’50s
Dr. Ken Bowman '70, chair ofthe Tusculum Board of Trustees, had the opportunity recently to visit with Dr. Ed Kormondy '50 in a trip to California. Dr. Kormondy is a Life Trustee of his Alma Mater.
Dr. Ed Kormondy ’50 H’97 of Los Angeles, CA, celebrated his 90th birthday on June 10 with a surprise visit from family members. As he had expected, his daughter, Lynn arrived from San Francisco the evening before his birthday and suggested that they go to their favorite Mexican restaurant for an early lunch the next day. The next day, when they arrived at the restaurant, his daughter suggested they dine on the patio since it was such a nice day. There they found, to Dr. Kormondy’s great surprise, his two sons, Eric and Mark, and their wives, Janet and Susan, who were all wearing oversized glasses, bulbous noses and bushy eyebrows. Later, some close friends joined the family for dinner, complete with a piñata, which Dr. Kormondy “clubbed at blindfolded and missed!” A great time was had by all, and among Dr. Kormondy’s gifts was a cap bearing the words, “Made in 1926.” Dr. Kormondy, has had a long and distinguished career for which he says he is deeply indebted to his time at Tusculum, where he lived in Craig Hall and then in Rankin Hall for his senior year. A biology major at Tusculum, he went on to study at the University of Michigan, earning his master’s degree in 1950 and his doctorate in 1955 from the school. Dr. Kormondy taught at Michigan for two years before joining Oberlin College’s Biology Department, where he remained until 1968 when he moved to Washington D.C. to head a national organization promoting new approaches to the teaching of biology. In 1971, Dr. Kormondy joined The Evergreen State College in its opening year, serving as Dean of Natural Sciences in 1972-73 and as Provost from 1973-78. He spent 1978-79 in Washington, D.C. studying biomedical ethics and then served as Provost of the University of Southern Maine from 1979-82. He joined California State University of Los Angeles as Provost from 1982-86 after which he became Chancellor of the University of Hawai‘i-Hilo and the University of Hawai‘i West O‘ahu, serving until 1993. Returning to Los Angeles, Dr. Kormondy served as President of the University of West Los Angeles from 1995-97, as Special Assistant to the President of Pacific Oaks College from 2000-05 and as Acting President of his Alma Mater in 2007. He served on the Board of Trustees at Tusculum and the University of West Los Angeles until two years ago. Dr. Kormondy, who received a honorary doctorate from Tusculum in 1997, a Distinguished Service Award in 2003 and a Civic Leadership Award in 2008, is a Life Trustee for his Alma Mater. Dr. Kormondy has also been active and provided leadership for national professional organizations. He was president of the National Association of Biology Teachers in 1981, secretary of the Ecological Society of America from 1976-78 and served on the accrediting body, the Western Association of Schools and Colleges from 1987-96. Dr. Kormondy represented the U.S. Department of Education on missions to Hungary and Poland to examine environmental education, studied and published on higher education of China’s 55 minority nationalities and served as consultant in the life sciences to some 30 institutions, including the Universidad Simon Bolivar in Caracas, Venezuela. He served three times as the lead consultant in the life sciences for the State of Florida. Dr. Kormondy is a member of MENSA, the author of more than 70 publications in ecology, biology and science education and some 20 books including “Concepts of Ecology” (1969,1976,1983,1995)in addition to serving as editor of 15 books on the relationship of the biological sciences and society. He is listed in such publications as “Who’s Who in America,” “Who’s Who in the World” and the “International Directory of Distinguished Leadership.”
’80s
Marie Trapp ’81 of Nashville, TN, has volunteer 2,500 hours in schools, churches and hospitals in her community since 2012. She is also officially in remission from cancer as of this past June.
’90s
Diane Ball ’96 has been promoted to vice president of information security for BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee. She will be responsible for leading the Information Security program across the health insurer. Ball joined BlueCross last year after serving as chief information security officer and vice president of enterprise risk and security for Fujitsu America, Inc., in Durham, N.C. She has more than 20 years of security and privacy leadership experience at companies including BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina and Wachovia Bank, where she served as vice president and senior information security manager.
Edna “Leanne” Light Miller ’98 has joined the Oak Ridge School System as a teacher at Willow Brook Elementary School. She has worked 15 years as a special education teacher in Tennessee, Oklahoma and Louisiana schools.
’00s
Andrew Merriman ’02 is now an assistant county manager in York County, SC. In his new position, Merriman oversees the Public Safety Communications, Emergency Management, Fire Safety, Ebenezer Park and Summer Feeding departments. He also assists in implementing policies as established by the County Council and assist other staff members in the preparation, review and monitoring of county operating and capital budgets. Merriman has 10 years of experience in local government. For the last four years, he’s served as the Assistant County Administrator for Aiken County, SC.
’10s
Keith Hickey ’12 has joined First Community Bank of East Tennessee as Vice President and Commercial Lender. With more than 22 years of banking experience, Hickey was previously employed at First Tennessee Bank as vice president and commercial lender for the East Tennessee market. He is also a member of the 2016-2017 Leadership Kingsport Class.
Phillip Justin Reed ’13 is now working at the Pulitzer Arts Foundation as public engagement coordinator in St. Louis, MO.
Chad David Ward ’07 and Joy Beth Franklin were married September 12, 2016. The couple is living in Atlanta, GA, and in Greeneville, TN. Chad is assistant manager at ReLogistics LLC’s reverse logistics center in Atlanta, and Joy is a student at Georgia State University.
Emily Hawk Moughon ’06 and her husband, Luke, of Indianapolis, IN, are celebrating the birth of a son, Gabriel Christopher, on August 30, 2016. He weighed 9 lbs and 5 oz., and was also welcomed by older siblings, Caleb and Karis.
Rustin and Casey (Westmoreland) Jones ’06 ’13 of Greeneville, TN, welcomed a son, Lincoln Howard, on September 8, 2016. He weighed 8 lbs and 1 ounce.
Maurice M. “Jimmy” Yates Jr. ’49 of Greeneville, TN, passed away September 12, 2016. Mr. Yates was a veteran of World War II, serving in the U.S. Army Signal Corps in the European Theater of Operations. His signal battalion was attached to Gen. George Patton’s 3rd Army during the Battle of the Bulge, and he was later assigned to France where his battalion was responsible for the communication lines used by General Eisenhower. Following the war, Mr. Yates was assigned to the French Alps for a six-month tour of duty where he served as the electronics specialist and wire chief. He received campaign ribbons for Central Europe and Rhineland campaigns, as well as the American Theater Ribbon, European, African, Middle Eastern Theater Ribbons and World War II Victory Ribbon. Mr. Yates was also awarded the Good Conduct Medal. Following the war, he focused on his collegiate education and was a member of the first graduate accounting class in the history of the University of Tennessee. Mr. Yates served an internship in professional auditing and tax in the Atlanta office of Arthur Anderson & Co. He practiced as a certified public accountant in upper East Tennessee for 40 years with offices in Greeneville, Rogersville and Newport. Mr. Yates was a well-known speaker on taxation and lectured on opportunities in public accounting to advanced accounting students at East Tennessee State University for a period of years. He was a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants, for which he served as vice president and secretary. Mr. Yates was also a member of the Appalachian Chapter of the Tennessee Society of C.P.A.s, in which organization, he served as president, and the TriCities Estate Planning Council, in which organization he also served as president. He was a member of the Greeneville (Noon) Rotary Club for more than 50 years, Greeneville Lodge No. 3, F&AM, was a 32nd degree Mason, a member of Kerbela Shrine Temple in Knoxville, the Greeneville Shrine Club, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Andrew Johnson Post No. 1990, and the East Tennessee Management Club. Mr. Yates was a member of Asbury United Methodist Church of Greeneville for many years.
Dale M. Quillen ’50 of Nashville, TN, passed away August 13, 2016. Mr. Quillen practiced law for some 60 years. A veteran, he was most proud of his association with the U.S. Marine Corps. Mr. Quillen enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1943 and fought with the Third Division on Guam and Iwo Jima. He maintained contact with his Marine buddies throughout his life. Part of his ashes will be spread over the graves of his parents and sister in Baileyton, TN, and part of his ashes will be spread over the beaches on Guam and Iwo Jima.
William Guy Justis Jr. ’53 of Bulls Gap, TN, passed away on September 10, 2016. Mr. Justis was retired as superintendent of the Hawkins County School System. He was also the former three-time mayor of Bulls Gap and was serving on the governing board of the Rural Health Consortium at the time of his passing. Mr. Justis was a former director of the Upper East Tennessee Regional Health Agency, served on the Tennessee Soil Conservation board, and was appointed Grand Sentinel of the Grand Chapter of Tennessee, The Order of the Eastern Star in 1996. He was a delegate of the Democratic Party during the President Carter years, served on the Hawkins County Court and served as chairman on the Hawkins County Election Commission. Mr. Justis was a veteran of the 5th Ranger Battalion serving from 1944-46. He was a 33rd degree Mason, Shriner of the Jericho Temple, a charter member of Bulls Gap Lodge No. 764, F&M and Bulls Gap Chapter No. 471, The Order of the Eastern Star. Mr. Justis was appointed to the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels and was a charter member of Bulls Gap Veteran of Foreign Wars Post No. 9683. He was the Wesley Class Sunday School class teacher of Bulls Gap First United Methodist Church. He was preceded in death by his first wife of 58 years and Tusculum alumna, Ima Smith Justis ’81.
Betty Crabtree Drain ’69 of Chuckey, TN, passed away September 3, 2016. Mrs. Drain taught music in elementary schools in the Greene County School System. An accomplished violinist, she continued her passion for teaching, playing and enjoying music throughout her life. Mrs. Drain was also an award-winning activities director at Life Care Center of Greeneville for many years and enjoyed sharing the arts with all ages.
Jeremiah Luke Fullen ’11 of Greeneville, TN, passed away unexpectedly on August 24, 2016. Mr. Fullen was an outstanding member of the Pioneer men’s golf team from 2009-2011. His 74.71 career scoring average is fourth in the Tusculum record book. Mr. Fullen was also an outstanding student and was named a two-time Golf Coaches Association of America All-American Scholar. After earning an accounting degree, he remained faithful to his Alma Mater and was a regular attendee at the Pioneers’ home golf tournaments every year. Mr. Fullen worked for Carrier Construction and was a member of Asbury United Methodist Church.