gupton Distinguished Service Award. Sophomore Jason Harrell
received numerous awards in math and
science. All-American basketball players
Jeremy Atkinson ‘11 (now a junior and
member of the men’s basketball team at
Western Carolina University) and Ariel
Phelps ‘11 (now a junior and member of
the women’s basketball team at Hampton
University) both received the coveted
Lousiburg College Scholar-Athlete of the
Year distinction.
Coach Mark Vanderslice, Jeremy Atkinson ‘11,
Ariel Phelps ‘11, and Athletic Director Mike
Holloman ‘83.
SPRING 2012 27
Louisburg College Alumni and Friends
28
Recent Commitments to the
GREAT FUTURES CAMPAIGN
Dear Alumni and Friends,
Louisburg alumni and friends generously contributed $1,757,653 to the College between
June 1, 2010 – May 31, 2011.
Over 1,000 donors supported the Louisburg Fund, student scholarships, endowments,
academic and athletic programs, and improvements to buildings and grounds. Included
in the donor list are 149 members of the Louisburg Society, which recognizes annual gifts
of $1,000 or more. The College is also grateful to our new members of the Old Main Society, who have included Louisburg in their estate plans.
This year, in conjunction with Homecoming festivities (September 28-29, 2012) and a
grand celebration of Louisburg’s 225th anniversary, we plan to announce the public phase
of the Great Futures Campaign. This three-year effort will raise funds to make improvements on this historic campus and to enhance academic programs and the learning environment for students. The overall goal of the Great Futures Campaign is to raise $15
million. Significant accomplishments have already been made toward our goals during
the leadership phase of the Campaign, with more than $9 million in gifts and pledges
secured. Estate commitments by new members of the Old Main Society represent $5 million of the total and will be a source of gifts for student scholarships and other purposes
in the years to come.
Signs of the Campaign’s impact are everywhere. Twenty-five new donors have stepped
forward to create new scholarship funds or add to existing ones. Several buildings have
been significantly improved, including Holton Gymnasium (now the Roger G. Taylor
Athletic Center) and the Seby B. Jones Performing Arts Center. Through the Campaign
this year, the Arthur Person House will be restored and become a residence hall with
accomodations for 15 students. Other capital projects on the agenda include significant
renovations to the Jordan Student Center and the Art Building, and planning continues
for an athletic field house. Enhanced facilities and continued improvements the College
grounds are key aspects of the Campaign goal of preserving our historic buildings and
campus.
Capital Improvements
One Card System
Chartwells
Baseball Batting Cage
Alumni and friends of
Louisburg College baseball
Jordan Student Center
Seby B. Jones Performing
Arts Center
Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Allen ‘85
Hon. Lucy Taylor Allen
Benson Chapel
Mr. William M. Davis ‘61
Arthur Person House
Dr. Milton Gilbert
Mr. and Mrs. Russell Odom ‘68
Estate of Dr. C. Ray Pruette
Mrs. Sue Robertson
Golden Anniversary Club
Nicholas B. Boddie and Lucy
Mayo Boddie Foundation
Historic Holton Gymnasium
Coca-Cola Bottling Co.
Mrs. Anne Fleming Coghill
Ms. Evelyn Harris ‘73
Robert P. Holding Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Philip McGuire
Mr. Howard Tang ‘70
Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Maury York ‘73
(Roger G. Taylor Athletic Center)
AXA Foundation
Ms. Betty Frazier
Mr. and Mrs. William Rodenbeck
Mr. and Mrs. Roger Taylor ‘68
Mr. Brian Wilder ‘94
Mr. Floyd Wingfield ‘67
Charitable Bequests
Estate of Richard P. Butler
Estate of James Conrad Gilliam
Estate of Pearl Gomo ‘38
Estate of Frances Gwin ‘41
Estate of Jean McKinnon Hubbard ‘42
Estate of Willie B. Mullen
Estate of Celia Purdie ‘37
Scholarships
Through a bequest to Louisburg College, Richard Butler established a scholarship in his and wife Etta’s memory.
With the launch of the public phase of the Great Futures Campaign, you—our alumni
and friends—will be asked to participate in the renaissance underway at Louisburg College. We are grateful to the many donors who have helped transform the campus in recent
years and look forward to even better things to come. Let me know how I can be of help
as you consider a gift to Louisburg College.
In appreciation,
Kurt Carlson
Vice President for Institutional Advancement
919.497.3325 | [email protected]
COLUMNS
SPRING 2012 29
JUNE 1, 2010—MAY 31, 2011
Society of 1787
Members of the Society of 1787 have
generously contributed $50,000 or
more to the College in their lifetime.
Anonymous
Aramark Management Service
Mr. and Mrs. Paul B. Barringer II
Mr. and Mrs. Victor C. Barringer
BASF Corporation
Mr. and Mrs. Marvin E. Baugh ‘53
Nicholas Bunn Boddie and Lucy Mayo
Boddie Sr. Foundation
Mr. Mayo Boddie Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Mayo Boddie Sr.
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Boddie ‘77
Mr. William L. Boddie
Mr. and Mrs. Bayard L. Bragg
Branch Banking & Trust Company
James E. and Mary Z. Bryan Foundation
Burroughs Wellcome Company
Mrs. John L. Cameron
The Cannon Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas E. Chandler
Coastal Lumber Company
Chartwells Corporation
Mrs. Frances Boyette Dickson ‘35
Mrs. John Lee Edwards ‘38
First Citizens Bank and Trust
Flagler Systems Inc.
A.J. Fletcher Foundation
Franklinton United Methodist Church
GlaxoSmithKline Foundation
Mrs. Ann Jennings Goodwin
Felix Harvey Foundation
Dr. and Mrs. Donald L. Henson
Hodges Insurance Agency
Mr. and Mrs. Ray Hodges
Mr. and Mrs. Frank B. Holding
Robert P. Holding Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. W. Seymour Holt ‘49
Independent College Fund of
North Carolina
Mr. and Mrs. Hugh T. Jones
Mr. Robert L. Jones
Seby B. Jones Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Ben E. Jordan Jr.
Mr. Carroll Joyner
Eli Lilly and Company Foundation
Mr. Robert L. Luddy
Mr. and Mrs. J. Parker Lumpkin II
Mr. and Mrs. Willie Lee Lumpkin III
The Marshall Group
Microsoft Corporation
Mrs. Roberta Beckler Morris*
North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church
*deceased
30
COLUMNS
Novo Nordisk BioChem Inc.
The Rev. Dr. and Mrs. Reginald Ponder
Mr. and Mrs. Bland B. Pruitt
Victor Small Trust
Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Roberson ‘62
Mrs. Sue C. Robertson
Mr. and Mrs.* John A. Rogers
Sellers Inc.
Sprint
Roger G. Taylor and Associates
Mr. and Mrs. Roger G. Taylor
Tri Properties
The United Methodist Church Board of Higher Education & Ministry
United Methodist Foundation
James and Vedna Welch Foundation
Mrs. Lois Brown Wheless* ‘40
Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation
Mr.* and Mrs. Kenneth Wooten Jr.
Old Main Society
The Old Main Society recognizes alumni
and friends who will support Louisburg
College through an estate gift.
Mr. and Mrs. Paul B. Barringer II
Mrs. Mary M. Beauchamp
Mr. Randy L. Brantley ‘83
Mr. Richard P. Butler *
Mr. Richard L. Cannon Jr. ‘52
Mrs. Frances Terrell Cherney ‘42
Mrs. Anne Fleming Coghill
Mr. Osborne Gray Davis ‘41
Mr. William M. Davis ‘61
Mr. J. Jackson Dean
Mr. Arthur DeBerry
Mr. and Mrs. D. Tad DeBerry ‘85
Mr. Allen de Hart
Mrs. Frances Boyette Dickson ‘35
Mrs. Joyce Hubbard Fisher ‘41*
Mr. William P. Franklin ‘52
Mr. and Mrs.* Kelman P. Gomo ‘38
Mrs. Ann J. Goodwin
Mrs. Frances Gwin ‘41*
Mr. and Mrs. John Hatcher
Mrs. Carol Bessent Hayman ‘45
Mr. James H. Hight Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Hugh T. Jones
Mr. and Mrs. Ben E. Jordan Jr.
The Rev. Dr. and Mrs. Wallace H. Kirby
Mr. Nelson Leonard
Mr. and Mrs. J. Parker Lumpkin II
Mr. and Mrs. Willie Lee Lumpkin III
Mrs. Roberta Beckler Morris*
Mrs. Beth Norris
Mr. Thomas Wesley Parson IV ‘73
Mrs. Frances Brower Paschal ‘39
Mrs. Julia C. Paul
The Rev. Dr. and Mrs. Reginald W. Ponder
Mr. and Mrs. Job K. Savage ‘36 ‘36
Mr. and Mrs. William C. Shelton ‘69
Mr. and Mrs. John Clark Shotton ‘69 ‘69
Dr. and Mrs. Raymond A. Stone ‘47
Mr. Howard Tang ‘70
Mr. and Mrs. Roger G. Taylor ‘68
Mr. Benjamin H. Whitaker ‘86
Mrs. Peggy Lee Wilder ‘60
Mr.* and Mrs. Kenneth Wooten Jr.
Mr. Arnold L. Wright*
Louisburg Society
Charter Members
Those who made annual contributions
of $1,000 or more between June 1,
2009—May 31, 2011.
AXA Foundation
Mrs. Janet Gardner Adair
Ms. Judith D. Adams
The Hon. Lucy Allen
Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Anderson Jr.
Mrs. Carolyn Riddle Armstrong ‘66
Mr. and Mrs. S. Thomas Arrington Jr. ‘69 ‘71
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Barringer II
Mr. and Mrs. Marvin E. Baugh ‘53
Mr. Robert E. Beck ‘53
Nicholas Bunn Boddie & Lucy Mayo Boddie Sr. Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Michael Boddie ‘77
Dr. and Mrs. Edgar J. Boone
Mrs. Anne Bowen
Mr. Carl Wood Brown
Dr. and Mrs. C. Douglas Bryant Sr. ‘47
Bunn Heating & Air Conditioning
Mr. Bob Butler
Mr. H. Dwight Byrd ‘57
Mrs. John Cameron
Dr. and Mrs. W. John Cameron
Mr. G. Maurice Capps ‘57
Mr. Kurt Carlson
Mr. and Mrs. Ronald D. Champion
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas E. Chandler
Chartwells Corporation
Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated
Estate of Nathan Cole Jr.
Mr. Bryan W. Compton ‘95
Compton Family Foundation
Ms. Sheilah R. Cotton
Ms. Carolyn V. Cotton ‘57
Mr. and Mrs. James B. Cottrell ‘61 ‘62
Mrs. Susan Gardner Creed
Mr. and Mrs. William R. Cross
Mr. and Mrs. Charles M. Davis
Mr. William M. Davis ‘61
Ms. Tamaya I. Davis
Mr. and Mrs. D. Tad DeBerry ‘85
Mrs. Frances Boyette Dickson ‘35
Mr. and Mrs. William H. Dove
Mr. and Mrs. Edwin M. Driver ‘53 ‘52
Dr. and Mrs. James C. Eck
Mr.* and Mrs. M. Douglas Edwards ‘53
Mr. and Mrs. Tim Ehrsam
Mr. J. Craig Eller
Mr. Douglas M. Epling
Mr. and Mrs. Lynn W. Eury
Ms. Belinda Faulkner
Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund
Mr. and Mrs. Donald W. Fish ‘60 ‘59
First United Methodist Church of Cary
First United Methodist Men of Cary
Mr. Robert Fuller Fleming
Ms. Sarah Foster
Franklin County
Franklin Regional Medical Center
The Franklin Times
Franklinton United Methodist Church
Ms. Betty W. Frazier
Mrs. Elaine Weldon Fuller ‘39
Mr. and Mrs. W. S. Gardner ‘44 ‘45
Mr. and Mrs. David Gardner
H. Gillis & Associates
Mr. Michael J. Gleason
Estate of Pearl Gomo ‘38
Mr. Peter Goodrich Griffin ‘67
Mr. and Mrs. Johnny Griffin ‘64
Mr. Graham P. Grissom ‘36
The Rev. and Mrs. Rodney Hamm
Mr. Gene Hammond
Mr. Clyde P. Harris Jr.
Mr. William L. Harris Jr. ‘66
Mr. and Mrs. John Hatcher Jr.
Judge and Mrs. Robert H. Hobgood
Hodges Ins. Agency Inc.
Mr. and Mrs. Ray Hodges
Mr. and Mrs. Frank B. Holding
Robert P. Holding Foundation
Mr. Alan G. Hollowell
Mr. and Mrs. W. Seymour Holt ‘49
Hoof Hughes Law PLLC
Mr. Richard E. Hunter Jr. ‘68
Mr. John William Hurley ‘53
IBM Matching Grants
Arch C. Ingram Revocable Trust
Estate of Henry Clayton Jackson
Mr. Robert L. Jones
Seby B. Jones Family Foundation
Mr. Gary R. Jones ‘65
Mr. and Mrs. Ben E. Jordan Jr.
Mr. Carroll Joyner
The Kayne Foundation
Kelly Electric
Mr. Charles R. Knight ‘87
Dr. and Mrs. Mark D. La Branche
Ms. Elizabeth Landis
Mrs. Jane Austin Lee ‘71
Mr. John C.R. Lentz ‘87
Eli Lilly & Co. Foundation
W. J. Little Jr. ‘49
The Rev. and Mrs. Thomas E. Loftis
Mr. Robert L. Luddy
Mr. and Mrs. J. Parker Lumpkin II
Mr. and Mrs. Willie Lee Lumpkin III
Mr. Billy R. Merritt ‘53
Mr. Nathan Miller
Mr. and Mrs. B. H. Mixon Jr.
Mixon Construction Company Inc.
Mr. and Mrs. Jason Modlin
Mr. William David Moon ‘45
Estate of Roberta B. Morris
Mr. and Mrs. Roger Moulton ‘43
Estate of Willie B. Mullen
Mrs. Jane Earley Newsome ‘64
Mrs. Beth M. Norris
North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities
The North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church
Mr. and Mrs. T. Russell Odom
PJM Interconnection, Matching Grants
Mrs. Jean Austin Patterson ‘71
Ely J. Perry Foundation
Mr. Ely J. Perry III ‘84
Pizza Hut of Clinton Inc.
The Rev. Dr. and Mrs. Reginald W. Ponder
Mr. and Mrs. Bland B. Pruitt Jr. ‘62
Estate of Celia Grantham Purdie ‘37
Mr. and Mrs. G. Samuel Register ‘76
Mrs. Donna Rhoden
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Roberson ‘62
Ms. Lisa Minton Robert ‘90
Ms. Sue C. Robertson
Mr. and Mrs. William E. Rodenbeck
Mr. and Mrs.* John A. Rogers
Mr. Jean Paul W. Roy
Mrs. Ann Rhem Schwarzmann ‘54
Mr. Ronald V. Shearin
Mr. Joseph W. Shearon ‘51
Mr. and Mrs. William C. Shelton ‘69
Mr. Charles Sloan
Mrs. Paula Smith
Mr. Emmett C. Snead, III ‘71
Mr. and Mrs. Grady K. Snyder ‘50 ‘50
Mr. Carl Stafford
Mr. Glendel U. Stephenson
Mr. and Mrs. John F. Strotmeyer Jr.
Stupp Brothers Bridge & Iron Co. Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. C. Boyd Sturges
Mr. and Mrs. Roger G. Taylor ‘68
Mrs. Barbara Johnson Thompson ‘62
Mrs. Ruby Chewning Thompson ‘59
Mrs. Edith Boone Toussaint ‘49
Travelers Motor Club Sales Inc.
Mr. and Mrs. Leigh Traylor Jr.
United Methodist Foundation
Wachovia Matching Gifts
Mr. Carl D. Wagner ‘50
Wake Electric Care
Tommy Wallace Electrical Inc.
Mr. Theron P. Watson
James & Vedna Welch Foundation
Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation
Mrs. Peggy Lee Wilder ‘60
Estate of Joyce Hughes Witt ‘39
Ms. Cherry Woodbury
Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Woodhouse Sr. ‘56
Mr. and Mrs. James T. Wooters ‘42
Mr. Maurice C. York ‘73
Otto H. York Foundation
Louisburg Society
The College’s premiere annual giving
program, the Louisburg Society recognizes annual gifts of $1,000 or more in
2010-2011.
Mrs. Janet Gardner Adair
Ms. Judith D. Adams
The Hon. Lucy Allen
Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Anderson Jr.
Mrs. Carolyn Riddle Armstrong ‘66
Mr. and Mrs. S. Thomas Arrington Jr. ‘69 ‘71
Mr. and Mrs. Paul Barringer II
Mr. Robert E. Beck ‘53
Nicholas Bunn Boddie & Lucy Mayo Boddie Sr. Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Michael W. Boddie ‘77
Dr. and Mrs. Edgar J. Boone
Mr. Carl Wood Brown
Bunn Heating & Air Conditioning
Mr. Bob Butler
Mrs. John Cameron
Dr. and Mrs. W. John Cameron
Mr. and Mrs. G. Maurice Capps ‘57
Mr. Kurt Carlson
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas E. Chandler
Mr. and Mrs. Ronald D. Champion
Chartwells Corporation
Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated
Mr. Bryan W. Compton ‘95
Compton Family Foundation
Ms. Sheila R. Cotten
Mrs. Carolyn V. Cotton ‘59
Mr. and Mrs. James B. Cottrell ‘61 ‘62
Franklin County
Mrs. Susan Gardner Creed
Mr. and Mrs. Charles M. Davis
Ms. Tamaya I. Davis
*deceased
SPRING 2012 31
Land conservation is a primary concern for Caroline County farmer
EMMETT SNEAD III ‘71 and his wife, Ellen. As the proud owners of
Snead’s Farm, located just outside of Fredericksburg, Va., the couple is
working to protect their beloved farmland from overdevelopment.
In November 2011, they signed an
agreement that allows for a conservation easement of 293 acres of
their property. The easement was
purchased by Fort A.P. Hill, with
funding provided by the Defense
Department’s Army Compatible Use Buffer Program, and with
technical assistance from the Conservation Fund and the Virginia
Outdoors Foundation (VOF).
The easement will be held by the
VOF. As part of the agreement, the
Sneads still own the property, and
most types of development will
not be allowed in perpetuity. An additional 16 acres the couple owns,
which include the footprint of a former farmhouse, were not part of the
easement. Snead says his main goal in creating the easement is to keep
the land for farming. Located on U.S. Route 17, Snead’s Farm offers “pickyour-own fruit and vegetables,” as well as a program that allows customers to purchase “shares,” providing them a certain number of bags of produce, eggs, and other items throughout the year.
Fort A.P. Hill, a 76,000-acre Army base that provides training for 90,000
troops every year, has been working to discourage development in the
vicinity of the base for quite some time. The Army Compatible Use Buffer
Program purchases land and easements in key areas to keep those properties from becoming overdeveloped. As of September 2011, the base had
preserved nearly 9,000 acres under the program.
Emmett attended Emory Henry College and double majored in business
and economics. Then, “for fun,” he says, he attended Mary Washington
University and obtained degrees in geography and geology. Emmett, a
man of many talents, played basketball at Mary Washington and, to this
day, holds the record for the highest score in one game, making 19 out of
23 shots.
Of the three institutions he attended, Louisburg College holds a special
place for him as the small school that offered him individual attention. “I
loved all three colleges and each was the right choice at the right time in
my life. A college education helps one to understand all kinds of people
in all walks of life.”
His career path kept him close to the land; for many years he owned his
own business spreading fertilizer, primarily for Southern States. He also
rented out farms to grow corn, soybean, and wheat crops. As a 10-yearold boy, Emmett would pedal his bike around town selling fruits and vegetables and he continued to sell the fruits of his labor at farmers’ markets
until the age of 52.
Ellen, a Statesville, N.C., native, recently retired from Old Dominion
Spice Company in Richmond, Va., where she worked in research and development, and is now serving as the co-manager of Snead’s Farm. The
couple has three children: Jessica, who graduated cum laude from NC
State in 2011 and is now attending the VCU/MCV School of Pharmacy;
and twins Savannah and Emmalyn, both seniors at James Monroe High
School in Fredericksburg. Savannah plays on the field hockey and tennis
teams and Emmalyn is on the volleyball and tennis teams.
To learn more about Snead’s Farm, please visit their website at
www.sneadsfarm.com.
32
COLUMNS
Mr. William M. Davis ‘61
Mr. and Mrs. D. Tad DeBerry ‘85
Mr. and Mrs. William Dove
Mr. and Mrs. Edwin M. Driver ‘53 ‘52
Dr. and Mrs. James C. Eck
Mr.* and Mrs. M. Douglas Edwards ‘53
Mr. and Mrs. Tim Ehrsam
Mr. Douglas Epling
Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund
Ms. Belinda Faulkner
First United Methodist Church of Cary
Mr. Robert F. Fleming ‘64
Ms. Sarah Foster
Franklinton United Methodist Church
Ms. Betty W. Frazier
Mrs. Elaine Weldon Fuller ‘39
Mr. and Mrs. David Gardner
Mr. and Mrs. W. S. Gardner ‘44 ‘45
Mr. Michael J. Gleason
Mr. and Mrs. Johnny Griffin ‘64
Mr. and Mrs. Peter G. Griffin ‘67
Mr. Graham Grissom
The Rev. and Mrs. Rodney Hamm
Mr. William L. Harris Jr. ‘66
Mr. and Mrs. H. John Hatcher Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Ray Hodges
Mr. and Mrs. Frank B. Holding
Mr. Alan G. Hollowell
Mr. and Mrs. W. Seymour Holt ‘49
Mr. and Mrs. Richard E. Hunter Jr. ‘68
Mr. Gary R. Jones ‘65
Mr. Robert L. Jones
Seby B. Jones Family Foundation
Mr. Carroll Joyner
Kelly Electric
The Kayne Foundation
Dr. and Mrs. Mark D. La Branche
Mrs. Jane Austin Lee ‘71
Mr. John C.R. Lentz ‘87
The Rev. and Mrs. Thomas E. Loftis
Mr. Robert L. Luddy
Mr. and Mrs. J. Parker Lumpkin II
Mr. and Mrs. Willie Lee Lumpkin III
Mr. Billy R. Merritt
Mr. Nathan Miller
Mr. and Mrs. Jason Modlin
Mr. and Mrs. William D. Moon ‘45
The Estate of Roberta B. Morris
Mr. and Mrs. Roger Moulton ‘43
The Estate of Willie B. Mullen
Mrs. Jane Earley Newsome ‘64
Mrs. Elizabeth M. Norris
North Carolina Community Foundation
North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities
Mr. and Mrs. T. Russell Odom ‘68
Mrs. Jean Austin Patterson ‘71
Mr. and Mrs. Ely J. Perry III ‘84
Pizza Hut of Clinton Inc.
The Rev. and Mrs. Reginald W. Ponder
Mr. and Mrs. Bland B. Pruitt, Jr. ‘62
The Estate of Celia Grantham Purdie ‘37
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Roberson ‘62
Ms. Sue C. Robertson
Mr. and Mrs. William E. Rodenbeck
Mr. and Mrs.* John A. Rogers
Mrs. Ann Rhem Schwarzmann ‘54
Mr. Ronald Shearin
*deceased
Mr. Joseph W. Shearon ‘51
Mr. and Mrs. William C. Shelton ‘69
Mr. Charles B. Sloan
Mrs. Paula Drake Smith ‘74
Mr. Emmett Chapman Snead III ‘71
Mr. and Mrs. Grady K. Snyder ‘50 ‘50
Mr. and Mrs. Carl Stafford
Mr. and Mrs. Glendel U. Stephenson ‘52
Dr. and Mrs. Raymond Stone ‘47
Mr. and Mrs. John F. Strotmeyer Jr. ‘68
Mr. and Mrs. C. Boyd Sturges III
Stupp Brothers Bridge and Iron Co. Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Roger G. Taylor ‘68
Mrs. Barbara Johnson Thompson ‘62
Mrs. Ruby Chewning Thompson ‘58
Mrs. Edith Boone Toussaint ‘49
Travelers Motor Club Sales Inc.
United Methodist Foundation
Mr. Carl D. Wagner ‘50
Tommy Wallace Electrical Inc.
James and Vedna Welch Foundation
Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation
Mrs. Peggy Lee Wilder ‘60
The Estate of Joyce Hughes Witt ‘39
Mr. Wilton H. Williams ‘49
Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Woodhouse Sr. ‘56
Mr. and Mrs. James T. Wooters ‘42
Otto H. York Foundation
$500-$999
Mrs. Ruby Harris Barbour ‘55
Mr. James A. Barnes III ‘67
Mr. H. Dwight Byrd ‘57
Mr. and Mrs. William R. Cross ‘71
Duke Energy Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. J. Craig Eller
Dr. Diane Price Fleming
Dr. and Mrs. Jimmy W. Foster ’60 ‘59
Franklin Regional Medical Center
Mr. Peter H. Green ‘91
Mr. Richard L. Hibbits
Mr. and Mrs. William J. Hinton Jr.
Holcim
IBM Matching Grants
Insurance Services Office Inc.
Dr. Alice Peedin Jacobs ‘64
Dr. Raymond E. Joyner ‘62
Mrs. Myrtle C. King
Ms. Virginia M. Leath
Mr. W. J. Little Jr. ‘49
Louisburg Baptist Church
Louisburg United Methodist Church
Mrs. Cynthia Durden McNeill ‘77
Mr. and Mrs. William D. Moon ‘45
Ms. Patrice Nealon
Northwestern Mutual Foundation
Mrs. Susan Mixon Parris ‘64
Gregory Poole Equipment
Mr. J. G. Poole Jr.
Mrs. Donna Rhoden
Mr. Lawrence F. Ruggiero
Mr. Robert F. Stevens ‘66
Ms. Irene H. Sykes
Mr. Mark L. Wauford
Mr. Wilton H. Williams ‘49
Wake Electric Membership Corporation
Walmart
$100- $499
Mr. L. C. Adcock
Mr. David B. Allen ‘70
Mrs. Rebecca Drake Allen ‘83
Mr. Robert W. Alston Jr. ‘60
Mrs. Joyce Boone Ammons ‘51*
Judge and Mrs. James F. Ammons Jr. ‘75
Ms. Bucilla Angle
Maj. and Mrs. William H. Arrington Jr. ‘64
Mr. and Mrs. Ronald W. Axselle ‘65
Mr. Fred S. Ayscue ‘62
Mr. John A. Bacik ‘85
Mr. George H. Bailey ‘73
Mr. and Mrs. Billy A. Baker Sr. ‘55
Mr. and Mrs. William H. Baker Jr. ‘52
Mr. Felix G. Banks ‘43
Mr. William R. Barksdale IV ‘78
Mr. Scott L. Barnes
Mr. Charles J. Bartles III ‘63
Mr. and Mrs. Marvin E. Baugh ‘53
Mr. and Mrs. Samuel E. Beasley ‘70
Mrs. Mary M. Beauchamp
Ms. Carole S. Beaver
Mr. and Mrs. B. Farice Belk Jr.
The Rev. and Mrs. James D. Bell ‘77
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas R. Bender
Mrs. Lillian A. Benton
Ms. Mary Lynne Benton ‘76
Mr. and Mrs. Wayne D. Benton
Mrs. Donna Overby Blake ‘77
Bojangles - Tripark Advertising
Ms. Delano R. Borys
Mrs. Dorothy Midgett Brannan ‘48
Mr. and Mrs. Dewey L. Brannan
Mr. Randy L. Brantley ‘83
Mr. Glenn D. Brewer ‘65
Dr. Robert E. Bridges
Mr. Edward M. Brinkley
Ms. Marie Britt
Ms. Elizabeth Broome ‘54
Mr. Charles M. Brown
Mr. Jerry D. Brown ‘77
Mr. and Mrs. Matthew A. Brown ‘68
Mr. and Mrs. Ralph A. Brown
Mrs. Velma Ferrell Brown ‘60
Mr. and Mrs. W. Thomas Brown ‘62
Brunswick Landscape Services Inc.
Dr. and Mrs. C. Douglas Bryant Sr. ‘47
Mr. James Bumpass, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Charles A. Burns ‘55
Mr. Christopher D. Burns ‘74
Mr. Robert M. Burns ‘66
Mr. Thomas J. Burns ‘69
Mr. and Mrs. K. Wayne Burris ‘62 ‘62
Mr. and Mrs. Claude F. Burrows ‘43
Mr. Cary S. Butler ‘75
Mr. and Mrs. Henry Bynum
Mr. Robert C. Byrd ‘62
Mr. Richard Byrd
Mr. Michael A. Calwell
Mr. Richard L. Cannon, Jr. ‘52
Dr. Patrick W. Carlton ‘57
Mr. and Mrs. James Carnes
Ms. Dorothy H. Carroll
Mr. Lee R. Casey
Mr. and Mrs. Larry W. Castleberry ‘57
Cauthorne Paper Company
Mr. and Mrs. James T. Chandler IV ‘67
Mr. Michael W. Chappell ‘78
Mr. W. Paul Childers Jr. ‘54
Clariant Corporation Matching Gifts Program
Mrs. Mary Richardson Clements ‘55
Mr. Ray Clinebell
Mrs. Sophia Spivey Cody ‘38
Anne H. Coghill Trust
Mrs. Kadell S. Coles
The Community Foundation of
Western NC
Mr. James E. Compton ‘65
Mr. Jawara D. Cooley ‘94
Ms. Haven B. Cooper ‘84
Mrs. Virginia Brittain Copping ‘50
Mrs. Louise Mason Cowart ‘42
Mr. Brad Crouse
Mr. John Daly
Mrs. Elizabeth White Davenport ‘60
The Rev. Alice Davis
Mrs. Jamie Burnette Davis ‘85
Dr. Sarah Irwin Davis ‘42
Mr. Terry S. Davis ‘70
Mr. Charles E. Dawson
Mr. R. Grady Dawson Jr.
Mr. Allen de Hart
Mr. Dean A. DeMasi
Mr. Dennis M. Driscoll
Duke Energy Foundation
Mr. Clyde H. Dula ‘41
Mr. and Mrs. Talmadge H. Edwards Jr.
Mrs. Ina Meekins Ernst ‘49
Mr. L. Randolph Everett ‘95
Mr. Frances F. Falls ‘62
Ms. Kendra L. Faulkner ‘93
Mr. James M. Featherston Jr. ‘42
Mr. and Mrs. Donald M. Fisher
Mr. Glenn Fogleman
Mr. and Mrs. David L. Foster ‘71
Mr. M. Scott. Foster
Mrs. Velma K. Foster
Mr. and Mrs. Ralph A. Franke
Mr. William P. Franklin ‘52
Mr. Oscar M. Fuller ‘44
Future Financial Services LLC
Mr. John W. Gary
Mr. and Mrs. Ernest P. Gaster Jr. ‘50 ‘50
Dr. and Mrs. Milton H. Gilbert
Mr. Willis A. Goodrum ‘52
Mr. and Mrs. James K. Gregory Jr. ‘62
Mr. E. Shelton Griffin ‘67
Mrs. Susan M. Guerrant
Mr. Willis F. Gupton ‘42
Mr. and Mrs. Swayn G. Hamlet ‘57 ‘56
Mr. and Mrs. David A. Hanes
Mr. Harry J. Harles ‘70
Mrs. Martha Foster Harper ‘59
Mr. Clyde P. Harris Jr.
Mr. L. Reid Harris ‘45
Mr. Robert Ray Harris
Mrs. Carol Bessent Hayman ‘45
Mrs. Rubie Riggan Hecht ‘52
Mr. and Mrs. Roger E. Heflin ‘65
Mr. Richard L. Hibbits
Ms. Faye C. Hight
Reid Hill Golf Shop
*deceased
SPRING 2012 33
*deceased
34
COLUMNS
Ms. Marianne Mercer ‘83
Ms. Diane Merritt
Mr. Robert Merryman Jr.
Dr. D. Edmond Miller
Mr. Kelly Edman Miller ‘76
Dr. Louise B. Mitchum
Ms. Rachael A. Modlin ‘50
Mr. and Mrs. S. Howard Montague ‘72
Ms. Wendy R. Moody ‘91
Ms. M. Sharon Moore ‘71 ‘87
Mrs. Elizabeth Coor Morris
Mrs. Gwynn Torrence Morris ‘58
Mr. and Mrs. W.C. Morrisette Jr. ‘53 ‘53
Dr. Jeff Morrison
Mrs. Anne Tucker Mulchi ‘53
Mr. Paul L. Nevitt ‘77
Mr. Marvin Newsom III
Mr. William L. Nicolaro
Mr. and Mrs. Robert S. Norwicki Jr.
Mr. Jeffrey V. Olbrys
Mr. and Mrs. Dexter E. Oliver
Oracle Corporation Matching Gifts Program
Mr. Marion D. Outlaw ‘68
Mr. and Mrs. Bernard L. Page
Dr. Earl W. Parker
Ms. Jamie Eller Patrick ‘84
Mr. and Mrs. John G. Patronis ‘60
Mrs. Norma B. Patton
Mr. Clarence W. Pearce Jr. ‘54
Ms. Susie T. Perdue
Mrs. Mary Anne Peele Petteway ‘69
Dr. Jonathan D. Phillips ‘76
Linda M. Phillips Trust
Mr. Frederick W. Pittard ‘77
Mr. William G. Pitts ‘47
Mr. E. Craig Pleasants ‘80
Mr. John R. Poe Jr. ‘63
Mr. L. Norwood Prichett
Mr. Chester S. Ragland ‘73
Mr. Charles Rapp
Mr. and Mrs. Clifford L. Reed
Mr. and Mrs. G. Samuel Register ‘76
Raleigh District UMC
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas A. Riggan Sr. ‘59
Mrs. Strowd Ward Riggsbee ‘45
Mr. and Mrs. Jose A. Rivera
Mrs. Margaret Adcock Robinson ‘58
Mrs. Dori Liles Rockefeller ‘61
Mr. and Mrs. Brandon Rose
Dr. and Mrs. Robert N. Rosenstein ‘68 ‘68
Ms. H. Ann Ross ‘71
SC Data Inc.
Mr. Paul L. Sanderford Jr. ‘70
Mr. Randy A. Sandlin ‘81
Mr. Alan G. Saunders ‘73
Mr. Richard B. Schneider ‘73
Mr. Russell L. Sears ‘66
Seller’s, Inc.
Mrs. Martha Cly Shaffner ‘65
Franklin County Farm Bureau
Mr. and Mrs. A. C. Smith
Mr. and Mrs. Julian J. Smith
Mr. Steve Sparks
Mrs. Mary Spector
Ms. Cindy Spuria
Mr. Charles K. Stafford
Mr. Kenneth C. Stafford
The Rev. and Mrs. Sidney Stafford
Mr. Dudley B. Stallings ‘46
Mr. and Mrs. E. Howard Stallings
Mr. J. Gilbert Stallings
Ms. Japlyne G. Stallings ‘46
Mr. and Mrs. Robert B. Stanford
Mrs. Marcelle King Stanley ‘45
Mr. and Mrs. M. Graham Stewart Sr. ‘49
Dr. and Mrs. Paul W. Stewart Jr.
Dr. and Mrs. Raymond A. Stone ‘47
Dr. W. Trent Strickland ‘61
Mr. and Mrs. Charles S. Stringfellow ‘72
Mr. and Mrs. James G. Tarrant Jr. ‘61 ‘62
Mrs. Susan Gay Temple ‘69
Mr. and Mrs. Larry E. Tetterton ‘56 ‘56
Mrs. Jennith Thomas
Mr. and Mrs. Reuben D. Thompson ‘66
Dr. William T. Tillar III ‘61
Mr. and Mrs. Charles M. Timberlake ‘64 ‘59
Mr. and Mrs. G. Neal Titus Jr. ‘65
Mrs. Linda Crocker Todd ‘64
Mrs. Stephanie Buchanan Tolbert ‘97
Toney Ace Hardware
Toney Lumber Company
Mrs. Edith Boone Toussaint ‘49
Mr. and Mrs. Leigh Traylor
Trinity United Methodist Church
Mr. and Mrs. Larry E. Tubbs
Mrs. Delores Cole Tune ‘62
Mrs. Janet Griffin Turner ‘44
Vector Engineering Inc.
Mr. George W. Vetrovec
Mr. and Mrs. William Wall ‘47
Mr. James M. Wallace
Mrs. Jane Rosser Warfel ‘41
Mr. M. David Watson ‘69
Mr. and Mrs. Jerry L. Wauford
Wells Fargo Foundation
Mr. Robert L. Wells ‘60
Mr. Robert L. West ‘60
Dr. James P. West
Mr. and Mrs. James Melton White Jr. ‘76
Mrs. Dorothy Blalock Whitfield ‘61
Mr. Russell A. Wilcock ‘48
Mrs. Louis R. Wilkerson
The Rev. and Mrs. Howard M.
Wilkinson ‘45
Mr. Gregory A. Williams ‘69
Mr. James A. Williams
Mrs. Nellie Stallings Williams ‘47
Mr. Robert W. Williams ‘86
Walter and Marie Williams Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Walter L. Williams
Mr. B. N. Williamson III
Mr. Carlton F. Williamson ‘74
Mr. Arnold W. Wilson ‘69
Mr. and Mrs. Hubert L. Wilson Jr. ‘45
Mrs. Margaret Alston Wilson ‘69
Mr. Paul L. Wilson ‘61
Windham Printing
Mr. Lemot Windham
Mr. James F. Womble ‘54
Mr. and Mrs. Lenn Woodruff ‘58
Ms. Juanita B. Woods
Ms. Kaye Yadusky
The Rev. and Mrs. Thomas S. Yow III
Contributors
Mr. James Michael Abernathy
Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin T. Adcock Jr. ‘59
Mrs. Susan Steed Adcock ‘67
Ms. Angela Adkins
Mr. Damon Adkins
Ms. Genya V. Afanasyeva
Mrs. Mavis McGowan Alder ‘40
Mr. and Mrs. Robert V. Allen
Mr. Johns A. Alllen ‘85
Mr. and Mrs. Robert V. Allen
Mrs. Gloria Tabron Alston ‘72
Ms. Deloris Ann Alston ‘77
Mr. and Mrs. Angel Aluarez
Mr. and Mrs. Douglas L. Armstead
Mr. Jimmy Arnold
Mr. Abner M. Askew ‘46
Ms. Lakela Atkinson
Mr. W. David Austin III
Mr. Ebub B. Autry ‘99
Ms. Wendy Bailey
Mr. Rossie V. Baker Sr. ‘57
Ms. Helen B. Baker
Mr. and Mrs. Charles L. Ball
Mrs. Jane Nelms Barber ‘70
Mr. and Mrs. Mario Barbieri
Mr. and Mrs. Wayne M. Barker ‘64
Mr. Daniel Bartholomew
Mr. John Basaldu
Mr. Ryan D. Bashford
Mr. Paul G. Bass ‘50
Rev. Ellis J. Bedsworth
Mr. and Mrs. William B. Benge
Mr. Steven H. Benner
Mrs. Cynthia A. Bertolotti
Mr. Samuel A. Blackwell III ‘64
Mr. and Mrs. John E. Blair Sr.
Ms. Teresa Blumenauer
Mr. and Mrs. George L. Boggs ‘67
Ms. Norma Bowden
Mr. Randall H. Bowman ‘90
Dr. Martha Bragg
Ms. Crystal Brantley
Mrs. Susan A. Bridgeman
Mr. Lewis W. Bridgforth III ‘90
Mr. Carl W. Brower Jr. ‘80
Mrs. Ann Marie N. Brown
Mrs. Betty Lou Williams Brown ‘53
Mr. Edwin L. Brown
Ms. Gail Brown
Mr. J. Christopher Brown
Mr. and Mrs. Patrick W. Brown
Mrs. Nancy L. Bundy
Mr. Donald L. Burgess
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Burke Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Philip E. Burkhalter
Mr. and Mrs. Steve Burnett
Ms. Georgette Burnette
Mr. an Mrs. James A. Byrd
Mr. and Mrs. Walter C. Byrd
Mrs. Dorothy W. Cahoon
Mr. and Mrs. Edward L. Callear Jr. ‘67
Cover photography by Matt Hulsman.
Mr. James O. Hillsman ‘67
Mrs. Deborah Stevens Hinkle ‘98
Mrs. Ruby Massenburg Hinson ‘42
Mr. and Mrs. William J. Hinton Jr.
Dr. Thomas N. Hobgood Jr.
The Rev. and Mrs. Hubert H. Hodgin ‘54 ‘54
Mrs. Celeste Hughes Hoffman ‘84
Mr. and Mrs. Michael L. Holloman ‘83 ‘90
Mr. Yuille Holt III ‘63
Mr. and Mrs. J. Bruce Hoof
Mr. and Mrs. Lennon W. Hooper Jr. ‘50
Mr. and Mrs. Douglas R. Horn
Mr. Kevin S. House ‘97
Ms. Lori House
Mrs. Lynda Wooten Hudson ‘68
Mrs. Mary Wheeless Hughes ‘52
The Rev. Jack M. Hunter ‘62
Mr. Frank Hunter
Mr. and Mrs. J. William Hurley ‘53
IBM Matching Grants
J’s Salvage Inc.
Mr. and Mrs. Albert S. Jacques
Mr. Tommy Jenkins
Mrs. Janie Johnson
The Rev. Jesse L. Johnson Jr. ‘41
Mr. and Mrs. Tapley O. Johnson Jr. ‘60
Mrs. Carmen S. Johnston ‘01
Mrs. Candace Lester Jones ‘99
Mr. Ben E. Jordan Jr.
Mr. Marvin L. Jordan ‘53
Mr. and Mrs. Orval D. Kalbfleisch
Mr. Frederick L. Katz ‘61
Kem Sales Inc.
Mr. L. Todd Kermon Jr. ‘67
Mrs. Susan R. Kessler
Mr. Jeff Kidd
Mr. and Mrs. Leonard A. Kilian Jr.
Mr. Frederick J. Kissinger ‘63
Mr. Timothy L. Kunkle ‘73
Ms. Judy K. Kuykendall
Lamm & Lamm Farms
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen E. Lamm Jr. ‘65 ‘64
Mrs. Gail Fathera Laney ‘66
Mr. and Mrs. J. Harry Lange Jr. ‘61
Mr. and Mrs. John H. Lewis ‘69 ‘69
Mr. Phillip W. Liles
Mr. H. Douglass Lindsay III ‘66*
Mrs. Jane Moon Linsky ‘43
Louisburg Tractor & Truck
Mr. and Mrs. Dale E. Luddeke
Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Marks ‘56
Mrs. Marion C. Martin
Ms. Mary A. Martin
Mr. Warren Massenburg
Mr. Daniel L. Massey ‘62
Mr. and Mrs. George Mattis ‘46
Mr. Wilton L. Matthis ‘56
Mr. and Mrs. D. Michael May ‘63
Mr. Duane N. McDonald ‘65
Mr. and Mrs. James L. McFarland ‘61
Dr. Thomas A. McKee
Mr. and Mrs. Charles G. McLaughlin
Mrs. Jacquelyn Smith McNamara ‘73
The Rev. George C. Megill
The Rev. Charles Henry Mercer Sr. ‘38
In the fall of 2010, WENDY PERRY ‘80 began working with
Our State magazine as a food stylist, and has since been named
their recipe developer. The magazine gave her the task of creating several cakes that
“scream North Carolina,”
she says. One of her yummy creations was featured
on the cover of their February 2012 issue.
To create these recipes, she
rounded up a few quintessential North Carolina
food traditions – Krispy
Kreme doughnuts, country ham, pimento cheese,
Nabs, and Pepsi – and created five new cakes with
that old Carolina soul. The
cover cake is a Country
Ham and Maple Pancake
Cake with Red-Eyed Buttercream Frosting. Other
creations of Perry’s from the same issue include Pepsi ‘n Peanuts Molten Cake, Pimiento Cheese and Cornbread Cake,
Krispy Kreme Kake, and Nabs Cake.
Wendy is available to provide private chef services and can be
reached at www.wendyperry.com. For a list of recipes and pictures, please visit www.ourstate.com/carolina-cakes-recipe-cards.
*deceased
SPRING 2012 35
By the age of 18, HOWARD TANG ‘70, a native of Malaysia, had lost
both of his parents. Realizing that he had limited financial resources and few opportunities for a fulfilling future in his native country,
Tang pursued his dream of achieving a college education in the United
States. He obtained the addresses of seven institutions and began the
selection process. After reviewing the Louisburg College catalog, seeing the beauty of the location, and discovering that Louisburg was a
Methodist-supported institution, he opted for LC. With the assistance
of a neighbor, an aunt, a foundation,
and an association (of which his late
father was a member), Tang arrived
in Louisburg in 1968 with $40 in his
pocket and a fierce determination to
obtain an education.
“Memories of Louisburg are plentiful,” says Tang, “but some of the
most memorable include the fellow students I studied and roomed
with.” He also recalls the support of
the town of Louisburg and the kindness shown to him by local residents.
“Since I was the only Asian student, I
received sympathetic attention and I
made sure I ‘toed the line.’”
Returning home to Malaysia was not an option during the summer
months, so the financial director at the College allowed Tang to stay in a
dorm room at no cost. Tang worked at a furniture manufacturing plant
to support himself, and, when work was not available at the plant, he
worked with the City of Louisburg in the sanitation department, mowing city streets and the cemetery.
Tang fondly recalls the influence of several professors, with the Rev. C.
Wade Goldston topping the list. “He helped instill in me many of the
righteous ways in everyday life. He was always calm and peaceful without being condescending.” He credits Al Wright with helping him overcome his homesickness, and Mike Palmer with helping him understand
and accept the idiosyncrasies of the English language – in particular,
the differences between the Queen’s English and American English.
Tang received an associate in business from Louisburg College. After
discovering that accounting was not his forte, he transferred to Atlantic
Christian College (now Barton College), where he earned a degree in
business administration. After a successful banking career with United
Federal Savings and Loan and Pioneer Savings Bank, Tang retired in
1992.
When queried about his greatest accomplishment, the obviously modest Tang says he doesn’t lay too much claim on any of his success; however, he does feel that enduring the loss of both parents at an early age
fueled his quest to create a better life for himself.
He and his wife Dina (pictured) reside in Rocky Mount, N.C., where he
spends much of his time as an instructor in Tai Chi at Nash Senior Center and also volunteers at Nash General Hospital. They are the proud
parents of a son, Anthony. A recent graduate of Wake Forest University, Anthony is employed by the University as an admissions counselor.
Like any parent, Tang wishes to see his son achieve all of his own aspirations. For himself, he aspires to stay healthy and self-sufficient for the
remainder of his life.
The memories and influences at Louisburg College led Tang to contribute to the Louisburg College Endowment. His endowed scholarship
fund will be known as the H. W. Tang International Scholarship and
will be awarded to an international student—either a freshman who
performed well in high school and achieved an above-average TOEFL
score or a rising sophomore with at least a 3.0 GPA. Tang is thankful to
have his wife’s support in giving something back to Louisburg College.
“It is our dearest hope that some deserving student will make good use
of what little we have to give.”
36
COLUMNS
Mr. Bain A. Cameron
Ms. Dorothy B. Carroll
Mr. and Mrs. G. Rosser Carter
Mr. Brian L. Caso ‘04
Mr. Michael Childs
Mr. and Mrs. Van Clark Jr.
Mr. Christopher B. Clark ‘89
Mrs. Grace H. Coffey
Mrs. Virginia Spivey Coleman ‘42
Mrs. Hazel Lassiter Collier ‘45
Mrs. Leej Copperfield
Mr. and Mrs. Brian R. Cory
Mr. J. David Cothran ‘64
Mrs. Mae Bell Cox ‘47
Mr. and Mrs. James B. Crow
Mr. Sidney B. Crowe
Dr. and Mrs. J. Jeffrey Curry
Mrs. Marquerite C. Curtis
Mr. and Mrs. Lewis D. Custer
Mr. James c. Cutchins III ‘96
Dr. Clifford G. Cutrell ‘47
Mr. and Mrs. James A. Dalton
Mr. and Mrs. Billy Dameron
Mr. Oren J. Dameron
Mr. Oren J. Dameron Jr. ‘91
Mrs. Mary Ann Markey Daniel ‘71
Mr. John M. Daniels ‘79
Mrs. Betty Worrell Darden ‘49
Mr. and Mrs. Fred B. Davenport ‘48
Mr. Steven B. Davis ‘72
Mr. Charles M. Davis Jr.
Mr. John W. Davis
Mr. John G. Dawson III ‘76
Mr. and Mrs. Larry S. Dean ‘67
Deer Creek Farm
Mrs. Maxine Finch Dew ‘45
Mr. R. C. Dickerson ‘45
Mrs. Patricia Wilson Dixon ‘58
Mr. Dennis M. Donahue ‘74
Mrs. Ann Dunham Donnell ‘45
Mrs. Judith Ammons Dorman ‘59
Mr. Herbert J. Dowling
Mr. and Mrs. Douglas P. Duenkel
Ms. Gail H. Duffy
Rev. and Mrs. Earl G. Dulaney
Ms. Ashley Duncan
Ms. Rebecca Murphy Duncan ‘71
Ms. Terrie Dunn
Mr. Michael D. Eaves ‘76
Mrs. Frances Edwards ‘64
Mr. Anton Edwards
Mrs. Alisha Eller ‘65
Ms. Lila Ellerbrock
Mr. Sam H. Elliott ‘52
Mr. and Mrs. Dan Ellis ‘70
Mr. Michael Ellsworth
Mr. Seong Il Eom
Ms. Mollie B. Evans
Mrs. Erlene Jordan Evans ‘49
Mr. and Mrs. L. Nelson Falkner ‘65
The Rev. and Mrs. Charles J. Farmer
The Rev. and Mrs. Horace T. Ferguson ‘60 ‘60
Mr. and Mrs. Donald W. Fish ‘60 ‘59
Ms. Vickie Fleming
Mr. and Mrs. James G. Folks
Mr. Donald M. Fox ‘79
Mrs. Prudence T. Frederick
Ms. Doris O. Freeze
*deceased
Mr. Lawrence H. Fulton
Mr. Milagros A. Galeas
Mrs. Pattie Joyner Gambardella ‘46
Mr. Brian Gano
Mrs. Marietta Joliff Garrett ‘51
Mr. and Mrs. Pierre L. Giani
Dr. Miller W. Gibbons
The Rev. Alan C. Gibson ‘73
The Mr. and Mrs. Harold W. Gillis
Ms. Sharolyn Gonzalez
Ms. Monica Gordy
Mr. and Mrs. Ray Gortney
Mrs. Joyce Parris Grant ‘57
Mr. and Mrs. W. Lacy Gray Jr.
Mrs. Mary Frances Morton Green ‘46
Mr. and Mrs. James Green
Mr. Jeffrey A Greentree ‘73
Mrs. Brenda Hunt Grieshaber ‘71
Mr. Daniel Grinnan Jr. ‘64
Mr. Albert J. Grouge Jr.
Mrs. Brandy L. Gupton
Mr. and Mrs. William A. Haddock Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Lamont Hagerty
Mrs. Lorie B. Hales
Ms. Nancy L. Hammersley
Mr. Fred H. Hanbury ‘73
Mr. and Mrs. Carl J. Hannigan Jr.
Mr. James A. Harper ‘74
Mrs. Jean T. Hasty
Mr. and Mrs. Walter Haynes
Mrs. Martha E. Hedgepeth
Mr. Tommy E. Herndon ‘67
Mr. Blake Herring
Ms. Carah Herring
Ms. Laurie S. Hershy
Ms. Patricia M. Hester
Mr. Lawrence G. Hickman
Mr. Trevor Highfield
Ms. Maggie Hill
Mrs. Patricia Hinton
Mr. Dennis C. Hobbie ‘66
Mr. Joe B. Hobbs ‘61
Mr. and Mrs. L. Douglas Hobgood
‘60 ‘60
Judge and Mrs. Robert H. Hobgood
Mr. Ronald P. Hodul ‘78
Mr. Kris Hoffler
Ms. Doris M. Hoffman
Mrs. Jane Trump Hohn ‘61
Mrs. Joanne S. Holcomb
Mr. and Mrs. J. Peter Holland IV ‘68
Mrs. Elmar Newton Holmes ‘58
Holroyd Agency
Mrs. Miriam G. Honeycutt
Dr. Edgar W. Hooks Jr.
Mr. Lukas Horn
Mrs. Marion Briggs Horn ‘68
Ms. Penny Howell
Dr. Gayle C. Hoyme
Mr. and Mrs. Terry Huffines
Mr. and Mrs. Paul D. Hugill
Mrs. Danylu Palmer Hundley ‘79
Mr. and Mrs. Cleatus Hunsinger
Mr. Carroll T. Hunt
Mr. and Mrs. Ronnie K. Hunt
Ms. Sarah O. Hunter
Mr. and Mrs. Scott L Hyman
Ms. Phyllis M. Ihrie
Mr. James A. Irion
Dr. and Mrs. David J. Irvine
Mr. and Mrs. J. Dean Irving ‘66
Mr. W. Patrick Jackson Jr. ‘78
Mr. C. Boyd Jacobs
Mr. and Mrs. Jerry Jamerson
Mrs. Amy Cobb Johnson
Mr. James T. Johnson ‘67
Mr. Robert W. Johnson ‘65
Mr. and Mrs. James L. Johnston ‘78
Mr. Russel P. Jones ‘51
Mr. Robert L Jones ‘66
The Rev and Mrs. Harris C. Jones III
Mrs. Tammi L. Jones
Mr. Mark L. Joyner
Mr. and Mrs. Jon C. Judge ‘76
Mr. and Mrs. James E. Kallam
Mr. J. Scott Kanich ‘92
Mr. and Mrs. Edward L. Kantor
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas C. Kaufman ‘60
Ms. Harriet Kennedy-Engle
Mr. and Mrs. H. S. Kennett
Mrs. Amanda Ryan Kiger
Mr. Hoke P. Kimball ‘72
Mr. W. H. Kincheloe
Mr. and Mrs. W. McDonald King Jr. ‘77 ‘77
Ms. Laura L. Kinzinger
Ms. Elizabeth D. Kirby
Ms. Erin N. Knight
Ms. Diana Koenig
Mrs. Sara Davis Koontz
Mrs. Cynthia H. Lambert
Mr. and Mrs. H. Martin Lancaster
Mr. Roderick E. Lane ‘84
Ms. Becky Lawrence
Mrs. Patsy Conwell Lawrence ‘59
Mr. John C. Lee
Ms. Beverly A. Lefler
Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth A. Leimone ‘91 ‘91
Mrs. Tony Gupton LeTrent Jones 70
Mrs. Kathryn Coor Lewis
Mrs. Wendy Lincoln
Mr. Jeffrey Linney
Mr. and Mrs. Glenn S. Linsky
Ms. Mary Louise Lockhart ‘71
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph B. Long Sr.
Mrs. Carol Myrick Long ‘69
Mr. Norman S. Lubus
Mr. and Mrs. William G. Luck
Mrs. Cristine P. Lynch
Mr. and Mrs. John S. Lysher
Mr. David R. Madigan
Mr. Angel Maldonado
Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm Mangum ‘51
Mr. and Mrs. Roberto J. Mariano
Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Marquoit ‘67
Ms. Carol Martin
Ms. Karen Martin ‘99
Mrs. Barbara J. Massey
Mr. and Mrs. William Matz Jr.
Mr. W. Charles May ‘75
Mr. John M. May ‘69
Mr. John McArthur Jr. ‘63
Mrs. Barbara Hudson McCoy ‘64
The Rev. and Mrs. Walter N. McDonald
Mr. and Mrs. Raymond F. McGowan
Mr. and Mrs. Charles L. McKee ‘67 ‘67
Mrs. Mildred Carter McKim ‘40
Ms. Amy Scoggin McManus
Mrs. Audrey Marsh McPherson ‘50
Mr. and Mrs. Gary Meadows
Mr. O. C. Melton Jr. ‘47
Mr. and Mrs. Gary Michener ‘70
Mr. Stephen A. Miller
Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur L. Mills
Mr. David Minard
Miramar Inc
Mrs. Holly Mitchell
Ms. Randi Z. Molton
Ms. Margaret F. Moody
Moose Drug Company
Mrs. Regina Creech Morgan ‘81
Mrs. Barbara B. Morotini
Mrs. Mary Moody Morris ‘49
Dr. Raymond L. Murray
Mrs. Sara Collier Newton ‘68
Mr. and Mrs. Lee Nicholson ‘72
Mrs. Dianne A. Nobles ‘93
Mr. and Mrs. Kevin D. Norman
Mr. John L. Norwood
Ms. Virginia Pinker Norwood
Mr. Clay Norwood
Mr. Paul Opanasenko
Mr. and Mrs. John O’Shea
Ms. Helen Othow
The Rev. Joseph C. Parker ‘61
Ms. Alice B. Parks
Ms. Leigh Ann Parrish
Mr. Josh Parrott
Ms. Judith W. Patton
Mr. Brett F. Patton ‘85
Mrs. Kathryn Ward Paul ‘51
Mr. and Mrs. Linwood E. Payne
Mr. and Mrs. Irvin A. Pearce
Ms. Lisa M. Peeler
Mrs. Marla R. Peoples
Mr. Clay Perdue
Mr. Mark M. Person
Mr. Thomas W. Peterkin Jr. ‘65
Mr. and Mrs. G. Paul Phillips
Mr. Frank W. Pierce ‘63
Mrs. Patricia Parrish Pollock ‘73
Mr. and Mrs. James H. Poole Jr. ‘65
Mr. Robert Poole
The Rev. and Mrs. Ernest R. Porter
Mrs. Fonda Porter
Mr. and Mrs. Marcus H. Potter ‘68
Mrs. Tracy N. Potter
Ms. Katie Lynn Price
Mr. Kenneth R. Procise
Mr. and Mrs. Carlton R. Procise
Mr. and Mrs. Harry L. Propst
Ms. Doris C. Pullen
Mr. Bruce R. Pulliam
Mr. Wilson Ray
Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey D. Rayle
Mrs. Barbara Medlin Raynor ‘58
Ms. Julie A. Reed
Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Reeve ‘85 ‘85
Ms. Vicki Reid
Mrs. Earline Whitehurst Revelle ‘45
Mr. W. Robert Rhinehardt ‘71
Mr. and Mrs. Bryan Rhodes
Mr. Bernard Rice
Mr. Jose A. Rivera
*deceased
SPRING 2012 37
*deceased
38
COLUMNS
Mr. David A. Vaughan ‘76
Mr. James H. Vaughan III ‘70
Mrs. Sandra C. Vazquez
Mrs. Sandra Garman Vickers ‘68
Ms. Katherine Visintine
Mr. Adam Wade
Mrs. Clara S. Wade
Dr. Robert S. Walton ‘64
Mr. Robert G. Warner
Mr. J. O. Watson
Ms. Emily L. Wauford
Mr. James A. Weathers
Mrs. Carol Dement Weeks ‘65
Mr. James J. Weishan
Mrs. Rebecca W. Wells
Mr. Lawrence M. Werger ‘69
Mrs. Jacqueline Wert
Mr. and Mrs. James E. Wharton ‘68
Mr. John W. Wheelous III ‘69
Mrs. Eva Welch White ‘59
Mr. Steven Neal Whitfield ‘02
Mrs. Connie Womack Wicker ‘70
Mr. and Mrs. Robert V. Wilkinson ‘66
Mr. Curtis R. Williams
Mr. and Mrs. D. Allen Williams
Mr. and Mrs. Douglas P. Williams ‘66
Mr. and Mrs. James Williams
The Rev. Dr. and Mrs. Larry Williams
Mrs. Louise McCullen Williams ‘55
Mrs. Helen Mansfield Willie ‘46
Dr. Julian H. Williford Jr. ‘64
Mr. Kirt D. Wilson
Dr. G. Curtis Wilson ‘47
Mr. Scott Winberry
Mrs. Tina Mascia Winesette ‘80
Mr. and Mrs. Phillip L. Wise
Mr. William D. Wittorff
Mr. John R. Woodard Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. J. Curtis Woodlief
The Rev. Charles E. Woodruff Jr. ‘60
Mr. and Mrs. George E. Woods
Mr. Robert D. Woods
Mr. and Mrs. Steven P. Woods
Mrs. Betty Wrenn
Mr. Arnold L. Wright*
Mrs. Iva H. Wright
Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey L. Wright
Mr. and Mrs. John S. Wright
Mr. Steven B. Wright ‘77
Mrs. Yvonne Winstead Yantsios ‘56
Mr. and Mrs. Maurice C. York ‘73
Mr. Nicholas P. Zantopoulos
Mr. Carl W. Ziegler
Ms. Catherine Ziencik
Estates
Estate of Roberta B. Morris
Estate of Willie B. Mullen
Estate of Celia Purdie ‘37
Estate of Joyce Hughes Witt ‘39
Corporations, Foundations
and Matching Gifts
Administrative Resource Management LLC
The Paul and Merrill Barringer Family Foundation
Blue Ridge Veterinary Clinic
Nicholas Bunn Boddie and Lucy Mayo Boddie Foundation
Bojangles - Tripark Advertising
Brunswick Landscape Services Inc.
Bunn Heating & Air Conditioning
Cauthorne Paper Company
Chartwells Corporation
Clariant Corporation Matching Gifts Program
Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated
Coca-Cola Foundation
The Community Foundation of
Western NC
Compton Family Foundation
Deer Creek Farm
Duke Energy Foundation
Element One, Inc.
Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund
Franklin County Farm Bureau
Franklin Regional Medical Center
Dr. Miller W. Gibbons D.D.S.
Hanover Resources LLC
Holcim
Robert P. Holding Foundation
Holroyd Agency
IBM Matching Grants
Insurance Services Office Inc.
J’s Salvage Inc.
Seby B. Jones Family Foundation
The Kayne Foundation
Kelly Electric
Lamm & Lamm Farms
Lawrence Ruggiero Esq.
Legacy Resources, LLC
Little River Corporation
Louisburg Tractor & Truck
Miramar Inc
Moose Drug Company
Mountain Edge Mining Inc.
North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities
Northwestern Mutual
Now That’s Marketing LLC
Oracle Corporation Matching Gifts Program
Paul W. Stewart Jr. DDS, PA
Piedmont Surveys Inc.
Pizza Hut of Clinton Inc.
Gregory Poole Equipment
Pre Con Inc.
Reid Hill Golf Shop
Robert’s Glass Co.
SC Data Inc.
Seller’s Inc.
Sentry Insurance Foundation Inc.
Simply Organized Inc.
Strickland Electric Company
Stupp Brothers Bridge & Iron Co. Foundation
Dr. W. T. Tillar Optometrist
Toney Ace Hardware
Toney Lumber Company
Travelers Motor Club Sales Inc.
United Methodist Foundation
Vector Engineering Inc.
Wake Electric Membership Corporation
Tommy Wallace Electrical Inc.
Walmart
Water Technology & Controls Inc.
James & Vedna Welch Foundation
Wells Fargo Foundation
Lettie Pate Whitehead Foundation
Walter and Marie Williams Foundation
Donors to Endowed Funds
Alumni Appreciation Scholarship
The Estate of Mrs. Roberta B. Morris
Paul and Merrill Barringer Endowment
The Paul and Merrill Barringer Family Foundation
Marvin and Mary Jo Baugh Endowment
Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Baugh
The Beckler Memorial Scholarship
Ms. Sue Guerrant
Cameron Athletic Endowment
Dr. and Mrs. W. John Cameron
The Coltran-Robertson-Coleman Endowed Scholarship
Ms. Sue C. Robertson
Coor Family Scholarship
Mrs. Jeannie M. Brown
Mrs. Katheryn Coor Lewis
Mrs. Elizabeth Coor Morris
Coach J. Enid Drake Basketball Endowment
Mrs. Rebecca Drake Allen ‘84
Mrs. Paula Drake Smith ‘74
Mr. Emmett Chapman Sneed III ‘71
Ms. Cindy Spuria
General Scholarship Endowment
Mr. James A. Harper
R. Edward and Louise Hunter Endowment
Mr. Frank Hunter
Mr. Richard E. Hunter Jr. ‘68
William Moon and Jane Moon Linsky Endowment
Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Linsky
Blanche Hooper and Earl Meekins Scholarship
Mrs. Mary M. Beauchamp
Mercer Scholarship Fund
Mr. Charles H. Mercer Sr.
*deceased
Reflecting on her time at Louisburg,
Mann remembers the attention she
received from professors and the influence that Charley-John Smith and
Al Wright had on her life. “Smith was
my advisor and he signed me up for a
behind-the-scenes theatre class,” she
says. “I truly believe that class planted the seed for my passion for
acting.” She remembers Al Wright as the caring English professor
who went out of his way for students by offering private tutoring
lessons.
Mann truly enjoyed her two years at Louisburg, graduating in 1986.
She transferred to Bauder College, a small fashion school in Atlanta.
A few years later, she returned home to North Carolina to attend
UNC-Chapel Hill and graduated in 1997, earning a degree in international studies. As a student at UNC, Mann had the opportunity to
study in Madrid, Spain, and, while there, worked with Vogue España
magazine as a stylist.
In 2000, Mann followed her heart and pursued her dream of becoming an actress. With the full support of her loving family, she moved
to New York City and began that quest. Her acting career resulted
in roles in the soap opera One Life to Live (as Nurse Jennifer); on
the television show 30 Rock (as a TV reporter); in the Sex and the
City movie (as one of Carrie’s friends); and in It’s Complicated (as an
architect). “It was so cool being a few feet away from Meryl Streep,”
Mann says, referring to the star of It’s Complicated. “She is an amazing actress.”
Always up for a challenge, Mann is
now pursuing another passion: photography. “I still occasionally act,
but I wanted to do something else.”
As a professional photographer, her
work has been used in various publications, including Forbes magazine.
Her portfolio includes photographs
of sporting events, weddings, interiors, portraits, food, and flowers.
Mann covers Duke and UNC games
for Raleigh’s WRAL news station
when the teams play various tournaments in New York.
Photo courtesy of Jennifer Leigh Mann, © 2012.
Ms. Maria M. Rivera-Rubiang
Mr. and Mrs. Glenn Roberson
Mrs. Betsy Brodie Roberts ‘75
Mrs. Tena Williams Roberts ‘93
Mr. Robert Rogers
Mrs. Brenda Starbuck Rosecrans
Mr. John Sala
Ms. Tracey Sala
Mr. Brian W. Sanders
Mr. and Mrs. Mario Santiago
Ms. Janice A Sapp ‘71
Mr. Kenneth R. Schmidt
Ms. Diane L. Schultz ‘69
Mr. and Mrs. Charles J. Schweikert ‘50
Mr. Chad Scott
Mr. Janes P. Senter ‘40
Sentry Insurance Foundation Inc.
Mr. David Sexton
Mrs. Mae Asbell Shaw ‘40
Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Shingledecker
Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Shingledecker
Mrs. Alice Mustian Short ‘72
Ms. Robin A. Silke
Mr. and Mrs. Timothy C. Sitterson
Mr. Stuart Slinkard
Mr. and Mrs. Ted N. Sloan ‘60 ‘60
Mr. and Mrs. Carlie G. Smith
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Smith ‘51
Mr. Dan A. Smith
Ms. Jacqueline T. Smith
Mr. and Mrs. Marvin W. Smith Jr. ‘59
Ms. Michelle E. Smith
Ms. Mildred Smith
Mrs. Rita Peoples Smith
Mr. Michael J. Snee ‘86
Mr. and Mrs. Lewis F. Snow
The Rev. and Mrs. H. Gray Southern
Mr. Stephen E. Spainhour ‘70
Mr. Tim Sparks
Mrs. Dale F. Spaugh
Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Springston
Mrs. Anna Stallings
Ms. Susan L. Steele ‘70
Mr. Wallace C. Stepp ‘64
Mr. Gaitley Stevenson-Mathews
Ms. Brenda R. Stines
Mr. Andrew Stokes
Mrs. Carolyn Woods Stratford ‘60
Youngsville Woman’s Club
Ms. Lois T. Stuller
Mr. and Mrs. Conrad B. Sturges Jr.
Ms. Melissa Sykes
Mr. Michael Tedder
Mr. Brian L. Tharp
Mr. John C. Thomas ‘86
Mr. and Mrs. Albert E. Thompson Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. George I. Tindall
Mr. Dale Tompkins
Mrs. Brooke C. Tubbs
Mr. and Mrs. Charles F. Tubbs
Mrs. Evelyn Smithwick Turner ‘43
Mr. Samuel A. Tuten Jr. ‘41
Dr. and Mrs. H.D. Tyndall
Mr. Mark Vanderslice
JENNIFER LEIGH MANN ‘86 was
reared in rural Roxboro, N.C. As her
senior year in high school was coming to a close, she realized she was not
ready to attend a large university. As
she considered her college choices,
Wayne G. Winstead, her stepfather
and a 1958 graduate of Louisburg
College, suggested she give his alma
mater a look. She applied, was accepted, and soon realized Louisburg was
just the right fit.
Mann says she has even more dreams to fulfill, such as creating a
documentary and acting in a film that “makes a difference in someone’s life.” She also hopes to own a photography business in North
Carolina at some point in time. “At any age,” she says, “you can still
do something you believe in.”
To view her photography, please visit www.jenniferleighmann.com.
For JEFFERSON INFANTE ‘02, the nephew of New York Yankees
bench coach Tony Pena, baseball is a family tradition.
Herbert and Elsie Miller Scholarship
Dr. D. Edmond Miller
At New York City’s Dewitt Clinton High School, Infante earned
All-City honors and played in the All-Star Senior Game at Yankee
Stadium. For a kid born and raised in the Bronx, playing Yankee
Stadium was a “dream come true.”
Bill and Hazel Mullen Scholarship
The Estate of Willie B. Mullen
Recruiters at Louisburg College recognized this young man’s talent
and offered him a full scholarship in 2001 to play for the Hurricanes. “The Louisburg College baseball program is one of the best
in the country,” says Infante, who helped lead the team to the
NJCAA World Series during his second year.
He remembers Louisburg as a great small school. “There were
closer connections with professors, and many teachers helped me
through my time at Louisburg,” recalls Infante, “but one that instantly comes to mind is Mr. Butts, my English professor. He always
motivated me and helped me with research, even after I took his
class.”
Infante continued his studies and collegiate baseball career at Globe
Institute of Technology in N.Y., Baruch College in N.Y., and Ramapo College in N.J. He played in three NCAA championships while
at Baruch, and enjoyed a championship victory in 2009. While at
Ramapo College, Infante was named All-Conference and earned
All-American honors.
His professional baseball playing career was just as successful. The
Kansas City Royals selected him in the 2004 Baseball Draft. He
played several years
in the Royal’s farm
system and later
signed an independent league contract
with the St. Joseph
Blacksnakes in Missouri. Unfortunately,
Infante’s professional baseball career
came to a premature
end due to a shoulder injury.
Not one to give up,
Infante extended his
love of baseball into
the business world.
He now runs his
own business in the
Dominican Republic
where he represents
baseball players with
first-year pro contracts. “I would love
to take the company to the next level and represent as many baseball players as possible,” he says, adding, “I want to inspire them
with their dreams and goals.”
Infante also serves as the hitting coach for Grosseto, an Italian
baseball team. The Italian Baseball League (IBL) was founded in
1948 and is comprised of teams from Bologna, Parma, Nettuno,
Rimini, Godo, Novara, and Grosseto, as well as San Marino.
As an avid community volunteer, Infante organizes academic clinics for student-athletes. And, in his free time—which is limited—
he simply “loves to relax.”
Joel Porter Counseling Center Endowment
The Rev. Dr. and Mrs. Reginald W. Ponder
R.A. Endowed Scholarship
Mrs. Norma B. Patton
Mrs. Mary B. Southerland
Blair Tucker Scholarship
Mr. and Mrs. John Hatcher Jr.
Lillian B. Watson Endowment
Mr. Theron Watson
John B. York Athletic Endowment
Mr. Maurice C. York ‘73
Hurricane Club
Mr. and Mrs. James T. Chandler, IV ‘67
Dr. and Mrs. James C. Eck
Mr. Morgan S. Foster
Mr. and Mrs. Michael L. Holloman ‘83 ‘90
Mr. Jeff Kid
Mr. and Mrs. William C. Shelton ‘69
Mr. Roger G. Taylor ‘68
Churches
Bethel Baptist Ministries
Calvary United Methodist Women
First United Methodist Church of Cary
Franklinton United Methodist Church
Louisburg Baptist Church
Louisburg United Methodist Church
The North Carolina Conference of the UMC
Raleigh District UMC
Trinity United Methodist Church
College Faculty and Staff, including
Emeritus Members
Ms. Angela Adkins
Mr. Damon Adkins
Ms. Genya V. Afanasyeva
Ms. Lakela Atkinson
Ms. Wendy Bailey
Mr. Daniel Bartholomew
Mr. John Basaldu
Mrs. Sandra Beasley
Ms. Teresa Blumenauer
Dr. Martha Bragg
Ms. Crystal Brantley
Ms. Susan A. Bridgeman
Mr. Matthew A. Brown ‘68
Ms. Gail Brown
Dr. George-Anne Willard Brown
Ms. Georgette Burnette
Mr. Bob Butler
Mr. Kurt Carlson
Mr. Michael Childs
*deceased
Ms. Leej Copperfield
Ms. Sheilah Cotten
The Rev. Alice Davis
Mr. Allen de Hart
Ms. Ashley Duncan
Ms. Terrie Dunn
Dr. James C. Eck
Mrs. Wendi Eck
Ms. Frances Edwards ‘64
Mr. Anton Edwards
Ms. Alicia S. Eller ‘65
Mr. J. Craig Eller
Mr. Michael Ellsworth
Rev. Charles J. Farmer
Ms. Belinda Faulkner
Dr. Diane Price Fleming
Ms. Vickie Fleming
Ms. Sarah Foster
Mr. Brian Gano
Ms. Monica Gordy
Mr. James Green
Mrs. Judy Green
Mrs. Faye Griffin ‘64
Mrs. Brandy L. Gupton
Ms. Nancy L. Hammersley
Ms. Brenda G. Hawks
Mrs. Martha E. Hedgepeth ‘93
Mr. Blake Herring
Mr. Trevor Highfield
Ms. Maggie Hill
Mr. William J. Hinton Jr.
Mrs. Patricia Hinton
Mrs. Martha Hobgood
Mr. Kris Hoffler
Mr. Michael L. Holloman ‘83
Ms. Phyllis M. Ihrie
Mr. Tommy Jenkins
Ms. Amy Cobb Johnson
Ms. Carmen S. Johnston ‘01
Mrs. Candace Lester Jones ‘99
Mr. Mark L. Joyner
Ms. Laura L. Kinzinger
Dr. Mark D. La Branche
Ms. Becky Lawrence
Mr. Jeffrey Linney
Ms. Karen Martin ‘99
The Rev. Walter N. McDonald
Ms. Amy Scoggin McManus
Mr. David Minard
Ms. Holly Mitchell
Dr. Louise B. Mitchum
Mr. Jason Modlin
Ms. M. Sharon Moore ‘71 ‘87
Ms. Patrice Nealon
Mrs. Sara C. Newton ‘68
Ms. Virginia Pinker Norwood
Mr. Clay Norwood
Mr. Jeffrey V. Olbrys
Mr. Paul Opanasenko
Ms. Helen Othow
Ms. Leigh Ann Parrish
Mr. Josh Parrott
Ms. Jamie Eller Patrick ‘84
Mr. Brett F. Patton ‘85
Mrs. Marla R. Peoples
The Rev. Dr. Reginald W. Ponder
Mr. Robert Poole
Mrs. Fonda Porter
Mrs. Tracy N. Potter
Ms. Katie Lynn Price
Ms. Vicki Reid
Mrs. Donna Rhoden
Mr. Bernard Rice
Mr. Mac Rickets
Mr. Robert Rogers
Mrs. Amanda Ryan Kiger
Mr. John Sala
Ms. Tracey Sala
Mr. Brian W. Sanders
Mr. Chad Scott
Mr. Stuart Slinkard
Mr. Charles Sloan
Mr. Charles M. Smith
Mrs. Rita Peoples Smith
Mr. Grady K. Snyder ‘50
Mr. Steve Sparks
The Rev. Sidney Stafford
Mrs. Anna Stallings
Mr. Andrew Stokes
Ms. Melissa Sykes
Mr. Michael D. Tedder
Ms. Jennith Thomas
Mrs. Stephanie Tolbert ‘97
Mr. Mark Vanderslice
Ms. Katherine Visintine
Mr. Adam Wade
Mr. Buster White ‘76
Mrs. Norma G. White
Mr. Steven N.Whitfield ‘02
Mr. Scott Winberry
Mr. Arnold L. Wright*
Ms. Kaye Yadusky
Ms. Catherine Ziencik
Mr. and Mrs. Leonard A. Kilian Jr.
Ms. Erin N. Knight
Ms. Judy K. Kuykendall
Dr. and Mrs. Mark D. La Branche
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph B. Long Sr.
Mr. and Mrs. J. Parker Lumpkin II
Mr. and Mrs. Willie Lee Lumpkin III
Mr. and Mrs. Charles G. McLaughlin
Ms. Amy Scoggin McManus
The Rev. Dr. and Mrs. Reginald W. Ponder
Mr. and Mrs. Marcus H. Potter ‘68
Mr. L. Norwood Prichett
Mr. and Mrs.* John A. Rogers
Mrs. Martha Cly Shaffner ‘65
Mr. Joseph W. Shearon ‘51
Mr. and Mrs. Julian J. Smith
Mr. and Mrs. E. Howard Stallings
Dr. and Mrs. Paul W. Stewart Jr.
Dr. and Mrs. Raymond A. Stone ‘47
Mr. and Mrs. Larry E. Tetterton ‘56 ‘56
Mrs. Rebecca W. Wells
Mr. and Mrs. J. Curtis Woodlief
IBM Matching Grants
Wake Electric Membership Corporation
Friends of the Arts
Gift in honor of Clyde Brooks
The Rev. and Mrs. Thomas E. Loftis
Mr. and Mrs. Forrest D. Adair
Mr. L. C. Adcock
Mr. and Mrs. Robert V. Allen
Mrs. Lillian A. Benton
Mr. and Mrs. Wayne D. Benton
Ms. Delano R. Borys
Mr. and Mrs. Dewey L. Brannan
Ms. Marie Britt
Mr. and Mrs. Claude F. Burrows ‘43
Dr. Robert A. Butler
Dr. and Mrs. W. John Cameron
Mr. Bain A. Cameron
Mr. and Mrs. Ronald D. Champion
Mr. Ray Clinebell
Mr. and Mrs. Richard Creed
Mr. and Mrs. Charles M. Davis
Mr. Allen de Hart
Dr. and Mrs. James C. Eck
Mr. and Mrs. Talmadge H. Edwards Jr.
Mr. J. Craig Eller
Mr. James M. Featherston Jr. ‘42
Mr. and Mrs. David Gardner
Mr. and Mrs. Pierre L. Giani
Mr. Richard L. Hibbits
Mrs. Joanne S. Holcomb
Mrs. Miriam G. Honeycutt
Ms. Penny Howell
Honorary Gifts
Gift in honor of Jeb Barlow ‘80
Mr. Bob Butler
Gift in honor of Earl Beshears
The Rev. and Mrs. Thomas E. Lofis
Gift in honor of Mary Ellen Shaw Boyles ‘41
Mrs. Mae Asbell Shaw ‘40
Gift in honor of Bob Butler
The Rev. Dr. and Mrs. Reginald W. Ponder
Mr. Paul L. Sanderford Jr.
Gift in honor of W. John Cameron
Mr. Bob Butler
Mrs. Beulah Cameron
Gift in honor of Charles Davis
Mrs. Martha Davis
Gift in honor of Russell Frazier ‘54
Mr. Bob Butler
Gift in honor of Harold L. Gillis Jr. ‘75
Mr. Harold L. Gillis Sr.
Gift in honor of Ellis Hall
Mrs. Katheryn Coor Lewis
Gift in honor of William Hardin ‘85
Mr. Bob Butler
Gift in honor of Ella Ann Holding
Ms. Sarah Foster
*deceased
SPRING 2012 41
Gift in honor of Charity Holland ‘37
Mrs. Katheryn Coor Lewis
Gift in honor of Mike Holloman ‘83
Mr. Bob Butler
Gift in honor of Blake Honeycutt
Mr. Maurice C. York ‘73
Gift in honor of Dorothy Honeycutt ‘45
Mr. and Mrs. Winfield S. Gardner ‘44 ‘45
Gift in honor of Fred and Malene Irons
Mrs. Katheryn Coor Lewis
Gift in honor of Wil Jackson
The Rev. and Mrs. Thomas E. Loftis
Gift in honor of Don L. Jenkins
The Rev. and Mrs. Thomas E. Loftis
Gift in honor of Wallace Kirby
The Rev. and Mrs. Thomas E. Loftis
Gift in honor of Jamey W. Koenig ‘09
Ms. Diana Koenig
Gift in honor of Mark La Branche
Ms. Sue Guerrant
Gift in honor of C.S. Loftis Jr.
The Rev. and Mrs. Thomas E. Loftis
Gift in honor of Thomas E. Loftis
The Rev. Wilbur Ivan Jackson
Gift in honor of Howard McCollough ‘74
Mr. Bob Butler
Gift in honor of William McLean
Mr. and Mrs. Winfield S. Gardner ‘44 ‘45
Gift in honor of Regina Miller ‘82
Mr. Bob Butler
Gift in honor of T. Russell Odom ‘68
Mr. Bob Butler
Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Hoof
Gift in honor of The Rev. Dr. Reginald Ponder
Mr. Bob Butler
Gift in honor of Paul Sanderford ‘70
Mr. Bob Butler
Gift in honor of Charles Sloan
The Rev. Dr. and Mrs. Reginald W. Ponder
*deceased
42
COLUMNS
Gift in honor of Sidney Stafford
The Rev. Dr. and Mrs. Reginald W. Ponder
The Rev. and Mrs. Thomas E. Loftis
Golden Anniversary Club
Thanks to the generosity of the Golden
Anniversary Club—alumni who graduated 50 or more years ago—the College
was able to support new lighting in the
Jones Center and equipment for the art
department.
Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin T. Adcock Jr. ‘59
Mrs. Mavis McGowan Alder ‘39
Mr. Robert W. Alston Jr. ‘60
Mrs. Joyce Boone Ammons ‘51*
Mr. Abner M. Askew ‘46
Mr. and Mrs. Billy A. Baker Sr. ‘55
Mr. Rossie V. Baker Sr. ‘57
Mr. and Mrs. William H. Baker Jr. ‘52
Mr. Felix G. Banks ‘43
Mrs. Ruby Harris Barbour ‘55
Mr. Paul G. Bass ‘50
Mr. and Mrs. Marvin E. Baugh ‘53
Mr. Robert E. Beck ‘53
The Rev. Ellis J. Bedsworth ‘42
Mrs. Dorothy Midgett Brannan ‘48
Ms. Elizabeth Broome ‘54
Mrs. Betty Lou Williams Brown ‘53
Mrs. Velma Ferrell Brown ‘60
Dr. and Mrs. C. Douglas Bryant Sr. ‘47
Mr. and Mrs. Claude F. Burrows ‘43
Mr. H. Dwight Byrd ‘57
Mr. Richard L. Cannon Jr. ‘52
Mr. and Mrs. G. Maurice Capps ‘57
Dr. Patrick W. Carlton ‘57
Mr. and Mrs. Larry W. Castleberry ‘57
Mr. W. Paul Childers Jr. ‘54
Mrs. Mary Richardson Clements ‘55
Mrs. Sophia Spivey Cody ‘38
Mrs. Virginia Spivey Coleman ‘42
Mrs. Hazel Lassiter Collier ‘45
Mrs. Virginia Brittain Copping ‘50
Mrs. Carolyn V. Cotton ‘57
Mrs. Louise Mason Cowart ‘42
Mrs. Mae Bell Cox ‘47
Dr. and Mrs. Clifford G. Cutrell ‘47
Mrs. Betty Worrell Darden ‘49
Mrs. Elizabeth White Davenport ‘60
Dr. Sarah Irwin Davis ‘42
Mrs. Maxine Finch Dew ‘45
Mrs. Frances Boyette Dickson ‘35
Mrs. Patricia Wilson Dixon ‘58
Mrs. Ann Dunham Donnell ‘45
Mrs. Judith Ammons Dorman ‘59
Mr. and Mrs. Edwin M. Driver ‘53 ‘52
Mr. Clyde H. Dula ‘41
Mr.* and Mrs. M. Douglas Edwards ‘53
Mr. Sam H. Elliott ‘52
Mrs. Ina Meekins Ernst ‘49
Mrs. Erlene Jordan Evans ‘49
Mr. James M. Featherston Jr. ‘42
The Rev. and Mrs. Horace T. Ferguson ‘60 ‘60
Mr. and Mrs. Donald W. Fish ‘60 ‘59
Dr. and Mrs. Jimmy W. Foster ‘60 ‘59
Mr. William P. Franklin ‘52
Mr. Oscar M. Fuller ‘44
Mrs. Elaine Weldon Fuller ‘39
Mrs. Pattie Joyner Gambardella ‘46
Mr. and Mrs. W. S. Gardner ‘44 ‘45
Mrs. Marietta Joliff Garrett ‘51
Mr. and Mrs. Ernest P. Gaster Jr. ‘50 ‘50
Mr. Willis A. Goodrum ‘52
Mrs. Joyce Parris Grant ‘57
Mrs. Mary Frances Morton Green ‘46
Mr. Graham P. Grissom ‘36
Mr. Willis F. Gupton ‘42
Mr. and Mrs. Swayn G. Hamlet ‘57 ‘56
Mrs. Martha Foster Harper ‘59
Mr. L. Reid Harris ‘45
Mr. William D. Harrison ‘47
Mrs. Carol Bessent Hayman ‘45
Mrs. Rubie Riggan Hecht ‘52
Mrs. Ruby Massenburg Hinson ‘42
Mr. and Mrs. L. Douglas Hobgood ‘60 ‘60
The Rev. and Mrs. Hubert H. Hodgin ‘54 ‘54
Mrs. Elmar Newton Holmes ‘58
Mr. and Mrs. Lennon W. Hooper Jr. ‘50
Mrs. Mary Wheless Hughes ‘52
Mr. and Mrs. J. William Hurley ‘53
The Rev. Jesse L. Johnson Jr. ‘41
Mr. and Mrs. Tapley O. Johnson Jr. ‘60
Mr. Russell Pascal Jones ‘51
Mr. Marvin L. Jordan ‘53
Mrs. Patsy Conwell Lawrence ‘59
Mrs. Jane Moon Linsky ‘43
Mr. W. J. Little Jr. ‘49
Mr. and Mrs. Malcolm Mangum ‘51
Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Marks ‘56
Mr. and Mrs. George Matthis ‘46
Mr. Wilton L. Matthis ‘56
Mrs. Mildred Carter McKim ‘40
Mr. and Mrs. John McPherson ‘50
Mr. O. C. Melton Jr. ‘47
Mr. Charles H. Mercer Sr. ‘38
Ms. Rachael A. Modlin ‘50
Mr. and Mrs. William D. Moon ‘45
Mrs. Gwynn Torrence Morris ‘58
Mrs. Mary Moody Morris ‘49
Mr. and Mrs. W. C. Morrisette Jr. ‘53 ‘53
Mr. and Mrs. Roger Moulton ‘43
Mrs. Anne Tucker Mulchi ‘53
Mrs. Kathryn Ward Paul ‘51
Mr. Clarence W. Pearce Jr. ‘54
Mr. and Mrs. Elbert H. Phelps ‘52
Mr. William G. Pitts ‘47
Mrs. Barbara Medlin Raynor ‘58
Mrs. Earline Whitehurst Revelle ‘45
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas A. Riggan Sr. ‘59
Mrs. Strowd Ward Riggsbee ‘45
Mrs. Margaret Adcock Robinson ‘58
Mrs. Brenda Starbuck Rosecrans ‘54
Mrs. Ann Rhem Schwarzmann ‘54
Mr. and Mrs. Charles J. Schweikert ‘50
Mr. James P. Senter ‘40
Mrs. Mae Asbell Shaw ‘40
Mr. Joseph W. Shearon ‘51
Mr. and Mrs. Ted N. Sloan ‘60 ‘60
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Smith ‘51
Mr. and Mrs. Marvin W. Smith Jr. ‘59
Mrs. Evelyn Smithwick Turner ‘43
Mr. and Mrs. Grady K. Snyder ‘50 ‘50
Mr. Richard N. Stabell ‘59
Mr. Dudley B. Stallings ‘46
Ms. Japlyne G. Stallings ‘46
Mrs. Marcelle King Stanley ‘45
Mr. and Mrs. Glendel U. Stephenson ‘52
Mr. and Mrs. M. Graham Stewart Sr. ‘49
Dr .and Mrs. Raymond A. Stone ‘47
Mrs. Carolyn Woods Stratford ‘60
Mrs. Betty Thigpen Swindell ‘47
Mr. and Mrs. Larry E. Tetterton ‘56 ‘56
Mrs. Ruby Chewning Thompson ‘59
Mr. and Mrs. Charles M. Timberlake ‘64 ‘59
Mrs. Edith Boone Toussaint ‘49
Mrs. Janet Griffin Turner ‘44
Mr. Samuel A. Tuten Jr. ‘41
Mr. Carl D. Wagner ‘56
Mr. and Mrs. William Wall ‘47
Mrs. Jane Rosser Warfel ‘41
Mr. Robert L. Wells ‘60
Mr. Robert L. West ‘60
Mrs. Eva Welch White ‘59
Mr. Russell A. Wilcock ‘48
Mrs. Peggy Lee Wilder ‘60
The Rev. and Mrs. Howard M. Wilkinson ‘45
Mrs. Nellie Stallings Williams ‘47
Ms. Nell Alston Williams ‘54
Mr. Wilton H. Williams ‘49
Mrs. Louise McCullen Williams ‘55
Mrs. Helen Mansfield Willie ‘46
Dr. G. Curtis Wilson ‘47
Mr. and Mrs. Hubert L. Wilson Jr. ‘45
Mr. James F. Womble ‘54
Mr. and Mrs. Edwin W. Woodhouse Sr. ‘56
The Rev. Charles E. Woodruff Jr. ‘60
Mr. and Mrs. Lenn Woodruff ‘58
Mr. and Mrs. James T. Wooters ‘42
Mrs. Yvonne Winstead Yantsios ‘56
Mrs. Nancy Hayes Yarborough ‘42
*deceased
Like most 18-year-olds, MICKEY
DAVID CHAMBERS ‘89 was looking
forward to going to college and finding
his way in the world. He chose Louisburg College, he says, “because of the
great music program and the smalltown atmosphere around campus.”
During his first year, Chambers was
focused on getting the dreaded general college subjects behind him and
preparing for the future. What he remembers most about that time are the
lasting friendships he forged along the
way. He recalls with great fondness the
sunny afternoons spent with fellow
classmates on Louisburg’s picturesque
campus, and still stays in touch with
his college roommate, Brian Whitfield,
whom he describes as “a great guy –
then and now.”
Chambers recalls Professor Mize as
one of the Louisburg instructors who
had the most profound impact on
him. “He was quite inspirational with
his no-nonsense, personable approach
to writing, which I have utilized in my
life ever since that time, including the
two books I published in recent years.”
Chambers has an interesting and
extensive educational background.
He attended UNC-Chapel Hill after
graduating from Louisburg, and later
went on to attend First Union Banking
School, NCNB Banking School, Piedmont Community College, Durham
Technical Community College, Southeastern Theological Seminary, Liberty
University, the International Association of Faith Based Counselors, and,
finally, Master’s Graduate School of
Divinity, where he earned his bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees.
He holds an associate degree in Bibical
studies from Liberty University and
an associate degree in applied sciences
from Vance-Granville Community
College.
Perhaps as varied as his educational
background is his career path, which
took him from the banking field to a
stint in accounting for the federal government, then on to the medical field,
where he ran the outpatient radiology department for the Department
of Veterans Affairs. Along the way, he
also embarked on a career as an accomplished author and international
speaker. He currently serves as the
pastor of Antioch Baptist Church in
Timberlake, N.C., in Person County.
Chambers is proud of the two books
he has published and views this success as one of his greatest accomplishments. His first book, The Best Is Yet
to Come, is a relationship-help book that
has proven useful to
couples in troubled
relationships, and also
valuable for those in
strong relationships
as they strengthen
their bond. His second book, Perpetuity,
is a historical perspective that takes readers on a 4,000-year
journey through history to explore the
theory that history is cyclical.
Chambers feels blessed to have been
able to travel the globe to five continents and 14 countries, sharing hope
and encouragement with many in difficult circumstances, particularly in
third-world countries. He has traveled to the Philippines, Peru, Kenya,
India, Poland, Belarus, Romania, and
Canada to speak at crusades and to offer leadership training courses, which
include material from The Best Is Yet
to Come. Chambers traveled to the
Ukraine recently, where he served as
an adjunct professor in marital studies
at the Ukrainian Baptist Theological
Seminary in Borislav L’Viv Ukraine.
He recalls another Louisburg professor, Dr. Ricketts, as instrumental in
his spiritual education. “That influence
has proven invaluable in my life’s work
as a pastor.” He is especially thankful
to be a part of a thriving and growing church. “My accomplishments are
not mine,” he says, “but God working
through me. I do not take full credit
for any of them.”
When asked about his future dreams,
Chambers says, “At the risk of sounding like a beauty pageant contestant, I
truly aspire to continue to make a positive difference in the lives of as many
people as possible all over the globe for
as long as I am alive. I find my greatest
joy in serving those around me.”
“Although Louisburg represents a
very brief period in my life,” Chambers explains, “I can honestly say that
I am grateful to her for the opportunities and motivation she afforded me;
I can truly say that I learned things
there that propelled me toward many
wonderful things in my life. I am eternally grateful for my ‘Louisburg Years,’
where I learned things I could not have
learned anywhere else.”
Chambers resides in Timberlake, N.C.,
with Missy, his wife of 17 years; their
two children, Noah, 12, and Micah, 6;
and their border collie, Dixie.
After graduating from high school, JAMES “JIM” EDWARD WHITE III ‘69 hoped
to attend UNC-Chapel Hill, but knew he was not academically prepared for the rigors
of a four-year university. So, instead, he chose to begin his education at Louisburg. “I
knew the College had a reputation for requiring hard work and strong academics,” says
White, “and I knew two years at Louisburg would give me the background I needed
for a major four-year college or university.” His mother, Nina Gilgo White, attended
Louisburg College in the 1940s, so he already knew quite a bit
about the College.
With a strong interest in history, White took as many history
classes as possible during his two years at Louisburg. Before
graduating with an associate of arts degree, he left his mark at
the College by being involved with extracurricular activities.
“As a freshman, I was president of the Young Democrats on
campus, working hard in the election of 1968,” White recalls.
“I also worked as feature and layout editor of the College newspaper. During my sophomore year at Louisburg, I was editor of
Columns, spending most of my spare time working on it.”
Memorial Gifts
In memory of Eleanor Perry Alston ‘24
Mr. Robert W. Alston Jr. ‘60
In memory of Juanita Alsup
Mrs. Katheryn Coor Lewis
In memory of Dorothy Kennedy Anderson ‘39
Ms. Harriet Kennedy-Engle
In memory of Emerson Asbell
Mrs. Mae Asbell Shaw ‘40
In memory of Mamie Liles Bailey ‘20
Mr. Phillip W. Liles
His fondest Louisburg memories are made up of the time he
spent with fellow classmates. “While I have lost touch with most of them, I still cherish
them and hold their memories close to me. There were a lot of great people at Louisburg,” he continues, “and two of them, Fred and Sue Whitty, are my neighbors and the
Godparents to my youngest son, Jerry.” He also remembers the fun of Sadie Hawkins
Day and the winter snows. “We would slide down the hill on food trays from the cafeteria during the snowy weather!”
Of all the staff and faculty members, White clearly remembers the four that made an
impact on his life: Dr. Cecil Robbins, Louisburg College President; Miss Ruth Merritt,
English professor; Dr. Cortland V. Smith, history professor; and Mr. Robert Butler,
sociology professor and Columns advisor. “I loved talking with these people about the
subjects in which they were knowledgeable.” Other faculty members he fondly remembers are Flora de Hart, Sarah Foster, Wade Goldston, and Clara Frazier, all of whom he
describes as “most helpful and encouraging.”
White would eventually realize his dream of becoming a Tar Heel when he transferred
to UNC-Chapel Hill in 1969. He majored in history and political science, and then
went on to attend East Carolina University, where he received a master’s in education
administration. He also took courses in history at East Carolina in order to teach in
higher education.
White spent most of his career in the education field. He was a teacher at several elementary schools and a professor at several well-known community colleges. White
established his own publishing company, Mouth Truxton Publishing, in New Bern,
N.C., and has published the books Portsmouth Island: A Walk in the Past, School Mom
of Portsmouth: Memories of Lucy Beacham Gilgo, and Portsmouth Island: Memories of
Nina Mann Dixon. His fourth book on Portsmouth Island, Paradise Lost: An Oral History of Portsmouth Island, was published in January 2012. He is currently working on
two books that will be out in the spring of 2012: Years of Light, Vol. 3, a history of St.
John’s Masonic Lodge in New Bern, and Years of Service: Grantham Lodge at Fifty, a
history of Grantham Masonic Lodge in New Bern.
White has been named Who’s Who of American Teachers, Who’s Who of American
Administrators, and Outstanding Teacher numerous times, but says the relationships
with his students are the highest points in his career. He was recently made an honorary member of Grantham Masonic Lodge No. 725, but feels his greatest achievements
have been the publication of his books about Portsmouth Island. “My book Portsmouth
Island: A Walk in the Past won the Willie Parker Peace History Award from the North
Carolina Society of Historians,” White adds.
In memory of Edna Earle Baker
Mrs. Katheryn Coor Lewis
In memory of Virginia B. Banks
Mr. and Mrs. John F. Strotmeyer Jr. ‘68
In memory of Jamima Williams Barefoot
Mr. J. David Cothran ‘64
In memory of William Irving Barnes
Mrs. Katheryn Coor Lewis
In memory of Barney Bass
Mr. and Mrs. John W. Strotmeyer Jr. ‘68
In memory of B. C. Bean
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas E. Loftis
In memory of Alice Edwards Bliley
Mr. and Mrs. John W. Strotmeyer Jr. ‘68
In memory of Earl W. Bonner ‘48
Ms. Sarah Goster
Mrs. Mary B. Southerland
In memory of Carl Wood Brown Sr.
Mr. Carl W. Brown
In memory of Nellie Loftis Bryan
The Rev. and Mrs. Thomas E. Loftis
In memory of John L. Cameron
Irvin and Ann Pearce
In memory of Mary Lib Loftis Cobb
The Rev. and Mrs. Thomas E. Loftis
He plans to continue writing and publishing books. “I have enough writing work lined
up to last me at least another 10 years,” he says. In addition to writing, he also plans to
travel and spend time with his family. White has been married to Nancy Brinson White
for 38 years and they have three sons, James, Jason, and Jerry. In keeping with the family tradition, his son James graduated from Louisburg College in 1997. The Whites are
the proud grandparents of Caroline and Tyler.
R. A. Cobb Jr.
The Rev. and Mrs. Thomas E. Loftis
White says he would love to reconnect with his Louisburg friends. Please feel free to
email him at [email protected], and check out his website at www.jamesedwardwhite.com to read more.
In memory of Worth Cotton ‘57
Mrs. Carolyn V. Cotton
44
COLUMNS
1787
225
2012
In memory of Harry Coor
Mrs. Katheryn Coor Lewis
*deceased
In memory of Albert G. Cowart
Mrs. Louise Mason Cowart ‘42
In memory of Katherine Kraft Harris
Mr. and Mrs. John F. Strotmeyer Jr. ‘68
In memory of Edith Powers
Mrs. Katheryn Coor Lewis
In memory of Marion Davidson
Mr. and Mrs. John F. Strotmeyer Jr. ‘68
In memory of J. M. Harrison
Mr. and Mrs. John F. Strotmeyer Jr. ‘68
In memory of Louise Harris Davis
Mr. and Mrs. John F. Strotmeyer Jr. ‘68
In memory of Gordon E. Hawthorne ‘64
Mr. J. David Cothran ‘64
In memory of Lida Couch Davis ‘49
Mr. Horce Jernigan ‘47
Mrs. Norma B. Patton
In memory of Lisa Owens Hooper ‘80
Mrs. Tina Mascia Winesette ‘80
In memory of C. Ray Pruette
Dr. William T. Tillar III ‘61
Ms. Sarah Foster
Ms. Sue Guerrant
Mr. Maurice C. York ‘73
The Rev. Dr. and Mrs. Thomas S. Yow III
In memory of Virginia L. Dement ‘43
Mrs. Carol Dement Weeks ‘65
In memory of Eugene D. Donner
Mr. John F. Strotmeyer Jr. ‘68
In memory of Karen L. Dynia
Mr. and Mrs. John F. Strotmeyer Jr. ‘68
In memory of Fred Fearing ‘35
Ms. Sarah Foster
In memory of Beatrice Fox
Mr. and Mrs. John F. Strotmeyer Jr. ‘68
In memory of Mildred Powell Fry ‘29
Mrs. Beth M. Norris
Mr. Albert E. Thompson Jr.
Ms. Clara S. Wade
Mr. J. O. Watson
In memory of Emily Taylor Gardner
Mr. and Mrs. Matthew A. Brown ‘68
Ms. Sarah Foster
Ms. Sharon Moore ’71 ‘87
Mrs. Anne Tucker Mulchi ‘53
Mr. Fred Roberson ‘62
Mr. Ronald V. Shearin
Ms. Japlyne G. Stallings ‘46
Mr. and Mrs. Leigh Traylor
In memory of Reba Liles Irion ‘28
Mr. Phillip W. Liles
In memory of L. Clarke Jones
Mr. and Mrs. John F. Strotmeyer Jr. ‘68
In memory of Charles B. Loftis
The Rev. and Mrs. Thomas E. Loftis
In memory of Howard Marks
Mr. and Mrs. John F. Strotmeyer Jr. ‘68
In memory of Elsie M. Miller
Calvary United Methodist Women
In memory of C. Douglas Morris ‘58
Mrs. Gwynn Torrence Morris ‘58
In memory of Roberta Beckler Morris
Ms. Sue Guerrant
In memory of Felton R. Nease
Mr. and Mrs. C. Larry Ball
Mr. Francis F. Falls ‘62
Ms. Sarah Foster
Mr. Bruce R. Pulliam
Mr. and Mrs. Lewis F. Snow
In memory of E. E. Ralston
Mr. and Mrs. John F. Strotmeyer Jr. ‘68
In memory of William T. Sadler ‘53
Mr. Marvin L. Jordan ‘53
In memory of Leila Schulman
Mr. and Mrs. John F. Strotmeyer Jr. ‘68
In memory of Howard C. Scott
Mr. and Mrs. John F. Strotmeyer Jr. ‘68
In memory of Martha D. Shearin
Mr. and Mrs. Matthew A. Brown ‘68
In memory of Nicholas A. Spinella
Mr. and Mrs. John F. Strotmeyer Jr. ‘68
In memory of Alice Starnes
Mr. and Mrs. John F. Strotmeyer Jr. ‘68
In memory of Cecil C. Stephenson
Mr. and Mrs. John F. Strotmeyer Jr. ‘68
In memory of Lois A. Stokes
Mrs. Mae Asbell Shaw ‘40
In memory of Henry C. Stokes Jr. ‘38
Mrs. Mae Asbell Shaw ‘40
In memory of Dorothy Odom
The Rev. and Mrs. H. Gray Southern
In memory of Adolphus B. Ussery Jr. ‘50
Mr. Marvin L. Jordan ‘53
In memory of Rose Mehfoud Oley
Mr. and Mrs. John F. Strotmeyer Jr. ‘68
In memory of Edward M. Walker
Mrs. Jeannie M. Brown
In memory of Millard I. Patton Jr. ‘46
Mrs. Norma B. Patton
In memory of William M. Webb, III ‘62
Mr. Francis F. Falls ‘62
In memory of A. Watson Gillis ‘39
Mr. Harold Gillis, Sr.
In memory of Duffy L. Paul ‘50
Ms. Sarah Foster
Mrs. Stroud Ward Riggsbee ‘45
In memory of Stokes Williams
The Rev. and Mrs. Thomas E. Loftis
In memory of Leigh Gray
Mr. and Mrs. John F. Strotmeyer Jr. ‘68
In memory of Essie Liles Perry ‘23
Mr. Phillip W. Liles
In memory of Sidney J. Gunst
Mr. and Mrs. John F. Strotmeyer Jr. ‘68
In memory of Madaline K. Person
Mrs. Janie Johnson
In memory of Douglas Ray Harrell ‘73
Ms. Rachael A. Modlin ‘50
In memory of Nick Pleasants
First United Methodist Church of Cary
In memory of Aubrey Gay ‘58
Ms. Peggy Lee Wilder ‘60
In memory of Gary Gerloff
Mr. and Mrs. John F. Strotmeyer Jr. ‘68
*deceased
In memory of Josephine Perry Zealand ‘34
Mr. Robert W. Alston, Jr. ‘60
To make a gift to Louisburg
College, please contact Kurt Carlson,
vice president for institutional
advancement, at 919.497.3325 or
[email protected]. You may
also donate securely online by visiting
our website at www.louisburg.edu.
We Remember Al
Arnold “Al” Wright, highly esteemed Louisburg College
faculty emeritus, passed away on Saturday, October 8, 2011,
at the age of 79.
Al was born in the small town of Weaverville,
N.C., in 1932. At the age of 16, he lost his sight
in an accident. He finished high school at the
North Carolina State School for the Blind in
Raleigh, and then went on to attend UNCChapel Hill, where he majored in sociology.
His first job was as a caseworker with the N.C.
State Commission for the Blind. He worked
there for over two years before deciding to return to UNC to complete his master’s degree
in English. In 1967, after teaching English
part-time at UNC for two years, Al applied
for a full-time position at Louisburg, where he
taught English until his retirement in 1997. In
1995, Al was the recipient of the Naomi Dickens Shaw Award for Faculty Teaching Excellence and the Chaplain’s Service Award. He
continued to teach at the College part-time until the spring
of 2000.
Robert Strickland, the College’s night librarian and webmaster, was assigned to assist and read to Al in the early
1980s through the College’s work study program. The two
became good friends, and Robert was with him when he
passed away. “Al was the most remarkable person I’ve ever
known,” shares Robert. “His erudition,
wisdom, and good-heartedness could
not fail to leave an impact on anyone
who encountered him. That he was able
to accomplish his achievements in the
face of obstacles most of us can’t even
imagine should be an inspiration for all
of us.”
Al was the son of the late John C. and
Louise Adams Wright. In addition to his
parents, he was also preceded in death
by his sister, Elizabeth W. Ormand. Surviving are his brother-in-law, Robert Ormand Sr., of Columbus, Ohio; nephew,
Robert Ormand Jr. (Janet) of Columbus,
Ohio; nieces, Lou Odel (Bruce) of Mill
Spring, N.C., and Laura Ormand of Columbus, Ohio; an aunt, Norene Adams
of Toledo, Ohio; great nephew, John
Odel (Tonya); great nieces, Kayla Edwards (Eli) and Nikki
Ormand; and one great-great-nephew and one great-greatniece.
The College held a memorial service for Al in Benson
Chapel on Thursday, October 13.
Thrirteen Retired Faculty Members Granted Faculty Emeritus Status
The Louisburg College Board of Trustees unanimously granted faculty emeritus status to the following individuals at
their fall meeting on December 8, 2011:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
George-Anne Willard Brown
Annette Carlyle Holt
Edna Ruth Jones
Jeffrey Lawrence Pierce
Mac Linscott Ricketts
Janet Hatley (White) Taylor
Glendora Thomas-Powell
Janis E. Walden
Allen de Hart
C. Edward Brown
Sidney Stafford
Charles “Charley-John” M. Smith
Martha C. Hobgood
The group was invited to the College’s
Christmas luncheon (pictured) last December, where they were honored and
welcomed as new faculty emeriti.
46
COLUMNS
“I want to express my personal
sense of gratitude for their many
years of dedicated service to Louisburg College,” said Dr. Jim Eck, executive vice president for academic
life. “Thanks to our emeritus fac-
ulty, we have a strong foundation
upon which to further develop a
great future for our College. Please
join with me in congratulating this
most deserving group of retired
faculty.”
Dedications Held to Honor Two
Legendary Louisburg Figures
On the evening of Wednesday, February 15, 2012, a group of
former Louisburg College basketball players and their families,
along with members of the LC faculty and staff, gathered in the
Roger G. Taylor Athletic Center to dedicate the men’s locker
room in honor of retired ‘Canes basketball coach, Enid Drake.
Drake led the Hurricanes for five decades and inspired scores of
players along the way, two of whom were present at the dedication of the newly-renovated facility.
During the ceremony, Scott Wilder, who played for Drake in the
1990s, shared stories about the coach and professed his profound
appreciation for Drake’s impact on his life and the lives of countless other players. Andre Gower, a former teammate of Wilder’s,
was also present for the dedication. Wilder and Gower are not
only close friends, but also work together at Wilder’s business,
Premiere Sports Travel in Cary.
President La Branche presented Drake with a plaque honoring
him for his service to the College (pictured, top). A bronze engraved replica of the plaque will permanently hang in the locker
room.
On Tuesday, February 28, 2012, Historic Holton Gymnasium was
officially re-named the Roger G. Taylor Athletic Center. During the ceremony, President La Branche presented Taylor with
a commissioned painting of the Athletic Center (pictured, 2nd
from top). Taylor later addressed the crowd before assisting with
the tip-off shot for the men’s basketball game against Wake Technical Community College.
Taylor is a 1968 graduate of Louisburg College and was a member
of the basketball team. The facility was renamed to honor Taylor’s longtime contributions and generosity to Louisburg, including his current leadership role in a $500,000 fundraising effort to
upgrade the facility, which already has resulted in new bleachers
and a refinished court surface, among other improvements.
Roger Taylor is owner of Roger G. Taylor and Associates, a financial services firm located in Rocky Mount, N.C. He serves
on the College’s board of trustees, and is also a member and past
president of the Louisburg College Hurricane Club. He is the past
president of the Louisburg College Alumni Association, and, in
1992, was presented with the Distinguished Alumni Award. In
2007, he was inducted into the Louisburg College inaugural Athletic Hall of Fame.
RECOGNITION OF SCHOLAR-ATHLETES
The Hurricane Scholar-Athlete Awards ceremony immediately
followed the dedication. These awards are given to all studentathletes (pictured, bottom) who earn a semester average of 3.0
or higher. The program was established at Louisburg College in
2005 to encourage student-athletes to strive to be scholar-athletes. These students received awards based upon the following
criteria: gold for a 4.0 average; silver for a 3.5 or greater average;
and bronze for a 3.0 or greater average. A group of 105 scholarathletes received awards during the ceremony to recognize their
academic achievements for the spring 2011 and fall 2012 semesters.
SPRING 2012 47
Dear Hurricane Fans,
2011-2012
We’ve had an exciting and successful year in LC athletics.
Year
in
Review
Our football program had its best season (7-3) since it was re-established in 2005. The
team placed two players on the NJCAA All-American Teams and beat nationally-ranked
Lackawanna, 37-27. Both accomplishments were firsts in the short history of the program.
Women’s soccer was nationally ranked for a few weeks during the course of their season
for the first time in eight years. Men’s soccer had a great season, making it to the finals
of the Region X Tournament, and Volleyball had a very solid season as evidenced by their
qualification for the Region X Tournament for the first time in three seasons.
Our men’s and women’s basketball teams both had outstanding seasons. The men finished
30-6 and had a great run in the NJCAA National Tournament, placing 5th. This is the highest finish for a men’s basketball team in our school’s history. The women’s basketball team
also had a great season, finishing 31-2 with a 3rd place finish in the NJCAA Tournament.
This was the first time in Louisburg College history that both basketball teams qualified
for the NJCAA National Tournament in the same year.
Football Team Enjoys
Record-Breaking Season
In 2011, the Hurricanes recorded the most wins in
school history by going 7-3. Ranked #24 in the country, the Hurricanes conquered the first nationallyranked team in Louisburg’s history by defeating the
#14 team, Lackawanna College. The team wrapped
up the season with the following accomplishments:
•
•
•
18 Interceptions by the Hurricane Defense (#1 in NFC)
29.3 Points Per Game Scored in 2011 (#2 in NFC)
337.7 Total Yards Per Game Gained in 2011 (#2 in NFC)
NJCAA All-Americans:
• 1st Team-Rasheed Williams (Running Back)
• 2nd Team-Kewitt Koonce (Defensive Back)
2011 All-Northeast Football Conference Team Players:
First Team:
• Rasheed Williams-RB
(Rasheed was also named the Offensive Player of the Year
for the NFC)
• Kewitt Koonce-DB
• Cedric Chisolm-OT
NJCAA Team Rankings:
• #1 Turnover Margin in the Nation (+20)
• #13 Total Defense in the Nation
• #22 Rushing Offense in the Nation
Second Team:
• Titus Best-LB
• Stephen Johnson-OG
• Montez Hedgepeth-DL
Hurricanes Basketball Finishes #7 in the Nation
NJCAA Individual Rankings:
• Kewitt Koonce #2 in the Nation in Interceptions
• Rasheed Williams #2 in the Nation in Rushing TDs
(20) and #3 in the Nation in Rushing Yards (1,424)
• Mike Jones #19 in the Nation in Scoring by Kicking
(51 points)
Third Team:
• Tomorris Roberts-TE
• Sam Kidd-LB
• Casey Clark-C
• Keaston Jones-LB
• Mike Jones-PK
The Hurricanes finished the regular season with a 27-5 record and a final poll position at #7. After defeating Patrick Henry Community College, 75-69, the team cinched the Region X Championship title and earned themselves a trip to the National Championship. This was their third straight appearance at the Men’s Basketball DII NJCAA National Tournament, held this year in
Danville, Illinois, from March 20-24, 2012. The ‘Canes earned a hard-fought 5th place finish at the championship after defeating
Baltimore City Community College of Md., 82-72, and finished the overall season with an outstanding season record of 30-6.
Lady ‘Canes Take the #3 Spot in the NJCAA
“It was a great experience for this group of guys to successfully take on the challenge of defending their spot at the nationals,” said
Head Coach Mark Vanderslice. “Although we ultimately came up short of our overall objective of winning the national championship, I was proud of the way our players represented themselves by coming in 5th place for the first time in school history.”
The Lady Hurricanes won the NJCAA Region X Tournament on March 11, earning an automatic slot in the Women’s Basketball DII NJCAA National Tournament at Illinois Central College on March 20-24, 2012. The Lady Hurricanes entered
the tournament as the #4 seed and earned the #3 national title after defeating Kishwaukee College.
48
Our baseball team was recently ranked #1 in the NJCAA baseball weekly poll for two
weeks, a first in the illustrious history of the program. Our softball team is enjoying a
good spring, including a 11-game winning streak and men’s golf has competed well in various tournaments against four-year colleges.
This has been a history-making year for Louisburg College athletics. I hope you had a
chance to see some of our teams in action. It truly is a great time to be a Hurricane.
We are LC!
Mike Holloman
Athletic Director
“This experience was beneficial on
all ends of the court,” said first-year
Head Coach Brett Vana, “from teaching the girls how to prepare for a dynamic schedule with adequate rest,
meals, and workouts, to handling
such an emotional loss in the semifinal round. This truly is a special
group with a bright future ahead of
them. My greatest hope for them is
that they remain humble and hungry
and realize that we have unfinished
business ahead of us.”
COLUMNS
SPRING 2012 49
Photo courtesy of Illinois Central College.
For the past few years, the Lady ‘Canes have struggled to reach the top of the Region X and the NJCAA tournaments. This
year, they proved the Louisburg College Lady Hurricanes are back! The team finished the regular season at #5 in the NJCAA
poll with a combined record of 28-1,
and the final season with a record of
31-2.
Women’s Soccer Scores
National Ranking
New Leadership, Same
Success in Men’s Soccer
The 2011 men’s soccer team was led by Stuart Brown (pictured, above, in white t-shirt), the new head coach. Brown
came to Louisburg with over eight years of college-level
coaching experience, serving as the assistant coach for three
years and as the head coach for five years at Belmont Abbey
College.
The team completed another great season with a 14-6-1 record, but fell short in the Region X tournament final. Congratulations go to Coach Brown for being named the Region
X Coach of the Year!
Post-season Accolades:
•
The Lady Hurricanes wrapped up the 2011 season with a
number of accomplishments. They ended a strong season
with a 12-5-1 overall record and a 10-3 conference record.
The Lady ‘Canes also reached the semi-final game of the Region X Tournament, only to be narrowly beaten by eventual
tournament winners Spartanburg Methodist.
National Rankings:
• Freshman forward Larie Bailey was ranked 23rd in the
nation for goals scored during the season.
1st Team All-Regions Honors:
• Larie Bailey
• Iris Cruz
• Zhantavia Johnson
Second Team All-Region Honors:
• Gemma Dugo
• Kelly Wolz
Head Coach Andy Stokes’ squad was ranked 13th in the nation earlier in the season—the first time in nine years that
the team has made the national rankings.
Men’s Golf Tees Off
After winning the fall Region X Championship, the 20112012 golf team hosted the 18-hole Hurricane Icebreaker
Gamble Stroke Play Tournament on February 20, the 18hole Hurricane UFO Dispute Stroke Play Tournament on
March 16, and the 36-hole Hurricane Fusillade Challenge Modified Stableford Tournament on March 17, all
at Bull Creek Golf & Country Club in Louisburg, N.C. The spring schedule includes tournaments in Myrtle
Beach, S.C., Williamsburg and Newport News in Va.,
and in Smithfield, New Bern, Clayton, and Raleigh, N.C.
They will also compete in several tournaments against
other NCAA DII, NCAA DIII, NAIA, and additional
NJCAA teams from all divisions this season.
Just before final exams begin at the end of April, the
Region X Spring Championship will showcase the Division 2 and 3 golf teams from Johnston, Surry, Craven,
Rockingham, Sandhills, Central Carolina, and VanceGranville Community Colleges as they compete against
Louisburg at the Emerald Golf Club in New Bern, N.C. Sunny Makh finished 2nd in the country in points, took
1st Team All Region, and earned All-American honors.
Additional All-Region Award Winners:
•
•
•
•
•
Manuel Bedoya
Nathan Mangione
Josh Burdin
Logan Ascercion
Arnaldo Cabrera
Coach McGuire comes to Louisburg
from Winthrop University in Rock Hill,
S.C., where he served as the assistant head coach for six
years. While at Winthrop, he was responsible for all aspects of recruiting and served as the catching and outfield
50
COLUMNS
The Hurricanes kicked off the 2011-2012 season in high
fashion with an old-fashioned pep rally before the opening
Lady ‘Canes volleyball game. The Roger G. Taylor Arena was
packed with students, faculty, and staff sporting red “We Are
LC” t-shirts. The LC cheerleaders and members of the dance
team got the crowd excited as the fall athletic teams were recognized during the rally. The Lady ‘Canes defeated VanceGranville Community College that evening—a great way to
start the year!
The Lady Hurricanes volleyball team kept the positive momentum throughout the 2011 season, finishing #4 in the conference and advancing to the Region X Tournament, which
was hosted by Surry Community College.
The LC Spikers proved to
be strong student-athletes as
well, with the
team’s semester GPA average at 3.187.
Seven members
achieved a 3.5
GPA or higher.
Region X Honorable Mention Honors:
• Marissa Lanier
• Whitney Williams
2011 All-Academic Region X Volleyball Team Members:
• Ashley Walls
• Emily Kennington
• Marissa Lanier
Baseball Enjoys Early Success
The Louisburg College Baseball Program started fast out of
the gates this spring under first-year Head Coach Mike McGuire. The ‘Canes opened the season with a 27-game winning streak before suffering their first defeat. That fast start
earned them a #1 ranking in the NJCAA
College Baseball Poll—a first in the history of this program. The ‘Canes have been
ranked in the top 3 in the country for the
last six weeks and have national championship aspirations. The team looks
forward to beginning their post-season
quest at the Region X Tournament in
Burlington, N.C., in early May.
Volleyball Serves Success
On and Off the Court
coach. Prior to serving at Winthrop University, he was the
head baseball coach for three years at Lander University in
Greenwood, S.C.
Coach McGuire earned a Bachelor of Science in sports administration from the
University of South Carolina. As a studentathlete, McGuire was the starting infielder
for the Gamecocks and participated in two
NCAA Regional Finals. McGuire continued
his baseball playing career after graduation,
when he was selected to play professionally for the Zanesville Greys Class A Frontier League. He ended his playing career in
1994 to attend Morehead State University in
Columbia, S.C., where he earned his Master
of Arts in health and physical education. He took his first
coaching job as the school’s pitching coach and catching instructor.
Softball Starts Strong for Spring Season
The Lady Hurricanes softball program saw a changing of the
guard in late 2011 as Don Stopa was hired to lead the ‘Canes
as head coach. Stopa replaced Monica Gordy who accepted
the same position at Mars Hill College. Stopa came from
Pima Community College in Tucson, Ariz., where he was
part of a coaching staff that led the Aztecs to a #9 finish in
the NJCAA and a record of 51-14 in the spring of 2011.
Tournament on April 27-29. The winner of the doubleelimination tournament earns a bid to the 2012 NJCAA
World Series in St. George, Utah, May 17-19.
Stopa got the Lady ‘Canes going early in the spring of 2012,
as the team went 17-3 in the first half of their season. The
team’s hot start was highlighted by an 11-game winning
streak that included a pair of conference wins over rival Pitt
Community College.
The Hurricanes will finish off their 2012 regular season on
April 22 then head to Sumter, S.C., for the 2012 Region X
SPRING 2012 51
Class Notes
RAYMOND STONE ‘47, a retired community
college leader, is now in his second term
as president of the North Carolina Senior
Democrats. He and his wife, Rachel, live
on their farm 12 miles north of Louisburg, which is just a short distance from
his birthplace.
Sue M. Hodgin ‘54 writes to the alumni office that she has wonderful memories of
the many friendships from her time at the
College that have lasted these long years,
and how those of her marriage to a fellow
student which have been more “beautiful
and fulfilling than ever I could have imagined.” She and Hubert H. (Hugo) Hodgin
have been together 56 years and have two
“scrumptious” children. Their son Hugh
is married to Michele Sutter and lives in
Calif.; their son Harrison is a sophomore
at CA-Berkeley; and their daughter Susan is married to Michael Stanton and lives in Cranston, R.I., where Mike works
for the Providence Journal and Susan teaches at the Gordon
School. Their children are Emma, 16, who attends Moses
Brown School, and Henry, 10, who attends the Gordon
School. Should any classmate or acquaintances from Louisburg days wish to contact her, she’d love to hear from you
by email at [email protected].
Elmar Newton Holmes ‘58, a deputy clerk in the town of Louisburg, was honored by the Franklin County Veterans Office
as a veteran supporter. A bronze mold of her right hand was
displayed at the North Carolina Veterans’ Memorial Park in
Fayetteville, N.C., on July 4, 2011, during a special program
honoring one veteran from each county in N.C. Holmes was
nominated for volunteering her time and effort in helping
families of veterans acquire medals, awards, markers, and
other benefits. She also collects coupons, cancelled stamps,
and gifts for the V.A. Hospital in Durham.
The Rev. Horace T. Ferguson ‘60, pastor of Holly Springs United Methodist Church, retired from active service in June
2011 after 23 years of service.
Fred Roberson ‘62 (pictured) played the Old Course at St. Andrews, Scotland, in 2009.
Dr. Thomas B. Lockamy
Jr. ‘64 has served as
the superintendent of
schools for the Savannah-Chatham County
public school system
since July of 2005.
During his tenure
with the district, Dr.
Lockamy has created an inclusive model of school-community interaction. Among his array of new initiatives
are the Community Engagement Task Force, the Guiding
Coalition, the Professional Senate (teachers), the Student
Senate, and the Instructional Support Senate. The tangible
results include a reduction in the number of schools designated as “needs improvement” from 15 in 2005 to five in
2008, implementation of the District Accountability System, restructuring of the central office, implementation of
the Random Administrative Inspection process, mandatory
school uniforms for all students, and passage of the Edu-
52
COLUMNS
cation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (ESPLOST)
referendum. In 2006, he was nominated for the National
Superintendent of the Year and received the Georgia PTA
2006 Outstanding Educator and PTA Advocate Award. In
addition, he was honored during the 2007 Tribute to Community STARs luncheon for his outstanding achievements
and contributions by the Savannah Technical College Foundation Community Council.
Susan Mixon Parris ‘64 lives in Raleigh and is “retired and loving it.” In a recent note to the Alumni Office, she expressed
her gratitude to the College for “helping her get her start.”
Carol Dement Weeks ‘65 helped bring a Boys and Girls Club
to Zebulon, N.C., and was named Zebulon’s 2010 Citizen of
the Year for her work to bring the new facility to Zebulon,
her commitment to the club, and her devotion to children
and the community. Weeks also serves as secretary for the
club’s board of directors.
Ann McMurray ‘69 retired from Davidson County Community College in August 2011 after serving the college in various capacities for more than 20 years. McMurray started her
career at DCCC in 1988 in the foundation office, and, within
a year, was made the foundation director. Through the years,
she served as the coordinator of institutional advancement,
then instructional support services, and as the chairwoman
of the business technology division and engineering and
manufacturing technologies division. She served as the College’s associate dean of student development from 2006 until
2011.
Dr. Tom Aurand Ph.D. ‘70 recently joined Land O’Lakes Inc. to
direct the industrial, ingredient, and food service business
for the cooperative. Aurand has over 30 years of experience
in the food industry, ranging from food starch technical service at Tate Lyle to developing new fruit ingredients, such as
dried sweetened cranberries, for Ocean Spray Cranberries.
Tom served in several R&D roles at Rich Products, a global
supplier of desserts, whipped topping, and frozen dough to
the food service industry. He has been involved in several
university advisory boards, providing insights into aligning the academic community with industry trends. He also
serves on the board of directors for Graceland Fruit, a global
supplier of infused dried fruit to the food industry. Aurand
received his Master of Science and doctorate degree in food
chemistry from Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.
James (Jim) Floyd Ammons Jr. ‘75 (pictured) was re-elected to
the superior court bench in Fayetteville, N.C., on November 2, 2010. As a judge, Ammons has
held court in juvenile, domestic, abuse
and neglect, traffic, civil, and criminal
courts. He has presided in hundreds of
jury trials, including many death penalty cases. He has taught business law and
criminal justice at Fayetteville Technical
Community College, and also taught
courtroom testifying and legal vocabulary at the Fayetteville Police Academy.
Ammons has served as a group facilitator for the National Judicial College, and as a guest instructor at the North Carolina Judicial College. Ammons, his
wife Sandy, and their two children have served Cumberland
County as volunteers with numerous community groups.
They strongly believe in giving back to the community that
has given their family so much.
Mike Chappell ‘78 recently retired
as the principal of Jones Dairy Elementary School in Wake Forest,
N.C. Chappell served in the North
Carolina public schools as a teacher
and administrator for over 31 years.
Janelle Mitchell Medlin ‘81 retired
from compensation services with
the Wake County public school system in February 2011, after 30 years
of service. Her first grandchild was
born in February 2012. “Now didn’t
my daughter have perfect timing,”
she writes, “just waiting for me to
retire!?”
JOHN HATCHER III ‘82 of Summerfield, N.C., married Lynn Ryan, a
2nd grade teacher
in Forsyth County
Schools, on November 12, 2011
(pictured).
Tony Beasley ‘87 joined the Washington Nationals Double-A club
as the manager of the Harrisburg
Senators in May 2011. During his
professional career, he played nine
seasons as an infielder in the Baltimore and Pittsburgh systems.
Charles, works at the Progress Energy Hyco Plant in Roxboro, N.C.
Lewis Bridgforth ‘90 recently passed
the exam and received certification
for IT Infrastructure Library Foundation v3.
John Bates ‘91 was appointed Grundy County (Illinois) State’s Attorney
on March 15, 2011. He will seek to
retain the position in the 2012 election.
Jeff Brewer ‘97, former president of
the Friends of the Mountains-toSea Trail (FMST) who served for 11
years, is now serving the FMST as its
vice president. “One way or another,
I will always be working on the MST
in some way, shape, or form,” says
Brewer. When he’s not doing trail
work, Brewer says he spends time
working on Native American beadwork and going to powwows across
the US. He also enjoys spending
time with his wife and their 2-anda-half-year-old daughter, Lalan.
Brewer’s parents, Sheron Edith Ussery ‘72 and Lewis Glenn Brewer ‘72,
also attended Louisburg College.
Clyde Boyette ‘87 was inducted into
the Johnston County Athletic Hall
of Fame in June 2011. Boyette, who
was named to the All-State team,
was The Wilson Times Player of the
Year in 1981. His career pitching
record was 27-5 at North Johnston
High School. He began his collegiate
career at East Carolina University
but only stayed there one semester.
After a three-year stint in the U.S.
Army, Boyette resumed his baseball career at Louisburg College.
He helped the Hurricanes reach the
Junior College World Series his second season there. He finished his career at NC State, where he compiled
a career pitching record of 4-0. Since
1989, Boyette has been a member of
the Wake County Sheriff ’s Department. He has been actively involved
with youth baseball in the Garner
area for 15 years.
Bryon White ‘97 is the proud father
of two beautiful girls: Abigayle, 5,
and Grace Anne, 3. He and his wife,
Dabney, will celebrate their 10-year
anniversary in the Turks and Caicos in June 2012. The family lives
in Yorktown, Va., and White is employed as a database designer/analyst with Serco Inc. on a contract to
the U.S. Navy. “I am still chasing my
dream of being an artist by working on some side projects in graphic
design,” White says. “In addition, I
have my ‘97 LC Student Art Show
award-winning morph-drawing
hanging in my home. Mr. Hinton
[LC art professor] would be proud.
I am still an avid fly-fisherman and
participate in some triathlons and
other races.” In addition to running
in the Shamrock Half Marathon in
Virginia Beach this past March, he
has his sights on a full marathon in
the fall of 2012.
Donna Kay Huff Albright ’90 married Charles Edward Albright Jr. on
May 26, 2011, at the Horry County
Courthouse in Conway, S.C. She
has two stepdaughters, Elizabeth
Dilaine Albright, 15, and Mary
Grace Albright, 10. She has worked
at WKRX/WRXO/Channel 10,
also known as Roxboro Broadcasting, since 1997. Her new husband,
Charles Oliver ‘03 is serving his
third year as head coach of the
Steward Middle School Boys’ Basketball Team in Richmond, Va.
He is also the district manager of
the retail chain Collectors Heaven, which sells NFL, NBA, MLB,
NCAA, and NHL merchandise.
Samantha Pendergraft ‘10 studied
abroad for a week in Doha, Qatar,
in December of 2011. “I had the
opportunity to learn about Islamic
religion and Arabic culture. I also
got to hold a falcon, ride a camel,
and go sand duning,” says Pendergraft, a senior at
Peace College.
“The best part
of the trip was
spending my
22nd birthday
with some of
my close Peace
sisters and new
friends
from
Qatar University. I felt as if
I was at home
even though I
was half way
across the world.”
LESLIE M.COLLIER ‘90 married Bill Collier November 13, 2011.
FACULTY NOTES
Dr. Michael Palmer, a former Louisburg College English professor and
a part-time instructor at VanceGranville Community College, was
honored for his 57-year academic
career, when he was inducted into
the Caldwell County Schools’ Hall
of Honor on Friday, April 1, 2011,
at the Granite Falls First Baptist
Church in Caldwell County. Palmer
taught at Louisburg for 32 years.
The late Tom Griffis, son of Lucy Ann
Norwood Griffis from the class of 1910,
presented his mother’s class medal and
framed diploma to President La Branche
in the fall of 2011 (pictured). The items
will be added to the Louisburg College
archives collection.
SPRING 2012 53
ALUMNI
1929
Donald Harvey passed away on June 23, 2011.
Mary Gladys Capps Shearin of Chapel Hill,
N.C. passed away on January 12, 2012, at the
age of 101. Her daughter, Jane Shearin Caviness, shared with the alumni office that her
mother remembered her Louisburg days with
“great fondness,” and shared stories with her
about chaperoned trips downtown on Saturday afternoons and “white glove” events on
campus. Shearin was a student during the
time that a portion of Main Building burned.
1942
1933
Marion Weeks passed away on October 23, 2008.
Doris Strange Heron passed away on August 11,
2011.
Sophia C. Wall of Louisburg, N.C., passed away
on January 28, 2012, at the age of 98.
1935
Edith Modlin Davis of Rocky Mount, N.C.,
passed away on March 6, 2011, at the age of 95.
1937
George R. Oliviere of Sarasota, Fla., passed away
on March 1, 2012.
1938
Gloria Simpson Wilson passed away on March
21, 2008.
James L. Currie passed away on August 28, 2007.
Ruth Braswell Jones passed away on October 26,
2011.
1943
John W. Cooke passed away on July 14, 2010.
Dorothy Hardin Cowan passed away on August
4, 2011.
Mandy A. Creech passed away on July 15, 2011.
Cridlin Gaillard passed away on November 5,
2010.
Thomas Eaton Holden of New York City passed
away on October 3, 2011.
Winifred Baum Cahoon passed away on April 8,
2010.
Ernestine Strickland Robinson passed away on
July 21, 2011.
Leroy Glenn Ford passed away on July 2, 2011.
Daisy Rowe passed away on July 11, 2011.
Sara Foutz Mitchell passed away on July 19, 2011.
1944
Jewel May Smith Shotwell passed away on December 20, 2010.
Mrs. Caroline Walker of Wilmington, N.C.,
passed away in June 2010.
1939
Wallace Chappell passed away on March 20,
2011.
1940
Anna Morton Sanderford passed away on September 7, 2010.
1945
Carolyn M. Broadwell of Knightdale, N.C.,
passed away on December 24, 2011 at the age of
85.
1946
Dr. Adam T. Brenny passed away on September
9, 2007.
Mary McCormic Coffman passed away on April
3, 2011, at the age of 89.
Lyndon “Russell” Jernigan passed away on December 13, 2011.
Kenneth McKethan passed away on March 18,
2011.
Lucille Lewis Schulthise passed away on January
18, 2012.
Frances S. Wellons passed away on December 8,
2010.
Merle Tunstall Selisker passed away on July 1,
2006.
Lois Brown Wheless of Atlanta, Ga., passed away
on December 10, 2011.
1947
1941
Bennie Claybourne Harper of Bunn, N.C.,
passed away on March 20, 2012.
Pearl Gomo of Greensboro, N.C., passed away
on March 26, 2011.
Weldon H. Kimball passed away on May 22,
2011.
Helen Matthews Hancock passed away on August 31, 2011.
Marion Hodges Sloan passed away on April 11,
2010.
54
COLUMNS
Betty Thigpen Swindell of Edenton, N.C., passed
away on January 1, 2012.
George R. Wise passed away on June 21, 2011.
1948
Wallace G. Flynt passed away on January 3, 2011.
John Oglesby Gravely passed away on February
19, 2011.
Edward “Allen” Stallings passed away on November 3, 2008.
1949
Willie Francis Harrelson of Lexington, N.C.,
passed away on June 18, 2011 at the age of 85.
Thelma Manning Truitt passed away on August
4, 2011.
1950
Joyce Boone Ammons of Fayetteville, N.C.,
passed away on January 1, 2012, at the age of
80. Mrs. Ammons attended Louisburg College,
where she received an associate of arts degree
and a one-year business certificate. She continued her education at Greensboro College, where
she received a Bachelor of Arts in English. After being awarded a Ford Foundation grant for
graduate study, she earned a master’s degree at
Vanderbilt University in 1954. She later attended
UNC-Chapel
Hill, completing courses for
certification as a
school librarian.
Her career in
business and education included
employment at
Louisburg College as the secretary to the presiJoyce with then-President Cecil W.
dent and as the
Robbins.
assistant in the
offices of public relations and
alumni affairs;
at UNC-Chapel
Hill as the administrative assistant to the
superintendent
of the university
service plants;
with Methodist
College as an assistant librarian;
Recent photo of Joyce.
and at College
Lakes Elementary School in Fayetteville, N.C., as
a librarian and media coordinator.
After retirement, she served on the board of trustees of the Cumberland County Public Library.
In 1950, she met fellow Louisburg College student
J. Floyd Ammons. They wed in 1954 and were
married for 38 years, until his death in 1992. A
devoted and active church member throughout
her life, she joined White Oak Methodist Church
in Nash County as a child. She and Floyd helped
establish Amity Methodist Church in Chapel Hill,
where they were charter members. She was a current member of Haymount United Methodist
Church.
Her immediate family members are a son and
daughter-in-law, Jim (see class notes, pg. 52) and
Sandy Ammons of Fayetteville, N.C.; a daughter
and son-in-law, Jane and Mike Gilchrist of Raleigh, N.C.; a son, Tommy Ammons of Lillington,
N.C.; a son-in-law, Joe Ciriano of Burlington,
N.C.; and her mother-in-law, Gussie Ammons
of Fayetteville, N.C.. Her siblings are Edith Toussaint of Raleigh, and Warren Boone of Spring
Hope. Her sisters, Thelma Cooke and Edna James
predeceased her. Her daughter, Joy Ciriano, died
in 2010. Her grandchildren are Sarah and Jamie Ammons; Ashley, Emily, Charles and Grace
Ciriano; and Elizabeth and William Gilchrist.
Robert C. “Bob” Hill of Oxford, N.C., passed away
on February 16, 2011, at the age of 80.
George Blackwell Murphy passed away on October 30, 2011.
Charles B. Trebuchon passed away on February
20, 2011.
1951
Dr. Robert K. Melvin passed away on September
17, 2009.
1952
Margaret Jackson Purkerson passed away on
March 22, 2010.
Lota Harrison Johnson passed away on September 6, 2011.
Bobby McColluck passed away on April 26, 2011.
1953
Doug Edwards (see page 26) of Raleigh, N.C.,
passed away on November 22, 2011.
Nancy Davis Robbins of Raleigh, N.C., passed
away on March 28, 2012.
Harvey Tippett of Durham, N.C., passed away on
March 10, 2012.
1954
Dr. John C. LeMay D.V.M. of Durham, N.C.,
passed away on June 6, 2011, at the age of 84.
1956
Wade A. Childress passed away on February 1,
2010.
Lola Mae Jeans Clifford of Richmond, Va., passed
away on September 6, 2011, at the age of 77.
Nada Garber Cooke passed away on November
17, 2008.
Clyde Daugherty passed away on June 27, 2011.
Alice Poyner Faircloth passed away on November
8, 2010.
James William (Bill) Varker of Chesapeake, Va.,
passed away on January 7, 2012, after a long illness. He is survived by his wife, Lucy, and daughter, Susan Varker Rowling, along with a host of
family members and friends. Throughout his life,
he enjoyed serving in many civic and professional
organizations and enjoyed a long career with the
City of Chesapeake as its personnel director.
1958
Colonel Mayland Cloice Baker of Selma, N.C.,
passed away on November 4, 2011, at the age of
80.
His passion for good food and music were well
known to all who knew and loved him.
Danny R. Hinton of Middlesex, N.C., passed
away on February 20, 2012 at the age of 62.
1971
Eddie Clifton Richards of Zebulon, N.C., passed
away on January 14, 2012, at the age of 60.
1972
Joe E. Morris passed away on November 27, 2010.
Morris had a 32-year career with Guilford County Emergency Services, first as a paramedic and
then as a communications (911) operator. At the
time of his death, he was employed at N.C. Baptist
Hospital in Emergency Communications.
The Rev. James A. Williams of Kittrell, N.C.,
passed away on January 22, 2011, at the age of 91.
Jane-Waring House Wheeler of Louisburg, N.C.,
passed away on September 5, 2011, at the age of
58.
1960
1977
William Lawrence Pratt passed away on April 15,
2011.
Michael Roy Hinson passed away on August 18,
2011.
1961
1978
Linwood E. Baird Sr. of Charlotte, N.C., passed
away on September 10, 2011, at the age of 76.
Mr. George Alton Dodson passed away November 30, 2011.
Ross Person Lane passed away on August 22,
2011.
Joyce Wynn Stevenson passed away on June 9,
2007.
1963
Kenneth Mason passed away on August 1, 2011.
1964
Dr. D. Barry Lumsden passed away on June 14,
2011.
John Martin Tucker Sr. passed away on July 1,
2009.
1965
Tony Glenn Fuller of Charlotte, N.C., passed
away on November 8, 2011.
1966
Henry Douglass “Doug” Lindsay III passed away
September 23, 2011. The College’s Young Alumni
Service award has been named in his memory.
1968
Travis D. Pearce passed away on July 22, 2011.
1970
Charles “Blue Boy” Bumpers Sr. passed away on
October 10, 2011, at the age of 60.
G. Dominic “Butch” Germano passed away
March 25, 2011, at the age of 59. In 1977, Germano was one of the founding members of the
band “The States,” which went on to receive a major label contract and toured with several bands,
including “Hall and Oates.” In recent years, he was
a restaurant owner, first with Zia Marie in Chic’s
Beach, Va., and later with Razzo in Norfolk, Va.
Barbara Patricia “Patti” Cohen Long passed away
on August 7, 2011.
1980
Minister Robert H. Neal of Franklinton, N.C.,
passed away on September 23, 2011, at the age of
65.
Jennifer Stewart passed away in 2011.
FACULTY, STAFF, AND FRIENDS
Edward Vause, former Louisburg College English professor, passed away on April 19, 2011, at
the age of 86.
Martha Jeanette Fuller Rogers, wife of former Louisburg College Trustee John Allison Rogers, passed away on February 27, 2011. The Rogers were loyal supporters of the College, especially
the performing and visual arts.
The couple, who were married for 54 years, lived in
Kittrell, N.C., and both participated in the family
business of agriculture and real estate. Mrs. Rogers was blessed with the gift of song and shared
her beautiful voice from the age of 3 with her
community and fellow church members of Plank
Chapel United Methodist Church. She also served
her church in many other capacities, most notably
as president of the United Methodist Women for
many years and most recently she enjoyed participating in the Senior Circle. She was an avid reader
and loved to travel. Her extensive travels often
involved collecting antique carnival glass and
sharing that passion with numerous friends from
all over the world. Of all her travels, her favorite
place to visit was her summer home at White
Lake, N.C., where she made many family memories of swimming and boating with her children
and grandchildren. Whether at home, church, or
traveling, music always played an active part in
her life as she generously shared her gift of song
with those around her. Mrs. Rogers is survived
by her husband, children, and grandchildren.
SPRING 2012 55
then & Now
Love for Louisburg College runs deep in the Reghanti family, according to T. J. Reghanti ‘11 and mother Rita Patterson
Reghanti ‘71.
It all began with Rita’s stepfather, Dr.
Marvin Pleasants ‘40, a local dentist
with artistic talent who painted some
of the presidential portraits that today
grace Main Building. Later, brothers
Bill and Lewis attended Louisburg,
but it was through the tragic loss of
a third brother, James Robert “Crow”
Patterson, that Rita came to understand how community can also be a
kind of family.
Crow played football for Marshall
University during Rita’s freshman
year. On November 14th, 1970, after returning to West Virginia from
a game at ECU where Marshall had
been defeated, Rita learned that the
chartered jet carrying her brother
and his team had crashed, leaving
no survivors. Overwhelmed by grief, she dropped out, but
only briefly. A visit from chemistry professors C. Ray Pruett and Clara Frazier inspired her to return to Louisburg, go
on to UNC-Chapel Hill, and ultimately become a pharmacist. “My family was torn apart. They were my professors.
I respected them. Really, this whole
community embraced us like that.”
The concept of small classes with caring professors recently drew Rita’s son,
T. J., to Louisburg College. In his role
as a Louisburg College Ambassador, he
served as a liaison between the College
and visitors and was a popular campus
tour guide. “My dad always says, ‘Start
out strong,’ so I’m doing even more
than I did in high school.” T. J. joined
Phi Beta Lambda, the College’s business fraternity in 2011 and attended
the state conference that spring. He is
now a junior at Appalachian State University and pursuing a degree in business management.
Rita says she enjoyed watching T. J.
take his turn at something that transcends the academic. “I like the balance of the faith and the education. Louisburg College has
been a wonderful experience for everyone in the family.
And, now, it’s T. J.’s experience.”
2011-2012: The College Welcomes New Students!
THOSE FIRST STEPS
were taken on the bright summer
afternoon of August 19, 2011, by
420 Louisburg College freshmen
who followed a procession of faculty and staff along the same path they
will walk for their graduation ceremonies in 2013. Led by a bagpiper,
the group walked from the steps of
Main to the Seby B. Jones Performing Arts Center where the freshman
induction ceremony was held.
President La Branche gave opening remarks to a packed audience of
the students’ family members and
friends. With the freshmen seated
front and center, SGA President
Dietra Holloman (pictured, below,
on the far left with President La
Branche) spoke to them about the
many benefits of attending a small
college. As she finished her address,
she challenged them to “remember
that the decisions you make in the
next two years will follow you the
rest of your life.”
Academic Dean Dr. Jim Eck led the
students in signing the College’s
honor code and reminded them
that he has high expectations for
each and every one of them. “You all
have a 4.0 GPA and are on the dean’s
list today.”
Vice President for Enrollment
Stephanie Tolbert (below, center,
with President La Branche) and her
staff took turns reading each of the
students’ names, welcoming them
into the Louisburg College family.
Following the ceremony, the College
hosted a BBQ dinner on the Jones
Center lawn. Professor Craig Eller
and his band, The Troubadours, provided live music as students dined
and socialized with family, friends,
faculty, and staff.
College’s Counseling Director Makes an Impact at State Conference
During the Annual N.C. SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) Conference, held November 18-20, 2011,
in Raleigh, Louisburg College’s director of counseling services, Fonda Porter (pictured), was named the SADD Advisor of the Year.
The annual conference is the
training ground for students and
advisors who make up the local
SADD chapters across the state.
Chapter leaders and representatives spend three days at a retreat,
where they participate in prevention and peer leadership training.
The N.C. State Highway Patrol,
Alcohol Law Enforcement, the
Sheriff ’s Department, representatives from various police
departments, and Mothers Against Drunk Driving conduct
highway safety workshops to educate the students about
the latest and most effective tools in peer leadership related
to their attitudes toward underage use of alcohol, drinking
56
COLUMNS
and driving, seatbelt use, distracted driving, speeding, and
other unsafe driving behavior.
Members of the College’s SADD chapter presented “Project Impact,” a startling depiction of the number of people
killed in accidents involving impaired operators, with each
fatality represented by a stick pin.
SPRING 2012 57
College Welcomes Two New Board Members
T
he College is pleased to welcome Ms. Anne Dickson Bowen of Charlottesville,
Va., and Mr. William “Bill” C. Shelton ‘69 of Raleigh, N.C., (pictured, with President La Branche) to its board of trustees.
MS. ANNE DICKSON BOWEN
Anne has been associated with Louisburg College her entire life through her mother,
Francis Boyette Dickson. Ms. Dickson is a 1921 graduate of Louisburg College and
served on the board of trustees from 1984‐1999. In 2010, the board of trustees named
the College auditorium the Francis Boyette Dickson Auditorium in recognition of her
loyalty, dedication, and extreme generosity to Louisburg College.
Anne is a resident of Charlottesville, Va., and graduate of St. Mary’s Jr. College (Raleigh,
N.C.). She works in the real estate industry and manages her own investments. She takes
great joy in leading efforts to help support the mission of a number of non‐profits, including St. Anne’s‐Belfield School and the University of Virginia Art Museum.
MR. WILLIAM “BILL” C. SHELTON ‘69
Bill was born in Louisburg to W. F. and Anne Freeman Shelton. He graduated from Louisburg High School in 1967, Louisburg College in 1969, and ECU in 1971. He completed
post-graduate courses at UNC-Pembroke in the late ‘70s.
Bill worked for the North Carolina Department of Revenue for 31 years in their Lumberton, Laurinburg, Rockingham, and Raleigh offices. In 1991, he was promoted from
field auditor to administration officer in the sales and tax division in Raleigh, retiring in
2004. Bill is also retired from the U.S. Army Reserve with 35 years of service, leaving as a lieutenant colonel serving as the North
Carolina regional coordinator for the Army’s Command and General Staff Offices School based in Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. In
2005, Bill began working with Vericom Inc., a Raleigh telecom services consulting firm. In September 2010, he formed William
Shelton Consulting LLC, providing telecom consulting services for Vericom Inc. and others.
He is an active member of Trinity Baptist Church in Raleigh, where he serves as a recreation outreach center (gym) manager and
also as an extended care teacher for 4 year olds. Bill is past president of Laurinburg Kiwanis Club in Laurinburg, N.C., and Highwood’s Kiwanis Club in Raleigh.
Bill and his wife Karen are the proud parents of Chris, a residential mortgage broker in Raleigh, and Kelly, a school administrator
for KinderCare in Durham, N.C.
From L-R: Teresa Walters at the piano. Louisburg College trustee Tad DeBerry ‘85, his daughter Eleanor, Peggy Wilder ‘60, Carroll Joyner, and Kurt Carlson, vice president for institutional advancement, enjoy a reception honoring members of the College’s Old Main Society and Society of 1787.
College Hosts Special Events for Donors
Two very special events last held this year in appreciation
of the College’s donors, including members of Old Main
Society, Society of 1787, Louisburg Society, and Friends
of the Arts.
Performing for a packed Benson Chapel on April 29,
2011, internationally-acclaimed pianist Teresa Walters
enchanted the audience with compositions from Franz
Liszt (1811-1886) to commemorate the 125th anniversary
of the great pianist’s death. This special evening reception
Leading
the Way
In 2006, Bill and a high school teammate were able to establish a granite memorial to teammate James Robert Patterson who was
known to most as “Crow.” Patterson died in the tragic Marshall University plane crash in 1970. The football field was permanently
named the James Robert Patterson Memorial Field and the stone memorial is known as “Crow Rock.”
58
The College’s Alumni Board is pleased to announce the addition of five new members this year:
Maury York ‘73
Mike Chappell ‘78 (See Class Notes, page 53)
Charles Rucker ‘72 (Author of My Louisburg Story on pages 16-17)
Mary Charles Smith ‘98
Kyle Perkins ‘07 (Recipient of the Young Alumnus Service Award, page 24)
COLUMNS
Front Row, L-R: Kiantta Reid, Ashley Walls, Keryn Shionis, Allie Ball, and Sara Christmas
Middle Row, L-R: Mack Watson, Chalea Adams, Jonathan Blakely, and C. J. Phillips
Third Row, L-R: Dalton DaCosta, Decola Williams, and Tyler Brownlee
Back Row, L-R: Zach Wurl, LaQuel Bailey, Kendall Bennett, and JeJuan Griffin
and concert recognized Friends of the Arts and Louisburg
Society members.
On the evening of October 14, 2011, members of both Old
Main Society (donors who have included the College in
their estate plans) and Society of 1787 (donors who have
contributed a total of more than $50K to the College) attended a reception given in their honor at the home of
President and Mrs. La Branche.
THE COLLEGE HAS
created a unique leadership
program for Louisburg College students. This past fall,
21 students were selected as
peer leaders based on their
role model and leadership
characteristics. The program’s
main purpose is to provide
these students with the opportunity to work alongside
their resident community coordinators (RCCs), help with
programming, and strengthen
their relationships with their
residence hall peers. Each
peer leader serves as a communications channel for their
peers by relaying information
to the RCC about ideas for
programming, hall decorations, community standards,
and more.
Peer leaders receive leadership development during the
semester through weekly staff
meetings and regular interaction with their RCCs. They
are expected to abide by the
guidelines set by Jillian Cruser, peer leader program coordinator, and their respective
RCCs.
“I hope to share my leadership
skills and ideas with other
students,” says LaQuel Bailey,
a sophomore from Surry, Va.,
who plans to become a teacher and basketball coach after
completing his bachelor’s degree.
Another peer leader, Kiantta
Reid, a sophomore from Garner, N.C., chose to attend Louisburg because of the small
size of the campus. She shares
that she has “shed much of the
shyness” she arrived with, and
has started sharing her ideas
for educational programs with
her peers.
For Kendall Bennett, attending Louisburg has been akin
to a second chance at academic success. “I did not have
the best grades coming out of
high school,” he explains, “and
Louisburg is a stepping stone
for me to excel in life.” Kendall
says he hopes to “bring a little
of what he knows from his
life” to help his peers move in
the right direction.
SPRING 2012 59
Common Challenge, Shared Hope
By Barry Burger, Volunteer in the Office of Marketing and Communications
Over 130 faculty from more than 15 North Carolina colleges and universities were in attendance to discuss faculty
roles in student retention and to share best practices regarding student retention. Attendees had the opportunity
to attend concurrent workshops and plenary sessions that
covered topics such as “Owning the Issue: Attention Equals
Retention,” “Using Multimedia Tools to Improve Learning
in Online Courses,” and “Retention Issues in Mathematics
and the Sciences.” Several Louisburg College faculty members served as presenters, along with faculty and administrators from North Carolina Wesleyan College, Campbell
University, St. Augustine’s College, and Lenoir-Rhyne University.
“Rethinking Faculty Roles in Student Success: Thinking
Systemically” served as the theme for the keynote address
given by Dr. Patrick Terenzini during the Faculty Day of
Scholarship hosted on Friday, March 23, by Louisburg College. Dr. Terenzini, a renowned professor at Penn State
University, has nearly four decades of experience in higher
education as a teacher, researcher, and administrator. He
presented his findings regarding the research-based premise that individualized instructional approaches are consistently more effective in enhancing subject-matter learning
than the more traditional approaches, such as lecturing.
His presentation set the mood for the remainder of the day.
The feedback from the sessions was overwhelmingly positive. Survey comments from one faculty member in attendance read, “The event itself was a rousing success. It
seemed to me that there were some very productive dialogues and that there came out of this a sense of community, not just of a Louisburg community, but of a larger community of educators in similar environments.”
A common theme that emerged during the day was the
realization that institutions of higher learning share similar obstacles and therefore can learn from each other, and
that, as new obstacles arise, new solutions are needed. In
regard to retention, there was a clear message that retention will take care of itself if the focus is on the learning
process. “The day was an amazing opportunity to share
ideas with other institutions and learn from some of the
industry leaders about best practices in retention efforts,”
said Stephanie Tolbert, Louisburg’s vice president of enrollment. Louisburg College improved fall-to-spring student
Program Presenters (From L-R): Anthony Locklear, director of college access programs at
NCICU; Jason Modlin, vice president for student life, Louisburg College; Joretta Nelson,
vice president/owner, Performa Higher Education; Dr. Patrick Terenzini, keynote speaker
and Penn State University professor; Stephanie Tolbert ‘97, vice president for enrollment, Louisburg College; and Dr. Jim Eck, executive vice president for academic life,
Louisburg College.
60
COLUMNS
retention rates by 6 percent this past semester, and continues to study new and innovative ways to improve retention.
Last summer, several North Carolina colleges joined together to form the Eastern North Carolina Consortium
for Higher Education. The members include Barton College (associate member), Cape Fear Community College,
Chowan University, East Carolina University, Edgecombe
Community College, Elizabeth City State University, Louisburg College, Mt. Olive College, Nash Community College, North Carolina Wesleyan College, Upper Coastal
Plains Learning Council (affiliate member), and Wilson
Community College. The conference was made possible
through grant funding from the U.S. Department of Education via the College Access Programs, sponsored by North
Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities.
College Welcomes New Chaplain
In May 2011, Rev. Shane Mario Benjamin (pictured) was appointed to serve as chaplain of Louisburg College by Bishop Gwinn, the Episcopal
leader of the North Carolina Conference of the
United Methodist Church.
Students Make a Clean
Sweep of Their Community
Rev. Benjamin served as the pastor of Asbury
Temple United Methodist Church in Durham,
N.C., for 12 years before coming to Louisburg.
He has taught courses at Duke Divinity School
and St. Augustine’s College.
He replaces our former chaplain, the Rev. Alice Davis, who began her appointment as pastor of Jefferson United Methodist Church in Goldsboro,
N.C., in the summer of 2011. “We are grateful for her ministry among us,” said
President La Branche of Chaplain Davis’ two years of service to the College.
According to North Carolina Wesleyan College President
and Consortium Chair James A. Gray III, the aim of the
Consortium is “to promote cooperation among the member institutions for the sharing of ideas, information, services, and resources that will further their mutual goals and
the economic development and growth of eastern North
Carolina. Joint ventures among consortium institutions
may include professional development and grant efforts,
sharing of library resources, cross-registration, and other
similar initiatives.”
President La Branche (left) and Dr. Jim Eck (right), with members of
the softball team after a hard day’s work.
On Monday, August 22, 2011, the incoming
freshman class of Louisburg College partnered
with the Franklin County Solid Waste Task
Force (FCSWTF) for “Operation Clean Sweep.”
For three hours, Louisburg College Chaplain
Shane Benjamin coordinated student volunteers as they spread out across the town of Louisburg, picking up trash along the streets, open
areas, and sidewalks. Faculty and staff volunteers helped lead and transport groups of students during the service project. The FCSWTF
supplied assistance along with maps, reach extenders, safety vests, litter bags, water, and refreshments.
“Discovering, developing, and implementing strategies
to help students persist on their path to fulfil their promise is sacred work,” Louisburg College President Mark La
Branche remarked at the end of the day. “Louisburg College was honored to host this gathering of dedicated faculty
in the ongoing quest to help students succeed.”
The group of approximately 250 volunteers
cleaned up an 11-mile area of Louisburg, filling
some 60 bags of trash and 40 bags of recyclable
materials.
“Stormy Glow,” by Jennifer Downey.
The He
of a College
This service project was intended to foster a
greater connection between the campus and
its neighbors and to introduce students to ways
they can serve the community in which they
live.
Through the tireless efforts of Louisburg College art professor
Will Hinton, the College welcomes the works of artists from
around the country in its Traveling Art Exhibition Series. Please
join us next season as he brings another fascinating group of
artists and their work to the College’s Edith C. Lumpkin Community Gallery.
The first show of the series will feature the paintings of Jennifer
Downey. Downey plans to fly here from her home in California
for the show’s opening night. Her work addresses the feminine
perspective and the resiliency of our planet’s environment.
Stay tuned to www.louisburg.edu for more information and a
complete schedule this summer!
Nicole Interdonato, associate director of admissions, with Clean
Sweep teammates Nick Costas ‘13, Richie Schattauer ‘13, and Brett
Allen ‘13.
SPRING 2012 61
JOURNEYS
One student’s story of trial and triumph
Interns on a Mission
Louisburg College science
professor Jennith Thomas
accompanied
Louisburg
students Terence Goard,
Shakeila Jones, and Ryan
Wegener (pictured, above)
during the summer of 2011
to the Eastern Shore of
Maryland. But instead of
relaxing on the beach along
with the locals and tourists who frequent the calming shoreline of the Chesapeake Bay, Thomas and her
students were hard at work
at NASA’s Goddard Space
Flight Center.
The internship was funded
by the Curriculum Improvements Partnership Award
for the Integration of Research (CPAIR) grant from
NASA, was created to support undergraduate science
research at minority-serving institutions. The College’s share of the funding is
$156,000, over three years,
some of which will come
to the College directly to be
used to purchase classroom
supplies and help to cover
salaries and travel expenses.
For the next two summers,
Thomas will accompany a
group of Louisburg students
to Goddard and continue
their participation in the
project. “Team Louisburg,”
as they’ve come to be known
by Goddard personnel, has
completed the first phase of
the CPAIR research project.
The group has monitored
the satellite data of the Upper Tar River taken over the
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COLUMNS
M
last decade. Phase two will
begin next summer.
“We were very pleased that
our mentor, Dr. Miguel Roman, wanted to keep us together for the entire project,” says Thomas. “Part
two of the study will be an
evaluation of disturbance
versus biodiversity.” During the summer of 2012,
the students will utilize
computer applications that
they have recently trained
on to more specifically analyze the data. Thomas will
return next summer with
Goard and Wegener; however, Jones will likely be
spending the summer as an
intern at the Johnson Space
Flight Center in Houston.
The team delivered a presentation on their findings
at the August 2011 meeting of the Earth Science
Directorate. As a result
of this research—which
is planned to continue at
least through 2013—the
citizens of North Carolina
will have access to new information and analysis that
will provide insights into
the state’s ongoing monitoring of the ecological
functioning and biodiversity of the Tar River watershed. This vital watershed
is recognized as one of
the most important on the
eastern U.S. coast because
it is home to a number of
endangered species, some
of which cannot be found
anywhere else on earth.
hroughout the summer of 2011, we continued
to make improvements to our historic campus.
Workers stripped layers of paint off the columns
of Main and then applied a fresh coat to the majestic pillars. A new landscape design on Main
lawn was completed, as was a sand volleyball
court next to Merritt. We updated classrooms
in Taft, created a coffeehouse/study lounge in
the chapel lobby, and installed new bleachers in
the Roger G. Taylor Athletic Center. Other improvements included: refurbished desk chairs
for the residence halls; a T.V. and computer
lounge in Franklin Hall, along with updated
bathrooms with a more feminine design for the
female–only residence; credit card vending options for the residence halls’ washers and dryers; expanded outdoor gathering spaces; and
newly-installed emergency call boxes.
ost teenagers—or, for that matter, anyone
outside of the medical community—have
never heard of Juvenile Pilocytic Astrocytoma. But for one Louisburg College freshman,
it’s a familiar term. C. J. PHILLIPS ‘13 received the diagnosis in 2006 at the age of 16.
When he first began having severe headaches, vision trouble, and nausea, his mother took him to a physician who
diagnosed him with migraines and sent him home with
a prescription. But the symptoms continued, and, during
a routine visit to the eye doctor, his ophthalmologist was
stunned to discover a tumor on the optic nerve of his brain
stem. After a 10-hour surgery to remove the grapefruitsized growth on his fourth ventricle, C. J. awoke from the
anesthesia to find he was completely paralyzed and unable
to speak. After a month of therapy, his speech returned,
and, after two months, some of his dexterity had come
back. But the journey to a fuller recovery would require
two years of intensive physical and cognitive therapy.
No one could have guessed at the time that he would eventually become a counselor at a camp that literally floats
on the sea, or that he would find success at the collegiate
level. However, C. J. was determined to not only regain
his strength, but also to beat the odds that were so heavily stacked against him physically, emotionally, and cognitively.
Growing up in the small town of Sparrowbush, N.Y., C. J.
and his younger sister were homeschooled by their mother, Terry, a single parent who devoted much of her time
and attention to her two children. C. J. was an active child
who enjoyed playing soccer, riding his bike, and swimming. “I’ve always loved the water,” he says with a smile.
And, having earned his certification to teach SCUBA just
a year into his recovery, C. J. knew he had the skills and
the passion to work on the water. “When I learned about
SeaTrek, it looked like fun and I knew it was something I
wanted to do.”
their different cultures. The boat stopped at one port every
week to stock up on supplies and allow time for the crew
to stretch their sea legs.
During the summer of 2011, as C. J. set sail for another
aquatic adventure, his mom, who had recently relocated to
Franklin County, N.C., was making frequent visits to the
College’s Admissions Office on behalf of her son. He had
applied earlier in the year, and she was helping to finalize
the process in his absence.
As he embarked on his freshman year this past August, C. J.
stepped onto a campus that was just the right fit for him.
With plans for a career in pediatric intensive care nursing
—a desire that was confirmed for him while going through
cancer treatment—C. J. will complete his first two years
at Louisburg, and then plans to transfer to either Appalachian State or UNC-Wilmington. “I’ve always wanted
to help people,” he says, “and nursing will allow me to do
that.”
Although you would never suspect it when you meet him
in person, C. J. still struggles somewhat with his cognitive
skills. That’s where the Learning Partners program at LC
comes into play. As a student of the program, C. J. receives
the extra bit of help he needs to succeed in his coursework. “They are helping me understand new approaches
to learning,” he says, adding, “I would recommend Learning Partners to anyone—it’s the bomb!” He is also quick to
credit his biology teacher, Mrs. Diane Cooke with providing him the inspiration to excel in science.
Along with his studies, C. J. is active in a number of extracurricular activities, including the College’s SADD
(Students Against Destructive Decisions) chapter and the
judicial board.
SeaTrek (www.seatrekbvi.com) is a tropical adventure
summer program in the British Virgin Islands (BVI)
where teen-aged “campers” live and play onboard one of
several 46-foot catamaran sailing yachts.
With the encouragement of his family and permission
from his doctor, C. J. caught a flight out of New York headed for the BVIs in the summer of 2007. Once there, he
boarded a sailboat with 16 other campers and counselors
for a month-long Caribbean adventure. Sailing within a
100-mile radius of the BVIs, C. J. was tasked with prepping meals for the crew and leading campers on a number of dives. The campers came from all over the world,
and he enjoyed getting to know them and learning about
C. J. (far left) with SeaTrek campers during the summer of 2009.
SPRING 2012 63
Pam Tillis
Friday, November 16, 2012
Marty Stuart &
His Fabulous Superlatives
Friday, February 8, 2013
Yesterday: A Tribute to the Beatles
Friday, September 28, 2012
!
t
e
k
c
i
t
T
O
H
e
It’s on
THE 2012-2013
ALLEN DE HART CONCERT SERIES
Stay tuned to
www.louisburg.edu
for more information!
It’s a Wonderful Life
Live From WVL Radio Theatre
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Tickets go on sale August 2012.
BOX OFFICE
919.497.3300 | 1.866.773.6354
Class of 2011: Ready for a Great Future!
LAST YEAR’S COMMENCEMENT
exercises began with a graduates’ breakfast on May 6 in the Jordan Student Center. Students, family, and friends, along
with several staff and faculty members,
gathered to reminisce about their time at
Louisburg and to celebrate their achievements. During the breakfast, each graduate
was welcomed into the alumni association
by Alumni Board President Bill Shelton.
The following morning, the College held
a traditional baccalaureate service in Benson Chapel. President La Branche opened
the service with a reminder that baccalaureate is an “opportunity in the midst
of our achievement to glorify God.”
Guest speaker Chuck Cook, district superintendent of the Goldsboro district of the
United Methodist Church, preached on the
topic of fear and faith. Invoking Biblical passages in John 20, Cook talked of how Jesus’
first words to his disciples were “Peace Be
With You.” Telling the graduates that “perfect love casts out fear,” Cook challenged
them that as they “go out into unchartered
territory, from the known to the unknown,
to remember our God is in us and with us.”
Led by bagpiper Robert White, a long line
of faculty, staff, special guests, and graduates
ABBA Mania
Friday, March 15, 2013
The Platters
Friday, October 19, 2012
Neil Berg’s
101 Years of Broadway
Saturday, April 13, 2013
processed from the steps of Main to the Jones
Center where the commencement ceremony
was held. Regina Miller ’82 (pictured, top
right) delivered the commencement address
in which she recounted stories from her life.
“You learn who you are and what you want
from your failures,” Miller told the audience.
“If you have learned how to manage failure,”
she went on to say, “you have succeeded.” Regarded as one of the all-time best women’s
basketball performers in the school’s history,
Miller was an All-American at the College
under Coach Sanderford and, in 1981, led
the Lady Hurricanes to one of the school’s
two national titles. In October 2010, Miller
was inducted into Louisburg College’s second Athletic Hall of Fame. And in April
2011, she was named as the new head coach
for the women’s basketball program at the
University of Illinois-Chicago.
A special festival choir (pictured, bottom)
consisting of Louisburg students and staff, as
well as members of the local United Methodist Church’s choir, performed during the ceremony under the direction of Angela Adkins,
the College’s director of choral activities.
The day wrapped up with a reception in the
lobby of the Jones center which spilled over
onto the lawn as attendees enjoyed the beautiful spring day!
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LOUISBURG COLLEGE
Office of Institutional Advancement
501 N. Main Street
Louisburg, NC 27549
Toll Free: 1.800.488.5071
Local: 919.496.2521
www.louisburg.edu
Change Service Requested
Leave a Legacy. Beth Norris has…
Beth Norris, trustee and wife
of Allen Norris, Louisburg’s
President from 1975-1992, has
included the College in
her estate plans so that students like Stefan Gailliard ‘13
and Loren Noonen ‘13 (pictured with Beth) are able to
fulfill their dream of a college
education.
Please consider supporting
future generations of
Louisburg students through a
bequest or a gift that pays you
income during your lifetime.
For more information, contact
Kurt Carlson, vice president
for institutional advancement,
at 919.497.3325 or kcarlson@
louisburg.edu.