oday - Mercer University

T T
IF oday
VOLUME 28, NUMBER 1
A
m
ercer University received a special
Resolution from the Tift College
Alumnae Board during Alumnae
Weekend last April. Alumnae
Association president Mary Ann Meeks
Leverett ’72 presented the Resolution,
which commends Mercer for upholding
the traditions of Tift.
"The Alumnae Association realizes that the promises made by
Mercer University to Tift Alumnae have been fulfilled, and in the
planning of the Alumnae Weekend theme ‘A Celebration of
Transition: Hopes and Dreams…Visions Realized,’ we wanted to
acknowledge that," said Leverett. "The Resolution is our way to
recognize and show our appreciation of Mercer."
Mercer’s Provost Dr. Peggy DuBose accepted the Resolution on
the University’s behalf. "The University is very appreciative that the
Tift College Alumnae Association, through this resolution,
recognizes Mercer's ongoing commitment to preserve and uphold
the principles and traditions of Tift College," said DuBose. "The Tift
Scholars, public displays of Tift memorabilia, the Tift College of
Education, and the active Alumnae Association are vibrant examples
of that commitment. We are delighted that Tift alumnae are an
active part in the University that is proud to claim them as its own."
PUBLICATION FOR ALUMNAE, SCHOLARS AND FRIENDS OF TIFT COLLEGE
F ALL 2002
Tift Alumnae Thank Mercer for Promises Kept
WHEREAS
A Resolution Honoring the Merger of Tift College with Mercer University
Tift College requested to merge with Mercer University in 1986, bringing together two of the oldest
colleges in Georgia, as well as two of Georgia Baptists’ oldest institutions of higher learning; and
WHEREAS Tift College and Mercer University have had an association since the beginning of Tift College in 1849,
with the first president of Tift, W.C. Wilkes, being a Mercer graduate, and twelve of Tift’s seventeen
presidents holding Mercer degrees; and
WHEREAS
WHEREAS
WHEREAS
the tradition of Tift College, chartered as a college for women, has continued through Mercer University
as evidenced by the Tift Alumnae House, Tift College Scholars and Tift College Alumnae Association; and
prominent symbols of Tift College’s heritage are displayed at the Victorian-era Tift Alumnae House on the
Mercer campus in Macon; and
Tift College Scholars, a prestigious scholarship program for women at Mercer University, with preference
given to applicants who are Georgians and Baptists, has maintained the historic commitment to the
education of young women; and
WHEREAS
WHEREAS
Mercer University, partnering with the Tift College Alumnae Association, has kept current all alumnae
records, as well as the academic records of former Tift students; and
Mercer University has kept the University’s promise to the generations of Tift graduates by changing the
name of the School of Education in 2001 to the Tift College of Education of Mercer University;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Tift College Alumnae Association commends Mercer University for keeping
alive the traditions and heritage of Tift College for generations of Tift sisters and expresses deep
appreciation to Mercer University for its unwavering commitment to educating new generations of
young women, who will continue the Tift legacy.
Mercer Provost Dr. Peggy DuBose, left, accepted a Resolution
on behalf of the University from the Tift College Alumnae
Association president Mary Ann Meeks Leverette ’72 during
Alumnae Weekend held last April.
This sixth day of April, Two Thousand and Two.
A Celebration of Transition: Hopes and Dreams…Visions Realized
Good food, great friends and perfect weather greeted more
than 300 alumnae, scholars and friends of Tift College as they
gathered April 5-6 to recall their college days and their common
bond as Tift alumnae.
The annual class reunion dinners, held in Mercer’s new
Religious Life Center, opened the Weekend, where old and new
friends from the Classes of ’42, ’52, ’62, ’72, ’77, ’82 and
graduates of the Tift College Scholars Program were brought
together for laughter and reminiscing. Members of the Class of ’52
celebrated their Golden Anniversary and participated in a special
induction ceremony into the Half Century Club.
On Saturday morning, the Alumnae Day program began at
Mercer’s new Allan and Rosemary McCorkle Music Building for a
day of singing, celebrating and sharing memories. "I am always
amazed at the memories everyone brings back to the reunions,"
said Mary Ann Meeks Leverett ’72, Tift Alumnae Association
President. "Each person has such loving feelings for her time
at Tift."
In keeping with this year’s theme "A Celebration of Transition:
Hopes and Dreams…Visions Realized," Mercer University Provost
Dr. Peggy DuBose accepted on behalf of the University a resolution
from the Tift College Alumnae Association. The resolution
expressed appreciation to the University for its continuing
commitment to the Tift College legacy. (See story above.)
Also highlighting the meeting was the presentation of the
Distinguished Alumna award to Dorotha Del Lott ’62 of Savannah
(See story page 5.) and the Tift Scholar of the Year award to
Whitney Raper.
Hosted by the sophomore Scholars, the seniors made their
traditional walk through the daisy chain to sign the Senior Book
and to receive their Tift College Scholar medallion. Senior Scholar
Kim Steele addressed the group with a moving speech on her
experiences as a Tift Scholar and the positive changes the Scholars
have made in her time at Mercer. (To read excerpts from Steele’s
speech, see page 6.)
Before the morning program closed, members of the Class of
’62 captured everyone’s attention with a special performance of a
song from their days at Tift. (See page 4.) After lunch was served
and tours of the Tift College of Education were given, everyone
headed to the historic Tift Alumnae House for the traditional
Tift College Scholars sing along to "Follow the Gleam" during the
Alumnae Day Program.
ringing of the Senior Bell.
Next year’s reunion is scheduled for April 4-5, 2003. Detailed
information will be sent in the coming months. "We are looking
forward to an even bigger and better event next April," said
Leverett, "to celebrate both our past and our future."

TIFT
oday
TIFT
oday
Fall 2002, Volume 28, Number 1
TIFT COLLEGE ALUMNAE
ASSOCIATION OFFICERS
President
Mary Ann Meeks Leverett ’72
President-Elect
Joy Thompson Callaway ’68
Vice Presidents for Alumnae Weekend
Mary Ann Swilley Broadbear ’60
L. Carol O’Neal ’68
Vice Presidents for Awards
Nell Tyner Bowen ’49
Marguerite Cavender Stephens ’71
Vice Presidents for Tift College Scholars
Program
Lin Price Carter ’78
Julie Lee Love ’75
Secretary
Angie McGukin, TCS ’01
Immediate Past President
Carole Fountain Rice ’62
TIFT COLLEGE ALUMNAE
MERCER TRUSTEES
Wilma Baker Cosper ’47
MERCER UNIVERSITY
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
President
R. Kirby Godsey
Executive Vice President
Horace W. Fleming, Jr.
Senior Vice President
for University Advancement &
University Admissions
Emily P. Myers
Senior Vice President
for Finance and Administration
Thomas G. Estes Jr.
From the
Alumnae
Association
President
Dear Tift Sisters,
I was glad to see many of you on Alumnae Day
2002. I would like to express thanks to the Vice
Presidents for Alumnae
Weekend, Carol
O’Neal ’68 and
Marianne Swilley
Broadbear ’60. Your
officers are already
planning for next
year’s event, scheduled
for April 4-5,
2003, and we hope to
see many more of you there. Mark your Tift calendar
now and begin talking with your Tift sisters.
Your Board of Directors is planning a calendar
of activities for Tift College Scholars that will welcome
them to school and give them a sense of the
Tift heritage. This calendar includes a welcome
package, a Scholars dinner and various activities
in which Tift women can meet with them to share
their Tift experiences. We would like for you to be
a part of these activities. If you are interested,
please call me at (478) 994-4789 and leave a
message.
I look forward to a great year and hope that
you will be a part of it.
Yours,
Mary Ann M. Leverett, ’72
Sharon Sewell ’69 Elected Mayor of Bremen
When making the decision to run for
mayor of her hometown, Sharon Sewell was
driven by her conscience. "The city of
Bremen was going through some difficult
times, and politics were destroying it," said the
longtime resident of the small town located
west of Atlanta. "My conscience wouldn’t allow
me not to try to do something to help."
Because of her love for her community
and her desire to create a positive environment
for her niece and nephew, Sewell knew
she had to take action. "I did not want them to
grow up one day and ask why no one did anything
to save our beautiful community." Since
being elected as mayor of Bremen last
January, Sewell can now take a direct role in
upholding the small-town values of the
community and ensuring her hometown
continues to prosper.
Though very clear about her present
direction, she says that was not the case when
she was in high school and needed to select
a college.
"My father told me I could go to any
college that I wanted, but
made it very clear that I
would be in school that
fall," said Sewell. At the
time, her father was
serving on the Board of
Trustees at Tift College.
Convenience, along with
her uncertainty, brought
her to Tift, where she
planned to stay one or
two quarters, then
transfer to another school.
"Two quarters turned
into a year, and by the
second year, you couldn’t have dragged me
away from Tift," said the 1969 Tift graduate.
From her first days at Tift, Sewell appreciated
the value of the friendships she made
there. "Friendships at Tift were different from
those I had in high school," the speech pathologist
remembers. "You had total acceptance
and unconditional love, all rooted in common
goals and common faith."
Sharon Sewell ’69 was elected as
mayor of Bremen last January.
She became actively
involved in campus activities,
including Studio Players,
Baptist Student Union,
Women’s Athletic Association
and various other organizations.
After graduating with a
major in speech and a minor
in music and English, she
worked as a speech pathologist
and received a master’s
degree in speech and language
from Emory University.
Although she has held
leadership positions and
excelled in her education and career, she
attributes the skills she now utilizes as mayor
to her Tift education. "Tift taught us to be
responsible, to care, to speak and not to parrot,"
said Sewell, who still works part time in
the Bremen City Schools as a speech pathologist.
"Tift taught me to take initiative in
correcting difficult situations and to realize I
have a higher calling in my life."
Provost
Peggy H. DuBose
Executive Director
Alumni Services &
University Special Events
Jennifer C. Joyner
Coordinator of Alumni Services and
Tift College Programs
Erin Pitts Lones, TCS ’00
Director of Development
Shelley M. McGraw
Editor
Judith T. Lunsford
Production Editor
Richard L. Cameron
Managing Editor
Shelley K. Moore
Contributors
Natalie B. Preston, TCS ’00
Lindsay M. Moss
Photographer
Tiffany Brown
Mercer University is an equal educational
and employment opportunity institution.
www.mercer.edu
See TIFToday on-line
at www.mercer.edu/tiftcollege
Printed on recycled paper.
Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor:
On Alumnae Weekend, I joined hundreds of
fellow Tift alumnae to celebrate our alma mater’s
heritage and embrace its future. Yes, I do mean
future, because the legacy of Tift College is very
much alive and is being passed to new generations
of students each year. I
know this because I lived it in
the 1970s, and I see young
women living it in 2002.
I fondly recall my student
days at Tift more than 25
years ago – although it seems
like only yesterday. The
special friendships and
memories I experienced while
a Tift student have been with
me all my adult life. They are memories that I
shared with my daughter, Stacy, and I dreamed
she would experience one day herself.
When it became time for Stacy to go to college,
she chose to study business at Mercer University.
Through the Tift College Scholars program
at Mercer, Stacy received a scholarship to
help fund her educational expenses. Since its
establishment in 1990, the Tift Scholars program
has enabled hundreds of outstanding young
women to attend college and to continue the
Tift legacy.
Stacy became a Tift Scholar during the same
Alumnae Weekend that I celebrated my 25th
class reunion, and I became a new board
member of the Tift College
Alumnae Association.
It is important to know that
the Tift Scholars program is far
more than scholarships. Selected
by Tift alumnae, these young
women develop a special bond of
sisterhood that has been part of
the Tift College legacy for generations.
Tift alumnae serve as
mentors and role models to
them. The students learn the traditions and ideals
that have been a part of Tift since its founding
and carry forward the very mission of the college
to educate young women.
One of my proudest moments occurred on
Mother’s Day 2001 when my daughter graduated
from Mercer University with her Tift Scholar
medallion around her neck.
Just as the Tift legacy at Mercer University
allowed my daughter to have a wonderful college
experience, I have been privileged the past two
years to help interview other young women
during the Tift College Scholarship Competition.
Meeting these young women is a rewarding
experience and assures me that the Tift legacy is
in very good hands.
A few Tift alumnae may question if Tift College
should have asked to merge with Mercer
University in the 1980s. I do not. I have seen the
results, and the rewards for the students are
great. As a mother and a Tift alumna, I’m glad
my daughter had the opportunity to experience
Tift in a way she will benefit from it the rest of
her life.
The bond that my daughter and I will forever
have with Tift College and Mercer University is
special and proves the Tift College legacy is alive
and well.
Terri Starling
Montezuma, Ga.
Send your letters to the editor to:
Mercer University, TifToday; 1400 Coleman
Avenue, Macon, Georgia 31207
TIFTODAY — FALL 2002
2

TIFT
oday
wGrant Brings Tift Legacy to Mercer
hen 2002-2003 Bessie
W. Tift Scholar Natalie
Grant of Forsyth
stepped onto Mercer
University’s Macon
campus this fall, she
brought
with her a family heritage
of Tift College and an
anticipation of a bright
future resulting from a
quality Mercer education.
It is the combination
of tradition and potential
that has Grant eager to
join the ranks of the Tift
Scholars at Mercer. Both
in the classroom and on
the campus, Grant wants
to make the most of her
experience at Mercer.
She looks forward to
expanding her horizons
through studies in premedicine,
building close
relationships as a Tift
Scholar and enjoying
Mercer traditions, such
as rubbing the bronze
Jesse Mercer statue’s head before final exams.
"I’m excited to be attending Mercer and am
really honored to have been selected for the Bessie
Willingham Tift scholarship," said the 18-year-old
from Forsyth. "It’s a big compliment to me since I
have so many relatives who have graduated from
Tift College."
Among the legacy list are Grant’s grandmother,
Doris Vaughn Grant, class of 1943, as well as three
great aunts, Nelly Grant Hollingsworth ’40, Alice
Vaughn Cromer ’46, and Helen Vaughn Parsons
’49. Her aunt, Priscilla Grant Jackson, took classes
during the summer of 1967, and her mother,
Leigh H. Grant, audited
evening classes.
"Natalie exemplifies
the true spirit of
Tift College as I knew
it," Cromer said. "She
is very caring, holds great moral values and is
always willing to serve her community."
Grant, the daughter of J. Ray and Leigh H.
Grant, graduated from Mary Persons High School
in Forsyth with a 4.0 grade point average and was
salutatorian of her class. While at Mary Persons,
she was a member of the Fellowship of Christian
Athletes, Beta Club, Key Club, Academic Quiz Bowl
Team and ECOS, an ecology club that recycles
paper and bottles. She was also on the cross-country
team and served as captain of the soccer team
for two years, earning Most Valuable Defensive
Player her junior year.
In addition to her school activities, Grant is
involved with the Youth Group at First Baptist of
Forsyth, serving as president of the youth choir
and a member of the Youth Council. She has also
played the piano for nine years.
At Mercer, Grant plans to major in biology. Her
ultimate goal is to attend medical school.
"I’ve always been fascinated by science," said
Grant, who was awarded the Most Outstanding Student
in Science Award her junior year at Mary Persons.
"It’s so interesting to me because it shows
how our bodies and nature work."
Even with such an emphasis on academics,
Grant is excited about her college years, hoping to
experience what all Tift women have –
friendships.
"I am really enjoying being a Tift Scholar,"
Grant said.
"It’s going to
be so much
fun as we get
to do a lot of
activities
together. I’m
looking forward
to making
lifelong
friends. I can’t
wait."
Mercer Welcomes 50 New Tift Scholars for 2002-2003
The Tift College Scholars Association welcomes
50 outstanding young women as its newest members.
After a series of interviews with Tift alumnae
and Tift College Scholars, these freshmen were
selected based on their academic record, high
school and community involvement, and
character.
Members of the new class of Tift Scholars are:
Amanda Akers, Chelsea, Ala.; Trina Allen, Decatur;
Alexis Antonacci, Tallahassee, Fla.; Laurie Barrett,
Hinesville; Christina Beasley, Newborn; Katie
Blalock, Roswell; Kristi Brantley, Midland; Rachel
Britt, Savannah; Rosalyn Brown, Columbus;
Elizabeth Carr, Irwinton; Allison Clark, Macon;
Nancy David, Fayetteville; Karen Davis, Dacula;
Melissa Dodson, Lookout Mountain, Tenn.;
Charlene Farmer, Duluth; Sonya Flakes, Hephzibah;
Mary Katherine Galloway, Rome; Ginger
Gilpin, Waynesboro; Glenda Goodman, Joelton,
Tenn.; Natalie Grant, Forsyth; Tiffany Griffin,
Savannah; Tracy Hunt, Cartersville; Melissa Hunter,
Fitzgerald; Lee Ivey, Saint Mary’s; Carrie Keel, Martinez;
Meghan Kirkland, Peachtree City; Mattie
Kountz, Ashland, Ky.; Julia Latimer, Decatur; Hannah
Liss, Bluffton, S.C.; Abbey Lyons, Cordele; Jean
Marie Matthew, Albany; Nicole Nather, Fayetteville;
“I’m
looking
forward
to making
lifelong
friends.”
Didi Ogbechie, Lawrenceville; Jennifer O’Neil,
Chattanooga, Tenn.; Amanda Owen, Griffin;
Jessica Poehler, Thomasville; Beth Rainwater,
Cordele; Erin Randall, Rincon; Nicole Remillard,
Newnan; Julia Riggs, Statesboro; Mary Alice
Rogers, Fitzgerald; Melissa Rogers, Rincon;
Tift College
Scholar of
the Year
Whitney Raper was selected by the
executive board of the Tift College
Scholars Association as this year’s Tift
College Scholar of the Year. The award
was presented to the senior from Jonesboro
during Tift Alumnae Weekend last
April and is given to a young woman
who embodies the ideals of Tift and
perpetuates the rich heritage of history
of Tift on Mercer’s campus.
Suzanne Sims, Peachtree City; Courtney Smith,
Covington; Hannah Smith, Conyers; Amy Stauffer,
New Braunfels, Tex.; Jennie Still, Carrollton;
Tiffany Storey, Dublin; Christina Tacoronti,
Fayetteville, and Heather Watkins, Macon.
Did You Know ...
News from Mercer
■ The Department of Chemistry in the
College of Liberal Arts recently installed a
new Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization
Spectrometer in its labs after receiving a
$165,000 instrumentation grant from the
National Science Foundation. Mercer is the first
undergraduate institution in the country to
receive an NSF grant for this piece of equipment,
which will allow students to gather
information about molecules that cannot be
gathered any other way. Dr. Nancy Dopke was
the principle investigator on the project, and she
was assisted by Dr. Jeff Hugdahl and the
department chair, Dr. Scott Davis.
■ At the recent McAfee School of Theology
commencement ceremony, graduate Rachel
Shapard of Tallahassee, Fla., was honored by
the University with the Griffin B. Bell Award for
Community Service. Presented annually to one
graduate from the University’s nine colleges and
schools, the Bell Award was given to Shapard
for her unselfish personal ministry, assistance
with student recruitment, frequent vocal performances
at worship services throughout the
state and her outstanding leadership skills. She
now serves as associate pastor at First Baptist
Church of Gainesville.
■ The School of Engineering hosted the
first-ever Georgia BotBall Competition this
spring with eight teams from five high schools
participating. The longstanding national high
school robotics competition will now call Mercer
home for the state of Georgia. Mercer engineering
professor Dr. Philip Olivier is the state
coordinator of BotBall and looks for
participation to increase in year two.
■ Michael Sabbath has been named interim
dean of the Walter F. George School of Law,
effective July 1. Sabbath, who joined the Law
School faculty in 1978, has served as associate
dean for the past five years. R. Lawrence
Dessem, who served as dean of Mercer’s Law
School for the past seven years, has accepted
the position of dean at the University of
Missouri School of Law, effective July 1.
■ The Atlanta faculty and staff of the Eugene
W. Stetson School of Business and
Economics and the Tift College of Education
spent time between spring and summer terms
packing and unpacking boxes. It was all part of
the move to their new offices in the recently
completed academic building on the Cecil B.
Day Campus. The three-story shared facility
offers state-of-the-art teaching technology
throughout. Special features include two
specially designed classrooms for the Executive
MBA program and a model classroom with an
adjacent area for a playground for the pre-k
education program.
■ Georgia Baptist College of Nursing
celebrates its 100th anniversary this year,
culminating in a gala celebration during Alumni
Weekend Oct. 11-13 in Atlanta. Since opening
as the Baptist Tabernacle Infirmary Training
School for Nurses in 1902, the College has
provided more trained nurses to the state than
has any other nursing school in Georgia.
■ The School of Medicine is taking its 20th
anniversary celebration on the road this year to
give Georgians throughout the state an
opportunity to join in celebrating the School's
enrichment of health care in Georgia. Today,
more than 100,000 Georgia residents are
treated each week by Mercer School of Medicine
alumni.
■ The Southern School of Pharmacy's
Service Learning Experience is helping students
learn how to educate their patients with a caring
heart. Through the program, students take what
they learn in the classroom and put it to use as
volunteers with service organizations in the
community. The program was designed to
enhance students’ self-awareness while increasing
their knowledge of social, civic and ethical
issues surrounding their everyday lives.
3
TIFTODAY — FALL 2002

TIFT
oday
Glimpses of Tift College Alumnae Weekend 2002
Carole Fountain Rice ’62 and Joy Thompson
Callaway ’68 check their watches against the
Tift College Sundial, which stands in the
front lawn of the historic Tift Alumnae
House. Engraved on the Sundial is this
famous poem written by Henry Van Dyke:
Time is too slow for those who wait,
Too swift for those who fear,
Too long for those who grieve,
Too short for those who rejoice,
But for those who love,
Time is an eternity.
Hours fly, flowers die, new days
New ways pass by, Love stays.
Alumnae Association
President Mary Ann
Meeks Leverett ’72
congratulates Carolyn
Evans Jones ’52, who,
along with her classmates,
was inducted
into the Half-Century
Club during Alumnae
Weekend 2002.
Tift women of all generations gather on the porch of the Tift Alumnae House to watch the traditional ringing of the Senior
Bell ceremony.
Jane Bittick Murphy ’69 (left), Sara Cheatham Bittick ’37 (center) and Claire Williamson ’44
smile for the camera before the Alumnae Day program begins in Mercer’s new McCorkle
Music Hall.
Ms. Saint Peter Was a Tift Girl, Too
During Tift Alumnae Weekend, the class of 1962 delivered an unforgettable performance of
Ms. Saint Peter Was a Tift Girl, Too. According to Gloria Raney ’62, this song was commonly heard on
the Tift campus for years, but she is not sure when or by whom it was written.
"We were sitting at our reunion dinner on Friday night when one of my classmates said she had
been thinking about the song and wanted everyone to sing it," explained Raney. The next day at the
Saturday program, it was suggested that the class perform it for the entire group, and soon the whole
room was singing the familiar song.
At the request of Tift alumnae, TifToday has included the lyrics below. If someone knows the
history of the song, please let TifToday know and we will publish the information in a future issue.
I’ve lived in the earth and I’ve lived in the world,
And often thought of the Gates of Pearl.
And when I got there so brave and bold,
Everything there was blue and gold.
Ms. Saint Peter was a Tift Girl, too:
St. Peter saw me and he confessed,
I see my dear you’re one of the best.
So put your sails up and sail right through,
‘Cause Ms. St. Peter was a Tift girl, too!
Carole Fountain Rice ’62
shares memories of her
days at Tift College with
Jamie M. Smith, TCS ’98.
The Tift College Scholars participated in Alumnae Weekend 2002.
TIFTODAY — FALL 2002
4

TIFT
oday
Senior Tift
College Scholars
show off their
Tift College
Medallions,
which they also
wore during
Mercer’s spring
commencement
ceremony.
Twin sisters Sara Pirkle, TCS ’02, and Amy Pirkle, TCS ’02, have yet another thing in
common…their Tift College Medallions.
Members of the class of 1962 smile for the camera as they celebrate their 40th class reunion during Alumnae Weekend.
Lott ’62 Receives Distinguished Alumna Award
This year’s recipient of the Distinguished
Alumna Award was called of God into missionary
service for more than three decades. But it
is Dorotha Del Lott’s dramatic interpretation of
the devil’s laugh that many of her Tift sisters
remember during their college days together.
"It was almost a dare when, during the
class drama competitions, they asked me to
portray Satan," said the recipient of one of the
most prestigious honors given by the Alumnae
Association. "It was known even then that I
was planning to be a missionary."
"Dot," as she is known to her friends,
enrolled at Tift six years after she graduated
from a commercial high school in Savannah.
"No one in my family had ever graduated
from college," said the longtime Savannah
resident. "I didn’t think college was a
possibility for me."
It was during a revival at her hometown
church when she spoke with Dr. Carey Truett
Vinzant about Tift, and she soon received a
service scholarship to the College. "By working
as the secretary in the alumnae office, plus
the help I received from two churches in
Savannah, I was able to attend college," said
Lott. "I am so grateful to Tift College for
making the scholarship available to me."
Her natural leadership skills and outgoing
personality soon had her immersed in
campus life, despite her six-year age difference.
"I was surprised at how quickly I
became involved on campus," said the double
English and religion major. "I was the oldest
person in the freshman class and that kind of
pushed me into leadership roles."
While serving as president of her freshman
class and of Young Women’s Auxiliary, she still
found time to be active and hold various
leadership positions in the Baptist Student
Union, Studio Players,
Student Volunteers and the
Religion Majors Club.
"Looking back," said
Lott, who was named in the
’61-’62 edition of Who’s
Who Among Students In
American Colleges and
Universities, " I can see that
my involvement on Tift’s
campus was all the Lord’s
doing. It gave me training
for my mission that I couldn’t
have gotten otherwise."
Dot realized her calling
from God during a Baptist
Student Union retreat when
the missionary speaker
invited individuals who felt a
calling to speak with him.
"At the time I knew I had a calling, but was
unsure what it was," said the now retired
missionary. "From that point on, I knew what
the Lord wanted from me, and I prepared
myself to answer that calling."
Tift College prepared her not only by giving
her an education, but also through the teachers
and students who reached out to her.
Being on a scholarship and a tight budget, Lott
could not afford to take all the classes she
wanted. "I had an interest to work with dramatics
during my mission, but could not
afford the classes," said Lott. "So, the Fine Arts
teacher allowed me
to join the drama
club, Studio Players,
and that is where I
got my direction."
Lott received a
bachelor of arts
degree in 1962, and
then went on to
receive the master
of religious education
degree from
Southern Seminary
in Louisville, Ky. In
1964, she was
appointed to her
mission in Brazil.
She worked for
more than a decade
in both Rio de
Janeiro and Brasilia as a secretary at the Missions
Office.
"After working for many years as a secretary,
the Lord shook me up again, and I realized
I really wanted to work with the Brazilian
people," she said.
Dorotha Del Lott ’62 received the prestigious
Distinguished Alumna Award during
Alumnae Weekend 2002
After seven years of work in Goias, serving
as coordinator of youth activities for the State
Convention and state leader for the Brazil
Young Women’s Auxiliary, she was asked by
the State Convention to organize and head the
Department of Religious Education for the
Goias Baptist Convention. She also taught religious
education at the State Seminary.
Upon the resignation of the director of the
Seminary, Lott and two others served as interim
directors for more than a year. When the
position was filled, she was appointed to academic
dean, while she continued to teach religious
education. She returned to the States in
December of 1999, and upon her retirement
in 2001, she was named Dean Emeritus.
Lott still attributes much of her life’s experiences
to the opportunities given to her by Tift
College. "I appreciate Tift most for the fact
that it let me be me," said Lott. "It gave me the
opportunity to find myself and to develop in a
completely different direction than I would
have at a larger school."
Lott has two special Bible verses: Exodus
4:12b, "I will help you speak and will teach
you what to say," and Philippians 4:13, "I can
do all things through Christ who strengthens
me." When presenting the Award, her longtime
friend and Tift sister Nell Tyner Bowen
‘49 suggested adding another verse, Ecclesiastes
9:10a, "Whatsoever (her) hand (found)
to do, (she did) it with all her might."
5
TIFTODAY — FALL 2002

TIFT
oday
The Tift College
Alumnae Association
is on the Web!
Visit www.mercer.edu/tiftcollege to:
• Receive up-to-date information
about upcoming activities
• Learn more about the Tift
College Scholars Program
• See the Tift College Alumnae
House
• Read the latest issue of TIFToday
• Share your latest news
Upcoming Events
Sunday, Dec. 8, 2002
Annual Holiday Tea
3 - 5 p.m.
Tift Alumnae House
Saturday, January 25, 2003
Tift College
Board of Directors Meeting
10 a.m.
Tift Alumnae House
Saturday, February 8, 2003
Tift College Scholars Competition
Saturday, March 8, 2003
Tift College
Board of Directors Meeting
10 a.m.
Tift Alumnae House
Friday-Saturday, April 4-5, 2003
Tift College Alumnae Weekend
Saturday, June 7, 2003
Tift College
Board of Directors Meeting
10 a.m.
Tift Alumnae House
Please remember to check our
Web site for updated information.
Help Polish a
Cornerstone …
Become a Sponsor
for a Tift College
Scholar …
More than 100 young women at
Mercer today carry the honor and
responsibility of being Tift College
Scholars. They seek to perpetuate
the rich heritage of Tift College by
promoting the high spiritual,
academic and social ideals that
have been trademarks of Tift
College for more than 150 years.
Get to know these amazing
young women by becoming a Tift
College Alumnae Sponsor. As a
sponsor, you will be paired with a
current Scholar and will have the
opportunity to serve as a mentor,
offer career guidance and share
your knowledge of the Tift College
legacy.
If you are interested in
becoming a sponsor, please
contact Erin Pitts Lones at (800)
837-2911, ext. 5548.
Steele, TCS ‘02, presents Senior
Response during Alumnae Weekend
Kim Steele, TCS ’02,
delivered a moving speech
to Tift Alumnae and
Tift College Scholars on
Alumnae Day in April. At
the request of Tift alumnae,
TifToday has included excerpts
of the speech. For a copy of Steele’s speech in its
entirety, please write to TifToday.
“It is difficult to believe that another year has
already passed. This year has been a year of
change for us all. Each of us has faced changes in
our personal lives- new challenges and new
opportunities. The face of America has changed as
well, in response to the threats against the very
democracy that bonds our nation together. We have
grown a year older and perhaps a little wiser.
Change is a process that is always around us and a
part of us, and Tift, too, is changing.
I can recall the exact moment that Tift changed
for me. You must understand that Tift has always
been something special to me. At first, perhaps it
was the yellow house that stands on the corner and
from the first time I saw it, it embodied warmth
and welcome. Or perhaps it was the daisy that
greeted me on the door of my freshman dorm
room. Tift became the women, who were and still
are a mystery to me. They are vibrant, beautiful,
strong women who all possess this one quality that
I still cannot name. But this Tift was never my Tift,
until last January. As I sat with Scholars and
alumnae to discuss the young women we
interviewed for scholarships, I was again amazed
by the unique qualities exhibited in each woman at
the table. There was something so similar about
them all, the Scholars, the alumnae, and many of
the candidates we had interviewed during the day.
It was that one nameless quality. One woman
recalled being asked by a scholarship candidate to
describe the thing that is Tift. She replied by
asking, "How do you describe faith?" It was in that
one moment that Tift became so much more than a
daisy or a soft yellow house. It is true that it would
be impossible to put into words what Tift was for
the women who walked through its gate. And it is
something that we, as Tift College Scholars, can
only know if we allow Tift to become a part of us. It
is with change that I ask you to look to the future
of Tift College through the Tift College Scholars
Association.
This year the Tift College Scholars Association
made several changes that reflect our desire to
make this "our Tift." The executive board was
restructured to allow more women to become
leaders within our organization. Five new
committees were created: Heritage, Philanthropy,
Religious Affairs, Social Affairs, and Fiscal Affairs. It
was our goal that the formation of these
committees would create more opportunities for
Tift College Scholars to become involved. Our goal
was that Tift women could get to know one another
better and build friendships with women that might
not exist outside of Tift. The strength of these
changes has increased participation over 60
percent from past years.
…[The] changes that are underway are
extensive. They may even be overwhelming for
those of you who hold the memory of Tift so dear.
Kim Steele, TCS ’02, watches as Amy Pirkle, TCS ’02,
signs the Senior Book during Alumnae Weekend held
last April.
Change, no matter how positive the end result, is a
scary thing. It is frightening to those who are
initiating the change… For those of you who
graduated from Tift College, it may seem as if we
are trying to replace your Tift with our own. We are
not. We are in search of the future of Tift that can
only be created from our shared heritage. We long
to have stories of our days as Tift girls that we can
tell to our daughters. We want to have the kindred
spirit that is present whenever Tift women fill a
room. We, too, are the daughters of Tift.
Together, Scholars and alumnae, we will
create the future of Tift from our heritage.
I challenge you, Scholars, to celebrate
the spirit of Tift. Encourage your new
officers. Make friends of your Tift sisters
and be proud of the legacy that is yours to
carry on. Tift Alumnae—celebrate the spirit
of Tift. Cherish your memories of Tift and
give willingly of your time and your talents
to seek to carry on your heritage.
Graduating seniors—celebrate the spirit of
Tift as you travel along the path that will
lead you from this time and this place.
Continue to pursue high spiritual, academic
and social ideas. Contribute faithfully and
whole-heartedly to the betterment of your
community that we may be as cornerstones
polished after the similitude of a palace. Let
us all celebrate the spirit of Tift of hopes
and dreams, and of visions realized. Allow
me to leave you with some final thoughts
taken from the 1958 Tift yearbook: ‘Tift is
not just a place on the map, a group of
buildings, a college; it is a certain feeling, a
certain attitude, a certain manner of knowing how
to live. And this Tift lives on in the heart of each girl
who has, in depth, sojourned here, uniting her
with those who have gone before and all who will
come after. To girls possessing the true Tift spirit,
age, distance, position matter not. Quality stands as
the supreme manifestation evident in each life.’"
Campus Improvement Update – Bear With Us
The Mercer 2000: Advancing the Vision Campaign produced gifts for new construction and
renovation of existing buildings.
New facilities include the
$7.5 million McCorkle Music
Building, the $12 million
Greek Village, the Religious
Life Center, and Mercer Hall,
among others. This multi-year
endeavor, known as Bear
With Us, is enabling Mercer
to meet the advancing
needs of students, as well as
preserve its many historic landmarks.
What to Look for in 2002 – 2003:
•Renovation of Penfield Hall into Campus Bookstore
• Continued construction of Mercer’s 230,000 square-foot, $40 million University Center, which will
house a food court, coffee shop, indoor track, varsity and intramural weight rooms, an indoor
swimming pool, and a 3,500 seat arena (scheduled to open October 2003)
Recently Completed:
•New Allan & Rosemary McCorkle Music Building
• New Religious Life Center
• New Human Resources and Recreation building
• New Mercer Hall
• Sherwood Hall renovation
•Groover Hall renovation
• Knight Hall renovation
• Renovation of campus dining facility in Connell
Student Center
• New building for Georgia Baptist College of
Nursing on the Atlanta campus
• New academic building for Education and
Business on the Atlanta campus
TIFTODAY — FALL 2002
6

TIFT
oday
1937
Sara Cheatham Bittick (BA) and her
husband, Robert, celebrated their 60th
wedding anniversary on July 17, 2001.
1944
Betty Jo Smith Booth (BA) married
James Franklin (CLA ’43) on Jan. 1,
2001.
1949
Dr. Cathryn Futral (BA) was
ordained deacon at First Baptist
Church of Forsyth on Sept. 16, 2001.
1960
Erin Kirkland Gilbert (BS) started
the English as a Second Language Program
at First Baptist Church in Barnesville
last year and the Program now
has more than 40 non-English speaking
students. She also received second
place at the National Association of
Teachers of Singing voice competition
in the category of upper-level adult
women held in February.
1962
Carole Fountain Rice (BS) and her
husband, Bill, and announce the marriage
of their son Bruce to Silvana Landivar
on Oct. 19, 2001, at Anglican
Chapel in Santiago, Chile. A reception
followed at the Santiago Marriott.
LaRose F. Spooner (BA) retired from
her position as Meredith College’s vice
president for marketing on June 30,
2001, after 34 years of service.
1965
Sylvia Lee Burcham Follis (BA) and
her husband, Bob, announce the marriage
of their daughter, Beth, to Charlie
Evans on Oct. 23, 1999. The Comptons
also have a son, Ben.
1973
Mary Carroll Elrod Boyd (BA) married
Durward M. Boyd Jr. on Aug. 12,
2000.
1976
Cynthia Thomas Massey (BA) and
husband, Dr. Robert Massey, live in
Cleveland, where he became pastor of
First Baptist Church of Cleveland in
September 2001.
1978
Mary Jo Baxter (BA) teaches at Luella
Middle School in Locust Grove and
was selected as the 2002 Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s
Honor Teacher in the
special education category. She heads
an adventure counseling program for
at-risk middle school children.
Debra Duggan Ortt (BS) and her
husband, Greg, and their young daughters,
Madison and Reagan, live in
Fayetteville.
1979
Janet Adams (BA) married Ken Barras
on March 17, 2001, at Callaway
Gardens. She is the registrar at
Gordon College, and Ken is the business
office manager for the University
System of Georgia Board of Regents
Central Office.
C L A S S N O T E S
1981
Mary Susan Hamrick Gentry (BA),
a mathematics instructor at Perry High
School, was selected as Georgia’s STAR
teacher for 2002. The STAR (Student
Teacher Achievement Recognition)
Program recognizes students and the
teachers who have made the strongest
impact in their academic development.
Patricia Everett Storey (BSEE) was
promoted to assistant superintendent
for Student Services in Treutlen County
Schools in July 2001.
1982
Sherrod McWhorter Hart (BSEE)
and her husband, Brett, and their children,
Tommy and Allie live in Chicamauga.
She completed her master of
education degree in December of 2001
and has been teaching at Rossville Elementary
School for 10 years.
1984
Josephine Sanders Sparks (BA)
was named Bibb County Gifted Teacher
of the Year and State Gifted Teacher of
the Year. She retired this year.
Bonnie Brown Waterman (BA) lives
in Lakewood, N.Y., and has two children,
Billy and Sara.
1985
Jo Bremer Parker (BA) announces
the birth of her daughter, Catherine
Jean, in February 2001. Jo is the
assistant national editor of the
Baltimore Sun.
Brooksie Denise Sauls Parker
(BA) and her husband, Wesley,
announce the birth of their son,
William Christopher, on March 29,
2001. Will has a big sister, Anna Grace.
1986
Ruth Sprayberry DuCharme (BA) is
minister to children at Highland Hills
Baptist Church in Macon, and on Aug.
18, she will be ordained into the
gospel ministry.
1987
Lynn Hillis Collins Miller (BA),
who married Timothy K. Miller in
March 1997, recently obtained her
master’s in early childhood at Armstrong
Atlantic University and completed
Gifted Certification.
1988
Kaye Matthews Clements (BS)
recently earned her master’s degree in
school counseling at Jacksonville State
University and is the counselor at Excel
Christian Academy in Cartersville. She
is married to Paul Clements and has
two sons, Bert (11) and Matthew (6).
1989
Susannah Vass Cox (BA) announces
the birth of her son, John Douglas,
born Nov. 14, 2001. He joins his siblings
Anna Kate, Olivia and Elias.
Amanda Hammock Lynch (BS) and
her husband Curtis announce the birth
of their daughter, Marisa Alexandria on
Dec. 10, 2001. She weighed 8 lbs. and
was 20-1/4 inches long. Her big sister,
Bridget, is now five years old.
1996
Jennifer Lynn Bryant (BBA) is
currently pursuing a master of
business administration degree at
Emory University.
April Page Aldridge (BA) and her
husband, Dr. Aric Jason Aldridge (CLA
’96 and MED ’00), announce the birth
of their son, Austin Jason, on Sept. 5,
2001.
1997
Jennifer Lynn Jenkins (BBA) is
currently pursuing a master of
business administration degree at
Emory University.
2000
Natalie Baker Preston (BBA) married
Druid Norris Preston on April 20.
2001
Wendy Tipton Joiner (BS) married
Cade Joiner on June 9, 2001.
A. Tift College Arch Replica. Special Price $35.
B. Reprinted hardback copies of Yesterday at Tift by
Eugenia W. Stone and index supplement. $30
C. Umbrella — Blue with yellow Tift wordmark. Automatic
Tift College Merchandise
Purchase a Tift College keepsake from the wide variety of merchandise available:
opening, matching nylon sleeve. $12
D. Bud vase — Clear glass with the Tift College crest
in blue. $7
F. Mug — White glazed with the Tift College crest. 8 oz. $7
Prices include 6% Georgia sales tax, shipping and handling. Make
checks payable to Mercer University and mail to Alumni Services,
Attn.: Jennifer Joyner, 1400 Coleman Ave., Macon, Ga. 31207. For
more information on any of these items, please call (800) 837-2911
or (478) 301-2131, or e-mail joyner_ jc@mercer.edu.
Please allow six weeks for delivery.
Name ___________________________________________________Daytime phone #__________________________E-mail ______________________________________
Address __________________________________________________City/State/Zip_______________________________________________________________________
Item: Circle appropriate letter: A B C D E ___Please charge this to my credit card. Circle appropriate card: VISA / Mastercard / American Express
___My check is enclosed. Card #_____________________________________________________ Exp. date __________________
For credit card orders, please sign your name: _____________________________________________________
1922
Anne Foster Jones of Lakeland, Fla.,
died on Feb. 19, 2001.
1926
Myrtle Poole Anderson (BA) of
Greenville, S.C., died in December 2000.
Vestella Y. Richardson died Oct. 7,
2001.
1928
Sally W. Domingos (BA) of Milner,
died on May 5.
Pauline Garrison Merrell died on
Aug. 25, 2001.
1930
Frances Hodges Blackburn died on
Dec. 11, 2000.
Pauline Duggan Smith (BA) died on
Oct. 16, 2001.
1931
Nina Thompson Tuggle (BA) died on
Dec. 9, 2000.
1933
Velma Rowland McCosh (BA) died
on June 11, 2001.
Leila Davis Laney (BA) died on April
27, 2001.
1935
Bula Brown Lain (BA) died on April
26, 1989.
Mary Juanita Vaughn Smith died on
Dec. 4, 2001.
in
1936
sympathy
Mary Frances Baskin Blalock (BA)
of Atlanta died on Jan. 16, 2001.
1937
Emily Clark Stephenson of Atlanta
died on Feb. 4, 2001.
Katharine Dora Bell (BA) of Spartanburg,
S.C., died on March 28, 2001.
1939
Virginia Langsdale Lewis died on
Aug. 19, 1995.
1940
Martha Brooks Mangan (BA) died
on Feb. 16, 2001.
Marguerite Woodruff (BA) of Pine
Mountain died on May 17. She was a
retired professor of Sociology at
Mercer University.
Margaret Carpenter Holloway-
Krabbe (BA) of Ft. Worth, Tx., died on
April 10, 2001.
1941
Sarah Coleman Hodges Grier (BA,
EDU ’60) of Macon died on Jan. 26.
Della White Harvey (BA) died on July
6, 1997.
1943
Jeanette Collins Fletcher died on
March 15, 2001.
Jeanne M. Holmes died on Sept. 14,
2001.
1947
Sue G. Slaughter (BA) died on March
26.
1949
Merrilee Red Dorner (BS) of Forsyth
died on April 9, 2001.
Eulene Bell Bushey (BS) of Barbourville,
Ky., died on Jan. 6, 2001.
1951
Nancy Crum Cyphers (BA) died on
April 20, 2001.
1952
Jimmie Louise Brown Baker (BS) of
Highlands, N.C., died on Feb. 24, 2001.
1958
Mary Reeves Sudlow (BS) of Thomson
died on Dec. 15, 1999.
1968
Debbie Gottke Poole died on July 27,
1997.
1969
Carolyn Rodgers Newton died on
Oct. 21, 2000.
Robyn Doyal Smith died on Oct. 21,
2000.
1974
Audry Morrison Frazier (BS) died
on Aug. 22, 2000.
1979
Joyce Robinson Williams (BA) died
in July 2000.
1983
Sheila Underwood Burden (BSEE)
died on April 30, 2001.
7
TIFTODAY — FALL 2002

Office of University Advancement
1400 Coleman Avenue
Macon, Georgia 31207-0001
www.mercer.edu
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Atlanta, Georgia
Permit No. 2281
T T
IF oday Class of 1942 members Vera Campbell-Gullatt, left, and C. Evelyn Mitchell
S H A R E
your latest news!
TIFToday would like to keep your classmates up to date on your
latest news. If you’ve moved recently or are planning to move, send
in this form to keep our records current. We also want to hear from
you if you’ve recently married, had a baby, received a promotion or
accomplished some other noteworthy milestone.
Name ______________________________________________
Title _______________________________________________
Address _____________________________________________
__________________________________________________
Class of ___________ Degree ____________________________
Home Telephone _______________________________________
Business Name ________________________________________
Address ____________________________________________
Business Telephone _____________________________________
E-Mail _____________________________________________
“Chip Off the Old Block” News to Share — please list any family members
who are Tift or Mercer Alumni.
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
Please return to:
Mercer University - Office of Alumni Records
1400 Coleman Avenue, Macon, Georgia 31207
If more convenient, fax to (478) 301-4124.
represented their class at the reunion dinners during Alumnae Weekend 2002.
T T
IF oday
VOLUME 28, NUMBER 1
A PUBLICATION FOR ALUMNAE, SCHOLARS AND FRIENDS OF TIFT COLLEGE
Alumnae Weekend 2002
Members of the Class of 1952 celebrate their Golden Anniversary during Tift Alumnae Weekend held last April.
See inside for more on Alumnae Weekend 2002.
F ALL 2002