Alumnus earns honor for best graduate student paper

A Tusculum alumnus who earned bachelor’s degrees in history and English from Tusculum in 2015 is now distinguishing himself in graduate school.

Ryan Barker, who is seeking a doctorate in history from Purdue University, was recently named the inaugural winner of the Southern Association for the History of Medicine and Science’s Robert Nesbit Award for Best Graduate Student Paper. According to the Purdue History Department, Barker delivered his prize-winning paper, “Terra Australis Jam Cognita: Matthew Flinders and Exploration’s Constructed Environment,” at SAHMS’s annual conference.

Barker also wrote a review for this month’s Journal for the Southern Association of the History of Medicine and Science about the book “Merchants of Medicines: The Commerce and Coercion of Health in Britain’s Long Eighteenth Century” by Zachary Dorner. You can read the review here.

During his time at Tusculum, Barker was a recipient of the Bruce G. Batts Award: History Honor Key: and an English, creative writing concentration, Honor Key. He was also a member of honors societies and the Student Government Association. In addition, he wrote and edited news release pertaining to the Tusculum Review, the university’s in-house international literary journal. He interned at the Office of Institutional Advancement and Museums of Tusculum.

We congratulate Barker on his achievements and wish him well as he completes his work on his doctorate!

Tusculum’s Facilities Management Department lives up to the mission of the University

The Facilities Management Department’s 10th annual Christmas for Kids Auction was a major success, raising $1,719, with all proceeds used to purchase presents for local children in need.

Through the event, facilities helped eight foster children! In addition, the department was able to assist a Tusculum family member, whose child lost a lot of toys in a fire!

“The Facilities Department would like to express our gratitude for the donations that were contributed,” said Chad Grindstaff, facilities management director. “We want you to know how much we appreciate your help and know the children do as well. We would also like to thank the Athletic Department for not only donating several items but also once again providing us lunch during the auction.”

Schedule for December 2; no changes to final exam schedule

Because of the potential for ice on roadways in the early morning, Tusculum University will operate on a two-hour delay for Wednesday, Dec. 2.

Once again, there will be no disruption or alteration to the final exam schedule. Final exams for Wednesday, Dec. 2, will proceed according to the original schedule and will not be affected by the two-hour delay.

We will use the same procedures for remote working and early arrivals on campus that were in effect for December 1.

Employees who can complete their duties from home and have received approval from their supervisor are permitted to work remotely for the whole day. Employees who need to come to campus prior to 10 a.m. are allowed, but they must notify their supervisor in advance.

We remind you to take care of yourself and not to take unnecessary risks when traveling.

If you have questions, please contact your supervisor.

Tusculum University delayed until Noon for employees; no alteration to the final exam schedule for December 1

Due to potentially inclement weather, Tusculum University will delay opening until Noon for employees of all three campuses.

Important: there will be no disruption or alteration to the final exam schedule. Final exams for Tuesday, Dec. 1, will proceed according to the original schedule and will not be affected by the two-hour delay.

Employees who can complete their duties from home and have received approval from their supervisor are permitted to work remotely for the whole day. Employees who need to come to campus prior to 10 a.m. are allowed, but they must notify their supervisor in advance.

In addition, the drive through holiday event for faculty and staff scheduled from 3-5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 1, in front of the Scott M. Niswonger Commons and the Ugly Sweater Contest, which was set for all day Tuesday, Dec. 1, have been reset for Thursday, Dec. 10, at the same times.

Your safety is of utmost concern to us, so please take care of yourself and do not take unnecessary risks when traveling.

Employees who have questions should contact their supervisors for more information

Tusculum operating on a two-hour delay on Friday, Feb. 21st.

Due to weather conditions, all three locations of Tusculum University will open Friday, Feb. 21, on a two-hour delay.

All classes that meet at 8am are cancelled and the 9:30am classes will meet at 10am. All other classes will meet as scheduled.

We encourage all members of the Tusculum family to be safe in their travels. Those who experience challenges coming to Tusculum should contact the following:

· Students: their professor(s)
· Faculty members: their dean
· Staff members: their supervisor

Actresses in “Little Shop of Horrors” performances at Tusculum to wear cherished alumna’s dresses

Some actresses cast in upcoming performances of “Little Shop of Horrors” will wear clothing that belonged to Margaret Gaut, a beloved 1940 graduate of Tusculum, who died in January. Those who will don this attire are, left to right, Kristin Girton, Molly Doss, Jodie Carter, Margo Olmsted and Sara Claiborne.

When actresses take the stage during Theatre-at-Tusculum’s production of “Little Shop of Horrors” in March, some of their costumes will demonstrate the deep connection between a Tusculum University alumna and the higher education institution.

Actresses Molly Doss, Kristin Girton, Margo Olmsted, Sara Claiborne and Jodie Carter will dazzle the audience with outfits previously owned by the late Margaret Gaut, a beloved 1940 graduate who died Jan. 12 at age 100. Gaut’s family recently donated the clothes to Theatre-at-Tusculum, and Erin Schultz, the costume director, found six outfits that would fit perfectly for the performances.

Schultz said a friend, Betsy Reed, was helping sort through some of Gaut’s belongings and alerted her about the availability of clothes, some of which were homemade.

“Everything was beautifully preserved and labeled,” Schultz said. “On many shoeboxes, she would say where she bought the footwear. There was one dress where she listed the party to which she had worn it. Some of her clothes were folded with tissue paper so they wouldn’t get creases. To be able to obtain a large amount of vintage clothing that’s still usable, as was the case here, is pretty incredible.”

In analyzing Gaut’s clothes, Schultz used criteria such as color, style and fit to determine which ones would be appropriate for the show.

“When I’m looking at a show, I think about the color palette and what’s going to work in what scenes and who it is going to look best on,” she said. “It just happened that among these pieces were exactly what I needed. To not have to alter the clothes too much because they already match the appropriate time period was helpful. It was very cool to be able to use them and give the show that authenticity.”

In her role as Audrey, Doss will wear a nightgown that belonged to Gaut. She considers the ability to wear an article of Gaut’s clothing an honor.

“This is the first costume I received as Audrey, and it was a big deal for me,” Doss said. “It really made my character come to life, especially knowing the clothes were from the time period the show portrays. From the vintage aspect, it really helped me to be able to come together and feel a lot closer to the role and the show. And it’s just very special to think that I’m wearing something that meant so much to someone.”

Girton, who will wear a pink dress from the Gaut collection in her role as Customer No. 3, experienced a similar transformation.

“The first day they let me try it on, you could feel this change of stepping into that character,” she said. “Before that, it’s not quite as real. And I love this outfit by the way. It makes me feel beautiful and classy. I love it from head to toe.”

A black and white dress with a cape and red belt, red gloves and red hat will be the outfit Margo Olmsted will don in her role as Skip Snip. She will also wear a green dress in her other part as a member of the show’s ensemble.

As she showed off the first outfit during a recent rehearsal, she paid tribute to Gaut by referring to her as pioneer and highlighting the support the centenarian provided the university throughout her life.

“When I wear this dress, I feel like I’m empowered, just like she was,” Olmsted said. “She was very stylish and very iconic. It’s such an honor to be able to bring my character to life using her fashions. Clearly, she was an amazing woman, and if you didn’t get to know her, you missed out on someone so special.”

When she wears a piece of used clothing in a performance, Sara Claiborne reflects on that past. She will wear Gaut’s orange jacket and orange, plaid skirt as she plays Chiffon.

“I like to talk about how costumes always have a story behind them,” she said. “They come from somewhere, and I like to know the background of them. So having someone specific’s old clothing comes with a lot of stories because they were lived in. And I think it’s very cool to reference that through acting and going back to that time for a little while.”

“Little Shop of Horrors” will take place in the Behan Arena Theatre in the lower level of the Annie Hogan Byrd Fine Arts Center at Tusculum University in Greeneville. The show will span two weekends with performances on March 1, 2, 7, 8, 9 at 7 p.m. with matinee performances on March 3 and 10 at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for seniors 60 and older. The show is rated PG-13 for some gruesome and gory content as well as strong language. Seating is general and is first come, first served. The ticket box office will open 90 minutes prior to each show time, with the house opening 60 minutes prior to each show time. Tickets may be purchased with cash or check only. No credit or debit cards will be accepted. To reserve tickets please call 423-798-1620 or email jhollowell@tusculum.edu.

Theatre-at-Tusculum is under the auspices of Tusculum University Arts Outreach, which is led by Artist-in-Residence Marilyn duBrisk, Assistant Director Brian Ricker, Coordinator Jennifer Hollowell, Technical Director Frank Mengel and Costume Director Erin Schultz. It is supported in part by a grant from the Tennessee Arts Commission, Hearts for the Arts, and many generous donors.

For more information about this production or other programs, please contact the TUAO office at 423-798-1620 or visit arts.tusculum.edu or Facebook: Tusculum University Arts Outreach.

Museums director explores relationship between Greeneville College, Tusculum Academy founders

Members of a denomination usually share similar core beliefs about their faith, but that does not mean they agree on everything.

Dollie Boyd, Tusculum University’s director of museums, speaks with Father Ken Saunders, rector of St. James Episcopal Church in Greeneville, during a break at the Feb. 19 Theologian-In-Residence presentation.

For example, take Hezekiah Balch and Samuel Doak, the respective founders of Greeneville College and Tusculum Academy, which are the predecessors of what is known today as Tusculum University. The two enjoyed a common bond as fellow Presbyterian ministers and experienced many years of harmony together, but Dollie Boyd, Tusculum’s director of museums, recently explained how they often did not see eye to eye.

Boyd shared these stories during the third presentation of the 2019 Theologian-In-Residence lecture series, held Tuesday, Feb. 19, in the Chalmers Conference Center of the Scott M. Niswonger Commons on Tusculum’s Greeneville campus. The four-part series will conclude with another lecture by Boyd from 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 26, in Chalmers.

Among the aspects of life Balch and Doak shared were degrees from Princeton University and receipt of their license as ministers in their 20s. They also arrived during the Revolutionary War era to serve in the Hanover Presbytery in North Carolina, which also covered most of Virginia and the populated parts of Tennessee. In addition, they understood the challenges of ministering in a part of the country that posed travel difficulties and had a population that was not easy to categorize.

“Faced with these physical and emotional obstacles, Doak and Balch began as allies in common cause,” Boyd said. “Doak settled in Limestone in 1780. There, he established Salem Church, built a log cabin school and then went on to help establish three other churches – New Providence, Carter’s Valley and Mount Bethel.

“Balch came to Greeneville in 1782 or 1783 and took up the ministry at Mt. Bethel Church, for which Samuel Doak periodically served as minister. Samuel Doak and Hezekiah Balch formally organized the church in 1783 near the big spring in Greeneville. Rev. Doak must have found Rev. Balch a worthy minister to entrust him with the congregation he had started to organize in 1780.”

The two men experienced their first major difference of opinion during the creation of the State of Franklin (now Northeast Tennessee) in 1784. They agreed about the need to establish a state independent from North Carolina, but their viewpoints diverged with the details, Boyd said.

“When the issue of schools came before the organizers, Doak proposed a clause in the constitution that would establish ‘one university, which shall be near the center of the state and not in a city or town,’ a move which Balch perceived as an effort by Doak to have his academy become the recipient of government largess,” she said. “Controversy ensued, with bitter feelings erupting on just what form the new government should take.”

Boyd said Balch went to an extreme by burning an opposition leader in effigy. But when the State of Franklin ended in 1789, the disagreement between him and Doak appears to have dissipated, she said. The two clergy members then collaborated with Charles Cummings to establish a Presbytery in the region, which grew to include 36 congregations in just 12 years.

As they worked together, they demonstrated different personalities. Boyd shared a story how Balch, Doak and some elders from the Presbytery, after praying, proceeded to license a minister even though several other eligible voters were not present. The group knew they would have to justify their actions at the Synod, and the following exchange between Balch and Doak occurred, according to members of the Doak family.

“Balch said, ‘Brother Doak, we will get on the good side of the doctors drinking wine with them so as to make our censure as light as possible,’” the Doak family said. “Doak responded, ‘The harvest is ripe, and the people are thirsting for the gospel. We need the services of that young man. We did what was right, and I will fight it on that line.’”

It is unclear what final approach they took, but church leaders forgave them and upheld the granting of the license.

In about 1786, Balch and Doak also partnered to advocate for replacing Francis Rous’ psalms sung in worship services with those of Isaac Watts. They succeeded, with Watts’ versions becoming the accepted version at the 1786 Abingdon Presbytery meeting.

However, their relationship was about to cool significantly, and it centered primarily on Balch’s exposure to the philosophy of a fellow minister, Samuel Hopkins. Balch had been encouraged to seek out Hopkins’ followers when he made a trip to New England in 1795 to raise funds for Greeneville College.

“His encounter with Hopkins’ ideas was no accident,” Boyd said. “For quite a while, he had been seeking more enlightenment on doctrines. In Hopkins, he found the man who could answer for the spiritual need he felt.”

Boyd said Hopkins’ belief system is a moderate Calvinist theology. She said Hopkins developed his philosophy from the ideas of renowned revivalist and theologian Jonathan Edwards who was a mentor, friend and colleague.

“Enlightenment ideas and terminology informed Hopkins’ work,” Boyd said. “He applied rational thought and logic to construct a response to the problem of sin in the world and as a counterpoint to social forces like materialism, secularism and deism. He looked around him and saw these harmful ideas on the rise in the new Republic.”

She said Hopkins believed God not only permits, but also wills, sin to exist so the world can see the full extent of God’s grace and power to punish the wicked. He advocated for emancipation and preached against slavery from the pulpit, receiving a mixed response. Hopkins also argued in a Knoxville Gazette letter for love of Africans, Cherokees, Roman Catholics as well as Quakers, Methodists, Baptists and “even for the Presbyterians.”

“These were the heretical ideas that brought Balch before the Presbytery 16 times, called before the Synod four times and before the General Assembly once,” Boyd said. “He made it through all of these church trials with his license to preach intact, but the personal cost was very high.”

When he returned to the area and explained what happened at the Synod, his local opponents accused him of downplaying his censure, and Mt. Bethel’s doors were closed to him. He dealt with that by preaching to supporters under the trees near the graveyard. However, his troubles continued, with members of the Union Presbytery filing several charges against him. The Synod of the Carolinas dismissed most of the charges in 1799 but suspended him and forced him to wait for the Presbytery to agree to reinstate his license.

“After his suspension, the division in Mt. Bethel was irreparable,” Boyd said. “The anti-Balch faction split off, taking the name Mt. Bethel, and the pro-Balch side kept the church building and renamed it, perhaps with a touch of longing if not irony, Harmony Church.

“At this time, both Abingdon and Union Presbyteries claimed overlapping territory in Greeneville. In a move to clear up confusion, they redrew the line, placing the newly founded Harmony Church back in the Abingdon Presbytery, a body populated with a fair number of his detractors like Samuel Doak. He refused to attend what he viewed as a hostile body and was promptly suspended by Abingdon as well.”

Boyd detailed another incident from sometime in the 1790s that showed the testiness between Doak and Balch. When the two men met on a muddy street in Greeneville, there was room for only one man to walk across a particularly impassable section on a plan. Doak said, “I never make way for the devil.” Balch said, “I do” and stepped aside for Doak to pass.

As difficult as the period with the presbyteries and synods and subsequent years were for Balch, a bright spot emerged. Charles Coffin, a minister who Balch had met during his 1795 trip, came to this region at Balch’s invitation and made a positive difference, particularly with Greeneville College.

“Coffin’s nearly four years spent fundraising helped save the school by making it possible for Greeneville College to build structures and acquire a library large enough to truly begin operation,” Boyd said. “Some of the money came with big strings attached, however.

“Several prominent New England Hopkins adherents gave generously to the fledgling school on the condition that it would follow Hopkinsian doctrines and hire only instructors who adhered to his doctrines. The Board of Trustees balked at this restriction, and it was Coffin who engineered a compromise that appeased the trustees while letting them keep the donations.”

Coffin became a beloved minister and teacher who succeeded Balch as president of Greeneville College, serving from 1810-1827.

Greeneville College and Tusculum Academy merged to become Greeneville and Tusculum College and later Tusculum College and Tusculum University. Boyd conjectures Balch and Doak would not have supported the merger given their poor relationship in the later stages. But she cites an 1880 speech by a Doak descendant that praised Balch, 70 years after his death.

“It’s nice to think that the merger of Greeneville and Tusculum helped heal a rift that drove two men apart and divided the community,” Boyd said.

Boyd’s Feb. 26 lecture is called “The Role of Presbyterians in the Education of Women in the 19th Century.” To reserve a seat and receive lunch in the Tusculum cafeteria afterward, please call the Institutional Advancement office at 423-636-7303 or email kkidwell@tusculum.edu. The session and meal are free, but Tusculum appreciates donations.

Tusculum to host “For the Love of the People” exhibit starting Feb. 21 in Clem Allison Gallery

 Tusculum University will host “For the Love of the People,” an exhibit of portraits by local artist Steve Haselroth that consist of famous people and others in his personal life, all of whom have meaningfully influenced the world.

Among the people whose portraits will be shown in the exhibit are Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Amelia Earhart, Nikola Tesla, Rabbi Yitzhak Kaduri and Winston Churchill. Portraits on a personal level include Haselroth’s wife, Janet, and son, David.

“For this particular exhibit, I have assimilated a collection of individuals from our history and from personal acquaintances that have had an impact on the world around them,” Haselroth said. “In each case, decisions of selflessness have been self-imposed, sometimes leading to the ultimate sacrifice, all for the love of those around them and leading to the benefit for others. In all cases, the individuals have had value systems that deserve the admiration of others.”

Bill Bledsoe, program director and an assistant professor for Tusculum’s art program, said one of the exhibit’s key elements is that all portraits convey the same visual strength in their structure.

“The idea is that ultimately, when you look at both of them, they actually carry the same weight in intent and introspection,” Bledsoe said. “That’s a tall order, but he succeeds in bringing the same amount of visual interest to an anonymous person as it would be with someone that you know.

“There is a similarity in scale, and the paintings work well with one another because they’re roughly the same scale and they’re done in the same medium for the most part, which is water color and color pencil.”

Bledsoe said Haselroth also likes to use a lot of negative space to highlight the nuances of each subject. The portraits are generally of people from the waist to their head.

“Each individual represented at this exhibit encapsulates the modus operandi to excel in life’s challenges, ultimately enhancing his or her community,” Haselroth said.

Haselroth’s roots in the visual arts date to his childhood. He is a retired teacher who was granted the honor of Cum Laude with the Tennessee Arts Academy Alumni Association in 2015. He has also served in the Navy, including as a medical planner and acting commander, amphibious task force surgeon, aboard the USS Saipan during the onset of the Iraq War in 1991.

The exhibit will kick off Thursday, Feb. 21, with a free, public reception from 5-7 p.m. in the Clem Allison Gallery in the Shulman Center. The portraits will remain available for viewing in the gallery until Thursday, March 7.

Tusculum University professor chosen for Yale seminar about the Civil War and modern-day events

Dr. Jeff Perry

A Tusculum University professor has been selected to participate in a seminar at Yale University this summer that will explore the Civil War and modern-day events associated with that period in U.S. history.

Dr. Jeffrey Perry, an assistant professor of history, will join 24 other full-time faculty members in history and related fields for “The Civil War in American Memory.” David Blight, Class of 1954 professor of American history at Yale and director of the university’s Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery, Resistance and Abolition, will lead the seminar.

The event is a partnership between the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History and the Council of Independent Colleges.

“We’re proud of Dr. Perry, who is demonstrating excellent scholarship and tremendous promise at an early stage in his career,” said Dr. Madison Sowell, Tusculum’s provost and vice president of academic affairs. “He will be an outstanding representative of Tusculum and contribute thoughtfully and insightfully to the discussions at this prestigious seminar. His selection illustrates the superb caliber of faculty at Tusculum and the high quality of education our students receive.”

The institute’s website says the seminar’s primary purpose is to provide a forum for comprehending and analyzing why the slavery, Civil War and Reconstruction period is still an unending dilemma in American historical consciousness.

Seminar participants will consider secondary works on Civil War memory and discuss theoretical texts on the nature and significance of collective memory across time and culture and explore in depth the war’s 50th, 100th and 150th anniversaries. Participants will also discuss crises and debates about Civil War monuments and symbols in recent years, such as the events in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015 and in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017.

Dr. Perry, a Tusculum faculty member since 2017, teaches Civil War and Reconstruction at Tusculum, and he is preparing to shift his research focus into that area. He has specialized in early American history with a concentration on the religious history of the post-Revolutionary War period. His book “Envisioning Authority in America: Church Discipline and Local Law in Kentucky: 1780-1845,” is under contract for publication with Johns Hopkins University Press.

Institutions such as the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Kentucky Historical Society and the Tennessee Historical Society have funded his research.

“I am looking forward to discussing one of the most significant periods in American history, as well as related current events, with my colleagues across the country,” Dr. Perry said. “My selection shows the high regard the education community has for Tusculum and represents a tremendous professional growth opportunity for me. Participating in this seminar will expand my knowledge of history and enable me to provide an even better learning experience for my students.”

Dr. Perry received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history from the University of South Florida and his doctorate in history from Purdue University.

Tusculum professor discusses religion in colonial America at Theologian-In-Residence series

Dr. Jeffrey Perry, an associate professor of history at Tusculum University, delivered an insightful lecture “Religion in Colonial America” Tuesday, Feb. 5, in the Chalmers Conference Center of the Scott M. Niswonger Commons.

Kicking off the 2019 Theologian-In-Residence series, Dr. Jeffrey Perry, an associate professor of history at Tusculum University, delivered an insightful lecture entitled “Religion in Colonial America.”

The lecture, delivered Tuesday, Feb. 5, in the Chalmers Conference Center of the Scott M. Niswonger Commons on the Tusculum campus, focused on the role of religion in the English colonies from their settlement in the early 17th Century through the “Great Awakening” of the mid-18th Century. Dr. Perry also provided historical context by discussing the origins of the Protestant Reformation through the actions of Martin Luther.

“To understand religion and colonial America, we have to begin back in Europe at an innocuous event in 1517 as Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the wall of the church door,” Dr. Perry said. “He did not know, of course, this was going to instigate a revolution. Luther, upon doing it, was trying to instigate a debate – a debate about indulgences specifically.”

Dr. Perry highlighted criticisms of the Catholic Church at the time that had been growing, including priests who did not adhere to the celibacy vow. Another issue was that priests, monks and nuns did not have to take part in civic duties, such as serving in the military and paying taxes.

So when Luther posted his 95 Theses, it mushroomed into the Protestant Reformation and the individualizing of faith, he said. Reformers emphasized a new relationship with God and a belief that the Bible was the sole authority.

In England, King Henry VIII denounced Luther in 1521, which led Pope Leo X to name him the “Defender of the Faith.” But the good relationship changed about a decade later when Henry divorced his wife, Catherine of Aragon, leading to his excommunication. Henry responded by securing through Parliament another title – head of the Church of England – bringing the Protestant Reformation to England and strengthening his power.

There were ebbs and flows in the monarchy’s approach toward Catholicism in subsequent reigns, with King Edward VI moving the country further away, Queen Mary I restoring the faith and Queen Elizabeth I bringing back Protestantism.

Turning to North American colonies, Dr. Perry noted the Pilgrims and Puritans that established colonies at Massachusetts Bay and Plymouth sought religious freedom and uniformity.

“The Protestants who built the first colonies in New England wanted to make Christianity the central part of these colonies – spiritually, of course, but also very much physically,” he said.

Dr. Perry described the Pilgrims as radical separatists who believed the Church of England could not be redeemed because it is had gone beyond reform. They were not pleased with remaining Catholic rituals, music that still retained a Catholic flavor and the prevalence of Arminian doctrine, which is the idea that individuals can make choices that affect their salvation, he said. Pilgrims are Calvinists, who believed their salvation hinged on God, he said.

Later came the Puritans, who shared the same grievances with the Catholic Church, but they were idealists rather than separatists, Dr. Perry said. He said they believed they could fix the problems within the Church of England through reform. By the early 1640s, 16,000 of them had arrived at Massachusetts Bay.

Dr. Perry said they remain a misunderstood group, which focused on family, developed congregational discipline, but were not unbending. Like the Pilgrims, the Puritans believed their salvation was dependent on God.

In Virginia, King James I chartered the Virginia Company of London to bring Christianity to Indians. Dr. Perry noted the colony’s first legislative assembly, Virginia’s House of Burgesses, met in 1619, with religion as a primary concern. Ministers were required to preach on Sunday, and all colonists were required to attend worship services or face civil punishment.

In 1624, Virginia became a royal colony, and the Church of England was established in the commonwealth. Taxes were imposed to support the Church of England, and they had to be paid not only by Anglicans but also members of other congregations, he said.

“Between this time and the 1780s, if you were born in Virginia, you were by default an Anglican and a member of the parish in which you were born,” Dr. Perry said. “That is going to change, motivated by many of the congregations you are part of, Presbyterians and Baptists especially, who later took on the church-state establishment.”

He discussed the major changes that occurred in the colonies in religious affiliation. Before 1690, 90 percent of the population was Congregationalist or Anglican, but that number dropped to 35 percent by 1770. As the American Revolution neared, 18 percent were Scottish and Scots-Irish Presbyterians and 15 percent were English and Welsh Baptists. Quakers, German Lutherans and German Reformed each had about 5-10 percent.

“Part of this diversity is because of the establishment and growth of what we call the middle colonies – New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and even Delaware,” Dr. Perry said. “These are also known as restoration colonies because they were established during the Restoration Period. Philadelphia and Pennsylvania in particular became sort of the center of American Protestantism.”

Dr. Perry said the founding of Pennsylvania has origins in the Quakers, a religious group that began in the mid-17th Century in England, with George Fox as an early leader and founder. This group’s belief system emphasized an inner light, that everyone could find religious truth that was not found solely in the Bible.

During his presentation, Dr. Perry also talked about the colonization of Maryland, which was chartered to George Calvert in 1932. The philosophy behind that colony was to create a refuge for Catholics who were not as welcome in other colonies. In spite of this plan, Catholicism did not dominate in that colony, with only four parishes of this denomination by 1650. Catholics remained a minority of the settlers, he said.

The lecture also discussed a variety of prominent people who played roles in religion’s development in the colonies, including Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson, who criticized New England’s religious and civil authorities. They were banished, but their calls for religious liberty and free grace were influential later, Dr. Perry said.

He quoted Williams from 1644 as saying, “All civil states, with their officer of justice, in their respective constitutions and administrations, are proved essentially civil and, therefore, not judges, governors or defenders of the spiritual, or Christian, state and worship.”

Another person Dr. Perry highlighted was William Penn, who converted to Quakerism and was imprisoned multiple times in the 1660s due to his strong advocacy of his beliefs. Nonetheless, King Charles II of England in 1681 granted him a large tract of land in North America, perhaps as a way to quell the commotion the Quakers had caused, he said. But he said this decision worked out well for Penn, who desired to create “a holy experiment” in Pennsylvania.

“When he first travels to Pennsylvania in 1682, he writes up its frame of government, the first of a handful of them,” Dr. Perry said. “Although he created a very unwieldy system of government, it had some important elements that become central to our constitution 100 years later. One of them is religious freedom. Another one is no taxation without representation. And then there was the due process of law.”

Dr. Perry will also lecture in week two of the four-week series, with a talk called “A Revolution in Church and State.” That lecture will be held Tuesday, Feb. 12, in Chalmers from 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

To reserve a seat and receive lunch in the Tusculum cafeteria afterward, please call the Institutional Advancement office at 423-636-7303 or email kkidwell@tusculum.edu. The session and meal are free, but Tusculum appreciates donations.

Dr. Adam Hickenbotham joins Tusculum’s Niswonger College of Optometry, brings 15 years of experience

Dr. Adam Hickenbotham

Dr. Adam Hickenbotham, a 15-year optometric professional who holds two doctorate degrees and has served in academia, private practice and executive positions in private industry has joined the leadership team of the Niswonger College of Optometry at Tusculum University.

A founding faculty member, Dr. Hickenbotham is the assistant dean for research and chief of surgery at the Niswonger College of Optometry. In addition, he serves as director of institutional research for Tusculum’s expanding and innovative College of Health Sciences.

“Adding Dr. Hickenbotham, who is well-versed in the most up-to-date methods of practice for the optometric profession is another feather in our cap,” said Dr. Andrew Buzzelli, the Niswonger College of Optometry’s founding dean and executive vice president of the College of Health Sciences. “We are focused on developing the premier college of optometry in the nation, one that will lead in research and serve as a model for patient care. Dr. Hickenbotham will play a vital role in accomplishing our goals.”

The Niswonger College of Optometry, created to address the prevalence of ocular disease in Central Appalachia, is engaged in the accreditation process. It has achieved the first stage and has two more to complete with the Accreditation Council on Optometric Education before it can recruit and enroll students. Pending the receipt of preliminary approval for accreditation, Tusculum is projecting to enroll the first class of 70 students in the four-year program in fall 2020.

As part of the accreditation process, the Niswonger College of Optometry has to demonstrate it is ready to accept students. That requirement has led the Niswonger College of Optometry to hire administrators and faculty members and begin renovating the building that will house the teaching and training activities.

“As we proceed toward establishing the Niswonger College of Optometry, Tusculum will have an opportunity to transform medical eye care in the region in partnership with other providers,” Dr. Hickenbotham said. “At the Niswonger College of Optometry we are seeking to transform the training of optometric physicians to align ourselves with the extensive medical training provided by allopathic and osteopathic schools. We can have a lasting impact on future generations, and I am excited to be part of that development.”

Dr. Hickenbotham founded ThruFocus Optics, an ophthalmic medical device company based in Berkeley, California, which is developing innovative new treatments for presbyopia, including a laser surgery currently undergoing clinical trials. Dr. Hickenbotham has been awarded numerous U.S. and international patents in laser medical devices.

During his career, he has owned and operated a private optometry clinic, overseen delivery of on-site medical care at more than 20 skilled nursing facilities, managed refractive surgery clinics, directed marketing efforts for ophthalmology practices and managed clinical trials internationally.

Dr. Hickenbotham also has experience in academic settings, having taught a variety of subjects, including laser surgery, optics, pharmacology, physiology, anatomy and optometric methods. He served as a lecturer and senior engineering adviser for the University of California, Irvine, and as a clinical research scientist and assistant researcher at the University of California, Berkeley. He also has international experience, establishing a LASIK Center in Phuket, Thailand, and serving as an optometry lecturer in optics at Ramkhamhaeng University in Bangkok, Thailand.

He began his teaching career as an elementary and high school teacher in Los Angeles County in California.

Dr. Hickenbotham has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Brigham Young University and a master’s degree in public health and a doctorate in optometry from the University of California, Berkeley. He also has a doctorate in bioengineering as part of a joint program between the University of California, San Francisco, and the University of California, Berkeley.

He was the first optometrist to be accepted into Harvard Medical School’s Surgical Leadership Program and successfully completed the Clinical Research Conduct and Management Program as well as the Clinical Scientist Development Program with the University of California, Berkeley.

Dr. Hickenbotham comes to Tusculum from the Kentucky College of Optometry, where he served as an associate professor and a founding faculty member for about 2 ½ years. He served as chairman of the Academic Rank and Promotions Committee and Scholarship and Awards Committee. He also held leadership positions in the Academic Standards Committee and the Admissions Committee.

“The Appalachian region is in dire need of medical eye care providers,” Dr. Hickenbotham said. “We have the highest incidence of blindness in the country here and would benefit greatly with an increase in highly skilled optometric physicians. There is a severe shortage of doctors throughout the country, and optometric physicians must be expertly trained to help alleviate the current health care crisis that we are experiencing, particularly in Appalachia.

“Optometric physicians are primary care providers who are often the first to diagnose cardiovascular diseases, such as diabetes or hypertension, through manifestations in the eye. We, as optometrists, are privileged to improve the quality of life for our patients.”

“Little Shop of Horrors,” a delightful Sci-Fi musical, opens March 1 at Tusculum University

Theatre-at-Tusculum will present the charming and hysterical classic “Little Shop of Horrors” for seven performances beginning Friday, March 1.

Maxwell Reed as Seymour, left, and Molly Doss as Audrey will perform in Theatre-at-Tusculum’s presentation of “Little Shop of Horrors.”

With tongue firmly planted in cheek, “Little Shop of Horrors” never fails to entertain with its story about Seymour Krelborn, a down-and-out skid row floral shop assistant, who becomes an overnight sensation when he discovers an unknown plant species that has a mysterious craving for fresh blood.

Soon the plant, affectionately named Audrey 2, grows into a manipulative, rhythm-and-blues-singing carnivore that offers Seymour fame and fortune in exchange for feeding its growing appetite. The plant finally reveals itself to be an alien creature poised for global domination.

“Little Shop of Horrors” features the songs “Somewhere That’s Green,” “Dentist!” “Suddenly, Seymour” and “Suppertime.”

This spoof of 1950s Sci-Fi movies has become a household name, thanks to a highly successful film version and a score by the duo of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken (Disney’s “The Little Mermaid,” “Beauty and the Beast” and “Aladdin”). The “Little Shop of Horrors” musical, which premiered in May 1982, is based on the 1960s Roger Corman Sci-Fi horror flick of the same name starring a very young Jack Nicholson. A 1986 movie version of the musical directed by Frank Oz and starring Rick Moranis and Ellen Greene is considered a cult classic.

The Theatre-at Tusculum production is being directed by Brian Ricker and will take place in the Behan Arena Theatre in the lower level of the Annie Hogan Byrd Fine Arts Center at Tusculum University in Greeneville. The show will span two weekends with performances on March 1, 2, 7, 8, 9 at 7 p.m. with matinee performances on March 3 and 10 at 2 p.m.

Ricker, assistant director of Tusculum University Arts Outreach and a veteran actor of the Greeneville stage, has directed successful productions for Theatre-at-Tusculum and the Greeneville Theatre Guild, including “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” “Urinetown: The Musical” and Tennessee Williams’ “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.”

Left to right, Erin Schultz as Ronette, Jodie Carter as Crystal and Sara Claiborne as Chiffon will perform in Theatre-at-Tusculum’s presentation of “Little Shop of Horrors.”

“Little Shop of Horrors” features many of the area’s favorite actors, including:

  • Maxwell Reed who plays Seymour and is known for his performances as Hero in “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” and Noah Claypole in “Oliver!”
  • Molly Doss who plays Audrey and is making her second Tusculum theater appearance after portraying one of the exotic birds “Tarzan” in the fall in addition to many other regional theater credits, including Tracy Turnblad in “Hairspray”
  • Greeneville favorite Chris Greene, who plays shopkeeper Mr. Mushnik and is known for his prior roles as Fagin in “Oliver!,” Oscar in “The Odd Couple” and Gomez in “The Addams Family”

Playing the sinister and sadistic Orin Scrivello, D.D.S., will be Tusculum student and Nebraska native Trevor Kahland who made his Tusculum theater premiere in “Tarzan” as the great ape, Kerchak. Voicing the soulful Audrey II will be Greeneville native Jason Shoemaker. Rounding out the cast are three local actresses who will amaze audiences with their talented voices: Jodie Carter, Sara Claiborne and Erin Schultz as the trio of skid row dwelling street urchins.

“Little Shop of Horrors” is musically directed by Kasie Shelnutt and choreographed by Heather Allen. The show will be stage managed by Christian Emery-Howard, with set design by Frank Mengel and Garry Renfro and lighting design by Beth Schnura.

Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for Seniors (60+). The show is rated PG-13 for some gruesome and gory content as well as strong language. Seating is general and is first come, first served. The ticket box office will open 90 minutes prior to each show time, with the house opening 60 minutes prior to each show time. Tickets may be purchased with cash or check only. No credit or debit cards will be accepted. To reserve tickets please call 423-798-1620 or email jhollowell@tusculum.edu.

Theatre-at-Tusculum is under the auspices of Tusculum University Arts Outreach which is led by Artist-in-Residence Marilyn duBrisk, Assistant Director Brian Ricker, Coordinator Jennifer Hollowell, Technical Director Frank Mengel and Costume Director Erin Schultz. It is supported in part by a grant from the Tennessee Arts Commission, Hearts for the Arts, and many generous donors. For more information about this production or other programs, please contact the TUAO office at 423-798-1620 or visit arts.tusculum.edu or Facebook: Tusculum University Arts Outreach.