Margaret Gaut and Ann Gouge, graduates of 1940, recently visited campus. Margaret will turn 100 years old in June and Ann will turn 100 years old on December 25.
60s
Sanda M. Abramson ’65 was awarded the Whitney M. Young, Jr. Service Award by the Boy Scouts of America. The award is for outstanding service by an adult to the youth from rural or low income urban backgrounds. Sanda was recognized for her work with at risk and lower income families for more than 30 years in this area.
Peter Andersen ’69 recently wrote, “The opportunity Tusculum University gave me is the major reason for my success as a teacher and varsity basketball coach at Fallston High School in Maryland. I returned to my alma mater, Manassas High School. Success continued as head basketball and head baseball coach. Championships, achieving more than 200 wins as a basketball coach and baseball championships were not what it was about. Relationship with players, watching them succeed and go on to college to this day remains my greatest memories. I owe everything to Tusculum University in the man I became and person I am now.”
80s
Dr. Scott Niswonger ’87 H’06 will be honored with an honorary degree from the University of Tennessee at the May Commencement ceremonies. Dr. Niswonger turned his passion for aviation into several thriving businesses with annual sales of more than $1 billion. He began his career as a corporate pilot for the president of the Magnavox Company before establishing a cargo airline, General Aviation Inc., in 1973. He sold that company to become a vice president at Flying Tiger Lines, a military contractor and global cargo airline. He also founded Landair Services and Forward Air Corporation. Niswonger is the lead benefactor of Niswonger Children’s Hospital in Johnson City, home to a St. Jude affiliate clinic. Additionally, the Niswonger Educational Foundation now has 20 scholars in universities across the United States, 67 alumni and an annual program budget of more than $3 million. Dr. Niswonger is also is chairman of the governing board at the Niswonger Performing Arts Center in Greeneville, Tennessee. He has a degree in aviation technology and a doctorate of technology from Purdue. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Tusculum.
90s
Terry Hackney ’94 has joined Citizens National Bank as senior vice president. Terry has 41 years of banking experience in the Morristown area. He earned a bachelor’s degree in applied organizational management from Tusculum, is a graduate of the Tennessee School of Banking and the Southeastern School of Consumer Lending at Vanderbilt University and is a United States Army Vietnam-era veteran. Before joining Citizens National Bank, Terry served as senior vice president of First Tennessee Bank and most recently as senior vice president of commercial lending for Citizens Bank of New Tazewell. Terry was named United Way of Hamblen County Volunteer of the Year in 2015 for his 28 years of service with the Ministerial Association Temporary Shelter in Morristown.
Scott Wills ’96 has joined Century 21 Masengill-McCrary Realtors. A graduate of Tusculum, Scott obtained his real estate license in 1996 and broker’s license in 2003 and has been an auctioneer since 2000. Those interested in buying, selling, or auctions can call Scott at 423-329-0322.
Leon Brown ’97 has been inducted into the annual Old Timers Hall of Fame. Leon, who retired in 2016, was a coach and teacher at Cleveland High Scho
Leon Brown
ol for 38 years. A native of Harlan County, Kentucky, he was a graduate of Cumberland High School in Cumberland. During his high school career he was an All-District Basketball player, Most Valuable Player in Football, an All-state footballer and recipient of the John R. Creech Award as Most Outstanding Athlete in any sport at Cumberland High.
He received a football scholarship to Carson-Newman University, from which he graduated in 1977 with a bachelor of science in secondary education/physical education and drive education. He received his master of education from Tusculum College in 1997. He began his coaching career at Daniel Boone High School in Jonesboro. In 1978, he became an assistant football coach at Cleveland High. For the next 18 years, he served as an assistant coach. During this time, the Blue Raiders had an overall record of 178 wins to 33 losses and won three state championships and a 54-game winning streak. During his time of CHS, he also served as assistant coach for wrestling, freshman basketball and track. In 1997, he became the head football coach after Monroe stepped down. He served eight years as head coach with a record of 61 wins, 29 losses for a 67.8 winning percentage. During his time there, he never had a losing season and reached the playoffs each year. His team won the region title five times. He was Region 4-4A Coach of the Year for 1997, 1999, 2000, 2002 and 2003. In 2001, he was named a Tennessee Titan Football Coach of the Week. Leon is married to Barbara, who is also retired from Cleveland City Schools. They have two sons — Nicholaus and Nathan, and five grandchildren.
00s
April 19 was observed as Jared Moss ’00 Day in Ascension Parish. Born in Mandeville, Jared began playing soccer at age 4 and has continued playing throughout his life. He helped win the state championship in 1996 at Mandeville High School, where his teammates called him “The General.” He attended Tusculum after graduation, starting as a freshman and serving as a team captain. He and his father worked together on Mandeville’s Pelican Park. Jared lives in Ascension Parish with his wife, Shana, and their soccer-playing children, Lillie, Murphy and Henry. The children are active in the Gonzales Soccer Club, of which he is president. Under Jared’s leadership, the club established a mission and amended bylaws to adopt rules and policies that put players first. The club has a strong recreational program and added the Little Kickers program for 4-year-olds, pre-academy and academy programs for players wanting to play competitive soccer and an adult coed league. He has a coaching level C grade, meaning he is among the highest level of soccer coaches in the state, according to U.S. Youth Soccer. Jared led the effort for Gonzales Soccer Club to partner with Ascension Parish on opening the Cajun Industries Soccer Park at Lamar-Dixon Expo Center. He helped the parish engineering staff to determine the plan and design the park, assisted with negotiating a deal with private industry to provide all of the dirt work and a new parking lot and set the club’s direction and path when negotiating the contract of use with the parish. The park opened in 2017. Less than a month after its opening, it was the site of Louisiana Soccer’s 2017 Target Cup. The inaugural Jambalaya Cup tournament was held at the park in 2018, with more than 75 teams participating.
Jared Moss Day announced
10s
Kristen Atwell ’16 ’17 has been appointed Assistant General Manager of the Greeneville Reds. This is Kristen’s first season with the Reds. She served previously as a graduate assistant coaching with the Tusculum women’s basketball program; while also serving as a director of women’s basketball operations for one year at Tusculum. Kristen was also a stadium operations intern for the Pulaski Yankees during the 2017 season. Kristen received her Bachelor of Arts in sports management from Tusculum, and received her Master of Arts with a concentration in human resource and development, also from Tusculum.
Andre De Giorgi ’17 has been named ambassador at the New York City Football Club in Garden City, New York. He is also pursuing a master’s degree in Sport Management at Adelphi University.
1930s
Pharmacist Mate 3rd Class Frances Campbell (Wade) Ostergren ’34, age 106, of Sevierville, passed away on Dec. 18, 2017. A graduate
Frances Campbell (Wade) Ostergren
of Sevier County High School and Tusculum, she joined the Navy Waves, a unit of the U.S. Naval Reserve for women, during World War II. She moved back to Sevierville in the 1950s to take care of her parents and was an active member of the community. Frances always enjoyed sketching and painting pictures. She began traveling throughout Sevier County sketching churches and schools along with the courthouse and its tower, swinging bridges, landscapes and houses.
Today, her watercolor paintings hang in private homes and public businesses throughout Sevier County and beyond. As family circumstances permitted, Frances became active in her community. She served on the Board of Directors of the Sevier County Fair and facilitated the floral exhibits. She participated in several bridge clubs, was a charter member of the Sevierville Garden Club and an active member of the American Legion Post 104 Auxiliary. She traveled extensively and maintained her mother’s beautiful rose garden. The Frances Wade Ostergren endowment for faculty development was established at Tusculum in 1998. The Ostergren Fund provides faculty development support with preference given to English faculty who promote public speaking in their classes through composition, analysis of speech and expression in delivery. Salary supplements for such teachers is a primary objective of the endowment, with secondary consideration given to supporting attendance at curricular conferences.
1940s
Elizabeth Miller Smith ’45 of Poughkeepsie, New York, died at home on October 3, 2017. Elizabeth attended Poughkeepsie schools and graduated from Poughkeepsie High School and Tusculum. She worked for Pan American Airways in New York City and Luckey Platt and Co. of Poughkeepsie. She also managed Rosemarie’s, a dress shop in Poughkeepsie. On November 27, 1964, Elizabeth married David DeGarmo Smith.
Mary Pauline Crews Scott ’46 passed away June 8, 2017. She was a lifelong member of Christ United Methodist Church. She was a very devoted mother and always considered the needs of her children above her own. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren brought an extra sparkle to her eyes, and she loved spending time with each of them. She was a longstanding member of the Greeneville-Greene County Humane Society. Her survivors include Tusculum alumni: son and daughter—in-law Dr. Haden Scott ’75 and Debra (Cox) Scott ’74, Dr. Joseph Scott ’79 and son Paul E. Scott ’83. Her son-in-law John Fisher has been the architect to design several buildings on the Tusculum campus, including the recently completed Ronald H. and Verna June Meen Center for Science and Math. She was preceded in death by her husband, Dr. George E. Scott ’50.
Allen Farrell Calcote ’48 passed away on July 17, 2017. Allen was a U. S. Army Veteran who served in World War II. He received a master’s degree in education from the University of Mississippi and taught for 33 years at Franklin High. Allen was a Mason and a member of the VFW in Franklin.
1950s
George Dunlap
Dr. George E. Dunlap ’52 passed away on September 12, 2017. Dr. Dunlap practiced dentistry in Shelbyville for many years. He was a graduate of the University of Tennessee Dental School. He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps, and was stationed in Okinawa when the war ended. He, and his wife Mary Ann, were long term members of the First United Methodist Church in Shelbyville, Tennessee.
John W. Howe ’54 of Afton, TN, passed away December 16, 2017. John received a Bachelor of Arts degree in education from Tusculum and a master’s degree in educational administration from East Tennessee State University. He was a Greene County educator for more than 40 years. He started in a two-room schoolhouse in rural Greene County and completed his career at Doak Elementary. His career titles were that of a teacher, coach, assistant principal and principal throughout the years. In addition, he was a longtime coach of basketball and an avid fan of all sports. Many lifelong friends were made on the golf course. John was always found at the Greeneville Astros games and high school football games as his health permitted. John was a proud grandfather of nine and even prouder great-grandfather of eight boys. The “grands” were a true delight for him! Survivors include daughter and son-in-law Pam and Angelo Botta ’75.
1960s
Walter Plankenhorn ’63 passed away on April 25. He after more than 25 years of service with Hamblen County Schools, where he served as the first assistant principal at East Ridge Middle School and was principal at Fairview-Marguerite Elementary School. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Tusculum and was among the first graduating class from Temple University’s Master of Middle School Administration Program.
Nathan Freshour ’68 passed away on Thursday, August 31, 2017. He was a resident of Parrottsville at the time of passing.
1990s
Gary Backes ’99 passed away on March 19, 2017 in New Market. Gary attended Waubonsee Community College and Aurora University. He later went on and received a master’s degree in business at Tusculum. Gary had many careers in his life. He was a Kane County Sheriff before changing to a career in technology. This career choice led him to Tennessee where he had resided for the past 24 years. In his retirement, he enjoyed his family, country living and his dogs, Sam and Emmie.
2000s
Stephen Kelley ’04 of Oak Ridge, passed away on Feb. 21. Steve attended Roane County High School and served in the Navy for three years. As a self-taught computer programmer, he joined his father in Scientific Endeavors, a software development company. He went on to work on cutting-edge software in several companies, most recently Third Dimension Technologies. Steve loved many things, but most of all his family.