President Sandy Pfeiffer - Warren Wilson College

owl spade
&
The Alumni Magazine of Warren Wilson College
WINTER 2007
President
Sandy Pfeiffer

WARREN
WILSON
COLLEGE
Editor
John Bowers
Contributing Writer
Ben Anderson
Alumni Director
Jonathan Hettrick ’88
Publications Director
Laura Herrman
Designer
Martha Smith
College Relations Contributors
J. Clarkson ’95
Tracy Bleeker
Julie Lehman
Kimberly Miller ‘07
Alumni Relations Crew
ALUMNI BOARD
2006-2007
President
Sue Carico Hartwyk 1966
President Elect
Faris A. Ashkar 1972
Secretary
Susanna M. Chewning 1987
Past President
James M. Dedman 1965
Class of 2007
Suzanne Daley 1977
David B. Grist 1975
James Hilliard 1966
Ruth M. Roberts 1985
John Snider 1991
Amanda B. Styles 2000
Class of 2008
Vicki (Vowell) Catalano 1996
Johnelle Causwell 2003
Melissa Thomas Davis 1971
Stacie Greco 1999
Michael Robert Washel 1972
Frances Moffit Whitfield 1955
Class of 2009
Harry L. Atkins 1956
Britta J. Dedrick 1993
Mary A. Elfner 1985
Susan Harriot 1995
A. Eugene Hileman 1956
Peter C. J. Kenny 1982
James W. Oiler 1966
Graduating Class Rep.
Timothy Manney 2006
www.warren-wilson.edu/~owlandspade/home
owlSPadeWINTER 2007
Alumni Office P.O. Box 9000 Asheville NC 28815-9000 828.771.2046 alumni@warren-wilson.edu
C O N T E N T S
1 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
2 AROUND CAMPUS & BEYOND
WWC RECEIVES NATIONAL CAMPUS SUSTAINABILITY ACHIEVEMENT AWARD • FISKE, BARRON’S NAME WARREN
WILSON AMONG NATION’S “BEST BUYS” • DAUGHTER OF FARM SCHOOL ALUMNUS HONORS FATHER WITH ENDOWED
SCHOLARSHIP • THE NEWCOMBE CHALLENGE • WALKABOUT FOR CHURCHES • OWLS FINISH STRONG IN FALL SPORTS
• COMBINED BOARDS • DAVIDSON ROUNDTABLE • FOUR OUTSTANDING WWC ALUMNI RECEIVE AWARDS DURING
HOMECOMING 2006 • NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION GRANT TO AID BERRY SITE EXCAVATIONS • NEW FACULTY &
STAFF • SERVICE DAY 2006 • REUNION DINNERS: A GROWING PART OF HOMECOMING
9 FACULTY & STAFF NEWS
12 PRESIDENT SANDY PFEIFFER : HONORING THE PAST, SHAPING THE FUTURE
16 HOMECOMING ’06
18 EDUCATION MEETS ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION
19 ALUMNI NOTES
&
24 LOOKING BACK: 1965-66 WARREN WILSON COLLEGE CHOIR
ON THE COVER: Warren Wilson College President Sandy Pfeiffer by Benjamin Porter, see page 12.
Pumpkins and Silo by Michael Hitzelberger.
Owl & Spade (ISSN: 202-707-4111) is published twice a year (winter, summer) by the College Relations staff of Warren Wilson College. Address changes and
distribution issues should be sent to alumni@warren-wilson.edu or Jon Hettrick, CPO 6376, Warren Wilson College, PO Box 9000, Asheville, NC 28815.

Message from the President
As I write, life at Warren Wilson is shifting from late fall to
winter. The leaves are down (excepting a few trees that give them
up grudgingly), many of us have enjoyed our first fire of the season
(with wood provided by the Natural Resources Crew), and students
are writing final papers and exams (the completion of which will make the holiday season even more
special for them). The time seems appropriate for me to reflect on my first six months at the College
and to look toward the semester ahead.
My first six months as president of the College included many firsts for me, some of which are
described in monthly reports that I send the campus community and that are available at the
“President’s Page” on the Warren Wilson website (under “Information”). Certainly this year’s
Homecoming activities presented new experiences I’ll long remember—meeting alumni, parents and
other friends of the College at class parties and around a bonfire at the Farm on a beautiful full-moon
evening. Two fine soccer games and a craft fair at the athletic fields topped off the day, among other
events.
Another first involved intensive planning sessions with other members of the Administrative Council.
The result of our efforts is an action plan sent to the campus for review this winter.
The plan will drive many decisions at the College in the next several years. Just as important as the
plan itself is our effort to involve many members of the campus community in reviewing it. I’ve also
briefed the Board of Trustees on our evolving planning process and will be asking them for their help,
especially with respect to our need to increase the endowment.
In six months I’ve learned a good deal about this campus, thanks to a wonderfully welcoming spirit
evident in all members of the community. Looking ahead to the rest of the year, I will continue
meeting with many individuals and groups who have a stake in the future of the College. Together,
we will make plans to strengthen programs and processes, to give the College more national visibility
and to add resources that will ensure our future success.
Sandy Pfeiffer
President
Warren Wilson College

Around Campus&Beyond
WWC receives national Campus
Sustainability Achievement Award
The green awards for Warren Wilson College continue to pile
up at the regional, state and even national level. The latest is the
nationwide 2006 Campus Sustainability Achievement Award,
in the category of four-year institutions with fewer than 1,000
students. The award was presented October 5 by the Association
for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education at
the AASHE conference in Tempe, Arizona. Stan Cross, education
coordinator of the Environmental Leadership Center, accepted the
award on behalf of the College.
In the letter to the College announcing the award, AASHE
executive director Judy Walton wrote: “The judges were impressed
with your across-the-board leadership in sustainability. We are
excited about Warren Wilson’s continued progress and we hope
that other schools learn from and follow the wonderful example
you have provided.” She continued, “We had a very impressive
pool of applicants this first year, so winning one of these awards is a
major achievement.”
The award continues a string of recognitions the College has
received for its leadership in conservation/sustainability practices
and facilities. Within the past year, the College was selected to
receive a “Standing Ovation” award from the Western North
Carolina Regional Air Quality Agency; named Conservation
Farm Family of the Year in the Mountain Region by the N.C.
Department of Environment and Natural Resources; won the 2006
N.C. Sustainability Award in the “Environmental Stewardship”
category; and became the first college or university in North
Carolina to have a Gold Certified Building under the Leadership
in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system.
The LEED-certified Doug and Darcy Orr Cottage also received
the Green Building Project of the Year Award from the Carolina
Recycling Association, comprising both Carolinas.
AASHE is an association of “colleges and universities working to
advance sustainability in higher education in the United States and
Canada.” The association’s mission is “to promote sustainability
in all sectors of higher education…through education,
communication, research and professional development.” Current
N.C. member institutions are Duke University, N.C. State and
UNC-Chapel Hill.
On the Web: www.aashe.org
Fiske, Barron’s name Warren Wilson among nation’s “Best Buys”
Prospective college students and their families
looking for an excellent value in higher
education would be well advised to look at
Warren Wilson College, according to two
highly respected college guides.
The Fiske Guide to Colleges 2007 selected the
College as one of its 26 “Best Buys” among
private colleges and universities nationwide.
In addition, the 9th edition of Barron’s Best
Buys in College Education includes Warren
Wilson among 247 schools that provide “a
first-rate education at an affordable price.”
According to the Fiske guide, the schools “qualify
as Best Buys based on the quality of the academic
offerings in relation to the cost of attendance.”
With a total cost of less than $24,000 for the
2006-07 academic year, Warren Wilson is rated as
“inexpensive” compared with other private schools
in the selective guide.
The guide’s narrative on the College states in the closing paragraph:
“Success at Warren Wilson is measured not only by grades, but by
community service and a sense of stewardship…. Students who
aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty will see this small liberal arts
2
college as a valuable place that combines the notion of thinking
globally and acting locally.”
The Fiske guide, first published in 1982, has been called “the
best college guide you can buy” by USA Today.
Barron’s notes that colleges in its guide “are selected to appear
based on various criteria, including tuition rates…. The final
247 colleges chosen represent the best combination of
sound data and student satisfaction.”
The College also continued to pile up accolades in the
2007 edition of America’s Best Colleges, published by U.S.
News & World Report. Warren Wilson is one of only 25
schools across the country listed in the “Service Learning”
category of “Programs to Look For” in choosing a college
—programs the guide calls “outstanding examples of
academic programs that are believed to lead to student
success.” The recognition marks the fifth consecutive year
that Warren Wilson has received the distinction.
In addition, the College ranks No. 1 among schools in the South
with master’s programs in “Highest Proportion of Classes Under
20,” at 88 percent. Warren Wilson also achieved the top ranking in
that category in the 2006 edition of the U.S. News guide.
OWL & SPADE

Around Campus&Beyond
Daughter of Farm School alumnus honors father with endowed scholarship
During the 2006 Homecoming reunion luncheon, Asheville Farm
School alumnus Harold McKnight ’44 got quite a surprise—his
daughter Anne, whom he thought had accompanied him simply
to see the campus, made her way to the
podium and delivered a poignant tribute
to her father. Anne said that her father
always speaks of his time at Warren
Wilson as a turning point in his life—it
was a place that taught him not only the
value of hard work, but also how he could
succeed through the grace of God. After
graduating from Warren Wilson, Harold
served in the Army during World War II,
then completed a mechanical engineering
degree at North Carolina State University.
He went on to start a successful engineering
firm in Charlotte. Though very proud of her father’s many
accomplishments, Anne said recognizing his professional life was
not the reason she came.
“I am here today to recognize him as a father, with constant
devotion to his family,” she said. “He has not had an easy time as
a father, losing his only son at the age of 52 to cancer. However,
his strength and faith through this time quite simply sustained
the rest of us. I am his only remaining child. I have always known
that I had my father’s complete support and constant love. He
The Newcombe Challenge
Warren Wilson College has received a grant from the Charlotte
W. Newcombe Foundation to increase the College’s Newcombe
Endowed Scholarship Fund for minority and economically
disadvantaged students. The grant, one of seven endowment
challenge grants made by the foundation in 2006, calls for a 1:2
match for a total of $100,000 from donors over the next two years.
If donors are found to match this grant, the total endowment
increase for the College will be $150,000. With this new grant,
the foundation has contributed $215,000 to Warren Wilson’s
Newcombe Scholarship Fund since 1981. The money generated by
these endowments will address one of the College’s greatest need
areas – scholarships for international and middle income students
who don’t qualify for low income financial aid, but whose families
can’t afford to fund their child’s college education. The idea behind
the Newcombe Challenge is to enable potential donors who might
not be able to give the full $25,000 (the minimum for establishing
an endowment) to be matched with a gift from the Newcombe
Foundation. Such a gift would serve as a spark to strengthen ties
between Church and College—the goal of the Office of Church
Relations—and between Warren Wilson and individual donors.
By having a permanent, named endowment, Presbyteries, churches,
and individuals can have a more permanent role in helping the
College achieve its objectives. Please join us in making sure our
doors are open to all. For more information, contact Julie Lehman
at 828.771.2038.
WINTER 2007
first encouraged me to choose a rather nontraditional career at the
time, majoring in mathematics as an undergraduate and then going
on to become a physician. I will never forget the pride in his face
when I received my medical degree. As
Victoria Secunda wrote, ‘When a father
gives his daughter an emotional visa to
strike out on her own, he is always with
her. Such a daughter has her encouraging,
understanding dad in her head, cheering
her on—not simply as a woman but
as a whole, unique human being with
unlimited possibilities.’ I have been
blessed to have that type of a father.”
At the conclusion of the tribute, Harold
was again caught unaware: “In simple
appreciation for everything he has accomplished for his family and
with the greatest love,” Anne said, “I am most proud to announce
the establishment of the Harold McKnight Scholarship here at
Warren Wilson College, which will provide full tuition and living
expense support for a financially needy North Carolina student
who has shown exceptional character and high academics.” Anne
says that establishing the scholarship in her father’s name “is quite
simply the least that I could do to honor him, and to thank this
College for what it has done and meant to my father.”
Walkabout for churches
The Green Walkabout © , the Environmental Leadership Center’s
flagship program for telling the ever-expanding story of
sustainability on the Warren Wilson campus, now has a version
adapted for faith communities. The Office of Church Relations
has partnered with the Environmental Leadership Center (ELC) to
create a Green Walkabout © that helps faith groups see the variety
of ways they can “green” their congregations. Other ideas are
being explored for getting environmental studies majors involved
in giving the tour, arranging for churches to have complimentary
environmental audits and walking them through implementation
of audit recommendations.
ELC student interns have begun marketing this program by visiting
churches and giving presentations of their summer work during
Wednesday night dinners or Sunday school classes. In September,
they spoke at St. Marks United Methodist Church in Seneca,
S.C. and in October they traveled to First Presbyterian Church in
Greensboro, N.C. with Bonner scholars and international students.
If your faith community needs help becoming more sustainable in
orientation, the College has numerous green renovation and new
construction projects to tour. Call Julie Lehman, director of church
relations 828.771.2038 to schedule your Green Walkabout © for
Faith Communities.
3

Around Campus&Beyond
Owls finish strong in fall sports
Impressive individual performances by Patrick Hurley and Kylie Krauss
helped Warren Wilson finish second in the team standings (Division
II) of the 2006 USA Cycling Collegiate Mountain Bike National
Championships. The Owls placed second behind Western State College in
the competition held Oct. 20-22 at Angel Fire Resort, high in the Sangre
de Cristo Mountains of northern New Mexico. It marked the fourth year
in a row that Warren Wilson was runner-up in the championships, after a
third-place finish in 2002. Hurley, a sophomore from Arnold, Maryland,
finished third in the men’s overall individual standings. Krauss, a junior
from Bay Village, Ohio, took fifth for the second consecutive year in the
women’s overall standings. Other Owl cyclists with high finishes were
Camille Prevost, fifth in the women’s mountain-cross; and Lexy Lewis,
eighth in the men’s mountain-cross.
Amy Witt takes on a defender during the Homecoming win against Southern Virginia.
In cross-country, several strong individual performances led the women’s and men’s cross-country
teams to top-four finishes in the U.S. Collegiate Athletic Association National Championships
Oct. 27 at Buena Vista, Virginia. The women’s team finished third, sparked by top-20 efforts by
freshman Aubrey DeLone (16th) and junior Christine Hulburt (19th). The third-place team
standing marked the fourth consecutive year that the Owls have finished among the top three
women’s teams nationally. Led by an 11th-place finish by junior Chas Biederman, the Warren
Wilson men took fourth place in the team standings. Juniors Kevin Lane (14th) and Will
Franklin (19th) also finished in the top 20 in the men’s competition. “Like last year, the course
proved to be a real, in-your-face, true cross-country course,” coach Galen Holland said. “Every
place counted, and everyone played a part in making this year’s national meet successful.”
Kylie Krauss rides her way to a fifth-place finish at the
2006 collegiate mountain bike championships.
The women’s soccer team finished the regular season with four straight wins, earning a bid to the
United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) tournament at Rochester Hills, Michigan.
The Owls lost 2-1 in the first round to tournament host Rochester College, then defeated Robert
Morris College 3-1 to take fifth place. The eventual winner of the tournament was Southern
Virginia University, a team the women Owls beat 3-2 in the double overtime Homecoming game.
Combined Boards
Plans are underway for the second annual combined boards
gathering for the spring of 2007. Last year’s shared meals and
meetings allowed members of each board to hear about the mission
and work of the other four boards. Members were able to meet each
other over shared meals and social time. Feedback from all boards
was positive, and staff noticed a renewed enthusiasm coming out
of these gatherings. Due to the success of the events, the College
plans on making the combined boards meeting a yearly event.
Getting so many active friends of the College together at one time
may also allow more opportunity for interaction with students in
mentor relationships, and matching students with people who have
experience and wisdom in occupations of interest to them.
The five boards attending this event include the Alumni Board,
the Council of Visitors, the Church Relations Council, the
Environmental Leadership Center’s Council of Advisors and Friends
of the Library. This year, the Friends of the Library hosted Ron
Rash, author of Saints at the River, at the meeting.
Davidson Roundtable
Dr. Sylvia Earle, sometimes known as “Her Deepness” or “The
Sturgeon General,” will be this year’s Davidson Roundtable guest
lecturer. Named Time magazine’s first “Hero for the planet,” she
has been an explorer-in-residence at the National Geographic
Society since 1998. During her long career, Earle has pioneered
research on marine ecosystems and has led more than sixty
expeditions worldwide, totaling over 7,000 hours underwater.
She also holds the women’s depth record for solo diving at 3,300
feet. In the 1980s Earle teamed up with engineer Graham Hawkes
to design and build the undersea vehicles Deep Rover and Deep
Flight, which make it possible for scientists to maneuver at depths
never before possible. She served as chief scientist of the National
Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration in the 1990s and
was responsible for monitoring the health of the nation’s waters.
Dr. Earle will spend time at Warren Wilson reflecting on her life as
a calling and what she has learned from her successes and struggles.
On the Web: www.nationalgeographic.com/bookmarks/earle
4
OWL & SPADE

Four outstanding Warren Wilson College alumni receive awards
during 2006 Homecoming
Around Campus&Beyond
Neil Edward Kendrick ’99 received a Community Service Award
for his life-saving work with the North Carolina Marine Patrol.
Kendrick, an environmental studies major from Jacksonville,
North Carolina, was nominated for this award by his college
roommate, Scott Blythe ’98. While on patrol on Christmas day,
2004, Kendrick played a pivotal role in saving the life of a teenager
who was found clinging to a bridge piling. He was honored with
the North American Wildlife Enforcement Officers Association
Lifesaving Award.
J. Kim Wright ’81 received a Community Service Award for
her work in the legal services field. Born and raised in St. Cloud,
Florida, Wright came to Warren Wilson in 1975 and majored in
international studies and business management. After graduation,
she continued her education at the University of Florida, earning a
Juris Doctorate. Wright currently serves as the managing attorney
of the Healers of Conflicts Law and Conflict Resolution Center in
Asheville and is involved with numerous volunteer agencies and
efforts in the area.
Megan Davies ’84 received the Distinguished Alumna Award.
After graduating from Warren Wilson, Davies worked as an editor
at Mother Earth News, then attended medical
school at the University of North Carolina. After
receiving her medical degree in 1991, Davies
worked as a family doctor for Blue Ridge Health
Services, a community and migrant health clinic
in Hendersonville. In 1998, she joined the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention’s Epidemic
Intelligence Service in Atlanta, and became a
medical epidemiologist with the CDC’s National
Center for Injury Prevention and Control in 2001.
Davies currently serves as the acting branch head
of the General Communicable Disease Control
Branch in Raleigh.
Terry D. Sybrant ’65 (AA), ’72 (BS), received
the Distinguished Service Award. Originally from
California, Sybrant came to Warren Wilson Junior
College in 1962, earning an associate’s degree in
1965. He returned to Warren Wilson after service in the Navy
and completed a bachelor’s degree in 1972. Sybrant then earned
a master’s in social work from the University of Tennessee. After
graduate school, he served in the Air Force as an officer working in
mental health and social services. Sybrant is now the CEO of the
Family Center in Columbus, Georgia. He has served three years as
an Alumni Board member, two years as president-elect, two years as
president and two years as past president—a total of nine years.
WINTER 2007
5

Around Campus&Beyond
National Science Foundation grant to aid Berry site excavations
It’s a story that has been mostly forgotten and, at best, only
partially told. Now, thanks to a major grant from the National
Science Foundation (NSF), archaeology professor David Moore
and colleagues likely will come closer to piecing together the
compelling tale of 16th-century Fort San Juan.
Moore and fellow archaeologists Robin Beck and Christopher
Rodning have received a grant of $167,012 from the NSF for two
summers of excavations at the Berry site near Morganton, about an
hour northeast of campus. The 12-acre site along Upper Creek is
the location of an ancestral Catawba Indian town named Joara, at
which the Spanish captain Juan Pardo built Fort San Juan in 1567.
[See Winter 2003 Owl & Spade.] The garrison was the earliest
European settlement in the interior of what is now the United
States, predating the “Lost Colony” by 20 years.
Under the auspices of the Upper Catawba Archaeology Project, the
archaeologists are researching the long-forgotten episode of Fort
San Juan’s founding and subsequent fiery destruction in the spring
of 1568. Professors Beck, of the University of Oklahoma, and
Rodning, of Tulane University, are working with Moore to help
write this early story of European exploration and settlement in
eastern North America.
“When we began planning our research project and field school in
2001, it was our goal to work systematically to have a legitimate
chance to receive a major award such as this,” Moore said. “We
consulted with friends and colleagues to refine our research design,
and all our students and field school participants have worked so
hard to bring us to this point.”
On December 1, 1566, Juan Pardo departed Santa Elena —the
capital of Spanish La Florida, located on present-day Parris Island,
S.C.—with a company of 125 men. Pardo had been commissioned
to explore the interior, to claim the land for Spain while pacifying
local Indians and to forge a route from Santa Elena to Spanish
silver mines in northern Mexico.
In January 1567, Pardo arrived at Joara, a large native town located
at the foot of the Appalachian Mountains. Pardo renamed the town
Cuenca, after his native city in Spain, and built Fort San Juan de
Joara, leaving 30 men to defend the fort and occupy the town.
In May 1568, news reached Santa Elena that the native people had
destroyed Fort San Juan during a surprise attack, rebuffing Pardo’s
attempt to extend Spanish colonial ambitions into their dominion.
Evidence of the burning of five large buildings serves as a chilling
testament to how relations between the Spaniards and the people
of Joara ended tumultuously after what appears to have been a
peaceful beginning. Only one Spanish soldier survived the disaster,
which ended Spain’s effort to colonize the interior of eastern North
America.
Moore, Beck and Rodning have discovered numerous 16th-century
Spanish artifacts in a small area on the northern end of the Berry
site, including pieces of Spanish ceramics, lead shot, brass lacing
tips and wrought iron nails. Excavations have uncovered five
remarkably intact burned buildings that form a distinct compound
around a central plaza. Preliminary research indicates that these
were the buildings that quartered Pardo’s soldiers stationed at Fort
San Juan.
The NSF award will fund complete excavation of one of the
burned buildings and extensive sampling of two others. Given
the buildings’ extraordinary degree of preservation, the work will
require a broad range of specialized analyses. The project thus
will bring together archaeological specialists from numerous
institutions, including Southern Illinois University, Washington
University, the University of Tennessee and Penn State University.
“Chris, Rob and I are really excited to receive this grant, and
appreciate the support we have received,” Moore said. “We’re now
actively engaged in planning for next summer.” As in years past,
Warren Wilson students will be involved in the excavations.
On the Web: Images and reports of research at the Berry site can
be found at www.warren-wilson.edu/~arch. A March 2006 article
in Smithsonian Magazine, “Spain Makes a Stand,” can be retrieved
at www.smithsonianmag.com/issues/2006/march/digs.php.
6
OWL & SPADE

Zewde Belachew ’06 is the new electronic admission counselor.
Belachew, a native of Ethiopia, graduated from Warren Wilson
with a degree in business administration. He has worked with
CARE International as a site supervisor for water development
projects and studied at Oxford University for one semester
through the College’s WorldWide program.
Kathryn Burleson, a native of Greensboro, is a new faculty
member in psychology. She received her B.S. in psychology
from Appalachian State
University, an M.A.
from Humboldt State
University and a Ph.D.
from the University
of California at Santa
Cruz. Burleson plans on adding service-learning and crosscultural
components to her courses and has already engaged her
fall semester cultural psychology class in community service with
local Ukrainian refugees.
Bates Canon has joined Warren Wilson as the director of career
services. He graduated from North Carolina State University
in 1983 with a B.A. in business management and economics.
Canon comes to Warren Wilson from Clayton State University
in Georgia, where he directed both the Career Services and
Counseling Services programs. He is the son of Alfred Canon,
president of Warren Wilson College from 1988 to 1991, and is
proud to join the Warren Wilson community.
Erica Englesman ’03 returns to Warren Wilson as the residence
life education coordinator. Englesman holds a B.A. in social
work from Warren Wilson and was the Sunderland resident
director from 2003-2004. She received master’s degrees in social
work and special education from the University of Louisville. As
residence life education coordinator, Engelsman is responsible for
programming in residence halls for first-year students and is also
the RD of Sunderland.
Around Campus&Beyond
environmental compliance. She has worked in occupational
health and safety in Boston and with Vermont’s state health
department in preparing for bioterrorism and pandemic flu.
Don Ray has joined the College as director of education
assessment and institutional research. Ray comes to Warren
Wilson from Mt. Union College in Ohio, where he taught
psychology and conducted institutional research. Ray completed
his undergraduate studies at Stanford University and earned
master’s and doctorate
degrees at Bowling
Green State University.
New faculty& staff
by Jesse Chen ’06
Catherine Reid, author
of Coyote: Seeking the
Hunter in Our Midst and other nonfiction works, has joined the
undergraduate writing department faculty. Reid received her B.A.
from Goddard College, an M.A. from the University of Maine,
and a Ph.D. from Florida State University. Reid is currently
teaching courses in creative writing and nonfiction and makes
it a priority to encourage her students to find the best way to
communicate their thoughts, both in terms of content and style.
Kristina Trivette ’02 has joined the College as the new payroll/
financial aid assistant. Trivette graduated from Warren Wilson
with a degree in history. Her new position is familiar territory; as
a student, she was a member of the accounting office work crew.
Steven Vanover is a new public safety officer at the College.
Vanover holds a B.S. in criminal justice and has extensive work
experience with the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Department and
the Black Mountain Police Department.
Alissa Whelan has joined the MFA program as an office
assistant, working primarily on the program’s residencies. Whelan
has a bachelor’s degree in English from East Carolina University
and is working towards a master’s degree in secondary education.
Christine Hale is the Beebe Fellow for the 2006-2007 academic
year. After earning her undergraduate degree at Pfeiffer College
and an M.B.A. at UNC-Chapel Hill, she worked in New York
City, squeezing in a stint on Wall Street. She took up creative
writing and graduated from Warren Wilson’s M.F.A. program in
1996. Hale was an assistant professor of English at the University
of Tampa before returning to Warren Wilson.
Miranda Hipple is the new assistant director of the annual fund.
She earned a B.A. in French and M.B.A. from Eastern Tennessee
State University. Hipple was a fundraiser for nonprofit Christian
radio stations in Tennessee, Virginia, and North Carolina. She is
currently enrolled in Duke University’s nonprofit management
certificate program and is working to become a certified fund
raising executive.
Sue Quigley is the College’s new occupational safety and
training coordinator. She holds a B.S. in safety studies and
is currently working toward a master’s degree in safety and
WINTER 2007
Eleanor Will is the College’s new assistant director of financial
aid. Will completed her undergraduate degree at the University
of New Orleans and a master’s degree at Ohio State University
in anthropology. Her current position involves working with
students and parents to understand the financial aid process.
Marion Yeager ’88 is the new assistant to the registrar after
working at Sonoma State University near San Francisco for
12 years. Yeager graduated from Warren Wilson with a B.A.
in humanities and received an M.A. in interdisciplinary/Latin
American studies from Sonoma State.
Joe Young is the new chemistry laboratory manager. Young
has a B.S. in chemistry from the UNCA and Ph.D. in organic
chemistry from Clemson University. He recently retired from
Chicago State University as a professor of organic chemistry. In
his new role he supervises the Chemistry Crew, plans labs, and
tutors students.
7

Around Campus&Beyond
Service Day 2006
“I’m not doing much more than supervising,” said Sam Scoville,
Warren Wilson College professor of English, as he hauled off
a tangle of brush at Cragmont Park in Black Mountain. His
actions betrayed his words as he toiled in the hot summer sun
during the College’s annual Service Day August 25.
Dr. Sam, a fixture at the College for 35 years, was hardly alone
among faculty and staff—longtime and not so long—who
pitched in on Service Day. Among their numbers were new
President Sandy Pfeiffer and his wife, Evelyn, who worked on
improving drainage among other projects at Lake Tomahawk
Park. “It’s so great to have all these Warren Wilson people out
here helping our town,” said LuAnn Bryan, director of
Recreation and Parks for the Town of Black Mountain, as she
took a short break from her work at the Lake Tomahawk pavilion.
But the real stars of Service Day, of course, were the more than 300 new Warren Wilson students who were getting their first real taste
of service to community, WWC style. Their projects, scattered about the Black Mountain area at sites ranging from the Black Mountain
Community Garden to the Presbyterian Home for Children, were as varied as painting a beautiful mural at the Grey Eagle Arena
recreation facility to building picnic tables for different sites around town. It’s a day that they—and the residents of Black Mountain—
won’t soon forget.
Reunion dinners: A growing part of Homecoming
Eleven reunion classes from 1951 to 2001 gathered for
Homecoming 2006 reunion dinners on October 6. Each dinner
was not only a get-together, but also a chance for College President
Sandy Pfeiffer and his wife, Evelyn, to meet
alumni and to recognize generous reunion
class gifts to the College.
The classes of 1951 and 1956, along with
other 1950s graduates, congregated at the
Holiday Inn. Over dinner, speeches galore and
a slide show by Harry Atkins ’56, classmates
from both the high school and junior college
reconnected. Gene Hileman, the reunion
agent for the Class of 1956, presented College
president Sandy Pfeiffer with a check to
the College for $19,058.96 from the 1950s
alumni, led by the Class of 1956.
1960s reunion agent John Wykle ’61 and classmate Nada
Henderson Cail ’60 welcomed the Class of 1961 in Lower
Gladfelter, where 26 graduates and guests gathered to enjoy good
food and reminisce as several students sang and danced. Across
Warren Wilson Road at Ransom Fellowship Hall, 41 members of
the Class of 1966 and their guests met for food and fellowship.
Reunion agent Jim Oiler ’66 led the ceremonies for Warren Wilson’s
last junior college class.
In Canon Lounge, 64 alumni and guests attended the combined
reunion of the classes of 1971, 1976, 1981 and 1986, which was
organized with much help from J. Kim Wright ’81 and Enrique
President Pfeiffer works with students at Lake Tomahawk in Black Mountain during Service Day.
Gene Hileman ’56 presents President Pfeiffer with a reunion
gift from 1950s alumni.
Alonso ’71. At the pavilion, the classes of 1991, 1996, and 2001
gathered to listen to the Greasy Beans bluegrass band. Reunion
agents Ben Kimmel ’91, Vicki Catalano ’96 and Heather Brooks
’01 welcomed somewhere between 75 and
100 young alumni to this event. The College
thanks all the reunion agents for their
support—we couldn’t have done it without
you!
Many reunion classes presented generous class
gifts to the College during Homecoming. The
class of 1956 challenged all 1950s classes to
make gifts in honor of their favorite mentors,
Arthur and Lucile Bannerman, Samuel and
Evelyn DeVries, Henry Jensen, William G.
and Elizabeth S. Klein, and Bernhard and
Kathrine Laursen. The classes of 1961 and
1966 gave $3,824.95 to the class of 1961
Annual Scholarship Fund and $3,619.80 to the class of 1966
Annual Scholarship Fund. Thanks all alumni for their amazing
generosity to these scholarship funds and the Warren Wilson
College Fund.
Homecoming 2007s reunion dinners for the classes of ’52, ’57,
’62, ’67, ’72, ’77, ’82, ’87, ’92, ’97 and ’02 are already in the
works. Reunion agents are needed to help plan, contact classmates
and make these events a success. If you would like to be a reunion
agent, help in any way for next year’s dinners or share an idea,
contact Tracy Bleeker at 828.771.2039 or tbleeker@warren-wilson.
edu. View more photos at www.alumni.warren-wilson.edu/gallery.
8
OWL & SPADE

Faculty&Staff News
Discovery Through Wilderness makes connections
WWC professor and student co-author journal article by Margo Flood
The story of how recent Warren Wilson College graduate Jimmy
Stultz ’05 has become perhaps the world’s leading expert on
ectoparasites and ciguatera toxicity and co-authored an article
with his professor in a peer-reviewed professional journal is one of
educational opportunities well connected.
According to biology professor Paul Bartels, Stultz discovered
his passion for this uncommon topic on a WorldWide summer
course called “Discovery through Wilderness: Bahamas Coral
Reef Ecology.” He then pursued it further through the Natural
Science Seminar, which is required for graduation from
Warren Wilson with a degree in the sciences.
WorldWide programs take students all over the globe,
exploring diverse environments and studying the habitats
and eco-social practices of other cultures. Discovery
through Wilderness is a WorldWide course with a
formal academic component. Students enroll in a
spring seminar where they explore environmental
issues related to a particular wilderness area. In the
summer, they travel to this site where, through
wilderness group experience, they learn first-hand
the issues they have studied.
“Jimmy Stultz was very excited about the course
and began talking to me about the possibility
of identifying a Natural Science Seminar
topic while on the course,” Bartels said. “I
had learned from a colleague many years
ago of some interesting folk knowledge
in the Caribbean about barracuda and ciguatera
toxicity—that if the barracuda have visible ectoparasites
on their heads, they are all right to eat. I asked Jimmy if he would be
interested in this topic and he jumped on it. While on our trip, he sampled for a
variety of ecological variables that might help predict ciguatera toxicity (barracuda
size, weight, distance from reef, depth, etc.).”
Publishing an article as an undergraduate in a peer-reviewed professional journal is a difficult and worthy goal only
a handful of students are able to accomplish. “I asked Jimmy if he was interested in doing the extra work needed to
publish and he was very enthusiastic,” Bartels said. “I contacted the editor for the Bahamas Journal of Science and
told him about the project. He said their journal was temporarily suspended, so I put the research aside, though
Jimmy was in often in touch, asking what we could do to get it published. A year later, the same editor contacted
me and asked if we had the paper ready; they had restarted the journal under the new name—Bahamas Naturalist
and Journal of Science—and they wanted it, and fast. Jimmy put the figures and graphs into publishable form, we
rewrote the thesis and quickly submitted it. It was reviewed, accepted, and appeared in the first edition. Jimmy is
now a published author! In fact, he is likely the world’s leading expert on ectoparasites and ciguatera toxicity.”
For information about WorldWide courses contact Naomi Otterness at nottern@warren-wilson.edu.
WINTER 2007
9

Faculty&Staff News
Geography professor David
Abernathy has been invited to be
a member of the technology cluster
of the HUB Project, a community
collaboration focused on efficiently
leveraging existing educational and
technology assets for economic
development in Western North
Carolina.
Biology professor Paul Bartels
made three presentations at the 10th
International Symposium on Tardigrada
in Catania, Sicily in June. In addition,
Dr. Bartels gave a presentation to the
Association of Southeastern Biologists
meeting in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.
Tracy Bleeker, director of the
WWC Fund, served on the planning
committee for the July 2006
Philanthropy Institute held in Asheville.
Miranda Hipple, assistant director of
the WWC Fund, participated in the
institute as a presenter and was named
planning committee co-chair of the
2007 Philanthropy Institute to be held
next summer.
Dean of admission Richard Blomgren
presented the session “Beer & Laundry
Detergent: Small College Marketing” at
the eighteenth National Small College
Enrollment Conference in Louisville,
Kentucky, in July.
Paul Braese, director of Facility
Management and Technical Services,
received his LEED AP (Leadership in
Energy and Environmental Design
Accredited Professional) certification
from the U.S. Green Building Council.
Social work professor Ali Climo
participated in the invitation-only
John A. Hartford Foundation/
American Federation of Aging
Research Interdisciplinary Scholars
Communications Conference in
Chicago. She presented a pilot project
between Mission Hospitals and the
Council on Aging of Buncombe
County on supporting at-risk elderly
patients in the transition from hospital
discharge to successful return to home.
Dr. Climo was one of 35 social workers,
physicians and nurses involved in
Hartford-funded scholarship on aging
selected for the conference.
Physics professor Don Collins received
a research grant from the American
Astronomical Society to engage in
remote telescope and camera control
at the Pisgah Astronomical Research
Institute (PARI) near Rosman, North
Carolina. Collins and a Warren Wilson
student, George Keel ’07, will work
with Drs. Mel Blake and Michael
Castelaz at PARI on “The Observation
of Cataclysmic Variable Stars with
Remote Telescope.” The $4,950 grant
will enable another Warren Wilson
student, Michael Fink ’07 to do
computer programming in order to
develop classroom exercises associated
with cataclysmic variable star light
curves.
ELC education coordinator, Stan
Cross, was elected to serve as president
of the Evergreen Community Charter
School board of directors. In addition,
he received his North Carolina
Environmental Education Certification
from the North Carolina Governor’s
Office, State Board of Education and
the North Carolina Department of
Environment and Natural Resources.
Psychology professor Vicki Garlock
accompanied two senior psychology
majors to the annual Carolinas
Undergraduate Psychology Conference.
Amanda Grant presented her research,
“Relationships Between Meditation
Experience, Mindfulness, and Cognitive
Flexibility”; Ellen Graves presented
“Differences in Health Locus of
Control in College Students.”
English professor Carol Howard’s
review of the Nigerian novelist
Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche’s
Purple Hibiscus was published in a
recent edition of the Urban News
and Observer, a newspaper serving
Asheville’s multicultural community.
John Huie, director of the
Environmental Leadership Center,
served as mediator/facilitator in recent
negotiations concerning the crisis of
the mental health delivery system in
Western North Carolina. Dr. Huie also
delivered the keynote address for the
Toe River Valley Legacy Workshop at
Mayland Community College and led
team building training for the Rainbow
Mountain School in West Asheville.
Gary Copeland Lilley, creative
writing instructor and graduate of
the Warren Wilson College MFA
program, now has four books of poetry,
including two full-length collections,
The Subsequent Blues and Alpha Zulu
(Ausable Press, forthcoming 2008), and
two chapbooks, “The Reprehensibles”
and “Black Poem.”
An article by Julie Lehman, director
of Church Relations, was published
in the higher education issue of
the Presbyterian Outlook in late
October. The piece highlighted several
of the College’s sustainable initiatives
and encouraged other churchaffiliated
institutions to incorporate
environmental leadership into their
strategic plans. The Outlook is a national
publication with approximately 10,000
subscribers and many more readers.
Laura Lengnick, environmental
studies professor and director of
WWC’s sustainable agriculture
program, participated in the 2006
Terra Madre International Slow
Food conference in Turin, Italy. Dr.
Lengnick was one of only 200 academic
delegates selected to represent colleges
10
OWL & SPADE

and universities from 150 countries
at the conference. The academic
delegates joined 5,000 farmers,
breeders, fishermen and traditional
food producers and 1,000 chefs from
five continents to share experiences and
discuss the development of revitalizing
local agriculture to produce good, clean
and fair food. She participated in panel
discussions on sustainable agriculture
education, the use of local food in
institutional food service and soil
quality in small-scale farming systems
and represented WWC at a meeting of
the international academic delegation.
The 2006 Swannanoa Gathering
catalog cover, created by Swannanoa
Gathering director Jim Magill, was
selected as one of the three finalists in
the commercial category for a Guru
Award at the 2006 Photoshop World
conference. The event regularly attracts
the world’s top graphic artists and
designers from North America, Europe
and Asia.
Paul Magnarella, director of peace
and justice studies, was recently invited
to renew his term on the editorial
board of the Journal of Human Rights
and Human Welfare. Dr. Magnarella
also authored the following: “Turkish-
American Intellectual Exchange and
Community Research in Turkey (1930-
1980)” in Turkish Studies Journal; “The
Hutu-Tutsi Conflict in Rwanda,” in
Perspectives on Contemporary Ethnic
Conflict; review of the books Human
Rights and the Environment: Conflicts
and Norms in a Developing World and
Historical Dictionary of the Kurds in the
Journal of Third World Societies.
Outdoor leadership and environmental
studies professor Mallory McDuff
gave a presentation with students Ayla
Graden ’09, Eleanor Margulies ’09
and Renee Gaudet ’09 at the North
American Association of Environmental
Education conference. The title of
WINTER 2007
their presentation was “From local
foods to second-hand smoke: Building
environmental communication skills for
behavior change on college campuses.”
At the conference, Dr. McDuff also
participated in a book signing for
her book Conservation Education and
Outreach Techniques, recently published
by Oxford University Press.
Douglas M. Orr Jr., president
emeritus, was selected by Gov. Michael
F. Easley to receive the Order of the
Long Leaf Pine, the highest civilian
honor in North Carolina. The award
is given to “outstanding North
Carolinians who have a proven record
of service to the state.”
Naomi Otterness, director of
international programs, completed a
thirteen-month intensive program, The
Academy of International Education,
administered through the Association of
International Educators and supported
by funding from the Bureau of
Educational and Cultural Affairs of the
U.S. Department of State. The program
consisted of four training segments
held in Atlantic City, Philadelphia,
Montreal, and Washington, D.C.,
augmented by homework and mentor
support. Participants were selected for
the program to gain broader exposure
and understanding of various areas
of international education, enabling
them better to assist their institutions
in meeting particular international
education needs.
The award-winning book Becoming
German: The 1709 Palatine Migration
to New York, by history/political science
professor Philip Otterness has been
released in paperback by Cornell
University Press. The book won the
Dixon Ryan Fox Manuscript Prize
from the New York State Historical
Association in 2003.
Faculty&Staff News
Mathematics professor Holly Rosson’s
paper, “Central Values of Quadratic
Twists for a Modular Form of Weight
4,” co-authored with Gonzalo
Tornaria (Universidad de la República,
Uruguay), appears in the book Ranks
of Elliptic Curves and Random Matrix
Theory, published by Cambridge
University Press.
Psychology professor Bob Swoap
conducted sabbatical research at
CooperRiis, a healing farm community
in Polk County for people with mental
illness. While most of the research
in the field of mental illness recovery
has been conducted from a top-down
approach, Dr. Swoap immersed
himself in the community, recorded
his observations and conducted over
30 interviews. He will present his
findings at a faculty seminar in April
and incorporate his experiences at
CooperRiis into psychology courses.
The music of College organist and
music faculty member Steven
Williams can be heard on two new
compact discs featuring the Asheville
Symphony Chorus (ASC) in premiere
performances of works by American
composers Stephen Paulus and Michael
Hosford. Heritage Songs (Five Folk Song
Settings for Mixed Chorus and Chamber
Ensemble) by Paulus was commissioned
to celebrate the 15th anniversary
of the ASC. Dr. Williams serves as
assistant director and accompanist for
the 100-voice ensemble that performs
regularly with the Asheville Symphony.
The live-performance recording also
features other choral works by Paulus,
with organ and piano accompaniment
by Dr. Williams, and a complete
performance of John Rutter’s Requiem.
Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, a recording
of chant music by Hosford, was
produced by Open Door Teachings
Inc. and Transformative Media. The
highly repetitive music is intended as an
enhancement to meditation.
11

President Sandy Pfeiffer— Honoring the past,
shaping the future
by Welch Suggs
Sandy Pfeiffer jogs from the north entrance down to St. Clair
guesthouse, apologizing for what he promises will be a slow pace.
It’s 7:30 on the last morning of October, but Warren Wilson’s sixth
president is ready for action, clad in black fleece sweatpants and
matching vest, talking merrily a mile a minute about the College,
his children, and three decades of toiling in the vineyards of
academe before he moved into administration.
President Pfeiffer gets to know the lay of the land through
daily runs and weekend hikes with his wife, Evelyn.
12
Pfeiffer came to Warren Wilson in July
2006 to replace Doug Orr, who retired
after leading the College for 15 years. Like
any new college president, he has been
consumed with learning the particular
history, strengths and weaknesses of this
singular institution.
“I like to go at least half an hour,” Pfeiffer
says, running all the way down the hill
from St. Clair to the College farm. He
greets sleepy students, staff, and hogs as he
strikes out on the trail along the Swannanoa
River, nimbly avoiding roots amid the fallen
leaves. He’s remarkably chipper, despite
suffering a lingering case of jet lag that
had him up at 1 o’clock this morning. But
if you had an exciting and all-consuming
project, like running a unique College with
the Triad and sustainability at its core, you’d
probably be pretty chipper yourself.
“So many schools are trying to find that
niche, but one reason I came here was that
we were already in a good niche,” Pfeiffer
says, waxing eloquent not only about
the farm but also about Warren Wilson’s
essential values of work, academics, service,
multiculturalism and sustainability. “We
don’t have to work hard to define ourselves.
Our challenge is to continue to give life
every day to this definition.”
But as an academic, and as a consultant
who had a side career in the craft of writing
proposals, policies and procedures, he has
not dallied in creating a plan for the next
chapter in Warren Wilson’s life. He notes,
“Our challenge is to create a template for
transformation to a College with greater
national visibility, additional resources and
more participation by all constituencies in
the running of the institution.”
From professor to provost
William Sanborn Pfeiffer’s own story is one
of transformations as well. He started out
his academic life as a professor of English,
before developing a specialty in professional
and technical communication. His
experience in international communication
and his teaching experience in Asia
piqued an interest in international affairs,
particularly Japanese studies. He entered
academic administration rather late but
has made up for lost time by being a chief
academic officer at two institutions and
interim president at one of them during
the five or six years before assuming the
presidency at Warren Wilson.
After graduating from Amherst College,
he returned to his home state of Ohio and
earned a Ph.D. from Kent State in 1975.
Upon doing so, he found himself in a
difficult job market. “That year was the
toughest time in decades for anyone with
an English doctorate,” he says. “There were
the fewest jobs and the largest number of
applicants.”
His plan at that point was to pursue a
standard tenure-track job of teaching
OWL & SPADE

“Our challenge is to create a template
for transformation to a college
with greater national visibility,
additional resources and more participation
by all constituencies.”
literature and writing. He initially taught
a range of English courses and published
an article in the esteemed Studies In
Bibliography from his dissertation about
Sherwood Anderson’s Mary Cochran. But
the kind of research and writing being done
by professors of American literature was
not as appealing to him as the disciplines of
rhetoric and writing, and in his first tenuretrack
job in the University of Houston
system, he made a conscious turn toward
scientific and technical communication.
“I’m a practical person who has always
been interested in direct application of
knowledge,” he says. “I was brought up
that way. My father was a fine writer and
had a successful career as a copywriter
in advertising.” As Pfeiffer developed a
program in technical communication
at Houston, he also began teaching
internationally and consulting in
private industry, particularly in writing
documents with geotechnical engineers
and environmental scientists. “I was
helping them write reports that would solve
problems for their clients,” he said. “That
was really fulfilling for me and also helped
me collect experience for the books I would
write later.”
In 1980 he and his wife, Evelyn, moved
from Houston to what is now Southern
Polytechnic State University in the Atlanta
suburb of Marietta. There he taught
English and helped develop undergraduate
and graduate programs in technical
communication that now rank among
the best in the nation. He also began
publishing prolifically: A sheaf of textbooks
and pocket guides, all but one still in
print, sits in the built-in bookshelves in
his Warren Wilson office. His magnum
opus, Technical Communication: A Practical
Approach (Prentice Hall, 2006), is now
in its sixth edition, with a seventh being
planned. Pfeiffer says he has been seeking
co-authors for some books of late because
his administrative positions require so much
of his time.
“The interest was high on my part to
show that I could write something for the
working world, something practical,” he
says. “I was trying to get away from the
rhetorical approach and instead provide
students and instructors with national and
international case studies and assignments
grounded in the working world.”
In the early 1990s, the international
dimension of the field of technical
communication in which he had been
working became as interesting as the
primary subject itself. Several seminars
in Japan, including a Fulbright summer
seminar, enabled him to develop a
familiarity with Asian studies. That focus
deepened as he pursued further research
on the subject stateside and eventually
taught courses on Japanese culture at
Southern Poly and Ramapo College of New
Jersey, where he was founding provost and
professor of international studies. He has
published on Japanese studies in several
journals, including Journal of Popular
Culture, East-West Connections: Review of
Asian Studies, and Japan Studies Association
Journal.
Over the course of 35 years of teaching, he
developed an interest in the life of academe
beyond his own discipline. In 2000, he
was named interim chief academic officer
at Southern Poly, and the following year
became the university’s vice-president of
academic affairs.
“In higher levels of academic administration,
you look for someone who listens
well, who can take in and understand a
variety of different perspectives on an issue,
and from that variety, not only build a
consensus but use it to move an institution
forward,” says Dan Papp, former interim
president of Southern Poly and now
president of Kennesaw State University in
Kennesaw, Georgia. “Sandy had all those
capabilities.”
Pfeiffer still hankered for the experience of
the small liberal-arts college, and in 2003
he won the job of founding provost at
Ramapo College of New Jersey. Ramapo is
a public liberal-arts college in Mahwah, in
the northeast corner of New Jersey. It’s part
of the fast-growing phenomenon of state
university systems creating small colleges
to replicate the environment of institutions
like Warren Wilson and Amherst. As a
public institution, however, the board
WINTER 2007
13

answers to the governor, creating political
challenges for any administrator.
The president of Ramapo stepped down
at the end of Pfeiffer’s first year at the
college, and Pfeiffer decided to apply for
the job of interim president rather than the
permanent job (applications to both were
not allowed). Jogging around Owen Pond
near Warren Wilson, he notes that deep
down, it was becoming evident to him that
his ultimate goal was to move to the private
sector in higher education.
“I wanted a different set of problems,”
he jokes, adding that what drew him
to Warren Wilson was the unique
setting and the College’s distinctive
mission. Private colleges have the
flexibility and independence to be much
more individualistic than most public
institutions, so when the Warren Wilson
position was advertised, he threw his hat in
the ring.
Transparency and sustainability
Later, in his office, he talks passionately
about the need for more definition and
transparency in Warren Wilson’s policies
and procedures. This is, of course, one of
his areas of study, and the chance to apply
what he’s learned has inspired him.
“I came here believing that as much
information as possible can and should
be shared with everyone,” he says. “We
began with the Administrative Council.
Budget information was my first focus
for transparency.” This kind of openness,
which is not characteristic of many
private colleges, is absolutely necessary to
maintaining a sense of community at a
modern college, Pfeiffer maintains. So is a
higher level of consistency and evidencebased
decision-making.
Pfeiffer is familiar with the College’s
character and history, and he is becoming
aware of the challenges it faces. He can talk
policy and procedure with an assembled
group of staff in a Gladfelter meeting
room, even as a Halloween parade passes
by outside, featuring a horse-drawn wagon
and a green and purple, 1950s-vintage
hearse.
But he also knows that colleges like Warren
Wilson are at their best when their internal
14
operations are efficient and equitable.
Many such colleges are endangered by
rising costs and an inability to attract
students in an increasingly competitive
market. Fortunately, Warren Wilson has
maintained its competitive edge and kept
costs down compared to many other
private colleges.
Warren Wilson has what many peer
institutions desperately crave: a strong
sense of identity that does not need to be
built through branding or advertising.
The key component of that identity is the
College’s ethic of sustainability. “I take the
broadest definition of sustainability—the
ability to satisfy the needs of the current
generation without impeding the ability of
future generations to do the same,” Pfeiffer
says. “Our society is so obviously violating
that principle every day, both with respect
to environmental sustainability and
also social sustainability. We’re using
resources and planning our lives in a
way that endangers our children and
grandchildren.”
As if on cue, Ian Robertson, Dean of
Work, walks in with a trophy signifying
Warren Wilson’s “2006 North Carolina
Sustainability Award” in the category
of Environmental Stewardship from
Sustainable North Carolina, a nonprofit
advocacy group based in Raleigh.
Sustainability, Pfeiffer says, ought to be
a theme or underlying goal of all aspects
of campus life. “We already live it in
the work program, for example, with
the cleaning products we use and the
way students and staff do their jobs,” he
says. “And we stress it in the academic
program too, in terms of internships,
senior projects, and other projects that
focus on what Dean Casey has called
‘ecosocial sustainability.’
“I’d like to see the curriculum reflect the
sustainability ethic even more than it does
now. That’s the faculty’s challenge, of
course, and they are now considering ways
to work sustainability into the curriculum
at all levels and, indeed, into the fabric of
the College’s culture.”
That said, he knows the College should
not be focused just on environmental
studies in the manner of some specialized
institutions. Instead, Pfeiffer envisions
sustainability as an ethic to undergird the
entire liberal-arts curriculum, keeping
the College appealing to a wide range of
students who would embrace sustainability
goals in their lives but who would have
many different majors and career paths.
Looking ahead
Despite his interest in improving processes
and serving as a change agent, Pfeiffer
is not envisioning major changes to the
College in the near term. For example, he
has delayed any decisions about increasing
the College’s enrollment for several years,
to allow the community to adjust to the
current population of about 800-850 fulltime
students and to study the effect that
any changes might have on the College
culture.
Sandy and Evelyn at the piggery on the WWC Farm.
But he is looking ahead to what Warren
Wilson will need as an institution. After
years of improving the physical plant, the
College will turn to focus on increasing the
endowment. Endowments affect financial
aid, staff and faculty salaries, and programs,
and without a large endowment, colleges
are forced to depend on tuition revenue
to fund operations and capital projects.
Pfeiffer hopes that the coming years will
OWL & SPADE

ing the College more national visibility
for its distinctive culture and, along with
that, an increased endowment.
What Warren Wilson has, in spades,
is culture. In The Distinctive College
(Transaction, 1992), the classic account of
American liberal-arts colleges, Burton R.
Clark says that successful colleges are the
ones that believe in themselves and their
programs. Their students, faculty, staff, and
alumni possess “a coherent belief system…
expressed in valued practices that range
from certain types of seminars to student
extracurricular traditions.” That, Pfeiffer
says, is as true of Warren Wilson as it is of
any college in the country.
“Our heritage is fascinating in both its
breadth and depth,” Pfeiffer points out. “In
addition to our Presbyterian background,
we were a farm school where kids were
trained to have functional jobs and to
receive a broad-based liberal arts education.
Another thread is a strong environmental
and sustainability focus. That’s our history,
and we need to celebrate it as we attract
new students, faculty, staff and donors to
the College. Whatever new directions we
choose,” he says, “the College will retain its
distinctive culture and values.”
_______________________________
Welch Suggs is a former writer and editor
for The Chronicle of Higher Education.
A graduate of Rhodes College, he is working
on a Ph.D. in higher education policy at the
University of Georgia.
Settling in
with Evelyn
Pfeiffer
After three moves in as many years, Evelyn Pfeiffer will
be the first to tell you she’s ready to be in one place for
a while. She does admit, however, that the President’s
House was a little empty at Thanksgiving. “This was
the first Thanksgiving we didn’t have at least one of
the kids home,” she said. But the newcomers had a
Warren Wilson-style holiday—they feasted on steaks
from the Farm and explored hiking trails off of the
Blue Ridge Parkway.
Evelyn was born in Austria and came to the U.S. with her parents when she was an infant.
They joined relatives outside of Cleveland, Ohio, to take advantage of good manufacturing
jobs. She remembers having lots of freedom in those days. “My parents both worked, so I
had quite a bit of independence, which was great.”
During her senior year in high school, Evelyn worked in a department store to help save
money for college. She enrolled at Kent State University, double-majoring in school health
education and community health. Over breaks she continued to work at the department
store, then became a resident assistant during her junior and senior years. A young man by
the name of Sandy Pfeiffer was a resident assistant in the same dormitory complex. The
rest, as they say, is history.
After getting her degree from Kent State, Evelyn worked in public relations for a hospital
system in Houston while Sandy taught at the University of Houston. “Working at the
hospital was dissatisfying after a while and it wasn’t what I wanted as a career,” she said.
With an abiding interest in all things artistic, she began taking art courses. “At the time
I was thinking about what to do with the art classes I had taken, Sandy was offered the
position at Southern Poly,” she said.
The couple decided to make the move to Georgia, where Evelyn pursued a teaching career
in the public school system. With education credits from Kent State and art classes from
Houston, she was certified as a K-12 art teacher. She taught middle school for a couple
of years before the arrival of their first child, Zach. Less than two years later, their second
child, Katie, was born. Evelyn took leave from teaching and focused her energy on raising
the kids. When Katie started kindergarten, Evelyn picked up where she left off and taught
art for fourteen more years. “At my last school, I had a huge teaching load and saw 1,200
students during a typical eight-day rotation. Like most public school teachers, we were
with the students all the time. I loved it, but when Sandy was offered the position in New
Jersey (Ramapo College), I was ready for a change.”
Sandy was hired as provost at Ramapo, but later served as interim president for a year. “We
lived in the Havemeyer House when Sandy was interim president, then moved into a staff
apartment when he returned to the provost position,” Evelyn said. It was quite a contrast,
she remembers with a smile. “The garage in the Havemeyer House was bigger than our
entire apartment. The president’s house wasn’t better than the apartment, just different.
We’ve had to be flexible and open to change in the past few years, and that’s okay with
us,” she continues. “It was that way as an art teacher and Sandy embraces it in his life. He’s
actually a little better at it than I am,” she says with a grin.
Since the move to Swannanoa in July (number three if you’re counting), Evelyn has had
little time to do much else except get familiar with her new surroundings. “I’ve spent the
first few months unpacking and meeting lots of people associated with the College,” she
said. “I’m just taking it as it comes and getting a sense of how I can best be involved and
active in the life of the College.”
WINTER 2007
15

Homecoming...
friends
fellowship
festivities
16

family
fun
17

Education meets environmental action
by Elena Howells ’07
We’re not for everyone, but then . . . maybe
you’re not everyone. It’s Warren Wilson’s
slogan, but it might as well be the tag line
for outdoor leadership/environmental
studies professor Mallory McDuff’s
first-year seminar, “Environmental
Communications for Behavior Change.”
“I didn’t know it was going to be so
intense,” said Ayla Graden ’09, who signed
up for McDuff’s class in the fall of 2005.
“I was interested in environmental action
on campus, but I didn’t know I would be
doing a campaign.” Environmental action
is precisely what she and her classmates got
—they identified an environmental need on
campus and created a campaign to influence
behavior related to that need.
Graden and classmate Reneé Gaudet ’09
focused on how the College’s cafeterias
incorporate local food into their offerings,
with the ultimate goal of increasing
consumption of local foods on campus. “It
was kind of a mess,” said Gaudet. The food
delivered to Gladfelter was not marked by
source or vendor, so students were unable
to determine the source of a given item.
Graden and Gaudet worked with Gladfelter
Cafeteria manager Brian O’Loughlin to
ensure that local food, including produce
grown in the Warren Wilson garden and
meat produced on the farm, was labeled
on the entrée and salad bars. Graden
and Gaudet also coordinated with the
Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project
(ASAP) to create the posters that now
hang outside Cowpie Café, the vegetarian
eatery on campus. The posters describe
three sources for local foods, including the
Warren Wilson farm and garden.
Another group from McDuff’s class worked
to reduce exposure to second-hand smoke
on campus. The students collaborated
with the Wellness Crew and the Dean
of Students office on a campus-wide
smoking cessation program and applied
for a Campus Greening Seed Grant from
the Environmental Leadership Center to
create signage designating no-smoking
areas. As part of the Seed Grant process, the
appropriate administrators and committees
have to sign off on the project. In this case,
the Business Affairs Committee didn’t
think the signs would be effective. Still,
the students involved, including Eleanor
Margulies ’09, think their campaign was
effective in raising awareness. “Even though
there wasn’t a concrete outcome, we feel like
we brought the issue into a more prominent
context,” said Margulies, noting a recent
article about smoking in The Echo and a
health psychology class that chose to focus
on the topic of smoking. Reducing smoking
on campus is also one of the top two issues
that Student Caucus is dealing with in the
2006-07 academic year.
Understanding the complicated politics
behind greening, such as how to deal with
various stakeholders, be they administrators,
students, or community members, is one of
the skills McDuff hopes her students have
learned from the class. “Learning how to
navigate those political issues—even on a
small campus—is such a life skill, and to do
it with grace is so important,” McDuff said.
She need not worry; students are already
looking for opportunities to use their newly
acquired skills.
“I still have those tools in my head, even
the language, so that people will take me
seriously,” said Graden. Margulies agrees.
“Especially as an incoming freshman,
having the ability to influence policy change
was a really good way to get assimilated into
the greening culture,” she said. “I can apply
for a Seed Grant . . . and there are a number
of people on campus I now know I can go
to about creating positive change.”
Graden, Guadet, Margulies and McDuff
traveled to St. Paul, Minnesota, to attend
the North American Association for
Environmental Education (NAAEE)
conference in October 2006. They
presented their experiences from the
environmental communications class and
shared their successes and challenges in
running campaigns to change behavior at
Warren Wilson. “A lot of students from
other colleges were there and were inspired
by what we had done. One woman from
the University of Florida wants to start a
recycling program at her school,” Gaudet
said. McDuff added that a faculty member
from the University of South Carolina
contacted her after the NAAEE conference.
“They want us to speak to students and
faculty in the spring so they can model a
course after ours,” McDuff said.
“Environmental Communications for
Behavior Change” teaches students how
to plan, implement and measure results
of environmental action on a local level,
both in terms of changing behaviors and
addressing policy issues, all within an
educational framework. “I really loved
that the class incorporated learning and
education with improving the campus…
I think it’s a model we could use with other
subjects,” Gaudet said.
Mallory McDuff and her environmental education students practice a citizen science lesson outside their classroom in Morse Science Hall.
18
OWL & SPADE

alumni notes
30s
Thelma Marie Davis ’35 wrote in to
let us know she is doing well and has
made a smooth transition into Carillon
in Shelby, N.C.*
40s
Martha (Wells) Curtis ’43 is busy
with her husband in the hospital
after another stroke. She is finding
that the aging process brings on new
responsibilities.
50s
The 1950s Golden Anniversary
Reunion Steering Committee thanks
Billy Edd Wheeler for the generous
gift of his CD New Wine from Old
Vines for each reunion participant.
Check out Billy Edd’s website: www.
billyeddwheeler.com.
Barbara (Roper) Dauterman ’52
bought a new house in Roseburg,
Oregon. In May, she sailed from Ft.
Lauderdale to Denmark and returned
home by plane. She hopes to journey
next time to Sweden, Finland and
Russia. She may be looking for a
roommate on her next cruise if anyone
is interested.*
Louise (Sparrow) Keener ’55 and
husband celebrated the birth of their
first grandson on February 20, 2006,
who joined twin sisters Caroline and
Lauren (4). All three were born to
Louise’s daughter Linda, who is a twin
herself.
Mae (Caviness) McPherson ’58 retired
from Wake County Schools in 1993.
Recently, she has been busy traveling
with her husband, Baxter McPherson
’60, and spending time with their three
grandchildren. In 2004 they moved
to Mebane, N.C. She would love to
hear from classmates and learn about
adventures experienced since their days
at WWC.*
Sarah (Striggles) Davis ’59 and Phyllis
(Williams) Stevenson ’60 had a great
“roommate reunion” on April 22-23,
2006, at the home of Sarah’s daughter in
Montgomery, Alabama.
Alma (Kidd) Hall ’59 sends her
greetings to Warren Wilson friends. She
enjoys keeping up to date through the
Owl & Spade. Retirement continues to be
great for Alma and her husband, Joseph.
60s
Mary Anne (Allen) Boose ’61 is proud
of her fourth grandchild, born on
November 11, 2005.
Joy (Ritchie) Powers ’61 and her
husband, Scott, are enjoying retired
life. They are spending time with their
children, grandchildren and new arrival
Weston Scott Fleenor, their greatgrandchild.
Phyllis Stevenson ’60 is currently a
framer and decorator at Brown Framing
in Lake City, Florida. Her husband,
David Stevenson ’61, taught Forestry at
Lake City Community College until his
retirement in January 2000.
Donald Laufer ’63 would love to hear
from any classmates.*
70s
Richard Kiprono Mibey ’77 has been
named the vice chancellor of Moi
University in Eldoret, Kenya. Mibey
graduated from Warren Wilson with a
B.A. in biology and earned a master’s
degree in biology from Appalachian
State University. He continued studies
in biology and mycology at Oklahoma
State University and the University of
Nairobi. A world-renowned authority
in fungal systematics, fungal taxonomy
and biodiversity conservation, Mibey
has contributed to the discovery
of over 120 species of fungi. In his
position at Moi, Mibey oversees Kenya’s
second public university, established
in 1984 as an academic center for
science and technology. Mibey told
Kenyan journalists, “The university has
resources which can be utilized to make
it a world-class institution and help
alleviate poverty.”
80s
Cathy Lamkin ’82 sends her best to
all who lived the dream over 20 years
ago! Cathy is an independent sales
representative in the ski and outdoor
industry. When she isn’t traveling
she enjoys life in Wisconsin with her
husband and six-year-old son. She
would love to hear from friends via
email Catelamkin@wi.rr.com.
WINTER 2007
19

Dr. Bonnie Colleen McRoberts
’83 has been busy with veterinary
medicine, renovating historic homes,
managing the farm she lives on and
parenting her daughter, Peary. Peary
(5) came from Cambodia as an infant.
Bonnie would love to hear from
old friends and can be contacted at
mistywillowfarm@juno.com.
Nancy Daugherty ’83 sends a “hootyhoo!”
from Washington, D.C.
Nancy Olsen Ruben ’84 and Andy
Ruben ’85 are both elementary school
guidance counselors. They have two
children: Abbey (12) and Connor (9).
They would love to hear from old
friends and they invite anyone to visit
them in beautiful Naples, Florida.*
Fong Choo ’88 has received much
acclaim for his tiny masterpieces—ceramic
teapots no larger than an egg. In April
2006, Choo earned the prestigious Bronze
Award at the Smithsonian Craft Show, the
nation’s most prestigious juried exhibition
and sale of contemporary American craft.
He has been adjunct professor and artistin-residence
at Bellarmine University,
Louisville since 1990. Choo’s works and teaching were recently featured in
the Chicago Tribune (August 27, 2006 “Home and Garden” section). He has
been making miniature teapots for over 35 years and his works have been
shown in galleries worldwide.
Julie A. Booth ’85 and William
“Ed” Allen ’85 are still living and
working in Portland, Oregon. Julie’s
email is jb@intel.com and William’s is
ed@qualcomm.com.
Susannah Chewning ’87 was recently
promoted to associate professor at
Union County College in Cranford,
New Jersey. Susannah teaches English,
women’s studies, and coordinates the
first-year seminar program at UCC.
90s
Lynn Bullman-Davis ’90 and her
husband, Eric, announce the birth
of their first child, Charlie Madison
Davis, born on March 28, 2006.
Gregory Wilkins ’90 accepted a job
at Washington State University in
July 2006 as the Director for Campus
Involvement, advising the Associated
Students, Inc. (student government)
and managing the student leadership
program. Gregory is having a blast
living in the Pacific Northwest and
hopes to connect with other WWC
alumni. His email is Gregorytoddwilki
ns@hotmail.com.
20
Melanie (Packer) Payne ’93
announces the birth of her second
child, Dannielle, born on September
13, 2005. Dannielle joins her big sister
Allysanne (4).
Pavel Gmuzdek ’94 is currently
working at Haliburton Forest and
Wildlife Preserve in Haliburton,
Ontario (www.haliburtonforest.com).
He and his wife have a 14-month-old
son, Jack, a future WWC student!
Pavel and his family invite friends to
come up for a canopy tour or dog
sledding in the winter.*
John Chris Harris ’94 is currently
living in Orlando, Florida, and is
working for the Florida Department of
Environmental Protection. He and his
wife celebrated the birth of their son,
Bastian, on May 23, 2005. Friends can
contact him at John_C_Harris@yahoo.
com.
“Lessons From Animals and Land”
Read an article about the College Farm
by Lawrence Biemiller
in The Chronicle of Higher Education at
www.chronicle.com/free/v53/i09/
09a05601.htm.
Todd Phillips ’95 and his wife,
Christina, welcomed their son, Davis
William Phillips, into the world on St.
Patrick’s Day 2006. Born in Raleigh,
N.C., he weighed in at 5 lbs., 6 oz. and
measured 19 inches in length. Davis is
now growing like a weed!
Harold T.D. “D.” Holden ’96 is
currently a purchasing agent and U.S.
Coast Guard-certified captain for
vessels of up to one hundred gross tons.
D. is divorced and has two sons, Caleb
(11) and Joshua (8). Life is good in
sunny Florida.
Jennifer Girard Krebs ’96 enjoyed
seeing everyone at Homecoming 2006
for the 10-year reunion!
Jaime Walker ’98 married Meyame
Diezou Yanic-Kevin on August 21,
2004. They bought their home of
three years a few months ago. In June,
Jaime became the director of catering
at Laurey’s Catering in Asheville. Still
dancing, she now performs with the
Avec La Force Percussion Initiative.
Sudi-Laura (Gregory) Overstreet ’99
married Jason Overstreet on November
23, 2005. They had their first child,
Isaac, on September 27, 2006.
OWL & SPADE

George Whitman ’99 is currently
the assistant director of the Lifetime
television show “Lovespring.” He is
also managing the formerly Ashevillebased
band “Scrappy Hamilton.” The
group includes WWC graduate Walker
Young ’99. George is living with
his girlfriend, Rocio, and their dog,
Sharpie.
00s
Laura Carter ’01 returned to Asheville
after volunteering and apprenticing
in Scotland for three years. On July
28, 2006, she married Edward Thijs
in the Beaverdam Valley of North
Carolina. Both Laura and Edward will
be working with Laura’s parents’ new
garden business, Thyme in the Garden,
located in north Asheville.
Eliza Lynn ’00 quit her day job! She is
enjoying a full-time music career and
has been overwhelmed with blessings
of support. This winter she is recording
her second album, which will include
her full band. Visit her website at www.
elizalynn.com.
The Warren Wilson Dairy Barn, or “the White Barn,” is often the first sight visitors or future students see as they
approach the campus on Riceville Road. For many alumni, it was the site of endless hours of hay bale lifting, cow
milking, or bull dodging. Whatever our connection to the White Barn, it now needs our help. A new, long-life metal
roof, paint, and other repairs to the barn and adjacent silo will keep them in good shape for the foreseeable future.
The repairs are estimated to cost $75,000. If you would like to join in preserving the Warren Wilson Dairy Barn, please
contact J. Clarkson ’95, CFRE, Director of Development at 828.771.3756 or clarkson@warren-wilson.edu.
Keri Parker ’97 is a biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s International
Affairs Program in the Division of Management Authority. Her office issues permits
under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and
Fauna (CITES) and the United States Endangered Species Act. While the position is a
departure from her other adventures working as an island supervisor for the National
Audubon Society’s Seabird Restoration Program, banding birds for the Powdermill
Avian Research Center and working as an environmental educator for World Wildlife
Fund, she finds that all her previous professional experiences are relevant when it comes
to implementing wildlife conservation policy. Her training in environmental studies
began at Warren Wilson College, and she continued her education with the University
of Maryland’s graduate program in sustainable development and conservation biology,
where she received her master’s degree in 2005. Her graduate research included
completing a pilot assessment of conservation projects taking place in China’s panda
reserve system that are funded by U.S. zoos through the United States Policy on Giant
Panda Permits. Her research continues to aid stakeholders in China and the U.S. as they
track and assess the conservation needs of the giant panda and its habitat. Keri’s goals
change from day to day—one day she wants to become a globe-trotting wildlife photographer
and writer, the next she wants to pursue a doctorate in conservation science, and the next day
she just wants to stay home with her husband, dog, and cat, so she can play in her backyard
and grow vegetables. With a little luck she’ll figure out a way to do all three.
Keri Parker and a newly banded sharpshinned
hawk at the Powdermill Nature
Reserve in Rector, Pennsylvania, spring
2006.
WINTER 2007
21

MFA
Naomi Guttman ’88 has a
forthcoming book, Wet Apples, White
Blood, published by McGill-Queen’s
University Press.
Steve Kronen ’88 has a new book of
poetry titled Splendor, published by
BOA Editions.
Stuart Robbins ’89 has a story
collection coming out from John
Wiley & Sons titled Lessons in Grid
Computing: The System is a Mirror.
Alison Moore ’90 has a new
collection of stories titled The Middle
of Elsewhere, published by Phoenix
International.
Lynda Dyer ’91 passed away in July
after a six-year battle with breast
cancer. A scholarship has been
established in her honor for a poetry
graduate to attend WWC’s annual
MFA alumni conference.
Don Colburn ’92 won the Cider Press
Review Book Award for his poetry
manuscript “As if Gravity were a
Theory.” His chapbook, Another Way to
Begin, was published by Finishing Line
Press.
Charlotte Matthews’ ’93 book of
poems, Green Stars, has been published
by Iris Press.
Laure-Anne Bosselaar ’94 has a third
book of poetry out. New Hunger is
published by Ausable Press.
At an elevation of 4,718 meters, Nam-tso (“Sky Lake”) is the highest salt-water lake in the world and an important
pilgrimage site for Tibetans. Dr. Hun Lye (religious studies) taught a WorldWide course on “The Religious and Cultural
Heritage of Tibet” that culminated in three weeks of on-site learning in Central Tibet. About a week was spent in Lhasa,
the ancient capital of Tibet, and the remainder of the trip was spent in valleys, grasslands and mountain ranges outside
of Lhasa. Director of Student Activities Dustin Rhodes ’95 co-led the class of 16 Warren Wilson students. While in Tibet,
students came up with the idea of fundraising for free reading glasses for monks and nuns of the Drigung Valley. If you
can give the “gift of sight,” please contact Dr. Lye at HLye@warren-wilson.edu.
On the Web: www.warren-wilson.edu/~religiousstudies/tibet
Peg Alford ’96 and Cass Purcell ’96
have married.
Susan Kelly ’99 has a new novel out,
her third, titled The Last of Something.
The book was published by Pegasus
Books.
Nate Pritts ’00 has two new poetry
chapbooks out this year: Monday,
Monday from Big Game Books and Big
Crisis from Forklift, Ink. Check out
Nate’s website at www.h-ngm-n.com/
nate-pritts.
Greg Rappleye ’00 won the University
of Arkansas Press Poetry Series Award.
The university press will publish his
book Figured Dark in fall 2007. He has
two new chapbooks out, Eros, Psyche and
the Death of Narrative (Candle Creek
Press) and The Afterlight (LSF/WVU of
Law School Press).
Lara Tupper ’01 is anticipating the
release of her debut novel A Thousand
and One Nights by Harcourt in February
2007. She welcomes everyone to
visit www.laratupper.com for advanced
reviews and a peek at the cover.
Shannon Cain ’05 won a Creative
Writing Fellowship from the National
Endowment for the Arts.
* Track down your classmates through the
online CampusWeb Alumni Directory.
Contact the Alumni Office for your login
information.
Calling all farm hands!
The Alumni Office is organizing a reunion for Farm Crew members, and we need your help.
All those who worked on the Farm Crew under Bernhard (’Fessor) Laursen, Ernst Laursen or
John Pilson are invited to contact fellow student farmers and get the word out. The reunion
will be held on the Farm at the Homecoming 2007. We need your help to make it a success,
so start thinking about all those old stories of fun, mishaps and adventure!

Losses
George W. Barkley AF ’21
August 10, 2006
William T. Garrison AF ’32
July 29, 2006
Maude Sanders Phillips ANTC ’32
July 17, 2006
Marie Rhodes ANTC ’32
July 17, 2006
Laura Barkley Troutman ANTC ’36
June 30, 2006
Mavis Williams Edwards ANTC ’37
June 29, 2006
Rosa Stokes Hendrix ANTC ’39
July 6, 2006
June Wallin Plemmons ANTC ’39
September 25, 2006
Virginia Weaver DB ’39
June 13, 2006
William G. Cody AF ’40
Date of death unknown
Inez Edwards Banner ANTC ’41
July 30, 2006
Sarah Masters Huffman WWC ’47
September 9, 2006
Betty Plemmons WWC ’48
June 28, 2006
Preston Neely WWC ’50
May 28, 2006
John Mellin Jr. WWC ’73
June 9, 2006
Ramie Smith WWC ’99
August 22, 2006
in memoriam
Mary-Elizabeth Roberts
1927-2006
Mary-Elizabeth (Liz) Roberts
passed away on August 10, 2006,
leaving behind many friends at
the College and among alumni,
including her niece, Ruth Roberts
’85. Mrs. Roberts and her late
husband, Marshall, were active
members of the Friends of the
Library Board at the College and in
the Asheville community. A career
educator, Mrs. Roberts taught
English and GRE test preparation
for many years at the Buncombe
County jail. The Roberts enjoyed
a lifelong love of the English
language, and Mrs. Roberts
established the Marshall and
Mary-Elizabeth Roberts Endowed
Scholarship at Warren Wilson to
memorialize that love and their
marriage.
in memoriam
Alma Lee Shippy, a pioneer in racial integration
Alma Joseph Lee Shippy, the Swannanoa native who in 1952 became the
first student to break the color barrier at an undergraduate institution in
the Old Confederacy, died Dec. 1, 2006, in Asheville. He was 72.
Shippy enrolled at historically white Warren Wilson Vocational Junior
College two years before Brown v. Board of Education, and several years
before most colleges and universities in the South integrated. At the
urging of Marvin Lail ’53 and other students, and with support from
President Arthur Bannerman and Dean Henry Jensen, Sunderland Hall
residents voted 54-1 to accept Shippy as a fellow student. In recalling
the historic vote, former Shippy classmates such as Lail and Billy Edd
Wheeler ’53 said they and other students voted overwhelmingly to accept
him as a fellow student out of a simple sense of fairness.
Alma Shippy with Billy Edd Wheeler ’53 and Rodney Lytle ’73
Shippy, a graduate of Asheville’s Stephens-Lee High School who grew up in Buckeye Cove near the Warren Wilson campus,
blazed a trail for other black students at the College. Among them was Georgia Powell ’55, who became the first African-
American to graduate from Warren Wilson. His watershed enrollment, done without fanfare, also helped pave the way for
many other black students at historically white colleges and universities across the South.
In 2002, the Warren Wilson College Board of Trustees passed a proclamation recognizing the 50th anniversary of Shippy’s
enrollment. At the emotional ceremony with the Board, Shippy said, “We had a wonderful closeness with the staff here. I
still feel this is my family, right here.”
A memorial service for Shippy was held Dec. 7 in the College Chapel. He is survived by his daughters, Elizabeth Davis and
Delynn V. Patterson of Gary, Ind.; and by brothers Glenn E. Shippy of Springfield, Mass., and Calvin B. Shippy, Michael
Shippy and Perry R. Shippy, all of Swannanoa.
WINTER 2007
23

Looking Back
The 1965-66 Warren Wilson College Choir on the steps of the U.S. Capitol during their choir tour, the first of many led by Dr.
Robert Keener, pictured on the lower right. Dr. Keener served as choir director and professor of music from 1964 to 1995. A campaign is
currently underway to establish the Robert and Jo Anne Keener Endowed Scholarship fund, which has raised more than 50 percent of its
goal of $25,000. For more information on the campaign, contact J. Clarkson ’95, CFRE, director of development, at 866.992.6957. Photo
courtesy of the Warren Wilson College Archives.
24
A dependable income for life
&
Elinor Martin was a long-time friend
a legacy for generations
to come
of Warren Wilson College and often
visited campus to participate in archeological digs. When she found her securities were not returning the
income she needed, the College was able to help. In 1995, Elinor established a charitable gift annuity funded
with her appreciated securities. Because of her age at the time of the gift, the College was able to provide a 10
percent return to Elinor, some of which was tax-free. At her passing, the remainder of the principal came to the
College to establish an endowed scholarship for students with financial need. For more information about how
an annuity might help you realize more income while providing a gift for future generations of Warren Wilson
students, please contact J. Clarkson ’95, CFRE, toll-free at 866.992.6957 or clarkson@warren-wilson.edu.

The Installation of
William Sanborn Pfeiffer
Sixth President of Warren Wilson College
Saturday, April 28, 2007
A Celebration of Academics,
Work and Service Learning at
Warren Wilson College.
Look for your invitation in the mail soon.
Attention alumni!
Make plans to attend the 2007 Weekend@WWC
June 22-24, 2007
Weekend@WWC is a chance for alumni
to spend time with their families, reconnect
with friends and take workshops—from
fly-fishing to footstool caning—all while
enjoying the beautiful WWC campus.
www.alumni.warren-wilson.edu/weekend.shtml

WWC on the Road.
February 18-25, 2007
Come meet President and Mrs. Pfeiffer
in Richmond, Washington, D.C.,
Philadelphia, or New York City.
Invitations coming soon.
WARREN
WILSON
COLLEGE
PO Bo x 9000
Asheville, NC 28815-9000
Nonprofit
Organization
U.S. Postage
PAID
Permit #575
Asheville, NC
Address Service Requested