spring-summer 2008 millsaps magazine

S P R I N G – S U M M E R 2 0 0 8

From the President Spring brings us a sense of invigorating and energizing renewal. There is a pervasive sense of optimism and energy that you too will sense in this issue of Millsaps Magazine. You will read articles on service and success—that’s who we are. Millsaps produces compassionate, global leaders who remember the underserved and disenfranchised.

The Mississippi Center for Justice is the product of a few dynamic and compassionate attorneys, such as Rob McDuff and Martha Bergmark. In these pages you will come to understand the incredible work that they do, and the scope of their efforts on the Mississippi Gulf Coast helping victims of Hurricane Katrina.

In the first few weeks of college, many students lament the fact that they don’t have an “ideal” roommate. Well, you never know when someone you don’t expect could change your life! Such is the case with Jon Neff and Dan Campbell, who roomed together at Millsaps and were as different as Felix and Oscar. After college, their paths intersected again, and they joined forces to create a highly successful business called Hire Dynamics.

By now, many of you are familiar with our One Campus, One Community program (1C1C). This May, John Kellogg and LaQuanda Sims will become the first postbaccalaureate fellows for this inspiring initiative. They will live and work in the North Midtown neighborhood on the west side of campus with three main goals: to make real progress, to develop real partnerships, and to provide Millsaps students with an experience that will transform their characters by going beyond superficial volunteerism.

In the spirit of service to the community, our students won the Mississippi Blood Services 2007 College of the Year for raising 80 units of blood. Again, you’ll see that connection between head and heart, between knowledge and compassion. From the exciting work made possible by the Keck Grant to the efforts on this campus to prevent malaria in Africa, you will be humbled and inspired by the stories written here. Turn the page and engage your mind and your heart.

Warmly,

In This Issue

c ov e r: s tat u e o f joh n w e s l e y

16

22

f e a t u r e

d e p a r t m e n t s

On Campus2 A Keck of a grant14 Southern Songwriters

Faculty & Staff18 Hijacking Jesus21 Campus Community

Legacy28 A campaign update

Athletics30 Majors jump to Elite Eight Major Notes32 Alumna of the Year36 Classnotes42 In Memoriam

Parting Word49 How it was, how it is

MILLSAPS MAGAZINEs p r i n g - s u m m e r 2 0 0 8

Executive EditorPatti Wade

d i r e c tor o f c om m u n i c at i on s a n d m a r k e t i n g

Managing EditorMargaret Cahoon

DesignKelley Matthews

Contributing EditorsLisa PurdieKara Paulk

Jason BronsonLucy MolinaroSandra JohnsonKevin Maloney

Editorial AssistantsSophia Halkias, 2009

Kathryn Buchan, 2009Chelsea Lovitt, 2008

Contributing PhotographersGreg Campbell

Frank EzelleShannon Fagan © 2006

Kelley MatthewsRoy Adkins

Administrative Officers Dr. Frances Lucas

p r e s i d e n tDr. Richard A. Smith

s e n i or v i c e p r e s i d e n t a n d d e a n o f t h e c ol l e g e

Louise Burneyv i c e p r e s i d e n t f or f i na n c e

Dr. R. Brit Katzv i c e p r e s i d e n t f or s t u d e n t l i f e

a n d d e a n o f s t u d e n t sDr. Charles R. Lewisv i c e p r e s i d e n t

f or i n s t i t u t i ona l a dva n c e m e n tDr. Todd Rose

v i c e p r e s i d e n t f or c a m pu s p ro g r a m sa n d a l u m n i

m i l l s a p s m ag a z i n e i s pu b l i s h e d by m i l l s a p s c ol l e g e,

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f or d i s t r i bu t i on to a l u m n i , pa r e n t s o f s t u d e n t s,

a n d f r i e n d s o f t h e c ol l e g e. p l e a s e s e n d a l u m n i u p dat e s

a n d a d d r e s s c or r e c t i on s to m i l l s a p s m ag a z i n e,

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v i s i t w w w. m i l l s a p s. e du f or t h e on l i n e m ag a z i n e.

John Wesley on Campus New statue embodies spirit and message of Methodism’s founder at Millsaps College

2 m i l l s a p s m a g a z i n e

A new center for interdisciplinary research on campusMillsaps College has received a $400,000 grant from the W. M. Keck Foundation

to launch a new research program and establish the W. M. Keck Center for Instrumental and Biochemical Comparative Archaeology. The center will support pioneering interdisciplinary research to explore complex archaeological questions using bioanalytical and biochemical techniques.

The grant, awarded by the nation’s leading private foundation for the support of

science education and research at colleges and universities, will create a nationally distinctive undergraduate research program that includes funds for constructing and equipping a new science lab, faculty and student stipends, and faculty and student travel and research expenses.

“This will greatly expand and deepen our students’ understanding of how science is accomplished across diverse disciplines and allow them to participate in cutting-edge, cross-disciplinary research,” said Dr. Richard A. Smith, senior vice president and dean of the College.

The Keck grant will cover nearly one half of the total cost of the $818,000 project to give Millsaps students and faculty the tools to expand understanding of Old and New World cultures. Specifically,

researchers expect to make significant contributions to archaeological study of the Bronze-Iron Age Illyrians in Albania (2000 B.C.–A.D. 0) and the Formative Maya in Yucatán, Mexico (900 B.C.–A.D. 250).

“This is a tremendous honor for Millsaps to be chosen from such a competitive field of liberal arts colleges nationwide,” said President Frances Lucas. “Our faculty and staff have combined their expertise and put in many hours to create a truly synergistic program, and we are grateful to the Keck Foundation for its generous support of this research opportunity for our undergraduates.”

The W. M. Keck Center will complement Millsaps’ laboratory research programs and distinctive archaeological field research programs in Mexico and Albania. The 4,500-acre Helen Moyers Biocultural Reserve in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula focuses on a previously unexplored and pristine forest system in the Northern Maya Lowlands, and the Shala Valley Project conducts archaeological research in northern Albania, where an interdisciplinary team of scholars is working to produce a record of the region’s cultural resources.

Most importantly, the W. M. Keck Center at Millsaps will model the collaborative environment in which revolutionary scientific breakthroughs occur, demonstrating to students the connected nature of scientific inquiry.

“It is rare for a college of our size to have internationally recognized scholars in biology, chemistry, and anthropology, and unheard of for those scholars to alter their research programs in a manner that makes each faculty’s research dependent upon that of the others,” said Dr. Timothy Ward, professor of chemistry, associate dean of sciences, and project director. “The research performed and the questions that will be answered are by far greater than what any individual faculty could ever hope to accomplish alone.”

“Getting a grant like this really starts with a great idea, and building a program that combines field and laboratory

i n t h e s p o t l i g h t

OnCampus

“The research performed and

the questions that will be

answered are by far greater

than what any individual

faculty could ever hope to

accomplish alone.”

Drs. Richard A. Smith, Timothy Ward, Michael Galaty, Sarah Lea McGuire, and George Bey were all instrumental in devising the programs that will come of the Keck Grant Millsaps has received.

s p r i n g – s u m m e r 2 0 0 8 3

with personalities to match. This year’s bachelors definitely fit that bill, and I predict that once the word gets out about these guys, they won’t stay single for long.”

Cosmopolitan has featured the 50 Hottest Bachelors from all 50 states in its November issue for the past seven years. The men gathered in New York City last October for the annual bachelor party and selection of the Bachelor of the Year.

Giurintano—who travelled to New

York with his mom, Eris, and two sisters, Christina, B.S. 2005, and Meghan—agreed to give Millsaps Magazine a Cosmo-style Q & A session, with details about

experience together for students was a great idea,” said Dr. Michael Galaty, associate professor of anthropology and director of the Shala Valley Project. “We will be able to analyze various kinds of artifacts from Albania and Yucatán in order to learn something about the foundations of cultural complexity in both places. This is truly path-breaking interdisciplinary research.”

Logistically, the program will develop over a three-year period. Year one (2008–09) will include laboratory renovations, initial field data collection and planning curricular changes. Year two (2009–10) will include equipment installation, continued field sampling, beginning laboratory analysis, and approval of course redesign. Year three (2010–11) will include completion of all equipment acquisition, continued field sampling and analysis, launching new and revised course implementation, and development of initial papers and presentations.

“For students to have the opportunity to work in the field and in the lab in a way that integrates multiple disciplines is rare,” said Dr. Sarah Lea McGuire, professor of biology, director of the Molecular Biology Laboratory, and Laboratory Team Leader for the new center. “The merging of these disciplines is unique and a superb model for scientific thought.”

Millsaps plans to begin putting students in the field this summer, and construction of the Keck lab in Olin Hall will begin this spring. The center will celebrate its inaugural year with a series of lectures on biochemical approaches to the study of various ancient artifacts.

Other Millsaps faculty involved in the grant are Dr. George Bey, associate dean of international education, professor of anthropology, and director of the Maya/Yucatán Field program; Dr. Markus Tellkamp, assistant professor of biology; Dr. Wolfgang Kramer, assistant professor of chemistry; Stan Galicki, assistant professor of geology; and Tomás Gallareta Negrón, Millsaps Scholar of Maya Studies.

—Kara Paulk

Millsaps senior finds himself at ease in media limelight Whether he’s crossing the Bowl to his next class or walking the red carpet at a photo shoot in the Big Apple, you can expect that Jonathan Giurintano will be moving with quiet confidence. And although the senior premed major from Jackson was named to Cosmopolitan magazine’s list of 50 Hottest Bachelors of 2007—winning an all-expenses-paid trip to New York and being featured along with 49 other heartthrobs on Today, Entertainment Tonight, and Extra—he takes it all in stride.

“Jonathan is the last in a group to force his opinion on anyone, so I am sure all the attention made him uneasy,” said Dr. Todd Rose, vice president for campus programs and alumni. Yet while Rose describes him as being “very laid back,” and “not one to seek the limelight,” Giurintano admits he found the constant media coverage “surprisingly pleasant.”

Kate White, editor in chief of Cosmopolitan, says: “There’s nothing we love more than a group of super hotties

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some modeling in the future. Most of the Cosmo bachelors who pursue modeling careers are signed by an agency, and several have appeared in large runway shows and magazines. Modeling would offer the opportunity to make some money while pursuing my medical degree, and it would be really nice to avoid taking out large loans typically associated with medical school. And it’s just simply exciting; you never know where it will take you. I plan to return to New York in the near future and interview at some of the major modeling agencies. There are no guarantees, but who knows what will happen. I certainly never expected to be one of Cosmopolitan magazine’s 50 Hottest Bachelors of the Year. LP: Cosmo’s editor in chief predicts that you bachelors won’t keep that single status very long. Any comment?JG: Besides the obvious positives of appearing in a magazine, the best thing about the contest was that it helped introduce me to my girlfriend, Millsaps freshman Mary Kate Rees, whom I met at the Rosary a few weeks before the Cosmopolitan thing went public. She saw me in the magazine, watched my video on the website, and put two and two together that I was the guy from the Rosary. One thing led to another, and we started dating. In that sense, Cosmopolitan achieved its goal of clearing my bachelor status!

—Lisa Purdie

MBS names Millsaps their College of the Year for 2007Millsaps College was named Mississippi Blood Services’ 2007 College of the Year at an awards ceremony on January 24 for raising 80 units of blood.

“Millsaps was consistent and a great group to work with,” said Tammy Walters, a donor services representative with MBS.

Dr. Janis Booth, director of counseling

his three-day stay in the city and the competition.

LP: What was your reaction to being chosen as one of Cosmo’s hottest bachelors?JG: I actually received an email informing me that I had been chosen while I was studying abroad in France. When I read the subject line “Cosmo Bachelors Information,” I started laughing and thought it was a hoax. But as you would expect, I was really excited about being chosen, as the honor carried several once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, such as appearing in a magazine read by millions of women, appearing on national television, and having a chance to win $10,000. LP: What were the other bachelors like?JG: Although some of the bachelors kept to themselves, I enjoyed the company of the other nominees and learning about their lives. For example, Mr. Virginia is a Navy fighter pilot, Mr. Massachusetts is the brother of a former Miss Massachusetts, and Mr. Montana works as a ski guide in Big Sky, Mont. He told me all about the dangers of the moose. LP: Tell me about all the media attention and the seemingly endless photo shoots.JG: We were featured on television shows such as Entertainment Tonight, Extra, and several others. I had the opportunity to walk the red carpet outside of the club where the bachelor party was held, which was really exciting. There was a large, pink Cosmopolitan screen in the backdrop, and there were dozens of photographers taking an endless barrage of photos and constantly yelling for us to look at their cameras. Although I grew tired of smiling so much, it was a very enjoyable experience.

LP: How was your experience as a guest on Today?JG: The Today visit was by far the highlight of the trip. Upon arriving at the NBC studios, I had the opportunity to see Reese Witherspoon, who was interviewing with

Matt Lauer at the time. We were also invited into the show’s green room, where all the guests wait to make their appearances. While in the green room, I saw Candace Cameron, best known for portraying D.J. Tanner on the television show Full House, which was really exciting. We were all taken outside into the courtyard, where they had set up risers for all the bachelors to stand on. I was fortunate to be placed on the front row of the risers, so that I was in full view of the cameras. We were probably outside for a total of 30 minutes and were included in small segments throughout the show. While we were outside waiting, hosts Matt Lauer, Ann Curry, and Natalie Morales came up to meet us, introduce themselves, and talk for a few minutes. For big television stars, they were very congenial and unassuming. Eventually they ran the main segment including the bachelors, interviewing a selected group of guys in the front. Although I didn’t get interviewed, my mom and sisters were in the courtyard, holding up big signs with my name and picture on them. They started yelling, “Hey, Mr. Mississippi!” Ann Curry walked over and started talking to them while on the air. While she was talking with my family, the cameraman put the camera directly in my face, giving me about a five-second close-up shot.

LP: What are your future plans as a premed major?JG: I will be entering medical school next year. As of now, I have been accepted into the University of Mississippi Medical Center, I have interviewed at the University of Colorado–Denver, and I’m awaiting decisions from a couple of other schools. Though I don’t know what specialty I will enter, I hope to become involved in global health, maybe spending time with a relief organization such as Doctors Without Borders.

LP: Any temptation to model after your stint as a hottie?JG: Well, funny that you mention that! Yes, actually there is a big temptation to do

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s p r i n g – s u m m e r 2 0 0 8 5

Senior history major Nathan Booth of Clinton helped his fellow Pike members by working a table outside the cafeteria to sign up donors.

“You will always see a campus organization with a table outside the cafeteria taking donations for a charity, and students receive tons of emails

about community service opportunities in the area,” Booth said. “Community service is really pushed here, and I think that this award is another example of the awareness that Millsaps students have for those around us.”

—K.P.

Dr. John Bower endows lecture series at Millsaps

Renal care pioneer Dr. John Bower recently made a $250,000 gift to Millsaps College to endow a lecture series commemorating the life of Perry Nussbaum, the

rabbi of Jackson’s Beth Israel Temple from 1954–1974.

The lecture series has been brewing in Bower’s mind since Nussbaum moved to San Diego in 1972; Bower would visit the rabbi when he was in the area for medical conferences. “I began thinking, here is a

and wellness services, worked with student organizations in cosponsoring blood drives with MBS. They developed creative programming that included playing movies and providing lots of sweet treats for participants.

In February 2007 the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity cosponsored a Valentine’s blood drive, and in October 2007 the Chi Omega Fraternity cosponsored a Halloween blood drive.

“The students did a wonderful job getting their peers involved in the drives,” Booth said. “I’m very impressed by the students, faculty, and staff who helped make our drives succeed.”

The 80 units of blood collected at Millsaps will help 240 people and will be used by MBS to supply Mississippi hospitals from the Tennessee line to the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Statistics from MBS show that every four seconds someone in America needs blood, and approximately 95 percent of the population will need blood in their lifetime.

“I’m so proud that Millsaps received this award. We were lucky enough to have an amazing turnout for the blood drive, which is just a reflection on the supportive Millsaps community,” said Laura Rabalais of Shreveport, community service chair for Chi Omega and a senior history major.

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man who was willing to focus on issues that were important to all of us, and he was punished for it, and the mere fact that he was right didn’t make any difference,” Bower said. “I felt very strongly that something should be done to perpetuate his memory.”

Beginning with an inaugural address on April 4 by the Reverend Dr. Robert Tabscott, formerly of Jackson and now president of The Elijah P. Lovejoy Society in St. Louis, Mo., the Rabbi Perry E. Nussbaum Lecture Series will be held each year to honor lesser known men and women who stood their ground against racial bigotry and religious prejudice in the South during the Civil Rights Era and today.

Dr. Bower chose Millsaps as the site for the commemorations because, he said: “The College has always stood for academic freedom. It has a national image for academic excellence and commitment. The campus was a sanctuary for civil rights enthusiasts during the 60s.”

Bower, who has a national reputation in nephrology and renal care, completed his medical internship, residency and nephrology fellowship, in addition to spending several years doing research on kidney disease, at the Medical College of Virginia before moving to Jackson in 1965, where he began his career at the University of Mississippi Medical School Hospital. With a three-year public health service grant he received in 1966, Bower conclusively demonstrated that dialysis treatment saved the lives of those who received it, and Medicare was then modified to include treatment of renal disease.

Rabbi Nussbaum used to visit Bower in the basement of the medical center, and those meetings evolved into an enduring friendship. “He taught me much about commitment, about goal-setting and being able to stand the flack,” Dr. Bower said of Rabbi Nussbaum. “He was an inspiration to me in developing the kidney program.”

In 1973, Dr. Bower established the not-for-profit organization Kidney Care Inc., which he merged with other dialysis facilities to form the Renal Care Group Inc.

Dr. Janis Booth accepts the College of the Year Award from David Allen of MBS. They are pictured with Matthew Oglesbee, Alex Buck, Caitlin Warburton, and Laura Rabalais.


staff members from Millsaps, joined 12 students and staff from South Carolina’s Wofford College for a mission trip to south Louisiana. The groups divided into different work teams and spent three days gutting, painting, roofing, sheet rocking, and flooring six homes and one church’s storm shelter in the Slidell area.

This was the third year in a row that CMT has organized a relief and recovery trip to the Gulf Coast area. Immediately after the storm in August 2005, Lisa Garvin, college chaplain, realized that Millsaps students—one third of whom come from areas affected by the storm—could use their many connections in the area to help rebuild the region.

“We committed to offer our time and our talents to relief and recovery each

winter break until the area is recovered or until the needs of the area exceed our skills,” Garvin said. “It’s so important for our students to see the devastation firsthand.”

In January 2006, Garvin led students from Millsaps and Emory’s Wesley Foundation to Bay St. Louis, and in 2007, a second group of

Millsaps students volunteered in

New Orleans. This year, Garvin invited a friend

from seminary, Lyn Pace, now associate chaplain at Wofford College, to bring his students along.

Garvin said the experience gives students who aren’t from the region a better understanding of what their

Proceeds from the transaction went to form the Bower Foundation, an organization committed to improving Mississippi’s quality of life and health care.

—Margaret Cahoon

Millsaps students take vacation to a more meaningful levelWhen Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, Kristin Foss volunteered at refugee and animal shelters near her home in Shreveport, La. Now a freshman at Millsaps, Foss jumped at the chance to volunteer again with the Campus Ministry Team over her winter break.

“Despite my parents’ constant warnings about the dangers of New Orleans, I decided to go and experience post-Katrina New Orleans,” Foss said. “The biggest impact was the overwhelming thanks and appreciation we received from the residents as we worked on our sites.”

Foss, along with some 40 students and

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peers from the area went through, while providing students from the Coast an opportunity to share their experiences and participate in rebuilding their communities.

“We always leave feeling like we’ve received far more than we gave,” Garvin said. “That sounds trite, but the reality is when we share in one another’s experiences, hardships, and stories, we are transformed into a community.”

That spirit of community—among volunteers, students, and the residents they help—leads to new friendships and a spirit of hope for all involved.

“I think our students, none of whom had been since the storm hit, saw the devastating effects and realized how difficult it has been to recover,” Pace said of the Wofford students. “In the face of such trauma and disaster, they met people of strong will and resilience.”

While in New Orleans the group toured the Lower Ninth Ward and spent an afternoon exploring the French Quarter, culminating with a time of reflection on the Riverwalk.

“When we left New Orleans, our group talked the whole way back about their experiences and how we might offer similar gifts in this community,” Garvin said. “It was clear from their comments that they had a deeper understanding of community—among themselves and in the world.”

—K.P.

Else School announces $10 million campaignThe Else School of Management at Millsaps College has launched a $10 million campaign within the larger Millsaps Legacy campaign. The effort focuses on raising funds specifically for the Else School’s programs and facilities.

Chairing the campaign is Dr. Hugh Parker, managing partner of Horne LLP. Dr. Parker is a former dean of the Else School, and he remains personally and

Students (clockwise from left) Katie Sorey, Megan Maher, Amanda Smith, and Darrington Lancaster volunteered on a CMT trip to south Louisiana over their winter break.

s p r i n g – s u m m e r 2 0 0 8 7

and in out-of-classroom experiences, such as international study, internships, field experiences, and executive shadowing.

How will the money be spent?

McMillan: Our goal is to raise $7.5 million for program support, which includes our faculty and students, as well as programs we offer to the community. Our goal of $2.5 million will enable us to upgrade the technology and furnishings in Murrah Hall, where the Else School is housed. Parker: Attracting and retaining top-notch faculty is crucial, giving them the support they need to create richer and more innovative classroom experiences. We also need resources to offer more out-of-classroom experiences for students, building relationships with Mississippi’s business community that encourage students to stay in the state after graduation. Opportunities like international and domestic travel to learn from some of the world’s most prominent business decision-makers, internships, field experiences with local companies, and executive/CEO shadowing give students real-world experiences that broaden their perspectives.

To learn more about how you can support the Else School of Management at Millsaps College, please contact any of the following:

Howard McMillan, dean of the Else School of Management [email protected]

Nancy Seepe, major gifts officer [email protected]

Millsaps College Office of Development 601-974-1023

—Nancy Seepe

professionally involved in Millsaps College. He joins Howard McMillan, dean of the Else School, in discussing the campaign effort.

Why have a campaign for the Else School?

McMillan: We saw a great opportunity to enhance the programs, faculty, and facilities of the Else School, with a vision of becoming the premier business school in the Southeast. Our $10 million campaign is part of the $160 million Millsaps Legacy campaign.

Parker: The Else School has a history of distinctive graduates who become business leaders. These young people are special—I know because my company has interns from Millsaps, and we hire Millsaps graduates. By investing in faculty, programs, and facilities, we can attract more of these talented students to Millsaps.

What is the focus of the campaign?

McMillan: As we developed our case for support, we tried to identify exactly what it is that we do best, and how we might contribute positively to Mississippi’s economic future. We feel that our greatest strength is in developing distinctive graduates who will become the business leaders of the future. By offering our students the opportunity to build relationships with business and community leaders in the Jackson area, our hope is to keep more of these students in Mississippi after they graduate.

Parker: Business leadership has changed over the years. At one time, companies needed leaders with a proficiency in business basics. Companies today need that in addition to leaders who have skills in decision making and strategic thinking and who are adept at managing the “human capital” within their organizations. These skills are developed through the unique combination of a rigorous business education and the College’s rich liberal arts curriculum, both in the classroom

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Else School CampaignGoal..............................................................$10 million

Objectives: Program Support......................................$7.5 millionFaculty Support: • Increasing salary support for current teacher-scholars• Increasing the number of full-time, tenure-track faculty• Enhancing resources for faculty development in research, continuing education, and travel abroad opportunities

Student Support:• Offering more undergraduate and graduate scholarships• Providing more field and research opportunities for interaction with business decision-makers• Offering a broader inventory of internships and mentoring opportunities

Community Support:• Offering training programs to small and family-owned businesses• Offering non-degree business certificate/ credential programs• Hosting forums that attract prominent speakers and bring local, statewide, and national business leaders together for discussion of timely topics

Classroom, Office, and TechnologySupport.......................................................$2.5 million• Upgrading technology and classrooms to model 21st-century work environments• Upgrading Millsaps Career Center and graduate admissions offices • Expanding space for faculty offices and conference rooms


Lifelong students explore Great Topics of war and peace Their simple exercise that day—write a few paragraphs on what is believed to be the most common cause of war—shifts into complex discourse that is mostly spirited, often pointed, and sometimes downright caustic.

Through their exchange, one person says, “War is caused by the need for power and status.” Another member of the group notes, “The economy is the most common cause of war because of the struggle for resources.” Someone else explains, “Our genetic model is connected to the drive for power, and we fight because of our conditioning and gene predisposition.” And yet another interjects, “Let’s hear it for getting rid of the current leadership that has caused the war in the first place.”

volunteers in the Jackson area. Dr. Nola Gibson, director of enrichment and special projects, oversees the program. Often a participant herself, she explained: “The seminars provide opportunities for serious engagement with intellectual issues affecting society and the individual. More than 250 leaders have honed their critical thinking skills and have deepened their appreciation for the values inherent in our institutions since the program’s inception. Our current seminarians are completely engrossed in studying war and peace from a historical perspective to conditions in our world today,” she said.

Dr. Michael Galaty, associate professor of anthropology and leader of the seminar, poses thought-provoking questions to the group and has no difficulty in engaging them.

“They are a great group indeed,” he said. “The people who take a Great Topics Seminar are truly lifelong learners. They come from varied backgrounds, but are bound together by an intense curiosity

This group of six is not part of a debate team, nor is any of them running for political office. They are simply participants in this semester’s Great Topics Seminar, called Why Do We Fight? The Anthropology and Archaeology of War and Peace. And while they all have strong minds and their own opinions, they share one common tenet: They agree to disagree.

“It will be a miracle if we come out of this seminar without killing each other!” said Dr. Bill Russell, a retired neuroradiologist and professor emeritus from UMC, who firmly contends that the human genome contains the propensity for violence and war. “Some issues we agree on, but there are others on which we do not. But that is the beauty of this type of seminar. It is open to discussion of many diverse ideas coming from well-articulated individuals of different backgrounds and expertise.”

The Millsaps Great Topics Seminars, started in 1988, cater to corporate and professional leaders and community

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Dr. Michael Galaty, center, leads his Great Topics Seminar, consisting of, from left, Glade McInnis, Nell Ward, Bill Russell, Todd Allen, Nola Gibson, Susan Edwards, and Joyce Dortch.

s p r i n g – s u m m e r 2 0 0 8 9

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friction that truly exercises your mind.”Each week, participants are expected

to prepare and submit a one-page reaction paper based on the week’s readings. Books and articles by authors such as Richard Wrangham and Dale Peterson, Lawrence Keeley, Stephen Hall, and Thomas Gregor are being studied.

The six students were asked at the midpoint of the semester whether they had reached a verdict on the course conundrum—can we ever really end war and find lasting peace? While they had no clear-cut answer, Galaty offered this: “While we, as human beings, are potentially aggressive, war most often occurs as a result of contests—between individuals and groups—for access to power and control over others. This further indicates to me that war can be prevented by reducing the extent to which individuals and groups can use violence as a means to power. Peace, then, is not simply the absence of aggression, violence, and, ultimately, war. Peace occurs when even distributions of power are actively sought and culturally encouraged.”

And on this point, they all agreed.—L.P.

Besides Ward, five others make up the class. Todd Martin, a graduate of Belhaven College and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, has been a middle school teacher and now renovates houses. He wants to work towards an advanced degree and teach at the college level. Joyce Dortch, a retired social worker and teacher, graduated from Millsaps in 1958 with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and from Columbia University in 1961 with a master’s in social work. She has taken Great Topics Seminars in the past. Susan Edwards earned a bachelor’s in political science from Florida Southern College and her master’s in history from Clemson. She has taught history on the college level and now is director of honors programs at Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society. Glade McInnis graduated from Millsaps in 1978 with a bachelor’s in political science. He was immediately taken into the family business, McInnis Electric, and has been there ever since. This seminar gives him the opportunity to be in an academic setting and explore the subject of aggression in a congenial group.

“We come to stretch our brains,” McInnis said of his participation. “You can read about the information by yourself, but it’s the rubbing against the middle

about the world and how it works. The learning endeavor is a shared one. Together we are more than the sum of our individual, intellectual parts. This is proven true every time we meet as a class.”

One of the most contentious questions in anthropology is whether or not humans are inherently aggressive and violent.

“The subject—war and peace—is timeless,” Galaty said, “and one of great anthropological and archaeological interest. We study human behavior, including past human behavior, and whether or not we are inherently warlike or peaceful is a very interesting question, one without easy answers. Interest in this topic is, of course, heightened in times of conflict, such as we are experiencing now with the war in Iraq.”

One participant in the class is 82-year-old Mary Lanelle Ward (Nell), who was a Millsaps student in 1949. She returned many years later and graduated with a B.A. in psychology in 1973. While participants can opt to take the course as a noncredit offering—avoiding the rigorous requirements of reading and writing during the semester—Ward is going for the four hours of graduate credit. She has a clear goal for taking part in the seminar: “I want to see which avenues will open up for me in life,” she said.

Millsaps projects garner awards

Millsaps College was recognized this spring in national, regional, and local competitions for marketing and

communications tools. The College received three awards for its recruitment material in the 23rd Annual Admissions

Advertising Awards announced in February. Among institutions with fewer than 2,000 students, Millsaps received a silver

award in the Video/CD Viewbook category for the admissions video Legacy; a bronze award for the magazine ad series

“Think Excellence”; and a merit award for the student recruitment publications “Road Trip—Driven to Excellence.”

At the February Council for Advancement and Support of Education District III Conference (CASE) in Atlanta, two

Millsaps entries received honors in the annual awards program from among 1,300 others submitted by colleges and

universities in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. In

the Tabloid and Newsletter Publishing Improvement Category, Millsaps received an Award of Excellence for the redesign

of Inside Millsaps, and a Special Merit Award in the Student Recruitment category for the “Road Trip—Driven to

Excellence” campaign used in recruitment of the fall 2008 class.

Millsaps entries submitted by The Ramey Agency in the local competition of the National Addy Awards received

Golden Addys for the “Road Trip—Driven to Excellence” recruitment website and the Else School of Management ‘s

“Starving Artist” poster and “Patron” ad. Addy Awards in Gold and Silver are forwarded to the district level, and the

winners at that level compete nationally.


excited by the possibilities that will be created through this generous gift.”

In March, Dean Smith announced that the first Sanderson Chair in Arts and Sciences would be awarded to Dr. Elise Smith, professor of art history and chair of the art department.

—K.P.

Forging ties with Murrah High School Millsaps College’s relationship with Murrah High School has long been a positive one, but has expanded from campus visits by prospective students to more involved efforts like summer camps and tutoring. Kimberly Van Uden, a high school math teacher and Murrah’s main liaison with Millsaps, reflects on the relationship between the schools warmly, explaining some of the history.

According to Van Uden, the Jackson Public School Board approached Millsaps

Sandersons' $2-million gift to enhance faculty developmentMillsaps College has received a $2 million gift from Joe and Kathy Sanderson of Laurel to create a faculty chair position and an endowed fund for faculty development.

“The generosity and commitment of the Sanderson family to Millsaps College enhances our reputation as a nationally recognized liberal arts college,” said President Frances Lucas. “The gift will enable us to invest more resources in our faculty, make us more competitive in attracting and retaining top-notch professors, and allow us to keep our current faculty immersed in cutting-edge information and teaching methods.”

Joe Sanderson graduated from Millsaps in 1969 and is the chairman and CEO of Sanderson Farms. Last year, Sanderson was awarded an honorary doctorate of laws by Millsaps for his entrepreneurship and commitment to renewing the Gulf Coast.

“Kathy and I are grateful we are able to make this gift as part of the Legacy campaign,” Sanderson said. “It is our intent, as an indication of our appreciation for the faculty at Millsaps College, that this gift be used to recognize and nourish those teachers and professors who for us are the heart and soul of the College.”

The donation will be used to fund the Sanderson Chair in Arts and Sciences and the Sanderson Endowment for Faculty Excellence. The chair acknowledges the research and teaching of one of the College’s most distinguished faculty members within the divisions of arts and sciences. The faculty endowment will be used to help all Millsaps faculty members become better teachers and scholars.

“The addition of a second chair to our arts and sciences divisions is a great boost to the academic program at Millsaps,” said Dr. Richard A. Smith, senior vice president and dean of the College. “We are very

College in 2004 as a possible location for a summer camp designed to prepare rising high school juniors and seniors for Advanced Placement courses. Millsaps agreed to host the first camp in the summer of 2005 and has continued to join with JPS each July in offering the one-week day camp. Many Millsaps professors, including Dr. Connie Campbell and Dr. James Bowley, have given their time and expertise in helping with the camps as guest teachers alongside the eight JPS teachers hired each year. The camps are free to students and available to all public school students enrolled in an AP course the following semester, and approximately 100 attend each year. Van Uden describes the camps as an “introduction for most students to the rigor of college-level coursework.”

Although the camps have certainly been a positive experience for both the Millsaps and Murrah communities, the relationship has recently been extended to include mathematics tutoring by Millsaps students. Dr. John Osoinach, assistant professor of mathematics, began

Part of Millsaps students’ relationship with Murrah High School involves service learning and after-school tutoring.

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to examine how he might add a service-learning component to his courses in January of 2007. Dr. Osoinach contacted Dr. Darby Ray of the Millsaps Faith & Work Initiative and began laying the foundation for a tutoring program with a local high school. Ultimately communicating directly with Van Uden at Murrah and establishing the program, Dr. Osoinach first offered the option of tutoring to his precalculus students in the fall of 2007.

As Dr. Osoinach explains, tutoring is completely voluntary. During the first week of class, his precalculus students are given the option of completing the course with the addition of the service-learning component. Students who do not choose to tutor are not penalized, but if the student does decide to tutor, then it is a semester-long commitment. They are then graded on a different scale that includes the additional component.

Tutors spend two hours at Murrah each week for the duration of the semester, offering their time to Algebra I and II students. Teachers may recommend the tutoring to their students, but those who attend often do so of their own accord, seeking out help in preparing for tests and understanding homework. In the fall semester of 2007, only two students volunteered to tutor, but five tutors emerged from Dr. Osoinach’s spring 2008 classes. Tutors keep a journal of their experiences and often work alongside Van Uden with struggling students in her classroom after school.

Like the summer camps, the tutoring program has proved mutually beneficial. As Osoinach explains, “to teach something, you must really know it.” Tutoring serves to solidify math principles and skills that form the foundation for upper-level math.

Van Uden and fellow Murrah math teacher Dana Polson are glad to have the tutors’ help and would love to see more, especially in cases of new students that are trying to catch up. The tutors are “encouraging, polite, and sweet to my students,” serving as “very positive role models,” Van Uden said. Polson agreed,

adding that most students “beg to go (to tutoring). Even the smart kids get excited about it, and it doesn’t have a bad stigma.”

With two solid programs already functioning and willing students and teachers on either side, the relationship between Murrah and Millsaps College continues to grow.

—Kathryn Buchan

Philanthropic efforts bring protective nets to African families This year, the Millsaps Campus Ministry Team's Global Concerns fund raiser coincided perfectly with basketball season. The Nothing but Nets Campaign is a worldwide effort to purchase mosquito bed nets that will prevent the rampant spread of malaria in African villages.

The fund raising began with collecting donations at Friday night basketball games

and extended to the Heritage department matching the amount of money students in the program raised. Campus-wide organizations also had the opportunity to compete to raise the most money.

“The fund raiser helped to raise awareness for the little amount of time and money that can be spent to make a huge difference to people who really need it,” said freshman Maria Underwood, who initiated this philanthropy on campus. “With the help of the student body, we were extremely successful.”

Underwood heard about the campaign through her mother, who works for the annual conference of the United Methodist Church. With the help of Chaplain Lisa Garvin, CMT Chairman John Kellogg, and Associate Dean of Arts & Letters David Davis, Underwood started the College's participation in this lifesaving campaign.

Over the short span of a week, Millsaps students and the Gates Foundation raised a total of $979, which will provide about 98 families with protection from malaria.

Since 2002, more than 23 million

Money from the Nothing but Nets Campaign is used to protect children and families from mosquitoes carrying malaria.

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bed nets have been distributed in 18 countries across Africa. The money raised at Millsaps will go towards the 2008 projected distribution of mosquito nets in the countries of Côte d’Ivoire and Central African Republic. Côte d’Ivoire is in need of 4.5 million nets in order to protect 17 million at risk.

Because there is as yet no effective vaccine to treat or cure malaria, which is spread through mosquitoes, it has become one of the biggest health epidemics of Sub-Saharan Africa, in many regions killing more people than AIDS. Preventive measures are the most effective way to stop the spread of this deadly disease, which is why the goal is to distribute as many bed nets as possible.

The campaign started with a column in Sports Illustrated in which Rick Reilly encouraged his readers to donate money for nets different from the ones he as a sportswriter was usually concerned with. Since then, groups ranging from NBA Cares to the United Methodist Church have joined the effort.

—Chelsea Lovitt

Computer science department up to speed with new labTucked amid classrooms on the third floor of Sullivan-Harrell Hall, there is a newly renovated room that serves as a lab for the Department of Computer Science. The comfort, quiet, and high-speed technology of the lab were specifically designed and equipped for computer science students’ needs by the chair and professors of the department.

Dr. Donald R. Schwartz, associate professor and chair of the department, has teamed with assistant professor Dr. William Bares in the planning, fund raising, and implementation of the new lab since the need was identified within a departmental assessment in May of 2003.

With final funding allocation being approved in May of 2007, the lab is finally complete, made possible through a combination of departmental money, contributions from computer science alumni, and college funding.

The new lab features 10 Dell desktops, comfortable desk chairs, multiple projection screens, and a separate, expanded desk area specifically designed for discussion and group work. Because advanced coursework within the department includes extensive engagement with multimedia, databases, three-dimensional graphics, and programming software, the new lab was designed to allow students to use the newest technology and programs available in these areas. The department, too, experiences increased flexibility from the lab because they can buy and license software that is specifically designed and formatted for their students’ use. Keeping the department up to speed (and competitive with other schools’ programs), is much easier and more affordable because of the addition.

Dr. Schwartz explains that the lab is part of a larger initiative for growth within the department—that maintaining a technologically up-to-date program within computer science and other scientifically or mechanically based fields of study is crucial to the effort to stay regionally distinctive and competitive as a college.

Dr. Schwartz says that because the department bought only top-of-the-line hardware and software for the lab, it should be sustainable for the next several years. Part of the excitement about the new lab is the opportunities it may aid or afford in growth of a program that is already very successful.

“Almost 100 percent of our majors have had full-time job offers or acceptances to graduate school within a week of graduation for the past five years,” Dr. Schwartz says with pride.

A showpiece for prospective students, the new lab is quite a selling point for those visiting the school with a future in computer science in mind. Professors’ responses have been positive as well.

“The professors all love it because they can assign more ‘real-world’ problems and work because students have access to this technology,” Dr. Schwartz says. Current students appreciate the addition of the lab, too, especially the comfortable furniture and the speed of the new computers.

With the lab newly open, the computer science department has already made more plans and is identifying newer and greater goals; in the long-term, the overall goal is to increase faculty and course offerings. Having applied for a grant from Hewlett-Packard that would include a large-format color printer, 21 personal computers for class use, and a wireless access point for

Dr. William Bares and Dr. Don Schwartz proudly display the facilities in the Department of Computer Science’s new lab, the fruits of the faculty's planning and implementation over the past five years.

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communication between computers, Dr. Schwartz and the rest of the computer science faculty eagerly await good news for further growth.

—K.B.

First One Campus, One Community fellows named After they graduate in May, two Millsaps students—John Kellogg and LaQuanda Sims—will become the first postbaccalaureate fellows for the One Campus, One Community (1C1C) initiative at Millsaps College. Modeled after AmeriCorps, the fellows will live on a monthly stipend and divide their time between 1C1C programs and working with campus organizations to develop community service projects. The fellows are funded by the Walker Foundation and the Office of the Academic Dean.

“I can think of no better way to give back to a school, city, and neighborhood that I care deeply about than by participating in this program,” Kellogg said. “It is my hope that we can continue bridging Millsaps and the Midtown neighborhood in a positive direction. This will be an incredible learning experience, and I very much look forward to it.”

Kellogg, along with fellow 2008 graduate Chelsi West, was instrumental on the student end of developing the 1C1C program at Millsaps. A psychology major from Shreveport, Kellogg hopes to become an Episcopal priest and also has plans to work on a counseling degree.

For now, though, he is excited about the prospect of living in the North Midtown neighborhood—an area he has been interested in since coming to Millsaps and learning the rich history of the neighborhood.

“I don’t expect anything to happen overnight,” Kellogg said, “but I’m hopeful that my presence will be a positive one to

both Midtown and Millsaps.”

Sims is also excited about working in the North Midtown community. A biology major from Brandon, her future plans include medical school and family practice in the Delta.

“All it takes is that one time feeling the sensation of knowing you helped someone to lead to a lifetime of giving back,” Sims said. “It is my hope that once Millsaps students experience this, it will instill in them a strong desire to continue to reach out and give back to their community, regardless of where their career choices may take them in life.”

Formed in 2006, 1C1C has two concentrations through which it attempts to funnel the College’s community service efforts. The first is the North Midtown community, which neighbors the old entrance to Millsaps on Mill Street, and the second is K–12 education.

1C1C programs involving ‘neighbors in proximity’ and ‘neighbors in mission’ have three main goals: to make real progress, to develop real partnerships, and to provide Millsaps students with an experience that will transform their characters by going beyond surface-level volunteering.

“The disciples asked the question ‘Who is my neighbor?’ and Jesus tells the story of the Good Samaritan, which says your neighbor is the one lying in the ditch that is being passed by,” said Darby Ray, director of the Faith & Work Initiative. “When we asked that question, these two ‘neighbors’ seemed right in front of our faces.”

Part of what drew Ray, and many others, to Millsaps is the school’s long history of deeply ingrained community service and a commitment to doing the right thing in difficult times.

“When we looked at the community service at Millsaps, we saw that it was wonderful and good, but there was no

organization. It could be even better if we could go back to the same partners and build mutually beneficial partnerships,” Ray said.

The idea for coordinating the College’s community service came from a shared vision with the Faith & Work Initiative and a partnership with the Division of Student Life. Over the past year, individuals and campus groups have worked to foster partnerships with both public education and the North Midtown area.

Academic classes have incorporated projects involving public school programs into their curriculum, and coaches have donated scholarships to sport camps.

Last summer, families from North Midtown were invited to ride the Fondren Express trolley to Millsaps for a Saints practice. In January, students organized Get on the Bus, a ride on Jackson’s public transportation to show more than 50 students the city through a different set of eyes. 1C1C has also paid for five North Midtown residents to take a grant writing enrichment class.

“We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel, but we’re asking how the College’s services can become more intentional and how can we open up the things that are already happening on campus,” Ray said. “Our students are not going to be full human beings without the transformation of service.”

—K.P.

Seniors John Kellogg and LaQuanda Sims, 1C1C's first postbaccalaureate fellows, stand outside the North Midtown Community Development Corporation.

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songwriter and musician Molly Thomas—gathered onstage for an evening of music and camaraderie.

Hubbard, a self-described “hometown boy” from Jackson, has worked extensively and consistently in the music industry since his years at Ole Miss. He started performing locally with friends as Spoon, and went on to form two other bands, This Living Hand and Strays Don’t Sleep. He works at the production board as well, building on many of the longlasting relationships he formed in Oxford with other local

musicians, including fellow Arts & Lecture performer Garrison Starr. Hubbard’s latest album is entitled I Love Your Muscles.

Shortly after Hernando native Starr graduated from high school, she released her first album, Pinwheels. She attended Ole Miss, where she met Hubbard, and they became both longtime friends and frequent musical collaborators. Starr has released a steady stream of albums and EPs since Pinwheels. Her most recent album, The Girl That Killed September, was cowritten and produced by Hubbard. Starr has toured with

the highly successful Lilith Fair festival in addition to fellow musicians Melissa Etheridge, Mary Chapin-Carpenter, Steve Earle, and many others.

Raised in Jackson, Thomas comes from a family of Millsaps College graduates. Instead of attending Millsaps, she chose to follow her love for music to become classically trained in violin and enter the music industry. Thomas has released two solo albums, Save Me and the more recent Shoot the Sky. Thomas produced Shoot the

Mississippians make music at Millsaps Arts & Lecture SeriesThe Millsaps Arts & Lecture Series celebrates its 40th year of providing Jackson with a unique slate of performers, lecturers, and cultural offerings. The 2007-08 anniversary season included such diverse offerings as the exciting Cirque Odyssey, with gravity-

defying acrobatics, and the political discussion of Mike Moore and Charles Pickering at election time in November.

Since its inception, the Arts & Lecture Series has devoted programs to highlighting the talents of Southern creatives, including writers, filmmakers, singers, and songwriters. On January 29, three native Mississippians—singer-songwriter, musician, and producer Neilson Hubbard; singer-songwriter and musician Garrison Starr; and singer-

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OnCampus

The Arts & Lecture Series was

created out of the desire to

bring a wide variety of arts

and cultural events to the

Jackson area.

s p r i n g – s u m m e r 2 0 0 8 15

“You’re the link between the film crew and rest of the world,” he said. “I had to not only look at it as our location but as my town that I was there to protect. I needed to keep the neighbors happy, or filming could become very difficult.”

In Alaska, much of the scouting for

locations was done on snowshoes or snow machines. Jabaley looked at nearly 20 sites before settling on a bluff overlooking a river for the pivotal scenes involving McCandless’s last months in the Alaskan

Sky, which features not only her vocals and violin, but also her work on the piano, moog, guitar, cello, Hammond organ, mandolin, and a variety of percussion instruments. Thomas has toured both the United States and Europe, and has become a widely respected stage performer both in the United States and abroad.

The Southern Songwriters program featured Hubbard, Starr, and Thomas each performing their own songs, but the professional respect and friendly camaraderie led to unrehearsed harmonizing and backup singing on each other’s songs. The warmth felt on the stage was passed to the audience through excellent performances.

Luran Buchanan, executive director of the Arts & Lecture Series, explains that it was created out of the desire to bring a wide variety of arts and cultural programs to the Jackson area. The Arts & Lecture Series began as a public forum series hosted on the Millsaps campus and continues the same cultural programs today. For more information, call 601-974-1043 or email [email protected].

—Lucy Molinaro

Millsaps alum goes Into the WildLong before “action” is first shouted on a movie set, before the stars appear on Oprah, and before Oscar nominations are announced, a movie is seen only in the imaginations of its makers. John Jabaley, B.A. 1991, faced the challenge of finding the perfect locations where writer and director Sean Penn could bring the award-nominated film Into the Wild to life.

As location manager for the film, Jabaley worked with Penn in picking locations in Alaska and South Dakota for the film’s breathtaking scenery. That work often included wading through snow over frozen rivers, using snowshoes and snowmobiles, scouting a river area by raft, and using an 80-foot railroad car to build

a bridge over the Jack River.“Sean Penn is very exact in what he

wants and didn’t want to settle for anything that didn’t match his vision,” Jabaley said. “He had a very specific image in his head of what he wanted onscreen, and he wasn’t interested in compromise.”

Jabaley spent months in both the Denali National Park of Alaska and in the wheat fields of South Dakota retracing the footsteps of Christopher McCandless, an idealistic recent college graduate who gave his trust fund to charity, burned his car, and took to the road for two years, looking for adventure and the answers to life before coming to his tragic end in the Alaskan wilderness in the early 1990s.

“Location managing is just another form of telling the story,” said Jabaley, whose job, in part, involved working with property owners and government agencies to get permission and permits for the crew. He also acted as a go-between for both members of the crew and the community. In South Dakota, the film was shot outside the small town of Carthage—population 187.

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John Jabaley, B.A. 1991, was location manager for the award-nominated film Into the Wild.


winter wilderness in an abandoned bus.“The search for the bus site was the

most challenging,” Jabaley said. “I spent a lot of time wading through the snow over frozen rivers, looking for the perfect site that was fairly accessible and yet had nothing man-made in the frame.”

Scouting locations turned out not to be Jabaley’s only function in the film. When Penn heard from a producer that Jabaley had acting experience, he decided to put him in front of the camera as the announcer at a concert at The Slabs (a former WWII military base in the Colorado Desert now known as a nonconformists’ refuge). In the scene, Jabaley introduces Tracy (played by Kristen Steward) before a talent show.

Adapted by Penn from the best-selling book by Jon Krakauer, the true-life story of Into the Wild inspires feelings of both sympathy for a young man fed up with a materialistic life and frustration for a seemingly fearless risk-taker wrestling with the precious balance between humanity and nature.

“I was fascinated by the story. He was about the same age as I am,” Jabaley said. “It felt like a chance of a lifetime. Getting to help tell that story in those places was

exhilarating, but it came with a huge responsibility. We were going to put all that potential and hope on the screen, alive, but behind that book and those places, there was still his family back in Virginia. We always had to remember that.”

A native of Jackson, Jabaley studied theatre and English at Millsaps. He was involved with the Millsaps Players, and many of his fondest memories of those days are centered around rehearsals in the Christian Center auditorium. After auditioning on a whim for a role in Our Town, his first show at the College, Jabaley knew for certain that he would end up in show business.

He credits many professors for preparing him for a future both in front of and behind the cameras: Lance Goss and Brent Lefavor (theatre) for showing him how to carry a story from the page into life and how to create a world with nothing more than wood and paint; T.W. Lewis (Heritage) for encouraging parallel thinking; and Suzanne Marrs and Richard Mallete (English) for teaching him how to read between the lines, a skill he has used to make a physical world from a script.

“The way you prepare a movie bears a lot of resemblance to the study sessions

we used to have in our freshman dorm, with giant time lines of several disciplines running down a wall,” Jabaley said.

Dr. Marrs remembers Jabaley as a fantastic student and a wonderful storyteller. “I’ll never forget the story of a real-life hero worship he recounted,” Marrs said. “John’s anecdote perfectly exemplified what Gavin Stevens says in Requiem for a Nun: ‘The past is never dead. It’s not even past.’

“I feel sure this ability to make abstractions concrete has served John well throughout his career.”

Jabaley left Millsaps after his third year to pursue a master’s degree at the California Institute of Arts and transferred credits back to Millsaps to complete his bachelor’s degree. After graduation he had a short career as an actor before deciding he could make a better living working behind the camera.

Jabaley is married to Erika Zucker, and they have two children Hannah, 6, and Isaac, 3. They live in Los Angeles, where Zucker is an attorney for the Writers Guild of America.

—K.P.

Ever is a long time

W. Ralph Eubanks, a native of Mount Olive and the director of publishing at the Library of Congress, visited the Millsaps campus in early February to give a public reading and visit Dr. Suzanne Marrs’s Eudora Welty’s Short Fiction class. The class’s topic for the day was “The Demonstrators,” which first appeared in The New Yorker in 1966.

“The Demonstrators” speaks to the inequities that existed between people of different races in the South by illustrating how the media dealt with black people—or, perhaps more accurately, didn’t deal with them—during the Civil Rights Era.

“Welty was criticized by a lot of people who didn’t think this story was strong enough, but it is,” Eubanks said. In part, it was the kind of injustice illustrated in “The Demonstrators” that compelled Eubanks to go on to write books like his bestselling memoir, Ever Is a Long Time: A Journey Into Mississippi’s Dark Past, and the forthcoming The House at the End of the Road: A Story of Race, Identity, and Memory.

Eubanks described to Marrs’s students the process through which he develops his book projects. He starts with a basic thesis and an outline, then circulates it to publishers. After a publisher green-lights the book, the outline will evolve and change as Eubanks delves into his research. With Ever Is a Long Time, for instance, the writing process changed the entire project. “It’s not the way that I expected to end the book at all,” Eubanks said.

In detailing his research, Eubanks commented on physical isolation in Alabama that led to small interracial communities, where there were lots of people of mixed race, but not many cases where people of different races were living together as a family. Indeed, Eubanks’s own grandmother was listed as the cook in one national census, because as a black woman she was not considered part of the family. As Melville, Hawthorne, and Welty all knew, Eubanks said, dealing with the past helps liberate you from it.

Now a resident of Washington, D.C., Eubanks looked around the Ford Academic Complex classroom and said he was hopeful about the future of race relations in the South: “Being with all of you makes me know there’s a lot of change here.”

—Margaret Cahoon

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Dr. George Bey III, Ph.D.Professor

Department of Sociology /Anthropology

Associate Dean International Education

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FacultyChatLife in Disney’s worldLast fall, Dean Brit Katz and I taught a new course called Disney and the American Way of Life. I typically teach courses on the anthropology of Mesoamerica or the archaeology of ancient civilizations, but I also enjoy studying America through the analysis of pop culture.

We met twice a week and had evening film sessions every week or so, and we watched early animation online. We studied the early 20th century and the life and times of Walt Disney, the golden age of Disney in the 1930s and 40s, the 50s’ symbiotic relationship between television and the theme park, and the present with the growth of Disney as a global corporation.

We not only studied Disney, but used Disney as a prism through which to view the changing shape of American culture. By the end of the class we had read more than I had ever assigned in a class, and the students had written more than 50 typed pages apiece. They did all that work with the utmost good spirit, often staying after class to continue our discussions.

But the last day of class was not the last day of class: After Christmas we all headed to Disney World to spend a week studying the Mouse up close and personal. This is what ultimately made our class so special—we combined our work in the classroom with field-based learning.

We went there as anthropologists and entered the sacred landscape of a totally controlled environment with an infrastructure representing the height of American technology and management. Studying Disney World is the same as studying the pyramids of Egypt or the great cities of Machu Picchu or Tikal. It is one of the wonders of the modern world and is worth considering if you want to understand American culture.

Disney World turned out to be an excellent place for our undergraduates to practice their ethnographic skills. Most employees were close to the same age

as our intrepid anthropologists, and so they were comfortable not only chatting with the Millsaps students, but sharing their stories and views of what life was like inside. Instead of some guy in his 50s asking questions (which sounds kind of creepy even to me), these employees had a chance to talk to engaging young anthropologists their own age. The result was the successful gathering of data for the students’ various field projects, as well as general information to share with the class.

Going to Disney World brought to life everything that we had discussed during the semester and provided a way for us to test our ideas and understanding together in a field-based setting.

It isn’t easy to negotiate pleasure and critical thinking—we had a lot of fun (which is what Disney World wants you to do), and it is hard to understand the construction of our pleasures as a culture completely in the abstract. Yet we learned that Disney World is not about making us happy so much as it is about reinforcing a set of values and norms about who we are—Americans.

This was brought home to me when I went to Yucatán a couple of weeks after we returned from Disney World. When I came back to the States, I passed through customs in Houston and saw 20 or more televisions showing the same film, welcoming you to America and showing what a wonderful place it is.

As I looked at the color, the editing, the music, I realized this had to be the work of Disney. I later Googled the film and found out that the State Department had indeed commissioned Disney to produce this movie to welcome us home and provide the first message of America for foreigners entering the country.

We live in times where Disney’s vision of America has literally become our government’s view of America, and vice versa. The ideological power of Disney and popular culture is amazingly vast, and our students are at the frontline for discovering how and why that is.


Cornerstone “megachurch” John Hagee are McElvaine’s primary examples of extreme prejudice in Grand Theft Jesus: “It turns out a lot of other people are getting sick and tired of these people being taken as the spokesmen for Christianity,” he says.

McElvaine’s indictment of the Religious Right begins with the Bible and how it is used in their sprawling ministries. “It seems to me,” McElvaine says, “that while they call themselves Biblical literalists, they take literally nothing Jesus said. They just pick out a couple of things in the Old Testament to take literally, then tell you that Christians must follow the Ten Commandments, but the Sermon on the Mount is more like ‘suggestions.’”

Citing notorious moments such as Falwell’s audacious declaration that 9/11 was God’s punishment for a nation in which abortion remains legal and Hagee’s equally outlandish claim that Hurricane Katrina was the judgment of God against New Orleans’s level of God-offending sin, McElvaine pokes a bit of malicious fun at his quarries while calling them out for spiritual bankruptcy and religious laziness.

“What I say in the book,” he explains, “is that their attitude when it comes to things Jesus actually said is, ‘this is just too hard:’ things like turn the other cheek, love your enemies, help the poor. Instead you have these people telling people that God will make them rich, just standing Jesus on his head.”

But despite his obvious and unfettered loathing for these “hijackers of Christianity,” McElvaine does offer some advice for the misguided and their followers with Grand Theft Jesus. “I’m trying to suggest that what these people ought to do is not reject Christianity but find the real Christianity—become Jesus followers instead of just calling themselves Christians and not paying any attention to Jesus,” he said.

“It’s anger,” McElvaine acknowledged, “but it’s all done with humor. I have things like Jesus’ enemies list, Jesus’ ten most un-wanted … so I’m sure it’s going to be very controversial. There are a lot of people who

McElvaine questions self-proclaimed ‘Biblical literalists’Dr. Robert S. McElvaine—author, scholar, and Elizabeth Chisholm Professor of Arts and Letters in the Department of History—is no stranger to controversy. Opinionated and outspoken, the author of the 2001 best

seller Eve’s Seed: Biology, the Sexes and the Course of History is poised to generate renewed sound and fury with the release of Grand Theft Jesus: The Hijacking of Religion in America.

“Basically,” explains McElvaine, “it’s talking about the religion that isn’t that of the majority of people who call themselves Christians, but certainly the sort of Christianity that the news media seem to accept as the spokespeople for

Christianity.” Such figures of the conservative Christian movement as televangelists Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell, Left Behind series author Tim LaHaye, and pastor of San Antonio’s


&FacultyStaff

s p r i n g – s u m m e r 2 0 0 8 19

like it a great deal, but other people whose toes are being stepped on. This one may hit a little closer to home for more people than some of my other stuff.”

Speaking of McElvaine’s other stuff, coinciding with the release of Grand Theft Jesus is a reprinting of his first published work, Down and Out in the Great Depression: Letters from the Forgotten Man. Winner of the American Library Association’s Notable Book Award in 1983 (and in print ever since), Down and Out is a collection of letters written by ordinary Americans while they lived through the Depression era. With a new cover and introduction, McElvaine is hoping to garner a little more publicity by releasing it again. “I’ve always thought, as authors usually do, that it deserved a larger audience of regular readers,” he said. “These letters that people wrote during the Depression seem to me to be the most immediate way into what people were thinking at the time.”

—Jason Bronson

Fiser named Outstanding Young Faculty Member

Harvey Fiser, assistant professor of business law in the Else School of Management, was announced as this year’s winner of the Outstanding Young Faculty Award in

October. The institutional award carries with it a one-semester release from teaching and $1,000 to support scholarly activities. Fiser will use his release time to do research and writing on several articles about how the religion and personal morals of select groups have influenced

CASE teaching award kept at “Bey”

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education named Dr. George Bey III the

2007 Mississippi Professor of the Year in November. Bey, professor of anthropology and associate dean of international education, is the fourth Millsaps professor to win the honor in the last six years. Previous winners have been Dr. Sarah Lea McGuire (biology), Dr. Bob McElvaine (history), and Dr. Greg Miller (English).

“Being named the professor of the year for the state of Mississippi is a great personal honor and a testament to the great tradition of undergraduate education at Millsaps College,” said Bey. “These awards are given to professors who are thought to be making an extraordinary difference in the way we teach undergraduates. It is a wonderful confirmation of my efforts to create a unique learning and research environment in Yucatán and to bring my anthropological work into the classroom as a teacher-scholar.”

Bey teaches a broad range of archaeology and anthropology courses at Millsaps, from the Archaeology of Ancient Egypt to American Popular Culture. His area of research interest is Mesoamerican archaeology, the analysis of prehistoric pottery and the evolution of complex societies, such as the Maya and Toltecs. Since 1984 he has directed field projects in Yucatán, first at the Maya site of Ek Balam and since 2000 at the site of Kiuic, which sits amidst a 4,500-acre biocultural reserve created with the support of Millsaps

laws pertaining to same-sex parental rights, child custody, and procreative rights, and how those laws have in turn affected certain women, gays, and lesbians across the nation.

Fiser holds a B.A. in communications from Mississippi State University and a J.D. with distinction from the Mississippi College School of Law. Upon graduating from law school, he practiced law and eventually became partner in the firm of Adams and Reese. There, he specialized in commercial litigation and employment practices. Despite his success, Fiser increasingly felt that something was missing. That something turned out to be the opportunity to teach.

In August 2003, Fiser began teaching at Millsaps. In his five-year tenure at the College, he has established himself as a professor with both a love and a passion for teaching.

“His statements about teaching and his courses reveal a thoughtful faculty member who continually seeks creative ways to engage his students in the understanding of law,” said Dr. Richard A. Smith, senior vice president and dean of the College. “Not surprisingly, the students respond well to Harvey and give him consistently high marks in their evaluations of his teaching.”

Fiser has also given generously of his time outside of class. He has served on numerous Else School and college committees and has recently taken responsibility for the Else School programs in Yucatán, and he serves as the prelaw advisor to Millsaps students interested in pursuing careers in the legal field.

Having already published two articles and prepared two others for submission, Fiser’s long-term goal is to be a prolific scholar in the area of employment discrimination law, human rights law, and contracts for employment.

—Margaret Cahoon

f a c u l t y & s t a f f



f a c u l t y & s t a f f


College. The site offers students unique, multidisciplinary opportunities to study Maya archaeology and culture, as well as the flora and fauna of the tropical forests of Yucatán.

Bey also recently received a senior archaeology research grant with his colleague William Ringle (Davidson College) from the National Science Foundation for further research at Kiuic. He has previously been awarded the AAA/McGraw-Hill Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching of Anthropology by the American Anthropological Association.

“We are very pleased that Dr. Bey has been named the 2007 Mississippi Professor of the Year,” said Dr. Richard A. Smith, senior vice president and dean of Millsaps College. “We have long known that he is one of the best teachers of anthropology in the nation; it is also now clear he is one of

the best professors in the nation. Millsaps is very fortunate to have him.” Bey was selected from faculty members nominated by colleges and universities throughout the country.

ASE established the Professors of the Year program in 1981, and the Carnegie Foundation became the cosponsor a year later. TIAA-CREF, one of America’s leading financial services organizations and higher education’s premier retirement system, became the primary sponsor for the awards ceremony in 2000. A number of higher education associations, including Phi Beta Kappa, offer additional support for the program.

The U.S. Professors of the Year program is the only national initiative specifically designed to recognize excellence in undergraduate teaching and mentoring. This year there are winners in 40 states and the District of Columbia. CASE

assembled two preliminary panels of judges to select the finalists, and the Carnegie Foundation then convened the third and final panel, which selected four national winners. CASE and Carnegie select the state winners from top entries resulting from the judging process.

The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching was founded by Andrew Carnegie in 1905 “to do all things necessary to encourage, uphold, and dignify the profession of teaching.” The Council for Advancement and Support of Education is the largest international association of education institutions, serving more than 3,200 universities, colleges, schools, and related organizations in 54 countries.

—M.C.

Millsaps College HoMeCoMingnoveMber 7-9, 2008

s p r i n g – s u m m e r 2 0 0 8 21

c a m p u s c o m m u n i t y

&FacultyStaffDarby Ray (religious studies) celebrates the August publication of her new book, Incarnation and Imagination: A Christian Ethic of Ingenuity by Fortress Press. The book argues that Christian communities at the margins of power tend to embrace a distinctive moral posture that emphasizes wit, parody, cunning, imagination, and ingenuity—a posture that is frequently ignored or derided by dominant moralities, but which finds deep resonances in early Christian interpretations of the meaning and work of Christ.

Steve Smith (philosophy) presented the paper “Intrinsic Value, Goodness, and the Appeals of Things” at the Midsouth Philosophy Conference in Memphis on Feb. 22.

Lola Williamson (religious studies) has signed a contract with New York University Press to publish her book, American Followers of Hindu Gurus (working title). She will also contribute a chapter to Religion, Death, and Dying in America, Praeger Press. Along with Devparna Roy (sociology), she will continue research in Jackson this summer, culminating in a chapter contribution to Ethnic Heritage in Mississippi (University Press of Mississippi). Williamson also presented a paper, “Paramahansa Yogananda and His American Editors,” at the annual American Academy of Religion Conference in San Diego. Science Michael Galaty (sociology-anthropology) has been invited to present a paper on the Balkans at an April conference on

“Contested Cultural Heritage,” sponsored by the Collaborative for Cultural Heritage and Museum Practices (CHAMP) at the University of Illinois-Urbana/Champaign. Galaty is one of only 11 invited international presenters, including the keynote speaker, Donny George Youkhanna, former director of the Iraq

Arts and LettersRichard Freis (classical studies) published an article, “What Alexander Baumgarten Did to Horace’s Ars Poetica: The Construction of Aesthetics,” in The Envisioned Life (2007). He also published three chapters in a new book on resilience, Upping the Downside: Creating Professional Resilience by Design. The chapters are:

“Consumeritis and the Resilient World” (with Harrison Sheppard), “Recognizing Paradoxical Grace in Our Lives,” and

“Embodied Resilience: Energy Healing and the Resilient Path.” Freis also published three poems, “Night Flight,” “Lesbia,” and “The Liminal Ones” in The Alabama Literary Review (Spring 2007). And he completed the verse text for a cantata, “From Greater Light,” for music by California composer Alva Henderson. The cantata was commissioned by the Howard and Roberta Ahmanson Foundation in celebration of the opening of The Village of Hope, a community for the homeless in Orange County, Calif., and will be performed during opening weekend in September.

Kathi Griffin (writing center) hosted Writing Awareness Week in February, during which peer tutors offered six writing workshops for Millsaps students. Griffin hosted four workshops—one for peer writing tutors and three for members of the faculty. Griffin also presented at the annual Southeastern Writing Centers Association (SWCA) conference in Savannah, along with two peer writing tutors, James Rice (junior) and Amy Marcellus (sophomore). Their presentation, “Tutors as Epic Heroes: History-in-Progress [In]Forming Practice,” demonstrated how the history of the Millsaps College Writing Center has formed and informed tutoring practices. They were also invited to participate in one of two featured poster sessions. Griffin was recently reelected as member-at-large on the SWCA Board.

Museum and president of the Iraq State Board of Antiquities and Heritage. The papers will be published by Springer in their “Cultural Heritage in a Globalized World” series.

Connie Campbell (mathematics) delivered the keynote address for Sonia Kovalevsky Mathematics Day at Auburn University–Montgomery.

StaffMolly McManus and Ryan Roy (library) presented “New Ideas for Student Assistant Training in Small Academic Libraries” at the 2007 Mississippi Library Association (MLA) conference in Vicksburg.

Don Fortenberry (student life), retired chaplain and current minister for missions, received the Founders’ Award at the annual banquet of the Mississippi Religious Leadership Conference along with T.W. Lewis III, professor emeritus of religious studies.

Patti Wade (communications) was inducted as vice president of communications for the Central Chapter of the Public Relations Association of Mississippi (PRAM) for 2008. Members of PRAM strive to represent the highest standards of professionalism, honesty, and integrity in their dealings with clients, the media, fellow practitioners, and the general public. Tanya Newkirk (international studies) and George Bey III, associate dean of international education, have opened the Office of International Education in Sullivan-Harrell Hall to further the College's emphasis on international education. Newkirk was hired as the inaugural associate director of international education in January, prior to which she had served for nearly eight years as the College’s associate director of alumni relations.


You don’t have to be Methodist to work here

or go to school here. We welcome people of

all faiths and no faith into our community. The

openness is one of the things that, in my opinion,

make this such a wonderful place to be. …But

just because we extend a hand of welcome to

non-Methodists and venture forth into unfamiliar

worlds of art, literature, philosophy, and religion

doesn’t mean we reject our Wesleyan roots.

Quite the opposite.

—Dr. Darby RayAssociate Professor of Religious Studies

and Director of the Faith & Work Initiative

2006 address to United Methodist youth

October 27, 2007, was not the first time John Wesley appeared on the campus of Millsaps College. No, his legacy had been here for years—rallying behind Major Reuben Webster Millsaps and the Methodist Church as they founded the College in 1890;

championing open hearts and open minds in faculty, students, and administration as they built the College to its highly regarded role in higher education; and pervading the Millsaps culture of service and world-mindedness. But never before had he appeared so concretely, so tangibly, as at the dedication of his statue on the north side of campus, overlooking the grass and trees of the Bowl.

It was a Saturday in October—Homecoming weekend to be exact—when the new Wesley statue was dedicated. After a welcome and presentations, Millsaps College Chaplain Lisa Garvin, B.A. 1993, and Bishop Hope Morgan Ward of the Mississippi Conference of the United Methodist Church brought the crowd together in dedicating the statue.

In a call and response with the audience, Rev. Garvin and Bishop Ward dedicated the statue “in the name of our holy and triune God … to the spiritual enrichment of all who come here seeking knowledge … to the loyal service of those whose training and de-votion have prepared them to lead students toward the truth … to that ministry of administration upon whose ability and faithfulness depends the wise conduct of our life together and our ministry in the word.”

25 m i l l s a p s m a g a z i n e s p r i n g – s u m m e r 2 0 0 8 25

symbolizing his ministry as a circuit-rider.

“A lot of schools have him in his long clerical robe,” said Barksdale, “but we wanted him to be the circuit rider, spread-ing the word and carrying his saddlebag.” Wesley’s finalized appearance in the Mil lsaps statue was drawn from a num-ber of sources—Dr. Aubrey Lucas, President Lucas’s father, had taken pictures of statues of Wesley in England and sent them back to Mississippi, Wes-ley’s face and hair are based on a portrait at Galloway Memorial United Methodist Church, and the committee met to discuss Wesley’s posture.

“He does look like he could just walk right off,” Barksdale said. “It’s amazing.”

Taking all these factors into consideration, Watts made up a small maquette (scale model) of the statue for the committee’s approval. Watts said the commit-

tee saw it and said, “Yes—do this.”The statue is cast in bronze, because bronze is just about the

only material that will go outside permanently. “There’s nothing else you can do that will sustain the weather and time,” Watts said. “That thing will be there for years and years and years.”

Watts has sculpted other commissioned pieces before—from a statue of Fred Bear for the founder of Bass Pro Shop to one of Walter Payton for Columbia High School—but the Wesley statue holds a special place for him. “It’s fun to do something for Bass Pro Shop,” Watts said, “but to be able to do something for Millsaps that will be there a long time made me pretty pleased to give something back in my little way.”

Coming TogetherFund raising for the John Wesley statue was not Barksdale and Mc-Cormick’s first collaboration. Back in their days as Millsaps students, the two worked together on the Purple & White.

“She was the editor, and I was the photographer,” McCormick recalled. “That was one of the most pleasant experiences I had at Millsaps.” Working together on the Wesley statue “resurrected those old times because we got to work together. She is still fun to work with and has a great personality.”

In the BeginningLee McCormick, B.S. 1966, was visiting campus with his daugh-ter, who was then of prospec-tive-student age, when he saw the statue of Mahatma Gandhi on campus, just south of the Bowl. Presented to Millsaps by the India Association of Missis-sippi, the statue is a fitting em-blem of diversity and acceptance on campus, but given the Col-lege’s Methodist affiliation, Mc-Cormick couldn’t help but think there should also be a statue on campus dedicated to Method-ism’s founder, John Wesley.

“My wife and I were talking, and I said, ‘Where’s John Wes-ley?’” McCormick recalled. “My wife said, ‘You’ve got to make that a project.’”

So before they left cam-pus that day, the McCormicks stopped by the Office of Institutional Advancement, where his friend and former classmate, Kay Barksdale, B.A. 1964, serves as di-rector of church and parent relations (she retires this summer after 22 years of service to the College). In talking to her, he learned that Barksdale had herself always wanted a statue of Wesley on campus.

The two were ready to proceed, but they knew they’d need more firepower. McCormick immediately thought of Ward Van Skiver, B.A. 1965, past president of the Millsaps Alumni Association. “I knew that if we were really going to get something done, I needed to get Ward involved,” McCormick said.

The Artistic ProcessBut before any fund raising could happen, there had to be a price, for which, in turn, there had to be a sculptor. Ben Watts, B.B.A. 1980, a Mississippi artist, said that Dr. Frances Lucas, president of the College, had contacted him about potentially doing the statue very early in the process. “I was tickled when they asked me to do it,” Watts said. “I think it’s a great honor.”

When Dr. Lucas passed Watts’s name along to the committee, they formulated an idea of what they wanted the statue to look like. With Watts, they determined that John Wesley should stand on his own in this statue, and should be wearing his riding clothes—


• Larry E. Adams (1966)• Pauline Dickson Akers (1964)• Linda McCluney Anglin (1951) in honor of Dr. Bond Fleming• Reverend Dr. W.F. “Bill” Appleby Sr. (1950)• Will K. Austin, M.D. (1966)• Kay Barret Barksdale (1964) in memory of Jim Livesay (1941)• Rodney J. (1966) and Beverly F. (1966) Bartlett• Reverend Jerry Bostick Beam• George Bradley Bennett (2000) and Martha Norton Bennett• Martha Norton Bennett in honor of George Bradley Bennett (2000), Lindsay Norton Bennett Page (2003), John Brandon Page (2003), and Jesse W. Moore• Julia D. Bishop (1962)• William H. (1939) and Rita B. Bizzell• J.W. “Bill” Carroll (1950) and sons Bill (1975) and David (1978) in loving memory of Evelyn Newman Carroll (1950)• Darryl J. Cavalier and Reverend Janet Clogston Cavalier (1974) in honor of Joseph M. Cavalier (2006) and Christina Brotzman Cavalier (2007)• Sammy H. Clark (1964) in memory of Mr. and Mrs. Sam E. Clark• Harry H. Dinham (1965)• C.A. Dodson (1980)• Nat (1966) and Pat Ellis in memory of Senora Nelli Hederi• Delores Kirkfield Feldman (1966)• J. Thomas (1965) and Donna Fowlkes• William and Gale McDonnell (1965) Fuller• Elaine Lord (1966) and Michael Kent Gemmell (1966) in honor of Professor John Quincy Adams• James K. (1966) and Mary Beth Gentry

• Douglas (1966) and Mabel Mullins (1965) Greene• Dr. Lewis E. Hatten (1964) in honor of his son, Andrew A. Hatten• In memory of the Reverend and Mrs. C.Y. Higginbotham Sr. (Sarah Fannie Whittington) by their children and grandchildren: Reverend and Mrs. John (1961) (Evelyn) Higginbotham, Mr. and Mrs. J. Michael (Caroll) Higginbotham, Mr. and Mrs. G. Wayne (Deborah) Kirby, Mr. and Mrs. C. Gregory (Alisha) Izard, Wilena Higginbotham Stark (Mrs. Meredith O.), John Meredith Stark (1978), G. Rebecca Stark and David H. Sachs, Sarah Katherine (Stark) (1983) and Larry Landrum, Wayne and Sarah Pearl Halford, Kirby and Pam Halford, James and Sandra Amburg, Cole Y. and Clara P. Higginbotham Jr., Cole Y. and Sonya Higginbotham III, Jayne and Michael Kavanaugh, Ralph and Kay (1963) Higginbotham, David and Kristi Higginbotham, Mark and Amanda Higginbotham• Craig O. Stark in memory of the Reverend and Mrs. C.Y. Higginbotham Sr.• Shirley Shipp Holston (1953) in memory of Reverend Wilton S. Holston Sr.• Rosemary Hillman Hopkins (1966)• Francis F. Jacobs (1965) and Beverly Humphries (1967) Jones• Frank H. Jones, D.D.S. (1965)• Nelda Jordan• Paul C. Keller (1964)• Boyd (1965) and Janice Ray Kynard (1964)• John South Lewis Jr. (1964)• Lee (1965) and Linda Banes (1966) Lewis• Robert E. Lewis (1965) in memory of his parents• Dr. Frances Lucas in honor of Dr. Aubrey Keith Lucas and Mrs. Ella Ginn Lucas• Barbara Lefeve McCleese (1964)

• Judy Shaw McCormick (1964) in memory of Dorothy Alford (1930)• Lee B. McCormick Jr. (1966) and Robin McCormick in memory of Mama and Daddy McCormick• Rhett Mitchell (1964) in memory of Pat Burford Mitchell (1962)• Reverend Dr. T. Jerry (1965) and Frankie Mitchell• Monterey United Methodist Church• Bob Morrison III and Cooper Morrison (1978) in honor of Bob and Martha (Twick) Morrison• Max B. Ostner Jr. (1965)• Dell Fleming Palazzolo (1964)• Burt L. Patterson (1964) in memory of Tom Neely Jr.• Lynn Krutz Pickett (1965) and George B. Pickett Jr. (1966)• Bonnie James Powell (1965)• Fred (1964) and Kay Nelson (1964) Rendfrey• Newton R. (1964) and Ann C. Reynolds• Susan Wright Roberts (1966) in honor of John Phillip Roberts (1992)• Ragan Rodgers (1966)• Kathy Alexander Smith (1964) and Vence Smith Jr. (1964)• Susanne Lamb Stevens (1964) in memory of Dr. and Mrs. Wayne A. Lamb• Ygondine and Mike Sturdivant in honor of Bishop H. Ellis Finger (1937)• Dr. Earl T. (1967) and Ann Cathey Williamson (1968) Stubblefield in memory of Mr. and Mrs. McGee Williamson• Ward Van Skiver (1965) and family in memory of John Wayne Van Skiver• Penny Sanders Varner (1967) and J. Mack Varner (1967) in memory of Stanny Sanders and Joe Varner• Carolyn Allen Wolfe (1957) in memory of Reverend Hillman Wolfe• Willis C. Woody Jr. (1965)

Contributors and Donors

27 m i l l s a p s m a g a z i n e s p r i n g – s u m m e r 2 0 0 8 27

When McCormick, Barksdale, and Van Skiver got together to solicit their respective classes and others for donations to the statue, the response was positive.

“We wrote letters and got things organized,” McCormick said, “but Vernon King (director of development at the Col-lege) was really very in-strumental. He got us all together and got names and addresses and sent out letters.”

Dozens of people were giving amounts small and large, often in honor of people di-rectly related to their own Millsaps experience. There was the granddaughter who pooled her family together in honor of their Methodist minister grandfather. There was the woman who gave to honor her high school English teacher, who, having gone to Millsaps herself, inspired her student to do the same. Mothers and sons, brothers and sisters, husbands and wives—the stories behind the gifts bind together not only the donors but the entire Millsaps community behind the Wesley statue.

Still, though many people were giving, the amounts were not adding up to enough to pay for the statue. Barksdale recalled that the team regrouped to come up with a new plan, asking prominent Methodists in the Mississippi Conference to make donations.

“It was pretty quick from there,” Barksdale said. “They were great. We closed it up in a few months from that.”

The col laborat ion between Barksdale, Van Skiver, and McCormick is emblematic of the kinds of bonds Millsaps College forges—a creative and productive camaraderie that carries with gradu-ates long after they accept their diplomas. And this is in part why so many peo-ple came together to rally behind the Wesley statue, for all that Methodism, John Wesley, and Millsaps College mean to them.

Wesley on CampusHe can watch it all now—graduating seniors switching their

tassels from left to right, parents reuniting with their children at Family Weekend festivities, students studying in the warm southern sun, impromptu Frisbee games, and the multitude of other activi-ties that keep the Bowl lively. He blends in effortlessly, almost as if he were resuming his rightful spot overlooking the campus and his students. The idea of John Wesley has always been here—he just hasn’t always been in regal bronze form.

“John Wesley was resolute and explicit in his recognition

of the importance of the life of the mind. Never did he

suggest that we ought to shut our minds down or turn

off our questions in order to be people of faith. On the

contrary, he saw the intellect as a fabulous gift from God

and a crucial means for knowing and drawing close to the

divine. At Millsaps College, our main mission in life is to

equip our students to develop the life of the mind—to

become careful, well-informed, and responsible thinkers.”

— Darby Ray

The presence on campus of statues of both Mahatma Gandhi and John Wesley emphasizes the culture of Millsaps College. While both figures connote principles of nonviolence and outreach, the differences in their backgrounds and beliefs highlight the importance of a broad and diverse education, like that Millsaps strives to deliver to its students.

28 l e g a c y . m i l l s a p s . e d u s p r i n g – s u m m e r 2 0 0 8 29 28 l e g a c y . m i l l s a p s . e d u s p r i n g – s u m m e r 2 0 0 8 29

President Lucas (right) celebrates the creation of the Harwell Performing Arts Scholarship with Coral Barksdale Harwell, who established the scholarship in loving memory of her husband, Bill Harwell.

5 mil lion

97.6 mil lion

$160 mil lion

Commitment to Program ExcellenceMillsaps College has a longstanding tradition of creating nationally competitive pro-

grams that set the College apart from other institutions. The Legacy campaign’s

commitment to the creation and enhancement of our programs is significant—at

$17,000,000—because we know these programs offer experiences that are vital to

producing graduates who are leaders in their professions and in their communities.

Faith & Work Initiative...............................................................................$4,000,000

Funded with an initial grant from the Lilly Endowment, the Faith & Work Initiative

cultivates passionate and compassionate leaders. Students explore the meaning and

purpose of work, and how their values, character, and faith intersect with their potential

professions.

Needs: With the initial grant expiring in 2009, the most pressing need for the Faith &

Work Initiative is endowment support.

Professional and Pre-Professional Programs.............................................$8,000,000

Recognized throughout the South for their academic quality, the professional and pre-

professional programs at Millsaps, which include undergraduate and graduate business

through the Else School of Management, ministry, medicine, law, education, and engi-

neering, are frequently cited by prospective students as academic areas of interest.

Needs: The most pressing needs include funding for curriculum development, state-of-

the-art classroom and laboratory technology, faculty and student research, improved

Legacy: A Campaign for Millsaps College $160 Million

$35 million

10 million

17 million

8 million

18 million

12 million

60 million

$160 million

Commitment to Student Excellence

Commitment to Faculty Excellence

Commitment to Program Excellence

Commitment to International Study

Commitment to Facility Excellence

The Millsaps Annual Fund

Estate and Planned Gift Expectancies

Total Goal

Campaign Goals at a Glance

28 l e g a c y . m i l l s a p s . e d u s p r i n g – s u m m e r 2 0 0 8 29 28 l e g a c y . m i l l s a p s . e d u s p r i n g – s u m m e r 2 0 0 8 29

library resources, mentoring and internship opportunities, additional staffing for developing and marketing the programs, and a

superior career placement program.

Performing and Fine Arts................................................................................................................................................$3,000,000

Participation in the College’s musical and theatrical performances is a life-changing experience. Some of the fondest memories

shared by our alumni involve a Millsaps Singers performance or a Millsaps Players production. A significant number of our students

participate in the performing and fine arts programs, and the performances attract the Jackson community to the campus, providing

an important cultural venue for the capital city and the state.

Needs: The most pressing need is endowment support to underwrite off-campus study experiences, expand workshop and guest

performance experiences, maintain and update equipment and instruments, and increase community partnerships with local artistic

groups and organizations.

Athletics...........................................................................................................................................................................$2,000,000

Millsaps athletes compete at the Division III level of the NCAA, with more than a quarter of our students competing in 14 different

sports. As the College does not offer athletic scholarships, Millsaps scholar-athletes compete purely for the love of the game.

Needs: The most pressing need is new endowment support to cover rising equipment and travel costs, as well as increased funding

for women’s and men’s sports.

For more information on the Legacy campaign, visit legacy.millsaps.edu.

President Lucas joins Tom and Donna Fowlkes at the unveiling of their Founders Society plaque on the Millsaps Bell Tower at this year's Founders Day festivities.

Mary Sue and Don Mitchell, who have included Millsaps in their estate plans with life insurance policies, consult with Dudley Marble (center), major and planned gifts officer at the College.


Athletics

Majors punch ticket to NCAA tournament The 2007–08 season was the best in men’s basketball’s 90-plus year history at Millsaps. The team’s 28 victories this season were a record for both the school itself and

the entire conference, and the Majors’ run through the NCAA tournament—all the way to the Elite Eight—is the furthest any Millsaps team has ever gone. Wrapping up the season ranked No. 6 in the final D3hoops.com poll, the team also had individual victories, including senior forward

Edrick Montgomery becoming the first Millsaps selection in the D3hoops.com All-American program’s 11-year history.

In the fourth meeting between Millsaps

and Centre College in the six-year history of the SCAC tournament, Centre entered having won the previous three meetings in 2003, 2006, and 2007 by an average of 8.6 points per game. Meeting them in the championship game of the 2008 SCAC Men’s Basketball Tournament, Millsaps, then ranked No. 22, built a 14-point halftime lead with strong defense and upset the No. 2 Centre Colonels 69-60. At the conclusion of the game, the 2008 All-SCAC Tournament Team was announced with Chris Sanders, Rodney Rogan, and Montgomery taking the honors for Millsaps and Montgomery being named the Tournament MVP. The Majors’ victory snapped the nation’s longest winning streak at 25 games and gained them an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.

Just one day later, Millsaps was rewarded with the opportunity to host an NCAA First-Second Round Regional in Jackson. The Majors welcomed the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (UMHB), Maryville College, and Fontbonne University to the Hangar Dome, marking the Majors’ first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since the 2000-01 season.

The Majors defeated No. 19 Maryville in the first round, 80-72, and pulled out a dramatic, 57-56 victory over No. 12 UMHB one night later. With less than a full day’s rest, the Majors knocked off their third Top 25 opponent in as many games in one of the most thrilling finishes in Millsaps history when point guard Chad Songy hit

Senior forward Edrick Montgomery was named to the D3Hoops.com All-American Second Team, becoming the first Millsaps selection in the All-American program’s 11-year history.

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a fade-away three-pointer with 2.3 seconds remaining to give Millsaps its first and only lead of the game. The ball found nothing but the bottom of the net, and Millsaps fans rushed the floor as the buzzer sounded. The wins gave them their first Sweet Sixteen appearance since the 1995–96 season, and the Majors prepared to play their third game in the tournament.

The Majors hit the road for the next two rounds, traveling to Washington University in St. Louis along with Buena Vista University and St. Mary’s College of Maryland. Millsaps defeated St. Mary’s 82-73 in the third round, rallying from a five-point deficit in the final 10 minutes and scoring 27 of the final 40 points of the game. The Majors’ magical run came to an end, however, in the Elite Eight, as host team and eventual national champion Washington University rebounded from a nine-point halftime deficit and took a 57-46 victory behind D-III Player of the Year Troy Ruths.

Individual honors included Montgomery being named to the D3hoops.com All-American Second Team and All-SCAC First Team, Bailey—the leading career three-point shooter in Millsaps history—being named to the All-Region Second Team and All-SCAC Second Team, and Rogan being named to the All-SCAC Third Team.

—Kevin Maloney, Margaret Cahoon, Kathryn Buchan

Student-athletes score on SCAC honor roll On February 12, the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) announced its Student-Athlete Academic Honor Roll for the 2007 fall term. Since the program’s inception in 1997, almost 12,000 male and female student-athletes have been recognized for their contributions in the classroom, and a record 715 student-athletes made the list this term. Earlier, when the SCAC released its spring academic

honor roll, Millsaps had 37 student-athletes selected for that squad. All told, the College had 88 student-athletes recognized by the league for their academic accomplishments in 2007.

To qualify for the Honor Roll, a student-athlete must maintain a minimum grade-point average of 3.25 for the semester and be a regular member of a varsity athletic team in a sport sponsored by the conference.

The fall 2007 Academic All-SCAC recipients were Will Benton, Jack Boettcher, Stephen Butler, Sam Gay, Lloyd Gray, Evan Parker, Anna Allred, Anna Johnson, Ivy Settlemires, James Antonini, Hunter Berch, Jaren Bowser, J.R. Burnett, Cree Cantrell, Ward Coker, Louis Conley, Chris Cousin, David Dale, Shawn Gillenwater, Chris Graves, Kennedy Griffin, Bryce Haddad, Andrew Hatten, Will Hawkins, Sam Herman, Juan Joseph, Kenneth Metzger, Nick Namias, Alex Shows, Jacob White, Cap White, Casey Younger, Luke Campbell, Brandon Mong, Todd Schneck, Hayley Barber, Julia Fell, Lauren Gabreski, Rebecca Kindler, Kristen Massey, Sarah Nelin, Hollie Penuel, Lauren Rochelle, Erin Sanford, Elizabeth Sooby, Callaghan Starrett, Emily Townsend, Amanda Cain, Megan Dufresne, Hailey Miranda, and Victoria Romano.

—K.M.

Jim Page speaks at ABCA National Convention

Each January, the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) hosts the largest baseball convention in the world. Around 5,000

coaches attend the convention, which was held this year in Philadelphia, Pa.

Pat McMahon, the University of Florida’s head coach from 2001–07, who compiled a record of 231-141-1 and led the Gators to the 2005 College World Series championship game against Texas, asked Millsaps head coach Jim Page to speak at this year’s convention.

“Pat contacted me in a phone call, and I told him it would be a huge honor,” Page said. There are approximately 25 clinic speakers at each year’s convention, comprising some of the most knowledgeable and finest baseball coaches in the world. Each shares his expertise with all the coaches in attendance.

Walking into a 100,000 square-foot space resembling a Super Wal-Mart, Page spoke on “Hitting Drills to Help Build Your Swing.”

With several thousand people in attendance on Sunday morning, Page stepped to the podium overwhelmed and spoke for 40 minutes about the same drills that the Majors use, focusing primarily on adjustments, mechanics, and proper vision for hitters.

“It wasn’t necessarily the number of people, because I’ve spoken in front of large crowds before, but who they were,” Page said. “You’re surrounded by elite coaches from some of the top programs in the nation.”

Page’s topic was a fun one to speak about and nothing new for the Majors, who have led the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference in hits two of the last three seasons. Millsaps hit .338 as a team in 2006 (No. 1 in the SCAC) and 2007 (No. 2 in the SCAC).

The Majors opened the 2008 slate with the inaugural Wilson/DeMarini Classic at Twenty Field on Feb. 8, sweeping the four-team tournament and jumping out to a 3-0 overall start.

—K.M.



MajorNotesCARD acknowledges service to MillsapsMia Aurbakken Adjali, B.A.1960, was named the 2008 Alumna of the Year at the College Awards and Recognition Dinner in March. The Alumnus/a of the Year Award was established by the College in 1950 and is awarded annually to an individual in

recognition of outstanding contributions to his or her profession, church, and/or community, as well as to Millsaps College. Having advocated for women, human rights, and countless other causes throughout her career, Adjali is now the vice president of the World Federation of Methodist and Uniting Church Women. She is currently writing the history of the Church Center for the United Nations.Also honored at the CARD program were the late Martha C. (Twick) Morrison, Ann (B.A. 1973) and Bruce (B.S. 1974)

Bartling, and Joe (1969) and Polly (B.A. 1968) Bailey, all of whom received 2008 Livesay Awards. The Livesay Award honors the spirit of commitment in which Jim Livesay (B.A.1941) served the College during his life as an alumnus, a member of the College administration, and a volunteer.

Nominated by Rebecca Youngblood, executive director of the Center for Ministry, Chaplain Lisa Garvin, and Director of Church and Parent Relations

Kay Barksdale, Morrison was best known at Millsaps as the force and heart behind the Center for Ministry. “Twick worked tirelessly on behalf of those who had no voice,” said Garvin. “In her living and dying she gave us all an example of deep faith and gracious living.” P. Cooper Morrison, B.A. 1978, accepted the award on behalf of his mother, who died earlier this year. Ann and Bruce Bartling have dedicated years of time and effort to the Millsaps M-Club, which provides support to athletics at the College. Currently serving as president and secretary of the M-Club Council, the Bartlings have attended and volunteered at hundreds of athletic events over the years, cheering the Majors to victory.

Joe and Polly Bailey are responsible for starting the Millsaps Alumni Chapter in Tupelo, where Joe has had a medical practice for 28 years. He was also a member of the Board of Trustees from 1992–1997, and Polly has served on the Millsaps Alumni Council. The couple has facilitated and hosted countless admissions and alumni events in their home.

—Margaret Cahoon and Mar ibeth Wann

Dr. Frances Lucas (center) stands with alumni award recipients at the Millsaps College Awards and Recognition Dinner in March. Pictured are, from left, Joe and Polly Bailey, Mia Aurbakken Adjali, Ann and Bruce Bartling, and Bob Morrison, husband of the late Martha C. (Twick) Morrison.

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characteristics they seek is intellectual curiosity. “That’s clearly something that Millsaps fosters,” says Neff, citing the school as one of their inspirations.

“It’s really been a fun ride,” Campbell said, “and I couldn’t think of a better person to do it with than my college roommate from Millsaps.”

—M.C.

A “mover and shaker” for the Mississippi Center for JusticeWhile presenting his honors thesis in front of a panel of Millsaps professors, Rob McDuff, B.A. 1976, heard the criticism that every student dreads—it was a good paper on the surface, but he could have gone deeper and done a better job.

That lesson—to dig deeper and do better—has stuck with McDuff through his years at Harvard Law, in his private law practice as a civil rights and criminal

later ended up back with KPMG in his hometown of Atlanta.

Campbell, in turn, started his career in investment banking with Price Waterhouse. A little way down his career path, he found himself the CEO of a staffing firm in Los Angeles at the age of 29. When the opportunity arose to go into business for himself, Campbell knew he would need help, and he knew exactly whom to call.

“Dan’s very much a visionary type,” Neff said, “so we always said we’d go into business together one day.” Neff left the safety of his career at the time, and the partners purchased two branch offices of a staffing firm and founded Hire Dynamics in 2001.

From two offices in Suwanee, Ga., and Reno, Nev., Hire Dynamics has grown to 15 branches in Georgia, the Carolinas, and Nevada. From $2 million in revenue (and $1 million in debt) in 2001, the company grew to $47 million in revenue last year, with aspirations for an eventual $300 million.

When Hire Dynamics is looking for new employees, one of the top

From the halls of Ezelle to the top of their gameJon Neff, B.B.A. 1993, and Dan Campbell, B.B.A. 1993, may have started out as unlikely roommates in Ezelle in the fall of 1989, but Catalyst magazine recognized the business partners’ savvy by naming them at the top of their Top 25 Entrepreneurs in Atlanta list this past fall. Campbell and Neff are CEO and CFO, respectively, of Hire Dynamics, the largest staffing and professional recruitment company in Gwinnett County, Ga.

The company has also been listed in Staffing Industry Analyst’s Top 15 Fastest-Growing Staffing Companies in the country for the last three years running, as the No. 1 best place to work in Metro Atlanta according to Atlanta Business Chronicle, and in Inc. 5000 as one of the most dynamic private companies in the United States.

“It’s a funny story if you know us at all,” said Neff. “The reason it’s worked out so well is that we’re completely opposite.” As evidence of their differences, he offers the apocryphal tale of Neff’s appearance on Move-In Day with all his T-shirts on hangers, while Campbell showed up with all of his in a garbage bag.

“To this day, my parents credit my success in college to having Jon as a roommate,” said Campbell with a laugh, “because the guy was so organized and put together.”

The roommates became close friends, both pledging Kappa Alpha, spending time at one another’s houses on breaks, and living together for their first two years at Millsaps. Both graduated with degrees in business administration—Campbell in business and Neff in accounting.

After graduating from Millsaps, Neff accepted an offer at KPMG in Jackson, where he worked as a CPA for three years before deciding to move to London. He


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Jon Neff (left) and Dan Campbell (right) accept Catalyst magazine's Top 25 Entrepreneurs Award from the magazine's publisher, Doug Billian Jr. Neff and Campbell's work with Hire Dynamics earned them the No. 1 spot in the awards.


defense attorney, and in his service to various community organizations.

McDuff serves as vice chair of the Mississippi Center for Justice, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing racial and economic justice, which he helped form in 2002.

“For years, several of us felt that we needed a full-time public interest law office to help fill the vacuum left when the many nonprofit civil rights law groups of the 1960s closed their doors in the 70s and 80s,” McDuff said.

The problems such a center would address were numerous, including issues of equal housing access, fair credit, public education, consumer protection, voting rights, employment opportunities, and fair working conditions. The group soon discovered that trying to solve such large problems would come with equally large price tags.

After receiving a few small donations, the group decided to pursue aggressive fund raising. It was during this phase of the project that McDuff had a moment of what he calls “total serendipity,” when an anonymous donor agreed to donate funds for the first year’s budget—$300,000.

“I felt like it was a gift from heaven,” McDuff said.

Since that time the MCJ, under direction of president and CEO Martha Bergmark, has created an infrastructure for legal advocacy that aims to achieve social justice through multiple strategies. In one of those small-world coincidences, it was Bergmark’s father, Millsaps philosophy professor Dr. Robert E. Bergmark, who suggested McDuff could have done better on his thesis.

When the original board of directors

had raised enough money for the Center’s first year, (Martha) Bergmark, who at the time was living and working in Washington D.C., received a call from McDuff.

“He called and said, ‘You are coming to do this, aren’t you?’ and I couldn’t stop thinking about it,” Bergmark recalled. “He’s a persuasive guy. Rob has been a mover and shaker for the Center and is one of a very small group without whom the MCJ would not exist,” Bergmark said.

As the needs of the state have changed, the MCJ has tailored its services to the needs of those on the Gulf Coast. After Hurricane Katrina, the MCJ opened a second office on the Coast to address the myriad of problems faced by people whose lives were upended by the storm. The Center works with pro bono attorneys and law students from across the country in fighting for those who were pushed deeper into poverty by—or became poor and dislocated because of—the storm.

“Natural disasters affect everyone, but the poor have a harder time than

people with more means,” McDuff said. “The Center has been very focused on the rebuilding of the Coast, and its work there really stands out.”

The Center has established the Katrina Victims Legal Relief Fund to help residents, organizations, and small businesses with immediate and long-term legal needs.

A native of Hattiesburg, McDuff is a recipient of numerous awards, including the Pro Bono Service Award of the International Human Rights Law Group of Washington and the NAACP Legal Award of the Mississippi Conference NAACP. He is a member of the board of directors of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and a former faculty member of the University of Mississippi Law School.

—Kara Paulk


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Rob McDuff, B.A. 1976, has been instrumental in the formation and continuation of the Mississippi Center for Justice.

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Millsaps Alumni Association News

Dear Fellow Alumni:

Most of the 10,000 alums from Millsaps would agree that we owe much of our success to the wonderful experiences and world-class education we received at the College. Remaining connected to Millsaps and serving as a volunteer for the College are ways to say thank you. The opportunities to give back to Millsaps are endless and critically important to the College’s future.

The Millsaps College Alumni Association exists to encourage and promote alumni participation in the Millsaps community through service and leadership and to facilitate the lifelong role each of us has as a steward of the College. By virtue of graduation from Millsaps, your membership in the Association is automatic. The Association works to strengthen the bond between Millsaps and our alumni community through a loose network of regional chapters, and it assists the College in a number of areas including admissions, faculty support, career development, gifting, and visibility. Members of the Association’s Board of Directors are working hard in each of these areas, and they are continually planning alumni gatherings throughout the country. On behalf of the Association’s Board, I’d like to thank the countless number of alums who volunteer their time and talent for the benefit of the College.

We hope you’ll join us at a regional gathering soon. If you’d like to help plan an alumni event or serve as a volunteer, or if you have any suggestions or questions, please feel free to contact me at [email protected] or 205-268-1000 or Dr. Todd Rose, vice president for campus programs and alumni, at [email protected] or 601-974-1111.

Best regards and welcome to our newest members, the graduates from the Class of 2008.

— David M. Loper (1986) National President

Millsaps Alumni AssociationThe Millsaps Alumni Association has held regional events in several cities this year : Atlanta, Baton Rouge, La., Birmingham, Ala., Corinth, Dallas, Jackson, Memphis, Tenn., Nashville, Tenn., New Orleans, Tupelo, New York, and Washington D.C.

Thanks to the following alumni who helped to make these events happen:Bill Crosby 1961, Chris Crosby 1989, Page Inman 1989, 1991, Marla Inman 1990, Steve Sansom 1991, Dan Keel 1984, Julie Skipper 2001, Chris Spear 2007, Scott Christian 1988, Mike Bacile 1988, Thomas LaBoone 1987, Lisa Hapgood 1985, 1989, Jim Lancaster 1991, Todd Cassetty 1991, 1992, Monica Sanusi Gele 1994, Lee Chawla 1989, Maud DeLes Gober Lancaster 1984, Ken Lancaster 1984, Dana Miller Bullard 1988, Arch Bullard 1986, Polly Gatlin Bailey 1968, Joe N. Bailey III 1969, Tom Shima 1987, Jessica Knight 2004, Laurence Ou 2002, Trey Ourso 1992, Charlie Diel 1995, and Alan Hunter 1979

More Alumni Association regional events are being planned, including the following areas: Dallas, Vicksburg, Natchez, Houston, Northern California, and Philadelphia, Pa.

For the most current list of regional events, please visit the Alumni Events Calendar at www.millsaps.edu/alumni_friends/alumevents.shtml

Alumni Association Board 2007–08Executive Committee: David M. Loper 1986, president; Ward W. Van Skiver 1965, past president; Peter G. Austin 1997, chair, career development and networking committee; Rex D. Poole 1963, chair, gifting committee; Shannon R. Manning 1997, chair, faculty support committee; Lawrence Y. Ou 2002, chair, visibility-building/engagement committee; Julie C. Skipper 2001, chair, admissions committee Board of Directors: Sarah E. Bartlett 2003, Allyn C. Boone 1973, Dana M. Bullard 1988, Lewis A. (Anthony) Bullock 2001, Monica Sanusi Gelé 1994, Jessica Knight 2004, Maud DeLes Lancaster 1984, Jean N. Medley 1968, Tom Murrey 1982, Edward L. Norwood Jr. 2004, John Sawyer 2005, Betsy S. Walkup 1968, Carla D. Webb 1997, L. “Conrad” Welker Jr. 1950

Millsaps alumni gathered for fun, fellowship, and memories at regional events in Dallas (left) and Jackson (right) in late 2007.


1962Dr. Willard S. Moore, B.S. 1962, of Hopkins, S.C., received one of the Stony Brook Alumni Association’s Distinguished Alumni Awards on Nov. 15, 2007, at an awards dinner held as part of the State University of New York–Stony Brook’s 50th anniversary celebration. The association annually selects alumni with exceptional achievements and careers that reflect the highest values embraced and promoted by both the University and the Alumni Association, and who have also demonstrated extraordinary commitment to the University. Dr. Moore received the first Ph.D. in earth and space sciences (now geosciences) from the University in 1969. A research professor and distinguished professor emeritus at the University of South Carolina–Columbia, Dr. Moore is renowned in the field of chemical oceanography and marine geochemistry. In July 2007, he was awarded a fellowship from the Hanse Institute for Advanced Study in Delmenhorst, Germany, where he will be in residence from May-September 2008 and 2009.

1967William G. (Jerry) Duck, B.S. 1967, of San Francisco has retired as chief corporate counsel of Chevron Corporation, where he worked for 38 years. At his retirement, he was based in the law department of Chevron Global Headquarters in San Ramon. As chief corporate counsel, he provided legal services to the corporate center and in such areas as intellectual property, employment, real estate, compliance, and information technology. He also provided legal advice to the audit committee of Chevron’s board of directors. Duck began his career in 1970 as an attorney with the Jackson office of

Gulf Oil Corp. He served as senior counsel at Gulf Oil’s New Orleans and Houston offices from 1973-1985. In 1985, upon the merger of Gulf Oil and Chevron, he was hired as managing counsel with Chevron Global Headquarters, based at the San Francisco office. During his career, Duck brought several cases before the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. In March 1981, he presented a case before the U.S. Supreme Court. His professional memberships have included the American Labor Lawyers Association, for which he served as president. He is also a past member of the board of directors of the San Francisco Ballet.

1968Margaret (Furr) Bafalon, B.A. 1968, of Sonoma, Calif., won the international grand prize in the Colby Awards, held by Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corporation, in December 2007. The contest challenged realtors for the international real estate company to illustrate the use of video for business purposes by creating a short video about a town or home for sale. In her winning video, Bafalon profiled her hometown of Sonoma. She is a realtor with Coldwell Banker de Anza in Sonoma.

1969David L. Martin, B.A. 1969, of Ridgeland was included in the 2008 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Attorneys are chosen for inclusion in the advertisement-free book after a balloting process that includes 1.8 million confidential peer-review surveys and extensive telephone interviews with leading U.S. attorneys. Martin is an attorney and shareholder with the Jackson office of Watkins Ludlam Winter & Stennis, P.A. His areas of litigation include insurance and administrative law, corporate law, finance

law, government relations, and mediation. He holds membership in such professional organizations as the American Bar Association, The Mississippi Bar Association, the Hinds County Bar Association, and the Federation of Regulatory Counsel. In 2006, Martin was chosen as one of the best corporate lawyers in the United States by The Best of the U.S. LLC. He has also been included in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Business Lawyers.

Jim B. Tohill, B.A. 1969, of Jackson was included in the 2008 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Attorneys are chosen for inclusion in the advertisement-free book after a balloting process that includes 1.8 million confidential peer-review surveys and extensive telephone interviews with leading U.S. attorneys. Tohill has been listed in The Best Lawyers of America for more than 20 years. He is an attorney and shareholder with the Jackson office of Watkins Ludlam Winter & Stennis, P.A. His areas of litigation include contract law, real property, public lands development, and commercial finance. A fellow of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers and the American College of Mortgage Lawyers, he holds membership in such professional associations as The Mississippi Bar Association and the Hinds County Bar Association. Tohill has also been featured in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Business Lawyers.

1973Frank L. Ezelle, B.A. 1973, of Jackson is a volunteer with the Millsaps department of athletics as a photographer for sports events. In 2006–07, he photographed approximately 80 events, providing the College with around 13,000 photographs. Ezelle also maintains a website that features over 15,000 of his sports photographs. He

Send it in: Millsaps Magazine would like you to know that its Major Notes policy has changed. The magazine is now printing only information sent in specifically for Major Notes. In the past, material was

gleaned from newspaper clippings and other sources. The change was made to protect the privacy of alumni and to simplify the editing process. We would like to encourage all alumni to send in their news

items, whether big or small, personal or professional, to Nell Luter Floyd, Office of Communications, Millsaps College, 1701 North State Street, Jackson, MS 39210-0001. Fax : 601-974-1456. Phone: 601-974-1033

or 1-86-MILLSAPS (1-866 -455-7277). Email: [email protected]. Please include your name, address, phone numbers, email address, graduation year and degree, and any news you want to share. Appropri-

ate items include births, weddings, advanced degrees, awards, job promotions, etc. Photographs are also welcome. If you are aware of alumni who are not receiving the magazine, please send us their names and

addresses.

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MajorNotes

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is a computer programmer with Mississippi Valley Title Insurance Co. in Madison.

1975Dr. William P. Carroll, B.A. 1975, of Greensboro, N.C., was named associate dean of the School of Music at the University of North Carolina–Greensboro in July 2007. Prior to this position, he served as director of choral activities and vocal division chair at the University, where he has been for 23 years. He has also served as guest conductor for numerous workshops, honor choirs, and clinics, such as the North Carolina High School Honors Chorus and All-State Chorus and the Lake Junaluska Music Week. He has given presentations for the Eastern Division American Choral Directors Association Convention, the Fellowship of United Methodist Musicians National Conference, and the Intercollegiate Men’s Choruses Association National Convocation. For 15 years, Carroll served as conductor of the Choral Society of Greensboro. In addition to his University responsibilities, he is the educational consultant for Hinshaw Music, Inc., and edits his own choral series.

Alveno N. Castilla, B.A. 1975, M.B.A. 1982, of Jackson was included in the 2008 edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Attorneys are chosen for inclusion in the advertisement-free book after a balloting process that includes 1.8 million confidential peer-review surveys and extensive telephone interviews with leading U.S. attorneys. Castilla has been listed in The Best Lawyers of America for more than 10 years. He is an attorney and shareholder with the Jackson office of Watkins Ludlam Winter & Stennis P.A., and is chairman of the firm’s board of directors. He is also a certified public accountant in Mississippi and Tennessee. Castilla’s areas of litigation include corporations law, tax law, and finance. He holds memberships in such professional organizations as the American Bar Association, The Mississippi Bar Association, the Hinds County Bar Association, the American Institute of

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Certified Public Accountants, and the Mississippi Society of Certified Public Accountants. Castilla is a member of the Millsaps College Board of Trustees and the Advisory Board for the Else School of Management. He is also a member of the board of directors for the Metro Jackson Chamber of Commerce. In 2006, he was listed in Who’s Who Legal: USA–Corporate Tax.

David J. Womack, B.A. 1975, of Jackson released a children’s CD, Hold Your Nose When You Swallow A Goat, in December 2007. The CD is a collection of songs that he performs and teaches at Galloway United Methodist Church, where he has been the teacher in the early childhood development center for the past ten years. Womack is an award-winning songwriter and publisher. In 1992, he released The Guru of Kudzu, a collection of songs about growing up in the South. He is also the cocomposer of two musicals that were chosen to be performed as part of the Eudora Welty New Play Series at New Stage Theater, Eden in 1992 and Shooting Star, Blue Skies in 1996. In addition to his own records and CDs, his songs have been recorded by John Conlee, Loretta Lynn, and Lou Reed.

1976Mary Ellen (Breed) Harris, B.A. 1976, of Jackson was named Teacher of the Year for 2007 at Jackson Academy.

1977Douglas M. Minor, B.A. 1977, of Madison is senior vice president and a financial advisor with the Jackson office of the regional investment firm Morgan Keegan and Company, Inc., which he joined in February 2007. He married Dr. Deborah (Debbie) Salvant, B.S. 1978, on August 27, 2005. She is an associate professor of pharmacy practice at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

1981William (Bill) D. Fitzgerald, B.A. 1981, of Little Rock accepted a newly created position as creative director with Heifer International in October 2007. He is based at the nonprofit organization’s international headquarters in Little Rock. As creative director, he is responsible for supervising a team of graphic designers, copywriters, and video producers to create educational and promotional materials for the organization. Heifer International is dedicated to working with communities to end hunger and poverty and care for the earth by providing livestock, training, and related services to small-scale farmers and communities worldwide. Prior to his position with Heifer, Fitzgerald was the associate creative director for the advertising agency Cranford Johnson Robinson Woods in Little Rock for 10 years. In this role, he developed creative advertising for the Department of Parks and Tourism.

1983John Marshall Pemberton Sr., B.B.A. 1983, of Atlanta joined GAB Robins North America as branch manager of the firm’s Atlanta office in December 2007. With affiliated operations in 52 countries, GAB Robins is a leading provider of global risk management services and solutions to the insurance and self-insured marketplace.

W. Whitaker (Whit) Rayner, B.A. 1983, of Madison was included in the 2008

To find alumni online, log on to MyMillsaps.com

The Millsaps alumni online community makes it easy for alumni to stay in touch with classmates and their alma mater. Access to the online community is a password-protected benefit exclusively for Millsaps alumni. Registered users enjoy a number of services, including an online search for other alumni and permanent email forwarding, which allows alumni to receive email no matter how many times their addresses change. An online calendar alerts alumni to upcoming events on and off campus, enabling graduates to stay informed. Alumni can also report changes in their addresses and personal information. If you would like additional information or if you have questions or comments about the online community, please email us at [email protected] or call 1-86-MILLSAPS.


Katrina and Mississippi’s continuing struggles to rebuild today. The book also covers the state’s cultural contributions to the world through music and literature. Each volume in the On-the-Road Histories series presents a comprehensive account of the past and present history of each of the 50 states in the United States, as well as the District of Columbia. The series of guidebooks is supplemented by photographs and maps, a chronology of major events, a list of famous natives, extracts from literature, visitor resources and must-see sights, cultural highlights and special events, and extensive appendices. Wynne signed copies of Mississippi at Lemuria Books in Jackson on Dec. 22, 2007. He is an assistant professor of history at Gainesville State College in Georgia and the author of a number of works on Mississippi and the South.

1986William (Billy) F. Waits, B.S. 1986, of Hattiesburg is the president and owner of Waits Engineering Consultants, Inc., in Hattiesburg. The civil engineering and land surveying consulting firm oversees residential and commercial development projects. Waits founded the firm in 2002.

1987Dean E. Taggart, B.B.A. 1987, of Birmingham was promoted to vice president of internal controls with the Birmingham office of HealthSouth in June 2006. He joined the corporation, one of the nation’s largest health-care services providers, as a director of internal controls in February 2006.

1989Dr. James E. Cummins Jr., B.S. 1989, of Frederick, Md., presented a lecture on topical microbicides for the prevention of HIV-1 infection at the Microbicides–2008 Conference in New Delhi, India, in February. He is a project leader for the Infectious Disease Research Department of the Southern Research Institute, a diversified network of collaborative centers

edition of The Best Lawyers in America. Attorneys are chosen for inclusion in the advertisement-free book after a balloting process that includes 1.8 million confidential peer-review surveys and extensive telephone interviews with leading U.S. attorneys. Rayner is an attorney and shareholder with the Jackson office of Watkins Ludlam Winter & Stennis, P.A. He is also chairman of the firm’s litigation practice group. His areas of litigation include trademark and copyright, commercial litigation, and computer law and e-commerce. Rayner is a member of the board of directors for the Willowood Developmental Center in Jackson and the Mississippi chapter of the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership organization, for which he served as board president from 2005-2007. He is also a member of International Trademark’s U.S. Legislation Committee and the advisory board for the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. From 2003-2006, Rayner taught current issues in intellectual property law through the University of Mississippi Center for Continuing Legal Information in Jackson and Natchez. He has been a guest lecturer at the University of Mississippi School of Law, Mississippi College School of Law, and Millsaps. Rayner was selected as one of the best intellectual property lawyers in the United States in 2006 by The Best of the U.S. LLC. He is also featured in the 2005-06 edition of Who’s Who Legal USA–Trademarks.

1984Dr. Benjamin R. Wynne, B.B.A. 1984, of Watkinsville, Ga., is the author of Mississippi, an On-the-Road Histories series guidebook, published by Interlink Books in November 2007. The book sketches Mississippi’s development from primarily native settlements and wilderness to industry-driven cities; examines the importance of slavery, agriculture, and the resulting devastation that followed the Civil War; follows the slow transition from segregation to equal rights marked by the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s; and discusses the devastation of Hurricane

for scientific discovery and technology development. He is based at the Institute’s Frederick branch. Cummins received his Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of Alabama-Birmingham in 1998. As a National Research Service Award Fellow from 2001-04, he completed post-doctoral research at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of AIDS, STD, and TB Laboratory Research in the HIV and Retrovirology Branch in Atlanta. He has given presentations on the development of topical HIV microbicides in Belgium, South Africa, Australia, England, and Canada. He has written or coauthored numerous articles and reviews in leading peer-reviewed journals. He is also the coauthor of a chapter in the 2005 edition of the The Annual Reports of Medicinal Chemistry. In March and July 2007, Cummins was invited to serve on two grant committees for the National Institutes of Health.

1990David A. Reece, B.S. 1990, of Rogers, Ark., is the director of analysts and systems automation with The Coleman Co., based in Bentonville, Ark. The company is a leading manufacturer of outdoor camping equipment.

1991William R. Hannah, B.A. 1991, of Hixson, Tenn., is an attorney with the law firm Chambliss, Bahner, & Stophel, P.C., in Chattanooga.

David V. Lester, B.A. 1991, of Decorah, Iowa, was named head coach of the women’s golf team at Luther College in Decorah in July 2006. The team is currently ranked 24th in the NCAA Division III rankings. Luther is a selective, four-year institution in northeast Iowa, has an enrollment of 2,600 students and offers a liberal arts education leading to the bachelor of arts degree in 60 majors and pre-professional programs.

Dr. Andrew J. Velkey II, B.S. 1991, of Newport News, Va., was elected to the

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board of directors for Sigma Xi, the international honor society of science and engineering, in November 2007. One of the youngest people ever elected to Sigma Xi’s board, Velkey is the representative for the society’s Mid-Atlantic region. He also serves as secretary for the Tidewater Virginia Chapter of Sigma Xi. He is an associate professor of psychology at Christopher Newport University in Newport News.

1992Cynthia Clark Wilkinson, B.S. 1992, and William (Bill) H. Wilkinson Jr. of Bumpass, Va., announce the birth of their daughter, Anna Katherine, on August 23, 2006. Cynthia divides her time between parenting and working as a part-time physical therapist with Therapy Services of Virginia in Louisa. Bill is a manager with Dominion Energy in Richmond.

1994Cheryl McGarity Dietz, B.B.A. 1994, and Richard E. Dietz Jr. of New Orleans announce the birth of their son, Harrison Edward, on August 28, 2005. Cheryl is a full-time mother. Richard is a surgical account manager for Alcon Labs, Inc.

Douglas R. Boone, M.B.A. 1994, of Jackson was named by IBM as senior location executive for Jackson and senior state executive for Mississippi in July 2007.

Based at the company’s Jackson office, he is also an associate partner with IBM’s Global Business Services Division. Boone’s new position designates him as IBM’s ambassador for Mississippi. He will serve as a link between the company, community, and state. Boone also serves as vice president of the board of directors for Operation Shoestring and is a member of

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the Else School of Management advisory board, for which he serves as chair of the technology committee.

1995Brent E. Sheppard, B.S. 1995, M.B.A. 1999, and Emily M. (Mayo) Sheppard, B.S. 1997, of Memphis are the parents of Ellen Elizabeth, born May 9, 2007. She has one sister, Sarah. Brent is the manager of account development with the Memphis office of American Express. Emily is a pediatric dentist with Pediatric Dentistry in Eads. She completed her residency in pediatric dentistry at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in June 2007.

1996Reneé A. (Gober) McGill, B.A. 1996, and Derek McGill of Saltillo are the parents of Lydia Faith, born Oct. 16, 2007. She has two sisters, Sarah and Hannah. Reneé is a full-time mother. Derek is an electrical engineer with the Tennessee Valley Authority, based in Tupelo.

Allison Tays Musso, B.B.A. 1996, M.Acc. 1997, and Matthew (Matt) Francis Musso of Nashville announce the birth of their daughter, Mary Frances, on May 11, 2006. Allison has resigned from her position as senior internal auditor at Vanderbilt University to become a full-time mother. Matt is vice president of tax with the Nashville office of DSI Holding Company, Inc. The private equity firm is involved in the acquisition, development, and operation of kidney dialysis clinics, hospitals, and acute care centers.

Heather Gilliam Young, B.A. 1996, and William Frederick Young IV of Marietta, Ga., announce the birth of their daughter, Sara Elizabeth, on June 19, 2007.

1998Laura Moore Pruett, B.A. 1998, and her husband David B. Pruett of Murfreesboro, Tenn., both received their Ph.D.s in musicology from Florida State University in Tallahassee in December 2007. Laura is

the music librarian and an instructor of music history at the School of Music at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) in Murfreesboro. David is an instructor of ethnomusicology at MTSU.

Mary Largent Purvis, B.S. 1998, and John Alexander (Alex) Purvis of Jackson are the parents of John (Jack)

Largent, born August 9, 2007. He has one sister, Cate. Mary is an adjunct professor of legal writing, appellate advocacy, and secured transactions at Mississippi College School of Law for 2007–08. She is also the executive director of Jackson Young Lawyers, a networking and service organization that strives to strengthen the bond between attorneys in the Jackson area by emphasizing community, education, and service. She continues to practice law on a limited contract basis and is self-employed. Alex is an associate with the Jackson office of the law firm Bradley Arant Rose & White, LLP.

April D. Turner, B.S. 1998, and Chris Przybyszewski of Southaven are the parents of Sarah Elizabeth, born March 28, 2007. She has two sisters, Elaina and Morgan. April is the development and outreach specialist for the American Association of Laboratory Animals, based in Memphis. Chris is director of grants and communication for the InMotion Musculoskeletal Institute, a nonprofit orthopedic research laboratory in Memphis.

1999Rachel Evangeline Barham, B.A. 1999, and James Edward Rogers of Washington, D.C., were married Oct. 27, 2007, in Mathiston. Both Barham and Rogers are professional singers. Rachel received her master’s degree in music from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., in October 2005.


George W. Crook Jr., B.A. 1999, and Kristin T. Crook of Franklin, Tenn., are the parents of Anna Claire, born July 2, 2007. She has two brothers, Wills and David. George is the director of development for Salama Urban Ministries in Nashville. The nonprofit foundation seeks to prepare pre-K–12th grade students for college, career, and leadership by providing a five-day-a-week, year-round liberal arts program that is supplemental to school. Kristin is a full-time mother.

Michael A. McKenzie, B.A. 1999, of Houston is the author of Ghetto Passport, republished by the Paul Robeson Firm in March 2007. The nonfiction book examines politics, religion, drugs, violence, classism, and racism in order to provide sociological understanding and encourage societal change. McKenzie is a unique learner specialist with the Alief Independent School District in Houston, where he administers the Discovery Center at Alief Middle School. In his position, he is responsible for targeting behaviorally challenged students and helping them to retain social adaptability in the classroom. McKenzie is also vice president of the advisory board for KIPP: Liberation College Preparatory, a charter school in Houston that he helped found. He is pursuing a doctorate in curriculum and instruction at Texas Southern University in Houston. He received his master’s degree in education administration from the University in May 2005.

2000Cameron C. Bell, B.B.A. 2000, and Hannah Silkman, B.A. 2002, of Gulfport were married Sept. 22, 2007, in Gulfport. Cameron is a real estate broker and attorney. Hannah is the communications and marketing specialist for the American Cancer Society Mid-South Division, Inc., in Gulfport.

Rachel E. Cook, B.A. 2000, and James Robert (Bob) Freeman of Thompson’s Station, Tenn., were married June 17, 2006

in Nashville. Deanna (Wise) Henschel, B.B.A. 2000, served as maid-of-honor, and Adam O. Cook, B.B.A. 2004, served as a groomsman. Bridesmaids included Amy Brazda, B.S. 2000, Sarah K. (Young) Bryant, B.A. 2000, Christina (Crissy) K. Cassetty, B.B.A. 1996, and Jessica E. (Dill) Ditch, B.A. 2000. G. Bradley Bennett, B.B.A. 2000, M.Acc. 2001, and Thomas H. (Hayes) Bryant, B.B.A. 2000, served as ushers. Rachel is the clinical director of the Rape and Sexual Abuse Center in Nashville. She received her master’s degree from the University of Tennessee School of Social Work in Nashville in May 2002. Bob is a project engineer focusing on green building with Weick Construction, LLC, in Nashville. He is pursuing his second bachelor’s degree in construction management from Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro.

2002James A. Ellis, B.B.A. 2002, and Mary E. Liles, B.B.A. 2003, of New Orleans were married April 21, 2007, in Monroe, La. James is pursuing an M.B.A. from the Freeman School of Business at Tulane University. Mary is a medical informatics analyst with Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans.

Raymond M. (Michael) Waters IV, B.B.A. 2002, and Emily Miller of Starkville were married June 2, 2007, in Drew. Michael is the branch manager of Waters Truck & Tractor Co., Inc., in Kosciusko.

2003Robert C. Caskey, B.S. 2003, and Ann Rooney of Jackson were married August 11, 2007 in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. Caskey is in his final year

of medical school at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. In 2004–05, he took a leave of absence from UMC to

study at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, from which he received his master’s degree in biology and control of disease vectors in March 2006. Rooney is a paralegal with Brunini, Grantham, Grower & Hewes, PLLC, in Jackson. She received her degree in law and accounting with first class honours from Queen’s University in Belfast in July 2003. Between her junior and senior years, she studied business at Millsaps through the Business Education Initiative, a program that allows students from Northern Ireland to study business for one year at church-affiliated universities and colleges in the United States. Rooney completed her Legal Practice Course at BPP Law School in London in June 2005. She qualified as a solicitor in August 2007, following two years as a trainee solicitor in London.

2004Katrina R. Byrd, B.A. 2004, of Jackson received a grant from the Mississippi Arts Commission in December 2007. A playwright and fiction writer, she has several works in progress, including a novel and a collection of plays. The commission is a state agency that serves Mississippians through grants that support programs to enhance Mississippi communities, assist artists and arts organizations, and promote the arts in education and celebrate Mississippi’s cultural heritage. It is funded by the Mississippi Legislature, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Wallace Foundation, and other private sources.

2005Sara K. (Kati) Fleming, B.A. 2005, of Jackson is a psychology technician at Mississippi State Hospital in Whitfield.

Eleanore D. Kelly, B.A. 2005, of Washington, D.C., was hired as constituent services director and assistant to the chief of staff for U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R–Miss.) in January 2008. From April–November 2007, she managed the campaign to reelect Mississippi State Treasurer Tate Reeves, B.S.

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1996. Reeves won by the largest margin in statewide election history.

2006Kalen D. Conerly, M.B.A. 2006, of Brandon is the executive editor for neurosurgery and orthopedics with Thieme Medical Publishers, Inc., based in New York City. The German firm publishes more than

130 medical and scientific journals, as well as more than 500 new books annually, in traditional print and electronic form through their Thieme-connect server. Conerly telecommutes from her home office in Brandon.

but can you think?

In business, vision is more vital than memory.

So we don’t just open books in our M.B.A. classes. We open minds.

To fInd ouT More, cAll 601-974-1253 or go To www.millsaps.edu

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MajorNotesJohn C. Batte Jr., 1940, died Nov. 6, 2007. At Millsaps, he was a member of Kappa Alpha fraternity.

Danny L. Blair, B.A. 1971, of Memphis died August 30, 2007. While at Millsaps, he was a member of Kappa Alpha fraternity, Eta Sigma Phi, Gamma Gamma Gamma, and The Millsaps Players. He also served as vice president of the Interfraternity Council.

Monta H. (Harding) Bledsoe, 1942, of Jackson, Tenn., died Oct. 3, 2007. At Millsaps, she was a member of Kappa Delta sorority and Chi Chi Chi.

Antoinette (Toni) Burton Branch, 1946, of McComb died Oct. 8, 2007. At Millsaps, she was a member of Chi Omega sorority and the Purple & White staff. She was named a campus beauty in the 1944 Bobashela.

Joan F. Brown, 1960, of Louisville died June 30, 2007. At Millsaps, she was a member of Sigma Lambda, Kappa Delta Epsilon, the International Relations Club, the Majorette Club, and The Millsaps Singers. She was also on the Dean’s List. She served as treasurer of Phi Mu sorority and vice president of Westminster Fellowship. She was also an orientation counselor and served on the Student Senate.

Peggy (Helen) Carr Buchanan, B.A. 1947, of Houston died Oct. 19, 2007. At Millsaps, she was a member of the Student Executive Board, the Christian Council, Chi Delta, Pi Kappa Delta, the International Relations Club, and Sigma Lambda. She served as editor in chief and news editor of the Purple & White, secretary and treasurer of Phi Mu sorority, and president of the Debate Club. She was also a member of the Purple & White business staff. A generous financial supporter of the college, she contributed to the Ross Moore Endowment in the Humanities, as well as the Annual Fund and the Millsaps-Wilson Library.

Martha Jean (Lee) Byrd, B.A. 1950, of Yazoo City died Nov. 25, 2007. At Millsaps, she was a member of Phi Mu sorority, Kappa Delta Epsilon, and the band.

Mary S. (Strait) Causey, 1941, of Gloster died Oct. 23, 2002.

Woods B. Cavett, B.A. 1959, of Jackson died Nov. 16, 2007. At Millsaps, he served as president of Kappa Sigma fraternity and was a member of the Interfraternity Council. He also played intramural sports.

Dr. Edwin H. Cole, B.S. 1950, of Richton died Feb. 1, 2008. At Millsaps, he was a member of Phi Alpha and Alpha Epsilon Delta.

Dr. Clyde Harwell Dabbs, B.S. 1943, of Harriman, Tenn., died Aug. 29, 2007. At Millsaps, he was a member of Kappa Alpha fraternity and Omicron Delta Kappa.

William F. Dent, 1954, of Jackson died July 23, 2007.

Lilla Josephine C. (Colson) Dever, B.S. 1936, of Colorado Springs, Colo., died November 2007. At Millsaps, she was a member of Chi Omega sorority, the Spanish club, the French Club, The Millsaps Singers, YWCA, and the Science Club. She served as a student assistant in the English department.

Sally Lou H. (Harlan) Durr, B.S. 1972, of Senatobia died May 3, 2007. At Millsaps, she was a member of Phi Mu sorority, Alpha Epsilon Delta, Chi Chi Chi, Beta Beta Beta, the Majorette Club, and Theta Nu Sigma. She was on the Dean’s List and graduated cum laude.

John M. Flowers Sr., B.S. 1955, of Ridgeland died Nov. 21, 2007.

Mary Crawford Dennis Folk, B.A. 1941, of Nashville died Jan. 30, 2008. At Millsaps, she was a member of Chi Omega sorority, Eta Sigma Phi, Chi Delta, Kit Kat, Pi Kappa Delta, the Beethoven Club, the Purple &

White staff, and the French club. She also served as a student assistant in the library. She graduated cum laude.

Martha F. (Frances) Gandy, B.A. 1947, of Hattiesburg died July 26, 2007. While at Millsaps, she majored in economics and was a member of the Vikings.

Rosa E. Hamby, B.A. 1941, of Eupora died Jan. 23, 2008. She majored in English.

Melvina A. (Ainsworth) Hunter, B.A. 1941, of Anguilla died Sept. 18, 2007. At Millsaps, she was a member of the YWCA, the Empyreans, and the Woman’s Association.

Capt. Mildred B. (Breland) Leake, B.S. 1937, of Woodville died Sept. 24, 2007. At Millsaps, she was a member of Zeta Tau Alpha sorority, Alpha Phi Omega, and Omicron Delta Kappa.

Willanna Craven B. (Buck) Mallett, B.A. 1929, of Jackson died July 15, 2007. At Millsaps, she was a member of Kappa Delta sorority, Chi Delta Phi, Eta Sigma, the YWCA Cabinet, the Purple & White staff, and the All One Club. She served as a sponsor for both the football and baseball teams. She was named Most Beautiful Co-Ed in the 1929 Bobashela and a campus beauty in the 1928 Bobashela. She graduated summa cum laude.

Mary Velma Simpson Mansell, B.A. 1932, of Camden died Dec. 26, 2007. At Millsaps, she was a member of Beta Sigma Omicron sorority, the Student Executive Board, the Literary Society, and the Classical Club. She served as president and vice president of the Beethoven Club, president and treasurer of YWCA, member of the YWCA Cabinet, secretary-treasurer of the student body, and vice president of the Freshman Commission. She also served as a Blue Ridge Delegate and was an assistant in the English Department. A recipient of the piano scholarship, Mansell served as the accompanist for The Millsaps Singers during her sophomore and junior years.

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Elbert C. Williams, B.S. 1949, of Gulfport died Nov. 17, 2007. He majored in history.

Lloyd M. Wiseman, 1948, of Garland, Texas, died Oct. 23, 2007. He attended the College as part of the Navy V-12 officer training program.

FriendsDr. William Thomas (Tom) Jolly of Memphis died Nov. 4, 2007. He was an assistant professor of classical languages at the College from 1959–1965.

Caroline H. Moore of Roswell, Ga., died Nov. 30, 2007. She was on staff with the Millsaps-Wilson Library from 1969–1977. From 1971–1977, she served as acquisitions librarian with the rank of instructor on faculty with the College. She was married to Robert Edgar Moore, a former professor and chair of the education department at Millsaps from 1960–1972.

Roy H. McDaniel, B.S. 1936, of Jackson died Dec. 2, 2007. At Millsaps, he was a member of Sigma Rho Chi fraternity and the varsity football, baseball, and basketball teams. He served as alternate captain of the football team during his senior year. He also served as president of his senior class and was named Master Major in 1936. In 1990, he was inducted into the Millsaps Sports Hall of Fame.

Mary Frances (Meadows) Nicholls, B.A. 1949, of New Orleans died August 7, 2007. At Millsaps, she was a member of Kappa Delta sorority, Kappa Delta Epsilon, and Chi Delta.

Willie C. (Claire) Nowlin, 1964, of Pearl died Jan. 10, 2007. At Millsaps, she was a member of The Millsaps Singers and The Millsaps Players. She also served as an assistant in the sociology department.

Nona E. (Ewing) Reid, B.A. 1953, of Jackson died Dec. 7, 2007. While at Millsaps, she was a member of Chi Omega sorority, Chi Delta, The Millsaps Players, and The Millsaps Singers.

Virginia M. (Mayfield) Riggs, B.A. 1940, of Jackson died Sept. 25, 2007. At Millsaps, she was a member of Phi Mu sorority and Chi Delta. In 1942, she married Marvin A. Riggs, B.A. 1933. Prior to his death in 2005, he made a generous gift to the Millsaps-Wilson Library in honor of Virginia, who had served as head librarian for Hinds Community College for 15 years. She was instrumental in helping to build three libraries at Hinds Community College branches. In May 2006, the Virginia Mayfield Riggs Reading Room and the Virginia Riggs Study Center opened at Millsaps.

Sam L. Roberts Jr., 1959, of Port Gibson died July 14, 2007. At Millsaps, he was a member of Kappa Sigma fraternity.

Verna W. Shelton, 1929, of Jackson died Feb. 1, 2008.

Jack N. Stuart, 1938, of Morton died Oct. 28, 2007.

Elizabeth K. (Knox) Swayze, 1931, B.A. 1931, of Jackson died Dec. 11, 2007. At Millsaps, she was a member of Phi Mu sorority and The Millsaps Singers.

Glenn Parker Teasley, 1947, of Florence died Nov. 2, 2007. At Millsaps, he was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha and the basketball and baseball teams. He attended the College as part of the Navy V-12 officer training program.

William J. (W.J.) Tremaine, 1934, of Raphine, Va., died Dec. 21, 2007. At Millsaps, he was a member of Kappa Alpha fraternity.

Carolyn W. Walters, B.A. 1954, of Cordova, Tenn., died Aug. 20, 2007. At Millsaps, she was a member of Delta Delta Delta sorority and was on the Dean’s List.

Charles (Chunkin’ Charlie) Lipsey Ward Sr., B.S. 1941, of Pelahatchie died Sept. 20, 2007. While at Millsaps, he was a member of the M-Club and the football, baseball, and basketball teams. He also served as vice president of his junior and senior classes. A member of the 1940–41 Dixie Conference Championship Basketball Team, Ward made All-Dixie Guard 1940–1941. He was a charter member of the Millsaps College Sports Hall of Fame, to which he was inducted in 1968.

Helen Bond Weems, B.A. 1936, of Alexandria, La., died July 24, 2007. At Millsaps, she was a member of Kappa Delta sorority, the Student Executive Board, The Millsaps Singers, the Classical Club, the YWCA, and the Freshman Commission. She served as president of the Girls’ Panhellenic Council.

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Reverend John Ed Thomas IIIThe Reverend John Ed Thomas III, B.A. 1959, Millsaps Trustee and retired minister in the Mississippi Conference of the United Methodist Church, died November 24 at the age of 70.

“John Ed was a trustee who exemplified devotion and accessibility to an institution he cared for deeply,” said Dr. Frances Lucas, president of the College. “He went beyond the call of duty for Millsaps College.”

A native of Woodville, Thomas held a bachelor of arts degree from Millsaps College and a master of divinity degree from Emory University. He was a member of the Millsaps Singers, as was his wife, Margaret Ewing Thomas, B.A. 1958. The couple's love of music passed to their children, Susan Thomas Stillman, B.A. 1989, John Edward Thomas IV, B.B.A. 1997, and Molly Ewing Thomas (see story, p. 14). The family also established the John Ed Thomas Family Endowed Scholarship, which is awarded to a freshman participating in the Millsaps Singers or Millsaps Chamber Singers. Throughout his years as a pastor and as superintendent of the East Jackson District from 1986 to 1992, Thomas developed a reputation as a visionary minister, inspirational leader, and devoted friend.

“John Ed Thomas was a guiding light in the Mississippi Conference throughout his 40 years of active ministry,” said Claire Dobbs, associate pastor at Oxford University United Methodist Church. “He remains, in blessed memory, a teacher and prophet and faithful witness among us.”

Thomas retired from active ministry in 2002. “I only served in ministry with John Ed for one year,” said Bishop Hope Morgan Ward. “But in that one year, John Ed became for me what he has become for so, so many—a model of faith.”

—Patti Wade

Martha Cooper (Twick) MorrisonMillsaps College lost a dear friend and advocate when Martha Cooper (Twick) Morrison died on February 7. Born in Turner’s Station, Ky., Morrison graduated from Blue Mountain College and later received a master of arts degree in English from the University of Mississippi.

Though she did not attend school here, Morrison’s life and work left a lasting mark on the College, from her help establishing the Center for Ministry to the service of her husband (Robert Morrison Jr.) and son (Cooper Morrison, B.A. 1978) on the Board of Trustees.

“Twick was one of the great United Methodist Mississippians,” said President Frances Lucas. Morrison actively participated in the Mississippi Annual Conference, serving as conference lay leader, chairing the Commission on Race and Religion, and envisioning a place where lay and clergy leaders could come together to grow in faith and leadership.

That place came to life in the Center for Ministry, which was founded in 1998 and driven by Morrison’s visionary leadership—not to mention her time and talent. “As the Center for Ministry celebrates 10 years of spiritual formation and leadership development for clergy and laypeople,” said Millsaps Chaplain Lisa Garvin, “we celebrate the life and legacy of Twick Morrison, whose vision gave birth to the Center, whose energy and love have nurtured the ministry of the Center since its inception, and whose light will forever shine through the Center for Ministry at Millsaps College.”

Morrison’s service to the College was recognized in March with a Livesay Award at the College Awards and Recognition Dinner (see p. 32 for full story). As Rev. Garvin noted: “If you ever encountered Martha Cooper (Twick) Morrison, you know that she was as unique as her name.”

—Margaret Cahoon

How it was, how it is

I know that I’m one of the lucky ones. I spent a great four years at Millsaps, graduating in 1964 ready to tackle the world. In 1986 I was invited to return to the campus, this time as a member of the staff. Things are different since the days when Mr. Ritchie tended his rose garden, but not much. The azaleas and Japanese magnolias still announce the spring, the wisteria bushes near the Christian Center still fill the air with that wonderful, overwhelming sweet scent, and the magnolias and camellias still bloom profusely.

I love to remind the students of 2008 how it was in the early 1960s: We didn’t have air conditioning, very few students had cars, women wore pants only on Saturday mornings to check their mail, and 10 p.m. curfews were strictly enforced. Coed dorms were unheard of, women lived on the north side of campus and men on the south, and we looked forward to escaping the cafeteria’s “mystery meat” for lunch at Shoney’s in Westland Plaza when we could afford it. The P&W staff produced a weekly paper on standard typewriters and traveled twice a week to Raymond, where we proofed galleys from a hot lead press. I had just returned from Raymond on November 22, 1963, and was sitting in the parking lot near the student center (where Olin Hall now sits) when I heard the radio announcement that President John F. Kennedy had been assassinated.

I sat at the feet of great professors where I learned academic truths and the lessons of life that have kept me afloat and paddling hard along the way. When Ellis Finger was president, he knew the name of every student on this campus and most of their parents. Who can forget President Finger presiding each Thursday at required chapel, asking that eternal question: “Why are we here?” As civil rights issues came to the forefront, Jim Wroten, professor of religion, helped me understand that we can’t legislate morals or build a picket fence around Mississippi. Marguerite Goodman’s freshman word list and grammar tests, visits from the Peace Pilgrim, and Ross Moore with his tattered, yellowed note cards are still very much alive in my memory.

Academically, Millsaps continues to soar among the best of the small liberal arts colleges, adding an impressive program of study abroad and new initiatives in almost every department. Our students are simply amazing.

During my tenure on the Millsaps staff, the College has dedicated the Millsaps Tower and the Olin Hall of Science, celebrated the College’s Centennial, built New South residence hall, chartered the Millsaps chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, and been accredited by the American Association of Collegiate Schools of Business, renovated the College Center, and built the Hall Activities Center. We spent months designing the Center for Ministry and the Faith & Work Initiative, and those two unique concepts turned into realities with support from the Lilly Foundation. And we inaugurated the first woman president of Millsaps.

Our most recent accomplishment, an important one for me, is the addition of John Wesley’s statue to the campus. He stands on the edge of the Bowl near the library, looking out over the activities in that popular place, reminding us of our great Methodist heritage. His presence is the result of two years of hard work and commitment by my classmates and friends Lee McCormick and Ward Van Skiver. We needed John Wesley. His presence defines the mission of this College.

At the end of June, the anniversary of my 22nd year at Millsaps, I will officially retire and leave the duties of church and parent relations to younger, more capable minds. But my heart knows that Millsaps defines many aspects of who I am and that this place will always be a part of me.

—Kay Barksdale

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Each year, the Millsaps Annual Fund provides financial resources that directly affect the quality of teaching and student life at Millsaps. Through scholarships, academic programs, and faculty or library support, your Annual Fund gift helps the College build on its foundation of excellence.

As Millsaps shapes its learning environment, cultivates its students, and constructs new areas of study, your gift offers the support the College needs to remain one of the nation’s finest liberal arts colleges.

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