Randolph-Macon College Awards Distinguished
Service Award for Lifetime Achievement
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left to right: Provost Bill Johnston (holding a copy of Dr. Scanlon’s book), President Robert Lindgren, Professor James Scanlon |
Ashland, VA - Robert R. Lindgren, president of Randolph-Macon College announced that retired history professor and faculty emeritus, Dr. James E. Scanlon was presented with the distinguished Noe Kilgore Award at a faculty luncheon on August 29.
The Noe Kilgore Award was established in 1998, by an anonymous alumnus of the College to honor Randolph-Macon College faculty emeriti. The award is named in honor of two retired Randolph-Macon professors, Bill Noe and Pete Kilgore, and is presented each year in recognition of an outstanding teaching career and service to Randolph-Macon College.
“Professor Scanlon is a part of the fabric we know as Randolph-Macon College,” said Lindgren. “He has not only earned the respect of his peers but of the countless students whose lives he has touched and changed. We are honored to have this opportunity to recognize him today for his lifetime of dedication and service to this great school.”
Scanlon, who arrived at R-MC in 1968 to teach history, has had a long and illustrious career at the Randolph-Macon. In addition to teaching, he also chaired the history department from 1982-1988 and was a member of the planning committee for the restoration and renovation of Washington-Franklin Hall, one of the six buildings on R-MC’s campus listed on the National Register of Historic Places. During the college’s 175th anniversary in 2005, Scanlon also gave a presentation titled, Randolph-Macon Buildings: How They Speak to Us, which explained how the architecture of many of the college’s buildings stand as a witness to the values of those who designed and built them, especially as those individuals are no longer here to speak for themselves.
Scanlon, known for his witty sense of humor, said to the college’s assembled faculty upon receiving his plaque: “One doesn’t get into this business for the money. We do it for the students. And you will never know all of the students you reach through your teaching. I hear from some today that I haven’t heard from in many years and am sometimes surprised by what they tell me they learned.”
Scanlon continued, “I have been sustained by my colleagues, particularly in the history department, people like George Oliver, Tom Porter & Mathias Bergmann. The world is filled with things I don’t know and whenever I’ve asked any colleagues at Randolph-Macon for help and understanding things, no one has ever said no.”
William W. Johnston, R-MC’s new Provost said, “James Scanlon’s history of professional work and generous offerings represent the best Randolph-Macon has to offer – its faculty.”
Past recipients of the Noe Kilgore Award include:
- 2006 – B.J. Seymour
- 2005 – Robert Offenbacker
- 2004 – George Oliver
- 2003 – Dal Wooten
- 2002 – Howard Davis
- 2001 – Willie Chappell
- 2000 – Carl Baskin
- 1999 – Jon Longaker
- 1998 – Bill Noe and Pete Kilgore
- 1997 – Schulyer Miller
Scanlon, who has served as advisor and friend to many students and student organizations, has received numerous other awards to include the Isaac Newton Vaughn Chair in History in 1992, The Samuel Nelson Gray Distinguished Professor Award in 1984 and the Thomas Branch Award for Excellence in Teaching in 1973. He is also the college historian and in addition to many published works, wrote about R-MC’s history in a book titled Randolph-Macon College: A Southern History 1825-1967.
Scanlon earned his Ph.D. in History from the University of Virginia, an M.A. in History from the University of Wisconsin and an A.B. in History from Georgetown University. He retired in 2004 and was an adjunct history professor at the college through the 2007 academic year.
For more information, contact Anne Marie Lauranzon at 752-7317 or alauranz@rmc.edu.