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Tusculum welcomes alumni back to campus for Homecoming 2002

Nearly 400 alumni and friends of Tusculum College returned to the historic campus over the weekend for two full days of Tusculum College Homecoming 2002 activities highlighted by a big 42-0 Pioneer victory over Morehead State University.

Tusculum's past, its recent growth, and promising future were all celebrated during the Homecoming activities, which included special reunion dinners, tours of new residence hall apartments, and reports to the alumni about the college's plans for the future.

Members of the Class of 1952 marked their 50th anniversary of graduation with a donation of $15,000 to the Campaign for the Library effort to fund the expansion and renovation of that facility. The original amount raised by the class was $13,500, but further gifts during the weekend increased the total.

As alumni renewed old friendships and examined the many changes on the historic campus, current students also had an active week of Homecoming activities, including banner design and room decorating contests.

Crowned Homecoming King and Queen during halftime of Saturday's football game, which attracted nearly 2,900 fans until heavy rain thinned the crowd somewhat, were seniors Blu Davis and Ge-Ann Stuart. Davis, of Mesa, Ariz., is majoring in mass media with a minor in psychology. Stuart, who is originally from Nassau, Bahamas, is studying management.

Representing the individual classes in the Homecoming Court were: freshmen Megan Sturgill, JaTravis Lowe, and Jobria McCracken, sophomores LaShanda Weeks and Kenny Lewis, juniors Laura Williams and David De Souza, and seniors Sue Lewis and Scott Hanger.

A 5K Race and Walk was held as part of Homecoming for the first time this year and the annual golf tournament was a success. (Click here for results).

Awards presented
Several alumni awards were presented during an Alumni Association meeting on Saturday.
Nancy Kilday of Afton, coordinator of Admission Activities, was presented the National Alumni Recognition Award "for exemplary service to Tusculum College through commitment to the students and the academic programs."

Sean Bride of Greeneville, alumni relations director at Tusculum, was surprised with the Frontier Award, an award chosen by the Executive Committee of the Alumni Association. It is given to a recent graduate for exemplary professional achievement and continuing and loyal service to the college.

Joe Stallard, a 1956 graduate, was presented the Pioneer Award, the highest honor given by the Alumni Association. Stallard, retired city treasurer for Norton, Va., has served on the Alumni Executive Board and the Sports Hall of Fame steering committee. A member of the Sports Hall of Fame, he is a loyal supporter of Tusculum College athletics, attending both home and away games. Through the Stallard Challenge, he provides a generous gift every year, challenging fellow alumni to provide the finances necessary for student athlete scholarships.

"This is a meaningful moment in my life," Stallard said upon receiving the award. "The last line of this award says I am joining 'a distinguished society of Tusculum College Pioneer Award recipients,' and I am so proud to be part of it. This is a great college and a wonderful place. What little I have, I owe a great part of it to the education I received at Tusculum."

Katharine Crozier, a 1932 graduate, was recognized as the recipient of the National Living Faculty Award presented "for exemplary professional achievement for memorable teaching, teaching, dedication to students, and a love of learning." Crozier, who taught speech and drama from 1946 to 1950 at Tusculum, was unable to attend Homecoming activities, but sent a statement of thanks that was read to the assembly by Margaret Gaut, class of '40.

During the Sports Hall of Fame breakfast on Saturday, Mark Williams was presented the "Sports Benefactor Award" for his exemplary support of Tusculum athletics. (Click here for related article)

Celebrating the new
The alumni were encouraged to keep involved with their alma mater by Stan Welty, chairman of the Tusculum Board of Trustees and a 1951 graduate.

"You are Tusculum," he said. "You were part of Tusculum in the past, you are part of it today, and you will be in the future."

Tusculum President Dr. Dolphus Henry told the alumni, "The history of the college is deep, today's potential is vast, and Tusculum's future is very bright."

Dr. Henry gave a summary of recent growth and developments, including a record enrollment of 795 residential college students for the fall semester, creation of the academic schools of arts and sciences, business and education, and addition of 22 full-time faculty members for the Graduate and Professional Studies program.

Goals for the future that the president shared with the alumni included addition of academic and residential buildings on the historic main campus, and increasing enrollment in Professional Studies programs in Greeneville, Knoxville, and Morristown. The college recently opened a new Knoxville Regional Center and an expanded its Morristown satellite site.

Alumni and other visitors to campus were able to tour one of the latest improvements to campus at lunchtime Friday. Tours were given of units inside one of the four new residence hall apartments on campus. Students moved into the new campus housing in August.

Each unit in the four townhouse apartment-style residence halls contains a living room, a "mini-kitchen" featuring a microwave oven, sink, and refrigerator, four private bedrooms, and two bathrooms. Washer and dryer units are included in each apartment. The residence halls house 192 students. The halls were designed by the Greeneville architectural firm of Fisher + Associates in collaboration with Trotter Architects, of Gatlinburg. The general contractor for the project was Burleson Construction, Inc., of Johnson City.

On Friday afternoon, alumni and visitors also had the chance to hear Dr. Jozef Kolinski lecture about classicism and mysticism in art. An exhibit of paintings by Kolinski, who attended Tusculum in the 1940s, will be on display through Oct. 10 at the Allison Gallery, which is inside the Annie Hogan Byrd Fine Arts Building.

A bonus Homecoming activity was a free concert Saturday night by Trent Summar and the New Row Mob, a rising country music act with a rock edge. Despite rainy weather, the outdoor concert attracted both Tusculum College students and area residents, with the crowd reaching about 70 at one point.

Revisit Homecoming 2002 activities by clicking here ...