Winter - University of Central Missouri

An alumni publication of the University of Central Missouri winter 2006, vol. 6 no. 3
Putting the University of Central
Missouri into Historical, Current
and Future Perspective

BOARD OF GOVERNORS
PRESIDENT
Lawrence H. Fick ’63, Columbia, MO
VICE PRESIDENT
Deleta Parmley Williams ’84, Warrensburg, MO
SECRETARY
Jennifer Hill Nixon ’73, Warson Woods, MO
MEMBERS
Anthony Arton, student rep., Warrensburg, MO
Delores J. Hudson, Warrensburg, MO
Palmer R. Nichols II ’64, Jefferson City, MO
Richard Phillips ’65, ’67, ’72, Lake Tapawingo, MO
Michelle Patterson Wimes, Kansas City, MO
UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT
Aaron Podolefsky, Warrensburg, MO
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Campus Today . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5
Athletics Today. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Alumni Today . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-19
Cover Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-18
Development Today. . . . . . . . . . . 20-24
Class Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25-31
UCM TODAY
Published by the Office of Alumni Relations
& Development and the Office of University
Relations. Send comments and feedback to
cmsupr@cmsu.edu or call 660-543-4640.
Editor . . . . . . . . . Dalene Abner
Designer . . . . . . . Brian Lynch ’04
Photographer . . . Bryan Tebbenkamp ’03
Writers. . . . . . . . . Jeff Murphy ’76 hs, ’80, ’95
Mike Greife ’74
Class Notes . . . . . Tina (Tock) Bell fs ’85-’87
Contributor . . . . Jenne Vanderbout
alumni events
For more about alumni events, visit www.cmsu.edu/alumni. To RSVP, email alumni@cmsu.edu or call 660-543-8000.
Campus: Mules Basketball Pregame, Thursday, Jan. 18
Gather in the Multipurpose Building alumni room to cheer
our teams before they face Fort Hays State University,
5-7 p.m. $5/adult, $2.50/ages 5-12. RSVP by Jan 12.
Lee’s Summit: UMC Summit Center Open House, Friday, Jan. 26
Join us for this reception, meet university administrators
and see our newly expanded facilities. 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Appetizers and wine. RSVP by Jan. 19.
St. Louis: Schlafly Brewery, Friday, Jan. 26
Join area alumni and friends for dinner in the Club Room at
the Tap Room. 7 p.m. $20 per person. RSVP by Jan. 19.
Lee’s Summit: Monday, Jan. 29
Join us at Tanner’s to hear about UCM athletics at 6:15 p.m.
Learn all of the exciting news about the teams and our
outstanding student athletes. Coaches will be available to
answer questions. No RSVP needed.
Houston, TX: Mules Baseball vs. Rice Owls, Feb. 2-3
UCM Mules Baseball returns to Texas for another Battle of
the Diamond. Watch the web for details.
Washington, D.C.: Thursday, Feb. 8
All area alumni mark your calendars to gather with alumni
and friends. Watch the web for details.
Kansas City: Crown Center, Thursday, Feb. 8
Come ice skating with UCM alumni and friends. Skating
begins at 5:30 p.m. Refreshments will be provided
throughout the evening. $6/adult, $3/ages 5-12.
RSVP by Feb. 1.
Campus: Harlem Gospel Choir, Friday, Feb. 9
Gather with alumni and friends for a pre-performance
reception in the Ward Edwards Atrium, then walk over to
Hendricks Hall to enjoy the Harlem Gospel Choir, one of the
pre-eminent gospel choirs in the world. Reception, 6 p.m.
Performance, 7:30 p.m. Cost for the reception is $5/adult;
$2.50/child ages 5-12. RSVP by Feb. 2.
Kansas City: MIAA Basketball Reception, Friday, March 2
Back the Mules and Jennies during the MIAA Tournament,
then attend our reception from 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. at the
Muehlebach Tower at the Downtown Marriott for one of our
most popular alumni events.
Overland Park: New Theatre Restaurant, Friday, March 9
The proclaimed “best dinner theatre in the country” brings
Broadway’s Farah Alvin in I Do! I Do! It is a comedy, a
musical and so much more. Reception is at 5 p.m., dinner
at 6:30 p.m. $35/adult includes reception, meal and show;
additional cost for dessert and alcohol. RSVP by March 2.
Kansas City: Lidia’s, Friday, April 6
Enjoy Chef Lidia’s Italian cuisine, then explore Kansas City’s
art world via the First Friday Crossroads Art District Tour.
Reception, 5:30 p.m.; galleries open at 7 p.m. $10/person.
RSVP by March 30.
Sedalia, MO: Ivory Grille, Tuesday, April 17
Join alumni and friends at the Ivory Grille at the historic
Bothwell Hotel for a reception in the Banquet Room.
Reception starts at 6:30 p.m. Cost is $15 per person.
RSVP by April 10.
Campus: Mules Baseball Tailgate, Tuesday, April 24
Gather before the Mules vs. Lincoln baseball game at
Crane Stadium for a pregame barbeque. 5 p.m., tailgate;
6 p.m., game. Cost is $5/adult, $2.50/ages 5-12.
RSVP by April 17.
Kansas City: Royals vs. Cardinals Baseball, Thursday, June 14
Tailgate at Brancato’s Bullpen and enjoy this cross-state
rivalry. 5:30 p.m., tailgate; 7 p.m., game. $35/adult,
$25/ages 4-12. RSVP by June 1 as seating is limited.
Kansas City: Worlds of Fun, Saturday, June 23
Kick off the summer with an exciting day at this 175-acre
playground. Barbecue dinner in Tivoli East Picnic Pavilion,
5-6 p.m. Regular admission and dinner, $22; child or senior
(age 3 and older and under 48” in height or 62 and older)
admission and dinner, $12. RSVP by June 15.
Kansas City: Starlight Theatre, Thursday, July 12
Join us at Starlight Theatre for the Broadway musical, Sweet
Charity. Backstage tour will be given before the show.
Dinner at 6:30 p.m. Cost $30/adult, $25/ages 5-12.
RSVP by July 5.
Campus: 50-Year Reunion, Friday and Saturday, May 4-5
All members plan to attend this annual event. The Class of
1957 will be officially inducted into the 50-Year Society.
Watch your mail for details.
Phoenix, AZ: Tuesday, March 6
All area alumni mark your calendars to gather with alumni
and friends. Watch the web for details.
UCM Today (USPS 019-888) is published
quarterly by the University of Central
Missouri, Warrensburg, MO 64093.
Periodicals postage paid at Warrensburg,
MO, and additional offices.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes
to UCM Today, Smiser Alumni Center,
University of Central Missouri,
Warrensburg, MO 64093.
Printed by Tribune Publishing Company,
P.O. Box 798, Columbia, MO 65205
page 2 winter 2006

IN THIS SECTION
• Prime Number Guys Set
Another World Record
• UCM Honors Brooks with
Honorary Degree
• Campus Organizes
Pandemic Flu Team
• American Democracy Project
Engaging Campus
• Expert’s Visit, Ancient
Human Discovery Coincide
• Students’ Action Earns
Professor National Award
campus today
UCM Receives NSF Grant
for Scholarships
As a generation of baby-boomers nears retirement age, the need for new
professionals entering the fields of mathematics, computer science and
actuarial science continues to grow. UCM’s Department of Mathematics
and Computer Science received a boost toward meeting that need with a
$499,520 grant from the National Science Foundation that will provide
annual scholarships for UCM students.
UCM was one of 110 colleges and universities to receive the grants
out of 372 proposals submitted nationwide, and the only four-year
university in the state of Missouri. The funding will enable the department
to offer $4,000 annual scholarships for 28 students pursuing degrees in
mathematics, actuarial science or computer science at UCM over the next
four years. The scholarships are available to incoming freshmen, transfer
and current students and are renewable each year, dependent upon
funding.
According to Xiaodong Yue, assistant professor of computer science and
a member of the grant administration team, UCM met criteria put forth by
NSF to receive the grant.
“We were required to show academic ability among our students,
and we had to demonstrate the financial need on our campus,” Yue
said. Assistance in gathering the data was provided by the UCM Office of
Student Financial Assistance and the Office of Admissions. The Department
of Mathematics and Computer Science provided data on its graduation rate
and retention rate among its students, as well as data on the qualifications
of the faculty and the content and scope of the department curriculum.
In addition to the scholarship funding, recipients also will be assigned a
faculty mentor and participate in scholar groups. Peer mentoring, academic
advising, professional development activities and career services and
counseling also will be provided. The scholarships will be made available
to applicants with academic ability and who demonstrate financial need
through completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid
(FAFSA). Graduating high school seniors must have an ACT composite
score of 24 and a minimum grade point average of 3.2. Currently enrolled
UCM students also must have a minimum 3.2 GPA.
“This scholarship opportunity will help our department recruit and
retain a greater number of students for our majors in computer science,
actuarial science and mathematics,” said Ed Davenport, chair of the
Department of Mathematics. “With this financial assistance and the
mentoring that our department will provide, we hope to better prepare our
students who will be entering a highly technological work force.”
Xiaodong Yue, assistant professor of computer science, led campus efforts to obtain the NSF grant.
winter 2006
page 3

campus today
UCM TODAY
Prime Number Guys Set
Another World Record
Lighting struck twice for two
UCM math professors whose
research with prime numbers is
gaining them national recognition.
University of Central Missouri
math researchers, Steve Boone,
interim dean of the College of Arts
and Sciences, and Curtis Cooper,
professor of computer science,
discovered the largest known prime
number for the second time in nine
months Sept. 4. The 9.8-million
digit number was found in a
Department of Communication
lab in the Wood Building. The
discovery is part of
a world-wide
research project through the
Great Internet Mersenne Prime
Search. UCM has been participating
in the GIMPS research for nine
years, with more than 700
computers across campus running
the GIMPS software.
A Mersenne prime is part of a
rare class of prime numbers named
after French monk Marin Mersenne,
who studied them more than 300
years ago. The discovery is the 44th
known Mersenne prime and came
close to receiving the $100,000
prize from the Electronic Frontier
Foundation for finding the first
10-million digit prime number.
“We’ve had a lot of support
from everybody across campus. The
administration, faculty and all the
people at Information Services have
been really helpful,” Cooper said.
“Even though the prime number
has Steve and my name on it, it is
really a whole UCM effort.”
UCM Honors
Brooks with
Honorary
Degree
The UCM
Board of
Alvin Brooks Governors
awarded
prominent Kansas City civic leader
Alvin Brooks an honorary doctorate
during graduate commencement
ceremonies Dec. 15.
In 1974, Brooks became the
first African-American to serve
on the university’s governing
board, then the Board of Regents.
Since then, he has assisted with
the development of the annual
Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration,
constituent relations on campus
and in Kansas City, and promoted
the campus in the KC metro area.
Brooks’ career reflects a life
dedicated to civic service and
the Kansas City community. He
founded the broad-based grassroots
community organization
known as the Ad Hoc Group
Against Crime, and became its
president in 1991.
Along with being a tireless
advocate for civic participation and
a champion for youth involvement,
he also served on the President’s
National Drug Advisory Council.
Campus Organizes
Pandemic Flu Team
Could the bird flu hit campus?
It’s a tough question to answer,
but one that is being discussed at
the University of Central Missouri
as colleges and universities across
the country initiate pandemic flu
planning.
Under the leadership of
Michelle Hendricks, director of
the University Health Center,
UCM recently established its own
pandemic flu committee. The
group is chaired by Rebecca Steckel,
assistant director of university
American Democracy Project Engaging Campus
Central Missouri’s involvement with the
American Democracy Project has brought a
number of guests to campus with the intent
of creating opportunities for intellectual and
experiential understanding of civic engagements
for students.
Attorney and author William H. Colby
visited to talk about his most recent book,
Unplugged: Reclaiming our Right to Die in America.
Colby represented the family of Nancy Cruzan
in the first right-to-die case heard by the U.S.
Supreme Court.
UCM’s Art Center Gallery, in conjunction
with the project, sponsored the exhibit, Raise
Your Voice!, featuring the works of more than 75
artists from Warrensburg and across the country.
Central Missouri alumnus Ryan Ballard
presented a puppet theater performance, Dr.
Razzamataz the Stupendous and His Mystical
Medicine Show, using special effects and
pyrotechnics to deal with socially relevant issues.
Ballard is a professional artist, pyrotechnician
and educator who received a Bachelor of Fine
Arts in 2001.
Prior to Hurricane Katrina, he taught for
the Talented Visual Arts program in Orleans
Parish. After losing everything in the hurricane,
he relocated to Colorado Springs and now has
rebuilt what he lost.
page 4 winter 2006

UCM TODAY
Animal science major Tiffany Bauer is one of several students in the new “Pick a Heifer” program.
health services and includes
representatives from across campus
who are meeting regularly to help
develop the most effective response
possible to this type of public
health emergency. Their plan,
when finished, will become part
of the institution’s overall crisis
management effort.
Selvidge Named an Editor
of Religious Encyclopedia
Professor of religious studies,
Marla J. Selvidge, has been invited
to become an editor of a new
encyclopedia on women and
religion tentatively entitled, Women
and the Bible, an Encyclopedia of
Exegesis and History of Culture. She
also has been invited to Italy to
help plan the volume.
Selvidge is the 1999 winner of
the William H. Byler Distinguished
Faculty Award. She has published
nationally and internationally in
the fields of
biblical studies
and feminist
interpretation.
The project,
which will
bring together
scholars from
Marla J. Selvidge
throughout the
world, will feature analysis on the
stories about women in the Bible
and focus on discovering women
in history, hymns, legal texts,
iconography and more.
Freshman Class Sets
New Decade Record
The largest freshman class in
more than a decade contributed
to a two percent jump overall in
undergraduate students at the
University of Central Missouri for
the fall 2006 semester.
“We are excited about the
quantity, quality and diversity of
this year’s class,” said Matt Melvin,
assistant provost for enrollment
management.
“It is a testament to the quality
academic programs offered, the
university’s commitment to help
students find employment upon
completion of their studies and the
incredibly hard work of a dedicated
enrollment services staff,” he said.
Graduate and undergraduate
enrollment totaled 10,711, of which
1,592 students were first-time,
degree-seeking freshmen, up from
1,575 the previous year.
Undergraduate enrollment
totaled 8,970, a 153-student
increase from 2005. Other numbers
included a 10 percent increase in
students entering the university
with composite ACT scores of
22-26; a 12 percent increase in
minority students; and improved
four- and five-year graduation rates.
Championships, Mock
Shows Occupy Students
It’s been a good show season
for the UCM cattle show team.
UCM’s Simmental bulls earned
championship awards at the
Ozark Empire Fair, the Missouri
State Fair and the American Royal.
UCM agriculture students also are
learning the basics of handling and
showing cattle as participants in the
“Pick a Heifer” program through
the Agriculture Club in UCM’s
Department of Agriculture.
Jason Scales, assistant professor
of agriculture, explained that some
of UCM’s agriculture students have
little to no experience in working
with cattle.
Students work with one of
10 donated heifer calves for 20
hours. Participation is open to any
student, with the majority of the
participants majoring in agriculture
programs.
At the end of the three-week
program, students showed their
calves at a “mini American Royal.”
The grand prize is the chance to
go on a trip with UCM’s national
award-winning cattle show team.
Expert’s Visit, Ancient
Human Discovery Coincide
Paleoanthropologist Donald
Johanson announced to the world
the discovery of a 3.3 million-yearold
pre-human skeleton Sept. 20
while at UCM. The news was so
significant that it made the cover of
the November National Geographic
magazine.
Johanson visited campus to
talk about his historic discovery in
1974 of the fossilized remains of
the oldest known human ancestor
named “Lucy.”
The newest discovery,
made by Ethiopian
anthropologist Zerensenay
Alemseged, has been
nicknamed “Lucy’s baby.”
Also called the Dikika Baby,
the three-year-old remains
come from the dawn of
humanity and are believed
to hold the clues to the
origin of childhood. They
are the most complete
ancient infant ever found.
“This is going to allow
us to have extraordinary
insight into the growth
and development of this
species,” Johanson said.
campus today
Students’ Action Earns
Professor National Award
Joseph J. Ryan, Ph.D., chair of
UCM’s Department of Psychology,
epitomizes the teacher/scholar
model promoted throughout the
academy, and
now he has
been nationally
recognized.
The American
Psychological
Association
of Graduate
Students, Joe Ryan
the largest
group of psychology graduate
students worldwide, awarded
Ryan the Raymond D. Fowler
Award for his outstanding
contribution to the professional
development of students.
“I was real surprised,” Ryan said,
noting that his former students
nominated him through another
university APAGS chapter.
Pipe Organ Dedicated to
Retired Music Professors
The 47-year-old pipe organ
in Hart Recital Hall has played
a pivotal role in the musical
development of Frederic W. Homan
and William E. McCandless.
Recently, the Department of Music
dedicated the 13-rank, 11-stop pipe
organ to the two emeriti faculty
members in honor of their UCM
music education careers.
The 3.3 million-year-old Dikika Baby holds new evolution
clues. Photo courtesy of National Geographic magazine.
winter 2006
page 5

athletics today
IN THIS SECTION
• A Rare Moment This Fall
• ‘Golf Digest’ Lists Crane as
Nation’s Top CEO Golfer
• Steveners Fund Wrestling
Scholarships
• Anderson Named Division II
Scholar-Athlete of the Year
• Jennies Presented Athletic
Letters at Homecoming
UCM Volleyball Coach
Peggy Martin Reaches
1,000 Victories
University of Central Missouri Jennies Volleyball Coach
Peggy Martin didn’t expect her 1,000th win to come this year
— giving her an NCAA Division II national first.
With a tough schedule and the loss of a few key players,
Martin thought that, if anything, this would be a growing year
for the Jennies to mature and build chemistry together.
Yet, the Jennies won all season long and, for the 29th
straight time, finished with at least 25 wins. And on the night
the team extended its winning streak to 10 games — a game
against Northwest Missouri State University — Martin reached
the unexpected milestone.
The win reminded Martin — whose record stands at
1,000-260-8 in her 31 seasons at UCM — of how consistent
her Jennies have been over the years.
“I think 1,000 is huge. It means perseverance, and it means
doing it a long time,” she said. “As I’ve joked, I wouldn’t still be
doing it if we weren’t winning. The winning is important.”
She led her team to at least 25 wins for the 29th straight
season and has won or shared 19 Mid-America Intercollegiate
Athletic Association titles since the league began sponsoring
the sport in 1982.
Martin’s teams have also made a Division II record 24
straight NCAA Tournament appearances in a row.
“Coach Martin’s 1,000th win is monumental,” UCM
Athletic Director Jerry Hughes said. “Not many, if any, coaches
reach that milestone, and she’s done it. It’s great for her, the
program and the university.”
Going back to the fall of 1975, Martin has watched Jennies
volleyball grow into what it is today.
“Going from not even having real volleyball standards
to where we are today is phenomenal,” she said. “To see the
progress we’ve made is awesome. Not only did I grow up with
the program, but the whole program of women’s athletics grew
up with me. I’ve been blessed in every facet of my career as a
young girl playing sports to now being a rather older woman
and still coaching.”
— Daniel Barber ’07
page 6

UCM TODAY
athletics today
A Rare Moment This Fall
For possibly the first time
ever, UCM’s fall sports were
all nationally ranked in early
September. The Jennies volleyball
team was ranked at #10, the Mules
football team at #24, the Jennies
soccer team, making its first
appearance in the rankings in the
school’s history, at #15, and the
Mules and Jennies cross country
teams at #24 and #14, respectively.
‘Golf Digest’ Lists Crane as
Nation’s Top CEO Golfer
Jim Crane ’76, honored during
homecoming as a distinguished
alumnus, claims another
distinction — Golf Digest’s best
corporate golfer of the year.
Crane, founder and CEO of
Houston-based EGL Eagle Global
Logistics, has a .8 handicap. Part
owner of Pebble Beach Golf Course,
he has won titles at Nantucket Golf
Club, Lochinvar Golf Club and
Northgate Country Club.
The former Mules baseball
standout and UCM Athletic Hall
of Famer grew up caddying at
Norwood Hills Country Club in
St. Louis and remembers playing
for free on caddy day.
Now he finds the golf course
conducive to business. “If you
can’t close in four hours, you can’t
sell,” Crane told Golf Digest of
opportunities afforded by the game.
Crane is a newcomer to Golf
Digest’s top CEO golfers’ list, which
covers Fortune 1000 companies.
This is the magazine’s fifth biennial
rankings.
Steveners Fund Wrestling
Scholarships
UCM alums Marc and Beverly
Stevener have established two
scholarships for members of the
Mules wrestling team, the Herbert
A. Luippold Memorial Scholarship
and the Marc Stevener Wrestling
Scholarship.
Beverly established the Marc
Stevener Wrestling Scholarship
in honor of her husband, Marc, a
Mules wrestler from 1970-1973.
It will be awarded annually to the
most improved Mules wrestler.
Beverly, who was a grapelette
from 1971-1974, established the
Herbert A. Luippold Memorial
Scholarship in honor of her father.
It will be awarded annually to a
Mules wrestler who shows promise
of leadership and service.
Anderson Named Division II
Scholar-Athlete of the Year
UCM All-American Kristin
Anderson was named the 2006
NCAA Division II Scholar-Athlete
of the Year, becoming the first
athlete in UCM history to receive
the distinction. She held a 3.97
undergraduate cumulative GPA and
was a standout track and field and
cross country athlete.
Anderson is a two-time
national champion, winning
the 5,000-meter run at the 2006
NCAA-II Indoor Championships
and the 3,000-meter steeplechase
at the 2005 NCAA-II Outdoor
Championships. She is currently
pursuing her master’s degree at
UCM, competing internationally
toward earning a spot on the U.S.
Olympic team.
Jennies Presented Athletic
Letters at Homecoming
At this year’s homecoming
women athletes who played at
UCM prior to early 1972 received
athletic letters that only male
athletes could receive at the time.
The Celebrating Women’s
Athletics reunion brought back
Jennies sophomore forward Landri Schmitt helped the UCM soccer team earn its first trip ever to
the NCAA tournament.
hundreds of former Jennies who
obtained their well-deserved letters.
Women who competed in
sports before anybody paid much
attention deserve credit for making
today’s competition what it is, said
Jennies Volleyball Coach Peggy
Martin to The Kansas City Star.
In 1972 Title IX of the federal
Education Amendments outlawed
discrimination on the basis of
gender in American schools that
received federal funding.
The women athletes who
played prior to Title IX played
purely for love of the sport, as
the games they played were
unofficial and records were not
usually kept, Martin noted.
She added that scholarships
and university funding also did not
factor into women’s sports.
Mules’ Baseball Assistants
Get Recruited to the Majors
With success comes opportunity.
The UCM baseball squad had 15
players in the minor league ranks
since 2000, and it was just a matter
of time before its coaches started
getting those opportunities.
Assistant Coach Kevin Cullen
has taken a position as a
professional scout with the
Cleveland Indians in Dallas, TX. He
joined the UCM staff this summer
after a stint at the University of
Missouri. Former Mules assistant
Steve Miller also has joined a
major league team as a scout with
the Toronto Blue Jays in Chicago.
Miller was the Mules hitting coach
and recruiting coordinator for the
past three seasons.
winter 2006
page 7

athletics today
UCM TODAY
Colorado Mountain Tops are Familiar Scenes to Mitchell
Mike Mitchell believes in
goals, even when they take
decades to achieve. His latest
is one day perhaps to climb a
20,000-foot peak, the earth’s
highest, Mt. Everest.
After climbing 100 14ers
— mountains that exceed
14,000 feet, including all
55 in Colorado, some over
and over — you get a sense
that Mitchell has the kind of
determination and drive to
accomplish anything.
This summer at the age of 50, Mitchell spent
a dozen weekends traveling across the state and
climbing in not-so-great weather to notch off the
last 16 14ers he had yet to ascend.
Mitchell discovered his love for climbing after
he graduated from UCM. As a member of the
Mules wrestling team, he had a strong drive to
compete. When he finished his degree in 1979
and no longer wrestled, he went in search of a
new activity to channel that spirit and energy.
He started running marathons and triathlons
to keep in shape and fill that drive.
When he and his wife, Verna, who graduated
from Central Missouri with an education degree,
moved to Colorado, they found a different kind
of challenge.
“We saw the mountains,” Mitchell said.
After reading about the Rockies and hearing
people talk about the 14ers, Mitchell and Verna
climbed the most famous one, Longs Peak, in
1979. It’s the mountain people see when they
enter the state from the east.
“I decided I wanted to keep picking at them,”
Mitchell said of the
other 54 14ers. He set
a goal to climb them
all — first by age 30,
then by 40 and finally
by 50.
“I love the
mountain climbing
and the views, and the
feeling when you get
on top. I’ve never really
lost my love for it.”
He climbed his first
mountain with his dad and has since passed on
that love to his friends and family. He took his
son, Zach, up in a backpack as an infant. When
he was three, Zach climbed his first 14er, Culebra
Peak. Mitchell is sure that may be a record.
If mountaineering seems difficult, it’s because
it is — hard and dangerous. Mitchell keeps in
shape by running five to eight miles a day, four
times a week and hiking the rest of the time. He’s
run 37 marathons, including one up Pike’s Peak
— no mean feat.
Even being in good physical shape,
mountaineering requires a good knowledge of
climbing.
“The only learning curve was how to find a
route and stay on it. Longs Peak is a good first
difficult peak because the route is very easy to
spot,” he said. “On many of the 14ers, the route
is not marked. You have to be able to find the
right route or you can get yourself into a whole
lot of trouble. What is a difficult climb can turn
into a nightmare if you get off and get on the
wrong route.”
The drive and determination that Mitchell
Mike and Verna Mitchell and their younger son, Cory,
came to Warrensburg to visit Zach, then a UCM student
and Mules football player.
has shown throughout his life comes in some
small part from his time spent at UCM.
Mitchell, originally from St. Louis, came to
Central Missouri on a wrestling scholarship and
also because of the industrial safety program.
One of his most memorable college moments
came on the wrestling mat in Iowa, and it has
stuck with him ever since.
“My friend, who was a 134-pounder, was
getting ready to wrestle and his opponent looked
like he was my size, around a 190-pounder.
“Well, his opponent took off his warm-up
top and warm-up pants, and then he took off
his legs. And he walked out there on stumps,”
Mitchell said. “It was just amazing that this guy
could wrestle in college with no legs. It made an
impression on us that incredible things can get
done by people if they just stick with it,” he said.
Mitchell has always been an outdoorsman,
and he knew that UCM was a great place to go
to school. He even helped to convince his first
cousin, Mules golf head coach Tim Poe, to study
at UCM.
“I told him what a great campus and great
education it was. And he’s a great outdoorsman
so I told him about all the hunting and fishing
and all the things you can do. We loved Pertle
Springs,” Mitchell said. His son, Zach, also
earned a degree from the safety management
program while playing football at UCM.
Next spring, Mitchell hopes to put Mt. Rainier
on his list of 14ers. Where his drive takes him
after that is unknown, perhaps he’ll find time for
a 20,000-foot mountain, but he certainly has the
determination to do incredible things.
— Daniel Barber ’07 and Dalene Abner
Mike Mitchell ’79, succeeded this summer in climbing all of Colorado’s 14,000-foot mountains, a goal he had for the past 30 years. Here, he stands atop Capital Peak, which he considered the toughest.
page 8 winter 2006

IN THIS SECTION
• UCM Alumnus Dale
Carnegie Named to Hall of
Famous Missourians
• Medicine, Insurance,
Education: Meet Doctor
Do A-Lot
• Name Has Changed...but
Essence and Traditions
Haven’t
• Aton Maintains Watchful Eye
for Public Hazards
• Safety Alumna Leads
Nationally Recognized Team
alumni today
Judge Believes in Helping Others,
Donates Kidney to a Stranger
As a five-year-old, Peggy Richardson knew she wanted to
be a lawyer. She never wavered from that goal, finishing high
school in Tipton, MO, a bachelor’s degree in history and
political science from Central Missouri, and a law degree from
the University of Missouri.
Now an associate judge for the 22 nd Judicial Circuit in
Moniteau County, Richardson ’80 has found a way to help
people. It was in the last two years that she also reached out to
a person in need when she donated a kidney to someone she
has never met.
After doing her own research, she registered as a donor with
the Mid-America Transplant Service in St. Louis. Following
a battery of physical and psychological tests, she donated a
kidney in 2005. She has yet to meet the recipient of her kidney.
“I feel like I gave her the chance to live a long and
productive life, and that’s all the recognition I need,”
Richardson said. “I don’t want her to feel she owes me
anything. Doing something you are led to do is a blessing.”
One of 12 children, Richardson grew up on a farm in rural
Moniteau County. The family didn’t have much, but her thirst
for a college education led her to UCM, where scholarships and
work study made it possible for her to get a degree.
“Going to college was a marvelous experience for me,”
she said. “Political science seemed like a preparation for law
school, and I love history.”
She has fond memories of lectures by William Foley,
professor emeritus of history, who “brought history to life.” She
also cites the mentorship of James Young, professor emeritus of
political science, as important to her education.
As a student, she worked for Harold Sampson, dean
emeritus of graduate studies and extended campus. Under
Sampson’s tutelage, she learned about the importance of
professionalism and compassion in dealing with people.
“Encouragement is the greatest natural resource we have,”
Richardson said. “I always received encouragement from my
parents and my family, and the encouragement I received while
I was a student at UCM allowed me to be where I am today.”
Peggy Richardson
winter 2006
page 9

alumni today
UCM TODAY
His common sense advice on living a productive
life brought success and happiness to millions. In
recognition of his own lifetime of successes, Central
Missouri alumnus Dale Carnegie, renowned author of
How to Win Friends and Influence People and developer
of the Dale Carnegie Course, was inducted into the Hall
of Famous Missourians at the Missouri State Capitol in
Jefferson City in September.
A bronze bust of Carnegie was unveiled by
university and state officials and representatives of Dale
Carnegie Training during a ceremony in the chambers
of the Missouri House of Representatives. The bust,
created by Columbia sculptor Sabra Tull Meyer, will
be permanently displayed in the third floor rotunda of
the capitol.
Rep. David Pearce, who represents UCM and
Warrensburg in the Missouri House of Representatives,
was a driving force behind the recognition. In keeping
with the tradition, Pearce, standing in for Rep. Rod
Jetton, speaker of the Missouri House, met with Meyer
at her Columbia studio to approve the clay model of
the bust. The two met again at the Elegius Bronze
Foundry in Kansas City.
Two life-size busts were created from
the clay sculpture. One was placed in
the capitol, and the second is staying
on campus. In addition, 25 miniature
bronze busts were cast for future use
by the university.
A native Missourian, Meyer earned
Master of Arts and Master of Fine Arts
degrees from the University of Missouri.
Her work includes bronze portrait busts
and life-size torsos, as well as smaller
sculptures. Her recent commissions
include several works in various
locations for the University of
Missouri and other campuses
and locations throughout the
state.
Working from photographs
provided by the Arthur F.
McClure II Museum and University Archives at UCM,
Meyer created the clay sculpture. A wax replica of the
sculpture was created, from which a mold was created
for the bronze pour at the foundry.
In September, Meyer delivered the sculptures to the
UCM campus. President Aaron Podolefsky accepted
the bronze likenesses of Carnegie on behalf of the
university in an informal ceremony.
During the formal installation ceremony several
days later in Jefferson City, Podolefsky acknowledged
that Carnegie was among the most distinguished of
Central Missouri’s alumni and the first recipient of the
university’s honorary doctoral degree in 1955.
“Dale Carnegie’s successes are representative of the
circumstances of so many of our students who start
their college careers coming from modest origins,”
Podolefsky said. “His life is a perfect example of the
belief that it’s not where you start out that makes a
difference, but it’s what you do that counts.”
Podolefsky noted that Carnegie entered State
Normal School No. 2 seeking to “fit in.” He became
active in the speech and debate society and was elected
sophomore class president. He attained a teaching
certificate and embarked on a lifelong career teaching
others what he had learned.
“Dale Carnegie’s daughter, Donna Dale Carnegie,
has told us that her father credited his education
as being essential to his success,” Podolefsky said.
“Nothing makes us more proud than to be held as an
example to UCM students. This famous Missourian
now is an inspiration to all.”
Michael Crom, executive vice president of Dale
Carnegie Training and Carnegie’s step great-nephew,
noted that Carnegie’s mother wanted her sons to have
a college education, prompting the family to move
from Carnegie’s birthplace of Maryville to a farm near
Warrensburg.
“Dale Carnegie was a humble man, and he would be
amazed at the honor bestowed upon him here today,”
Crom said. “It is fitting and lovely that he came home
to the capitol of the state he loved.”
— Mike Greife ’74
This bronze bust of Dale Carnegie can be seen alongside
such influential persons as Mark Twain, Josephine Baker,
Thomas Hart Benton, Walt Disney and Harry S Truman.
page 10 winter 2006

UCM TODAY
alumni today
Medicine, Insurance, Education: Meet Doctor Do A-Lot
Dr. Bill Bradshaw is a physician
with flair.
He served as a private
practitioner in Clinton, MO, for 25
years, dean of the medical school
at the University of Missouri for
10 years, and most recently, the
regional vice president of medical
affairs at Blue Cross/Blue Shield,
Kansas City.
Bradshaw said he enjoys the
medical profession because it
gives him the opportunity to help
people. Bradshaw Hall on UCM’s
campus is named for Bill’s mother,
Pearl, who was an influential
faculty member in the education
department.
Coming from a family of
educators, Bradshaw said going
into the medical field seemed like
a natural fit. “I had a desire to go
into the medical profession from
a very early time in life,” he said.
“I saw it as an opportunity to serve
humanity.”
Dr. Bill Bradshaw sports his newly acquired
Distinguished Alumni medallion in the 1995
Homecoming Parade.
In 1975 Bradshaw suffered from
a heart attack that forced him to
quit his private practice in Clinton.
However, his appointment to
the faculty in the medical school at
the University of Missouri and his
eventual promotion to dean of the
school gave him the opportunity to
continue to serve in his profession
as well as educate others.
As vice president of medical
affairs with Blue Cross/Blue Shield,
Bradshaw worked with Medicare
and other healthcare facilities to
ensure the handling of any kind
of medical problem that would
present itself to the insurance
company. Bradshaw retired from
Blue Cross/Blue Shield in 1995.
All in all, the doctor said he’s
satisfied with his career.
“I’ve enjoyed it,” said Bradshaw.
“It’s been a good ride.”
The UCM community agreed
with Bradshaw and in 1995
awarded him the Distinguished
Alumnus award, the most
prestigious honor the university
gives its graduates. Bradshaw
said receiving the award was a
nice honor and he enjoyed the
recognition.
Despite his success as an
educator and a representative for
Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Bradshaw’s
heart was in working with people
directly.
“My only regret is that I had to
leave private practice too early,” he
said. “I got overworked and I over
extended myself.”
But Bradshaw doesn’t dwell on
what could have been. The doctor
said he’s had a “great life” and
enjoys what time off he can get
working with his computer and
dabbling in amateur photography.
Bradshaw said he’s, “semiretired”
but continues to practice
medicine, filling in for physicians
all over the Midwest who go on
vacation, continue their studies
or otherwise need a temporary
replacement.
Bradshaw lives in North Kansas
City with his wife, Dorothy, who
graduated from Central Missouri as
well.
— Michael Bradshaw ’05
T H E N E W
MULE LEAD TEAM
It’s official — members of the UCM Alumni Association’s Mule Lead Team are off
and running, ready to spread the word about their alma mater while providing an
important link to UCM for thousands of alumni.
Thirteen of the 23 members arrived on campus Sept. 16 for training with the Alumni
Association Board of Directors. After meeting with UCM President Aaron Podolefsky
and receiving an overview of the structure of the university, Mule Lead Team members
worked with UCM Office of Alumni Relations staff to set goals for the coming year.
After recruiting alumni from Missouri, the office plans to expand the teams nationwide.
New members of the UCM Mule Lead Team attended a training session held in conjunction with the UCM Alumni
Association Board of Directors meeting. Among those attending were, left to right: Fred Liggett, Bob Merritt, Kelly
Burnley Miller, David Jerome, Randall Barry, John Bennett, Bill Smart, Kari Monsees, Carmen Lock, Todd Dyer, John
Jamison and David Nelson.
MULE LEAD TEAM MEMBERS:
• Randall Barry ’86
Carrollton, MO
• John Bennett ’83
Joplin, MO
• Monica Bolin ’89
Liberty, MO
• Jon Borlin ’94
Troy, IL
• Trey (Fred) Buckley ’00
Kansas City, MO
• Todd Dyer ’86
Warrensburg, MO
• Kathlyn Fares ’64
St. Louis, MO
• Amee Hamilton ’98
Oak Grove, MO
• Lynn Hicklin ’63
Warrensburg, MO
• Dan Huggins ’70
Florissant, MO
• John Jamison ’65
Rolla, MO
• David Jerome ’81
Neosho, MO
• Fred Liggett ’93
Lee’s Summit, MO
• Carmen Lock ’05
Sedalia, MO
• Warren Lovinger, Jr. ’73
Nevada, MO
• Bob Merritt ’57
Blue Springs, MO
• Kelly (Burnley) Miller ’96
Prairie Village, KS
• Kari Monsees ’90
Warrensburg, MO
• David Nelson ’73
Marshall, MO
• Bill Smart ’69
Ionia, MO
• Tim Springer ’93
Columbia, MO
• Pat and Kay Woolley ’62
Lee’s Summit, MO
winter 2006
page 11

alumni today
UCM TODAY
AT THE PARADE: Former Jennies returned to campus for a special reunion.
AT THE PARADE: Tau Kappa Epsilon alumni got together for some fun and business.
AT THE PARADE: Tony Tetley ’67 and retired
professor John Belshe ’57
AT THE PARADE: Jerry
Burgoyne ’58 and wife, Kathy
AT THE PARADE: Erin Leenerts ’06; Karen Hibdon ’79, ’83;
Lorisa Pennell ’02; Rachel Davis-Brown ’01, ’03
AT THE PARADE: Time to share photos
UCM’s First Homecoming
AT THE PARADE: Karle Via Caine ’75, Jayne Collins Swercinski ’78, LeaAnn Rice Sprague ’77, Brenda Taylor Merryfield ’77,
Paula Pierce Brennan ’81, Pam Walker Thorp ’81, Cathy Angotti Althaus ’80, Janet Bailey Wilkerson ’78
AT THE GAME: Former drum major Joe Smith
AT HALFTIME: The Alumni Band joined the Marching Mules.
CROWNED KING AND QUEEN: Anna Boone and
Zach Greenleaf
RECOGNIZED AT HALFTIME: Members of the 1956 Mules football team
page 12 winter 2006

UCM TODAY
alumni today
Events Engage Alumni,
Friends, Families
AT LES BOURGEOIS: Ted ’66 and Billie Litton, Susan ’74 and Bob Feiten
AT LES BOURGEOIS: Joy Mistele ’75, ’83;
Barbara Binger ’52; and George Binger ’55
AT BLUE SPRINGS BARBECUE: Rusty ’97 and
Katie Brown with daughter, Mandy
AT LES BOURGEOIS: Dolores Harlan-Burger ’59, Morris Burger, Marchea Malone Klang ’52 and
Bill Klang
AT HOLY-FIELD WINERY: Jean ’69 and Diann
Cooper
YOUNG ALUMNI HAPPY HOUR AT 75TH STREET BREWERY: Katie Huff ’96; Brock Lewark ’99, ’01; Lauren Funk ’05; Andrew Gates ’05;
Sarah Lewark ’02; Susan Lewark ’02; Marc Skahan ’05; Patrick Crawford ’06; Daniel Wooston ’06; Jamie Jennings ’03; Kristin Muchowski ’05;
Joe Pryor ’03, ’05; and Amy Baysinger ’09
Touchdown Tent Visits Ray-Pec, Platte City
AT HOLY-FIELD WINERY: Dotty and Jerry ’62
Dredwell
AT RAY-PEC: Dave Ceule ’03
AT RAY-PEC: Robert and Juline
Norman ’02
AT PLATTE CITY: Alicia, Chris ’93 and Tatum Goforth
AT PLATTE CITY: Janet ’72 and Larry Leachman
winter 2006
page 13

alumni today
UCM TODAY
Aton Maintains Watchful Eye for Public Hazards
Elizabeth Aton
When chemical materials
explode into massive fireballs,
Elizabeth Aton takes note.
Such an accident happened last
year when a depot, which bottles
gases such as propane, oxygen and
acetylene, suffered huge explosions
southwest of downtown St. Louis.
The plant was shut down, but
Suzanne Marshall Broussard ’83
met the challenge of her 23 years
as an industrial safety professional
when hurricanes Katrina and Rita
hit the Gulf coast in 2005.
As manager of the Occupational
Safety and Health Department
of DynMcDermott Petroleum
Operations in New Orleans, she
and her crew of safety professionals
supported the evacuation and
re-entry of three petroleum storage
sites in the natural disasters’ wake.
DynMcDermott is contracted
to manage and operate four
Department of Energy petroleum
reserve sites on the Louisiana and
Texas coasts. The facilities currently
store reserves of 688.5 million
barrels in leached salt dome
caverns.
Their dedication and expertise
have been rewarded with two
major industry awards during the
past year. DynMcDermott received
the Malcolm Baldridge National
Quality Award in late 2005 from
the U.S. Department of Commerce,
and most recently the company was
luckily none of its 70-plus
employees was seriously injured.
Explosions of this magnitude
raise questions about a company’s
ability to handle volatile materials.
That’s where Aton comes in.
The UCM alumna is deputy
commissioner of the St. Louis
City Local Emergency Planning
Commission.
Although Aton couldn’t
comment on the bottling
explosion, she said that people
aren’t aware of the potential
hazard some materials in their
communities can pose. Aton, whose
post at the LEPC is voluntary, said
that the landscape of hazardous
materials handling is changing as
new technology and materials are
developed. This state of transition
leaves most people unsure of how
some industrial materials may
affect their communities. Aton said
the LEPC is designed to bridge this
information gap, set standards for
named recipient of the Robert W.
Campbell Award for 2006 from the
National Safety Council.
The Baldridge Award is the
nation’s highest presidential
honor for performance excellence
and quality achievement and is
presented annually
to organizations that
distinguish themselves
through management
excellence and
continuous
improvement. The
award is based upon a
set of stringent criteria,
one of which is the
company’s safety and
health compliance and
involvement.
The Robert W.
Campbell Award is an
international award
recognizing companies that have
demonstrated that safety, health
and environmental excellence
contribute to business excellence.
Companies from 21 countries
participate, and DynMcDermott is
page 14 winter 2006
companies that handle dangerous
chemicals and hold any in violation
accountable.
“The average citizen has
something of a toxic phobia,” Aton
said. “It’s a requirement that
LEPCs be able to respond to the
community so that if individuals
are unsure about their situation,
they can ask, ‘What’s here? What are
the plans?’”
Aton, who also holds a
Bachelor of Science degree in
Chemistry, said the presence of an
industrial hygienist with an LEPC
is a rarity. She said it’s difficult
to find someone with the proper
credentials who will volunteer and
work in a pro-bono setting.
Since earning a Master of
Science degree in Industrial
Hygiene from UCM, Aton has
worked in many environments,
including the medical and
aerospace industries.
“The course work at Central
the first company with fewer than
1,000 employees to receive the
award.
Broussard is quick to give credit
to her team members for their
part in winning the awards, noting
that employees made it happen.
The awards came
as a culmination
of several years
of improvement,
following scheduled
on-site visits by
evaluators. She
also indicated the
Robert W. Campbell
Award reflects
DynMcDermott’s
corporate
commitment to
industrial safety.
“I’m very
proud,” she
said. “Our people have made
safety, health and environmental
excellence a part of our corporate
culture at every level of the
organization.”
With a bachelor’s degree
Missouri was well thought out
and was a good foundation for
an individual to be valuable to
whatever employer they’re working
for,” she said.
Aton has been successful
in applying her education and
experience to help the greater good
but admits there’s a lot of work to
be done. Local, state and federal
governments do a sufficient job of
keeping companies in check, she
said, but ultimately citizens must
prepare themselves for incidents
such as the bottling explosion.
“Every day, we are getting
better at recognizing the potential
dangers to public health beyond
just something that’s released into
the air from a smokestack,” she
said. “[We’re] recognizing that
there could be other emergency
situations, so public health
knowledge ... is something that is
very necessary.”
Safety Alumna Leads Nationally Recognized Team
Suzanne Marshall Broussard
— Michael Bradshaw ’05
in English and library science,
Broussard was seeking a new
career path when she took two
safety sciences classes to see how
she liked the field. Due in part to
the influence of her father, Robert
L. Marshall, dean emeritus of
the university’s former School of
Public Service and a pioneer of
its nationally recognized safety
sciences program, she was familiar
with the safety profession. She
earned her degree in 1983.
After working for SRS
Technologies in New Orleans,
Broussard joined the configuration
management department at Boeing
Petroleum Services. She then
transferred to the systems safety
engineering group.
Broussard supervises a staff of
seven safety and industrial hygiene
professionals. She has overseen
implementation of new programs
and “best practice” standards that
have made DynMcDermott a leader
in safety among Department of
Energy contractors.
— Mike Greife ’74

You can find them chipped and worn on a
break room table or perched as collectibles
on an office shelf. Central Missouri mugs
have special meaning to alumni throughout the
world who proudly use and display them. Sure
to become nostalgic treasures, they represent a
tiny piece of history. With the university’s recently
adopted new name, mugs — like pennants,
decals, sweatshirts and countless other items
— symbolize another era of transformation in the
university’s 135-year history.
An Historic Day
Leading the charge for the new name was
President Aaron Podolefsky, who will not soon
forget the first time he officially used University
of Central Missouri in a public setting.
The day was Sept. 20, several hours after
the Board of Governors unanimously reached
a historic decision to change the institution’s
34-year-old moniker. The president addressed
about 900 people who were in Hendricks Hall
to hear a speech by famous paleoanthropologist
Donald Johanson. As the president began his
formal introduction, his words, “Welcome to the
University of Central Missouri,” were greeted with
a thunderous roar of applause.
For Podolefsky, such positive response helped
set the tone for what he believes is an exciting
new era for the institution, which along with a
new name, has adopted a new vision. These days,
the president has many opportunities to articulate
what these mean, whether he’s visiting with
campus constituents, legislators, alumni or others
who have a strong interest in UCM. It’s something
he does with contagious enthusiasm.
“The name is like an anchor. It really
symbolizes all the other things that are going
on — the quality changes, the focus,” he insists
passionately. “All of these things are encapsulated
in the name. And, now we are reminded everyday
that we are the University of Central Missouri.
That’s a powerful, powerful symbol of what’s
going on.”
Why This Name
So why was UCM selected? The university
received legislative approval for the name change
during the Missouri General Assembly’s 2005
session. The legislature gave the institution’s
governing board until August 2007 to determine
whether or not to adopt by majority vote the
University of Central Missouri as its new name.
Podolefsky saw the name change as an
opportunity for exploration. Not long after he
winter 2006
became the university’s 14th president in July
2005, he appointed a broad-based task force,
which spent a year researching and gathering
feedback from alumni, friends, students, faculty
and staff.
“We had tremendous dialogue on campus.
We had a great committee that drafted a white
paper on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities
and threats. I asked them to do this not in terms
of a popularity survey, but as a way to envision
the future and consider how this moves the
institution forward,” Podolefsky said.
Support for the change included the Alumni
Association Board of Directors and Foundation
Board of Directors; governing groups for students,
faculty, administrators and staff; and athletics.
Roger Wilson, president of the Alumni
Association, said in a position statement that the
name change is a “natural part of the university’s
evolution as it seeks to fulfill a new vision.” He
added that the name “‘University of Central
Missouri’ preserves the historical traditions of the
school while strongly positioning the institution
for the future.”
Podolefsky said “State” was dropped
because it tends to have a more local or regional
connotation. By not having state in its name,
Central Missouri hopes to extend its boundaries
in terms of national perception.
A New Vision
The new name complements the new vision,
officially adopted as: “The university aspires to
become a nationally recognized, comprehensive
“The name change provides
a crucial ingredient in fulfilling
this new vision by symbolically
representing our emergence as
a national-level comprehensive
university.”
— President Aaron Podolefsky
page 15

university that delivers a world-class
university education by providing a
small-college learning environment
coupled with large-university
opportunities.”
“The name change provides a
crucial ingredient in fulfilling this new
vision by symbolically representing
our emergence as a national-level
comprehensive university,” Podolefsky
remarked.
He expanded on the vision
components, noting, “Being
nationally recognized means
that people know us as a quality
institution that is fulfilling its mission.
We want to retain our student focus,
primarily serving as an undergraduate
institution delivering a high-quality education.”
He said that under the Carnegie Commission
on Higher Education’s classification system,
which describes institutional diversity, UCM
solidified its status as a “comprehensive”
university many years ago. It will continue to
offer a wide array of undergraduate and graduate
programs in many different disciplines, plus
achieve a balance between teaching and research.
Becoming “world-class” is a benchmark,
Podolefsky said. He is convinced the university
can provide as good an education as any school
in the country. This is partially evidenced by the
many outstanding alumni who have succeeded in
their professional careers.
“It’s a sense of pride and a
sense of target. When a faculty
member prepares a class or
advises a student or when a
department chair thinks about
his or her job here, I want them
to think about what they do to
provide a world-class university
education.”
Offering a “small-college”
environment, or more personal
touch to learning, is one step
toward achieving this target,
he said.
What’s important,
Podolefsky added, is that
students believe they are
getting the attention they need
from faculty and staff, and that the university
cares about them.
Just because the institution offers a smallcollege
atmosphere doesn’t mean opportunities
are limited. Similar to larger universities, UCM
already offers a breadth of programs — about 150
of them — plus depth of faculty, who are actively
engaged in their academic disciplines. They can
also involve students in meaningful research and
projects to a greater degree than faculty at much
larger institutions, Podolefsky pointed out.
“Often, when one goes to a large research
university, you might find that students who get
that kind of attention are mostly the graduate
students. So, we have the best of those worlds,
President Aaron Podolefsky after the
Board of Governors unanimously
approved the name change.
where the undergraduates are the focus of our
research and engagement,” he noted.
Future about Action
Podolefsky emphasized that it is not the
institution’s name or vision that truly matters,
but what the institution does. This sentiment
was echoed by new provost and vice president
for academic affairs, Y.T. Shah, who spoke to the
Board of Governors in October about efforts to
help make the new vision a reality.
He said six task forces are in place considering
how to meet new institutional goals. They are
looking at areas ranging from requiring higher
ACT scores for admittance and streamlining
curriculum, to determining whether or not the
current five-college system is adequate.
“We have to increase quality, image and
internal processes and make sure we take
advantage of opportunities in the markets
nationally and internationally,” Shah noted.
Larry Fick, Columbia, president of the Board
of Governors, guided the group through the
voting process when the new name was adopted.
The board also adopted the language of the new
vision statement earlier this year.
“I am happy to be a member of the Board
of Governors during these exciting times,” Fick
said. “I am looking forward to the Name Change
Transition Team presenting their branding
and marketing program to take advantage of
everything that is new and exciting for UCM.”
FAQs from Alumni
The name change to UCM has prompted
questions from alumni, including these most
frequently asked:
Q. Who’s paying for the cost of making the
name change?
A. Costs are being paid from private and
corporate gifts. No state appropriations or
tuition monies are being used to fund the
unique expenses associated with the change,
except for operational supplies that are
purchased on a periodic basis and consumed or
used within one year.
Q. Can alumni who have CMSU diplomas
obtain a UCM diploma?
A. Yes. A plan to produce UCM diplomas
is being developed through the Office of the
Registrar. The new diplomas should be available
after Jan. 1, 2007. Students who graduate in
December 2006 and May 2007 will receive
both a CMSU and UCM diploma. After that, all
diplomas will say UCM.
Q. Can I get a class ring or diploma frame
with the new name?
A. The university anticipates a high demand
for diploma frames and class rings with the new
name. Through Spring 2007, individuals can
order rings and frames through the University
Store that have either UCM or CMSU on them.
Q. How should I reference the university
on my resume?
A. That is up to you. You may want to refer to
both names for a couple of years. For example,
B.A. Degree in Theatre, 2005, Central Missouri
State University (now University of Central
Missouri). As the UCM name becomes more
widely known, you could drop the reference to
CMSU.
Q. If I request a transcript, how will the
institution’s name be referenced?
A. Currently, all transcripts say CMSU on
them, but they are stamped with a note that
indicates the university officially changed its
name to UCM on Sept. 20, 2006. The Office of
the Registrar will continue to use the existing
supply of special pre-printed transcript paper
with CMSU on it. When the supply is depleted,
it will be replenished with new transcript
paper bearing the new name. This must be
accomplished prior to August 2007.
Q. How will the name change affect
traditions?
A. The Name Change Transition Team is
looking at all of the university’s traditions,
including cheers, fight songs and the alma mater
song, to determine possible, if any, changes.
Q. Does the name change affect the
institution’s status as an NCAA Division II
school?
A. No. There are no plans to change athletic
divisions as the result of the new name.
page 16 winter 2006

From its humble beginnings with seven
faculty members and 58 students, the
University of Central Missouri has evolved
over the past 14 decades, taking on four new
names that reflected changes in both mission
and vision. Retracing these monikers reveals
glimpses of the campus and the nation during
times of institutional transition. It also sheds light
on traditions, which, like institutional names,
frequently change.
The Birth of Normal #2
The same year the first major league baseball
game was played and the Great Chicago Fire
was etched into front-page headlines, higher
education planted new roots in Missouri. With
the opening of the State Normal School, Second
District May 10, 1871, a tradition of higher
education was born in Warrensburg.
Normal No. 2 was one of two institutions
created in the state in the late 1800s to produce
teachers for the public schools of post-Civil War
Missouri. Classes first met in the Foster School at
the corner of Maguire and Grover streets.
Amidst much fanfare, the cornerstone for the
main campus building was laid Aug. 16, 1871.
Old Main, as it was later known, became the
educational centerpiece on the original 16-acre
plot donated by Melville U. Foster.
As additional buildings — and a training
school — sprung up on campus, the seeds for
new traditions were planted. Athletic programs
emerged, beginning with the first football team,
and the first campus newspaper was initiated. The
Normal Student was adopted as the institution’s
official news organ in 1915, although publications
by faculty and other groups date back to 1878.
School spirit was captured in songs. In 1908,
Frederick Abbott wrote the words and music
to Dear Old Normal Number Two and in 1910
composed for the senior class, Farewell to Normal
Number Two. During 1917-1918, alumni president
Pauline Humphreys presented the Alumni Song,
using words written several years earlier by
alumnus Mamie Stewart, and sung to the tune of
Auld Lang Syne.
As World War I progressed in Europe in 1915,
bad luck struck Normal No. 2. An electrical
fire March 6 engulfed four of the campus’ six
buildings, including Old Main. The institution
wasted no time rebuilding, and there was cause
to celebrate that same year when Normal was
accredited as a four-year teachers’ college. This
paved the way for a name change in 1919.
The Birth of CMSTC
By the time Normal No. 2 became Central
Missouri State Teachers College, it had
produced 8,165 men and women who
were licensed to teach in Missouri public
schools and had grown to an enrollment
of 422 students. It also was an exciting
period nationally and internationally.
In 1919, the League of Nations was
founded, and the Treaty of Versailles was
signed ending World War I. A measure
also was passed that no doubt would have
pleased alumna and temperance leader
Carrie Nation had she lived to see it; the
18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
was ratified, prohibiting alcohol in the U.S.
It was a time of institutional firsts. The
Mule mascot was adopted in 1922, and the
traditional academic processional was launched
with the 52nd commencement exercises in
June 1927. History also was being made on the
football field Oct. 11, 1929, as the Mules played
the first football game in Missouri under lights.
Distance learning got a start when music
professor Paul Utt used radio waves to broadcast
the first music course for credit from station WOS
in Jefferson City. News about his accomplishment
was well publicized in the campus newspaper,
which became known as The Student with the
name change to CMSTC.
The school song changed with the new name,
as well. A $10 prize was shared by two graduates
of the Class of 1923: Pauline Sloan, who penned
the words, and Edith Pritchett, who wrote original
music for Our Alma Mater.
Athletic director Jerry Hughes shares his letter jacket, a favorite CMSC memento.
winter 2006
page 17

A timeless piece of UCM history, Selmo Park looks much the same today as it
did during the 1950s when the university obtained the historic home.
With World War II in progress, the college
was designated as a Navy V-12 training site in
1943, providing military training to 950 officer
candidates over the next two years.
In 1945, convocation remarks by Ben Couth,
an 1897 Normal No. 2 graduate, seemed to
foretell the institution’s future: “This college had
a vigorous youth and today possesses the vital
energy to go forward to greater achievements.”
Becoming CMSC
While Winston Churchill warned about an
“iron curtain” falling over Soviet-dominated
eastern Europe and the United Nations General
Assembly met for the first time, CMSTC embarked
on its third name.
Central Missouri State College became official
in 1946 following state legislation a year earlier
that authorized institutions to drop “teachers”
from their names. Just as the war had changed
traditional male and female work roles, it also
had affected higher education. Although teacher
education remained a major function of CMSC,
the college began to offer a broader liberal arts
education as well as preprofessional curricula,
vocational-technical studies and graduate studies.
The following decades saw tremendous
student growth and a campus building boom.
President George Diemer, 1937-1956, predicted
that the college would one day have a student
union, a laboratory school building,
education building, music building,
applied arts and sciences buildings,
and dormitories that would ensure
good living conditions for students.
Diemer’s vision — much of it made
possible under his successor, President
Warren C. Lovinger — became reality
by the time the institution celebrated
its 100th anniversary in 1971.
Diemer’s prediction didn’t
include a new airport or a new
song, but they came anyway. The
words to Central Missouri’s current
Alma Mater were written in 1963 by
Carole Grainger Walter Gilbody, a
university administrative employee, with music by
William Stoney, a former music faculty member.
Warrensburg businessman Max B. Swisher
donated Skyhaven Airport to CMSC in 1967.
The CMSU Evolution
In 1972, the last ground units were leaving
Vietnam, Pong began the video craze, and
Don McLean’s American Pie topped the pop music
charts. Meanwhile, the campus said “bye, bye” to
CMSC and celebrated reaching “university” status.
With the change, the student newspaper
became the Muleskinner, and new traditions
like separate commencement ceremonies for
baccalaureate and graduate degree candidates
emerged. It also began a tradition of honoring
outstanding alumni with recognition awards
in 1978, and a tradition of giving with the
establishment of the CMSU Foundation in 1979.
The new name triggered another era of
expansion. The campus student population
hovered close to 11,000. Construction projects
included the Multipurpose Building, new football
and baseball stadiums, Smiser Alumni Center,
James C. Kirkpatrick Library, KMOS-TV’s 2,000-
foot-tall digital broadcasting tower, the Maastricht
Friendship Tower, and extensive renovation to the
student union and the Ward Edwards Building.
Many new graduate and undergraduate
programs were added. The university entered
numerous agreements for international study
opportunities and embraced a statewide mission
in professional applied sciences and technology.
As technology brought images of the war in
the Persian Gulf to living rooms, the university
took advantage of digital know-how to reach out
to students by developing a strong web presence,
sponsoring online courses and programs, and
educating via interactive television. It also
expanded its physical presence to cities like Lee’s
Summit, where Central’s Summit Center was
enhanced to accommodate nearly 900 students.
University of Central Missouri
State legislation in 2005 authorized CMSU to
adopt the name, University of Central Missouri,
if approved by August 2007 by a majority
vote of the Board of Governors. Following
a historic board vote on Sept. 20, 2006, the
campus welcomed the new moniker, symbolic
of the school’s transition from a regional state
institution to a comprehensive university with a
vision to become nationally recognized.
In October, as President Podolefsky unfurled
a banner with the new name during the
homecoming parade, and the Marching Mules
spelled out UCM for the first time on Vernon
Kennedy Field, new traditions were being born.
With a new name, new vision and 135 years
of educational progression, only one question
remains unanswered: What will alumni remember
about UCM?
— Jeff Murphy ’76 hs, ’80, ’95
Name Change Prompts Sales
One of the busiest places impacted by
the university’s name change has been Elliott
Union’s University Store. Director Charlie Rutt
said the day after the new name was announced,
retail sales topped $51,000, considerably above
normal. Sales during homecoming were double
that of other years. He attributes much of this to
people buying remaining CMSU merchandise,
which carries a significant discount. “There
has been good interest in the new product,
and we’re ordering more on a daily basis,”
Rutt said. In the future, customers can expect
a much wider selection of UCM apparel at
the store, as well as new items such as a UCM
holiday ornament, a legacy shirt that has the
institution’s current and previous names,
window decals — even mugs.
page 18 winter 2006

UCM TODAY
The Name Has Changed…
but Essence and Traditions Haven’t
This year’s homecoming
theme, Moving Forward and
Giving Back, could not have
been more appropriate. It was
the perfect theme — for a perfect
week of celebrating our history
while embracing our future. From
the outstanding Distinguished
Alumni to the many reunions
that took place over the weekend,
Homecoming 2006 was extremely
special to a lot of people.
The weekend kicked off with
the highest honor our university
bestows to its alums, the
Distinguished Alumni Award and
the International Distinguished
Alumni.
This year’s recipients — Joe
Vandepopuliere, Jim Crane and
Don Nissanka — were three
incredible stories that epitomized
what a work ethic, ingenuity,
risk taking and an unwavering
dedication to a chosen field will
yield.
All three individuals were from
three different eras of Central
Missouri. They were so humble, so
deserving and supported by proud
and loving family.
This ceremony, this celebration
of life and accomplishment, was
simply a perfect way to begin the
homecoming weekend.
Yet the celebrations and
connections didn’t stop there.
Throughout the weekend,
the UCM Alumni Association
helped organize and support
Roger Wilson ’88, president,
Alumni Association Board of Directors
reunions of organizations, majors,
fraternities/sororities, athletic teams
and campus employees. Some
14 groups reunited to enjoy the
campus again, reminisce about
their experiences and reconnect old
friendships.
Some of the reunions included:
math/physics, agriculture, nursing,
1960s theatre, Theta Chis, Alpha
Gams, Elliott Union employees,
1956-58 Mules Football, 1986
Mules Football and the largest
reunion of all, Women in Athletics.
What a wonderful opportunity
to embrace your memories of
Central Missouri!
During halftime at the game,
I watched a father, Jim Dahman,
who played Mules football from
1956-58, take the field with his
son, Doug, a member of the 1986
team. What an incredible legacy!
What a great story of connecting
generations and families together!
Now whether you consider this
wonderful institution as UCM,
CMSU, CMSC, Teachers State
College or Normal #2, be proud of
its history and traditions. Be proud
of “your” story/relationship with
the university. More importantly, be
proud of this university’s direction,
vision, leadership and future.
The campus, the energy and
excitement are still there, and they
continue to grow. Be a part of it.
Organize your group or
reconnect through a reunion on
campus. It doesn’t have to be
during homecoming; just do it!
It is a relationship that is worth
your effort, that is worth your
time. Believe in that and continue
to believe in the gift we all
share— that of being alumni of the
University of Central Missouri.
In December, my tenure
concludes as president of the
Alumni Board of Directors. I have
been extremely honored to serve
you, our alumni.
Your alumni board, with the
support of the Office of Alumni
Relations and Development, has
and will continue to create an
excitement, an energy and an
alternative organization designed
to embrace an environment
of connection, education and
relationship building.
alumni today
Legacy Scholarship
Recipients Named
The UCM Alumni
Association has announced
Legacy Scholarship recipients
for the 2006 freshman class.
They are Mark Bendorf,
son of Suzanne (Gouldsmith)
Bendorf ’81; Ryan Blakenship,
son of Janice Kay Blankenship
’81, ’92; Vincent Dyer, son of
Marilyn Dyer ’83 and Michael
Dyer ’81; Kyle Eichler, son of
Debra (Garrison) Eichler ’83,
’90; Megan German, daughter
of Gerry Heins ’79; Jaime Kidd,
daughter of Bradley Kidd ’81
and granddaughter of Verlyn
Hursh ’63; Austin Lynch, son of
Cathy Joan Barr ’78; Virginia
McNeive, daughter of Patrick
McNeive ’81, and Holly Wright,
daughter of Gene Wright ’72.
Alumni Board
Election Results
The results have been
tabulated for the annual
Alumni Association Board of
Directors. Elected to threeyear,
at-large terms were Paula
Barry, Blue Springs, MO; Carol
Lotton Hassler, Warrensburg;
Nancy Lynde Welty, Columbia,
MO; and Mike Sutherland,
Warrenton, MO. Elected to
a three-year term as young
alumni representative was Jake
Lotspeich, Warrensburg.
Board of Directors, The Alumni Association of the University of Central Missouri
PRESIDENT
Roger Wilson ’88
Columbia, MO
VICE PRESIDENT/
PRESIDENT ELECT
Jesse West ’87
Leawood, KS
PAST PRESIDENT
Chris Small ’87, ’89, ’92
Grain Valley, MO
ELECTED DIRECTORS
John Culp ’65, ’69
Warrensburg, MO
H. Spencer Fricke ’70
Marshall, MO
Mary Griffith ’59, ’74
Greenwood, MO
Steve Harmon ’85
St. Louis, MO
Keith Hendrix ’67, ’71
Jefferson City, MO
Margaret Herron ’87
Lone Jack, MO
Leeann Jones ’88
Lee’s Summit, MO
Rebecca Klein ’71, ’74
Belton, MO
Judith Noland ’62
Lee’s Summit, MO
DIRECTORS EMERITI
Monica Bolin ’89
Liberty, MO
Cynthia Bowman ’81
Leawood, KS
Dolores Burger ’59
California, MO
SueAnn Carter ’64
Warrensburg, MO
C.A. (Cass) Cassing ’51
Raytown, MO
Russ Childress ’62
Lee’s Summit, MO
Jerryl Christmas ’86
St. Louis, MO
Julia Consalus ’50
Surprise, AZ
Ron Culp ’71
Overland Park, KS
E. Robert Eastin ’62
St. Louis, MO
Tom Goddard ’61
Lake Tapawingo, MO
Glenda Goetz ’70
Warrensburg, MO
James Goodrich ’62
Columbia, MO
C. O. Green ’43
Sedalia, MO
Randy Jadlot ’75
Mesa, AZ
Larry Keisker ’61
Lee’s Summit, MO
Lloyd Kaiser ’73
Kansas City, MO
Mark Leicht ’78
Manchester, MO
Mike Lord ’64
Montgomery City, MO
Scott Loveland ‘85
Springfield, MO
Mary Anne Marshall ‘45
Warrensburg, MO
Vivian McGraw ‘67
Sunrise Beach, MO
Amy Merritt ‘83
Lenexa, KS
Jonna Merritt ’56
Blue Springs, MO
Bob Moore ’86
San Antonio, TX
Palmer R. Nichols II ’64
Jefferson City, MO
Mary O’Reilly ’73
Hazelwood, MO
Richard Phillips ’65, ’67, ’72
Lake Tapawingo, MO
Dorothea Renno ’57
Higginsville, MO
Rob Ruth ’75
Southlake, TX
Ron Scott ’73
Jefferson City, MO
Judith Simonitsch ’74
Independence, MO
Karen Sipes ’71
Berryton, KS
Paulette Strader ’72
Jefferson City, MO
Janie Thacker ’75
Overland Park, KS
Dick Thomson ’61
Maryville, MO
Steve Thurmon ’69
Blue Springs, MO
Mike Wackerman ’81
Camdenton, MO
Harvey Wadleigh ’52
Kansas City, MO
Rosalee Welling ’58
Warrensburg, MO
Jim Whitfield ’50
Independence, MO
EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS
Aaron Podolefsky
University President
Paul Page
Vice President for
University Advancement
winter 2006
page 19

development today
IN THIS SECTION
• Nothing Average about
Henry’s Wish for Scholarship
• Beulah McFarland
Scholarship Created
• Slave, Politician and
21st Century Inspiration
• Family’s Sweater Gift
Reveals Connections
FAMILY’S HOLIDAY GIFTS FUND MUSIC SCHOLARSHIP
The Blackman family has a solution to holiday
commercialism. Instead of buying expensive
presents for each other, they select a charity to
help. Last year, they used their gift money to start
a scholarship at the university. They chose UCM
because it is the alma mater of their parents,
Robert and Nancy Blackman.
They started the charity idea three years ago at
a daughter’s suggestion. Family members always
managed to return home every Christmas, even
when scattered on both coasts.
It wasn’t always easy to bring home presents,
especially long distances. One year a daughter
who lived abroad and would have had to clear
her presents through customs suggested pooling
the money they would spend for gifts and helping
a charity. The suggestion was a hit with this civicminded
family.
“The idea was to spend less and take half of it
and give it to a charity,” said Bob.
They set some rules: gift amounts were to be
kept anonymous and no political charities. The
organization had to be of broad interest, neither
liberal nor conservative.
Also, they would take turns selecting the
charity, starting with the oldest family member.
That individual would have to justify the charity
selection.
The first year, the oldest family member, Bob,
chose Habitat for Humanity. The second year
was Nancy’s pick, Heart to Heart International.
“It’s a global humanitarian relief organization
that started in Olathe when we lived there,” she
explained.
Last year, the suggestion originated with the
youngest daughter Susan’s significant other, John
Clarke. The thoroughbred horse breeder from
Saratoga Springs, NY, had never visited campus or
Warrensburg.
“It was my turn to select the charity, and
I thought what could be better than to start a
scholarship with Bob and Nancy’s alma mater,”
he said.
The Blackmans met each other as students at
UCM in the early 1950s when both took the same
music class in the Dockery Building. They fell in
love and got married.
Bob used his music degree to launch a career
in education. Nancy taught elementary education
before they started a family.
Following Bob’s retirement from a 30-year
career as guidance counselor for Olathe High
School, the couple moved back to Warrensburg.
Bob also continues to “moonlight” in various
bands and combos.
Starting a UCM scholarship for an
instrumental music student has been a family hit.
“This has been a really personal thing for us,
and we’ve all been excited,” Bob said. “We think
this year was a real winner. What we each give is
anonymous, and we hoped to have enough for
one scholarship. We were really excited to be able
to fund two.”
Music students Jennifer Newberry and Julie
Newsome were the recipients.
“This scholarship means a lot to me,” said
Newberry, a first-generation college student from
Moberly, MO. Raised by a single parent, the bass
clarinet player has never been able to afford her
own instrument. The junior is majoring in music
education and hopes to have a career as a college
professor, directing band or giving private lessons.
page 20 winter 2006

UCM TODAY
development today
Nothing Average about Henry’s Wish
to Help Students through Scholarship
Although her life was tragically
cut short in a June 2003 motor
vehicle accident, Catherine “Katy”
Henry once dreamed of being able
to help other students to achieve
their educational goals. Today, her
wish has been realized through the
presentation of the first Katy Henry
“Average” Student Scholarship at
the University of Central Missouri.
The initial award was presented
during the fall 2006 semester to
Alyson Rene Campbell, a broadcast
media major from Florissant,
MO. It is made possible through
an endowed scholarship fund in
Henry’s memory which her family
and sorority sisters established
through the UCM Foundation.
“The term ‘average’ is
misleading,” noted Joy Mistele,
a development officer for the
Harmon College of Business
Administration. “The scholarship
honors the memory of a young
woman who enthusiastically
embraced life and, with her
infectious joy, raised the spirits of
all who knew her.”
She added, “Academic
endeavors are necessary
requirements in succeeding in one’s
life, but it was Katy’s love of life,
wonderful humor, and engaging
personality that are the qualities of
this scholarship. It is only named
‘average’ because that is what Katy
wanted to call it.”
The scholarship provides a
lasting legacy to Henry’s strong
ties with UCM and her special
connection to her sorority sisters.
The St. Louis area native was
a member of Alpha Omicron
Pi sorority while attending the
university.
Campbell exemplifies the type
of student that the award targets.
Broadcast major Alyson Campbell, the first recipient of
the Katy Henry “Average” Student Scholarship, believes
in working enthusiastically and studying diligently.
winter 2006
To be eligible, an individual
must be a female undergraduate
student at UCM for at least one
year, and an active member of a
sorority. They must have a grade
point average of 2.5 to 3.25
on a 4.0 scale, and be active in
intramural sports, philanthropic
activities, community
involvement and/or campus
involvement.
In her application letter,
Campbell said that her
grades are not always the
best indicator of the way she
approaches college life —
always working enthusiastically
and studying diligently.
“Do I understand how
fortunate I am to have the
opportunity of a higher
education? Yes, but I realize
that my grade point average
is not what defines me. What
defines me is my ability to
be a balanced, determined,
and active woman in today’s
society. I have learned
that my best may not be
portrayed in the classroom
but rather in extracurricular
activities,” she said.
In addition to her
coursework, Campbell is
active in her sorority, Alpha
Sigma Alpha, a participant in
intramurals, and numerous
philanthropic and public
service activities.
Beulah McFarland Scholarship Created
A lifetime of dedicated service
to the education of young people
has been commemorated with
the Beulah McFarland Teacher
Education Scholarship at the
University of Central Missouri.
Robert and Barbara
Boppenmeyer McFarland of
Horseshoe Bay, TX, created the
$50,00 endowment in honor of
Robert’s mother.
Born in Oklahoma in 1907,
Beulah Knoles McFarland came to
Missouri with her family in early
childhood. She grew up in Clinton,
MO, and earned a bachelor’s degree
in English from UCM in 1941.
She started her teaching career
in rural schools in Henry County,
taking time out to raise her family.
She completed a 33-year career
as an English teacher in Clinton
junior and senior high schools.
Robert and Barbara are
graduates of Clinton High School,
and Robert earned a Bachelor of
Science in Education degree in
physical education from UCM in
1957.
The first scholarship will be
presented during spring semester
2007. The recipient must be a
freshman and a graduate of Clinton
High School with plans to pursue a
degree in teacher education at UCM
and show promise of leadership,
service and a strong desire to enter
the field of education.
New Web Features Make
Giving Easier
New features on the UCM
Foundation web site make it
easier for alumni and friends
to make a gift. Donors can set
up automated withdrawals
from their checking or savings
account by downloading an
electronic funds transfer form.
Also, an online feature allows
donors to search for their
employers to see if they offer a
matching gift program.
Check out both on the web
at cmsu.edu/foundation.
Frazelle Receives First
Waller Scholarship
Rhonda Frazelle, a
single mother of three, has
spent a lifetime providing
encouragement and leadership
for those around her. After
starting her career as a mental
health professional, she
became a counselor in higher
education. Frazelle was named
the first recipient of the Mary
E. Warren and Elgeva Waller
Education Administration
Scholarship. She is pursuing an
Ed.D. degree through UCM’s
cooperative program with the
University of Missouri while
teaching full time at State Fair
Community College.
The scholarship was created
by a gift from Norris and
Fran Waller in honor of their
mothers. Waller retired from
UCM as associate vice president
for academic programs and
services. Norris retired from
teaching secondary industrial
arts.
Rhonda Frazelle, left, with scholarship
donors, Norris and Fran Waller.
page 21

development today
UCM TODAY
Slave, Politician and
21st Century
I n s p i r a t i on
Blanche Kelso Bruce
When Rob Madden ‘05
graduated from Central Missouri
with a bachelor’s degree in political
science and priceless insight into
his own heritage, he created the
Blanche Kelso Bruce Scholarship to
honor the legacy of one of his own
ancestors and to encourage young
people to make a difference.
Madden created the scholarship
after tracing his family’s roots to
Bruce, the first African-American
elected to the U.S. Senate during
the post-Civil War reconstruction
era. As he prepared to enter the
field of education, Madden felt
creating a scholarship in the
name of one of American’s most
inspirational African-Americans
was an appropriate way to
honor his ancestor’s legacy while
providing opportunities for future
students.
Madden became a teacher when
a nephew began experiencing
problems in ninth grade. He
currently teaches history at Hogan
Preparatory Academy, a Kansas City
charter school sponsored by UCM.
He travels after school each day to
Washington High School in Kansas
City, KS, to coach his nephew’s
team in wrestling, a sport Madden
participated in at UCM.
He began researching
African-American history as a
student in UCM’s Africana Studies
program, from which he was
the first to graduate. When the
details in the history began to
match his grandmother’s stories,
he realized the importance of
Bruce’s legacy, not only to his
country but to his family.
“I began to learn about Blanche
Kelso Bruce when Dr. Yvonne
Johnson loaned me a copy of the
book Black Aristocrats,” Madden
said. “Blanche Kelso Bruce and his
wife were on the cover of the book.
I know the story of his successes
inspired me, and I think it’s a story
that young African-Americans need
to hear today.”
The youngest of 11 children,
Bruce was born in 1841 in Virginia.
An intelligent and ambitious
child, he was educated by the tutor
hired to teach his master’s son. He
escaped slavery at the beginning of
the Civil War by fleeing to Kansas,
where he attended Oberlin College.
He later purchased an abandoned
Mississippi plantation, amassing a
real estate fortune.
In 1874 Bruce became the first
African-American to be elected to
the U.S. Senate by popular vote.
As a Republican representing
Mississippi, he advocated civil
rights for African-Americans,
Chinese immigrants and even
former Confederates.
In September 2002, the U.S.
Senate unveiled a portrait of Bruce
in the Old Senate Chamber in
Washington, D.C. In attendance
was one of Bruce’s relatives, Norma
Rozell of Kansas City.
During Madden’s junior year
at UCM, his uncle, Kansas City
author and journalist Phil Dixon,
encouraged him to attend an event
where he could meet Rozell.
“She’s the family historian,”
Madden said. “It was through her
that I have learned a great deal
about our family’s connection to
Bruce’s rise from slavery to prominence in U.S. history
inspired Rob Madden, right, to start a scholarship to
assist UCM students in achieving their dreams.
Bruce. She had the details that
helped me determine that he is my
great-grandmother’s great-uncle.
We’re still doing research on even
more family connections.”
Photos of Blance Kelso Bruce
and Bruce’s mother are displayed
in Madden’s classroom. Madden
tells the story of Bruce’s rise from
slavery to prominence in U.S.
history as an example of what can
be accomplished with vision and
determination. He believes it’s a
valuable lesson for his students,
although some initially have a hard
time relating to the world in which
Bruce made his mark on history.
“That’s why I felt it was
important to start the scholarship,”
Madden said.
He made an initial donation
of $500, hoping that others will
contribute toward the $10,000
needed to endow it. Interested
donors should contact the UCM
Foundation, 660-543-8000 or by
email at giving@cmsu.edu.
— Mike Greife ’74
page 22 winter 2006

UCM TODAY
development today
Family’s Sweater Gift Reveals Connections
Vivian Richardson, archivist, accepts the letter sweater gift from Ruth Oetting and her children, Betty and Vaughn.
As Ruth Oetting and her
children began sorting through
family mementos in the attic of
Oetting’s Raytown, MO, home,
they came across the letter sweater
that her husband, Albert Dietrich
Oetting, wore as a Central Missouri
State Teachers College athlete.
After discussion, Mrs. Oetting
and her daughter, Betty Oetting
Morris ’53 ’74, and her son, Vaughn
Oetting ’62, made the trip to
Warrensburg to present the sweater
to UCM’s Arthur F. McClure II
Archives and University Museum.
Albert Oetting earned a Bachelor
of Science in Education degree from
UCM in 1927 and a master’s degree
in school administration from the
University of Kansas. After starting
his career at Raytown High School
as a physical education teacher
and football coach, he became the
principal. He agreed to take the job
for the same salary he was paid as
a teacher, a necessity that allowed
schools to keep operating during
the Depression.
Oetting then was named
superintendent of the Raytown
School District, a position he filled
until 1945. After a one-year hiatus
from education, he returned to the
Raytown School District to retire as
a middle school science teacher.
Oetting’s children followed
in his footsteps, also becoming
educators. Betty Morris retired from
the Raytown School District as a
high school physical education
teacher, and Vaughn
Oetting taught physical
education at William
Chrisman High School in
the Independence School
District. Bob Oetting
completed a doctoral
degree at the University of
Missouri-Rolla, where he
also was a member of the
faculty.
According to Morris,
presenting the sweater
to the McClure Archives
was an appropriate way
of sharing the family’s
commitment to education
and UCM.
“It was in a trunk, in
mothballs,” Morris said.
“It means a lot to us, but
we felt that it belonged in a place
where it can be
enjoyed by others.”
Albert Oetting’s 1927 Rhetor
senior portrait, left, and his
Mules basketball letterman
photo, right
Charitable IRA Rollover a
New Way to Support UCM
University of Central
Missouri alumni have a new
opportunity to support their
alma mater and its new vision
as the result of the Pension
Protection Act of 2006.
This new law applies to
donors who have saved income
in a tax-deferred individual
retirement account — either
traditional or Roth — and who
meet specific requirements.
They can make a gift directly
from an IRA if the gift is
$100,000 or less, if it is made
on or before Dec. 31 of 2006
and 2007, the donor is age
70 ½ or older by the date
of distribution, the gift is
transferred from an IRA, and it
is made outright to the UCM
Foundation.
FujiFilm Makes Gift
A cooperative effort
with UCM’s Department
of Technology and Fujifilm
Sericol USA, Inc. will bring
state-of-the-art technology to
the graphic arts technology
management program.
Fujifilm provided majority
funding toward the purchase
of a $230,000 four-color
flexographic narrow web press
with four-station ultraviolet ink
cursing capability.
Board of Directors, University of Central Missouri Foundation, Inc.
PRESIDENT
Joseph E. Good ’82
Warrensburg, MO
FIRST VICE PRESIDENT
Jack C. Dillingham ’74
Warrensburg, MO
SECOND VICE PRESIDENT
Glen A. Carter ’81
Dallas, TX
SECRETARY
Sandy Russell
Warrensburg, MO
TREASURER
Dan Power ’73
Hutchinson, KS
DIRECTORS
Vicki Terry Brady ’86
Warrensburg, MO
Jeanne L. Crane ’79
Chesterfield, MO
V. Lynn Graybill ’70
Madison, WI
Kristi L. Kenney ’75
Clinton, MO
Thomas A. King ’44
Warrensburg, MO
Robert M. Merritt ’57
Blue Springs, MO
Keith Province ’80, ’92
Lee’s Summit, MO
Robert B. Ruth ’74
Southlake, TX
Meridith Sauer ’96
Warrensburg, MO
Dan Scotten ’60
Columbia, MO
Patty G. Smith ’88
Liberty, MO
James A. Tivis ’65
Warrensburg, MO
Kenneth Weymuth ’78
Cole Camp, MO
Dale M. Zank ’71
Marshall, MO
DIRECTORS-AT-LARGE
Michael L. Cunningham ’73
Georgetown, TX
Vance A. DeLozier ’71
Warrensburg, MO
Timothy J. Doke ’74
Austin, TX
William A. Rankin ’82
Sammamish, WA
Charles E. Simmons ’61
Houston, TX
Susie Wetzel
Clinton, MO
James R. Whiteman II ’42
Warrensburg, MO
Edna Mae Whitsitt ’46
Odessa, MO
DIRECTORS EMERITI
Richard A. Baile ’42
Houston, TX
Weldon R. Brady ’64
Warrensburg, MO
Dolores F. Burger ’59
California, MO
Steve D. Burmeister ’73
Independence, MO
Julia Ann Consalus ’50
Surprise, AZ
John A. Dillingham
Kansas City, MO
Ann M. Elwell ’75
Nixa, MO
A. L. Folkner ’52
Tubac, AZ
Joey K. Ford ’76
Chicago, IL
Daniel R. Frederickson ’68
Ventura, CA
Dan A. Fults ’55
Escondido, CA
Robert E. Gunter ’56
Prairie Village, KS
Hugh A. Hanna ’58
Warrensburg, MO
Adrian Harmon ’43
Warrensburg, MO
Debra A. Harmon ’72
Lee’s Summit, MO
Linvill L. Hendrich ’50
Gig Harbor, WA
John S. Hollyman ’34
Shawnee Mission, KS
Thomas B. Hollyman ’40
New York, NY
James A. Hooker ’58
Lake Ozark, MO
Doris Houx Kirkpatrick ’40
Warrensburg, MO
Charles G. Kuhn Jr. ’51
Carrollton, MO
Marvin J. Max ’51
Shawnee Mission, KS
James R. McDowell ’62
Kansas City, MO
Danny M. Moore ’70
Lenexa, KS
Linda Stahl Moore ’67
Lake Winnebago, MO
Jerry Osborn ’66
Camdenton, MO
R. Wayne Payne ’51
Houston, TX
James H. Pendleton ’55
Leawood, KS
Janis C. Reding ’57
Grain Valley, MO
John A. Romito ’69
Leawood, KS
Lise R. Shipley ’82
San Antonio, TX
Blanche Stahl ’32
Lee’s Summit, MO
Gordon A. Stahl ’60
Clive, IA
David L. Steward ’73
St. Louis, MO
Sally Virgo ’82
Overland Park, KS
James W. Waller ’59
Mission Hills, KS
R. Michael Webb ’67
Elk Mound, WI
Rosalee B. Welling ’58
Warrensburg, MO
Benoit Wesly
Maastricht, The
Netherlands
James R. Whiteman ’42
Warrensburg, MO
EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS
Aaron Podolefsky
University President
Deleta P. Williams ’84
Board of Governors
Representative
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Paul A. Page
Vice President for
University Advancement
winter 2006
page 23

development today
UCM TODAY
Nigerian Alum Honors Mother through Scholarship
Charles Olaiya, who earned a Ph.D. from the University
of Tulane, honored his mother by recently starting a
scholarship through the UCM Foundation.
Dixie Laval knows how to make
an impression. She’s spent decades
earning a national reputation as
a photographer who excels in
animal portrait
and window light
studies.
Laval has made
a distinguished
career of recording
moments of
history in
photographic
images as well
as sharing her
technical skills with others.
Now, at the invitation of UCM’s
photography program, she
has donated 26 of her original
prints to the J.C. Kirkpatrick
Library’s Special Collections.
Professor Janet Bonsall said the
gift offers a wonderful opportunity
for students.
“This collection allows our
students to experience the textural
and aesthetic value of original
photographic prints while
Growing up in Nigeria
fatherless from the age of six,
Charles Olaiya ‘93 faced great
odds when it came to pursuing
higher education.
Through the love, support
and encouragement of his
family, he got the education
he needed to realize his
professional goal.
Today, he honors the
family who made this
possible with a scholarship
that will help students
particularly from Nigeria
and New Orleans to realize
their educational dreams.
Currently living in
Richland, WA, and serving
as a scientist with the U.S.
Department of Energy, Olaiya
has created the Alice Fayemi
Foundation Award. The award
is named for his mother,
whom he gives much credit to
his success.
Award-Winning Photographer Donates Images
studying the style of renowned
photographers,” Bonsall said. “As
we move into a digital world and
rely on the digital image, students
often experience the work of great
photographers only through a
In establishing the scholarship,
he noted that there is a sense
of hopelessness among young
blacks in Africa and in inner-city
America as the result of poverty
and declining public health. The
spread of AIDS and other diseases
faces Africans, while people in
New Orleans must deal with severe
economic hardships and healthrelated
problems following the
aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Olaiya hopes his financial award
for students will make a difference.
As he stipulated in the
scholarship agreement, the
“purpose of the award is to
encourage deserving black students
to enter a career in industrial
hygiene or public health with
the expectation that these young
people will return to their origins
to aid in alleviating poverty and
health issues that are overwhelming
Africa and U.S. inner cities.”
The first award will be presented
Renowned Kansas City photographer Dixie Laval recently contributed 26 original prints to the J.C.
Kirkpatrick Library Special Collections.
computer monitor or published
materials. This generous gift
provides a wonderful opportunity
for our students to get hands-on
contact with original prints, which
is becoming more rare in today’s
during the spring 2007 semester.
To qualify, an applicant must
be an incoming graduate student at
UCM pursing a degree in industrial
hygiene, and have a minimum 2.5
grade point average on a 4.0 scale.
The applicant must also be either
an international student from
Nigeria or from a U.S. inner city,
preferably New Orleans. They must
express an interest in returning to
the inner city or African homeland
to work and encourage others to
seek higher education.
Olaiya’s special interest in New
Orleans came while pursuing his
doctor of science degree at the
Tulane University School of Public
Health and Tropical Medicine,
where he graduated in 2006. He
also studied industrial hygiene at
UCM, getting a master’s degree
in 1993, and at the University
of Texas, San Antonio, where he
earned a bachelor’s degree in 1990.
—Jeff Murphy ’76 hs, ’80, ’95
electronic environment,” she said.
Laval started her career in the
late 1940s with Leo Stern Studios
in Kansas City. She opened her
own studio in Raytown, MO, in
the late 1960s, and later worked
as a supervisor and laboratory
consultant for Meisel Photochrome,
Custom Color Corporation and
McDonald International. She also
has taught in a variety of venues,
developing several educational aids.
In 1984, Laval received
the designation of Master
Photographer from the Professional
Photographers of America. She
also served as president of the
Greater Kansas City Chapter of
the Professional Photographers
of America in 1976, as well
as president of the Missouri
Professional Photographers of
America from 1994 to 1996.
In 2003, Laval was named a
Fellow by the American Society
of Photographers. The master
photographer’s work is still featured
in national advertising.
page 24 winter 2006

GIVE US YOUR NEWS!
To have your latest news
in our class notes section,
please fill out the UCM
Alumni Information Form
on page 29 and mail to UCM
Today, Smiser Alumni Center,
University of Central Missouri,
Warrensburg, MO 64093.
class notes
From left: Sarah Brockes ’03,
James and Kristan Morris ’03
enjoy an alumni dinner social at
Les Bourgeois Vineyards, one of
mid-Missouri’s premier cultural
and recreational attractions.
See more pictures from events
sponsored this fall and winter
by the UCM Alumni Association,
including Homecoming 2006, on
pages 12-13.
Reconnect with classmates and
meet new friends at one of our
events this spring. Check out
what we have planned on page 2.
1940-1949
Alice (Searfoss) Allen ’47 resides
at 130 W. Brown Rd. #101A, Mesa, AZ
85201.
1950-1959
Jim Paull ’56 resides at 1722 S.
114th E. Ave., Tulsa, OK 74128 and his
email address is jpaull20@cox.net.
James Claypool ’58 resides at Rt. 2
Box 2282, Wheatland, MO 65779.
1960-1969
Stephen Cooper ’62 and his wife,
Deborah, reside at 25181 Panarama
Lane, Versailles, MO 65084, and email
is spcoop777@earthlink.net.
Richard Anderson ’64 has been
appointed by Gov. Matt Blunt to the
Missouri Sheriff Methamphetamine
Relief Task Force. He resides in DeKalb,
MO, and is sheriff of Platte County.
Marvin Mitchell ’64 and
his wife, Barbara, reside at 249
Walnut Ave., Grand Junction, CO
81501, and their email address is
mmitchell@gvpoweresports.com.
Jerald Gooch ’65 resides at 6932
NW 78th Terr., Kansas City, MO 64152.
Nile Brown ’66 resides at 1904
Karlton Way, Excelsior Springs,
MO 64024, and his email is
nilgil@sbcglobal.net.
Donald Cheever ’66 was elected
associate circuit judge for Webster
County, MO, effective Jan. 1, 2007. He
and his wife, Linda, can be reached at
P.O. Box 65, Marshfield, MO 65706.
Don and his son, Brian, recently
attended the Ryder Cup in Ireland.
Robert Haberle ’68 resides
at 44 Dillmont Dr., Smithtown,
NY 11787. His email address is
misouritraveler@excite.com.
Connie (Drake) Hofstetter ’68
retired after 36 years in the propane
gas business, including 33 years with
Bixler Gas Company and three years
for MFA Oil, Inc. She and her husband,
Donald ’71, reside at 118 Briar Lane,
Box 581, Tipton, MO 65081, and email
is chofstet@earthlink.net.
Cynthia Matson ’68 and her
husband, Gordon “Buzz” ’61, ’68,
reside at 424 N. Grand, Oberlin,
KS 67749.
Sharon (Foster) Beaty ’69 is a
teacher. She resides at 307 E. Green St.,
Clinton, MO 64735, and her email is
sharon_beaty2000@yahoo.com.
Sandra Larm ’69 resides at 17259
Tezcuco Court, Boonville, MO 65233.
Duane Schmidt ’69 resides at 2635
Arrow Ridge Place, Lincoln, NE 68506.
His email is schmidt_1@alltel.net.
1970-1979
Audrey (Marshall Wintermeyer)
Ellis ’70, ’72 and husband, John, reside
at 7227 Woodcrest Ct. N., Keizer, OR
97303, and email is afwellis@aol.com.
Thom Reece ’70 resides at 403 E.
2nd St., Appleton City, MO 64724 and
email is kaubiz@hialoha.net.
Esther (Wood) Snellings ’70 spent
25 years in the food service industry
and now works with preschool children
at Kindercare Learning Centers, Inc.
in Stanley, KS. She is working on her
master’s degree in early childhood
education. She and her husband,
James, reside at 614 Kensington,
Kansas City, MO 64124, and email is
snelwoo@aol.com.
Paula (Kelly) Barrows ’71 works
for The Coca-Cola Company managing
their global database technology
environment. She has been in the
information technology field for the
past 30 years. She and her husband,
George, reside at 415 Morgan Falls Rd.,
Apt. 1004, Atlanta, GA 30350, and her
email is paulabarrows@aol.com.
John Hagler ’71 retired in 2003
as an Air Force Reservist and in
2006 after 25 years as a chemical
dependency counselor. His email is
ozarkridgerunner@cox.net.
Thomas Ladage ’71 and his wife,
Karen (Wade) ’71, reside at 7 Heritage
Way, Oxford, AL 36203, and email is
ladaget@bellsouth.net.
Linda Wright ’71, ’72 retired in
June from Area Education Agency #16
in Burlington, IA, as a speech-language
pathologist in the public schools,
29 years in Iowa and five years in
Missouri. She resides at 1812 S. Main,
Burlington, IA 52601, and email is
linwrigh@interl.net.
Toni Clark-Moulthrop ’73 retired
from the U.S. government after
30 years of service; her husband,
Michael, also served 30 years with the
government. They reside at 1105 Allen
St., Montoursville, PA 17754. They are
enjoying retirement by remodeling
their home, traveling and spending
time with friends and family, including
their eight grandchildren.
Mary Jane (Beck) Pietsch ’73 is
a program manager at the National
Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD.
She is an instrument-rated private pilot
and a retired school administrator. She
has two sons, Brian, 22, and Brad, 19.
She resides at 6904 Race Horse Lane,
Rockville, MD 20852, and her email is
mary_j_b2003@yahoo.com.
Sue (Wade) Stauffer ’74
and her husband, Stephen ’75,
winter 2006
page 25

class notes
UCM TODAY
reside at 1357 W. 100 South,
Franklin, IN 46131. Email is
sue@stauffersdreamgarden.com
and their web site address is
www.stauffersdreamgarden.com.
Morey Sullivan ’74 is deputy
director of information technology
operations for the state of Kansas. He
and his wife, Patti, reside at 2526 SW
Santa Fe Ct., Topeka, KS 66614.
John Deubler ’75 resides at 4575
South Landing Dr., Marietta, GA 30066
and his email is onceanite@msn.com.
David Kaup ’75 works for AT
Systems Security as branch manager for
the south Texas area. He resides at 314
Red Haven Dr., Highlands, TX 77563.
His email is dekaup@yahoo.com.
Sheila (Willbanks) Wade ’75 and
her husband, Kent, reside at 16001
Kessler, Overland Park, KS 66085 and
her email is swade2@kc.rr.com.
Ernest Wasmer ’75 and his wife,
Tricia, reside at 3405 SW Lois Lane,
Lee’s Summit, MO 64082 and his email
is aptinc@yahoo.com.
Susie (Hammond) Blood ’76 is a
communication therapist at the State
School for the Severely Handicapped.
She and her husband, Mike, have seven
children: three are college graduates,
one is still in college, one is in high
school, one is in junior high school and
the youngest attends third grade. The
family resides at 800 SE Lea Dr., Lee’s
Summit, MO 64081, and her email is
sblood@kc.rr.com.
Ron Warden ’76 is associate
technical fellow at Boeing in St. Louis.
He works on cockpit display designs for
military and commercial aircraft. He
and his wife, Kathy, can be reached by
email at rkwarden@sbcglobal.net.
Mary (Kroencke) Hamill ’77
resides at 305 Stonebridge Dr.,
Longwood, FL 32779, and email is
marykhamill@global-5.com.
Daniel Scott ’77 was appointed to
the Missouri Southern District Court of
Appeals. He is a partner in the law firm
of Copeland, Scott & Brown in Joplin,
where he practices general civil law.
Brad Thomas ’77 resides at 1327
Easton Ct., Liberty, MO 64068, and his
email is badbwad@sbcglobal.net.
Ann (Sutherland) Durst ’78 is a
stay-at-home mom to her four children,
Juliann, 19; Kari, 16; and adopted sons,
Omar, 15, and Mike, 12. Her husband,
Neil, is a computer systems analyst for
ALCOA. The family resides at 1252 Old
Concord Rd., Monroeville, PA 15146,
and email is ann@superlumen.com.
Victor Titus ’78 and his wife,
Debby, reside at 6040 Bayhill,
Farmington, NM 87402, and email is
big_daddy_titus@yahoo.com.
Kevin Gaines ’79 and his wife,
Elizabeth, reside at 8481 Yorkshire
Lane, Fort Myers, FL 33919, and email
is kevin@efgaines.com.
Scott Smith ’79 is the education
director for the Missouri Division of
Youth Services. He can be reached at
PO Box 1881, Jefferson City, MO 65102.
Donna Ullrich ’79 is certified as an
etiquette consultant by the Etiquette
and Leadership Institute of Athens, GA.
She and her two partners have formed
the company, Protocol Consulting
Group, Inc., to provide etiquette and
protocol services to individuals and
organizations. She is also a member
of the University of Michigan-Flint
communications and visual arts faculty.
1980-1989
Randy Cole ’80 has been appointed
by Gov. Matt Blunt to the Missouri Fire
Education Trust Fund. He resides in
Jefferson City, MO, and is fire marshal
for the state of Missouri.
Mark Kasselhut ’80, ’91 is assistant
director of technology for the Delphi
Center of Teaching and Learning at the
University of Louisville. His email is
markkasselhut@yahoo.com.
Joe Tybor ’80 retired from
General Motors in January. His wife,
Stephanie (Miles) ’82, is teaching
pre-kindergarten for Greene County
Schools. She received her master’s
degree in early childhood education in
2000. They reside at 123 Brittany Dr.,
Gray, TN 37615.
Bobbette (Ward) McDonald ’81
and her husband, Bill ’81, reside at
4165 Hidden Rock Road, Colorado
Springs, CO 80908, and email is
bobbettejmac@aol.com.
Ken Davis ’82 completed the
Department of Homeland Security Law
Enforcement Protection Instructors
course at the Center for Domestic
Preparedness, Anniston, AL. He is now
certified to instruct law enforcement
officers in personal and community
protection measures in the event of a
chemical, biological or radiological
incident. He resides at 1317 Division
2007 MIAA Basketball Championships
Show Kansas City your
UCM spirit!
Join us for one of our
favorite events!
March 1-4, 2007
Municipal Auditorium
For more information,
w w w. t h e m i a a . c o m
St., Vicksburg, MS 39180, and his email
is davi2554@bellsouth.net.
Stuart Howser ’82 resides
at 1908 Allen Dr., Jefferson
City, MO 65109, and his email
is tresmariasdaddy@yahoo.com.
Jimmie Jones ’82 and his wife,
Shelly (Kulcke) ’86, reside at 408
Dockside Dr., Slidell, LA 70461, and
email is jones_jimmie@hotmail.com.
Eileen Moore ’83 resides at 19
Sydney St., Brampton, Chesterfield, S40
1DA, United Kingdom. Her email is
eileen1960@hotmail.com.
Tracy Estes ’84 and his wife,
Allyson, announce the birth of Clara
Nalanie, July 12. She has a sister,
Myleah, and a brother, Miles. Their
email is tracy.estes@us.army.mil.
Shannon Holcomb ’84 is director
of education for the American College
of Technology in St. Joseph. He and his
wife, Kate Ladesh, reside at 2922 Jules,
St. Joseph, MO 64501, and his email is
holcomb_shannon@yahoo.com.
Shahid Hussain ’84 can be reached
at PO Box 480907, Los Angeles, CA
90048.
Bill Jensen’84 and his wife,
Kathryn, reside at 716 Northwood Ct.,
Manitowoc, WI 54220.
Diana Cordova Elliott ’85 is
president of the Basalt Regional
Heritage Society. She is still taking
photos and writing when not being
mom to Dane and Mari. She, her
husband, Brad, and children, reside at
0081 Lewis Lane, Basalt, CO 81621, and
email is dee@bearchitect.com.
Tony Lawson ’85 appears in the
film, All The Kings Men, released this
September. He also was in last year’s
Dukes of Hazzard movie. He is a real
estate appraiser. He and his wife,
Connie, have three children: Kyle, 15;
Nicole, 8; and Riley, 4. The family
resides at 42181 Greenfield Crossing,
Prairieville, LA 70769, and email is
ynotnoswal@cox.net.
Suppata Chensmudsin ’86 resides
at 297/2 Sunpawut Rd., Bangna,
Bangkok 10260, Thailand, and email is
natnymph@hotmail.com.
Corey Crossen ’86 and his wife,
Kathy, reside at 10704 N. Campbell St.,
Kansas City, MO 64155. His email is
ccrossen@kc.rr.com.
Gene Hilger ’86 and his wife, Betty
(Salisbury) ’88, reside at 7650 N.
Rodeo Dr., Ellettsville, IN 47429, and
email is ehilger@insightbb.com.
Linaya (Buglewicz) Sartain ’86
resides at 208 NW Cody Dr., Lee’s
Summit, MO 64081, and her email is
bugga@kc.rr.com.
Sherri (Grove) Watson ’86 and
her husband, Steve, announce the
birth of Caleb Edwin, Feb. 10, 2006.
page 26 winter 2006

UCM TODAY
class notes
He joins Joshua, 12; Michaela, 8; and
Adina, 6. They reside at 16630 Weir
St., Omaha, NE 68135, and email is
sdandslwatson@earthlink.net.
John Amos ’87 recently graduated
from Graceland University with
a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary
Education. He teaches fifth and sixth
grade math at Lone Jack Elementary.
He resides at 506 NE 6th St., Apt. A,
Blue Springs, MO 64014, and email is
jamos@lonejackc6.net.
Tom Evans ’87 and his wife,
Carleen, reside at 19612 M Circle,
Omaha, NE 68135, and email is
taevans24@hotmail.com.
Cindy Wise Freer ’87 is a
guidance counselor at an alternative
school in Lebanon, TN. She has two
children, Matthew, 11, and Bethany,
5. The family resides at 203 High St.,
Alexandria, TN 37012, and email is
manci341@yahoo.com.
Stephanie (Staples) Collins
’88 can be reached by email at
sr23collins@netscape.net.
Roger Wilson ’88 and his wife,
Cynthia (Barker) ’89, have four
children: Keegan, 13; Kahlea, 11; Blake;
and Brett, 7. They reside at 4007 Day
Flower Ct., Columbia, MO 65203, and
email is rogcin4@mchsi.com.
Douglas Oyer ’88 resides at
102 Brookridge Dr., Harrisonville,
MO 64701, and email address is
jeepdrvr2000@yahoo.com.
Tammy (Trout) Bremer ’89, ’96
is a reading specialist in the North
Kansas City School District. She and
her husband, Kevin, have two boys,
Kyle, 13, and Ryan, 6. The family
resides at 9105 N. Kentucky Ave., Kansas
City, MO 64157, and email address is
tbremer@kc.rr.com.
David Nicholson ’89 resides
at 1306 Dianne Dr., Bloomington,
awards and honors
IL 61704 and email address is
david.nicholson@verizon.net.
Barbara (Dean) Zibits ’89 and her
husband, Alan, reside at 532 Darmouth
Crossing, Wildwood, MO 63011.
1990-1999
Thresea Rhoads ’90 resides at
19996 Hwy. EE, Sedalia, MO 65301.
Alecia (Evans) Stultz ’90 is
assistant director for retail dining at
the University of Kansas. She and her
husband, Richard, have two sons,
Xander, 4, and Kade, 1. The family
resides at 1109 Layton, Olathe, KS
66061, and their email address is
kcallykt@comcast.net.
Greg White ’90 resides at 700
Willow Lake Circle, Apt. 131, Virginia
Beach, VA 23452, and his email is
dawg06@aol.com.
Leon Maberry ’91 resides at
249 Hidden Creek Circle, Lizella,
GA 31052, and his email is
lynmaberry@yahoo.com.
Elizabeth (Jirovsky) Peery ’91 and
her husband, Chad, have four children:
Shea, 7; Camden, 4; Michael, 2; and
Kyle, 10 months. The family resides at
141 Struthers Place, Seward, NE 68434.
Valerie (Faust) Cowan ’92 and
her husband, Kevin, reside at 2865 N.
Wilderness St., Wichita, KS 67226, and
email is valcowan@cox.net.
Rashid Riaz ’92 can be reached by
email at navrash@hotmail.com.
Don Kennedy ’93, ’99 is head
softball coach at the University of
Missouri-Rolla. He was an assistant
softball coach at Central Missouri for
11 years. He resides at 2179 Tenbrink
Dr., Rolla, MO 65401, and his email is
kennedon@umr.edu.
Kristina (Smith) Kennedy ’93 and
her husband, Chris, announce the birth
of Quinn Edward, April 21, 2006. The
family resides at 190 St. Regis Lane,
Florissant, MO 63031, and email is
kds3434@aol.com.
Michelle (Schwentker) Kincaid ’93
and her husband, Chuck, reside at 25
Pershing Circle, O’Fallon, MO 63366,
and email is michellestygers@aol.com.
Debbie (Hagerman) Massman ’93
and her husband, Rick, have twin girls,
MaKayla and Malana, who celebrated
their first birthdays Oct. 27.
Jontae Middleton ’93 was hired by
the City of Overland Park, KS, to help
finalize and then manage the 80,000-
square-foot Overland Park Community
Center scheduled to open in fall 2007.
Jeffery Owen ’93 resides at 10205
NW 85th St., Kansas City, MO 64153.
His email is jeffery653@yahoo.com.
Keith Preising ’93 is assigned
to the National Counterterrorism
Center. He is involved with many
of the Intelligence Community
reform initiatives and Weapons
of Mass Destruction Commission
recommendations.
Andrew Schultz ’93 owns a video
production company focused on
medical surgery procedures and also
runs a podcasting and presentation
studio. He has three-year-old twin
boys. He resides at 3200 6th Ave., #105,
San Diego, CA 92103, and his email is
andrew.schultz@mac.com.
Kelly Tyler ’93 resides at
7011 Falls Reach Dr., #403, Falls
Church, VA 22043, and email is
kellyetyler@hotmail.com.
Paulette (Hackman) Wilkinson
’93 and her husband, Scott 93,
reside at 1600 Tide Water Dr.,
Columbia, MO 65202.
Dawn (Halford) Zehner ’93 is a
pre-kindergarten teacher and attends
Lindenwood University to obtain
her master’s degree in elementary
education and teaching certification.
She resides at 1613 Meyer Dr.,
St. Charles, MO 63303, and email is
dawn_zehner2002@yahoo.com.
Majid Ahmadi ’94 and his wife,
Sanaz, reside at 290 Motaharee St.,
Suite A, Tehran, 15886, Iran, and email
is info@hajiahmadi.biz.
Dana (Reithmeyer) Carnes ’94,
’96 and her husband, David, in his
14th year in the Air Force, reside at
8829 Brookridge Dr., Anchorage, AK
99504 on Elemendorf AFB. Her email is
ldcarnes_2000@yahoo.com.
Julia (Jonson) Cohn ’94 works
part time for WGN-TV 9 in Chicago.
Her husband, Jim, works for Orbitz for
Business. They previously worked in
Orlando. Julia was at WKMG TV as a
producer, and Jim was a TV sportscaster
and in public relations. They have
two children, Nathan, 4, and Abby, 2.
The family resides at 4817 Kings Way
West, Gurnee, IL 60031, and email is
juliacohn@aol.com.
Michael Foster ’94 resides at 1113
Anderson, Warrensburg, MO 64093,
and his email is mfoster@cmsu.edu.
Jill (Simmer) Grasmick ’94 and her
husband, Eric, announce the birth of
Cheyenne Mae, Aug. 11, 2006. She joins
sister, Savannah Rose, 5, and brother,
Gavin Henry, 2. The family’s email is
imjill@hotmail.com.
Kristi (Ligon) Griggs ’94, ’96 and
her husband, Frank ’96, announce
the birth of son, Thyme Alexander.
The family resides at 459 Keeney Dr.,
St. Charles, MO 63304, and email is
kgriggs72@yahoo.com.
Warren Jackson ’94 and his wife,
Alcinia, reside at 5192 Trailbend Dr.,
Florissant, MO 63033, and email is
warrenjackson@sbcglobal.net.
Damon Lewis ’94 resides
at 305 Baldwin, Belton,
1950-1959
Howard Bell ’54 was honored in
September as a Distinguished Retired
Educator by the Missouri Retired
Teachers Association, for leading
efforts that benefited the Raytown
schools. His leadership as president
of the Raytown Retired Teachers and
School Personnel Association was also
recognized. He also has retired from
Kiwanis International after 50 years
of public service, including 47 years’
perfect attendance. He and his wife,
Zelia (Zulauf) ’52, enjoy traveling
and reside at 4545 Wornall Rd., #612,
Kansas City, MO 64111, and email is
hrdzebl@sbcglobal.net.
1970-1975
Patrick McLaughlin ’75 received
the Dean’s Award at Northwest
Missouri State University for his
outstanding role in research. The
College of Arts and Sciences and the
Melvin and Valorie Booth College of
Business and Professional Services
reward distinguished contribution in
research, teaching and service. He is
associate professor and chair of the
Department of Accounting, Economics
and Finance at NMSU.
Dave Good ’76 is a professor
of marketing at Grand Valley State
University in Michigan. He was recently
nominated for the second time by the
university for U.S. Professor of the
Year. He resides at 222 Oakshire Ct.
NE, Ada, MI 49301, and his email is
profdg@comcast.net.
1990-1999
Bob Ahring ’93 was honored in
September with the Clarence M. Kelley
Meritorious Service Award during
the annual training conference of the
FBI National Academy Associates,
Kansas/Western Missouri chapter. He is
president of the Missouri Peace Officers
Association as well as the director
of public safety at the University of
Central Missouri.
Will McKnight III ’97 has been
named to the 2005-06 editions of
Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers
and received the National Honor Roll
Outstanding American Teachers’ Award.
He teaches junior high social studies
at Windsor Junior/Senior High School
and is a member of the National
Council for the Social Studies. He is
working on an MSE in Curriculum and
Instruction at UCM. He and his wife,
Jennifer, can be reached by email at
mcknight77@excite.com.
Former Faculty
Edith Brooks, professor in the
laboratory school from 1948-1972,
celebrated her 100th birthday Oct. 15.
She resides at Willow Care, 328 Munger
Lane, Hannibal, MO 63401, and her
email is willowar@tutera.com.
winter 2006
page 27

class notes
UCM TODAY
MO 64012, and his email is
damon.lewis2239@sbcglobal.net.
Ruth Schnakenberg ’94
resides at 9039 NE 103rd St.,
Kansas City, MO 64157.
Jo Leigh Wagoner ’94 has joined
the law firm of Armstrong Teasdale
LLP as an associate. She is a member of
the litigation department and focuses
her practice in the areas of explosion,
fire and electrocution litigation. She
is also a certified instructor for the
National Fire Academy. Only six
attorneys in the nation are qualified to
teach the interviewing-interrogation
techniques and courtroom testimony
course that she teaches. She is an active
member of the Missouri Bar, Kansas
Bar Association, U.S. District Court,
Western District of Missouri, the U.S.
District Court for the District of Kansas.
Angie (Hathaway) Baratta ’95 has a
master’s degree in elementary education
and national board certification. She
teaches third grade in Millard, NE.
Her husband, Don, is a computer
programmer at Peter Kiewit. They reside
at 14741 Sahler St., Omaha, NE 68116,
and email is mizdayspa@aol.com.
Wendy Coleman ’95 married
Michael Pastrick in May. They reside at
5819 W. Patterson, Chicago, IL 60634.
Kimberly (Stamm) Ellis ’95 works
for SAVVIS, Inc. as a design circuit
engineer. She and her husband, Kevin,
live in the Wentzville, MO, area and
their email is kellis160@charter.net.
Todd Gregory ’95 and his wife,
Angela (Breshears) ’93, reside at 2413
Amarillo Dr., O’Fallon, MO 63368, and
email is coachtodd@charter.net.
Trons Grimes ’95 resides
at 1 W. Campbell Ave., #1002,
Phoenix, AZ 85013, and email is
bluehoop7@aol.com.
Amos Johnson III ’95 is the
director of educational programs for
the National Center for Fathering. His
work with fathers has been recognized
nationally in Today’s Father magazine,
the front page of the Los Angeles Times
and in the June issue of Ebony. He has
been a motivational speaker for 16
years and has served as co-host and
special guest on radio stations around
the nation including HOT 103 Jamz
in Kansas City. He and his wife, Carri
(Cherry) ’99, can be reached by email
at ajohnson@fathers.com.
Brad McAllister ’95 works at St.
Jude Medical Center in Scottsdale,
AZ. He and his wife, Jennifer, have
three-year-old twin boys, Aiden and
Avery. The family resides at 1645 N.
Ananea, Mesa, AZ 85207, and email is
mcallisterwb@aol.com.
Kevin Parr ’95 is a Lieutenant
(Junior Grade) in the U.S. Navy
Reserve. He is an information warfare
officer assigned to Navy Information
Operations Command in St. Louis. His
civilian employment is loss control
specialist at MARCIT in Kansas City
and risk management consultant.
He resides at 703 NW Baytree Circle,
Grain Valley, MO 64029, and email is
parr64029@yahoo.com.
Stephanie (Thompson) Smith
’95 and her husband, Todd, reside
at 16819 Highland Ridge Dr., Loch
Lloyd, MO 64012, and email is
steph@intellimanage.com.
Lori (DeBoer) Sturman ’95 and
her husband, Eric, reside at 16264
Fullerton Meadows, Wildwood, MO
63011, and email is loreli100@aol.com.
Stephanie (Miller) Terrono ’95 and
her husband, Kevin, announce the birth
of Mallory Christine Jan. 13, 2006.
Stephanie is a people consultant for
Ernst & Young, and Kevin is a technical
architect for Cerner Corporation in
Kansas City. They can be reached by
email at millest6@yahoo.com.
Donald Burchard ’96, ’98 and his
wife, Dana Hoover ’96, ’98, reside at
117 W. Gay, Warrensburg, MO 64093,
and email is burchard_1@charter.net.
Aimee (Inzerillo) Crosby ’96
can be reached by email address at
aimeec@wideopenwest.com.
Todd Gann ’96 and his wife,
Melissa (Porter) ’94, reside at Rt. 3 Box
66A9, Marshall, MO 65340.
Bradford Hepler ’96 received a
Ph.D. in Sociology in August from
the University of Maryland. He is an
adjunct instructor at the University of
Maryland, College Park, MD.
Amy Napier ’96 resides at 7811
England Dr., Overland Park, KS
66204, and her email address is
amy.napier@doc.mo.gov.
Drenda (Walker) Neptune ’96
and her husband, Joe, welcomed
Kolt David, Aug. 23, 2006. He has a
brother, Chase Christopher, 3. The
family resides at 19656 CR 100, Dawn,
MO 64638, and email address is
dneptune@mail.brookfield.k12.mo.us.
Kevin Sanders ’96 is the repair and
maintenance manager for Premium
Standard Farms in Princeton, MO. He,
his wife, Chrystal, and son, Zachery
Cole, 2, reside at 1105 Lake Manor
Dr., Trenton, MO 64683, and email is
kevin.sanders@psfarms.com.
Jason Schell ’96 and his wife,
Bobbie, announce the birth of Kate
July 21, 2006. She joins sister, Emma,
1. The family resides at 2400 E. 25th
St., Vancouver, WA 98661, and email is
nwroyalsfan@msn.com.
Jan (Jacobs) Shaw ’96 and her
husband, Kenneth, reside at 8402 W.
85th St., Overland Park, KS 66212.
Grant Shelnutt ’96 is a
telecommunications engineer for
Sprint/Nextel in Overland Park,
KS. He resides at 4612 Bell Street,
Kansas City, MO 64112, and email is
gshelnutt@yahoo.com.
Jen (Pickert) Shoars ’96 and her
husband, Jason ’97, announce the
birth of Jillian Addison Sept. 6. She
joins brothers, Jackson and Garrett.
The family resides at 322 1st St. SW,
Waverly, IA 50677, and their email is
fightinfires@juno.com.
Scott Alvested ’97 and his wife,
Tresina (Begemann) ’96, announce
the birth of Trinity Jannae Dec. 8, 2005.
Scott is the marketing coordinator for
Comcast Cable in Independence and
Tresina is the early childhood special
education teacher in the Odessa R-7
School District. The family resides at
5380 Hwy. M, Odessa, MO 64076, and
email is salvested2@yahoo.com.
Roger Carroll ’97 and his wife,
Anna, reside at 3220 Holly Ridge,
Baldwinsville, NY 13027, and email is
roger.carroll@us.army.mil.
Staci Gower ’97 resides at 1319A
NE 39th St., Kansas City, MO 64116.
Her email is cmspitch@hotmail.com.
Becca Lentz ’97 resides at 710 Ft.
Henry, Belleville, IL 62221, and her
email is r_lentz@hotmail.com.
Nicol (Noteman) Mancini ’97
has two children, Joshua, 2, and
Joseph, 1. She can be reached by email
at copwife5@hotmail.com.
Scott Nance ’97 and his wife,
Jill, reside at 5246 NE 5th St., Des
Moines, IA 50313, and email is
drscotty@mchsi.com.
Eric Walkenbach ’97 resides at 1001
Northeast Dr., Apt. 2, Jefferson City,
MO 65109, and his email address is
eanw74@yahoo.com.
Julie (Gerdes) Westermeyer
’97 and husband, Todd, announce
the birth of Ryan Aug. 7, 2006.
He joins sister, Ellie, 3. The family
resides at 3546 Boeuf Lutheran
Rd., New Haven, MO 63068.
Harold Boomer ’98 is working
for IBM. He resides at 8209 Harris Ct.,
Raytown, MO 64138, and his email is
haboomer@yahoo.com.
Laura Frasher ’98 and her partner,
James Tarr, have a son, Luke, 2. Laura
is an instructor at Metro Business
College in Jefferson City, MO. The
family resides at 2215 Hillsdale Dr.,
Jefferson City, MO 65109, and email is
frash56@yahoo.com.
Doug Hafer ’98 and his
wife, Sarah, can be reached at
doughafer@yahoo.com.
Rebecca (Hamilton) Jones ’98
owns a home-based scrapbooking
and stamping business with Close
To My Heart. Her husband, Paul,
is a B-1 Bomber pilot in the U.S.
Air Force. They have three children,
Annemarie, 3, and twins, Marshall
and Emily, born in March. The
family resides at 5118 Crystal Creek,
Abilene, TX 79606, and their email is
paul_rebecca_jones@yahoo.com.
Tamara Jones ’98 can be reached by
email at tamara6110@sbcglobal.net.
Dawn (Hodges) Miller ’98, ’00 and
her husband, Scott ’96, reside at 1710
Pfitzer Rd., Normal, IL 61761, and their
email is smillerd@msn.com.
Jessica (Ramirez) VanMeter ’98
and her husband, Tom, welcome
Nicholas Michael Ramirez, March 26,
2006. He joins brother, Christian. The
family resides at 202 NE Lamplighter
Lane, Blue Springs, MO 64014, and
email is tjvanmeter@sbcglobal.net.
Cathy (Thessing) Volner ’98
and her husband, Scott, have two
children, Addyson, 3, and Caroline, 4
months. They reside at 619 Brighton
Ct., Rolla, MO 65401, and email is
cmthessing@yahoo.com.
Dawn (Richter) Wilking ’98 and
her husband, Karl, announce the birth
of Kyle Michael Lorenz, July 17, 2006.
He was welcomed home by sister,
Kimberlin. Dawn is finishing her MAT
degree and will student teach this
spring. The family resides at 30 Barkley
Dr., Waynesville, MO 65583, and email
is dawnr13@yahoo.com.
Stephanie Adams ’99 married Jeff
Greiner in June. She teaches eighth
grade language arts in Dekalb County,
GA. They reside at 261 Meadows Dr.,
Loganville, GA 30052.
Bryan Campbell ’99 is an
exploration geologist at remote
sites throughout Alaska. He can
be reached at P.O. Box 110162,
Anchorage, AK 99511. His email is
zyzzx2003@yahoo.com.
Jared Duley ’99 resides at 5330
Walnut Vista, San Antonio, TX 78247,
and email is dules822@yahoo.com.
Wayne Kasper ’99, ’01 is sports
editor of the Westside Star newspaper
in Laurie, MO. He can be reached at
P.O. Box 741, Tipton, MO 65081 or
sports@charterinternet.com.
Jamie (Hicklin) Ledgerwood ’99
and her husband, David ’99, reside
at 5751 NE Timber Hills Dr., Lee’s
Summit, MO 64064.
Darrell Lunsford ’99 works as a
senior project engineer for Clayco’s
St. Louis office.
Durand McNutt ’99 is a lead
supervisor for Daimler Chrysler Corp.
in Fenton, MO. He completed a
Master’s of Business Administration
degree at Webster University and is
working on a master’s degree in finance.
page 28 winter 2006

UCM TODAY
class notes
He resides at 4576 Behlmann Farms,
Florissant, MO 63034, and his email is
dm587@dcx.com.
2000-2006
Carrie (Schleif) Alcorn ’00 owns
and operates two child care facilities,
works as a consultant to the state of
Missouri for disability benefits and is
a speech language pathologist in the
Ozark School District. She and her
husband, Bryan, have two girls, Rian,
23 months, and Kori, 9 months. Bryan
is a real estate appraiser in southern
Missouri. The family resides at 2903 N.
30th St., Ozark, MO 65721, and email
is carrieslittlerascals@yahoo.com.
Yasheen Blevins ’00 resides at 9624
Lilly Jean Dr., Woodson Terrace, MO
63134 and can be reached by email
address at yblevins@stlouisco.com.
Jay Brewer ’00 resides at 33 N.
Water St., Apt. A, Cape Girardeau,
MO 63701, and his email is
brewermo@yahoo.com.
Carolyn Clark ’00 married Jim
Brown Aug. 5, 2006, in St. Charles,
MO. They live in Kirkwood, MO, and
can be reached by email address at
cmckmc@yahoo.com.
Isaac Cole ’00 and his wife, Hilary
(Graff) ’03, ’04, announce the birth of
Meredith Lillian June 25, 2006.
Mary Ellen (Fox) Davis ’00, ’03
and her husband, Dwane, reside at
2317 NW Kensington Ct., Blue Springs,
MO 64015.
Emily (Roe) Driscoll ’00 and her
husband, David, reside at 3404 Snow
Leopard Dr., Columbia, MO 65202.
Jennifer (Brewer) Hardin ’00 and
her husband, Nate, can be reached by
email at jhardin0515@yahoo.com.
Wes Harris ’00 and his wife, Kelly,
announce the birth of Alayna Joy on
Aug. 8. She joins Amy Elizabeth, 3. Wes
is a Kansas City, MO, police officer. The
family resides at 1509 NW Reiger Rd.,
Kansas City, MO 64118, and email is
wgh15330@yahoo.com.
Eldred Kingery ’00 is president
and CEO of Calvin Community, a
Presbyterian retirement community
in Des Moines, IA. His wife,
Charla (Oshel) ’00, is owner and
manager of Cornerstone Interiors.
They reside at 28495 R. Avenue,
Adel, IA 50003, and email is
ekingery@calvincommunity.org.
Ronda Sims ’00 can be reached by
email at rsimstudio@yahoo.com.
Bobby Stone ’00 and his wife,
Nicole (Jennings) ’99, announce the
birth of Clara Marie, March 4, 2006.
Bobby is a farmer, and Nicole works
at Missouri Veterans Home in Mexico,
MO. The family resides at 38738 Aud
Rd 642, Laddonia, MO 63352, and
email is farmer_stone@msn.com.
Bob Bennett ’01 resides at 142 E.
Dade 92, Greenfield, MO 65661 and
email is got2bassfish@yahoo.com.
Brooke Dixon ’01 resides at
709 B Cedar Dr., Warrensburg,
MO 64093, and email address is
msbrookedixon@yahoo.com.
Brian Dobrynski ’01, ’02 and
Jessica Henss married Sept. 23, 2006.
They reside at 92 Shadow Crossing,
Collinsville, IL 62234. Email address is
brian.dobrynski@rubinbrown.com.
Bobby Guffey, Jr. ’01 and his wife,
Trisha (Carver) ’01, announce the birth
of Gage Swenson Michael March 1,
2006. Trisha is assistant principal at
Maple Park Middle School. The family
resides at 9800 North Skiles Ave.,
Kansas City, MO 64157, and email is
btguffey@hotmail.com.
Tonya (Ratliff) Lepert ’01, ’03 and
her husband, Kelly ’03, announce the
birth of Meadow Elizabeth, Feb. 24,
2006. The family resides at 1501 SE 3rd
St., Lee’s Summit, MO 64063 and email
is trat91@yahoo.com.
Jake Lotspeich ’01 lives at
711 Burlington Rd., Warrensburg,
MO 64093. His email address
is lotspeich013@earthlink.net.
Gary Minkler ’01 and his wife,
Kimberly (Petersen) ’02, announce the
birth of Madison Victoria Oct. 7, 2006.
The family resides at 3868 W. Parkridge
Circle, Springfield, MO 65802.
Bill Rector ’01 resides at 104 Olde
Hickory Circle, Bonaire, GA 31005 and
email is billrector@bellsouth.net.
Teresa (McCaslin) Reffit ’01
and her husband, Steven, reside at
10577 Goddard #401, Overland
Park, KS 66214, and email is
sweetroset2001@yahoo.com.
Bob Bloomberg ’02 was promoted
by the Missouri Highway Patrol in
September to the rank of major and
designated commander of the Technical
Services Bureau. The 27-year patrol
veteran and his wife, Suzan, have one
daughter, Katy. They reside at 300 Troy
St., Jefferson City, MO 65109.
Kimberly Carr ’02, ’06 is the
FACS teacher for North Harrison R-III
High School in Eagleville, MO. Her
husband, Paul ’04, ’06, is president of
New-Acts Productions in Chilhowee,
MO. They reside at 12020 Ginko St.,
Eagleville, MO 64442, and email is
wolf_kasmoire@yahoo.com.
Leslie Hoffman ’02 graduated
in July from Bennington College in
Vermont with a master’s degree in
teaching a second language. Her email
is shawneesunshine@yahoo.com.
Sarah Hymes ’02 and Matt
Osborne ’04 were married Aug. 26,
2006, and reside in Lee’s Summit,
MO. Sarah is an actuary with Assurant
Employee Benefits, and Matt is a project
estimator for PCI Dahmer. Email
addresses are sarah.hymes@gmail.com
and matt.osborne@pcg.com.
Jenn Kay ’02 is the in-house graphic
designer for InkCycle & LaserCycle, Inc.
Her email is jennkay@gmail.com.
Sarah Manzeske ’02 is director
of student activities at Roosevelt
University in Chicago. She resides
at 3345 N. Marshfield, #209,
Chicago, IL 60657. Her email is
mmtml@yahoo.com.
UCM Alumni Information Form
Address Change. (Please make your change of address directly on the mailing label and attach to this form.)
Would you share your new address in the “Class Notes” section of UCM TODAY? Yes No
Would you share your email address in the “Class Notes” section of UCM TODAY? Yes No
Please publish the attached in the “Class Notes” section.
(Include honors and awards, promotions, marriages, births and deaths. Send photographs where appropriate.)
Shaunita Sharpe ’02 resides at
14302 Riverfront Dr., Florissant,
MO 63034. Her email address is
sjsk99@mizzou.edu.
Sarah Brockes ’03 resides at
233 Brockes Lane, St. Thomas, MO
65076 and her email address is
sm4smiles@hotmail.com.
Janel (Scanlan) Brown ’03 and her
husband, Scott, reside at 2030 Skyline
Dr., Pacific, MO 63069.
Gina (Bohnert) Custer ’03 and her
husband, Nathan, reside at 668 Marco
Lane, Ogden, UT 84404 and email is
ginab7@gmail.com.
Luke Hutsell ’03 and his wife, Kerri,
reside at 676 Royal Crest Way, O’Fallon,
IL 62269.
Chris Morris ’03, ’04 and his wife,
Wendy (Nagel) ’03, announce the birth
of a daughter, Lucy Aug. 21, 2006. They
reside at 3017 SE 2nd St., Blue Springs,
MO 64014.
Nixon Opondo ’03, ’06 resides
at 35580 Margaret St., #112,
Romulus, MI 48174. Her email
is nxo97520@cmsu2.cmsu.edu.
Beth (Blackburn) Owens ’03 and
husband, Sean ’03, can be reached by
email at b_blackburn19@yahoo.com.
Jacob Parr ’03 resides at 10015 W.
53rd St., Merriam, KS 66203. Email is
jakeparr800@yahoo.com.
Abid Rahman ’03, ’05 can be
reached at abidur@hotmail.com.
Kevin Vollmer ’03 and his wife,
Jennifer (Fink) ’03, reside at 506
Brown St., Union, MO 63084.
Dana Fecho Al-Hilali ’04 and her
husband, Mohamed, announce the
birth of their first baby, Afnan, Jan. 1,
Date: ____________________________________
I am recommending a student(s) for contact by the Office of Admissions.
(On a separate sheet provide contact information, class year, high school, how you know the student, etc.)
Name _______________________________________________ Class Year/Degree _____________________________________
Your Maiden Name (if applicable) __________________________________ Phone _____________________________________
Spouse _______________________________ Spouse’s Class Year/Degree _____________________________________
Spouse’s Maiden Name (if applicable) _____________________________________________________________________
Address ________________________________________________ Email Address _____________________________________
City _________________________________________________________ State _____________ Zip ____________________
Send information to Class Notes, UCM TODAY, Smiser Alumni Center, University of Central Missouri, Warrensburg, MO 64093
ALUMS:
Update your
address, submit a
class note or refer
a student online at
our web site,
cmsu.edu/alumni.
Please note, we
do not publish
engagements or
announcements of
upcoming events
such as weddings.
PARENTS:
If your UCM
graduate no
longer lives at this
address, please
send us the correct
address for our
records.
winter 2006
page 29

class notes
UCM TODAY
2006. They can be reached by email at
hidana@yahoo.com.
Bri Devereaux ’04 resides
at 750 E. Northern Ave., #113,
Phoenix, AZ 85020, and his email is
bri.devereaux@phoenix.edu.
Emily Haines ’04 and her husband,
Jamie ’98, announce the birth of
Jamison Lee April 19, 2006. The family
resides at 1605 NE Oak Tree Dr., Lee’s
Summit, MO 64086, and their email is
hainesemily@hotmail.com.
Maggie (Bezy) Hansford ’04 and
her husband, Richard, announce the
birth of Sebastian Thomas June 1,
2006. The family resides at 7202 Adams
St., #10, Forest Park, IL 60130.
Teresa (Maples) Hoey ’04 and her
husband, Jeff, can be reached by email
at thoey@murlin.com.
Na Liu ’04 resides at 308 Chun
Zhong Rd., Xin Zhuang, Shanghai,
201108, China, and email address is
na_liu2008@yahoo.com.
Jessica (Hayes) Lynch ’04 and her
husband, Brian ’04, reside at 16412
Crackerneck Rd., Independence, MO
64055.
Jamie Hovis ’04 resides at
4640 Duncastle Rd., Apt. 1F,
Fayetteville, NC 28314, and email is
jamiehovis@hotmail.com.
Phil Reeder ’04 is doing the
afternoon drive on WFGE-FM in
Murray, KY. He resides at 801 Murray
Place, Murray, KY 42071, and his email
is phil@philtheair.com.
Melea Standfast ’04 resides at 128
Deity Dr., Fenton, MO 63026.
Eric Swartz ’04 and his wife,
Sarah (Howerton) ’05, reside
at 16200 E. 48th Terr., Apt. 414,
Kansas City, MO 64136, and email is
cmsumules@msn.com.
Noah Tallant ’04 owns BigKane
Enterprises. He and his wife,
Suzette, reside at 208 N. Main St.,
Chilhowee, MO 64733, and email
is mr_prez@hotmail.com.
Jennifer (Brittin) Taylor ’04 and
her husband, Russell, reside at 28008
E. 239th St., Harrisonville, MO 64701,
and email is jenn81sweet@yahoo.com.
Nate Tracy ’04 and his wife,
Camille, reside at 483W 200N,
Blackfoot, ID 83221, and email is
nctracyfamily@hotmail.com.
Amy (Hanavan) Broeker ’05 and
husband, Nicholas ’03, live at 709 Iron
Horse Dr., Warrensburg, MO 64093.
Shannon Cary ’05 resides
at 1270 Missouri Ct., Apt. 720,
Liberty, MO 64068, and email is
beautifulblueyz@hotmail.com.
Teri Hackman ’05 resides at 1107
Olive St., Higginsville, MO 64037.
Matthew Lotspeich ’05 resides
at 711 Burlington, Warrensburg,
MO 64093, and his email is
lotspeich01@earthlink.net.
Steven Martin ’05 is a full-time
criminal justice instructor at Des
Moines Area Community College in
Ankeny, IA. He worked the previous
22 years at the Mt. Pleasant, IA, Police
Department. He resides at 1634 NW
College Ave., Ankeny, IA 50023, and
email is slmartin10@dmacc.edu.
Kelly (Graber) McCully ’05
resides at 11222 N. Nashua Dr.,
Kansas City, MO 64155 Her email is
angelgirl_7_2000@hotmail.com.
Shelly Mendoza ’05 resides at 601
W. Clark, G3, Warrensburg, MO 64093.
Email is tortillamiracle@gmail.com.
Alyssa Morrow ’05 is a first grade
teacher in the Raymore-Peculiar School
District. She resides at 6912 Chapel
Terr., Belton, MO 64012, and her email
is alyssaanne@linuxmail.org.
Jody (Gutzman) Williams ’05 and
her husband, Robby, reside at 803 W.
Hwy. 32, Bolivar, MO 65613, and her
email is jodycmsu@yahoo.com.
Amanda (Reafleng) Drake ’06
resides at 1821 Ridgehaven Ct., #5,
Lincoln, NE 68505.
Julie (Porrett) Elkins ’06 and her
husband, Benjamin, reside at 402
Sunset Blvd., Knob Noster, MO 65336
and email is julie_ap@hotmail.com.
Casey (Gehm) Hansen ’06 is in
media sales for Meyer Communications.
She resides at 1517 E. Whiteside,
Springfield, MO 65804. Email is
casey_hansen77@hotmail.com.
Jessica Lamano ’06 can be reached
by email at jalamano@yahoo.com.
page 30 winter 2006

UCM TODAY
in memoriam
Brian Richard Delaney
Brian Richard Delaney, 48, Kansas
City, died Aug. 15, 2006, at his home.
The 1976 Warrensburg High School
graduate received a bachelor’s degree in
commercial art from UCM in 1979.
Delaney co-owned his own
business, The Fox, which he had sold
recently preparing to move back to
Warrensburg. Survivors include a
mother, three sisters, a brother, a niece
and nephew, and numerous friends.
Janet McReynolds
Janet McReynolds, 67, Belleville,
IL, a UCM graduate who served as
president of Racial Harmony, died
Sept. 25, 2006, from cancer.
McReynolds earned a master’s
degree and specialist’s certificate in
sociology in 1968 from UCM. She had
served on the board of Racial Harmony,
a group that promotes understanding
and tolerance, since 1991.
Survivors include a housemate and
friend, her parents and two sisters.
Trinita Meehan
Trinita Meehan, 85, of Monett, MO,
UCM professor emeritus of reading,
died July 2, 2006.
She joined Central Missouri’s
faculty in 1974
as an associate
professor of
reading and head
of the special
education,
guidance and
counseling
department. She Trinita Meehan
retired in 1985 as a
professor of reading in the curriculum
and instruction department.
Meehan earned bachelor’s and
master’s degrees from Clarke College
in Iowa and a doctorate in general
education from Indiana University. She
taught 15 years at the Primary Teacher
Parochial School in Kansas City, MO.
Survivors include several nieces
and nephews, and a special friend,
Bette Cooke.
Rachelle J. Robinson
Rachelle J. Robinson, 34, internship
coordinator for the Harmon College of
Business Administration, died Oct. 27,
2006, after a lengthy illness.
The daughter of William Ross and
Sue Coen Ross, she grew up in Lamar,
MO, and was a 1990 Lamar High
School graduate. She was married in
1992 to Jeffery Robinson, who works at
Central Missouri as legal officer for the
UCM Foundation. He survives along
with their two daughters.
Other survivors include her parents,
a sister and brother, grandmothers and
numerous nieces and nephews.
Jack Stuligross
Jack Stuligross, who taught at
Central Missouri before joining the
faculty at Hartwick College in Oneonta,
NY, died Oct. 2, 2006.
He earned a bachelor’s degree
in economics and a master’s degree
in business administration from the
University of Detroit. He worked as
an accountant for General Motors and
industrial economist for the Federal
Reserve Bank in Dallas before pursuing
a teaching career.
After earning his doctoral degree in
1971 from the University of Oklahoma,
he came to Central Missouri. He also
taught at Carroll College in Waukesha,
WI, before Hartwick. He served as
professor of economics there until his
retirement in 1998.
A strong advocate of international
understanding, he also taught
economics to community and political
leaders in China, Russia, South Africa,
Ukraine and Kazakhstan. During his
lifetime, he visited 46 countries on
four continents.
He is survived by his wife, Katherine
Melcher, five sons, 10 grandchildren
and a brother and sister.
Edgar E. Summerlin
Edgar “Ed” Summerlin, 78,
Staatsburg, N.Y., a 1951 Central
Missouri graduate, died Oct. 10, 2006,
in New York. So prominent was the
liturgical jazz music pioneer that
his obituary appeared in The New
York Times.
A composer and tenor saxophonist,
Summerlin founded the jazz program
at the City College of New York,
directing it in the 1970s and 1980s. He
was active in the avant-garde scene of
the 1960s and performed with such
leading jazz figures as Eric Dolphy and
Ron Carter.
One of his earliest works was
Requiem for Mary Jo, which he wrote
in 1959 after the death of his ninemonth-old
daughter. He composed
jazz services for a range of faiths
and settings.
Survivors include a wife, two sons,
two grandchildren, two brothers, a
sister and a former wife.
1920-1929
Ada Stephens Duke ’27
St Louis, MO
1930-1939
William H. Bliss ’32
Fresno, CA
Grace A. Strobel-Eslick ’33
Lohman, MO
Treva A. Baier ’37
Columbia, MO
Elizabeth L. Boosinger ’38
Knob Noster, MO
1940-1949
George F. Bailey ’41
Curryville, MO
Frances E. Weigand ’41
Kansas City, MO
Ewald W. Turner ’44
Pendleton, OR
Florence E. Becker ’47
Independence, MO
Joseph H. Nesbit ’47
Kansas City, MO
1950-1959
Earle H. Funk ’50
East Peoria, IL
Raymond L. Lesh ’50
Independence, MO
Vaughn S. Henderson ’55
Iowa City, IA
Alice W. Creach ’57
Camdenton, MO
Lowell E. Garner ’57
Champaign, IL
Robert P. Pritchett ’57
Kansas City, KS
Nancy L. White ’57
Jefferson City, MO
1960-1969
Robin L. Hicklin ’62
Charleston, MO
Ronald G. Stegall ’62
Haworth, NJ
Leona M. Kohler ’63
Kingsville, MO
Dennis J. Eldringhoff ’64
Mount Freedom, NJ
Doris F. Hyde ’66
Versailles, MO
Ruth L. Patterson ’67
Kansas City, MO
Carol Beth Martin ’68
Eldon, MO
Verna B. Wagoner ’68
Oak Grove, MO
Diane L. Black ’69
Lake Lotawana, MO
George V. Fisher ’69
Beverly, MA
1970-1979
Mildred L. Bigler ’71
Kansas City, MO
James D. Buttram ’71
Independence, MO
Marilyn L. Frizzell ’72
Chillicothe, MO
Larry S. Abraham ’73
Nevada, MO
Don L. Bowman ’74
Camdenton, MO
Sarah M. Hollowell ’74
Sacramento, CA
Ruth A. Koroch ’75
Lee’s Summit, MO
James G. Browning ’76
Shawnee, KS
Michael A. Duckworth ’76
Springfield, MO
William M. Skillman ’77
Liberty, MO
David L. Spires ’77
Peoria, AZ
1990-1999
Michael L. Hartwick ’91
Belton, TX
Former Students
Bobby J. Barnhart
Lafayette, CO
John Steven Barrett
Kansas City, MO
Charles Byrd
(unknown)
Fredrick DeWitt
(unknown)
Amanda Eaton
(unknown)
Kathryn Fairchild
La Habra, CA
Henry Louis Heerman
Springfield, MO
John Michael Kelly
Holden, MO
Letha M. Marker
Warrensburg, MO
College High Alumni
Audrey Dyer ’43
Mesa, AZ
Friends
Erin L. Allen
Warrensburg, MO
Thomas E. Arnold
Holden, MO
Hilda M. Baron
Jefferson City, MO
Meave Carl
Sedalia, MO
Pablo Castillo
Cole Camp, MO
Bette L. Cooke
Monett, MO
Harold Eastman
Mexico, MO
Susan M. Estill
Columbia, MO
Virginia L. Etheridge
Columbia, MO
Eunice Fuehring
Concordia, MO
Anita L. Gibbs
(unknown)
Udell Hayes
Marceline, MO
Richard L. Hays
Blue Springs, MO
Frances W. Jaeger
Boonville, MO
James Judah
Columbia, MO
Wilma King
Preston, MO
Wanda Kinkade
Marshall, MO
Harold Momberg
Fayette, MO
Jacqueline E. Morehead
Warrensburg, MO
Mary E. Newman
Lake Winnebago, MO
Dorothy Yaeck Pace
Columbia, MO
Nellie R. Pace
Glasgow, MO
Dorothy Louise Pickering
Kansas City, MO
Sumi Powell
Springfield, MO
Irene Ranabargar
Blackwater, MO
Michael J. Reed
Boonville, MO
Cecil R. Riley
Centertown, MO
Sibyl A. Robertson
Warsaw, MO
Richard K. Smith
Boonville, MO
Allen B. Soper
Slater, MO
Ellen E. Turner
Huntsville, MO
Meghan J. Wilson
Kansas City, MO
winter 2006
page 31

UCM TODAY
Curry’s UbiDuo ®
Opens Communications for Deaf
“This is it,” exclaimed Jason
Curry. “This is going to change the
world.”
Curry, one of the first deaf
students to graduate from UCM in
1993, was standing in the kitchen
looking at an image his father,
David, had sketched in black
marker on a white board. They had
finally conceived a solution to years
of frustration.
It was April 2001, when the two
were eating at a
restaurant in
Independence, MO, that they
decided there had to be a better
way to communicate face-to-face
than sign language. Four years
and $30,000 later, they obtained a
patent on their idea, aided by the
Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies
and Development at UCM.
In between, David and Jason
founded sComm, Inc., and received
two grants from the National
Institutes of Health for feasibility
testing and prototype production.
Today, Jason is president
of sComm, and the Currys are
marketing the revolutionary
communication device. The
business has been honored as
Missouri’s 2006 Technology
Company of the Year.
The device is called UbiDuo.
Ubi stands for ubiquitous, meaning
everywhere, and Duo refers to
two people talking face-to-face. At
about six pounds, the UbiDuo is
a two-screen, two-keyboard device
that allows for face-to-face, realtime
communication between a
deaf or hard-of-hearing person and
persons who are hearing, without
the help of an interpreter or sign
language.
“Being deaf myself, the Ubi has
had a major impact on my life,”
said Jason. He believes that once
UbiDuo enters the lives of people
who are deaf or hard of hearing,
the landscape of communication
will shift.
At UCM, Jason earned a degree
in business administration and was
the first deaf student to be in Sigma
Nu fraternity.
“Those were the best five years
of my life, and I will never forget
it. There is nothing that beats the
experience at UCM,” he said. “The
university allowed me to be a real
person and be myself with everyone
on campus. Central Missouri
changed my life. It gave me an
opportunity to grow and become
mature on my own and be my own
man. I was given a chance to just be
a student who went to class without
any barriers.”
The nine years after graduating
were a rocky road for Jason.
“I didn’t experience any barriers
to social communication until I left
for the real world,” he explained.
“After college, no one could sign.
One of the biggest challenges
I had was simply getting hired
“There is nothing that beats the
experience at UCM.” — Jason Curry,
1993 alumnus and UbiDuo inventor
and having to prove to hearing
people that I could do the job as
well as anyone else.” He broke
new ground, often as the first deaf
person hired.
There are 24 million deaf or
hard of hearing Americans, and it
is Jason’s dream to see all of them
become free to communicate.
He plans to sell 20,000 UbiDuo
devices each year for the next three
years, expand sComm’s offices to
downtown Raytown and hire 30
more employees, many of whom
will also be deaf.
“I knew inside my heart that
people like myself who are deaf
desperately needed the UbiDuo,
and I knew that at some point it
would become a part of our lives. I
didn’t expect it to spread so quickly
by word of mouth, and I think the
reason it did is that people have
a need for it in their lives and it
will forever change the way they
communicate.”
For Jason, the struggles in
communicating after he left UCM
are now a distant memory.
— Daniel Barber ’07
page 32 winter 2006