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June 2008
Alumni
Association Board
Mike Nurre ’67,
president
Becky Russell Sykes ’67,
past president
Melida Ailshire
’06
Bob Albritton ’66
Beverly Benthul Barry ’67
Sam Beakey ’93
Mickey Bonesio ’66
Kelly Breazeale ’68
Tulisha Langford Buchanan ’86
Michael Dodd ’72
Jeff Duffey ’00
Chris Elliott ’84
Justin Epker ’95
Tanya Eustace ‘01
Becky Easter Farnsworth ’82
Jan Wilson Flatt ’75
Craig Florence ’84
Giselle Finne Gafford ‘00
Jon Gaulding ’75
Sarah Gunderson ’81
Michael Harper ’94
Kelly Hester ’69
Han Pham Hulen ’98
Brandon Hurley ’95
Debra Rayfield Hurley ’93
Kirsten Brandt James ’85
Don Johnson ’71
Jennifer King ’92
Amity Overall Laib ’01
Eartha Taylor Linson ’97
Stefanie Lucio-Herrmann ’92
Osler McCarthy ‘73
Stephanie McDonald ’97
Eric Nordstrom ’99
Gordon Northcutt ’87
Jennifer O’Brien ’96
Dianne Hardie Thompson ’68
Blyth Weber Treuhaft ’95 |
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'Roo Notes
— reputedly the English translation of a Chinese proverb and curse
It certainly has been an
interesting six months since I took office as president of the
Alumni Association in January, with the announced retirement of Dr.
Page and a change in leadership of Institutional Advancement with
Jim Lewis leaving and Jerry Holbert becoming vice president.
During those six months, the
Alumni Board has been restructured, our bylaws revised, and new
programs created to better serve our alumni association. Here are a
few highlights:
Nominating Committee:
Jenny King ’92, chair. The committee selected six candidates
who join the Alumni Board July 1. New members are Michael Dodd
’72, Justin Epker ’95, Becky Easter Farnsworth ’82,
Jan Wilson Flatt ’75, Kristen Brandt James ’85, and
Don Johnson ’73.
Alumni College Committee:
Beverly Benthul Barry ’67 and Craig
Florence ’84, co-chairs. The committee sponsored an Alumni
College on the Road event in February at the new city hall in
Austin, Texas. Sixty alumni attended the panel discussion on
environmental issues. Alumni College on the Road will include be a
five-city tour this fall, with events in Dallas, Houston, San
Antonio, Washington, D.C., and Denver, beginning in September.
Awards Committee:
Mickey Bonesio ’66, chair. Members reviewed 81
applications for 26 John D. Moseley Alumni Scholarships to be
awarded this fall to incoming freshmen. The committee also selected
Distinguished Alumni Osler McCarthy ’73, Jeannine Hatt Phelps ’72
and First Decade honoree Jennifer Deng-Pickett ’99 to
receive awards at the March recognition dinner. (Sarah Gunderson
’81 and John Bentham ’93 received the College’s Heywood
C. Clemons Volunteer Leadership Awards at that celebration.)
Development Committee:
Bob Albritton ’66, chair. The committee has provided support
and ideas to the College’s development staff and coordinated the
Alumni Board’s attainment of its own fund raising goal. Your Alumni
Board talks the fund raising talk and walks the walk! June 30 is the
deadline to show your support and give back to the alma mater that
has given so much to us. Please consider a gift.
 Homecoming Committee:
Stephanie McDonald ’97, chair. Members are planning to repeat
last Homecoming’s successful Saturday evening party for all reunion
classes in one large tent on the grounds of the Collins Alumni
Center. Mark your calendars for Homecoming 2008 -- October 24-26.
The Alumni Board will have more
opportunities to represent our fellow alumni, starting with the
selection of only the fourth Austin College president in the past 50
years. As president of the Alumni Association, I am the alumni
representative on the 15-member search committee composed of
trustees, faculty, and students. Please feel free to contact me to
voice your opinions about the presidential search or any of our
programs at
mike@mikenurre.com, or contact the Office of Alumni and Parent
Relations at
alumni@austincollege.edu. Cheers!
Mike Nurre Back
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Class of 1958 Celebrates 50-Year Reunion
Members of the Class of
1958 were on campus during Commencement to celebrate the 50th
anniversary of their own graduation. During the weekend, the
group officially became Golden ’Roos, alumni of 50 or more years
ago. Other Golden ’Roos joined them for the reunion weekend.
Pictured from the Class of
1958, left to right are: front row, Elsa Mickle Carnsner; Lem
Scarborough, Mary Ann Owen Walborg, V. V. Miller; row 2,
Charlotte Frasher Dupuy, Raymond Dupuy, Ray Smith, Elaine
Russell Olson, Dorothy Brand Beyler, Beth Hester McCollough,
Robbin Wiggins Groves; row 3, Kathleen Finke Manz, Mildred
Johnston Jones, Mary Lenn Haynes Jones, Jani Staats Shepard,
Clovis Swanner, Clinton Cravens; row 4, Albert Strickland, Betty
Tappan Payne, Mike Murray, Mary Thulemeyer Murray, Barbara
Whiteside Kiser, Pat Jamison Turner, Don Shepherd; row 5, Marcus
Payne, Nancy Cunningham Satterfield, Lila Hall Smith, Gerry
Sanders Seaman, Robert Lehr, Joe Turner, Earl Walborg; and top
row, George Boyd, Frank Hayward, Marvin Arnold, Charles
Galbraith, William Bondurant, Richard Mitchell, Lindy Cannon.
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 Phi Beta Kappa Inducts Charles Alford
Charles F. Alford ’69
was the alumnus inductee to Austin College’s Phi Beta Kappa chapter
in April. Alford is professor of government and Distinguished
Scholar-Teacher in the Department of Government and Politics at the
University of Maryland where he teaches classical, modern, and
contemporary political theory. During his career, he has received
three Fulbright Fellowships, including Senior Fulbright Research
Fellowships to Germany and to Korea. Alford earned his master’s
degree and doctorate at the University of Texas at Austin. He also
studies psychoanalysis and politics, political psychology, and
organizational ethics. He has been interviewed more than 100 times
on whistle blowing and corporate ethics, with remarks appearing in
dozens of newspapers and magazines, including The New York Times,
and on many television and radio news programs.
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Soccer Alumni Take on College Teams
Alumni of Austin College’s men’s
and women’s soccer teams returned to campus in late April to reunite
with teammates and take on the current teams in an afternoon of
competition. Bright skies and sunshine made for an enjoyable
afternoon but most of the alumni found they were not in quite the
same shape they once had been! Pictured, alumni are dressed in
white, students in crimson.
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It’s here. And it’s NEW and IMPROVED!
The Austin College Online
Community is now stronger than ever, and it offers added
features and increased opportunities for alumni to stay in touch
with one another and up-to-date on college-related events. Even
if you are a current user, you must go through a simple and
quick login process, since we are unable to transfer your
confidential password information.
Among the many features, acalumni.org allows you to:
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Update your profile, keeping contact
information current |
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Search for friends and classmates, as well
as find alumni with shared interests
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Register for events
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Network
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 Registration is easy!
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But remember: ALL users—new and
current—must select “First Time Login”
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To login:
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Go to
http://acalumni.org
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Click on “First Time Login” located at
the top of the page. |
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Enter your last name and follow the
instructions. |
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Enter your
seven-digit Constituent ID#,
which is listed on the address label
on
the back of this issue of Austin College Magazine.
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Create
your username and password, agree to the Terms and Conditions,
and you’re done. |
Please feel free to contact the Austin College
Office of Alumni & Parent Relations with your questions.
alumni@austincollege.edu | 1-800-467-6646
Welcome aboard!
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A Born
Teacher Turns
100
 In 2000, the Plano
Independent School District named Mary Alice Skaggs ’30
one of the district’s “100 Heroes.” On April 22, 2008, one of
their 100 turned 100. Born in Celina, Texas, Mary Alice earned
both her bachelor and master’s degrees from Austin College. She
went on to become the first teacher with a master’s degree in
the Plano district, where she taught high school English,
journalism, and economics for 31 years.
“Literature came alive in
Mrs. Skaggs’ classroom,” according to the Skaggs Elementary
School Web site. “She instilled a love of learning, encouraged
even the least motivated students, inspired future teachers, and
expressed confidence in each and every young person in her
charge.”
Mary Alice supervised the
production of the Planoian, the high school yearbook, for
37 years. She served as a sponsor and leader of the Junior
Thursday Study Club for 50 years, and won the 1958 Teacher of
the Year award from the Texas Federation of Women’s Clubs. In
1968, Mary Alice received a career achievement award from the
Plano Business and Professional Women’s Club and a special award
of merit for service to Plano citizens from the Plano Chamber of
Commerce in 1984.
In 1994, a Plano elementary
school was named in her honor recognizing her many years of
service to the community and education in the Plano area. “Mrs.
Skaggs has a strong passion about teaching children not only
what is in books, but also what is important to be successful in
life,” said Mary Ann Bargmann, principal at Skaggs Elementary
School, who has attended Skagg’s 98th, 99th, and 100th birthday
parties. “What I admire most is that her work was never about
her, but always about the children. She is very humble and
reluctant to accept praise for all the contributions to
education and children that she has made.”
Today, Mary Alice resides at
the Settlers Ridge Care Center in Celina, Texas. “Her profound
influence has permeated the lives of generations of students,
and trickled through their families to their children and
grandchildren,” the school’s Web site biography reads. “She is a
born teacher — of invaluable life skills and qualities”. Back
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Graduate Continues Long-Time Family Tradition
Photo Caption: Mary
(George) Steed, Lisa (Steed) Turner, Eric Turner, and
Kathryn
Turner are proud of the long line of Austin College alumni in
their family.
When 2008 Austin College
graduate Kathryn Turner received her diploma in May, she
became the latest in a long line of Austin College alumni in her
family.
In the late 1800s, John
George attended Austin College and became a lawyer in
Dallas. His niece, Vida George, graduated from Kidd Key,
a sister school of Austin College. His nephew, Taylor George,
the great grandfather of Kathryn, was a member of the Austin
College Class of "Naughty 07" (1907). Taylor's daughters,
Alice George and Mary George, were members of the
Class of 1954. Alice met and married Dr. Jack Hunnicutt,
Class of 1951. Mary, grandmother of Kathryn, had a daughter,
Lisa Steed, in the Class of 1981 (master’s in teaching in
1982), who married Eric Turner, Class of 1980. Their
daughter Kathryn graduated in 2008.
The family legacy has not
ended. Kathryn’s cousin Alyssa Steed will graduate in
2009. Back
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Joseph Peele McNeill joined Weight
Watchers in May of 2006 and reached his lifetime goal in August
2007, losing 112 pounds, and now is on maintenance. He reports a
much brighter outlook on life as he moves toward retirement in a few
years from his position as a librarian at McNeese State University
in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
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Brian Goesl was named executive director
of the Texarkana Regional Arts and Humanities Council, Inc., (TRAHC)
in April. He had served since mid-February as interim executive
director, having served as the director of Community Programs and
Outreach for more than eight years, responsible for the direction,
implementation, and marketing of TRAHC’s community programming.
Goesl previously worked as a theatre artist-in-residence consultant
at Lyon College in Batesville, Arkansas, developing children’s
theatre programs, and as a theatre consultant to the University of
Arkansas-Pine Bluff and the Pine Bluff school system. He developed a
district-wide theatre program for the Greater Texarkana Association
for the Gifted and Talented program and was the performing arts
administrator/director for the Arts and Science Center for Southeast
Arkansas. He also has more than 10 ten years of professional film
and video production experience.
76
E.M.
“Rocky” Bruni founded Bruni International,
as a sole proprietorship in 1982 and the company recently celebrated
its 25th anniversary in May 2007. In January, he sold the
Laredo, Texas, customs brokerage, freight forwarding, warehouse, and
distribution services company to Logistics (Americas), Inc. Bruni
has joined NYK Logistics as a senior vice president in the
International Services group and will manage the integration of the
two companies. The NYK chief executive officer said the firm
benefits from the addition of Bruni, whose customer-focused and
values-based leadership has earned Bruni International a reputation
for quality and innovation.
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89
A daughter, Lily, was born May 11, 2007, to
Julie and John Cutrer.
Ross Worden '06 Receives Rotary Scholarship
 Ross
Worden
’06, who completed a master’s degree in political science at the
University of Georgia in May, will leave for Egypt in August as
a Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholar. During the
yearlong trip, Ross will complete a graduate degree in Middle
Eastern Studies at the American University in Cairo. As a
Rotary International Ambassador, his agenda also includes
advancement of international goodwill, and he will speak with
many Rotary groups in Egypt, making presentations and answering
questions about life in the United States. Upon his return, Ross
then will speak with Rotary groups in the U.S, relating his
Egyptian experiences. “This scholarship seemed to fit so well
with my experiences at Austin College and the lessons I about
the value of study abroad, service to others, and fostering
cross-cultural understanding,” Ross said. “I’m very honored to
have this experience.” |
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90
A son, Reid Graham, was born September 15, 2007, to
Melissa and Rodney Lindsay.
92
Judson Crowder
and Bonnie Devine were married September 29,
2007, at a family ranch in Warrenton, Texas, under a canopy of
300-year-old oak trees next to a tin-roofed red barn. Barry
Holcomb attended. Bonnie works as an instructional designer for
Halliburton, and Judson’s company, Restorganize, is in it's third
year. Judson sat for his professional organizers certification in
April. The couple lives in Houston.
A daughter, Norah Blythe, was born April 10 to David and Autumn
Dawn Eudaly Galbreath. Norah joins brother Coggin, 9, and sister
Ellie,7. The family lives in San Antonio where Autumn Dawn works as
a physician and David owns a restaurant called Orderup.
Jarrod T. Foerster has joined Archstone apartment investment and
operations as a vice president, based in Houston, in the Structured
Finance Group, responsible for all mezzanine debt and preferred
equity investments in the central United States.
A daughter, Elspeth Frost, was born July 11, 2007, to Michael and
Sarah Poe Hickey. The family lives in Austin where Sarah works
as a marketing communications manager and Michael works as a
marketing copywriter.
Twins Michael Julius and Faith were born November 12, 2007, in
Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Matthew and Diana Dean Sideman
’93.
93
Jennifer Hughes Sutton
is a lawyer and now has started an invitation and
announcement business, Splendid Envelope, which she loves. She and
her husband, Johnny, and children Zach, 6; Eli, 5; and Sophie, 2,
live in Austin, Texas.
Thomas L. Matthews, M.D., accepted the position of assistant
dean for Student Affairs at University of Texas Health Science
Center in San Antonio (UTHSCSA) in March. He earned his medical
degree from UTHSCSA in 1997 and completed his internship, psychiatry
residency, and a Child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship at
UTHSCSA. He joined the Department of Psychiatry faculty in 2002
where he is an assistant professor and has served as the director of
the UT-Nix Behavioral Health Clinic and the associate training
director of the General Psychiatry Program. He now is the director
of child and adolescent psychiatry residency training, medical
director of the Child Guidance Center, and medical director of the
Guadalupe Unit at Laurel Ridge Residential Treatment Center. He has
received numerous awards in the Department of Psychiatry for
teaching and advocacy on behalf of the residents.
A son, Richard (Riku) Hikaru Ishikawnitela,
was born February 13 to Kayoko and Brian "Rube" Rubrecht.
Riku, the biggest boy in the hospital nursery, joined sister Lisa,
9, and the family in Tokyo, Japan, just in time for Brian to begin
work as a tenured professor of English in the School of Commerce at
Meiji University.
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A daughter, Emily Ann,
was born February 9 to Amanda and Larry Anderson.
Larry
is the newest physical therapist at
The Rehabilitation Center in Sherman.
Amanda owns and operates a dental savings business through Ameriplan.
96
Oscar Garcia
lives just outside Austin in Manor, Texas, with his wife, Amy, and
sons Theron, 4, and Gavin, 2. He works as a physical therapist for a
skilled nursing facility in Elgin, Texas.
99
A son, Brennan
Michael Cummings, was born November 29, 2007, to Eric and
Michaelle Flanagan Cummings. He was welcomed home by his sister
Lauren, 3.
A daughter, Emma Grace, was born March 12 to Omar and
Helen Garrett Escobar.
Helen serves as the coordinator of public relations for South Texas
College and Omar is an assistant district attorney for Starr County.
Chris Maness
and Catherine Goodrich were married July 14, 2007, in Scituate,
Massachusetts. Alumni attending were Greg Maness '01,best man;
George DeVera '99,groomsman; father of the groom Joseph Maness '70;
Bryan Campbell '99, Mclean Pickett, Jennifer Deng-Pickett '99 and
Gallin Fortunov '99. Chris and Catherine live outside Washington,
D.C., where Chris works for the U.S. Agency for International
Development.
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Rachel Blacketer
and Eric Hedstrom were married October 6, 2007, at the Old Red
Courthouse in downtown Dallas. The Honorable Ralph M. Hall, U.S.
congressman of Rockwall, Texas, officiated. Austin College alumni in
attendance were Kimberly Richard ’00 and Sachin Kukreja
’00 attended. The newly married couple was engaged on December
15, 2006, the bride’s birthday, at the top of the Eiffel Tower in
Paris. Rachel is the media relations manager for Children’s Medical
Center of Dallas, and Eric is a service delivery manager with IBM.
The couple honeymooned on Oahu and Maui, and now resides in Allen,
Texas with their sheltie, Morgan.
Micah Catterson and Monica Cruz
were married March 29 at the Dallas
Arboretum. Micah is employed as an area sales manager in advertising
and publishing for AT&T Southwest. Monica is an associate attorney
at McCurley, Orsinger, McCurley, Nelson, and Downing. The couple
honeymooned in the Caribbean and now lives in Richardson, Texas.
A son, Asher Charles, was born March 26 to
Joshua ’01 and Amy Poling
Sutherlun.
Older sister, Serena, 21 months old, is adjusting well to the new
arrival.
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Catherine Josephine
“CJ” Varner
and Shaun McGuire were
married August 11, 2007, in Richardson, Texas. CJ is the daughter of
Bill Varner ’79 and Susie Everidge Varner ’78.The
wedding party included CJ’s sister, Elizabeth Varner ’08,
maid of honor, and bridesmaid Nancy Meyer Legg ’04. After a
honeymoon cruise to the Caribbean Islands, CJ and Shaun are living
in Dallas.
Jordan Watson
has accepted the position of staff attorney at Legal Aid of
NorthWest Texas. Legal Aid is a non-profit organization that
provides access to the legal system at no cost to individuals of low
income.
06
Lauren Ice
presented “Grassroots Organizing: Effective Methods for Improving
Environmental Policy in Texas” in an Austin College Environmental
Issues Forum on campus in November 2007. She is program assistant in
the Dallas office of the Texas Campaign for the Environment.
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In Memorium
Austin College has received
word of the deaths of the following alumni.
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Campus Community Suffers Loss
The Austin College community
was saddened by the deaths of two members of the campus family
this spring.
 Eric Sorenson
Freshman Eric Sorenson died
May 4 in a jet ski accident at Lake Texoma.
Eric, 19, was a graduate of
S&S (Sadler & Southmayd) High School. His older brother Chase
Sorenson, Jr., graduated from Austin College this May. The
boys’ father, Michael, opearted his own business, Midway Glass,
and their mother, Kathy, is a senior assistant in the
Office of Institutional Enrollment at Austin College.
A memorial service for Eric
was held May 8 at Wynne Chapel.
Roy Melugin
 Roy Melugin,
professor emeritus of religion, died April 9, ending his
battle with cancer.
Melugin joined the Austin
College religion faculty in 1967. Named the Gould H. and Marie
Cloud Professor of Religion in 1983, he retired from the College
in May 1999.
Recognized internationally
as an Isaiah scholar, Melugin had served as research professor
of Hebrew at Brite Divinity School since leaving Austin College.
Roy and his wife, Sylvia, were living in Fort Worth, Texas.
An Old Testament scholar,
Melugin earned his master’s degree and doctorate at Yale
University. He earned a bachelor’s degree in history at McMurry
College and a bachelor of divinity degree in theology from
Perkins School of Theology at SMU. He also studied at the
University of Toronto (1962-63), the University of Heidelberg
(1973-74), and at the Claremont Graduate University (fall 1980
and 1987-88).
Friends We Will Miss
James B. Cain
James B. Cain of Athens,
Texas, a longtime scholarship donor at Austin College, died
April 27. Cain, who received an honorary doctorate from Austin
College in 2000, was an active member of the Athens community,
being named Citizen of the Year in Athens in 1997.
 Henry W. Sory, Sr.
Henry W. Sory, Sr.,
’47 died March 20, 2008. In 1948, he became a teacher at coach
at Sherman High School and in 1953 was named principal. In 1960,
he became assistant superintendent for business for the Sherman
schools, serving in that position until his retirement in
1985. He was very active in the Sherman community, including St.
Mary’s Catholic Church, United Way, and the Sherman Kiwanis, and
he and his wife, Joy (Davault) ’47 were loyal supporters
of Austin College. Earlier this year, the Sherman Independent
School District dedicated a new elementary school, scheduled to
open this fall, in his honor. “The Henry W. Sory Elementary
School is a testament to what he meant to the district, and our
goal is to make it a world class institution that the Sory
Family will be proud of for many years to come,” Sherman’s
school superintendent said at the dedication. Back
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June 2008
Feedback? |
 Despite the lighthearted comment
by Board of Trustee vice chair Richard J. “Dick” Agnich that
he likely was selected to head the Presidential Search Committee
“after the first nine choices said ‘no,’ and they were left with
me,” board members had many other reasons to choose Agnich.
Expertise honed in a nearly 30-year career with Texas Instruments
(TI), where he served as senior vice president, general counsel, and
secretary as well as various other roles, likely topped the list. He
retired from TI in 2000.
Agnich, who graduated with an
economics degree from Stanford and a law degree from the University
of Texas, had no relationship with Austin College until 1996 when
then-board chair Robert Wright, and Fred Meyer,
trustee, encouraged him to get involved with the College. “My
respect for them and appreciation for what they had done for my
church and other public institutions in Texas required me to say
‘yes,’” Agnich said.
Thirteen years of service on the
Austin College board, his son’s graduation from the College in 2000,
and his involvement with successful students like Christina “Tina”
Miller Howard ’99, whom he recruited to TI, have given Agnich
more reasons to stay involved at Austin College. “At the end of the
day, it is about the students, and Tina was the first of many
students at Austin College to make me very proud to be part of the
institution,” Agnich said.
Today, Agnich is focused on
finding the best leadership, a leadership committed to excellence,
for the future of Austin College. “Austin College has moved from a
somewhat above average liberal arts college to a very, very good
one, right on the cusp of excellence,” Agnich said. “We need to
continue our journey to excellence and be recognized nationally.
Life is too short to spend time, after 60 years of age, with
mediocrity.”
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