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Malinda Dunn '78 |
Malinda Dunn '78 grew up overseas, attending the American International School of Kabul in Afghanistan before returning to the U.S. for her junior and senior years in high school. "My parents and I visited R-MC and we liked the small student body, the beautiful old campus and the 'feel' of the school," says Dunn, a Retired Brigadier General in the United States Army.
Major Motivation
Dunn, a political science major, loves history and politics. "I think I had enough credits to major in either history or political science," she says, "but I declared my major in political science because of the late Dr. Bruce Unger. That man could facilitate some classroom discussion. Always the devil's advocate, he had a great way of making sure we discussed all sides of an issue. He was a whirling dervish of a professor: loud, brilliant, funny, challenging."
Dunn remembers fondly several other R-MC professors. "Dr. Howard Davis was a great professor and a great dean," she says. "Once, in his dean capacity, he got me out of a tight spot with wisdom and compassion, something I have never forgotten." She continues: "Dr. George Oliver was a kind man—a tough grader who set and enforced high standards for papers, making us all better historians and better writers."
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Macon Memories
Dunn, who was a cheerleader during her freshman year, has a lot of special memories of R-MC. “I made some fantastic friends in college. "R-MC’s small classes, great professors and an engaged and compassionate administration gave the college a safe, 'family' atmosphere." Dunn remembers putting pennies on the railroad tracks for the trains to run over and fraternity parties "where the band always played 'My Girl' as the last song." She also recalls "a huge water fight between the men’s and women’s dorms during my freshman year; working Monday through Friday chopping lettuce in the cafeteria; and an unbelievable food fight in the cafeteria, which started when some guy threw his dead pet tarantula into the middle of another table."
Making History
Dunn's path to becoming a Brigadier General began while she was at R-MC. "During my senior year I applied and was accepted to Washington & Lee Law School," she says. During the summer between her second and third years of law school, one of Dunn's friends interned with the Army Judge Advocate General's Corps (Army JAG Corps). "She loved the work and the people, and convinced me to apply for the JAG Corps," says Dunn. "I absolutely loved it...I got to travel, try tons of cases, work with unbelievably smart commanders, work in a challenging and ethical environment, and I got to serve my country. Before I knew it, I was a Colonel with almost 25 years of service."
Dunn served as a Staff Judge Advocate (SJA) three times: at the 82nd Airborne Division, at the Joint Readiness Center and Fort Polk (JRTC & Fort Polk) and at XVIII Airborne Corps & Fort Bragg. "I was responsible for providing all legal services to the command and the installation," says Dunn. "As the SJA at XVIII Airborne Corps, I was privileged to deploy to Afghanistan in 2003 and Iraq in 2005. In 2005 lightening struck and I was selected for Brigadier General—the first woman on active duty in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps to become a general officer."
Staying Connected
Dunn stays connected to R-MC via the Alumni Magazine and by regular giving. "I'll be able to attend more Homecoming celebrations now that I am not moving all over the world with the Army," she says. She also keeps in touch with fellow alumni. "Allison O'Brien '77 knows everything going on at R-MC," she says jokingly. "I also stay in touch with Lynne Cramer Marshall '79."
Asked if she has time for hobbies and interests, Dunn laughs. "I used to have them. Then, my daughters became teenagers. So, now I drive and drive and drive...and go to sports event after sports event...and to the mall...and to the mall again! I do like to read, run and antique. As a family, we like to travel, eat out and listen to music. At the moment, we are trying to wrap up a lot of loose ends to get my husband out the door to Iraq for a year."
Dunn recently took her 16-year-old daughter to the R-MC table at a college fair. "Who knows, maybe the legacy will continue," she says. "She is a demon field hockey player, and I hear that R-MC has a good team!"