PC Journal Fall 2011

PIEDMONTCOLLEGEjournal

autumn 2011Volume 4 Number 2

You can impact our students.

Newly appointed President Dr. Danny P. Hollingsworth has implemented goals for this year that are student-centric.

• Enhance student life and activities • Increase educational areas of study • Maintain high-quality student housing and dining • Improve campuswide technology access

These upgrades will assist Piedmont in providing an environment of critical thinking and foster positive life experiences for our students.

Your support, at any amount, will help us reach these goals.

Your donation is tax deductible. Watch your mailbox for the 2011-2012 annual fund mailing with a remittance envelope for gifts. Secure online gifts can be made at www.piedmont.edu/gift.

Join us as we impact lives.

annual FunD 2011–2012800.868.1641

Give online at www.piedmont.edu/gift

you can impact student lives

at P I E D m O n t C O L L E G E

in this issue

Autumn 2011 the pieDmont college journal 1

PIEDMONT COLLEGE

Danny P. HollingsworthPresident

EditorDavid Price

Director of Public Relations

Art dirEctionAmber Harmon

Publications Coordinator

photogrAphyDavid Price

Director of Public Relations

Sandi SudaSpecial Projects Coordinator

Alumni informAtionBrandy Aycock

Associate Director of Institutional Advancement

Justin ScaliAssociate Director of

Institutional Advancement

Katie WrightAssociate Director of

Alumni Engagement & Annual Giving

donor rElAtionsSusan Mills

Alumni and Donor Records Coordinator

Published by the Officeof Institutional advancement

Third class postage paid at Gainesville, Georgia

Published Semi-annually

postmAstErSend Address Changes to:

piEdmont collEgEinstitutionAl AdvAncEmEnt

p.o. Box 6dEmorEst gA 30535

Top STorieS 2 Hollingsworth inaugurated

as twelfth president 4 Art has a new home in

northeast Georgia 6 Construction begins on

new art studio building 7 Community Service

challenge

colleGe life 8 ‘Mockingbird’ resonates

after 50 years 9 Theatre begins

Summer Stock program 10 Alumni Association

presents awards 11 Marty Raybon headlines

second Bluegrass Festival

academic NewS 14 Dyer named new VP 15 PC sees largest freshman

enrollment

16 Professors’ books on Russian, American history

aTheNS 17 Athens Campus adds nursing

program, new classrooms

aThleTicS 18 Pitching arm helps

Collins earn four degrees 19 Lacrosse team takes

the field for first time 20 Baseball takes GSAC title 21 Softball claims second

straight conference title 22 Tennis men take

championship 23 Golf women claim title

by wide margin 24 Alumni News 27 Obituaries

4

20 17 19

top stories

Surrounded by students, faculty, staff and board members, as well as family members and delegates from some 15 colleges and universities in the Southeast, Dr. Danny P. Hollingsworth was formally inaugurated as the 12th president of Piedmont College during a special service Oct. 14 at the college Chapel in Demorest.

Former Piedmont President Dr. W. Ray Cleere, Board Chairman Thomas A. “Gus” Arrendale, and Hollingsworth’s wife, Elizabeth, pre-sented the new president with academ-ic regalia and a medallion featuring the seal of the college to mark the transi-tion to the new administration.

The ceremony was part of a two-day

inauguration celebration, which in-cluded a keynote address by Dr. David Spence, president of the Southern Regional Education Board on Oct. 13; the inauguration in the chapel followed by a reception in the Mason-Scharfenstein Museum of Art in Demorest; and a Friday night concert by noted Steinway pianist Terry Lowry of Albany, Ga.

In his inaugural address, Dr. Hollingsworth recounted Piedmont’s beginnings as the J.S. Green Institute, founded in 1897 by local residents to provide higher education for their Appalachian sons and daughters. Hollingsworth said the inauguration “represents the public proclamation

that we think Piedmont College is among the great institutions of America with a ceremony that dates back to the nation’s colonial colleges in the 17th century. It is a chance, for just a few moments, for the broader college community to return to the beginning, and to mentally compose the future.”

With college graduation rates a cur-rent topic of interest among national educators, Hollingsworth noted that there is a “difference in obtaining a college-level degree versus obtaining a college education.” Whether the courses are taught in a traditional class-room or online, “the knowledge can be delivered effectively in multiple ways,” he said. “It is the quality of teaching—expertise and dedication of the teach-ers—and the educational experience that are the important elements of life enhancement.”

president Emeritus W. ray cleere, left, congratulates danny p. hollingsworth after presenting the new president with a medallion featuring the seal of the college.

Hollingsworth inaugurated as twelfth Piedmont president

2 the pieDmont college journal Autumn 2011

Photo by Katie Justice

top stories


“However, today I see even more of higher education focusing on the math-ematical formula for the degree instead of the richer experience of a college education,” he said. “Please don’t misunderstand. I totally support degree completion initiatives that provide a high-quality educational experience. Yet, I fear that in too many colleges and universities the mathematical formula is the exclusive objective; and quality teaching and student service takes a back seat to other endeavors,” he said.

Hollingsworth noted, “Most young college-age students need more of a developmental environment where they learn social interaction, time manage-ment, higher-order thinking that …

involves developing complex judgmen-tal skills such as critical thinking and abstract problem solving.”

At Piedmont, Hollingsworth said he envisioned “a culture that fosters a dialog among participants leading to critical thinking and analysis of global ideas and issues confronting society. It will be an environment in which an unparalleled learning experience occurs while focusing on the core dis-ciplines of a liberal education. While the perceived dominant educational environment will continue to be physically or technologically struc-tured, a broader college educational experience occurs through living-learning communities, robust student

activities, and sacred ceremonies.”“So, I have a vision,” Hollingsworth

said. “I’m adjusting its focus, and look forward to working with my col-leagues on a plan. I’m confident that Piedmont has a bright and thriving future ahead.”

Hollingsworth comes to Piedmont with some 36 years experience in business and higher education. Before being named president, he served as executive vice president and chief financial officer of Carson-Newman College. He previously taught business and accounting at Mississippi State University, where he served as director of the School of Accountancy and was interim dean of the College of Business and Industry. From 1987 to 2000, he taught at Baylor University, serving five years as chair of the Department of Accounting and Business Law.

top lEft: four piedmont presidents were on hand for the inauguration activities. from left, they are danny p. hollingsworth, W. ray cleere, d. garen simmons, and John f. Elger.top right: trustee and alumnus, the rev. thomas m. richard (’70), Executive secretary for the national Association of congregational christian churches, gave the benediction and was chairman of the inauguration committee.Bottom: piedmont chaplain, the rev. Ashley cleere, left, conducted the inauguration litany. With her are representatives who presented greetings, including professor Kenneth melichar, alumni mike Barden (’77), and students c. Brett grantham and rita finch.


Art has a new home in northeast Georgia

The opening of the Mason-Scharfenstein Museum of Art at Piedmont College marked a new era for the study and appreciation of fine art in northeast Georgia.

That was the unanimous impression of about 200 guests, including Gov. Nathan Deal and his wife, Sandra; and three past and present Piedmont presidents, who attended a gala reception at the museum on Friday, Sept. 23. It was a first chance for most to get a look at the museum, located in downtown Demorest.

The museum began with a gift of some 117 paintings and sculptures by Piedmont alum Dr. Bill Mason and Bob Scharfenstein, both of Birmingham, Ala. Some of the works have been on display in two galleries at Piedmont’s Swanson Center for Performing Arts, but the college real-ized it would need a larger space to do justice to the entire collection, said Provost Dr. James Mellichamp.

With help from some 43 donors, the college began reno-vating two brick buildings that dated from 1916 in down-town Demorest. The buildings previously housed several of the college’s art studio classrooms and a small gallery. Architects Armentrout Matheny Thurmond of Athens

created a plan to join and modernize the interior of the two buildings, while preserving the historic exterior and much of the interior brick work. Then it was up to Scroggs & Grizzel Contracting of Gainesville to turn the plans into concrete and steel, as the entire interior space was rebuilt. The almost 100-year-old floors were removed, remilled, and replaced, preserving the original building’s early 1900s warmth of wood and brick.

Graham C. Boettcher, curator of American Art at the Birmingham Museum of Art in Alabama, and Terry Beckham, exhibit designer at the BMA, then organized the collection and designed the museum exhibits with Piedmont Art Department Chair Chris Kelly.

The result, is a “first-class art museum,” said Piedmont President Danny Hollingsworth. “How privileged we are to have people like Bill and Bob who would be so generous to provide such an outstanding art museum to Piedmont College. This will be a showcase for the entire region and a central piece for Piedmont’s fine arts.”

Mason and Scharfenstein, who had deliberately waited to see the museum until it was finished, toured the build-ing for the first time the day before the reception. “I’ve not seen it until now, and I am overwhelmed at how gor-geous the building is and how well the art is displayed,” Mason said. A member of Piedmont’s Class of 1957,

the mason-scharfenstein museum of Art includes two floors of galleries to display the permanent collection, and it includes a display gallery for exhibits by students, faculty, and visiting artists.

top stories


Mason said, “I’m glad the art is at Piedmont. These are our children. We bought them to love, and now they will continue to be loved.”

Scharfenstein said he was almost speechless when he first entered the museum. “I can’t describe it,” he said. “It is really beautiful. I told Chris [Kelly] that the paintings look so different here than on the wall at home.” Scharfenstein, too, said that as a collector, he has an emotional attach-ment to the works. “Some of these we have had for forty years,” he said.

At the reception, Boettcher, who is the William Cary Hulsey Curator of American Art at the Birmingham Museum of Art and specializes in American art made before 1945, presented a lecture outlining the importance of the Mason-Scharfenstein Museum’s collection, which in-cludes a mix of landscapes, portraits, still lifes, and nautical scenes, as well as sculptures, some of which are displayed in an outdoor courtyard next to the museum.

Boettcher noted that the collection includes two bronze sculptures by Antonin Mercié, a French sculpture who died in 1916 and is known for monumental bronze works in the U.S., including the large equestrian statue of Robert E. Lee in Richmond, Va., and the Francis Scott Key monu-ment in Baltimore, Md. The pieces, called “Gloria Victus,” and “Quand Même” were produced to commemorate the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, and Boettcher said it is rare to find both of them displayed together.

Art Department Chair Kelly said the new museum “will be a core part of teaching art at Piedmont. The college has also recently added a major program in arts administra-tion, which will include courses in curation, preservation and gallery management.”

In addition to the permanent collection, the Mason-Scharfenstein Museum of Art includes space for exhibits by students and visiting artists.

top lEft: Art donors Bob scharfenstein, left, and Bill mason greet gov. nathan deal with piedmont president danny hollingsworth at a reception opening the new mason-scharfenstein museum of Art in demorest. top cEntEr: graham c. Boettcher, center, curator of American Art at the Birmingham museum of Art in Alabama, gave a talk about the significance of the art gift presented to piedmont by Bill mason (’57), left, and Bob scharfenstein. top right: Bill mason, left, with three of his piedmont classmates, Eddie starnes, reid mullins and deloris mullins. Bottom: Attending the opening reception were, from left, president danny hollingsworth and his wife, Elizabeth; sandra and governor nathan deal; Board chairman thomas A. ‘gus’ Ar-rendale iii; chaplain Ashley cleere and president Emeritus W. ray cleere.

top stories


New Art Studiobuilding going up

As the Mason-Scharfenstein Museum of Art opens in downtown Demorest, construction is also under way for a new art studio/classroom building.

Representatives from Piedmont, the Habersham County Chamber of Commerce, and Scroggs & Grizzel Contracting held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new building on June 29 near the intersection of Laurel Avenue and Massachusetts Boulevard in Demorest.

The modern, three-story building, designed by Armentrout Matheny Thurmond of Athens, will provide more than 26,000 square feet of instruction space for all of the college’s art classes, said Chris Kelly, chair of the Piedmont Art Department. “For the first time, Piedmont will have a facility purposefully built for the instruction of art,” Kelly said. “Lighting, safety and ease of instruc-tion will be greatly improved. It will be a stellar space for teaching art.”

In addition to facilities for the study of painting and sculpture, the building will house space for photography, ceramics and graphic design.

President Dr. Danny Hollingsworth praised former President W. Ray Cleere and Piedmont Vice President and Provost Dr. James Mellichamp for their work to bring the new building to fruition. “With the remodeling of the downtown art buildings for the new Mason-Scharfenstein

Art Museum, the college art department needed a new home,” Hollingsworth said. “This building is a fantastic addition not just for Piedmont, but for all of northeast Georgia. Dr. Cleere and Dr. Mellichamp had a great vision for a facility that fits the needs of our students and is also architecturally a great fit for the site.”

Kelly said the new museum and studio building will especially augment Piedmont’s bachelor of fine arts (BFA) degree in arts administration. Graduates of this program combine classes in the fine arts with business courses to learn how to manage art, music, and theatre venues.

Breaking ground for the new piedmont college art studios were, from left, hilda Burke from the habersham county chamber of commerce; mike grizzel of scroggs & grizzel contracting inc.; Assistant vice president for Administrative services parks miller; president danny hollingsworth; Art department chair chris Kelly; and habersham county chamber director Judy taylor.

Architect’s rendering of the new three-story art studio building now under construction at the demorest campus.

college liFe


Community Service Challenge

The Piedmont College Quality Enhancement Program (QEP) challenged faculty, staff, students, and alumni to reach a community service goal of 10,000 hours last year. At the end of the spring semester the goal was exceeded with 12,400 hours. This year, QEP challenged the campus and alumni again to reach 15,000 hours, with alumni chal-lenged to reach 4,000 of those.

Chanda DeFoor (’01) and her husband Mick Harkins volun-teer through Southern Cross German Shepherd Dog Rescue. The nonprofit organization focuses on rescuing and finding homes for German shepherds. Southern Cross, however, will occasionally have other dog breeds and cats up for adoption.

The couple takes homeless pets, usually from a high-kill shelter, into their home to teach basic obedience, housetrain-ing, and socials skills so the animals can be more adoptable. “This requires that we treat foster dogs as part of our family. We pay for all food, medical expenses, and other necessities.” The adoption fees recoup some of the costs of fostering.

In addition to fostering, they also participate in other Southern Cross Activities. Recently, DeFoor ran in a half-marathon at Myrtle Beach, where she raised $1,500 for Southern Cross. “I volunteer because I feel that I have a moral obligation to help those who cannot help themselves. I believe that life is sacred, and since I was a little girl I have felt a strong bond with dogs, in particular.” She adds that community service does not have to be a burden and to find something that interests you and help the cause.

To help reach the goal on campus, a new club was formed called the Service Leadership Club. Their goal is for students to give back to the community and for members to gain leadership qualities. So far, the club has clocked about 582 hours toward the 2011-2012 challenge.

One project that advi-sor Maghan Holmes and 13 members of the club took on was the Habitat for Humanity Warehouse in Clarkesville. The group cleaned out and organized holiday decorations and tools and also helped move new sewer pipes into the warehouse from outside. The club recorded 46 hours for this project alone. “Habitat for Humanity con-stantly helps other people. This was a good opportunity to help them because they are so busy helping other people,” Holmes said.

In addition to helping Habitat for Humanity, the club has helped United Way distribute food during Thanksgiving, participated in a Cancer Walk with the Health and Wellness Club, and walked with the Outdoor Club on a work hike. Later this semester the group plans to help at a soup kitchen and host a prom for residents of a senior citizen home.

Tim Hudson, a 2011 graduate in philosophy and religion, has worked about 50 volunteer hours for the Boy Scouts of America as a Merit Badge Counselor. His volunteer duty is

to teach kids about citizenship in the nation and citizenship in the world. He teaches either one-on-one or in classes of around 40 about the different types of govern-ment, international trade, and non-governmental organizations

(NGOs). Hudson started volunteering with the Boy Scouts in 2007 and will continue during and after the community service challenge is completed.

Alumni can submit community service hours at www.piedmont.edu/challenge. The brief form requires contact information, description of the service, and the number of hours worked.

i volunteer because i feel that i have a moral obligation to help

those who cannot help themselves.”

chanda defoor volunteers to help four-legged friends.

college liFe


To Kill a Mockingbird resonates on stage after 50 years

The Theatre Department presented “To Kill a Mockingbird,” in April in the Swanson Center Blackbox Theatre.

The play adaptation by Christopher Sergel is based on Harper Lee’s 1960 nov-el “To Kill a Mockingbird,” and was guest-directed by Amanda Lee Williams. Williams is originally from Hollywood, Ga., and is now a director, actor, and comedian in Seattle, Wash., where she is also the Director of Education and Outreach at Youth Theatre Northwest.

The play tells the story of Scout Finch, her brother Jem, and her widowed father Atticus in a small Alabama town during the Great Depression. When Atticus defends a black man charged with raping a white woman, the story takes surprising twists, and shocking mysteries are uncovered along the way.

The cast included Atticus Finch, Justin A. Doro; Calpurnia, Maghan Holmes; Scout, Alexandra Mahoney; Jem, Matt McClure; Dill, Jeremy Douylliez; Miss Maudie Atkinson, Katie Robinson; Miss Stephanie Crawford, Stephanie Bignault; Mrs. Dubose, Savannah Shelton; Judge Taylor/Walter Cunningham, Oliver Merritt; Boo Radley/Mr. Gilmer, David Reynolds; Heck Tate, Mat Fried; Nathan Radley, Nolan Garrett; Reverend Sykes, Skylier Ross; Mayella Ewell, Jamie Haselhurst; Bob Ewell, Peter Davis; Tom Robinson, Ben Cisse; Clerk, Fletcher Deal; Gospel Choir, Whitni Coke, Njoki Coleman, Rickey Eberhardt, Moleek Simmons; Ensemble, Britt Hensley, Lilly Baxley, Abbie Strickland, and Natalie Crawford.

top: peter davis as Bob Ewell threatens the finch family in this scene from To Kill A Mockingbird. pictured from left are matt mcclure, Justin doro, Alexandra mahoney, and maghan holmes (’10).

lEft: david reynolds (’06) played Boo radley and prosecuting attorney horace gilmer in the pct production of To Kill A Mockingbird.

college liFe


Theatre Department presents summer stock shows

Fans of Piedmont Theatre who lamented the lack of productions during the summer months were in for a treat as the college formed the North Georgia Theatre at Piedmont College, a professional com-pany that presented two mystery-comedies in June.

North Georgia Theatre is a new organization made up of actors, directors and technicians from Piedmont and the northeast Georgia area, said Bill Gabelhausen, chair of the Department of Theatre.

The troupe began the summer with a presenta-tion of Something’s Afoot by James McDonald, Davis Vos, and Robert Gerlach. Nine performances were set in early June in the Swanson Center Mainstage.

Directed by Gabelhausen, Something’s Afoot is a musical comedy spoof based on Agatha Christie’s Ten Little Indians. A group of people are invited to the lake estate of Lord Dudley Rancour where the Lord is found dead. It becomes a race against the clock to solve the murder mystery.

The second presentation was Arsenic and Old Lace by Joseph Kesselring and directed by professor John Spiegel. This dark comedy centers on the tribula-tions of drama critic Mortimer Brewster. During the play, he ponders his recent marriage proposal and learns his two aunts are homicidal maniacs who murder lonely old men with poisoned elder-berry wine. Brewster has two brothers, one who believes he is Teddy Roosevelt and another brother whose own murderous ambitions pale in compari-son to the aunts’.In Something’s Afoot, cast members included

Ashley Campbell, Brandon Mahaffey, Ben Cisse, Chase Weaver, Moleek Simmons, Katie K. Robin-son, Daniel Burns, Jeremy Douylliez, Krista Tritt, and Britt Hensley.The cast of Arsenic & Old Lace included Rane

Tipton, Katie K. Robinson, Matt McClure, Stepha-nie Bignault, Nolan Garrett, Daniel Burns, Bran-don Mahaffey, Justin Gilleland, Jeremy Douylliez, Rickey Eberhardt, Peter Davis, Chase Weaver, and Ben Cisse.

the cast of Something’s Afoot.

daniel Burns is hit by a blowgun dart from rickey Eberhardt.

Katie robinson, rane tipton, matt mcclure, and peter davis in Arsenic and Old Lace.

college liFe


Alumni Association names four for annual honors

The Alumni Association singled out four graduates for special honors during the annual Alumni Weekend awards banquet April 16 in Demorest.

Lyndol Cain of Watkinsville earned the Distinguished Alumni Award, while Dr. Steven W. Flynt of Lawrenceville picked up the Excellence in Education Award. Joe Piper of Gainesville took home the Alumni Service Award; and Terry L. Hill of Tallahassee, Fla., received this year’s Pacesetter Award.

Distinguished Alumni winner Lyndol Cain, a member of the Class of 1953, played basketball and baseball; after graduation he was a teacher and coach with the Jasper County School system in Monticello. He served two years in the U.S. Army before returning to Jasper County until 1962. Cain then taught biology and coached basketball at Lithonia and Lakeside high schools before being named assistant principal at Henderson High School in 1967. From 1979 to 1973, he served as principal of Waycross City Schools. He was named the first director of the Northeast Georgia Cooperative Education Service Agency (RESA) and served from 1973 to 1988.

Steven Flynt is a member of the Master’s Class of 1999 and received the Excellence in Education award for his work as a teacher, principal, and associate superintendent with

the Gwinnett County School System. Flynt began his career in education as a junior high school science teacher in DeKalb County and then taught science for seven years at Dacula High School. He was named assistant principal at Dacula in 2002, and in 2006 became principal of Peachtree Ridge High School. In 2008, Flynt was named an associate superintendent in Gwinnett County.

The Alumni Service Award was presented to Joe Piper of the Class of 1995 for his work as former president of the Alumni Association. Piper served as the association representative on the Piedmont Board of Trustees for two years and was then selected by the board to continue to serve. He is currently an independent consultant for AT&T in the area of Emergency 911 implementation and documentation.

The Pacesetter Award is given to young alumni who exhibit outstanding achievement early in their careers. This year’s recipient is Terry Hill of Tallahassee, Fla., a member of the Class of 2001. After graduating from Piedmont summa cum laude with a degree in business administration, Hill entered the Florida State University College of Law, earning three Book Awards, given to students with the highest grade in their class. While still in school, Hill accepted a position as administrator with The Florida Bar, the statewide professional and regulatory organizations for some 90,000 Florida attorneys. In 2007, he was promoted to director of the programs division of the Florida Bar and leads 74 employees in six departments.

Alumni Association award winners include, from left, terry hill (’01), Joe piper (’95), lyndol cain (’53), and steven flynt (’99).

college liFe


Marty Raybon headlines Bluegrass Festival

Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Marty Raybon highlighted the second annual Piedmont College Bluegrass Festival, held June 4 at the Arrendale Amphitheater.

Raybon was just one of nine soloists and groups that took the stage during the daylong celebration of bluegrass, country, and old-time music. One of the original members of the band “Shenandoah,” which produced 26 Billboard hits, Raybon began a solo career in 1995 and has recorded eight Billboard hits, including 2010’s “The Heat is On.”

Piedmont theatre professor Henry “Doc” Johnson of the Mountain Music & Medicine Show was emcee for the day’s events. Featured performers included Curtis Blackwell & The Dixie Bluegrass Boys, Shoal Creek, Bill Long, John Oliver & Carmel Ridge, Nancy Creek, Mountain Hoodoo, the Foxfire Boys, and Tomorrow’s Yesterday.

“We expect this festival to continue to grow and look forward to seeing everyone out at the Arrendale Amphitheater next June for what promises to be another great family event,” said festival organizer Natalie Crawford.

grammy-winner marty raybon performed a string of his hits.

piedmont’s own professor henry Johnson, star of the georgia public

Broadcasting mountain music and medicine show, served as mc

for the festival.

r. J. spence of toccoa was one of the many local performers at the festival.

college liFe


‘Psalms, Hymns,and Canticles’

The Chambers Singers performed their annual spring concert March 3 in the chapel. Directed by Dr. Wallace Hinson and accompanied by Louise Bass on organ, the ensemble performed selections themed “Psalms, Hymns, and Canticles.”

The selections included Psalm 148 by Gustav Holst; The Earth Adorned, a three-verse hymn by Swedish organist Waldemar Åhlén; and Giles Swayne’s Magnificat.

The Chamber Singers members are admitted by audition and perform a vari-ety of literature from Renaissance to 21st century pieces. The group is also known for performing ethnic and contemporary choral music, folk songs, and spirituals.

Art faculty–past and present

Current and former members of the art faculty exhibited their work in the first public show at the new Mason-Scharfenstein Museum of Art in September. Pictured from left are Diane Mize, Art Chair Chris Kelly, Harry Boone, Robert Jones, Pat Taylor, Kaitlin Wilson Botts, Lori Phillips, and Jennifer Betz.

‘Three Little Pigs’ return to Piedmont

Back by popular demand, Little Red Riding Hood and the Three Little Pigs, an interactive play presented by the North Georgia Theatre for Youth at Piedmont College, entertained area children at the Arrendale Amphitheater in August. The play by Moses Goldberg combines two favorite fairy tales into one timeless memory, performed by Piedmont theatre students. This is the second year the group has performed the children’s play.


A1A rocks The AmpParrotheads flocked to the Arrendale Amphitheater July 22, when Jeff Pike

and A1A brought their Jimmy Buffett tribute show to northeast Georgia for a romp in Margaritaville. Back by popular demand, A1A pulled out all the stops for a highly energetic, colorful, family-friendly show featuring the music of the “son of a son of a sailor” himself, Jimmy Buffett.

Stegner is Stewart winner

Provost Dr. James F. Mellichamp presented the H.M. Stewart Award of Excellence to William Benjamin Stegner of Toccoa during the baccalau-reate services prior to spring commencement.

Stegner, who earned a bach-elor of arts degree in music, graduated summa cum laude and had a cumulative grade-point average of 4.0.

The Stewart Award is presented each year by Community Bank and Trust to the graduate with the highest GPA. The award is named for the late H.M. Stewart Sr., longtime northeast Georgia business and civic leader.

college liFe

stewart Award winner Benjamin stegner and provost dr. James mellichamp.

Historic house added to campusPiedmont’s Graduate Admissions and Graduate Studies offices have a new home in the 120-year-old Pyle-Davis House in Demorest. The college recently acquired the property at the corner of Massachusetts Boulevard and Laurel Avenue adjacent to the campus quadrangle through a gift/purchase agreement with owners W. Hue and Jane Rainey. The Queen Anne-style house, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, is one of the original homes in Demorest and was built in 1891.

After training Army pilots to fly helicopters, keeping Piedmont students safe on the ground should be a walk in the park for Rodney Dyer, the college’s new vice president of student affairs and administrative services.

Dyer comes to Piedmont from Carson-Newman College, where he held a similar position as vice president of student affairs. At Piedmont, he will also be managing the areas of athletics, administrative services, and security.

Dyer worked at Carson-Newman for three years after retiring from the Army and said he had planned to remain in east Tennessee, where he grew up. But, he said, there is a short list of people for whom he would consider picking up roots, and Piedmont President Danny Hollingsworth is one of them.

Hollingsworth, in turn, had praise for Dyer, whom he worked with at Carson-Newman. “He did an excellent job in the student affairs and life direction areas at Carson-Newman,” Hollingsworth said. “Rodney will play a critical role in advancing students affairs initiatives and administra-tive support at Piedmont.”

“As enrollment at Piedmont continues to grow, it is important to manage all of the programs that are provided on campus,” Dyer said. Athletes make up about half the population of students who live on campus and, with the addition of women’s lacrosse, this number will increase. Dyer said the college has to provide enough rooms for all the students and maintain the facilities at the highest level. “We need to be proactive so we can ensure buildings and facility needs are identified in advance so we can continue to have the growing atmosphere,” he said.

Dyer’s role in student affairs will be to help identify institutional needs to help strength-en an already strong department. One goal is to add more student programs on weekends to provide a better overall college experience. “Every piece of their development while at Piedmont is important, not just academics. We want to graduate well-balanced students who impact communities,” he said.

In the area of security and safety, Dyer is managing the implementation of a system to send alerts to faculty, staff, and students by text, email, and the college website. He

said the system will provide a better means to communi-cate weather delays and cancellations to the college commu-nity. “We tell parents when they send their child to Piedmont College that we are going to maintain an environment that makes them safe and secure,” he said. “We take it very seriously that our charge is to protect students, faculty, and staff.”

Dyer earned a bachelor of science degree in animal science from the University of Tennessee in 1979, and then joined the U.S. Army, for 23 years, 19 as a helicopter instructor pilot. He was the Chief of Staff of the Nebraska Army National Guard when he retired in 2002 as a Brigadier General. He added two master’s degrees while he was in the service. In 1984 he earned a master of science in personnel management from Troy State University, and in 1996 he earned a master of arts equivalent in strategic stud-ies from the U.S. Army War College.

In 2004, Dyer began his venture in the education field as a seventh grade science teacher at Lincoln Heights Middle School. For the next three years at the middle school, he would hold posi-tions as a math teacher, the component chair for school improvement, a team leader for seventh grade, and a boys’

basketball coach for three seasons. Soon, he would graduate with a master of arts degree in curriculum and instruction from Carson-Newman College.

Dyer and his wife, Sandy, currently live in college hous-ing, where they plan to host college events and student groups. “Students need to feel comfortable enough to visit and for our home to be available for student activities,” he said. “We were immersed in student affairs at Carson-Newman, and we intend to do the same here,” he said.

campus news


Dyer joins PC as VP of Student Affairs and Administrative Services

new vice president rodney dyer

every piece of their development while at piedmont is important,not just academics. we want to

graduate well-balanced studentswho impact communities.”

ReLiGioN AND THe LiBeRAL ARTS

‘Well With My Soul’ The fifth annual Piedmont symposium on

Religion and the Liberal Arts will examine the theme of “Faith and Health in the 21st Century,” Feb. 24-25 in Athens.

“The more we learn about human health, the more we learn that true wellness involves every-thing from the food we eat to the communities we belong to and the relationships we keep,” said the Rev. Barbara Brown Taylor, who will deliver the keynote address.

This year’s conference will focus on the connec-tion between spiritual practice and health, paying special attention to the ways that congregations can support personal and community well-being of body, mind, and spirit.

For more information, visit www.piedmont.edu.

campus news


Piedmont sees largest freshman enrollment

Piedmont freshmen gathered on the Quad during the first day of new student orientation at the campus in Demorest. The college enrolled its largest freshman class ever this fall, with some 225 students. The college also will have a record 550 students living on campus, the first time that number has gone above 500.

Director of Admissions Cindy Peterson said the total en-rollment also set a record this fall, with some 2,834 students at the Demorest and Athens campuses. That is up from 2,676 last fall. The freshmen began moving in to the dorms on Aug. 7 in preparation for a week’s worth of college orien-tation sessions. They attended team-building exercises at the Athens Y Camp in Turnerville, health and alcohol awareness seminars, and “Introduction to College Life” classes. The group had time for some fun with a cookout sponsored by Piedmont alumni and trips to the movies and to a Gwinnett Braves game.

acaDemic news


Pleysier book examines WWii invasion of LeningradHistory professor Dr. Al Pleysier has

penned his fourth book on World War II-era Russia, with the publication of Unlocked Memories: Young Russians under German Rule.

Unlocked Memories is a collection of interviews that were shared by Russians who witnessed the German invasion of the Leningrad region in 1941. All were children or young people during World War II, and nearly all were natives of Luga or Oredezh, or villages that were clustered around the two towns. Each lived under German rule after the Leningrad region was overrun and oc-cupied by the enemy.

Pleysier and co-author Alexey Vinogradov of St. Petersburg State University collected the interviews over a period of 10 years. Pleysier said the

title reflects the fact that for many of the people involved, the memories of that time had been locked away for decades. “Some were locked away to spare others from em-barrassment, some for

reasons that concerned a subject’s wel-fare or the welfare of a relative or friend, and others because it was too painful to reflect upon them,” Pleysier said.

Pleysier earned his Ph.D. in European history from West Virginia University. His previous books on Russia include Frozen Tears: The Blockade and Battle of Leningrad, Surviving the Blockade of Leningrad, and The Women of Izmaelovka: A Soviet Union Collective Farm in Siberia.

Vinogradov earned his Ph.D. in archeology at Leningrad State University. He is the acting chairman of the Research Center for Archeology, Historical Sociology and Cultural Heritage of the St. Petersburg State University.

Alexey vinogradov, left, and Al pleysier with tamara troetzina, who was one of the witnesses to the german occupation near leningrad during World War ii.

Melichar book views indian images as seen in film and culture

Dr. Ken Melichar has pub-lished a book titled The Filmic Indian and Cultural Tourism: Indian Representations During The Period of Allotment and Forced Assimilation

(1887-1928). The book examines Indian images in silent films and cultural tour-ism during the period in U.S. history known as allotment and

forced assimilation (1887-1928). Repressive Indian images, such as the noble savage and the blood-thirsty savage, were challenged by alternative Indian representations in films and cultural tourism.

Among the filmmakers dis-cussed are D.W. Griffith and James Young Deer. Griffith’s films are sympathic (The Redman and the Child) and reactionary (The Battle of Elderbush Gulch). Young Deer’s films subvert dominant Indian-Anglo relationships and point to an Indian future (Red Eagle, the Lawyer). Indian images reflected in cultural tourism of the Southwest are analyzed as they find expres-sion in Spanish missions in Texas and California, the Santa Fe railroad and the Harvey Company in Arizona and New Mexico, and elite Eastern women who settled in northern New Mexico.

athens


There is a new School of Nursing in town

Piedmont College in Athens has dramatically expanded the opportunities for students seeking a bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) degree.

While the Athens Campus had offered a BSN program for nurses who had already earned an RN degree, the col-lege now offers a full four-year program for student nurses.

Dr. Linda Scott, dean of the college’s Daniel School of Nursing, said about 20 students are enrolled in Athens. Classes are held in Lane Hall on North Milledge Avenue, which underwent a major renovation over the summer to accommodate new classrooms and training facilities.

Piedmont opened its Daniel School of Nursing in Demorest about 10 years ago and enrolls about 40 stu-dents there each year. Scott said the BSN program in-cludes classes in research and community health. The college offers different tracks for nurses who may already have an RN or LPN degree and want to earn a BSN diploma. For the fourth year in a row, Piedmont nursing

school graduates have had a 100-percent pass rate on their board certification test.

Scott said the faculty in Athens includes professors from the Demorest Campus, as well as some new instructors. The college also works with Athens-area medical facilities for students performing clinical internships.

lane hall in Athens now includes a realistic hospital ward for training nurses.

Bill Bland, district director for georgia united credit union, and nursing professor Jaime Johnson-huff examine sim-man during the open house.

college liFe


Pitching arm helps Collins earn four degrees

Matt Collins’ pitching arm helped him set an NCAA baseball record, and—quite unintentionally—it also helped him graduate as Piedmont’s first quadruple major.

When Collins marched across the stage during the May commencement ceremony, he walked away with two diplo-mas after majoring in four different subjects. The Roswell native earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics and a Bachelor of Arts degree with a triple major in his-tory, philosophy and religion, and political science.

Collins says that when he was recruited to attend Piedmont and play baseball under coach Jim Peeples, he never intended to earn so many degrees. His intention was to stay four years and earn a single degree in history. But a shoulder injury during his freshman year changed his plans. Collins was “red shirted,” meaning his first year of college did not count against his four years of sports eligi-bility under NCAA rules.

During that year, he visited the athletic trainer daily, lifting weights and working through a variety of exercises to improve his range of motion. He was determined that he would pitch for the Lions again.

In his second year at Piedmont, Collins came off the red-shirt list and began pitching for the junior varsity team. He also continued his daily visits to the athletic trainers. After getting to know one of the math professors at Piedmont, he began adding math classes to his schedule with the idea of earning a double major.

In his junior year, Collins was back on the varsity base-ball team and also began running cross country, helping

the team to a conference championship. In the classroom, he added courses to earn a minor in philosophy and religion and a minor in political science.

During his fourth year, Collins knew he would be staying an extra year to play baseball, so he added more courses to turn his philosophy and religion minor and political science minor into majors.

During his fifth year, he completed the requirements for all four of his majors in time for the May 2011 graduation.

Collins did all this while helping to lead the Lions to a Great South Athletic Conference Baseball Championship and a third-place finish at the NCAA Division III Regional Tournament

in Millington, Tenn. Collins was singled out with a spot on the GSAC All-Conference Team as the Lions’ top closer. He had 13 saves on the season, which placed him in second place among all D-III pitchers nationwide, and his 65 strikeouts during the regular season led the nation. With Collins in the bullpen, the Lions finished the season ranked number 25 in the nation, and he was named to the first team All-Region squad.

During his final season, Collins made 33 appearances on the mound for the Lions, setting a new national D-III record. Amazingly, the old mark of 32 appearances was set by his former teammate, Tom Dimitroff (‘08) of Commerce, when the Lions last won the GSAC Championship in 2008.

That Collins has managed to achieve so much on the field and in the classroom is no surprise to his teammates and coaches.

“I have never come across a person who has taken on so much in their time here at Piedmont,” said assistant baseball coach Justin Scali. “His organization, time man-agement, and work ethic made him into not only a great student-athlete, but a great leader within the baseball program. He has set a high standard for those who will follow him.”

“I think having four degrees gives me a broad back-ground and gives me more options in this economy,” said Collins. He also said that being part of two athletic teams and earning four degrees has taught him time management and how to prioritize.

Now that Collins’ time at Piedmont has come to an end, he’s had to start thinking about his future with four degrees. He is planning on going to law school and would one day like to go into environmental or tax law.

matt collins (’11) led all divisions in the ncAA for strikeouts by a closing pitcher with 65 during the regular season.

athletics news


Lacrosse team takes the field for first time vs UGA and ClemsonThe Piedmont College men’s lacrosse

team made history Oct. 23 with their first-ever competition, hosting a pair of scrimmages with varsity club teams from UGA and Clemson.

Officially kicking off their campaign in early February of 2012, the Lions—all freshmen—got their first taste of college-level “Lax” as the Dawgs and the Tigers came to Demorest to play in the three-game affair.

Piedmont Head Coach Pete Manderano said the scrimmages were a good way to get ready for the spring season.

“I think the kids played really well, I liked their effort; overall it was a great day,” Manderano said. “The first game we were maybe a little nervous, but I did not think they were intimidated by anybody. It was a nice beginning. We’ve got a lot of work to do, but overall the coaches were pretty happy.”

Per NCAA rules, no scores or stats are reported for scrimmages, but the action was well received by the crowds who showed up to support the competitors, with the bleachers at Walker Athletic Complex being full most of the day. It’s the type of support that Athletic Director John Dzik had in mind when the program was first given the green light back in the spring of 2010.

“It was a great way to introduce the sport of lacrosse to the Piedmont College community,” Dzik said. “Our team and coaches should be very pleased with this first step. We are all excited to see the team in intercollegiate play this spring.”

athletics news


Baseball takes GSAC Title with 32-15 overall record

The Lions baseball team gave its fans a great deal to cheer about in 2011, especially at their home ballpark, as a 17-5 mark in the friendly confines of Loudermilk Field helped propel the squad to its second Great South Athletic Conference championship in the last four seasons. The team’s 32-15 overall record represents the second 30-win season since joining the NCAA Division-III ranks in 2003, and its 7-2 mark in conference play, which gave the Lions the regular season crown, is tied for the best showing in GSAC play by the baseball program since the Great South moved to a four-team format in 2007.

For his efforts guiding the program to yet another league championship and an NCAA National Tournament berth, skipper Jim Peeples was named the GSAC Coach of the Year and saw his leadoff outfielder Kyle Davis named the Player of the Year as well, after becoming just the second player in Piedmont’s NCAA era to hit .400 through the regular season. Davis was one of five Lions placed on the All-Conference team, while two were named to the All-Freshman group. As an added bonus, four PC ballplayers were named ABCA All-South Region selections, including Davis and closer Matt Collins, reliever Ed Cook, and starter Kevin Caldwell. Senior Curtis Cornett snagged his first Rawlings Gold Glove award. In the spirit of Piedmont’s commitment to excellence in the classroom, the squad also led all GSAC member institutions with 16 All-Academic honorees.

front, from left: matt collins, dave Bartek, chris haggard, John duke, Kevin mcconnell, dusty Black, tim nunez, curtis cornett, caleb powell, dale Bartek, matt Keadle, and colton Bryant. Back: matt youtsey, carl Allen, Josh strickland, tate Koons, Ed cook, chris lew, Kyle davis, Kevin d’Antignac, caleb co-chran, Josh Bailey, matt lisk, Kevin caldwell, James moyer, Ethan miers, davis partrick, and garrett lovelace.

Kyle davis, upper left, was the gsAc player of the year after batting .400. he and pitchers Kevin caldwell (#35), matt collins, and Ed cook were all named to the All-south region team. coach Jim peeples, above, was named gsAc coach of the year.

athletics news


taylor morgan, Amy thompson, raley White, B.J. cofer, rebecca renfroe, Emily cheek, and Jordan hammontree; middle: Amanda posey, courtney clarke, shanice Wheeler, megan mcclain, Jamie dennis, Brittany head, megan studdard, lauren head, megan Kesler, and lauren moore; back: coach doug Kesler, head coach terry martin, and trainer tim miesmer.

Softball marches to second straight GSAC title

The 2011 softball team brought home a second straight GSAC regular season and tournament championship combo. The squad crested the 30-win plateau for the second time in the program’s NCAA era, boasting a 30-15 overall mark along with a stout 11-1 record in league play. Head coach Terry Martin was named the GSAC Coach of the Year for the second straight season and saw his team produce a Freshman of the Year honoree as well in pitcher Brittney Head, who posted a 0.00 ERA against conference opponents in that regular season run.

After taking the GSAC tournament championship to earn an automatic berth into the NCAA National Tournament, the Lady Lions then continued their dream season by posting a runner-up finish in the regional round, representing the best finish by a Piedmont athletic program at an NCAA Regional tourney since 2003. The 2011 Lady Lions also topped the GSAC in individual accolades, lead-ing the league in All-Conference selections with five, All-Freshman awards with three, and All-Academic selections with nine. Martin’s group also saw a trio of players named to the NFCA All-South Region team, including Head, hit-ting leader Megan McClain, and veteran B.J. Cofer, who leaves campus as the one of the program’s winningest pitch-ers in the NCAA era.

gsAc freshman of the year Brittney head posted a 0.00 ErA against the conference.

lEft: terry martin was named coach of the year for the second straight season. right: senior B.J. cofer was named to the nfcA All-south region team.

athletics news


Men’s and women’s tennisIt was a triumphant return to the Demorest campus for head tennis coach Shane

Wood, who, after a three-year stint at NCAA Division I Jacksonville University, once again took the reins of the PC tennis program to a Great South Athletic Conference championship. It was the men’s team, with an 11-6 overall record and 4-2 mark in GSAC play, that handed the veteran coach his 10th overall conference tournament title, knocking off the tourney’s top seed in Huntingdon College. As one of nine men’s players to be selected to the All-Conference team, GSAC

Player of the Year Moses Das provided the deciding point in the dramatic 5-4 win over the Hawks that sealed the Lions’ grip on a championship. On the women’s side, the Lady Lions made their second straight appearance in the league’s year-end tournament after nabbing a trio of conference wins in 2011, while posting a 5-12 overall record. Demonstrating the program’s commitment to academic excellence, a quartet of women’s players led by senior Jennifer Granlund earned All-Academic status to tie for the league lead in that category.

moses das

Jennifer granlund

front, from left: patrick steck, greg puckett, chris davidson, Jay Evans, and Joel silverberg; back: as-sistant coach Jan White, Andrew Babb, James Wingate, Justin gilleland, moses das, and coach shane Wood.

front, from left: lauren hodges, melody mitchell, Jen granlund, and cydney goodwin; back: coach shane Wood, maria carter, mandy christian, lauren Anderson, Ashley fannon, and assistant coach Jan White.

athletics news


Men’s and women’s golfThe women’s golf team claimed

the first ever GSAC tournament championship by an amazing 54 strokes, while the men’s squad finished third in the field ahead of nationally ranked Huntingdon College. David Strader earned the All-Conference selection for the men’s team at the tourney and was also named a Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-American Scholar. The Lions also reclaimed the Georgia Mountains Trophy with a first-place finish in the event during the fall season, riding Strader’s individual medalist finish to the title. On the women’s side, it was a pair of GSAC Co-Players of the Year in freshman Katarina Hodge and sophomore Maria Carter who would lead the team to a conference tournament championship in the first year of Great South play. Also earning a spot on the All-Freshman squad, Hodge was named the league’s Freshman of the Year, following a stellar Lady Lion debut that included four top-10 showings in 2010-11. A trio of Lady Lions was named to the All-Conference team with Hodge, Carter, and Cayla Banks making the list, while two more were honored with All-Academic awards. In national rankings, Hodge and Carter were 17th and 84th respectively among Division III golfers. For his efforts on the links, head coach Dusty Rogers was named the GSAC Coach of the Year in his third season at the helm of the programs.

top: cayla Banks, Kimberley tucker, Bethann rogers, maria carter, coach dusty rogers, Katarina hodge. lEft: david strader right: maria carter. Bottom: Assistant coach clifton Barton, Alex Williams, david strader, Joshmurphy, Jeff ledford, trey mcconnell, and coach dusty rogers.

class notes


Book donationE. Rudolph Buice (‘47) (right), pictured with former president W. Ray Cleere, recently donated his collection of Harvard Classics to Piedmont’s Arrendale Library. Harvard president Charles William Eliot first compiled the list of 51 classic books in 1909 as the basis for a liberal arts education.

Alumni Players ReuniteAlumni baseball players got together for a game in October. Pictured from left

are Brandon Hitch, Tom Dimitroff, Coach Jim Peeples, Walker Searcy, Brad Roland, Cole Spedale, Evan Nissley, Justin Oates, Travis Hunt, Matt Burgess, Blake Thomas, Stan Brosko, Andrew Wagner, Corey Lindsey, Spencer Ventrice, Trey Fowler, Daniel Rivera, Jared Moon, Caleb Powell, Dusty Black, Dave Bartek, Kevin McConnell, Evan Rodery, Spencer Shelton, Justin Vorherr, Zac Stein, Wes Crow, Mike Santowski, and Bill Secor. Not pictured: Sidney Roland.

Love Connections Kathryn jordan lancaster

(’48) and Boyd lancaster“I did, indeed, meet the love

of my life, Boyd Lancaster, at Piedmont during the fall quarter of 1947. He was there just that one quarter before transferring to Emory, but that was long enough for me to get a firm grip on him—which lasted 59 years!”

john Kuiken and rosa maria Valdes Kuiken

John says “As far as Rosa Maria Valdes Kuiken goes, for me it was love at first sight!” John and Rosa Maria were at Piedmont for two years, 1957 and 1958. John played baseball and basketball at Piedmont, being named an All-State player in basketball. Before coming to America, Rosa Maria had earned a B.A. degree in her native Havana, Cuba. John trans-ferred to Oglethorpe University, where he graduated. The couple moved to the West Coast and had successful business careers. They have three children and six grand-children. The Kuikens are retired in Henderson, Nev.

class notes


Gainesville (Ga.) High School achieved the 2010 U.S. Department of Education’s Blue Ribbon Award. Senator Johnny Isakson presented the award to GHS Principal chris mance (’84) at a school assembly. Only 304 schools across the nation and seven in Georgia earned the Blue Ribbon distinction. Mance has been principal at GHS since 2008.

rob andrews (’88) has been named president of United Community Bank-Rabun County. A 20-year banking veteran, Rob joined United in 2005 and was most recent-ly Retail Lending Officer at United Community Bank-Hall County in Gainesville. He has been active in the Lions Club of Gainesville and is a current director of the PC Alumni Association.

Vann w. Brown (’90) has been named to the board of directors at Georgia Northwestern Technical College in Rome. Brown is president of ArrowStar, LLC, and has more than 20 years experience in research management with multi-national, technology-based durable goods/chemical companies. Prior to his pres-ent position, he served as vice presi-dent of Innovation and Technology at Mohawk Industries, where he directed the company’s research and develop-ment, environmental services, and sus-tainability efforts. Vann is a current di-rector of the PC Alumni Association.

lee ann meadows (m’01) has

been reappointed to the Georgia Commission on Hearing Impaired and Deaf Persons. She is a kindergar-ten and first grade teacher of deaf and hearing-impaired students and has taught at the Atlanta Area School for the Deaf for 10 years.

aaron (’03) and angela hallmon Velmosky (’04) welcomed their second child, Caitlyn Elizabeth, on June 3, 2011. Caitlyn joins big brother Zachary, who is 4.

gaynell allen (m’03) retired June

1, 2011, from the DeKalb County School System. During her 31 years as an educator, she served as an elemen-tary teacher and ESOL teacher. In 2009, Gaynell was chosen as Teacher of the Year at Jolly Elementary School.

Bowie (’04) and sharon Dugger wheaton (’05) own and operate Alternative Life Photography, a cre-ative wedding photography and cus-tom invitation business in Atlanta. www.alternativelifephotography.com.

jennifer scott (Ed.S’05) has been named principal at Barnett Shoals

from left: Angela, caitlyn, and Zachary velmosky | Bowie & sharon dugger Wheaton | tyler Jefferson collins & cooper van townley | tommy Welch

1970s Alumni get togetherAlumni from the 1970s are pictured at a reunion in South Carolina. Front row: Candy Herron (’74) and Greg Ballew (’75); second row: Wanda Humphries Gillum (’74), Karen Gallipeau Palermo (’75), Don Campany (’74), Bill Ratliff (’74), and Maletta Collins Bond (’74); third row: Sandra Blackwell Powell (’74), Dianne Sisk Hardy (’74), and Eddy Adams (’74); back row: R.E. Beck (’73), Mike Gillum (’74), Jimmy Powell (’75), and Jerry Brown (’75).

class notes


Elementary School in Clarke County. She had previously served as assistant principal and summer school princi-pal of Timothy Road Elementary.

tommy welch (Ed.S’05) has been named principal at Meadowcreek High School in Gwinnett County. Welch began his Gwinnett teaching career as a social studies teacher at the school in 2003. He moved into the as-sistant principal role in 2006.

lori cown townley (’05, m’07) and husband Brandon announce the birth of a son, Cooper Van Townley, Sept. 30, 2010. Lori’s sister, carrie cown collins (m’04) and her husband, Jeff, also had a son, Tyler Jefferson Collins, born Nov. 2, 2010. lydia hoffhines (’06) has been ac-cepted into Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health, working to-ward a graduate degree. Since gradu-ating Piedmont, Lydia has been with both the Hall County Sanitation and

Water Resources departments.Kallan williams (’06) has joined

North Georgia Technical College as a recruiter in the admissions of-fice. Kallan’s wife, joanna moye williams (’08), is a nurse at Northeast Georgia Medical Center.

janet teresa peterson (’09) has graduated from the University of Maryland with a Masters in Library Science in May 2011 and is now work-ing at the National Archives in College Park, Md.

jennifer amanda webb (m’09) and Delma N. Exley were married July 9, 2011, at Gillsville Baptist Church. Jennifer is a science teacher and Delma is a business/CTAE teacher with the Savannah-Chatham Public School System in Savannah.

Biology graduate megan ramsey (’10) has been accepted to the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) in Bradenton, Fla.

Theatre alum shannon webber (’10) is using her comedic talents in a commercial for Arkansas-based Collier Drug Stores. Check it out at vimeo.com/21500992.

Katie holcomb (m’11) and hus-band Jason proudly welcomed daugh-ter Adelyn Grace on July 10, 2011.

jean mccullough (’11) has joined the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce staff as project man-ager. She will assist the Economic Development Division with programs and services including small busi-ness retail and development. Jean has five years of economic development experience and was most recently a commercial associate broker for Jack Waldrip Real Estate.

phillip sloan (’11) has been accept-ed to the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program at North Georgia College and State University.

Zack seymour (’11) has been ac-cepted into the Master of Natural Resources (MNR) program at the UGA School of Forestry.

chuck turpin (’11) has joined Fieldale Farms Corp. and is training to be a microbiologist for the Baldwin-based company.

raley white (’11) has been ac-cepted into the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program at the University of Georgia.

Men’s lacrosse coach peter manderano and his wife, Leah, an-nounce the birth of a son, William Anthony, March 15, 2011.

To submit your alumni News, please visit our website at

www.piedmont.edu/alumnior email Katie wright at

[email protected]

Picnic ReunionBill and Evelyn Dickinson Lepere and Len and Shelby Parks Warner, all class

of 1959, are pictured at a picnic at Point Judith, R.I. Bill and Evelyn summer in Narragansett, R.I.; Len and Shelby live in Norwood, Mass. They get together several times a year and stay in touch with several other Piedmont alumni.

class notes


oBituaries

1930s Florence carpenter cook (’38) of

Newport News, Va., died July 23, 2011. She was 93. A 38-year educator, Mrs. Cook taught for 22 years at Fernbank Elementary School (formerly Druid Hills Elementary School) in Atlanta. Born in Demorest, Mrs. Cook began teaching in Florence, S.C., and taught in Commerce and Newton County school systems. At Piedmont she played basketball, graduated in three years, and was the class salutatorian.

Doris hewell King (’36) of Baldwin, died Aug. 11, 2011. She was 96. Mrs. King retired from the Habersham County School System, having taught at Baldwin Elementary School from 1939 until 1974.

sarah green palmer (’39) of Catawba, N.C., died Aug. 8, 2011. Mrs. Palmer began her 60-year career in edu-cation as a public school teacher. She retired after 21 years as professor of English at the University of Montevallo in Alabama. Following her retirement, she continued for another 11 years as an adjunct professor, teaching writing and working at Montevallo’s Harbert

Writing Center. Mrs. Palmer was one of the first members of the Torch of Piedmont, and in 2002 she received the Alumni Association’s Excellence in Education Award.

1940s

jack t. Brogdon (’49) of Pasadena, Calif., died in 2009. He was 81. He served in the U.S. Army in Japan in the early 1950s. He then moved to Califor-nia and pursued a career in banking. Mr. Brogdon was an accomplished pia-nist and had been a member of the Pied-mont Orchestra.

PC residents of Ford Hall—1904Leigh Williams Kitchens of Denton, Texas, sent in this photo of the residents of Ford Hall taken in 1904. “My grandfather was a graduate of Piedmont College and was the oldest alumni until his death in 1985 at age 105,” Kitchens said. “Hugh Anderson Williams is fourth from the left on the front row. Unfortunately, I do not know any other identities.” Hugh, from a farming tradition in Ringgold, was the first one in his family to receive a college education. “He was proud of his education, and named his oldest son Hugh Baxter Williams after his teacher William Baxter Smith,” she said. “His second son (my father), Dr. Joseph Anderson Williams, was assistant to the president, Dean of Students, and Dean of the College of Education at the University of Georgia. I am currently a teacher in Denton, Texas, so Piedmont College was instrumental in shaping the path of this family.”

oBituaries


evelyn mcDuffie cronic (’47) of Lula, died October 9, 2011. She was 85. Mrs. Cronic taught at Lula High School and Banks County High School.

raymond B. Davis (’48) of Columbus, died July 27, 2011. He was 88. He was a U.S. Army veteran and served as a medic during the Battle of the Bulge. He received several military honors of valor for his service in WW II. Mr. Davis was an educator in the Muscogee County School District and retired from the Georgia State Department of Vocational Rehabilitation.

sidney j. hartsfield (’41) of Tallahassee, Fla., died Sept. 23, 2011. He was 93. Mr. Hartsfield served in the U.S. Navy Hospital Corps during WW II. He was a retired minister from the Pentecostal Holiness Church. In 1979 he retired from teaching in the Memphis, Tenn., public schools. Mr. Hartsfield also taught at Gadsden Christian Academy in Tallahassee, Fla.

l.g. hicks, jr. (’42) of Clarkesville, died Sept. 25, 2011. He was 86. While at Piedmont, he met his future wife, Winnie Murphy Hicks (’47), on a blind date. Dr. Hicks served in the U.S. Navy during WW II. He served Habersham County in family medicine for 50 years, and served for 30 years as chairman of the Habersham County Board of Health. Dr. Hicks retired in 2003. In 1983, Piedmont College awarded Dr. Hicks an honorary doctor of science degree.

ethel carpenter lovett (’41) of

Atlanta, died Aug. 20, 2011. She was 96. Mrs. Lovett’s husband, Warren P. Lovett (’33) died in 2003. Mr. and Mrs. Lovett were both long-time educators; Mrs. Lovett retired after 35 years of teaching. Following retirement from education, the Lovetts ministered in two United Methodist Churches for more than 20 years.

thomas c. nation (’42) of Stockbridge, died June 11, 2011. He was 91. Dr. Nation had worked as an analyti-cal chemist and served in the U.S. Navy as a laboratory technician. He retired after 20 years of practice in Douglas, Georgia, as the Chief Pathologist at the Coffee Regional Hospital.

selina patterson pinkston (’42) of Lawrenceville, died Aug. 19, 2011. She was 90. Survivors include her husband, E. Brown Pinkston (’43).

1950s B. evans acree (’50) of Union Point,

died September 20, 2011. He was 85. Mr. Acree served in the U.S. Navy during WW II. He retired after 38 years in public edu-cation, having served as principal in Butts, Putnam, and Greene counties. After his retirement, he served as Headmaster at Nathanael Greene Academy.

elsie jordan Vaughn (’50) of Blairsville, died Sept. 6, 2011. She was 81. Mrs. Vaughn was a member of the Torch of Piedmont and was an outstand-ing basketball player, being inducted into the Piedmont Hall of Fame in 1996. She taught math at all levels in the Clayton

County School System and, following her retirement, taught math on a part-time ba-sis at Clayton State University. She played 2nd violin in the Piedmont Orchestra. Survivors include her husband of 60 years, Travis Vaughn (’50), sisters Kathryn J. Lancaster (’48) and Jo J. French (’49), and aunt Edna J. Gilkey (’41).

Betty Batson Bell (’51) of West Palm Beach, Fla., died April 6, 2011. She was 79. Mrs. Bell was a member of The Torch of Piedmont, and her career in education spanned 30-plus years. She moved to Florida in 1964 and served as a classroom teacher, curriculum director, assistant principal and principal. After retiring in 1990, Mrs. Bell was an ac-tive volunteer and supporter of the arts community and library services. She was named Junior League Woman Volunteer of the Year in 2006 and Distinguished Volunteer for the Town of Palm Beach United Way in 2010.

r. jim Derrick (’51) of Cornelia, died June 9, 2011. He was 84. Mr. Derrick was a U.S. Army veteran having served in World War II. He was employed with the Tennessee Valley Authority for 10 years. He was also a retired power plant op-erator in the Panama Canal Zone for 25 years. Mr. Derrick was a member of the ANCON Masonic Lodge F&A.M., the Scottish Rite, the Shriner’s, and a mem-ber of the Royal Order of Jesters.

gwendolyn Burrell ellenburg (’54) of Eatonton, died April 5, 2011. She was 78. Mrs. Ellenburg taught math at Tallulah Falls School for several years. She was a full-time homemaker and an active volunteer at her church and in her community.

imogene t. johnson (attended 1948-50) of Jackson, Miss., died May 10, 2011. She was 81. Dr. Johnson was an outstanding educator who dedicated her career to the areas of literacy, dyslexia, and learning disabilities. She was an ad-vocate for educators and for the impor-tance of teacher preparation programs. Following her retirement, Dr. Johnson continued volunteering in the Jackson public schools. In 1994, she received the Piedmont College Alumni Service Award, and in 2000 she was named Volunteer of the Year for the State of Mississippi. In 2004, the Imogene T. Johnson Graduate Reading Education Scholarship was es-tablished in her honor by her husband,

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Piedmont Trustee robert c. lower of Atlanta died Aug. 28, 2011. He was 64. Born in Oak Park, Ill., Mr. Lower graduated magna cum laude from Harvard College and received his J.D. from Harvard Law School. An attorney with Alston & Bird in Atlanta, he served as an adjunct professor of law at Emory University. He was a co-founder of the Georgia Lawyers for the Arts, the founding chairman of the Fulton County Arts Council, and a trustee of the Woodruff Arts Center. He and his wife, Cheryl, were longtime members of the Atlanta Singers. Mr. Lower brought his love of the arts and music to his duties as a trustee of Piedmont College for 18 years, helping the college expand and renovate the Center for Worship and Music, including the installation of the Sewell Pipe Organ.

oBituaries


alum and former trustee W. Loy Johnson.

oscar “Kal” Kelehear (’52) of Dalton, died June 2, 2011. He was 84. While at Piedmont, Mr. Kelehear played varsity basketball and baseball, was a member of the men’s glee club, and was class president his junior and senior years. He retired from the carpet industry in 1994 and continued active in-volvement in church and community ser-vice. Elected Dalton-Whitfield County’s “Man of the Year” in 1986, Mr. Kelehear served as president of The Rotary Club of Dalton, where he was named a Paul Harris Fellow. He was a co-founder and charter trustee of the Dalton Education Foundation and served multiple terms as president. Survivors include his wife, Kathryn Burrell Kelehear (’52).

wallace h. preast (’54) of Kingston, died July 24, 2011. He was 85. He served in the U.S. Wartime Merchant Marine during WW II and the Korean War, at-taining the rank of lieutenant command-er. Rev. Preast was ordained in 1948 and was pastor at more than 50 churches in the Southeast. In his retirement, Rev. Preast, a talented stone mason, enjoyed life as a cattle farmer.

e. Dean stephens (’57) of Clayton, died May 4, 2011. He was 77. Mr. Stephens served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He taught English litera-ture at the high school level for more than 25 years. He was an accomplished pianist, singer, tennis player, and gardener.

joe B. Vaughn (’55) of Toccoa, died May 13, 2011. He was 82.

1960s n. l. edwards (’60) of Hiawassee,

died Jan. 7, 2009. He was 69. Mr. Edwards retired after 30 years of teaching fifth and sixth grade math in the Towns County School System.

anne mcconnell elliott (’61) of Cleveland, died May 14, 2011. She was 85. Mrs. Elliott was a retired school teacher with the White County School System, where she taught for 22 years, and a mem-ber of Friendship Baptist Church.

1970s jack r. crosby jr. (’78) of Gainesville,

died Aug. 23, 2011. He was 60. Mr. Crosby served in the U.S. Army during the

Vietnam War. He was recently retired from the Georgia Office of Inspector General, having worked as a Senior Investigator for 34 years. Survivors include his sister, Jane Crosby Knapp (’79).

robert j. leard (’72) of Westminster, South Carolina, died Dec. 30, 2009.

1980s D. wayne Blackwelder (’87) of

Toccoa, died May 29, 2011. He was 47. Mr. Blackwelder had worked for the Stephens County Tax Assessor’s Office and was a Field Appraiser for the Property Tax Division of the Georgia Department of Revenue.

1990s l. Bob jackson (M’99) of Covington,

died July 25, 2011. He was 51. Mr. Jackson began his teaching career in Ohio in 1994 and started in the Gwinnett County (Ga.) school system as a social studies teacher at Central Gwinnett High. He was named as-sistant principal at Berkmar High School in 2001. Mr. Jackson was principal at Meadowcreek High School in Norcross at the time of his death. He had been an educator for 23 years, embracing the edu-cation creed, “Rigor with nurture.”

Bruce edward waters (’90) of Martin, died May 23, 2011. He was 51. Mr. Waters was a long-time employee of Harbin Lumber Company. Survivors in-clude his brothers, Curtis Waters (’71) and Kenny Waters (’76).

2000s Bardene s. Killgore (M’03) of

Carrollton, died July 12, 2011. She was 64. Mrs. Killgore was retired from Gwinnett County Schools, having taught fourth grade at Gwin Oaks Elementary for 17 years.

Dale clark waters (M’11) of Cornelia, died March 29, 2011. He was 47. Mr. Waters was born in Atlanta and was a graduate of UGA, with a bachelor’s of science in economics. He was complet-ing his master’s degree in early childhood education at Piedmont College.

friends Dr. linda adkison williams, 58,

of Loganville died March 21, 2011. She served as a part-time instructor of edu-cation in the Piedmont cohort program for many years and taught for 30 years in the Gwinnett County School System. She was a part-time assistant principal at Grayson High School.

joey Brewer, 68, of Gainesville died Sunday July 3, 2011, at the Northeast Georgia Medical Center. A graduate of Meredith College in Raleigh, N.C., she taught business and was a counselor for 32 years primarily with Gainesville City Schools. From 2001 to 2003 she served Piedmont College as a student counselor. In November 2010, she was presented the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Georgia School Counselors Association.

The rev. chuck erickson, 86, of Kalamazoo Mich., died July 4, 2011. Born in Sioux City, Iowa, he was a U.S. Navy engineering officer in the Pacific during World War II. He was ordained as a minister in the United Church of Christ in 1951 and served Federated Church in Demorest and taught religion at Piedmont from 1951-1953.

william m. “Kenny” Brown iii, 51, of Clarkesville died Aug. 21, 2011. Born in Demorest, Mr. Brown was a librarian at Northeast Georgia Regional Library, where he retired after 31 years of service. Following retirement he served, for a short period of time, as a librarian at Piedmont College.

margaret parr Ballard, 64, of Cornelia, died Oct. 16, 2011. Mrs. Ballard joined Piedmont in 2008 in the business of-fice. She was recently elected to her second term as Mayor of Cornelia and was president of District 2 for the Georgia Municipal Associ-ation. She and her husband, former Piedmont Trustee Philip Ballard, were longtime support-ers of the college. A noted gardener, Mrs. Bal-lard was a member of several area gardening clubs, a flower show judge, and a past board member of the UGA Botanical Gardens.

UpcomiNG eVeNTS in the Fine artsDecemBer7:30pm Friday, December 2 and saturday, December 3, 2011

23rd annual service of lessons and carolsIn its 23rd consecutive year, the Service of Lessons and carols features the Piedmont Chorale, brass choir, organ, and guest performers in a celebration of the start of the Christmas season. Lauren Ringwall, conductor.

january7:30pm Friday, january 6, 2012

matthew markham, baritoneAn award-winning vocalist, Matthew Markham enjoys an active career on the operatic, concert, and recital stages. $$.

6:00pm thursday, january 12, 2012

Derek hambly, rose esson-Dawson, ceramicsRECEPTIONExhibition on view January 8–February 5.

7:30pm saturday, january 21, 2012

joy hayner, piano, organ, and harpsichordfacUlTY reciTalJoy Hayner, Associate Professor of Music, demonstrates her versatility in performing works for each instrument with great skill and artistry.

FeBruary7:30pm Friday, February 3, 2012

athens guitar trioThe Athens Guitar Trio is recognized as one of the most expressive chamber ensembles today. Their extensive musical background, paired with a forward-reaching mindset, allows them to perform music from throughout the repertoire in energetic concerts that captivate audiences. $$

7:30pm Friday, February 10, 2012

chansonChanson has gained a reputation for performing exciting choral music in a uniquely rich and expressive style, seamless blend, precise intonation, and warm, resonant sound. $$

February 16–19, 2012

a little night musicThursday, Friday & Saturday at 7:30pmSunday at 2:00pmKnown for its most famous song “Send in the Clowns,” Stephen Sondheim’s musical is both romantic and achingly beautiful as it deals with the universal subject of love, in all its wondrous, humorous and ironic twists. A Little Night Music transports the audience back to turn-of-the-century Scandinavia where love, laughter, and music float through the air on evening breezes in a land where the sun never sets. As the central character Madame Armfeldt explains “The summer night smiles three times. The first smile smiles at the young, who know nothing. The second, at the fools who know too little. . . and the third at the old who know too much.” mainstage theater $$.

6:00pm thursday, February 23, 2012

scott stephens, print makingRECEPTIONExhibition on view February 23–March 31.

4:00pm sunday, February 26, 2012

roger chase, viola & michiko otaki, pianoRoger Chase, a native of London, is among the preeminent violists in the world and has served as principal violist of virtually all the major orchestras in England. Michiko Otaki, a native of Japan, is a noted chamber musician who has played and recorded with many ensembles throughout the world. $$

Visual arts

music

theatre all music productions are performed in the piedmont college chapel unless otherwise noted.

all theatre productions are performed in the Swanson center.piedmont college faculty, staff, and students are admitted free to all events.

for events marked $$, see the back cover for details.www.piedmont.edu/Fa

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PC Journal Fall 2011

Documents

Transcript of PC Journal Fall 2011