It was a beautiful weekend in the “Center of the Universe” as more than 1000 alumni and their families returned “home” to an action-packed Homecoming and Reunion Weekend. All were able to reconnect with former classmates and friends, honor each other’s accomplishments, and cheer on the Yellow Jackets.
Friday The annual Homecoming Awards Luncheon was held in the Alumni Gymnasium. Guest speaker
Samuel E. Vichness ’69, managing partner, GreyPine LLC and senior partner, Quality Camping Properties, presented “You went where....you studied what?” to an audience of faculty, staff and alumni. The Society of Alumni presented the Distinguished Alumnus Award to Vichness and
Neil Norton ’88, associate professor of oral biology at the Creighton University School of Dentistry. The Society of Alumni created the Distinguished Alumnus Award to honor those alumni who have achieved wide recognition through contributions made to society through their chosen professions.
In addition, the Society of Alumni presented the Distinguished Service Award to
Ralph Crosby Jr. and
Anne McDougall, Esq. ’79, who also serve as members of R-MC’s Board of Trustees . The Society of Alumni created the Alumni Distinguished Service Award to recognize those alumni who have made an exceptional contribution to the image of Randolph-Macon and who have supported the programs that aid the college.
The Noë-Kilgore Award was also presented during the luncheon. This award is given each year to a retired faculty member in recognition of an outstanding teaching career and service to Randolph-Macon College. This year’s honoree was
Philosophy Professor Emeritus Joseph Beatty. During his 23-year career at R-MC, Beatty was a recipient of the Thomas Branch Award for Excellence in Teaching in 1993 and the Samuel Nelson Gray Distinguished Professor award in 2001. He served as chair of the philosophy department for 18-years. In addition, Beatty was a leader in developing innovative courses in humanities,
environmental studies,
ethics, and
Asian Studies.
President Lindgren also announced this fiscal year’s
Class Agent winners of the
Tom Powers Award. This Fiscal Year 2012 winners were 1930s: 1935, 1936 (100% Participation); 1940s: 1944, 1946 (100% Participation); 1950s: 1959 (60.87% Participation); 1960s: 1961 (66.23% Participation); 1970s: 1975 (59.17% Participation); 1980s: 1981 (44.14% Participation); 1990s: 1996 (42.24% Participation); 2000s: 2009 (42.44% Participation); 2010s: 2011 (36.07% Participation). In 2003, the Society of Alumni created an award to recognize those classes with the highest giving participation rate within their decade. They named the award after W. Thomas (Tom) Powers, ’31. Dubbed “Mr. R-MC” by his peers, he was a tireless volunteer for the College; inspiring alumni to both volunteer for and support R-MC.
On Friday afternoon, R-MC student leaders presented a “True Colors Personality Assessment” lecture for alumni and friends that was designed to help individuals understand aspects of their personality and how these aspects affect their communication with others in a group setting.
On Friday at 4:00, in
McGraw- Page Library, Michael S. Fenster, Professor of Geology and
Environmental Studies, was named the Stephen H. Watts Professor of Science. This professorship was established in 1979 in memory of and gratitude to Dr. Stephen Hurt Watts, a member of the Class of 1896 who attended Randolph-Macon College and the University of Virginia prior to earning his medical degree from the Johns Hopkins University. The Watts Professorship recognizes and honors a distinguished faculty member from the natural sciences whose teaching, scholarship and service bring honor and distinction to Randolph-Macon College. Dr. Watts’ great nephew, Stephen H. Watts II, attended the ceremony.
Fenster joined the faculty in 2000 and was promoted to the rank of associate professor in 2005 and to the rank of professor in 2010. He has served as the director of the Environmental Studies program since 2006. His research specializes in the morphodynamic changes to beaches and tidal inlets along coastal barriers, especially those changes caused by storms and climate change. Fenster earned his B.S. in environmental geology from the University of Mississippi, his master’s degree in geology from the same institution, and his Ph.D. in geology from Boston University.
On Friday evening, the college hosted the annual Homecoming Celebration for alumni and friends. Throughout the festive evening, guests had the opportunities mingle, dance, and get updates on the latest
Randolph-Macon On The Move construction updates including
Brock Commons, a new student center scheduled for a Spring 2013 completion. This project is made possible through a generous lead gift from former Board of Trustee Macon Brock Jr. ’64 and his wife Joan.
Saturday
Saturday, October 20 began with the Traylor Nunnally ’97 & Charles Wirth ’97 Memorial Scholarship announcement and Bench dedication ceremony along the Janet Harvey Trivette '78 Alumni Walkway on R-MC’s historic campus. The bench is in memory of both students who died in a car crash on March 31, 1995 while traveling abroad and would have celebrated their 15th reunion this year. The Traylor Nunnally & Charles Wirth Memorial Scholarship is made possible through generous gifts made by family and friends, and the fundraising effort was led by Stan Craig ’96. The scholarship will benefit a deserving student who is in good academic standing, to give to the scholarship, visit
www.rmc.edu/givenow.
As the day continued, it included various tailgating activities and the Homecoming game. During the Homecoming Tailgate Challenge, the panel of judges were tied when it came to deciding the most spirited and ended up awarding both Megan Mariani Lombard ’02 and Dorene and Oscar Jorgensen (parents of Brian Jorgensen ’16) the 2012 title of most festive and best use of lemon and black. The R-MC Yellow Jacket football team was defeated in a close game 38-35 by the Guilford Quakers, while the women’s field hockey posted three second half goals as it defeated Shenandoah on Senior Day with a final score of 3-2.
There were lots of reunions, receptions and activities planned throughout the weekend. Reunion Classes celebrating this year were 1967, 1972, 1977, 1982, 1987, 1992, 1997, 2002, and 2007 with record attendance for each class. The Class of 1997 broke the 15th Reunion Fundraising Record previously held by the Class of 1996.
An Agora reunion was also held for alumni who participated in the Agora excavations in Athens, Greece. All
Classics,
Latin, and
Greek majors and minors were also invited to attend. Dr. John Camp, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Professor of Classics, and Director of the Agora excavations was in attendance to share photos and update everyone on the dig.
The R-MC Arts Council hosted its first tailgate event and announced the upcoming Spring Theatre Reunion for May 3-4, 2013.
The
Biology Department Reunion Tailgate hosted former biology graduates and provided a day of fun reconnecting with fellow alumni and faculty.
Residence Life and Housing invited former employees to join current Residence Live and Housing staff for a fun tailgate get together.
The R-MC Multicultural Association hosted an alumni/student reception sponsored by MOSAIC: Events Celebrating Inclusion and Diversity in Andrews Hall Multi-purpose Room.
Sunday Homecoming and Reunion Weekend 2012 ended on Sunday, October 21 with a worship service lead by Rev. Michael Houff ’72 at Duncan Memorial United Methodist Church followed by the Celtic Festival and Highland Games sponsored by MOSSAIC: Events Celebrating Inclusion and Diversity.
Save the Date
Planning for Homecoming and Reunion Weekend 2013, which will be held October 18-20, is already underway
Enjoy this photo gallery filled with memories of the 2012 festivities.