4/19/12 Randolph-Macon President Robert R. Lindgren announced that the college will confer honorary degrees to two distinguished leaders at its Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 26, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. at R-MC’s Frank E. Brown Fountain Plaza on Henry Street.
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Everette G. “Buddy” Allen Jr. ’62 |
Everette G. “Buddy” Allen Jr. ’62 will receive the Honorary Doctor of Laws degree. He is a partner at the law firm of LeClair Ryan in its litigation group. Allen’s professional distinctions are numerous: He was listed in
Virginia Super Lawyers for business litigations, Law & Politics magazine, 2007-2011, and in 2009 he was named #1 Lawyer by
Virginia Super Lawyers magazine. In 2005, Allen was named Virginia’s Top Civil Litigator by
Virginia Business magazine, and he was selected by Chambers USA, America’s Leading Business Lawyers, as a top litigator for Virginia, 2005-2007. In addition, Allen was named a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. He earned his bachelor’s degree in
philosophy from Randolph-Macon College and his LL.B from University of Virginia School of Law.
Allen and his wife Ann have a longstanding history of service and philanthropy to Randolph-Macon. Allen was a leader in the effort to raise funds to renovate R-MC’s Crenshaw Gymnasium and helped construct the Brock Sports and Recreation Center. He has also provided major support for the Randolph-Macon Fund and the Yellow Jacket Club. In 2007 the Allens established The Randolph-Macon College Athletic Endowment, which challenges donors to help supplement R-MC’s athletic program and puts emphasis in support of women’s athletics.
A recipient of scholarships that enabled him to attend R-MC, Allen never forgot the impact this support had on his life. The Allens established the Buddy and Ann Allen Scholarship fund to enable local area students, both from Richmond-area high schools and those who are community college transfers, to attend Randolph-Macon College.
“Buddy exemplifies the very best of what a Randolph-Macon education provides,” said Lindgren. “In addition to his generosity, he has a sincere interest in providing those same opportunities to other students through the Buddy and Ann Allen Scholarship. We are indeed fortunate to have Buddy in the R-MC family.”
Recruited to Randolph-Macon by Football Coach Joe McCutcheon and Basketball Coach Paul Webb, Allen was a star basketball player who also played baseball and football. He has a passion for the liberal arts and graduated as a distinguished member of Phi Beta Kappa. In the years that followed, Allen continued to serve the college in various roles: as a member of R-MC’s Board of Trustees from 1988-1992, and as a member of the Society of Alumni Board of Directors. In 1997, he was inducted into the Randolph-Macon Hall of Fame to honor his basketball career.
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Daphne Maxwell Reid |
Daphne Maxwell Reid will receive the Honorary Doctor of Arts degree. She is an actress, producer, photographer and entrepreneur. Reid has appeared in numerous television programs and is best known for her role as Vivian Banks (Aunt Viv) on the hit comedy "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air." She is the director of operations for New Millennium Studios, which is located in Petersburg and was the first full-service film studio in Virginia. Reid co-founded New Millennium Studios with her husband, actor/filmmaker Tim Reid, in 1997.
“We are delighted to confer this special award to someone as distinguished and deserving as Daphne Maxwell Reid,” said Lindgren. “Her outreach and contributions to the community in all areas, including the arts, are nothing short of extraordinary and we welcome her to our campus.”
Reid can be heard on NPR's "Art on the Air," an ongoing two-minute radio spot that considers the arts of Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America, which she co-produces with the Virginia Museum of Fine Art. An avid photographer, Reid embarked on an artistic venture in 2008 by releasing “Fresh Prints,” a collection of limited-edition, signed and numbered digital prints. The first collection, called "DOORS," is made up of photographs of portals, doors, gates and architectural details from her years of travel.
Reid earned her bachelor’s degree in interior design and architecture from Northwestern University. She presently serves on the boards of the Petersburg Library Foundation, Petersburg Area Arts League, Richmond Forum, Virginia for the Arts and Virginia State University.
Randolph-Macon College’s Commencement ceremony will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 26, 2012 at the R-MC Frank E. Brown Fountain Plaza on Henry Street. (In the event of rain, Commencement will be held in the Randolph-Macon Brock Sports and Recreation Center, located at 400 N. Center Street, at 10:00 a.m.)
The Commencement speaker will be Richmond Public Schools Superintendent Yvonne W. Brandon ’76. The district, in Richmond, Virginia, serves more than 24,000 students in 29 elementary schools, nine middle schools and eight high schools.
Click on
2012 Commencement for more information on this year’s events and activities.