Jerry and Shirley Boone: - Ferrum College

Ferrum Magazine 

SPRING 2002 VOLUME 34 • NUMBER 2 

Jerry and Shirley Boone: 

Saying goodbye to Ferrum after 15 years

The 29 th Blue Ridge Folklife Festival 

Saturday, October 26, 2002 

10 a.m. – 5 p.m. 

Rain or Shine 

A Blue Ridge Celebration for the Entire Family 

Blues, Gospel, String Band and Bluegrass Music 

• Old-time foods 

• Vintage farm machinery 

• Traditional crafts 

• Mountain Comforts Quilt Show 

• Working horse and dog contests 

• Children’s activities 

For more information, call (540) 365-4416, or visit 

www.blueridgeinstitute.org 

Photo by Kelly Howard ’03 

Special hospitality tent and parking for pre-registered alumni. 

For alumni pre-registration, call (540) 365-4216 or e-mail 

alumni@ferrum.edu 

(Left) Melvin Allbeck, of Hurt, blacksmithing 

Hometown Stars: Southwest Virginia’s Recording Heritage, 1923-1943 

A New Exhibit at Ferrum College’s Blue Ridge Institute & Museum 

Hometown Stars 

In the age of 78 r.p.m. records 

and wind-up Victrolas, 

Virginia’s singers and 

musicians cut over 1,200 

country, string band and gospel 

recordings. Hometown Stars 

explores the lives and artistry that 

made Southwest Virginia a special treasure of talent 

for the nation’s recording industry and helped shape 

America’s musical identity. 

The State Center for Blue Ridge Folklore 

Through March 2003 • Free Admission 

Open Year-Round 

For more information, call 

(540) 365-4416 

www.blueridgeinstitute.org 

Bluesman Carl Martin, 1906-1979, of Big Stone Gap.

Ferrum Magazine 

SPRING 2002 VOLUME 34 • NUMBER 2 

10 

12 

18 

FEATURES 

Ferrum College Sports Hall of Fame: Class of 2001 .......................... 8 

Alumni Honor Ferrum Sports Standouts 

Dr. Jerry M. Boone............................................................................. 12 

15 Years of Growth Brings Ferrum Into New Era 

A Ferrum Timeline Looks Back at Memorable Moments ............... 12 

Gilda Woods ’92................................................................................. 18 

Ferrum Alumna Takes on Enrollment 

DEPARTMENTS 

What’s New and What’s News at Ferrum College ......................... 2 

On Campus ......................................................................................... 3 

Sports On Campus ............................................................................. 6 

In the Classroom ............................................................................... 10 

Stanley Library Director Dr. Cy Dillon, III 

Class Notes......................................................................................... 21 

Development News ...........................................................................24 

Cover photo of Dr. Boone and wife Shirley. Photo by Paul Calhoun Photography 

Alumni Association Officers 

Mike Ferguson ’81, President; Dana Hunt ’49, First Vice-President; Suzanne Robertson ’98, Second Vice-President; 

Suzanne Bell ’62, Past President 

Ferrum College Administration 

Dr. Jerry Boone, President of the College; Dr. Richard Sours, Vice President and Dean of the College; Mr. Beverly 

Fitzpatrick, Jr. ’67, Vice President for Institutional Advancement; Dr. Dan Miller, Vice President for Student Affairs and 

Enrollment; Mr. Bobby Thompson ’70, Vice President for Business Affairs; Ms. Lisa Bowling and Ms. Donita Hooker, 

Magazine Editors; Ms. Diane Hailey ’98, Assistant Editor 

Ferrum Magazine is a publication of the Ferrum College Alumni Office. Please send news and address changes 

to Ferrum College Alumni Office, P.O. Box 1000, Ferrum, VA 24088-9000. (540) 365-4216 or e-mail 

alumni@ferrum.edu. 

Ferrum College does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran status, 

sex or handicap in admission to, access to, treatment in or employment in its programs and activities. 

The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies: 

Director of Human Resources, 205 John Wesley Hall, Ferrum College, Ferrum, VA 24088-9000, (540) 365-4235. 

Inquiries concerning the application of nondiscrimination policies may also be referred to: Office of Civil Rights, 

District of Columbia Office, U.S. Department of Education, 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Room 316, 

P.O. Box 14620,Washington, DC 20044-4620. 

FERRUM MAGAZINE 1

What’s New and WHAT’S NEWS 

AT FERRUM COLLEGE 

President-elect Named 

The Presidential Search Committee worked diligently through 2001, 

guided by search consultant Dr. Bruce T. Alton. Over a period of many 

months an institutional profile was developed, which was designed to 

inform prospective applicants of the needs and challenges of Ferrum as 

well as showcase Ferrum’s strengths. The committee was chaired by 

Board of Trustees President William B. Bales, and included Board 

members Patricia Compton, Betty Forbes, Paul Harris ’65, Larry 

Heaton, and the Rev. Dr. Wasena Wright, Jr. ’60. Also serving were, 

Dr. Jody Brown and Dr. Frederic Torimiro from the faculty, Chaplain 

Wesley Astin ’74 from the staff, Student Government Association 

President Jay Greeley ’02, and Alumni Board of Directors President 

Michael Ferguson ’81. Once applications were reviewed and prioritized, 

formal in-person interview sessions were conducted in January 

2002. The field was narrowed to two candidates who visited campus in 

February. Dr. Jennifer L. Braaten was selected from those candidates as 

the best choice for Ferrum, and her nomination was formally approved 

by the Trustees at their March Board meeting. 

She received overwhelming support on campus, was recommended 

unanimously by the search committee and was appointed unanimously 

by the College’s Board of Trustees. 

Patricia Compton summed up the selection by saying, “Dr. Braaten 

personified all we were looking for in a president.” 

Braaten previously served as president of a Lutheran-affiliated college 

in Nebraska. She will arrive on campus to begin her assimilation into 

the Ferrum College community in mid-July. 

She has been married for 33 years to the Rev. Conrad Braaten, 

senior pastor at Lutheran Church of the Reformation in Washington, 

DC. The Braatens have two children. Their daughter, Kirsten, is a 

graduate of Duke University and is a corporate liaison at Kravis 

Center for the Performing Arts, West Palm Beach, FL. Their son, 

Conrad, attends Harvard University in Cambridge, MA, where he is a 

pre-medical student. We welcome Dr. Braaten to Ferrum and look 

forward to getting to know her and her family. 

New Employees at Ferrum 

Several new employees were hired at the College over 

the winter. They are Joan Bowman, part-time academic 

counselor; Daniel Boyce, police officer; Michael Crossan ’00, 

financial aid counselor; Ryan Ego, assistant soccer coach 

and lacrosse intern; William George, soccer intern; 

Betty Minton, housekeeping; Amanda Scott ’01, 

secretary to Residence Education; and John Spataro, 

coordinator of Academic Computing. 

Ferrum College President-elect, Dr. Jennifer L. Braaten, will be the 10th 

president in Ferrum College history. 

Photo Courtesy of Midland Lutheran College Public Relations 

2 FERRUM MAGAZINE

ON on CAMPUS 

campus 

Franklin County Appreciation Day 

Franklin County Appreciation Day was held Labor Day 

weekend during the home football game against Wesley and 

included a luncheon for county business leaders. Abe Essig, 

founder and president of Ronile, Inc., in Rocky Mount, was 

named Franklin County Citizen of the Year by the College. 

A special halftime event honored him and his service to the 

county. Essig’s company employs over 200 people in the 

region, and he was instrumental in the building of the 

YMCA in Rocky Mount. 

J.F.D. Press Photo 

Photo by PK & Determined 

Jane Franklin Dance Brings Travel Tales 

The Franklin Guild and the Drama department teamed up to 

bring Jane Franklin Dance to campus for a special event on 

September 25. The professional dance troupe presented Travel 

Tales, a story of poetry 

and music that tells a 

humorous and 

compassionate tale of 

how we are bound 

together in our failure 

to communicate. 

While in the area, 

the troupe performed 

seven lecture-demonstrations 

at Franklin 

County schools. 

Preachers’ Kids Bring Gospel to Ferrum College 

Gospel group PK & Determined brought their gospel music to 

Ferrum on September 20-21. They helped the Ferrum Gospel 

Choir with the Gospel Workshop, showing community members 

how to coordinate and conduct a gospel choir. Workshop attendees 

offered a Saturday evening concert for the community. 

Young Ho “Nick” Lee and Kieun “Patrika” Cho, Korean exchange 

students from Sejong University in Seoul, South Korea, enjoy the football 

game with Jerry and Shirley Boone, who through the years have served as 

“adopted parents” to foreign exchange students. 

Family Day 

Family Day, held Saturday, September 29, was filled with 

activities such as Fun Flicks, lunch in the dining hall, 

a women’s soccer match against Christopher Newport 

University, a football game against Averett University and a 

mind-blowing show by Ronnie Romm, America’s foremost 

stage hypnotist and mentalist. The annual event recognizes 

the role of families in students’ social and academic success. 

Ferrum College encourages strong family support of new and 

returning students and values their part in students’ lives. 

The Clothesline Project 

Brought to Ferrum 

On Monday, October 15, the 

Clothesline Project was displayed 

for the first time on the Ferrum 

College campus. The Clothesline 

Project is meant to promote 

awareness of abuse in our country 

as well as to be a form of closure 

for those who have had abuse in 

their lives. T-shirts are hung on an 

ordinary clothesline with extraordinary 

expressions of grief and 

triumph over an abusive event. The 

shirts were made by victims of all 

forms of domestic abuse from 

Southwest Virginia. The project 

was loaned to the College by Alpha 

Phi Omega at Roanoke College, in 

conjunction with Ferrum College’s 

Social Problems class and Alpha 

Phi Omega chapter. 

Affrilachian 

Poets Return 

Frank X. Walker, a popular 

speaker with students each 

year, returned to Ferrum on 

September 10. He joined 

fellow poets of the Appalachian 

region, Bernard Clay 

and Crystal Wilkinson, in a 

presentation of contemporary 

poetry and thought. The 

visit was sponsored by the 

Sociology department. 

FERRUM MAGAZINE 3

ON on CAMPUS 

campus 

African-American Poets 

Remembered 

On October 2, Carl Jackson 

presented the works of Countee 

Cullen, Paul Lawrence Dunbar, 

Langston Hughes, Nikki 

Giovanni and others to tell the 

story of African-American 

poetry from ancient oral history 

through the American slavery 

years, the 19 th century, the 

Harlem Renaissance and today. 

The event was co-sponsored by 

the Drama department and The 

Franklin Guild. 

Students Finish 7 th 

Habitat House 

In fall 2001, Ferrum 

students helped finish the 

7 th Habitat for Humanity 

House in Ferrum 

College’s history. The 

house was built for a 

nearby family in Sontag. 

The students from Dr. 

Susan Mead’s Social 

Problems class were Jayme 

Helms, Stefanie Hill, 

LeAnna Schulz, Heather 

Taylor, Stuart Herndon 

and Britt Bazemore. In 

addition to working on 

the house, these students 

raised $230.00 for future 

Habitat projects and 

collected contact information 

for Ferrum College 

faculty, staff, students and 

friends interested in 

helping in the future. The 

students’ next project is 

currently underway. For 

more information, contact 

Wayne Bowman at 

(540) 365-4338 or 

wbowman@ferrum.edu. 

4 FERRUM MAGAZINE 

Psychology of 

Medieval Witchery 

On November 12, noted 

psychologist Suzanne Phillips 

addressed questions surrounding 

the Medieval-period executions 

of women by the Church. For 

decades the voice of psychology 

has claimed that the thousands 

of executions were actually the 

purging from society of the 

mentally ill. Both the Roman 

Catholic and Protestant 

Churches have maintained that 

religious groups cared for the 

mentally ill with kindness. 

Phillips’ visit was sponsored by 

the Psychology department. 

Ferrum Experts 

Discuss September 11 

Repercussions 

A panel of five Ferrum professors 

spoke to the campus 

community on November 14, 

on the fallout of the attacks on 

the World Trade Center and 

Pentagon, as well as ongoing 

anthrax concerns. Dr. Frederic 

Torimiro spoke on the history 

and future of terrorism; Dr. 

Carolyn Thomas spoke on 

impact and dangers of environmental 

terrorism; Dr. Kenneth 

McCreedy spoke on the changes 

in law enforcement duties; Dr. 

John Williams spoke on the 

humanity in the Muslim world. 

Dr. Samuel Payne moderated 

and spoke on the historical 

significance of the attacks. 

Several Ferrum professors were 

interviewed by local and 

national media in the days after 

the attacks as the American 

public looked to newspapers and 

television coverage for information 

and answers. 

Truman Scholarship Foundation 

Visits Ferrum College 

Louis Blair, executive secretary for the Harry S. Truman Scholarship 

Foundation, visited campus on October 17. In this picture, 

he is seated in a chair once owned by Oscar Chapman, Secretary 

of the Interior under Truman from 1945-1953. The chair was 

given to the College by Chapman’s wife, Ann, several years ago 

and is a permanent addition to the President’s office. 

Present and Past 

American Tragedies 

On November 15, the Professor 

and Mrs. Gibson duo presented 

a program of Civil War-era parlor 

music. The nationally-recognized 

team tour the East Coast, and 

they were period consultants for 

such films as Sommersby and 

Gettysburg. As the music and 

thoughts of the tragedy of the War 

Between the States were revealed, 

the parallels between Civil War 

times and the state of post- 

September 11 America came to 

light. In both times, there were 

deep feelings of sorrow and 

pride as Americans went to war 

and lost lives. The couple 

appeared on Roanoke’s CBS 

affiliate, WDBJ’s Mornin’ Show 

to promote the event. 

Ferrum Swings with Big 

Band Sounds 

Thurlowe Scudder and his 

Old Pros, rocked Ferrum on 

October 9 with the big band 

sounds of the 1940s. The group 

recently released their second 

recording, which includes pieces 

recorded at one of the band’s 

live performances at Ferrum 

College. The event was cosponsored 

by the College and 

The Franklin Guild. 

Sculpture and Virginia 

Scenes in Greer Gallery 

Darcy Meeker’s sculpture in 

alabaster and a print exhibition 

by Tucker Hill, loaned by the 

Virginia Museum of Fine Art, 

were on display in the E. Taylor 

Greer Gallery in October. The 

artists came to campus to meet 

art students and guests at the 

opening reception.

ON on CAMPUS 

campus 

The Blue Ridge Folklife Festival 

The Only Chilly Weekend of the Virginia Fall Was a Bundle of 

Fun for Festival-Goers 

Photo by Jonah Starr ’04 

Bizzy D, of SUM41 

Top TRL 

Band SUM 41 

Rocks the 

Fitness Center 

On December 4, top bands 

SUM 41, H2O, and Autopilot 

Off, rocked the Fitness Center in 

a late-night performance for 

students and guests. Each year, 

the Student Activities Office 

works hard to provide students 

with a wide variety of entertainment, 

ranging from stand-up 

comedians, to stage hypnotists, 

to formal dances in Roanoke. 

Alpha Phi Omega Charters 

at Ferrum College 

Alpha Phi Omega chartered 

on December 7, with 24 new 

Ferrum members. It is the first 

national fraternity on the 

Ferrum College campus. Holly 

Lynne McKinley and Jason 

Parker were awarded the 

Ellsworth S. Dobson Certificate 

of Merit for their work in 

establishing the chapter at 

Ferrum College. Lindsay 

Morton and Alice McDaniel 

were awarded the first chapter 

Distinguished Service Keys 

from the Phi Omicron Chapter. 

The Ferrum College Alpha Phi 

Omega chapter can be reached at 

apo@ferrum.edu. 

(Above) Virginia Senator George Allen (R) signs in at the old-time 

political Stump Meeting. Candidates from the GOP and 

Democratic sides of the aisle in Washington and Richmond came 

out to meet voters and talk politics. 

(Right) The petting zoo is a Folklife favorite each year. 

Assistant Registrar Yvonne Walker ’99 snapped this photo 

of son, Byron, for the Second Annual Folklife Festival 

photography contest. 

December graduates are invited for dinner in the President’s home to celebrate their last days as students. (From left to 

right) Kristy Cornett ’02; Dr. Jerry M. Boone, President, Cindy Southerland, ’02; Joseph Carter ’02; Teri Wright ’02; 

Tanya Wright ’02; Melissa Young ’02; Sarah Ansell ’02; Andrew Nester ’02; Dr. Richard Sours, Vice President and 

Dean of the College; Brandon Rooks ’02. 

Photo by Yvonne Walker ’99 

FERRUM MAGAZINE 5

SPORTS sports ON on campus CAMPUS 

Panther Sports Roundup 

By G.A. Holden 

Robertson 

Named 

All-Conference 

in Volleyball 

Senior Amy Robertson 

was named to the 

2001 Dixie All- 

Conference Volleyball 

Team. Robertson was 

a second-team selection 

after helping lead 

Ferrum to a 11-18 

overall record and a 

tie for fifth place in 

the Dixie Conference 

this year. 

Football Team Dixie Conference Co-Champions 

Led by a host of All-Conference players and one All-American, Ferrum College earned a 

share of the 2001 Dixie Conference football title. The Panthers lost 14-11 to Christopher 

Newport University in the 2001 Khedive Shriners Oyster Bowl, giving both teams a 5-1 

record in the league and a share of the first-ever Dixie football title. 

The All-Conference team was selected on November 20, and Ferrum picked up its fair 

share of hardware. Twelve players were named to the All-Conference team, with a pair of 

players earning double-honors. 

Junior quarterback Phil Hairston picked up one of the league’s top awards when he 

was named Dixie Conference Offensive Player of the Year. He led Ferrum in total offense 

with 1075 yards, averaging just under 120 yards per game. Hairston was the league’s 

All-Conference first team selection at quarterback. 

Senior Tim Carter also earned a pair of awards on the All-Conference team. He was a 

first-team selection as a defensive back and a second-team selection as a return specialist. 

Carter was named to the American Football Coaches Association 2001 Division III All- 

America first team this year and played in the Aztec Bowl in Saltillo, Mexico, December 15th. 

Also named to the All-Conference first team on 

offense were senior OL Tim Boothe and junior OL 

Chad Johnson. Defensively, senior DL Jamie Dunn, 

senior DL Javon Baker, senior LB Greg Middleton and 

junior LB Kelvin Fuller were first-team selections. 

All-Conference second team selections for Ferrum 

include sophomore RB Freddie Little, sophomore 

TE Roy Olson, junior DL Brett Griffin and freshman 

DB Darren Venable. 

Cross Country Teams 

Runner-Up in Dixie Conference 

For the second straight year, the Ferrum men’s and 

women’s cross country teams placed 2nd behind 

Christopher Newport University at the Dixie Conference 

Championships. 

The Panthers then traveled to Clinton, MS, on 

November 10th to compete in the NCAA South/ 

Southeast Regional. Sophomore Lalita Brim paced the 

Ferrum women, earning All-Region honors with a time 

of 19:28 (a new school record) and placing 19th overall. 

She is Ferrum’s first-ever runner (male or female) to earn 

All-Region honors. Brim’s time helped Ferrum finish 

19th in the 20-team field. The Ferrum men placed 16th 

in a field of 18 teams. 

Bell Named All-Conference 

in Women’s Soccer 

Senior Tara Bell earned All-Conference honors in 

women’s soccer for the second consecutive year. Bell was 

named to the Dixie Conference Women’s Soccer All- 

Conference second team as a goalkeeper. 

Ferrum finished 2-11 this season overall. The Panthers 

finished with a 2-5 mark against league opponents. 

Men’s Soccer Closes Season at 4-14 Led 

by Second-Year Head Coach Chris Gnehm 

The Ferrum men’s soccer team closed its season at 4-14 

overall and placed sixth in the Dixie Conference with a 

2-5 mark against league opponents. 

Ferrum’s leading scorer this year was freshman 

forward Alie Kamara, who registered four goals for a 

total of eight points. Junior goalkeeper Rod Baker 

played 1422 minutes in net this year, registering 124 

saves, four shutouts and a 1.96 goals-against average. 

(Right) Quarterback Phil Hairston was the 2001 Dixie 

Offensive Player of the Year 

6 FERRUM MAGAZINE

SPORTS sports ON on campus CAMPUS 

Panther Student-Athletes Reach 

Out to Children 

Ferrum’s student-athletes have been active this year, but not 

just on the playing field. The Panther men and women 

basketball players, as well as members of the baseball team, 

have taken part in community service projects. 

The men’s and women’s basketball teams hosted a free 

youth clinic at Swartz Gym on November 19. The children 

attending the clinic were participants in the Henry Fork 

Community Center Big Buddy Program, sponsored by 

Ferrum’s Bonner Scholar program. The Big Buddy program 

matches Ferrum students with children from the Henry Fork 

Center. The Bonner Scholar program provides students with 

opportunities for volunteerism throughout the academic year, 

as well as during the summer months. 

Two members of the Ferrum baseball team visited children 

December 20, at South Salem Elementary School in Salem. 

Junior Mickey Russell and sophomore Travis Nowlin visited 

Ms. Banes’ kindergarten class at South Salem Elementary, and 

each read Christmas stories to the children. Ferrum Assistant 

Baseball Coach Darren Hodges accompanied the players. 

Both projects are part of the College’s Student-Athlete 

Advisory Committee (SAAC), in which each athletic team 

attempts to provide one community service project per year. 

(Top) Mickey Russell ’03 and Travis Nowlin ’04 read Christmas stories to 

Salem kindergarteners 

(Bottom) Ferrum Basketball hosts the Big Buddy Program 

Phoeo courtesy of Houston Astros 

Wagner Inks New Deal with Houston Astros 

Former Ferrum College baseball standout Billy Wagner ’93 became 

one of the top-paid relievers in Major League Baseball when he signed 

a three-year contract extension with the Houston Astros on January 

8th. The deal will pay Wagner $27 million over three years and 

includes a $3 million buyout. 

Nowlin Works for ESPN 

Ferrum baseball player Travis Nowlin spent 

Christmas Day working for ESPN. 

Sports Information Director Gary Holden received a call 

from Roanoke Dazzle (NBDL) Media Relations Manager 

Jack Bogaczyk, requesting help for the organization’s home 

game against the Greenville Groove, which was broadcast 

live on ESPN2 Christmas Day. 

Travis Nowlin relayed official stats to the ESPN 

control booth, a mobile unit parked outside the 

Roanoke Civic Center. 

Nowlin is a junior academically, but a sophomore with 

the baseball program due to a broken hand his freshman 

year. The sports medicine major (biology minor) was the 

2001 Dixie Conference Rookie of the Year, competing 

at shortstop. Nowlin plans to pursue a career in physical 

therapy, hoping to work his way through graduate school in 

a college sports information office. 

FERRUM MAGAZINE 7

2001 ALUMNI SPORTS 

HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES 

On Saturday, October 27, 2001, four Ferrum alumni and one former coach were inducted into Ferrum College’s 

Alumni Sports Hall of Fame during a special banquet and football half-time ceremony. These individuals were recognized for 

distinguishing themselves in athletics while at Ferrum and contributing in a positive manner to society after leaving college. 

The inductees exemplified the highest ideals of small college athletics, 

sportsmanship and the spirit of Ferrum’s motto “Not Self, But Others.” 

U. GRANT HUDSON 

1930-1989 

(inducted posthumously) 

• Served as head basketball coach and assistant 

director of athletics at Ferrum from 

1977-1985 

• Served as head basketball coach at Highland 

Springs High School 1956-1977 

• Most successful coach in the history of Ferrum 

College basketball with 175 wins and 59 losses 

• Led the 1982 Panthers to the national 

tournament 

• In 1985 led the last junior college basketball 

team to the NJCAA tournament, finishing 

8th in the nation 

• Highland Springs Gymnasium named in his 

honor in 1991 

• Region X Virginia Coach of the Year twice 

• Received bachelor’s degree from Lynchburg 

College and master’s degree from the 

University of Richmond 

• Retired as Colonel from the United States 

Marine Corps 

• Inspirational father figure who changed the 

lives of many young athletes 

JAMES C. SCHUBERT ’67 

Manchester, New Hampshire 

• Quarterback for Panthers from 1966-67 

• Led Ferrum to the semi-finals of the 

Junior College National Championship 

• Named Junior College All-American and 

All-Region X Team as quarterback 

• Went from Ferrum to Wake Forest 

University where he starred as a linebacker 

and defensive end 

• Named Atlantic Coast Conference Player 

of the Week vs. the University of Virginia 

• Served as an assistant football coach in the 

Wake Forest freshman program 

• 1971 graduate of Wake Forest 

• Head football coach for Central High 

School from 1989-present 

• Continues to serve youth with Schubert 

Football Camp, Inc. in New Hampshire 

• Director of Alternative High School for 

Manchester School District 

• Member of Manchester Sports Hall of 

Fame and Central High Hall of Fame 

DONNIE L. BROWN ’66 

Staunton, Virginia 

• Played guard on the Panther’s 1964-65 and 

1965-66 basketball championship teams 

• Named Mr. Ferrum 

• Member of Phi Theta Kappa, National Honor 

Society and Honor Council 

• President of Student Council 

• After Ferrum, named a Moreland Scholar at 

Randolph-Macon College—the first full 

scholarship given to a transfer student in 

136 years 

• 1972 graduate of University of Virginia with a 

graduate degree in industrial psychology 

• Member of Omicron Delta Kappa 

• Worked at DuPont for 20 years as manager of 

industrial training 

• Author of nine books in the field of industrial 

training and designed eight training facilities 

• International motivational speaker 

• For 21 years carried the “Rock That Went to 

Georgia” around the country telling about the 

miracle of the 1965 Football Champions 

8 FERRUM MAGAZINE

SPORTS HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES 

EDWARD H. WITT ’64 

Hermitage, Tennessee 

• Member of the Ferrum track team for two 

years, competing in long jump, triple 

jump and sprints 

• Established Ferrum records in the 

long jump and triple jump 

• After Ferrum, established the College of 

William and Mary indoor long jump 

record and sprint relay records 

• Established Virginia collegiate record in 

the long jump 

• Nationally ranked in the long jump (top 12) 

• The first and only AA coach in Virginia to 

win state titles in cross country, indoor 

track and outdoor track in the same season 

• While at Nelson County High School, won 

nine state titles in indoor and outdoor 

track and cross country 

• Won first Virginia High School League 

Ring award for state championship 

• Coached SEC champions at the 

University of Alabama 

• Coached eight Olympians in a six year 

period at Alabama 

• Coached 17 Olympians and 57 All- 

Americans throughout career 

• Served as U.S. Track Athletics Congress 

representative for the southern region in 

the long jump, 1988-93 

• Published articles in major journals on 

technique, strength and power for all sports 

DON MEREDITH ’60 

Fincastle, Virginia 

• Played Ferrum baseball and basketball 

for two years 

• Second leading scorer in basketball 

sophomore year 

• Went from Ferrum to Lynchburg College to earn 

a bachelor’s degree 

• Head basketball coach of Floyd County High 

School, where he also served as assistant varsity 

football coach and head track coach 

• 1964 District VI Champions at Floyd County 

High School in basketball, track and golf 

• Liberty High School 1966 and 1967 Blue Ridge 

Champions in golf 

• 1968 State Runner-Up in golf at Liberty 

High School 

• Named head basketball coach at Lord Botetourt 

in 1976, compiled a win/lost record of 255-169 

• Led Lord Botetourt Cavaliers to eight district 

championships, made 11 trips to regional 

tournaments and twice played in Group AA state 

basketball tournaments 

• Earned 300 th victory December 1991 

• Finished career with over 340 wins 

• Honored by Senate of Virginia for coaching 

achievement organizations 

Nomination 

time is here 

The Ferrum College Alumni 

Sports Hall of Fame Nominations 

Committee is looking for former 

Ferrum College athletes who have 

been out of college for at least ten 

years; excelled in one or more 

sports; and exemplified the highest 

ideals of intercollegiate athletics, 

sportsmanship, and the spirit 

of Ferrum’s motto “Not Self, 

But Others.” Nominations are 

due in the Alumni Office 

by June 30, 2002. 

Please include the following 

information: name, class year, 

address and phone number, 

sport(s) involvement as a student 

at Ferrum (including position, 

special recognitions received, etc.), 

sport(s) involvement since leaving 

Ferrum, career highlights and 

community involvement since 

leaving Ferrum. 

Send nominations to Alumni 

Office, PO Box 1000, Ferrum, VA 

24088 or alumni@ferrum.edu. 

FERRUM MAGAZINE 9


Photo by G. Steve Jordan

IN THE Dr. CLASSROOM: 

Cy Dillon, III 

Library Director 

By Lisa J. Bowling 

The disharmony of laughter and verbal sparring. The computer bank 

keyboards’ clatter. The crossfire of newcomer greetings. The musty 

sounds of a mausoleum relegated to yesteryear. With his door 

customarily wide open, Dr. Cy Dillon, III, library director and 

Academic Support division chair, revels in the controlled chaos of The 

Paper Chase archetype run amok. 

Head of Public Services George Loveland equates it to “an open 

marketplace of ideas. The academic equivalent of the barbershop. It is 

a place where you can try out new ideas.” 

The twirl of voices, dancing through intellectual exchange, belies a 

1985 administrative mandate to Dillon to quiet the setting for a more 

scholarly–read staid–atmosphere. The 60 computers now spanning 

cyberspace give no hint of a time when there was only one Apple IIE 

at his–and the campus’s–disposal. In those days, book checkout and 

usage statistics were done manually. Fees were still levied as late fines. 

And Dillon, as the new director, sans a library degree, was determined 

to learn on the job. 

After a four-year stint as Ferrum’s Associate Dean, charged with 

leading the school’s conversion to a baccalaureate–conferring school, 

Dillon met his new role with skepticism and thoughts of returning to 

his previous work in public education. Within months, however, his 

enthusiasm grew to voluminous proportions. It was an early lesson, 

one he hasn’t forgotten: Sometimes the work one gets is better than 

the role one picks. 

Loveland maintains Dillon’s lack of formal library training allows 

him to see opportunities where others see impossibilities. “He never 

gets bogged down in what we can’t do. He formulates ideas as a user, 

scholar and a teacher.” Dillon explains, “I learn a lot about how to 

make a library work by listening to the students.” 

The challenges of being a library director today are complex. 

Dillon finds that one of his major roles is to identify emerging 

applications for learning. He has witnessed the move from bound 

works into e-books, and from massive main frames to wireless 

hardware and portable personal digital assistants (PDAs). “We now 

have to work not only in our physical library space, but also in 

cyberspace, where there’s so much information.” 

“Things are becoming more condensed, more a matter of navigating 

cyberspace than of controlling space.” Subject matter will become more 

accessible, less cumbersome and easier to use. “But our job will still be 

to help students understand how to find and use that information.” 

“Cy foremost is a teacher,” Loveland offers. “He is an effective 

administrator, but when he faces a situation in which the administrative 

duties compete with the needs of students, the students get the 

attention. He always remembers what we are really here for.” 

Dillon values this role. “The great thing about a job like this is that 

we work with students. We’re not exalted in a sense of lecturing from 

a platform. We’re not administrators who make rules. We’re someone 

who will teach a class, but we’ll also sit down and help the students 

work through problems.” 

“Our goal is to know [students’] names, greet them, find out what 

they need and help them find it.” He is especially proud that “they trust 

us to help them when we can and to find someone for them when we 

can’t. Even small colleges usually don’t give that level of attention.” 

“While others on campus are debating decisions, he has always stayed 

focused on the needs of students,” says Loveland. “High speed printers, 

new chairs, new books and databases, free microfilm copies: all were 

student suggestions that Cy responded to...I think that the changes he 

has made are driven...by staying in tune with students’ needs.” 

“Learn what the history is, but don’t become a slave to it,” 

Dillon elaborates, “There is little sadder than those intimidated 

by technology, who present themselves as purists. Quill pens 

aren’t generally the writing tool of choice. Now, neither is a ball point 

pen or manual typewriter...A good craftsperson can adjust to the 

changing technologies.” 

“It’s really exciting to know that our students, in a rural setting, 

peaceful surrounding ...still have the information resources they 

would have at a Columbia or a University of Virginia. It’s one of the 

great things about technology: it lets us feel really first rate, not just 

in the service we provide, but in the resources we can use.” 

Dillon must be credited for many of those resources, initiating and 

fostering higher education cooperative ventures that have benefited 

thousands of students. In his first years at Stanley Library, he worked 

with Virginia Intermont and Emory and Henry Colleges to form 

SWING or Southwest Information Network Group, as a means to 

reduce his purchase costs and increase his holdings. SWING is now 

one of the largest, multitype library buying consortiums in the United 

States, with more than 100 member library systems. 

Working through the Virginia Independent College and University 

Library Association (VICULA), he brokered a partnership with 16 

private colleges around Virginia, allowing each of them access to 

more than 6,000 newspapers, magazines and business reports through 

the Dow Jones service for only $2,000 annually. Another recent 

example, an Appalachian College Association Mellon Grant provided 

a phenomenal resource return for member libraries. Investing 

only $12,000, Ferrum should reap over $100,000 worth of volumes 

and journals. 

Although Dillon claims, “I enjoy the leadership role, but I hate to 

be the center of attention,” he has acted as a professional pacesetter. 

From 1997-1999, he served as the first elected president of VICULA. 

He is immediate past president of the Virginia Library Association, 

where he represented 1,200 members. He also serves as a library 

advocate, lobbying legislators on issues ranging from privacy to 

freedom of information concerns. 

“For a non-librarian, he’s one of the best librarians I’ve ever 

encountered, with an incredible commitment to helping those of us 

in the profession,” declares Nan Seamans, director of instruction for 

Virginia Tech’s University Libraries. “He’s well-known to many 

around the state and the region as a knowledgeable and caring 

librarian, as well as a good friend.” 

Dillon muses, “I think about this a lot...I don’t think I could have 

developed a sense of contributing to an institution in quite the same 

way anywhere else, because here I’m not locked into doing one thing. 

I’ve been able to participate in so much.” 

“Ferrum gave me a chance to discover my real potential, the same 

way it does for students like my son, Jim. Here it is, if you can do it. 

What an exciting situation to be in! Usually you don’t get that kind 

of chance to grow. I have really loved being here for the last 20 years. 

...This is the perfect environment.” 

FERRUM MAGAZINE 11

FOUNDATIONS 

of a legacy 

By Diane Hailey ’98 

“ 

I’ve essentially been another set of eyes, another heart, and another spirit 

for Ferrum. I hope that Jerry will not be remembered solely for the tangible 

evidence of his successes, but for the dedication and loyalty that he has for 

young people and his unwavering high standard he has for himself and for 

Ferrum College. 

“ 

“ 

“ 

“ 

” 

Shirley Boone, Ferrum College First Lady 

Jerry Boone had a strong influence on Ferrum’s achievement and 

progress during the last decade and a half. He became President when 

Ferrum was searching for an identity, and he helped Ferrum move to a 

position of respect and recognition as a four-year institution. His legacy 

will show the development of a sound fiscal policy, a program of new and 

improved bricks and mortar, and a significant expanding of the endowment 

of Ferrum College. 

” 

William Bales, Chairman, Ferrum College Board of Trustees 

Jerry Boone will never retire. He never will be out of higher education. 

He’ll always have his hands and heart in higher education, he’ll just get paid 

less. Luckily, Jerry has a great sense of humor. 

” 

David Joyce, president of Union College, Kentucky, 

former SGA president at Pfeiffer University 

Dr. Jerry Boone was instrumental in organizing and developing the ACA. For me, 

he gave me a lot of assistance in the financial area, in budgeting and anticipating expenses. 

I learned much about what I know about the financial oversight of an organization from Jerry. 

Alice Brown, President, Appalachian College Association 

Dr. Boone is a unique administrator in that he has been able to focus on the total campus. 

He spends the time to look at the physical plant, the personnel, and the academic programs. 

He has not only built but has made sure that Ferrum has had the means to maintain what it has. 

Those are the details that many administrators tend to overlook. 

Charles Skinner ’46, Alumni Board of Directors 

” 

” 

Photo by Lynn Ellis 

Jerry and Shirley enjoy the 2001 

Folklife Festival with (left to right) 

daughter Erin, son Derrick, Derrick’s 

wife Kim, granddaughter Mattie, and 

grandson Sam. 

Ferrum Timeline…Looking Back at 15 Years of Fiscal Growth and Campus Changes 

1987• July 1 - Dr. Jerry M. Boone assumes 

position as president 

• Endowment stands at 

$6.3 million 

• Dr. Boone reinstates Fall Break 

• Dr. Boone approves Student 

Media Constitution 

1988 

1989 

• Endowment at $7.6 million 

• Dr. Boone formally inaugurated 

• WFFC-FM enters 

the airwaves 

• Bookstore completed 

(First new building 

since 1974) 

• Ferrum Founder’s Day 

marks 75 th anniversary 

• Teacher Education Program 

approved by the commonwealth 

• Franklin Hall renovation 

complete 

12 FERRUM MAGAZINE

The Beginning 

A long-time friend at the University of Virginia nominated him for 

the job at Ferrum. “My field is higher education and that includes 

looking at the management of the over 4,000 colleges and 

universities that we have in this country, so I’ve always known a lot 

of people in education,” says Dr. Annette Gibbs, professor and 

director of the Center for Higher Education at the University of 

Virginia. “When I found out that Ferrum was looking for a new 

president, Jerry came immediately to mind. He always stood out 

to me as really appreciating the work of the United Methodist 

Church in small colleges.” “Because Jerry took the unlikely path to 

college presidency positions from a teaching background instead 

of the usual fundraising and business background, he has a passion 

for making a positive difference in the lives of students,” 

Dr. Jerry M. Boone Retires to North 

Carolina While Ferrum Enjoys the 

Fruits of 15 Years of High Standards 

all these years.” Earnhardt continues, “Enrollment-driven institutions 

like Ferrum keep their presidents remarkably busy with the development 

duties, and it’s almost impossible to stay close to faculty and students.” 

A First Look 

By most accounts Ferrum College was not in top shape when Boone 

arrived at his post. Many of the buildings on the 75-year old campus 

were in superficial disrepair, the football team was still picking up rocks 

off Adams field as a pre-game tradition and none of the parking lots were 

professionally paved. 

Boone also noticed that the campus did not have much space for 

students’ social interaction, outside of 

continued Gibbs, who is also a former member of the Ferrum 

College Board of Trustees. 

The Present 

Boone’s former faculty colleague at Pfeiffer, and future colleague in 

the retired ranks, Eugene Earnhardt, has known the Boone family 

for over thirty years “Jerry and Shirley have always loved being 

around young people. When Jerry was Dean of Students at Pfeiffer 

in the mid-70s, he and Shirley would bring the resident assistants 

and resident directors up to Gerton, NC, for a retreat every summer. 

That’s how he fell in love with the Asheville area and came to build 

here and eventually settle in for retirement.” 

“Although,” Earnhardt laughs, “It’ll take a long time for Jerry to 

really relax. He may have to take a relaxation class this fall, and I 

don’t see Jerry taking up golf anytime soon.” 

“He’ll be back at work with young people within a year,” predicts 

Earnhardt, “I know he’s missed being in the classroom with students 

the residence 

halls. “I had 

teenagers 

myself, so I 

saw the need 

for the students 

to have a place 

just to sit around 

and watch movies 

together. That’s why the 

first building I broke ground 

for was the bookstore. That took 

the bookstore out of Lower Franklin so that we could build an area there 

for a student center. The wonderful evening programs and movie nights 

in the Panther’s Den that we have now is exactly what I envisioned that 

space to be. I’ve always worked with the feeling that if students, faculty 

and staff are given the space to grow, then they will.” 

1990 

• Rex Stephenson 

takes “Jack Tales” 

to England 

• Endowment stands 

at $9.1 million 

• Riddick Hall 

renovation complete 

• Cafeteria renovation 

complete 

• SIFE launched 

1991 

• Record-breaking fundraising 

year with $2.4 million raised 

• Ferrum is Charter Member 

of Bonner Scholar 

Program 

• Endowment at $21 million 

• Grousbeck Music Center completed 

• Last Associate’s Degrees awarded 

1992 

• Women’s softball 

field installed 

• Ferrum receives largest 

gift ever - $12 million 

from R. Stuart Moore 

Estate 

FERRUM MAGAZINE 13

Changes 

Ferrum has had its growing pains to go with 

its success. No other president in Ferrum’s 

history has had to make the number of 

difficult decisions that Boone has made over 

the past 15 years. From his decision to sell 

the College consignment shop, to the sale of 

beloved Stoneleigh in 1988, to the decision 

to cut the equestrian and field hockey 

programs in 2000, Boone has made moves 

for the sake of the College that have been 

painful for him. Hard decisions for a 

president to make, hard decisions for the 

alumni to stand behind, but in the long run, 

good decisions for Ferrum. “Sometimes I 

look back and it seems like to become so 

strong financially (Ferrum is among the top 

20% of colleges and universities nationwide, 

in terms of endowment), we’ve had to 

change so much as an institution, but then, 

overall, this place hasn’t really changed at all. 

The people are just as dedicated, many 

professors are still here, the students arrive 

the last week of August and the Folklife 

Festival is still the fourth Saturday in 

October. These are the things that make 

Ferrum a special place,” says Boone. 

The Motto 

Boone has been a beacon for the mission, 

“Not Self, But Others.” In 1990, he worked 

with the Bertram F. and Corella Bonner 

Foundation to include Ferrum in the 

chartering of the Bonner Scholar program, 

which provides scholarships for Ferrum 

students who make voluntary service a major 

component in their college experience. 

Further, every capital improvement has 

been made with the students in mind. 

“Through the years, I never thought that all 

the new buildings that I 

was breaking ground for 

and dedicating would 

automatically make 

Ferrum a better place. 

Ferrum has always been a 

great place to be because 

of the dedication of its 

people. But I saw a real 

need to bring our great 

people a place to be proud 

of and to bring an old 

campus into the modern 

world. Ferrum has always 

been proud of its roots, 

but I didn’t see it as an 

affront to Dr. Beckham 

and Dr. Arthur to bring in 

an era of improvement to 

the facilities. I think they 

would be proud of the 

present campus and the 

improvements that have 

been made over the last 

few years.” 

Dr. Boone’s presence 

here will long be remembered in the brick 

and mortar that he leaves behind as well as 

the deep commitment he has re-established 

with the Methodist Church. “The Methodist 

Women formed this great place and I saw 

the opportunity to refocus on the Methodist 

mission of the school. Through our students, 

faculty, and staff, we have revived the true 

meaning of ‘Not Self, But Others.’” 

Vice President for Business Affairs Bobby 

Thompson ’70 recalls a defining image of 

Dr. Boone’s presidency in Boone’s 1992 

announcement of the R. Stuart Moore gift, 

which turned out to be valued at $12 million 

“The (R. Stuart) Moore gift...was based on his faith in 

and respect for the President in continuing the ideals of 

Ferrum’s mission.” 

Vice President for Business Affairs Bobby Thompson ’70 (right) 

and included one of the largest art collections 

given to any small private college. “The 

Moore gift represented a personal triumph 

for Dr. Boone, since part of Mr. Moore’s 

decision was based on his faith in and respect 

for the President in continuing the ideals of 

Ferrum’s mission,” says Thompson. 

The almost 200 Bonner Scholars who 

have passed through, leaving their mark, the 

students who so diligently heed the calling to 

the church through the Christian Ministries 

program, and the chartering of Alpha Phi 

Omega, the national service fraternity, to 

name just a few, all point to a common 

Photo by Billy Howard 

1993 

• Roberts Hall and Hillcrest 

renovations complete 

• Education program selected 

for Innovation in Teacher Education 

Award from Commonwealth 

1994 

• First Williams Endowed 

Professorship in the 

Humanities named 

• Fitness Center 

completed 

1995 

• Ferrum hosts National 

United Methodist 

Student Forum 

• Multicultural Education 

program established 

• Blue Ridge Institute 

and Museum 

building dedicated 

• First Performing Arts 

Scholarships awarded 

• Ferrum Edition performs 

at Kennedy Center 

• Department of Public 

Safety established 


Fitness Center dedication

thread with Ferrum students. “Our students 

and alumni, who have heard the words of 

Dr. Beckham call them to think of the world 

around them, are the heart of Ferrum,” 

Boone proudly confirms. 

The Endowment 

An institution’s endowment is its savings 

account. Ideally, a college or university funds 

its scholarships and operating expenses off 

the interest without cutting into the 

principal. Endowed gifts are unique in that 

they always have a supporting hand under an 

institution’s portfolio as the gift is essentially 

never spent. 

“The College was facing real financial 

problems when I first arrived and, while we 

didn’t know it then, the country was well on 

its way into a recession. The endowment was 

at a little over $6 million, and the College 

needed some firm direction. Those first few 

years were spent fundraising and making 

contacts and positioning Ferrum in the 

minds of foundations and major donors, so 

that they would see Ferrum as a valuable 

investment of their charitable giving and 

grants. Many people and companies, in this 

region and beyond, began putting more 

stock in Ferrum, and we’ve lived up to those 

expectations as we continually produce 

successful graduates. Major donors and large 

corporations look for a return on their 

investment in the quality of students who 

graduate from an institution of higher 

learning. Ferrum is showing the region and 

the world that we are using our resources 

and talents wisely and that is proven in 

dollars and cents when you look at the 

growth of the endowment over the past few 

years,” Boone asserts. 

Just Ferrum College, Please. 

One of Boone’s primary goals seemed 

simple— to drop the Junior from Ferrum 

College, but Boone’s dedication to bringing 

Ferrum into the 21st century as a four-year 

college was quite an endeavor. “When I first 

arrived on campus, one of the first things I 

noticed were the Ferrum Junior College seals 

still on the doors of several campus buildings. 

I thought that was so strange because 

Ferrum had been a four-year school for ten 

years. I knew then that the identity change 

would have to begin at home, here on 

campus. I wanted the world to get to know 

Ferrum as Ferrum College. Making the 

transition made the Junior College degrees 

stronger for alumni in the working world 

and helped make Ferrum stronger as a 

campus.” 

Those days were controversial, though. 

One of the last pieces of that puzzle to fall 

into place was dropping the Junior Conference 

schedule and begin playing a full, fouryear 

schedule in athletics. “That was 

challenging for our athletic teams who had 

dominated the JuCo for years, and it was 

tough on the coaches to make that major 

change,” added Boone. 

Former Head Football Coach and Ferrum 

College Athletic Director Hank Norton 

agrees, “We were uneasy about changing to 

the full, four-year athletics schedule. Not 

only did we make the change, we did it in 

one year. Most colleges take four years to 

phase in a whole new schedule. But it was 

the best thing for Ferrum. When we played 

JuCo, the athletes had to transfer out after 

two years. Once the College went to fouryear, 

we could keep those athletes, the David 

Harpers and Anthony Drakefords, for their 

whole careers. We didn’t have to let go of the 

talent we cultivated.” 

The change allowed growth for the faculty 

as well. In the classroom, moving into fullfledged, 

four-year status forced many 

professors to go back to school and finish 

their doctorates, due to the accreditation 

requirements as a four-year school. “I 

worked hard to make sure that through 

grants and continuing education opportunities, 

we gave our faculty the means to reach 

the highest levels of education in their own 

fields,” Boone points out. 

The Campaign for Ferrum 

In 1998, Boone took the helm of another 

daunting task, taking full professional 

responsibility for Ferrum’s first-ever comprehensive 

capital campaign, The Campaign for 

Ferrum College. While many colleges and 

universities are staffed with teams of 

fundraisers who may work exclusively on a 

capital fundraising campaign, Boone set out 

on the road less traveled by Ferrum. 

Supported by and partnering with the 

College’s Institutional Advancement Office 

and the Board of Trustees, and with 

fundraising consultants advising a smaller 

goal, Boone and Ferrum College steadily 

worked toward the $13 million goal. The 

challenge grew in dollars, while the 

fundraising period was truncated by 18 

months. Boone is pleased with the monetary 

accomplishments of the campaign and 

support that so many have given for Ferrum 

students. 

Part of the $3 million Facilities Priorities 

goal, within the Campaign, will fund the 

Stanley Library expansion. Boone has been 

the vision’s architect, overseeing the planning 

• Fiber optic network installed 

in all buildings 

• Basketball court improvement and 

new bleachers installed in Swartz gym 

• Computers installed in every 

residence hall room 

1996 

• E. Taylor Greer Gallery 

opens in Stanley Library 

• Endowment at 

$33.5 million 

• First Snow Ball dance 

1997 

• First Year Experience 

program initiated 

• First Women’s 

Leadership Conference 

• Garber Hall’s Agroecology 

wing opens 

1998 

• Christian Ministries 

Initiative begins 

• “The Hill” units torn down 

to pave way for new athletic field 

• Norton Field House 

improvements complete 

FERRUM MAGAZINE 15

and financial foundation for the project, slated to begin in late 2002. “I’m leaving the library 

expansion project in good hands. We’ve had our setbacks, construction-wise, on the project, 

but Ferrum has learned quite a bit in the process. We’ve certainly learned that the current 

foundation of the patio, attached to the library, cannot hold up a two-story brick addition,” 

Boone chuckles, characteristically finding the lighter side of life’s challenges. 

The Legacy 

Tough financial decisions, his focus on building and maintaining a modern campus and 

bringing Ferrum into public view as a four-year college has put Ferrum into position for greater 

growth. “Being an outsider, but following Ferrum these 15 years, I can see the changes in 

Ferrum that Jerry and Shirley have made. When we stand back for a couple of years, the 

cumulative and incremental impact that they have made on Ferrum will become even more 

apparent,” says Earnhardt. 

"Dr. Boone will be remembered as the president who moved Ferrum's endowment 

from $6.3 million to over $40 million. He led the first, very successful $l3 million comprehensive 

capital campaign paving the way for his successors. Jerry Boone has safeguarded a legacy 

for students, present and future," says Betty Forbes, chair of the Board of Trustees, 1998-2000. 

The Future 

The Boones’ will take their memories of Ferrum with them to Gerton, NC, just outside of 

Asheville, where they will enjoy their family and young grandchildren. Nominations to fill 

other presidencies began to come in 2001, a full year before his retirement, but he says he was 

never interested in taking on another challenge like a new presidency. “I’m too old to start over, 

and that wouldn’t be fair to my family. Being a college president is a tough job that I can’t leave 

at the office at 5 o’clock every day.” 

(Top ) Andre Williams ’99 explains “foam 

sculpture” to the Boones during Family Weekend. 

Ferrum College Archives 

(Left) Circa early 1990s Mrs. Gilda Woods meets 

her predecessors. Here, Dr. Boone introduces her 

to both his former executive secretaries, Mrs. Ida 

Taylor from Westminster College and Mrs. Theresa 

Newman from Pfeiffer University. 

(Bottom) Dr. Boone visits with Charles Skinner ’46 

during an annual Alumni Weekend event. 

1999 

• New Land Use 

Plan conceptualized 

• Fall Dean’s List 

highest ever with 20% 

of students listed 


2000 

• Ferrum students complete 

7th Habitat for 

Humanity house 

• Korean Student 

Recruitment 

Program established 

• Subway opens in Lower 

Franklin Hall 

• Nov. 10 - Capital Campaign 

public kickoff and Gala/ 

announcement of a 

$1 million gift by faculty 

member Col. E.G. Skeens, Jr. 

2001 

• Endowment $41 

million, among top 

500 colleges and 

universities in U.S. 

• Several athletics 

facility improvements 

complete 

• Jack Tales celebrate 

25 years 

• Nine Ferrum alumni 

serve on Board of Trustees 

• Ferrum’s first national 

fraternity (APO) chartered 

2002 

• New president, 

Dr. Jennifer L. Braaten, 

named at March Board 

of Trustees meeting 

• The Campaign for 

Ferrum College ends 

June 30, 2002 

• Dr. Boone retires, 

June 30, 2002 

• Stanley Library addition 

begins construction

Dr. Boone’s memories: 

Of Ferrum Alumni: 

There are three sets of Ferrum alumni, the Training School, the Junior 

College and the baccalaureate institution. Each group has its own 

unique attachments to the College, but there is a common thread. All 

have been deeply touched by Ferrum faculty and staff members. Their 

lives changed while they were here and their stories, whether funny or 

soulful, always reflect the feelings that Ferrum played a big role in who 

they turned out to be.” 

Of Ferrum Athletics: 

“Athletics is an important reason for many students to begin college, then 

it’s always our hope that their attention will turn, over the four years, to 

their careers and how they’ll live life after college. Being a Division III 

school is good for our students. Division III keeps athletics in the proper 

perspective to the academic program.” 

Of the Last Days: 

“Really the whole last year is the last days. There are many things 

that a college president only has the opportunity to do once a year, 

like the December graduation ceremonies, the Alpha Mu Gamma 

inductions, Commencement. As I do these things for the last time 

it’s hard. Now, there are things that I’ve been very happy to do 

for the last time, such as the budget. That’s not something that 

I’m going to miss.” 

Of the Students: 

“Shirley and I have always enjoyed watching young people grow 

and mature. Our fondest memories of Ferrum will be of the students. 

We marvelled each year at how they took advantage of their 

educational opportunities and went from fledgling freshmen 

to confident graduates, ready for the world.” 

Of the Faculty: 

“I’m particularly proud of the faculty we have on campus and 

our ability to bring in new talent to the classrooms, as well. 

For a small college to have the spectrum of experience, expertise, 

energy and mentorship that Ferrum has is unique, and it shows 

in our graduates. Certainly, the endowed Williams Professorship 

has served the college well in that respect, too. Very few colleges of 

Ferrum’s size have an endowed visiting professorship each year 

to add to the breadth of the curriculum and to offer students 

such depth of experience and scholarship.” 

All photos this page by Billy Howard 

FERRUM MAGAZINE 17

Gilda Woods ’92 Looks Back at 27 Years of Ferrum Service 

By Donita Hooker 

The Spilman Daniel house is a flurry of activity. The phones are ringing, and admissions counselors are bustling in the hallways, directing workstudy 

students and exchanging information. Director of Admissions Gilda Quinn Woods ’92 takes time out to talk about her life at Ferrum. “I 

love working with young people,” says Woods. “If anyone wants to feel young, they should surround themselves with the energy of young people 

every day. That’s my job. The average age of my staff members is probably 26, and the average age of the prospective students I talk to everyday is 

17,” laughs Woods, who won’t disclose her age but will proudly admit she has worked for Ferrum for 27 years. 

Few people know Ferrum in the comprehensive way Woods knows it. “I started work here right out of high school. Ferrum has always been a 

great place to work in Franklin County, and even when I was young and didn’t think I could afford to go to college, I knew higher education was 

a great place to be.” 

Woods worked her way up from those early years as clerical support, proving herself as a great organizer, motivator and leader. Through the 

years she has worked in the business office, the alumni and development offices and the president’s office. She served as executive secretary in the 

President’s office and as assistant to the president, essentially his right hand. “As I grew within the college and worked with donors and alumni, I 

really began to see what Ferrum meant to students, alumni and the community. That’s when I decided to work toward my degree and really be 

part of the Ferrum family.” Woods studied hard while working at Ferrum, taking classes to gain her bachelor’s degree in business administration 

in 1992. 

Enrollment in small colleges across the nation is challenging. Small, enrollment-driven institutions keep their admissions departments busy 

attracting and securing the students needed to keep the college functioning. “Every day we seek out students who will be a good fit for Ferrum. 

We go into the high schools and community colleges looking for those 

students who will not only bring their own experience but who will 

appreciate that special Ferrum experience.” 

“Gilda gives herself to this job 100%. She has that great combination of 

being a person that you naturally want to work hard for, and she’s also 

incredibly attached to Ferrum College. Gilda has a unique way of seeing 

potential in every student, and even beyond that, she has the vision to see 

the Ferrum alumnus in every student,” says Melissa Bowling ’98, admissions 

counselor. 

Woods is also proving herself as a campus and admissions innovator. She 

has overseen several new programs to make Ferrum financially attainable 

to students and families. The Legacy Scholarship program initiated in 

2000 gives a $2000 scholarship to the children of alumni. The new 

Commonwealth Award gives students who do not qualify for other merit 

scholarships a chance to take another $3000 off the tuition. “I really love 

to see alumni involved in recruitment. When a student comes to an Open 

House and says that a Ferrum graduate recommended Ferrum, it is 

wonderful. That’s how we came up with the Alumni Referral Program,” 

says Woods. 

Woods continues, “Our goal in admissions is not just a number, our 

goal is for every student to one day be a Ferrum alumnus.” 

“The unique thing about admissions is that every graduate who says 

‘Ferrum changed my life,’ started here.” 

Woods looks over the latest student viewbook with freshmen Crystal Mitchell ’05. 

The Ferrum College Alumni Referral Program Pass this coupon along to a student you think should be a Panther. 

I am pleased to refer _____________________________ for consideration for admission to Ferrum College and 

hereby issue this application fee waiver. 

Printed Name and Class Year of Alumnus ________________________________ Date of Referral ________ 

Alumnus’ phone number ( _________) ____________________________ 

Attach this referral to your Ferrum College Admissions Application, and your application fee will be waived. Obtain 

your Ferrum College Admissions Application from the Admissions link at www.ferrum.edu, e-mail 

admissions@ferrum.edu to request an application, or call 1-800-868-9797. 

18 FERRUM MAGAZINE

Alumni News 

50 Year Club Happenings 

Ferrum alumni met on November 8, at The Cascades 

restaurant in Williamsburg and enjoyed Ferrum memories and 

catching up with one another. 

Ray Corron (right) discusses his strategy for the day with Corron Classic 

sponsors, Reggie Webb and Steve Smith representing Collinsville Printing. 

10 th Annual Corron Classic 

A brisk fall day added to the great atmosphere at the 10 th annual 

Corron Classic Golf Tournament. The Modified Captain’s Choice 

tournament, to benefit the Ferrum College Golf Team, was held on 

Friday, October 26, at the Westlake Golf and Country Club in Hardy. 

Sixteen teams participated. 

The Richmond Chapter 

The 50 Year Club gathered at Marian and Charles Skinner’s ’48 new 

home at 7090 Covenant Woods Drive, Apt. D-302, Mechanicsville, 

23111. Helpers and visitors were (in alphabetical order): Mac 

Abernathy ’45 and wife Ann; Ema Johnson Clapp ’44; Rawleigh and 

Alva Clary ’47; Margaret Johnson Cramer ’47; Spike Haynee ’47; 

James Haynie ’47; Dot Phillips ’48 and husband Homer; Lindy 

Price ’48 (took picture); Marian and Charles Skinner ’48; Tom and 

Betty Forrest Vance ’46. 

On October 18, the Richmond-area alumni met at Hanover Country 

Club, Ashland. Guest speakers were Col. E.G. Skeens, Jr., assistant 

professor of history; Lydia Odell, director of the Experiential Learning 

Center; Bonner Scholar Jeanne Stephenson ’03. 

FERRUM MAGAZINE 19

Alumni News 

HOMECOMING 2001 

Ferrum alumni brought their American pride to the October 13 Homecoming celebration. 

Students came out to support an Agriculture 

Club barbecue and get in on Homecoming fun. 

(clockwise from left) Amy Robertson ’02, 

Lindsey Moore ’02, Amy Kline ’02, Sheri Estep ’02, 

Lindsay Cox ’02, Derek Woods ’03, Virginia 

Rickert ’05, Lynwoo d Rogers ’02, Krissy Dellis ’02, 

Matthew Covington ’03. 

The Ferrum College men’s tennis team hosted its annual Alumni Match during 

Homecoming Weekend. Participating were: Standing (left-right): Director of 

Development Herbert Lee King, Stacey Allred ’00, Josh Handy ’01, Rod Baker ’05, 

Jeff Stowe ’03, Gary Dahl ’87, Vice President for Institutional Advancement 

Beverly Fitzpatrick ’67. Kneeling (left-right): Head Tennis Coach Gary Holden, Joel 

Higham ’97, Matt Rhodes ’04, Sean Fernando ’05, Bailey Horsley ’05. 

Several members of the Class of 1981 came back 

to campus to celebrate their 20-year reunion with 

friends. (from left) Kirk Brammer ’81, 

Barry Hall ’80, Berkley Mitchell ’81, 

G. Bryan Slater ’82, Mark Palmer ’79, 

Carthan Currin ’84, J. Glynn Loope ’86. 

20 FERRUM MAGAZINE

The 1960s 

Danny M. Perdue ’66, of 

Rocky Mount, was presented 

the Marshall L. Flora, Sr. 

Service Award at the 2001 

Franklin County Chamber of 

Commerce membership and 

awards banquet. 

Richard C. Thompson ’66, of 

Winfield, PA, is employed by 

the FBI as a special agent. 

Del. Allen W. Dudley ’67, 

of Rocky Mount, has been 

reelected for his fifth two-year 

term in the Virginia House 

of Delegates. Dudley serves 

as delegate for the ninth 

legislative district. 

Beverly T. Fitzpatrick, Jr. ’67, 

of Roanoke, has been elected as 

Chairman of Blue Ridge Public 

Television. WBRA covers 

14,000 square miles in Central, 

Southside and Southwest 

Virginia. 

John G. Kines, Jr. ’68 (right), 

of Hopewell, receives the 20- 

year service medal from 

Brigadier General Manuel R. 

Flores, director of the Virginia 

Selective Service office. He 

formerly served as a member of 

the U.S. Selective Service 

Eastern Virginia Appeals Board. 

He was presented a commemorative 

resolution commending 

his 20 years of federal service. 

He is a former member of the 

Ferrum College Alumni Board 

of Directors. 

Class Notes 

Dr. W.C. Williams ’69, of 

Sandston, is employed by the 

Family Practice Center. He is 

a co-founder of the Institute 

for Health and Productivity 

Management, whose mission 

is to study how businesses 

can make health plans 

more efficient. 

The 1970s 

Lana R. Moore ’70, of Drakes 

Branch, is employed by BB&T 

as a banking officer. She is also 

treasurer for the Charlotte 

County unit of the American 

Cancer Society. 

James L. Chitwood, Jr. ’76, of 

Pulaski, was named top selling 

agent for May and June 2001 

for Century 21 Home Town 

Realty. 

Michael A. Knight ’76, of 

Stanley, is managing partner of 

Knight & Lucas Construction. 

Thomas M. Young ’76, of 

Rocky Mount, is employed by 

Franklin County Public Schools. 

He has been selected as Region 

VI 2002 Virginia Teacher of the 

Year. He was the first teacher in 

Franklin County to obtain 

National Teacher Certification. 

Capt. Thomas L. R. Cole, 

III ’78, of Charlottesville, is 

employed by F & M Bank- 

Central Virginia as a branch 

manager. He retired from the 

Army National Guard in 2001. 

He is a Virginia High School 

League baseball umpire. 

Robert A. Ferdon ’78, of 

Wanaque, NJ, is employed 

by Dreyfus Ashby & Co., 

owned by Joseph Drouhin, 

as a regional manager. 

Cindy L. Trivette ’79, of 

Archdale, NC, is employed 

by Guilford County 

Department of Public Health 

as a social worker/child 

services coordinator. 

The 1980s 

Karl E. Liljegren ’80, of 

Portsmouth, is a real 

estate investor. 

Billy Moss ’81, of Ithaca, NY, 

is employed by the Office of 

Family and Children’s Services 

as a youth division aid/guard. 

He has been coaching high 

school football for seven years 

in Ithaca. 

Susan Shiflett Weisgerber ’82, 

of Rocky Mount, is the new 

executive director for the 

Franklin County Chamber 

of Commerce. 

Amy C. Cosner ’86, of 

Roanoke, is employed by the 

YWCA as North Lakes Swim 

Club manager. 

David B. Warstler ’86, of 

Hazard, KY, is employed 

by Kroger as a store manager. 

He and his wife, Lee Ann, 

have two children 

Laurel (5) and Ryan (2). 

Jeffrey T. Morris ’88, of 

Roanoke, is the general 

manager of The Ice Station. 

Timothy G. Sims ’88, of 

Boones Mill, is employed by 

Booker T. Washington National 

Monument as a park ranger. He 

is responsible for managing the 

park’s “Interpretive Farm 

Program.” He is also involved 

in researching, designing and 

presenting programs both at the 

park and off-site. 

The 1990s 

Gregory S. Emerson ’90, of 

Roanoke, is employed by 

Roanoke City as chief deputy 

commissioner in the city’s 

Commissioner of Revenue 

office. He was recently featured 

on the Lifetime Channel’s 

“Beyond Chance,” in a 

story about his lost and 

recovered class ring. 

L. Grayson Throckmorton, 

Jr. ’90, of Dinwiddie, is 

employed as Dinwiddie’s head 

football coach. 

Sarah M. Ford ’92, of Arlington, 

is employed by the law firm 

of Howrey Simon Arnold & 

White, LLP, in Washington, 

DC, as the legal recruitment 

coordinator. 

John F. Williamson ’92, of 

Ashland, is employed by 

Degremont North America 

Research and Development as a 

project chemist. He is married 

to Donna Scott Williamson ’93. 

Santina L. Douglas ’93, of 

Essington, PA, is employed by 

US Airways as a flight attendant. 

Janine M. Jakubcik ’93, of 

Arlington, is employed by 

Georgetown University as a 

program coordinator. 

Callis W. West ’93, of 

Midlothian, is employed by 

Chesterfield County Schools 

as a teacher. 

FERRUM MAGAZINE 21

Cynthia Young Farley ’94, of 

Oak Creek, WI, was formerly in 

the Navy Nurse Corp. from 

1997-2001 as a psychiatric and 

emergency room nurse at Great 

Lakes Naval Hospital in Great 

Lakes, IL. 

R. Colgate Selden ’94, of 

Edgewater, MD, passed the 

Maryland Bar Exam and is 

attending Georgetown University. 

Jon D. Morris, Jr. ’94, of 

Roanoke, is employed by the 

Fatherhood and Families 

Program at TAP in Roanoke. He 

is also the co-founder of the 

Reaching Out to Adolescent 

Dads program in Roanoke. He is 

the author of The Road to 

Fatherhood. 

Kimberly E. O’Bryan ’95, of 

Edgewood, MD, recently 

performed in a solo concert in 

Havre de Grace, MD. She also 

has a recording “Kimberly 

O’Bryan in Concert.” 

Christopher L. Ruble ’96, of 

Waynesboro, is employed by the 

Department of Mental Health 

and Substance Abuse in 

Staunton as an advocate. He 

resides in Waynesboro with his 

wife, Holly E. Ruble ’96, and 

son, Caleb Samuel Ruble. Holly 

is employed by Waynesboro 

Juvenile Court as a deputy clerk. 

Jennifer D. Allen ’96, of Rome, 

GA, is employed by Rome City 

Schools as a teacher and 

cheerleading coach. She graduated 

from Jacksonville State 

University with an educational 

specialist degree in educational 

leadership. 

Andrew K. Zadnik ’96, of 

Morgantown, WV, received a 

master’s degree from West 

Virginia University. 

Carol P. Smawley ’96, of 

Boones Mill, is employed by 

the Franklin County School 

System. She recently earned 

national certification from the 

National Board for Professional 

Teaching Standards. 

Kari A. Williams ’96, of 

Madison Heights, is employed 

by the city of Lynchburg 

Department of Social Services in 

the Foster Care Unit. 

Nancy Wenning ’97, of 

Oakland, CA, is employed by 

Science Applications International 

Corporation as an 

environmental scientist. Her 

assignments primarily involve 

working with the Environmental 

Protection Agency on Superfund 

projects and conducting facility 

compliance inspections. 

Bryan Davis ’97 and wife, 

Allison Healy Davis ’97 

brought a group of basketball 

players from Patrick Henry 

High School to campus for 

Family Day fun. Bryan is the 

head basketball coach for Patrick 

Henry. On Bryan’s shoulders is 

son, Parker McKee. 

Christy G. Johnson ’98, of 

Lynchburg, is employed by GE 

Financial Assurance as the field 

communications coordinator. 

Amy Stevens McHeimer ’98, of 

Rocky Mount, is employed by 

Allstate Insurance Company. 

Class Notes 

Kim Perley Robinson ’98, of 

Virginia Beach, is employed by 

First Atlantic Restoration in 

marketing/customer service. 

First Atlantic Restoration 

specializes in fire, water, wind 

and trauma cleanup. 

Day Seriani Niederhauser ’98, 

of Moneta, is employed by 

Daily Grind Restaurant as a 

day manager. 

Daniel R. O’Neil ’98, of Perth 

Plainsboro, NJ, is employed by 

Simpson, Thacher, and Bartlett 

as a paralegal. 

Katherine E. Sullivan ’98, of 

Murfreesboro, TN, is employed 

by Middle Tennessee University 

as an assistant basketball coach. 

Jack C. Hargis ’99, of Fairfax, 

is employed by Aegis as a 

pricing analyst. 

John M. McClintic ’99, of 

Purcellville, is employed by 

Seneca Ridge Middle School as a 

school resource officer. 

Amy Bragg Mutter ’99, of 

Vinton, is employed by 

Whitescarver Engineering 

Co. in Roanoke as a sales 

representative. 

Donna L. Wray ’99, of Rocky 

Mount, was presented the 

Ambassador of the Year 2001 

award from the Rocky Mount 

Chamber of Commerce. 

Gretchen L. Hager ’99, of 

Virginia Beach, is a page 

designer at the Virginian Pilot, 

the largest-circulation newspaper 

in Virginia. 

The 2000s 

Meghan K. Dunmire ’00, of 

Silver Spring, MD, is employed 

by Veridian as a GIS analyst. 

William A. Mooreno ’00, 

of Bristol, is employed by the 

Washington County School 

System. He is a health and 

physical education instructor 

and an assistant football coach. 

Siobhan A. O’Neil ’01, of Old 

Bridge, NJ, is employed by 

Children’s Aide and Family 

Services as a social worker. 

Amanda A. Scott ’01, of 

Ferrum, is employed by Ferrum 

College as the residence 

education secretary. 

James Alan Yankey ’01, of 

Nokesville, is employed by 

Culpeper Farmers Cooperative, 

Inc. He also helps with the dayto-day 

management of Yankey 

Farms and serves on the Fairfax- 

Prince William County Farm 

Bureau Board of Directors. 

Panther 

Weddings 

Muriel A. Roberts ’81 wed John 

Michael Heanue on July 14, 

2001. They reside in Leesburg. 

She is employed by Broad Run 

High School in Ashburn as an 

assistant principal. 

Paul D. Clark ’93 wed Elizabeth 

Ann Eaman on October 5, 

2001. They reside in Royersford, 

PA. He is the senior manager of 

wireless services for ATX/ 

Corecomm Telecommunications 

in Bala Cynwyd, PA. 

22 FERRUM MAGAZINE

Class Notes 

Crystal L. Clinebell ’93 wed 

Charles Canterbury, Jr. on 

September 15, 2001. They reside 

in Salisbury, NC. She is employed 

by Partners in Learning 

CDC. She has an eight-year-old 

stepson, Jonathon. 

Edward Hamilton Jones, 

Jr. ’93, of Amelia, wed Jennifer 

Ledbetter on January 6, 2001. 

He is employed by Southern 

Piedmont Agricultural Research 

and Experiment. 

Kevin B. Anderson ’95 wed 

Laura A. McCallie on September 

29, 2001. They reside in Rocky 

Mount. He is employed by T. 

Anderson and Son Lumber 

Company. Larry T. Anderson ’73 

of Rocky Mount, is father of the 

groom and served as best man. 

Brock Anderson ’02 of Rocky 

Mount, Richard A. Price ’96 

of Portsmouth, and 

Anthony W. Smith ’97 of 

Orange, served as groomsmen. 

Karla R. Godfrey ’96 of 

Pensacola, FL, served as matron 

of honor. 

Alexander DeTrana ’99 of 

Knoxville, TN, wed Nancy L 

Rabalais on December 29, 2001. 

John DeTrana ’93, of Arlington, 

served as groomsman. 

Kevin L. Dunn ’99 wed Juanita 

Nichole Payne ’99 on August 

11, 2001. They reside in 

Richmond. He is employed by 

AT&T Broadband as a solution 

center analyst. She is currently 

working at Theatre IV in 

Richmond. 

Heidi M. Breithoff ’01 wed 

Dwayne Moore on July 14, 

2001. They reside in Bassett. 

Sabrina B. Hitchcock ’01 of 

Argyle, NJ, was the maid of 

honor. Frances Kelly Jarrell ’99, 

of Hampton, was a bridesmaid. 

Future Panthers 

Robert A. Ferdon ’78 and his 

wife Susan, of Wanaque, NJ, 

announce the arrival of their 

son, Edgar Joseph Ferdon, on 

July 21, 2001. 

Lucinda K. Welsh ’87 and her 

husband Mark, of Roanoke, 


daughter, Grace Lauren Welsh, 

on December 3, 2001. 

Stacy Patterson Fike ’93 and 

her husband Matthew, of 

Weyers Cave, announce the 

arrival of their son, Jonas Lane 

Fike, on September 9, 2001. 

Charles W. ’95 and Monica M. 

Bailey ’96, of Chantilly, 


son, Gabriel Alexander Bailey, 

on June 22, 2001. 

Sharon Maxie Pond ’95 and her 

husband Johnny, of Midlothian, 


son, Dylan Everett Pond, on 

September 14, 2001. She is 

employed by Goochland 

County Public Schols as an 

elementary guidance counselor. 

David C. ’96 and Shannon 

Clark Wilbun ’96, of 

Appomattox, announce the 

arrival of their daughter, 

Bethany Caitlin Wilbun, on 

September 1, 2001. 

William Charlton ’97 and his 

wife Maggie, of Chesapeake, 


daughter, Emily Gail Charlton, 

on December 15, 2001. 

Phyllis Cromwell Tinsley ’95 

and her husband Bryant, of 

Richmond, announce the birth 

of their son, Bryant O. Tinsley 

Jr., on August 13, 2001. She is 

employed by GE Financial 

Assurance. 

Justin Putney, Ferrum Class of 

2018, tagged along with parents 

Eric ’88 and Pattie ’89 Putney, 

of Richmond, to the 2001 

Homecoming celebration. 

Emily Mullins Jamison ’97 

and her husband Edward, of 

Henry, announce the arrival 

of their daughter, Taylor 

Elizabeth Jamison, on 

September 25, 2001. 

Russell A. ’97 and Jennifer Cox 

Lundstrum ’97, of Dawsonville, 


son, Brandon Richard 

Lundstrum, on July 4, 2001. 

Kimberly Harlow Lester ’98 

and her husband Scott, of 

Halifax, announce the arrival 

of their son, David Andrew 

Lester, on July 9, 2001. She is 

employed by KB Toys as a 

customer service representative. 

In Memoriam 

Rachel Barksdale Boxley ’29, of 

Stuarts Draft, died November 

30, 2001. 

Henry Angle Menefee ’31, of 

Rocky Mount, died December 

10, 2001. 

Thelma Martin Vest ’39, of 

Roanoke, died November 29, 

2001. 

Roy Clifton Swain ’61, of 

Bassett, died January 1, 2002. 

Dianne Barbour Kester ’64, 

of Martinsville, died September 

18, 2001. 

William Ray Harris ’66, 

of Vinton, died November 

29, 2001. 

Samuel Thomas Collins ’88, 

of Roanoke, died November 9, 

2001. 

Tara Spencer Spradlin ’97, of 

Boones Mill, died July 17, 2001. 

FERRUM MAGAZINE 23

DEVELOPMENT development news NEWS 

Ferrum Hosts National Endowment 

for the Humanities Institute 

By Mark DeWeese 

During the past one hundred 

years, the history and cultural 

traditions of every region in 

the United States have been 

affected by modernization 

and industrialization. How to 

recognize, evaluate and teach 

these issues in a regional 

context will be the focus of a 

four-week institute for college 

and university teachers this 

summer at Ferrum College. 

The institute is made possible 

through a $127,000 grant 

from the National Endowment 

for the Humanities. 

Under the direction of Dr. 

Peter Crow, “Regional Studies 

for Liberal Arts Learning: An 

Appalachian Exemplar” will 

be held June 3 - 28, 2002. 

Ferrum was the only small 

college selected to sponsor 

one of fifteen Institutes to be 

held this year. The others, 

covering a wide range of 

topics in the humanities, will 

be held at institutions such as 

Harvard University, the 

University of Chicago and 

Pennsylvania State University. 

“The Institute will seek 

participants from regions 

throughout the country who 

are interested in how regional 

perspectives comment on 

wider national and global 

issues,” says Crow. 

“Participants in the Institute 

will discover how 

regional material can spark 

the interest of their students, 

and enhance the content of 

mainstream undergraduate 

courses.” 

Participants in the Institute 

will learn first-hand how 

Ferrum College professors 

from a variety of disciplines 

have worked together since 

1996 to develop and teach 

the Appalachian Cluster and 

how to replicate the approach 

in their own setting. The 

Cluster is an interdisciplinary 

module of general education 

courses at Ferrum, all of 

which incorporate Appalachian 

material. Sixteen 

students who enroll in the 

cluster spend one semester 

together and fulfill history, 

sociology, science and English 

requirements by focusing on 

the impact of modernization 

in Appalachia. 

Crow is professor of 

English and chair of the 

Division of Language, 

Literature, Philosophy and 

Religion. Other Institute 

faculty from Ferrum College 

will include Associate Professor 

of History Dr. Dan 

Woods; Assistant Professor of 

Sociology Dr. Susan Mead; 

Professor of Environmental 

Sciences and Biology Dr. 

Carolyn Thomas; Associate 

Professor of English Dr. Tina 

Hanlon; Assistant Professor 

and Public Services Librarian 

Mr. George Loveland; Mr. 

Roddy Moore, Director of 

the Blue Ridge Institute and 

Farm Museum and Assistant 

Director Mr. Vaughan Webb. 

A variety of visiting 

scholars will augment the 

instructional staff. These 

include Dr. Charles Reagan 

Wilson, director of the 

Center for the Study of 

Southern Culture, co-editor 

of the Encyclopedia of Southern 

Culture and editor of The 

New Regionalism; Mr. Clyde 

Kessler, Appalachian poet, 

naturalist and consultant to 

Appalachian writer Sharyn 

McCrumb; Dr. Crandall 

Shifflett, professor of History 

at Virginia Tech and author 

of Coal Towns: Life, Work, and 

Culture in Company Towns of 

Southern Appalachia, 1880- 

1960; Ms. Denise Giardina, 

author of Storming Heaven 

and The Unquiet Earth; Dr. 

Stephen L. Fisher, professor 

of Political Science at Emory 

& Henry College, nationally 

acclaimed undergraduate 

teacher and author of Fighting 

Back in Appalachia: 

Traditions of Resistance and 

Change; Ms. Patricia Johnson, 

African-American performance 

poet and author of 

Stain My Days Blue. 

The Institute Scholars, as 

participants are known, will 

work on curricular or scholarly 

projects related to their 

own region or academic 

institution after coming to 

terms with any number of 

issues that impact regional 

transformation. These issues 

may include, for example, 

environmental degradation; 

the nature of community; 

feminism, and issues of 

justice; religion, music and 

folklore, to name just a few. 

Ferrum College congratulates 

Crow and his interdisciplinary 

team of scholars for 

winning this very competitive 

and influential grant from the 

National Endowment for the 

Humanities. We believe the 

Ferrum community will be 

greatly enriched by the 

presence of the 25 visiting 

scholars and feel certain that 

they and their students will 

benefit for years to come 

because of their immersion in 

the Appalachian experience. 

To learn more about “Regional 

Studies for Liberal Arts 

Learning: An Appalachian 

Exemplar,” visit the Institute’s 

website at www.ferrum.edu/ 

pcrow/neh.htm. 

Mark DeWeese is the 

director of Corporate and 

Foundation Relations. 

24 FERRUM MAGAZINE

Mr. Michael K. Ferguson ’81 

President 

Roanoke (540) 772-2227 

Mr. M. Dana Hunt ’49 

First Vice President 

Danville (434) 792-2830 

Ms. Suzanne M. Robertson ’98 

Second Vice President 

Union Hall (540) 576-2524 

Mrs. Suzanne Booth Bell ’62 

Past President 

Vinton (540) 343-0315 

Mrs. Eunice Spencer Williams ’46 

President, 50 Year Club 

Wilmington, NC (910) 686-3683 

Ms. Jody Adams ’48 

Penhook (540) 576-2936 

Mrs. Marlene Cave Bell ’55 

Coltons Point (301) 769-3154 

Mrs. Carole Lee Fulcher Booth ’63 

Penhook (540) 576-2821 

Ms. Melissa A. Bowling ’98 

Rocky Mount (540) 483-8427 

Mr. Walter Y. Boyd ’49 

Elon College (336) 584-6303 

2001-2002 Alumni Board of Directors 

Mr. Thomas Branin ’91 

Richmond. Number unavailable. 

Mr. Michael T. Capehart ’97 

Midlothian. Number unavailable. 

Mr. Carthan F. Currin, III ’84 

Richmond (804) 786-2272 

Mrs. Ethelyne Fulcher Daniel ’43* 

Danville (434) 792-4567 

Mr. John A. DeTrana ’93 

Arlington (703) 837-0888 

Mrs. Mary Jane Stevens Esperti ’51 

Salem (540) 389-0312 

Ms. Nancy Miles Grandpre ’85 

Reston (703) 787-6515 

Mr. Bruce A. Griffith ’66 

Woolwine (540) 930-2727 

Mr. Ray B. Hundley ’76 

Ferrum (276) 365-7206 

Ms. Shelby J. Irving ’84 

Danville (434) 797-4523 

Mr. Mike Kelley ’96 

Staunton (540) 885-0183 

Mrs. Phyllis Cundiff Lavinder ’73 

Rocky Mount (540) 483-4905 

Mrs. Annie R. Looney ’53 

Roanoke (540) 774-2114 

Mrs. Jane Cumby McAlexander ’55 

Ashland (804) 752-6366 

Ms. Mary V. Pharr ’93 

Reston (703) 467-9784 

Mr. Curtis Ramsey ’29 

Abingdon. Number unavailable. 

Mrs. Janie Helvey Richardson ’42 

Greensboro, NC (336) 574-2326 

Mr. L. Vaden Scott ’62 

Richmond (804) 355-5263 

Mrs. Edith McGhee Sigmon ’46 

Ferrum (540) 365-2297 

Mr. Charles Skinner ’48* 

Mechanicsville (804) 569-8061 

Mr. James H. Williamson ’69 

High Point, NC (336) 454-4429 

*Lifetime member 

MARK YOUR CALENDARS 

FOR THESE FALL EVENTS! 

Saturday, September 14 

FRANKLIN COUNTY APPRECIATION DAY 2002 

Football game at 1:00 p.m. against Emory & Henry 

Saturday, September 28 

FAMILY DAY 2002 

Football game at 1:00 p.m. against Shenandoah 

Saturday, October 12 

HOMECOMING 2002 

Football game at 1:00 p.m. against Guilford, halftime crowning of 

this year’s King and Queen 

Saturday, October 26 

FOLKLIFE FESTIVAL 

Alumni Country Breakfast, Special Alumni Parking, Alumni 

Welcome Center 

Saturday, November 9 

FERRUM COLLEGE SPORTS HALL OF FAME 

Football game at 1:00 p.m. against Salisbury, with special halftime 

ceremony to honor this year’s inductees into the Ferrum College 

Alumni Sports Hall of Fame 

For more information, call the Alumni Office at (540) 365-4216 or 

email alumni@ferrum.edu. To register on-line visit www.ferrum.edu. 

THE FERRUM FUND 

NEEDS YOU! 

The Ferrum Fund has been challenged to boost alumni 

participation to 20% by the end of our fiscal year on June 

30, 2002. Last year, alumni provided the Ferrum Fund 

with 1,240 individual gifts totaling $435,550 toward 

financial aid and scholarships. Alumni participation 

reached 16%. This year, we will need to acquire gifts from 

1,636 alumni to reach our alumni participation challenge. 

Alumni participation is a crucial component for the 

continued growth and success of the College. Tuition 

covers roughly 70% of what it costs to educate the 

students and support our daily operations. The mission 

of the Ferrum Fund is to provide the financial resources 

necessary to respond to the immediate needs of the 

College. Foundations and corporations look to our 

alumni giving percentage when determining whether 

to grant the College additional funds. 

As an alumnus, you know first-hand the significance 

of the Ferrum College experience. Support the Ferrum 

Fund by June 30 and help bring that experience to a 

new generation of the Ferrum Family. 

For more information, please contact Ferrum Fund 

Director Joanna Coleman at 540-365-4310 or by email, 

jcoleman@ferrum.edu.

Shop online. Anywhere. Anytime. 

Visit the Ferrum College 

Online Bookstore. 

• Pillows 

• Tote bags 

• Sportswear 

• Throws 

• Wall hangings 

• Ferrum stationary 

www.ferrumbookstore.com 

Ty’Nesha Jamison ’05 

The “Ferrum Night Scene” 

poster is now available. 

Ferrum College 

P. O. Box 1000 

Ferrum, VA 24088-9000 

NON-PROFIT ORG 

U.S. POSTAGE 

PAID 

ROANOKE, VA 

PERMIT 78 

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